Xingyue, is Xiaokai also considered Kai?

Perhaps I am not the real Joan of Arc?

But Gilles kept telling me that I am Joan of Arc, and that I am a fallen witch who has fallen into the dream of many humans that "a woman with such an ending should have the right to revenge." So the Dragon Witch is undoubtedly a side of Joan of Arc! I firmly believe this too.

But if you meet her once, how could you not recognize the mother who raised you?

Therefore, if one says that one is not the real Joan of Arc, then everything makes sense.

Therefore, as a counterfeit, even Gillespie probably only sees herself as a substitute for Joan of Arc, and so does Ryuufu. Since everything is fake, what in that world is real?

She has absolutely no qualities that make her lovable... She's utterly unattractive... She's just a hopelessly twisted little girl, in other words, herself.

It's just a machine that exists solely to negate her...

That's it……

“Your mother needs you, and so do I. In fact, Jill needs you too. There’s no such thing as ‘you don’t have to give something to be loved.’ Just stick to your principles, and you can live a pure and joyful life. Do what you want to do, and—”

"There is no reason why a forgery cannot surpass the genuine article."

Suddenly, Novia's voice echoed in Lily's mind, her words carrying an unknown amount of emotion that seeped into her heart.

This made her eyes widen in surprise as she stared at Novia below, then at Isabella in front of her with a kind smile.

"I……"

In that instant, Black Jeanne Lily saw something shining in this world that was merely 'false' to her.

With it, you can withstand whatever comes your way.

So, for the first time, after shrinking, Black Jeanne Lily left Novia's neck and was held in Isabella's arms.

"Well, I, well, how should I put it..."

Black Jeanne Lily stammered, as if she were coughing repeatedly, and Isabella responded softly after hearing her.

"You can just call me Mom."

"……Mother."

"So live well, if you want to be my daughter."

Black Jeanne Lily is not a saint, nor is she the avenger she was summoned again after growing up. Her heart is set on evil, and her heart is set on good, and her future may not be so bright. But even so, as long as she desires it, she will be given the light of sainthood.

As night approached, Novia had to lead the two back to prepare for the final battle. Isabella didn't try to stop them, but simply watched their retreating figures, whispering softly:

Listen to the murmuring of the waves, gaze upon the broken waves, this landscape of origin, as harsh as the ends of the earth, yet so beautiful—

Isabella hesitated for a long time before whispering the last sentence.

"Let Novia show you the sea."

Although it was only a brief meeting, Isabella, being an experienced woman, discovered that both of her daughters had a great fondness for Novia. In particular, the younger Joan of Arc wanted to act cute, but seemed to have no idea how to do so, so she kept riding on his shoulders.

In short, Isabella secretly thought to herself:

I'm entrusting this to you, Novia...

For some special reason, Isabella always felt guilty when she said that name.

"So--"

Suddenly, Isabella, who had her head down, heard Joan of Arc's voice ahead. Since the two Joans of Arc's voices were exactly the same, she couldn't tell which one it was. She just subconsciously looked up at the sunlit area, and it seemed that all three of them had turned around.

Although their faces were not clearly visible in the sunlight, they all appeared to be smiling.

In the turbulent times of the past, when people rose up out of concern for and desire to save their country, there was once a 'witch' who met an unfortunate end.

This is nothing unusual; in turbulent times, everyone lives and dies in a rush. But there will always be someone who remembers. So a mother stood up. She did not accept that her daughter had been slandered like this. After persisting for who knows how many years, this led to the Notre Dame Cathedral being packed with people on November 7, 1455.

The bull issued by Pope Christian III, held in the hands of Isabella at the time, was delivered by the young Alexander VI. The bull ordered the Bishop of Paris and the Archbishop of Reims to re-examine the charges against Joan of Arc. From that day on, a series of investigations into the Joan of Arc case were launched at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.

In 1456, twenty-five years after Joan of Arc's death, Charles III declared that Joan of Arc had died in defense of her religion, her country, and her king, and that she was a true martyr, or saint.

In fact, the moment Isabella's grievances echoed through Notre Dame Cathedral, everything was already explained.

Now, in the First Singularity, in France, the first stage of the incineration of humanity that destroyed human reason, it is unknown whether a wish was fulfilled or fate took pity on her, but in any case, the mother met her daughter whom she should never have seen again.

Then, this daughter, together with the people of the new era, will face not only the crisis of France, but a critical moment for the life and death of humanity.

Just like that day, when the mother saw her child through the window, those resolute eyes as the child left the house.

However, this time there are two pairs.

The heavens are the glory of the Lord, the firmaments are the work of the Lord. Warm light spreads across the earth, reaching the other side of the world. Ascend from one side of the heavens, to the other. With what little remains, may we guard His steps.

"Well then, I'm off, Mom."

Bunny Girl Black Jeanne.jpg.

Chapter 358 Kiyohime: Waa ...

Orleans is now deserted.

Inside the church, where the bricks and stones of the walls had been exposed by the scorching fire, the original exquisite carvings and decorations had been carbonized, and the ground was covered with black ash, Bluebeard was looking up at the only two walls in the church that were still intact.

One is the image of 'Joan of Arc being executed' created by his magic, which is the 'saint burned by the crimson flames' that appeared in Bluebeard's mind when he first appeared in the French Singularity. However, he believes that this is not his memory because he did not go to see Joan of Arc when she died.

Another feature is the sacred paintings found in every church. These paintings reference the first ecumenical council convened by the first pope in 55 AD during the Roman Empire, which brought the church to the forefront of mystique. The paintings depict priests from various regions in Rome's Yuanlaoju Temple collectively gazing at the first pope, Novia, waving his hand in the center.

For a long time, both believers and non-believers have held this sacred painting in high esteem.

Gilles, who had not yet gone mad because of Joan of Arc's death, was also like this. However, after Joan of Arc's death, he felt a deep despair and lost his direction in his faith in God. Therefore, under the seduction of François Plelat, this marshal who excessively praised God to the point that he could not help but question God, and then cursed and belittled God, but would never deny God.

Therefore, as the prototype of Bluebeard, he should not feel piety or awe towards any church-affiliated figures, believing that his brutal acts were merely a means to prove that the evil gods who should be punished do not exist. In other words, he actually yearns for the existence of gods more than anyone else.

When Gilles became Bluebeard and witnessed the sacred painting he had seen countless times in his lifetime once again on the French soil, he had a completely new feeling. It was not an attitude towards people, but a more fundamental one, like the attitude towards sacred things.

Of course, when Gilles was still a marshal, he would have adopted a similar attitude toward the priests in the church, but at this moment he was more eager and joyful.

It's probably due to the continued existence of the believers' faith and some reason related to the 'Snail City Texts' which are associated with Outer Gods.

"Joan of Arc..."

After glancing at the two locations and muttering to himself, Bluebeard walked towards the outside of the city walls.

At this very moment, it was the final battle of the French Singularity. Sanson was fighting the Cake Queen and Mozart, while Camilla was fighting Elizabeth. Bluebeard sensed that everyone else was waiting for him outside the city walls.

The real Joan of Arc, the first Pope, and the 'Dragon Witch', but I'm not very familiar with the others.

In fact, Bluebeard was the first Servant to appear in France, so he quickly found the Holy Grail and used its power to create the imagined Jeanne d'Arc, the Dragon Witch. To outsiders, she might seem like a substitute, but that's not the case. To him, she was undoubtedly the saint, which is why he didn't interfere much when Novia came into contact with her.

The fact that the Pope, who was revered by the world, treated the Dragon Witch in this way was undoubtedly a form of affirmation in Bluebeard's eyes. Even though they had never had much interaction, it had invisibly and deeply penetrated his heart.

Bluebeard had prepared for death the day Novia's identity was confirmed, but Novia did not, so Bluebeard was not in a hurry and just quietly waited for this day to come, and now that day has arrived.

"Nice to meet you both, and it's been a long time, Joan of Arc, Lady Novia."

The pale-skinned man spoke calmly and composedly to the people before him with manners completely at odds with his appearance.

"Um, where is the Dragon Witch, Gil?"

Joan of Arc asked first.

She remained confused about the dragon witch who looked exactly like her but whom she had never met.

Defeating the Dragon Witch who wreaks havoc in France and saving her homeland is a certainty, but what kind of expression should she use when facing the Dragon Witch?

How should we confront our dark side?

Although in theory she should have already accepted her tragic fate and there shouldn't be any other side to it, Joan of Arc had no choice but to accept the reality.

In fact, after seeing that the little Joan of Arc, who was being led by Novia, did not recognize her mother, she wondered if this Joan of Arc Lily was the Dragon Witch. But upon closer inspection, it was unlikely, since people were saying that it was her, and this was undoubtedly a smaller version, so people would definitely recognize her. Therefore, it could only be said that there might be some connection.

"Don't worry, Joan of Arc."

Bluebeard smiled and opened his arms wide. "She's sleeping peacefully now and won't be coming back."

Looking at the people in front of him, especially Novia, Bluebeard truly realized what he lacked. He had no intention of admitting defeat. His opponents were too powerful and great. Such thoughts should have seemed arrogant, but they were perfectly suited to Novia.

The reason he didn't point out that the Black Jeanne Lily, still riding on Novia's neck, was the Dragon Witch was simple for him.

Even though she was created by the Holy Grail according to her own wishes, it would be completely wrong to suddenly put her in a bad situation. After all, she was not a substitute for Joan of Arc, but an undisputed saint to her.

That's why Bluebeard spoke so ambiguously, leading people to mistakenly believe that he might have betrayed the Dragon Witch and caused her to disappear.

"...I should leave now. After I found out I was a fake, I felt that Jill probably looked down on me behind my back..."

Novia listened quietly to the girl beside her.

"But he has feelings for you that go beyond what Joan of Arc truly had; he cares about you deeply and has a loving heart towards you."

“That’s right, so now I have to go help Jill. Sorry…”

As Black Jeanne Lily spoke to Novia, she glanced around at everyone.

I wish I could go to the sea with everyone someday. The ordinary ocean that she has been dreaming of is the most precious scenery for her at this stage.

"You, burning with the fire of revenge, just use that 'evil' power to your heart's content and become an anti-hero or something else."

Novia looked up and saw a clear blue sky without a single cloud.

"In this way, you, who possess that memory, can be summoned again, can't you?"

As Novia said, someone has already acknowledged this Servant who shouldn't exist, so she will reappear in the future.

"...Although I wouldn't say it myself, I'll say it for her—"

Alter Lily nodded, then leaped off Novia's neck, jumped in front of Bluebeard, opened her arms, and coldly shouted at Jeanne and the others who had not yet reacted.

"I lost."

"……Eh?!"

"I never expected that you could actually unite so many people to deal with me. Even though I secretly deceived that idiot, I couldn't stop you."

Perhaps finding it particularly funny, Black Jeanne Lily's shoulders trembled violently, but soon she wiped the corner of her eye with her fingertip and raised her head with a refreshed expression.

“Apart from one point, I admit that I lost. I admit that I feel I am no match for Joan of Arc. I admit that Jill and I are no match for you. I admit that there are more people who are sure of you. At the same time, I also admit that my heart is still full of hatred, because Jill and I are both irredeemable avengers who have committed all kinds of crimes, and we are beings who wave the banner of hatred.”

She paused for a moment, then continued.

"Let the battle begin, Masters of Chaldea, and Jeanne d'Arc! As the leader of the evil dragons, this is the one thing I will never back down on. I will fight with all my might, I will not retreat an inch. I am an extremely evil being, do you really think I will let go of an opponent who dares to defy me? Absolutely not! Besides, I am not the real Jeanne d'Arc, I am just a fake!"

As she spoke, without her noticing, her appearance gradually returned to her original adult form, and finally, the moment she finished speaking, she reverted to being the Dragon Witch.

"Oh, Joan of Arc!"

Bluebeard unsurprisingly let out a shout, which Jeanne Alter took for granted.

"Hmph, Jill, I've come here—"

As she spoke, she noticed that Bluebeard, whom she used to have to look up at, no longer needed to. So Jeanne Alter subconsciously lowered her head and realized that she had returned to her original state. Realizing this, Jeanne Alter suddenly raised her head and looked at Novia in front of her, her face instantly turning an indescribable blush.

Well, since she has turned back, all the things she did to Novia when she was still a child have now come back to her memories as Jeanne Alter. What she thought were normal behaviors suddenly made Jeanne Alter feel extremely embarrassed. How could she have been riding on Novia's neck all the time!

How could I possibly do that? I could never be that kind of brat! It must be because Novia gave me the drug!

Taking advantage of the time when Black Jeanne was silent due to shyness, she was only slightly surprised to see Jeanne d'Arc reveal her 'true form' before quickly recovering.

“I understand, Jill. You only wanted me to be resurrected in the first place, right?”

"Of course, that's my wish."

“But you’re wrong, Jill. Even if I were resurrected, I could never become this Dragon Witch.”

Joan of Arc's words may have meant that she would never want to destroy France like Jeanne Alter did, but to Jeanne Alter, it sounded like an insult, so she immediately changed her expression and stared at Joan of Arc with displeasure.

"Heh, boring saintess, who cares if you turn into me or not? I don't want you to become me! Just wait until I burn you to ashes!"

"..."

Jeanne did not reply to Jeanne Alter, but continued to speak to Bluebeard, "I have indeed been betrayed and ridiculed. My end may be described as dying with regrets, but I do not hate the country, I cannot hate it, because you are still here in this country."

"Joan of Arc, you are so kind, and your words are full of goodness."

Bluebeard nodded slightly. "It is precisely because you are kind that you have forgotten one thing. Even if you do not hate, I will hate. You can forgive them, but I cannot forgive them. 'I want to kill everything' is one of the wishes I place on the Holy Grail."

During the conversation, tens of millions of tentacles suddenly gathered around Bluebeard's body, intertwining and merging to form a large mass of flesh. Bluebeard's face was visible only within this mass of flesh, which was larger than Fafner's.

"Wow, not bad, pretty handsome, Jill."

Jeanne Alter commented with a smile.

That is, Bluebeard's Noble Phantasm, "The Book of the Desolate City," summoned and fused with the 'Sea Demon'.

Originally, Bluebeard was prepared not to use this move in front of Novia and was ready to die. However, after hearing Jeanne Alter's words, he thought he should do the same as her and fight with all his might, regardless of the outcome... However, if Novia made a move, Bluebeard would never fight back, but only against Novia.