Classes in the Holy Grail War each had their own specialty, and the Rider class belonged to those focused on Noble Phantasms and mobility.
[It's incredibly fast, speeds higher than any average automobile. Since it's all plains with no obstacles, that must be why it can hit these speeds, but even considering that, it's fast enough. We should be able to arrive in about 10 more hours.]
"What about Ritsuka and the others?"
[They left before you did, but because of Ritsuka, their movement is bound to be a bit delayed. They will probably need a little more time.]
There is no problem.
Since Jeanne d'Arc is already accompanying Ritsuka, if we just find Georgius, we'll be able to figure out how to break Siegfried's curse somehow… and perhaps I might be able to remove the curse with my Preta Path (Bong-sul Heup-in).
What concerns me is the Holy Grail possessed by Gilles de Rais, and the Ruler skill held by Jeanne d'Arc Alter.
'The Demon God King has already given advice to Gilles de Rais regarding me. The problem with Mad Enhancement is that you can't predict the opponent… especially when it's someone you're seeing for the first time.'
I must not forget.
The fact that these are not merely figures taxidermied in my 'memory', but adversaries who are alive and breathing, fighting me right now.
If I judge them by my own standards, variables outside my expectations will naturally occur, and variables are the biggest reason that drive me into a crisis.
'The remaining Berserker Servants are D'Eon, Atalanta, and Martha. The most dangerous among these is certainly Atalanta, who is capable of sniping.'
It's not quite a Causality Reversal level ability where shooting equals a hit, but a Noble Phantasm that forces a binary choice between enduring a hail of crossfire second to none but Arash, or focusing all that fire onto a single point, is difficult to deal with in many ways. In my case, I have the supreme cheat key that is Shinra Tensei, but if it were an omnidirectional arrow-bombardment like the Phoebe Catastrophe, my ability wouldn't be able to defend against it all.
The fortunate thing is that Atalanta is resisting Gilles de Rais's orders on her own and trying to discard her Mad Enhancement along with Martha… but since Gilles de Rais has been dealt a blow by me once, he would have succeeded in controlling them somehow. Whether by using Command Spells or brainwashing.
"Stop for a moment."
"Hmm? Why, Master~?"
"We'll arrive before Ritsuka's group anyway. I think we should resupply and get some rest before then."
"Mm, mm, rest is also important. Amadeus, don't you think so too?"
"I always agree with Marie's opinion."
While the supplies sent from Chaldea were abundant in the Naraka Path, the Magical Energy itself had to be restored by gathering atmospheric mana and Leyline energy using Preta Path (Bong-sul Heup-in).
Of course, it was possible to restore it by gathering atmospheric mana while moving, but to charge enough energy to fire the Tsar Bomba again, it was more effective to just stand still and absorb the mana from the ground. Having a Leyline present was better in the first place, anyway.
'It would be even better if the Dragon Witch tracked us this way, though.'
Another danger she possesses. That is her ability as a Ruler.
The broken ability to grasp a Servant's location and true name to some extent, and to issue commands as a Ruler, allowed Jeanne d'Arc Alter, despite being an Avenger class in essence, to maintain an overwhelming advantage in this war.
Naturally, her going to strike Ritsuka first was practically a disaster, and while they also seemed to be rushing their steps in their own way… the anxiety was unavoidable.
Furthermore, the abnormal specs of Fafnir, controlled by the Dragon Witch. It's an insane offensive power that couldn't be blocked even with the combined defense of Mash's Lord Chaldeas and Jeanne d'Arc's Luminosité Eternelle.
'I'll entrust Fafnir entirely to the pair of Dragonslayers, and I should focus on a decapitation strike to kill Gilles de Rais.'
"Now, shall we get up soon?"
"Eh? Is it alright to get up already? You said we definitely needed to resupply…"
"I've finished enough energy resupply."
"We're Servants so it doesn't matter, but Master, you're human, is it really okay?"
"It doesn't matter. In the first place, I don't sleep that well anyway."
I'm dying of busyness, how could I have time to sleep? Fundamentally, sleep is a form of rest for promoting physical growth and letting the body recover. If I circulate my blood forcibly by operating Magical Energy and discharge waste products… I can rest my brain even without needing to sleep.
[Wait a second, when was the last time you actually slept properly?!]
"Ah…"
Come to think of it, Romani was listening to this conversation.
"It hasn't been that long. Roughly 5…"
[How can you not sleep for 5 days! That means you haven't taken a single breath since you returned!]
"…Sorry, but it's been a long time since I've had anyone worry about such things, except for Ms. Alice and Aoko-nee-san."
And 5 days was wrong, to begin with.
It feels like the last time I fell into a proper sleep was about 5 years ago.
As we rode Marie's glass carriage for a long time, the walls of the city of Lyon and the nearby villages came into view.
The village had already turned into quite an old ruin, perhaps because the Dragon Witch, Jeanne d'Arc Alter, had swept through it once.
"Ah, Karma!"
"I told you it's fine to call me Brother… no, never mind."
And the first one to greet me on the spot was none other than Mash.
"When did you arrive?"
"We just arrived too. And we also found Siegfried… Sunbae is currently in the middle of talking to Jeanne d'Arc, but it seems that with just one Saint, we won't be able to completely drive away the aura of the Otherworld."
"Hmm…"
A curse is ultimately just another form of Magical Energy.
With Preta Path (Bong-sul Heup-in), I might be able to absorb it. Even if I fail, there won't be any particular problems anyway… if I do it well, I could save some time.
"Old man!"
"Oh my, I guess they're out now."
"I'm glad you're safe, Old man. I heard you were dropped in Jeanne d'Arc Alter's stronghold?"
"Yeah."
"That Yagami Kyubey-Kyaru trick must have been behind it!"
"…None of that makes sense."
As I pushed Ritsuka's nonsense to one side, this time a woman revealed herself.
She had a similar appearance to the Dragon Witch, but starting from her armor to her aura, she was a woman who was 'opposite' in every way.
"Nice to meet you, another Master from Chaldea."
"I've heard the story, Jeanne d'Arc. Did you finish contracting with Ritsuka well?"
"Yes, and Ritsuka said there might be a means to cure Siegfried that only you possess."
"Did she tell you about the Preta Path…"
Right at that moment, Marie Antoinette, who was beside me, stepped forward and opened her mouth.
"Say~, is it absolutely necessary to have two Saints to break that curse?"
"…That is because I am lacking. Furthermore, as I was digested imperfectly, I am in a situation where I cannot display my abilities as a Ruler either."
"Hmm… then how about this?"
What Marie pulled out was, none other than the Shroud of Saint Mary Magdalene.