[FMMISM] Chapter 72: Impending Destruction

"Hahh… Hahh… Hahh…"

In the deep night of the Einzbern Forest, Zealot staggered through the woods, dragging her bloodied body as she ran.

Her veil was long gone, her pale face smeared with blood, and beneath her tattered black cloak, her severely injured body was a sight of unbearable pain. Her Saint Graph seemed like a candle about to burn out as if it could be extinguished at any moment in the night breeze.

Yet Zealot paid no mind to her own life that was quickly running out. She just bit her lower lip stubbornly and continued to run toward the Einzbern Castle.

She had known that the worst possible situation had occurred—the Holy Grail War, this heretical ritual, had lost all meaning.

She had to inform her Master about this.

Everything was slowly drifting toward despair.

'At the very least… I must ensure that Master can escape from the impending destruction…'

===

The scene rewinds to the night before last, when Zealot encountered Jack.

Jack, transformed into a young girl, released a thick mist, his petite form blending into it.

Jack's mist contained a large amount of poison. For ordinary Servants, inhaling this mist would reduce their agility.

Unfortunately, this did not affect Zealot, as she had mastered the 'Zabaniya: Delusional Poison Body', which made her blood entirely poisonous.

On the other hand, since the mist was woven from magical energy, Zealot's perception of the magical energy flowing through her 'Meditative Sensitivity' had also lost its effectiveness.

When Zealot hesitated for a moment due to the current situation, suddenly, a faint murderous intent surged from behind her.

"Just a minor trick."

Zealot silently and swiftly turned around, drawing a dagger from her cloak and deflecting the dagger aimed at the back of her head.

Without hesitation, she took a step forward, closing in on the mist-shrouded young girl with a speed that seemed like teleportation.

Pu-chi!

In an instant, the blood spraying from Jack's shoulder stained the mist red.

Even with the heavy mist as his home field, Jack's attempt to compete with Zealot in assassination techniques seemed quite laughable.

"…Impressive, the real Assassin is indeed different."

Jack, like a wounded cub, lowered his head and licked the crimson blood flowing from his shoulder.

"Though it might sound like an excuse, this isn't my strongest form, but..."

With sparkling eyes, Jack scrutinized Zealot's body, which was wrapped in a black cloak and had prominent curves.

"I know this form's Noble Phantasm is probably the most vicious one for you."

As he spoke, Jack stomped heavily on the ground, charging straight into Zealot's embrace!

In an instant, he burst forth with unprecedented speed, and even Zealot couldn't react in time.

"Febrile Inspiration, Zabaniya!"

With a murmured chant, Zealot's skin was quickly covered by beautiful mineral-like armor.

It was one of the eighteen Zabaniya she possessed, a protective technique that turned the user's skin into an impenetrable magical crystal as hard as Demon Realm Crystal.

Clang!

With a loud sound, the dagger in Jack's hand struck the crystal, leaving only a scratch before being deflected.

"Die."

Zealot grabbed Jack's face, lifting him high off the ground.

As she prepared to chant 'Zabaniya: Cyber Phantasy'—

"Hell starts here!"

Jack unfalteringly and mercilessly released his Noble Phantasm.

"We are the fire, the rain, the power..."

With the release of the Noble Phantasm's true name, the reality was twisted, and the murder event commenced.

What Jack used was an absolute Noble Phantasm capable of killing almost all 'females' in the world—a Noble Phantasm that reproduced the murders of his Assassin counterpart, which had sublimated into a concept.

At the moment the Noble Phantasm activated, the act of murder was already complete.

First came 'Murder', followed by 'Death', and finally the delayed 'Method'.

Before the twisted causality, any attempt to counter, evade, or resist was utterly meaningless, much like how Cu Chulainn's Noble Phantasm functioned.

"Let the slaughter begin!"

"Maria the Ripper!"

As soon as Jack finished exclaiming the Noble Phantasm's true name, a massive, pitch-black wave of resentment surged from the thick mist, rushing straight at Zealot.

If this continued, Zealot's abdomen would explode, causing her innards to spill everywhere.

Eventually, the surging black mist, which was akin to a curse, seeped into Zealot's pale skin.

"?"

However, as the most vicious special attack against females poured the pitch-black curse into the Zealot's abdomen, nothing happened.

She still stood there, holding Jack's face, as if nothing had ever occurred.

"What—"

Whoosh!

In an instant, Jack's petite body was thrown several meters away.

Shortly afterward, Zealot lifted a leg and swept it across Jack's chest, kicking him away and causing his insides to shake violently.

BOOM!

Jack crashed heavily to the ground.

Before he could react, hundreds of thousands of black hairs pierced into his body like needles.

"...Why isn't the curse working on you?!"

Pinned firmly to the ground by 'Zabaniya: Raving Shadow Flash', Jack looked at the lively Zealot in disbelief, shouting in surprise.

"Are you kidding? That's the hatred of hundreds of thousands of abandoned babies from London! How could a human possibly endure that!"

"..."

Staying silent, Zealot approached Jack, stepping heavily on his chest and looking down at him.

The essence of 'Maria the Ripper' was the accumulated grudge, hatred, and curse of the abandoned babies who had lived like livestock in 18th-century England.

A normal human would mentally collapse just from being touched by it.

Whether a female was an ordinary human or a Servant, her abdomen would be forcibly cut open.

Clearly, living beings should be incapable of enduring such a pure curse.

Unfortunately, what Jack faced was Zealot.

As the most unusual and fanatic member of the Hashashin, Zealot's mental resilience had long surpassed that of ordinary people. Moreover, as someone who mastered the most Zabaniya, her body had been bathed in filth more desecrating than any curse.

Needless to say, the mere hatred and grudge of abandoned babies could not possibly harm her.

"This body has already been dedicated to Lord Angel. Do not speak of hellish scenes; even the flames of hell could not harm me in the slightest." Zealot said calmly.

"Alright, I surrender, I surrender."

Although still holding a trump card for retaliation, Jack, who had been completely defeated in the previous clash, directly gave up fighting.

"Hah, I thought it would be the best match, but it turned out to be the worst... By the way, judging by this form, it seems this kid's 'Luck' is E, huh..." Jack remarked with a wry smile as checked his Assassin counterpart.

"Well then, goodbye, Berserker."

As Zealot was about to end Jack's life, someone suddenly patted her shoulder from behind.

"Mm, very nice... Both of you have very interesting abilities!"

"Who?!"

Zealot, startled, reflexively unleashed her defensive Zabaniya.

"Febrile Inspiration, Za—"

BANG!

Unable to use her Zabaniya in time, Zealot's abdomen was blown apart.