Chapter 37: Jeanne d'Arc Alter

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"You're Lancer?"

Roy's eyes darkened as he gazed at the Lancer shrouded in malice.

There was no mistaking it.

That stance, those features—there was no doubt about it. This was Jeanne d'Arc Alter.

It was indeed possible for Jeanne Alter to have the attributes necessary for the Lancer class.

But the more Roy observed, the more he felt something was off about this Jeanne Alter.

Jeanne Alter was an extraordinarily unique Servant.

She was a being from a distorted timeline, a figure lost to history. In the restored timeline, no one remembered her, and no one could summon her. As such, there was no established "bond" connecting her to the present world. She was like a fleeting shadow, a lonely soul confined to another world.

In theory, aside from Ritsuka Fujimaru, no one should have been able to summon her.

Moreover...

There was something off about the atmosphere surrounding her.

This Jeanne Alter indeed radiated a powerful malice. Based solely on that malice, she could easily be classified as an Anti-Hero, her heart brimming with hatred, anger, and a deep-seated fury that could consume the entire world.

Typically, everyone knew Jeanne Alter as someone full of resentment. She laughed maniacally, reveled in sarcasm, and often wore exaggerated expressions. Every sentence she spoke seemed to conceal a sharp barb, as if the world owed her something.

But this Jeanne Alter didn't display the usual animosity.

Instead, her expression was unnervingly calm.

Hatred, rage, all those intense emotions—none of them were visible on her face.

Considering these two points, Roy concluded there was something unusual about this Jeanne Alter.

It felt less like she was Jeanne Alter herself and more like someone wearing her skin.

"Master?"

Okita Sōji glanced at him, seeking guidance.

"No problem. Attack!"

Roy's lips curled into a malicious grin.

Whether or not she was the real Jeanne Alter didn't matter. Kill her either way!

"Understood!"

Okita obeyed, brandishing her sword as she charged toward Lancer.

Lancer's expression tensed as she extended her arms. Two pitch-black lances materialized in her hands, crossing in front of her like a shield.

"Dual-wielding long weapons?"

Okita's wariness increased.

Wielding two weapons allowed for faster attacks compared to using one, but the trade-off was a significant decrease in power.

Only someone truly confident in their strength would dare to dual-wield.

Especially with long lances, which required immense strength to handle effectively.

This Lancer was no ordinary opponent!

With a resounding clang, their weapons clashed for the first time.

The moment their blades met, Okita's brow furrowed deeply.

She started with a probing attack, stepping forward with calculated precision, her blade targeting every opening in Lancer's defense.

Yet, despite Okita's relentless strikes, Lancer skillfully deflected them with her lances.

What was strange, however, was that Lancer made no effort to counterattack. She continued to defend, retreating and dodging Okita's onslaught.

Okita was a Servant known for her speed. Her sword moved with incredible swiftness, each strike following the next like raindrops in a storm.

Once an opponent fell behind in her rhythm, she had the confidence to push them into a corner where they wouldn't have the chance to retaliate.

That is, unless they were proficient with a long weapon like a lance.

With one quick step back, Lancer could create enough distance to force Okita into the range where her sword couldn't reach but the lance could. At that point, Okita would have to divide her attention, constantly wary of the lance's reach, preventing her from overwhelming her opponent.

From the feel of it, Lancer's strength wasn't inferior to hers, even while dual-wielding.

With such strength, it would have been easy for Lancer to create distance and gain the upper hand.

"What's this Lancer up to? Why isn't she trying to counterattack? Is this some sort of trap?"

A warning bell rang in Okita's mind.

From the start, Lancer had been on the defensive, showing no signs of wanting to strike back. It was as if she had no intention of fighting at all.

Even when Okita's blade came dangerously close, Lancer simply dodged in panic, making no effort to retaliate. If Lancer was indeed trying to lure her into a trap, then her acting was impeccable.

Okita was confused.

Did this Lancer even want to fight?

At that moment...

Buzz!

A series of runes materialized in the air.

Roy moved his fingers as if drawing, the runes coalescing into a stream of fire. It roared forward like a rocket, hurtling toward the old man in armor.

"Master!"

Lancer's expression shifted.

She took a direct hit from Okita's sword, her arms shaking violently as the impact nearly caused her to drop her lances.

Using the momentum, she quickly retreated, positioning herself between the armored old man and the incoming fire. With a sweep of her hand, black flames born from malice surged forth, instantly obliterating Roy's rune-infused flames.

Seeing this, Okita hurriedly moved back to defend Roy, fearing Lancer might seize the chance to attack him.

But surprisingly, after dispersing the flames, the black fire vanished without a trace.

There was no attempt to strike Roy at all.

Okita, observing this, was momentarily taken aback.

"What are you doing, Lancer?!"

The armored old man bellowed, sensing that something was wrong.

"Hurry up and kill him! Or are you planning to betray me as well?!"

Lancer lowered her gaze, remaining silent.

Across from them, Roy narrowed his eyes.

Something was definitely off about this Lancer.

"Master, for some reason, it seems like Lancer doesn't want to fight."

At that moment, Okita shared her suspicions with Roy through their mental link.

"But I can't be certain."

"Let's test it then."

A wicked smile spread across Roy's face.

He extended his hand, the blood-red hue in his eyes vanishing, replaced by a brilliant light as numerous runes coiled around, gleaming like precious gems.

As his Mystic Eyes glimmered, Roy swiftly inscribed a rune.

Under the influence of his eyes, the rune seemed to come alive, expanding rapidly before splitting into two, then four, then eight...

In a single breath, the runes multiplied into over two hundred.

The mass of runes formed a large, half-man-sized sphere that hurtled toward Lancer and her Master. As it flew, the runes began to glow with intense heat, as though they were about to explode at any moment.

Lancer's face tightened as she glanced around.

The street was lined with houses on both sides.

Did Roy really not care about the lives of innocent people?

Biting her lip, Lancer let out a barely audible sigh.

It was both a sigh of regret and a bitter laugh.

In the next moment, she charged toward the incoming sphere, plunging both lances into the ground. The earth beneath her feet cracked, and rivers of hellfire erupted, shattering the asphalt as molten flames surged toward the rune sphere.

Simultaneously, dozens of spears shot up from the ground like spikes, catching the fiery rune sphere and hurling it high into the sky.

Boom!

The rune sphere detonated, its explosion lighting up the night sky like a massive fireball. The surrounding area was illuminated as though it were daytime, and a wave of searing heat washed over them, reminiscent of the peak of summer.

Okita could only stare in astonishment at the enormous fireball in the sky, momentarily too shocked to speak.

"That was incredible…"

Was my Master really this powerful? Wait...

If he's this strong, then where does that leave me, a Servant who wasn't all that strong to begin with?

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