[Altair Miller]
At the exact moment we made contact, I felt a surge of magical energy descending upon us, both disrupting and complementing the moment.
I turned my head to the side and spotted a "meteor" hurtling at high speed straight toward Jeanne. Without thinking twice, I flexed my feet and dashed toward her.
"M-Master!?" A soft gasp escaped her lips as, without warning, my fingers wrapped tightly around her delicate waist, pulling her firmly against my body. She barely had time to react before every curve of hers molded perfectly against me, causing her face to flush instantly.
As a maiden in both body and soul, it was obvious she wasn't used to this level of physical contact.
But ignoring that for now, I raised my hand and tensed my muscles. In the very next instant, with a grotesque roar, the head of a red Wyvern crashed into my palm. A shockwave rippled through the forest, sending me skidding backward along the ground, still gripping the head of the crimson lizard.
I bit my lip, tasting the metallic flavor of blood. "You're underestimating me, you damn red lizard," I snarled, stomping hard on the ground to disperse part of the impact. At the same time, I held Jeanne tighter, leaned forward, rotated slightly, and launched a powerful kick straight into the creature's jaw. With a loud crack echoing through the forest, the beast's blood splattered all over my face.
"GROARRSSH!" The Wyvern roared, rising into the air as its wings flapped furiously, sending gusts of wind that tore leaves and branches from nearby trees. But just above it—Okita appeared, wielding her katana and driving it deep into the creature's neck, making it scream even louder. With a nimble twist midair, she spun her body, using her own weight to drive the blade even deeper, almost decapitating the beast.
Blood sprayed in a crimson arc, staining the ground and Okita's clothes, yet she landed gracefully, her katana still dripping.
She immediately turned, rushing toward me with worry in her eyes. "Master, are you alright!?" Her voice was firm but laced with urgency as she quickly checked me over.
"I'm fine," I replied, still holding Jeanne by her waist, while Mash helped her Master back to her feet.
"""GROARRSSH!"""
Multiple monstrous roars echoed from the horizon.
"Looks like we've got company," Artoria said, raising her sword, which gleamed with an intense violet light. With a powerful swing, she cleaved through one of the Wyverns charging toward Ritsuka.
"This time, they've sent quite the number," murmured Nobunaga, observing the dozens of Wyverns flying toward us. "Master, shall I use my Noble Phantasm…?" She paused, noticing my expression. "Mwhaaaa~ Now I actually feel sorry for these lizards."
"Are you alright, Master?" Jeanne asked, her face still slightly flushed, but her eyes widened as she saw my expression… stoic. I wasn't smiling or excited. I was apathetic. And that was much worse… for them.
"I'm fine," I replied, finally letting go of her waist. "I just hate being interrupted. These lizards… are like mosquitoes." I raised my hand, summoning the Ruyi Jingu Bang, which materialized in my palm.
With my other hand, I ran my fingers through my hair, plucking five strands, and tossed them into the air. The moonlight was overshadowed by the swarm of Wyverns diving toward us. My five strands floated… then transformed into five perfect clones of myself.
"Hahaha! Time for a slaughter feast!"
"I hate these damn lizards."
"We were having a nice moment, you pests."
"I'm this close to losing my patience."
"Death! Death! DEATH!"
My clones shouted, each perched on a tree branch or standing beside me.
Without another word, I spun the Ruyi Jingu, and my clones mirrored the movement. With a swift gesture, we all pointed it skyward.
"""""Grow and expand!!"""""
We roared in unison. The Ruyi Jingu grew and expanded, blotting out the moon completely. From within the forest, massive stone pillars rose rapidly, expanding until they consumed the sky itself, plunging the entire forest into absolute darkness.
The shadows of the giant staves seemed to devour the heavens.
In an instant, the colossal pillars collided with the incoming Wyverns, crushing, shattering, and vaporizing them like they never existed.
All that remained was a dense crimson rain falling from the skies.
As the blood dripped onto the ground, my clones vanished into smoke, and the Ruyi Jingu disappeared.
"..."
"..."
Mash and Ritsuka stared at me, frozen. Jeanne looked just as stunned, blinking repeatedly.
"Hahaha! I do enjoy your maniac side, but this side of you's good too," Nobunaga chuckled, stopping beside me and raising her hand.
"Excuse me, Master," Okita said, unfazed by the carnage. Together, they gently wiped the blood splatters off me, as if they were tending to something precious.
"I won't allow my Master to be stained in blood," Okita smiled, pulling her hand back, though her eyes remained locked onto mine.
"This display of violence truly pleased me, my retainer," Nobunaga added with a mischievous grin, her eyes sparkling with amusement like she was thoroughly entertained.
With these two by my side, my mood improved considerably. I admit, I can be a bit moody… Some things never change.
"Thank you," I murmured, holding their hands with a gentle smile.
"At this moment... I remembered just how powerful Altair-kun really is... Should I start calling him '-sama'? Men like that, right?" Ritsuka muttered, still stunned, turning to her Servant.
"I believe so, Master," Mash replied.
I rolled my eyes, tempted to flick both their foreheads… but I restrained myself. For now.
"Please stop. I was just a little irritated with those lizards," I let go of my Servants' hands, offering them a small smile before turning to Jeanne.
"How are you?" I asked, a bit worried. Although I reacted in time, I might've hurt her by grabbing her so tightly.
"I'm okay," she replied, meeting my gaze. "But more importantly… are you? Are you tired?" Jeanne's sky-blue eyes stared deeply into mine, her lips biting slightly. From her expression alone, she seemed to feel guilty, even though I was physically perfectly fine. Mentally… well, that was always questionable.
"I'm great, thanks for asking," I replied with a smile. "Those Wyverns didn't even make me sweat. Though my last attack did consume a fair chunk of mana, I still have more than half my reserves. A quick rest, and I'll be back at full capacity."
I wasn't lying. The mana I spent would regenerate quickly after a short rest.
As I was thinking that, the sound of metal boots approaching caught my attention.
"I'm glad to see this side of you... but you're selfish. You hogged all the fun for yourself," Artoria said as she walked over with her Master. She shot me a cold but amused smile.
"Sorry," I shrugged, amused by her attitude.
At that moment, I felt a small hand tugging on my shirt.
"I still haven't thanked you," Jeanne said, pulling me to face her. "Thank you so much, Master. Thanks to you, I feel like... even facing my other self, the Witch... I won't be alone…"
Before she could finish, I raised my hand and flicked her forehead lightly.
"Ouch!" she yelped, rubbing her forehead. Ritsuka seemed relieved she wasn't the only one getting flicked. Maybe we were building a little club of forehead-flick victims.
"Don't you dare call yourself a witch? What your other self does isn't your fault," I said with a smile. "And obviously, I'll fight by your side." I meant every word to this golden-haired saint.
She blinked in surprise, then a smile bloomed on her lips. "Yes, Master!" she replied, unable to contain her happiness.
I got a little lost in her smile, but reality came crashing back when Olga's voice echoed through the communicator.
"Hmph! Sorry to interrupt," she said, her voice dripping with jealousy.
I couldn't help but smile. I missed her jealous, possessive side. It had only been a few hours… and I already missed her.
"But going after your other self right now isn't a good idea, especially since we don't know the full extent of her power... Let's call her Dark Jeanne," Olga stated.
"So... what do we do?" Mash asked, glancing my way. For some reason, it felt like they considered me the leader now.
"For now, let's set up a temporary base. Tomorrow, we'll decide our next step," I replied.
"Our Conqueror is right," Olga agreed. Even without seeing her face, I could imagine her glaring daggers at me.
Hehehe… There's nothing cuter than jealous girls.
I thought to myself with a grin as we began preparing to set up our temporary base.
••• ••• •••
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