Boom!
Like a deity dispensing divine punishment upon demons, Mordred's strikes were fiercer and more violent than before, seemingly provoked by Gilles de Rais's repulsive words and methods.
Yet, against the seemingly endless tide of sea demons summoned by Gilles, the crimson lightning appeared somewhat overwhelmed.
"Dammit!"
Mordred annihilated another cluster of lunging sea demons with a single swing. Looking at the sheer number of monsters still surrounding her, disgust and frustration covered her face.
In terms of pure strength, Mordred could easily suppress and permanently destroy these regenerating, multiplying sea demons using her crimson lightning.
What truly infuriated her was the sheer volume and the absurd speed at which the enemy summoned them.
Even though she had used Mana Burst to enhance her royal sword, her attack range was limited to a few meters. To kill the source—Gilles de Rais—she had to break through the blockade of sea demons.
For some reason, even though Mordred felt she had killed dozens of them, a quick glance around revealed their numbers were increasing rather than decreasing. They continued to encircle her tightly.
Even Gilles de Rais was completely obscured by the writhing mass of tentacles. Only his chaotic, mad ravings echoed through the fleshy barricade.
"It is the book and the surrounding environment, Saber."
As Mordred struggled against the endless, tidal wave of sea demons, Sisigou noticed the underlying mechanism and called out.
"If I am not mistaken, the magical energy he is using to summon these monsters isn't his own. He is relying on that bizarre book, fueled by the corpses and blood scattered around us."
Before Mordred could respond, Gilles de Rais let out a low chuckle from amidst his demonic guard.
"Correct, correct. You are truly an intelligent man. As you can see, thanks to the gift of my dear friend François, I have obtained the power to command a demonic legion through this gospel from hell! And this is the manifestation of my hope, my faith, and my absolute bliss!"
Listening to the fanatic's crazed ramblings and laughter, Sisigou took a deep drag from his cigarette. He blasted a few approaching sea demons away with his shotgun and transmitted his voice to Mordred.
"Saber, this won't work. If we want to eliminate him and these monsters in one fell swoop, you will likely have to use your Noble Phantasm."
Mordred frowned. She grabbed a small sea demon attempting a sneak attack and crushed it with crimson lightning before confirming with Sisigou.
"That is fine. If I release the True Name of my sword, I can definitely wipe them all out with an Anti-Fortress strike. But if I do that, Master, our plan for tonight goes down the drain."
Sisigou fell silent for a moment before speaking slowly.
"You are right. That kind of commotion would undoubtedly attract the Black Faction garrison. Given the situation, there is only one option left."
Mordred's eyes lit up. "You mean..."
"Oh?"
Watching the two whispering to each other, Gilles de Rais tilted his head in confusion.
However, he did not particularly care. From the looks of it, these two couldn't make any waves against him. He decided to devour them quickly and take this massive reserve of magical energy to the front lines.
He had already learned from his friend François that there was a way to resurrect his Saintess, and even free her from the control of that hypocritical God.
The thought made Gilles unable to suppress the frantic beating of his decayed heart. It felt as though the heart itself wanted to leap out of his chest in joy.
Just like himself, Gilles de Rais could not wait to witness the birth of a Jeanne d'Arc who truly belonged to him.
With that thought, he decided to stop holding back. He prepared to unleash the true power of the Prelati's Spellbook and summon that indescribable horror.
But at that exact moment, accompanied by Mordred's sudden roar, Gilles saw a massive surge of lightning manifest from her sword.
He immediately went on guard. "Is she preparing to release her Noble Phantasm?"
It seemed exactly as he suspected. Mordred let out a war cry and poured the lightning toward him.
"Let me show you my true power, you freak!"
"Clarent Blood Arthur!"
"Defend!"
Facing the crimson lightning, Gilles de Rais did not hesitate. He instantly gathered the sea demons around him, using their bodies as a massive shield.
But as the seconds ticked by, Gilles realized something was wrong.
Where was the Noble Phantasm?
He forcefully pushed the sea demons aside and looked toward where Mordred and Sisigou had been standing, only to find them sprinting away into the distance, shouting "Nigerundayo!" as they cleared his attack range.
Gilles de Rais's veins bulged on his forehead. He felt immensely humiliated.
"Hmph! Fine. The priority is resurrecting my Holy Maiden."
Gilles scoffed coldly and led his massive swarm of sea demons deeper into the village. He could sense a group of youths trapped in an illusion over there. It was likely the 'supplies' his friend François had prepared for him.
Meanwhile, Jeanne, acting in her role as referee, finally arrived at the battlefield. Looking at the plains swarming with Dragon Tooth Warriors and homunculi, and the incredibly conspicuous Hanging Gardens floating in the sky, the Saintess felt a massive headache coming on.
"What am I supposed to do about this..."
Gazing at the fierce battle between the two Lancers, Vlad III and Karna, Jeanne wanted to approach them and intervene. But considering the tidal wave of iron stakes and the flames blanketing the sky, she silently abandoned the idea.
It was frustrating. Even though Jeanne possessed exceptional parameters, she essentially had nothing but basic attacks, an invincibility shield, and a suicidal ultimate move.
She understood that she alone could not stop the chaotic brawl between the two factions, nor could she convince the Red Assassin to hide that massive Noble Phantasm.
She needed an ally.
Instinctively, Jeanne thought of Souya. He was the one the Lord had explicitly tasked her to witness, and she had come to view him as someone reliable.
However, when she looked in his direction, she found him being hunted down by the Black Berserker, Penthesilea. The Amazon Queen had removed her helmet, her beautiful face contorted with murderous rage.
Seeing Souya in completely different attire with changed hair color, Jeanne hesitated before looking away.
Scanning the battlefield again and finding no one to answer her call, she finally turned her attention to the distant black castle.
For some reason, she felt something there calling out to her. It was a sensation that left her bewildered and uneasy.
But remembering that the Revelation had pointed her there, Jeanne deliberated before deciding to head toward the Millennia Fortress alone.
Regardless of the situation, she had not forgotten that the reason she descended in this unique manner was to resolve whatever anomaly plagued this Holy Grail War.
Since the Revelation pointed the way, she had to act.