Thanks for the invitation. I'm in Type-Moon, inheriting the legacy of Zi-O.

"Yes... if I lose them in order to recover... it would be too much of a loss." Carrying his sword, Siegfried ignored his injuries and started running.

"Mr. Nianzhuo... please make sure you catch up..." Mashu prayed as she ran, hoping that Nianzhuo, who had long since left for the west, could help.

Unfortunately, things didn't go so smoothly. A constant stream of zombies and monsters suddenly appeared, once again halting their progress.

"There's a reaction... Unfortunately, it's the enemy. Let's defeat them as soon as possible!" Director Mary also became anxious, looking at the constantly flashing Spirit Origin reaction of Mary.

—In the west of the city, Sanson and Mary are currently fighting.

The guillotine shattered the glass-like roses, but new roses kept sprouting and attacking. Mary, riding her shimmering, glass-work-like horse, continued her assault, inflicting numerous wounds on Sanson's body.

Sangsong planted the executioner's blade on the ground, clutching the wound on his chest, and asked indignantly, "How could this be...! Why did I lose...!? After that, I killed many people and became several times stronger, but why...!"

“How pathetic, Charles Henry Sanson.” As Mary dismounted, glass roses bloomed around her with every step she took. “I should have told you when we met again.”

"At that time, our relationship was already over." (The relationship between a sinner and a judge)

Looking at Sanson kneeling on the ground with pity, Marie shook her head with great regret. "It's a pity, because actually—your blade has rusted. You've killed countless people in this wrong France, turning yourself into an even more ruthless killer."

The roses on the ground bloomed, but only spread to the foot of the mulberry tree before stopping.

Mary casually picked up a rose and let it twine around Sanson's executioner's blade, as if it could purify the countless civilians' blood that clung to it.

“But an executioner and a murderer are not the same, Sanson. The more skilled the killing technique—” The rose that had been attached to the executioner’s blade suddenly shattered.

"The more you save sinners, the duller your blade becomes."

Glass-like roses entwined around the guillotine, like a tombstone.

“From the moment you followed the Dragon Witch, you were no longer the Sanson I knew.”

Upon hearing this, Sanson instantly looked up, struggling to his feet and clutching his heart, shouting in disbelief, "No...it's a lie, how could this be...!" Looking at Mary before him, he was like a child who had lost his faith. "I always believed you would come...! That's why I kept honing my skills! I wanted to see you again! I wanted to be more adept at cutting off your head—! If I could let you experience more, more perfect moments!"

Then, his voice suddenly softened, and he said hesitantly, "I think if I do this, you will definitely forgive me...!"

He was greeted by a fragrant breeze, which gently embraced his figure. Mary closed her eyes and stroked his head, like a mother forgiving her child.

"...Fool, what a pathetic yet lovable person. I don't hate you. From the beginning, you didn't need my forgiveness."

"Ah...ah ah...ah--" Sangsong trembled as he raised his hands, wanting to embrace the person he was no longer qualified to embrace, but his arms had already dissipated, and his entire figure turned into golden particles and returned.

“Mary…if only I could…have her again—”

The executioner's blade vanished amidst the farewell of the roses. But the battle to the death had only just begun.

Mary heard a dragon's roar and the sound of people falling behind her; without turning around, she knew the Dragon Witch had arrived.

"...This is the fifth one already. The more anticipated someone is, the sooner they leave the stage. It's ironic." Black Jeanne slowly walked over, believing that Mary was doomed.

"Hmm, maybe only your swordsman and archer will be left in the end~" Mary smiled again, feeling a great sense of danger from the black Jeanne in front of her.

"Hello, Miss 'Dragon Witch,' you're quite late!"

Jeanne Alter glanced around, not seeing the figure she disliked, and curled her lip. "Did I run away? -- That's really ridiculous."

“No, you’re wrong.” Mary looked directly into Jeanne Alter’s eyes.

"She set off with hope."

"So what if there's one more Servant? How foolish." Jeanne Alter laughed, dismissing any hope. "Speaking of foolishness, you who chose to stay are equally foolish." With her eyes lowered, making her gaze unreadable, Jeanne Alter questioned Marie.

"Do you really want to revel in the sense of responsibility to protect the people? And you were the one who was killed by these very people you were protecting! You were pushed to the guillotine and had your head chopped off amidst the laughter of the crowd!" Jeanne Alter questioned indignantly, her dark gold eyes wide open.

"Ah, I'm so disappointed." Mary shook her head, expressing her sadness at Jeanne Alter's question. "Does this so-called witch not even understand this simple principle?"

“I was indeed executed, ridiculed, and despised. But—even so, I had no reason to retaliate against them.”

"I became queen at the urging of the people. Without the people, how could a queen be called a queen?"

"So that was the natural outcome. Since they no longer needed me, I had to leave the stage no matter how unwilling I was. This is the fate of those who serve the country. I believe that my execution will bring smiles to others."

Mary raised her hand, calling the glassy horse back to her side, and called out loudly.

She carried with her the pride that belonged only to her—the Queen of France.

“I will always shout ‘Long live France!’ The duty of the stars is to give light to others, and that’s enough.” Suddenly, Marie looked at Jeanne Alter with suspicion.

"Furthermore, what you just said has convinced me even more. I said—'Dragon Witch,' what is your true identity?"

"...Shut up!" A sudden surge of anger caused Jeanne Alter to instantly command the dragon behind her to roar, and a surge of magical power gathered.

"—Noble Phantasm activated! [My love for glory will endure forever!] (Crystal Palace)"

A colossal crystal castle suddenly rose from the ground. Even though the monarchy was lost, the weighty responsibility of love and France would remain forever—this Crystal Palace awakens Marie's belief as a symbol of a new era and development. As for sharing the same name as the "Crystal Palace" built by neighboring Britain at the World's Fair in London, this is by no means a mockery or ridicule, but rather a demonstration of the vast reach of Marie's love.

While inside this crystal, Marie and her allied Servants will have their levels forcibly increased.

—But it was unstoppable; the dragon's breath was beyond the power of her weak body to withstand. Mary closed her eyes.

"...Farewell, Joan of Arc. Well, I am so glad to have met you. If I can help save the 'Saint' of France, no, if I can help my 'friend,' I will bloom with joy until I wither away."

"Like stars, like flowers, like a dream of bubbles."

"This is the Servant, this is my life motto, Marie Antoinette."

The first second—the scorching dragon's breath swept across the earth.

The second second—the dragon's breath struck the erected crystal.

In the third second—the blazing dragon flames melted the crystal.

"Goodbye—Amadeus." Mary closed her eyes as the dragon flame drew ever closer.

"Idiot, why are you closing your eyes? We're in the middle of a battle!" Suddenly, Mary sensed someone in front of her and gently flicked her forehead.

"No way...! Why are you...!" Mary opened her eyes, and what appeared before her eyes was a silver-white figure, someone who shouldn't be here.

"Has everything that needed to be said been said? Now, shouldn't this hero make his appearance?" The silver-white armor was enveloped by the Wheel of Time, and after it dissipated, it revealed Zi-O - Ex-Aid form (Dragon Knight Hunter Lv5).

He glanced at Mary, who was standing there in a daze, and burst out laughing.

“I’ve come to save you, Mary.”

Zhuo's figure rushed forward, bracing against the scorching dragon flames flying towards him.

Do you like Van games?

"Yo, Mary." The black and white Ea Dragon Knight Hunter gleamed with a metallic sheen under the dragon flames.

Standing before the kneeling Mary, Zhuo couldn't help but twitch his lips.

Although he decided to save her on a whim, the problem was how to deal with the dragon flame—

Pressing the knob on the dial again, black magic reappeared on the chainsaws in Zhuo's hands, constantly gathering and distorting the surrounding air.

"flish time――"

"Drago Knight Critical Strike!"

Black flames erupted from the chainsaws in his hands, drawing an "X" in the air as they flew towards the incoming dragon breath.

The two jet-black flames appeared utterly powerless before the overwhelming dragon breath.

But—the stalemate has begun.

"Huh!?" In Jeanne Alter's eyes, the dragon breath that could have been invincible was actually blocked by two mere black flames.

The Ex-Aid form, when converted to "Dragon Rider Hunter," gains a slight bonus to dragon-specific attacks, allowing its special moves to hold their own against Fafnir's scorching dragonfire.

Even so, sweat was faintly visible on Zhuo's face, hidden beneath the mask.

The difference between the two is too great. Even with some Dragon Special Attack, it is still no match for Fafnir's Dragon Breath.

The opponent's torrent of magic seemed endless, and Zhuo's feet had already been knocked back, leaving faint marks.

"Tsk, if this continues—" Zhuo glanced at Mary, who was unable to stand up, behind him and was momentarily stunned.

But in that instant, his defeat was sealed—

The scorching dragon flames instantly engulfed the two flames, then continued their relentless charge towards Mary and Nianzhuo.

"Oh no—!" Unable to get Mary out of the way in time, Zhuo gritted his teeth, crossed his arms to protect his head, and then stood in front of Mary like an iron wall.

"No...! You'll die if this continues!" Mary tried to push away the heroic spirit standing in front of her, but her magic power was almost gone. She raised her hand and felt a weakness as her hand fell to the ground. Then the scenery in front of her gradually went black.

The last thing she saw was the towering figure.

The dragon flame flew at high speed and crashed into Zhuo's body without any hindrance.

The pristine white breastplate was instantly stained black by the dragon flames, and some of the extremely high temperature and heat still managed to penetrate the armor and hit Zhuo's body.

"Ah..." Pain, extreme pain, in that instant it felt as if even my thoughts were burned to ashes and fell to the ground.

The armor was bursting with sparks as it was subjected to such an attack. Zhuo could feel his armor, fingers, and skin melting away.

"Ugh—is that all you've got?!" Even so, I couldn't back down.

If I back down, Mary behind me will die.

That won't do, so no matter how much pain I'm in, I can't back down!

I am the hero bearing the title of Zi-O! I am Rider! If I can't even protect a queen, what can I protect?!

Therefore—the remaining answer is obvious.

Hang in there! It's me!

Thinking this, it felt as if the pain throughout my body lessened somewhat. No, was it because my skin had been burned and necrotic, so it could no longer transmit pain?

There's no time to worry about that now; the dragon's breath attack on the other side has finally ended.

Wherever the dragon's flames passed, everything was scorched and blackened; nothing—not the earth, not even the stone bricks or any buildings—could withstand the torrent of the dragon's magic.

However, human will is more resilient than any building.

What blocked its way was a "human-shaped" creature that remained motionless with its arms crossed.

"...What kind of monster is that guy..." Jeanne Alter murmured, standing in front of Fafnir's fully charged dragon breath, not yet completely burned away.

—It's simply something no human being could do.

With a hint of admiration in her eyes, Jeanne Alter stepped forward, determined to deliver the final blow to this monstrous Servant, even though this guy had once "accidentally" touched the chains on her chest.

"Congratulations... you've now risen from scum to a reptile." He raised his gun, ready to thrust—

"Hiss—" The pitch-black "humanoid" in front of me suddenly emitted a sound like exhaling.