Chapter 76: Dragon Witch
Boom! Boom! Boom————————!!!
Blinding beams of light continuously shot out from the Demon Pillar's eye. Mash and Johanna relentlessly shielded their allies as they pushed forward.
Mordred charged straight toward Jeanne Alter, rapidly closing the distance in an instant.
BOOM!!!
A burst of black flames erupted before her, but Mordred immediately raised Clarent to block.
"Too weak! Way weaker than when you were still conscious!!!"
Right after, Mordred leaped high into the air and swung her sword downward!
"Wake up already, you damn Witch!!!"
CLANG————————!!!
Jeanne Alter's Evil Dragon Banner single-handedly blocked Mordred's strike, while her other hand thrust forward with the black sword!
"Not that easy!!!"
Martha instantly swung her fist, wrapped in her sacred gauntlet, intercepting the attack. Then, tightening her right hand, she aimed straight at Jeanne Alter's armored abdomen.
"ORA!!!"
The punch launched forward—
But just before it landed, an immense wave of magical energy erupted, blasting both of them backward!
The black flames surrounding Jeanne Alter suddenly flared up more intensely than ever!
"Shit— it's too hot…"
Mordred noticed the fire licking up her arm and quickly put it out.
But Martha—remained completely unaffected.
Magic Resistance EX.
"Damn you Rulers!!!"
Mordred grumbled in frustration.
"…Yare yare, you're still holding a grudge over that?"
Martha replied helplessly.
"Hmph, but I share the same class as my Father. Saber is the greatest class, and that's all that matters."
Father-complex smirked proudly, resting her radiant Clarent on her shoulder.
"Still up for more, Iron Fist Saintess?"
"Iron… Iron Fist?! Ha… Ahaha… You really love making jokes, huh? I am a Saint, you know."
"What's with that embarrassed look? Purging evil with your fists is cool as hell!"
"Eh? You… actually think so?!"
Mordred raised Clarent high.
"Crimson Lightning!!!"
Mana surged into crackling crimson lightning, enveloping Mordred's entire body, momentarily enhancing all her stats.
"Don't slow me down! I'm going in first!"
Vwoosh————————!!
In the blink of an eye, Mordred once again launched herself at Jeanne Alter.
CLANG——————————!!
This time, when Jeanne Alter blocked with the Evil Dragon Banner, she was pushed back a step.
"What's wrong? What's wrong? Is this all you've got?"
Mordred pressed both hands onto Clarent, forcing it down with all her strength, locking Jeanne Alter's counterattack in place.
"ORA!!!"
Martha also jumped high, launching an aerial strike from above.
This time, Jeanne Alter was the one on the defensive—she raised her black sword to block the attack.
BOOM——————!!
Suddenly, something shot toward her from behind.
The massive iron dragon, Tarasque, spun through the air and crashed into Jeanne Alter, striking her by surprise!
"Gotcha!!!"
Martha gathered her power mid-air, her sacred gauntlets shining brightly!
If this punch landed, no matter how strong Jeanne Alter was, she would lose her ability to defend—at least for a moment.
"If you are so determined to stand in my way! Then endure the agony of the blazing hellfire!!!"
Cornered, Jeanne Alter unleashed a surge of pitch-black mana throughout her entire body! A moment later, it erupted in a violent explosion!!!
"This is bad, is she trying to self-destruct?!"
"Run!!!"
BOOOOM——————————!!
The shockwave from the explosion tore through the battlefield, drawing everyone's attention immediately.
"Mordred-san, Martha-san!!!"
Mash, still locked in battle with the Demon Pillar, cried out in panic. But before she could move, another laser shot from the Demon Pillar's eye, preventing her from rushing over.
As the smoke gradually cleared, the spot where the three had been standing was now a massive crater, engulfed in raging black flames, resembling hell itself.
Even the nearby Demon Pillar had been affected, with part of its body reduced to ashes.
At the center of the explosion, Jeanne Alter stood tall. Her armor was shattered beyond recognition, fragments of it crumbling to the scorched ground.
Not far away, Mordred and Martha lay motionless, seemingly injured from the blast. Tarasque struggled to move, trying to shield them.
Jeanne Alter, now completely consumed by madness, took slow, deliberate steps toward them. Only hatred remained, driving her to destroy everything in sight.
Amidst her delirium, the shadow of Gilles de Rais flickered before her eyes.
"Oh, Jeanne. You've finally done it… You have destroyed this nation…"
Gilles de Rais bowed deeply before her, his voice filled with reverence.
"Hmph, Gilles, so you've finally returned. Where the hell were you before?"
Jeanne Alter sneered as she sat arrogantly upon the papal throne, her sharp gaze looking down upon him.
"If you keep dawdling any longer, I'll have Fafnir wipe out those rats this instant."
"My deepest apologies… But those rats have already killed Fafnir."
"…What? Fafnir was taken down by them?!"
Jeanne Alter's eyes widened in shock before quickly narrowing in fury.
"Those damn rats… How dare they kill my subordinate! Gilles, it seems I'll have to handle this personally!!!"
"That's right, Jeanne!"
The scene before her shifted—scattered across the battlefield were the broken bodies of enemy Servants, torn apart beyond recognition. The black sword in her hand dripped with fresh blood.
"I… this is…?"
Jeanne Alter stared blankly at the sight before her, unable to believe it.
"Jeanne, what are you hesitating for? Burn those rats to ashes in the fires of hell!!!"
Gilles de Rais urged her on.
Before he could finish speaking, the black flames surged violently, swallowing everything in sight.
"Yes, Jeanne, once you personally exterminate those rats, this nation will be completely reduced to nothing."
Gilles de Rais grinned wickedly.
"And not just this nation… This entire world will come to an end."
"Has France already fallen?"
Jeanne Alter let out a hysterical laugh.
"Hahaha, Gilles, I never imagined revenge could feel this satisfying!!!"
The black flames silently crawled up from beneath her feet, slowly creeping upward, as if they sought to consume her as well.
"If my revenge is complete… then perhaps nothing else really matters anymore…"
She lifted her gaze to the sky. At some point, the sky had become a void of absolute darkness, with only a single black sphere floating above—a sun of pure malevolence.
Emptiness gradually gnawed at her mind.
Suddenly, a shadowy figure appeared before her.
"Who's there?!"
Jeanne Alter immediately snapped to alert.
She had obliterated this land. She was certain that no living being remained.
And yet, someone still stood before her.