Chapter 94: Chapter 94: The Final Confrontation
"Ah... ah..."
Jiroemon stood frozen, staring blankly at the raging inferno before him.
His gaze seemed to pierce through the flames, looking toward some distant, unreachable place. His breathing grew ragged, and his eyes brimmed with profound sorrow.
"Again... it's happening again!"
Beside him, Jeanne bit her lip, her eyes fixed on the all-consuming fire that dominated her view.
Inside the castle, the number of magi was dwindling at a terrifying pace. Whether they were fleeing in panic or hiding within their workshops, none could escape the lethal precision of that master-servant duo.
Indeed, magi were often unscrupulous beings who disregarded morality, but in an era like this, their existence was crucial. Without magi, ordinary people would find it nearly impossible to survive. Ending things this way felt too brutal, too absolute.
Jeanne wanted to voice her disapproval.
But as she glanced at Jiroemon, she thought back to the first time she met Roy. The image of his battered body flashed vividly in her mind—the hollow man who had already lost his will to live, his heart dead long before their encounter.
She hesitated.
Roy's hatred for magi was palpable, consuming. To him, their death was not just justice—it was a necessity.
And deep down, Jeanne couldn't help but feel that she was partly to blame. Had her departure all those years ago added to the torment Roy now carried? Did her death back then drive him to the brink of this madness?
The thought alone filled her with an unshakable guilt, an ache that felt like a knife relentlessly twisting in her chest.
---
"Lancer! Break the barrier and kill him! That bastard doesn't even have his servant by his side right now. This is the perfect chance!"
Jiroemon's desperate roar broke Jeanne from her thoughts.
But she simply shook her head, her expression a mixture of sorrow and resolve.
Jiroemon's eyes widened in disbelief.
Before, she might have silently disobeyed him. At least then, she pretended to listen, only to later act against his wishes. But now? Now she openly rejected his command, as if his orders carried no weight.
"Master," Jeanne said coolly. "I warned you from the beginning—aligning yourself with the Mage's Association would lead to ruin. Yet you insisted on joining them, and here we are, facing the inevitable. I won't argue anymore. But if you wish for me to fight Roy or his Saber, you'll need to use a Command Seal."
Her tone was calm yet resolute, leaving no room for negotiation.
"You insolent wretch!" Jiroemon ground his teeth, his fury barely contained.
How dare a mere servant—nothing more than a tool—defy him not once, but repeatedly?
"Fine! If that's what it takes, then so be it!"
He raised his hand, his face contorted with rage.
Jeanne sighed softly, her disappointment evident.
Time had eroded Jiroemon's once-principled heart. The man he used to be had been lost to the callousness of a magus's mindset.
Still, what did it matter now? His remaining Command Seals were few—just one or two more uses, and her bond to this world would be severed.
Jeanne glanced at his outstretched hand and froze.
What she saw made her doubt her own eyes.
Jiroemon's hand, always wrapped in bandages to conceal his Command Seals, now revealed three glowing marks on its surface.
Three?
Impossible.
He had already used one before! By all accounts, there should only be two left.
"In the name of the Command Seal, I order you, Lancer: strike down the master of Saber with all your might!"
Jiroemon's cold voice rang out, and the power of the Command Seal surged into Jeanne's body, compelling her to move.
Her lips pressed into a thin line as she reluctantly walked toward the castle's barrier, her spear glinting ominously in the firelight. With a single swing, the barrier shattered, disintegrating into fragments of magical energy that scattered into the night.
---
"Roy, move!"
Outside the castle, Roy stood on the open ground, his eyes locking onto Jeanne as she charged toward him, her face etched with reluctance.
Without hesitation, Roy pulled out a handful of talismans, tossing them into the air. The charms formed a layered barrier before him—each individually weak, but together capable of stalling her for a few precious seconds.
"Saber, to me!" he called out.
He raised his right hand, revealing a series of Command Seals that stretched from the back of his hand all the way up his arm—eight in total.
Even Jeanne couldn't help but pause mid-charge, her eyes widening in shock.
Eight?
When did he manage to acquire so many?
One of the seals began to glow, dissolving into a surge of magical energy that warped the air around him. A moment later, a figure materialized at his side.
It was Okita Souji.
Without waiting for instructions, she darted forward, her blade slicing through the air in a clean arc aimed at Jeanne.
Jeanne barely managed to block with her spear, letting out a quiet sigh of relief.
At least Roy wasn't harmed.
Engaging Okita, Jeanne allowed herself to get locked in combat, knowing it would buy time for the effects of the Command Seal to weaken.
---
"Master," Okita called out between strikes.
"What is it?"
"The Blackened Saber has appeared."
Roy's gaze shifted toward the mountain path leading up to the castle.
The Mage's Association branch sat atop a small hill, and the road winding up was the only way in or out.
There, at the foot of the hill, stood a figure clad in pitch-black armor. Despite her petite stature, an overwhelming aura of oppression radiated from her, making her presence impossible to ignore.
In her hand, she wielded a corrupted holy sword, and her golden eyes, devoid of emotion, surveyed the battlefield.
It was the Blackened Saber.
Artoria Pendragon, the once-honorable King of Knights, now twisted into a vessel of darkness during the last Holy Grail War.
"So, the promise to settle this next time turned out to be quite literal," Roy muttered, his gaze fixed on her. "Arthurian legends truly do live up to their word."
This time, however, Roy's eyes shone with unwavering determination.
"Things are different now. This time, I'll crush you here and now!"
The Blackened Saber began her ascent, her oppressive aura growing stronger with every step.
Hearing Roy's declaration, a faint smirk tugged at her lips—a mixture of amusement and disdain.
"How bold. Barely a day ago, you were cowering in my presence, and now you dare to proclaim your intent to defeat me? What gave you such confidence?"
Roy grinned viciously.
"Let's just say... your Lesser Grail isn't quite as reliable as it used to be."
For the first time, the Blackened Saber's expression faltered.
"Ah... I see. So you've figured out my weakness..."
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