Chapter 1

"You have returned, my precious Jeanne!" exclaimed Gilles with overwhelming emotion as they stood in a magnificently decorated hall reminiscent of medieval splendor. The hunchbacked man with bulging eyes seemed on the verge of bursting with excitement. Dressed in a black tunic adorned with purple details, he stood next to a woman wearing black armor, lying on the ground seemingly unconscious.

"Jeanne, awaken!" he commanded, gently shaking the woman in hopes of her regaining consciousness. His eyes were so intense that they seemed ready to pop out of their sockets.

"I am awakening..." Jeanne whispered softly, slowly opening her eyes to reveal a pale golden glow.

"My dear Jeanne, I have brought you back to me. Together, we will defy this era that has caused you so much pain!" declared Gilles with fervent passion as his mind filled with exhilarating images.

"Gilles, I see you brimming with enthusiasm. I thank you for bringing me back. Now, I shall ascertain whether God intervenes in favor of these people. After all, He is God, isn't He?" Jeanne retorted with a sarcastic tone in her voice, letting out a laugh that made her long, once golden and now pale, hair gracefully sway.

"Yes! My beloved Jeanne, we shall make all those who have caused you suffering pay for their deeds!" exclaimed Gilles, overcome with excitement, his fingers contorting almost grotesquely, resembling claws more than human limbs.

"Let us summon our new allies." Jeanne rose, gazing at Gilles with overwhelming intensity. He then pulled the Grail from his garments, revealing it to the world with reverence.

"My will shapes your body, and your sword paves my destiny. If you answer the call of the Grail, obeying my will and reason, then respond to me." Jeanne spoke the words with deep concentration, her gaze fixed on the sacred object before her.

"I swear to defeat all the evil that plagues the world, but may your eyes be obscured by the mist of turmoil and chaos. You are confined in a cage of madness, while I, the summoner who holds your chains... Seventh Heaven, clad in powerful words! Free yourself from the circle of bondage, O Guardian of the Scales!" Jeanne continued, her voice echoing through the hall, filled with unwavering determination.

An intense luminosity filled the space, and seven servants materialized before them, emanating an indescribable aura of power.

"I thank you for answering my call. I am your master, and my gratitude knows no bounds. However, I have a request for each of you." Jeanne directed a radiant smile at the servants, contemplating their diverse forms.

"My wish for each of you is to spread chaos! Decimate everything that crosses your path, regardless of whether they are children, the elderly, women, or the sick. It doesn't matter, annihilate everything and destroy it all!" Jeanne expressed herself with a mischievous smile on her face.

"And do not worry about the consequences of your actions, for God is merciful and will forgive everything, isn't that right? Therefore, reduce to ashes the cities that dare to harbor happiness!" Jeanne continued her words, showing no concern for the lives that would be lost as a result of these devastating actions.

"My dear Jeanne, I have a present for you. I'm sure you will appreciate it!" Gilles announced, rubbing his hands in a bizarre manner, his excitement evident.

"Stop calling me that! I don't know why, but it gives me chills. Bring me that gift already, I hope it pleases me." Jeanne grimaced in disgust upon hearing Gilles calling her by that name.

"Understood, my beloved Jeanne. You will be delighted with my gift," Gilles stated and, with a determined movement, turned his back to retrieve the long-awaited present.

"Damn it, I just told him to stop calling me that," Jeanne expressed her frustration, clicking her tongue in anger.

The screams echoed through the corridor as the fight between Gilles and the bald, short, and fat man unfolded. The air was electrified with tension and desperation as each word exhaled from the man being carried against his will.

His face was red with anger and fear, his eyes wide and filled with terror. He thrashed frantically in Gilles' firm arms, his legs kicking the air as he tried to free himself from that relentless grip. His hands desperately clung to the fabric of his religious attire, as if seeking a divine answer to the situation.

"Let me go! What are you doing?" he shouted with a trembling and hoarse voice. His once calm and serene voice now trembled with fear. It was evident that he felt betrayed and threatened by the man holding him captive.

The words "I am of the Church" escaped his lips as a last resort, a desperate attempt to appeal to morality and respect for the sanctity of the place they were in. Terror took hold of his countenance as he realized he was being dragged through unknown corridors, each step taking him further away from the familiar safety and protection he had hoped to find within the sacred walls.

His chest heaved, breathless, and perspiration dripped down his face. Every muscle in his body was tense, fighting against the fate that seemed increasingly inevitable. He wondered what awaited him at the end of this ordeal, what were the intentions of the man carrying him.

The distressing circumstances plunged his mind into a whirlwind of thoughts. Fear mingled with guilt, a profound sense of facing something beyond the grasp of human understanding. He found himself silently begging for divine mercy, pleading for a miracle that could free him from that terrifying nightmare.

As Gilles advanced through the corridors, the desperation of the bald, short, and fat man only grew. He knew that something profane and sinful was happening, something that defied all the beliefs and values he had embraced. But his voice of protest seemed powerless, muffled by the certainty that his pleas would not be heard or answered.

And so, amidst the turmoil of that moment, a sense of despair enveloped the man like a dark cloak, leaving him vulnerable to the unknown unfolding before his eyes.

"Here is your gift, my dear Jeanne," Gilles said with an impressive elegance, while hurling the man to the ground with the force of a hurricane, as if he were nothing more than an insignificant piece of paper.

"Jeanne? But... how? You perished!" The man, upon spotting Jeanne, was consumed by the deepest despair and the most intense disbelief. His face reflected agony and disbelief in overwhelming proportions.

"If I am here, then it is clear that I am not a dead soul. Hello, my dear friend! It's been a long time since we had the pleasure of meeting, hasn't it? Let me refresh your memory, it's been a long five days!" Jeanne uttered with a satisfied smile as she gazed upon the panicked man's face.

"How can this be possible? I saw you consumed by fire!" The man exclaimed, unable to believe that Jeanne was alive.

"It is the purest truth. Bishop Pierre Cauchon, I burned. I felt my own flesh transformed into burning embers. However, by some miracle, here I am again. Isn't that a cause for joy for you?" Jeanne approached the bishop, who tried to move away but was prevented by Jeanne, who used the flag she held to strike his leg.

"Ahhhhhhh! I beg for your forgiveness! I will do anything you desire! Have mercy on me, I will be your servant." The bishop screamed, desperate to become Jeanne's slave, feeling the piercing pain in his leg pierced by the flag.

"My dear Jeanne, I have many ways to make our guest scream in agony!" Gilles stated, wishing to help her make the bishop suffer.

"Are you doubting me, Gilles? Do you think I am incapable of cruelty? Set aside such concerns and stop calling me that, or I swear I will end your life." Jeanne said sternly to Gilles, who immediately fell silent. However, there's no need to be afraid, it's just what he truly desires.

"Dear Lord Jeanne, please, wait! I can help you. There's no reason to harm me." The bishop didn't want to be tortured, let alone face death!

"Oh, Your Grace, is it you who comes to me begging? Bowing down before the witch you burned and accused of witchcraft. You know, the Heavenly Father would not approve of such behavior." Jeanne smiled wickedly, narrowing her eyes. She tightened her grip on the flag even more.

"Do you know the fate of those who associate with a witch, Your Grace?" Jeanne widened her smile.

"No! Wait, we can talk." The bishop, overcome with fear, tried to make Jeanne change her mind.

"Your Grace, your words of mercy won't have any effect on me. The time for reckoning has come." The bishop fell into even greater despair than before.

"May I start now, Your Grace? Burn just as you burned me, burn as you ordered so many others to be taken to the stake." Jeanne tightened her grip on the flag with even more vigor.

"No! Ahhhhhhh!" A crimson fire, like blood, burst forth from where the flag was lodged in the bishop's leg. The fire consumed his entire body. His flesh burned in flames. The bishop's screams only increased Jeanne's smile.

"My beloved Jeanne, we still have more clergymen and bishops to play with." Gilles displayed an infectious excitement, eager to enjoy time by Jeanne's side, witnessing the agony of the Church's servants. Ignoring the bishop's anguished screams, Gilles paid them no mind.

"Oh, how I loved your idea, Gilles! Let's put it into practice. Thank you so much for the gift. I loved every detail." Jeanne directed her gaze at the bishop, whose charred body brought her unparalleled satisfaction.

"Ahhhhhhh! You witch! I wished... to see what Rémy would think of this... Ahhhhh!" The bishop reduced to ashes, leaving Jeanne confused and Gilles with a look of astonishment on his face.

"Who is this Rémy? Do you know him?" Jeanne searched her mind for any trace related to Rémy but found no memories in her recollection. Intrigued, she questioned Gilles.

"My dear Jeanne, I have no idea whom he was mentioning. It's a complete mystery to me." Gilles replied, carrying the same confusion present in Jeanne's eyes.

"Rejoice, my ignoble servants! As your mistress, I forgive you for everything you will do!" Jeanne proclaimed to the seven servants with an authoritative tone.

"Reduce this land to ashes until nothing remains! This is the objective I entrust to you, bestowing upon each of you savage attributes." Jeanne continued to speak with a satisfied expression.

"You may be saints or heroes, but now you must dance with shattered souls." Jeanne pronounced these words with a malicious smile on her lips.

"I will judge this imperfect world. Therefore, my servants, do as you please." Jeanne concluded, revealing her final command.

"Oh, marvelous, my Jeanne! This time, you will save this nation. But now, I am utterly grateful to be under your command once again." Gilles expressed his satisfaction with all the pleasure his being could feel, renewing his devotion to Jeanne.

"Now go and execute my will, as I have ordered." Jeanne instructed them as she walked through the hall where she was.

"But... who is Rémy?" Jeanne felt increasingly frustrated, unable to recall who Rémy was. The absence of any memory in her mind was disconcerting. In search of answers, she questioned Gilles.

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Meanwhile, a girl with pink hair, carrying an imposing shield, was caressing her own head, visibly worried.

"It seems everything went according to plan. Are you okay, senpai?" Mash asked, showing her concern on her face.

"Yes, I'm fine. Just a slight headache." Fujimaru replied, trying to downplay Mash's worries.

"Fou! Fou! Fou!" A sound resonated, emanating from Fou.

"Fou! You came with us." Mash exclaimed with joy in her voice.

"How is he?" Fujimaru asked, showing concern for Fou's well-being.

"He's fine. Probably, Fou came with us when one of us was transported in the coffin. He's connected to us, so he'll come back with us." Mash explained, stroking Fou as she spoke.

"Master, I confirmed the time axis coordinates. It seems we are in the year 1431." Mash informed Fujimaru.

"That means we are in the midst of the Hundred Years' War, during a period of truce." Mash expressed visible relief in her words.

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