Liberated

Letting the 'snowflakes' drift from her hand, Selene turned toward the young girl in tattered clothes, blood streaking her pale face. This girl looked even younger than the Jack that had appeared before as Assassin.

"I suppose you're right. I am a villain, through and through. But from the perspective of the ordinary people you murdered, I'm just the one who's here to avenge them."

Selene understood the origins of Jack the Ripper's existence and how the Heroic Spirit had come to be. When Jack said "we," she wasn't just referring to herself and Reika Rikudou—she was referring to "herself" in a larger sense.

That "self" was not a singular entity, but a mass of the resentment of tens of thousands of abandoned infants in 19th-century London—an amalgamation of curses.

"Our perspectives are different, and so are our judgments. From my point of view, you are a tragedy born of the shadows of this world—a reflection of the harsh reality. This isn't a fairy tale. It's not just London; across the entire world, tragedies like this happen every moment."

As she spoke, violet-red magical particles erupted from beneath Selene's feet, shredding the illusions of other children conjured by Jack.

The young Jack, seeing the terrifying aura radiating from Selene, backed away in fear. "Rider, you…"

"This illusion can only affect those who are kind and good-hearted. But this kind of scene? It's something I've seen countless times in the pursuit of conquest! It's something that happens every moment in my world!"

Selene was utterly unmoved by Jack's survival instinct.

Wanting to live wasn't wrong—survival was a fundamental instinct for all living things. Nearly every living being feared death.

But as someone who had risen to the rank of Herrscher, who had destroyed worlds, expanded her empire, and seized power, Selene had caused countless deaths, both directly and indirectly. If she stopped to mourn each one, she'd never move forward.

It wasn't about right or wrong—only about what served her own interests. If she needed to kill, she killed. If someone stood in her way, they had to die.

At best, if she was feeling merciful or if she respected the opponent, she would grant them a quick death.

"Watch closely. This is my mercy. I won't extract your Servant core... I'll purify you and free you from the legend of Jack the Ripper."

With those words, Selene raised both hands, and a blinding light flooded the streets.

Being a hero? That title no longer suited her. All that remained was a conqueror who sought her own gain through calculation, manipulation, and force...

"Erosion!"

...

Elsewhere.

"Don't leave us…"

"It's so cold…"

"Stay with us…"

"Ahhhhhh!" Surrounded by the voices of countless children, Atalanta clutched her head and screamed in agony.

Atalanta, who had been abandoned by her parents as a child and only survived thanks to the care of others, had always wanted to repay that kindness by saving as many children as possible. Her wish for the Holy Grail was for a world where every child grew up loved and cared for.

But the children who made up the Heroic Spirit Jack the Ripper—abandoned and forgotten—were her worst nightmare come to life.

Just then, the entire Reality Marble shook violently, as if the world itself were convulsing.

In the next moment, time and space shattered, and the dark, mist-filled streets were replaced by a world engulfed in flames. Explosions, screams, and cries for help reverberated from all directions.

Atalanta's eyes trembled as she knelt, gasping for breath. "Where… where am I?"

The children that had surrounded her were gone, replaced by the burning ruins of a city drenched in blood.

"If I'm not mistaken, this must be the Reality Marble belonging to Rider," a soft voice suddenly answered Atalanta's question.

"Ruler… Jeanne d'Arc," Atalanta said, recognizing the woman who now stood before her in simple black clothing, radiating a soft golden light.

Jeanne shook her head. "Please don't call me a saint. I don't deserve that title. I couldn't save these children…"

Helping the disoriented Red Archer to her feet, Jeanne looked around at the scenes unfolding in the new Reality Marble, her expression heavy with sorrow. "This is the world Rider lived through…"

"This… is Rider's world?"

When Atalanta raised her head, her face went pale. Before her lay a burning city, engulfed in flames and bathed in blood. Corpses littered the streets, headless bodies piled high.

Ranks of soldiers, wrapped in black armor and exuding a menacing aura, marched forward in perfect formation. Their spears and shields formed impenetrable walls, filling Atalanta's vision.

But what struck fear into both Jeanne and Atalanta were the heads dangling from the soldiers' waists—bloodied trophies of their conquest.

The scene shifted again, this time to a sprawling manor. Children played happily on the lush lawns under the watchful eyes of their parents and servants, an idyllic picture of peace.

But in the blink of an eye, purple light flashed.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Dozens of towering giants in black armor stormed into the manor, slaughtering everyone in sight. "By order of Her Majesty! Minister Honest has committed treason! All related to him, young or old, shall be executed!"

Clang!

Shhhk!

"No!" Atalanta cried out as she watched, horrified, as the children—some not even as tall as the giants' knees—were mercilessly beheaded.

"Red Archer, calm down…" Jeanne said, as the scene before them faded once again. "We need to hurry. Rider is likely about to purify Black Assassin."

...

"You still haven't given up?"

The sheer majesty of Selene's presence, as well as the divine pressure radiating from her, instantly dispersed all of Jack's concentrated mist.

"Jack doesn't want to die. Jack just wants to be with Mommy."

As Jack watched her Misty Metropolis being pushed back by Selene's overwhelming Reality Marble of war and carnage, the small girl's face was filled with disbelief. She stumbled backward, terrified.

All around Selene, other children—boys and girls of various ages, the oldest barely twelve, the youngest no older than three or four—watched in silence.

"You should understand by now," Selene said, her voice cold and unyielding. "Your growing hatred and the despair of all those abandoned children has twisted you into something monstrous—into the legend of Jack the Ripper."

"You've become the curse of Jack the Ripper's legend, consumed by it. In truth, all of you are Jack the Ripper."

Raising her right hand, which now glowed with a golden light, Selene continued. "As Empress, I shall purify you with this curse-cleansing spell."

Suddenly—whoosh!

An arrow shot straight toward Selene.

Without even bothering to dodge, Selene calmly raised her left hand, caught the arrow between her fingers, and crushed it.

She didn't need to guess who had shot it. Atalanta's obsession with children was well-known, but Selene had no interest in indulging her now.

Atalanta leaped forward, standing between the children and Selene, her bow drawn once more. "Black Rider! What are you trying to do?! These are still childr—"

"You're a nuisance," Selene muttered.

Simulated Gravity.

Wham!

Atalanta was yanked into the air, helpless against Selene's manipulation, and flung away like a cannonball.

In that brief opening, Selene completed the purifying spell she had prepared and pressed it onto the small, silver-haired body of the real Jack.

In an instant, Jack's entire form turned gold. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but then closed it, standing silently in place.

Moments later, all the children dissolved into golden particles that flowed into Jack's body. Finally, the golden light that surrounded her faded away, and she disappeared completely.

With the magic that had maintained it gone, the Misty Metropolis began to collapse, and the real-world moonlight shone once again on the ruined square.

"Now, it's your turn, Red Archer."

"You… you killed those children? How could y—"

Still dazed from Selene's earlier attack, Atalanta struggled to her feet, her eyes wide with horror and rage.

"Rider, your actions… aren't they against the rules of fairness?" Jeanne asked hesitantly.

"Don't worry. I just knocked her around a bit. She'll be fine," Selene replied dismissively.

Boom!

With an explosive burst of speed, Selene launched herself at Atalanta, aiming a powerful kick at her stomach.

"Ugh! Guhh!"

Atalanta barely had time to react. Selene's foot connected with her gut, and she was sent flying. The pain wracked her body, her eyes bulging in shock as she nearly vomited from the impact.

She tumbled across the ground, finally crashing into the far wall of the square, where she lay twitching and coughing.

"Are you clear-headed now?"

Coughing violently, Atalanta forced herself to stand, her entire body trembling from the pain. "Rider, you… even if you're a goddess, do you not have any… any sense of heroism?! Those children… didn't want to die…"

"Heroism? Hmph."

Simulated Gravity. Selene extended her hand and yanked Atalanta back, gripping her throat as she spoke with an air of disdain.

"Have you lost your mind? Or did living among beasts make you stupid? The spell I used was for purification—it saved them."

Still holding her by the throat, Selene looked into Atalanta's eyes, utterly unimpressed.

"They were bound to the legend of Jack the Ripper. With my high-level curse-cleansing spell, they've been freed from that curse and can finally rest in peace. I did exactly what needed to be done."

"…"

Dumbfounded, Atalanta couldn't think of anything to say.

She had to admit, Selene was right.

The purification was the best way to deal with Jack the Ripper. Whether Jack was killed here in the Holy Grail War or allowed to persist until its end, the entity known as Jack the Ripper would remain a curse born from the suffering of abandoned children. Only by cleansing that curse could they be freed.

Resurrecting all those children wasn't a realistic option.

Atalanta had simply been too emotionally involved to see the truth. Now, after Selene's scolding and a good deal of pain, her rationality had returned.

She realized that Selene had indeed chosen the best way to help those children find peace.

"You're not insane anymore? Good," Selene muttered, tossing Atalanta aside with a look of annoyance. "Also, do I look like a hero to you?"

"I…"

No, she really didn't. Selene's bearing was that of a ruthless ruler, not some noble hero. Jeanne quietly mumbled her agreement to herself.

"I'm an Empress. Heroes? They're tools to be used. If I need them, I'll raise them up by the thousands. And when I'm done, I'll discard them like the useless things they are."

Atalanta, feeling the weight of Selene's disdainful gaze, didn't know how to respond. Her face flushed with embarrassment. "I-I'm sorry, Black Rider. I see now. You did save the children…"

"But, even so, Your Divine Majesty, I will defeat you in the end. I have my own reasons for seeking the Holy Grail!"

With those final words, Atalanta's body began to shimmer and fade as she was forcibly teleported away.

Another Command Seal.

It wasn't surprising. Red had already lost two Servants, and if they lost their Archer, even Amakusa Shirou Tokisada would have trouble keeping things under control.

As Selene raised her head, a faint smile played across her lips. "Jeanne, it looks like our time of leisure is over. The real battle is about to begin."

Jeanne followed Selene's gaze, looking up at the night sky, where a massive floating fortress, resembling a military stronghold, slowly advanced toward Trifas.