But someone stopped her before she could unleash the flames.
"Now wait a moment, Lady Jeanne. Surely you can spare a moment to hear a lowly wanderer beg for his life?"
Kojiro spoke with a breezy air, stalling Jalter's wrath.
"What is it, Burdock-man? I'm not accepting any appeals."
"Hahaha, a villain must simply act like a villain. It is only right that your flames should char us... however..." Kojiro smirked wickedly. "Are you prepared for the fact that the dango you worked so hard on will also return to ash?"
"—!"
It was a malicious negotiation. Even for a Servant, snatching something held close to another Servant's body is difficult. Destruction or incineration would be easy, but these were Chaldea's treasures. Jeanne's flames would consume the dango as well. By holding the Rare Dango, the three had turned themselves into hostages!
"—You coward! Aren't you ashamed of taking hostages?! The ideal ending is a fair fight followed by a firm handshake!"
"Not at all. War is a path of deception. If one isn't skilled at trickery, one can't play with a vixen like you."
Kojiro brushed off Jalter's glaring fury.
"We were both deceived. How about we settle this by sharing the pain? Equality is best, after all."
"Nice, Kojiro! Honestly, I just really want to eat these!" Martha added.
"Are you even still a Saint!?"
"Depending on the time and place, even Saints and Holy Maidens value themselves the most!"
Rikka gave a wry smile at Martha and the others' blatant lack of shame.
"Man, talk about a 'Neptune King' move. Fine, if that's how it is..."
Rikka went to draw her blade, checking with Gilgamesh first, but...
"Ah, have no fear. Burn them to your heart's content," the Heroic King said, standing composed with a laugh. Because— "The treasure has already been seized and secured right here."
Piled around the King were the golden-glowing Heaven Dango—the very same rare dango Martha and the others had been holding.
"Wh—?! Wait, when did you!?"
"A while ago. You are a hundred years too early to think you could deceive me."
The King stuffed a Rare Dango into his mouth. The battle was already over. Once the King saw through what they were holding and where they were hiding it, it was no longer "hidden." Once the location was exposed, it was just luggage. It was no longer a bargaining chip.
The foundation had already been laid. If a Servant would burn them...
~
"—Please, Fou!"
(Leave it to me! Gil! Open the Gate!)
"Do not fail."
Following the principles of Uruk-style arts, Fou dove into a ripple in space, warped secretly behind the trio...
(And that's a 'Boshut'—You're disqualified!)
Exercising his rights as a Prime Species, he had retrieved every single dango without them noticing!
~
"Ah, wait! That's my Rare Dango!"
"It is not yours. It is our treasure. You've reached the end of the line. This is the fate of those who bet their lives on a pathetic, petty strategy."
There was no longer any reason for mercy, nor any obligation. Now came the judgment of wrath—the incarnation of the hellfire that would purge these three villains.
"The time for retribution has come—!! Master, Goldie, get back!"
Jalter leaped forward, raising her banner high.
"Your path has already been cut off!"
She swung the flag with all her might. A blast of scorching wind buffeted the three.
"—!! Ha, a witch judging a saint? That's a black joke that isn't even fun—"
Martha's eyes widened. Jalter was sliding her blade against the gauntlet of her left hand. It was a stance the "Witch Jeanne" had never taken before.
"What are you planning—agh!?"
Looking around, the anomaly had already begun. The three were trapped in the center of it.
"I've decided not to burn you. —I'm going to blow you away until not even dust remains!"
The air was filled with "dust" saturated with magical energy. A floating fuse of combustible, explosive material danced in the void. The previous swing of the flag was for this purpose. Even the scorching wind was a decoy—all to delay their realization of this one trick.
"This is bad...! Everyone! Get down!"
"Well, well. It seems the end of a petty villain is always quite... abrupt," Kojiro remarked philosophically.
"What are you acting all enlightened for?! This is bad! It's really bad! Taras—"
They couldn't get away in time. She wouldn't let them.
"『Roar, O' My Fury — La Grondement Du Haine』—!!!"
She scraped her blade against the gauntlet with all her strength, and at the moment she swung down, a spark flew.
The spark ignited the dust via her magical energy, resonating through the air—and in an instant—
「「「NUWAAAAAAAAAAAHHH—!!!!?」」」
A massive explosion. A sea of flames. Crimson flowers bloomed in the night, a pillar of fire rising like a dome of destruction. The earth rumbled and the atmosphere trembled under the hellfire of judgment. By the time the fury subsided—
"What a pathetic ending. To think I had to dress it up with a flashy move."
Jalter snorted, looking down at the three charred, greedy souls crumpled on the ground.
"The dango... it's still not enough. But we're getting close. Let's keep at it, Rikka."
"Of course! Now, for a lead on the next location..."
"Hm? Something fell. This is..."
『Receipt: Caesar』
"—The next opponent is going to burn nicely."
"Yeah, definitely. If the 'Olga Marie Treatment' doesn't work on him...!"
"Oh dear, is it just me, or did the Princess's eyes get a little scary when she looked at the moon? No, no, must be my imagination!"
"Did you notice? Please notice! Help me!"
"Just a little more! Go for it, Rikka!"
"HELP MEEEEE—!"
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