Atalante's state has been poor for some reason...
Shakespeare has become utterly useless; aside from dealing with Ruler, he's practically worthless. A report just came in saying he handed Ruler over to that Haruka Kasugano. Now he's gone back to writing his book—truly a waste of space!
Is it possible that I am the only reliable person by Shirou's side?
Before long, Haruka Kasugano and Jeanne walked through the open grand doors. Semiramis looked at them with disdain and chuckled, "So, you've arrived?"
"The war situation isn't looking optimistic. What do you plan to do?"
Haruka Kasugano no longer needed her as an ally. He laughed directly: "What else? I'll wipe you out, and then I'll go wipe out Amakusa Shirou Tokisada!"
"Pfft—" Semiramis burst out laughing as if she had expected this. "My, my... I said you were untrustworthy, but Shirou insisted on allying with you. How ridiculous!"
Beside them, Jeanne was completely lost. Allies? She didn't quite understand what Semiramis was talking about, but she didn't care; as long as Amakusa Shirou was killed, her mission would be complete.
Haruka Kasugano didn't care either. Since Jeanne was already his, it didn't matter if Semiramis let a few secrets slip. Once he beat her down, he'd just plug her mouth with a "lollipop"!
"Stop spreading rumors. Prepare to die, Assassin!" Haruka Kasugano unsheathed his Silver Arm, ready to attack.
However, Semiramis remained composed. In fact, she seemed quite at ease.
"Haruka Kasugano, you didn't expect this, did you? Shirou actually calculated this scenario long ago—even I was surprised! The moment you violated Ruler, you already lost!"
Hearing her words, Haruka Kasugano found it hilarious. You don't know I have a System, do you? Jeanne is mine! Are you just venting your impotence?
Then, with a wave of Semiramis's slender hand, countless screens flickered to life throughout the hall. They played back Haruka Kasugano's every move like a movie.
From his participation in the Fourth War, to his appearance in the Faculty of Spiritron Extraction, to his chats with Amakusa, his disguise as a homunculus, and finally his "acting" with Jeanne—everything was displayed with crystal clarity.
"Ruler, did you expect this? The man you've been pining for isn't some 'pitiful homunculus' you need to protect. He's a full-fledged magus, the Master of Red Saber, and our ally!" Semiramis jeered.
Finally, she played the recording of Haruka Kasugano and Amakusa forming their alliance and plotting together to obtain Jeanne.
Watching those images and hearing that scandalous recording, the happiness on Jeanne's face vanished without a trace.
Haruka Kasugano was suddenly in an incredibly awkward position. He hadn't expected Amakusa to have this kind of surveillance capability... No wonder Semiramis was so calm, saying he'd lost the moment he "got" Jeanne. They had been waiting for the perfect moment to expose him.
In this situation, Jeanne would never forgive him!
"HARUKA KASUGANO!!!" Jeanne roared in fury. Her face was a mask of disappointment, her eyes burning with resentment.
"So... you were lying to me the whole time..."
"You just wanted my body... and I was stupid enough to abandon my faith and beliefs for you..."
"I hate you..."
----------
Jeanne's world collapsed instantly. Her body went limp as if her support had been snatched away, and she slumped to the floor. Despair and helplessness surged over her like a tide. Tears burst forth, blurring the screens before her. She would rather have stayed in an endless hallucination than face this cruel reality.
"You aren't a homunculus at all..."
"You've been deceiving me from the very start..."
"And to think I liked you so much..."
Every word was like a bloody sword being pulled from her heart. This was betrayal in its purest form! Haruka Kasugano's actions triggered her memories of her past life—the agony of being burned at the stake while the French nobles refused to pay her ransom.
Sob... sob...
Jeanne wept uncontrollably, her body trembling on the ground. She felt as though she had returned to the moment of Shakespeare's mental assault—no, this pain was far more intense. Then, it was just an attack on her innocence and confusion regarding love; now, she was feeling the real sting of romantic betrayal. The man she loved was a fraud.
What could be more tragic? Jeanne had no strength left to stand. Her eyes grew hollow and vacant, as if her soul had departed.
Seeing this, Haruka Kasugano felt a mixture of grief and rage. His long-term plotting had crumbled at the finish line. The Jeanne he had worked so hard to win over was slipping away. It felt like he was being NTR'd by his own past actions!
He glared at Semiramis on her throne. "Woman... you are seeking death!"
"Hahahaha! How satisfying!" Semiramis mocked. "I've disliked you for a long time. Seeing you suffer like this is truly delightful! How can a man who only thinks with his lower half have the face to be an ally to the exalted Shirou? Watching the two of you in this ugly state—this is the ending you deserve!"
"Hehehe..." Haruka Kasugano started to laugh. "Actually, I think your choice was unwise. I was looking for a reason to defect anyway. Now, thanks to a Servant's 'initiative,' I suppose I'll just have to say sorry to Amakusa Shirou!"
"Besides, while I was playing the homunculus, I couldn't freely deploy my Servants except for Astolfo. But now... I have no more reservations!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Haruka Kasugano swung his Silver Arm, firing successive light cannons at Semiramis. However, the blasts were easily deflected by her defensive magecraft.
"Is that all you've got?" Semiramis chuckled. "Then, it's my turn!"
As she spoke, all the doors to the hall slammed shut.
"Uh... are we playing 'close the door to beat the dog'?" Haruka Kasugano asked.
"Don't worry, I'm not letting out dogs—I'm letting out poison!" Semiramis smiled.
Snap!
She snapped her fingers, and the main hall was instantly filled with a poisonous mist. "My Noble Phantasm, Sikera Ušum, turns me and the surrounding space into toxin. Anything here, even a drop of water, becomes poison! I even recreated Hydra venom to deal with the Black Archer, but I don't need it for him anymore!"
"Dammit..." Haruka Kasugano leaped back, but the mist had already saturated the hall.
"Die!" Semiramis laughed, but her smile quickly faded. Haruka Kasugano was unharmed. He possessed the skill [Natural Body], granting him immunity to toxins.
However, he still couldn't completely ignore the magical effects of the surrounding mist. He felt his consciousness blur slightly, and his reflexes slowed.
Bang!
Haruka Kasugano triggered the Silver Arm, trying to release enough mana to disperse the mist. Suddenly, numerous hydras materialized above the hall, lunging at him. He swung the Silver Arm with full force, but under the suppression of the Bounded Field, the power of his light cannons was significantly reduced. Still, given his raw strength, the hydras couldn't truly threaten him.
"Hmph, it seems the Hydra isn't enough to destroy you," Semiramis said darkly. "Archer, kill him!"
Archer?
Amidst Haruka Kasugano's confusion, Atalante slowly emerged from the poison mist. Her eyes were filled with rage and murderous intent, as if she wanted to tear him into a thousand pieces.
"Haruka Kasugano... you bastard! I'll kill you!" Atalante roared, her voice bone-chilling. "While that Assassin girl isn't here, I'll kill you and save her!"
To ensure his death, Atalante decisively pulled out her second Noble Phantasm—[Agrius Metamorphosis]! Once she donned the pelt of the Calydonian Boar, she would transform into a powerful demonic beast, gaining A-rank Mad Enhancement and high-level Shapeshift. The cost was her sanity; she would become a mindless killer.
As she put on the pelt, her class shifted from Archer to a terrifying Berserker! Her verdant hair turned snowy white, and her green dress transformed into a sexy black bikini-like attire. She radiated a sinister, mysterious aura.
"ROAAAAAARRRRRR!"
Like a frenzied beast, Atalante lunged. Haruka Kasugano, startled, swung his Silver Arm to drive her back. But in that split second of distraction—CRUNCH—Atalante's claws tore straight through his abdomen.