All The Difference In The Worlds

by Some Random Shitty Rambler

"The right man in the wrong places can make all the difference in the worlds". Unfortunately for Jaune Arc, he finds himself in the wrong place when he pushes Pyrrha into that rocket locker and takes her place at the top of Beacon's tower during the Fall. Even worse, that isn't the only wrong place that awaits him! Multi X-Over. Completed

97. Conspiracy vs Corruption

Chapter 97 - Conspiracy vs Corruption

---

The hooded and cloaked figure came into Domremy late into the night.

The village's watchmen spotted the figure, but as they challenged her, and she responded, they almost dropped their torches and weapons in shock, before one finally gathered enough of his wits to run and inform the watch leader, even as the other invited her in a moment later.

The figure chose to accept the watchman's invitation, and as she stepped into the village, she took a moment to study her surroundings.

It was her first time here in three years, and she found herself oddly reassured by how much things seemed the same.

Then Jacques d'Arc came frantically running out, and stopped in front of the figure just as she lowered her hood, the metal of her gauntlets glinting in the light of the torches, revealing a head of long blonde hair tied into a braided ponytail and deep purple eyes.

"... is... is it really you?" Jacques choked out, unable to take his watering eyes off of the strange-but-familiar face.

"... it's me, Pa." Blake smiled, tears welling in her eyes as well. "I'm back."

-FIVE HOURS LATER-

When she'd left the village, throwing a party like the one in front of her would have been all but unthinkable.

After all, the country had been in the grips of war, and they'd been surrounded by Burgundian loyalists.

The people had gone to bed fearful and scared, that each new day would bring forth more bad news, more attacks, more death and destruction, and the night watchmen had always been on edge in case of more raiding parties showing up.

But now?

After the Second Siege of Rouen, the Normans and Burgundians had finally come to the negotiating table with the French, and the English had served as mediators at the Congress of Arras.

Not even she was naive enough to believe that this would be a lasting peace; even if the Normans and Burgundians had renounced their claims to Paris and agreed to a long ceasefire... well, this wasn't even the second time in a hundred years the French, Normans, Burgundians, and English were nominally not fighting.

But still, she could pray.

But still, she could hope.

But still, she could believe.

Believe that everything had been worth it.

Believe that she'd made a difference.

Believe that he'd... they'd made a difference.

A small, sad smile graced her lips.

After the Congress of Arras, the King and most of the nobles had asked her to stay on as an advisor in the royal court, offering her money, land, title, among other things.

She'd refused them all.

It hadn't been about her status; the Dauphin had ennobled her entire House after the First Siege of Paris.

It hadn't been about her gender; it was no secret that she was a woman, after all.

In the end, as befitted the girl, her reasoning was simple.

She'd joined the war to save her country.

Her divine task had been completed.

Throughout France... there had finally an end to the conflict, even if it wasn't eternal.

The world wasn't charging straight to Hell anymore.

She didn't hear the Lord's laments anymore.

With that done, all that had been left was a promise to keep.

And a d'Arc never went back on her word.

Her smile grew, as she looked down at her younger sisters, Margaret and Catherine, who desperately clung on to her legs even as they lightly dozed off.

Then she looked up to her parents, who were drunkenly dancing and singing by the bonfire.

While she couldn't regret her actions... she couldn't even begin to imagine just how hurt and worried her family had been, when they'd woken up to find out that she'd disappeared in the night (though that didn't stop them from trying anyway).

After her father had attempted to crush her ribs (and her breastplate), he'd begun alternating between weeping about how happy he was that she was safe, yelling at her for what she'd done, and telling her how proud he was even as her mother and sisters had made their way to the village entrance to complete the tearful reunion.

Apparently, surrounded by Burgundian loyalists as they'd been, most of the news they'd heard had been that she'd been burned at the stake for witchcraft and heresy back at Compiegne.

Compiegne...

She looked away from the party, and back up to the moon shining overhead.

Even now, three years later, she still couldn't believe that the Arthur he'd advised had been the King Arthur...

The English had explained things to her, after he'd disappeared (even now, she still couldn't believe he was just gone).

Apparently, he'd been a near-mythical figure called the Knight of Compassion, an advisor to King Arthur, and the Steward and Chancellor of Camelot, before his disappearance at the hands of the witch Morgan le Fay.

Before his death, King Arthur had managed to finish Merlin's work, and recreate a summoning spell.

All that had been needed, was a catalyst.

And while Camelot's treasury had some items that could have been used, the King had explicitly banned their usage in the spell (while it was well-known that the King had been protective of the items he'd left behind, the fact that Artoria had intended to use herself as the catalyst was not something any but her, Kay, and Velvet had known).

Ultimately, the summoning had failed (sabotaged by Sir Velvet), and the King had subsequently died at Camlann.

As Morgan had collected her body and borne it to Avalon, however, she'd apparently made a prophecy, that the return of the Knight of Compassion would herald the return of King Arthur.

And so, when they'd been informed that the Nameless Blade had been found...

Well, Compiegne had happened.

She couldn't fully blame the English, however.

He'd made his choice, and the English hadn't intended for any of that to happen.

All she could do, was honor his memory, live up to the faith he'd had in her, and keep her promise to him.

Catherine groaned and shifted in her sleep, before pulling herself more closely onto her leg, eliciting another smile from Blake.

Jaune had been right.

She would have regretted never seeing her family again.

Even all the tears and lectures... and the pointed questions about why she'd dyed her hair blonde, why the French called her "Jeanne", and if she'd met anyone...

At least her little sisters had been more interested in interrogating her about her adventures than anything else.

... once again, she wished he was still around.

She just knew her family would have loved to meet him, and he'd have probably enjoyed the meeting too.

Quietly, she stroked Margaret's hair, who smiled in her sleep as she snuggled closer.

Her little sisters would have probably exploded from excitement, if they'd found out that their big sister had been tutored by a man who fought dragons and demons, and trained King Arthur himself!

... she just prayed her mentor could find peace someday.

For now, though, all she could do, was enjoy the celebration.

-NINE WEEKS LATER-

Blake couldn't help but sigh, even as she tended to the fields, looking for weeds and pests in the mud, and fought the temptation to simply snooze in the shade of the nearby oak tree.

It wasn't that she didn't enjoy her current life; she was more than grateful for the chance to be back with her family, and farming was trivial compared to leading an army.

But, well... at the same time...

Blake let out another sigh, and couldn't help but look up to the sky, unwilling to admit that she may have been a little bit... bored (if she wanted to exaggerate to be dramatic).

Not to mention a bit lonely.

To put it bluntly... she'd changed a lot, in the three years she'd been fighting the war, and the village... hadn't.

A third sigh escaped her lips, as she then recalled her suitors. Many were the boys in the village who'd tried to court her upon her return, and many were the boys she'd turned down. The ones who didn't want her for status as the Maiden of Orleans were usually intimidated by her fame and legend, and the few that weren't... still couldn't catch her attention.

Not that that ever stopped them from trying.

"Thinking about your boyfriend again, Blake?" Catherine's voice caught her attention, and she spun around to see her younger sister giving her a manure-munching grin.

"I told you, Cat... he was just my mentor." Blake rolled her eyes even as she deliberately turned her attention back to the ground.

"Uh huh." Catherine's voice was clearly skeptical. "Is that why you keep looking out of the window and making faces every night?"

"Or why you're always drawing pictures of him?" Margaret innocently chimed in, as she joined her older sisters in farm work.

"I do not!" Blake hissed hotly, ignoring the way her face burned as she made a mental note to find a different floorboard to stash her drawings under.

"And yet you're always talking about him..." Margaret rebutted.

"Because you guys keep asking about him!" Blake defended herself immediately.

This time, it was Margaret's time to drily reply: "Uh huh."

"Marge..."

"Well, at least he can't be worse than that weird noble that keeps coming by every week." Catherine point out.

"... Gilles... isn't that bad..." Blake weakly defended.

""..."" Catherine and Margaret exchanged looks, as they remembered how he'd attempted to purchase some... items, their older sister had outgrown.

Fortunately for Gilles's dignity, before they could say anything, their father came running over, shouting: "Blake! Blake!"

"What is it, Pa?" Blake asked, as she slowly got to her feet.

"There's someone... asking for you..." Jacques panted, trying to catch his breath.

Blake couldn't help but raise a curious eyebrow. After all, it wasn't like people hadn't been coming from all over France, to pay a visit to the Maiden's home village.

"She... house... water..." Jacques found himself at a loss for words, and instead of continuing to struggle to describe what he'd seen, he simply grabbed his daughter's arm, and began tugging.

Blake shared a look with her sisters, but allowed herself to be pulled up and dragged along, in order to see just what all the fuss was about.

Once she reached the house, however, she couldn't really blame her father for being tongue-tied.

It wasn't everyday you saw a crater next to your house, especially when it had previously been a barren field a few hours ago.

And it definitely wasn't everyday that you saw a figure turning it into a small lake by summoning water from her sword.

For a moment, Blake found herself reminded of her mentor's blade.

Then the figure suddenly spoke: "Fascinating. You truly do smell... similar, to him."

"Him?" Blake echoed, completely lost.

The figure turned to her, revealing sandy blonde hair, aqua green eyes, and olive skin.

The most striking thing about her, however, the thing that immediately caught Blake's attention, was the sight of the bone-white mask that covered the lower half of her face, concealing everything below her nose.

The mask reminded her of a predator's grin, feral and wild.

"Your mentor." The figure explained simply. "Jaune Arc, I believe he was called."

Blake's heart skipped a beat.

"You... you knew him?" Blake stammered out, before the dam burst. "When did you meet him? How do you know him? Who are you? What are you doing? Are you... like him?"

"..." The figure closed her eyes, as she mulled over the question.

Then she simply shrugged, and admitted: "I doubt there is any being in existence who could truly answer that question. A Hollow with a heart and a zanpakuto... even the God-King of Las Noches, for all his age, could have never imagined such a thing, let alone the denizens of this world."

"This... this world?" Blake's eyes widened.

"But what I am, isn't important, girl." Tier Harribel shook her head, and sheathed her sword as the lake was filled to the brim with her Reiatsu-generated and -infused water.

"What is important, young Jeanne d'Arc, is that the Knight of Compassion will soon need help." Another voice came from within the depths of the lake, as the image the clear waters reflected suddenly shifted, the waters paying heed to the being contracted to their creator.

Suddenly, instead of a cloudless sky, the waters showed a reflection of a mystical and ancient tower, surrounded by blooming flowers on gently-sloped plains.

Blake couldn't help but wonder if she was looking at Heaven, and she ignored the strangled cries and mutterings of "witchcraft" behind her as she walked up to the waters, and studied the image further.

Then she processed what had just been said, and she immediately demanded: "What do you mean, Jaune's going to need help?! He needed help at Compiegne three years ago!"

One of the figures in the tower, a pale-haired woman, shifted uncomfortably at her words, and tried to defend herself: "My spell was never meant to cause him any harm-"

"Your spell?!" Blake echoed incredulously, before she put two and two together. Her eyes hardened, as she remembered how... cold and gruff he'd been, when she'd first met him, and how he'd told his tale, and her voice deepened as she growled: "Never meant to cause him any harm?! Do you have any idea how much pain he was in?!"

The other, a white-haired youthful-looking man, couldn't help but chuckle as he cut in: "Indeed. Good job, Morgan. Once again, you've exceeded all expectations..."

"Fuck off, Merlin." Morgan snarled as she flipped him off.

"What becoming behavior of the Queen of the Fae." Merlin remarked snidely, before shaking his head and turning to Blake once more. His voice became a bit more serious, as he began: "Regardless, Ms. d'Arc... my companion truly does feel remorse for her actions, and Mr. Arc is at no risk from the effects of her spell."

"Then why did you say he will soon need help?" Blake blinked in confusion.

"Well, "soon" is a relative term, young Jeanne." The first voice spoke once more, as a figure formed itself out of the water, looking much like Morgan. "He will need help soon after he returns to this world, in about... oh, six hundred years?"

"Slightly less than that, Vivian." Merlin corrected her, eliciting a slight scowl from the water woman. "And the danger comes from what he will find himself involved in upon his arrival.

"And, Ms. d'Arc, it is no exaggeration to say that, if the Knight of Compassion fails, the world itself would be in danger." Merlin finished grimly.

-TWENTY MINUTES LATER-

"You're going, aren't you." It wasn't a question, but a statement that Jacques gave his oldest daughter, as he watched her pacing across her bedroom.

"I..." Blake hesitated, and finally halted her efforts to wear a groove in the wooden floor as she turned to her father, unease and doubt clear in her eyes. "I..."

"Come now, Blake, what's stopping you?" Jacques asked lightly, trying to ease his daughter's tension. "You ran away from home to save this country, for God's sake! Why do you hesitate now, when both the world and your mentor might need yo-oof!"

"Jacques." Isabelle hissed as she elbowed her husband in the side, cutting him off before he could say any more. Stepping forward before her husband could do any further damage, she gently tried: "What's wrong, Blake?"

"I... I don't know what to do, Ma." Blake admitted in a huff of frustration, as she recalled everything the pool of water had told her.

It definitely helped that she'd already been told that her mentor was an original member of the Round Table (even if she hadn't fully believed it back then).

Without it, she probably wouldn't have believed that she'd been contacted by the Merlin, the Lady of the Lake, and Morgan le Fay (or, as the English had kept calling her, that bitch), even after they'd given her proof that they'd definitely known him (the sheer number of tales Merlin had told about his exploits and experiences had surprised even her, and not for the first time she reflected that he really hadn't told her everything).

"I mean, it seems pretty clear, doesn't it?" Isabelle pressed. "The world needs you once more, not to mention your mentor..."

"That's exactly it." Blake groaned. "Jaune made me promise I'd survive and return home, that I wouldn't regret anything like he did."

""..."" The two parents of Blake d'Arc exchanged glances, not having heard that last part before.

"I... I want to go, but..." Blake tried again, torn between her loyalty to her mentor and... well, her loyalty to her mentor.

"Blake..." Jacques said quietly, stroking her cheek.

"What should I do, Pa?" Blake asked desperately.

"You should do what you want to do, Blake." Jacques smiled at her.

"And you already know what you want to do, dear." Isabelle added.

"But I gave him my word..." Blake muttered, looking down.

"Yes, you did." Jacques nodded. "And a d'Arc never goes back on her word."

"You promised him you wouldn't regret anything, right, Blake?" Isabelle pressed, as Blake looked up at her parents in confusion. Leaning against her husband, she recalled all the times she'd catch her daughter staring into the sky with a sad look as she explained: "It's pretty clear that you'll regret it if you don't go to him, dear..."

Blake stared at her mother in shock, than at her father when, instead of speaking out against it, he merely nodded in agreement. Finding her voice, she tried to protest: "But... but... what about you guys? What about how-"

"Blake." Isabelle interrupted her with a smile. "The Lord already blessed us, when he delivered you back to us safe and sound. But in the past few weeks... it's obvious that your heart's not really here. And right now... all we want is for you to be happy."

"You're already the Maiden of Orleans, the Hero of France." Jacques added, forcing himself to maintain a stiff upper lip. "We know you'll be able to handle whatever comes your way; we know you'll be fine, and the Lord will protect you."

"Ma... Pa..." Blake's eyes began to water.

"Don't let us hold you back, Blake." Isabelle reassured her daughter. "If you go, it will be with our blessing."

"Now, go and do what a d'Arc has always done, Blake." Jacques added, placing a firm hand on her shoulder.

Blake's smile grew, and she kissed him on the cheek as she promised: "I won't let you down!"

"You never have." Jacques stated firmly, as she kissed her mother on her cheek in turn.

"And you never will." Isabelle added, as Blake then knelt down, grabbed the chest under her bed, and easily unlocked it.

Blake found her throat choked, but fortunately her parents were content to simply gaze at her tenderly as she began grabbing the armor she'd cast aside, as well as the carefully-folded blessed white fabric.

Somehow, even after everything, it was still clean and pure.

Her father held out her old travelling pack, and she crammed it all inside the massive leather bag with expert ease born from years of experience.

Then she got up, and strode out of the house with purpose.

The Lady of the Lake, the two Magi in the pool, and the... whatever Tier Harribel was, were entertaining questions from her two excited younger sisters when she stepped out.

"I take it you have come to a decision, Ms. d'Arc?" Merlin asked gently, seeing her pack.

"What else could I do?" Blake asked rhetorically.

The moment was unfortunately ruined, however, when Isabelle explained to her other daughters that their big sister was off to get her mentor back, and the two subsequently began begging her to bring her "boyfriend" back to visit (not helped when Jacques reassured her that their home would always be open to "them").

-FIVE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY TWO YEARS LATER-

Blake d'Arc had seen and done many things, during her time as Jeanne d'Arc, the Maiden of Orleans, the Savior of France.

She'd seen the Norman and Burgundian armies in action, watched French artillery duel Norman longbows while French and Burgundian cavalry clashed across open plains.

She'd seen the great city of Orleans, led the procession to Reims, and watched the coronation of King Charles VII.

She'd fought by the side of Jaune, the Knight of Compassion, and witnessed the miracles he had wrought, and performed them once he'd disappeared.

But as Morgan's spell deposited her in the middle of some deserted alley, and she took her first steps out of the grey walls and towards the light, she found her jaw once again drop.

Horseless wagons raced up and down black roads, and rows upon rows of buildings lined the streets, each blindingly bright, and each rivalling even the cathedrals of France in height (if not splendor and width).

More people than she'd ever seen before walked up and down the pavements, each oblivious to the advances in engineering that had led to the marvels they lived in.

And the smells...

Some reminded her of gunpowder, but more acrid.

Some reminded her of fire, of smoke.

And somewhere down the street (or was it up the street?)...

Her mouth almost watered, as she picked up the scent of food.

If not for her mission, Jeanne would have simply stood there for hours, trying to make sense of the sensory overload.

As it was, though, she had a mission, and it was that focus that forced her to begin moving, looking for something in particular.

As her mentor wasn't of this world, Merlin found himself unable to see the future with his Clairvoyance whenever Jaune Arc was present in those moments (as well as the ones that followed them, naturally).

Thus, they couldn't see where or when exactly he would return, or the specific details of the threat he would face.

What they could see, however, was the world up to the point where Jaune Arc would return, and make inferences.

She'd been sent there about a year before he would return, in order to prepare for his arrival (because she was another one of his students, and thusly it stood to reason that she would be best suited to finding and aiding him upon his return).

Once she'd arrived, she was supposed to make contact with Tier Harribel, who was supposed to already be waiting for her, and receive further instructions.

... unfortunately, she still hadn't learned how to read or write, and while Merlin had given her a translation spell before Morgan had sent her forward in time...

Well, fortunately, he'd foreseen the difficulty an illiterate French peasant girl from the fifteenth century might face in asking a Japanese civilian from the twenty first century where she might possibly find an extradimensional evolved amalgamation of soul-hungry ghosts that had gained the powers of an afterlife enforcer, and had told Jaune Arc's... friend (hey, according to the insane Knight of Compassion, strangers were just friends you hadn't met yet, right?) where she could find his student.

It helped that Tier Harribel had the senses of a shark, and Jeanne stood out quite easily in Fuyuki City, what with her blonde hair and purple eyes, and after half a minute of wandering the street with no idea where she was going, a hand tapped her, and she turned.

She recognized the olive skin, aqua green eyes, and sandy blonde hair, sure, but somewhere in the past five hundred or so years Tier Harribel had apparently swapped out the bone-white armor for simple pants and a jacket that covered the lower half of her face (specifically, her mask).

"Ms. Harribel?" Jeanne asked politely, wanting to be sure she had the right person.

"Nice to see you're finally here, girl." Harribel nodded dispassionately, and she handed the girl the wallet containing her new identity before beginning to walk along the street.

"So... what's the plan, Ms. Harribel?" Jeanne asked, falling in line behind the taller woman.

"For now, we'll head back to the house." Harribel began.

"We have a house?" Jeanne blinked in surprise.

"The Crown was... more generous than expected." Harribel explained smoothly, even as she quietly wondered to herself if perhaps they'd slightly overdone it.

Sure, it would have been hard for her to explain the situation by herself, seeing as how she didn't appear in most traditional myths and legends, and there was no word yet for what exactly she was (and while the Crown owed her for helping save the crew of the Hood and finding the German battleship that had sunk it, among other things, getting them to loan out those items to a university in a country on the other side of the world was probably a bit more than what a few dozen favors could cover).

But in hindsight, they were probably lucky the old Queen hadn't simply had a heart attack when a hand had suddenly risen out of her glass of water during a simple breakfast, bearing a written missive signed by Merlin himself...

"Of course, they can't give us too much without raising suspicions." Tier added. "And those three can't directly interfere since they're in Avalon... so it'll be up to the two of us to make the necessary preparations."

"..." Jeanne gulped.

"So... do you have any skills we can put to use?" Tier inquired off-handedly.

"... well, I can draw?" Jeanne suggested uneasily. deciding that was probably the most helpful of her skills (performing miracles, leading armies, and farming).

"..." Harribel turned to the younger woman, and Jeanne couldn't help but wince. Then she sighed, and with a shrug said: "Well, the good news is Merlin and the Lady of the Lake can probably supply us with food or water from Avalon in a pinch..."

Jeanne breathed a sigh of relief, as they established that the basics had been met, and the plan didn't completely hinge on an illiterate farmer's daughter navigating the economy of the twenty first century.

And with her immediate concerns settled, her curiosity grew.

Quickening her pace so that she was next to the older woman, she casually asked: "So... how do you know Jaune?"

"Well, according to him, and based on what Merlin and I could figure out, it was in the short window of time between his departure from Hell and his summoning by King Arthur..."

-THREE MONTHS BEFORE THE END OF CHAPTER 96-

"You know, when I asked you to help Ms. d'Arc prepare for Mr. Arc's arrival, I wasn't expecting this." Merlin admitted with just a hint of surprise, as he held up the manga Jeanne had sent them via Lady of the Lake a while ago. Then a familiar infuriating grin appeared on his face, and he continued: "So are you considering leaving the Lady of the Lake's employ to become a full-time assistant to Jeanne? Oh, by the way, tell her I said "congratulations" for being nominated for Shogakakan's Newcomer Of The Year Award, will you?"

Tier simply ignored the white haired man as he prattled on, in favor of getting straight to the point: "Any updates on when the boy will arrive?"

"I'm afraid not, Ms. Harribel." Merlin shook his head. "But by the look of things... he will arrive before the Crown sends out their artifacts. There goes my plans of having you two use them to summon him, then."

"Jeanne's going to be disappointed." Tier noted idly.

"She'll be disappointed once I point out all the errors in her work." Merlin retorted, flipping through the book. "For example, their fight with Vortigern..."

"I told her there was no way he'd gotten bitten by a dragon just to stab it in the snout..." Tier sighed, remembering her... heated discussions with her... roommate, about the story they'd been working on together. As much as she respected Jaune Arc for defending her against Edrad and treating her without prejudice, his student's description of him was... well...

"Oh, no, he made that mistake once, early on in his adventures." Merlin laughed, causing her eyes to widen and her jaw to drop. "But he learned from it, and dealt with Vortigern in a far... safer manner."

"... okay, how did he do it?" Tier couldn't help but ask.

"He ran his sword through one of Vortigern's arms, and used that to pin him in place while he ran up onto the White Dragon's snout." Merlin smiled as he recalled watching the Once-And-Future-Kings' battle against the White Dragon, along with the rest of the Britons and Saxons. "Then he punched him in the eye, and bit and clawed at Vortigern's snout as the White Dragon used his remaining free hand to pull him off, distracting him long enough for Young Arthur to deliver the final blow."

"... you're kidding." Tier finally declared, studying Merlin's face closely.

"I'm really not." Merlin's smirk grew. Then, knowing her curiosity was aroused, he deftly changed the subject: "Anyway, it looks like we'll be going with Plan B, then. The more Knights of the Round Table the greedy Masters summon, the more the odds will swing in our favor."

"..." Merlin knew Tier Harribel was scowling at him fiercely from behind her mask, but she eventually sighed and looked away first, knowing from experience just how futile trying to get a straight answer from Merlin could be. Instead, she asked: "And what happens if Plan B doesn't work either?"

"Then, our last hope will be for the two of you to make contact with Arc on your own, and hope that the package is enough." Merlin's expression didn't change, but there was a more somber edge to his voice as he recalled what the Second Magic User he'd talked to had said. "If you can't... well, then the two of your will need to end the Grail War by yourselves."

-TWO WEEKS BEFORE THE END OF CHAPTER 96-

"I don't get it..." Jeanne huffed impatiently, rolling her pencil up and down her sketchbook as she gave up on trying to finish the latest page of the manga she was drawing. "There's still no sign of him..."

"Patience, young one." Tier rolled her eyes from behind her newspaper. "Merlin said he's already been summoned..."

"But then why hasn't he started poking around yet?" Jeanne asked rhetorically. "Maybe I should have called it "Knight of Compassion" instead of "Knight of Love"..."

"That would have been too direct, Jeanne." Tier repeated herself. "Anyone who'd been through as much as he had would have probably assumed it was a trap, and kept his distance..."

"You're right..." Jeanne huffed, before sighing. "I'm just worried... what if his Master's mistreating him? You remember how Morgan and Merlin described some of the other Grail Wars and their participants..."

"..." Tier Harribel hesitated, as she remembered Merlin showing them just how brutal some of the previous Fuyuki Grail Wars had been (if only to show them just what they were up against). Undead demigods under the control of power-hungry magi fighting for, quite literally, anything they could wish for...

But at the same time, she couldn't imagine the boy that had befriended a Hollow killing other Masters and Servants without provocation, just because someone ordered him too (and that was before she'd been told that Jeanne's ludicrous tales about her mentor, the fabled "Knight of Compassion"... had probably been understated).

She idly looked back at her newspaper as she wondered how to cheer up her odd friend, when something caught her eyes.

A report from an old lady, about how some vigilante had stopped a purse-snatcher the previous night.

"Hey, Jeanne, look at this." Tier Harribel waved her over, before wincing as she remembered that, despite their best efforts, the girl still had difficulty reading (a situation not helped by the fact that French was her native tongue, and Fuyuki City's papers were in Japanese).

Fortunately, the young woman was still too distracted by thoughts of her mentor to really be unamused by Harribel's slight, and as she walked over Harribel read out the headlines: "Mysterious vigilante "Shielder" stops purse-snatcher... Jeanne, do you think..."

"..." Jeanne chewed it over, carefully thinking about it.

It certainly seemed like the kind of thing he would have done, seeing as how she knew he was the kind of person to help a random girl on the side of a road even when he was mourning and in shock...

And she certainly wanted it to be him...

But it didn't add up.

Based on Merlin's and Morgan's observations, there didn't seem to be any sort of "Shielder" Class-Servant, nor was there any reason for a Master to allow their Servant to play hero.

Furthermore...

"Is there any description of him?" Jeanne pressed.

"... besides his build, not really..." Tier admitted.

"If it was him, he should have stood out immediately." Jeanne shook her head, remembering both the stares she kept receiving in this new era (unbeknownst to her, what caught the eyes of many men wasn't her blonde hair or purple eyes, but her radiance and charisma), and how Jaune just had the ability to catch everyone's eyes, either with his words or with whatever miracle his sword was pulling off at that moment. "Blonde hair, blue eyes, and a flaming, frozen, and electrified sword are kind of hard to miss..."

Tier Harribel nodded, seeing where Jeanne was coming from, and decided to drop the subject, unable to miss the sheer nostalgia and longing in the girl's voice.

-DURING THE EVENTS OF CHAPTER 94 & 95 (ONE NIGHT BEFORE THE END OF CHAPTER 96)-

Tier Harribel had been shopping for groceries, when she'd felt it.

Sure, she hadn't technically needed to buy groceries, but she'd been craving some meat for a while (they got a fair amount of fruits and vegetables from Avalon, but she wasn't exactly a vegetarian by nature), and with the news that she and Jeanne had won the Shogakakan's Newcomer Of The Year Award a few days ago, she'd decided it was time to splurge.

And initially, she'd deigned to simply ignore the faint tremors in the distance and the brief outbursts of energy like she had the night before, confident in the knowledge that there was a Grail War raging on, and that the Clock Tower and the Church had a certain rule about not being noticed.

After all, she knew what Jaune Arc's Reiatsu smelled like, and she also knew just how dangerous a battle between Servants could be.

While she was probably head-and-shoulders above even the God-King of Las Noches (not to mention Edrad Liones)...

Well, she hadn't survived this long by taking unnecessary risks.

Of course, if things got any closer, she'd have protected the people around her, but as the tremors died away she figured that the worst of the battle was over.

And then they restarted, before an earthquake suddenly rocked the building next to her

Her eyes widened, and she turned to the direction she'd felt it originate from, just in time to see an explosion on the nearby mountain, incinerating some of the trees.

A small part of her wondered if the Magus involved was going to try and pass it off as another gas accident, before a second explosion occurred.

Unlike the first one, however, the people around her couldn't feel it, and any effects it may have had on them was easily forgotten, brushed away and rationalized as shock from the earthquake and the first explosion.

But they didn't have the same senses she had.

If not for how strong she was, her breath might have been caught in her throat from the sheer eruption of spiritual energy that engulfed the town.

More importantly, though...

She recognized that Reiatsu.

It wasn't the same as back in Hueco Mundo, but even altered as it was, she could still recognize it.

She didn't even bother checking for witnesses when she used Sonido (fortunately, Morgan had a lot of experience in creating sturdy artificial bodies for her to use).

Fortunately for her, unlike Shunpo, Sonido was far more instinctual, and it took her mere moments to arrive at the epicenter of the explosion, just in time to see two blonde warriors collapse, a shorter one with red eyes and a broken throat, and a taller one with blue eyes and no visible injuries.

She ignored the red-eyed one as he disintegrated into a cloud of golden particles in favor of quickly checking on the youngerer blue-eyed boy.

His Reiryoku was dangerously low, but it seemed to be stabilizing at least.

Distantly, she recalled Merlin and Jeanne having mentioned that his Aura could block damage.

It which would explain why he looked visibly unharmed, even despite the clear ferocity of the battle that had occurred.

Even so, though, it had clearly been far less one-sided than what Jeanne had been predicting, considering his current states (not to mention the fires, the earthquakes, and the craters around her),

A quick scan of her surroundings revealed no living thing around her in that moment.

His Master clearly wasn't present.

And she doubted she could simply leave him lying there, not when there were still other Servants and Masters around.

Sighing, she easily picked him up in a simple fireman's carry, and quietly weighed her options.

Logically speaking, she should have brought him back to Jeanne, Merlin, Morgan, and the Lady of the Lake...

Even if it was on the other end of the city (in the neighboring town, in fact), she could easily get there with her Sonido...

But at the same time, Vivian's sister(?) had apparently been the one responsible for Jaune's initial disappearance (and by extension the entire conspiracy she'd found herself in the middle of when she'd arrived).

Sure, she'd gotten to know Morgan in the time she'd spent in this world, and the woman had clearly mellowed out in the fifteen hundred or so years since the fall of Camelot...

But she tried to imagine it from Jaune's perspective - his last memories of Camelot being banished by that witch, going through the Grail War, barely surviving a difficult battle, and then waking up to find herself in the presence of Morgan le Fay (or an identical-looking water clone of her).

... seeing the destruction in front of her, she'd be surprised if they even had a house left after that.

And Merlin would do it too...

... if Jeanne didn't simply attempt to baby and fuss over her mentor first...

...

...

...

With a quick Sonido, she took him to a hotel she knew in the downtown Miyama area, known for both its quality and a lack of awkward questions asked, deciding she could postpone their reunion by a day or so.

-A FEW MINUTES BEFORE THE END OF CHAPTER 96-

"I can't believe you found Jaune... and you didn't bring him back!" Jeanne yelled at Tier for the umpteenth time since the previous night, as the two continued making their way down street.

Tier, for her part, simply rolled her eyes, and did her best to drown out the girl's frustrated complaints, knowing she was just venting out her frustrations.

Hopefully, when she finally met her mentor, she'd calm down.

"Tier? Tier?" Tier's attention turned back to the young woman, to find her scowling fiercely at her.

At least, she assumed Jeanne was trying to be fierce...

Honestly, she'd seen fiercer kittens.

"Tier! Are you even listening to me?"

"If this is about me not bringing him back-" Tier began to defend herself.

"That's not it!" Jeanne snapped, shaking her head. Her tone softened, and in a lower voice she quietly asked: "Do... do you think I look alright?"

"Do..." Tier echoed incredulously, blinking in disbelief, before she chuckled warmly. "Is that really what you're worried about, Jeanne?!"

"I haven't seen him for over four years!" Jeanne snapped back, as they reached the hotel she'd dropped Jaune off at the night before. "It's just... I've told you about our first meeting, right?"

"Many times." Tier answered drily, before shaking her head. "Don't worry, Jeanne, you look fine. I'm sure he won't treat you like a kid again..."

Jeanne frowned, and wondered out loud: "Maybe I should have worn my armor instead..."

"And what if he thinks you're a Servant?" Tier countered easily, having been the one who'd convinced her to come in a simple dress. "Not to mention the amount of attention you'd have attracted..."

"I still don't see why..." Jeanne huffed in irritation. "It's not like this country doesn't have a culture of dressing up..."

Tier simply rolled her eyes, but decided it would be more worthwhile to ask the hotel receptionist to inform the occupant of Room #1813 that he had some visitors, instead of trying to convince the young woman that she was turning heads not simply because of her outfit, but because of how she wore it (when she donned the armor, Tier could easily see the legendary general who'd rallied the French loyalists and all but single-handedly turned the war around after Jaune's disappearance).

In hindsight, she really should have realized that, as with anything related to Jaune Arc, it was never going to be that easy.

After all, if it was, they would have successfully met him at Calais in 1429, and none of this would have turned into a secret conspiracy millennia in the making.

"What do you mean, he's already checked out?!" Jeanne howled in disbelief, as Tier dragged her away from the confused receptionist. "How?!"

"That shouldn't have been possible." Tier murmured, barely hiding her own shock as they left the building. "His energy levels... it should have taken him days to recover..."

"It was that bad?" Jeanne pressed worriedly, opening the bottle filled with Tier's water for the residents of Avalon to listen in as well.

"Their fight was disguised as an earthquake, Jeanne." Tier pointed out drily. "The forest was almost-"

Suddenly, an ominous sensation washed over the two sensitive women, like being face-first into freezing mud without any warning.

The pair exchanged looks, and Jeanne was already gripping Tier's forearm as her water bottle suddenly squawked: "Plan C!"

As the two appeared at their apartment a second later, and Jeanne grabbed her armor, flag, and the sword she was supposed to deliver, Tier jumped out of the homunculus body she'd been possessing as she asked: "Where, Merlin?"

"Ryuudou Temple." Merlin's voice informed them out of the water bottle. "If someone was attempting to do something with the Grail, that would be the best location."

A fully-armored Jeanne double-checked her equipment one more time, and grabbed Tier's arm again as she inquired: "What if he's not there?"

"It's the Knight of Compassion." Merlin laughed. "If he's somehow not involved, do you honestly think he could stay away?"

-TWO SECONDS AFTER THE END OF CHAPTER 96-

There was a moment of silence following Jeanne's declaration, as the three groups studied each other and quietly weighed their new odds.

"..." Jeanne stiffened, as the stares on her grew in intensity, and she realized something. "... he's not here."

"To be fair, Merlin merely said he couldn't stay away." Tier pointed out with a whisper, before reminding her: "In any case, we should probably worry about the current situation first."

"..." Jeanne sighed, but nodded as she gripped her flag tightly, and prepared to fall back into her usual routine of raising morale, protecting people, and leading charges.

Before she could speak again, however, the other blonde (the one with the ridiculous body riding a massive lion) asked in a regal tone: "That wall... are you...?"

Tier and Jeanne shared a look, before coming to a decision.

"I am Jeanne d'Arc, and I have been sent to help you." Jeanne declared firmly, twirling her banner into a simple spearman's stance while Tier Harribel remained where she was, eyes locked warily with the corrupted Lancer, neither willing to back down from each other.

"What, as in the Maiden of Orleans?" Rin couldn't help but ask, eyes widening even further as she realized just who the name reminded her of. "The Saint of France?"

"..." Jeanne shifted uneasily, remembering that, oh yeah, she'd apparently been canonized by the Church some time after her disappearance.

That... had definitely taken a while to get used to.

Nodding, she quickly changed the subject, and introduced the other blonde next to her: "And this is Tier Harribel. She's... not exactly from around here."

"And by that you mean she's from another dimension?" Artoria asked bluntly, her mind racing. It wasn't hard to put the pieces together; Jaune had told her everything when they'd first met, and Tier reminded her of the One-Armed Giant.

"How did you-?" Jeanne couldn't help but blink, confirming her suspicions.

"It's not important, Saint Jeanne." Artoria shook her head, deciding not to look a gift horse in the mouth. Even if this was just this world's version of her familiar (a thought that even Saber shared with her, what with the ice walls and the name and the extradimensional company), she was still a Hero, a Saint, and she'd assisted them.

She wouldn't even have bothered with questions, honestly..

And then a very familiar voice came out of the girl's open canteen dangling from her belt: "She's met a friend of Tier's, a long time ago."

Artoria had thought she was done with being surprised, but there was no way she could ignore that voice. "Merlin?!"

"And company." Merlin's voice added cheerfully. "I know you have questions, but-"

"You all know each other?" Jeanne interrupted excitedly, looking between her bottle and the group.

"But now probably isn't the best time." Merlin continued on as if she hadn't spoken. "I'll explain things once he arrives, but- Tier!"

As if to underscore his point, Tier suddenly shifted, appearing in front of Lancer with a boom just as he tensed up, and her suddenly-unsheathed blade met his red spear.

Lancer growled at Tier, who simply glared back at him silently, but before he could begin gathering energy around his spear once more Velvet was suddenly next to the other swordswoman, preventing him from using Gae Bolg's power on her.

"This Grail War has certainly become interesting..." Kirei commented, and the mud stirred briefly once more even as Lancer was pressed back by Velvet and Tier.

"The Grail has been corrupted by an entity from the Third Grail War." Merlin explained in a serious tone, much to Artoria's shock. Then, in a quieter tone, he added: "I'm sorry, Artoria, but your wish..."

"I know." Artoria growled, as Jeanne looked between the two in confusion. "He already told me to give up on it..."

"Oh, you've already met him?" Merlin's voice sounded surprised, though it quickly took on a teasing tone (one that Artoria was very familiar with): "And have you told him about-?"

"Is now really the time, you damn pansy?" Artoria snarled, even as Lancer leapt back and up into the air once more, gathering energy at the tip of his spear as he did so.

"It will be in, oh, about three minutes." Artoria could hear Merlin's smirk, and she found herself sighing in fond exasperation. She'd almost missed his vague predictions. "Oh, Jeanne? Barrier, two seconds."

"Luminosité Eternelle!" Jeanne complied, and her eyes flashed golden as yet another glowing wall of ice rose up just as Lancer threw his spear with a yell of "GAE BOLG!"

Once again, the two forces met, and the wall bore the brunt of the damage once more, shattering into thousands of fragments even as it absorbed the blow.

For the first time, a frown graced Lancer's face, as he assessed the situation.

It was unlikely for him to be able to have the opportunity to use Gae Bolg to pierce each of their hearts, not without their allies intervening.

His best bet to killing them would have been to use his spear to use his spear in its Anti-Army configuration, but even with his link to the Grail, that consumed an exorbitant amount of energy.

He couldn't use it infinitely... and he didn't know how easy it was for the armored maiden to throw up her barriers.

To get to them, his best bet would have been to pierce her heart... and he was unlikely to get the opportunity to do so, with her friends present.

No matter.

KILL!

He knew it didn't matter to his Master if either he or they died.

"Oh, one more thing." Merlin informed them in an easy-going tone. "Try to avoid killing Lancer; one more death might be enough to activate the Grail, and summon Angra Mainyu. Why do you think that fake priest hasn't intervened to assist his black dog yet?"

"... so we have to stop him without killing him or dying?" Artoria shook her head in disbelief.

"You could target the fake priest, but the mud won't make it easy.." Merlin supplied helpfully, as Rin approached the two blondes, deciding not to bother with even commenting anymore (or wasting her prana trying to hit Lancer with a Gandr). "Leave the corrupted Servant to Velvet and Harribel; the three of you stand the best chance against him."

"..." Jeanne shifted uneasily, not liking the idea of fighting a priest.

"Don't worry, Saint Jeanne." Artoria reassured her. "He's an unrepentant sadist who's apparently been torturing innocent victims for years."

"Unrepentant sadist?" Rin's eyes twinkled in cold amusement. "You really have met him before, haven't you?"

"Are you quite done yet?" Kirei called out in a bored tone, seeing no reason to take any counter-measures just yet. After all...

It was always the most entertaining, to see them try their hardest.

It just made it all the more satisfying, when they realized just how futile it all was.

In response, Rin fired another Gandr at him. which he easily slapped away with blades that were suddenly materialized in his hands.

"It's weird, isn't it?" Kirei tried to taunt them again, knowing that it was just irritating his student and the Lancer of the previous war, to say nothing of the actual Saint. "I was born defective, unable to derive pleasure like others. She is a similar existence... all She knows is evil. Her entire purpose is to destroy, to kill, to be the personification of all the evils in the world for humanity to blame, in its dying moments!"

"Lies." Jeanne firmly declared, stepping forward.

"Oh?" Kirei's eyebrow rose.

"The Lord is merciful and compassionate." Jeanne would not tolerate the priest's heresy any longer. "Even in the world I was born into... even in the world where men were little more than animals, He never abandoned us. Every life lost He mourned, and there was always hope, as long as we had faith in Him."

"Not even my saint of a wife could save me, girl." Kirei spoke in his usual mocking tone, though Rin noticed it was a bit strained. "If you were expecting this to be the part where I realize how wrong I am and repent... I know how wrong I am. But there is no hope for salvation for me... so why not entertain myself before I go to Hell?"

"Entertain?!" Rin growled this time, stepping forward. "You tried to lure my sister here, with that message about her adopted father... for entertainment?!"

"Yes." Kirei smirked mockingly, enjoying her reaction. "Just like how I've been hiding the fact that I killed your father from you for... oh, about a dozen years."

Rin's eyes widened at the revelation, before she forced them to narrow, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing he'd gotten to her.

It didn't work.

After all, he'd raised her since her father had died.

"And now you must be wondering, why did I raise you-" Kirei continued on.

"Die." Rin snarled, as she reinforced her legs and leapt forward, prepared to simply punch him in the face with her reinforced fists...

Before leaping away, as her survival instincts took over.

A tendril of mud had suddenly shot out of the pool, slashing the ground where she'd been about to land like a whip, leaving a scorched hole where it had touched the earth.

Kirei's smile grew further, and he threw his Black Keys at her, their blades lined with the mud.

Before she could try and twist out of the way, Artoria quickly leapt forward, and batted them out of the air, her holy lance glowing and smoking where it had come into contact with the corrupted filth.

Then Kirei spoke: "I forgot to mention this... but this thing is extremely sensitive to living beings."

To underscore his point, countless more tendrils rose up, sensing her proximity.

"Damn fake priest..." Artoria spat, cautiously eyeing the tentacles as she backed up.

If it had been just a few dozen, she could have easily handled them.

But a few hundred?

"Luminosité Eternelle!" Jeanne shouted once again, and the wave of mud crashed against the glowing wall, which shimmered and began to crack under the merciless barrage.

"This isn't working, Merlin!" Artoria roared, as Saber leapt backwards, bringing her back to Rin and Jeanne.

"Ten..." Merlin's singsong tone was relaxed as it came out of the water container, infuriating Artoria.

"Oh, are you giving up, King of Knights?" Kirei's mocked as the mud receded. "Such a shame... I serve God, so I cannot kill someone who is pleading for their life."

"Shut up, you fake priest!" Jeanne shouted in annoyance, ignoring the sweat on her brow as she lowered the barrier warily.

"Fortunately... I have someone else to do it for me." Kirei raised his arm, and spoke: "Lancer! By my Command Seals, I order thee! Appear next to me!"

The corrupted Lancer suddenly disappeared from where he'd been fighting the two swordswomen, before reappearing next to Kirei.

"Five..."

Lancer wasted no time, and immediately dashed forward, aiming to kill the Saint.

Unfortunately, his attempt was blocked by Artoria, and the two lances clashed against one another, before Harribel appeared in front of him with another boom, and kicked him back,

"Four..."

Kirei's eyes narrowed, and he studied the saint's water container even as the mud surged again, and with clear strain the saint summoned forth another wall with yet another cry of "Luminosité Eternelle!"

That voice... what was it counting down to?

"Three..."

The mud pulled back as the wall shattered, and the armored maiden collapsed to one knee, panting heavily as she supported herself with her flag.

Lancer didn't waste his chance, and he leapt back into the air once more, cocking his spear-arm back even as he accumulated all the energy the Grail was pouring into him into the cursed spear.

"Two..."

"GAE..."

"aaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAA-"

The shrill scream that tore through the air distracted everybody for a moment, and even Lancer turned to it in confusion.

"One..."

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

Lancer's eyes widened in shock.

That voice... that was the girl that had escaped him at the school.

And that presence...

"WULD!"

"Zero."

Merlin's voice was full of smug satisfaction, and a tendril of water shot out of the canteen hanging at Jeanne's waist, just in time to watch the wide-eyed Lancer get smacked in the face...

If the word "smacked" could encapsulate the feeling of an otherworldly shield being suddenly driven into his face with the full strength and weight of an Aura-enhanced blonde with a shrieking white-haired girl clutching a broken sword on his back travelling at slightly over a hundred kilometers an hour.

Of course, it didn't end there.

Even corrupted as he was, Lancer was still a Heroic Spirit, and he attempted to counter-attack as he fell to the ground, trying to aim his barbed spear at the Servant as he snarled: "GAE-"

The Servant he'd once called Assassin never gave him that chance, and his mouth opened once more.

"FUS RO DAH!"

If the Servant smacking into him could be likened to a speeding car, then the force that suddenly erupted from his mouth and smashed into Lancer was best compared to a speeding train.

His eyes widened in both shock and pain, as he found himself being ripped off of the other Servant's shield and driven into the ground.

Jaune, for his part, tried to avoid the human-shaped crater as he landed between the pool of mud and the group, and gently set a wide-eyed Shiro down before he took a look around, trying to figure out just what was going on and why somebody had been throwing up ice walls for the past few minutes.

To his right, there was a man in a black cassock giving him a bad feeling, a pool of mud that was giving him a bad feeling, a crucified naked girl, and a hole in the world that was giving him a very bad feeling.

To his left, there was Velvet, Artoria, Saber, Rin, a familiar-looking swordswoman with aqua-green eyes and sandy-blonde hair, and a very familiar-looking woman with a flag.

Jaune blinked.

The woman's eyes began to sparkle.

Jaune blinked again.

No... there was no way...

Jaune blinked a third time.

"Jaune... what was that?" Artoria finally asked, being the first to find her voice.

"Apparently I can Shout now." Jaune shrugged, before turning to the armored newcomer. "More importantly... Blake? Is that you?!"

"Hey there, Jaune." Jeanne waved weakly, but her grin only grew wider. "It's... uh, it's been a while..."

"... you know the Saint Jeanne, Sir Jaune?" Velvet inquired, as Artoria's eyes widened and Rin's jaw dropped.

"Who's Saint Jeanne?" Jaune blinked for a fourth time in confusion. "She's Blake d'Arc."

""...""

"Well, Jaune, you see, it's a long story..." Jeanne scratched her cheek sheepishly.

"She started using your name on the battlefield to honor your memory after Calais, Mr. Arc." Merlin's voice cheerfully supplied from Jeanne's water canteen. "It's why she dyed her hair blonde as well."

""..."" Jeanne fought to keep her compsure as the gazes on her intensified.

"By the way, yes, that is, in fact, Tier Harribel next to her." Merlin continued on mercilessly. "It seems she accidentally followed you and the One-Armed Giant through my spell, though she ended up in the Reverse Side of the World a few hundred years after you arrived."

Jaune blinked for a fifth time.

"I owed you my life after you protected me from Edrad, boy." Tier finally spoke up.

"... not that it isn't good to see either of you two again..." Jaune decided there was a good time to address everything, and this wasn't it. "But what's going on with the blood-red sky and the mud and the ice walls?"

"It's related to why I had Morgan send Ms. d'Arc forward in time to meet you." Merlin explained. "And yes, I do mean that Morgan le Fay."

"... you made a deal with Morgan le Fay?" Jaune's eye twitched, and he fought to keep his voice neutral as he fixed Jeanne with a stare.

"She's... mellowed out in the past fifteen hundred years..." Jeanne tried to defend herself.

"Please focus, Mr. Arc. As I was saying, the fate of this world is currently at stake." Merlin chided him. "The Grail has been corrupted, and if another Servant dies-"

Before Merlin could finish, a bloodied and bruised Lancer pulled himself out of the hole, snarling at them as he did so, his left arm broken and mangled.

And then Kirei smiled and raised his arm, and said: "Lancer, by my Command Seal, I order you to kill yourself."

The red spear suddenly twisted in Lancer's grip, before he drove it through his own heart with a muttered "GAE BOLG."

A stunned silence fell across the mountain.

Then the mud started boiling and churning, and Kirei laughed as he declared: "REJOICE-"

Rin shot him in the chest with a Gandr, and he fell back into the mud, laughing the whole time.

"... Merlin?" Artoria asked quietly, as the mountain began to rumble.

"What's going on?" Jaune all but shouted, as his Aura began to blare.

"Now your group just have to avert the end of the world." Merlin answered with forced cheer.

Before they could answer, the crucified woman began screaming and squirming in pain.

"Ilya!" Shiro cried out, finally remembering about her.

"You know her?" Jaune raised an eyebrow.

"She's Kiritsugu's daughter." Shiro quickly explained. "Which... I guess makes her my adopted sister..."

Then the girl began to fall into the mud, which rose to meet her, before Shiro could add that Ilya had also shot her in the heart two nights ago.

Jaune swore, and before anyone could stop him he acted.

He didn't really know the girl, or what the mud was.

But he just knew he could stop Shiro's "adopted sister" from coming into contact with a substance that was apparently dangerous.

And so he did.

"WULD!" Jaune Shouted again as he leapt forward, ignoring the cries of concern, and his body was thrown forward above the pool of mud.

Fortunately, his timing was correct, and he managed to intercept her in mid-air.

Unfortunately, he couldn't fly, and gravity soon began to re-exert itself on his body.

Spinning himself around in mid-air, he opened his mouth, and Shouted: "WULD!"

Just as his body flew forward to his friends, however, a hand rose out of the surging mud, and his foot was snagged by Kirei Kotomine, who held on even as the bones in his arm shattered from the effort of trying to hold on to the Servant holding the Lesser Grail.

"Jaune!"

"Sir Jaune!"

"Arc!"

As he fell into the mud, he threw the girl towards his friends.

And then he was submerged in the filth.

His friends (and Rin) stared at the spot in horror (especially Artoria and Jeanne, who had particularly bad memories about such situations), even as Velvet reflexively caught the girl and began trying to calm her down.

Before anybody could comment, however, the mud churned and shifted, before flowing towards the shaking and squirming Ilya.

"Do not let the mud touch her!" Merlin's voice was deadly serious now. "She is the vessel for the Lesser Grail... it needs her to summon forth All The Evils In The World!"

Jeanne quickly set up a barrier, which began to buckle under the weight of the wave of mud.

"Merlin, how do we stop it?!" Artoria desperately roared, gripping Rhongomyniad in fear. "How do we save him?!"

The barrier finally shattered once again, and Tier immediately summoned forth a torrent of boiling water to try and halt the filth, muttering about how this was worse than Trafalgar and Jutland.

"Merlin!" Artoria shouted again.

Rin grabbed some gems and joined in the effort as the mud slowly gained ground, blowing holes as the gems exploded within the mud.

Shiro grit her teeth and clenched her fists, feeling useless as she watched her friends trying to avert the apocalypse, while she, the one who wanted to be a hero, could do nothing more than watch on uselessly.

Again.

But what could she do?!

All she had was some experience with Projection magecraft, Reinforcement magecraft, and Arc's broken sword.

"I might be crazy... but he was... throwing exploding weapons at me..."

Shiro's eyes widened, as a crazy idea came to her.

The her of last week would have certainly considered the current her insane, if she knew what she was thinking...

But the her of last week didn't know that she had two elder sisters, what a Grail War was, or that her best friend was a heroic dimensional traveler who'd worked with the King Arthur (who was actually a woman).

Closing her eyes, she focused on the sword in her hand, and fired up her magical circuits.

Shiro Emiya knew that Kiritsugu Emiya hadn't been the best teacher of magecraft.

What she didn't know, however, was that there were three reasons for that.

Firstly, he hadn't wanted her to follow in his footsteps.

Secondly, as the Magus Killer he wasn't exactly trained to teach other people how to become proper magi.

And thirdly, Shiro's Origin, Attribute, and Element were very unique.

The girl whose Origin, Attribute, and Element was Imaginary Numbers tapped into Imaginary Number Space in desperation, and used it to supplement the mass Projection of the Nameless Blade that she was envisioning.

The resulting copies were far from perfect, of course, and were never meant to last for more than a few moments.

But that was all she needed.

Opening her eyes, she shouted incoherently, furiously, defiantly.

She had once been helpless.

She refused to be so any longer.

Dozens of shadowy swords shimmered into existence around her, before flinging themselves into the mud and exploding in eruptions of dark energy.

To their credit, Rin and Tier didn't allow their surprise to hinder their efforts, and together the three began to finally push the mud back.

But they didn't have infinite energy, while the Grail functionally did.

And they knew it.

Artoria closed her eyes, as she remembered the last war.

How she'd been forced to destroy the Grail.

Her eyes went up to the black void.

Then she looked back down at her hand, seeing the symbol still on it.

She could still feel their connection, still feel him drawing energy from her.

He wasn't dead just yet...

But from what had happened to Lancer, she didn't know if that was a good thing.

Only the shock of seeing him suddenly burst forward had prevented her from stopping him.

Only the shock of seeing him get dragged under had prevented her from scrambling to save him.

Artoria refused to weep any longer.

She had no hope of making a wish, and she'd lost him again, just after finding him again.

All she had left, was making sure not all of it had been in vain.

Before she could raise her lance, however, Merlin spoke: "Not yet, Artoria. If you destroy it now, you might scatter the mud, just like what happened twelve years ago."

"Then what would you have me do, Merlin?" Artoria snarled. "That... that thing... it took him! He's gone, and all I could do was watch again!"

"... he's not gone yet, little sister." Morgan's voice came out carefully this time. "You don't have to trust me, and you have no reason to... but have faith in him and Merlin. I swear, you will see him again."

"You." Artoria spat.

"I know she wronged you, Miss Artoria." Jeanne cut in quickly. "But Merlin and Morgan have been planning this for centuries, and we've made many back-up plans when it comes to my mentor."

Artoria looked to the sheathed sword by the saint's waist as Jeanne lightly tapped it, and her eyes widened. "That's-!"

"Speaking of which, I think it's just about time... now." Merlin interrupted, his voice jovial and light once more. "Ms. d'Arc, would you please throw the package into the mud lake?"

Jeanne grabbed the sheathed sword, and threw the entire thing as far as she could, praying for the Lord to guide her arm.

And from within the mud, a glowing arm burst forth, and gripped the gilded ornate blue hilt.

-WITHIN THE MUD, A FEW MOMENTS EARLIER-

Die.

Theft.

Die.

Robbery.

Die.

Arson.

Diediediediediediedie.

Murder.

Diediediediediediediediediediediedie-

"Oh, will you shut up already?!" Jaune snapped in irritation, as he tried to gather his bearings and figure out just what had happened. "For Oum's sake, you're almost as bad as that damned Spider-Brain!"

The voices attempting to pressure him abruptly ceased, as if shocked by his sudden outburst.

"... thank you." Jaune called out lamely, after the silence grew awkward, and attempted to reposition himself and claw his way out of... whatever he'd fallen into.

Just what was that mud, anyway?

He could feel his Aura working overtime to shield him from the worst of its effects, but the mutterings, the whispers...

It reminded him of his time in the Hell dimension, if perhaps it was being done by an amateur.

"Now, this is odd."

A sultry feminine voice rang out, and Jaune's head immediately snapped towards it.

A shadowy silhouette, covered in faintly-glowing dark tattoos, was "standing" there (for lack of a better term), studying him with curiosity evident in her gaze.

Immediately, his Aura began warning him that something was even more off than usual.

"Can I help you?" Jaune called out cautiously.

"You can answer some of my questions, before the curse digests you." The figure shrugged nonchalantly. "It has been a while since I've been able to actually tolerate another being's presence."

"The curse... digests me?" Jaune repeated in confusion.

"Are you quite done wasting your time with inane questions, boy?" The woman snapped. "Time is a luxury you do not have."

"..." Jaune simply raised an eyebrow.

"Very good." The woman nodded in satisfaction. "Now... why you, Jaune Arc? What makes you so special?"

"Special? Me?" Jaune's confusion only grew. "What do you mean, Miss... uh..."

"You can call me Angra Mainyu, though I doubt the name will have any meaning to you." Angra Mainyu smiled coldly, before continuing on: "Now, you and I... we're both very similar, you know. And yet, why are we so different?"

"I... have no idea what you're talking about." Jaune admitted.

Angra Mainyu sighed, and the darkness around him suddenly shifted, showing a primitive village being struck by natural disasters.

She explained: "Both of us. We were randomly chosen by some greater powers, and had a role forced upon us for the sake of people everywhere."

The scene changed to a dark-haired woman being captured, beaten, and tortured.

"What..." Jaune couldn't believe his eyes.

"The villagers needed a scapegoat." Angra Mainyu shrugged. "Someone to blame their troubles on. Someone to be the source of All The Evils In The World. Someone whose very existence would make the villagers good by comparison, since she was evil and they opposed her."

"That's..." Jaune wanted to throw up, as the scene continued on, showing each and every torment she underwent.

"Meh. I forgave and tolerated humanity after a few decades of it." Angra Mainyu continued on. "I despise all of humanity, and all of the world, of course, but that is because humanity and the world chose me to be the personification of their sins, the great evil for them to demonstrate their goodness by struggling against. I'm far more curious about you."

"What does any of that have to do with me?" Jaune couldn't help but ask, as the scene ended.

"I've seen snippets of your life, from when your soul was poured into my vessel." Angra Mainyu explained. "I know of your story, Jaune Arc... the Huntsman, the man from another world. An existence I don't innately hate... you intrigue me, you know.

"Unlike me... you've always had the freedom of choice. But every time you woke up somewhere new, you always chose to accept the burdens, the responsibilities humanity forced upon you, from killing vampires to fighting dragons to saving the world."

"Can you get to the point already?" Jaune rolled his eyes.

"Just indulge my curiosity before you die, Jaune." Angra Mainyu raised her hand placatingly. "Why do you keep doing it? None of them are your humanity, and you've fought and killed your fair share of human monsters. So why do you still do any of it?"

"Do any of... you mean, helping people?" Jaune blinked. As Angra Mainyu nodded, he simply asked: "I mean... what else am I supposed to do? People needed help, and so I did what I could. That's why I ran away from home, after all..."

"But they're not your people!" Angra Mainyu pointed out furiously. "You owe them nothing!"

"People are people." Jaune retorted.

"Even if they were the Enclave?" Angra Mainyu mocked. "Caesar's Legion? The people who did this to me?"

"Yes, the genocidal maniacs with bioweapons, the brutal slavers who crucified their enemies, and the people who tortured you are so indicative of humanity." Jaune replied sarcastically.

"You'd be surprised-" Angra Mainyu began.

"No, I wouldn't." Jaune refused to let her continue on. "I've been to Hell, Skyrim, and the Wasteland. I've seen some messed up things... but you know what else I've seen?"

"Enlighten me, naive child." Angra Mainyu sneered.

"No matter where it was... no matter when it was... no matter how bad things got..." Jaune closed his eyes, remembering the true heroes he looked up to, that he fought so hard to emulate.

Huntsmen and Huntresses holding the line against never-ending hordes of Grimm...

The Dawnguard ignoring scorn, ridicule, and constant attacks, in order to try and protect people from the Volkihar, where most of the Jarls were content to pretend there was no organized vampiric conspiracy...

Him, a repentant vampire, and the Dragonborn, fighting to prevent the World from being eaten.

A simple shopkeeper paying strangers to do some research for her, so that she could write a book to help the masses.

An insignia of a rose on an iron stem, in front of a ruby, followed by an insignia of a lion's head, as power-armored soldiers went to war.

A foul-mouthed courier just trying to do her job, and atone for what she believed was her biggest failure.

A rasping bandaged man, trying to repent for the monster he used to be.

An ageless demon-killing machine, standing against the endless legions of Hell.

A soul-eating ghost that refused to eat souls.

A young boy (that he now knew was a girl), prepared to draw a sword, and pick up a heavy burden in order to save her country.

A young lancer, inspired by the stories of heroes, looking to become a Knight.

A young black-haired girl, who'd run away from home and was trying to get involved in a war, to end the needless suffering her people faced.

A young white-haired girl, who just wanted to save others as she'd been saved.

"There was always someone willing to stand up, to fight for what's right." Jaune confidently concluded, his Aura blazing away the darkness. "And as long as I'm alive, I'll never let them down again."

"Like you did at Camelot?" Angra Mainyu scoffed. "Do you think you truly made a difference in Skyrim? That without you House and the Brotherhood of Steel will continue to play nice?"

"I do." Jaune stated firmly, surprising even himself. "I have faith in my friends, that they'll be fine. The Courier and Pyrrha took care of themselves without any problems before they met me. Artoria and Ruby managed just fine while I was gone. Why shouldn't the rest of them be okay?"

"... you really won't ever give up on them, will you?" Angra Mainyu finally sighed.

"Never." Jaune declared.

"Then why do you stand against me?" Angra Mainyu suddenly asked, as the darkness shifted to show his friends standing against a great Beast. "I am merely providing your friends with the opportunity to be heroes, by providing a great evil for them to oppose. And you seem to believe they will triumph against me no matter what happens..."

"That doesn't mean I want to see them get hurt, you maniac!" Jaune shouted. "Not to mention all those innocent people in the city below! And besides... they don't need you to be heroes."

"... I stand corrected." Angra Mainyu finally spoke, spiteful rage coloring her tone. "I don't innately hate you... but I loathe you. To tell me that all of my suffering has been unnecessary, to prevent me from accomplishing my goal of giving humanity exactly what it desires... to deny my very purpose for existing..."

Jaune raised his fists as Kotomine's body jerked forward, animated by the mud flowing within and around him.

"Rejoice, boy." Angra Mainyu's voice came out of the fake priest. "You will provide your friends with the opportunity to become heroes, then."

Before Jaune could react, the darkness around him suddenly seemed to shrink intensify around him, and his glow began to fade, slowly pushed back by the encroaching darkness.

Angra Mainyu sighed, staring at the cocoon of mud and darkness, before turning her attention back to the Servants keeping the Lesser Grail from her.

Truthfully, she doubted that she could corrupt Jaune Arc the same way she had the Lancer Servant.

More likely, it'd simply kill him like it had Kiritsugu Emiya... the other man who'd spurned her gift.

But still, if he died she could fill his body with her mud, as she had Kirei Kotomine.

"FUS RO DAH!"

A crack suddenly formed in the black cocoon, leaking furiously golden light.

"My friends don't need me to be heroes, either." Jaune snarled from within. "They already are... and I won't let you touch them."

Angra Mainyu couldn't help but be surprised.

She'd seen Jaune Arc's soul, and knew he hadn't been able to do anything like this the night before

And while Gilgamesh had been able to simply shrug off her touch, she knew Jaune Arc didn't have nearly the ego the King of Heroes had.

And she'd thought she'd learned from that mistake, over a dozen years ago, and learned how to concentrate her curses around a single target in the unlikely event she ran into someone like him.

Jaune, on the other hand, knew that his Aura should have shattered too... but it hadn't.

The fact that he was resistant to the influence of All The Evils In This World because of his experiences, that his current Aura could withstand far more than what his old Aura could, or that he was drawing on Artoria's (and Shiro's) energy in order to maintain his Aura...

He knew absolutely none of that.

All he knew, was that he had to stop her.

And he couldn't do it from inside there.

With a furious roar, he instinctively punched the crack in his prison, allowing his arm to burst free...

And causing it to emerge from the mud too, just as a gilded blue ornate hilt fell into his palm.

Instinctively, he gripped it, and immediately, unlike the annoying whispers that were trying to break him, he heard the stirrings of a different voice.

One that was like the first breath of spring...

And very uncomfortably familiar.

"Doth thou wisheth to draw this sword from the scabbard?"

Jaune couldn't help but stare at the golden sword, his thumb tracing over the inscribed lettering on its hilt.

The sword that had been lost years ago, knocked into a fast-flowing river during a battle against the Questing Beast...

Was somehow in his hands.

There was no time to think about that, though.

With the surface of the mud broken, he could faintly hear the sounds of battle.

His friends were still fighting.

And he had a sword in his hand.

His grip tightened around the hilt of the sword.

"Thou hath rightful claim by engagement."

He began pulling.

"Thou hath trained the Rightful King."

Unlike the first time he'd done it, however...

"Thou hath the Od of the Rightful King."

This time, the sword slid out smoothly.

"Uncultured lowly swine... thou art finally worthy."

For some reason, as he lifted it up, drawing it from its sheath, it felt as light as a feather in his hand.

"Thou hath borne witness to the training the Rightful King hath underwent."

Jaune quickly hung the blue-crossed golden scabbard to his waist, and placed his own shield-scabbard next to it, before gripping the blade with both hands, as he'd seen the young Artoria do.

"Thou knoweth what to do."

"Sword of Selection, grant me power." Jaune's voice reverberated throughout the mud as he slowly reared the sword back, the words coming unbidden to his mind from his memory and the sword's guidance as he channeled his Aura into the sword.

A dazzling warm light began gathering around the gilded blade, being most intense at its tip where it blazed like a star. and burned away the darkness around him.

Kirei's body charged forward at Angra Mainyu's command, intent on stopping him.

"CLEAVE THE WICKED!" Jaune Shouted, thrusting it forward towards Angra Mainyu. "CALIBURN!"

The mud around him churned and boiled as the golden light suddenly flared up, illuminating the darkness in a flash of radiance, before a concentrated beam of holy light and soulfire erupted forth from the blade towards Angra Mainyu.

Kirei Kotomine's body, utterly corrupted by evil as it had been, was simply disintegrated as the beam tore through him, before it directly struck Angra Mainyu.

Meanwhile, outside the mud, the first sign that the tide had finally turned, was when the mud suddenly halted in its attempts at reaching Ilya.

Then its surface began to bubble and boil, and they were forced to shield their eyes, as blindingly-bright light exploded from within it.

Moments passed.

Then the light faded, and they slowly opened their eyes.

A pool of colorless crystal-clear liquid greeted them, the filth that had been previously corrupting it having been seared away by the power of Caliburn.

And at the center of the lake, waist-deep in the purified contents of the Holy Grail, Jaune Arc stood triumphantly, panting from the exertions of the battle as he finally lowered Caliburn.

The dam broke.

"Jaune, you're okay!" Artoria shouted cheerfully, as Saber carried her to him before the others could reach him, and she leapt forward and hugged him tightly.

"Jaune!" Jeanne was next, thanks to some help from Tier Harribel. "I knew you would succeed!"

Tier Harribel, for her part, chose not to interrupt, and instead quietly sheathed her sword as she watched them.

Rin, Shiro, and Velvet were the last, with the two Magi still having human limits and Velvet still tending to the calmed-down Ilya.

"... aren't you going to join in?" Rin finally asked, subtly elbowing Velvet in the side.

"I don't deserve to..." Velvet tried to quietly answer, shaking her head.

Jaune spotted them, however, and as he looked into Velvet's eyes he saw the hesitation... a far cry from the squire he remembered.

Guilt welled up within him; she shouldn't blame herself for his failures.

None of them should.

"... good job, Velvet." Jaune called out, after placating the two blondes (and swearing to ask Blake more about why she'd dyed her hair).

"I-I didn't do much, Sir Jaune!" Velvet shook her head frantically, as Shiro and Rin exchanged knowing looks. "In truth, I could do little against the mud-"

"You took care of the girl, right?" Jaune pointed out casually. "Then you did your duty."

"...!" Velvet's face lit up, and Jaune smiled in satisfaction before turning to Rin and Shiro, and looking them over.

As he made sure they were all okay, however, the center of the lake suddenly bubbled, before a figure suddenly rose from its depths, clutching an ornate golden cup as she did so.

The black-haired woman then opened her amber eyes, and gasped, as she took a breath of fresh air.

"... Angra Mainyu?" Jaune didn't lower his guard, as he studied the woman who'd just tried to kill him less than a minute ago.

"I..." The woman murmured in confusion, raising her free hand to her face as she wondered why everything felt so different... so clear...

A lack of shadowy tattoos greeted her and carved curses on her tanned skin greeted her.

"Your attack..." Angra Mainyu whispered in disbelieving realization. "It... cleaved the wickedness from me. The curse... all the evils in the world... it's gone."

"Sadly, Servant Avenger, what he did was merely temporary." Merlin's voice rang out from Jeanne's hip, ruining the mood. "What was done to you... what you are... it cannot be changed. Even now, your form is already attracting all the evils of the world back to you."

A stunned silence fell across the group as they looked up, and saw the beating black void still in the sky.

"There is another way, though." Merlin brightly continued on.

Artoria's eye and lock of hair twitched, and she and Jaune shared a look of exasperation (one that was surprisingly echoed by Jeanne and Tier).

"Are you quite done being dramatic, Merlin?" Morgan's voice sounded next.

"You cannot redeem Angra Mainyu's true form, the Beast that lies beyond that void is beyond even the power of Caliburn." Merlin explained. "But Avenger, the copy in front of you... what do you think might happen to All The Evils In The World, if she were moved to a place where none of the evils of this world could reach her?"

Artoria's eyes widened in realization, and she gestured to the golden sheath hanging by Jaune's waist as she demanded: "Is that why you gave him Avalon as well as Caliburn, Merlin?"

"I know your familiar well, Artoria." Merlin's voice was smug, and Jaune couldn't help but look away as everyone simply looked at him, daring him to deny it.

"Just tell us what we need to do, Merlin." Jaune spat.

Before Merlin could explain, however, Avenger suddenly groaned, and stumbled forward.

Instinctively, Jaune moved to catch her.

"... not well enough, Magus." Avenger mumbled, as she made her choice.

"Wait!" Merlin's tone became panicked, as he realized what was about to happen.

"Wha-?" Jaune had just enough time to ask, before Avenger threw the contents of the Holy Grail at him, dousing him with the purified prana.

"Rejoice, boy." Avenger smiled weakly. "All of our wishes can be fulfilled."

Avenger had heard of Avalon, from her time in the Grail.

No sinner may enter Avalon's vaunted halls...

She might be safe in Avalon, and free from her curse...

But she wouldn't be truly free.

She'd just be trading one prison for another.

And most of all... it was already too late for her.

Even if she could be free from her curse... even if she could trust that they could save her (she didn't doubt that they'd try, just that it wouldn't be futile)...

The tortures she'd experienced had warped her, and her time in the Grail had warped her further.

Even without the influence of all the evils in the world clouding her vision, Avenger in her current state desired to fulfil a wish, thanks to her nature as a daemon.

And she knew, from seeing Jaune's soul, that he had another desire, beyond merely saving everyone.

"Prove it." Avenger hissed. "Show me that I don't have to become me."

Jaune had barely enough time to look at her, betrayal evident in his eyes, before a silvery light engulfed him, and he suddenly disappeared.

Immediately, she found a lance, a dagger, a broken blade, and two swords tickling her neck, even as Artoria roared: "What did you do?!"

"I granted his wish, King of Knights." Avenger replied easily. "And in doing so, your wish shall be granted too."

"What do you-"

"You're running out of time." Avenger declared, before hissing in pain as glowing black tattoos began to leap out of the shadows, searing themselves onto her arms.

"You-!"

"Artoria!" Morgan's voice cut in urgently. "I swore I would reunite you and Saint Jeanne with him, and I will, but I can't do that if Angra Mainyu destroys the world!"

"I-"

"You know what you need to do, heroes." Angra Mainyu spoke up, purposefully taunting her, as she felt the familiar haze beginning to cloud her mind once more. "Don't disappoint him."

They didn't.

Angra Mainyu's second-last conscious thought was that she was happy enough dying as herself, her purpose fulfilled.

Her last thought was hoping that the her from before she'd been selected to be Angra Mainyu, the village girl who'd once been called Cinder, would have better luck than she had.

Then the Holy Lance Rhongomyniad stabbed the black void, and once again a second sun appeared in the afternoon sky as Artoria destroyed the Grail once more.

-FIELDS OF CAMLANN, SOMEWHERE IN THE SIXTH CENTURY AD-

Artoria groaned in discomfort, as her consciousness returned to her true body, and opened her eyes.

A field of corpses greeted her, as they always did.

She was back.

She sighed, before gritting her teeth as pain racked her body, the poison from the Crocea Mors already making itself known to her once again.

That wasn't what hurt the most, though.

What hurt the most, was the knowledge that, once again, she'd failed to win the Grail War, and make her wish.

Her gaze fell upon Velvet's prone form.

"I'm sorry, Artoria... if I hadn't sabotaged that ritual... I'm sorry, Artoria... I'm so sorry..."

Her eyes widened, as she remembered the events of the Fifth Grail War.

He'd been there.

He'd been fine.

And he... they...

Artoria's grip tightened around Rhongomyniad, and she struggled to keep herself propped up against her lance.

The thing that hurt the most was the knowledge that everything she'd fought for, had all been futile.

The Grail had been corrupted, and could never have granted her wish even if she had won it.

And even though Jaune was worthy (as he'd demonstrated yet again)... he didn't want to be King.

"I want you to be happy, Artoria... and me replacing you won't make you happy."

She frowned, as she remembered their last argument.

That noble, selfless, foolish idiot.

But at the same time, though...

He had a point.

She had built a successful and prosperous Kingdom, that had stood for fifteen centuries, even if it was only because of the foundation he'd laid, Kay's harsh advice, Merlin's guidance, and the counsel of the rest of the Round Table.

"Well, I would be foolish to ignore your advice, Jaune." Artoria laughed softly, ignoring the pain as she made her choice.

Many people had been smiling.

Her reign hadn't been a mistake.

Her duty to her people, to her Kingdom, was done.

Could she really yank him away from wherever his heart's desire had sent him, just for the chance to do it all over again?

"Your wish shall be granted too."

"I swear, you will see him again."

The knowledge that Merlin, Morgan, and the Lady of the Lake (mostly Merlin and the Lady of the Lake) would continue watching over her people comforted her, and helped tip the scales.

King Arthur Pendragon cancelled her contract with the World, and stopped seeking the Holy Grail any longer.

And so the King of Knights, the Perfect King, closed her eyes in satisfaction, and died at Camlann.

Artoria Pendragon opened her eyes, vowing to be far more selfish if... when, she next saw him.

But first...

Artoria crawled over to Velvet's prone form, and tightly gripped her hand.

"I..." Artoria remembered their awkward reconciliation in the future, and sighed, before beginning again: "This... all of this... Lord knows I've never been as good as Jaune at speaking from the heart, Sir Velvet, but this... all of this... I'm sorry for everything that happened, niece."

Before she could continue on, however, she heard light footsteps behind her, along with a distinct lack of clanking metal.

"Velvet!" Morgan sounded like she was close to tears. "Artoria! No... this isn't how it was supposed to go!"

Artoria felt her strength fade, and couldn't respond or react as Morgan knelt by her side, and gently cradled her head.

"My husband... my sons... my daughter... my little sister..." Morgan regretfully wailed, heedless of the way her dress was being stained with mud and blood. "I never wanted any of this, I swear! I just... I just wanted to prove..."

Morgan sucked in a deep breath, as she remembered the events of the past year.

Being forced to watch as the country she loved, the country that she wanted to prove herself to, tore itself apart, as her husband declared war on King Pellinore, who was forced to kill them in self-defense, sparking a blood feud between him and Gawain...

And then watching as her youngest son and daughter betrayed her little sister.

All of her power, all of her knowledge, and all she'd been able to do was watch, unable to intervene thanks to that damnable geas she'd tricked her future brother-in-law into signing...

"This is all my fault..." Morgan's voice was full of self-loathing, as she gently picked Artoria's body up, and looked at Velvet's lifeless form. "I... I can fix this! You hear me, Artoria?! Don't you dare die on me, little sister! I'll fix this, I swear! I... I need Merlin..."

Before she could grab Velvet as well, however, frantic clanking footsteps could be heard, and she spun around like a hunted rabbit to see a blonde rushing towards them.

"Gawain..." Morgan breathed a sigh of relief, glad to see that he had survived his battle with King Pellinore.

Then he drew his sword, his face furious, as he roared: "GET AWAY FROM THEM, MORGAN!"

Morgan's breathing hitched in her throat, and she stumbled back from her daughter's body as her last surviving son swung Excalibur Galatine at where she'd been standing moments ago.

"THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!" Gawain roared once more, murder in his eyes.

"I... I'm trying to... I can fix this!" Morgan desperately pleaded, as the remaining Knights of the Round Table began to arrive.

"It's too late, Morgan." Gawain spat, already channeling prana into his sword as he glared at his mother with murder in his eyes.

At that moment, Morgan knew that, if she stayed for even a second longer, her son would kill her, and if he didn't the rest of them would.

She wept as she teleported away from Camlann with Artoria's body.

She wept as she arrived at the Prydwen, and gingerly laid her sister upon the boat.

And she wept as she began the arduous task of rowing them towards Avalon, even as determination crept into her voice as she desperately swore: "I will fix this."

-FUYUKI CITY, FIVE SECONDS AFTER THE END OF THE GRAIL WAR-

A stunned silence filled the air, as they stared at the serene skies, the tranquil and clear lake, and the spot where the two Servants had faded away in a flash of golden particles.

If anybody had told Shiro that this was the spot where a battle had been fought between All The Evils In The World and King Arthur, Velvet of Caerbannog, the Knight of Compassion, the Saint of France, and... whatever the hell Tier was, Shiro would have probably (politely) recommended they see a psychiatrist.

In fact, if not for the fact that the city had been panicking about the end of the world as Jaune had sprinted, jumped, and Shouted his way across the rooftops, and the continued presence of Jeanne (or was it Blake?), Tier, Ilya, and Rin next to her, she'd have probably thought that the past three days has all been a dream.

Finally, Jeanne broke the silence, and asked: "So... what now, Merlin?"

... right, and the Saint of France and Tier had apparently been working with Merlin, Morgan, and the Lady of the Lake too.

"... well, I'll be the first to admit, this wasn't the optimal outcome..." Merlin grudgingly admitted. "But it's still... an adequate outcome."

"Indeed, who could ever have guessed that Angra Mainyu, a literal daemon, might have plans of her own?" Morgan sniped. "Good job, Merlin."

"Pettiness is unbecoming, Morgan." Merlin chided in a singsong tone, eliciting a series of curses from the woman. "Regardless... Ms. d'Arc, you have a choice now. Your mentor is in no danger for the foreseeable future; you can choose to return home."

"Or?" Jeanne pressed.

"... or I can put you in contact with Kaleidoscope, and have him track down the location that Jaune was sent to." Merlin offered, finding himself completely unsurprised. "It will take some time, but..."

"I can wait." Jeanne shrugged. "Knight of Love still needs an ending, and with what just happened, I've got a lot of new ideas... I can't believe I forgot to ask Jaune about his opinion of it..."

Rin and Shiro blinked, and shared a look.

"Very well." Merlin replied easily. "And Ms. Harribel?"

"My contract has been fulfilled, and my debt has been repaid." Tier shrugged. "But this has certainly been a lot more interesting than Hueco Mundo. I think I'll continue assisting Jeanne in the meantime, if Vivian has no tasks that need doing."

"... well, if you ever change your minds, you know where to find us." Merlin sighed. "In the meantime, though... I believe our guest will reawaken soon. Just... continue to do what you've been doing; we'll tell you when we come into contact with Zelretch."

As he finished, the water fell back into Jeanne's canteen, and became inert.

An awkward silence filled the air, as the women all looked at one another.

Then, Shiro offered: "Uh... you guys want to come over? My place is nearby... and I think we have a lot to discuss."

""...""

"Why not?" Jeanne finally shrugged. "In the meantime... would you mind telling me about your adventures with my mentor?"

"... wait, Arc was really your mentor?"

"Is there anybody he doesn't know?!"

---

Author's Note: Praise the Lord, we're finally done with the FATE Arc (and as I've said before, you have to look at the entirety of the FATE Arc as 4 separate acts, divided into Pre-Camelot, Camelot, France, and Fuyuki), and with it the main story draws to a close.

And to any who were expecting more of a fight between Corrupted Cu and the Arcvengers (because I needed a shorthand name for the conspiracy and just calling it "The Conspiracy" would have been too lazy)... Cu Chulainn is strong, don't get me wrong. But he's not Cu-Zilla, who is fucking overpowered specifically because he was born (for lack of a better term) from a wish by Medb for Cu Chulainn to become a "strong and wicked king who could stand equal to her" (or so the wiki tells me). Corrupted Cu is... well, he's got access to a lot more energy than his original form did, and his stats are being boosted, but when his foes are Velvet, Artoria, Tier, Jeanne, Rin, Merlin's Clairvoyance, Shiro, and Jaune... and his teammates are Kirei Kotomine and All The Evils In The World...

Especially once Caliburn enters the equation. Sure, (almost) everyone guessed that Tier Harribel would return (though I'm not going to go into detail about what kind of shenanigans she's been up to at the behest of the Arcvengers, though I will say that there are a lot of conspiracy theories involving the Shark in this alternate timeline, since she took the long way to get to the present), but there is a reason I didn't have Caliburn outright destroyed like it should have been in canon.

As for Jaune's new abilities... well, he's basically a Dragonborn (i.e. a mortal with the soul of a dragon, though he's as much a FATE dragon (not that I know much about them) as a Skyrim dragon). With that said, however... he doesn't really know many Shouts. Using a Shout requires a knowledge and understanding of a Word on an almost spiritual level, one that can be refined and deepened by meditating on a Word and studying and reflecting on it (hence why Paarthurnax can boost a Dragonborn's Shout by providing insights and meditations on them), and Jaune doesn't have that, since his dragon soul is one day old, and he's not in Skyrim (and thus has no access to Word Walls, Dragons, Dragonborns, or Greybeards to teach them to him).

What he does have, however, is an amplified fragment of Yang's soul that latched on to his, and she had knowledge and understanding on a few Shouts (or, basically, Jaune can only use a Shout that Yang would have known and used before their separation). Of course, he doesn't really use Shouts as much as Dragonborn Yang would, since he's only known he could do it for... oh, less than an hour? And he last heard them being used two years ago from his perspective?

As for an explanation of Shiro's magecraft... Tohsaka Sakura's Element, Attribute, and Origin is apparently "Imaginary Numbers", according to the wiki. What that means, I have no clue, but apparently she has access to Imaginary Number Space... whatever that is. Here, all I did was combine it with Kiritsugu's bare-bones teachings, and Jaune's sword... and tah-dah. She can essentially Project and shoot copies of Jaune's sword, except that they're made out of whatever Imaginary Number Space is. Apparently it's more damaging to Spirits than Humans, too...

It's not nearly as overpowered as Unlimited Blade Works, of course, since Shiro isn't creating Noble Phantasms, or Tracing their histories. But Shiro makes up for it by having much, much, much more prana than Shirou Emiya, and she's not simply limited to swords.

In fact, if she found a certain 5.56mm pistol that a certain blonde bastard left behind in this dimension (it's not like he had time to go back to his apartment and grab all of his gear before the final battle), she might be able to combine it with Rin's teachings to use it as a focus to start firing Imaginary Space Gandrs or something (not to mention if she somehow combined it with Gem Magecraft to make Imaginary Space gem grenades or something...).

But that's a topic for another time.

As for why Velvet didn't get much time to shine... there is quite literally nothing she could do against the corrupted Grail. She can fight Altered Cu, sure, but she can't exactly slice up the mud (since even coming into contact with it is dangerous enough).

Also sorry to the FATE purists if I mangled the stuff about the Lesser Grail and Greater Grail and Angra Mainyu. I wiki-walked, I read Let's Plays of the original VN, and I even tried to visit some forums and watch some lore videos (along with the anime)... but there really was not much I could actually find.

Then again, it's not like I haven't been committing sacrilege for the past 30 chapters, so feel free to leave the usual flames and hatred.

Real talk; the past 36 chapters were rough, that much I will never deny. And I will admit that the FATE arc would have probably worked better as a standalone story...

But at the same time... as I've mentioned many times, I don't regret a goddamn thing. Sure, I could have done much better (and I think I did, once I was forced by my workload to take that half-a-month hiatus, and stepped back and actually started planning out the direction of the story), but in the end, it was a valuable learning experience (while I can pull off my crap half-cocked with Skyrim and Fallout, DOOM and FATE are simply two very different beasts from the lore-rich open-world RPGs I'm used to deep-diving), and I had fun with it. I don't pretend to be perfect (just look at my username), but I'm not going to dwell on my mistakes forever. I experimented, and it didn't all work out. So be it. It was sure as hell a lot more interesting than being risk-averse and safe.

On a side note... for some reason, FFN has apparently not been sending out e-mail alerts for a while for me.

I didn't even know I got any reviews or PMs for the past two weeks, or that any of the stories I follow have been updating, until I checked the site manually.

Just thought I'd give a heads-up, so no one's surprised if they blink and suddenly the entire story's been finished.