Chapter 63: The Team Assembles!
BOOM——————!!!
As the final remnants of the castle crumbled, the full form of the colossal sea demon was revealed.
It began swinging its massive tentacles, devouring everything within reach.
"That's… Gilles?!"
Jeanne Alter stared in disbelief at the grotesque monstrosity before her.
Even if she had always considered Gilles a blasphemous heretic, she still couldn't reconcile the writhing mass of flesh before her with the man she knew.
"Senpai, it's still hunting! If we let it continue like this, it'll grow beyond our ability to defeat!"
Mash immediately warned.
Ethan furrowed his brows.
Of course, he understood that. But with only Mash and Martha, they had no means of stopping this abomination.
However, it wasn't yet time to use their final Servant summon.
After all, there was still someone else right here.
With that thought, Ethan turned to Jeanne Alter.
"Let's call a truce for now. If France is destroyed, it'll be too late for anything."
"Hah? What are you saying?! I wanted to destroy France from the beginning. Why should I call a truce with you?"
Jeanne Alter crossed her arms, immediately rejecting the idea.
"Besides, earlier was just… going along with the situation! Yes, that's all it was!"
Sigh…
Even now, she was still this stubborn.
Ethan sighed helplessly, but quickly regained his composure. He looked Jeanne Alter straight in the eyes, speaking with firm conviction.
"Even if you want to destroy France, you should be the one to carry out that revenge—not someone else doing it in your place. And if you help stop this monster, I will prove to you that you are not Jeanne d'Arc. I won't go back on my word."
Ethan stepped forward. Jeanne Alter, on reflex, took a step back.
"You… You're not entirely wrong. Yes, only I, the Dragon Witch, can destroy France! There's no way I'd let Gilles summon some unknown abomination to do it for me!"
Jeanne Alter seemed to have reached a decision. She looked straight at Ethan.
"Fine, I'll accept this alliance—for now."
"Thank you!"
Ethan reached out a hand toward her.
"Hmph, it's too early for a handshake."
Jeanne Alter refused outright. Instead, she raised the flag of the Evil Dragon high into the air.
Above them, wyvern cries echoed from the sky. Soon, a massive swarm of wyverns gathered in the air, hovering over Jeanne Alter's head.
She swung the Evil Dragon flag forward, aiming at the monstrous abomination.
"Charge, my minions! Tear that thing apart!!"
"GRAAAAH——————!!!"
Thousands of wyverns roared and lunged at the sea demon!
Their razor-sharp claws tore into the creature's flesh, causing foul, black-green blood to splatter everywhere.
However, any wyvern that came into contact with that cursed blood immediately plummeted, sinking into the thick, dark waters below.
At the same time, tentacles shot up from the depths, wrapping around the wyverns in midair, dragging them down into the grotesque mass of flesh.
The battlefield became a scene of pure carnage, filled with roars and agonized wails.
But even as it was ripped apart, the sea demon's body regenerated almost instantly.
Meanwhile, the wyvern numbers were dwindling rapidly. The remaining ones fought fiercely, but the situation was looking grim.
"This isn't working! Pull the wyverns back!"
Watching the slaughter unfold, Ethan shouted urgently at Jeanne Alter.
If this mindless assault continued, the wyverns would be nothing more than an all-you-can-eat buffet for the monster!
"Are you underestimating my minions?"
"This thing has absurd regeneration. Attacking like this is just wasting wyverns for nothing."
"It doesn't matter. My minions are endless. With the Holy Grail's power, I can—"
Jeanne Alter suddenly stopped mid-sentence.
It was only now that she realized—
The Holy Grail was inside that monster. She couldn't use it anymore.
"...Ahem. Whatever, they're just minions. Nothing important."
Awkwardly brushing past the realization, she raised the Evil Dragon flag once more.
"Come forth, my true ally—Fafnir!"
"GRRRROOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"
A deafening roar echoed from the distance.
From the horizon, a massive black-winged dragon stormed toward the battlefield!
"Senpai!"
Seeing Fafnir's arrival, Mash instinctively raised her shield, stepping protectively in front of Ethan.
Martha and Tarasque also snapped into battle stances, their gazes locked on the fearsome dragon.
Fafnir flapped its massive wings and landed beside Jeanne Alter. The powerful magical energy radiating from its body was no less than that of the sea demon.
It stared down at Ethan's group, letting out low, menacing growls.
"Fafnir, for now, these people are not your enemies. Your enemy is that giant thing before you. Even though it was summoned by Gilles, I do not accept the way he carries out his revenge."
Jeanne Alter pointed her sword at the sea monster that was still slaughtering the wyvern flock.
"Advance, my subordinate! Annihilate that disgusting mass of flesh!"
"GRRRROOOAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"
Fafnir let out a roar that shook the battlefield, then powerfully flapped its wings and soared into the sky.
The violent gusts were so strong that Ethan had to grab onto Mash's shield to avoid being blown away.
"Senpai!"
Mash quickly grabbed Ethan's arm.
"Are you alright?"
"Thanks, I'm fine."
Ethan looked up at Fafnir. The evil dragon, which was supposed to be their enemy, had now become the strongest weapon they could use against the sea demon that had absorbed the Holy Grail and Caster.
Now, they could only hope that it would be able to suppress the monster.
Fafnir spread its massive wings in the sky and opened its mouth wide. A colossal amount of magical energy immediately began gathering within its body.
A moment later, a ferocious wave of magical energy was unleashed from its mouth!
BOOOOOOOM!!!
The sea monster's body was instantly blasted open, leaving a massive hole. Dark, greenish-black blood splattered everywhere!
The nearby wyverns swiftly evaded, then gathered around Fafnir, all roaring in provocation at the monster.
"Giii—!!!"
The sea demon's gigantic body trembled violently, losing its balance and beginning to collapse.
"Did it work?!"
Mash and Martha's faces lit up with joy.
Even Jeanne Alter let out a triumphant laugh.
"Fuhahahaha! Even with the Holy Grail, it's nothing more than an ugly pile of meat! How could it possibly stand against my Fafnir? It's hardly worth worrying about!"
Only Ethan remained silent, his eyes still fixed on the seemingly defeated monster.
Suddenly—
From within the gaping wound in the sea demon's body, hundreds of long, thin tentacles suddenly shot out, lunging straight toward Fafnir in the sky!!!