Not only Mordred's spirit was shaken—a certain saint was also plunged into agony at this moment.
"...Ugh!"
A force like collapsing mountains erupted, sending her flying like a struck baseball into a distant pool, splashing water several meters high in a pitiful state.
A wave of dizziness-like headache assaulted her—not from physical injury, but from the punishment her heart was enduring.
No one was closer to Sakatsuki than she was—or so Jeanne d'Arc believed. Yet it was also her who failed to properly heed the will of the Lord, allowing Sakatsuki to reach this point without making any attempt to correct him.
[He is the key to this Holy Grail War.]
The revelation had provided the answer from the very beginning. But what exactly did "key" mean? Was he the salvation to guide the Holy Grail War away from disaster, or the variable that would plunge it into calamity?
This was something she should have clarified without fail. Yet Jeanne hesitated. The hand she extended to grasp the essence of the young man was stopped by none other than herself. Clinging to wishful thinking, she—the Ruler—had abandoned her duty.
It was you who let him reach this state—precisely because of your ambiguous thoughts, that young man never received any salvation. This is your failure as a Ruler.
If only I had been more resolute, if I had found Sakatsuki earlier and spoken with him properly—would things have never come to this?
"Ruler, what's wrong?"
Hearing Chiron's surprised voice, Jeanne hastily shook her head, wiped the blood from her lips, and stood up, signaling that she could still fight.
Raising her hand instinctively, she noticed Sakatsuki silently watching her from above, his irises shimmering with a rainbow-blue light. Without a sound, he mouthed a few words. As the diamond-shaped space unfolded once more, the young man vanished, leaving only Achilles, who had thrust his spear into empty air, letting out a frustrated growl before chasing after him relentlessly in his chariot.
But those unspoken words made Jeanne's nose sting, nearly bringing her to tears.
I don't like seeing you hurt—that was what Sakatsuki had said. Gazing at his retreating figure, Jeanne thought once more:
Indeed, it was my dereliction of duty that led things to this point. So, I bear the responsibility—the responsibility for failing to recognize his danger back then, for failing to steer him away from this war. As the Ruler, this is a burden I must carry.
With this resolve, I will surely find a way to save him... even if it costs me my life.
As this vow took shape in her heart, Jeanne felt an inexplicable sense of relief. She was willing to abandon everything for him—and it was this very willingness that brought the saint peace.
Laeticia found this deeply tragic—not only because Jeanne blamed herself for everything, but also because she failed to realize that the emotion scorching her entire being was far from mere guilt.
Even if someone put it into words, the saint would likely refuse to acknowledge it. And by the time she was willing to admit it, everything would probably be far too late.
"Woo-hoo~~ Ah-wah-wah-wah!"
The hippogriff soared through the sky as the giant Adam, distracted by the swarming insects, shifted his attack toward Astolfo who was drawing aggro. Seizing this opportunity, Chiron appeared beside Jeanne d'Arc and spoke gravely:
"This can't continue. The resurrected Adam has grown even stronger—not only that, but the spiritual core we previously destroyed, his furnace heart, has fully regenerated. With just our current forces, we stand no chance of killing him."
Chiron was right. To defeat Adam again, they needed to simultaneously destroy three critical points: the spiritual core in his brain, the furnace heart in his chest, and his life-draining feet. Even if Chiron and Astolfo could handle two, they still lacked one crucial participant.
"I can't do it... No, I don't possess a Noble Phantasm capable of that," Jeanne hesitated before continuing, "But what about the Red Assassin? The one who controls the Hanging Gardens—surely she has the power to destroy the giant."
"I've already communicated with the Empress. If she relinquishes her suppression of Adam, his regeneration would negate our Noble Phantasms. She cannot move." Chiron lifted his gaze toward the distant battlefield where two top-tier heroes clashed, his eyes flickering.
"But if Karna could free himself..."
———
This can't continue.
Standing atop his chariot, Achilles watched Sakatsuki's constant evasive maneuvers and sensed impending danger.
Sakatsuki wasn't avoiding battle out of perceived weakness—in fact, without his Master, Achilles' chances of victory were slim. Yet Sakatsuki deliberately chose to disengage, setting aside heroic pride for an undeniably optimal strategy.
Even weakened by his Master's loss, Achilles remained a legendary hero—defeating him would require immense effort with risks of reversal. It was precisely for this reason Chiron had assigned Achilles to contain Sakatsuki, as among the Black and Red factions' depleted forces, only he held hope of victory.
But now, Sakatsuki's refusal to fight was ironically tying up the Black-Red alliance's combat strength. The other battlefields fared poorly: Mordred and Atalanta desperately held back Artoria Alter; Jeanne's group lacked means to kill the primordial giant Adam; while Karna stalemated Siegfried through skill and willpower, his endurance far inferior without immortality or Master support.
If Achilles abandoned Sakatsuki to reinforce another front, he could turn one battle's tide—but the unchained Sakatsuki, leader of the Blue faction and architect of this crisis, would undoubtedly wreak greater havoc.
Thus, the one truly constrained wasn't Sakatsuki—it was Achilles himself.
—A breakthrough was needed.
As a hero, Achilles wouldn't pin hopes on others. Stroking his beloved spear, he resolved:
What he craved was a decisive moment swifter than the briefest instant.
In that case—only one option remained.
His Noble Phantasm, his pride—that utterly meaningless weapon he'd never imagined using, the "Hero-Slaying" spear.
Meteoric fighting spirit erupted around Achilles. Sensing the shift, Sakatsuki froze mid-step.
If it were me who took the initiative to create distance, that would be one thing. But as a warrior, Achilles had no advantage in distancing himself from me—unless...
"...A Noble Phantasm."
"Exactly, just as you imagined, Sakatsuki!" Achilles' clear voice echoed across the courtyard. "Now witness the true power of this spear!"
With a crisp metallic ring, the spear blade sang as Achilles stood tall upon his chariot. Bathed in brilliant sunlight, he assumed a flawless javelin-throwing stance and unleashed his strike:
"Go forth! My spear, my conviction—Diatrekhōn Astēr Lonkhē!"
The spear flew straight into the sky before freezing midair. This was no ordinary throw aimed at an enemy—Achilles' spear carried not a shred of killing intent.
Yet Sakatsuki perceived with absolute clarity the birth of a great magecraft.
Centered around the spear erupting with golden-green radiance, a crystalline barrier bloomed outward. In an instant, it enveloped both Achilles and Sakatsuki, vanishing from everyone's sight. Though caught within Achilles' Noble Phantasm, Sakatsuki showed no panic, instead surveying this space with mild curiosity.
This miniature world was astonishingly simple yet unbreakable.
Rather than erecting walls, it felt more like excising space itself—a complete severance from the outside world.
"I see. A world-rewriting Noble Phantasm. In terms of magecraft principles, this is nearly identical to Nero's 'Aestus Domus Aurea.'"
With his profound expertise in magecraft, Sakatsuki instantly discerned the nature of Achilles' Noble Phantasm. Though his knowledge as a transmigrator had forewarned him of this development, experiencing it firsthand still brought a sense of novelty—quickly overshadowed by rising tension, because—
"Here, divinity means nothing. Third parties are obviously excluded, and even luck and time's influence are reduced to zero." Watching Achilles approach, Sakatsuki cracked an uncharacteristic smile of appreciation. "Only our pure strength remains in this space."
"And once we determine the victor here, the outside world will acknowledge the outcome," Achilles continued. "I created this space to settle things with that old man Hector—a true battleground for heroes. So, what do you say, Sakatsuki? Care to give it a try?"
Facing Achilles' challenge, Sakatsuki casually tossed aside his pistol and grinned coldly.
"Wouldn't have it any other way."