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Chapter 64 - Interlude: Grand Summoning!! Come Forth, Saber!!

Summoning Trilogy: Avenger Arc—Vengeance Begins from Zero

Chaldea, a paradise atop the mountain.

"Yeehaw! Mash! Double Drift!"

"Yes! Let's hit the pass! I've got Riding skills too!"

Chaldea's heroes enjoy their well-earned break.

"What's a good new Craft Essence, Master? A suit?"

"How about… a swimsuit!"

"Koshian, tsubuan… parfait sounds nice too…"

"Kyu! (Tch, that jerk set a password. Fine, Beast Hacking it is… probably just king talk anyway.)"

"Okita-san! Let's watch anime!"

"Absolutely!"

"Someday, I'll make that tablecloth worthless!"

"Go for it, Red Cape!"

"⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛… (Baths are nice…)"

—But that peace—

"Hear my voice!! All staff! Assemble!!"

Is shattered by the king's command—!!

"You're late! Even if you're not tardy, be here five minutes early!"

Arms crossed, the vessel, Gilgamesh, roars.

"You're alive, Hero King!?"

"Don't kill me off, fool! Obviously!"

"Are you okay!?"

"Okay? Hardly! I boiled milk with herbs to settle my stomach! I'll lose my taste for a while, but no matter! Trivial!"

He was half-dead for a whole day. Not just an upset stomach—a full-on hellish ordeal.

But Jeanne looked so happy, it was worth enduring soul-shattering agony.

"Don't dredge that up! I live for the future! Forget it! —You know why I've called you!"

"Maybe!"

"The second Chaldea—"

"Yes—time to summon my bride!! Rise up! This is the main event—!!"

Whatever the vessel's wishes… The battles ahead will intensify, and we'll likely need more hands.

Gilgamesh is invincible, but crushing enemies everywhere requires preparation. I'm not confident I won't mess up. I want comrades to cover me—more of them.

"Yay! Gacha time, gacha time!"

"This time, we're bolstering our forces with a mass summoning! Pull enough subpar Sabers, and you'll hit something! I've probably conquered every class but Caster anyway!"

—Saber? Not Saber?

In Chaldea, I usually let my consciousness sleep. Unless I've got something to do, I leave it to him.

"First, Saber! Second, Saber! Let's go!"

"Yes, Gil! A suggestion!"

Olga Marie raises her hand.

"Permitted! Speak!"

"For force augmentation… how about summoning at least three per class? That should make a big difference!"

"—All classes, huh."

The vessel ponders.

He did say that Jeanne should've been an Avenger.

"True. Too many Berserkers would be… problematic."

"As the Gorgeous Extra class, I'll set myself aside. …Rider, Assassin, Lancer, Caster. Those are missing."

"Yes. With my Grail, I'll assign vessels per class. Specifically, enabling class-specific summons."

"Marie, that's awesome!"

"I'm useful beyond Master aptitude, you know."

"Total Summoner vibes, Director."

"—I see, I see."

The vessel grins wickedly.

He's plotting something bad…

"Alright! I'll heed that advice! Summon heroes of all classes!"

"Understood. Then, the summoning talismans—"

"No need."

"…Huh?"

"Scraps are enough. No ritual required. —Come forth!"

Snap.

"Summoning start—! What's this!?"

"What's up!?"

"Spirit Origin pattern… Extra—!"

"Extra!?"

What the—!?

"Class… Avenger!!"

Light surges and fades.

There stands…

"—Eh, what…?"

"Jeanne—!?"

Black attire, black flag, black form.

The Dragon Witch Jeanne, whom we just fought, stands there…!

"Hmph, you didn't vanish after all. As expected of a Jeanne, tenacious."

"Why…!? I was in purgatory—You! Goldie—!!"

Jeanne glares with not-quite-murderous intent.

"What did you do to me!?"

"Summoned you, obviously. Face reality."

"Impossible! My Spirit Origin isn't enough!"

"Oh, that? I improvised. I grafted you onto the mongrels' thought: 'A Jeanne who suffered such injustice would seek vengeance.'"

"—Tch… That's possible…?"

Relief comes first.

As expected… That Jeanne didn't vanish into nothing…

"Once born, nothing can be erased. Even a fake. Though you're less than a Servant now—a weakling. Your Spirit Origin's unpolished, isn't it?"

"Tch…"

"…Is that true, Jeanne?"

The Dragon Witch bites her lip in frustration.

"…Yes. I lack everything. The odds of being summoned were nearly—"

"Not zero, so sufficient. I'm a collector. Picking things up is like breathing."

"You want to mock me!? Look at me, a pathetic weakling!!"

She fumes, but he brushes it off.

"No? My vassal simply suggested 'all classes.' So I got a head start with an Avenger."

"What!? For such a flippant reason—! Who'd even want me—!"

"There. Right there."

He points.

"…You…"

"Jeanne! Black Jeanne!"

The last Master runs up, beaming.

—I hope we can summon her someday.

—She was so cool.

"You were already wanted. No surprise you didn't notice. With a bond, summoning's easy."

"—You… with such a casual remark… summoned me—"

"Happy to meet you! Let's get along, Jeanne!"

Master shakes her hand warmly.

"For Master's sake, I'll oversee your Spirit Origin's growth. Your task: simulator monitoring."

The king decrees.

"Until humanity's restoration, establish yourself. Serve Master. With that duty, I'll forgive your insolence against me."

"…You really… wanted me…"

She murmurs, stunned.

"Yeah!"

"—!"

Jeanne lowers her eyes.

"…What's with… these goody-goodies…!?"

"—Take pride. You're Chaldea's first Avenger. Your vengeance begins now, Jeanne d'Arc."

"—…"

The Dragon Witch's shoulders tremble.

"Another side of Jeanne… Jeanne Alter! Jeanne Alter, right?"

"…No objections. Even an anti-hero is a hero."

"Yes, she's reliable!"

"—Nice to meet you, Jeanne Alter!"

"What—What's with…!!"

Fleeing, Jeanne Alter bolts from the control room.

"What happened to slitting my throat? I'm right here, Avenger?"

"Shut up!! Just wait! I'll train, train, and become the strongest!"

"Then—I'll burn you to ash—!! Wash your neck and wait—What's with this fancy place—!?"

Jeanne exits in a flurry.

She'll surely be a reliable asset. Her journey's just beginning.

Polishing a born 'soul,' huh… Gotta cheer her on, no lie.

"She's gone…"

"Well, to me, she's trivial. Barely worth a footnote. A weakling who'd lose to a soldier, so strengthen her."

The king sharpens his gaze.

"Now, for the opening skirmish! First—the Four Knights!"

The summoning begins!

"I, born from myself! Aren't you born from me!? Oh, what a thing! The stork brought you! I'm Jeanne! Jeanne d'Arc! The mapo-loving, anime-obsessed prayer girl! What's your name!? Your class!? Wanna watch Ghibli with me and Okita-san!? Join our cultural gathering! Come on—!!"

"STAY AWAY—!!!!"

Two identical Jeannes dash through Chaldea…

Black Waste King: "Fate, man… There's a Jeanne with a terrible build here…"

"Wanna trade?"

Gorgeous: 1

Saber: 1

Archer: 1

Lancer: Zero

Rider: Zero

Caster: Zero

Assassin: Zero

Berserker: 2

Shielder: 1

Ruler: 1

Avenger: 1

"What's with this fluffy vibe!? I'll burn you, author!!"

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