Mash's face showed even more longing and admiration than Fujimaru Ritsuka's. Her eyes sparkled with tiny stars as she gazed at Saint Mash.
Deep down, Mash longed for that kind of power more than anyone. If she had strength like that, she would never have to watch the people she wanted to protect fall into danger again.
Saint Mash represented one possible future for her—the version of herself she might one day become. That level of power was what true protection looked like.
At the same time, beneath her open admiration, Mash couldn't help wondering what kind of growth and transformation her mentor had gone through to reach this point.
"Um… I'm not really sure what just happened?"
"Did Mash's shield really turn into a cannon just now?"
Jeanne stared blankly at the shield, which had already reverted to its original form. She had never received the Grail's knowledge, so her understanding was still stuck in the fifteenth century. The way the shield had rapidly transformed into a massive cannon was completely beyond her imagination. Her face was a perfect picture of pure confusion.
"Saint Mash is supposed to be a Shielder, right? So why could she fire something that powerful?"
"Did I misunderstand what a Shielder even is?"
"It feels like everything I just saw is attacking my common sense."
Siegfried stood nearby, equally stunned as he watched the shield finish shifting back. His eyes were wide, the image of Saint Mash unleashing that cannon still flashing in his mind.
Now he finally understood what Adam had meant earlier. It hadn't been arrogance or overconfidence—it had been a simple, objective assessment of strength. Saint Mash really could have wiped out every last one of them, and it probably wouldn't have taken more than five exchanges.
Fujimaru Ritsuka patted Jeanne's shoulder with a knowing, world-weary look.
"I get how you feel, Jeanne."
"Don't overthink it. I've seen an Archer go into close combat with dual blades before."
"So a Shielder firing a giant cannon seems perfectly reasonable by comparison."
She flashed a bright, abstract thumbs-up and grinned, showing off a full set of neat white teeth.
Jeanne blinked. She understood every individual word Fujimaru Ritsuka had said, but when they came together into a sentence she suddenly couldn't make sense of any of it.
"…That Archer wasn't exactly a proper Archer either, was she?"
While the two of them talked, two more figures had quietly appeared beside Adam—Drake and Ciel.
Siegfried noticed Drake and swallowed hard, the memory of their earlier fight flashing through her mind.
She's not going to kill all of us now that the Demon God Pillar is gone, is she?
The thought had barely formed before reality proved her completely wrong.
"Mission complete, Master."
"Now then~ Don't be stingy with your praise this time! Go on, admire my heroic battle form!"
"You're completely enchanted by me again, aren't you~ Heh heh heh."
Drake had switched back to her Third Ascension. She stood with her eyes closed, chest puffed out proudly, clearly waiting for Adam's compliments.
For some reason, she gave off the distinct vibe of a puppy begging to be petted.
Siegfried: "..."
Watching Drake like this, Siegfried suddenly felt her earlier worries had been completely unnecessary.
"This image… really doesn't match her reputation at all, does it?"
She bit her lip, feeling a complicated mix of emotions.
Ciel stood quietly beside Adam after the battle, looking like she wanted to say something to him. But after a long internal struggle, she decided against it.
"Eh~ Asking again won't get me anywhere."
"Mmm~ I'm hungry. I skipped dinner."
"Once we're back, I'll have Adam feed me curry."
She patted her rumbling stomach. She had gone to sleep without eating earlier, so she had already decided to treat herself properly once they returned—Adam's special curry rice. (And yes, it was specifically called Adam's curry rice for a reason…)
"Wow~ That fight just now! So that's what a cosmic-level idol looks like?"
"So beautiful, so elegant, so dazzling!"
Elizabeth Bathory's voice grew more and more excited with every word. She had watched Ciel's combat form with pure starry-eyed worship, dreaming of the day she too could become an idol beloved by the entire universe, her songs echoing across the stars.
If Elizabeth Bathory's wish ever truly came true and her voice really did reach every corner of the cosmos… well, there probably wouldn't be many living beings left in the universe to hear it.
Fujimaru Ritsuka heard the two unfamiliar voices beside Adam and turned to look. She raised an eyebrow at the still-unfamiliar faces of Drake and Ciel.
"So Adam, who exactly are these two Servants you summoned?"
Jeanne turned as well, a gentle smile on her face. She didn't know their identities yet, but she was deeply grateful for the part they had played in saving France.
"Thank you both for helping save France."
"Using your strength for salvation like that… you must both be incredibly kind people."
"May the Lord bless you."
Jeanne clasped her hands together over her chest, closed her eyes, and bowed her head in prayer.
Ciel didn't react much—she was a member of the Church herself and had been through her own share of events, so the blessing didn't bother her.
But the other one…
Beast of Sodom / Drake: "..."
Adam: "..."
"Coo coo"
Somewhere high in the sky, a pigeon cooed.
The pigeon, wherever it was, had heard Jeanne's words. It glanced at Drake.
Pigeon: "..."
In the end, the pigeon wisely chose to stay silent.
"Hah?"
Drake let out a single questioning syllable and slowly tilted her head, drawing a very large question mark in the air.
Her expression was priceless. She couldn't tell whether Jeanne was sincerely blessing her or openly provoking her.
Jeanne blinked at the other woman's tone, suddenly worried she had done something to offend her.
"Eh?"
"Is something wrong? Do you follow a different faith?"
"My apologies if I was rude."
She scratched the back of her head awkwardly.
It was true—offering a blessing from her own Church to someone of a different faith was a bit insensitive.
The problem was…
Adam stood nearby, looking like he wanted to speak but kept stopping himself. He fidgeted with his fingers for a moment before finally deciding to say something.
"Jeanne… how should I put this? She actually belongs to the same system as you."
"Eh?" Jeanne blinked again, now looking at Drake with fresh confusion.
"Then why did this lady…"
She couldn't understand. If they followed the same faith, why had Drake reacted with that tone and expression when she offered the Lord's blessing?
Adam pursed his lips helplessly and glanced at Drake. To keep things from getting too awkward, he pointed at the two large horns on Drake's head and said to Jeanne:
"…With those horns on her head, you still can't guess who she is?"
"Even if you don't know her exact identity, you should at least be able to figure out her alignment, right?"
Jeanne stared hard at the horns, squinting as she tried to think. After a long moment she finally managed:
"Uh… is this lady… a dragon?"
Adam: "..."
"What?! A dragon!" Saint George roared from the side and immediately started scanning the area.
Adam stayed silent for a beat, then took a deep breath, his voice heavy with resignation.
"That's… technically not wrong, but it's still not the real answer."
"Like I said, she belongs to the same system as you."
"Only you, Jeanne, are a member of the Church, while the lady beside me is a figure from the very scriptures that every member of your Church has studied."
Jeanne's eyes flew wide open in shock.
"Eh?!"
"This lady is a figure from the Bible?!"
"Wait! Could she be…"
She stared at Drake with round, unblinking eyes. She was starting to piece it together.
Drake saw the look on Jeanne's face and gave a small, amused smile.
She slammed her nearly full-height sword into the ground and released every bit of her suppressed aura at once. At the same time she introduced herself.
"My name is Drake. I am the Beast of Sodom, and also the Whore of Babylon—the Mother of All Abominations."
"You just had your so-called Lord bless me, didn't you?"
Drake smiled at Jeanne.
To Jeanne, that smile felt distinctly unsettling, and the terrifying aura rolling off Drake made her body tremble involuntarily.
The Whore of Babylon was an enemy of Heaven—at least in the eyes of the angels. Her final fate had been destruction at their hands.
Drake herself wasn't particularly fond of this "Lord," and Jeanne had just walked straight into the line of fire.
Jeanne clearly realized what she had done. She took two unconscious steps back. Then, as if remembering something, she turned mechanically toward Adam. Her lips trembled as she stammered:
"A-Adam… the Servants you summon… why are they all so… so ridiculous?"
"The others were one thing, but this one… this one is a Beast…"
"Aren't you scared?"
Fujimaru Ritsuka, listening nearby, paused and quietly repeated one word to herself.
"Beast…? That sounds familiar…" She fell into deep thought.
Adam waved a hand at the terrified Jeanne, completely unbothered.
"Eh, it's fine."
"Drake is my Servant. I trust she won't do anything too crazy for my sake."
Jeanne had just started to relax when Adam's tone suddenly shifted.
"But Jeanne, you really should watch what you say. 'Disaster comes from the mouth,' as they say. Even I can't save you from this one."
"Good luck."
Jeanne froze, staring at Adam in disbelief. The relief she had just felt was yanked away again.
She opened her mouth to say something, but before she could, a hand landed heavily on her shoulder.
She felt that overwhelming presence right behind her. Her entire body locked up, and the words died in her throat.
Jeanne turned mechanically. Drake's face was inches away, grinning mischievously.
"I think… we should have a nice long chat and clear up this little misunderstanding of yours."
"Don't you agree, Saint?"
A small, clear sound escaped Jeanne's mouth.
"Coo~"
It was her final cry for help. Then, face pale as ash, she was dragged off by Drake, leaving long skid marks in the dirt as the two of them went for a very "friendly" private conversation.
Adam watched the whole scene without trying to stop Drake. Their "friendly conversation" really was just that—friendly. Drake had only looked scary; she was just teasing. Jeanne wouldn't actually get hurt.
…Probably.
"Alright, next up is…"
Adam slowly turned his gaze in one direction.
Black Jeanne lay collapsed on the ground, apparently unconscious.
When Saint Mash had activated her Noble Phantasm earlier, she had tried to include Black Jeanne in the protective field, but the distance had been too great and the effect hadn't been perfect.
Adam walked over and poked Black Jeanne's cheek.
"Stop sleeping. Time to wake up."
Black Jeanne: "ZZZ~"
She didn't stir.
Adam raised an eyebrow, thought for a moment, then leaned down and whispered into her ear:
"Want some Orléans roasted chicken wings?"
"Wah~"
Black Jeanne shot upright like a corpse coming back to life, gasping for air.
Adam's words had worked like a charm.
"You're awake?"
"You've become my Servant now, Black Jeanne."
Adam smiled at her.
"Hah?!" Black Jeanne's eyes widened as she stared at him in shock.
She had taken a nap and suddenly become Adam's Servant?!
***
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