Original Archive of Our Own Posting Date: September 5, 2020

Inside the devastated remains of the settlement of Orléans, countless wyverns and undead milled about the charred fields. Aside from quiet roars or clacking of bones, not a single sound could be heard.

Then came a shrill cry of anger, followed by the dying squawk of a wyvern that had all who serve the Dragon Witch pause and look back at the castle.

"Rider committed suicide," Jeanne seethed, pulling out the tip of her flagstaff from a hapless wyvern that had 'volunteered' to serve as a source of stress relief. The fallen Ruler began to pace back and forth around the room, her brow furrowed. "It's troublesome that she managed to somehow retain her sanity even with Madness Enhancement. Still, she likely fought with all of her might. If that is the case, we can't let our guard down. Next time, I will take to the field with our new 'friend'. I will also be taking the Servants we summoned tonight once morning comes. Contact Berserker Assassin," Jeanne Alter said, looking at the other occupant in the room, and quite possibly the only one in the world safe from her wrath.

"Of course," Gilles de Rais said soothingly, a tone that she still found somewhat ridiculous considering that his eyes were always busy staring in different directions! Seriously, what the hell? Gilles continued speaking, unaware of Jeanne Alter's personal thoughts. "If I were who I was before, I would've stopped you," he admitted, sounding perhaps troubled for the briefest of moments before he smiled excitedly. "But now you're perfect, Jeanne! You don't even need luck! Please, trample over them as much as you wish!" He urged cruelly, closing his eyes with a content smile at his face. She couldn't help but smile at her ever-faithful comrade and his words of encouragement. Even after being betrayed by the ones she had sacrificed everything for, he had stood by her side.

Jeanne Alter frowned though. The brief thoughts of the past caused a re-surfacing of a question that had been troubling her ever since the showdown at La Charité, when she encountered that blond lookalike who claimed to also be Jeanne d'Arc. "Gilles," she finally said, causing the Caster to open his eyes and stare (at least, as best he could all things considered) at her. "Which do you think is the real one? Me, or her?" Her companion answered without hesitation.

"Of course it's you. Haven't you been listening, Jeanne?" Gilles responded with an almost chiding tone. "You were burned at the stake. Betrayed, by everyone! Charles left you to die, merely to avoid paying the ransom! Not a single person rose to bravely fight for your return! And what was the cause of all this?" He roared, throwing his hands up into the air. Jeanne watched as he spat at the ground. "It was God! It was our God, mocking us! Thus, we deny God. Don't we, Jeanne?"

The fallen Ruler mulled his words over, before shaking her head. Yes, she had been betrayed. Murdered. "Yes," she finally decided. "Yes, you're correct, Gilles. I have nothing left. My soldiers are gone, and my admirers fled. The king betrayed me and the bishop burnt me in the name of God. I have nothing left but hate," she admitted, before narrowing her eyes, staring at the mural of the Resurrection that she had ordered brought up from the chapel. Her lips curling up in a snarl, she slammed the butt of her flagstaff at the center, destroying it.

"I was wrong. No, everything was wrong. Not just what I believed in. The very country that allowed me to exist was wrong. This mistake must be righted. Jeanne d'Arc was a mistake. So let us do as they decided, and make it all so it never happened." She flicked her hand at the ruined mural dismissively, causing a fire to roar into existence as it devastated the remains. She stared intently at the hungry flames, all too similar to the ones that had her skin and charred her bones. "My salvation was itself a fatal mistake."

"Jeanne," Gilles said sadly, causing her to look away and face a concerned Caster. "Please, don't put yourself under such stress. This is a divine punishment. Nothing more. Your revenge is righteous. What you saved, you may destroy. Isn't that all there is to it?" He asked. Jeanne Alter nodded.

"What you say may be extreme, but it still brings me strength," she grunted in agreement. She was done with this conversation anyways. There was much to do, after all, and she found herself interested in confronting that Master who had stood up to her in the remains of the town. She wondered if he would beg for mercy as fire consumed his body after she defeated the Servants accompanying him. Or would he merely stare defiantly, or even hatred?

"Berserker, Assassin, mount your wyverns and follow me," she finally said, shaking her head slightly as she noticed the light beginning to creep through the windows of the room. A loud, booming roar shook the foundations of Orléans as Jeanne Alter's newest and most deadly weapon awoke from its slumber.

It was time to go hunting

Powered by the application of Marie's Noble Phantasm, we had made great progress in the dying hours of the night as we traveled south. The journey had been silent, with only a few ten to fifteen-minute-long pauses to allow for Ritsuka and I to catch our breaths. I was able to enjoy a rather stunning, if ominous, sunrise. The inkiness of night was splattered with blood-red light.

Even as I admired it, I instinctively shuddered. Old rhymes warning about the dangers of a red sunrise played softly in my mind. A week ago, if someone were to ask me if I believed in superstitions, I would have scoffed (politely) and dismiss the idea. However, the things I had witness, both miraculous and heinous, had shaken that dismissiveness.

Danger was ahead.

Mordred must have noticed how long I had been staring at the red sky now fading into an orange as the sun continued climbing, for she nudges me slightly. "Not getting cold feet or something, are we?" She teased, though I thought that I could make out a glint of concern in her eyes. I forced myself to smile.

"Not on my life," I replied as ahead of us, the vanguard of Servants paused, bringing the rest of us to a halt. Marie walked over to Ritsuka and I, her typical smile beaming at us.

"Ritsuka, Jacob, we've found a town up ahead. I was thinking of going down and seeing what news I can find out from Lyon, if that is alright?" She asked, staring at Ritsuka. As Jeanne had become my temporary Servant for this Singularity, Marie (and by extension, Amadeus) was Ritsuka's. Confidant enough to not seek my approval, a small mercy if I might add, my fellow Master nodded.

"Alright, just be careful," he said for good measure as Marie clapped her hands excitedly.

"Oui, it shouldn't take long. An hour or three at most. Enjoy your little break," she said, waving at us in an adorable manner before skipping down the hill overlooking the town. I shake my head in awe and amusement.

"You know," I said idly to my fellow Master as we sat down, while Mash rummaged through our supply sack to dig out another flavorless breakfast. "If we somehow hooked Marie up to a generator or a battery, would she be able to solve the world's energy crisis?" My joke elicited a round of hearty laughter not only from Ritsuka, but also Mash, Mordred, Jeanne, and even Amadeus.

"Welcome back," I grunted, pushing myself up onto my feet. Marie was skipping towards us, a smile on her face. Considering how long she was gone, that probably means she has something good to share, or at least important.

"I got the information!" Marie said in her usual, cheerful tone. Jeanne gave a smile of relief, no doubt feeling bad about not being able to help her fellow countrywoman in asking about Lyon in town. Sure enough, what she says next confirmed my theory.

"That's great. I'm sorry again about not being able to help," Jeanne said to her newfound friend with a forlorn look, turquoise eyes staring down at the still-intact town. "I will cause a panic if I had gone into town, or any other towns undoubtedly." Marie was about to comment when I gave a light, playful shove to Jeanne's shoulder.

"Oi, Jeanne, relax. It's ok," I said, shaking my head good-naturedly as Marie tittered merrily into the palm of her hand. Jeanne blushed but nodded. I had taken a personal interest in trying to not let the Ruler always be a downer on herself over a situation she cannot help. "So, Marie, what were you saying?"

"I have good news, and bad news," the Rider reported to Ritsuka and I. "The bad news is that the city Saint Martha had told us about, Lyon, has been completely destroyed recently, and the survivors have settled here." I released a soft hiss of disappointment. I had hoped that perhaps the way that the Berserker Rider had referred to the city wasn't an indicator of its current state. Jeanne sighed, and this time I don't bother trying to shift the mood.

"The 'once known as' nuanced had interested me," the saint confessed, looking solemnly at Marie. "So it's just as I feared?" Marie's smile slipped from her face as she nodded somberly.

"Oui. The city is filled with monsters that seem to have risen from the depths of hell. However, it's what came before that is the good news. The refugees told me about how Lyon had a protector?"

"A protector?" Mash repeated, curiosity peaked. Marie nodded, a smaller smile back on her face.

"A knight with a large sword, who defeated wyverns and skeletons."

"I see," Jeanne said, rubbing at her chin with a thoughtful expression. Perhaps that's the Servant Martha spoke of."

"Quite possibly. However, just before the city was abandoned, some people came who the locals had found to be rather scary. Servants, probably, though who they might be, I couldn't find out. Their protector was overwhelmed by their numbers, however, and is now missing."

"And once he fell, so too did Lyon," I finished grimly.

"I hope he is still alive," Mash spoke up. "If not…no, let's believe in the words of Saint Martha."

"Oh! Another thing I found out! An important French nobleman had visited the city last night, gathering routed soldiers. They said his name was Gilles de Rais," Marie added, startling Jeanne.

"Gilles!" She said in a mixture of shock and relief, and perhaps a hint of bitterness over being unable to visit him. If memory served me right, Gilles de Rais was a close follower of Jeanne d'Arc during the battles she fought in, and her death had afflicted much grief and pain that shattered his sanity.

"He's attempting to attack Lyon and re-take the city," Marie continued explaining. I breathed deeply before taking a long time exhaling through my nose.

"Well, this complicates things," I stated bluntly. Marie tilted her head, confused.

"Why is that? Gilles de Rais is an admirer of Jeanne, right? If Jeanne asks, surely he would lend a helping hand?" Jeanne sighed again.

"That's precisely the reason why," the saint in question responded despondently. "He knows that I've become the Dragon Witch. He wouldn't accept me like that."

"And even if that wasn't the case, what good would it be to send mere soldiers and knights against these apparent monsters?" Ritsuka chimed in. I grimace as I imagine the aftermath of such an effort. Even a victory would be little better than a defeat in regards to the cost of life. Marie looked particularly bothered by that idea, no doubt partly due to the fact that in several centuries from now, she would be ruling over these lands and the people who lived there.

"Yes, I don't think normal soldiers can handle all those monsters in Lyon," she agreed. Mordred snorts, resting the blade of Clarent against her shoulder guard.

"Bah, I say we go over there and kick some monster ass," she said in her brash tone, a cocky expression gracing her features.

"Yeah, we can do this!" Ritsuka said rather excitedly, pumping a fist into the air. Marie almost swooned, clasping two hands against her cheek as she gazed at the Japanese Magus.

"Yes, that's what it means to be a boy! Here's your reward~" The Rider said with a giggle before planting a chaste kiss on Ritsuka's right cheek. Mash's eyes widened, as did my own, as the Demi-Servant stammered at the action.

"W-what?" Mash asked, her cheeks flushed with color as her purple eyes darted between the innocently-smiling Rider and my fellow Master as the former took a few steps backward. I throttled the snigger that was building in my throat as I examined my friend.

If Mash's cheeks were colored, Ritsuka's could only be described as burning. His blue eyes stared blankly at the giggling Rider. His mouth hung half-open. Oh, my. I do believe that, if I am reading this correctly, Ritsuka just had his first kiss. If this was his reaction to chaste one to the cheek, I wonder what it would have been if it had been a passionate one on the lips? Possibly passing out?

"Well? Was it good?" Marie asked, perhaps a bit shyly. To my undying amusement, Ritsuka merely stared at Marie with wide eyes, his mouth opening and closing like a fish gasping for air as he tried to speak.

"Master, hang in there," Mash urged, before whispering in mild frustration. "Jeez!" A deep, throaty laugh caused me to look over my shoulder at a beaming Amadeus who was shaking his head in mock despair at his companion's actions.

"She finally went and did it, huh?" The composer sighed good-naturedly. "Sorry, just ignore that, Ritsuka. Marie has a bad habit of kissing everything. It caused chaos in the palace. There were actually factions formed of people she'd kissed and people she hadn't," Amadeus explained to us, or rather, everyone but Ritsuka, who was still in a daze.

"Master, come on." Mash was almost whining now, trying to figure out what she should do. "Snap out of it. Snap out of it!" She said, finally deciding on shaking her Master. Meanwhile, Marie just watched the show with a confused expression.

"Huh? You guys don't do kisses?" She asked, in a surprisingly naïve tone. "Maybe like when your heart feels like someone's squeezing it…you do it too, right Jeanne?" She asked the Ruler. Once again the blonde's face turned a bright pink, stammering out her reply.

"I-I do not! I do not!" She protested. Behind me, Mordred faked a cough, saying something under her breath that sounded like bullshit. I looked over my shoulder, raising an eyebrow at my Servant. Mordred merely shrugged.

"I'll tell you when we finish this mess," Mordred said quietly, and I nodded before looking back at the peanut gallery.

"Okay, everyone, please stop talking," I said in a polite but firm tone, and thankfully, the three Servants and Demi-Servant I was referring to fell silent. "Thank you. Now, as fascinating as what appears to have been Ritsuka's first kiss is, I think this isn't the time to discuss hormones," I said bluntly, causing both of the French Servants to blush in embarrassment. I glance at Ritsuka and sigh, walking over and gently pushing Mash out of the way.

"Let me try," I said calmly, a nod being my answer before I looked my fellow Master in the eye. "Sorry about this," I said before I slapped his right cheek. Everyone flinched at the sudden sound of my palm making contact with his left cheek, and Ritsuka stumbled backwards, shaking his head as he pressed his hands against the red mark now forming.

"Ow! Was that really necessary?" He asked as he rubbed his cheek. I take off my cap and run a hand through my messy hair as I shrugged.

"It was the best thing I could do to snap you out of your Snow White impression," I admitted bluntly. "At least it worked." Ritsuka stared flatly at me, unamused. Thankfully though, it appeared that he wasn't about to hold a grudge against me or something.

"Now that we are all back in the present, I suggest we start making our way to Lyon."

"Agreed. Although the thought of having to see a ruined town again is heartbreaking, we must stop the Dragon Witch."

The next four or five hours were rather boring. Our party hadn't encountered anyone or thing, good or bad. Aside from a few brief stops to catch our breath, and a quick lunch, we made no stops. Before we knew it, we were only a few hundred feet away from the destroyed city of Lyon. I sighed once again, something I have been doing with unpleasant frequency since we first arrived in this singularity.

The walls were scorched, and the charred remains of the garrison litter the battlements and the ground. At least this time, their deaths appeared to have not been in vain to save the citizens of the settlement. However, just like in La Charité, the air was deathly silent, filled only with the smell of smoke, fire, and death. Jeanne was the first one to speak.

"…There's no one here," she observed in an extremely quiet voice." Mash activated our commlink.

"Doctor, any sign of life-" The Demi-Servant began to say, only for static to reply. "Doctor?" Mash tried again, only to again get white noise. She looked at Ritsuka and I apologetically. "I'm sorry. Reception's not very good here."

"Looks like we'll have to do this the old-fashioned way," I replied, and the Shielder nodded before speaking again.

"Let's split up and search for this 'Dragon Slayer' that Martha said we should find."

"Right," Marie replied. "Let's see which of us finds that person first. Amadeus and I will take the western half of the city." I turn towards Sasaki.

"Sasaki, would you mind going along with them?" The swordsman merely bowed his head slightly in acknowledgement. I turn towards my fellow Master. "Rits, take Mash, Medea, and Chulainn, and check the center of the city. Jeanne, Mordred, and I will take care of the eastern section. If anyone encounters either the Servant we are searching for, survivors, or Servants, send something into the air," I said. No on disagrees with the suggestion, and soon we split up into our three small groups.

The three of us walked through the city in silence, passing a number of mauled bodies along the way. Even though I had expected to see nothing pleasant, nor any survivors, the sight of such wanton destruction still hurts. Mordred had a small frown on her lips, showing her displeasure. However, the one who was affected the most had to be the Maid of Orléans

"This was once a beautiful town," Jeanne finally said, stopping before a partially collapsed house. Indeed, there appeared to have been a rather charming appearance when it was intact. I noticed how the Ruler's gauntlets were shaking slightly as she gripped her standard. "Why would that Dragon Witch do this?"

"That's not you, Jeanne," I replied, resting a comforting hand on her shoulder. She appeared to have relaxed slightly as she exhaled. Mordred remained silent, undoubtedly preferring for me to do this and let her keep an eye out for any potential threats.

"That's be nice but…" Jeanne paused, while I gripped the hilt of my sword. "Did I just hear a voice?" She asked, readying her weapon as Mordred's helmet assembled itself around her face.

"I don't think that is a survivor calling out for help," I said, pointing my other hand skywards, preparing to fire a Gandr to signal the others. Sure enough, the half-slashed body of a local shambles into view, along with a dozen or so more. The Living Undead, once again. I fire the Gandr into the air and draw my sword.

Just peachy. I turn my head slightly as I hear someone grinding their teeth together, and am actually startled to see the trembling form of Jeanne. She wasn't scared, however, though certainly horrified.

"Turning the townsfolk into monsters…" Jeanne seethed, angered. "This is beyond heresy!"

"I'd rather be facing those damn golems again," Mordred commented, readying Clarent. Both Servants are ready to break the curse animating the bodies before us, and I was prepared to join them.

"Be at peace," I murmured gently as I readied my sword, standing between Jeanne and Mordred as the monstrosities before us charged forward.

Orginal end notes: So, I laughed myself silly over that aspect of Marie and her interactions. Hoped you all enjoyed it. This chapter was mainly a transition, and I did skip over a few fights (mainly a pointless interruption by a bunch of bandits) in order to progress with the main line of the story. Next chapter will have a fair amount of fighting, so wish me luck with typing it out. What did y'all think about the idea of writing from Jeanne's perspective, kinda, at the start of the chapter? I haven't written, either published or in practice, Jeanne or Alter, so I am curious to see how it works, as I plan on expanding a bit on the Servant perspectives, though of course in this story the main ones are Mordred and her Master Jacob. Not much else to really say, other than the question of the day: Which of the boss Servants in FGO that you had to deal with gave you the most rage/frustration? Looking forward out feedback and answers, and I hope you enjoyed another chapter! Until next time!