When everyone saw Mo Wang's new getup, their expressions were truly a sight to behold.
"What, is there a problem with me being an angel?" Mo Wang asked, his casual tone instantly shattering the sacred atmosphere he had created.
A problem? There was a huge problem! Everyone had a million complaints stuck in their throats, but they didn't know where to begin.
Mo Wang, an angel? What would the demons of hell do then? With his antics, they'd all be out of a job.
"What do you guys know? I'm a legitimate angel, alright?" Mo Wang insisted. As an Emanator of an Aeon, wasn't that basically the same thing? It made perfect sense!
"Heh, hehe."
Everyone could only offer awkward laughs in response, afraid of what might happen if they angered him. If Mo Wang was an angel, they'd all rather go to hell.
And if he really was an angel, his wings would undoubtedly be blacker than the mud from the Holy Grail.
Ignoring the unappreciative crowd, Mo Wang began to flap his small, energy-constructed wings and flew towards the patrol of soldiers up ahead.
...
Outside Orléans, a squad of soldiers was on their daily patrol. Their faces were etched with despair and fear, devoid of any hope.
"Pull yourselves together!" the squad leader shouted at his men. "Don't let that Dragon Witch scare you! We are soldiers of the great France! How can we let some witch break our spirits?!"
But his words had no effect. A young-looking soldier even spoke up. "Captain, do we really have a chance of winning? I heard the Dragon Witch and her evil dragons attacked several more villages last night. Can we really stand against her?"
The captain was at a loss for words. He couldn't even bring himself to be angry.
The fact that Jeanne had become the Dragon Witch, killed the French emperor, and was now seeking revenge on the entire country was a nightmare for them.
Just two years ago, Jeanne had been their hero. But in less than a year, she had been condemned and executed as a witch.
And then, six months later, she had been resurrected as a demonic Dragon Witch, commanding dragons to slaughter the people of France.
Countless cities had been destroyed in her wake. It was a devastating blow to their morale and their bodies.
"There... there must be a chance!" the captain declared, though he didn't believe it himself. "Even if the king is gone, we still have the Lord's protection! We can defeat that evil witch!"
In truth, many of the soldiers believed Jeanne's resurrection was the will of the Lord. They believed that because they had killed an innocent saint, the Lord was angry and had turned Jeanne into a vengeful spirit to punish them for their sins.
Just then, the soldiers behind him gasped, their mouths agape as they stared, frozen in place.
"What's wrong with you all?" the captain asked, confused.
"C-Captain! Behind you!" one of the soldiers stammered, pointing.
"Behind me?" The captain turned, but saw nothing. "What are you all looking at?"
"Up! Look up!" the soldiers urged, growing frantic.
"Up?"
The captain heard the sound of flapping wings. He looked up and saw Mo Wang slowly descending from the sky.
"An... an angel?!" he cried out, his voice filled with disbelief. For a moment, he thought he was dreaming.
"L-Lord Angel?" the young soldier stuttered, his voice trembling with awe.
Mo Wang landed gracefully, the light from his energy wings shimmering. He cleared his throat and struck a solemn pose, though his face wasn't exactly convincing.
Still, the outfit was definitely on point.
"That is correct. I am an angel, sent by the Lord to save you," Mo Wang said with an air of unquestionable authority.
The soldiers exchanged uncertain glances. The sight was so incredible that they didn't dare to question it. The captain swallowed hard and asked cautiously, "Lord Angel, are you really here to help us? Do we... do we really still have hope?"
Mo Wang smiled and patted the captain's shoulder. "Of course, there's hope! The Lord would never abandon His children. He has seen your suffering. He knows what has happened to Jeanne. Though she was once a saint, she has been corrupted by dark powers and has become the Dragon Witch. The Lord has sent me to help you fight her and restore peace to France."
Hope rekindled in the soldiers' eyes. The young soldier asked excitedly, "Lord Angel, what should we do? Can we... can we really defeat the Dragon Witch?"
Mo Wang shook his head with an air of profound wisdom. "With your strength alone, it would be difficult. But with the Lord's guidance, anything is possible. First, you must have faith and not be consumed by fear. Second, you must strengthen your belief in the Lord to compensate for your lack of strength."
At first glance, his words sounded perfectly reasonable. But upon closer inspection, it was all just empty talk, the same kind of drivel the priests in their churches spouted. That kind of talk wasn't going to help them defeat Jeanne Alter.
"Um, Lord Angel, are you saying our faith isn't strong enough?" the captain asked hesitantly.
"No, you're all just too weak," Mo Wang said bluntly, nearly making the soldiers' jaws drop. Did this angel's personality just do a complete one-eighty? And isn't that a little too direct?
"Ahem, rest assured, the Lord knows you are no match for the darkness of the Dragon Witch," Mo Wang said, his expression once again becoming sacred as he continued his spiel. "But He has sent me with the strongest warriors to aid you."
"The... the strongest warriors?" the soldiers asked, their eyes filled with hope.
Could it be Michael and Gabriel? Or other famous angels and saints? If they were here, the Dragon Witch would be nothing!
"Unfortunately, no," Mo Wang said with a wave of his hand. "Those big shots are busy watching the show. They don't have time for you, so don't even think about it."
Michael and Gabriel? In their dreams. Maybe in another ten years, if they were lucky.
"Watching... the show?"
"No... time?"
The soldiers' heads were spinning. Had they just heard that right? The angels were watching a show? What show?
"But don't worry! Even without the archangels, the Lord has sent many other powerful warriors!" Mo Wang clapped his hands, and Mash and the others were teleported to his side.
The soldiers gasped in amazement. An angel who could summon people out of thin air! Who were these people?
"Ahem, first, allow me to introduce the renowned king of your country, Emperor Karl!" Mo Wang announced, gesturing to the most reliable-looking member of their group.
Though this Charlemagne looked young and not very kingly, the soldiers didn't doubt his identity for a moment, especially when they saw the holy sword in his hands.
"Emperor... Emperor Karl has descended!!!" they cried out in astonishment.
For the French, this was like seeing the First Emperor of Qin resurrected. No, wait, given Charlemagne's reputation, it was more like seeing Emperor Taizong of Tang or Emperor Wu of Han resurrected. They looked at him as if he were their savior.
"And not only that, I have also brought the legendary hero Cu Chulainn, the legendary Morgan, and, uh, this one you can call Archer, and this young lady to help you," Mo Wang continued. "The Dragon Witch will be no match for us."
The soldiers grew even more excited. Cu Chulainn's fame was well-known even in France. As for Morgan... well, she was known more for causing trouble, but at this point, they weren't picky.
They did wonder, though, why she looked so much like the Dragon Witch. Were they related?
And even the nameless Archer looked like a seasoned warrior. Since the angel had introduced him, he must be a great hero on par with Cu Chulainn.
Meanwhile, the "great heroes" in question were struggling to keep a straight face.
Charlemagne: What do you mean I was sent down by the Lord? I wouldn't be here if you hadn't dug up my grave!
Cu Chulainn: I don't mind you introducing me, but why do you make it sound like I'm weaker than Charlemagne?
Archer: What do you mean, "just call me Archer"? Can't you give me a proper introduction?
Mash: What does Senpai mean by "this young lady"? I'm not that young anymore!
Shirou-Morgan: Uh, why did you call me Morgan?
"In short, all of these heroes I've brought for you have unique and incredible abilities," Mo Wang concluded.
After his long and convoluted explanation, the soldiers were completely convinced that Mo Wang was an angel sent to save them. They answered all his questions, and in a short time, Mo Wang and his group had gathered all the information they needed about the singularity.
...
On the way to Orléans, Romani began to complain about how strange the singularity was. "I can't believe this singularity has been altered so drastically."
First, the saint Jeanne d'Arc had inexplicably been resurrected. Then, she had immediately burned King Charles VII to death in an act of revenge.
And now, she had summoned a horde of dragons and was attacking villages all over France, plunging the entire country into crisis.
"This history is just too weird. Forgetting the fact that Jeanne was suddenly resurrected, she burned the king and is now attacking ordinary people with dragons. Is this really the legendary saint?" Mash asked, her first reaction being one of disbelief.
"To be precise, it's a group of wyverns and one true dragon. The core of this singularity is undoubtedly Jeanne. The soldiers said she made a deal with a demon," Mo Wang added. "But before, some people believed her resurrection was God's punishment on humanity."
"Could it really be the work of a demon or God?" Shirou-Morgan mused.
"Of course not. In a situation like this, Mash, what's the first thing you think of?" Mo Wang asked.
"Uh, an Altered Servant, like Saber Alter?" Mash said, uncertain.
"It's possible she's an Altered Servant, but it's not easy for someone like Jeanne d'Arc to become an Alter," Archer and Cu Chulainn chimed in. Archer, in particular, was more familiar with this state, having an Altered version of himself.
"Think bigger, Mash. Like, the Holy Grail," Mo Wang said, guiding them.
He didn't mention, of course, that this Jeanne was just an imposter. Spoiling the plot wasn't his style. It would be much more fun to let them find the real Jeanne and then reveal the truth.
He was already thinking of several ways to play this out.
As for what he would do with Jeanne Alter... maybe he'd take her back to Chaldea and use her for bullying material?