"I'm sorry, I'm leaving you with a mess, and I couldn't be of much help..."
Placing his hand on Takumi's extended hand, Siegfried's eyes were full of apology.
"We should be the ones thanking you for holding on until now."
Both of them shook their heads, refusing to accept Siegfried's apology.
Having endured such severe injuries, Siegfried still held on until their arrival and even paved the way for their future strategy. For this alone, Siegfried was worthy of the name "Hero."
So it wasn't that Siegfried didn't do well enough; he had already done the absolute limit of what he could do.
"...Thank you. Then, I leave the rest to you."
Siegfried shook his head and laughed, his gaze carrying a hint of solemnity as he applied a little force with his hand.
The Spirit Origin, carrying a heavy curse, merged into Takumi's body. Siegfried's figure turned into golden particles of light and vanished before their eyes.
Power. Immense power.
This was Takumi's first sensation after the Spirit Origin merged into his body.
Was this the power of the Saber class, known for the most superior parameters among the Three Knight Classes, and the power of a Dragonslayer? It far exceeded the power Takumi had obtained from Cú Chulainn, even giving him the illusion that he was omnipotent.
But immediately following that was pain.
Pain that made every cell in his body scream.
It felt like a rock weighing tens of kilograms was pressing on his chest. Breathing became incredibly difficult, and his vision, which had been clear, began to blur.
"Ugh—"
Takumi involuntarily crouched down, gasping for large breaths of air.
In just a few short seconds, Takumi broke out in a cold sweat.
'Is this the pain Siegfried has been enduring all this time?'
Takumi found Siegfried's endurance incredible.
In just these few seconds, Takumi even had thoughts of wanting to die. He didn't want to move a single muscle.
"Are you okay?"
Jeanne hurriedly supported Takumi.
Touching Takumi's body, Jeanne realized he was trembling slightly, and his clenched fists had turned white.
Unknowingly, his expression had become somewhat ferocious.
Seeing this, Jeanne's heart suddenly twitched, and she felt a stinging sensation in her nose.
Oh Lord, why must this child bear all of this?
She prayed subconsciously.
The Lord did not answer.
Jeanne simply adjusted her emotions and gently stroked Takumi's hair.
"It must hurt a lot, right?"
Her voice inevitably carried a nasal tone, sounding a bit distorted.
"Haha... I'm the one in pain, so why does it sound like you're the one crying?"
Takumi couldn't help but laugh.
But combined with the burn scars on his face, this smile was extremely forced and extremely ugly.
However, interrupted by Takumi like this, Jeanne recovered her composure.
She was amused by Takumi's strange expression.
"I can't help it. Maybe I'm not as strong as I thought? seeing this kind of situation, I always can't control my emotions..."
Wiping away the tears from the corners of her eyes, Jeanne helped Takumi up.
Takumi couldn't muster even a bit of strength right now; his entire body was practically leaning on Jeanne.
It was a good thing Jeanne wasn't a weak woman, otherwise, the two probably wouldn't even be able to walk.
Jeanne first wrapped Takumi's arm around the back of her head to rest on her other shoulder, then wrapped her arm around Takumi's waist, allowing him to better shift his weight onto her.
Maintaining this posture, they managed to take two steps.
"Phew... I can move, barely... Let's go."
"Mmh."
Jeanne nodded and "dragged" Takumi out the door.
Several villagers stood in front of the small wooden hut; they were the ones responsible for looking after Siegfried.
They silently watched the two walk out of the house. Even though they weren't unprepared for this outcome, the departure of their guardian deity still made them feel at a loss.
"Sorry. You should try to find a place to hide for now. I believe things will get better in a while..."
Before leaving, Jeanne couldn't bear it and offered them some comfort.
Even though she didn't have much confidence herself.
Not long after leaving the village, the two suddenly stopped.
Not because they were tired, nor because Takumi was in too much pain to walk.
But because a blue figure holding a cross-staff was blocking their path.
Beside her was a large, iron-clad dragon, about the size of a small house, with a bloated body covered in heavy scales. It was staring at them hungrily, its heavy breathing blowing the dirt on the ground to both sides, leaving two fresh trails.
It was Martha, and the Evil Dragon she had subdued, Tarasque.
"It's Martha... She really caught up."
The two hadn't failed to imagine this scenario, but actually encountering it still made their hearts sink.
Jeanne let go of Takumi, took two steps forward to block him, and summoned her flag-lance, staring at the figure ahead, ready for battle.
Takumi also endured the pain and summoned Siegfried's weapon, Balmung.
But due to the effect of the curse, Takumi was not only in pain all over but also extremely weak. Just summoning Balmung and leaning it on the ground was already his limit.
Now we really have to hope Martha goes easy on us...
Takumi thought with a bitter smile.
Before obtaining Siegfried's Spirit Origin, Takumi could have used Rune Magecraft to support Jeanne, and they might have had a fighting chance. But now...
Just not dragging Jeanne down would be considered a success.
"It seems you arrived too late. That dragon-slaying hero has already disappeared..."
Under the complex gazes of the two, Martha, who had been standing quietly in front, spoke up.
"But it looks like you didn't leave empty-handed... Did he pass his power to you before fading away?"
Martha's gaze locked onto Takumi behind Jeanne, lingering especially on Balmung for a few seconds.
"Is this expected of the Saint who subdued the Evil Dragon in legend? To know our details with just one glance."
Jeanne was testing whether Martha still retained her reason.
Every second counted right now. If possible, Jeanne didn't want any more complications.
Especially since the opponent was this Saint who was even more legendary than herself.
"Oh? So you know me? That saves me the trouble of introducing myself."
Martha was slightly surprised, then immediately tossed that trivial matter to the back of her mind.
Seeming to see through their thoughts, the corners of Martha's mouth curled up into a smile, instantly transforming into a "crazy beauty."
"Hehe, if you think you can hope for luck just because it's me, you're overthinking it. The current me has been inflicted with Madness Enhancement. Without a doubt, I am your enemy!"
"Come! Only by defeating me can you prove you are qualified to defeat existences even more troublesome than me!"
"Go! Tarasque!"
Can't avoid a battle after all?!
With Martha's command, Tarasque beside her let out a deafening roar. Then, lowering its head to point its horn forward, it charged like a dump truck.
The earth trembled. Trees in its path were crushed, leaving a conspicuous trail on the ground.
No good! We can't block it head-on!
Weighing the difference in power, Jeanne made a prompt decision, grabbing Takumi and jumping away from their spot.
Tarasque crushed the spot where they had just been with unstoppable momentum. If they had really been hit, given their current physical states, getting an instant "Game Over" wasn't impossible.
At the moment Jeanne jumped with him, Takumi dropped a Black Key. Then, watching the timing, he detonated it just as Tarasque passed over.
An explosion rang out, but Tarasque merely paused for a moment before rushing out of the flames and dust.
"It seems normal attacks have no effect..."
Seeing this, the two naturally shifted their target to Martha.
It might not be a great plan, but at least they could break her defense.