The following day, the group finally reached Orléans. Jeanne Alter's side was already prepared for battle.
"Currently, the enemy outnumbers us, but most of their Servants are significantly weaker than ours," Siegfried assessed the situation ahead. "We have two strategies available: a direct frontal breakthrough or sneaking around behind."
"But our position was exposed long ago; sneaking's pointless now."
Laurent: "So you're saying it's a straightforward frontal assault, huh?"
"Right. Master and I will handle Fafnir. Everyone else should focus on defense. The key to victory depends entirely on whether we can defeat Fafnir."
Mash: "Understood! I'll give my best!"
Elizabeth, too, had already picked out her own opponent. "Then I'll… take care of the Dragon Witch."
Jeanne chose the same. "I'll go with you."
Laurent immediately chose to accompany her without a second thought. Jeanne nodded, not objecting. Indeed, as her husband, he had every right to stand by her in this battle.
Kiyohime cheerfully added, "Then I'll stay near Master and breathe some fire!"
Romani chimed in: "Leave the recon work around us to me!"
Ritsuka Fujimaru: "Alright, everyone's ready—let's go!"
With those words, everyone charged forward into battle according to their assignments.
The Servants they had individually chosen were theirs to handle alone, while Laurent and the others rushed straight toward Jeanne Alter's position.
A furious roar rang out, and a shadow swept in from afar.
"It's coming…" Their expressions hardened immediately. This was the real enemy they'd have to face this time.
At the same moment, Jeanne Alter's figure appeared atop the dragon's back.
"Hahaha, finally here, leftover scraps of Jeanne!"
Facing her taunts, Jeanne answered without hesitation, "No, I'm not leftover scraps. Besides, I'm not you at all!"
"Ha! You're obviously me! What nonsense are you spouting?"
"Forget it; there's no point arguing. When the battle ends, I'll tell you everything I want to say."
"Oh, really?" Jeanne Alter smirked contemptuously, her gaze shifting to Laurent, who had remained silent by Jeanne's side. Her smile widened maliciously. "Look at this dragon! Look at this vast horde of dragons! They'll devour everything here, turning France into a wasteland!"
Siegfried stepped forward calmly. "Ha, I didn't expect we'd meet for a third time." Facing Fafnir, he declared, "Come, Fafnir—let's fight!"
Jeanne Alter's face darkened instantly, but even so, she showed no fear.
Jeanne glanced at the man beside her.
"Hey, looking at me won't help—I'm not the Dragonslayer here."
"Sorry—I did it without thinking—"
"Never mind, I'll still lend a hand. Otherwise, it'd get too troublesome."
He quickly scanned the area. Everyone had arrived. Even Gilles was now at Jeanne Alter's side.
Good.
...
And so, after roughly ten minutes of intense fighting and enormous effort, with everyone's combined strength (except Laurent's), Fafnir was finally defeated.
At that exact moment, all the wyverns plunged into panic.
The battles elsewhere were also reaching their ends. In short, Laurent's side had won completely.
Finally, Jeanne and Laurent both turned their attention to Jeanne Alter. They would handle Jeanne Alter, while Siegfried and the rest took care of the remaining wyverns.
"Holy Maiden, you should retreat and summon more Servants! I'll hold them back!" Seeing the worsening situation, Gilles took out his grimoire and warily eyed Laurent's group.
Jeanne Alter wanted to retort, but after glaring furiously, she decided to withdraw.
Seeing her intent to escape, Laurent pursued without a moment's hesitation.
"I won't let you catch up to the Holy Maiden!" Gilles swiftly summoned a horde of monsters from his grimoire.
"[PRELATI'S SPELLBOOK]!"
At his command, countless tentacle-like creatures surged forth from the ground, attacking Laurent, whose expression hardened instantly.
"Out of my way!"
Laurent scattered blood from his hand. The blood began moving on its own, devouring the tentacles.
Using the momentum from the tentacle attacks, Laurent swiftly chased Jeanne Alter.
Flying above, Jeanne Alter turned her head and saw Laurent hurtling toward her like a cannonball.
"Laurent—!!" Jeanne Alter's voice was tinged with fury.
Laurent didn't respond, continuing his charge toward her relentlessly.
Jeanne Alter's pupils contracted sharply. At this rate—
Jeanne, too, wanted to follow, but Gilles quickly blocked her path.
"Sorry, Jeanne—I won't let you pass again."
Jeanne hesitated, unable to understand his intentions. Gilles merely maintained his mad smile, his shrill voice carrying genuine emotion. "Jeanne, you know… my Holy Maiden… you chose wrongly. The choice you made back then was mistaken! You betrayed someone who truly stood by your side. This time—I won't allow the same mistake to repeat itself!"
Jeanne wasn't swayed by his words, gripping her weapon tightly. "I don't need you to explain that to me, Gilles."
"I'm fully aware of everything I've done. That's exactly why I'm working hard now. From the moment I became his wife—ever since I gained this identity—I have nothing else to wish for. So I must become his wife, and I absolutely must be the perfect wife!"
"Oh, is that so?" Gilles' voice trembled slightly. "Then prove it, Jeanne! If you're his wife now, fight with everything you have—just as he once did for you, exhausting even the last drop of his life force!"
The monsters surrounding him began rampaging, their magical energy skyrocketing. With Jeanne's current strength as a Ruler-class Servant, victory was practically impossible. Yet, even facing this, her gaze held no hesitation.
"You're right, Gilles—I was indeed wrong. But I'll never regret what I've done! To do so would deny all of Laurent's efforts. And now, no one—nothing—can keep me from being with him!"
Her voice rose to a fierce shout for the very first time, carrying her determination clearly.
"Proof? I don't need anything like that! All I know is that I'll keep going—and keep trying! I don't need your approval, Gilles! From now until the end—I only need him alone!!"
---
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