Chapter 75: Protagonist Shounen-Harem EX?
Mordred was still sitting on the ground, while Ethan stood right in front of her.
Their conversation had been carefully recorded by invisible cameras, and the comment section of the livestream exploded once again.
[Ayo... WTF did I just watch???]
[Ehm... Power of Friendship, maybe?]
[I feel like I've seen this scene somewhere before?]
[Isn't this how every Naruto episode goes?]
[Aha, no wonder it feels so familiar! This is the legendary Talk-no-Jutsu!]
[Bro has officially become a shounen protagonist!!!]
[LOL LMAO, Ethan Uzumaki, Dattebayo!]
[As expected of the Host, truly worthy of inheriting Shirou's Harem Protagonist EX skill.]
[Haha, this is the first time I've seen a live-action shounen scene. Even cornier than Dom and his family!]
[The magic of a Demonic Pillar is actually pretty interesting, though it's a shame we didn't get to see Mordred's dream. Artoria was definitely in it, right?]
[I guess Artoria fought over Mo-chan's food, that's why she reacted so extreme.]
[Most likely, they'll add it to the movie adaptation. Let's wait for the full version.]
[Hmmm... above, I'm starting to suspect this isn't actually a movie…]
[It seems dealing with rebellious kids requires some special techniques after all.]
—
[System: 'Magi☆Mary' has sent 100 Saint Quartz!]
[Message: Naruhodo, so taming the Knight of Treachery is this simple? What a vivid lesson!]
—
"But Master, why weren't you affected?"
Mordred looked at Ethan in confusion, then turned to Mash, whom she had mistaken for Artoria just moments ago.
Martha, the one who had punched her earlier, also seemed completely unaffected.
Not far away, the sounds of Johanna and Andromalius's battle still echoed.
"Ehhh?! Am I the only one affected by this magic?!"
"Well, we all have Magic Resistance after all."
"But I have Magic Resistance too! I'm a Saber with high stats in everything, and my Magic Resistance is Rank B!!!"
Unconvinced, Mordred jumped to her feet and turned to Mash.
"Mash, do you have Magic Resistance too?"
"Ehm, yes…"
Mash nodded shyly.
"It seems because of me, Senpai wasn't affected either."
"Thanks, Mash."
Ethan immediately expressed his gratitude.
"It's nothing, Senpai… I-I'm really happy I could help."
"What's your Magic Resistance Rank?"
Mordred wasn't interested in the sentimental exchange—she just wanted concrete numbers.
"My Rank? If we're talking about exact value… probably A."
"A?!"
Mordred's eyes widened, and she immediately turned to Martha.
"What about you?!"
"Me? Mine's probably EX. By the way, Johanna-san over there is also EX."
"E…EX?!!!"
Like a bolt of lightning striking a clear sky.
Mordred was completely frozen in place.
A shockwave shook her very soul.
"Why… Why is my Magic Resistance the lowest?! I'm starting to regret not being summoned as a Ruler! Master, summon me again so I can use my Ruler Saint Graph!!!"
"Stop saying ridiculous things, Mordred…"
With her personality, how could she possibly fit the Ruler class?
But then again, Artoria had once used a Ruler Saint Graph, and Mordred was technically a copy of her, so if you think about it… she does have potential as a Ruler?
Hmmm… Bunny Girl Mo-chan… Hmmmmmm.
—
BOOOOOOOOM——————————!!!
Ethan was still lost in thought when a scorching beam of light shot out from the Demon Pillar's eye.
Once again, Mash raised her shield to block the attack.
Having realized that most of the Servants had recovered, the Demon Pillar ceased spreading its magic.
"How foolish, Servants! The destruction of human civilization is inevitable! Why do you still refuse to see the truth?!!!"
Andromalius's voice grew angrier and angrier.
"Shut up already!!!"
Mordred lunged forward, swinging her sword down, leaving another deep wound on its body.
"You keep playing those weird songs in my head—shut up already!!!"
Without hesitation, she turned, ready to strike the Demon Pillar again!
BOOOOOOOOM——————————!!!
Suddenly, without warning, a burst of black fire erupted, sending Mordred flying!
"Mordred-san——————!!!"
Mash immediately rushed forward, catching Mordred before she hit the ground.
Under everyone's gaze, Jeanne Alter, her entire body engulfed in black mana, slowly approached.
Her eyes were filled with hatred, and the evil dragon banner in her hand was already burning in flames.
"France is finished... Everything will be reduced to ashes in the fires of hell..."
With each swing of her flag, black flames surged forward. Johanna and Mash quickly raised their defenses.
BOOOOOOM————————!!!
A violent explosion tore through the battlefield, leaving behind massive craters.
"Are you crazy?! Dragon Witch!"
Mordred shouted in anger.
"It seems she's completely lost in her own dream... whatever she's seeing, she has no idea what's happening in reality."
Johanna once again lifted her silver staff, reinforcing a temporary barrier.
"As if the Demon Pillar wasn't troublesome enough, now Dragon Witch sees us as enemies too. What a pain."
Martha sighed.
"Master, if necessary, I can use my Noble Phantasm to get close and destroy her Saint Graph with an Origin Bullet."
Emiya Kiritsugu turned to Ethan, awaiting his command.
"No, we can't give up on her yet."
Even though Jeanne Alter was using the Ruler Saint Graph right now, she seemed to be extremely susceptible to outside influence.
"Senpai, it looks like she's burning her own Saint Graph for mana. If this keeps up, she'll disappear soon!"
That was right. If they left her like this and retreated, Jeanne Alter would completely burn out and perish.
In that case, eliminating the Demon Pillar first wouldn't be a bad option.
They would lose Jeanne Alter's strength, but at least they wouldn't have to fight both her and the Demon Pillar at the same time.
Logically speaking, this was the best course of action.
But…
Ethan looked at the Saintess before him, her entire body engulfed in black flames.
Her eyes, clouded with hatred, yearned to burn everything—including herself.
That image… was too painful to ignore.
"If I abandon her now, that would be no different from betraying a comrade. No matter what, I have to try. Everyone… will you help me?"
Ethan turned to his Servants.
After hearing his decision, they all smiled.
"To treat even the Dragon Witch with fairness… Master, you truly are chosen by God…"
"Hmph, doing something crazy once in a while isn't so bad."
"She did help us earlier when we fought that giant squid, after all."
"Senpai, please give us your orders!"
Seeing their determination, Ethan made up his mind and quickly formed a plan.
"Mordred, you'll take her head-on!"
"Leave it to me!"
"Martha, support Mordred and make sure she stays suppressed."
"Understood!"
"Mash, Johanna, you two will hold back the Demon Pillar for as long as possible!"
"Leave it to us! Tonbi, you better help too!"
"Chiu chiu————————!"
"Emiya, support both sides as needed. If necessary, activate your Noble Phantasm immediately."
"Got it."
With everyone's confirmation, Ethan turned his gaze toward Jeanne Alter, who had lost herself completely to the Demon Pillar's music.
"Our goal is to save Dragon Witch and defeat the Demon Pillar!"
"Everyone—lend me your strength one last time!!!"