You are very strong, but my painting style is better than yours!

"You have a task to be assigned from above. Name your price."

Lion Robber's face twitched violently. He knew that whenever those important figures offered such conditions, they would definitely give him a task that was too difficult for him to handle, and he immediately wanted to refuse.

But the envoy continued, "Now that the elites of the Clock Tower have all been wiped out, someone must stop Black Caster and Father Kotomine... We can only rely on you."

He was referring to Shishigaki and Sera, the only two Masters the Association could contact, while Iori and Mordred were the only remaining hope.

"Rely on us?"

"Two Servants alone are certainly not enough, so we still need to regain command of the faction... If we can save those Masters, that would be even better."

"Hmm..." Lion's Roar hesitated for a moment, "Just tell me straight, what exactly is the mission?"

"You, go and kill Kotomine Shiro!"

"Ah I?"

Lion Robber took a drag of his cigarette, and his gaze toward the envoy behind his sunglasses turned strange.

-

Bang!

In the forest where scorched earth and greenery meet after the war, Ruler Jeanne d'Arc swung her flagpole and knocked away a monster with the body of a calf and a pair of saber teeth. With her superhuman strength, she directly and severely damaged its internal organs, ending the battle cleanly and decisively.

But after that, Joan of Arc's expression turned serious: these monsters were becoming increasingly audacious.

The monsters and the dense fog appeared together, and the root cause of this phenomenon was that the existence of the Yamata no Orochi and the Holy Grail disturbed the earth's veins. In addition, the Yamata no Orochi's remaining "poison" and "demonic nature" also seeped into this land, awakening the sleeping evil.

Initially, the monsters only gathered in the vast wilderness centered around the site of the Yamata no Orochi's death, but as the fog gradually thickened, their range of activity expanded, reaching as far as Tulifas.

Before this, even if monsters occasionally entered Tulifas, they would be dealt with by some Servants who were also wandering in the city, so there would be no major problems.

But in the future... as monsters become bolder, perhaps one day even heroic spirits will be unable to intimidate them.

“This is bad… Merciful Father in heaven, please bestow blessings upon this suffering land. I am willing to give anything to save the innocent people from evil…”

Joan of Arc had no better solution, and with unwavering faith, she clasped her hands together and murmured a prayer.

Suddenly, she opened her eyes with a start, momentarily shocked, and then followed her instincts, rushing out of the forest.

After crossing scorched earth, the Saint Maiden arrived at a high mountain, hoping to find something that would stir her heart, but she could not see any human beings in sight.

At that moment, she suddenly looked up, her eyes widening involuntarily:

Two figures suddenly fell from the sky!

"Didn't you say it was flat ground this time?!!!!"

Chapter 141: Tentacle-based characters are definitely a no-go!

Roar!

"Mash, use Shield Bash!"

Ouch!

"Go, Joan of Arc, it's you I've chosen!"

boom!

Bang!

In the hilly area, Joan of Arc had just defeated several monsters and stopped to rest. She couldn't help but look at the "two who had appeared out of nowhere" with a strange gaze.

One was a girl with short, light purple hair that was almost pink, with bangs that partially covered her eyes. She wore light and exquisite armor and held a striking cross-shaped shield.

The other person's outfit was also quite peculiar. She wore a conservative, preppy-style top paired with a rather daring tight-fitting short skirt and stockings, revealing just the right amount of her fair thighs. Although the level of exposure was not high, it was surprisingly attractive.

This vibrant orange-haired girl wears glasses, but it's clear they're non-prescription glasses that don't correct vision; they're just for decoration and as part of her magical costume.

With her [ruler] privilege, Jeanne could tell that the two were a Servant and a Master combination, but... it didn't seem "normal".

The shield-wielding girl named Mash is not a spirit, but rather a Servant whose spirit origin was inherited through her physical body. Her form of existence is similar to that of Jeanne d'Arc (possessed) at this time. However, while Jeanne d'Arc is guided by her own will, the Heroic Spirit possessing Mash seems to have left, leaving the control to the girl herself.

Fujimaru Ritsuka, with her orange hair, looks like an ordinary magician. However, unlike her top-notch magical costume, her magical skills are not very high. Even someone as illiterate as Jeanne d'Arc, or rather, a layman, could tell that.

Their fighting style is that Mash is the main force, while Fujimaru Ritsuka provides command and support from the rear—a standard Master and Servant combination.

What's amazing is that, although seemingly ordinary, the two worked together so smoothly and effortlessly that Joan of Arc felt as if they were controlling each other. That indescribable understanding meant that even before the commands were given, their thoughts were already aligned, as if they were thinking with the same brain.

Skilled? No, more than that.

Simply accumulating experience won't get you to this level. It's like a doubles match in sports; if you're not compatible, even if you keep playing together, it won't help.

Although they had only known each other for a short time, Joan of Arc could already sense the invisible yet unwavering bond between them.

Well... this is just Joan of Arc's personal opinion, it's not important.

The important thing is that these two people appeared out of nowhere and were not participants in the "Holy Grail War" at all!

Also, what kind of class is [Shielder]? The Greater Grail didn't teach us about it...

Fortunately, there were too many unexpected events in this Holy Grail War, and Jeanne's ability to accept them improved considerably. Moreover, it was the "Revelation" that guided her to find these two people. Her intuition told her that Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mash would be the key figures who would change this twisted Holy War!

"Miss Ruler, thank you for your hard work. Please have some water."

Mashu ran over enthusiastically, carrying water she had just fetched from the stream. The cup she used was also a Mystic Code, with built-in purification and heating functions. They had many such convenient gadgets on them, clearly indicating that they often camped outdoors.

"Oh...thank you."

Joan of Arc politely accepted the water glass, inwardly marveling at its beauty.

She was willing to trust the two of them because of the "revelation" that guided her, but Mashu and Ritsuka were also very kind to her, like old friends who had known each other for many years... What's even more amazing is that she naturally accepted this way of getting along, without any distance or wariness.

'Perhaps we really are acquaintances'—Joan of Arc had already realized this.

The Throne of Heroes transcends time and space. These two people probably encountered her in different timelines and got along very well, even influencing her in the present.

"Um, judging from your appearance, this isn't your first time dealing with monsters, is it? Have you encountered similar situations before?"

The three of them found an open space, sat on the fallen tree trunk, and chatted in a relaxed atmosphere.

Although the three introduced themselves to each other at the beginning, they were interrupted by a monster that suddenly appeared before they could talk about anything important, so they could only focus on dealing with the battle first.

Strangely, after encountering this duo, Joan of Arc felt that the frequency of encountering monsters had greatly increased. She felt like she could hear the roar of a beast after just a few words, causing the conversation to be interrupted repeatedly, which secretly annoyed even her good temper.

Now that it seemed they were in a lull, Joan of Arc quickly inquired about the two men's origins.

"Well, among all the enemies we've encountered, monsters are considered quite friendly."

"friendly?"

"Yes, after all, it just wants to kill you and eat your flesh, and its appearance is also more acceptable to people."

"The senior is right. Compared to the dense swarms of insects, the stench of ghouls, the deformed and cruel new humans, and the slimy tentacle monsters, the monsters are really not bad."

"As expected, tentacle monsters are the most unacceptable." Ritsuka said with a look of disgust. "And the Demon Pillars, with eyes all over their bodies, are the most disgusting."

Mashu nodded: "Enemy types like robots, statues, and monsters are better. Tentacles and slime-like creatures are definitely a no-go!"

"But then again, if it were Abby-chan's tentacles, it wouldn't be out of the question—"

"senior!"

"Uh, sorry, please forget about it." Ritsuka scratched her head sheepishly.

Joan of Arc, standing to the side, remained silent for a moment, her eyes slightly bewildered.

Without realizing it, she had straightened her back and looked at the two sweet-looking but incredibly complicated girls with awe.

"May I ask who you two are?"

"Oh, we are from..."

Chaldea, Spirit Transfer, Human Order Burning, Demon King, Singularity... An unknown door slowly opens like Joan of Arc.

As Ritsuka slowly recounted her story, more unfamiliar information appeared out of nowhere in Jeanne's mind, just like the knowledge imparted by the Holy Grail, allowing her to gradually understand everything.

"So that's it..."

Ritsuka simply gave a brief and concise explanation, but Jeanne d'Arc already understood the cause and effect.

The "Humanity Burning" has ended, and the world is gradually returning to normal. However, like the whirlpool left on the sea after a ship sinks, the Demon King's legacy continues to have an impact in multiple timelines, which Chaldea calls a subspecies singularity.

As the last Master of Humanity, Fujimaru Ritsuka's main mission at this stage is to repair the Subspecies Singularity.

As for the "Holy Grail War" that took place in Tulipas, it does not belong to these subspecies singularities and has nothing to do with the Demon Pillars. Instead, it deviated from the original historical course due to certain unexpected factors.

According to Chaldea (normal version), this is a small singularity that was "naturally formed". Fortunately, it has only just started to get out of control and has not developed into more serious consequences. It should not be difficult to repair.

“What a shame!”

After learning the whole story, Jeanne's face flushed slightly: "As the arbiter of the Holy Grail War, I failed to control the situation and allowed it to develop into a singularity... Fortunately, with your help, we can definitely correct this mistake!"

“That’s what we thought too,” Mashu smiled sweetly. “And we’re so lucky to have met Jeanne d’Arc right at the beginning!”

If it were another Servant, the Chaldea duo would have to be wary of whether the other party was a "spy," since many corrupted Servants are themselves creators of Singularities, and some with malicious personalities like to play double agents with their Masters.

But Joan of Arc can be trusted!

First of all, this Saint Maiden does not have a "darkening" or "reversal" side; she always stands on the same side as Chaldea.

Secondly, her half-sister, Jeanne Alter, although she looks the same as her, would not play the undercover game—laughable, the Jeanne faction doesn't have that many tricks up their sleeves!

"I need to confirm... this really is the 'Holy Grail War', right? All the Servants were summoned by the Holy Grail?"

“Of course,” Jeanne d’Arc said matter-of-factly. “It’s just that there are a lot of Servants, so they’ve been divided into two camps to fight each other.”

"As long as they're all 'normal Servants,' that's fine~"

Ritsuka breathed a sigh of relief: "Chaldea's power is low right now, so if we encounter a monster that's too overpowered, I can't field a very luxurious lineup... Hmm, we can try contacting local Servants too."

"Lady Joan of Arc, what is the current situation?"

"This is quite complicated." Joan of Arc gathered her thoughts and briefly explained the background of the Red-Black War and the current stalemate between the two sides.

“No wonder it got out of control…” Mash sighed. “It’s not the first time we’ve participated in the Holy Grail War, but it’s rare to have fifteen Servants at the start.”

"This is challenging! Anyway, let's start with the 'Servant Summoning' as usual!"

Fujimaru Ritsuka stood up with great enthusiasm, and Mash nodded vigorously. The two looked at Jeanne d'Arc.

"Lady Jeanne, we need to find the nearest ley line node to set up a magic circle to summon the Chaldea Servants. Would you please accompany us?"

If this were an RPG game, there would be a notification that someone has sent a party request. Jeanne had never played games, but that didn't stop her from feeling the kindness of Ritsuka and the other person, and she immediately accepted.

only……

“Spirit vein nodes may be difficult to find.”

Joan of Arc explained to the two, "Because the Yamata no Orochi that descended a few days ago disturbed the earth's veins, and now Medea is extracting them through the Greater Grail, it's difficult to find stable nodes in the wild."

"Orochi... Huh?"

Ritsuka is from the Far East, so she is naturally familiar with this name.

"Wait, what's going on... Wasn't it supposed to be a minor singularity? Orochi will also appear in the Holy Grail War?"

"Oh, don't worry about that. The Yamata no Orochi has already been defeated by the heroes," Joan of Arc quickly reassured her.

Ritsuka breathed a sigh of relief: "Luckily, the local Servants are quite capable, even defeating Orochi... Hmm, they must have paid a heavy price, right?"

"It was indeed very difficult. If Susanoo hadn't descended from heaven to become human, it certainly wouldn't have been so easy to kill Orochi."

"...Huh? Susanoo...Susanoo?"

Ritsuka's eyelids twitched, and she immediately pursed her lips.

"I knew that shady businessman was unreliable. What do you mean by 'just incidentally repairing a minor singularity'?!"

Chapter 142: I'm just a weak berserker

Under the moonlight, the shimmering sea reflects the dazzling Milky Way, where reality and illusion merge into one on the horizon, making it impossible to distinguish which side is the brilliant starry sky and which is just a mirage.

The waves gently caressed her fair toes, swallowing up each footprint that followed like a gluttonous devil. The damp night breeze swept across the slightly chilly sea, chasing after the woman strolling on the beach.