Deimlet gazed at the black-armored Jeanne d'Arc, an expression of realization dawning on his face. "Jeanne d'Arc's companion, huh? So you were the enemy all along. But why the 2P color scheme? Shouldn't she be white?"
"I get it," Caules murmured.
Caules breathed a sigh of relief. He had felt a pang of guilt for attacking Jiang You earlier, but now he could command Fran to attack without reservation, even though the circumstances of their opponent's appearance here were far from normal. "Just another case of corruption, right?"
Caules considered such scenarios commonplace in the modern era, especially with a Saintess like Jeanne d'Arc, who perfectly fit the archetype.
"..."
Jalter, not having been summoned by the Holy Grail, failed to grasp Caules's meaning. Noticing Deimlet's subtle movements, she twisted the hilt of her sword, forcing him into a half-kneeling position to prevent her palm from being sliced open.
"Can't you hear me?" Caules demanded.
He had no choice but to order Fran to cease her attack. At this range, Deimlet was completely at Jeanne's mercy. If Fran struck, Jeanne might survive, but Deimlet certainly wouldn't. With Spartacus already pinned down by that diminutive servant, their side was at a severe disadvantage. Securing their teammate's safety took priority.
"We understand, Ms. Jeanne. Please don't get agitated."
"Don't call me by that fool's name!" Jalter snapped.
Jalter was determined to sever all ties with Jeanne. As an independent existence, she refused to remain forever in the shadow of her original self.
"So you're not Jeanne d'Arc?" Caules asked, seizing the opportunity. "May I ask who you are?"
For the first time, Deimlet inwardly praised the young man. Learning the enemy's True Name was crucial intelligence, allowing them to devise effective countermeasures.
"I..." Jalter hesitated.
She glanced at her Spirit Origin. Though it still bore the name of her original self, it was fundamentally different. At least it was better than Jiang You calling her "Black Jeanne." "Listen well!" she declared. "I am Jeanne d'Arc Alter, the Dragon Witch consumed by the flames of vengeance!"
I need to distinguish myself from the original, she thought. Dragon Witch—now that sounds cool!
Though he didn't quite understand the "Dragon Witch" part, Caules felt this explained why this "Jeanne" had allied with the Beast. "Alter" signified the Heroic Spirit's darker side, while the "flames of vengeance" likely referred to Jeanne's historical execution by burning as a Witch. This Jeanne had likely been summoned mid-incineration, explaining her pitch-black armor and the burn marks on her skin.
"Why are you only arriving now?"
Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out from behind Jiang You, one that both Deimlet and Caules recognized instantly.
"Rider!"
When Deimlet saw that the servant was his younger brother's, his initial joy quickly turned to dismay. Achilles emerged carrying someone on his back—his teacher, Chiron.
"Black Faction's Archer... Have you... lost?"
The answer was painfully obvious, but Deimlet hesitated to believe it. After all, Chiron and Achilles' combined strength far surpassed that of Spartacus and Frankenstein. Their reinforcements had arrived swiftly—within ten minutes at most—yet the current situation showed Chiron completely incapacitated, while Atalante, the other Archer, was nowhere to be seen.
"That's right, we lost," Achilles admitted frankly. "The gap between us was too great. We've been done here for a while now. If you'll listen to me, call it off. There might be some misunderstanding here."
There was a hint of resentment in Achilles' tone. Had reinforcements arrived sooner, he wouldn't have suffered such a humiliating defeat. He could have spared a servant to stall Jason, allowing him to focus his attack directly on Jiang You. While the outcome might have remained the same, at least it wouldn't have been so utterly disgraceful.
"Rider, you..."
Deimlet was momentarily speechless, unable to imagine a great Greek Hero uttering such dispirited words. Yet the Beast's threat loomed over all humanity; even the most selfish Magus couldn't escape its reach. Could this be a misunderstanding? "Did you encounter the Beast?"
"It's not the Beast's web that's the problem."
Achilles scratched his face. Tiamat had only emerged after his defeat, and he hadn't even earned the right to face her.
"You saw that little white-haired girl, right? I lost to her."
By this point, Melusine had used her lightning-fast speed to sever the arm Spartacus used to wield his weapon. Yet Spartacus showed no reaction, instead charging toward Jiang You with feverish excitement. To him, only Jiang You was the enemy; Melusine, like himself, was one of the oppressed.
"Let's put that aside for now. If this keeps up, Berserker will be taken down too. There's no need for us to fight to the death here. Ms. Jeanne, please spare him for now. With his current abilities, he poses no threat to Jiang You."
Achilles watched the scene with a sense of helplessness. Though he and Spartacus were Servants on the same side, the latter's mindset seemed completely beyond communication, and Achilles was powerless to stop him in his current state.
"Berserker's Master, please restrain him quickly," Achilles urged.
Jalter considered this. Though Jiang You appeared pathetically weak, he was actually on par with Tiamat, or even stronger. Maybe I'm the weakest one in this team after all, she thought, why should I worry about Jiang You? She sheathed her sword, watching the anxious Master with amused interest.
Deimlet frowned deeply. Spartacus was now completely unresponsive to his commands; only a Command Spell could calm him. Yet using one now felt wasteful. Command Spells were crucial resources, both for the impending battle against the Beast and the final showdown.
Having lost an arm to Melusine's attack, Spartacus swelled even further. His bulging muscles writhed ceaselessly, as if some immense energy churned beneath his flesh.
Jiang You was already planning his escape. Even if Spartacus's attacks posed no real threat, being bear-hugged by this muscle-bound behemoth head-on would probably give him nightmares for days.
Just then, Tiamat emerged, carrying Atalante, who had been transformed into a wildcat, by the scruff of her neck.
"Another naughty child causing trouble?"
When Deimlet saw the girl approach Jiang You, his face turned deathly pale. The overwhelming aura of the Beast's Spirit Origin left the second-rate Magus gasping for breath.
"Rider, they're with the Beast!?"
"Isn't that obvious?" Achilles retorted, surprised they hadn't realized it sooner.
Deimlet had mistakenly believed that Jalter wasn't aligned with the Beast, given her completely different personality and color scheme. But seeing the real thing now, he realized he had no choice. He raised his arm decisively. "By Command Spell, Berserker, activate your Noble Phantasm! Again, by Command Spell, Berserker, unleash your Noble Phantasm at full power!"
"Ha ha ha ha! Comrade, I acknowledge you as my comrade!"
Spartacus, who despised the Master-Servant relationship, finally acknowledged his Master for the first time. "Then let us shower our oppressors with the love they deserve! Ah ha ha ha ha! With love! With love! Crying Warmonger!"