Jeanne spoke, and Jeanne shook her head in response.
"Nonsense. You are no Saint. Not in the way I am... or rather, that is a matter of the past, not worth dwelling upon.
More importantly... for what reason do you strike at cities and slaughter the innocent?"
Hearing Jeanne's inquiry, the other Jeanne curled her lip in disgust, as if she had heard something absurd.
"...Asking for a reason? I thought a fellow Jeanne d'Arc would possess enough sense to understand. Does an inversion of one's attribute truly render you so dim-witted? You ask why I assault this land?"
Jeanne reflected on the question with a dry, hollow laugh.
"Ha-ha-ha-ha! Is it not obvious? It is simple. I intend to erase France from existence. I am a Servant, after all!"
"Such an absurd, senseless act...!"
"...Senseless?"
Jeanne's words seemed to strike a nerve. Jeanne glared at her, her voice rising with agitation.
"Ha. It is we who are the fools, Jeanne d'Arc. Why would you ever wish to save such a nation? Why sacrifice yourself for such foolish creatures? You know full well they are beings who would betray you and spit in your face!"
"...That is-"
"Enough. I shall be deceived no longer. I will no longer forgive such betrayal. That is why I shall bring ruin to this France.
I have already slain Bishop Pierre Cauchon, the very man who branded me a witch, a heretic, and cast his vitriol upon me. Every other Servant summoned here who refused to participate in my designs has met the same fate.
There is none left who can stand against me. Even you, a mere shadow of what I was, cannot hope to stop me.
Should you attempt to obstruct my path, I, the Dragon Witch, shall burn you to ash. And in that regard, even a version of myself is no exception."
"...Are you truly 'me'...?"
Jeanne wore a look of utter disbelief at the question.
"Ha. It is laughable. I have explained it as clearly as possible, and yet you still harbor such doubts. To be 'me' and yet so incredibly dull-witted, it is pathetic.
Further discourse is meaningless. Then... I shall send you to your grave. Naturally, I shall ensure that trivial Servant at your side accompanies you as your traveling companion."
With that final remark, Jeanne dismounted from her wyvern. Simultaneously, the creatures descended, encircling Jeanne and myself.
As I gazed upon these specimens—which appeared to be of a higher caliber than the ones we had previously encountered—I felt a pang of irritation and creased my brow.
"...Pfft!"
"...?"
However, observing my reaction, Jeanne clearly mistook my annoyance for fear, and she let out a sneering provocation.
"Could it be that you are frightened by a handful of wyverns? Whoever you may have been in life, your spirit is truly pathetic."
"...."
To me, it was nothing more than cheap bait. Having weathered countless storms, I was not one to be stirred by such pedestrian taunts.
Instead, a thought occurred to me. I wore a wide, sharp grin and hurled the provocation right back at her.
"...Hmph."
"...?"
"If I am pathetic, then what does that make you? A 'Dragon Witch' who travels with nothing but overgrown lizards? Did none of your friends mention that?"
"...What?"
"Ah, I suppose as a Singularity-born entity, you have no friends. Allow me to enlighten you then: why not call yourself the 'Witch of Wyverns'? It seems a much more accurate title for your pathetic lot."
"......"
"...Eh?"
Jeanne faltered for a moment, her eyes going wide as the weight of my insult took hold. She lowered her head, and as her shoulders began to tremor uncontrollably, I felt a sharp, icy spike of alarm from my own intuition. My eyes snapped open wide.
I kept echoing the realization that I had absolutely 'done it' in the back of my mind. Why was my instinct screaming at me now?
My only enemies present were a handful of wyverns and Jeanne... could it be?
A sudden, chilling possibility flickered through my brain. Had she really fallen for a provocation of that caliber? Was she truly fragile enough to be undone by such a light jab?
Surely not. That wouldn't be possible, would it?
Even as I tried to soothe my rising anxiety, it refused to settle. It was the same for Jeanne, who looked at me and whispered.
"...Um, Elius. Surely a version of myself would not be goaded so easily by such a taunt, but perhaps you should offer an apology..."
"...But I merely returned the gesture, Jeanne. Why is it-"
"...Heh. Hehehehehehe..."
"...Oh?"
At the sound of a low, madness-ridden laugh, Jeanne and I both turned toward the source.
".....!"
"...Eek!"
Jeanne slowly lifted her head. The visage staring back at us was a creature of such bone-chilling, hateful malice that both Jeanne and I recoiled in terror.
She locked her sights on me, her eyes ablaze with murderous intent, brimming with raw hatred and fury. I knew then that I had triggered her—completely and utterly.
"Heh, hehehehe. I shall make sure to kill you... I shall personally carve the life from your very soul!!"
Whoooosh!
As she spoke, fire imbued with curses ignited around her.
The searing heat was palpable even from our distance. Jeanne and I watched as the hellish flames licked the air.
...If the heat of this cursed fire is this intense even from here, it could easily compromise the integrity of my armor.
I shifted my gaze back to Jeanne. She caught me staring and flashed a smile.
Yet, in contrast to those homicidal eyes, the sight of her smiling lips was deeply unsettling, bordering on the grotesque.
Only one thought dominated my mind:
...Ah, I'm dead.
"So, just submit to your demise, you accursed Servant!!!!!!"
"Like I'd die that easily!!"
"Kyaaah?!"
KA-BOOM!