The strange fish bore a striking resemblance to the carp fish, but it was many times larger. It was the familiar of the fish god Derketo, a divine fish that only Semiramis could summon.
Its movements were incredibly agile, capable of rivaling that of a Servant even outside of water. It possessed a large mouth capable of devouring a person, with teeth that gleamed with a cold light and a powerful jaw more fearsome than ordinary swords and blades.
At this moment, it was opening its maw wide, attempting to bite the girl before it in half.
If it were an average Servant, the divine fish's ambush might have succeeded. But Jeanne d'Arc was no ordinary Servant; she was a Ruler, a saint who could hear the "revelations" from God. Before the divine fish appeared, she had already foreseen the danger and prepared to dodge and counterattack.
As the divine fish drew closer, so close that she could smell the stench from its foul teeth, Jeanne swiftly turned around. Her three-meter-long holy banner struck the divine fish's body fiercely, leaving a long, shocking scar on its scales, which were as solid as iron. The brutal beast was sent flying, crashing into many carefully arranged plants in the garden.
Having easily thwarted the divine fish's ambush, Jeanne let out a soft snort, and the flag adorned with the Fleur-de-lis fluttered in the wind.
However, this gallant figure was an eyesore to Semiramis, who was hiding somewhere unseen.
"I thought the saint from the legend would be some noble and pure existence, but it turns out she's just a crude country girl."
Facing Semiramis's sharp ridicule, Jeanne remained unfazed, responding calmly.
"You're right; I am just a country girl from Domrémy-la-Pucelle, never a saint."
Jeanne's title of "saint" was posthumously awarded. In her lifetime, she was burnt at the stake as a heretic. Jeanne herself never saw herself as a saint; apart from her military role, she was just an ordinary country girl from France.
Seeing Jeanne's attitude of not feeling ashamed but rather proud, Semiramis's words grew even more disdainful.
"Then continue rolling in the dirt with this ugly man-eating fish."
As soon as she finished speaking, the divine fish, which had been sliding on the ground, flicked its tail and leaped up, attacking in a manner akin to hunting in water.
Although it was a familiar of the fish god, Derketo was not a benevolent deity—would a kind god kill her lover and abandon her daughter after their affair was exposed? Naturally, her familiar would not be a good creature either.
Though called a divine fish, it was a ferocious beast. The wound Jeanne inflicted did not scare it; instead, it awakened its savagery, making its already hideous appearance even more terrifying.
In Semiramis's eyes, this beast was the perfect match for Jeanne, the country girl.
Once again, Jeanne sent the divine fish flying, beating it until it was covered in wounds and bleeding profusely. Yet, Jeanne felt no joy. She had understood Semiramis's strategy. Unable to win in close combat and her magic ineffective against Jeanne's absolute magic resistance, Semiramis had chosen a roundabout tactic—summoning.
Summoning magic itself did not directly affect Jeanne and wouldn't be hindered by her magic resistance. The summoned creatures, being real entities, also wouldn't be affected by the magic resistance. As long as the creatures were strong enough, defeating Jeanne was not impossible.
A single divine fish was not enough, but what if there were several? What if even stronger beasts were summoned?
Though she had not received further revelations, Jeanne sensed the approaching danger.
This was a super grand temple built at the pinnacle of human history, not just the Age of Gods. It was impossible that there were no powerful divine beasts, mythical beasts, or magical beasts guarding it.
No, she couldn't afford to drag this out any longer. She had to break through quickly—she had to use her Command Spells.
Yes, the Command Spell. Although Semiramis had mentioned that even if Jeanne used her Command Spell, her Master would use theirs to cancel it out, there was still an order of operations. As long as there was a brief gap, Jeanne was confident she could break through.
Having made her decision, Jeanne hesitated no longer. A crimson light flowed over her back, hidden beneath her battle armor.
"In the name of the Ruler, I command—"
"No!"
Semiramis, hidden in the shadows, turned pale.
"Master, quickly—"
At this critical moment, calculated in seconds, a bizarre surge of magical energy swept through the entire aerial garden.
This magical energy was so immense that none could compare to it, except for the eight-armed, multi-legged Spartacus. It was also so malevolent that even a staunchly devout demigod, a savior of her nation like Jeanne, felt a shiver of fear.
Accompanying this immense magical energy, something "was born." It was something so significant that it diverted attention from the Holy Grail War, potentially a fatal presence.
◇◇◇
Three figures, two tall and one short, walked side by side through the rubble.
"Incredible," Kairi Sisigou remarked, a cigarette dangling from his lips.
"Yeah, yeah. If that had hit directly, we'd be dead for sure," Mordred nodded vigorously, arms crossed.
The Knight King Artoria remained silent, quietly surveying the surroundings.
Due to Spartacus's self-destruction, her battle with Mordred had been forcibly interrupted. After witnessing the wild, destructive light and subsequent, both the father and son duo, known for their leadership qualities, unspokenly decided to cease fighting and figure out what had happened and how it would impact the battle.
Thus, the group followed the aerial garden, completely forgetting their ruthless combat from just moments before, reinforcing Sisigou's belief that the two were indeed father and son (or mother and daughter).
The air was thick with the acrid smell of burning, and the ground was a charred black and red with lava. Looking at the scene, who would believe this was the plains of Romania and not the crater of some volcano in the Alps?
"But who did this? That dangerous woman?"
Sisigou looked up, his gaze fixed on the aerial garden almost blending into the Millennia Fortress. The Black Faction Masters, except Shinji, believed it was the Noble Phantasm of the Red Caster, but Sisigou thought otherwise. Having researched Semiramis, he knew it was the Noble Phantasm of the Red Assassin.
"No, it doesn't seem like it. That woman's magical energy shouldn't be like this," Mordred shook her head.
"It should be darker, more somber, like my mother's—don't you think, Father?"
Artoria did not respond immediately, only muttering a single word: "Sun."
"Sun?"
Mordred and Sisigou exchanged confused glances, not understanding what Artoria meant.
Just as Artoria was about to explain, a golden, glowing orb began to rise from the castle.
"That's—the Greater Grail!!!"
"But how?"
"Did that woman do this?"
The three of them, sensing the overwhelming power, simultaneously turned pale. Artoria reacted the fastest, dashing forward like an arrow.
"Wait—"
Mordred wanted to rush forward too, but after taking just a couple of steps, she remembered she wasn't alone. Turning back, she asked:
"—Master, what should we do next?"
"You already know the answer, don't you?"
Sisigou took a deep drag on his cigarette, then crushed it out.
"Hmph. If we do nothing now, we'll be seen as outsiders."
"You're right. Let's go, Saber."
"Understood, Master. So, are you good at flying?"
"Not particularly. As much as I hate to admit it, it looks like I'll have to rely on you."
Seeing the bitter expression on Sisigou's face, Mordred grinned mischievously. It was time for her unique skill, Mana Burst, to shine once again.