Hi everyone and welcome back to chapter 19! And also last chapter of Orleans. And as the moment I'm writing this Argentina just won the World Cup. So congratulations to any argentinian that's seeing this and more specifficaly Messi.
And with everything said, let's start it!
DISCLAIMER: All the Nasuverse characters belong to Nasu and are property of Type-Moon, with the exception of the OC's that belong to me, the author.
Gilles de Rais was known for being a prestigious noble man and baron of 15th century France. Like every other noble men at the time, Gilles had a militar duty to serve the army of France. There, he would find a great friend of his life, the young commoner girl named Jeanne D'arc, who had pleaded to let the army recruit her.
Many laughed and mocked Jeanne, while others were angry and adversed to the idea of letting a woman in the army, thinking she was trying to make fools of themselves. However, Gilles de Rais, the very own general was one of the few that decided to give a chance to the peasant girl. He believed in Jeanne's words of hearing angels voices ever since she was little, and that they were the ones who advised her to join the army. The noble man saw this as a possible sign of God to help them in the figure of Jeanne D'arc.
Gilles had never been happier with a choice he has ever done before. Jeanne proved to be a skilled warrior and leader. The soldiers beneath her guidence felt nothing could stop them as long as they had their great leader with them. But Jeanne didn't do this all by herself. Gilles de Rais was saw by everyone has her right hand man, always close to Jeanne, following her rules and issuing her orders to the rest of the soldiers. They formed an incredible duo.
In their journey to reconquest lost areas of France, Gilles de Rais could say with total assurance on his words, that Jeanne was the most skilled warrior and best companion he ever had while serving the army in the one hundread year war. They eventually took back Orleans and saw the coronation of the new king of France taking place in Notre-Dame where Gilled de Rais himself received the title of Marshal.
Everything from this moment onwards however, was all downhill.
After the coronation, both Gilles and Jeanne went their own separate ways, with Jeanne getting captured later one by the enemy. Gilles wasn't present to save his friend, nor could he do nothing to rescue her from the enemy. All that the noble man could do, was to pray and hope that the royal court would do an effort to try and negotiate Jeanne's freedom. After all, she was one of the main reasons for why they were winning the war at the time. The man tought there was no way they would abandon such prescious and important person like Jeanne. But they did.
The news would come to Gilles three days later that Jeanne was burned at the stake. This event would completely shatter Gilles mind and start his decadence to madness. The God he had prayed so much to save his friend, ended up doing nothing. Jeanne, who was to Gilles, the entire and sole reason to believe in God's existence, was now dead. So, he turned his back against the religion he himself believed in and went down to a road full of attrocities and the utmost sinful acts and cruel deeds a man could do, thinking to himself that if God really existed, then he would have already rained down his punishment on Gilles for such vile crimes. In the end, the broken man concluded that God did not exist and his heart and soul fell entirely to an unhiged darkness.
All his riches and fortune from his household were quickly wasted to the point his finances were short. The now wicked man had spent everything on buying and studying alchemy with a friend of his that happened to be a cleric and cover Gilles financial wastes. He would learn black magic and get involved in demonology thanks to that same friend, who would teach Gilles some spells and rituals to get new ways to torture his young victims.
Time would pass as Gilles would continue to practice his horrible actions and go more insane, eventually changing his whole face and body structure to that of a more macabre man. He would even get a new name of 'Bluebeard' after commiting many attrocities that always happened on the decaying noble man's castle.
Unexpectedly, his death would come some years after by the hand of other noble men. Unfortunately, it was a death brought by the fear and envy of those nobles that were afraid of the possibility of Gilles to sell his lands to hostile nations in an attempt to raise his personal money. So, in 26th of October of 1450, the insane and monstrous man that become Gilles de Rais was hanged, not by his vile and cruel deeds torwards the innocent young commoners that the other noble mens of the area saw nothing more as disposable livestock, but for political and selfish reasons of people who wanted to make sure they would stay on the top.
It couldn't be said in the end, if his death was God's way to punish him. Gilles de Rais altough dead, was never brought to justice by all the crimes he did.
Perhaps, he would this time.
"Gilles de Rais!" A familiar voice shouted behind Gilles back as the man heard footsteps entering the throne room where he was located. They had arrived. Ready to put an end to his existence as they did with the alter copy of his dear friend. Altough he got to spend time with a Jeanne during this Singularity, it was somewhat comfortable to see the one that he always knew again.
"Ah, I see you have come Jeanne." The man turned his back to look at Jeanne who was standing at the door's entrance alongside the Chaldea group and the other servants. "But of course you would come. No matter the situation you were always able to change the situation to yours side's favor." He smiled kindly to Jeanne.
The saint however, didn't seemed happy in seeing him. "So it was true all the rumours that I've heard of you? All those...acts and crimes. You really turned your back to God didn't you?" She asked to her former friend in a mix of anger and sorrow. Seeing a great friend of hers becoming a monster was painful to hear. More so to watch.
"It is true indeed Jeanne." Gilles confirmed, his face not changing a bit after the confirmation.
"Then I suspect you are also the one that molded the Dragon Witch. Do I stand correct?" Jeanne asked to Gilles.
"In a certain way, yes. You are correct." Gilles closed his eyes, thinking back on the moment. "I was the first summoned servant by this Singularity. And with me came a kind of blackish mud. You probably know what that thing was."
"My dark emotions..." Jeanne whispered to herself.
"So this Gilles de Rais is a servant? That could explain why there are two Gilles here." Ritsuka said.
"Yep. The Gilles de Rais we met previously, the one that was leading the army, is original from this Singularity." Mash told Ritsuka. "This one right here, must be his future self, from when Jeanne died."
"So we defeat him and this Singularity is clear, right?" Peko asked to Mash.
"If he has the Grail, then yeah." Mash replied to the boy.
"Hehehe." Gilles laughed, getting everyone to stay in their battle posotion, waiting for any sudden attack of the enemy. "Does this answers your question, girl of the shield?" Gilles put his hands in front of him, as if he was holding something. Shortly after, a circular aura appeard on his hands.
Everyone else watched in complete surprise.
"W-what is that?" Nala asked, wondering like everyone on her side what was the aura that Gilles was holding.
"That...is the Holy Grail!" An hologram of Romani appeard, discovering what was the aura before anyone else. "The amount of mana and type is without a doubt the grail! Watch out everyone! We don't know what he could do with such a magical artifact like that!" The doctor warned them.
"When did you get it?" Mozart pointed to Gilles, demanding an answer from him.
"I've heard the mud's anguish Jeanne. All those emotions and feelings, you know?" Gilles speaked with Jeanne, ignoring Mozart's question in the meantime. The Maiden of Orleans decided to not say anything. "The frustration, rage, anger. It was so real and almost palpable. The hate it had for the people who betrayed it was on the same level as mine. However, it was too weak to properly get in any shape or form. So I searched for the Grail. Since I was the only servant here at the time, it was easy to take the Grail without any opposition. And once it was in my hands..." Gilles grinned evily. "I used it's power and wish to give form to that mud. You, Jeanne. The mud, composed of your feelings, transformed into the things that had inside of it."
"My alter." Jeanne responded. There was no doubt Jeanne Alter was the negative emotions of Jeanne taken into a physical manifestation. That was already known. But what wasn't known was how it took shape. Now she knew.
"After so many times wishing for your revival, I finally was able to achieve it in some way! I must confess Jeanne, discovering that you had all those emotions within you was deeply saddening. In the end you are like just everyone else. But on the other hand..." Gilles smilled happily from ear to ear. "Seeing how you hold back those feelings for your entire life, is nothing short of admirable! I wish I could do the same."
"So in the end, it seems you got that wish you always wanted." Jeanne said with a face of dissaproval, condemning her friend's actions.
Gilles giggled at hearing those words. "Oh my dear Jeanne, you are deeply wrong." Gilles smiled transformed into a big frown. "This mystic wish device still wasn't able to grant my other wish!" He shouted angrily. "The destruction of France and it's people! They are all scum that wronged us!"
"So even after he got his friend back...he still isn't satisfied?" Ritsuka tought to himself, not believing someone could still want more after having a dear friend back from the dead.
Nala also wasn't happy to hear what Gilles said. "You are really dispicable, aren't you?" She confronted the man. "Having a beloved friend back isn't good enough for you?" She accused Gilles.
"I agree." Peko responded. "Why wish for chaos and innocent's suffering, when those people never done anything to you?"
"Peko, it's no use." Jeanne replied to the boy. "He's...already long gone."
"I know. I just can't understand how he wants to kill people that didn't have anything to do with your death. That's brutal."
"The whole world is brutal boy." Gilles responded to Peko. "You may see me as a monster but I'm probably one in the middle of thousands. The population of this country did nothing to save my friend after everything she did to keep them safe. Wouldn't you say that alone is an act of a monster with no empty would do?"
"That's ridiculous!" Ritsuka protested. "What do you wanted from normal people to do in that situation?!"
"Anything!" Gilles de Rais shouted back. "Press the king to negotiate Jeanne's rescue. Form a large group to try and rescue her. At least an act that showed they greatfulness torwards their hero! But instead they all chose to stay silent and watch!" Gilles yelled angry. "Now they are all getting the payback for leaving the Maiden of Orleans behind! There's no such ungrateful population as the people from France! I'll destroy all of you and soon my second wish will become true!"
"Do you think a person like you deserves that?!" Nala yelled at Gilles who shown a face of discontent torwards the girl. "Get real! I've heard the crimes and murders you did! Many of us here knows it too! People like you have no rights to get wishes granted but death instead!"
"She's right. The moment you started interacting with black magic and commiting killings, was the moment that you had any reasonable anger lost." Georgios said. "Doing that to children, is an act even the Devil himself wouldn't dare to do, Gilles de Rais!"
Siegfried took some steps forward. "Wishes should be used to help someone or make a person happy, altough never harmful or at the expense of others pain. Wishes like that, should never come to fruition!"
"Gilles, after everything you have done, there's only one way you can redeem yourself." Jeanne rotated her flagpole and stuck it to the ground. "And that is through death!"
Gilles veins could be seen on his forhead for how angry the man already was. Hearing his enemies talking and not wanting to see his point of view, was making the man lose his patience. "Fine then!" He said harshly. "I'll kill you anyways in the end! Just in time to get Jeanne back!"
"!" Mash noticed something. "Master, I'm detecting a creepy amount of mana coming from him!" She warned Ritsuka.
"That can't be good!" Ritsuka replied as he saw a dark aura around Gilles. "Nala! Peko! Get behind Mash's shield!" He ordered to the two kids as Mash already put the shield on the front, prepared to block a possible attack.
"What is he about to do?" Peko questioned as he and Nala joined Ritsuka who was standing behind Mash and her shield.
"This sensation..." Jeanne watched Gilles as she felt the mana getting larger.
"Is it the power of the Grail?!" Elizabeth said as she and the other servants were preparing for the attack.
"It isn't just the Grail!" Jeanne shouted to them. "I can feel something else there-" Looking with attention, Jeanne tought she saw something behind Gilles. Something sinister and familiar.
"...be sure to not let the darkness and evilness consume your entire soul. Or else, the consequences will be tragic."
Jeanne immediatly remembered of someone or something she talked to while in this Singularity.
For a single moment, Jeanne was able to see Gilles soul materialize in front of him. It was completely dark, with no trace of light left. "That is-"
A huge explosion came out of Gilles. Strong enough to tear down the throne room and big part of the castle. A big gust of wind went against them. Thankfully, Mash's shield protected the Chaldea group while the servants also managed to stay on their ground.
"Grrr! Hold on everyone!" Ritsuka told to his group as the winds were starting to calm down.
And what they saw, seemed stuff that came out of a nightmare.
"It's that...giant tentacles?" Ritsuka watched in horror as a giant tentacle creature emerged from the fog.
"Behold Jeanne and my enemies! Witness my greatest weapon of revenge! My very own Noble Phantasm! This demon from the underworld! Yes, YES! My wish, the revenge of my beloved saint...this dragon hundred years war..."
Gilles's body appeard in the middle of the creature as it finished from fully showing up. "...is far from ending!!!"
"What...is that creature?" Peko was trembling in fear. He know he had to fight but this was perhaps the most scariest thing he has ever saw. How they were supposed to defeat that?
"Peko! Y-you need to remain calm and focus! We can do this!" Nala tried to calm down her brother but Ritsuka and Mash noticed that she was sweating, showing that even her was scared of this monster.
"All that power..." Jeanne watched fully in shock. "...is his hatred? His raging soul?"
"Do you see now Jeanne? It's useless trying to fight. So instead please, join me. I saw your negative and true emotions." Gilles extended his hand to Jeanne, begging her to team up with him. "You despise this country has much as I do, so let's-"
"Gilles." Jeanne stopped the mad caster's words. "Even if you resurrected my original body and not just give form to my dark emotions, I would never become the Dragon Witch!" Jeanne shouted to Gilles.
"Jeanne..." Ritsuka watched from behind with everyone else.
"Wha-what?!" Gilles was incredulous. "But Jeanne, you're emotions! They were-"
"Yes that's true! It's true that I was betrayed! That I felt anger and hate! That ending, you could even say, it was my final regret!" Jeanne was starting to tear up. "But despite all of that, I would never be able to resent my homeland! My family, my friends, you! I could never hate this country because all of you live in it!" She screamed in top of her lungs.
"Jeanne..." Gilles felt sad in seeing Jeanne telling him all that. Seeing Jeanne like that, was sad for whom was once a proud noble man.
"So please, Gilles..." Jeanne looked to the ground. "Stop this already. I don't want this!"
"Jeanne, you're words are truly kind. It's incredible that your best side can overshadow your worst feelings." Gilles said with an happy smile. "However, that makes you forget about something. Even if you don't despise your homeland, I on the other hand..." Gilles smile vanished and the man looked at Jeanne with a face full of sorrow and anger. "Hate this country!" He declared. "That scene always scratches the surface of my mind. How many nights I tortured myself thinking about that?! I always tried to reach it with my hands! But of course, I could never reach it! I wasn't even there at all! And the ending would stay the same. Oh, why I couldn't be there? Why did no one saved her?!"
"W-what's happening?" Elizabeth and everyone started to feel an earthquake.
"Look over there Liz!" Kiyohime pointed to the kraken creature. "I think it's changing!"
"You may forgive them Jeanne. But I won't!" Gilles continued to scream. "God, the king, this country...I'll kill every last one of them!"
Jeanne watched in terror the creature Gilles was on, mutating and getting more dangerous.
"This is mine and my saint's wish! Dont try ti get in my way then, Jeanne D'arc!" Gilles yelled.
"Wait!" Ritsuka raised is hand and stood right next to Jeanne, much to Gilles confusion.
"What are you doing by trying to get in the middle of me and Jeanne's conversation? Are you going to also reject my viewpoint? If so then I'm not even willing to let you say a word!" Gilles told Ritsuka, not liking the way the master of humanity stopped the conversation he was having with Jeanne.
"It's that..." Ritsuka put an hand close to his chest. "I agree with your feelings. You aren't wrong at all."
"Senpai?!" Mash reacted in shock.
"What did you said?!" Nala also tought she wasn't hearing well what Ritsuka had just said.
"Ritsuka, what are you talking about?!" Peko couldn't understand how Ritsuka could just agree on Gilles viewpoint of murdering everybody.
"Ritsuka Fujimaru!" Even Romani who was still connected was completly stunned by what he just heard.
Jeanne chosed to not speak.
"Oh? So you understand where I'm coming from?" Gilles seemed surprised. "You can see how cruel this people are and that my acts are justified, right?"
"Well, as Jeanne's master, I'm speaking for her. So I'll tell you this. What you're feeling. That hate. It's understandable. I guess every human in your place would end up having the same fate." Ritsuka told to Gilles, who happily smiled on seeing someone was seeing on the same perspective as is.
"Then join me." Gilles offered his hand to Ritsuka. "Together, we'll destroy this country and-"
"Hell no if you think I'm letting you erase this country!" Ritsuka shouted. "Listen Gilles de Rais! I don't know very much about you, but of what I've heard, I'd say you're in your right to hate this country! What isn't right however, is letting you destroy and kill innocents!"
Gilles was furious. "So despite of understanding and allowing me to hate this country existence, you will not allow me to destroy it, correct?"
"Yep." Ritsuka answered shortly.
At this point, Gilles was boiling in rage. "How you dare mock me you insolent fool!?!" A tentacle descended torwards Ritsuka.
Jeanne instinctively protected her master, blocking the tentacle with her flagpole. "Gilles de Rais! I hereby declare here and right now your sentence! To be defeated by this group of heroic spirits and it's master!"
"But how will we even be able to defeat him?" Kiyohime asked to the rest of the group.
"By using all of our Noble Phantasms!" Elizabeth proposed.
"You really are stupid! It can't be that simple." Kiyohime found Elizabeth idea ridiculous.
"Actually, it's possible to defeat him that way." Romani informed the duo. Elizabeth smiled all happily and full of herself while Kiyohime got petrified and shocked at hearing that Elizabeth's way was a viable option. "I mean, not in the way that you are thinking where it's about unleashing all of the Noble Phantasms at the same time, but it could still work."
"And I'd bet that he himself is the weak spot." Mozart pointed out that Gilles de Rais was with half his body in the open, being subjected to any possible attack.
"So we take him down and the creature dies with him. That's a good logic." Siegfried said.
"Then we must open the path to Gilles de Rais body and slay him. For that we will have to keep the tentacles occupied." Georgios commented on a way to get to Gilles.
"I'll be the one who will try to get close to Gilles." Jeanne said. "I know what will be able to put a stop to him."
"Hey! What are all of you muttering about?!" Gilles approached to the group. "Whatever it is doesnt matter! You will still lose in the end!" One of the monster tentacles tried to attack Ritsuka and Jeanne.
"Master! Jeanne-san!" Mash quickly runned torwards them and put her shield up in the air.
"Lord Chaldeas!"
Mash used her Noble Phantasm and blocked the tentacles from hitting Ritsuka and Jeanne.
"I hope what I just did ends up helping all of us. Throughout this Singularity, everyone as been helping us, so it's my time to retribute the favour! I'll keep these ones occupied! The rest of you deal with the other ones!" Mash told to her group
Fate Grand Order OST- Grand Battle
"It's no use! Stop resisting and die already!" Gilles yelled as other tentacles tried to attack Mash from behind.
Nala quickly went to cut it. "You'll be the one dying here instead freak!"
With the tentacle cut, the way torwards Gilles de Rais body was slowly opening and getting clearer.
"There's still too many! We'll need to eliminate them fast!" Peko told them, joining Ritsuka, Nala and Mash.
"Then I guess it's my turn to unleash it." Kiyohime walked to the front and looked at Ritsuka. "Those words you used were very brave Anchin-sama. I felt no lie in them. You truly speaked what was in your mind. I'm glad I could make many friends here and you being one of them." She smiled at the master of humanity.
"Thanks Kiyohime." Rituska smiled back.
"Gyah! Anchin-sama thanked me!" Kiyohime hide her blush before composing herself. "Then watch this tentacles go away!" She opened her fan.
"Watch over me!"
"As of now,
Blue flames appeard from her fan.
I'll eliminate the liar!"
The blue flames grew and formed a dragon.
"Samadhi Through Transforming Flames!"
The blue dragon attacked the tentacles and managed to successfuly burn them.
"Grrr! Do you think that's all it takes to stop me?!" Gilles ordered more tentacles and protected himself by using more tentacles as shield.
"That wont shield you for very long!" Elizabeth grabbed her spear.
"It's our turn now! You guys did well so far!" Mozart said, accompaining Elizabeth.
"Mozart, today it will be a special occasion! I'll sing for my friend Marie! So make sure to match my rythm!" Elizabeth told to the musicians, sticking her spear into the ground.
"Hehe wow! You made me starting to think like a hero! But that aside..." Mozart summoned his angel musicians. "Of course I'll join you in making a song! I'm a genius after all!"
"Great! Then let's do this!" Elizabeth said as she summoned a castle with big sound columns. She took a deep breath, ready to use her musical voice alongside Mozart's instruments.
"Fresh Blood Demoness, Bathory Erzsbet!"
"Funeral March for Death, Requiem for Death!"
Numerous musical beams from the music the two had formed went straight to the tentacles that were protecting Gilles.
"That duet of music and noise is breaking it's defenses!" Peko said as they watched the combination of Mozart's and Elizabeth's Noble Phantasms break the guard of Gilles de Rais.
Nala saw that Gilles was now totally opened. "Great! The monster is stunned! Now's our chance!"
Mash fell to her knees exhausted, no longer having to use her Noble Phantasm to block tge tentacles impact from the creature. Ritsuka went close to her. "You did well Mash!"
"This isn't over yet! I won't give up now!" Gilles used more two tentacles to hit his enemies that were on the ground. But he was forgetting of two more servants.
"Balmung!"
"Ascalon!"
Two beams hit the tentacles, successfully erasing them. Now Gilles had nowehere to hide.
"It's sad seeing a knight's hate emerge because of his faith. However, I cannot let it harm any civilians!" Georgios said after unleashing his Noble Phantasm.
Siegfried who had done the same looked at Jeanne. "The path is now open. The rest is up to you." He told Jeanne.
"Thank you Siegfried. It was a honour fighthing alongside you." Jeanne showed her gratitude to Siegfried before charging torwards Gilles.
"Hm." The Dragon Slayer smirked. "Likewise."
"You fiends think that will be enough to stop this creature?! With the grail in my possession this momster will never go down!!" Gilles screamed once again, not noticing who had just arrived and was standing in front of him. Jeanne was now looking at her fallen friend in the eyes.
"She reached him." Ritsuka said watching from below.
"What are you going to do Jeanne? Pierce me with that flagpole? Go ahead, it won't stop nothing! Even if you kill me now, I'll put the Holy Grail inside this monster! With it's infinite regeneration, no one will be able to stop it!" Gilles shouted right in the face of Jeanne, who heard the words unfazed.
"I know." Jeanne said. "That's why I'll burn it instead. You, this monster, and me." Jeanne let go of her flagpole and picked her sword, the armbands and gloves of her knight's suit dissapearing, showing her naked hands and arms.
Fate Apocrypha OST- La Pucelle
"The sword of Saint Chatherine? Is that...a Noble Phantasm? What did you meant by burn-" Gilles audibly gasped as he reacted in despair to what Jeanne had in mind. "No! Stop it! Anything but that!" Gilles pleaded, but Jeanne ignored him, touching her blade, letting her blood stain the sword.
"Lord I offer this body to you"
And the flower bloomed.
Gigantic flames aroused from where Jeanne and Gilles where standing. They were similar to that of Jeanne Alter except they seemed to burn with less agressivness.
"What's that?!" Nala asked as she fought against the strong winds going against them.
"I don't know! Those flames are certainly more instense than Kiyohime's Noble Phantasm!" Mash observed." Is that perhaps-"
"Yes. It's her Noble Phantasm. A second one to be more precise." Romani told the group. "Those flames are the materialization of the concept of her end. The sane flames that ended her life. And because of that, after using it, she will most likely die." That information landed hard on the Chaldea group. "It's known as, a suicidle Noble Phantasm."
"If you knew that why didn't you told us?!" Peko shouted to Romani's hologram, revolted.
"Yes! Why the hell didn't you stop her doc?!" Ritsuka yelled to Romani as well.
"Because I can't and I won't. It's something that only she can do. And I won't let you stop her either." Romani told them sadly. "Even if you all hate me for it."
"So...Jeanne has to die if we want to defeat him?" Nala asked with a sad face.
"I think so." Mash said.
"Gaaaaaaahh! Stop it! Stooop ittt!" Gilles screamed in pain as he felt his body being burned by Jeanne's flames. "There's no way that the flames who killed you are also a Noble Phantasm of yours! They should represent a pride of a hero! God!" Gilles tried to fight the flames. "How far will you defile her until you're satisfied!!?"
"The Crimson Saint, La Pucelle!"
The flames opened way to allow Gilles see Jeanne among the flames. And she was smilling. Gilles couldn't help but feel dumbfounded. "How can you smile? How can you find joy in the middle of this burning hell?"
"It's because I don't see these flames as something terrible. It's true indeed that they may be painful, but even then, I don't hold hate torwards it." Jeanne kept her smile as she continued her explanation. "Even if I was saw as a saint by my own people, I also murdered people, took lives of fathers, brothers and sons of innocents from a country I judged as the enemy. What I did there was large amounts of sins, sins that would come to an end with my death.
"You're saying that you deserved these flames because of the people you killed in a war? Can such laughable story exist?!" Gilles started to cry. "It's not fair! It's just isn't! You shouldn't have died unrewarded!" Gilles sobbed.
"You are wrong Gilles." Jeanne said. "Those lives I have saved. The people I protected in the war. This country existence is the reward of my efforts. The fact that there's still a place and region called 'France' is proof that my acts weren't done in vain. It makes me be sure that the path I did take wasn't wrong. This was surely the correct path! This country didn't reached it's end even after I died! Of course that it had it's tragedies after thag but it continued on! Even until the master of Chaldea's time!"
Gilles anger was slowly erasing, the man not knowing what to think of Jeanne's words. "Jeanne..."
The Maiden of Orleans looked at her friend with calm and comforting eyes. "That's why it's time to stop this. No more vengeance or destruction."
A bright light appeard behind Jeanne. "So let's go Gilles. Let's go back to our own story and remember about the untainted light in the middle of our tragedies." She smiled to Gilles.
"Jeanne, I..." Gilles eyes were no more abnormal, and his anger had been totally tranquilized. The man remembered of the time when he was a proud knight, watching Jeanne standing tall in front of him with the flagpole, staring into the horizon of a upcoming day. She looked at the man and offered him her hand.
"Let's go, Gilles. My friend."
"...Yes, Jeanne."
"What's that huge beam of light there?!" One of the soldiers pointed to a giant pillar of light that was in the middle of the crater as he watched alongside his fellow companions. The beam of light eventually dissapeard, leaving behind an area of full calmness and peace, with no sign of monsters around or nearby.
"D-Did we won?" One of the soldiers asked to the rest, trying to understand the current situation.
"I see no sign of the Dragon Witch nor her evil creatures!" One of the soldiers said before starting to smile. "W-we won. We won!" He screamed happily. "The Dragon Witch has been defeated!" The man exclaimed as he and the rest of the army all jumped and celebrated in joy. What had terrified them for so long ceased to exist. France had been save. They could all go back to their families again, knowing that no threat such as the Dragon Witch would come to haunt them again.
However, there was still one man who wasn't celebrating. "First unit! Come with me and do a research of the area. Everyone else stay here and treat the wounded!" Gilles de Rais ordered to his men. "There's a person, that I should apologize to..."
"Hostility exterminated and the grail was recovered." Romani told them. "The first Singularity, has been restored." The doctor laid back on his chair with a sigh. "We've done it. Now the process of restauration will start and everything that happened in this Singularity will be erased from history. In the meantime, we will prepare the Rayshift to bring you back to Chaldea. Sit tight."
"Master, Jeanne is..." Mash prevented to say it to Ritsuka, knowing that he probably already figured out the outcome.
"Yeah." Ritsuka looked at the hand of his Command Spells. "I feel my body getting lighter..." He commented, not sensing the contract he made with Jeanne.
"Then she truly is gone..." Peko sadly looked at the ground. "At least she took out our last enemy."
"Hmmm." Nala stared sadly at her brother, before looking to the place where the huge beam took place. She caught sight of something. "Wait! I think I see someone there!" She shouted to the others.
Coming closer, they found Jeanne, now with her knight's armour completely gone, leaving behind only her civilian clothes.
"Jeanne, Jeanne."
A voice called for her wich made the saint slowly open her eyes. Getting up from the ground she saw the body of Gilles de Rais dissapearing in front of her.
"Gilles you..."
"Thanks for showing me that right path of yours Jeanne." Gilles smiled, a bit of his sanity returning to the dying man. "I used the Grail to return your Spirit Origin back before you unleashed your Noble Phantasm. " Gilles grabbed Jeanne's hand. "Now goodbye, my friend. I'll go back to hell. But at least these time..." Gilles smiled at Jeanne one last time. "I was able to save you from the flames..." And he dissapeard. The last opponent and enemy of this Singularity was defeated.
"Gilles..!" Jeanne let a tear fall down of her face while crying out for his friend's name. She wanted to say more things to him, but her friend already was gone. And so Jeanne accepted it.
"Jeanne!"
The saint heard the voice of her allies from behind, seeing them running torwards her.
A small smile appeard on the saint's face. "It's all over. My homeland is safe. And..." Jeanne felt a presence behind her, knowing very well at this point who it was. "...I didn't need to let hate control me to surpass my problems just like you wanted."
The mysterious figure behind her also didn't faced the saint directly, choosing to look the other way around.
"So you have refused to use thy hate within you, even when the situation demanded for it, O' Saint?"
"Yes. I don't need someone to tell me from now on how I should behave or use my emotions." Jeanne closed her hand into a fist. "I'll learn that by myself. My soul may not be pure but I don't need it to be in order to do what is right. These flaws, is what makes me be Jeanne D'arc."
"Then you have chosen the path of absolution with your evil self, rather than scourge it in it's entirety. Farewell then, Maiden of Orleans. It's thy choice to live with that defective and sinful soul in the end."
"The fact of a soul being flawed, doesn't mea-" As Jeanne turned around to confront her only to see that it was already gone. "Wonder if I'll ever saw it again..." As Jeanne wondered, all of the group had reached her.
"Jeanne we did it! We've won!" Ritsuka and Peko jumped torwards the saint to hug her by surprise, while Mash also came to hug the saint.
"Now everything in this time period will go back to normal!" Mash said. "This war has oficially ended!" She said happily.
The trio undid their collective hug with Nala watching a bit from behind. As the hug was undone, Jeanne caught sight of the girl. "Well, I think we haven't properly introduced ourselves to each other, am I right?" The saint smiled to Nala.
"W-well, I guess it's the first and for now, last time I'm talking with you. So sorry for not going for the group hug." She rubbed her head, a bit sorry for inly having a chance to talk with the real Jeanne at the end of the Singularity. "But I see that you really are a formidable warrior! And less angrier than your alter self." Nala joked a bit. "Your mot-" Nala put an hand in front of her mouth, thinking better on the words she was about to say. "Everyone must surely be proud of you."
Jeanne, who saw what Nala initially wanted to say, laughed a bit. "No need to be afraid of what you were going to say." She headpatted the girl. "I know she would be proud as well. And you're also a very brave girl. Being able to escape the castle alone isn't an easy task. A decent fighter as well, for what I could see of your fighting skills."
The praise made Nala blush a bit. "I-It really wasn't all that incredible. I-I don't deserve any of that praise!" Her reaction caused everyone else to laugh for a bit.
"But you did well." Jeanne told her, looking at Peko, Mash and Ritsuka behind her. "For a bunch of first timers you did well. I wouldn't have made it without you." Jeanne looked at all the servants in front of her. "Without any of you." "And of course, you too, Marie."
"Hey guys!" The voice from Elizabeth made Nala turn her back, seeing both the lizard girl and Kiyohime starting to fade. "WHA!? You are dissapearing!" She shouted comically.
"Why are you dissapearing thou?" Peko questioned them.
"The Singularity was cleared Peko." Romani explained. "Now that it's correcting itself, all the servants that it had summoned are starting to dissapear. Their job here is done. Having a historical character that isn't from this period or location would surely cause some chaos."
Fate Grand Order OST- Bonds
"So, this is a goodbye huh?" Mash said to the two servants that were about to vanish.
"I guess it is. Why goodbyes always feel so down and sad?" Elizabeth lamented.
"Then let's not see this as a goodbye. But more so as a 'See you later'. What do you think?" Ritsuka asked to Elizabeth.
"Hmmm. Yeah it's much better that way. Don't you agree Kiyohime?"
"Well, for how much that pains me, I must agree with you for perhaps the first time." Kiyohime hide her smirk behind her fan.
"What?! Are you saying I generally have bad opinions?" Elizabeth said angrily at Kiyohime.
"Only some. Altough that some can represent 95% of your opinions." Kiyohime giggled.
"Oh you..." Elizabeth restrained herself from insulting Kiyohime. "Eitherway, it's still not 100%." She looked at Ritsuka and the rest of the Chaldea group. "So next time we meet, I'll give a big concert! Look forward to it! This will be the ascension of Elizabeth Báthory the new pop idol!"
"I also look forward to see you next time. Specially you, Anchin-sama." Kiyohime smiled to Ritsuka. "Farewell everyone! It was nice being friends with you!"
"Specially me, right?" Elizabeth asked to Kiyohime.
"Hehe, yeah. Specially to a idiot like you."
And the two servants faded.
"Peko..." Ritsuka called for the boy, with a feeling of doom on his eyes, not even looking at him directly. "We better make sure Elizabeth doesn't sing next time we meet her."
"Agree." Peko said with the same feeling of doom.
"Wait, is her singing voice really that bad?!" Nala asked the two in utter confusion.
"Believe me sis, you don't wanna know." Peko told her.
Meanwhile, Siegfried and Georgios shaked their hands.
"It was an honour to fight alongside such hero like yourself, Siegfried." Georgios told the Dragon Slayer.
"You were also and admirable warrior to fight alongside with, Saint Georgios." Siegfried told to the Bronze Saint. "Without you, I wouldn't have survived and defeated Fafnir."
"Then I was more than happy to help." Georgios looked at Ritsuka and the rest of the Chaldea group, noticing his body was vanishing as well. "I wonder if we'll help that young man more times in the future. Until then, my prayers are with them. Goodbye, to all of you." And Georgios body also dissapeard.
"And so the time of parting has come." Mozart told to the Chaldea group alongside Siegfried. "It must have been quite an introduction to your journey, wouldn't you say?"
"Yeah. And we have a lot to thank you for coming to our rescue at that time." Mash said. "I'll never forgive the lesson you've teached me Mozart-san."
"Oh, now I didn't expect people to hear the things I say with such attention. Normally they just want to hear my music and that's it. But I'm glad you were one of the few that enjoyed listening to my words, Miss Mash."
"I'd say I also got to learn some things from you Mozart." Ritsuka said to the musician. "You were a great company to have in our days here."
"Oh please! Even a musician like me can't handle such compliments." Mozart laughed.
Siegfried stared at Peko. "I hope the little training session we had was of help Peko."
"Of course it was Siegfried-san!" Peko told the Dragon Slayer. "Now with this sword, I'm sure that I can help my sister and friends. I have to thank you for opening a way for me to get stronger. I'll make sure to use what you teached me from here on forward."
Siegfried smiled. "That's good to hear. Always be sure to wield that weapon in order to protect and help the people you love." Siegfried touched Peko's shoulder. "Use it wisely and never abuse of it's power. That's how real heros fight." Siegfried told the boy.
"Wow! You got this man to train you?" Nala said to Peko. "That must be quite awsome. Damn! Why did I have to only met you guys at the end?" She protested a bit.
"Heh. Don't worry young girl. I feel that you too have the power to become a great warrior." Siegfried told her, looking at Ritsuka and Mash. "Same goes to you. That chemistry that you have, don't let anyone ruin it, and you'll achieve the goals that you are searching for."
"Thank you for everything, Siegfried." Rituska told him.
"Farewell to you as well, Mozart-san." Mash said.
"Hmm. I could play a sad song at this precise moment but that would just ruin it all together." Mozart giggled. "So long Ritsuka Fujmaru and all of your group too. Your performance as a master was brilliant. Truly deserving of an applause. I hope that your performance as a musician will also get better next time we see each other. Now it's time to leave the stage. A musician's life is never a slow one. But before I go, one last thing.." Mozart put two fingers beetween his lips, confunding the Chaldea group. " When parting ways with someone, always remember to smile. It's the most important thing. Good luck to the rest of the journey, my friends."
"Same here. Keep fighting, even if the odds are all against you. The future of your journey will also consist of meeting new people and having to say goodbye to them. So in those moments, always be sure to smile when giving a goodbye." Siegfried told them
Peko teared up a bit. But the boy knew that what the two men were saying was true, and so he decided to ignore his sadness and smile instead. "Don't worry! I'll make sure to be smilling at the end when everything is resolved!"
"Same here! We got it." Ritsuka smiled alongside Mash and Nala. "Thank you two, Mozart, Siegfried." And they saw the musician and the dragon slayer dissapear.
Now only the Chaldea group and Jeanne remained. The saint approached all the four with a smile in her face. "Everyone is saying their goodbyes. I think it's time for me to say it as well." Her smile dissapeard as she noticed a certain someone approaching her. "And also, to part ways with a dear friend again, Gilles." The saint said as she looked at the general who was behind her.
The man was smilling in seeing a friend of him again. "It's hard to believe, that I'm seeing you again up close, even after you have died. It's like looking at a ghost." Tears started to appear in his eyes. "Even after what happened...Your death...This country..." Gilles couldn't control his tears as they started to fall from his eyes. "We betrayed you! France has betrayed you! And I couldn't be there to save you! I'm sorry Jeanne..!"
Jeanne went to hug him. "It's all right Gilles. What happened to me wasn't your fault. I'll continue to watch over you in the afterlife." Jeanne comforted her friend.
Mash was watching the two friends reunion before noticing that her body was starting to dissapear. Same thing for Ritsuka, Peko and Nala.
"Our bodies, they are dissapearing." Ritsuka said as Jeanne walked torwards them.
"So you will be leaving first then..." Jeanne said. "It's strange. It felt like we've been together for an eternity, when in reality it was just for a few days." Jeanne said sadly. "If doctor Roman is right, then everything that happened in this Singularity will be erased. And while I'm happy that my mother's death will have never happened, it's a little sad that all those moments spent with you, Marie and everyone else will also be erased. It pains me a bit to be honest."
Jeanne however knew that being sad wouldn't be the best way to give a goodbye, so she decided to smile instead and reunite the Chaldea group for a hug. "However, it isn't time to get too serious. Let's all say goodbye with a big cheerful smile!" Jeanne smiled radiantly. "And I have a feeling we'll see each other again. My hunches usually tend to be spot on, you know?" She giggled to her departing friends, who now were starting to float in the air.
"Sorry guys, but the Rayshift as to be done now!" Romani informed them. "Any more second and you'll get caught in the restoration of the history."
Ritsuka like everyone of his group, knew that for the time they had passed in this 15th century France, it was finally time to say goodbye to it's landscape and the very first friend they've encountered in the beggining of the Singularity.
"Jeanne!" Ritsuka yelled to the saint who observed them from below. "I'm glad I got too met you! Thanks for helping us!" He smiled to the Maiden of Orleans.
"Until a next time Jeanne-san! I'll never forget you!" Mash said, smilling too.
"I hope next time we can get to know each other more properly!" Nala was also smiling.
"It was nice being a friend of someone like you Jeanne!" Peko waved goodbye with a smile.
Without saying nothing, Jeanne just gave a big smile and waved goodbye to her new friends, finally being able to rest, knowing that her beloved country was saved, thanks to the collective efforts of people that now would always remain as a part of her heart.
"Fou, fou!"
"Hnnghh..." Opening his eyes, Ritsuka saw where he was. Back at Chaldea. They've done it. The first of seven Singularities had been cleared. "We...made it." Ritsuka smiled and saw Peko right next to him, still with his eyes closed. "Peko! You can open your eyes! We made it back!"
"Mmm..." Slowly opening his eyes, Peko saw that he was indeed back at Chaldea. "N-no way! We really made it!" Feeling that he was holding hands with someone, Peko looked to his left, seeing Nala still with her eyes closed. "Nala wake up!" The boy exclaimed happily. "We're back at Chaldea! We cleared the first Singularity!"
Nala opened her left eye, seeing what her brother was saying was true. "Yes! First Singularity completed!" Nala smiled happily as she put her arm around Peko's neck. "And with you back in one piece!" She jumped with immense joy.
"O-Oi, sis! There's no need for such tight grasp!" Peko told his sister, feeling his neck get stuck by Nala's arm.
Ritsuka smiled in seeing the two kids happy but most importantly Nala. After what she has been through after getting captured, Ritsuka feared that could end up damaging the girl's mental state. But he was glad in seeing Nala all well and happy cebrating with her brother who also had his fair share of suffering in this Singularity. Seeing the two siblings together again after such chaos and hardships was enough to give joy to anyone. Even Fou was running excitedly in circles around the duo.
"Oh Fou! I almost forgot you were also with us." Peko picked the animal from the ground.
"Senpai."
Ritsuka felt a touch on his hand, proceeding to look at the person who did it. It was Mash, also happy in seeing their first Singularity expedition was a success and everyone was able to return.
"Fujimaru! Mash! Peko! Nala!" The voice of Romani echoed as the man himself entered the control room. He seemed tired but equally happy as the rest of them.
"Humm. You're okay doc?" Ritsuka asked a bit concerned.
"W...Welcome back!" Romani said after taking some breaths. "You did it! The grail was retrieved! Good job!"
"Heh. Thanks Doc-" Mash was about to speak to Romani as she heard a noise of someons hitting the ground behind her.
Ritsuka, Peko and Nala were all lying tired on the ground, completely exhausted.
"Aaaah!? All of you three can't even have energy left to stand up!?" Romani shouted in absolute shock.
Mash on the other hand giggled. "It's understandable. They did their best back in the Singularity. They deserve a good rest for the day."
"After this...I think I only want to go to bed and sleep." Peko said weakly.
"Same here." Nala agreed with her brother.
"Really? That's sad then." Da Vinci entered the room. "Does it means you won't even be present to celebrate our big victory? I even made a strawberry cake to commemorate."
"Strawberry cake?!" Nala immediatly got up from the ground.
"Well that was easy." Da Vinci smirked.
Seeing that she was already up, Nala then decided to walk torwards Ritsuka and kicked him in the shoulder for the shock of everyone present.
"N-Nala!? What was that for?" Peko tried to separate his sister from Ritsuka.
"For almost making believe that you would side with that monster. Let alone agree with his point of view. You scared me there Ritsuka! Don't do that again!" Nala scolded Ritsuka.
"True. Master, what make you saw Gilles de Rais motives as understandable?" Mash asked him.
Ritsuka saw that he had to explain himself. "It wasn't really my intentions to affirm his actions. What he did is obviously wrong and thinking about it makes me angry, but what he loved and hated, I don't think that was wrong from his part." Ritsuka saw the silence of Mash in front of him. "S-sorry! You may not be able to understand it! I mean, of course you wouldn't be able to! I'm so-"
"But I think I do." Peko said to Ritsuka, gaining everyone's attention. "If I also lost Nala in the same way he lost Jeanne, perhaps I too would start to go around doing evil things out of spite. In the end, I guess he just couldn't cope with a friend's lost." Peko said, staring at Ritsuka.
The master of humanity was somewhat amazed by how Peko understood what Ritsuka was trying to explain here.
"Please Peko, don't say a thing like that again." Nala told his brother a bit harshly. "Not even as a joke! You'll never become that thing!" Nala hugged him. "I'll make sure you wont, as long as you have me and our friends here in Chaldea."
Feeling a sense of care in his sister's words, Peko hugged her back. "Then I too will make sure you'll never become a monster." Peko smiled a bit. "We will find our dad together after all. Just like we'll help Ritsuka and Mash save humanity."
Nala smiled back at him. "Hm! You're right. Also, I saw you have a sword now. Guess I won't need to be protecting you all the time then." Nala joked, giving a small smug to Peko.
"Okay, that was unnecesarily rude." Peko said with some discontent. "However, that isn't the knly thing I can do now. I also can use some magic and create some balls of light." Peko said proudly, seeing the reaction on his sister's face.
"What? No way! Can you show me?" Nala asked intriguingly.
"Hmm." Peko put a finger under his chin. "If you promise to not eat all the cookies while I'm still sleeping..." Peko showed his own smug face to Nala.
"Urgh! Fine then." Nala said with some annoyance, knowing she had no convincing way to make Peko change of idea. "But I hope it's something cool at least."
"Hum" Peko sweated a bit. "I don't promise you nothing just for clarification." He said.
"Don't care. All I care, is seeing that now." Nala told to her brother.
"I think what you should care first is taking a bath and change clothes." Da Vinci told Nala. "All of you should. The first experience in a Singularity was a rough one by the state you are all in. So no excuses as you all need to take care of yourselves first." She demanded.
Seeing that Da Vinci was absolutely right, Nala ended up sighing. "Fine then. But after that I want to see that ball of light." She pinched Peko's cheek.
"Yes yes yes yes yes, I understood it!" Peko said, feeling a bit of pain from his cheek.
"Great!" Nala let go of Peko's cheek and took some steps forward. "Last one to reach the bedroom gives half of it's cookies to the winner!" She announced, starting to run to the exit.
"Hey wait! That isn't fair!" Peko protested as he started chasing Nala with Fou running behind them. Despite that, the smile on the boy's face was visible as well as the one on his sister's. The two were true siblings.
"Ah. I kinda forgot how normal siblings relationships were like." Romani smiled as he watched Nala and Peko exit the room.
"True. It's quite wonderful." Da Vinci commented.
Ritsuka watched from behind, quietly smilling. "I wonder how my life would be if I had a sibling." Ritsuka tought to himself.
"Senpai." Mash called him, making Ritsuka change his attention to the shielder near him. "I guess I kinda understand what you were trying to tell." Mash remembered her conversation with Mozart. "But even then I want to learn more, so that I can understanda such emotions, even if it takes a while." She smiled kindly to Ritsuka.
The master couldn't help but to smile too. "Then I'm more than happy to help you learn those things, Mash."
Gilles de Rais, holding a small piece of Jeanne's clothing, saw the last remains of her body vanish in the air as well as her flagpole and weapon. The saint's duty was finished. She could go back to her peaceful sleep now. And from up above, she would be watching over her dear friend until the very end of the general's life. All the hate, sorrow, doubt and frustration she had to deal with, was over.
"Please, dream peacefully. May our Saint's blessings be here with us."
First Singularity: Hundred Years War of Evil Dragons: Orleans- Foundation Restored
To be continued...
Aaaand that's the end of Orleans. What a (beggining of) journey. And all before Christmas. First main event of my story done. Honestly, I feel satisfied with how it ended. It started in chapter 3 and ended now in chapter 19. Wich means this 'arc' had a lenght of 17 chapters. Not bad at all. For me ir didn't felt too long or too short.
Now I may take a short break since it's nearly Christmas and I'm now in my hometown to spend it with my family. Just like every author of a manga, I'll take my Christmas rest. So expect next chapter to probably come out a bit after the New Year. (Or a bit before if I feel like working myself, idk)
Anyway, next stop, the greatest and most well written story event of the game, Septem! (holds laughter)
That's all I wanted to say, happy Christmas and New Year to all of you and see you next time on chapter 20 and Second Singularity. Peace!
P.S.: And to all of you that play JP version of FGO, have a good time spending Christmas in Brazil trying to survive Tony Hawk and his mega skate of destruction, ORT. Good luck!
