"Are we finally here?" After gathering information and questioning people from nearby cities, Laurent's group finally reached the outskirts of Lyon.
However, once inside, all they saw was a field of ruins.
Whoosh!
There was also the sound of fighting in the distance.
"I heard there's a knight wielding a huge sword here, who's been repelling wyverns and skeleton soldiers attacking the city."
"Perhaps that's who's fighting right now."
"And apparently, there's an army led by Marshal Gilles de Rais planning to retake Lyon," Laurent sharply added to Marie's report. "Speaking of which, I've been wondering since before: Jeanne, who exactly is this Gilles? Why was even that black version of you calling his name so affectionately?" Laurent's tone had an edge to it—naturally, no one would feel good hearing his wife call another man's name so intimately.
"Gilles..." Jeanne's face didn't show the embarrassment of someone caught in an affair; rather, she looked somewhat downcast. "He was a marshal who served under me, a truly capable man."
"..."
"Huh? Affectionate? We just called each other's names during battles for convenience..."
She looked at Laurent curiously, her gaze pure and free of any hidden emotions. Laurent's imposing aura faltered instantly.
Forget it, I'll let it go for now! Laurent thought, though he still felt an intense displeasure toward this Gilles de Rais.
"But wasn't Gilles de Rais your follower, Jeanne?" Marie asked curiously from the side. "Laurent-kun, didn't you know that?"
"How could I know how many guys she got to know on the frontline?"
"A lot, actually!" Jeanne innocently assumed Laurent was genuinely curious. "Many were comrades I fought alongside."
Laurent's lips twitched.
Seriously, would it kill you to phrase that better?
"But most of them are dead now."
Laurent immediately smiled in satisfaction, even nodding a little, with a look clearly saying, "Good riddance."
Ritsuka Fujimaru's mouth twitched uncontrollably as he stood nearby.
"But exactly because of that, Gilles probably already knows about my identity as the Dragon Witch."
"I suppose we should avoid encountering him if we can…" Marie nodded understandingly. "I can totally understand why you wouldn't want to see him, Jeanne. After all, you're a girl!"
Marie turned to Laurent with a bright smile.
"That's a girl's feelings for you. If you don't understand, Laurent-kun, you probably shouldn't pry too deeply."
"It's okay; Laurent can say whatever he wants," Jeanne reassured earnestly.
"No need," he waved his hand dismissively. "As long as that Gilles doesn't get any funny ideas. If he does, I'll just eat him. Now, hold my hand for the rest of the way!"
Laurent extended his hand. Jeanne still didn't quite understand why he insisted, but soon she obediently stepped closer, gently taking his hand.
Marie watched from the side with a smile.
Meanwhile, Roman whispered quietly to Da Vinci, looking like a pair of gossiping newlyweds, "Laurent-san really does deviate significantly from historical records, huh?"
Da Vinci smiled with interest. "Does it matter? Perhaps he only shows this side when he's with someone he truly cares about."
Roman's expression turned somewhat serious. "Mm, that's true. We should still be careful, though."
"But for now, let's deal with the situation in front of us."
"Haha! Speaking of which, Master, I haven't shown you my power yet, have I?"
Laurent turned around, smiling at Ritsuka Fujimaru.
"Ah, yeah."
"Perfect timing, then. Let me give you a little demonstration."
Saying this, Laurent gazed toward the wyverns circling high in the sky, the corner of his lips curving into a smirk.
He stomped his right foot onto the ground. Dark-red blood surged out like erupting magma, spreading rapidly around him. Fujimaru and the others watched the ground in astonishment, hesitating whether they should step back.
"No worries. My blood can be controlled. It won't devour you—as long as I don't tell it to."
Then, Laurent raised his right hand dramatically. "If I remember correctly, shouting a skill name when you wanna look cool is a must, right?" He made a dramatic aiming gesture toward the dragons in the sky.
"[SUPER KILLER MOVE: BLOODY DEATH ARROW BARRAGE]!"
As he finished shouting, the blood suddenly transformed into countless sharp arrows, piercing upwards. In the blink of an eye, the sky was completely covered in blood-red arrows.
Initially, Fujimaru and the others assumed it was just a typical volley attack. However, upon closer inspection, they realized those arrows had fused together mid-air, quickly taking on the shape of a giant dragon.
"That's—impossible!" Doctor Roman stood up in shock, staring at the screen in disbelief. "That thing can devour all magical energy!"
"Oh?" Laurent glanced back with curiosity toward Roman's voice coming from the communicator. "You can actually tell?"
When Fujimaru and the others looked again, they saw the blood clinging to one of the wyverns like parasites. The next moment, everyone's eyes widened in shock.
That wyvern's body began to twist and mutate violently, swelling up and rapidly increasing in power in every aspect. Soon, it became completely dark red and began ferociously attacking the other wyverns.
"Well, my power—should I call it mana now?—is a bit unique. Basically, it can erode other people's mana, along with other things, and I can manipulate it however I please afterward."
"…That kind of thing…"
"No rule says even gods have to attack in normal ways, right?" Laurent shrugged carelessly. "And besides, this lets me fight comfortably. I could alter my own body to improve various aspects, but that gets annoying real quick. Actually, I'm more curious about Mash's abilities."
Mash hesitated slightly, unsure how to respond. "I—I'm a Shielder-class Servant, so my attacks are…"
"Yeah, yeah, I get it. Shield-class to protect Master, that's pretty neat."
"Then let me show off a little too," Marie joined in cheerfully. "Otherwise, it'll look like I'm just following you guys around without doing anything."
With that, Marie jumped into the fray as well.
...
Several minutes later, everyone had shown off their respective skills, clearing away the wyverns and skeleton soldiers nearby.
Occasionally, when someone struggled, Laurent stepped in to lend a hand. Marie looked especially pleased afterward, trotting happily up to Laurent.
"You did well! Thanks for the help just now!"
"Boys should be rewarded like this. Here, Laurent-kun—a reward!"
And without hesitation, she leaned in and casually gave Laurent a kiss on the cheek, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Jeanne's expression froze.
---
T/N: UH OH!!!
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