Astolfo is still here? That's odd.
According to the timeline Artoria was familiar with, Astolfo should have used the chaos caused by Spartacus' assault to escape with the homunculus, only to be pursued by Siegfried and his Master, Gordes.
In that sequence, Sieg would be injured by Gordes, prompting Siegfried to sacrifice his own heart to save Sieg. Siegfried would then exit the stage, with Sieg inheriting all of his abilities.
But now, both Siegfried and Astolfo were still present, meaning the sequence of events had clearly changed.
Perhaps Astolfo delayed his escape, or Sieg had already been captured. There were many possibilities.
With Jeanne now accompanying Artoria, she wouldn't be in a position to protect Sieg from the entirety of the Black faction, further complicating the situation.
If Sieg's existence is truly guided by the Counter Force, Artoria thought, then I need to keep an eye on this as well.
Suddenly, all the Servants present frowned almost simultaneously.
Their sharp senses had detected something unusual.
"She's here."
The mist began to roll in.
Untraceable in origin, the eerie, pale fog silently consumed the street.
Visibility dropped to near zero, and the oppressive atmosphere seeped through the veil of mist.
---
In the 19th century, during the height of the Second Industrial Revolution, a similar sight was common in London.
As one of the centers of the Industrial Revolution, London was shrouded in a thick smog caused by coal burning and industrial emissions. Combined with the city's geography, these pollutants formed an enduring fog.
And it was in this setting that a fearsome serial killer struck terror into the hearts of London's residents.
Jack the Ripper.
No one knew their true name or had seen their face. In the Whitechapel district of London's East End, Jack murdered at least five women, disemboweling them with grotesque precision. The brutality of these crimes threw all of England into a panic.
As one of the most infamous killers in history, the shadow of Jack the Ripper still lingered centuries later, stained with blood and steeped in fear.
It was this unyielding infamy and fear that elevated Jack to the status of a Heroic Spirit, allowing her to manifest as a Servant in this Holy Grail War.
In the Nasuverse, Jack the Ripper's true nature was revealed to be a wraith born from the collective grievances of thousands of abandoned children.
This evil spirit evaded capture because it wasn't truly human. Eventually, it was likely destroyed by a passing mage.
In the 19th century, London's lack of proper abortion techniques, combined with widespread prostitution, led to countless infants being discarded like garbage. Their bodies were thrown into the rivers of the East End, and their collective resentment gave birth to Jack.
As an amalgamation of these abandoned children, Jack believed that her "mother" had never wanted her to be born. Her wish was to return to the time before her birth—or, in other words, back into her mother's womb. This was why Jack mutilated her victims' abdomens.
And since most of those who abandoned children were prostitutes, Jack naturally targeted them as well.
Having been briefed by Artoria on Jack the Ripper's background, the others immediately recognized the mysterious fog as her work.
The three Servants prepared themselves, ready to intervene at a moment's notice.
The distance between them and Kairi was negligible, especially for Servants. Even without Achilles' legendary speed, they could cover the distance faster than a blink.
As tension hung in the air, time slipped by like a mountain stream, unnoticed but inexorable.
Something's not right, Artoria thought.
The fog was undoubtedly Jack the Ripper's doing, but… why wasn't she showing herself?
It wasn't until a thunderous crash echoed in the distance that Artoria realized what was happening.
"Servants are fighting nearby?"
A sudden clarity struck her, and Artoria made a swift decision.
"Mordred! Return to your Master and protect him. Jeanne and I will investigate the disturbance."
"On it!"
Understanding the urgency, the three of them split up, racing toward their respective tasks at full speed.
As Artoria and Jeanne neared the battle's location, Artoria felt a peculiar sensation.
"A bounded field to ward off humans? So that's it…"
Her gaze sharpened, and she accelerated.
No wonder Jack hadn't attacked. It wasn't because she sensed the presence of three vigilant Servants. It was because Kairi wasn't the only mage in this town.
The battle was unfolding in a square where the fog didn't reach.
To Artoria's surprise, the combatants were none other than Astolfo and Siegfried.
"What are they doing here?"
Though it was called a battle, Astolfo was clearly being overwhelmed. If not for Siegfried's apparent lack of intent to kill, Astolfo would've already been defeated.
"Why are they fighting?" Jeanne asked, clearly distressed. "Aren't they on the same side?"
"They must've had a falling out. When personal convictions clash, conflict is inevitable," Artoria replied, though she knew the true reason.
She caught sight of Sieg—the homunculus Astolfo had rescued.
Unlike the original sequence of events, Astolfo hadn't even made it out of the Black faction's castle, let alone the surrounding forest. Instead, he had escaped directly here.
But the outcome remained unchanged: they had been pursued and caught by Siegfried and Gordes.
"Should we intervene?" Jeanne asked, hesitating as she watched the fight. Her tone suggested she would defer to Artoria's judgment.
Artoria gave Jeanne a peculiar look before responding. "No, there's no need—so long as they're not violating any rules. Our target is still Jack the Ripper. She could strike at any moment, and her most likely targets are Gordes or Sieg."
Gordes, Siegfried's Master, was present but entirely vulnerable while Siegfried was occupied fighting Astolfo. For Jack, he was a much more tempting target than Kairi, who was under Mordred's protection.
And then there was Sieg. Despite being a mere homunculus, his exceptionally crafted magic circuits might also draw Jack's attention.
"This is getting complicated…" Artoria muttered, her voice tinged with frustration.