At nightfall, the city which should have been cloaked in darkness, blazed with light. Countless bonfires illuminated every corner, their orange-red flames dancing across white buildings, igniting a fervent celebration under the night's curtain.
"Sing!"
"Just sing for me!"
"Don't stop until I say so!"
Jeanne d'Arc Alter clutched Elizabeth Báthory's head, laughing uproariously. Her body, wrapped in white bandages from Chaldea's aid, should have demanded rest, but she was too eager to share her victory... this rebirth... with everyone in the nation.
"I'm alive!"
"Haha, I'm really alive!"
Her frenzied soliloquy reflected an ecstasy only those who've survived mortal peril by their own strength could grasp. She was, perhaps, a little mad. And Elizabeth was being driven mad alongside her. Though the dragon girl, aspiring to be an idol, loved to sing, heartfelt performance was worlds apart from being coerced into a "talent show."
Meanwhile, elsewhere, Alaric, another hero of this war, found himself encircled by curious onlookers with ulterior motives.
"How did you do it?"
A curious orange-haired girl, Ritsuka Fujimaru, circled the majestic white dragon, a plate of grilled meat in hand. She even attempted to headbutt Alaric, hoping to spark a fusion effect... only to be flung back by his unyielding frame.
"Ow, that hurts!"
"Senpai, what are you doing?" Mash Kyrielight asked.
"Transforming! Mash, aren't you curious? With a whoosh, this person and dragon merged!"
"…"
"Hey, why so indifferent, Mash? I remember... you had the same look when they fused, like you knew it was coming!"
"Tell me, how did you know? What else are you hiding?"
Ritsuka, struck by a sudden thought, pounced on Mash like a tiger. Mash, a Demi-Servant with a body as sturdy as a castle wall, was somehow toppled by the ordinary high school girl, looking like a bullied victim.
"Awoo... "
Alaric glanced at the playful pair before turning to the small white beast beside him, letting out a soft cry.
"Fou... "
Reluctantly, Fou, having lost a bet, produced a star-shaped octahedron glowing with seven-colored light: a Saint Quartz. This sacred stone, crystallized from a confirmed future, hailed from Artoria's era... after the defeat of the [Beast], when human history's continuation was assured. This new fourth Beast, embodying the principle of [Comparison], had claimed this gem, a symbol of the [Miracle of Human Order].
"Alright, it's just a stone." Alaric said, carefully stowing the Saint Quartz. "I'll get you another one someday."
With this, the final condition for a Happy End was secured.
In the Kingdom of France, Lyon, the mood was starkly different. Since Artoria Pendragon and her allies returned, a heavy gloom had settled over the city.
"We actually failed…"
Most ordinary folk couldn't fathom it: the king and saintess, united, had returned defeated... an unthinkable outcome. They tried to dismiss it as a fluke, noting no losses were suffered, yet the shadow of failure loomed, leaving the city's inhabitants on edge.
"How do we defeat that dragon?"
Siegfried, Saint Martha, and Saint Georgios pondered this question. They racked their brains for a way to vanquish the new demon dragon, knowing the odds were slim. Their all-out assault, meant to crush the Dragon Witch, had exhausted their strength.
"Our magical energy… it's not enough to unleash our Noble Phantasms again." Siegfried admitted, speaking for Martha and Georgios. As Servants without a Master's contract, they lacked means to replenish their mana. Having already used their Noble Phantasms against Fafnir, their power was severely limited.
As for Artoria, her Noble Phantasm, [Excalibur Galatine], lacked the raw power needed. Unlike [Excalibur], this sun-infused holy sword excelled at clearing hordes but faltered against singular, formidable foes. Jeanne Alter had withstood its full force and survived.
"If only I'd brought my lance." Artoria muttered, surprising even herself. A mere witch didn't warrant [Rhongomyniad], yet seeing Alaric fuse with Jeanne Alter into a black-and-red demon dragon made her wish she'd had the holy lance to strike it down.
"Enough. Let's focus." She said. "Our priority is to find the Master, form a contract, and restore your magical energy."
"But where is this Master?" Martha asked, slumping over the table, listless.
"We don't even know if she exists in this era." Georgios added.
"No, she's here." Artoria countered firmly. "And we've likely met her."
She recalled her puzzlement at seeing an unfamiliar human girl beside Mash, closely bonded. When danger loomed, Mash raised her shield, symbolizing the Knights of the Round Table, to protect her.
Now it clicked.
"She's the one tasked with [Saving Humanity], the last Master of humanity!"
"How can this be…" Artoria mused, a headache brewing even for a king unfazed by Beasts.
She needed to connect with this Master. But who should approach her?
"Hmm…"
Her gaze fell on Jeanne d'Arc, radiant with holy light, seated beside her. Then she thought of the erratic girl who'd led her dear dragon astray.
A brilliant idea sparked in Artoria's mind.
"I'll show that misguided dragon what a proper lady is!"
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