Let's rewind time a bit, back to when Jeanne first encountered Shakespeare.
"I found you, poisoner."
Mordred swaggered into the throne room with her sword slung over her shoulder.
"It wasn't you who found me, but I who deliberately led you here. Well, that said, you've gone through quite a struggle to get here, so let me first extend some hospitality."
Semiramis sat elegantly on the throne, a beautiful smile on her face. Her smile was incredibly enchanting, with a captivating allure even without any added magic, resembling a magnificent work of art. If a man's resolve wasn't steadfast, he might have already fallen for her charms.
However, Mordred paid no attention to this beauty.
"You call this hospitality? There's not even a dish served."
"Because the guests haven't all arrived yet. Your father Arthur and your Master, that man called Kairi Shishigou, haven't made it here."
Since Semiramis could manipulate space to lead Jeanne to Shakespeare, she could also separate Artoria from Mordred. Moreover, out of some twisted amusement, she had specifically placed Mordred's Master, Kairi Shishigou, alongside Artoria.
Mordred scoffed, "A petty schemer who only resorts to such despicable tricks."
Semiramis's smile remained unchanged, "Ah, but it was through such means that I controlled the Assyrian Empire, much like how your mother used similar methods to overturn the Arthurian dynasty."
"Quite bold of you to say that. Doesn't it hurt where you were wounded?"
Mordred's eyes glinted harshly as she glanced at the Empress's shoulder. Though the wound was not visible, her swordsman's intuition told her that the injury there had yet to heal.
Semiramis gently ran her fingers over the wounded area, her eyes narrowing to slits:
"While it doesn't hurt, my heart is wounded. Of course, I know how to heal it."
"—Oh, I may not know that method, but how about I help you out?"
"I would be most grateful. Then—"
Semiramis raised her hand, and Mordred raised her sword, both uttering the same words simultaneously.
"As long as you die, the wound won't hurt anymore."
The king's sword, more beautiful than any silver, was soaked in crimson magical energy, emitting a persistent hum.
From the darkness behind Semiramis emerged deep green chains, their hooked ends gleaming with a chilling light.
Mordred roared, her crimson slash cutting through most of the throne room.
Yet, Semiramis remained unfazed by the fierce killing intent, effortlessly nullifying the powerful strike with a mere wave of her hand—a strike that even the most elite warrior Servants would not underestimate.
One slash proved ineffective; the next followed, stronger and faster than the previous.
However, the outcome did not change. The Empress remained firmly seated on her throne.
Neither side suffered injury; they were merely wasting time.
"Your killing intent is like a gentle breeze. Come at me with true hatred. Otherwise, you'll only be tortured to death, serving as an appetizer for entertaining your Master and father."
The lofty Empress was like a snake preying on a mouse. Yet, the rebellious knight was no mere mouse. Even if she were, she'd be a mouse with fangs sharp enough to kill a tiger.
"So that is your plan? Disgusting poisoner!!!"
Mordred launched a fierce charge. Her movement, propelled by the recoil from kicking off the wall, was like a bullet in flight. She closed in on the throne at supersonic speed, leaving no room for delay, aiming directly for the Empress's head.
However, the Empress, appearing uninterested, moved only a single finger.
The attack ended there.
Deep green chains flew from the darkness, wrapping around Mordred like venomous snakes or the talons of a hawk.
The valiant rebellious knight instantly severed the first chain that approached her, continuing her charge while cutting down each chain with astonishing reflexes.
But for every chain Mordred destroyed, two more took its place.
Initially, there were only four chains, but within seconds, the number had increased to a hundred.
Mordred tirelessly cut down ninety-nine chains, yet one managed to wrap around her leg.
"Ugh...!!!"
Her eyebrow furrowed. Mordred gathered her magical energy, instinctively intending to use Mana Burst to break free from the chain and accelerate once more to decapitate the Empress.
However, before she could release her magical energy, Mordred felt a numbness in her leg, and the gathered energy instantly crumbled.
Before she could grasp the situation, the Empress moved her finger again.
In an instant, the chains surged forward once more.
The chains wrapped around Mordred and violently flung her backward, slamming her onto the stone floor.
Mordred immediately sprang up from the ground but didn't attack again. Instead, she moved her leg, which had been wrapped by the chains, slightly.
As expected, the strength in her leg was gradually weakening compared to usual.
"Are you puzzled?"
"What new deceit are you playing at, you poisoner?"
Mordred's frown deepened, a reaction that pleased Semiramis greatly.
"Since you call me a poisoner, it's naturally poison."
"But my..."
Mordred ultimately did not voice her confusion because the super serum created by Chiron was top secret, something that must not be revealed to the enemy.
However, whether she spoke or not made no difference to Semiramis.
"You want to know why your defenses didn't work, right? Heh, and you want to ask how I knew? Everything you want to say is written all over your face. Out of mercy for that foolish look of yours, I'll tell you."
"My name is Semiramis, the ancient poisoner. I can create any 'poison' in the world at will. Within this throne room, everything is imbued with the concept of 'poison.'"
"Though I don't know what methods you used to resist my poison earlier, as long as it's not a concept-level protection like that of Ruler or a skill that conceptually detoxifies or resists poison, it will be assimilated by my poison."
"Do you understand? The moment you stepped into this place, you fell under my control, with no escape, like an insect swallowed by a fish."
"What's the matter? Can't even muster the strength to speak? As a clown meant to amuse me, if you don't spout some ridiculous lines, you won't even qualify as entertainment."
Semiramis propped her chin on the back of her hand, her gaze full of malice as she blatantly scrutinized Mordred's body.