Things had gone well overall. The two Servants who joined them – who had introduced themselves as Lancer Elizabeth Bathory and Berserker Kiyohime – affirmed they weren’t saints, but the latter had encountered one heading west. Checking the map, they found the port town of Bordeaux lay in that direction. They didn’t have any better leads at any rate, so that would be their destination. With any luck, they would encounter the saint there and begin preparations.

Regaining momentum, however, was difficult. Elizabeth and Kiyohime were rather temperamental overall. More than once, Mash or Saber had to step in to break up their squabbles, and as soon as they got close to Siegfried, they immediately started panicking about the famed dragonslayer. It took a great amount of diplomacy from both Ren and Saber to get them to calm down.

Turns out having Rank B in Charisma helped considerably in smoothing things over.

There was also the fact that Ren needed to rest. The march to Thiers had depleted more of his stamina than he expected. And even though Ren insisted once again he was fine, Morgana was the first and most adamant in insisting Ren took a break. Archer agreed, pointing out that magic circuit overuse wasn’t something that could simply be shrugged off. And so Ren sat at one of the benches that was still whole, while the other Servants either milled about or kept watch.

However, as he observed everyone, Ren could quickly notice certain details that Kiyohime and Elizabeth were missing, the latter on account of her ego and the former on account of her madness. The other Servants seemed a bit more tense around them. Marie was perhaps the only one who openly talked with them but even then, the cowardly Mozart was always nearby, keeping an eye out. Ren racked his brain until he remembered their legends:

Elizabeth Bathory, an infamous serial killer countess who drained young maidens’ blood and bathed in it as a method of preserving her beauty, and Kiyohime, the dragon who had fallen in love with a young monk, incinerated him in a bell when he didn’t see her again, and drowned herself in the bottom of a river. It just cemented in Ren’s mind that the Throne of Heroes didn’t encapsulate just ‘heroes’. It seemed to have a wide variety of characters there.

He frowned as he came to this realization. There were certain lines that as a Phantom Thief, he didn’t and couldn’t cross. And there were certain kinds of people that they would go for and change their hearts. He checked briefly with the Metaverse app, and sure enough, both of them had Palaces. Had things been different, if he had his friends with him, they were precisely the type that they would change the hearts of. A serial killer and an obsessed dragon… it certainly put people like Okumura and Shido in a different context.

Ren closed his eyes as he took some breaths to steady himself. He quietly put his phone to sleep before slipping it back into his pocket. Dwelling on this wasn’t healthy. He stood by what he said: They needed allies and it may be convenience that draws them for now, but they could still help.

Still, he had to wonder. Akechi became a murderer because of his harsh life and because of Shido. He had even admitted that if they had met earlier, they could’ve been rivals, or even actual friends. Elizabeth seemed to show no inclination towards wanting blood, instead working towards being an idol. Odd but definitely far more benign in comparison. As for Kiyohime, she seemed to be polite enough, her obsession with Anchin-sama notwithstanding. If their tales turned out different, if they were raised to be better people, then how would things have changed…?

He smiled bitterly to himself. If that was the case, then they probably wouldn’t have their legends and wouldn’t be here in the first place. It was something he had to get used to.

“How are you holding up, Joker?”

Ren glanced over to see Morgana walking up to him. Hopping up onto the bench and sitting down beside him, he followed Ren’s gaze. “They sure are… colorful characters, I can say that much,” Morgana commented.

“That’s one way to put it,” Ren murmured, scoffing. He was silent for a moment, pondering. “Hey, Morgana?”

“What’s up?”

“Do you think we’re doing the right thing here?” he asked slowly. “I don’t mind Archer or Saber or even Lancer and Rider. There were circumstances of their times and not everyone’s perfect.” He nodded to the two girls – Elizabeth was very unsuccessfully trying to convince Mozart to be her music coach while Kiyohime was asking if Archer was her Anchin-sama (which he fervently denied). “But those two. They have Palaces, and if we saw them back in Japan, we’d be trying to change their hearts without a doubt. Just…” He shook his head. “No, never mind, it’s stupid,” he muttered. “Forget I said anything.”

Morgana took a moment to think and in turn sighed. “I know how you feel, Ren,” Morgana agreed glumly. “If it were anything like usual, we’d be taking them down and getting them to confess their crimes. But things aren’t really all that usual right now.” He gestured with a paw at their surroundings. “I mean, we’re here in medieval France surrounded by heroes, villains, and whatever’s in between in myths and legends, trying to save – or recover – all of humanity. I don’t think we can afford to be picky.”

He sat back, looking up at the mostly clear sky. “Though I’ll agree with you, it’s definitely not a great option – it’s just the only option,” he murmured. “Backs to the wall, you do whatever you can to win or just live, even if you gotta work with people you hate.” Morgana gave a wry grin. “I mean, just look at me and Ryuji.”

That caused Ren to burst out laughing. Morgana started laughing as well. “I-I don’t think it-it’s quite the same, Mona,” he replied between chuckles.

“Oh, s-says you, Joker!” his best friend exclaimed, still laughing. “Th-that ape wouldn’t know c-common sense if it l-landed on his h-head! H-he can’t even appreciate a g-good coffee!”

The two bantered back and forth, poking fun at their mutual teammate and friend, occasionally drawing glances from the other Servants, particularly Mash. Eventually, their laughter dwindled into small giggles and chuckles, smiles still etched on their faces. “Good, I got you to laugh,” Morgana commented with relief.

Ren glanced over in askance. “It’s been a tough week for us, overall,” Morgana admitted. “With… well, everything going on, I haven’t really seen you smile. Not genuinely, anyway. And, I haven’t been feeling exactly great myself either. It’s just been the two of us, after all.” He wrung his paws as he looked down on the ground. “We’re fighting to get them back and I know we will. We have you, our amazing leader, and of course me, but even so, things are so different now.”

The two sat in silence for a bit, pondering his words. Then Morgana stood up, paws on his hips. “Still, that doesn’t mean we can give up, right?” he exclaimed. “After all we’ve been through, all we’ve fought, it’d be a shame if we let our legends end here!” He grinned broadly. “And who knows, maybe in the end, we’ll be joining the ranks of all these heroes! What other fitting ending would there be for us, huh?”

The leader of the Phantom Thieves laughed. “As long as the ending’s a good one,” he pointed out. “Imagine if we died by, say, an eagle dropping a tortoise on my head. At the very least, it’d be a memorable way to go!”

Morgana gaped at Ren. “Wait, did that actually happen?” he asked.

“Oh, definitely,” Ren replied, his grin spreading. “It was an ancient Greek tale. A guy had an oracle tell him his death came from above while he was indoors. He ended up staying paranoid and staying outdoors as much as he could. Then one day, an eagle carrying a tortoise mistook his bald head as a rock and dropped the tortoise. Killed him on the spot.”

The catlike being stared at Ren with his mouth hanging open, then glared at his friend. “You completely made that up!” he growled. “And he didn’t even die indoors like the oracle said! He was outdoors! How else would an eagle see his head?!”

Ren grinned as he leaned back against the wall behind him. “Well, it IS a Greek myth,” he pointed out as he reached over to pet Morgana’s head. “Gotta take these things with a grain of salt, Morgana.”

Morgana growled, trying to suppress his purrs as he was being petted. “Ugh, well, you’re definitely feeling better now, I can tell,” he muttered. Still, a tiny bit of the stress from the last couple days had faded away. Not nearly enough to deal with everything, but it was better than nothing.

----------

After an hour or so, they were back on the march. Elizabeth was loud and proud up front, with Kiyohime keeping a good distance away from everyone else. Other than that, everyone resumed the positions they had earlier, surrounding the Masters in a protective formation. The hours passed by swiftly and soon, the sun was setting as they reached the town of Bordeaux.

Archer narrowed his eyes as he looked ahead. “There’s people there,” he noted. “Refugees, seemingly. I don’t see any clear sign of a saint though.”

“Well, we better send someone to ask for information, then,” Morgana replied.

Elizabeth grinned. “Leave it to me, kitty!” she declared. “A dazzling idol like me will leave them speechless, and they’ll spill all their latest gossip to me in no time!”

Morgana bristled but before he could retort, Ren raised a hand. “Probably not a good idea, Elizabeth,” he said. “With your horns and tail, people might get the wrong impression of you. And if there’s one thing I know about idols, it’s that a bad reputation is almost impossible to shake off.”

The Lancer blinked in surprise before glancing up at her horns and down at her tail. She deflated. “W-well, I can always make up for it with my charisma, puppy!” she snapped, though she sounded a bit less confident than just a moment ago.

Ren smiled placatingly. “I’ve no doubt about that, but it’s better not to take any chances,” he replied. “Same with you, Kiyohime. I don’t think they would trust foreigners easily either. It’s probably best to wait here just in case.”

“And what if Anchin-sama is down there?” she asked, her eyes flashing dangerously. “I will not have anyone interfere with my search for him, even if it means forsaking our alliance.”

The Master shrugged. “If the townspeople figure out your Anchin-sama is associated with you, do you think he’d be any safer?” Kiyohime opened her mouth to reply, but Ren raised a hand. “And even if you did protect him, where could you go and shelter him? The town is his best bet, and once we’re done here, you can go in at your leisure and search for him. It’ll be safer for him overall.”

Kiyohime glared at Ren above her fan, then closed her eyes. “You make a valid point, Ren Amamiya,” she admitted. “Very well. Out of the possible safety of Anchin-sama, I shall withhold myself from entering.” Ren smiled gratefully in return.

“So, it falls to me once more, then?” Marie chirped, stepping forward. “Not to worry! I shall collect information and be back forthwith! Au revoir!” With that, she merrily walked towards the town of Bordeaux. Archer kept an eye on her and the town in case any of them needed to interfere. Meanwhile, Ren sat down, taking a deep breath as he relaxed against a tree. Morgana sat beside him with Mash taking his other side.

Ren glanced over at Bordeaux, then took out his phone and took a picture of the town with the setting sun. Both Mash and Morgana glanced over at the shot. “Heh, that’s postcard quality, Joker,” Morgana complimented.

“Yes, it’s very nicely done,” Mash agreed with a bright smile.

"Sometimes, you gotta appreciate the little things,” he replied. He glanced over to Mash. “Wanna see some pics of Japan?”

Mash blinked in surprise, then nodded enthusiastically. “Oh, yes please, senpai!” Ren grinned as he opened the gallery.

And almost immediately regretted it.

He had taken countless pictures while he had been in Tokyo. Of small things, of landmarks, maybe just a shot he found nice. But the large majority of pictures were those of his friends and confidants. They were all smiling, doing their best, living their life how they wished. And every single one of them was gone. He wanted to close the gallery, but Mash was beside him, her eyes practically gleaming at this little window to the outside world. As much as he grieved, he couldn’t disappoint her.

However, one friend noticed his hesitation. Morgana laid a paw on Ren’s lap. Glancing over, their eyes met. Morgana nodded in simple solidarity. Right. They both had lost everything. But regardless, they would stick by each other.

Deciding to shelve his grief for now, he scrolled through some pictures. He stopped at one. “Here’s me, doing the Big Bang Burger challenge,” he explained as he opened it up.

Mash’s eyes widened. “How on – that is a massive burger, senpai,” she gasped. Indeed, Ren was grasping a burger that was about the size of a large dinner plate, with the thickness of his forearm. Ren’s expression was that of visible dread as he stared at the massive thing before him.

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Ren chuckled. “Oh, this is nothing,” he reassured her. “That’s just the Comet Burger. The Big Bang Burger challenge is three different burgers. You have to complete each one – thankfully on different days – and they’re all bigger than the last.” He scrolled to another picture. Here, Ren was with a girl with red hair, tied up in a ponytail. In front of each of them was a burger that reached up to Ren’s face, sitting down.

In short, it was a towering monster of a burger that even gods would tremble at. Both Ren and the girl were looking at the burger with equal amounts of awe and dread.

Mash felt a stab through her chest at seeing the girl, though she wasn’t sure why. “Who’s that girl, senpai?” she asked, looking at her curiously.

“That’s Sumire,” he explained. Though his heart hurt more when talking about her, he couldn’t help but smile in reminiscence. “She’s my kouhai. Calls me senpai all the time. You kind of remind me of her in that way to be honest.” Mash looked over in surprise, though Ren hadn’t noticed. “She was a gymnast. She had some confidence issues but she grew out of them and became something really special. I think she could even make it to the Olympics with the way she was going.”

“She’s very pretty,” Mash murmured.

Ren chuckled. “She is,” he agreed. “She got hit on a lot – I once had to help fend off a creep during a school trip. But she’s made of some stern stuff underneath once you get to know her. The only thing greater than her will was her appetite." He flicked to the next image. The plates were empty with only crumbs remaining. Ren was sprawled on the table, the only sign of his victory a thumbs up. Beside him, however, Sumire was smiling cheerfully at the camera, holding up the medal she won from the challenge. “She burns a lot of calories via exercise,” he explained.

Mash nodded distractedly. “Did… did you like her, senpai?” she asked quietly. She dreaded the answer but wanted to hear it regardless.

The Master blinked in surprise at her question, hesitated, then shook his head. “She confessed to me at one point, but I turned her down,” he replied. He looked over at the picture and smiled fondly. “She had big dreams and big goals. And I just wasn’t ready to commit to a relationship. I would’ve tied her down a bit too much. She thanked me anyway for answering her.”

The stabbing pain she felt was immediately soothed by relief when she heard Ren’s answer, which shocked her considerably. She remembered what Mozart had called her: A maiden in love. Was that perhaps more true than she expected? Maybe Roman or Da Vinci would know.

Her contemplation was interrupted as Marie came walking back up, but with someone else in tow. It was a taller man, with fair features and flowing brown hair. He was clad in bronze armor, with a dragon head pauldron on his right shoulder. He wore a cloak that covered his other shoulder – white with the emblem of a red cross. He cut a noble figure as he strode towards the group. Ren stowed his phone away as the three immediately stood up, walking towards the approaching Servants. As they approached, the knight’s eyes widened as his eyes fell upon Jeanne, his hand reaching for the sword on his waist, before lowering it a second later.

“Bonjour, my friends!” Marie called out merrily, waving. “This charming town here is currently where refugees are staying for now. And who should I find but this gentleman, the saint we are looking for! Might I introduce you to Saint Georgios, the famed dragonslayer?”

The knight – Saint Georgios – stepped forward and bowed. “A pleasure to meet you all,” he replied, smiling. “As Miss Marie- “

“I thought I told you to just call me Marie,” said Servant pouted.

“Marie, my apologies,” Georgios amended himself. “As Marie told you, I am Georgios, a Rider class Servant.” He glanced over to Jeanne and nodded deeply in her direction. “When I first saw you, I suspected that the Dragon Witch herself had come and it was a trap,” he admitted easily. “Do forgive my suspicions of you.”

Jeanne smiled kindly in return. “There’s nothing to forgive,” she replied. “Your vigilance is likely how the refugees have stayed safe thus far. Thank you for protecting my people.”

“The honor is mine, Lady Jeanne,” he replied, causing the girl to stutter. He looked over to Kiyohime. “I hear that you are seeking a man called ‘Anchin-sama’, miss?” Georgios asked.

Kiyohime’s eyes widened, then nodded. “Yes. Have you seen him?”

Georgios shook his head. “I’ve been accounting for any and all refugees who have come to Bordeaux, but I have no recollection of an ‘Anchin-sama’ or anyone who goes by a similar name,” he replied. “My apologies.”

The dragon girl’s eyes narrowed for a second before nodding. “Very well, I can see you speak no lies,” Kiyohime acceded. “As befitting a saint. I shall resume my search for Anchin-sama after matters have been resolved here.”

The dragonslaying saint nodded. He did a double take when he saw Morgana. “What… manner of creature are you?” he asked, nonplussed.

Morgana scowled. “Well, that’s rude!” he snapped. “You don’t just ask someone what they are! And for that matter, I’m a cat! The finest cat you’ll ever meet! And my name is Morgana!”

George just blinked several times, then bowed slightly. “My apologies,” he replied. “Your appearance caught me by surprise. I should’ve maintained my decorum.” Standing back up, he looked over at the group. “Now, I believe you wish to march on Orleans,” he stated. “There should be much to discuss. Come, I shall see to your stay tonight and we may make plans as necessary.”

“Might have to put a hold on that,” Archer called out, summoning his bow. “We’ve got incoming. It’s Fafnir. And… no one else. No Servants, wyverns, or anything. Not even the doppelganger. Just Fafnir.”

That news caught Ren off guard. Only the dragon? Was this some sort of trap? Well, they still had to deal with the fact that the dragon was on his way here. “Marie, Mozart, Saber!” he barked. “Get to the town and secure the townspeople! Keep an eye out for anyone else approaching!” The three Servants nodded and without another word immediately darted toward the town.

He turned to the others. “Archer, provide cover and watch for ambushes!” he ordered, then the sound of a massive pair of wings beating the air started to become audible. He scowled. “We need to get its attention and get it away from the town. Archer, hate to ask you this again, but can you-“

Before Ren could finish that sentence, Siegfried rushed forward, summoning his legendary sword. Standing on top of a small hill a distance away, he could see the gigantic shape of the dragon blotting out the evening sky. “FAFNIR!” he roared. His powerful voice carried through the air, causing the dragon to stop where it was and roar in defiance. “It’s been a long time, my old foe,” he called out. “Where I am summoned, you always follow. Come, face me once more, Fafnir! And I shall slay you like I have done so before!”

Ren could only gape as Siegfried immediately grabbed the dragon’s attention – and more importantly, away from the town – and only chuckled. It seems some heroes indeed lived up to their hype after all. He quickly looked over at the remaining Servants: Georgios, Jeanne, Elizabeth, Kiyohime, Archer, and of course, Mash.

“Archer, like I said, provide cover and watch for ambushes,” he said. “Georgios, you’re also a dragonslayer, right? Head up with Siegfried and take the front. Mona, Jeanne, Kiyohime, take the left flank. Mash, Elizabeth, with me – we’re heading to the right. It’s showtime!”

Jeanne, Mash, Archer, and Georgios immediately nodded with the latter two darting off to their positions. Ren, Mash, and Jeanne also took off towards their own. “Come on, you two!” Morgana yelled at the two girls. Elizabeth and Kiyohime floundered for a second before the former caught up with Ren and Mash while the latter followed Morgana. As they moved, the dragon roared and descended, landing hard on the ground as his wings threw up a massive dust cloud and buffeted the air. Ren raised an arm to block off the wind and dust from his face as he continued to run.

The dragon seemed to have only eyes for Siegfried, allowing everyone to move into their positions easily. Roaring, it slammed a claw down at him, an attack the dragonslayer nonchalantly predicted and moved aside. Bringing up Balmung, he made two swift slashes at the claw, the blade slicing cleanly through its scales and digging into flesh and sinew, causing the dragon to roar in pain and rage. As it raised its claw again to sweep, Georgios charged in, slashing at its other foot. His longsword cut deep and put him out of the claw’s reach, while Siegfried leaped backward to dodge it.

On Fafnir’s left flank, Mash moved in front of Ren and Elizabeth as its great tail flicked over, smashing against her shield. “I really hope you know what you’re doing, puppy!” Elizabeth called out, scowling at the dragon.

Ren grinned. “So do I,” he replied cheekily. “Hit him in the flanks – the belly should be softer!” He switched his personas and tore off his metaphorical mask once more as Elizabeth rushed in with her spear.

“Pixie!”

With a flash of blue flame, the diminutive blue fairy appeared beside him. He waited until Elizabeth lunged forward with her spear, piercing Fafnir’s hide. As she backed off, Pixie pointed at the stab wound. Bolts of lightning arched and lanced through the wound, giving off the smell of burning meat. Elizabeth looked back and her eyes widened at seeing the little fairy beside Ren. Distracted as she was, she didn’t see Fafnir spin around shrieking with pain and rage and smack her aside with a claw, sending her flying a considerable distance.

“Elizabeth!” Ren called out. With a mental command, Pixie pointed at the fallen Lancer. A green light surrounded her as she got up. Elizabeth quickly noted that despite just getting swatted aside by a great dragon, her wounds were rapidly healing. Her eyes went wide as saucers as she looked at Ren. “What kind of magecraft is that?!” she demanded.

“Less talking, more fighting!” Morgana yelled from the other side of the dragon. All three of them ducked as Fafnir swung around, his tail flying over their heads. As Siegfried and Georgios charged back in to gain the dragon’s attention once more, Morgana, Jeanne, and Kiyohime were facing the left flank of Fafnir. They could see the charred area where Ren had used lightning.

“Zorro!”

The musketeer Persona appeared once more in a flash of blue flame. Tracing a pattern with his rapier, three multicolored pillars of light flashed around Jeanne. Jeanne blinked as she felt her body lighten, with a faint aura around her own body. “My thanks, Morgana!” she cried gratefully as she charged in. Moving a good deal faster than she had before, she roared as she stabbed into the wound the others had made, her flag sinking deeper into it.

Fafnir roared in pain, but before he could turn around again, Siegfried sank his sword into his belly while Georgios hacked away at its claw, once more drawing the dragon’s attention.

Jeanne pulled out her flag and moved away as the dragon turned once more, bleeding profusely from the spot. Fafnir’s mouth parted as infernal power gathered from within, when an explosion struck the side of its jaw, causing it to misfire a stream of flames that torched the countryside and lit some distant trees on fire. That brief instant of dragonfire was enough for Ren and Morgana to cover their faces from the sheer heat it emanated.

Spreading its wings, Fafnir flapped them, buffeting everyone with a near-hurricane gust as it took off, narrowly missing Georgios’s head with one of its claws as it passed. Flying in a loop, its maw opened once more with flame. Before it could do anything, more explosions struck its flank, causing it to roar in anger at the direction it came from. Kiyohime fired a flurry of fireballs which were joined by a gust of wind from Zorro, causing them to rocket and splash against Fafnir’s throat and head. However, the dragon was still set on its trajectory as Fafnir opened its mouth wider…

“Succubus!”

A nubile, blonde young woman with devil wings and tail appeared now, dressed in a backless black leotard, long black gloves, and high-heeled boots. Blowing a kiss towards the rapidly approaching dragon, dark energy wrapped around the Fafnir. Its eyes suddenly wavered and closed as the flames faded from its mouth.

That, however, didn’t change the fact that it was on a direct course for a crash landing straight for them.

Eyes widening, all the Servants quickly began running out of the way, Siegfried grabbing Morgana’s head while Mash picked up Ren. They only just managed to clear as Fafnir smashed right into the ground, his body carving and dragging a large furrow into the meadow, bulldozing up dirt, grass, and trees. Thankfully it was away from Bordeaux, though the sound and shock of the impact carried far through the air and ground.

“Huh, didn’t think that’d work,” Ren commented, his grin only belied by the shaking in his limbs from sheer panic and adrenaline. “You can put me down now, Mash.”

Mash blinked, then blushed. In her rush to get Ren away, she had picked him up in a princess carry as part of her trained reflexes. She hurriedly but gently put him down. “Right, of course, senpai,” she stated. Trying to change the topic, she looked over to the dragon. “Um… what did you do?”

Ren glanced at her, then turned with a smirk back at Fafnir. “I put him to sleep,” he explained simply. “Succubus is handy for things like that. Honestly, I wasn’t sure if her skills would work on something like a dragon or Servant, but it seemed to have done the job here.” Sure enough, despite the rough landing, the dragon remained sprawled in its self-made trench, its thunderous snores vibrating through the air. “Still, it’s not going to work for long and will wake up as soon as we attack it, so we better hit it with something hard.”

The two dragonslayers stepped forward. “Please, leave it to us, Master,” Siegfried offered as he raised his blade, Georgios doing the same. “I apologize you needed to trouble yourself thus far, but you have given us a grand opportunity to finish the dragon once and for all.”

Saint Georgios nodded. “Indeed,” he agreed. “Our Noble Phantasms will suffice to slay the beast. I require to be at close range to utilize mine. What of yours?”

Siegfried considered with a frown. “It takes the form of a massive blast of light,” he replied. “You would be in its blast radius and I am uncertain I will be able to down Fafnir in one strike.”

The dragonslaying saint nodded. “Have no fear, then – I shall go first,” he offered. “I will charge in with my steed to strike and retreat. After that, you should have the window to annihilate the dragon as you see fit.”

Nodding, Siegfried helped up Balmung. “I thank you for your bravery, Georgios,” he replied gratefully. “In that case, let us be rid of this wyrm once and for all. O sword, let thee be filled.” His prana began spiking as he twisted the handle. The gem in the handle gleamed before a gigantic beam of blue light erupted from the blade of his sword. Ren and Morgana had to look away from the dazzling light as the air around them began blowing from the sheer power.

Georgios, undeterred, charged forward. “Bayard!” he called out. Out of nowhere, a white steed draped in dark armor and heraldry raced forward. Jumping up, Georgios mounted his horse as he held his sword at the ready.

“Thou dragon of sin, fall before my righteousness!” George intoned. As they approached Fafnir, Georgios swung his sword across, cleaving a long horizontal cut that glowed brightly in the evening darkness. Fafnir snapped awake with a roar, but Georgios was not done. Backflipping off Baynard, he swung his sword down as he descended, making a similar vertical cut. As he thrust into the intersection of the two cuts, his blade radiated power as it sank deep into Fafnir. The dragonslayer saint roared the name of his Noble Phantasm.

“Ascalon!”

Bayard wheeled around and Georgios quickly mounted up as Fafnir collapsed in pain from his attack. It could only look up at the beam of light from its hated archenemy, recognizing its power. It roared in defiance, but it was too weak, too wounded, and more importantly, too late.

“Now fall – Balmung!”

The beam of light descended on the dragon, its roars turning to shrieks as the Noble Phantasm’s power eradicated its very existence. Its body dissolved under the might of Balmung, weakened by Georgios’s Ascalon. Before long, the only thing that remained was the burned path of Balmung’s power, the carved furrow from Fafnir’s crash, and Fafnir’s head on the grass, slowly fading away.

Everyone took a breath to process what happened before the communicator blinked once more. Ren picked up and blinked with surprise to see it was Da Vinci as opposed to Roman. “Ren! Grab Fafnir’s fangs before they disappear!” she ordered, her eyes a bit frenzied.

Ren blinked with surprise, then ran forward before he could stop himself. Morgana and Mash ran alongside him, and they were soon at Fafnir’s head. Ren grabbed the fang and pulled as hard as he could – to no avail. Mash moved beside him, put her hands on the fang as well and pulled. With a heave and a roar, the fang popped out of Fafnir’s mouth. It was a massive thing, easily reaching up to Ren’s thigh when embedded on the ground.

The Master of Chaldea had to grin. “Great job, guys,” he said to Mash and Morgana before turning towards the Servants, who had caught up. “All of you.”

The great dragon Fafnir was dead. Now they had a straight shot to Orleans.