Guizhou, June 2004
"Master Ren, the carriage is ready."
Ren put his passport in a pocket and stood up. Until now, he still found traveling with horse carriage the most comfortable way, regardless of weird look from other people.
"Come back soon, Ren." his father's voice echoed from behind a curtain. Even though their relationship had been improved since Ren came back from the Shaman Fight, Tao Yuan still rarely showed himself to his family.
The horses bolted out of Tao's mansion. This was the first trip far away from home for Ren after the Shaman Fight. He had been surrounded by family's business all the time. This trip was for the sake of the family after all. Yuan surely disapproved Ren to associate too much with the "underling" world.
"I will certainly get it. I will become stronger." Ren recalled the day at the Shaman Fight, what Yoh told him after his battle with Nichrom.
"The last piece for my power?" He opened a wooden box prepared for him, took out a ticket to France, and put it in his chest pocket. The Tao's mansion had already been out of sight.
Rouen, June 2004
It was a nice summer day in France when Ren got out of the airport. The scenery was nowhere close to what he had experienced in China, Japan, or even the America. People were strolling by Seine River, or having a chat in some fancy-looking coffee shops. Many old architecture masterpieces were well preserved, leaving the city a feeling of ancient time. Bason examine a bronze statue of a skinny man in tux, only to find out later it was actually a person. Much to Ren satisfaction, horse carriages were available for tourists. Big and nice ones! He quickly ordered one to take him to Cathedrale Notre-Dame de Rouen.
"Don't get caught up by the weird surrounding, Bason." Ren signed as his guardian ghost continuously shuffled from left to right door.
"You should enjoy yourself a bit, young master." said Bason, "There has been no mission that you couldn't complete with a single blow lately."
"It's not that I'm worried, Bason. But you should not let your guard down either. It took us three years to obtain and decode the ancient map to this forgotten power. If the legend is true, then we will have to encounter a majestic spirit."
"A spirit will add up enough furyoku to unseal the Tao's great weapon. You have worked really hard for the last four years, young master. You are most certainly the one that would open the Tao's ancient treasure."
Ren thought to himself, yes, he should be the one. He should be able to get much stronger. But something had bothered him since the end of the Shaman Fight. He still felt some sort of limitation that he couldn't unlock. Somewhere in his heart, there was a piece missing. Memory about Yoh came back to him again. Maybe by recovering his family's sealed weapon, he could finally be at ease, Ren thought. He was so close to it, just another battle away.
Meanwhile, a coachman assumed he got a mad man as a passenger, who was talking to himself at the back of a carriage.
Cathedrale Notre-Dame de Rouen, June 2004
Cathedrale Notre-Dame de Rouen was a massive Roman Catholic cathedral in Gothic style. With three towers, one reached 151 meters in height; it used to be the tallest building in the world from 1876 to 1880. The cathedral resided by the Seine River, peacefully hosted thousands of visitors per year. Ren joined one tourist group that was too busy to take photo they didn't even pay attention to his spiky tongari. That was good for his plan because, as soon as they got in the central spire, Ren quickly sneaked to a smaller corridor and took a stairs down to a basement. With the map imprinted in his mind, Ren found a secret door hidden behind a statue, then followed it to further down. No more light was able to reach the place, so Bacon turned himself into some sort of torch. It was cold and damp. Ren wished he had brought non-slip shoes instead of his current expensive ones. The stairs finally ended and they reached a tiny corridor. Only darkness was in front. Ren took out his Bao-Lei sword, ready to fight. However, the corridor seemed to be unguarded. It was just long, damp and sad. After eternity of running, as soon as Ren started to doubt if he had remembered the map correctly, an old wooden door appeared, signaling the end of the corridor. The door was not even locked.
"This would be easy." Ren thought. "The legend had been lost ages ago. No one knows about this place. All I have to do behind this door is to capture the spirit." He created an over soul, and kicked the door.
Ren entered a massive room which, much to his surprised, was lightened by candles. There was a tall altar with two levels. One enormous Bible was left open on top, and a shiny golden box lay beneath it. The candles filled the room with sweet scent. For some reason, Ren felt like he had known this scent before.
"The spirit must be resting here. But the room like this shows that someone is guarding it." Ren stayed alerted as he moved closer to the altar. Half way through the room, a sudden wave of wind pushed him backward. All the candles extinguished. Ren felt sharp objects fly toward him. He quickly cut them off with his sword. He had trained hard in the Tao's dungeon with plenty of deadly trap to improve his ability to sense opponents in the dark. The training was not wasted. He started to identify a source of Furyoku. He called upon Super Bushin and struck directly toward that direction. His attack was stopped in the middle of the air and Ren noticed his arms and legs were trapped, too.
The candles suddenly lit up again. Ren found himself tied to a giant wheel with spikes all over it. It must be the wheel of torture used in the Middle Ages. At the same time, he could figure out his opponent. A beautiful girl with silver hair and blood red eyes appeared between him and the altar.
"This place is holy. Thou shall not intrude." said the lady. She was bleeding all over her body. The moment Ren heard she speak, he had no doubt who she was.
"Jeanne, it has been a while." Ren said with a smirk.
The wheel faded as Jeanne recalled her spell. She had grown to be even more Goddess-like than before. However, she had added a gentle smile on her face, which would be the main reason for her looking stunning. However, it should not be something Ren was concerning about.
"Why are you here?" they spoke at the same time. A few seconds of awkward silence passed. Ren decided to talk first.
"I am after a legendary spirit residing underneath the Cathedral of Rouen. I apologize if I have intruded your place by any chance, but don't become my obstacle because I do not wish to fight you."
"Years have passed but nothing seems to have changed about you." Jeanne giggled. "That was not a nice way to greet an old friend."
"Maybe we can talk a bit later. Now I have some business to do, so please stay out of my way." Ren stepped forward. He hesitated though, as he also realized that he may have been impolite.
"You must be looking for the spirit of La Pucelle d'Orleans, the Maid of Orleans." Jeanne's expression remained unchanged. "You may have found a lost scripture that was written about her. But do you know the name the public have known of her?"
Ren paused. As he expected, Jeanne knew about the spirit he was after. Worse, she could be one of them, the people mentioned in the scripture.
"You are one of the Knights Templars that have protected the secret."
"It is true. And if you had investigated further about the Maid of Orleans, you would have known that already." Jeanne smiled. "She lived in 14th century, known with the name Jeanne d'Arc."
A wave of shock hit Ren in a second. Life was a joker. He could never imagine the spirit he was longing to tame was Jeanne's ancestor; that Jeanne who revived him twice at the Shaman fight!
"What a trick of fate. I can't imagine the spirit I need in order to unseal my family's true power belongs to your family. I guess I would have no choice but to surpass you here?"
"You always have choices, Ren. There will be a way for everything. However, right here, right now, I shall not let you reach the altar." Shamash appeared next to Jeanne in ready-to-fight mode.
"I have no choice." Ren bit his lips. "I will make up for you later, but I won't back up now. Bushin Fish Fin!"
The candles extinguished again, but the room was full of light from Ren's attack. A big battle broke out in the underground of Rouen city.
Ren woke up to see a Victorian-style chandelier hang on the ceiling. He found himself on a king-size bed with white and gold linens and curtains. Everything looked old-fashion, just like he was brought back a few centuries ago. Ren jumped up to find his Bao-Lei sword on a nightstand next to the bed. Bason was floating above a dressing table, looking worried. As soon as Bason notice his master's movement, he flew toward Ren with excitement.
"Master, you're awake." Bason said happily.
"What happened? Why do you look so worried?" Ren asked. He felt headache, but he shook it off.
"You have been unconscious for three days after the fight with Lady Maiden." Bason replied. Ren started to remember. The altar, the spirit, Jeanne d'Arc…
"I lost, didn't I?" Ren asked bitterly. "After all those years of training, I still could not be able to surpass her power."
"It took her more than an hour to defeat you. She has a God-class guardian ghost, too. It was something." Bason tried to calm Ren down. "And I reckon that you didn't really want to fight her. That's why you couldn't perform your attack properly."
"My heart still has doubt." Ren admitted. "But what the hell am I missing? I always feel like I need an extra piece. I just don't know what that piece is."
"Ren, have you awaken?" a voice echoed from outside. "May I come in?"
"It's Jeanne." Bason said.
"I know."
Jeanne stepped into the room. She was wearing pretty normal clothes: a long white dress that covered to her ankles, with a ribbon at her chest. The dress showed her curves perfectly.
"I'm glad you are awake." Jeanne said with a smile.
"Are you here to make fun of me, a sore loser under your hands?" Ren said looking away from Jeanne. "I hope you didn't lose your precious furyoku to revive me again."
"No, I didn't. You lost consciousness, but you were alive."
"Is this your house?"
"You can say so. This is Marco's house. It is also headquarter of the X charity that he and I established. He was kind enough to renovate the house to the style I liked." Jeanne smiled.
"Didn't he get mad because I'm here?"
"He is currently in India running a project of the X charity. The world is suffering like never before, so we have to work really hard."
"I see. Guess I should not bother you anymore. Even though we have worked together before in the Shaman Fight, and I'm truly grateful for what you have done to me, but now that you are protecting something I want, I should go." Ren got out of bed and put on his shirt and jacket, which were magically ironed and folded. He also found his tie on the table.
"I hope I got the right size of clothes for you." Jeanne said. "I took it as my responsibility for having destroyed your suit the other day."
Ren felt his face burning. It was annoying that someone was doing a lot for him. He wasn't used to that. Furthermore, it made the situation even harder. He was supposed to take something from her, but he couldn't fight her at all to get it.
"They fit you nicely." Jeanne smiled, noticing Ren's awkwardness. "Would you mind joining me for breakfast? I have a few things to tell you about the spirit you are after. After that, you may choose to leave if you want."
Ren nodded, reluctantly. He didn't want to receive another act of kindness from Jeanne, but it would rather rude to deny her invitation. He realized he had never done anything for her, or for anyone. That would be the least he could do for someone that revived him from death: accepting her offer.
They took the maple stairs down to a wide lobby, then straight to the back door. Jeanne led Ren to a garden, in the middle of which stood a table. Freshly baked croissants, homemade jam and butter were served with coffee. Ren had his coffee black, while Jeanne preferred her latte with vanilla shot.
"I reckon your power has grown, Ren." Jeanne said while putting some jam on her croissant. "You truly are one of the five famous warriors."
"Stop embarrass me." Ren cut his croissant a bit too hard it broke into halves. "Praise from a divine-level shaman like you is absurd."
"I'm just telling the truth." Jeanne smiled. "However, you are not ready to face Jeanne d'Arc's spirit. This thing you should know, Ren. I am not a Knight Templar. I fought you that day because you would have died otherwise."
"What do you mean?" Jeanne's words caught Ren's attention. "You seem to know a lot about her spirit."
"I am an orphan. I don't know anything until Marco found me. His ancestors were the real Knight Templars. The scripture about Jeanne d'Arc was missing long time ago, thus her legend was only a tale passed from father to son in Marco's family. After the Shaman Fight, he took me to his house and treated me as his daughter. One day, when I was at The Place du Vieux-Marche, the historical place where Jeanne d'Arc was executed, I saw a vision that led me to her chamber."
"She called for you, why?" Ren exclaimed with disbelief.
"I am not so sure either, but she didn't seem like hurting me. I visited her occasionally since then. It was a coincident that we met that day." Jeanne sipped her coffee.
"We have a lot in common, I think. Jeanne d'Arc died with a wish that human kind will have peace. It has been my dream, too. She inspired me to establish the X charity to fulfill our dream."
"You said I would have died if I had fought her. Is she really that strong?" Ren asked even though he knew the answer.
"Yes, she is a very powerful spirit. She was burned alive three times until all of her remaining turned into ash. Thus, her spirit has a distinguish power to make her opponent experience the fire of Hell. It is not physical pain but mental pain. The more troubled you are at heart, the stronger the fire she can create. That's why you were not ready to fight her. If you haven't got peace in heart, then you would not able to defeat her."
"Have you seen her attack someone?" Ren asked. He saw a glimpse of sadness in Jeanne's eyes.
"I asked her to perform her power on me." Jeanne smiled. "I'm used to be tortured. It's part of my training. Fire of Hell is the ultimate training of them all."
Ren looked at the fragile, slender girl sitting in front of him, unsure if he should be amazed or pity her. This fourteen-year-old Jeanne had been through much more than anyone had at her age. Somehow it annoyed Ren the way she tortured herself, but he knew he had no right to criticize her here.
"No wonder your power has grown tremendously." Ren said. His coffee tasted quite more bitter than usual.
"It's not the main reason actually." A flash of smile appeared on Jeanne's face again. "I have learned something even more important for myself."
Ren was waiting for Jeanne to continue, but they ended up falling into silence. When breakfast was finished, Jeanne started again.
"If you wish to encounter the spirit of Jeanne d'Arc, please be my guest. I will not stop you again, but I do hope you think carefully before you act. Should you need any help, you are always welcome." Jeanne said with a bigger smile. Her blood red eyes now filled with genuine kindness even Ren had to admit. So annoying! He seriously disliked owing someone.
"I'm not comfortable getting so much help that I can't repay. Since the Shaman Fight, you have always helped me, such a pathetic man." Ren signed. "How about today we do thing differently? Is there anything I can do for you? If I don't get this burden off my chest, then no way I can face Jeanne d'Arc, right?"
"I'm delighted to accept your offer. Thank you, Ren." Jeanne tilted her head. Her hair fell on her shoulder like a silver river. She did look pretty, but Ren denied thinking about that.
Jeanne sure was busy with her charity work. She took Ren to different parts of the city. She taught kids from orphanage to read and write. Ren was incompetent to deal with kids, but he managed to make them laughed with his extendable tongari. At the end of the class, Jeanne complemented him for being good with kids, which made him really embarrassed. They then went to a meeting with some organizations. Jeanne presented the X charity's plan and called for sponsorship. Ren, a smart man as he was, assisted her in several challenging questions. They did land a contract at the end of the day. Jeanne sure looked happy with the result. They spent the afternoon in a church's kitchen, helping nuns to prepare food. Everyday Jeanne made dinner for homeless people on the streets of Rouen. That would be the reason why her cooking skill was spot on. When they finished work at 9pm, Ren was sipping some leftover soup while Jeanne prayed in the church. Night time in Rouen was cool, but he felt warm inside. Must be because of the soup! Today, Ren had seen a different side of this sophisticated city, met "underling" people his father forbade him to associate with. With his shaman power he could sense their suffering inside, no matter if they appeared to be sad or happy. Humans were always weak and fragile, with so much conflict inside themselves and with others. He was just one of them, perhaps, trying to define himself.
"You work hard today. Would you like a second of soup?" Jeanne's voice cut Ren's flow of thought. He looked up to see her gently smile at him. He returned her with a smile.
"I've got enough, thanks." Ren stood up and walked toward Jeanne. "In fact, I haven't done anything much today. You have been doing everything."
"Now you know a typical day of me." Jeanne giggled. "Somehow, it feels better with company."
"Is this all you want me to do for you? All we have done today is for other people. At this rate I can't repay you."
"You have done a lot." Jeanne said, as they started to stroll along the Seine River. "I can feel how much effort you needed to get out of your world, and to do something different."
"Until the Shaman Fight, I lived isolated with the outside world. All the people I knew were the X-laws. My job was to judge everyone else. I have committed great sins during that time." Jeanne talked with her eyes closed. Her voice sounded remote and painful.
"After that day, I had to find peace for myself first, before I can bring peace to the world. I realize that if death has to be repaid by death, the vicious cycle of hatred continues forever. So I choose to make other people's happiness mine. When I help them, I also help myself." Jeanne spoke softly, but Ren could hear her clearly. He found out they had a lot in common. Her struggle was also his. Two people isolated from everyone else, lived by their own beliefs. Maybe the answer for his life-long question can be found here, a faraway city of Rouen. The moon was round and shiny, its light poured down the Seine River like a golden path to heaven.
"Even if you talked like a saint, it is not harmful to do something for yourself sometimes." Ren cut the awkward silence. "I still want to do something for you and you alone. Let's skip work tomorrow and go have fun, can we?"
"I'm glad that you asked, but I can't…" Jeanne puzzled with Ren's offer.
"Well, so I change my words. I need a tour guide to get around this alien city, can you please help me?" Ren grinned. Jeanne smiled as she knew she was trapped. Deep inside, she felt half anxious, half excited. She was familiar with places in Rouen, and even around Europe, but to be honest, she wasn't sure where to "have fun". She told him exactly that. Ren asked her to not be worried. Somehow, she felt assured with his words. After four years, he had grown to be more composed and elegant. He still closed his heart, but Jeanne could see that Ren did care about his surroundings. They kept walking along the Seine River. At some point, Ren put his jacket on Jeanne's shoulders, but they remained quiet until they reached home.
They parted at the stairs to Ren's guest room. Jeanne's room was to the opposite side of the house. No doubt Marco tried his best to separate Jeanne from any "potential harm", even though she was more than capable to eliminate any of the harm herself. They exchanged "thanks" and "good night". Ren went to bed feeling calm and peaceful. He blushed as Bason's voice echoed above his bed.
"You look a bit different today, Master."
"What? There's nothing. And I told you not to follow me." Ren felt his ears hot.
"I didn't, Master. What I meant was you look happy." Bason said. "And I'm genuinely glad to see you like this."
Ren paused at Bason's words. He? Happy? That was something he hadn't heard for a while.
"Tomorrow we will go on a tour around this city, consider it a day off, Bason. Get a good sleep." Ren said as he pulled the blanket to cover his neck. Tomorrow would turn out to be silly, but he couldn't back off anymore.
Ren woke up early the next day, and was waiting for Jeanne at the lobby when she appeared. She wore a red Victorian style short dress, with long white sleeves, and a ribbon on her collar. It somewhat resembled her favourite dress back in the Shaman Fight. The style definitely suited her, just like it was designed for her itself. Jeanne asked whether Ren had a good sleep, then he suggested they went out for breakfast. They chose a café by Seine River for a view. Ren was not familiar with French toast or crepe, but they passed acceptable standard for him. After that, Jeanne took him around Rouen, to the Cathedral, the Gros Horloge, the Place du Vieux Marche where Jeanne d'Arc was executed, and the modern church of her. They had a picnic lunch at the Botanical garden. Jeanne sure was well-prepared for the day. In the afternoon, they took a boat ride on Seine River. Much to Jeanne's surprise, Ren was very good at rowing. They had some taste of champagne, but Jeanne politely declined a second glass. Summer day in France was long, so the sun was still out when they reached the night market. The city could get livelier than Ren expected. Kids ran around getting ice cream and cotton candy. It took him awhile to get some ice cream for Jeanne. However, she seemed comfortable with kids screaming and laughing around. The way she looked at them made him less dislike them a bit. Later on, in the middle of the carnival, Jeanne found a carousel. Her eyes flashed with excitement for just a second, but it didn't get passed Ren.
"Want to go for a ride?" Ren asked. Jeanne blushed and shook her head, saying her dress was not suitable for riding carousel. All of a sudden, Ren lifted her up to the back of a white winged-horse. Jeanne's face turn red, but she didn't resist. The ride started, and the longer into it, the more relaxed she seemed. She managed to giggled and waved at Ren when she passed. Her silver hair was like moonlight falling on her slim shoulders. Ren noticed some guys stopped to look at Jeanne with amazement. It hit him like a thunderstruck: she was so pretty, might be prettier than every girl he had ever met. The ride finally ended, Ren reached out his hands to help Jeanne down. She whispered a word of thanks, and then suggested they should go home before it got dark, even though it was not even 9pm. This time, they took a carriage. Ren told Jeanne how he liked horses, and she mentioned they could try horse riding at a town near by someday.
Ren went to bed but could not sleep. The day didn't totally suck as he expected. However, his emotion stirred greatly. Anxious, worried, afraid, but also excited, delighted, and peaceful. He couldn't understand; it was completely different experience. Ren was too deep into thinking he didn't notice Bason floating through the window.
"Master, did you hear something from Lady Maiden's room?"
"Was there any? I didn't pay attention." Ren tried to keep his voice calm as usual.
"I wasn't sure myself, but it was like the sound of metal clashed."
"Nothing wrong could happen to her, Bason. She is a strong shaman."
Ren turned himself away from the window, but he felt worried. It bothered him so much he finally decided to check out on Jeanne. When Ren and Bason reached her room, everything was quiet.
"Excuse me, Jeanne. It's Ren." He knocked. "Have you slept already?"
No answer. It was too silent it became strange. Ren turned the knob. The door opened easily. The room was lit only by a candle that created sweet scent just like Jeanne's. However, Jeanne was not there. Ren noticed a giant bookshelf at the end of the room. The books seemed disordered. Some felt on the ground. It was not hard for him to find the hidden path under the bookshelf, covered by a carpet. He followed a small corridor, thinking whether it was rude of him to discover Jeanne's secret path. Then he started to hear some voice, someone was moaning, or screaming. He ran faster with Bason already in fight mode oversoul. The closer to the end of the path, the clearer the sound. Ren broke through a wooden door to find the exact same room he broke into a few days ago. The candles were lit up, and above the altar, he saw a spirit with curly brown hair. She looked beautiful and young, but full of sorrow. It was Jeanne d'Arc. The whole floor underneath her was burning, and Jeanne was in the middle, crying in pain. Without thinking, Ren struck the Bao-Lei sword to purify fire made by Jeanne d'Arc. He quickly reached the centre and grabbed Jeanne. She was in bad state, but she recognized him.
"Don't fight her, Ren. I'll be alright. It's just… a training." She whispered. Ren lost his cool and shouted at her.
"Why do you have to do this? You always push yourself too hard. Idiot!"
He held her tight and reversed back to the entrance. He knew he wasn't ready to go up against Jeanne d'Arc. She wasn't even attacking him, but he already felt his furyoku burnt out. Ren wasn't told about this ability. Different from the Spirit of Fire Hao used to use, Jeanne d'Arc could prevent anyone from approaching her. A deadly defensive spirit indeed. As soon as they passed the door, the burning fire faded. Ren wasn't sure if the spirit's power can only reach that far, or she didn't intend to chase them. He looked at Jeanne. She already lost consciousness but tears didn't stop flowing from her eyes. After managed to get her to bed, he dropped to the floor feeling exhausted.
Ren was half asleep when a giant sword pierced through the window directly toward him. He swiftly moved away from the threat and recognized Archangel Michael. Marco walked into the room via the broken window, his gun pointing right at Ren.
"To intrude this room when the Holy Maiden is sleeping is an unforgivable sin. Even though you are one of the legendary warriors of the Shaman Fight, you still deserve to die 100, no, 1000 times." Marco voice sounded dead serious.
"I can kick your ass right here, but now is not a time to fight." Ren responded. "Firstly, Jeanne gave me permission to stay. Secondly, she is in critical condition and it wasn't my fault. If you really care about her, you should check on her first rather than breaking her room down."
Marco adjusted his glasses while considering what to do. Then he recalled Michael back to his true form. The 92 red Ferrari Testarossa stood quietly at the drive way. Marco locked his car and moved toward Jeanne. According to his expression, he wasn't surprised with Jeanne's condition.
"She needs some rest, but she will be alright. Though I have to admit she has overdone it a bit this time."
"What do you mean by this time? Don't tell me you know what she has been doing but did nothing to stop her." Ren exclaimed with disbelief. Marco signaled Ren to follow him downstairs.
"You have no right to interfere, Ren." Marco said. "When Luchrist and I first found Maiden Jeanne, the spirit of Jeanne d'Arc was a perfect fit for her. However, no matter how we tried, we couldn't locate the spirit. It was fate that brought Maiden Jeanne to that chamber after the Shaman Fight. She is the only one that deserves to conquer the legendary spirit."
"Nonsense! She doesn't have to fight anymore. You said you cared about her, but you stood still to see her suffer. Is it really about her or is it just about you?"
Marco screamed angrily and hit Ren with his gun. Ren didn't dodge. He took Marco's attack head on. He tasted some blood on his lips.
"You don't know anything. The day Jeanne d'Arc called her, she disappeared without a trace. I searched the whole city for a week and finally found her at the verge of death. I told her to stay away from the spirit, but every night she woke up crying from nightmare. The Maiden can never rest until she overcomes the spirit. That's why I used all my savings buying this house and open a secret pathway to access Jeanne d'Arc's chamber." Marco voice broke into pieces. His eyes filled with tears. "Can you imagine how hard it is for me to see her like that but can't help? Can you imagine how hard she has worked for the past four years? An arrogant being like you will never understand us."
Marco tried to hit Ren again, but this time he blasted the gun away from Marco.
"You're right. I will never understand why Jeanne can't live happily like any other people. No matter how much you think of her as a saint, I only see her as a teenage girl who deserves a better life than this. If you can't help her you are just worthless."
Marco had managed to retrieve his gun. Ren noticed Archangel Michael started to form its battle mode outside the house.
"I warn you one last time, Ren. Whatever business you have here in Rouen, go and finish it. Stay away from Maiden Jeanne. She shall not be disturbed by someone like you."
"Again, Marco, I don't want to fight you, especially here at Jeanne's house. I'll leave in peace. But I keep my belief: Jeanne should not suffer anymore. I will not let anyone hurt her again, including herself. You have my word." Ren walked away without looking back. It was burning inside his heart, just like when he encountered Jeanne d'Arc.
Marco closed the door behind leaving Jeanne sitting on her bed. She was told Ren had gone, which made her feel a little empty. The last few days with him were like a dream, but a sweet dream. Now that he had gone, she had to get back to her normal self. Let's work harder, Jeanne thought.
"You look upset, Jeanne." Ren's voice startled her. She walked to the balcony to see him sitting on Bason in flight mode, leaning his back to the wall.
"Do you feel better, Jeanne? Have some of these." Ren threw a small box at her. She opened to find animal-shaped chocolate-coated biscuits.
"I notice you like these when we were at the carnival, so I got you some." Ren tilted his head to look at Jeanne. She blushed and let out a soft "thanks".
They spent a moment eating biscuits in silence. Eventually, Jeanne started to tell Ren the story of Jeanne d'Arc.
"She was a powerful shaman who received visions of the Archangel Michael at the age of 12. She was instructed to support Charles VII and to recover France from English domination in the Hundred Years' War. The English captured and executed her. That is all people know about Jeanne d'Arc."
"When I was led to her chamber, she transferred her memory onto me. She had a secret. Her childhood friend, Noin Claude, became her guardian and had been with her since the beginning of the journey. They were captured at the same time, and Noin was tortured to death in front of Jeanne d'Arc, because she refused to betray France. All the pain of seeing Noin suffer and die developed her ability to summon fire from Hell. Every time I visit her, I share the pain with her. It is hard but it is the least I can do for my ancestor, isn't it?" Jeanne whispered softly.
"You told me the X-charity was established to fulfill Jeanne d'Arc's wish of happiness for mankind. Isn't it enough for her? What else does she want? Seeing her descendant suffer? That's just pure evil."
"You shouldn't say that, Ren. No one shares the pain with her, she is very lonely. She lost everything for the people she loved, but they no longer understand her sacrifice. They have been too busy fighting each other, causing harm to each other. The world is in chaos. Meanwhile, I was… having fun for myself." Tears overflowed Jeanne's eyes. She turned away from Ren.
"So you mean I was the one that distracted you from the righteous path?" Ren was mad. And before Jeanne was able to say no, he continued.
"You can fool yourself that you are a saint, but in my eyes you are just a pathetic girl, who had nothing for herself. I refuse to accept your belief and I refuse to see you get hurt. Don't you understand that, Jeanne? What you have done for four years hasn't worked. There must be some other way, the real thing Jeanne d'Arc desires."
Ren jumped from Bason to stand by Jeanne. He took some tissue from his pocket and gave to her. Then he proceeded to pat her head.
"You don't have to face her anymore. I'm not strong enough now to confront her, but I can with your help. Let's do this her sake, and your sake as well, Jeanne."
Guizhou, August 2004
"It has been two months and Ren hasn't come back yet." Tao Yuan's voice echoed from behind a curtain. "Jun, you should go to France now and give him a hand."
Jun stood uncomfortably in front of her father. She never wanted to disobey him, but she didn't want to go after Ren either. Jun knew her brother. When he had sent a letter saying he would come back later than expected, he clearly needed no interference from the family. However, their father was always paranoid with Ren.
"No need to do so, Yuan." Tao Ching appeared after his regular visit to his garden. "Ren is capable of dueling with any situation alone. You should allow your son some more trust."
Jun was relief that her grandfather had spoken what she wanted but not dared to say. Tao Yuan gave in and retreated into his private room. Jun looked up to the sky thinking about Ren.
"I trust you to bring honour for our family. Please be safe and come back soon. I miss you, Ren."
Rouen, August 2004
Ren was facing Jeanne d'Arc in her chamber. Her spirit was in human form but fire had already flared around her altar. As soon as she attacked, she could turn into flame that covered everything and everyone around. Ren created a double oversoul using Bason and Shamash, the skill Jeanne and he had trained really hard the last two months to develop. The Maiden was kneeling behind him, praying. She managed to transfer her furyoku via prayer to her medium, which allowed Ren to maintain enough furyoku to control two powerful guardian ghosts, and to refill any furyoku burnt by Jeanne d'Arc's fire. They were racing with time. Ren started his attack immediately. His giant bushin cut through the sea of flame to reach the spirit. She changed form to block his move and quickly surrounded him with fire. Jeanne heard various sound of combat, but she forced herself to stay calm and pray. If she lost her cool the link of furyoku to Ren would disappear. All she could do was to trust him. Ren extinguished a giant ball of fire from Jeanne d'Arc and switched to Bushin Fish Fin. He called lightning to strike down the altar, breaking it into piece. The spirit showed great pain as the golden box got hit. Just as Ren had anticipated, the box must hold the medium of Jeanne d'Arc when she was alive. And it was the mean of her power now. However, the spirit also realized Ren's weak point. She suddenly created hundreds of fire spears that flew towards Jeanne. Having trusted Ren, she only focused on prayer. There no way she could prevent the attack. Ren ran towards Jeanne while turning his oversoul into shield mode. A huge crash burst out. As Jeanne slowly opened her eyes, she saw Ren catch a flaming spear with his bare hand, his shield defensed her. His shoulder was pierced through, and he was in very bad state. She held him, her face covered with tears. Ren patted her head and whispered.
"Don't worry about me, Jeanne. I will not lose. I promise I will never let you get hurt again."
They looked up to see Jeanne d'Arc have turned back to human form. She was watching them closely. Jeanne closed her eyes, ready for a great wave of emotion. However, this time they heard a voice.
"This is the first time you fight with a partner, my dear. Aren't you afraid you will have him killed with you?"
"You won't be able to fool her again, Jeanne d'Arc. She has always suffered alone; worrying someone would be hurt because of her. But I'll show her and show you today that I am capable of protecting her. A member of Tao family always keeps his promise." Ren used his Bao-Lei sword to cut off the flaming spear in his shoulder by purifying it. He stood up and ready to fight again.
Jeanne d'Arc looked at them for a moment. Then she closed her eyes and said.
"The one and only one who swore to protect me was Noin Claude. He died with a smile, without any regret of the path he had chosen. But I do have regret. Until the end, I couldn't let him know how much I was grateful to him, and how much I loved him. I'm a saint; I must stay pure and devote myself to God." She looked at Jeanne. "Your heart has the same beating as mine. You have to carry burden of a Holy Maiden at very young age. I hope you will not make the same mistake that I did."
The spirit then locked her eyes to Ren's. She spoke with a smile on her lips.
"You, the one that swore to never get her hurt, show me your power. Prove to me I can rest in peace, because my beloved Jeanne will be in good hands."
"It's my honour." Ren smirked. He patted Jeanne's head again before making the move. She fell back into prayers, this time with hope and faith. She no longer felt her mind burning, because her heart was relief. The answer for her quest was found.
Aéroport Rouen - Vallée de Seine, August 2004
Marco pulled over to drop Jeanne off. He reminded her that she had exactly five minutes before he stormed in to rescue her. She nodded and walked quickly to the airport. It wasn't hard to find Ren among the crowd, given his unique tongari.
"I thought you wouldn't come to say goodbye." Ren smiled as he saw her.
"I just want to thank you for everything. You helped Jeanne d'Arc to reach Nirvana, but you had to sacrifice the mission you are here for." Jeanne said. "I'm really sorry."
"You don't have to feel sorry for me. My mission has been completed. I am much stronger than before and most certainly be able to fulfill my family's quest. I have to say thanks to you as well.
"Will I… see you again?" Jeanne asked with hesitation. She was unsure if she wanted to hear the answer.
"I've got this for you, turn around." Ren said, appeared to not paying attention to her question. Jeanne followed his instruction. He then put a necklace around her neck. A silver cross hanged in front of her chest.
"This is Jeanne d'Arc's medium when she was alive. You have to keep it for me. I want to see it when I come back." Ren said and walked away quickly. Jeanne turned around just to see him go pass a security gate. She touched the cross, her heart beats started to stay calm and peaceful.
Ren took the last glimpse of Rouen before it got covered by clouds. The mission turned out completely different from anything he had anticipated, but he was satisfied by the result. He sure was stronger than before, and his heart was free of doubt and trouble.
"Master, do you think your father will accept this?" Bason asked.
"He is old-fashioned and stubborn, but I'm ready to awake the family's power. When I become the true heir of Tao family, he will have to respect my decision." Ren took a sip of his wine.
"I have found it, the missing piece of my power."
"But you let Jeanne d'Arc passed over without conquering her power, so what was the piece you talked about?" Bason seemed confused. Ren smirked. He couldn't explain or admit this to him. Yoh's words came across his mind again, and he finally understood it.
"This missing piece of me… It's LOVE."
(Saigon, 3rd May 2015)