C496

"Lord, please tell me the answer to this question," Jeanne found herself putting the textbook before her and praying earnestly.

After a moment, it dawned on her that not even the Almighty could solve her calculus dilemma, so she reluctantly placed the book back in her lap.

"The answer is 1.3454."

"Huh?" Jeanne blinked, turning to Shirou.

It was him who had just spoken.

He glanced at her and repeated, "I said, it's 1.3454."

"You know this stuff, Mr. Assassin?" she asked with raised eyebrows.

"Of course. It's a basic problem."

Basic?

Jeanne looked back at the puzzling mix of figures and symbols, remaining quiet for a moment.

He went on, "Considering we're in Romania now, should you, Miss Ruler, really be helping with math homework?"

"...I'm just here to oversee the Holy Grail War, making sure everything proceeds as normal. I won't harm or threaten anyone. So, nobody should be after me," Jeanne replied.

"It doesn't always work that way. Those who play foul are usually the first to want the referee out of the way," he said with a chuckle.

"Let's not talk about that right now," Jeanne, gazing intently at him, pointed to a specific problem in the math book, "Can you please help me solve this problem?"

"You're asking me, an Assassin? Well, of course, I can help, but..." Shirou closed the book he was holding and said with a smile, "There might be people who've been itching for the chance to get the referee out of the way for a while now."

"What?" Jeanne was stunned.

"—!!!"

Suddenly, realization seemed to hit her, and her gaze sharpened.

She could feel the presence of a Servant a few kilometers away.

A warning signal blasted in her mind—danger, danger!

This Servant was incredibly dangerous!

"It seems you've already noticed." Shirou smiled.

Jeanne turned to him, astonishment in her eyes. "Did you sense it way before I did?"

"I sensed it about half an hour ago. It's overflowing with killing intent and it's aimed straight at you."

"Half an hour ago..."

Jeanne was taken aback. She, as a Ruler, should be especially attuned to the presence of other Servants. How was it that she had only just picked up on it, while he had been aware for so much longer?

"There's no avoiding this," he gestured toward the night sky, stating, "You're the main attraction, and nightfall—this is the time for a war carnival."

Brushing his words aside, Jeanne motioned for the driver to pull over and then hastily rushed out the minibus.

The driver looked bewildered. "What's going on?"

"Just stay here for now," Jeanne told him. She then snatched her bag and dashed off, vanishing from view in seconds.

Confused, the driver turned to him, "Shouldn't you go after her?"

Shirou raised an eyebrow, "Why would you say that?"

"Well, you two seemed familiar with each other," the driver pointed out.

"We're not friends," he replied, shaking his head. "Also, it's best if we stay here. This is the safest place for now."

The driver laughed lightly, "You have quite the sense of humor, sir. Saying it's safest here... are you saying it's dangerous ahead?"

No sooner had he spoken, a resounding 'boom' echoed from the direction Jeanne had run off to.

The driver sat there, frozen in shock.

...

Amid the magical explosions, Jeanne darted to safety, her appearance slightly tousled from the escape.

"It seems this is no ordinary opponent." she whispered, her attention snapping to the faintest noise. Lifting her gaze, she saw a young man perched atop a massive highway sign not too far away from her.

His hair, a wispy white, looked wild and untouched. His eyes, piercing and keen, resembled finely sharpened blades. The crimson gem set into his bare chest pulsed, its ominous glow echoing the menace in his eyes. Yet, the most striking feature was his golden armor. It didn't just sit on him; it seemed to fuse with him, radiating a mesmerizing, almost celestial shimmer.

The individual elements of his appearance were striking on their own, but combined, they made the young man not just beautiful but almost otherworldly.

Jeanne had no doubt that the surprise attack moments ago was his doing.

She eyed him cautiously, "You're the Lancer of the Red Faction, aren't you?"

Lancer raised an eyebrow, amused, "All without me drawing my weapon? Impressive."

"I know, and I even know your true name—Heroic Spirit Karna!"

With a hint of amusement, Karna said, "It's no surprise the priest was so eager to have you withdraw from the war. Having a Ruler around can be quite troublesome."

"I don't understand why you would come after me," Jeanne asked in confusion. "I'm just a neutral party, and I won't meddle in anyone's affairs. Even my Command Spells are reserved for emergencies."

Ideally, Jeanne would avoid a fight with Karna. Given her abilities as a Ruler, she knew the extent of Karna's strength. Without resorting to her Noble Phantasm, she stood little chance against him.

And even if she did use her Noble Phantasm... winning was far from guaranteed.

"I'm just carrying out my Master's order to deal with you here. It's a matter of following the contract."

In a swift motion, a faint light seemed to glow on Karna's right hand. What had been invisible at his side materialized into existence—a colossal spear, its length surpassing Karna's height, unimaginably massive, almost too big for human hands. Its meticulous design was so unique and intricate that it could only be described as a work of art.

It was nothing less than a divine weapon; no other words could capture its essence accurately.

"Ruler, I'm about to make my move. I apologize, but given your privilege, I won't be able to hold back. I'll use my most powerful move to settle this. Consider it a farewell gift."

As Karna's magical energy intensified, Jeanne could only stare, momentarily speechless.

He wasn't aiming for a drawn-out battle; Karna was set on invoking the true name of his Noble Phantasm immediately. By doing this, he would launch his Noble Phantasm before Jeanne had a chance to activate any of her Ruler's Command Spells!

Bracing herself for the impending impact, she summoned her weapon. But just as she readied her stance, another Servant's aura brushed her senses.

"Archer, strike now!"

A rough male voice rang out, followed by the searing trail of a fire-laden arrow that plummeted from the sky. It collided with the steel support of the highway sign, creating a resounding boom.

Bang! Bang!

The ground where Karna stood disintegrated with a roaring blast. However, Karna remained unfazed by the unexpected ambush. He elegantly leaped into the air and landed on the road.

"It's indeed you," Karna's focus shifted from Jeanne to the newly arrived Archer, pointing his divine spear toward him.

His gaze was ice-cold, a whisper of frost in his words, "The Archer of Black has finally revealed himself... our fates, it seems, are as I suspected."

He didn't explicitly state the Archer's true name, but it was evident both Servants recognized each other.

Standing behind Archer was a chubby man, his face twisted with a blend of fear and hatred, both directed straight at Karna. Clearly, he was none other than Gordes Musik Yggdmillennia, the Master of the Archer of Black.

Karna didn't even spare him a glance, instead focusing on the Archer of Black. "It seems Ruler is your target as well." 

The Archer of Black simply nodded, "That's right."

Karna's eyes flicked to Jeanne.

While they shared a common target, the Black Faction's goal probably wasn't to kill Ruler but rather to sway her to their side. Securing the allegiance of the neutral overseer would undoubtedly tip the scales in their favor.

Karna faced the Archer of Black again. "Do you intend to join forces with Ruler to bring me down? Is victory your only goal? It's a bit shallow, but it's a legitimate tactic, so I don't mind."

"You've misunderstood," Archer of Black snapped, his voice cold. "I can't stand the thought of allying with you again, like we did under the Counter Force's orders. This time, I want a fair fight, just the two of us. I want a clear victor between you and me, Karna!"

"That's what I was hoping for, Arjuna." Karna's grip on his divine spear tightened, an intense tension building around him.

"Wait a moment, isn't your main target supposed to be me?" Jeanne questioned.