"Hey, hey—can someone pour a bucket of cold water on me? I must've taken the wrong medicine to stand here talking this much with a village bumpkin like you, looking all stupid, to the point of letting you ask me such meaningless questions!"
"Then allow me to ask you—why do you want to save this country? Why do you want to save these foolish people?"
Jeanne d'Arc (Alter) spoke with open mockery on her face.
Jeanne did not hesitate. She opened her mouth, ready to speak her mind.
"Because—"
Jeanne Alter immediately cut her off.
"Oh? Are you about to spout those useless grand ideals of yours again?
I'm not the same as before. No matter what you say, I won't be deceived again—and I'll never allow betrayal to happen again! For this country, already forsaken by God, there's only one course of action left to me—destruction!
I will tear out the roots of every seed of sin, burn to ashes the entire race of humanity that caused all this!
And you—you, who always wear that saintly, pure expression—you're nothing more than the dregs I cast away!"
Jeanne Alter pointed at Jeanne, her face full of scorn.
To face such wretched humans, such a wretched nation—to have been betrayed, and yet feel no hatred, no urge for revenge, to even think of saving them instead…
How could someone like that possibly be normal?
No rage, no resentment, no revenge—there was no doubt about it.The defective being standing before her, with the same face as hers, was nothing more than a ghost clinging to history, a remnant she herself had discarded.
Jeanne Alter believed this with absolute conviction.
The one-sided barrage left Jeanne's face flushed; her grip on the flagpole tightened.
While Jeanne Alter's tirade continued, Lin Qi was already analyzing the current situation on the field.
The enemy had five Servants. Though it was highly likely that Martha and D'Eon were holding back, they were still under Jeanne Alter's control.
The remaining two—Vlad III and Carmilla—were textbook Anti-Heroes. Even if their strength hadn't increased much from Mad Enhancement, they'd still fight with grim determination.
And then there was Jeanne Alter herself, possessing Jeanne's Saint Graph but specialized entirely in offense...
After comparing both sides' lineups, Lin Qi reached a conclusion.
No chance of winning. Not at all.
With the quality of their forces, even without bringing out a dragon, this wasn't a fight he or Jeanne could survive.
So, while Jeanne Alter was still talking, Lin Qi quietly drew out Runes meant to conceal their presence.
"Take my hand. Get ready to run."
Through the Master–Servant link, Lin Qi conveyed his intent to Jeanne.
Then he clasped her free hand.
Could they really escape in this situation?
Though Jeanne had doubts about the feasibility of running, she didn't voice them—because she believed that Lin Qi wouldn't say such a thing without reason.
She tightened her grip in return.
"Hey, hey! What are you doing, village girl? Flirting with a man at a time like this? Or are you finally discarding that pointless Saintly mask of yours?"
Jeanne Alter let out a derisive laugh at the sight—and at such an ugly man, no less.
Jeanne Alter found Jeanne's taste truly pitiful.
"How… how could you say something so vulgar—!"
Jeanne's face turned scarlet, staring at Jeanne Alter in disbelief.
Lin Qi stood silently, expression blank.
He'd heard worse trash talk online. And honestly, he didn't deny he looked rather ugly right now.
So long as Jeanne didn't mind—that was enough.
A sudden spark of insight cleared Jeanne's scattered thoughts; the hand holding the flag loosened slightly.
She'd begun to form a hypothesis about Jeanne Alter's existence.
"You… are you truly me?"
Jeanne spoke calmly.
"Ha? I thought my performance made that clear enough, and yet you still—"
Jeanne Alter's voice cut off abruptly. Her face darkened.
Because she saw pity in Jeanne's eyes.
"I acknowledge your confidence, and your vengeance. But is this truly what you want? Or is it that the one who keeps saying she'll never be deceived again… is only deceiving herself?"
Though instinctively she scoffed at such words, Jeanne's calm question stabbed into Jeanne Alter's chest like a needle.
If Jeanne Alter knew what "getting her defenses broken" meant, she would've realized that was exactly what had just happened.
"Enough! Mad (Berserk) Lancer—Mad Ass—!"
Furious, Jeanne Alter called her Servants to attack.
Then—
A thick plume of smoke erupted from behind Lin Qi, completely obscuring Jeanne Alter's vision.
"Now! Run!"
Without hesitation, Lin Qi pulled Jeanne along and dashed away at full speed.
"Heh! Do you really think something like that will let you escape from us?"
Jeanne Alter sneered at Lin Qi's naïveté.A single swing of her weapon dispersed the smoke instantly, rendering it nearly useless.
But when she looked again toward where Lin Qi and Jeanne had been—they were already gone.
In just the blink of an eye, the two had become distant specks on the horizon.
Among their group, only Martha—manifested as a Rider—might have the speed to catch them.
"How strange. Judging by their builds, neither of them looks particularly fast. How could they run that far, that quickly…?"
Vlad III frowned in confusion.
"If you have time to wonder about that," Jeanne Alter said coldly, "why didn't you stop them when you could?"
"Well, we didn't know they'd suddenly—"
"Silence! 'Didn't know'? Is that your excuse? What use are you, then?"
"Uh…"
The other three Servants watched the spectacle with faint amusement, making no move to intervene.
"Rider! They can't possibly maintain that speed for long. You're the fastest—follow them and report their position."
After thoroughly berating Vlad, Jeanne Alter turned to Martha.
"...Understood."
After a brief pause, Martha mounted her subdued dragon, Tarasque, and headed off in pursuit.
"That should be enough for now. As for us… we'll return. Bring Gilles and Fafnir. Next time, I'll make sure they have no grave to rest in!"
Her gaze was as cold as ice.
—Scene Break—
So fast! Unbelievably fast!At this speed, even Riders renowned for agility and multiple Noble Phantasms might struggle to keep up!
Watching the scenery blur past, Jeanne marveled in silence.
She could sense that she and Lin Qi had entered a special state—time itself seemed stretched.Their perception of the world grew hazy.A single step covered the distance of ten.
It was almost like shukuchi—the art of shortening the earth itself.
Once she realized this, Jeanne stopped trying to control her own movement, instead matching Lin Qi's rhythm and stride.
As expected, their speed increased even further.
This was Lin Qi's unique ability.
Whenever the thought "I want to escape" or "I want to move faster" arose in his mind, his body responded accordingly—his speed increasing in proportion to the strength of that thought.
Normally, Lin Qi used light self-suggestions like "run faster" to trigger the ability—fast, but controllable.
No one knew how long they ran before Lin Qi finally stopped, panting heavily.
"This should be far enough. They won't be catching up anytime soon…"
He glanced back, exhaustion in his voice.
"Are you all right?" Jeanne asked, concern clear in her tone.
"It's my first time using that move while carrying someone. Just… a bit more tiring than usual."
Lin Qi steadied his breathing.
"Come on. We can't rest here. If Jeanne Alter finds us again, escaping won't be so easy next time—we need to find Siegfried."
He exhaled, his breath finally even.
"This isn't the time to push yourself," Jeanne said, shaking her head. "You're humanity's last hope. You have to keep yourself in fighting shape."
"Let's at least walk a bit before resting. As you said, they won't catch up right away."
"…All right."
Jeanne took Lin Qi's hand again as they walked through the ruins of a shattered village.
But after only a few dozen seconds, both sensed something wrong.
The surroundings were silent—unnaturally so.
"Ah…"
A low, mindless groan came from somewhere nearby, accompanied by irregular footsteps.
Letting go, Lin Qi drew out a Black Key. Jeanne summoned her flag once more, both on high alert.
Clearly, this random place Lin Qi picked was no safe haven either.
Following the sound, they saw their new foes.
"These are… the walking dead?!"
Rotting bodies, twisted gaits, clouded eyes—all unmistakable signs.
"At this number… the entire village must've been turned."
Lin Qi fell silent for a moment.
He'd seen plenty of corpses by now, both here and in games or anime. But when those corpses came charging like beasts drawn to blood—
A chill ran down his spine.
Drawing more Runes into the air, Lin Qi prepared to fight, while Jeanne stepped forward, flag in hand.
Zombies like these were nothing more than the work of ordinary magi—barely stronger than skeleton soldiers, perhaps even weaker.It didn't take long before the two cleared them out completely.
Jeanne offered prayers for the fallen villagers.
Lin Qi crossed his arms, watching her silently—and fell into thought.
Turning humans into undead—an infuriating act, yes, but not Jeanne Alter's style.She'd much rather burn everything outright.
So… probably the work of another Anti-Hero or a magus.Most likely a Caster, or perhaps an Assassin—
"Behind you!"
Jeanne's urgent cry reached his ears mid-thought.
A chill ran down his spine. No time to think—Lin Qi activated his second special ability.
Dodge!
Claws pierced through his chest—but instead of blood or flesh, they passed through him like a projection.
The attacker's half-hidden eyes behind a skull-like mask flickered with surprise.
Lin Qi's response was immediate. Realizing he'd been ambushed, he triggered the Rune carved into his Black Key.
The weapon, glowing blue-white, detached from his grip; several symbols upon it flared brightly.
Explosion!
A deafening blast engulfed both Lin Qi and his attacker.
Through the rising dust, a dark figure leapt free—the Phantom of the Opera.
He looked down, frowning at his tattered clothes and the bleeding wound on his arm.
Even as a Heroic Spirit, he hadn't expected a mere Master to fight back like this.
Runic light flickered faintly through the haze—then several fireballs shot forth, aimed straight at him.
The Phantom's Agility wasn't low; two quick leaps let him evade Lin Qi's attack.
"Cough—cough… I'm fine."
From within the smoke, Lin Qi knelt on one knee, two glowing sigils before him.
Jeanne exhaled in relief and rushed to his side, eyes wary as she faced the Phantom.
This one's Presence Concealment was high—without the Ruler's Revelation skill, Jeanne might not have sensed him at all.
Good thing both had reacted quickly—and that Lin Qi had held a trick in reserve—or they might have met their end right there.
"So this is why everyone hates dealing with Assassins…"
Lin Qi muttered coldly, heart still pounding from the close call.
"Well, Presence Concealment is our class skill," the Phantom said with a faint smile, shaking blood from his hand. "It'd be such a waste not to use it properly, wouldn't it?"
Lin Qi said nothing.
That was the worst part—there were so many Servants in FGO, including some based on obscure historical figures who never even made it into the game. With so many, it was impossible for Lin Qi to remember them all, let alone their skills and Noble Phantasms.
But both he and Jeanne understood one thing—
They couldn't let him unleash his Noble Phantasm.
In Servant battles, it all came down to NPs (Noble Phantasm). And with Jeanne's damaged Saint Graph, her own NP was only half-functional. In a clash of Noble Phantasms, she wouldn't hold the advantage.
Besides, some NPs were absurdly tricky—even the strongest Heroic Spirits could fall prey to them.
No time for talk. Lin Qi's fingers moved swiftly, tracing Runes in the air.
Jeanne charged ahead, fighting the Phantom head-on while covering Lin Qi.
The Phantom was a pseudo-Servant—strong, but from a relatively modern age. His base stats were solid, but his skills weren't extraordinary.Most of his debuff abilities didn't even affect Jeanne.
And worse—he didn't have a proper weapon. His only means of attack were claws hard as steel.
With the aid of her Revelation, even though Jeanne wasn't known for martial prowess, she held her ground without falling behind.
Lin Qi focused intently on his complex rune array, sparing only a fragment of his attention for the duel.
He didn't bother to hide what he was doing; both combatants noticed.
The Phantom wasn't stupid—merely unhinged. Spotting Lin Qi's movement, he seized a moment to hurl two throwing knives.
Trying to interrupt the casting.
Dodge!
Lin Qi whispered the command in his mind—but his body didn't move.The knives passed through him, embedding harmlessly in the ground.
"...Tch."
The Phantom clicked his tongue, irritated, before turning his focus back to the charging Jeanne.
This was Lin Qi's second special ability: when he gave himself the mental command "Dodge," his body would phase into an intangible state, like slipping into another dimension.
For up to five seconds, any attack would pass through him harmlessly.And, just like his first ability, the stronger the intent, the longer it lasted.
It was the same power he'd used during the singularity in F—against Jeanne Alter's self-detonation tactic.
As Lin Qi drew the final stroke, the Runes before him flared and vanished—white light enveloped Jeanne.
The tide turned. Strengthened by the Runes, Jeanne struck with renewed force.
The Phantom staggered back several steps. Her flagpole sliced through the air with a sharp whoosh, masking her next move from his sight.
When the fabric cleared, a volley of fireballs burst from behind it—aimed straight at the Phantom.
BOOM!
Flames erupted. The Phantom emerged, scorched and disheveled.
Looks like I'll have to use my Noble Phantasm after all…
He grimaced.
"Don't even think about it!"
Sensing his intent, Jeanne charged.
But he was an Assassin. Aside from Presence Concealment, his speed was formidable. He retreated and weaved through her strikes, keeping just out of reach.
"Sing… sing for me…"
A twisted smile spread across his lips as he began gathering magical energy.
Like hell I'll let you use your NP!
Lin Qi's eyes sharpened.
I have to move faster!
The thought itself triggered his first ability again—but this time, not for running.
Time seemed to slow. His hands blurred as he drew, Runes appearing one after another.
To others, it looked as if he were chanting with high-speed divine words—his movements almost unreal.In a single second, the new Runic sequence was complete.
Stay right where you are!
Pressing both palms to the ground, Lin Qi released it. The glowing Runes vanished—and a radiant magic circle appeared beneath him.
Just as the Phantom leapt, a crushing force slammed down on him. The smirk vanished from his face.
In the next instant—he was pinned to the ground.
"Shhhk!"
Jeanne wasted no time. Her flag-spear pierced through his body, shattering his spiritual core.
The Phantom of the Opera—defeated.
Lin Qi exhaled deeply in relief. But as he tried to stand, a wave of dizziness washed over him. Fatigue far worse than before clawed at his mind.
"Are you all right?!"
Jeanne rushed to his side, catching him as he stumbled. Worry clouded her eyes.
Lin Qi's condition was even worse than after their escape.
"Just… tired," he murmured. "We should keep moving. The longer we stay, the worse it'll get."
He shook his head.
Using his first ability for speed didn't drain him much—but using it to amplify action like that was another story.Even a single Runic sequence had left him utterly spent.
Though concerned, Jeanne knew they couldn't rest yet.
After a brief adjustment, the two continued onward.
…