"Senpai, we should be nearing the area Saint Georgios was last seen in... as well as the other Dragon Slayer." Mash reported like the dutiful kouhai she was, trying to be as serious as possible but still unable to stop her gaze from occasionally moving to their surroundings, taking in sights that someone who'd spent her life in labs had never been privy to, "I'm sure I don't need to say this but... we should be careful."

Because the major enemy this time was a dragon of legend, Romani had concluded that they needed a hero famous for killing said creatures to work in tandem with Martha if they hoped to take down Fafnir... According to the local populace, there was a town protected by a hero like that in this area.

Martha glanced at her, parsing the landscape with the enhanced vision afforded to Rider Class servants, "I can feel we're close... Don't you find it strange how we've yet to encounter hostile forces in this area?"

"You say that like our breakfast wasn't a face full of werewolf claws and skeleton bones... Let's not even talk about the French and English that think we work for the big bad." Gudako added flatly, "And we still haven't found Nicholas or Mordred... I get that it's a big country and all but still, it's almost like they don't care."

"That's because that might actually be the case... Senpai is special in his own way... and Miss Mordred... well..." Mash nervously trailed off, unsure as to what she was supposed to say next.

"Mash, I know I sound like a broken record here but that really doesn't mean what you think it does." Gudako sighed, massaging her temple.

Martha glanced back at them from the corner of her eyes, "You can't expect to be able to account for everyone and everything... The best thing to do is to just not think too much about it."

"...Careful there, Martha." Gudako groaned and deadpanned, clearly not having the best morning, "A stranger may end up thinking you're actually capable of complex thought... You should just walk and be pretty like usual."

"..."

Jeanne D'Arc smiled gently at their interaction, placing a hand over her chest,

"Your camaraderie is enviab-"

Her praise was stopped abruptly by a haunting screech echoing throughout the land, scaring away birds of prey that took to the skies in droves.

In the distance, a ruined town seemed to have become the site for an epic battle.

A massive serpentine beast made solely of azure flames danced across the sky, scorching all it's body came into contact with, burning through rock and stone as if it was paper to a candle. It howled and screeched, rising high above and then coming down in a straight line... only to be blown away when a massive boom reminiscent of artillery fire resounded in response.

Though, whoever was fighting didn't seem to be done as another shrill scream followed, this time blowing through all resistance by sheer volume, cracking the ground and tearing down the already ruined town even further.

Mash doubted any passer-bys or unfortunate victims of the battle had survived considering the she could reverberations cause by sheer raw power even from where they were standing.

"Two dragons and someone engaging them... I daresay we may have found the Saint we were looking for. Truly, the Lord provides for his believers."

At least, Jeanne seemed to be enthusiastic.

Gudako was more concerned about the gut wrenching feeling bubbling up in her stomach, and Martha voiced the thoughts she didn't want to consider.

"How much you wanna bet it's Nicholas?"

"What? Is betting not forbidden?"

"No my dear, it is merely warned against for it's corruptive nature... But, it isn't like we're gonna bet anything truly important." Martha explained with a graceful smile, "That said, ten thousand dollars. Gudako's paying."

"Miss Martha... It would be absurd to think Senpai would put himself in such a situ-..." Mash trailed off with hollow eyes, "Five thousand."

Gudako seemed to finally understand what was going on, "Wait, why am I paying? I was thinking it's probably him before any of you... But gah... I guess it's a massive country and there's a hero around here so it might not be him... The pool's fifteen thousand dollars too..."

"Erm... are we going to ignore the battle in favour of betting?"

The red haired teenager paused for a moment, counting on her fingers, "That's nearly two million yen... I'm in." She nodded with a strange glint in her eyes.

Unfortunately, fate decided to give her the middle finger right the next second.

"Yee-HAW! Down girl! Down!"

The azure dragon came slithering and crashing their way, with a distinctly familiar pale haired teenager riding on it, having grabbed it by whiskers made of literal fucking flames cause why couldn't he?

"OH NOOOO!!" Gudako fell to her knees and cried to the heavens for their merciless nature, "Those were my savings!"

"Pft-...Hahahahaha!" Martha started cackling at her expense, forgetting her earlier saintly disposition.

"T-That's Nicholas?"

A massive boom shook the landscape as Nicholas jumped up and delivered a roundhouse kick to the dragon's head, making it crash into the ground... The Chaldean Master didn't stop there, landing soon after and pushed his foot down on the creature's throat.

Jeanne, the Saint of Orleans who died at the stake for her struggles, who never faltered and never bent, smiling as she was burnt alive, faltered momentarily... taken aback by sheer absurdity, "I-Is that even safe?"

"Lady..." Her worries were assuaged by Gudako placing a firm hand on her shoulder, eyes crystal clear as a single, salty tear rolled down her left cheek, "Just don't think about it."

Unfortunately, now was not the time for laughs and fucking around...

"Bitch, chill."

The flames dissipated into nothingness as the beast 'chilled', revealing a green haired woman pressed into the ground by the soles of Nicholas' now burnt shoes, "Thank god I gave Jeanne my manny pack. Bitch burnt all my clothes. Now, what you got to say for yourself?"

"..." The woman stared at him through slitted eyes, a strange recognition flashing through her features before a happy smile formed on her slender lips, "...I-I am sorry. Please f-forgive your Kiyohime... I did not know it was you. I-I am a failure. How did I not recognise you sooner? Such handsomeness, such strength of character..."

Bitch was straight up delirious.

"Did you get brain damage?" Nicholas wondered out loud, staring at her with weirded out eyes, "The hell's wrong with you?"

"I knew you would come for me, Anchin..."

"The fuck is an Anchin?"

Mash giggled at the exchange, unable to stop herself while Martha looked at the woman like she'd killed her momma.

"From the Kiyohime Legend... She fell in love with the handsome monk Anchin who rejected her and deceived her with a promise... Erm..." Mash closed her eyes, racking her brain as she tried to do her senpai-given duty of explaining shit as it came, "So she went mad out of grief and despair... and transformed into a dragon, burning him to death."

"So she fell for a pansy and did mad shit when he did pansy shit?"

"...I guess?"

"Damn... I feel bad for her. Any man who goes back on his word deserves it." Nicholas backed off, holding out his hand to Kiyohime instead, "Wanna help us out?"

"U-Umu... Have you gotten even more handsome?"

"And lady, I ain't Anchin or whatever... His name sounds like the word for cock."

"...I forgot but." Gudako sighed, "He really just does whatever he wants... Are you going to forget that she was trying to kill you seconds ago?"

"And you!" Nicholas shot around, pointing at the pink haired girl who'd snuck in and been watching on in silence, "Your music fucking sucks! Kill yourself, now!"

"..." She stared at him with her jaw hanging low, her small frame jerking, "W-Wha?"

"You're a failure as an idol. Your notes are off... you have no rhyme or rhythm, you just scream and call it music... Girl, you're worse than that mumble rap or whatever going around these days."

"I-I'm not that bad!"

"You're not bad." Nicholas nodded in agreement, making her slightly relax, "You fucking redefine the word bad."

He was right... The girl had just been screaming at him for the duration of their 'fight' while occasionally shouting, "Listen to my music and regret your actions! Pig!"

"The fuck do they even call you? Lil' Tone Deaf?"

"E-Elizabeth B-Bathory..."

She whimpered with teary eyes, clenching the edges of her skirt with her small hands... totally not because he'd been punching her on the head for half an hour now.

"Welcome back, Nicholas..." Martha walked up and greeted him with a small smile, holding out her hand for a fist bump, "What've you been upto?"

-

Hope you enjoyed the chapter.

Sorry for late chap.

-

You can find up to 9 chapters ahead at patre0n.com/Bleap