Chapter 26: Jalter's loss
(Author's Note: Damn! You guys got me in the top 30 last time, considering how big it is I am delighted! But staying in the same position is not the thing I would want, how about the top 20 this time? This might be the final time for me to request you guys to get this fic even above, I mean if you drop the ranking I would complain naturally but as long as I am in the top 20 or 30, I will be content, and let time do its job slowly increasing my ranking.)
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3rd Pov
The battle began with an obvious advantage, Jalter had better servants, more battle power, and a big army making her bid, the situation looked very unfavorable for Ritsuka and others, but that was on the surface, in actuality it was Jalter who was on the losing side, she foolishly sent all the Angels to combat the Saintness, the worst matchup for them.
The Undead soldier was sent after the servants and even without the disadvantage of facing a servant who had Holy attribute attacks, they were no match for the powered-up Kiyohime and Elizabeth. They were quickly taken off by them. While servants on Ritsuka's side gave their all the situation was different for the servants on Jalter's side.
They were fighting against their well, excluding Carmilla and Lancelot, all of her servants didn't fight with all they had. They felt guilty about the atrocities that Jalter made them commit. By now Madness enhancement on them had weakened enough for them to realize what kind of things they did.
Against the servants who were giving their all, the result was to be expected, with a single blow of his Noble Phantasm, Balmung decimated three of them into nothing as they didn't even bother to dodge it. Finally, freed of the curse, Madness enhancement they gave their gratitude to Ritsuka and Seigfried before vanishing as bright particles that returned to nothing.
Seeing the loss of three servants on her side, Jalter fumed with anger and deployed Fanfir and thousands of wyverns against them, this move turned the tide of the battle as the situation again shifted to Jalter's favor. But they were greeted with another surprise, as Geogrios the servant that had left them to ensure the safety of the refugees returned with an army, strength of more than 30,000 Human soldiers ready to assist them.
They started fighting off against the wyverns and even if they weren't guaranteed to win it granted time to Ritsuka's team, as they rallied against the remaining enemies, slowly but surely they overpowered Jalter's army. She looked in anger as the last of her servants fell one by one, wyverns were occupied by the Human army and Fanfir struggled against the dragon slayer.
" You have lost", said Jeanne as she walked towards her, Jalter glared at her and said," Shutup! Just because the luck is on your side don't get cocky! I don't need those weak servants anyway! I will defeat you myself!!", she charged at Jeanne and swung her sword at her, Jeanne tried parrying it but was thrown backward from the sheer force of it.
Jalter smirked and said," What did you say about me losing? Just this single move of mine defines who is better here, I am better Jeanne D'Arc! Unlike pathetic weaklings like you!!", Jeanne stood up on her feet and looked at Jalter, and said," If these things make you happy then I feel sorry for you".
Jalter's eyes became red with anger at hearing that," What did you just say now b*tch?!!", she again charged at her and swung her sword with the intent to cut her down, Jeanne blocked it with her Holy flag and then attacked at her, Jalter dodged them and moved a bit back gritting her teeth.
Jeanne said, "Look at you, what have you done? You have committed atrocities, and done horrible things! Why? Because in the name of revenge? Let me ask you, what does it mean to have revenge for you? Killing those innocent people-", Jalter interrupted her and shouted," Shut up! None of these people are innocent! All of them are responsible for my death! Your death!".
Jeanne sighed and took a breath she said," Then what about children you have ordered to be slayed? Where they are responsible as well? Nope, revenge is nothing but an excuse to bring out all your hatred that stems from something vile", Jalter charged at her and swung her sword, Jeanne blocked it again with her Holy flag, Jalter used her own Holy flag intending to pale Jeanne.
Jeanne's eyes widened as she barely managed to parry it with her sword, but the force of Jalter's attack made her stumble, she took advantage of it and thrust the lance at her heart, Jeanne's expression froze knowing she won't be able to dodge it in time, but Jalter's attack was parried by Kiyohime's flames.
" Are you okay?", she asked holding her flag in front of her face, Jeanne smiled and replied," Yes I am, Thanks for the help", Kiyohime nodded and then focused on Jalter who looked completely mad." That's it! I will kill you all this bad that even your corpses will be unrecognizable!!".
She charged and swung her sword with one hand at Jeanne meanwhile deflecting Kiyohime's flames with the Holy flag held in her other hand, she battled against two top-class servants at the same time, her prowess was perfectly shown as she was the one with the advantage instead of the two.
As the battle raged on, Jalter showed almost no signs of being tired but the same couldn't be said for Jeanne and Kiyohime who were breathing rapidly and sweating in disbelief," Even with two fighting at the same time she is at advantage?!", said Kiyohime with shock written all over the face.
Jalter smirked at them," Did you seriously think you will win?! Now, the battle has been extended longer than I intended for it! I shall finish you both now!", she said, Kiyohime glanced at Jeanne who glanced back at her, they nodded at the same time and Kiyohime said," You are right! It's time we finish this!!".
She started chanting, "Watch over me! As of now, I'll eliminate the liar! Samadhi Through Transforming Flames!! ", she used her Noble Phantasm, and the Blue fire raged around her as she turned into an Oriental Dragon, her body swirled clockwise moving upwards and then shifted towards Jalter while flames surrounded her destroying everything on its path.
Seeing this a smile came on Jalter's lips," Idiots", she muttered as she used her own Noble Phantasm, "All evil is here The time for revenge has come! This is the roar of my soul that was polished by hatred... La Grondement Du Haine! ", she finished chanting by the nick of the time before Kiyohime reached near her, Her flag shined brightly as the EX Ranked Noble Phantasm unleashed its power.
Two Ex Rank Noble phantasms met head-on, and a huge force was created by the force generated when their Noble Phantasms met, the air pressure caused the nearby places to crumble but before it could cause further damage the entire force disappeared, Kiyohime's eyes widened in shock as her body returned back to her true form.
She fell on the ground weakened from using her noble phantasm, she looked in shock as Jalter's flag absorbed the entire flag," Take your attacks back! F*ckers!", she said as she returned the full force of the EX rank Noble phantasm which was further boosted, her eyes widened in fear as her own flames raged towards her consuming everything in their path and burning it into cinders.
Jeanne quickly came in front of her and unleashed her own Noble Phantasm," Our Lord is with us! Oh flag of mine, protect our comrades! Luminosité Eternelle! ", she chanted, her flag shined brightly like Jalter's but unlike her which had the capability of both blocking enemy's attack and then reflecting it with a boost in power, it only defended her.
"Ahhhh!", she groaned in pain as she struggled to deflect the attack, she gritted her teeth and glanced at Jalter who looked at them with a smirk on her face, her eyes brimmed with conviction as she stepped forward," I get it now! Yo-You are nothing but a fake", she said, Jalter's face darkened and she shouted," Burn into ashes!!!", she supplied more mana in her attack.
Jeanne slid back a bit," What are you doing?! You can avoid this attack!", said Kiyohime helplessly as she lay on the broken floor without an ounce of Magical Energy," N-No! I will never ever! Abandon my comrades!!", she said, she stepped forward as the floor cracked, using all she had she successfully deflected the attack.
"Im-Impossible!", muttered Jalter surprised, after all, Jeanne's Noble Phantasm is reduced to A-, it isn't even A, while her Noble Phantasm is an Ex Rank, so is Kiyohime's, thus the attack she reflected had the potency of an EX Rank Noble Phantasm! Even if she didn't manage to nullify it, just deflecting it is shocking enough.
' Does this means I have lost? ', she thought as fear gripped her heart,' No! I can't! I can't lose! I can't disappoint him! ', she thought and clenched her fists gripping her flag tightly, she looked at Jeanne who was barely standing, and tears appeared in Jalter's eyes," Yes! You are right! I am a fake! But I will prove it! That I am the better one! That I am worthy!!!", she shouted and charged at Jeanne.
Jeanne didn't possess any more strength to battle against Jalter and was ruthlessly beaten up, thankfully even when weakened she possessed A+ Rank Magic Resistance, thus it all came down to the physical attacks, and Jalter with her remaining strength let out a barrage of punches on Jeanne's face who could do nothing but get beaten by her.
"Arghh!!", Jeanne grunted as she crashed into the ground meters below, blood leaked from the corner of her mouth, Jalter jumped on her but her attack was repelled by Elizabeth who threw her away in mid-air," Ghukk!", she spat out saliva looking at Elizabeth hatefully," You bastard!!", she said as she grabbed her stomach.
' What to do?! What should I do?! ', she thought panicking, then she remembered," Yes! Yes! Fanfir! Finish them!!", she ordered the dragon but received no response, her eye widened as she shouted again but didn't receive any response this time either," For your information that Dragon was slayed by Siegfried not long ago, damn you couldn't sense it?", said Elizabeth with a mocking smile plastered on her face.
Jalter walked slowly looking at her with hatred visible on her face," I- I can't lose, if I di-did then he will leave me... I don't want tha-that!!", she muttered and then used two command spells consecutively on herself, she felt pain tearing through her muscles as her body struggled to handle the sudden influx of Magical energy.
But ignoring the pain, she charged at Elizabeth whose face paled seeing this," Samadhi Through Transforming Flames!!", suddenly she heard Kiyohime's voice and looked above to see an oriental dragon swirling surrounded by blue flames at her, having no time to do a full chant she said" La Grondement Du Haine!!", her noble Phantasm unleashed as she tried to reflect the attack.
She barely managed to do it and aimed at them only for her attack to be cut into two by Blamung, her face paled seeing that she failed, but calming herself down she charged at him, Siegfried who was tired by Slaying Fanfir struggled to fight against her mad attacks. But soon he was supported by Mash, Wolfgang, and Marie as they teamed against her.
Even then Jalter managed to hold against them till the pain was so much for her body to bear that she stumbled and taking advantage of that Siegfried attacked her," Ughhh!", Jalter cried in pain as she barely managed to dodge avoiding being cut in half, even then it caused significant injury at her.
Wolfgang, Siegfried, and Marie gasped rapidly looking at Jalter," Did we get her?", asked Ritsuka looking at them from the back, they looked in front as the dust settled and saw a barely standing Jalter, blood leaked from her mouth, and from the wound on her chest, even then she didn't give up, walking slowly she glared at them.
For the first time, all the servants looked shocked by her tenacious will in her eyes," I- I can't lose... I will win this... For myself... Fo-For him", she kept muttering walking slowly at them, then suddenly she charged at them only to stumble in middle and fall on the ground," Move it! Damn it!", she muttered feeling her body all numb.
She could feel it, if she pushed any further and used the last command spell her body won't be able to handle it and she will simply die," You have lost", Jeanne said looking at Jalter sympathetically while supported by Elizabeth. Jalter gritted her teeth hearing that," I- I can't", she shouted stuttering her words.
Jeanne asked her," You hate people that much?", Jalter laughed and said," Hate them? I do, but it's just a fake hate created by the twisted desire of someone else", Jeanne's eyes widened hearing that and she asked," What do you mean?", she didn't get a reply, Jalter who was barely consciousness thought,' Why? Why I am still fighting? What's the use of it? Even the hatred I have had isn't my own, but was forced on me by that Gilles bastard! '.
The face of Poseidon flashed in her mind,' Yes, I wanted to prove to him, that I am worthy of being his subordinate, I wanted to be recognized by him, praised by him, this is the only feeling that was genuinely mine, but now ', she thought ashamed of losing, after all the boasting she did in front of him, she was sure he will leave her, after all, who would want a loser like her?
She herself was like that so she knew it better than anyone, if it was her then she would have killed her subordinate and she did so earlier without an ounce of hesitation,' How pathetic I am ', she thought with a bitter smile ready to die. Meanwhile, Ritsuka and others looked at her fallen figure sympathetically.
"That means only he is left?", said Mash taking everyone's focus, they glanced at each other and nodded, they took a defensive formation and looked around warily for the figure of Poseidon, Jalter seeing this chuckled and thought,' He will come? This is just their wishful thinking, Lord has already warned me that he had no intention of participating in my revenge, If I failed then I shall receive no help from him, and knowing how pathetically I have lost he would even feel disgusted even by the sight of me. '.
Tears came to her eyes as she thought, " It seems you have lost Jalter", a sudden voice surprised her, she felt a soothing feeling as her injuries healed rapidly before naked eyes, she felt her strength coming back," It's him!", said Ritsuka with apparent fear visible in his eyes as he looked at Poseidon healing Jalter.
"We can't wait for her to heal her!! Attack!!", said Marie and the others nodded charging at him, but suddenly their body froze in mid-air as they fell down," What?!", shouted Ritsuka baffled as all the servants fell down stunned being unable to even move, fear could be seen on their faces, Jeanne was the least affected even so she wasn't in condition to battle.
Poseidon meanwhile took healed Jalter in his arms, her face stained with tears looked at Poseidon's, shame struck her as she couldn't look into his eyes, her lips parted as she spoke," Lo-Lord I-", she tried saying but stopped unable to speak any further, she bit her lips, Poseidon ruffled her hair softly," Look into my eyes!", he ordered her sternly.
By instinct she did as he said and looked into his eyes," Lord- Forgive me- I brought shame on you", she said with guilt-ridden in her voice, he said," Stop with this! You have lost so what?! Let it be a lesson for you and learn from it! Losing isn't some crime, and I will not punish you for this", she looked baffled hearing his words.
In disbelief, she said," Bu-But I-", he put his finger on her lips before she could speak any further," Didn't I say to forget about it?!", she stopped and nodded obediently, he looked satisfied and then shifted his focus towards his enemies, meanwhile Jalter looked at him with pure affection and a hint of obsession, she snuggled on his chest and inhaled his scent, causing a smile to form on her lips.
To be continued...
(Author's Note: How was the chapter? Again it took me quite a long to write this!
So please donate power stones wholeheartedly and try to take this fic in the top 20, even the top 25 will suffice!)
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