Lyon, Orleans Singularity, 1431
Kriemhild POV
Blackened steel came alive in a hellish orange glow.
It streaked downward toward its target, its edge thirsting for dragon blood.
The meal was denied when the opposing sword smacked it away mid-cleave.
Instead of slicing through tissue and bone, the sword cut through the rug and castle stone floor as if they were made of tofu wrapped in paper.
She blinked, taken aback by the ease at which her evil blade was parried.
Seeing an opportunity, Siegfried countered her cleave with a thrust to her heart.
The surprise in her features vanished and was replaced with a cruel smirk.
With a cackle, a red and black aura violently exploded out of her body.
Why is she laughing?
It's simple, really.
Because how could a sword pierce what wasn't there?
To Siegfried, one moment she was there, and then the next, she was not.
His holy sword pierced through the evil magic, but no wails of agony followed.
He missed.
Several spikes of malevolent energy struck out at him in retaliation.
Simultaneously, she rushed towards his exposed right flank, mustering every bit of her strength into the blow.
With so many attacks coming at him from multiple angles, there's no way he can escape unscathed!
However, contrary to her belief, Siegfried made a speedy retreat, avoiding the spikes of energy from hitting him.
Then, with a grunt, he slapped her sword's biting edge away before it could tear into his flesh.
Her laughter abruptly stopped when she felt her sword disobey her and slash the fireplace instead of her husband.
Fortunately for her, her husband chose to keep his distance rather than capitalize on her open guard.
She pulled out her sword out of the stone, her eyes never leaving Siegfried's body.
The damage done to his armor was not limited to his back and arms; it had extended to his chest as well.
The mark of Fafnir still glowed brightly, despite the broken, gunked-up mess the rest of his body was in.
[That glowing dragon tattoo looks cool af.Who's his tattoo artist? ]
[Bunny_Aachan: The tattoo artist is Siegfried himself. And the ink is made from bathing in Fafnir's blood after he slayed him. ]
[Dracéna-E4: Oh dear… young ones, please do not attempt to slay dragons just to get a fancy glowing tattoo. Not only will it not work, but I will personally deal with anyone who commits such a heinous crime. ]
[No worries here. I'd rather deal with the pain of getting a chest and frontal neck tattoo than do something so suicidal. ]
The two stared each other down, both of them waiting to see who would strike first.
Then, a burning log inside the fireplace popped, and the staredown ended.
With the savagery of a starving wolf pack in winter, her sword lashed out at her prey from all sides.
Slash.
Parry.
Slash.
Parry.
But her prey refused to go down without a fight.
And a fight is what she'll give him.
One attack became three.
Three became five.
Five became seven.
She was attacking him from all angles, hoping to get past his guard with speed.
Her attempts were all denied.
The pattern of attacks was predictable to someone of Siegfried's caliber of swordsmanship.
If he was at full power, there was no doubt that she would have been the one on the defensive. After all, she was no swordsman, just a woman who was wronged and that wanted justice for the crimes committed against her.
But he wasn't at full power. The curse of the Dragon Witch made sure of that.
The sheen of sweat on his forehead after this small bout of fighting showed how much stamina the curse sapped from him.
The poor thing was pushing himself to keep up with this dance of swords.
[Siegfried is such a beast! Even weakened, he's able to take on Kriemhild's attacks head on!! ]
[Eh, not exactly. Siegfried is parrying all the attacks she throws at him. So it's not like he's taking the blows directly. ]
[Huh? But then, how is he able to parry the attacks if he is weaker? ]
[SerWikstrom: There is no doubt that Lady Kriemhild is stronger than Ser Siegfried, but a sword fight is not purely a contest of strength. Swords, magical or not, are designed for cutting and thrusting, so merely using them as beat sticks is rather impractical. She could swing her sword as hard as she wants, but none of that strength will be applied to the sides of her blade.
Which is why he's able to redirect strikes away without having to overexert himself. ]
[Oh. So that means that if he decides to block, then he's fucked huh? ]
[SerWikstrom: Unfortunately, yes. ]
Alas, he could not keep this tempo forever.
Sparks flew when her evil blade had nicked his shoulder.
The damage done was superficial, but it was there.
A giggle escaped her lips at seeing her husband's eyebrow twitch in discomfort. Even with a small cut like the one he had received, sustaining damage from an anti-dragon blade must be painful.
And it would not be the last.
Another nick, this time on his chest.
The third on his leg.
The fourth on his ribs.
Beforehand, he had parried all her attacks without getting hit, but now for every five attacks, one made it through. No blood seeped out his wounds, but that was only because she hadn't landed a solid hit on him yet.
That was fine.
She hadn't been able to hit him before, but the longer their bout continued, the more cuts continued to slip through his guard.
His breaths grew more labored with each parry. He was already losing steam, but his tenaciousness, while annoying, remained strong.
Killing him will not be easy, but it will also not be difficult. Unlike her, he doesn't have a master to provide him with magical energy.
So it was only a matter of time before she would land a decisive blow. In the meantime, she would enjoy roughing him up a bit.
[Damn! What is his skin made of?! It sounded like rock when cut!! ]
[DRaigHan: Now it makes sense why Siegfried is fighting without any armor. His skin IS armor! That is so metal!! ]
[Frisky1intheFlowers(MOD): Well yeah, Siegfried is no joke. He was blessed with the Armor of Fafnir, a continuous noble phantasm that grants him invulnerability to all attacks below A Rank, both physical or magical. ]
[Damn. Talk about a living tank. ]
[NuggetDigger: I'd kill to see him in a tight tank top ngl, but shirtless is totally great too~ ]
"Ngh!"
And just like she predicted, Siegfried had made his first grave mistake.
A few seconds of delay between parries had been enough for her to land a cut that drew blood.
Blood trickled down his arm. It dripped from his elbow to the carpet below, staining it.
[Frisky1intheFlowers(MOD): Unfortunately for our apologetic swordsman, his wife wields Balmung, which is an A+ rank noble phantasm. Combined with its dragon-slaying properties, that means Balmung is super effective against Siegfried since he is a dragon type. ]
[Oh that's bad!! Hang in there, glowing dragon tattoo bro!! ]
Sadly, the cut wasn't deep enough to disable his arm, so he was still able to use it to swing his sword.
She threw herself backwards to avoid the slash, but the sound of ripping fabric and the searing pain on her arm told her she didn't escape the slash unscathed.
She felt a cold trickle drip down her arm. Glancing at her arm and clicked her tongue in annoyance.
He cut her arm open.
[Whoo! He got her!! ]
[Is it wrong that I feel joy seeing Siegfried hurt Kream? He's technically an enemy. ]
[JennyPD-16528: No need to worry. Kream is the aggressor in this scenario. She is trying to murder an innocent man in broad daylight, so you shouldn't feel guilt seeing her get hurt for her actions. ]
However, the pain didn't bother her.
She welcomed it, for it had grounded her senses.
Her drive to kill had consumed her, and her carelessness had allowed Siegfried to land a hit.
Such is the curse of being summoned as a berserker.
Taking a deep breath, she calmed the raging flame in her heart and tempered it into a controlled flame.
She reversed the grip of her Balmung and held it out in front of her body.
In response to her shift in stance, malevolent magical fire swirled around her, the flames never making it past her ankles.
She closed her eyes.
Normally such a move would be suicidal in a fight, but she was not blind.
By depriving herself of sight, Balmung's jewel would gain light.
Through a red lens, she could now see her husband's fear. His intent to avoid her impending attack was crystal clear.
Silly Siegfried.
Once you have caught Balmung's gaze, you cannot escape.
A swirl of flames manifested under his feet.
"Shit! Guhah!" His body became enveloped by an all-seeing eye. The torrent of red flames and black magical energy wrapped around his body and prevented his escape.
[Σ(°△°ꪱꪱꪱ) ]
[He's cooked. He's literally being COOKED. ]
[And the sad thing is, Kriemhild is not going to care. She's going to keep cooking him until he's burnt. ]
The moment of pain vanished as quickly as it appeared, releasing a gasping Siegfried from its grasp. He fell to his knees, sweat pouring from every inch of his body.
But she wasn't finished.
She brought her arms out, one palm facing up while the other held her evil Balmung. Once more her magical energy sang, and it latched itself onto Siegfried's body, draining him of his ever-shrinking pool of magical energy.
She seized the opportunity and ran forward.
With a flip of her undamaged wrist, she swung her sword upward.
CLANG
For the first time in the fight, Siegfried had chosen to block rather than parry.
And was overwhelmed.
His body went flying and crashed into the bed behind him.
[SerWikstrom: Ser Siegfried! ]
✦✧✦
Siegfried POV
Wood splintered into shards of shrapnel as his body crashed through the pillars holding the canopy upright.
The bed groaned in agony as his heavy body landed on top of its comfortable, soft surface.
The smoky scent of a campfire with a very faint hint of lavender hit his nose.
He opened his eyes, and all he could see was darkness. He had been blinded by the canopy sheets falling on him.
The mattress underneath him was soft, but the broken pieces of wood stabbing his back made it uncomfortable.
[Oh crud! He's dead. Look at all the little lights floating in the air! ]
[That's dust, not lights. How can you mistake the two? I can see some movement. So he's not dead yet. ]
[KicksYouIntheFace193: Kream's charging up her down smash. If he doesn't want to die, he has to move. ]
His instincts pleaded for him to move.
They warned of death lurking beyond his cocoon of comfort.
His body jerked to the side.
The sound of fabric ripping and the lack of pain told him he had avoided a fatal blow to the chest.
A familiar soft warmth landed on his hips.
Ah, his wife was on top of him.
How nostalgic.
It would have been divine if he had been lying on his back instead of on his side.
He couldn't see his wife's face due to the obstruction; however, he didn't need to.
He could feel the frustration in her heartbeat through her thighs.
Now he was trapped between his wife's thighs in a comfortable bed. Honestly? Not a bad way to go.
[Thank the stars he moved! ]
[Ah, she's straddling him!! ]
[Bro is gonna die by snu snu. ]
[:Salute emoji: ]
But it was too good of and end for him.
With some hesitance, he threw his arm to the side and lifted that sheet over his wife's head.
"Huh?!"
With his wife blinded, he rolled out of her thigh's embrace and plopped onto the frigid stone floor.
Opening his eyes, he saw the spacious underside of the squeaking bed.
He saw his wife's Balmung embedded in the stone floor. Its edge glistened under the few rays of orange light that found their way under the bed.
And lying on the other side of the bed was his Balmung.
His shoulders and back were too thick to fit under the bed. So the only way to reach his sword would be the long way.
[Talk about shitty luck. ]
[So close, yet so far away. ]
With a groan, he pushed himself up and ran.
By the time he reached the corner of the bed, his wife had already escaped the flimsy fabric prison he had thrown in her face.
When he passed the halfway point, he could feel her gaze pierce him and heard the fabric of the sheets being cut as she unsheathed her blade.
He was running out of time.
So he threw himself to the ground.
His fingers touched the hilt, and that was enough.
[He got his sword back!! ]
And not a moment too soon.
"DIE!!"
*CLANG*
His muscles tensed from the strain of the blow, but he didn't fight it. He allowed the hit to throw him into the air once more.
But this time, instead of a comfortable bed, his back was subjected to the harsh edges of broken glass.
Due to his conceptual weakness, the armor of Fafnir did not protect his back from being cut up by the broken mirror.
His body rolled down and hit the cold floor with a thump.
[Aaahhh!! Dx ]
[Wouldn't be a messy fight between couples without something made of glass breaking. ]
[This is getting hard to watch. Poor guy is getting thrown around like a ragdoll. ]
[Damn, in any other situation, seeing such a massive man being manhandled by his smaller wife would have been funny. But in this context this is just fucked up. ]
[Domestic Violence is fucked up no matter the context. So fuck you and your double standards!! ]
He knew that staying idle was a death sentence, so he pushed through the pain and got up from the floor using Balmung as a crutch.
Then, without looking back, he ran out the door and into the hallway.
The left was a dead end, so he made a right and ran.
Unbeknownst to him, an invisible camera was following him.
[Wild Siegfried fled.]
[Woah, we're following Mr. Siegfried now!! ]
[Ah, it's just like that time with Archer in Fuyuki! ]
[Run Forest, RUN!! ]
[The Fuyuki flashbacks are strong. ]
"Why are you running?"
Even outside the room, his wife's soft question reached his ears.
The answer to it was simple.
He hadn't intended to fight Kriemhild when she arrived.
He had accepted his death at the hands of his wife, but instead, she wanted to fight. Sure, he could have thrown the fight and let her kill him, but he knew better.
Kriemhild always found out, and when she did, she would never forgive him.
So he was giving it his all.
He was weak, and he needed every advantage he could muster to try and win. That is why he ran away because the enclosed environment put him at a disadvantage.
He needed to have more room to swing his sword, avoid his wife's longer-ranged attacks, and reduce the chances of him bumping into things.
So he was relocating the fight to the Grand Hall.
Unfortunately, he was breathing too tightly to answer her question properly.
So he just kept running.
But not for long, as he felt his muscles seize up, squeezing the air from his lungs.
He had to stop and breathe.
His lungs burned even as he gulped the frigid castle air. It was noon, but castles were notorious for holding onto the cold from the previous night.
A gentle breeze brushed against his throbbing back.
He let out a hiss of discomfort as he felt sweat entering his open wounds.
Just when his breathing began to settle, his wife's voice rang in his ears like an alarm.
His time to rest had ended.
"Oh, I see, you want to play tag, don't you?"
The only light source in this hallway came from a window at the end of the hall.
He could see the sharp silhouette of Kriemhild's head peeking through the door where he had run away from.
Kriemhild's long wavy hair dangled below her, nearly touching the ground.
Her glowing ethereal blue eyes shone in the dark.
Even from far away, they were just as mesmerizing as he remembered.
[Why did the stream suddenly turn into a slasher film?! :crying emoji: ]
[This stream has been a horror show since Gudao decided to open the door to that hooded recruiter from Chaldea.]
[Kream really does pull off the look of a serial killer. ]
[Don't just stand there like an idiot, Siegfried! Run!! ]
"Goodness, Siegfried, you are such a child. We're too old to be playing such childish games at our ages," She calmly stepped out of the room.
The floor shed tears of slag as the twisted version of Balmung scraped over its surface.
"Very well. I will indulge you."
Click.
Clack.
Click.
Clack.
His wife's steps synced with the beating of his heart.
Her balmung scraping the floor made his soul tremble.
Her eyes kept him frozen in place, like Medusa did to the heroes she turned to stone and used to decorate her garden.
[JennyPD-16528: That does it!! I refuse to let this injustice continue!! Consequences be damned!! ]
[JennyPD-16528 redeemed Sand Attack. ]
[CasCu: Oh boy, now you've gone and done it. ]
Suddenly his wife stopped.
Her beautiful eyes widened, as if she were seeing something only she could see.
Quickly, she covered her eyes with the flat of her sword.
Then, something happened that defied reason. A spray of sand slammed into the evil blade.
What in the world?
The jarring sound of a bell caused his body to instinctively jump in place.
A feminine-sounding disembodied voice echoed across the narrow halls. It spoke to him with urgency.
[JennyPD-16528 donated 100 bits.]
["Run away, Mr. Siegfried!! I'll hold her back!! Don't worry about the details of what's happening!! Just RUN!" ]
"You dare use my master's powers against me!?" His wife bit out in a deadly tone.
The spray of sand continued to batter the sword, blocking his wife's sight.
["I DARE!! What kind of police officer would I be if I stood idle while a crime happened before my eyes!!?" ]
Police officer? But that profession hasn't been invented yet.
What is happening?!
"A police officer? Oh wait, I know you. You're that annoying Detective who won't shut up about justice and heroism." He could see his wife's fingernails glow an ominous red.
"Sorry Detective, but you stuck your nose too deep where it didn't belong!!" In a swift maneuver, she lashed out and attacked the source of the spray of sand.
His eyes widened when he saw a translucent orb flash red as his wife's nails raked over it.
[GudakoBot: JennyPD-16528 has been seriously wounded and is currently unable to seek medical help. The nearest human hospital in their general vicinity has been notified, and an ambulance is on its way. ]
[0ffDoodyJoy: JENNY NOO!!! ]
[¡|!(0∆0)!|¡ ] x 342
[MashuMellows: Oh no! Officer Jenny! ]
[Officer down!! Officer down!! ]
[Gudao: Officer Jenny!! Fuck!! Kream, what did you do?!! ]
[Kream: She attacked me first, Master. I was merely defending myself. Besides, she shouldn't have gotten in my way. ]
[0ffDoodyJoy: Bullshit!! You didn't need to go that far @ Kream!! (◣_◢) ]
[@ Kream, you might have been acting in self-defense, but it was NOT okay to use excessive force. ]
[Kream: BITE ME. If ANY of you use those attacks against me again, I'm using my noble phantasm on you!]
̶[̶"̶C̶o̶n̶s̶e̶q̶u̶e̶n̶c̶e̶s̶ ̶b̶e̶ ̶d̶a̶m̶n̶e̶d̶"̶ ̶<̶-̶ ̶F̶a̶m̶o̶u̶s̶ ̶l̶a̶s̶t̶ ̶w̶o̶r̶d̶s̶ ̶l̶o̶l̶.̶ ̶]̶
[User has been temp banned from the channel for 24 hours by PsychicMoostache. ]
[PsychicMoostache(MOD): Officer Jenny made a rash decision, but that is no reason to mock her.Take this time to reflect on yourself as a person. ]
He gritted his teeth and looked down in shame.
Someone had interfered in his fight and gotten hurt so that he could run away.
He appreciated the help, but they should not have bothered. But what is done is done, and if he did not move, their sacrifice would have been in vain.
"I'm sorry." That was all he could say before continuing to run.
His heavy footfalls were loud, but they were a whisper when Kriemhild's heel struck stone.
A light at the end of the tunnel guided him towards his destiny.
And he took it.
The Grand Hall reeked of the same smoky smell as the rest of the castle, but it was less concentrated due to the large space.
He can still hear the click-clack of heels behind him getting closer with every second.
Taking a deep breath, he squared his shoulders, manifested his sword once again, and readied himself.
[So he wasn't running for his life? Did Jenny sacrifice herself for nothing?! ]
[That's not it. He was changing the battlefield away from that cramped space. Now he should be able to move without running into obstacles! ]
Contrary to how Kriemhild had acted earlier, her steps were more hurried as she walked toward him.
That disembodied voice's actions really did a number on his wife's patience.
The clacking abruptly stopped.
If this was her way of unnerving him, then it was working.
Yet, he didn't let his guard down.
[D-Did she give up? ]
[Dude, what are you on? Kream is obviously trying to jumpscare us. ]
[She better not!! That is the oldest and lamest trick in horror films. ]
He sensed movement.
Then, like a bat out of hell, a blur of black and red comes flying out of the entrance.
Gritting his teeth, he unleashed a bit of magical energy.
Their swords met and locked together.
Except this time, he didn't go flying.
His joints popped as Kriemhild used her superior strength to push him back, but he managed to halt the heavy blow.
Barely.
[He actually held her back!! ]
[Progress!! ]
[Did Siegfried just dislocate his bones just now?! ]
[Mr. Siegfried is really giving it his all to hold Kream back. ]
"Oh dear… Are you tired already? I'm just getting started, but it looks like you're going to collapse any minute now."
"I… can still keep… going." He grunted out.
"Hmmm, I wonder about that." She took a step forward, which forced him to take a step back.
He tried to push her back, but his arms trembled as they struggled to push the immovable object before him.
"Oh, how weak. Is this all you have? How disappointing. With this much strength, you wouldn't be able to lift that pretty little doll of a berserker outside." Her frown returned, and then she forced him back with much more force than she had used before.
Despite his best efforts, he had ended up in the scenario he was trying to avoid.
"Gah!"
With his back violently pressed against the wall.
Kriemhild leaned close to his ear, her voice speaking in a hushed whisper, "I heard you nursed her back to health by feeding her your blood. It must have felt good to save such a small, petite young girl from death, didn't it?"
[Jealousy isn't a good look, Kream.]
[Heart0f6old: You're right, it's not a good look. It's a HOT one. ]
[Dude. Kream humiliated you with her rejection, literally just sent one of us to the ER, and you're still willing to SIMP for her?!! ]
[Heart0f6old: That was officer Jenny's fault. She was there when the Berserker class was explained to us. She knows Kream and berserkers in general are mentally unwell Gyarados given human form.
She should have known better than to antagonize a superpowered yandere on a vengeance warpath when in striking distance of her. ]
"That wasn't it. She deserved a second chance after she fought to take down one of the servants of the Dragon Witch!" He grunted with effort as he tried to push Kriemhild off of him.
Efforts that amounted to nothing.
"I see. So that's why you sent her to greet me at the gate. You were protecting her, weren't you?"
As expected, his wife easily saw through his motives.
"Yes. She is not involved in any way with us. Even though I would welcome outside assistance, I would still decline it if given the option. This conflict is a mistake of my making, and I should be the one who resolves it."
[Did Siegfried just low-key denounce Jenny's help?! ]
[Poor Siegfried is too much of a good guy to get others involved in his business. ]
[Frisky1intheFlowers(MOD): Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. This is especially true of berserkers. ]
Kriemhild blinked, then a genuine smile appeared on her face, "Well, I guess I can agree with you on that. If I hadn't known how much of a loyal sweetheart young Kiyo was, I would not have been able to stop myself from cutting her head off and throwing it at your feet~."
[Damn Kream Chill! ]
[ACinnamonRola: She uses fire-type attacks, has the temperament and cruelty of a Hydreigon, and worst of all, she eats chunky milk! She is 100% Maximum No Chill. ]
"Please, I would never cheat on you, Kriemhild… You are my precious wife… I would rather die than let another touch me." He maneuvered his foot behind Kriemhild's heel. A move that thankfully went unnoticed by her due to the flustered expression she was sending at him.
She became self-aware of her emotions and shook her head in a vain effort to shake them off. "N-Nice try, Siegfried, but your words have no effect on me."
[The blush on your face says otherwise. ]
[I am shocked. Siegfried actually managed to penetrate the crazy and reach the inner hot core of Kream?! ]
[What a legend. ]
Kriemhild cleared her throat, "but your request for death has been heard; therefore, I shall grant it!"
Before she could follow through with her promise, a swirl of magical energy enveloped Siegfried's body.
The weakness he suffered from Kriemhild's skill vanished.
The cuts around his body began to heal, but the damage done prior to the fight still remained.
[Siegfried can heal himself?! Cool!! ]
[Second wind, here we go!! ]
Newly invigorated, he felt confident enough to pull off a risky move.
He rolled his shoulders on the wall, a move that confused Kriemhild.
With a burst of strength, his shoulder smashed the wall behind him, pushing his body forward.
Kriemhild's eyes widened as she felt her foot catch onto something.
It was his foot.
She lost her balance and fell to the ground.
He took the opportunity to try and end the duel by pointing the blade at Kriemhild's neck.
Once more, she disappeared.
She reappeared on his left, mid-thrust.
He twisted his body and deflected her blow at the last moment.
She lost control of her blade and left herself open.
He kicked her in the stomach, knocking the wind out of her.
The force sent her tumbling onto the ground.
After rolling for a few seconds, she came to a stop, her body lying on the floor.
[Whooo!! Way to go Siegfried!! ]
[0ffDoodyJoy: Kick her again Siegfried!! ]
[0ffDoodyJoy: Kick her while she's down!! ]
[0ffDoodyJoy: Preferably in the face!! ]
[0ffDoodyJoy: Jenny must be avenged!! ]
[CasCu: Never thought I'd see the nurse of all people act so bloodthirsty. Otherworld humans you may be, but you are still human. ]
[Just_N: Tell me about it. ]
He could have attacked her, but he knew his wife was playing dead and would attack him if he tried.
So he opted to lean on his sword and wait for her to get up.
A moment later, Kriemhild realized her plan would not go as she wanted and pushed herself up.
She was going to retaliate but paused when she saw the state he was in.
He couldn't see himself, but he must have looked awful.
"It would seem like you're out of time." She pointed out.
He was ashamed to admit it, but he had to agree, "yes… unfortunately."
[0ffDoodyJoy: No!! Don't give up!! Keep fighting!! ]
"Well, it's been fun, my former love… but all good things must come to an end."
Kriemhild's Balmung crackled, and a malevolent aura formed around the blade.
At the same time, he grunted as a heavy weight held his body in place.
[Oh, it's over. Kriemhild is gonna use her Noble Phantasm. ]
[Damn, Siegfried is such a good guy. He doesn't have to die!! ]
[Unfucking believable. She's sabotaging Gudao and Chaldea by doing this! At this point, they should just kill her!! Siegfried is more valuable and likable!! Fuck you, Kream!! ]
He let out a dry chuckle, "So, it's come to this, hasn't it?"
"I curse the world and everyone beyond it." Her Balmung, now saturated with evil magical energy, dropped to the ground.
Kriemhild then began to slowly walk toward him, dragging Balmung behind her as if it were made of lead.
"Such a repulsive being you are. Balmung, let us take your previous owner's head."
He said nothing and, instead, closed his eyes.
His sword glowed with a holy light, and the darkness binding him dissipated.
He went into his usual battle stance and brought his sword closer to his chest.
And the blinding light intensified then condensed into a pillar of green heat, which pierced the ceiling of the castle they were in.
Unbeknownst to the couple, the others outside had decided to make a hasty retreat.
[Another saber who shoots beams from their sword? That's three sabers we know who pulled off that trick. That's a pattern. ]
[A noble phantasm clash, huh? Well, at least he'll go out with a bang. ]
[There's still some hope!! He has more reach!! All he has to do is attack first!! ]
[SerWikstrom: Siegfried has shown thus far he is an honorable man. He won't do that. He's going to clash blades with his wife. And it will be his last. ]
The smirk on Kriemhild grew as she beheld his noble phantasm. She raised her blade into the sky.
"Sear my hatred into your being!!!"
She then brought her blade down like the gavel of justice.
Siegfried responded in kind.
"BALMUNG KRIEMHILD!!"
"BALMUNG!"
Their swords clashed.
The opposing energies sought dominance over one another.
The energies combined to create something different, something blinding.
The last thing he and Kriemhild saw was each other's eyes.
Then their vision turned white.
✦✧✦
Outskirts of Lyon
Ritsuka POV
The earth moved beneath his feet.
A bright light flashed, and the scorched ruins of Lyon were engulfed in a magical explosion.
The last remaining buildings were purged clean off the face of the earth.
[The counterpart to our fair city… It has been wiped off the map. :'( ]
[Welp, they both died. Great. Officer Jenny's sacrifice was in vain. ]
He stared at the fallout with a defeated expression.
"Good call on having us evacuate the town, senpai." He heard Mash tell him, her voice lacking as much enthusiasm as he had at the moment.
"I can't say I approve of this, Master. This is actively hurting us in the long run." Mozart spoke to him in a disapproving tone.
He let out a sigh, "yeah, I agree. But if there's one thing I learned from observing my Aunt Sayaka during her divorce, it's that getting in the way of a vindictive ex-wife is only going to make her add your name to their list of victims."
He looked Mozart in the eye, "Archer and a bunch of other servants I have encountered remembered things from different points in time. Betraying her could end up biting us in the ass in the future if she decides to show up again."
"Oh right, it slipped my mind that our crisis is merely the first stop." Mozart scratched his head.
"But still, what's the point of the future if you can't save the now?"
"That is a great point, Mozart." Archer's voice drew out.
"Unfortunately, "The Now" demands our attention."
It was at that moment that the light died down.
"Well, what's the verdict?" The out-of-place Kiyohime asked him.
He sent a message through his connection, asking Kriemhild if she was done.
She responded with affirmation.
"Kriemhild won," he announced, and instantly, he could feel the morale drop.
"Of course she did," Elizabeth said while rolling her eyes.
"Come on, let's go pick her up," he told Mash.
He felt her lift him into her arms, and before long, the world blurred once again.
By the time they reached the place where Kriemhild and Siegfried fought, the smoke was already beginning to clear.
He hopped off Mash and took a moment to observe the fallout.
It was a wasteland, just like when they fought Saint Martha in Jura Forest.
No plants, animals, or even debris.
Nothing but dust and ash.
At the epicenter of the devastation were two figures.
His eyes landed on Kriemhild, and he felt his cheeks warm up.
The woman, once dressed in a black funeral dress, now stood victoriously over her opponent covered in smudges and in tattered rags that barely covered her modesty.
Most of her upper blouse had disintegrated, leaving her areola barely peeking out of what remained of her black bra.
He had managed to catch a peek of her lacy black underwear, but fearing for his life and his image, he forced his eyes from wandering over that area again.
Overall, her current state of dress would give Astolfo a run for his money.
[Heart0f6old: Noice. (♡﹃♡) ]
[She's nekkid!! ]
[Aside from the cut on one of her arms, it looks like her dress took most of the damage. ]
[Quick!! Someone cover the children's eyes!! ]
But she did not seem to care about such things, as she was more overjoyed by what she had accomplished.
She had defeated Siegfried.
This was the first time he had seen the man, and all he had to say was 'oof.'
The guy looked in horrible shape.
He was kneeling on the ground, covered in soot and cuts all across his body.
A sword point was pressed close enough to his neck to shave hair.
Kriemhild briefly glanced towards their approach but didn't hesitate to dismiss them in favor of focusing on her prize.
"It's your loss."
"Yeah, it is. You've completely beaten me, Kriemhild," the large tanned man admitted.
"Heh, hehehehehehehe…." Kriemhild began to giggle like she usually does, except she sounds more giddy than usual.
Then again, she did just grant her wish without needing a grail.
Her husband interrupted her laughter, asking, "I suppose since you have beaten me, you will kill me now, correct?"
"Of course, I already told you, didn't I?" She leaned in, her overworked bra desperately trying to keep her large chest decent.
"I want to see the light leave your eyes as I stab your blade through your body!"
Siegfried was the closest one to Kriemhild out of everyone in their group, but unlike them, he was unfazed by his wife's state of dress. His attention was solely on her face.
"If that is the case, then so be it. However, I do have some final words to say before I go. If you'll allow me."
A snort escaped Kriemhild's nose, "what? Are you going to plead for your life by saying how much you love me? How pitiful, we're past the point of no return. You will die by my hand no matter what you say."
The Dragon Slayer wanted to shake his head, but the sword to his neck stopped him, so he opted to speak instead.
"I do love you, immensely so, but it's not what I was referring to."
Kriemhild spluttered at his comment, "Well then spit it out already! I am running out of patience."
"It's about Fafnir."
Her mood flipped from jubilant to murderous in an instant. "Are you going to try to persuade me to spare your life just so you can kill the lizard?"
"No, that's not it. Quite the opposite, in fact. I wanted to tell you that I will leave Fafnir's defeat up to you."
And just like that, the anger dissolved into disbelief.
"... what?"
"I meant what I said. I trust you will be able to defeat Fafnir without me."
[Excuse you!? ]
[He's gotta be trolling. Ain't no way he really means that. It's gotta be the concussion speaking. ]
Her eyes narrowed at him, "You're messing with me, aren't you?"
"No, I am not. I would bet my life that you are capable of it. You are the most tenacious and intelligent person I know. If anyone can, you would."
He hadn't seen Kirmhild being this taken aback before.
"B-But I'm not a dragon slayer or a swordsman, how could you expect me to kill the dragon?"
"Neither was I when I first took on the beast. Before Siegfried, the dragon slayer, I was just Siegfried, the man who got lucky and obtained a dragon-slaying sword. You already wield Balmung, so you are halfway there."
[Oh shit, he's serious. ]
"And Fafnir is a dragon. Fancy sword techniques mean nothing to him. Strength is what matters. Strength which I do not possess as I am."
He made an effort to observe their group, his eyes landing on several faces.
His eyes stopped in front of Jeanne. He seemed to recognize her somehow, but based on the look Jeanne was giving him, it was not mutual.
It didn't seem like he took it to heart and just focused back on Kriemhild.
"Besides, unlike me, it looks like you'll have plenty of people supporting you when you do kill him."
Kriemhild says nothing, only looking at Siegfried like he grew a second head.
"Is that all you wanted to say?"
"Well, I would be lying if I said I didn't want to join you in fighting the dragon together, my love. But alas, it's not meant to be. That is the price for my sins." He sent her a radiant smile.
Now, the once confident Kriemhild is looking more hesitant.
In fact, she hesitated a bit too long, so she left herself open for heckling.
"What's wrong, Kriemhild? Didn't you say you were going to kill him?" Elizabeth's words brought her out of her pause; she took her eyes away from Siegfried to glare at the super idol.
"Don't rush me, you harpy lizard; I know what I am doing!!"
Elizabeth frowned at her words but didn't make a remark about being called a 'harpy lizard.' "Then hurry up!! That explosion of yours was visible for miles!! For all we know, the Dragon Witch saw that as a beacon and is headed our way!"
Not just the Dragon Witch, but all of France likely saw that clash.
Kriemhild seemed to finally snap out of her mood when she realized the gravity of what Elizabeth said, "very well, I've delayed his death long enough. Time to end it."
She once again put her focus on Siegfried, and like before, she didn't seem to be following through with her wish.
[Oh for the love of! Just kill him if you're gonna do it already! ]
"Are you going to spare him after all?" It was Kiyohime who piped up this time.
Kriemhild's eyes widened, and her fury returned once more.
"Hell no!! Why would I ever spare this useless, pathetic, lying, no good-"
He noticed that Siegfried had leaned backward.
His hand slapped away the sword from his neck, cutting off Kriemhild's insult mid-sentence.
In what seemed like a final push for his survival, he rushed towards his wife.
Kriemhild was surprised by the sudden move to stop Siegfried from closing the distance and grabbing her chin.
"Mmmhhhmm?!!"
And landing a kiss on her lips.
She tried to pull herself away, but a firm hand from Siegfried on her waist held her tight, preventing her escape. Everyone knew she was stronger than Siegfried, that she could pull his arm off of her and stab him at any time, but she didn't.
She had given in to his bold attack.
His jaw creaked from how fast it dropped.
And he wasn't the only one who was surprised by the act.
Everyone around him was in a similar state of surprise.
[Oh, oh wow… O/// . ///O ]
[Junior_Researcher: See? I told you guys. She was totally tsundere for him. ]
[Electrical★Streamer_Iono(MOD): She's not rejecting him… the woman who has been constantly complaining about how horrible her husband was for WEEKS on end. The woman who was so hellbent on killing her husband that she deliberately jeopardized Chaldea's mission to achieve her revenge…
That same woman is now exchanging a deep, passionate kiss with that same husband!! Like, I don't even have the words to describe just how pissed off I am right now!! ]
[Frisky1intheFlowers(MOD): Are you mad because you envy her? All you have to do is say the word, and I will gladly claim your lips right here and now. ]
[Electrical★Streamer_Iono(MOD): Ugh. I think I'd rather smear a lemon on my lips and kiss a Pokémon with the ability Rough Skin than let you kiss me Frisk. ]
[Well, at least Siegfried is sticking around. That's good. ]
[Yeah! I want to see more of him in action!! Oh, but first we have to get rid of his curse. ]
[Does anyone here know how to do that? ]
[CasCu: I have some methods, but most of those are for minor curses. Whatever that dragon bitch did to him is gonna need some more oomph. ]
It was then he noticed it.
Siegfried was fading. However, the motes of light that would normally rise into the air were all being sucked into Kriemhild's body through her lips.
Wait, what is he doing?
[Um… what's happening right now? ]
[Siegfried is dying!! Quick, Gudao, make a contract with him!! ]
"No way. Is he?! Siegfried is transferring all his remaining mana into Kriemhild!! " Romani exclaimed, nearly choking on the sandwich he was eating.
"Oh my, " Da Vinci's voice sounded equally surprised by the act.
"The perverts!! They're in public!! Have they no shame!?" Elizabeth squeaked, her face now beet red with embarrassment.
Marie,meanwhile, had her hands on her cheeks and a dopey smile on her face as she saw the two kiss, "Uwah, how romantic! Don't you think so, Mozart?"
The musician chuckled with levity, "Indeed it is Marie, it's good to see things work themselves out."
In the background, Madame Isabelle was smiling at the scene with nostalgia. Her daughter, on the other hand?
"H-How lewd…" She was covering her face with her hands, but her fingers were spread out so she could peek at the scene.
Just like a child.
"Ugh, filthy liars, the both of them. They really do deserve each other." Kiyohime sneered at the couple making out in front of them.
The kiss kept going. By now, Kriemhild's pale skin had turned so red that she resembled a tomato.
It had been going on for enough time that it had become less romantic and more uncomfortable and awkward.
The fact that both of them had already partially undressed made it even more awkward.
Finally, after who knows how long, Siegfried's lips parted from hers. A string of saliva glowing with magical energy kept them tied together for a moment longer before it split in two.
Jeanne was right. That was lewd, and gross. But he was too polite to say the last part out loud.
"That's enough. Anymore and I fear the curse will latch onto you."
"Siegfried…"
He smiled at her, for what seemed like the hundredth time. Yet, she didn't seem to tire of it.
"Ye slew me, Kriemhild. Ye slew me with love and from the front, rather than slay me with betrayal from the back. And for that, I am grateful."
He gently caressed her face, wiping a black smudge from her cheek.
She leaned into his palm.
"The fight ahead of you will be fraught with hardship, with pain, and with suffering. But I trust you and your allies shall come out victorious."
"Because even as we part ways," he pressed a finger on her chest, right above her heart.
"I will be right here with you. Always."
Then, like a scene straight out of a Mystery Dungeon game, the last remnants of his magical energy scattered into the wind.
Kriemhild stares at the spot her husband once stood, then she lets out a scoff.
"You big stupid oaf."
And just like that, Kriemhild's revenge had been fulfilled.
"Wait." He turned to Elizabeth, who had a look of disbelief at what she had just witnessed. "Did Siegfried really leave us to fight the dragon alone?"
"Yes he did, Elizabeth, yes he did." He told her.
She did not take the news well.
She grabbed her hair and pulled it with enough force that it made him worry for the health of her scalp.
"Graaaah!! Give me back my sympathy for you, you asshole!!" Elizabeth screamed at the heavens, causing all of them to clutch their ears in pain.
Yeeeep, looks like they were going to slay the dragon the hard way.