"…If we're talking about who's more persistent, shouldn't that title go to you lot instead?"
Gazing at the two figures desperately blocking her path, Jeanne Alter's eyes glimmered with a stormy, unreadable light.
But she quickly swept away that fleeting emotion, her lips curling back into her trademark mocking smile.
"Still, this is as far as you can go—Fafnir! Burn that peasant girl over there to ashes!"
At her command, the ever-looming Fafnir roared, heat gathering within its throat as it prepared its searing breath, the blazing torrent aimed straight toward Lin Qi and the others.
Fafnir was a dragon of even higher rank than Tarrasque.Even its ordinary breath carried power on par with a Noble Phantasm, and with those nearly indestructible scales, it was practically a walking heavy artillery battery—no ordinary Servant could hope to stand against it.
The dark, incandescent light of its breath illuminated the battlefield.Marie and Amadeus could only look on helplessly, far too occupied to interfere.
Fafnir's movements were impossible to miss—and Jeanne, who had been keeping an eye on the situation even while chanting, of course saw everything.
So it's come to this after all, hasn't it?
She wasn't surprised—only calm.
"Sir Georgios, I'll leave the rest of the baptism to you."
The ritual was already more than halfway complete. Even if Jeanne stepped away now, Georgios could finish it alone.
Receiving his wordless assent, Jeanne picked up her flag and began to rise—
—but a hand suddenly grabbed hers, firmly and desperately.
Turning her head, she saw—just as she expected—Lin Qi.
The final Master of humanity stared at her with unyielding eyes, his trembling hand refusing to let go.
As the purification progressed, the curse's burden on his body was fading; his mind had finally cleared again.
Only to awaken into this.
Even with his thoughts tangled like a knotted thread, Lin Qi still reacted instinctively.
But Jeanne said nothing in return. She simply looked at him—gentle, quiet.
Why are you looking at me like that? Say something… anything…
Under her gaze, Lin Qi's eyes wavered; his strength ebbed away. His hand slipped, falling heavily to the ground.
As though drained of all energy, Lin Qi lowered his head.
Jeanne gently stroked his hair.
Then, without looking back, she turned around—gripping her flag and stepping between Fafnir and the pair behind her.
I really am an unfit Servant, aren't I? I made a promise… and yet I'm breaking it now, at the very end…
Whispering a silent apology in her heart, Jeanne smiled as she raised her flag high.
"But isn't this exactly what a Heroic Spirit exists for?To return from the past to the present, and carve open a path for those who will go beyond us—there's nothing more romantic than that, is there?"
Golden light cascaded from her flag, radiant enough to pierce the soul itself.
Her voice, clear and resounding, carried across the entire battlefield.
"Of course—nothing could be more romantic than this!"
Marie didn't hesitate for even a moment before answering.
"Mhm, well said. Even I can't help but feel fired up now!"
Amadeus sighed, half in awe.
Both of them were battered beyond belief, yet their faces still shone with dazzling smiles, as if none of the injuries belonged to them.
At some point, every Servant on the field had fallen silent—only their bodies continued moving, driven by the madness forced upon them.
"Ahhh, this—this is Jeanne! The true Jeanne d'Arc! The one no soul could ever forget after witnessing her even once!!"
Upon seeing her stand there, Gilles de Rais completely lost control, tears pouring freely as he lifted both hands toward the heavens.
Jeanne Alter, however, snapped.And when she heard Gilles's words, her fury exploded.
"Fafnir! What are you waiting for?! Faster—faster! Pour everything you have into it! Burn them all!"
Her roar shook the air.
Fafnir obeyed loyally, its power building faster, the glow at its jaws growing brighter and hotter.
But it seemed the beast could not fully manage both speed and power at once—the attack's release was still just slightly delayed.
"So don't you worry," Jeanne said softly, "We'll open a path for you through this dark wasteland—a road wide enough for you to walk forward.Go on. Walk onward… to a place farther than we can reach."
"O flag of mine—protect my comrades!"
"Luminosité Eternelle — My God is Here With Me!"
With Jeanne's chant, pale golden light spread outwards, forming a radiant barrier before and behind her.
Fafnir's breath erupted at last.Like a meteor crashing to earth, that infernal stream of heat tore through the air, slamming violently against the golden shield.
"Ugh—!"
In an instant, the tremendous impact drove Jeanne back two steps, the shimmering light of her barrier flickering dangerously.
Had she been at full strength, she might have repelled even Fafnir's flames—but now, half-crippled, her once EX-ranked Magic Resistance might not even be C-rank anymore, and even her Noble Phantasm was incomplete.
Still, Jeanne did not waver.Her blue eyes fixed straight ahead, she pushed back against the dragon's breath with every ounce of strength she had left.
Watching her from behind, Lin Qi finally couldn't hold it in—his tears spilled freely.
Her figure before him shone—radiant, burning—and yet the pain in his heart cut like a knife.
His chest tightened; his heart felt as if it were being torn apart, wave after wave of agony crashing through him.
Had he not expected this? As someone inclined to pessimism, how could he not?
And yet—
Why… why did it have to come so soon…?
His vision blurred with tears.
Everything moved too fast—never once stopping for his desperate prayers.
Even though he had wished for it again and again.
It had been only three days—less, even—since he first met Jeanne.Yet in that short time, she had become his salvation.
For others, that might sound exaggerated.For Lin Qi, it was nothing less than truth.
Ever since he'd been left behind and half-forgotten in Chaldea, this girl had been the very first person he'd met.
It was like a hand reaching out to catch him as he fell from a cliff.No one could imagine the shock, the relief he'd felt when he saw her.
She was the one who pulled him out of despair.The first to accept him as he was.The one who listened quietly through the night as he poured out his heart.
If he could… Lin Qi wanted to be selfish, just once more.To take her hand—and never let go.
He raised his hand, the Command Seals upon it glowing faintly.
"Command Seal—please, let this noble soul fulfill her will to the very end—!"
Pop—
A flash of crimson light; one stroke of the three-part seal on his hand vanished.
With that, the faltering golden radiance before him stabilized, its trembling glow becoming firm again.
Feeling the surge of pure mana suddenly flowing into her, Jeanne's lips curved into a faint smile.
Without hesitation, she poured every last bit of strength into her flag.
Far off, Jeanne Alter was still screaming for Fafnir to intensify the flames.
Golden light and dark breath clashed endlessly, dividing the battlefield in two.
Minutes passed—or seconds? Lin Qi couldn't tell.
All he knew was that the golden radiance was shrinking, bit by bit—from ten meters, to one.
The golden motes scattered into the air.Sweat evaporated the moment it formed.The armor on her arm had long since been melted away, her sleeve burned to tatters, exposing her white, slender arm beneath.
Ah… right. I never even said goodbye, did I…?
Jeanne thought vaguely, turning her head just enough to show a faint smile—
—and vanished into the blazing inferno, leaving only her flag standing tall where she had been.
Baptism Progress — 100%.
...