The next day, Ash and Pikachu were wandering through Chaldea's halls once again, still taking in all the weirdness of this place. Yesterday's spar with Jeanne d'Arc had left Ash with a new appreciation for the legendary saint—she was kind, strong, and surprisingly fun to be around.

However, today would be a very different experience.

As Ash turned a corner, he nearly bumped into someone. He took a step back and blinked at the new figure standing before him.

At first, he thought it was Jeanne again—same long blonde hair, same face—but something was off.

Her golden hair was now streaked with black, her armor was a twisted, darker version of Jeanne's, and her piercing yellow eyes carried nothing but contempt. She didn't radiate warmth like the Jeanne he knew. Instead, she carried an oppressive aura of bitterness and wrath.

She crossed her arms, glaring down at him. "So… you're the new Master everyone's been chirping about."

Ash raised an eyebrow at her tone. "Uh, yeah? And who are you?"

She scoffed, looking at him like he was a bug. "Tch. Figures no one would tell you." She placed a hand on her hip and stared down at him. "I am Jeanne d'Arc… Alter. Avenger-class Servant. But don't get any funny ideas—I'm nothing like that other, pathetic version of me."

Ash frowned. Pathetic? That didn't sit right with him. Jeanne was one of the nicest people he'd met so far.

Pikachu, perched on Ash's shoulder, narrowed its eyes. "Pika…"

Jeanne Alter scoffed again. "And they expect this little kid to be my Master? Hah! What a joke."

Ash twitched. "Hey, what's that supposed to mean?"

Jeanne Alter rolled her eyes. "It means I'm not impressed. You look like some brat who wandered in here by mistake. I have no interest in following weaklings."

Ash clenched his fists. "What's your problem?! You don't even know me!"

Jeanne Alter took a step forward, leaning down so her intense golden eyes were level with his. "And I don't need to. I can already tell you're soft. Masters should be ruthless, cunning, vengeful. I see none of that in you."

Ash gritted his teeth. "Yeah? Well, maybe I don't wanna be like that!"

Jeanne Alter clicked her tongue. "Then you'll be devoured by this world."

Ash didn't back down, staring right into her unyielding gaze. "I've faced plenty of challenges before. If you think I'm weak, then fine—but don't assume you know me just 'cause I don't act like some cold-hearted jerk."

Jeanne Alter's eyes flickered with something unreadable for a brief moment—maybe surprise? Amusement? But it was gone in an instant.

She straightened up and smirked. "Hmph. You've got some bite, I'll give you that." She turned away, waving a hand dismissively. "But I don't follow orders from weaklings. If you want my respect, you'd better earn it."

Ash scowled. Geez, what's her deal?

Pikachu, however, had other ideas. It narrowed its little eyes and, before Ash could react, a loud "PIKA—CHUUU!" rang through the hallway.

ZAP!

A massive bolt of lightning struck Jeanne Alter, crackling across her dark armor.

For a brief second, there was silence.

Then, Jeanne Alter turned around, her face shrouded in smoke. Her eyes burned with pure rage.

Ash paled. "Oh… Pikachu, I think you just signed my death sentence."

Pikachu, however, looked pretty proud of itself. "Pika~."

Jeanne Alter's eye twitched. "You little…"

Before she could make good on whatever vengeful punishment she had in mind, a familiar voice rang out.

"Oh my! Are we all getting along already?"

The group turned to see Da Vinci strolling toward them, a playful smile on her face. "Jeanne Alter, I don't think scaring our newest Master is the best way to welcome him."

Jeanne Alter scoffed. "Tch. Whatever." She shot one last glare at Ash. "Try not to die too fast, kid."

With that, she turned and stalked away, the air around her still crackling slightly from Pikachu's attack.

Ash let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. "Whew… that could've gone worse."

Da Vinci chuckled. "She's not as bad as she seems. Give her time."

Ash crossed his arms. "Yeah, well, I'm not holding my breath."

Pikachu, however, was still smug about the whole thing. "Pika pika~."

One thing was for sure—Jeanne Alter was NOT going to make his time at Chaldea easy.

The next day, Ash and Pikachu were enjoying a well-deserved meal at Chaldea's cafeteria. Ash had gotten used to the routine here—wake up, train, get confused by weird Servant antics, and somehow end up in crazy situations.

At least today seemed peaceful.

That was, until—

"LET GO OF ME, YOU STUPID HOLY MAIDEN!"

Ash and Pikachu turned their heads just in time to see Jeanne d'Arc (Ruler) dragging her counterpart—Jeanne Alter (Avenger)—toward them. The Avenger was kicking, clawing, and resisting with all her might, but Jeanne (Ruler) held firm, a serene smile on her face.

"Oh! There you are, Ash," Jeanne (Ruler) said sweetly, as if she wasn't currently forcibly dragging a vengeful spirit across the cafeteria floor. "I'm so glad we found you!"

Ash blinked. "Uh… hi?"

Jeanne Alter growled. "LET. ME. GO."

Jeanne (Ruler) smiled even more. "Now, now, Avenger, we talked about this! You were very rude to Ash yesterday, and it's only proper that you apologize."

Jeanne Alter immediately bared her teeth. "LIKE HELL I'M APOLOGIZING!"

Pikachu snickered. "Pika pika~."

Ash sweatdropped. "Uh, it's fine, really."

Jeanne (Ruler) shook her head. "No, no, I insist. It's important to right our wrongs."

Jeanne Alter, still struggling, shot a glare at Ash—not out of malice this time, but pure irritation. "You! You're totally fine with this, aren't you? Enjoying watching me suffer?!"

Ash held up his hands defensively. "Hey! I didn't even ask for this!"

Jeanne (Ruler) gently placed her hands on Jeanne Alter's shoulders. "Come on, Avenger. Say it with me—I'm sorry, Ash."

Jeanne Alter twitched.

Her entire body bristled like a cat forced into a bath.

She clenched her teeth, fists trembling with rage.

Finally, she growled out, "Tch… SORRY for calling you a weakling."

Ash blinked. "Wait, really?"

Jeanne Alter crossed her arms and looked away. "Don't get used to it, brat."

Jeanne (Ruler) clapped her hands together cheerfully. "There! That wasn't so hard, was it?"

Jeanne Alter scowled. "You're enjoying this too much, you dumb holy maiden…"

Then, out of nowhere—

"Besides, why are you even babying him so much? You got some weird crush on the kid or something?"

Ash choked on his drink.

Pikachu's ears perked up. "Pika?!"

Jeanne (Ruler) suddenly froze, her serene expression cracking for the first time. A faint blush appeared on her cheeks. "W-What?!"

Jeanne Alter smirked at the reaction. "Hah! That's it, isn't it?! You've got a soft spot for him, don't you, holy maiden?"

Ash, red-faced, waved his arms. "Whoa, whoa, where did THAT come from?!"

Jeanne (Ruler), visibly flustered, quickly shook her head. "I- I just think Ash is… a kind and brave young man! There's nothing strange about wanting to support a promising Master!"

Jeanne Alter's smirk grew. "Uh-huh. Sure. Whatever helps you sleep at night."

Ash covered his burning face. What is even happening right now?!

Pikachu, meanwhile, was laughing its little tail off. "Pika pika pika~!"

Jeanne (Ruler), realizing how misunderstandable her reaction was, quickly changed the subject. "A-ANYWAY! Avenger, I'm glad you apologized. Let's not be hostile to our dear Master anymore, alright?"

Jeanne Alter rolled her eyes. "Whatever." She then gave Ash a pointed look. "But don't think this means we're friends, brat."

Ash sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Wouldn't dream of it…"

Jeanne Alter turned on her heel and stormed out of the cafeteria, but not before Ash caught a brief glimpse of amusement in her eyes.

…Was she having fun messing with him?!

Jeanne (Ruler) sighed, placing a hand over her heart. "Goodness, that was exhausting. But I'm glad we settled that!"

Ash, still red-faced, slumped over the table. "I'm not…"