Jealousy? Hatred? Or envy? Jeanne Alter herself no longer knew how to view Jeanne.
Who was Laurent? Why did she feel he was so important—even though she didn't even know what he truly looked like?
Everything was because of that woman.
Because she abandoned Laurent—because she cast him away—things became what they are today.
That woman, who had everything, yet cherished nothing.
So Jeanne Alter hated her.
So she wanted to kill her.
She wasn't worthy of being Jeanne.
She wasn't worthy of standing at his side.
The one who should stand there was her.
The one who understood Laurent was her.
And yet she knew nothing—none of the memories Laurent had of her, none of Évigi's past, none of the reason why Laurent was Évigi or why Évigi was Laurent.
She despised seeing that woman lean on him.
She despised all their closeness.
That woman… who only knew how to take…
That woman who caused all this tragedy…
And yet she shamelessly clung to him now.
…She wanted that warmth too.
She wanted that place.
Hearing Laurent's words now, the emotion she'd been suppressing finally snapped. Jeanne Alter's voice trembled with clenched-teeth fury:
"Shut up!!! Sanson—kill them both! Especially that man! I want him to know just how wrong his choice was!"
In her eyes, however, there was more pain than anger.
At the same instant, two Noble Phantasms were invoked.
Sanson: "[LA MORT ESPOIR: DEATH IS HOPE FOR TOMORROW]!"
Laurent: "[THE HOLY MAIDEN'S STAKE OF EXECUTION]!"
[THE HOLY MAIDEN'S STAKE OF EXECUTION]!
He lifted the cross necklace at his chest.
Both sides transformed simultaneously.
On Laurent's side, a massive guillotine materialized, locking him onto the execution platform, completely immobile.
The blade above gleamed with a razor edge, ready to fall at any moment.
…This Noble Phantasm's function… overlaps with mine?
On Sanson's side, a flaming pyre manifested, binding him forcibly in place.
Their eyes met.
Laurent smiled. "Didn't expect both of our Noble Phantasms to be a trial of surviving death."
Sanson said nothing, struggling—but it was useless.
Both Noble Phantasms forced one to endure a death. Only by surviving could one live on.
Laurent, of course, did not fear death.
And because the Noble Phantasms were activated simultaneously, the executions proceeded at the same moment.
"Laurent!!" Marie still sounded worried, while Jeanne Alter stared hard at Sanson's side.
What is going on with this Noble Phantasm…?
It forces one to die—
And then she suddenly began to laugh.
If Laurent died, she could just summon him again...
With their compatibility, she could absolutely summon her own Laurent in one try.
Then she would take her Laurent and kill that village girl.
But the next moment—
Jeanne Alter witnessed something she could not believe.
The blade fell—
Laurent's head was severed—
And yet the instant after, he stood up as if nothing had happened at all.
Jeanne Alter remembered the moment they first met.
Immortality? No—impossible. Sanson's guillotine tests the concept of death itself…
And then she realized.
Her grip tightened until her knuckles whitened.
That woman…! That damn village girl—just how much torment did she make him endure!?
On Sanson's side, the execution was unsuccessful; he could not withstand the flames.
As the effect ended, Laurent relaxed his body slightly. In the instant Sanson perished, Laurent devoured him as well—his power rising again.
"All right, one down," he said calmly. "Time to deal with the next."
Jeanne Alter's aura surged; she was fully prepared to fight.
But then Laurent turned—not to her, but to Marie.
Marie, already expecting it, sighed softly. "So your target really is me."
"Oh? You noticed?" Laurent smiled faintly, intrigued.
"I suspected from the start. After everything you said—Laurent, you'd never lay a hand on her."
Jeanne Alter froze where she stood.
"And your reasoning?" Laurent asked.
"Back then, the doctor said if we fail or do nothing, this world becomes reality. I wondered whether, after seeing Jeanne revived, you were already prepared to let us fail."
Marie continued, expression calm.
"And when you volunteered to team with me, everything became clear."
"Mm. Then—sorry."
"No need to apologize. We're fighting for our own goals. There's no right or wrong in that."
Then she asked quietly, her face tinged with worry despite being his enemy now:
"But do you truly believe this will work?"
"How would I know if I don't try?" Laurent replied. "I searched for a hundred years for her back then. So now—if there's even the slightest chance—I won't let it go, Marie."
He continued:
"So out of respect—let me show you everything I have."
Marie nodded solemnly. "I won't deny your conviction. And I'll respond with all of mine, Laurent."
For the first time, Marie wore a truly serious expression.
"[CRYSTAL PALACE: BELOVED RADIANCE FOR ALL ETERNITY]."
A magnificent crystal palace blossomed around them. The dazzling spectacle could make anyone fall into a dreamlike trance, even Laurent looked momentarily impressed.
"This is my beloved Crystal Palace from the London Expo! Come, Laurent. Meeting all of you truly made me happy. Even your love for Jeanne—I find it noble and beautiful."
"So I shall bloom with joy—until I fade."
"Like the stars, like the flowers, like a dream of glittering foam."
"This is who I am—Marie Antoinette!"
Laurent nodded. He remained still until her Reality Marble fully unfolded.
A Reality Marble was a contest of power. A stronger domain crushed a weaker one.
And precisely because of that—he allowed her to display her full strength first.
He closed his eyes slightly.
When they opened again, his gaze glowed a deep, scarlet red.
"If we had met under other circumstances," Laurent murmured, "I would have invited you to my wedding."
"Fight me, Laurent," Marie said with a radiant smile. "Let us show each other our convictions!"
Laurent raised his right hand. Blood surged and gathered around it.
"Then face the true, final trial of Absolute Evil—Marie Antoinette."
"I AM THE ABSOLUTE EVIL IN THE WORLD!"
---
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Okay, real talk: I am extremely hungry for money, so I'm raising membership prices soon.
BUT.
If you're already subscribed before the change, your current price stays the same as long as you remain subscribed.
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Person A is already subscribed at $7/month
Price later goes up to $14/month
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