chpater 7

Chapter Text

I sighed with relief as the final bodies of the would-be invaders faded away. It must have been because of the Dragon Witch or one of her lackeys, considering how a flight of wyverns and approached in a formation. She must have somehow found out about the two Servants in Thiers, and decided to deal with them. Too bad for her plans then, I suppose.

The fight had certainly been interesting, especially once the wyverns had shown up. Our two Casters had done their best to re-create a World War II bombing raid response, short beams of magical energy quickly covering the air. Even Ritsuka had joined in, firing bursts of Gandr.

In the front, our three main powerhouses easily demolished the horde, and the fight was over in less than ten minutes, being entirely one-sided. That had felt kinda nice, actually, to have some easier victories and not running in the end.

"Looks like enemy assault has stopped," Mash reported as the inhabitants who had been watching us towards the end of the battle began to holler out in praise and gratitude for our actions. Turning around, I gave them a sheepish wave but only caused the noise to continue as I focused on the two Servants that had sat out on the fight.

Kiyohime and Elisabeth were now standing nose-to-nose, growling at one another. "We can't let those two fend for themselves, can we?" Mash asked wearily.

"I know I can't!" Amadeus said in disgust, glaring at the duo "I've had it. I'm about to vomit. Yes, I'm leaving those people all to you," the Caster said irritably, moving back towards the rear. Nearby Siegfried gave us a sad look, silently apologizing once again for being unable to assist. Apparently, the Saber had a habit of being hard on himself, it seems.

"We can't leave them, if just for the fact that I suspect if they do start fighting, all those townsfolk are going to suffer," I said with a weary sigh of my own. I opened my mouth when Ritsuka spoke up loudly.

"Both of you, knock it off!" He said, trying to sound confidant. To his credit, he didn't flinch when the two girls turned to look at him in unison.

"Huh?"

"Did you just say something?" Elisabeth and Kiyohime asked my fellow Master respectively. Well, at least they're no longer acting like feral she-beasts!

"Well, that you shouldn't fi-" Mash started to say in support of her Master/Senpai when the duo glared at her and Ritsuka.

"Back off, puppy!" The Lancer sneered, while the Berserker crossed her arms in disapproval.

"Recklessness and bravery aren't the same. Are you stupid?"

"It's a mammal, at least," Ritsuka said, a bit awkwardly. Mash blinked at him, while I cupped my face slightly.

"M-Master?" She stammered. "Hey Master, aren't you a little upset?" Whatever his words were meant to do, I doubt that they were meant to escalate the situation. Unfortunately, that was exactly what happened.

Elisabeth pointed her spear at us with a scowl. "Now I'm pissed," she growled, while next to her Kiyohime nodded.

"You said it. You'll regret your words from the bottom of Hell. Elisabeth, let's get started!" I half-hoped that we hadn't just witnessed the two Servants who just seconds ago couldn't stand the presence of one another agree to team up.

"Fine! Just don't get cocky just because you beat some wimpy wyverns," she said, aiming that last part at us. "I'll show you the terror that a Dragonkin can inflict!" Huh, so she is part dragon or something?

"Did they just team up?" Mash asked, stunned. I shrugged as I looked at her while the two Servants prepared to charge.

"It seems so. Hey, Mordred, those two claims they are dragons. Wanna show them the might of a Pendragon?" Mordred gave me one of the widest and toothiest grins I had yet seen grace her features as she readied Clarent.

"I like what you're saying there, Master!" She responded with savage glee. The Knight of Rebellion walked forward briskly, while I stepped back a bit with the others. It seems that our audience had realized we were about to deal with those two pesky girls, and began to jeer at Elisabeth and Kiyohime. Well, at least they won't be in the way.

"Mordred, just remember, try not to kill them please? We need to ask a few questions still, after all," I called out to my Saber, who replied with a lazy thumbs up as her helmet enclosed her face once more

"Five hundred Yen says that it takes her five minutes," Ritsuka whispered to me. I scoffed, crossing my arms as I watched Mordred. My, my, I didn't expect Ritsuka to bet on a fight.

"I say two to three minutes."

"You're on."

The two Servants she was about to fight against exchanged looks to one another before they focused on her, circling around slightly. One at a time or both at once, neither option concerned her. She was Mordred Pendragon, second only to King Arthur Pendragon!

The turquoise-clothed Berserker was the first to attack, spreading out her fan. It seems that she was the one responsible for the fire earlier, for bright orange flames were projected from it, forming an over-sized fan.

The Berserker yet out a battle cry as she swept her fan towards Mordred, and a wave of fire rushed towards her.

"Tch. Mana Burst!" Mordred grunted in annoyance, fi9nding the opening attack to be rather lack-luster in her opinion. Her body infused with energy, she leapt over the wall of fire, landing just in front of her first opponent.

The Berserker was only able to gasp in shock before she was bent over as Mordred slammed her right knee into the Servant's stomach, forcing the air out of her lungs. If it wasn't for her Master's request, she would have sliced her open with Clarent, but in this case, knocking the breath and the fight out of her would do.

Before the knight could land a follow-up blow, however, a glint of metal that was growing closer had her leaping back slightly as the other loud-mouth brat thrusted forth with her spear. The instant Mordred's feet connected with the ground, she was once more in motion, swinging Clarent in a downward overhead strike.

The Lancer's eyes widened momentarily as she spun her spear around before delivering a counterstrike that saw the shaft of her weapon groaning under the weight of Clarent's heavier mass. The knight leaned into the strike, trying to force the pink-haired brat to drop her spear. The smirk that suddenly appeared on the girl's face threw her for a loop, but she ignored it. Unlike what she felt next, however.

Mordred grunted at the shoulder check the Berserker delivered from the side, however, having apparently recovered at least somewhat. She was sent skidding backwards, her sabatons drawing two shallow furrows along the ground, while Clarent made a third one after she stabbed the blade she had used to kill her father to slow her down.

"Cheap shot," she grunted as she pulled Clarent out, flicking it to the side to rid it off the thin layer of dirt near the tip. It wasn't like the two were real threats like that damn traitor or Martha had been, but that stupid handicap her Master had given her was making it harder for her.

Instead of lunging forth again, Mordred decided to switch tactics. She shifted her posture slightly, taking what some might have thought was a defensive stance. Her two opponents had a brief exchange of glances, before the Berserker gestured at the Knight of Rebellion. Her Lancer counterpart nodded slightly before dashing forward, seeking to impale Mordred.

Tch, as if she would allow for anyone to do such a thing to her ever again, especially if it wasn't that damn holy lance!

Mordred didn't move until the last second, twisting to the side while swinging Clarent down with all her might. Her blow struck true, slamming into the shaft just below the curiously-shaped tip. Said tip was forcibly buried into the ground as its wielder released a high-pitched yelp of dismay.

She eagerly silenced that noise with a follow-up strike that took the form of an elbow to the face. To the Lancer's credit, she didn't beg for mercy, or try running away. Her blue eyes glared at her with anger.

"Don't think I'm out this yet!" Lancer shouted defiantly, leaping backwards into the air. Mordred cocked her head in puzzlement before her eyes widened slightly in understanding. Then her lips twitched upwards into a smirk, and she feigned ignorance until it was the right time.

The Lancer spun in the air slightly, trying to swipe at Mordred with her tail. Mordred didn't flinch, instead bringing up her left gauntlet and blocking the lashing before grabbing it. The smaller Servant yelped in a mixture of shock and pain as Mordred began to spin around, building up speed as Kiyohime began to charge.

Perfect.

Waiting until the last moment, Mordred finally released her grip on Elisabeth's tail, sending the annoying, shrieking Lancer flying into the oncoming Berserker, knocking her off of her feet and causing the two to become a tangled pile of limbs and tail.

Grinning underneath Secret of Pedigree, Mordred leapt forward, closing the gap between them once more. Taking advantage of the inability for the two to move, Mordred planted her feet onto the stomach of the brats, pinning them down as she held Clarent's blade in one hand, the hilt in the other, bending down and causing the withering figures beneath her to pause as the blade hovered inches above their unprotected necks.

"Yield," Mordred said to the pinned girls, pressing Clarent down against their throats as an added precaution. Considering what she had seen of their actions, the Knight of Rebellion didn't agree with her Master's orders, but she had agreed to trust him. If they tried to push their luck, she wouldn't hesitate to slit their throats here and now, but she would give them a chance.

One chance.

"G-gah…" The Lancer gagged, before finally managing to speak actual words. "W-We g-gah-give," the brat pleaded. Her frenemy (the modern vernacular truly was something) didn't say anything, but nodded her head furiously, her cheeks reddened from exhaustion and probably the lack of air.

"Good choice," Mordred said with a sneer, retracting Secret of Pedigree as she rested her sword against her shoulder. She turned to her Master with a pleased smirk.

"All yours, Master."

"All yours, Master," Mordred said triumphantly. I nodded my head in approval and began to walk forward, Mash and Ritsuka close behind as our audience finally started to go back to their daily lives, no longer interested in our activities, thank god.

"Good job, Mordred. You fought well," I said with Ernest praise. To my surprise, Mordred's cheeks reddened slightly, though it seemed to have been in pleasure of being praised.

"Eh, it was little more than a workout," Mordred responded with her usually cockiness, trying to sound dismissive of the fight. I merely shook my head in amusement at her as the two defeated Servants finally started to stand back up once more.

"Y-you got me," Kiyohime wheezed, rubbing her throat with one hand. "Oooooh," She moaned in pain. Elisabeth wasn't looking much better.

"N-not bad, you know…" She gasped, bruised and battered. "I'll let you call it a day now…" she said before falling flat on her butt. Mash stepped forward, a stern expression on her face as she gazed at the two.

"Now that things have settled, I'd like to hear from you. Would you mind?" The defeated duo looked at Mash wearily.

"….What?"

"I'm a loser snake, in other words, you're kicking a defeated snake when it's down?" Kiyohime complained.

"Loser snake?" Mash repeated in confusion, before shaking her head. "Um, have you seen any other Servants besides yourselves?"

"Well, I've seen crazy Servants," Elisabeth said, gesturing at Kiyohime. "Like this one." Kiyohime glared at her frenemy(?), pouting slightly.

"Would you mind not lumping me in with them? I'm a Berserker with my reasoning intact," Kiyohime retorted. Elisabeth rolled her eyes at the Berserker's response.

"What's your problem?" She whined, and Kiyohime's glare intensified as Amadeus walked over to us once more, a sound of understanding escaping past his lips.

"Oh, now I remember. When I was alive, I saw them often. Catfights!" He scoffed in derision. "They were beyond loud. Just you wait, in time they'll latch onto your head and make noises like 'gyaggggegggo!'" Amadeus added, throwing his hands skywards for added effect. Elisabeth pouted at the Caster, still sitting down on the ground.

"I will not! But that's called shamisen, right? Shamisen?" Oh, great. I think Mordred had knocked a few screws loose. Now they weren't making any sense!

"Anyways!" Mash said loudly, refusing to allow the bickering girls to continue their verbal assaults once more. "You haven't seen any Servants other than the 'Dragon Witch' or Carmilla's group, right?" She asked, before sighing and looking at Ritsuka and I. "Master, Jacob Senpai….I fear that it looks like we've just wasted our time." I shook my head at that.

"Not entirely. We prevented another town from being razed to the ground," I chided the Demi-Servant politely.

"Yeah, but it is still a shame. It wasn't exactly a party having to listen to those two go at it," Ritsuka grumbled, gesturing over his shoulder with his thumb at the aforementioned Servants.

"Elisabeth aside, treating me like that is a little bit rude, don't you think?" Kiyohime asked us. Even if that wasn't the best way to handle the situation earlier, it wasn't exactly like either of the two dragon-girls had been shining paragons of manners.

"We're looking for a saint. It's a matter of great importance," Ritsuka answered the Berserker. She blinked at him in interest.

"Oh. It takes guts to make that comeback," she said in a thoughtful tone before shaking her head. "But in any case, a saint? I only know of one saint, if you mean someone whose teachings took root deep within this nation," she said. I snapped out of my irritation, feeling a surge of hopeful excitement flood my body.

"Really?" Mash asked cautiously. Kiyohime nodded at the Demi-Servant.

"Yes. I met him before coming across Elisabeth." Well, at least she had told us it was a guy, meaning it wasn't going to be Jeanne d'Arc she had seen. "I almost fought him, but he realized I was a genuine Berserker and sheathed his sword. His True Name is Georgios. I believe he is quite a famous saint around here," Kiyohime finished. I activated my commlink.

"Did you catch all that, Doctor Roman?" I asked.

"Yes! Georgios! Better known in England as Saint George. He would be perfect for this," Roman said excitedly. "Do you know where he went?" He asked Kiyohime. The Berserker look surprise at how we were communicating, but shrugged before answering.

"That's the real shame. He went the opposite direction as me, to the west." Not quite a shame then, seeing that was the same direction Jeanne and Marie had gone when we had split up this morning. I switched the channel I was on, with the intent of contacting the two Servants in question.

I tapped my foot impatiently as I waited for the link to be established. Finally, I heard the voice of my temporary Servant. "Jacob? Is everything ok?" She asked in concern.

"Yes, we arrived safely in Thiers. There was an enemy host that tried to attack the town, but we defeated it. We didn't find a saint Servant, but we did find out that there was one who had gone west, in your direction," I said rapidly. "Also, you and Marie are doing well still?" I asked, being rewarded with a soft sound of laughter.

"Yes, we are fine. We arrived at a small town," was Jeanne's response. "We detected a Servant over here as well. I'm about to make contact right now."

"Good. Hopefully it is our mysterious saint. Good luck. Our meetup point is Thiers. Jacob, out," I said before ending the connection.

"Jeanne and Marie found a Servant," I repeated, louder. "They are also safe," I said, the second part intended almost solely for the sake of Amadeus. The composer's body relaxed slightly. "The plan is for them to make contact, and if it is a saint, possibly even Georgios, to return with our saint in tow to Thiers. Hopefully they will be here by nightfall. Does this plan sound ok to you all?" I asked, gazing at the others. Seeing no sign of disagreement, I turned to Ritsuka.

"We should start making a camp. I am sure that the citizens of Thiers would be happy to accommodate us after everything we did for them, but I don't want to push my luck when Jeanne arrives, and someone recognizes her. Saviors or not, I doubt we would be welcomed to stay in town for much longer once that happens."

"That makes sense," Ritsuka said in agreement. "I don't suppose we could go visit the market and see if they have any good food available?" He asked hopefully. I couldn't help but chuckle at that.

"I think that would be fine. Honestly, it'll be nice to have something other than emergency field rations. Do you want to come along, Mordred?" I said, turning to my first Servant. The Knight of Rebellion simply shrugged in response.

"Eh, not like there's a fight going on or anything. Might as well see if they have anything decent to eat," she said casually. With that said, the four of us walked into Thiers.

It was honestly uplifting to see the townsfolk going about their day. It meant they were alive. The fact that we had helped maintain that state further helped in reducing the burden of witnessing such devastation like Lyon or La Charité. After some haggling, I was able to procure a generous slice of beef from a butcher. The eyes of Ritsuka, Mordred, and Mash all lit up at the sight and smell of the fresh meat.

Another stall yielded some fresh vegetables, and soon we were back at the camp. Kiyohime and Elisabeth sat silently with the other Servants, as they had been when we left an hour or so ago. Seeing no reason to request their departure now that they had stopped their aggravating fighting and were silent. Better they be bystanders than more enemies, after all.

Chulainn grinned at seeing the fresh food, which was actually enough for all of us, and had offered to cook the meat, an offer I happily accepted. I sat on the ground near the Lancer, watching eagerly in the hopes of picking up some lessons on how to cook in these situations should I ever be in the position of having to do so on my own. Mordred and Siegfried were in the middle of a quiet discussion, perhaps about their shared War they had been summoned in?

I had lost track of time when Mash's cry of alarm shattered the air of serenity that had developed.

"Jacob Senpai! We've lost contact with Marie and Jeanne! Last thing we heard, Jeanne reported she was under attack!"

"What?!? Damn it!" I snarled, my good mood torn to ribbons. The other Servants stopped what they were doing, looking at Ritsuka and I, awaiting our orders. Damn, damn, damn, damn it!

"We have to wait here," Ritsuka said glumly. I clenched my fists and looked westward. Damn it all to hell.

"We wait until dawn. If we haven't heard word, or Jeanne and Marie don't arrive by nightfall, we go westward. Until then, we must wait here," I said grimly, gritting my teeth.

Please, come back to us alive, Jeanne and Marie.

2

Chapter Text

Waiting for Jeanne and Marie to return had to have been one of the most painful experiences since witnessing the death of Director Animusphere. I hated this sense of helplessness, no matter the circumstances.

Mash kept trying to regain contact with Jeanne, but so far, her efforts had been futile. Ritsuka kept himself close by to keep the Demi-Servant from getting frustrated. Most of the other Servants were also antsy in their own ways. Even Doctor Roman was silent, save for the occasional report about any Servant signatures approaching the town.

Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

In an attempt to pass the time, we had the dinner Chulainn had been preparing, but the food tasted like ash in our mouths, and we only continued eating in order to sate our hunger. Finally, I was about to give up hope for the survival of Jeanne and Marie when suddenly a voice called out in the evening air.

"Master, look!" Mordred called out, and I did so. Two figures on a horse were approaching rapidly.

"Mash," Jeanne called out in relief, leaping out of the saddle and running over to us.

"Oh, thank goodness!" Mash said in pure relief. "And who is-" She started to ask before the armored man spoke up.

"My name is Georgios." Ah, so we had found our saint. While that's great, someone was missing. A certain energetic and cheerful bundle of positivity. I was about to ask when Amadeus beats me to the point.

"Where's Marie?" Amadeus asked bluntly. He looked solemn and resigned, as if he already knew and had accepted the answer, I feared we were about to hear. Sure enough, Jeanne's expression fell, and my heart sank.

"Marie is…" Jeanne started to say, choking briefly in sadness. "She sacrificed herself to save both us and the townsfolk Georgios had been protecting. I'm so sorry, Jacob. And to you, Amadeus," she said as we all turned to gauge the reaction of Marie's companion.

"I see," he said in an emotionless tone. "That's what she said when she stayed behind?" He asked Jeanne for confirmation, which she gave in a slight nod. The Caster took a deep breath before exhaling in a long sigh. "Oh well, it can't be helped. You don't have to feel bad. Even if we were all there, she would've done the same thing. Marie is an eternal philanthropist. That's how she lives and dies," he said with a smile, though that looked rather brittle to me. "But never mind that, why don't the two of you reverse Siegfried's curse?"

"R-Right," Jeanne said a bit awkwardly, unsure of how to react to what the composer had just said. The two saints walked over to the wounded Saber and began to get to work on whatever it was they were going to do to restore Siegfried. Mash looked at the fallen Rider's friend in worry.

"Amadeus…" She started to say softly before the Servant in question raised a hand slightly, politely silencing the Demi-Servant/

"It's all right, I knew this was going to happen. Remember how Marie was talking about the piano?" He paused as Ritsuka, Mash, and I all nodded. The other Servants had spread out in a loose, protective circle, though Mordred stayed the closest, watching me silently. "See, that was her way of saying goodbye. It never happened when we were alive. If she'd said to me, 'Let me hear your piano,' I couldn't have stopped her. But, the second farewell hits hard. Worse than the first. All the more as we'll never meet again," Amadeus continued, his tone becoming bitter despite the smile he had forced to display.

"If you are Heroic Spirits, wouldn't there be a chance to see each other again?" Mash asked naïvely. "Like with what happened here, you may be called to the same battlefield…" She stopped as Amadeus shook his head.

"Mm, that won't happen, I think? There are as many Heroic Spirits as the stars. How I came across her this time was already a miracle. Though, a whimsical Master might change things a bit," he mused, the last part more for his own benefit. Forcing his smile on display, Amadeus turned to the city. "Anyways, I'm a bit tired. I'm going to excuse myself, maybe see if I can find a drink. Call for me when you're ready to leave," he said as he began walking away, not bothering to wait for an answer.

Mash tried to call out his name, but Ritsuka gently griped her right shoulder.

"Stop, Mash," He said softly as I walked over. Mash looked at my fellow Master with concern.

"Master, but-" she started to say before Elisabeth spoke up.

"It's fine. Everyone has moments when they want to be alone." I nodded in appreciation at the Lancer's statement.

"She's right. Everyone deals with grief differently. Some drown themselves in alcohol. Some throw themselves into the jaws of death. Some fall into a rage that can't be quenched with anything but vengeance. And some prefer to spend some time alone. Let Amadeus grieve," I said softly. Come to think of it, we didn't really properly mourn the loss of so many lives from the actions of Lev.

"Very well. Now that's aside," Mash started to say, gazing critically at Elisabeth and Kiyohime. "Why are you here?" The two Servants we had defeated only a few hours ago looked at one another, shrugged, and then looked back at Mash.

"It's fine, isn't it?" The Lancer spoke first in a nonchalant tone, and the Berserker beside her nodded as she chimed in.

"You don't approve of us being here? We're willing to assist you in combat," Kiyohime said plainly, looking more at Ritsuka than the Demi-Servant though. Mash tilted her head slightly, looking at the duo cautiously.

"Well, that is something to be thankful for, but…" Mash's voice trailed off, noticing the Berserker's lack of interest in her response. Instead, the female Servant stepped closer to Ritsuka with an appraising look in her golden eyes.

"By the way, Master," she began to say, startling Ritsuka.

"ME?" He asked, pointing at himself. Kiyohime nodded, staring intently at the Japanese youth.

"Of course, you. Though temporary, can you enter a contract with me?" She asked with a smile, extending a pinky finger. "Yes, sticking out your pinky is enough," Kiyohime said encouragingly as Ritsuka began to copy her action. She locked her pinky around his.

Wow, how childish was this Servant?

"This is a pinky promise," she explained to a puzzled Ritsuka. "IF you lie, I'll make you swallow a thousand needles.." she warned, the threat completely contrasting the supposedly-adorable smile she was giving my fellow Master.

Ok, scratch that. How insane was Kiyohime?!?

"This completes the contract!" Kiyohime said pleasantly, lowering her hand while Ritsuka backed away rather rapidly to stand next to Mash. The Shielder adopted a somewhat protective stance, undoubtedly because of the Berserker's threat. "Just so you know, I really will make you swallow a thousand needles if you lie. Is that clear?" Ritsuka's head bobbed up and down frantically. "Good. Please take care of me from now on."

Poor Rits. I honestly felt bad for the guy. Not bad enough to intervene, mind you, but still. At least it was a distraction from the absence of someone who had charmed her way into everyone's hearts. Ana absence everyone, even Mordred, was showing.

"Master, Jacob Senpai," Mash called out, and I turned towards the youngest member of our trio (when Mordred's excluded that is). "It looks like Jeanne and Georgios have succeeded in lifting Siegfried's curse!" the Demi-Servant reported. I made my way over to the group as Siegfried began to rise up onto his feet, the horrid-looking wound at his side absent.

"Okay, you will be fine from now on. This would probably have been impossible on my own," Jeanne admitted, before looking away. "It's all thanks to Marie," Jeanne continued after a brief, pregnant pause. "We were able to survive because of her. What she risked her life protecting is something I want to protect too." Jeanne raised her head, and stared at Ritsuka and I sternly, and I could sense an iron will behind her words. "This era, this world, this country. To do so, we must defeat the Dragon Witch and the dragon, once and for all."

"The latter task is one that I can now assist in. I apologize for the delay, Jacob and Ritsuka. No, Masters…That is the more correct way to put it. I appreciate all of your efforts from the bottom of my heart. I shall entrust my sword to you. This body will be my Masters' sword and shield," declared the male Saber, standing at his full height. "My True Name is Siegfried. I have no other skill than slaying dragons, but I'd be honored to be put to use."

Ritsuka looked towards me, indicating a desire for me to take the lead role this time. I nodded my head subtly towards him before looking intently at the Saber. "I am Jacob Aronson, and I look forward to seeing you display them in defeating Fafnir."

"All right, now we have ourselves a team!" Doctor Roman interjected, sounding excited. While my own is tempered by the loss of Marie, I could relate. Finally, we could go on the offensive. Finally, we could be the ones acting, and not merely reacting to the circumstances forced upon us.

"Let's take down that dragon and liberate Orléans," I said.

"About damn time!" Mordred said eagerly.

"Hmph, I wouldn't mind helping you out with that, little Puppies," Elisabeth said, trying to affect a bored mannerism. Kiyohime rolled her eyes at her frenemy. Apparently Ritsuka and I were puppies now. Somehow, I'm fine with this. Not happy, but it's still better than being the object of affection from a certain dragon Berserker nearby.

"My, my, Elisabeth," the Berserker said mischievously. "Calling my Love a Puppy is an insult."

The Lancer rolled her eyes at Kiyohime. Did you just make a ridiculous word change?" She asked with a sigh. "Well, I don't care. I'm not a cheap dragon. I will meet an extra-special Master someday!" God help whoever that soul is.

"Oh, so the horns on your head aren't the only things twisted. Seeking an impossible dream," Kiyohime said, shaking her head sadly. "Is your head okay?"

"It's not an impossible dream!" Elisabeth shot back with a scowl. "It's conviction! I'm convinced of it! I'll someday meet a Master that is to my liking and who will love me!" That was rather adorable and sweet, especially for a girl some might consider to look rather demonic.

"Yes, yes, in your head it's another cloudless day," Kiyohime said, waving a hand dismissively, teasing the Lancer no doubt. I coughed politely, before the two new members of our group could continue their little…'discussion' again.

"So, it is agreed. Come first light we march on Orléans. Now, if you will excuse me, I'm going to look around the city, see what else there might be. The rest of you should take care of anything you want or need to tonight," I said a bit vaguely. I needed to release some frustration over the sad news Jeanne had brought to us.

The evening sky had darkened as I continued to hack and slash at a straw-filled dummy used to practice sword drills. It was my fourth or fifth one, its predecessors lying around me, having been slashed one time too many to contain the straw filling.

Behind me, Mordred kept watch, warning would-be gawkers to stay away, and thus leaving me to focus solely on my releasing my grief over today's loss. Thankfully, after a little discussion with the commander of the town's garrison, I had been given access to the drill square for the night. Apparently, at least in this time, saving the lives of an entire town could give someone a lot of leeway.

With a savage swing that displayed absolutely no technique, but pure brute strength, I sliced open the middle of my 'opponent', and straw spilt out like internal organs. I planted my sword into the ground, and leaned against it, breathing deeply, my face flush and sweaty from my exertion even  with the cool night breeze. I heard the soft clinking of armor, but I don't turn around, trusting the Knight of Rebellion to handle it.

"He's not in a good mood, Ruler," Mordred warned, revealing the presence of Jeanne. I had wondered when my temporary Servant would build up the confidence to talk to me one-on-one.

"Be that as it may, I must talk with him," I heard Jeanne respond softly.

"It's fine, Mordred," I called out, catching my second wind as I turned around, leaving my sword embedded in the earth. The Saber stared intently at the Maid of Orléans, before stepping aside, and the slightly taller blonde walked towards me.

"I'm sorry for not keeping to the promise form this morning," Jeanne finally said softly, standing a few feet away from me. Did she think I was upset at her? I shook my head before speaking.

"I'm not mad at either Marie or you. Marie died a hero, worthy of a Heroic Spirit. I will miss her, and hopefully someday we can all be reunited at Chaldea, solving other singularities together, but she stayed true to who she was." Jeanne stared at me expectantly, and I continued. "Doctor Roman is the acting director for Chaldea. Director Olga Marie Animusphere was the last confirmed director. During our first Rayshift, due to a series of events caused by treachery, the director ended up loosing her life. Ritsuka and I watched helplessly as her supposed friend and mentor gifted her the 'treat' of experiencing an unending cycle of dying." I paused, my hands clenching into fists tightly at my side as I remembered the sobbing screams. Jeanne, as well as Mordred, watched me with clear concern.

"we…we just watched it happen," I finally said, forcing myself to unclench my fists. "It is a moment that I will never forget, nor forgive myself. Maybe one day, once the timeline has been fixed, Chaldea can find a way to undo what that bastard did to Director Animusphere, and allow her to depart in peace once and for all," I said wistfully, gazing up at the handful of stars that had begun appearing overhead.

"You wanted to do your best to not let another teammate down, to die, didn't you?" Jeanne asked with a look of understanding. I nodded a bit sheepishly, feeling that it made me sound immature, foolish.

"Maybe it was foolish of me. This is a war, and war cannot be won without loss," I said with a sigh. "But that doesn't mean I won't try my best to limit the loss of friends and comrades. I am sure you can understand that," I said, to which Jeanne nodded.

"Jacob." Jeanne paused, shaking her head. "No, Master. Right now, I am a powerless Servant, but I wish to protect this world. Please, fight with me," She said. I grinned slightly, shaking my head in amusement

"Of course. This is our duty," I said softly, sheathing my sword. My reward was a heartwarming, sincere smile from the blonde saint.

"Thank you so much!" She said, looking pleased. She then quickly made an excuse to depart, and did so with a bounce to her step. I had a feeling that perhaps my answers tonight had helped eased the burden she carried over having to leave Marie behind, regardless of whether the Rider had told the saint to do so or not. There was a soft shifting of metal as Mordred walked over, arms crossed against her breastplate, a calculating look in her eyes as she gazed at me.

"Are you okay, Master?" Mordred finally asked, walking over. I hummed softly.

"Yeah. I just need to get a good night's rest. Let's get back to camp," I said, and my Servant nodded, her posture relaxing now that I had worked off my frustration.

"Good. We need to keep both our heads in the game, after all, and not just mine, Master."

"Gilles!" Jeanne Alter roared, storming into the main hall. She was scowling, her gauntlet-covered holding her banner in a death grip. "Are you here?" She demanded. No sooner had her last syllable left her lips then the Caster she would consider to be the closest thing she had to a friend appeared.

"Yes, right here!" Gilles said eagerly. Good. She wasn't in the mood to track down the Caster.

"Marie Antoinette has perished, but what about Sanson?" After her final confrontation with the annoying Rider, she had a wyvern take the unconscious Sanson back to Orléans for Gilles to inspect. Phantom, Martha, and Lancelot were already defeated, but she had plenty of other Servants at her disposal.

"I was treating him when you arrived. His mind apparently perished with her," Gilles informed her dutifully. "All we can do is to keep his Spiritron Shell intact, and use him as a foot soldier." Jeanne Alter mulled over this latest development for a few minutes, standing silently as she relaxed her grip ever so slightly.

"I see," the fallen Ruler finally said. "Georgios escaped from that town," she said, scowling angrily. "Had Marie not sacrificed herself to buy time, our plan would have worked!" Alter seethed at the setback. Everything had been going perfectly according to plan, until that damn mouse and his friends showed up. She should have burned him at La Charité the moment he stood up to her.

"I see," Gilles said, his face turning thoughtful, and still somehow looking ridiculous thanks to his inability to get his eyes to focus in a single direction. "The enemy ranks lost one, but also gained another."

"Yes. We still have the advantage, but they are becoming more and more of a damn nuisance by the hour. Continue searching for the-" Before she could finish giving out her latest set of orders, another Servant walked into the room, an excited gleam in their eyes.

"It looks like that won't be necessary," Berserker Saber informed their Master.

"What do you mean? I thought I ordered you to search the southeastern region." Her curiosity was further piqued as Berserker Saber shook their head emphatically.

"There's no longer any need, Master. They're heading straight for Orléans. They should arrive around noon tomorrow. It looks like it's a final showdown they want," the corrupted Saber said viciously, a bloodthirsty smile on their lips. "Don't you want the same thing?"

"…So, they've stopped running around, have they? I imagine that's because they think they have a shot at winning now," Jeanne Alter muttered. Berserker Saber shrugged.

"I suppose they do," they said with a lazy wave of their hand. "They have a fair number of Servants as well. Considering we have dragons on our side, this will surely be a glorious fight!" Upon hearing those words, the Dragon Witch smirked cruelly at her Servant.

"You're enjoying yourself, huh?" She asked.

"Of course! As you know, I'm not right in the head. I'll be just as happy wiping them out as I would being wiped out by them," Berserker Saber said without an ounce of hesitation in their tone. A look of longing, of need, appeared alongside the already-present excitement they had shown. "Go on, order me, my Master," they begged. Jeanne Alter was more than happy to oblige their request.

"Gather the others and prepare for the final battle. Gilles, prepare the final summons," the fallen saint commanded of her minions.

"Understood. I shall gather all of the dragons who have yet been slain," the twisted Caster said, bowing deeply before leaving, Berserker Saber close behind, leaving Jeanne Alter alone with her thoughts.

"If we win, this word will be destroyed. Even if we lose, though, it will make no difference. The world is long gone. Even if they correct this place, an endless journey lies ahead," she said aloud, her words echoing softly off the walls. She scowled once more. "And yet, and yet, they have faith in the world…those people and 'me'," she said in contempt.

"In that case, I shall smite them. I won't let them reconnect this world. This is my wish, and Gilles' wish." For the second time since her resurrection, her confidence, her determination, faltered for a moment. "Yes…that should be my wish…" she said softly to herself.