Fate: I Will Eventually Become the Hero of Justice

"Despicable...!"

François Prelati's enraged voice echoed through the chamber. Jeanne and the others whipped around in surprise. François Prelati had survived Rhongomyniad's blast!

"It's futile. This place is imbued with my lord's power. Your sneak attack could never kill me," Prelati declared, his tone a mix of reverence for his god and scornful mockery at Shirou's failed attempt.

He turned to face them, leaving Jeanne and even Shirou shocked.

No longer human, François Prelati had become an octopus-like aberration! A humanoid version of the slumbering Cthulhu.

"François Prelati, what have you done?" Jeanne exclaimed.

The tentacles writhing on Prelati's head twisted as he spoke. "Do you see now, Jeanne? This is an Apostle's true form! I once thought humans were the pinnacle of creation, but my lord showed me the truth. We are nothing compared to gods like Cthulhu! As an alchemist, how could I tolerate my own flaws? This is the ultimate gift, the embodiment of my lord's power!"

"What are you saying?" she frowned.

"I am no longer human, Jeanne!" Fanaticism blazed in Prelati's eyes. He reached towards Jeanne, "Behold my ascended form, gaze upon my lord's visage! I give you one final chance - open your soul to my master, and receive his blessing!"

François Prelati spoke with fervent zeal, clearly intent on converting Jeanne into a zealous follower of Cthulhu.

But...

A sharp sound pierced the air as blades of solidified malice burst from the ground, impaling Prelati's abdomen.

Prelati's expression froze in shock.

Shirou smiled coldly. "Sorry, I figured you'd probably live through that first ambush."

François Prelati's expression darkened as he glared at him. "I offered you salvation as well, Assassin. Yet you choose death?"

"Yes," Shirou stepped forward, a defiant smile on his face. "I, Fujimaru Shirou, welcome death. But can you grant it? Can your god grant it?"

His tone was calm yet cocky, further infuriating Prelati.

Rage boiled within him. Truthfully, he had grown weary of Shirou's insolence.

His only goal in manifesting was to fulfill his lifelong ambition - to open the leyline to R'lyeh and summon his lord into this world.

The Holy Grail War no longer mattered, so long as he accomplished that goal.

However, Shirou had continually disrupted his plans. He was now forced to unleash his ultimate attack.

"I offer a maddening symphony to my Lord!"

François Prelati cackled as the ground began to shake.

No, not just the ground - the entire city of R'lyeh was trembling.

Shirou's brow furrowed. Clearly this was some powerful charging special attack.

But allowing his enemy to complete it would be foolish.

He projected twelve shimmering Caliburns. Their dazzling light converged into a composite beam just short of Excalibur's full power. The spiraling energy surged toward François Prelati like daylight banishing darkness.

"My Lord's power protects me! Your attack is useless!" François Prelati cackled.

A thunderous boom cut him off mid-laugh. The twelve energy beams obliterated his head in an instant. His smoldering corpse collapsed. Then the earth split open with a resounding crack, revealing a monstrous maw that swallowed François Prelati's burning corpse.

More cracks echoed as an unimaginable horror began to emerge from the depths. A colossal creature clambered forth, its grotesque gray body over 200 meters long. It exuded an indescribable stench and secreted a viscous acid that sizzled as it melted the stony surface of R'lyeh.

"You despicable Assassin! By the might of the Lord, perish!" bellowed François Prelati from within the hulking body of the Chthonian. Clearly, he was furious at Shirou's habit of ambushing him mid-monologue.

The Chthonian let out an earth-shaking roar in response to its master's rage.

It thundered toward them like a tidal wave, relying on its massive, serpentine body to crush Shirou and the others underfoot.

Shirou prepared to retreat, but Jeanne acted first, raising her flag and summoning the sacred power of "Luminosité Eternelle."

Blinding heavenly light shone from the banner, forming a protective barrier against the oncoming behemoth.

The colossal Chthonian slammed into the radiant wall with a deafening boom, unable to break through. But a ragged gash appeared on Jeanne's holy flag from the force of the impact.

And this flag, "Luminosité Eternelle," was the embodiment of Jeanne d'Arc's Noble Phantasm. Forged from the holy battle standard she had wielded in life, it could shield the area within ten meters of the flagpole. Through divine blessings, it directly converted Jeanne's magical resistance into an impenetrable defense, blocking all physical attacks. However, while holding the sacred banner, Jeanne could not attack, and each blow the flag accumulated damage from enemy attacks over time, so it could only be used sparingly.

Clearly, the sudden assault of the colossal Chthonian failed to break through Jeanne's barrier.

Jeanne's ability to react and deploy her Noble Phantasm faster than Shirou stemmed not just from experience, but her selfless desire to protect others.

On this matter, Mash, who wielded Galahad's shield, had some lessons to learn.

Inside the barrier, Shirou frowned at the hulking Chthonian. A creature of such epic scale could only be the dreaded Shudde M'ell, ultimate leader of its kind. Though not well-versed in the Cthulhu Mythos, he knew the Old Ones had sealed Shudde M'ell and its ilk away from R'lyeh.

Yet somehow, François Prelati had summoned it here.

Clearly, the Cthulhu Mythos in the Type-Moon universe was different from the Lovecraftian Mythos of the real world. In Type-Moon's universe, even the Greek gods were considered extraterrestrial beings.

Regardless, this was the Red Caster's last gambit, a desperate play.

Shudde M'ell battered the barrier madly, unable to breach it. But the relentless assault left Jeanne's flag riddled with fractures. Noticing the damage, the beast redoubled its efforts. 

Despite François Prelati manifesting his Noble Phantasm, only Shudde M'ell's upper two hundred meters emerged from the earth. Even so, the monstrous creature taxed Caster's mana limit.

Writhed and churned, its sunken bulk sent tremors through the ground in a tremendous quake. The epicenter was directly below Shirou and the others.

Jeanne d'Arc stumbled with the shaking earth beneath her feet, and her barrier dispersed.

Seizing the opening, Shudde M'ell's throat bulged as acidic bile surged and spewed toward her.

The strange viscous fluid could easily corrode even the eldritch land of R'lyeh.

But this time, Mash reacted quickly, raising her shield against the spray.

In an instant, radiant light shone from the shield, and a glowing castle emerged, resembling the Kingdom of Light.

Glorious names adorned its walls, honoring countless heroes and legends.

The acid rained down but the sacred bastion held firm.

"Amazing!" Jeanne exclaimed, sensing a kinship to her barrier in this pure guardian Noble Phantasm.

Yet Shirou noticed - Galahad's counterattack had not activated!

Mash was unable to unleash her shield's full power. Clearly, blocking Shudde M'ell's acid had taxed her mental strength.

He responded by drawing twelve Caliburns, converging them into a radiant cannon. He blasted the beam at Shudde M'ell.

The creature let out an alien shriek as the light glanced off its skin. Its hide was highly resistant to magical attack.

He frowned. "Even that couldn't pierce this thing?"

Jeanne lifted her sword with resolve in her eyes. "It seems we have to use my Noble Phantasm."

Shirou was speechless.

Why did she want to self-destruct so much?

...

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