At this point, however, no one suspected he was faking it.
"…He actually sacrificed himself?" Jeanne's mouth hung open in shock.
"But you…" Astolfo was equally dumbfounded.
"It's fine. Like I said, my wish was to save him. I've spent my whole life living for the wishes of others; working for my own wish for the first time... it actually makes me quite happy..."
With those words, Siegfried began to fade away.
"Ruler, though this may be untoward, I want to ask you, as a neutral party, for a favor. Let him be free. I beg of you…"
Facing the sincere expression on Siegfried's dying face, Jeanne—the "biased referee"—softened her heart.
"I swear I will do my best…" Jeanne nodded.
Meanwhile, Haruka Kasugano was in no mood to celebrate the success of his scheme. Having had a heart forcibly shoved into him by Siegfried, he felt like he was actually dying.
AAAGGGHHH—
My insides are going to explode!!!
No way... I just barely got close to Jeanne... I can't die like this...
In the next second, he felt his body being reshaped. Just as Sieg's body was reconstructed by Siegfried in the original story, Haruka Kasugano found his own body being remolded.
He discovered that "Little Haruka Kasugano" had actually become even bigger and longer—
----------
Haa... haa... haa...
Haruka Kasugano panted heavily, as if the air itself couldn't satisfy his lungs. That brush with death had left his heart racing; he felt as though he had truly almost crossed over.
Yet now, as he felt the power surging within him, an indescribable joy rose in his heart. He had received an epic enhancement!
"Ah... how are you? Why is your body still so weak?" Astolfo cried out with teary eyes, his voice full of concern and anxiety.
Jeanne also frowned, asking in confusion, "Why hasn't his body fully recovered even after being given the Dragon Heart?"
At that moment, Haruka Kasugano realized he had forgotten to adjust the parameters of [Camouflage]! He quickly and discreetly operated the interface, modifying the parameters to make himself appear back to a healthy state, while intentionally emitting a powerful aura resulting from the use of Siegfried's heart.
"Whoa, it changed! Not only is he fully recovered, but he's become so strong!" Astolfo marveled, rubbing Haruka Kasugano's firm abdominal muscles with a look of pure envy.
"Mm... he has obtained a new life!" Jeanne was equally overjoyed, excitement sparkling in her eyes.
It seemed they hadn't noticed anything amiss. Haruka Kasugano slowly opened his eyes, his voice sounding slightly weak: "I... what happened?"
Haruka Kasugano intentionally played the part of a dazed and confused soul, casting bewildered glances around. Jeanne reached out a hand—and although she was clad in heavy armor and thick gauntlets, the gesture lost none of its impact on a man.
Under the bright moonlight, Jeanne showed Haruka Kasugano an incredibly gentle expression, as if trying to bring peace to this "reborn" soul. Her smile radiated a charm that could enchant the world. Her long golden braid shimmered, her deep blue eyes were bright, and her refined features and snow-white skin made her look like a brilliant star in the quiet night.
In the original plot, Sieg had lost himself in this very smile. Now, Haruka Kasugano was similarly captivated. If the Fate/Apocrypha anime had come out earlier, Aozaki Aoko might not have held a spot among Type-Moon's Big Four Beauties. Jeanne would definitely occupy one of those seats!
Haruka Kasugano grabbed Jeanne's hand, enjoying the warmth and fragrance drifting from her glove.
"I—"
"Don't be nervous. The Heroic Spirit Siegfried gave you new life. My name is Jeanne d'Arc. I will protect your life and soul as promised!" Jeanne interrupted him.
Haha, what a great vow~! Please, use your body to protect my soul~!
Suddenly, Astolfo lunged at Haruka Kasugano, hugging him tightly and shouting, "Great! You're alive! This is wonderful~!"
Haruka Kasugano looked at Astolfo in his arms, momentarily speechless. Bro, I know you smell nice, but right now I'd much rather be hugging the curvaceous Jeanne!
"Ugh... step aside for a moment, I need to perform a physical exam on him," Jeanne said softly. But Astolfo ignored her, continuing to cheer. "How rude!" Jeanne muttered.
Smack!
Astolfo was sent flying by a slap from Jeanne.
Jeanne then placed her hand on Haruka Kasugano's chest, murmuring, "The heart is beating normally, though this hasn't happened in previous Holy Grail Wars."
"As long as you're alive, it's fine!" Astolfo laughed as he crawled back.
"Sigh... this Holy Grail War is so complicated..." Jeanne said worriedly.
Suddenly, Jeanne and Astolfo sensed something and turned simultaneously. A group of people had appeared behind them. Everyone from the Black Faction had arrived: Lancer Vlad III, Caster Avicebron, Berserker Frankenstein, and Archer Chiron. On the Master side, Darnic, Roche, Celeike, Caules, and Fiore were all present.
Darnic looked at the unconscious Gordes on the ground and sighed: "What a waste..."
Vlad III questioned like a king: "Rider, what is the situation? Who is the Servant beside you? Why did you save that homunculus? Speak!" In Romania, he was the absolute sovereign.
Haruka Kasugano wasn't worried about exposure. Under [Camouflage], he looked no different from Sieg to Darnic and Celeike. To be safe, he had even "optimized" his facial features slightly.
However, Darnic was more concerned with Jeanne. After Astolfo explained what happened, everyone was stunned.
"To lose our strongest Saber just like that..." Caules said dejectedly.
"Ruler, hand over that homunculus. He is a product of Yggdmillennia!" Darnic shouted.
"No. I promised Siegfried I would protect him!" Jeanne waved her flag, refusing firmly. "The Holy Grail War has rules! He did not volunteer for this! I have the authority to ensure his safety!"
What a biased referee... technically Sieg is property, you have no right to interfere... but hey, that's not my problem. As long as I get to stay close to Jeanne, I'm good.
"Archer, if we all attack together, can we beat Ruler?" Caules whispered.
Chiron shook his head with a smile. "Ruler has Command Spells. We cannot win."
Darnic knew the reality and chose to back down. "Fine. Ruler, take him!"
"Guards, take Rider away for punishment!" Vlad III ordered.
As Astolfo was led away, Jeanne turned to Haruka Kasugano and smiled. "Let's go. I'll take you somewhere safe where you can live freely!"
"Alright~!" Haruka Kasugano stood up slowly. Walking behind her, his gaze swept shamelessly over her curvaceous, alluring body. Her tight black undershirt perfectly showcased her bountiful chest, while her short skirt and thigh-high stockings left just enough to the imagination.
Haruka Kasugano's tongue involuntarily flicked out to lick his dry lips as he admired the "meal" walking in front of him.
---------
Haruka Kasugano followed Jeanne through the mountain wilderness. It was a long journey; they wouldn't reach their destination until dawn.
Meanwhile, Astolfo was pinned to the wall of a dungeon by Celeike. He couldn't move, held in place by spikes manifested by Vlad III that pierced his palms.
"It hurts..." Astolfo cried out.
"Hmph, Rider, you useless fool! You let our strongest Saber disappear. This is all your fault!!!" Celeike roared in rage.
Astolfo didn't care, laughing instead: "Haha, that hero finally fulfilled his wish. That's something to celebrate!"
Celeike realized she couldn't communicate with him. She slammed the door and left in a fit of jealousy and resentment. Homunculus... homunculus... She muttered, vowing to eliminate the creature that had stolen Astolfo's attention.
----------
Meanwhile, Melusine, Artoria alter, and Mordred had slowly surrounded Jack the Ripper's hideout.
Inside, Jack was happily eating dinner, her bell-like laughter sounding like that of an innocent girl. Sitting across from him was a woman with an incredibly curvaceous figure. Her emerald-green tube-top dress accentuated her perfect proportions—specifically those two massive, suet-jade spheres that were impossible to ignore. This was Reika Rikudou.