Chapter 77: Your Name

Chapter 77: Your Name

"Please, Emiya!"

Ethan shouted as he sprinted toward Jeanne Alter.

The figure of Emiya Kiritsugu had silently appeared behind her. Just as he raised his hand, the black flames surrounding Jeanne Alter erupted once more!

"Chronos Rose!!!"

BOOOM——————!!

The deafening explosion tore through space itself!

Not far away, Emiya Kiritsugu knelt on one knee, half of his coat scorched away by the raging flames.

Even after activating his Noble Phantasm, the explosion had still wounded him.

Suppressing the pain, Kiritsugu nodded at Ethan.

Just moments ago, he had slashed Jeanne Alter with a small dagger coated in a special toxin—one potent enough to paralyze even massive monsters.

Though its effects on a Servant would be significantly weaker, it should still be enough to suppress the maddened witch for at least a minute.

If Ethan failed to convince Jeanne Alter within that one-minute window…

Then, the only remaining option would be to eliminate her.

Kiritsugu tightened his grip on the sniper rifle loaded with an Origin Bullet.

Master, can you really do this?

—

The black flames surged from the sword Jeanne Alter wielded.

She swung it forward, slashing straight at Ethan!

But the blade never struck him.

Why did it miss? There was no reason for it to.

Jeanne Alter swung her sword again—but this time, it was too heavy to lift.

She stared down at her hands in shock.

Her body… was slowing down.

Why???

She couldn't understand.

But the harder she tried to think, the more a piercing pain throbbed in her head.

"Jeanne, you don't need to think. Just destroy him, and everything will be over."

Gilles de Rais whispered into her ear, his voice intertwining with the eerie melody echoing in her mind—a seductive, irresistible force.

Jeanne Alter forced herself to raise the unbearably heavy sword again.

But just as she was about to swing it down—

He was already in front of her.

Suddenly, a hand grasped her arm tightly.

"Wake up…"

He was saying something, but she couldn't hear him.

"Let go!!!"

Jeanne Alter screamed in rage.

But the man refused to release her.

The black flames crawled along his arm, yet he did not loosen his grip in the slightest.

Why?

Who is this person?

Why can't I swing my sword at him?

Why can't I hear his voice?

But… this feeling…

It was so familiar…

"———?!"

Suddenly, the man grabbed her other arm as well!

At that instant—

The pitch-black sky above was torn asunder, and a beam of light pierced through the abyss, illuminating everything.

From a distant place, a voice resounded.

"If you long for a reason to exist… then let me give you one!"

The dark heavens shattered like a ruptured veil, flooding with radiant light.

The shadow of Gilles de Rais and the eerie melody in her mind vanished into nothingness.

"Listen to me! You are not a mere copy of Jeanne d'Arc! You are not an empty vessel born only to carry hatred!"

Jeanne Alter's eyes widened as the boy's face before her gradually became clearer.

"Your name is Jeanne Alter—a unique existence in this world!"

His figure reflected in her golden eyes.

Even as his entire body was scorched by flames, he stubbornly held onto her arm.

Then, suddenly—he smiled.

"Finally, you're awake."

"Hmph, it's only because some fool kept making a racket in my ears."

"I've given you the answer you were searching for. Whether you accept it or not… is up to you."

"So this is your answer?"

Jeanne Alter scoffed, clearly unimpressed.

"You really think that just by giving me a name, you can shackle my soul? Do you take me for some weak-willed demon that can be pacified so easily? And what's with this name? You even dared to stick that woman's name onto it!"

"Eh?! You don't like it?"

The boy looked genuinely surprised.

"If the maximum score is ten… then this name is worth a perfectly round, solid zero!"

Jeanne Alter turned her face away, pouting.

"…If you don't like it, I can come up with another one."

He hurriedly offered.

"Tch, how annoying! Whatever, Jeanne Alter it is…"

She murmured the name, and for a brief moment—a faint, almost imperceptible smile flickered across her lips.

"Kuhum…"

A sudden cough broke the atmosphere between them.

"Ehe… I don't mean to interrupt, but Master still needs treatment. Also, Johanna-san and Mash-san are barely holding on over there…"

Martha smirked knowingly before gesturing toward the distant battlefield.

"L–Let go!!!"

Only now did Jeanne Alter finally react, her face flushing slightly as she shouted at Ethan.

Handholding... So lewd.

"…Ah, sorry!"

Ethan immediately released her.

The moment he did, a sharp pain flared from the burns across his body.

Seeing this, Martha stepped forward, closing her eyes as she began to pray solemnly.

"O Lord, please heal our wounds."

A warm light descended, soothing Ethan's injuries significantly.

"Master, this is only temporary treatment. Johanna-san will still need to conduct a proper healing session later."

"Umu, I'll be fine."

Ethan turned his gaze toward the Demon Pillar, where Johanna and Mash were fighting with all their might.

"Witch! Get away from Master—Huh?"

Mordred had been charging in full force, swinging Clarent with a fierce battle cry.

But the moment she saw Martha casually waving at her with a smile, she froze in place.

"Tch, so you're awake? Then I don't have to bother with this. I'm heading over there instead."

Without another word, Mordred spun around and rushed back into battle.

"Master, I'm going too!"

Martha, alongside Tarasque, also joined the fray.

—

Ethan turned to Jeanne Alter, who had regained her composure—though he could tell her mana was depleting rapidly.

Her Saint Graph was…

"Can you still fight?"

Jeanne Alter haughtily lifted her chin.

"Who do you think you're talking to?!"

A fierce glint burned in her golden eyes.

"Anyone who dares to destroy France before me——shall taste the agony of hellfire! Be reduced to ashes by my flames!!!"

—

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!!!

Mash gritted her teeth, using all her strength to block three consecutive strikes with her shield.

"Weak! Pathetic! What can mere Servants possibly do?!"

The Demon Pillar's eyes gleamed with a deadly light.

BOOM!!!

A sudden, violent explosion erupted across the Demon Pillar's body.

"What?!"

"A mere demon dares to act so arrogantly on French soil?!"

From the distance, Jeanne Alter raised her black dragon flag high, her voice thundering across the battlefield.

"Your time is up, Demon God Pillar!"