BOOM!
Jeanne Alter's pupils shrank as Mash's shield approached her face, too close to dodge or even react.
If this hits me, I'll completely lose the ability to resist.
That was her final thought.
But the next second, a hand suddenly appeared, stopping the shield cold.
At some unknown point, Laurent had released her hands. Facing Mash's strike, he gathered a fierce strength in his right arm, briefly delaying the blow. Immediately after, he spun sharply on his heel, kicking the shield away with tremendous force.
CRASH!
Mash felt like a mountain had slammed into her shield. Not only had her attack failed, but she'd been hurled back by Laurent's kick. She jammed her shield into the ground desperately, carving a shallow trench before finally coming to a stop several meters away.
Ritsuka Fujimaru rushed to Mash's side in alarm.
Everything had happened too suddenly—even Mash was grimacing in pain. Despite the shield absorbing most of the impact, her body still felt battered. She grit her teeth, enduring the pain. "I-I'm fine… Laurent-san is incredibly strong…!"
Ritsuka Fujimaru now shifted his gaze toward Laurent.
Jeanne stared at Laurent in complete disbelief, unable to comprehend his actions. Without speaking, Laurent extended his right hand toward Jeanne. Blood began flowing beneath her feet, swiftly climbing up her body.
Trusting him completely, Jeanne didn't resist. But in the next second, she found herself restrained by Laurent's blood.
"Huh? Ehhh!? Laurent, what are you doing!?"
"You just stay quiet and come over here."
Saying this, Laurent manipulated the blood, pulling Jeanne toward his side.
Jeanne Alter gave Laurent a perplexed glance, unable to figure out his intentions. Yet she remained silent, instinctively feeling it wiser to do nothing for now.
Ritsuka Fujimaru and the others grew wary upon seeing Laurent's strange actions. "Laurent-san, what exactly are you—"
"Sorry, Fujimaru, but from here onward, I won't let any of you hurt her even a little."
Jeanne Alter's expression subtly shifted, the corner of her lips uncontrollably curling into a smug smile. She didn't care why Laurent had suddenly changed—right now, the simple fact that he stood on her side was all that mattered.
Thinking this, she turned a triumphant gaze toward the bound Jeanne, clearly communicating, I win.
But Jeanne's thoughts weren't nearly that shallow.
No, normally Laurent would never act like this. Unless...unless he doesn't want to let this reality disappear.
Realizing this, Jeanne's gaze dimmed slightly. Jeanne Alter mistook this for an acknowledgment of defeat and her smile grew even more arrogant.
"Most likely, he doesn't want all this to disappear," Doctor Roman hypothesized gravely. "I've suspected it for a while—if we resolve everything here, all these events and everyone involved will vanish. History would return to normal. Laurent-san, can you accept that?"
"The answer is obviously 'no.'"
Laurent responded with a dangerous smile, "I have to admit, Doctor, you're smarter than you look."
"Why is it that hearing praise from you doesn't make me happy at all?" Doctor Roman muttered bitterly.
"Laurent-san, even if you want to make all this real, both you and Miss Jeanne are still just Servants—mere fragments of your original selves. You two can't possibly—"
"Fujimaru," Laurent cut him off sharply, "do you remember what I told you when we first met?"
A terrifying smile formed on Laurent's face.
Mash sensed danger and forced herself up, rushing toward Fujimaru with her shield raised.
"Senpai—!"
Countless spikes of blood shot up from the ground toward Fujimaru. His pupils contracted in panic. He tried to dodge, but as an ordinary human, it was impossible.
At that critical instant, Mash shoved him aside, placing herself between him and the incoming blood. She was instantly enveloped.
"Aaaaaaagh!"
Mash's pained cries echoed from within.
"Mash!" Fujimaru shouted desperately.
"You really reacted quickly."
Laurent controlled the blood, locking down Mash's limbs and sealing her movements completely. He fixed a cold stare on Fujimaru. "Original bodies? I just need to devour you, and I'll have one easily."
"What about Miss Jeanne, then? She's still a heroic spirit—"
"Even if she weren't a heroic spirit, she can't get pregnant!" Laurent's angry shout froze the air.
Both Jeannes immediately assumed he was talking about them. Their faces flushed furiously.
"Sh-she can't get pregnant…?" Doctor Roman asked, bewildered. "Laurent-san, if it's an issue on your end, as a doctor, I could try to—"
"Doctor, shut up!" Fujimaru quickly interrupted him. Even encouragement would be better than that!
Laurent's eye twitched in annoyance, an indescribable anger rising within him. "Damn it, if I really wanted to, we could go all night without a single problem!"
Perhaps out of embarrassment or rage, Laurent immediately restrained Fujimaru tightly with his blood.
"I-I know Laurent-san is impressive in that regard," Doctor Roman stammered nervously, "but the issue might be different here. And if it's Miss Jeanne who has the problem—"
Jeanne's face grew awkward. I...as a woman, there shouldn't be any issue, right...?
"Shut. Up."
Doctor Roman's rambling only fueled Laurent's fury further. Laurent grabbed Fujimaru's communicator, pulling it close to his own face, almost touching the screen, and growled through gritted teeth:
"My body is made of conceptual energy! Even if I do have sex with her, it's just energy entering her body! At best, it'd replenish her magical energy! She can't get pregnant!"
Jeanne and Jeanne Alter simultaneously blushed deeper and turned their heads away awkwardly—then their eyes met.
Jeanne Alter's gaze clearly said, 'He's obviously talking about me!'
Jeanne's responded, 'He's clearly referring to me, his wife!'
Fujimaru, still held tightly by Laurent, sweated anxiously as he listened to this increasingly bizarre exchange.
Laurent had finally run out of patience with this pointless discussion.
"Obsessing over these details is meaningless. Understand?"
Fujimaru's mouth twitched slightly. I wasn't even the one who brought it up!
Just then, Siegfried and the others arrived, immediately sensing the strange atmosphere.
Without a single word, Laurent sent another wave of blood spears directly at them.
"This time—no matter what—I won't allow another loss."
---
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