Orleans Singularity: Deviation (1)

It's been one week since then. My hands never felt dirtier than before in this life. I was just formerly a young man in my past. In the very first life that I remembered, I was an useless Otaku until the day that I died and made that careless wish in that vindictive ROB bastard. Now, here I am rampaging, burning and pillaging properties in the Orleans. I stared at my reflection at the metal rod that I was holding firmly on my hands. Now that I was a servant, I am in the appearance of my 14 year old self. My hair turned prematurely gray and now I have a mismatched colored eyes staring back at me. I have the familiar round glasses but the black robes and the dirty white apparel underneath it was new.

After staring at my reflection for a moment, I turned my gaze at the burning architectures. It was my doing. I burned them. Both of my hands clenched tightly at the metal rod that I was holding.

After being ordered by Jeanne D'arc Alter, I thought of disobeying her and escaping. I tried that stupid idea. Even thought I know that I am only one and there was other servants obeying her orders. I don't want to obey her and do atrocious things. So I really tried it. The result? My left hand unconsciously went to the right side under my chest. Even it wasn't so fatal just like before, it was still painful.

" Hughes, are you finished? "

Behind a distance from myself, I can hear her voice. I turned and found myself looking at Berserk Rider. I nodded my head.

" Good. " She smiled. " We should go now, Hughes. "

" Yes, Saint Martha. "

I followed after her. In the distance, I can already see the sad looking ferocious dragon. I turned my gaze last time and closed my eyes for a brief moment. Behind me was the scene of flames burning the town. And there are wyverns flying in the night sky.

The First day that I was summoned, I have tried to go against the order and escape. It ended with me facing the annoyance of Jeanne. As a reward, Jeanne has ordered Vlad to impale me. Saint Martha intercepted and it resulted with me being impaled under the right side of my chest. It was thanks to her that I wasn't sent back to the throne of heroes and only suffered from a grievous injury. As a servant, I have survive from that injury that have should killed a normal man. Despite surviving, it wasn't still fully healed. There was still the lingering pain until now. On the timeline of one week, King Charles VII was killed by Jeanne D'arc Alter. On that one week, she continued on her crusade to destroy every town and villages, killing people with the help of us the servants and the soldiers under the creepy Gilles de Rais. In the span of one week, I have seen a lot of people getting killed. Whether they are sinner or innocent, young or old, it was as Jeanne D'arc Alter say's no matter what beliefs they have, kill them all equally. I have just watched them killed doing nothing. Who am I kidding? I have done something. I joined them. I have stained my hands. My first time... I killed an innocent young boy. It was in the third day, when Jeanne notice that I was just burning and destroying the properties in every town that we came across. She was also displeased when she learned how I wasn't a strong servant. I didn't even know how to properly fight. My body was weak, even as a servant.

" Someone like you, is a Servant? Your capabilities is as good as a human. The only extraordinary thing on you was your mana. A weak servant, you are only good as a Mana provider. "

She said those words with a cold and stern expression on her face. Then, it lead to me being ordered to killed an innocent kid while we were destroying one of the town that refused to follow Jeanne Alter.

When she said those words, I am not surprised at my condition, since in this world, I am just after all an ordinary civilian. A Scientist– hailed as a delusional charlatan by the people. Force to leave behind my life research and work. My failures led me up with a sullen look and wasting away my life. I didn't even realize the existence of magic in this world while I was still alive. It just happened after I died and have my memories back. I also don't still understand why I have just get my memories back after I died.

I felt disgusted to myself when I killed the child. I was forced beyond my will. I saw Jeanne's hand glow up that time. She used a command seal on me. I blacked out and found myself staring at the eyes of the child that I killed. My hand was drenched on his blood. On my very long journey, I have killed, yes. But if it was really necessary. And all of the people that I killed was unforgivable human beings or monsters. They deserve to die. But not that child. World by world because of my careless wish. I Die, born, live, die, born, live, die, born, live– a repeated cycle. ROB's punishment for my arrogance or just mere fickle decision for a heartless being? I doesn't care whatever it was between the two. I only just feel hate for that ROB. But after what Jeanne D'arc Alter ordered and force me. I learned that there are things that I still needed to add at the capacity that I hate.

" Hughes? "

I found myself out of my thoughts. Saint Martha beckoned for me to ride on her dragon Tarasque. I stared at the metal rod. And it disappeared on my hand. I can recall it again to appear later. I carefully climbed up and firmly gripped on Saint Martha. Ever since the first day, Jeanne D'arc Alter has assigned Saint Martha to take care of me. Ever since she saved me from being killed by Vlad III, I was grateful to her. But I wonder why does she even saved me. She was really kind and gentle, even under Jeanne Alter's orders. Her manners and disposition are really befitting of a Holy Saint. Upon learning the other servants name and her identity, I was surprised. Not because I am a religious person. I am not really a faithful believer in my first life that I remembered. It was just that when I learned her name– that time, I thought " Looks like the Fate franchise has gone further to the beyond of their conception of the Servants. Should I expect that I would encounter religious figures as a servant? "

After, making certain that I was firmly clutched to Saint Martha. Tarasque started moving. I unconsciously gulped reminding me of the error that I first made when it was just my first time riding Tarasque. I don't want a repeat of that event. Tarasque was moving faster and faster. I let my head lean on Saint Martha's back remembering that after killing the innocent boy, the sins that I did not stopped from there. My hands become more dirtier than before. And I killed more innocent people.

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We eventually arrived at Orleans where Jeanne D'arc Alter were waiting for us. It was before dawn when we arrive. Surprisingly, the caster Gilles de Rais wasn't with them. He was probably in the castle. In the fourth day since my summoning, I was surprised when i saw another Gilles de Rais. A saber version, alive and not a servant. That time, I also learned that I am in the past and it was just recently that the Jeanne D'arc was accused as a witch and burned in the stake. The throne of heroes had really made an error bringing me here in this place with an information just about the Fuyuki City. Anyway, that Gilles de Rais refuse to believe that Jeanne Alter wasn't their Jeanne who fought in hundred years war. He look so devastated when he saw her. With all his will, he declared her as an impostor, and she was proclaimed by the soldiers of the opposing side as the dragon witch. It resulted with Jeanne Alter becoming furious and it ended with good Gilles de Rais and his soldiers retreating under her fury.

" You have finally arrived. "

Jeanne Alter said to us. I look behind her and saw the other servants. Nothing changed with their expressions. It was still as serious and emotionless. Now, that we are facing Jeanne Alter, Saint Martha was wearing the dull and emotionless look on her face. It was really disheartening to see it from her face. A holy saint like her forced to kill Innocents just like me and the other servants.

" Today, we would destroy the La Charite. We would continue on our conquest to destroy France. "

After her declaration, we turned to La Charite. Accompanying us are the wyverns and the dragon fafnir at the Beck of her call. She summoned them using the holy grail and used them to commit atrocities. Destroy every villages and towns that we came across. Destroy the properties, kill the people and turn it into a wasteland. Everyday that has passed, I degraded further and further. I want to be out of this world and travel on my next journey. If it wasn't for Gaia and Alaya interfering, I was already supposed to be in a next world. Maybe, if I wasn't reduced to being powerless everytime that I died and starting weak again in a new life– Alaya and Gaia wouldn't be able to do anything. What I only gain, was my memories. Fragments of memories from different world and lives. Always remembering that I was reincarnated when it was too late. It was my fate. My misfortune granted by that ROB.

Sometimes, I am well most of the time, I wasn't. In this life, if this atrocities continued longer, I don't think I can keep my sanity no longer. We eventually arrived at the La Charite riding on the wyverns and in case of Jeanne Alter, she was riding Fafnir. And then, came the unexpected events. I know that this Jeanne Alter is an evil witch. A personification of hatred and darkness.

" What a nice morning. It's time to go everyone. I know that some of you aren't morning people but that doesn't matter right?

I can hear her amuse voice in the distance despite the tiredness that I feel for the recent days.

" It doesn't matter if you're a real vampire or not. Dead apostles weren't they? Is that right? Ah, who cares. If you're going to kill, make sure to turn the area under this flag to hell. "

With her urge, the dragon Fafnir advanced nearer to the town ahead of us. Fafnir opened it's maw and a destructive flames formed. My eyes widened. I can hear Saint Martha gasping beside me. And Atalanta turned her head not wanting to see the sight.

" He..he...he..he.. She was a pyromaniac wasn't she?.. hehehehe.. "

I muttered to myself. I stared at the sight of flames. Broken fake laughs made out of my mouth. Saint Martha turned to face me.

" Hughes– "

Before she can finished her words. We saw Jeanne D'arc landing fafnir outside the burning La Charite. We followed her and my eyes widened in shock as I saw what has finally caught her attention.

" Well now, I didn't know this would happen. How small and pathetic. Right? The other me. "

There she was, an other Jeanne D'arc. She was closely what I have imagined and envisioned if I would met a real version of her. Behind her, was two people, servants and there was one person who was truly confusing. She was different but she was dress like a servant and was holding an object that maybe serves as her shield. They look shocked when they look at us. I turned to the two people as I saw a strange glowing device on them. A projection of a person. I can't hear clearly. But I know that it was their communication device. It was too futuristic. There's no way that they are people of the past. They are from the future. And those two people are wearing some strange suits that made me remember too much of those suits that people wore when they are driving the Mecha Gundam robots.

" What's with two new little things? Is this your new attendants to replace Gilles? "

The girl glared at Jeanne D'arc. She has orange eyes and her hair... It was red. She suddenly reminded me of Shirou Emiya for some strange reason. On the other hand, the other person that I'm certain that was also human look at us with a cautious expression on his face. He has a blue eyes and a mess of black hair.

" Come now, my servants! "

We got closer to them. The two servants, I recognize them. Cu Chulainn– I didn't know that he was also a Caster. And the other servant was Sasaki Kojiro. The last one was an archer. He was wearing a green hood. I doesn't know who he is.

" That expression.. The other me.. her face was ridiculous. "

With a mocking expression on her face, she then says

" Her new attendants expression was also amusing. Kill them, together with their servants! "

I can feel the pull of the order. Fuck you, Jeanne Alter. Why can she replenish her command seals everyday? Reluctantly, I materialize the metal rod on my hands. My weapon. An ordinary metal rod. Despite us, getting ready. Cu Chulainn look so relaxed and unfazed. He has a relax grin on his face. It was annoying.

As we are getting ready for battle, I notice one of the communication device. The one, from the girl. It wasn't the same person with what the boy has. Strangely, when I notice the person on the hologram. He just happened to look at me. He was frowning. There was an uncertain expression on his face as if he was facing an unknown.