Chapter 5: Going to the Orleans!

'Everyone raised you up, everyone hoisted your flag, everyone used you, and everyone abandoned you...And because of this you are just. No matter who, no matter what. Your true feelings will judge all, will they not…?'

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"Fou….? Kyu fuuuuu….?"

I opened my eyes as I heard the sound of a cute animal barking curiously, a small weight on my chest.

"...Good morning, Fou...how'd you get in?" I yawned, absentmindely petting his head.

"Fou! Fou Kyuuuuuuu!"

"You are so damn adorable!"

I took the white furball and placed it on my head as I sat up, the door to my room opening up and two girls walk in.

"Good morning, Master." Arturia greeted with a soft smile.

"Yes, good morning Senpai. Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah, just fine. Thanks for asking."

Though I had an odd dream, but I suppose that's not really important. It didn't feel like one of those dream cycles after all.

Speaking of dream cycles...I've seen some of Cu's life, along with Arturia's. However, I haven't really seen any of Shirou's or Mash's.

Da Vinci told me that it's normal to witness them, especially when I have multiple servants. She also told me that they will eventually see my own life as well...

Well, I'll cross that bridge when I get to it, I suppose!

"That's good to hear. I'd say falling asleep like that is a good skill to have." Mashu smiled. "By the way, you woke up just in time for the briefing. Let's hurry."

"Alright, let me get changed first."

Both girls nodded before exiting the room, allowing me to put on my combat clothes. Before I put on my arm bands, I stored a few scrolls into two seals on both of my wrists.

The next thing I do is grab Kusanagi and place it within the purple rope around my waist. Finally I tie my hair into a pony tail and head out.

"Alright, I've got everything I need. Are the other two already at the briefing area?"

"Yes, archer and lancer should be waiting for us there." Arturia nodded.

To be honest I'm not to sure about the relationship between Shirou and Arturia. It's neutral at best. I mean they just seem awkward when they're around each other.

As for Cu...well I can't tell if Shirou and Cu are friends. They seem to hate each others guts, but are more like rivals. Arturia finds Cu annoying, especially his drinking habits. For some unknown reason, it seems that servants can get drunk.

Well at least my relationship with all of them are pretty good. I greatly enjoy spending time with them.

"So, the first real singularity...the last one seemed so tough, yet it was more of a 'prologue'..." I muttered.

If this is how hard this world is going to be, then how am I going to beat Trihexa?

No, I can't think like that. I'm going to get stronger, master my powers to the point it's better then Sasuke or Madara!

...Okay, maybe should aim a little lower for the time being.

The three of us, plus Fou on my head, walked over to the room where the Doctor is about to do the briefing. Just as Arturia said, both Archer and Lancer are waiting with a slightly nervous looking Roman.

When the Doctor see's us, his countance brightens.

"Good morning, Issen! Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah, just fine." I nodded.

"Well then, let the briefing commence." Roman smiled. "First of all…ah, yes. I'll explain what you two must do again. First, you must investigate and fix the time singularities. Those changed times that were almost certainly humanity's turning points. In fact, if we do not, human history will definitely reach a final 'disaster' of sorts. You must leap back to those times, investigate and clarify the issues, and revise them without fail."

I nodded my head at hearing that. Apparently the outside world is already all incinerated or something like that due to these singularities. Though maybe I'm wrong, all I know is that I can't leave chaldea.

"Otherwise 2020 will never arrive and the world will end 2019. This is our first purpose. This is our greatest principle, the foundation of all our strategies from here on out."

He paused before continuing. "Then, onto our tactics' second purpose. This would be the investigation of these 'Holy Grails.' While merely conjecture, it seems likely that these Grails have something to do with the outbreak of time singularities. These 'Holy Grails' are the kind that grant wishes with magic. They are imbued with great power, though…Probably, if someone like Lev got their hands on the Grail, they'd abuse its powers horribly, wouldn't they?"

"Yeah..." I muttered darkly, my hands unconsciously curling into fists as I thought of that man.

"Perhaps I should say that without the Grail, time travel and history altering would be impossible. Truly" Roman said before continuing on. "Anyhow, while investigating the singularities, always keep an eye out for information on the Grails. If you put history back on its correct course, that time period's Grail should end up back where it started. We could say that your mission is thus to obtain the Grail, or destroy it, if need be. These are the two main points of our operation.…is this good enough?"

"Yes, I understand the mission." I nodded.

"Seems like quite the job, master." Cu spoke up.

I regarded my servants with a single eye, sending them a smile. "It sure does. Thankfully I'm not alone, right?"

"You can count on us, master" Arturia answered, all of them returning the smile with their own.

"Fou Fou!" The white creature cheered from atop my head.

"Mm, excellent." Roman smiled at seeing our response. "….now then, besides your mission, there's one more thing. Though I wouldn't say it's too big a deal. It's something for after you rayshift. I want you to track down some leylines and set up a summoning circle. You know, like in Fuyuki?"

"Yeah, I remember." Though I wasn't able to summon servants at the time.

"Our communication methods will have to be a little different than in Fuyuki, but we'll manage somehow...In order to transfer supplies, the summoning circle is absolutely necessary. Like last time, Mashu's Noble Phantasm will serve as the catalyst to active the circle. After that, you can freely summon Servants as needed. Perhaps you might end up summoning Servants closely tied to that time period."

"I guess we'll just have to wait and see."

I haven't felt even the slightest strain on my circuits when summoning the servants, oddly enough. Apparently it's due to the summoning system that chaldea uses alongside my compatibility as a master.

"I figure that should strengthen your fighting capability. Do you understand?"

I nodded my head while Mashu stepped up next to me.

"….understood. If nothing else, our first priority will be to establish a base camp. It will be necessary to find a place that gives peace of mind, with a roof, a home to return to….eh, Master?"

"Yeah, I'll be relying on you and the others."

"H-hearing you say such things really gets me fired up."

Daawwww~She's blushing! I unconsciously started to pat her on the head, further increasing her flushed face.

"My apologies, but we really don't have any more time to lose. I'm going to begin preparing to rayshift you at once, is that ok?"

"*cough* Yes, we're ready, doctor." I stated, recovering from Mashu's cuteness.

"This time, Issen, your official coffin has been prepared. Rayshifting will be as quick and fast as it's supposed to normally be."

"Thank goodness..."

"Once you start heading to the other side, I won't be able to contact you like this anymore. Do you understand? As I said before, the first task is to set up a base camp and find some leylines."

I nodded my head, not saying anything as we all entered the 'coffins'.

"You'll have to do whatever you need to deal with that time period. I'll be praying for your success, Issen."

With that last thing said, the door closed and sealed shut before a familiar mechanical voice was heard.

[Unsummon program start. Beginning leyline conversion. Rayshift beginning in 3, 2, 1…]

A bright blue light bathed us as a feeling of weightlessness started to take over...

[Operation cleared. Beginning Grand Order.]

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When I opened my eyes, I was startled with the sight of tall green grass and rolling hills similar to that of the place the simulation took place. Not only that but the amount of nature energy is equal to that of the monster forest! I should be able to enter sage mode in no time if I wanted to!

"Phew. Looks like we were able to arrive safely, senpai. Last time we had some problems, but this time we were in coffins. My body seems to be normal condition too."

"That's great! How about you three? Are you alright?"

"Yeah, just fine over here." Cu said, waving his hand around.

"Yes, no problems here either." Shirou nodded.

"I'm in normal condition, master." Arturia clenched her gauntlet covered fist to prove her point.

"Glad to hear it." I turned my gaze back to the sight in front of us, soaking it all in.

"Fooou! Fooou foooou!"

I blinked when I heard a familiar barking sound and then a white blur jumped onto my head.

"Eh? The dog-squirell thing followed us?" Cu asked, scratching the back of his head.

"Hmm, it seems he jumped in one of the coffins." Shirou said, arms crossed.

"Well, looks like we'll just have to make sure and protect you, huh?" I said while petting him under the chin, getting a pur from him.

"Yes. We're all in this together." Mashu smiled. "Master. Time coordinates confirmed. It seems this is 1431. We can conclude that we are currently in the middle of the Hundred Years' War. However, there should be a brief pause in the fighting around this time period."

"..." I didn't respond, my gaze soley on a single abnormality in the sky.

"Given the name, one might expect the Hundred Years' War to continue for a century straight, but that is false. Thus, this time period's war is relatively relaxed. Captured knights were regularly ransomed and released for gold…senpai?"

I just pointed at the sky, everyone other then Mashu having already been looking at what I was looking at.

"What….eh?"

While we were all staring at the odd sight, the bracelet on my arm suddenly sprung to life and Roman could be heard.

"Yes! Connection line established! The image's a bit rough, but at least we can transmit visuals now!" Roman cheered. "Hey, what's wrong, you guys? You're all just staring at the sky."

"Sending image now, doctor." Mashu sent him the visuals.

"That is…a ring of light…no, some kind of growing satellite orbit for some magic ritual…?Either way, it's ridiculously huge. Could it be the same size as the North American continent…?"

Yes, up in the sky is a giant ring of light. Even with the sharingan I can't really get a reading on it...but it looks to be more of a...tear in space maybe?

"Would that be the reason behind why history collapsed in this time period?" Arturia asked.

I narrowed my eyes but shook my head. "...I don't think so. I mean, It's most likely part of the reason, but that seems more like an after effect of something huge. While it's...concerning, it seems to just be a ring of light, not something that could change history by itself."

"Yes, Issen is right. However, I'll look into it and do some tests. It seems pretty clear that's involved in destroying the future. Analysis shows Lev was here, so there's not much choice…You guys focus on investigating the site. First, keep an eye out for Heroic Spirits."

"As you say, doctor." Mashu nodded. "We will search the surroundings, make contact the people of this time, establish a summoning circle…we have a lot of work to do."

"Well, we already knew it wasn't going to be easy, but we continue on nonetheless, right?" I smiled.

"Right! We'll get it done little by little. Let's head towards that town first, senpai." Mashu nodded.

"Okay, sounds good." Hmmm, I feel like I'm forgetting something.

We continued down towards a town in the distance until Mashu stopped us, a group of French Soldiers are a bit ahead of us.

"Senpai, please stop. Confirming…it seems to be a French patrol. I'll try to ask for information!"

"Eh?"

"I'll accompany her, master!"

"No, wait!"

I tried and failed to stop them, making me groan and put a hand to my face.

"What's the problem, master?" Cu asked, resting gae bolg on his shoulders.

I dragged my hand down my face and sent the two male servants a glance. "I forgot to ask if Mashu knew French. Not only that, but Arturia doesn't look French nor does she speak it, I know that for a fact."

"EXCUSE ME!!"

We winced when we heard Mashu shout...in English. Why!?

"..."

Hm? The soldiers halted all movement and just stared at the two woman, their gazes drifting from Arturia, then to Mashu, and then to...

"You perverted bastards!"

I flickered forward and kicked one of the guards in the face that was clearly looking at my 'little sisters' boobs!

"Master." Arturia admonished to which I deadpanned at her in response.

"You two went up to them speaking the language of their enemy."

That got both of them to blush lightly and avert their gazes, Shiro and Cu having already come up to us.

"Nice kick." Cu gave a thumbs up, one that I returned with my own.

"Yoo-hoo! I've got some time, so I'm here to check on…wait, why are you surrounded by armed men?"

"I'm sorry, I only know how to speak English and Japanese."

"I may have drop kicked one in the face after they looked at Mashu lecherously." I admitted with zero shame.

"A sudden fight! And with France's elite! Now now, first off let's calm down! This world is quarantined."

"I think it's you who needs to stay calm, Doctor." I deadpanned, only to be ignored.

"So whatever we do, we won't cause a time paradox, so I don't think fighting here will be a problem, but…"

"Um, I can say a joke in French." I offered.

I learned how to speak quite a few different languages at the request of God when I was in the forest, shadow clones and perfect memory of the sharingan are amazing.

"That might work? Doctor, what do you think?"

"Don't ask me! Though wait a second, let me think about it…!" Roman paused. "It'll be good if we can think of a tasteful joke, I guess? Something like the German hats!"

"...what?" I deadpanned.

"(There's a suspicious voice coming out of somewhere…everyone, to arms! These guys are suspicious!)" The French captain yelled, all of them taking out swords and spears.

"I'm sorry, senpai. Believing in the doctor was my mistake."

"Ouch!" Roman made a noise like he was pierced by an arrow.

"Master, your orders?"

I took kusanagi out and then took the sheath into my right hand. "Beat them up and restrain them with non-lethal force."

"Gaaah, it can't be helped! Please hit them with the back of your sword! Try your best to prevent bloodshed! Go hit them with the back of your sword!"

"S-sword? I have a shield though?"

"I'm literally the only one who can do that!" I yelled. Well Shirou could as well, actually but it looks like he'll just use blunt arrows.

"Hmmm, my sword is double sided..." Arturia muttered.

"I-I'll figure something out! Fire!" Mashu yelled.

"Oi, don't burn them!" Seriously, whats going on!?

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"Haah..." I let out a breath, beaten soldiers all around us with my sheath a bit bloody as I used to knock them unconscious.

Superhuman or not, holding back is difficult.

"Phew. Body aside, my mental fatigue is growing." Mashu muttered, to which I nodded in agreement.

"Master, I think I successfully used the back of the blade!" Arturia came up to me with happy eyes.

"That's the flat of the blade...but close enough, I suppose. Anyway, good job you all. None of the soldiers ended up dead."

"It seems like they're retreating to their fort. You should pursue and examine the surroundings." Roman spoke up. "Let's not have this happen again next time. Do you actually know how to talk to someone in French?"

"(Yes, I do.)" I spoke in French, nodding my head.

"Oh! Very good! It looks like Issen will be the one who talks to the soldiers then."

We tailed the soldiers, following them to a large fort...if you can even call it that.

"This is...horrible." Mashu gasps, her hands over her mouth.

The fort was almost completely destroyed, the walls are still fine but the main building is pretty much gone.

"Is this because of the war...? The current time is supposed to be a pause in the war." Mashu asked, confused.

"...no." Shirou spoke up. "In the year 1431, the France side's Charles VII and the English side's Philip III signed an armistice treaty. Though there may be some skirmishes, but..."

"This wasn't done by a human." I said, continuing Shirou's thought. "There are claw marks in the remaining walls of the fort, scorch marks and burnt land, and the attack was directly on the main building instead of the walls meaning its an airborne enemy."

I paused as I looked at the damage. "It wasn't done by a dragon, if it was then this place would be far worse then it is. It was most likely a sub-species of some kind, perhaps drakes or wyverns. Beware that both of these, especially Wyverns attack in groups."

"You seem to be quite knowledgeable, master." Arturia praised.

"Ah, I have some experience with both of those." As well as a dragon. It was the monster I attracted when I tried out complete Susanoo, thank god it was a younger one and not an elder.

"I'm going to go and get some info. I'll be right back."

I walked over to a soldier that was walking to the fort in a hurry. "(Excuse me? My friends and I are traveling and wish to ask some questions.)"

"(You aren't...the enemy?)"

"(No, just travelers.)" I shook my head.

"(Has Charles VII not yet signed an armistice treaty?)"

"(King Charles? Haven't you heard? The king is dead. Burnt to death in the witch's flames.)"

"(...Witch?)"

"(It was 'Jeanne D'arc'. That woman is the 'dragon witch' who rose from the dead. England has long since retreated. But for us, though, where can we escape to? This was my hometown, damn it, and yet I wasn't able to do anything.)"

"(I-I see...I am sorry for your loss.)" I bowed my head, memories of a burning town flashing in my head.

The soldier looked at me for a second before running off to help his fellow soldiers. I stood there, motionless in thought.

"Senpai...?"

I blinked, snapped from my thoughts at the voice of Mashu. "R-right. Apparently the treaty was never signed as charles was burned by the flames of the 'dragon witch', Jeanne D'arc."

"Jeanne D'arc...!?" Mashu looked surprised, though it's not like I'm not either. "The patriot and saint Jeanne D'arc. She's a world famous hero. Near the end of the Hundred Years' War, she was a woman who rose up to save France from being conquered. At the age of 17, she first stood up for France's sake, and in a single year she successfully recaptured Orleans..."

Mashu hesitated, gaining a slightly pained look. "England's army eventually captured her, put her on trial for heresy, and burned her at the stake. ...I hear that from the time she was imprisoned until her execution, she underwent horrible tortures and humiliations day after day. The English claimed that she was not a saint, but a heretic. Because of that, she was put through all manners of tortures, to make her say 'I do not hear the voice of God.'"

My hands unconsciously curled into fists. "However, even until her last moments, the girl's heart remained unbroken. Even as she burned, she would not surrender her prayers. After that, attempts to restore her honor were made, and four hundred years later she was officially canonized as a saint. A powerless girl whose thoughts managed to change the world --- because of this, Jeanne D'arc would be a top-tier Heroic Spirit." Mashu finished.

I looked away, calming down and just shook my head. I would like to meet her, the real one, not the 'dragon witch'.

"I see. However, based off what you said, this 'dragon witch' must not be the 'true' or original Jeanne D'arc. Probably an altered one like the saber we faced in Fyuuki." I said.

Arturia was about to say something until loud growling came from the distance.

"(...ah! They're coming! They're coming again!)" The French soldier from before yelled, taking his sword out.

" Be careful! I'm picking up a magical response! It's a small power, so they might just be using a human body as a familiar...probably skeleton soldiers. This is different from the last fight. Go wild and crush them!" Roman yelled.

I nodded my head before walking over to the French soldier and pushed him back. "(We'll handle them, just protect your fort.)"

"Alright, let's go!" I yelled, unsheathing Kusanagi.

"Hmph. Skeletons, huh? Just some small fry." Shirou grunted, Kanshou and Bakuya appearing in his hands.

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The fight was easy and quick, the soldier from before seemed dumbfounded.

"All enemies are defeated, master." Arturia comes up.

"Maan~! That was too easy!" Cu complained.

The soldier snapped out of it. "(Y-you guys aren't half bad.)"

"(Thank you, we've practised quite a bit. Now, you said that Jeanne D'arc was revived?)" I quickly diverted the subject back to what we were talking about earlier.

"(Ah, yeah. I participated in the battles at Orleans, so I've got everything memorized. Her hair and her skin color are different now, but it was definitely the saint girl that I saw. When we heard that England captured her and burned her at the stake, we were shaking with anger.)" The man spat before gaining a slightly more fearful look. "(But now that girl is alive again! Not only that, she's been making deals with demons!)"

"(Demons?)" God, I really hope it isn't demons. "(Like those skeletons we fought?)"

"(No, no, not them. If it's just creatures like those, we're able to handle them.)"

A piercing shriek rang through the entire area, causing me to gain a deadpan look at the fact that I recognize that shriek as well as the amazing timing that they would show up.

"....ah!" Mashu let out a cry of shock as she saw the beings flying towards us, the other simply getting ready and waiting for my orders.

"(Damn it, I knew it! It's coming for us, we're going to have to fight! Hey! Hey! Get up, get up! A dragon is coming! If you don't fight back, it'll swallow you whole!)" The soldier yelled to his fellow soldiers, but I gripped his shoulder.

"(Listen, stay back with your men. We'll deal with the enemies.)"

"(A-are you sure?)"

"(Yes! Now go!)" I lightly shoved the solider towards the fort.

The man looked hesitant but muttered a thank you before running to the mostly destroyed fort.

"There is numerous large lifeforms in your guys' surroundings! And their fast…!!"

"Visuals confirmed! It seems you were correct, Senpai. Those are Wyverns!"

"Yeah, figures it would be. Okay, Mash I want you to stay and protect the soldiers and take out any enemies that get close. Shirou you stay back and snipe down as many of them as possible and take down any that get close. Cu and Arturia, you will join me on the frontlines." I commanded, taking Kusanagi out and channeling wind chakra into it.

"Also a token of warning, only the red ones breath fire. The blue/green ones usually send out wind blades from their wings, use their claws, and bite." I informed them before charging forward.

Kusanagi is famed for it's sharpness, even the scales of a dragon can be cut through if the wielder has enough power. Unfortunately, the blade isn't that long and fails to do fatal damage on a dragon. On Wyverns however...

The blue wyvern in the front roared as it brought back its wings in preparation to release the wind blades. Not giving it the chance to finish, I flickered above it and spun around to give myself more momentum before Kusanagi cleany cuts through its neck, the head separated from the body.

When my feet touch the ground, I'm forced to jump back into the air to dodge a bite from another Wyvern. Kusanagi sinks into the sub-species skull, killing it.

I continued to kill the Wyverns that approached, Arturia and Cu doing the same while Shirou picked off both Wyverns and some Skeletoms that came with the sub species.

However, amidst the fighting, a sudden clear and strong female voice spoke up.

"(Soldiers, throw water upon your heads! That will help protect you from the flames!)"

"(Eh...!?)"

"(You there! Pick up your weapons and fight! Together, with me! Please follow--!)"

The girl has long blonde hair done in a single braid, a metal headpiece on her forehead, dressed in a purple battle dress with a high slit for optimal movement, and various armour pieces on her body.

What caught my attention was the banner she held in her right hand, a sword in her left. This girl looks very similar to the one I had seen in my dream last night, though less malicious looking.

However, the girl charged into battle recklessly. Her presence is similar to that of a servant, but with my sharingan I can clearly that the energy keeping her in the world is disappearing rapidly and that she is weakened.

Not only that...

"I told them not to join the battle, damn it...!"

Thankfully it seems that Mashu kept the soldiers from leaving, though they didn't make any effort to go out anyway.

My hairs stood on end and I hastily substituted myself for a log just as a stream of fire burned my last position.

Right, need to focus. Worry about the pretty girl later.

"Alright, let's kill us some lizards!"

|0|

The battle didn't last much longer, the mysterious girl could handle herself well and took down a few stragglers.

"…that seems to be the last of them for now." Mashu stated as Issen and the others grouped up.

"All right, nicely done, ladies and gentlemen! Ahh, just watching you guys, my hands were sweating and I was seriously squeezing my sesame manjuu!" Roman exclaimed.

"Doctor. That was the sesame manjuu I prepared, you know." Mashu's face darkened a bit.

"Eh? Huh? Really? I saw it with the tea in the control room, so I just figured surely…"

"…it was supposed to be for when we return from this Order, prepared as a sort of small thanks. Of course, you weren't doing your work, Doctor, unlike senpai down here on the ground." Mashu's face darkened further, causing the others, especially the males, to back away.

"Mashu…how were you were raised as such a good girl…*munch munch*" Roman didn't seem fazed as he ate the food. "*Gulp* Anyways, that was delicious. I'm sure Issen would be quite pleased by this too!"

That made the Uchiha's eyebrow twitch slightly but shiver when he felt feminine fury erupt from Mashu.

"...Master. When we get back to Chaldea, please save some of this excursion's battle resources for me. There's one more person I'd like to add to my list of enemies beaten with the back of my sword."

Issen gulped, but nodded his head. "Show no mercy."

"Hey!" Roman yelled, sounding scared.

Before the conversation could continue, a soldier screamed in fear along with others.

"(No way, that woman is—ahh, it's her! Run! The witch is here!)"

Issen turned his attention from the complaining of Roman as he saw the soldier he spike to earlier yell in fear as he pointed to the girl that assisted them.

"(Tch! This is all you fault, witch!)"

"(Fuck you!)"

"(My family was killed because of you, witch!)"

Some of the more courageous soldiers cursed the girl, even throwing rocks at her.

Said girl flinched slightly as the rocks hit her, she may not have been physically harmed but it hurt emotionally. Tears built up in the corners of her eyes as she buried her head into her palms, kneeling down.

"(W-why are they calling me a witch? I only wished to help...)" The girl muttered.

Issen scowled to himself at hearing this. 'The girl helped them yet they curse her? Haah...fear truly makes people do irrational things.'

With a sigh, Issen left the group and went over to the girl.

Said girl heard him approach, barely looking up as she mumbled. "(Are you going to call me a witch as well? Throw rocks at me?)"

"(No, I just wanted to thank you for helping out. You did a great job!)" Issen smiled widely.

The girl looked up completrly at the person talking to her, bright amethyst eyes meeting onyx eyes hiding away great pain.

Thus was the first meeting of Jeanne D'arc and Uchiha Issen.