Chapter 116: A Moonlit Heart-to-Heart with Jeanne Alter

Chapter 116: A Moonlit Heart-to-Heart with Jeanne Alter

"Of course, if you use up all the Command Spells, I won't hesitate to send you straight to hell!"

After hearing Ethan's words, Jeanne Alter immediately took a stance—there was even a real black flame igniting at her fingertips.

"Then I humbly beg the lady to be gentle..."

Ethan put on a pleading expression.

"So you absolutely must not let yourself run out of Command Spells. But—I'll never let you die by anyone else's hand but mine."

Standing before him was Jeanne Alter, speaking the cruelest words… yet carrying the gentlest meaning.

She truly made one want to cry to death.

"We still have to head for the city of Rome tomorrow. You should get some rest."

"Hey!"

Jeanne Alter suddenly called out to Ethan, though her eyes remained fixed on the moon above.

"Do you also think… something fake is pitiful?"

"——————?!"

Upon hearing Jeanne Alter's words, Ethan immediately understood the meaning behind them.

During the battle with Caesar earlier, by enhancing her Spirit Origin, Jeanne Alter had unleashed another of her abilities:

Ephemeral Dream.

It allowed her to temporarily use her own nature to avoid interference from the real world.

At the same time, it made her more aware of the fact that she was a Servant born from nothingness.

Perhaps Caesar's words had caused her to start doubting herself.

"Clearly just a fleeting dream… and yet it dares to hope to become something beautiful…"

The silver moonlight shone upon Jeanne Alter's armor. Perhaps it was due to the lighting, but in Ethan's eyes, she looked as though she didn't belong to this world.

Just like an illusory bubble.

Without knowing why, Ethan reached out his hand—and took hold of Jeanne Alter's.

"—————?!"

Jeanne Alter immediately reacted and tried to shake Ethan's hand off.

"What the hell are you doing, you idiot!!!"

"Ah, well… I don't know why, I just…"

Ethan tried to find the right words.

"Maybe I was afraid you'd run away?"

"Huh? That's supposed to be a reason? Let go of me right now, or I'll burn you to ashes!!!"

Despite Jeanne Alter's shouting, Ethan did not let go.

For some reason, he had the feeling that if he released her hand, she would truly vanish.

"I just want to say a few words. Once I'm done, I'll let go."

"What kind of excuse is that? If you want to make up a reason, at least make it sound more believable. Say whatever you're going to say, hurry up."

Ethan thought for a moment and said:

"Even though you were born from a wish, that doesn't mean you're just an illusion. Because you've formed bonds with everyone. As long as people still remember you, then you absolutely are not nothing."

"But memories are the most unreliable thing of all. How do you plan to prove that your memories aren't illusions?!"

Jeanne Alter, for some reason, was still trying to deny her own existence. It seemed Caesar's words had really affected her deeply.

"Because I'm holding onto you right now with my own hand. I will be the one to prove that you exist!!!"

Ethan tightened his grip, holding onto Jeanne Alter's arm firmly, and said loudly:

"——————?!"

Jeanne Alter's eyes widened. She said nothing, made no other move. In her eyes, it looked like her usual clarity was gradually returning.

"So how long are you planning to keep holding my hand?"

Hearing Jeanne Alter return to her usual self, Ethan hurriedly let go.

"Hmph, to think I became the Servant of someone like you… really pulled the worst lottery."

Then Jeanne Alter turned and walked straight back toward the camp.

"Those annoying people are still waiting for me, huh? Seriously, what a bunch of fools with no sense of danger at all. They don't even consider the possibility I might betray them."

"Isn't that because they believe in you?"

"Precisely because they trust an anti-hero like me so easily, they have no sense of danger at all."

"…Alright, you're right."

Jeanne Alter's logic was, indeed, miraculous.

"Hey, what are you still standing there for? Let's go already, I don't want to sit alone with that annoying bunch."

"Haa… got it."

Ethan sighed and ran after Jeanne Alter.

But when he got close, he noticed Jeanne Alter was spacing out, staring at her own wrist.

It seemed to be the exact spot where he had held her just now.

"Um… what's wrong?"

Did I grip too hard earlier?

"It's nothing! Let's go already! If you keep staring at me like that, I swear I'll burn you to ashes!!!"

…

City of Rome, in the dungeon.

The silver moonlight shone through the window and spilled onto the floor.

"Ugh aah!!!"

In the prison cell, a blonde girl sat on the ground groaning in pain.

On her back, a twisted shard was deeply embedded in her left shoulder, emanating a strange magical energy that relentlessly tormented every nerve in her body.

"What exactly are you scheming! Magus!!"

"If His Majesty the Emperor is not afraid of death, then this level of pain shouldn't be enough to make you yield, right?"

From the shadows, Lev's face appeared once more.

"I am the Emperor of Rome! How could I yield to pain like this… ugh…"

The pain from the shard in her back was even more unbearable than the sharpest migraines, causing the girl to collapse to the ground.

"Oh right, the Divine Ancestor has already passed judgment on you."

Lev gave a chilling smile.

"Because you refused to join the allied forces and betrayed Rome, tomorrow you will be publicly executed in the city's central plaza."

"I am the Emperor… I didn't betray Rome…"

The girl tried to stand, but the intense pain made her entire body tremble uncontrollably.

"Even if you say that, once the Divine Ancestor has judged you guilty, then you are guilty. I don't really care about all this stuff anyway."

Lev shrugged, wearing a cruel grin.

"Enjoy your last night, though for you it might be a bit painful. But this pain is nothing compared to the extinction of mankind. Well then, I'll be taking my leave, Emperor of Rome."

After those words, Lev's figure once again disappeared into the shadows.

"Ugh aah...…."

The girl struggled to turn her body just to change positions, but the pain did not lessen in the slightest.

"…Hehehe, I can already taste the despair festering in your heart."

A voice echoed inside her head.

The girl's headache grew more intense.

"…The sins of mankind have long passed the point of redemption. Even the Divine Ancestor will swing his blade to slay his own descendants. So selfish, such terrible sin."

The voice seemed to grow clearer and clearer.

"You… Who are you?! Why are you inside my head… Ugh aah…"

Along with the piercing headache, the voice rang out once more.

"Kukuku… Who am I, you ask? I am you!"

"————?!"

"…But the grail of sin has yet to be filled… It won't be long now… The moment to savor true evil… is coming… hahahahahaha…"

The voice gradually faded away, while the silver moonlight pouring in from the window onto the girl's body… was now dyed blood red.