The Holy Sword in her hand, its edge burning with the flames of revenge, seemed to... freeze for a moment in the face of this majestic dark magical energy and her inner hesitation.
And this moment of freezing was enough to decide life and death, and enough to make Kanjuro, hidden behind the scenes, reveal an even more pleased and satisfied smile. He enjoyed Jeanne's hesitation and the light of despair before the last sliver of hope in the depths of Kariya Matou's consciousness was completely extinguished.
This was the ultimate "dramatic effect" he wanted.
Inside the worm pit, the violent magical turbulence had not yet fully subsided. Jeanne's strike, burning with dark red flames and carrying her complex will and immense power, forcibly repelled both the berserk Lancelot and the Kanjuro-possessed Kariya Matou simultaneously!
Boom!
Lancelot's heavy body crashed into the wall, his pitch-black armor groaning under the strain. The light in his crimson eyes dimmed; though his madness had not faded, the instant exhaustion of his master's magical energy made him like a machine with its power cut, temporarily losing the ability to move, only able to let out unwilling low growls.
As for Kariya Matou, who had been forcibly drained of all magical energy and even overextended his life force by Kanjuro, his condition was even more miserable. The Crest Worms covering his body became withered and fell off due to the lack of magical energy to sustain them, revealing the pale skin beneath, riddled with holes and covered in strange patterns. He collapsed to the ground like a puddle of mud, without even the strength to lift a finger. Kanjuro's Thousand Faces Garment authority also automatically deactivated due to the complete breakdown of the "vessel," and that cold, evil will receded like a tide, returning to the main body in the distance.
In the distance, Kanjuro's face appropriately showed a hint of "weak" paleness, but his arm holding Sakura remained steady. He looked at the collapsed Kariya Matou, whose anger seemed powerless, and the corner of his mouth curled into a fleeting, mischievous, and evil smile. He lowered his head and spoke to Sakura in a gentle tone, tinged with a bit of "lingering fear":
"Sakura, it's okay now... Quick, go thank Sister Jeanne; she saved us."
The shaken Sakura believed Kanjuro's words without a doubt. She raised her small face and looked at Jeanne, who stood with her sword held high, her silver armor glinting coldly in the dim light. Her eyes were filled with gratitude for having survived and pure admiration.
"Thank you! Sister Jeanne!" she called out clearly, her eyes sparkling. "You were so amazing just now! So cool! You saved me and Uncle Kanjuro!"
Jeanne d'Arc slowly turned around, her cold gaze falling on Sakura's small face, which was filled with innocence and dependence. Deep within those eyes that had experienced fire and betrayal, some emotion seemed to flash by quickly, but in the end, only a silent, frozen lake remained. The dark red flames swirling around her flickered slightly. This was the manifestation of her Noble Phantasm, La Pucelle—the fallen, undying flame. As long as Kanjuro's magical energy remained, and as long as the 'obsession' supporting her did not fade, she could be reborn countless times within the flames. This power was immense, yet it also symbolized a complete break from her past faith.
Perhaps intimidated by Jeanne's overly cold aura, which even carried a hint of invisible pressure, Sakura's grateful smile stiffened. She subconsciously shrank into Kanjuro's embrace, swallowing her remaining words of thanks, only daring to steal glances at this 'very powerful' older sister with timid eyes.
At that moment, Kariya Matou, collapsed on the ground, used the last of his strength to let out a broken, desperate roar, attempting a final retrieval:
"Sakura... don't believe him... quick... get away from Kanjuro!! He's... he's a beast... he's lying to you...!"
To Sakura, this weak accusation from the 'perpetrator' sounded like nothing more than the wailing of a loser, a stubborn slander. She shook her head vigorously. Instead of leaving, she held Kanjuro even tighter, looking at Kariya Matou with eyes that were as pure as a fawn's yet filled with reproach:
"Uncle Kariya, why are you still saying bad things about Uncle Kanjuro? Clearly... clearly you were the one who wanted to kill us just now! It was Uncle Kanjuro and Sister Jeanne who protected me!"
"You...!" Kariya Matou trembled with rage. The remaining Crest Worms squirmed slightly due to his intense emotional fluctuations, yet they could no longer provide any power. There was only bone-deep pain and a sense of helplessness. He glared at Kanjuro with overwhelming hatred and resentment, yet he couldn't even manage to crawl over to take Kanjuro down with him.
Kanjuro took in Sakura's reaction, his heart filled with the pleasure of total control. At the right moment, he let out a slight sigh filled with 'fatigue' and 'weakness.' His arms seemed to loosen 'powerlessly,' and his voice became soft and 'fragile':
"Sakura... don't blame Uncle Kariya. He... perhaps he was just momentarily deluded." He paused, looking at the girl in his arms with a gaze that seemed to convey absolute trust. "Uncle... in order to protect you, I no longer have any strength left... I can barely even stand..."
These words acted as the final catalyst. Sensing Kanjuro's 'weak' state, a powerful protective instinct instantly surged in Sakura's heart, overriding all fear! She puffed out her small chest, looking at Kanjuro with firm, clear eyes before casting a wary glance at the collapsed Kariya Matou and the temporarily immobilized Lancelot in the distance. Like a young beast guarding a treasure, she solemnly declared:
"This time, it's my turn to protect Uncle Kanjuro!"
She spread her small arms, trying her best to shield Kanjuro behind her. Though her body was so small, her posture carried a heart-wrenching 'bravery' that had been carefully guided out of her.
Watching this scene, Kariya Matou finally broke down completely. The air in the worm pit seemed to solidify into heavy lead, making it hard to breathe. Sakura's tearful, guided plea was exceptionally piercing in the silence: "Uncle Kariya is a bad person, he wants to kill us. Sister Jeanne, hurry and do something!"
The hand Jeanne held her sword with trembled imperceptibly. The dark red flames wrapped around the blade reflected her struggling eyes beneath the cold visor. She couldn't explain the truth to a completely blinded child; it would be meaningless. Her steps were as heavy as lead as she walked, step by step, toward the collapsed Kariya Matou, whose anger had been reduced to mere embers.
He was like a skinned worm, still twitching slightly, curled up in the filth. Crest Worms crawled feebly over his broken body, making faint rustling sounds that seemed like the final elegy of his life. In the distance, Lancelot let out a low, pained roar but could not move an inch, forced to watch his master walk toward his end.
The Holy Sword in Jeanne's hand slowly rose, dark red flames dancing on the edge, breathing out an aura of destruction. The shadow of death loomed over Kariya Matou. He didn't even have the strength to lift his eyelids; only the faint rise and fall of his chest proved he was still alive.
Just at the moment the blade was about to fall—
Kanjuro's voice, carrying a hint of playfulness and a strange excitement, transmitted directly into Jeanne's mind like a faint electric current:
"Jeanne... your hand is shaking. It seems that pointless pity in your heart hasn't completely disappeared. You... actually don't want to kill him, do you?"
Jeanne's heart jolted, and her raised sword stroke suffered an extremely subtle hesitation. She couldn't deny that, facing a soul who had been used to the extreme and was forced to bear infamy even in death, her will to swing the sword had indeed wavered. This hesitation didn't stem from a reverence for life, but from a deeper disgust for 'distortion' itself, and... a subtle resonance with a fellow sufferer that she was unwilling to admit even to herself.
Kanjuro accurately captured her momentary hesitation. His voice rang out again, carrying a pleasure as if he were about to display some precious collector's item:
"But it doesn't matter. Since you can't bring yourself to do it, I won't force you. After all, a 'fall' obtained through coercion lacks much of the fun."
His tone shifted, becoming filled with malicious anticipation:
"Besides, if you don't kill Kariya, I have a'surprise'... I want to show you. A'surprise' sufficient to make you... better understand the essence of this world."
A surprise?
Jeanne's heart sank. A'surprise' coming from Kanjuro's mouth would never be anything good. It would inevitably be related to deeper despair and a more cruel truth.
She slowly lowered her sword hand, but did not sheathe it, merely pointing it diagonally at the ground. She turned her head, her cold gaze piercing the darkness to look in Kanjuro's direction, silently conveying her inquiry and wariness.
Kanjuro seemed very satisfied with her reaction. He gently pushed aside Sakura, who was still nervously guarding him, and said softly, "Sakura, wait a moment. Uncle wants to show Sister Jeanne something."
Then, he looked at the limp Kariya Matou, a bizarre smile—a mix of pity and cruelty—appearing on his face. He didn't walk toward Kariya Matou; instead, he raised his hand. A dark fluctuation, originating from the same source as the Constitution Alteration Authority but more subtle and touching upon the very essence, began to swirl around his fingertips.
"Kariya..." Kanjuro's voice carried a hypocritical sigh. "Since you 'love' Sakura so much that you're willing to give everything for her... I'll let you, before your complete release, witness with your own eyes... the 'correct' future form of the crystallization of 'love' you risked your life to protect."
As his words fell, the dark fluctuation at his fingertips did not shoot toward Kariya Matou. Instead, like an invisible ripple, it instantly spread out, enveloping the entire worm pit! The target was none other than—Sakura, who was standing behind Matou Zouken, still shaken!
"Ngh...!"
Sakura let out a short whimper, her small body jerking as if imprisoned by an invisible force. Her once-pure eyes were instantly shrouded by a layer of eerie black mist!
Then, under Jeanne's narrowing pupils and Kariya Matou's suddenly wide, bloodshot, and incredulous eyes, Sakura's body began to undergo a terrifying transformation—
Countless tiny things seemed to be squirming beneath her skin. Dark patterns, similar to those on Kariya Matou but more delicate and bizarre, emerged on her fair skin. Her hair moved without wind, the tips seemingly merging into the surrounding shadows. Most heart-wrenching was the look in her eyes; her former dependence and purity were being replaced by a hollow darkness that seemed to absorb all light. Her lips even uncontrollably curled into a cold, evil smile just like Kanjuro's!
A dark aura, originating from the same source as Kanjuro's but more subtle and closer to the 'Root,' emanated from Sakura's small body!
"Do you see it, Kariya?" Kanjuro's voice was like a demon's whisper, echoing in the dead silence of the worm pit. "This is her true 'potential,' the 'correct' future I have bestowed upon her. She will no longer be a weak girl in need of your protection. She will become... a 'masterpiece' closer to the abyss and more perfect than even I am."
Witnessing a scene a thousand times more cruel than his own death, Kariya Matou made a 'gurgling,' tuneless sound in his throat. His eyeballs nearly bulged out of their sockets, filled with a despair deeper than death.
And Jeanne, looking at that young soul being forcibly distorted and stained with the deepest darkness, felt the hand gripping the Holy Sword tremble violently for the first time, due to a cold shudder that transcended anger and pity.
Kanjuro's so-called'surprise' was to personally twist his daughter's 'future' into its most desperate form right before his eyes.
This was his reason for not killing Kariya Matou—he wanted this man to fall into eternal hell carrying this ultimate, horrific truth about the one he loved. In the worm pit, the briefly manifested dark 'future' of Sakura vanished like a hallucination. The Authority was deactivated, leaving only a faint, lingering scent of profanity in the air. Sakura blinked blankly, seemingly waking from a brief dizzy spell, and muttered softly, "Just now... it felt like I had a strange dream..." She had no memory of being used as a prop to display such a desperate future.
Jeanne, however, had that terrifying scene deeply imprinted in her mind. She looked at Sakura's restored 'normal' innocent face, then at Kanjuro's handsome profile which wore a mask of hypocritical sorrow. A chill ran from her spine to the top of her head. She understood this demon less and less. Driving people to the brink, trampling their dignity, twisting what they cherished—was this his only pleasure? Staining all light black, crushing all hope, and dancing on the ruins of despair—was this the meaning of his existence?
"Jeanne, are you going to make a move?" Kanjuro's voice rang out again, carrying a playful urge.
The muscles in the arm Jeanne used to grip her Holy Sword tightened, but in the end, it slowly lowered. She couldn't. Not out of pity, but because she knew that whether this sword fell or not, it would be a bargaining chip for Kanjuro's victory. She only looked back coldly, building a final barrier with her silence.
"Hahaha! Jeanne, you really are interesting!" Kanjuro seemed to see something extremely amusing and chuckled excitedly, a morbid light flickering in his deep eyes. "I'm looking forward to it more and more... looking forward to what kind of wonderful expression you'll have when you finally can't take it anymore and point your Holy Sword at me!"
"I will absolutely not fall for it," Jeanne's voice was as cold as ice.
Kanjuro sighed with some regret, his attention returning to the stage he had meticulously arranged. His 'weakness' became more apparent; he even needed to lean slightly against the broken wall nearby to stand firm. He looked at Sakura, his eyes filled with 'helplessness' and'sadness':
"Sakura... right now... I really don't have any strength left. You see, Sister Jeanne is also unwilling to get rid of Uncle Kariya... but Uncle Kariya..." He hesitated, perfectly projecting fear. "As soon as he regains a little strength, he will definitely come to kill us again. At that time, Uncle Kanjuro might... really be unable to protect you."
These words were like a curse, instantly igniting the greatest fear in Sakura's heart. She remembered the helplessness of being hunted just now, and the hideous face and terrifying insects of 'Uncle Kariya.' Her small face instantly turned pale with fright. She clutched Kanjuro's sleeve, her voice tearful: "Then... then what should we do? Uncle Kanjuro, we can't die..."
Kariya Matou, collapsed on the ground, heard Kanjuro's distortion of the truth and saw Sakura completely dominated by fear. He let out a rasping, wheezing sound like a broken bellows. He struggled with his last bit of strength, his eyes blood-red with an almost overflowing despair and madness! He knew! He knew what this demon was going to do! It was going to be a thousand times more cruel than killing him!
Kanjuro ignored Kariya Matou's silent accusation. He slowly crouched down, meeting Sakura's clear eyes filled with dependence and fear. A very 'heavy' and 'forced' expression appeared on his face. He reached out and gently held Sakura's slightly trembling small hand. His palm was cold, yet it carried a strange, reassuring (or rather, corrupting) power.
Then, in a voice that was gentle to the extreme, yet also cruel to the extreme, he softly said:
"Sakura... for us to survive, for no one else to get hurt..."
He paused, as if the next words caused him immense pain, yet his gaze carried an undeniable guidance.
"...please, help Uncle Kanjuro... kill Uncle Kariya."
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