My top priority was to escape and follow Jeanne Alter.
If I checked the situation and it turned out my worries were unfounded, I would quickly hide.
If my hunch was right, I would contract with Jeanne and run away.
Neither path was easy, but I had no choice.
When had anything I’d done ever been easy?
Not once during the Fuyuki restoration did an easy method actually work.
Acting as a direct decoy against Medusa, buying time one-on-one against Heracles, drawing aggro from Saber…
I’d survived through methods that made me wonder, ‘How am I not dead yet?’
Actually, I had died a few times.
Regardless, I had to escape.
…The problem was d’Eon and Lancelot.
As long as those two were watching me, no amount of struggling would work.
They were near the door, so there was some distance between us, but for a Servant, that was a distance they could cross in a single leap.
I couldn’t even beat a Shadow Servant; I stood no chance against these two, even if their rationality was gone due to Mad Enhancement.
And there wasn’t just one, but two.
In fact, those were just the ones I could see; there were likely more.
‘Luckily, both of them are far removed from magecraft.’
This wasn’t about Magic Resistance or similar passives.
They simply didn’t have much knowledge of magecraft.
They had no idea what kind of spells I used.
Furthermore, both were under very high-rank Mad Enhancement.
Lancelot, in particular, was practically in a state of double Mad Enhancement, possessing no reason whatsoever.
The fact that he wasn’t charging at me in his agitated state was impressive enough.
If he were just huffing and puffing over there, he’d be nothing more than a literal mad dog.
Reaching my hand behind me, I flicked a thread and embedded it into the floor.
As expected, as long as I didn’t move, they didn’t react.
They only responded to my movements.
Since they were effectively Berserkers incapable of delicate observation, I just had to avoid standing out.
In other words, they would only react if something conspicuous happened.
‘Calm down, stay calm…
They don’t know.
They won’t know.’
Using Transmutation Magecraft, I sent the thread through the floor, burrowing between d’Eon and Lancelot.
Once the thread reached the hallway, it slowly rose upward.
This kind of high-precision work drained my concentration.
…Phew.
I took a deep breath.
“Arrr…!!”
Lancelot growled.
Was I caught?!
…My heart hammered.
Cold sweat poured down, and the air felt like it was crushing my body.
But Lancelot only glared at me; he didn’t take action.
…Besides, where do I even look like Arthur?
I only have memories of getting thrashed by your king.
Getting turned to dust by the Holy Sword, getting punched in the face, getting slashed…
Honestly, it was barely a fight.
Aside from landing one hit on the back of her head, I just got beaten to a pulp in both of our encounters.
And even that hit to the back of the head did zero damage.
Still, if I ever met the sane members of the Round Table, I wanted to introduce myself as the man who smacked their king in the back of the head.
…Calming myself, I moved the thread again.
My target was sound.
I was certain they would react.
Madmen who couldn’t think complex thoughts would definitely respond.
Actually, please respond!
If you don’t, I’m out of options!!
‘Now!’
Clatter!!
I knocked over a candle in the hallway.
Crash!
The glass surrounding the candle shattered as well, creating a loud noise in the corridor.
The previously still d’Eon and Lancelot took a defensive stance and looked toward the hallway behind them.
A single moment—that was all I needed.
If you can make a Servant look away for even a second, that’s enough.
Thump!!
This time, a sound erupted from the front, and d’Eon and Lancelot snapped their heads back.
A hole had appeared in the floor, and I was nowhere to be seen.
…Then they’ll surely go down, right?
‘Time to escape.’
I exhaled while clinging to the outer wall.
Making the hole in the floor was a task I’d been working on since I was sitting down.
I didn’t even need to use Transmutation Magecraft to leave; I could just go through the window.
I had intentionally made a noise and escaped through the window the moment they turned around.
Man, these shoes are amazing.
The silent shoes Da Vinci-chan made out of boredom—they supposedly make no sound when walking.
No matter how mad those two are, they’re still Servants; if they predicted my direction by my footsteps, I’d be dead.
No footsteps, and a hole in the floor made by what looked like my magecraft.
They would conclude I fled downward.
Whoosh.
Using my threads, I climbed to the roof of the building and looked around.
Then, I established a connection with Chaldea.
I had to speak in a low voice to prepare for any potential danger.
I had no idea when an attack might fly in and kill me.
[Ah, we’re connected!
…Wait!?
You, there are Servant signatures nearby…!!]
“I know.
More importantly, check the Servant signatures moving away from my current location.
They probably went east.”
[Uh, okay…
I see them.
Four Servant signatures in total, plus multiple magical energy signatures.
Th-these are Wyverns?!]
Good, so they definitely went east.
“I can’t see the map, so check for me.
Is that direction toward Domrémy, Jeanne d’Arc’s hometown?”
[Yes, if you head that way, you’ll reach Domrémy.]
The timing was unnecessarily similar to the original history.
If I hadn’t dropped right in front of Jeanne Alter, we might have met naturally.
…Tch.
Regardless, I have to follow them.
I couldn’t keep up with people using dragons as mounts.
However, by using my Transmutation Magecraft, I could achieve a decent level of high-speed movement.
But since the mana consumption was high, I might have to resign myself to using the leylines and my remaining Saint Quartz.
Furthermore, given the distance, I had to move hidden underground until I was far enough away, then come out and run as long as my stamina held out to minimize mana consumption.
It wouldn’t be funny if I reached them only to be out of mana and unable to form a contract.
If they went to Domrémy, they would undoubtedly meet the original Jeanne.
Dammit!!
I should have thought more!
To think I trusted my stupid brain!
I must be crazy!
I’m already not that bright, and yet I let my guard down and ended up like this.
To stop thinking!
How foolish!
[Watch out!
A Servant is approaching!]
“From where!?”
[Right below you!!]
Below?
Just as I felt that doubt—Boom!!!
Someone smashed through the roof and surged upward.
Crack!!!
They struck my neck with perfect precision.
…La-Lancelot!?
Dammit, I was found way faster than I expected.
This guy doesn’t have a presence detection skill.
He instinctively judged I would be here and came up.
He had pinpointed my location in an instant using ‘presence’—a sense only those who have survived countless battlefields possess.
[Loop-kun!!]
The Doctor’s voice echoed.
Even though my mouth moved, no sound came out.
My neck was completely wrecked.
Were my vocal cords destroyed?
Before I could do anything, I couldn’t even breathe properly, and I stumbled.
As I clutched my neck, Whoosh!!!
arrows flew in.
Atalante was firing from a tower next to the building.
It was a barrage of arrows.
But maybe I could use this to get away from Lancelot.
“uaaaaaa!!!!!!”
With a roar, Lancelot lunged at me.
This madman ignored the incoming arrows.
Thwack!
Thwack!!
Arrows pierced both my body and Lancelot’s.
Grip!!
He grabbed my neck tightly and shoved me.
Lancelot and I plummeted from the tall building.
The red glow visible through his black armor shone with madness.
His immense killing intent, stained with insanity, spared no one.
If he met the object of that madness, he would only be stained further, but that certainly didn’t mean he was harmless to others.
Crunch…
The grip on my neck tightened further.
This is insane…
I tried to move my prosthetic leg, but Grip!!!
he caught my foot with his hand.
Did he predict I would attack?
And they call this Mad Enhancement?
You crazy bastard!!
“arrrrthurrrrr!!!!”
Aaaah, it’s breaking.
It’s breaking.
Even before the sensation of time slowing down that I’d felt in Fuyuki could kick in, Snap!!
my neck bone broke cleanly.
Simultaneously, we slammed hard into the ground.
With a Boom!!, my body was literally pulverized.
As the aura of death seeped into my body through my broken neck, Lancelot slowly raised his leg.
I didn’t know if he realized I wasn’t dead yet or if he was just consumed by madness.
It hurts…
I can’t even scream.
It hurts.
It hurts.
It was agonizing—a pain beyond words, but I couldn’t even give it voice.
My neck was broken, and whether my vocal cords were destroyed or not, no sound came out.
A needle-like pain swelled dozens of times over and reached my throat.
I glared at Lancelot.
I wanted to hit this son of a bitch.
But my body wouldn’t listen.
It seemed I had already lost the right to control it.
To think he’d catch me on the roof by instinct alone and break my neck with such precision.
…I’d rather scream.
I wanted to turn this pain into sound.
Unable to do even that, I just glared at Lancelot.
I forced my unmoving arm to move.
Tap.
I struck Lancelot’s ankle.
As if uninterested, Lancelot flashed his red eyes and brought his raised foot down.
With a loud Crunch!!, my head was trampled and burst.
That signified my death.
***
“Haaah…!!”
I leaned forward, gasping for breath.
My head…!
My head…!
My neck…!!
I wanted to touch my head and neck with my hands, but I was bound and couldn’t.
Gasping for air, I looked around.
I saw d’Eon and Lancelot before me.
…Was this after Jeanne Alter left?
I’d thought this before, but the ‘save point’ timing was really something else.
…I wanted to move immediately, but I gritted my teeth while hunched over.
A pain that shouldn’t be felt anymore enveloped my entire body.
Panting, I felt my soul being chipped away once again.
It felt like someone was whispering, ‘How much longer can you hold out?’
…I told you, I’m going to punch the mastermind so hard their teeth fly out.
I can’t give up until then.
Yeah, that’s right.
‘Calm down, I’m alive.
My head didn’t burst, my neck wasn’t crushed.
I am…
I am…’
I’m okay!
I’m okay!
I have to do this!
I have to!
How…?
If there were only one Servant, I could buy time with my Spider Hand and Transmutation Magecraft.
But there are many enemies.
d’Eon and Lancelot, and Atalante was outside.
Fortunately, since they were forcibly placed under Mad Enhancement and were suppressing it with their reason, their combat power was lower than a Shadow Servant’s.
Add their hesitation to the mix, and they were much weaker than their original selves.
Ah, except for Lancelot.
That crazy dog broke my neck with everything he had and crushed my head until my brains burst.
Just thinking about it made me feel sick, and phantom pains I shouldn’t be feeling started to creep in.
If I had a Servant on my side, things would be easier, but I didn’t.
There were many Servants, but they were all enemies, and while they weren’t in their normal states, they were all dangerous.
…I recalled the scenery I saw while falling from the roof after Lancelot grabbed my neck.
On the opposite side of the tower where Atalante was—exactly in her blind spot—I saw horses.
It was a placement that seemed intentional.
If I took one, I might be able to escape.
But these Servants are probably faster than horses.
Still, it would be much faster than running myself, and above all, being in Atalante’s blind spot was a plus.
If I was lucky, Atalante might use her reason and choose not to snipe me if she couldn’t see me.
The problem was that damn Lancelot.
I didn’t know if it was because he was a Berserker to begin with or if it was just his personality, but he was trying to kill me with everything he had.
From what I could see, he was throwing a fit because my blonde hair reminded him of the King of Knights.
Saber, who beat me up one-sidedly; Merlin, who just watched while knowing everything; and now Lancelot right in front of me…
Honestly, I’m starting to hate Britain.
Why is it that every time I get involved with them, only bad things happen?
I have zero ties to Britain, yet they give me trauma every time we meet.
When Merlin is the best of the bunch, you know it’s over.
I should give him an award: ‘Congratulations, Merlin did nothing.’
‘He can’t feel the presence of my magecraft.
…Attacking won’t work, so I have to use that Mad Enhancement to confuse them.
Rule number one: don’t let the enemy stay calm.
…It’s the tactic I used against Saber, and it looks like it’s becoming my creed.’
And then I’ll bolt on the horse outside.
I want to believe that except for Lancelot, the others won’t follow me with everything they’ve got…
even if they do follow.
In the end, I have to do it.
The horse was in a sweet spot that looked like a trap, but it was the only choice I had.
Even if I picked it, I’d have to improvise from there.
…The mindset of ‘I can just die again’ didn’t hold up.
Dying was so agonizing that I wanted to give up everything.
But even if I gave up, I wouldn’t find peace.
If it ended with death, I might be liberated, but I couldn’t even have that.
Since I’m the only one who can do this, and I’m not even allowed to collapse, don’t I just have to do it?
It wasn’t my will, but eventually, I steeled my resolve again and clenched my fists.
“Phew…”
Metamorphose On <Transmutation Start>.
First, d’Eon, I apologize in advance.
I’m not doing this on purpose.
…Lancelot, I’m not apologizing to you!
I don’t care if I trigger your trauma or not!
Listen up, my Transmutation Magecraft is quite technical and has many uses.
Zzt.
My Magic Circuits activated.
It felt strange, as if my artificial nerves were reacting along with them.
Something rose up beside d’Eon and Lancelot.
The two of them, previously still, turned toward the sudden protrusion.
“Ma-Marie-sama!!”
d’Eon cried out instinctively.
What I had created was her master and the being she owed her loyalty to: Marie Antoinette.
Just this would be confusing enough, but it wasn’t enough.
Make them lose their reason, make their composure vanish.
…I apologized in advance to the Marie I would meet if I survived.
Thud!
Marie’s head fell as if severed by something.
“A-ah…!!!
Aaaaaah!!”
Having lost reason, objectivity, and composure, d’Eon trembled at the sight of Marie’s head falling.
I felt a bit sorry for her, but I had to do this to survive.
I can’t let you stay rational.
I will exploit the demerit of Mad Enhancement.
Absolutely!
No matter what!
I figured I might as well be called a deviant or trash at this point.
Sigh, I’m not usually this kind of person.
Really.
“ahrrrr!!!!”
With a roar, Lancelot on the other side smashed the King of Knights I had created.
Wait, wasn’t the reason he became a Berserker because he wanted to be punished by Saber?
Then why did he smash her the moment I made her?
Considering he’s a Saber fanboy, is his mindset something like, ‘This isn’t my King!’?
Boom…!!
Unlike d’Eon, who was still in a state of confusion, Lancelot glared at me after destroying Saber.
This time, I escaped by transmuting the wall behind me.
“arrrrr!!!!”
“Speak clearly, for once.”
He tried to swing a punch at me.
Boom…
Something rose from the floor.
Lancelot, who had smashed the King of Knights without hesitation, momentarily stopped his fist.
The red glow in his eyes weakened, and he was clearly flustered.
As expected, this was more effective?
I should have picked this one from the start.
It might be trashy, but I had no sympathy to give to the guy who broke my neck and crushed my head.
d’Eon is the one I feel sorry for, not you.
Why should I care about your mental state?
You’re the number one member of the ‘Hated Round Table’ in so many ways, you bastard.
“What?
Go ahead and smash her without hesitation too.
The girl who trusted you until the end, staying unarmed just to persuade you.”
It was a puppet of Gareth.
“Aaah…” Lancelot stood dazed, having even forgotten how to speak.
It seemed to have worked perfectly.
But the moment I thought that, Lancelot made a sickening, grinding sound.
Ominous!
This is very ominous!
I might have just plucked the whiskers of a sleeping lion.
Did I push him past composure and into a state of frenzy?
“Gaaaaaa!!!!!”
He ignored the Gareth puppet and charged at me.
I don’t know if not smashing Gareth was his last shred of conscience, but if he didn’t smash her, all the better!
I’ll be as much of a deviant or piece of trash as I want with you.
Unfortunately, I don’t feel a shred of sympathy.
Whish!!
I moved between the walls of the building using my threads.
I felt like Tarzan, but I saw Lancelot leaping after me, kicking off the walls behind me.
Compared to Heracles, his pressure is lacking!
Knight of NTR!
No, I take it back!
Knight of the Lake!
“Huh?
Wait, shit!!”
Boom!!!
He cut across my path, unable to fully control his body, smashing through a wall as he passed.
My body felt like it was freezing at the attack that grazed my hair.
Slide.
I moved quickly toward the horses.
Unlike before, Atalante’s attacks weren’t coming.
Was it because she could only attack when I was within her range and line of sight?
Unlike Lancelot and the ones Jeanne Alter took who were inherently malicious, those with good natures would be resisting the forced Mad Enhancement with their reason to some extent.
d’Eon, Atalante, and Martha were likely in that category.
Since they hesitated in their attacks, their difficulty level might be lower than a Shadow Servant’s.
If I had a Servant on my side, that is!
Without a Servant, I can’t win against anyone!
I’m confident I’d even lose to Charlotte!!
Dammit!!
“arrrr!!!”
“Persistent!!”
Slap.
I touched the wall as I passed.
Boom!!
I triggered it just as Lancelot arrived.
My eyes widened at the Crack!!
sound.
Lancelot had crushed the rock trying to emerge toward him with one hand, completely blocking the physical force.
…That madman.
Are there only monsters in Britain?
With so many strong people, why did it fall?
Ah, those strong people took turns trolling.
“If you have the spirit to follow me, you should have managed your libido better!
How did it feel to have an affair with the King’s woman!!!”
“arrr!!
arrr!!!
aaaaaaaa!!!!”
He charged at me with glowing red eyes.
I immediately hopped onto a horse and grabbed the reins.
Snap!
The horse started running.
Wait, this is my first time riding a horse?
It actually works?
Maybe I have a talent…
Whoa!!
I was half-hanging off the horse.
Talent my ass, I’m falling!
Crazy!!
And I saw Lancelot running behind me.
The others weren’t coming.
They didn’t move from their spots.
They likely only received simple orders from Jeanne Alter like ‘Guard this place’ or ‘Don’t let this man leave,’ and they were in a state where they could only perform those orders.
That’s why they didn’t follow me once I escaped.
But why did that crazy Jeanne Alter only leave behind the ones with hesitation?
Did she think I’d succumb to fear and never run away?
Hey!
I fought a woman scarier than you in Fuyuki!!
“Gaaaaa!!!”
Whoosh!!
Lancelot lunged forward rapidly.
I secured my legs to the horse with threads and quickly tapped the ground as I passed.
Cr-cr-crack!!
Rocks flew toward Lancelot.
Boom!!
He smashed through them and lunged again.
This is why Berserkers are!!
Boom!
Boom!!
The ground was cracking every time he jumped!?
He looks really angry!?
I did do things to make him angry!
But if he had lived honorably, this wouldn’t be happening!!
“That’s why I’m asking, who told you to commit adultery, split an unarmed girl who admired you in half, and become the trigger for your country’s collapse!!”
Stating it like this, it feels like he’s the one who should be told to ‘commit suicide,’ not Lancer.
“Uaaaaaaa!!!!!