=== Godrick ===
As they continued through the dense Romanian forest, Jeanne told him about her own time in the Holy Grail Wars, about the responsibility that came with being the Ruler, and about the delicate balance she was expected to maintain between the Red and Black factions.
Every so often she would ask him a question in return, trying to learn more about the towering knight who walked faithfully at her side.
Unable to speak, Godrick answered with simple nods or shakes of his head, occasionally using his hands to make crude gestures when a response required more than yes or no.
Though the conversation was one-sided, Jeanne found herself smiling more than once.
Beneath the intimidating armor, he seemed remarkably patient, listening intently to every word she spoke.
Their leisurely pace came to an abrupt halt when the trees opened into a small clearing.
Jeanne’s expression immediately grew serious.
She crouched near an overturned slab of stone, brushing her fingers across the fractured surface before slowly surveying the surrounding area.
Trees had been splintered apart, the earth was torn open by deep gouges, and scorch marks blackened the ground where powerful magecraft had detonated.
Although the battle had ended some time ago, the lingering magical energy remained strong enough for her to read the scene like an open book.
“A battle took place here,” she murmured.
Godrick silently studied the destruction around them while Jeanne closed her eyes, allowing her senses to follow the fading trails of mana.
“Three Servants from the Red faction were here…” she said thoughtfully.
“…but I can’t detect the presence of a Master anywhere nearby.”
The observation troubled her.
Masters were rarely absent when Servants engaged in combat unless something had gone terribly wrong.
Then, without warning, Jeanne’s eyes snapped open.
Her armor materialized around her body in a flash of light, followed immediately by the appearance of her sacred banner and lance.
She spun toward the deeper reaches of the forest, every muscle in her body suddenly tense.
“There are Servants fighting!”
She had sensed countless battles before, but this one felt different.
Ever since her summoning, an unshakable feeling had lingered in the back of her mind, warning her that something about this Grail War was fundamentally wrong.
Now, with Servants of the same faction clashing against one another, that uneasy feeling only intensified.
She stared toward the distant magical signatures, calculating the distance.
“We’re too far away.”
Running would take precious minutes they did not have.
Then an idea struck her.
She turned toward Godrick.
“Launch me.”
Without hesitation, Godrick took his halberd into both hands before lowering the broad, flat side of its blade until it rested just above the ground.
Jeanne stepped onto the improvised platform without the slightest hesitation, balancing herself effortlessly despite its narrow surface.
“Ready?”
Godrick gave a single nod.
Planting one foot behind him, he drew upon every ounce of his immense strength before driving upward with explosive force.
The halberd snapped skyward like a catapult, and Jeanne shot into the heavens.
Jeanne soared high above the forest canopy, the wind whipping through her hair while the endless sea of green spread out beneath her.
For a brief moment she simply flew, scanning the horizon from her newfound vantage point.
Godrick vanished into Spirit Form the instant she left the blade, effortlessly following her through the air.
“There!”
The unmistakable sound of clashing blades echoed through the forest.
Jeanne angled her lance downward, channeling magical energy through its shaft to alter her descent.
Like a falling star, she streaked toward the source of the battle before crashing into a narrow clearing with enough force to send dust and leaves exploding outward.
Saber of Black stood with his greatsword raised, facing Rider of Black.
Their expressions shifted from surprise to confusion as Jeanne appeared directly between them.
Godrick remained in Spirit Form for only another heartbeat before another disturbance drew his attention.
Not far from Jeanne’s position, another confrontation was unfolding.
Materializing silently beneath the trees, he found Gordes pursuing a frail-looking boy no older than fifteen or sixteen.
The young man’s clothes were ragged, his breathing was frantic, and fear was written plainly across his face as he stumbled backward through the undergrowth.
The boy slapped Gordes’ outstretched hand away in desperation.
“I… I want to live!” he cried.
Brilliant green arrays flared across both of his arms, glowing intensely.
“Gehen!” The boy said as he thrust his arm forward.
A burst of magecraft erupted from his hand, striking Gordes squarely in the crossed forearms as the older magus instinctively blocked.
The spell lacked both power and refinement, accomplishing little more than scorching the expensive sleeve of Gordes’ jacket.
For a heartbeat there was silence.
Then Gordes’ face twisted with rage.
His pride had been wounded far more deeply than his body.
“How dare you!” he roared, drawing back his fist as he stepped toward the terrified child, every intention of killing him written across his face.
Having seen enough, Godrick acted.
The instant Gordes’ fist shot toward the terrified homunculus, the giant knight materialized directly between them.
Gordes never even saw him appear.
His punch struck Godrick’s open hand with all the force he could muster, only to come to a complete stop as though he had punched the side of a mountain.
Not even the armored gauntlet shifted beneath the impact.
Godrick slowly lowered his gaze to the much smaller man before him, his icy blue eyes hidden behind the narrow slit of his helmet, while his grip remained firm enough that Gordes could not pull his hand free no matter how hard he struggled.
A heartbeat later, Jeanne, Siegfried, and Rider arrived in the clearing.
“What is the meaning of this?” Jeanne demanded as she hurried to Godrick’s side, her voice carrying an authority that caused even the surrounding Servants to pause.
“I-I could have died!” Gordes shouted, wrenching his trapped arm in vain before pointing furiously toward the trembling boy behind Godrick.
“That thing attacked me! I was defending myself, and your oversized brute interfered! He tried to kill me!”
Strictly speaking, Gordes was not lying.
The homunculus had attacked first.
Yet Godrick had witnessed the exchange from beginning to end.
The child’s spell had barely scorched the sleeve of Gordes’ jacket, and the man had never been in the slightest bit of danger.
What followed had not been self-defense, but punishment.
Jeanne glanced toward Godrick.
Without releasing Gordes’ wrist, he gave a slow shake of his head.
That was all she needed.
Turning away from Gordes, Jeanne knelt beside the frightened boy, lowering herself so she would not appear so imposing.
“Are you hurt?” she asked gently.
The boy hesitated before giving a nervous nod.
“N-No…”
His entire body trembled as he answered, his frightened eyes darting between Jeanne, Gordes, and the silent giant standing protectively in front of him.
“Ruler, stand aside,” Gordes barked, finally managing to wrench his hand free.
“This is a matter for the Black faction. That homunculus belongs to me, and I’ll deal with him however I please.”
He tried to push past Godrick, but the Juggernaut took a single step into his path.
For a brief moment the magus glared upward, clearly realizing he had no chance of physically moving the armored giant.
Then his expression twisted into a furious snarl.
“Saber!” he shouted.
“I command you with a Command Seal! Capture the homunculus… or kill him if you must!”
The crimson glow of a Command Seal flared across Gordes’ hand.
Across the clearing, Siegfried visibly stiffened.
Pain flickered across the dragon slayer’s normally stoic face as the magical compulsion seized his Spirit Origin.
Though every instinct told him this order was wrong, the absolute authority of the Command Seal left him no choice.
With clear reluctance, he drew Balmung and rushed forward.
Godrick met him head-on.
Balmung descended in a powerful overhead strike, but the massive halberd rose to intercept it.
Steel slammed against steel with a deafening clang that echoed through the forest, sending sparks cascading between the two legendary warriors.
Siegfried pressed forward with tremendous strength, trying to force his blade through the guard, but Godrick remained utterly immovable.
Then, with one explosive motion, Godrick shoved their weapons aside, and shoved his opponent.
The sudden burst of strength hurled Siegfried backward several yards.
The Saber twisted gracefully through the air before landing on both feet, his boots carving deep furrows into the earth as he slid to a stop.
Without hesitation, he raised Balmung once more.
“Stop this. Now!” Jeanne ordered, turning sharply toward Gordes.
He ignored her completely.
“Saber!” he roared again.
“You will kill that homunculus! Do you understand me?”
Siegfried’s shoulders sagged almost imperceptibly.
“…Understood.”
Jeanne closed her eyes for a brief moment before looking toward Godrick.
She gave him a single nod.
“Do not kill him,” she said quietly.
Godrick inclined his head once, and Siegfried attacked again.
This time Godrick shifted his halberd into his left hand alone, effortlessly catching Balmung’s descending blade on the shaft.
Before Siegfried could recover, Godrick stepped into his guard and drove his armored right fist upward with terrifying force.
The uppercut landed squarely against Siegfried’s breastplate.
The dragon slayer was launched high into the air, soaring above the forest canopy as trees bent beneath the shockwave of the strike.
Leaves and splintered branches spiraled through the air in his wake, disappearing beyond the endless sea of green.
Godrick watched him ascend for only an instant.
Then he bent his knees, and with a thunderous explosion of stone and earth, the colossal knight hurled himself skyward in pursuit.
Moments later he landed in another clearing several hundred yards away, his armored boots crashing into the earth with enough force to shake the surrounding trees.
Across from him, Siegfried climbed from the crater his own landing had created, resting Balmung across his shoulder as he regained his footing.
For several long moments, neither warrior moved.
Finally, Siegfried broke the silence.
“Know that I take no joy in this,” he said solemnly.
“Were it my choice, our blades would never have crossed.”
He lowered Balmung into a ready stance, sorrow evident even through his unwavering resolve.
“But a Servant exists to obey his Master. I have no choice but to fulfill his command.”
Godrick answered Siegfried’s words with nothing more than a single nod before beginning his advance.
Siegfried vanished in a blur.
In the next instant he appeared within striking distance, Balmung sweeping upward in a powerful rising slash meant to split the giant open from hip to shoulder.
Godrick reacted instantly, bringing the long haft of his halberd down across his body to catch the legendary blade.
The clash rang through the forest like a church bell before Godrick immediately twisted his wrists, driving the axe head toward Siegfried’s neck.
The dragon slayer ducked beneath the sweeping blade, feeling the razor edge whistle inches above his head.
Before he could counter, Godrick reversed the momentum of the weapon entirely.
The massive hammer head at the other side came hurtling back with terrifying speed, forcing Siegfried to leap backward as it smashed into the earth where he had stood only a heartbeat before.
The impact shattered the ground, hurling stone and dirt into the air like an exploding mine.
Using the opening, Siegfried stepped back in and slashed toward Godrick’s ribs.
Balmung scraped across the Juggernauts armor in a shower of sparks but failed to bite deeply enough to slow the giant.
Godrick answered by rotating the halberd around his body before stabbing forward with the spear point.
Siegfried twisted aside just in time.
The spearhead missed his chest by inches before punching completely through the trunk of an ancient oak behind him.
Godrick did not even bother retrieving the weapon before ripping it free with a single pull, sending splintered wood flying through the clearing.
The halberd flowed from one strike into the next with sweeping cuts from the axe head forced Siegfried backward.
The hammer crashed into the ground often enough to leave craters wherever it landed, and every thrust of the spear point carried enough force to skewer stone itself.
Eventually Siegfried made one mistake.
As he stepped inside the arc of another swing, Godrick abruptly shortened his grip on the weapon and drove the steel butt of the halberd forward.
The spike punched through Siegfried’s left shoulder armor before burying itself deep into the earth beneath him, pinning the dragon slayer to the ground.
Godrick ripped the halberd free, lifting Siegfried into the air before reversing his grip and bringing the hammer face crashing down onto his breastplate.
Before Siegfried could recover, Godrick stepped forward, pivoted at the waist, and drove the hammer into his side with enough force to launch him through the forest.
Trees burst apart one after another as the dragon slayer tore through them before crashing into the side of a nearby hill.
The hillside collapsed beneath the impact, burying him beneath tons of shattered earth and stone.
For several moments there was only silence.
Then Siegfried slowly emerged from the rubble.
His armor bore fresh dents where the hammer had struck him, dust rolled from his shoulders, and cracks spiderwebbed across the ground beneath his feet as he straightened himself.
Looking across the devastated battlefield, he found the silent knight already waiting for him, halberd resting comfortably across one shoulder.
Something stirred within the Dragon Slayer as he looked upon his opponent.
Excitement.
Rarely had he ever been forced onto the defensive so completely.
“You have my thanks,” Siegfried called as he began approaching Godrick.
“It has been a long time since I have been allowed to fight without restraint.”
He lowered Balmung into both hands.
“I have enjoyed this battle… if it can even be called one.”
Blue mana began pouring from the holy sword.
“But now…”
Trees bent beneath the pressure as torrents of magical energy spiraled around Balmung.
Rocks lifted from the earth, branches were torn from their trunks, and the clouds overhead split apart beneath the sheer weight of the gathering Noble Phantasm.
“I’m turning the tables! Balmung!”
The brilliant azure light swallowed the clearing.
Even through the impossible amount of mana gathering around him, Siegfried could still see the armored giant standing motionless.
“…Very well,” he murmured.
The anti-fortress Noble Phantasm erupted from the sword, consuming everything before it in a roaring sea of blue light before Siegfried pointed his sword towards the Juggernaut, hitting his square in the chest before enveloping him completely.
Pain unlike anything he had endured since facing the Warlord tore through every inch of Godrick’s body.
His armor glowed beneath the relentless torrent as the magical energy sought to erase him completely, yet he refused to retreat.
His boots carved deep trenches through the earth until the buried halberd halted his backward slide.
Then he began to march forward.
Anchoring himself with the halberd, he forced his way through the Noble Phantasm itself, advancing inch by inch until he finally emerged from the blinding torrent directly before Siegfried.
The dragon slayer’s eyes widened.
“…Impossible.”
Godrick dismissed his halberd into Spirit Form and reached forward through the torrent.
His massive left hand closed around Siegfried’s wrists before the dragon slayer could react, forcing the Noble Phantasm to vanish instantly.
Godrick lifted Siegfried completely off the ground, exposing his chest, then, drawing back his armored fist one final time, he drove it forward with every ounce of strength he possessed.
The punch landed squarely in Siegfried’s solar plexus.
The impact folded the dragon slayer around the blow before launching him across the countryside, his body vanishing into the distant forest as a series of thunderous crashes echoed across the mountains.
Only after his opponent disappeared did Godrick finally allow himself to rest.
Dropping to one knee, he drew several deep, ragged breaths while the immense magical energy he had endured flowed through his body.
Like water pouring into an empty vessel, Balmung’s power was slowly absorbed into his Spirit Origin, adding the legendary Noble Phantasm to the growing reservoir of strength that only the Juggernaut could contain.
=== Siegfried ===
As Siegfried poured every ounce of magical energy into Balmung, he felt something impossible.
The knight was advancing.
At first it was nothing more than a subtle resistance against the torrent, but with every passing heartbeat that resistance grew stronger.
Through the blinding sea of azure light, he could make out the faint silhouette of the armored giant forcing his way through the Noble Phantasm one step at a time.
It should have been impossible.
No Servant should have been able to endure the full force of Balmung at such close range, let alone advance through it.
Then a gauntleted hand, glowing white-hot beneath the unbearable heat, burst through the heart of the beam.
It seized both of Siegfried’s wrists, causing his concentration to break instantly, causing Balmung’s torrent to collapse into nothingness as the knight effortlessly lifted him from the ground.
For a single, disorienting moment, Siegfried found himself staring into the narrow visor of the glowing helm before the Knight’s right fist crashed into the center of his breastplate.
The impact drove the breath from his lungs and launched him through the air once again, his body skipping across the broken landscape before plowing a deep trench through the earth.
He tried to recover before impact, twisting his body in an attempt to land on his feet, but the sheer force behind the strike overwhelmed him.
Instead, he crashed shoulder-first into the ground and tumbled several more times before finally sliding to a halt.
Grimacing, he planted Balmung into the earth and used it to pull himself back onto one knee, his eyes immediately searching for the silent knight.
Godrick had not pursued him.
The Juggernaut remained where the clash had ended, kneeling quietly amid the shattered battlefield.
His armor glowed a brilliant white, so intensely heated by Balmung’s relentless torrent that the air around him rippled and danced in shimmering waves.
Wisps of smoke curled from the gaps between the plates, while the scorched earth beneath his feet hissed beneath the heat still pouring from his body.
For several long moments he remained perfectly still, as though allowing the impossible amount of magical energy he had endured to settle within himself.
Then, without the slightest hint of urgency, he materialized his halberd into his right hand, planted its butt into the ground, and rose to his full height.
The brilliant glow gradually faded from the silver armor, shifting from blinding white to dull orange before finally returning to its familiar shining steel.
As the last of the heat escaped, a long plume of steam rolled from the narrow slits of his helmet with a deep exhale, resembling the breath of a great ox on a winter morning.
It was not the exhausted gasp of a warrior who had barely survived, but the steady breath of an animal ready to continue his work.
For the first time in many years, Siegfried felt something bordering on disbelief.
He had unleashed the full glory of Balmung at point-blank range, and the knight had walked through it.
“…What kind of monster are you?” Siegfried whispered as he slowly climbed back to his feet, tightening his grip on Balmung while the silent Juggernaut simply watched him from across the ruined battlefield.
=== Godrick ===
Materializing his halberd once more, Godrick rose to his full height and slowly released the breath he had been holding.
A long plume of steam drifted through the narrow slits of his helmet, rolling into the air.
Though he could not feel the searing heat radiating from his armor, he knew Balmung had left its mark.
The once silver steel still glowed a dull orange in places, steadily fading as it cooled.
Across the ruined battlefield, Siegfried had already regained his footing, his sword held firmly before him despite the punishment he had endured.
Godrick had shown enough.
His endurance had been demonstrated, his ability to absorb a Noble Phantasm revealed, and the dragon slayer now understood that overwhelming force alone would not bring the Juggernaut down.
There was no longer any reason to prolong the battle. This story is hosted at g.com.
Without hesitation, Godrick began walking toward Siegfried.
His measured strides gradually lengthened until they became a jog, then a run, and finally a thunderous sprint that shook the battered earth beneath his feet.
As he charged, the stolen mana of Balmung surged through his Spirit Origin, flooding his limbs with immense strength.
Blue wisps of magical energy danced across the gaps in his armor before disappearing beneath the silver steel, every step becoming faster and heavier than the last.
Seeing the armored giant barreling toward him, Siegfried tightened his grip on Balmung and chose to meet him head-on.
Refusing to yield even a single step, he launched into a charge of his own, rapidly closing the distance between them.
It was a mistake.
The clash of Balmung against the massive halberd rang across the countryside with a deafening crack, the impact so violent that nearby trees splintered from the shockwave alone.
Sparks erupted between the two legendary weapons before Godrick simply overpowered him.
Empowered by the mana he had absorbed moments earlier, the Juggernaut forced the halberd through the exchange, lifting Siegfried completely off his feet.
The dragon slayer was hurled backward once again, soaring high above the forest canopy.
By now, Siegfried was almost becoming accustomed to being launched through the air.
The absurd thought had barely crossed his mind before danger returned.
Godrick planted one foot into the earth, rotated his entire body, and hurled his halberd with all his might.
The massive weapon became little more than a blur as it tore through the sky like a siege bolt.
Siegfried barely managed to react in time.
Twisting his body, he brought Balmung across himself and caught the incoming halberd on the flat of the blade.
The collision detonated, driving him even higher into the air as every muscle in his body strained to keep the weapon from tearing straight through him.
The halberd was knocked away, tumbling end over end as it disappeared toward the forest below.
His relief lasted only a heartbeat as a shadow suddenly eclipsed the moon above him.
Looking up, Siegfried’s eyes widened.
Godrick had leapt after him.
The silent Juggernaut had covered the impossible distance in a single bound, his massive armored frame already within arm’s reach.
Before Siegfried could even think to swing Balmung again, Godrick wrapped both arms around him in a crushing grapple, locking the dragon slayer tightly against his chest.
The two legendary warriors hung suspended in the air for the briefest instant.
Then gravity reclaimed them.
Locked together, they plummeted toward the forest below like a falling meteor, their combined weight sending a thunderous roar through the sky as the ground rushed up to meet them.
=== Jeanne d’Arc ===
Jeanne stood protectively in front of the frightened homunculus, her banner planted firmly into the earth as she faced the gathering Masters of the Black Faction.
One after another they emerged from the surrounding forest, accompanied by their Servants, until nearly half the clearing was encircled by legendary heroes.
The tension was palpable.
Weapons were drawn, mana hung heavily in the air, and every Servant watched the others for the slightest movement that might ignite another battle.
Vlad, the leader of the Black Faction pushed his horse forward, his eyes immediately taking in the scene before settling on Jeanne.
“Gordes, what has happened here?” he demanded.
“Who is this Servant? And where is Saber?”
“My lord, she—” Gordes began indignantly, only for Jeanne to cut him off before he could twist the story.
“I am the Ruler and adjudicator of this Holy Grail War,” she declared.
“Your Saber is presently engaged in battle with my Juggernaut after this man attempted to kill an innocent child.”
As she spoke, she pointed first toward Gordes, then toward the trembling boy standing behind her.
“He tried to murder him.”
“He is not innocent!” Gordes exploded, his face flushing with rage.
“He is nothing more than a homunculus we created to be used! He is our property, nothing more!”
Just then, a deafening crash thundered overhead as two figures tore through the canopy, shattering branches before slamming into the earth with enough force to shake the entire forest.
Dust and shattered stone erupted outward, forcing everyone to shield their eyes as the shockwave rolled across the clearing.
Godrick knelt at the center of the fresh crater.
One armored hand forced Siegfried’s head firmly into the broken earth while the other pinned the dragon slayer’s sword arm against the ground, preventing even the slightest movement.
Balmung remained trapped in Siegfried’s grasp, yet it was utterly useless beneath the crushing strength of the Juggernaut.
The legendary dragon slayer had been completely subdued.
A heavy silence settled over the battlefield.
Several Masters instinctively took a step backward, unable to hide the fear that crossed their faces.
Even the Servants surrounding them visibly tensed, their weapons lowering into ready positions as they prepared to rescue their comrade if necessary.
Without so much as glancing down, Godrick slowly released Siegfried and rose to his full height.
Towering over every person in the clearing, he lifted one gauntleted hand into the air and held it there.
For a heartbeat, nothing happened.
Then a distant whistling echoed through the forest.
Tree after tree splintered apart as something enormous tore through the woodland with unstoppable momentum.
The sound grew louder with every passing second until the massive black halberd burst through the treeline, spinning end over end before arriving perfectly in line with its master’s waiting hand.
The moment his fingers closed around the haft, he slammed the butt of the weapon into the ground.
Jeanne stepped forward into the silence, planting the butt of her banner against the fractured earth.
“We did not come here seeking a battle,” she said, her gaze sweeping across the assembled Black Faction.
“But this child is innocent. He has chosen not to fight in this Holy Grail War, and that decision will be respected.”
Her eyes settled on Gordes.
“No one will force him otherwise.”
A brilliant crimson light spread across her back as one of her Command Seals ignited, its magical energy radiating through the forest and washing over every Servant present.
Even the Masters could feel the authority contained within it as the Greater Grail itself acknowledged her decree.
“With one of my Command Seals, I order that this child be left outside the Holy Grail War,” Jeanne declared, her voice carrying effortlessly across the clearing.
“Should any Master seek to harm him, that Master’s Servant will instead do everything within their power to protect him. Furthermore, every other Servant present in this war shall aid in his protection until he is beyond danger.”
As the final words left her lips, one of the crimson marks upon her back faded away, its power spent.
The magical pressure blanketing the clearing disappeared almost as quickly as it had come, leaving behind an uneasy silence as every Servant instinctively understood that the order had become absolute.
Godrick stepped away from Siegfried and withdrew his halberd, allowing the Saber of Black to rise without interference.
Siegfried slowly climbed to his feet, favoring his wounded shoulder as he looked up at the towering knight before him.
Despite the bruises covering his body and the obvious defeat he had suffered, there was no bitterness in his expression.
Instead, a faint smile touched his lips.
“I hope we meet again,” he said sincerely.
“Perhaps next time, we shall stand side by side instead of across the battlefield.”
Godrick simply inclined his head.
Siegfried waited for a reply that never came before glancing toward Jeanne in confusion.
“Why do you not speak?” he asked.
“Do you find me unworthy of an answer?”
Jeanne offered a small, apologetic smile and answered before Godrick could even attempt to explain.
“It isn’t that,” she said gently.
“He simply cannot speak. He is mute.”
Understanding immediately replaced the confusion on Siegfried’s face.
He gave the silent knight one final respectful nod before returning to his Master.
Nearby, a frail young girl seated within her wheelchair looked up at her Servant Chiron who stood behind her.
He leaned down towards her as she whispered quietly into his ear, her words too soft for anyone else to hear.
He listened in silence before giving a small nod.
“Perhaps another time,” he replied warmly.
“But not today, my Lady.”
Without another word, he gently turned the wheelchair and began pushing her away from the clearing.
The leader of Black, Vlad guided his horse toward Jeanne and inclined his head respectfully.
“Your command has been heard, Ruler,” he said.
“I will take responsibility for the boy. He will be cared for and shall play no further part in this Holy Grail War.”
“What are you saying?” Gordes exploded, staring at the rider in disbelief.
“You’re simply going to abandon him? Do you have any idea how valuable that untouched magical potential is?”
Before anyone could react, Vlad leaned down from his saddle and seized Gordes by the throat, lifting him just enough that his feet nearly left the ground.
“I said,” the rider growled, his voice filled with menace, “that he will remain uninvolved.”
His grip tightened for only a moment.
“And that is exactly what will happen.”
He shoved Gordes away with enough force to send the man stumbling backward through the dirt before calmly turning his horse around.
Without waiting for another argument, the man guided his mount toward the edge of the forest.
Humiliated and red-faced, Gordes glared venomously at Jeanne, then at the silent giant standing beside her, before finally fixing his hatred upon the frightened homunculus.
Yet with Jeanne’s Command Seal now binding every Servant in the war, there was nothing he could do.
Grinding his teeth, he turned and stormed after the others.
Jeanne looked down at the frightened homunculus, whose hands still trembled from everything that had happened.
Kneeling beside him, she rested a comforting hand on his shoulder before offering him a reassuring smile.
“You’re going to be alright,” she said softly.
“The Servants themselves are bound to protect you now. No one will force you to fight.”
The boy hesitated for a moment before giving a small, uncertain nod, and for the first time since the confrontation had begun, the fear in his eyes eased ever so slightly.