Sighișoara.
This was the small town where Amakusa Shirou Tokisada's previous base—the Church on the Hill—was located, neighboring Trifas, the town ruled by the 'Black' faction's Yggdmillennia clan.
Because this area was occupied by the 'Red' faction—jointly held by the Mage's Association and the Holy Church—the number of magi residing in this small town was quite high.
Aside from the six Masters dispatched from the London Clock Tower, many other magi were also sent here after the Holy Grail War, either to assist the Red Masters with intelligence gathering before the war or to handle post-war cleanup and disputes.
With the Holy Church's personnel included, this small town known as Sighișoara housed no shortage of 'mystics.' It was no wonder the Assassin of Black—Jack the Ripper—had chosen to set her sights on this place.
At this moment, on the outskirts of the town, two figures stood upon the broken and ruined stone steps that led to the former site of the Church on the Hill. The area, once sacred, now lay in complete ruin—a battlefield scarred by the Holy Grail War between Servants.
Everywhere were traces of destruction: shattered concrete, fractured sculptures, twisted and melted steel beams—all mixed among countless craters.
It was strange. For such a large-scale explosion and fire, even if Romania's emergency response was slow, the authorities should have reacted by now. Yet, there had been no official movement whatsoever.
Most likely... no, certainly, the Mage's Association had already intervened, sending their own magi to suppress Sighișoara's official response. Beyond that, Selene could think of no other explanation.
"This was once a church... Indeed, no matter the form of war, it's best if it never happens at all," Jeanne sighed softly.
"But that's impossible. Wherever there are people, there will be conflict. Desire knows no end..."
Picking up a piece of blackened iron that had been flung away by the explosion's heat, Selene crushed it between two fingers until it turned to dust. Ending the topic, she said thoughtfully, "The Red Faction has already withdrawn. It seems Amakusa Shirou Tokisada has no intention of meeting you."
"Then, Your Divine Majesty, do you know their current location? That projection-type surveillance Noble Phantasm..."
Jeanne gestured vaguely as she spoke. She was growing increasingly impatient to see Amakusa Shirou Tokisada—to confirm certain matters. If not him, meeting another Red Master would suffice.
As a Ruler-class Servant, Jeanne possessed the unique skill, True Name Discernment, which allowed her to discern a Servant's true name, class, and performance data.
Even Selene, no matter how powerful her true form was, once manifested as a Heroic Spirit, she was still bound by the Greater Grail's rules.
If Selene's Noble Phantasm did not possess concealment effects, she too would have been exposed without exception.
Noble Phantasm: Bright Knight · Excelsis—one of its lesser-known but exaggeratedly rumored effects allowed it to conceal its master's personal information.
And given its A-rank evaluation, it was undoubtedly far superior to the Saber of Red, Mordred's C-rank helm of hidden betrayal.
Although it could not hide Selene's Servant class or the corresponding skills, any further information—true name, parameters, Noble Phantasms, or inherent skills—remained completely obscured unless Jeanne's Luck surpassed Selene's.
After burning away the crushed iron dust with a small pulse of mana, Selene said curtly, "It's called the Complete Book of the World."
"Then, can the Complete Book of the World be used to locate them?" Jeanne asked, blinking curiously.
"It could before, but not anymore. The Assassin of Red—Semiramis, the Assyrian Queen—also possesses an EX-rank barrier-type Noble Phantasm. Previously, we could track them only because her Noble Phantasm wasn't yet complete."
"Now that Semiramis' Noble Phantasm is fully deployed, the Complete Book of the World can no longer penetrate her barrier to observe the Red Faction's movements—unless they leave its range themselves..."
"...And they won't just sit around waiting to die."
As she spoke, Selene's eyes turned toward a nearby tree. On one of its half-burned branches perched a gray-white dove, its feathers faintly glowing with light.
"A familiar..." Selene murmured. But instead of erasing it immediately, she extended her hand slightly. A delicate glass chalice appeared in her palm.
Raising the chalice in a mock toast, Selene made a subtle, knowing smile.
"It's a familiar from the Red Faction, isn't it..."
Ending her saintly sigh of compassion, Jeanne stepped forward—her white blouse and deep-blue blazer neatly buttoned, black shorts and thigh-high stockings completing her classic student-uniform look. Her eyes turned cold.
"I am the arbiter of this Holy Grail War, Ruler—Jeanne d'Arc. Now, to the Masters of the Red Faction, I have one question. Why did you attack me? You should know full well what it means to raise your hand against the Ruler of the Holy Grail War!"
...
Meanwhile, within a closed garden courtyard illuminated by the artificial magical glow, the remaining Servants of the Red Faction were seated around a central stone table.
"I've always wondered," said Kairi Sisigou, one of the two Red Masters present, his sunglasses reflecting the lamplight as he faced Semiramis. "Your Majesty is classified as an Assassin, yet your abilities and setup resemble a Caster. This garden—surely it's a territory creation?"
After glancing toward Amakusa Shirou Tokisada and confirming he had no objection, Semiramis answered, "Dual Summoning. It allows me to retain the class skills of both Assassin and Caster simultaneously."
"That white-haired woman—she's the Black Servant that gave you such a hard time, Saber?" Amakusa asked, his gaze fixed on the projected image of the silver-haired, red-eyed woman.
"Yeah, that's her!"
Seated cross-legged beside Kairi, Mordred folded her arms, frowning. "Looks like she's noticed us. See that? She's raising a toast in our direction. Is that an invitation to battle?"
"Noticing us isn't that surprising, is it?" Semiramis retorted venomously. "If a so-called god couldn't even detect my magical trick, what kind of 'divine being' would that make her? And what does that say about you, the one who lost to her?"
Normally, such a jab would have provoked Mordred's fiery temper—but this time, surprisingly, she remained calm, responding with a light shrug. "Yeah, yeah, you're right. How about you go fight the Rider of Black head-on, then?"
It was true that she had been overwhelmed in direct combat. There was no shame in admitting that. So long as no one touched upon her forbidden sore points, Mordred wasn't the type to rage pointlessly.
Ah, here we go again, Amakusa thought silently, secretly relieved that he hadn't forcefully taken command of Mordred earlier.
Given the pressure the Black Faction exerted, the Reds had been compelled into an uneasy unity. Each had already shared their basic status and capabilities.
Saber Mordred—the rebellious knight who once struck down King Arthur—and Assassin Semiramis—the imperial queen who ruled Assyria—were an utterly incompatible pair by nature. Even without testing it, Amakusa could tell that their personalities clashed fatally.
Combined with the almost 'father-son' dynamic between Mordred and her Master Kairi Sisigou, Amakusa was certain that any attempt to seize control would have only resulted in civil strife among the Reds.
Thus, maintaining this fragile balance was ideal. Under his and Kairi's joint leadership, the two sides might exchange verbal barbs, but nothing that could jeopardize their overall unity.
"Let's drop the idea," Amakusa said smoothly. "It's unrealistic to have Assassin and Rider face each other directly. Besides, being toasted by a Divine Majesty like her is an honor. How could I not return the gesture?"
With gentle tact, he defused the tension between Semiramis and Mordred. Smiling, he raised his teacup toward the projected image of Selene and spoke aloud.
"Tea in place of wine. To this Holy Grail War—and to the honor of meeting Your Divine Majesty. Cheers."
He made the motion of clinking cups across the air, then drained it in one sip.
Having finished, Amakusa turned away from the projection of Jeanne, who had stepped forward on-screen. He had no interest in hearing more of her speech.
"Assassin, dispel the familiar's manifestation. For now, our priority is to conserve strength..."
"Understood."
At once, a dove shimmered into visibility and landed softly on Semiramis' hand. The small creature nuzzled her fingers affectionately.
From birth, Semiramis had been abandoned by her mother and left to die by the riverbank. There, she had been warmed by a dove's wings and fed milk the doves carried to her. From that moment onward, the doves became her eternal companions.
Thus, from legend refined into reality, Semiramis gained the power to command doves as familiars. No contracts were necessary—only her will and affection.
"Master, good news. The Black Faction's Assassin has betrayed the Yggdmillennia clan. She's currently in Sighișoara."
In an instant, the laziness vanished from Semiramis' face. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she raised her head. "The familiar has already located her."
"There's also a report—Yggdmillennia's Master, Hyouma Sagara, is dead. It appears the Assassin of Black has indeed defected. Master, should we recruit her?"
"No. The Rider of Black is most likely here to deal with the traitor. We shouldn't confront them just yet. Keep watch and gather intelligence. For now, our top priority is completing the Aerial Garden of Vanity."
...
"You should know what this means! Hm? Wait—" Jeanne hadn't even finished her righteous declaration when she suddenly noticed the dove's magical energy signature flicker and vanish!
"Wha—did they just cut me off? Did I really offend the Red Faction that badly? I didn't even do anything yet!"
"Mm-hm. Seems the Red Faction doesn't want to see you. They've closed your video connection and blocked you," Selene said with a soft chuckle, patting Jeanne's shoulder before turning to descend the hill.
"W-wait for me!" Jeanne cried, hurrying after her. "Your Divine Majesty, how should we search for the Red Faction now?"
"My answer—don't. When the Red Faction is ready, they'll take the initiative to attack. For now, what matters most is this: I shall eliminate the traitor, and you shall purify the evil spirit. Our goals align, not conflict."
Since this was not her true body, Selene's Noble Phantasm—the Complete Book of the World—had only been able to monitor the Red Faction earlier because Semiramis' Aerial Garden was incomplete.
Now that the book had lost all ability to track the enemy, Selene knew what it meant: the Aerial Garden's completion was imminent.
And with it, the true final battle of the Romanian Holy Grail War would soon begin.
"Still... there's a bit of time before nightfall. Jack the Ripper only acts after dark. That means we have some time to spare..."
Turning around suddenly, Selene grabbed Jeanne by the arm and pulled her closer, a mischievous smile curling on her lips. "I've thought of something amusing—something I think you'll find very useful."
"Uh, Y-Your Divine Majesty, what are you—?" Jeanne began, confused. But her words trailed off as her gaze fell upon the radiant heap of gold and jewels that Selene drew out from a violet-glowing portal.
"S-so much gold... Th-these—these are rubies the size of pebbles! And is that... a blood diamond? Emeralds too?!"
For a moment, Jeanne's eyes almost turned into literal dollar signs. Forgive her simplicity—through the portal, the sheer brightness of the mountain of treasures nearly blinded her.
Although the Greater Grail had granted Jeanne the necessary knowledge to live in the modern world, it hadn't exactly taught her textbook-level economics. The understanding of her host, Laeticia, defined her limits.
Gems of all colors, glittering ornaments, and endless piles of gold and silver filled her vision. Jeanne didn't even know the names of most of them, though instinct told her that the goldware was probably the least valuable.
Of course, this impression came mostly from Laeticia's own yearning—seeping through and influencing Jeanne's emotions. The Saint of Orléans might never have seen such wealth in her life, but she wasn't so easily swayed.
Shaking her head to banish the greed from her mind, Jeanne quickly pushed away the handful of gold and jewels Selene offered her, stepping back firmly. "N-no, Your Divine Majesty, I cannot accept this! I'm not that kind of person!"
Jeanne's refusal was filled with righteous conviction. She might have been a simple country girl—but even a country girl had principles!
"Truly? You don't want it?" Selene teased. "This is merely a fraction of my daily expenses. In my countless palaces, gold and jade fill every hall, treasures lie like sand on the floor..."
And then, leaning close, she dangled the glittering jewels right beside Jeanne's ear, her voice a silken whisper.
"Considering the damage your little possession has caused your host's property... don't you wish to repay her? This fortune could ensure that girl lives comfortably for the rest of her life."
"I'm giving it freely—no Holy Grail War compensation required. It won't violate your principles. All I ask is that you..."
"Mm-mm-mmph—!"
There was no doubt about it—Selene had Jeanne's personality completely figured out, dismantling her resistance from every angle.
This round—Saint Jeanne was utterly defeated!