Gordes let out a heavy sigh.
He had hoped to keep Siegfried's identity hidden for strategic reasons, but it was revealed far too early.
The reasoning behind this decision was simple—Siegfried's weakness, his vulnerable spot, was far too apparent, just like Achilles.
With this information exposed, all Gordes could do now was remain on high alert, watg for any possible termeasures.
---
In a dimly lit room stained with blood, a golden-haired man y lifeless in a er, his expression frozen in disbelief as a rge hole was blown through his chest.
At the doorway, a graceful woman with long brown hair, dressed in a green gowhe hand of a small white-haired girl as they calmly exited the se.
The little girl, who resembled a ghostly doll, was Assassin—Jack the Ripper.
And the woman was her Master, Reika Rikudou.
As for the deceased man, he was Sagara Hyouma, the st missing Bck Master whom Darnid the others had discussed.
---
Reika's story was a tragie.
Ohe privileged daughter of a well-to-do family, her life spiraled into chaos after her parents died in an act. With no support and a growing sense of emptiness, she became numb to life itself, losing any regard for the value of others—or her own.
Eventually, Reika fell into ruin, being a woman who lived a hollow existence, barely surviving through degrading means.
Sagara Hyouma, a self-serving and sadistic mage, had chosen Reika as his pawn to summon his Servant, believio be an expendable tool.
Much like Ryuunosuke Uryuu, he had inteo summon using blood sacrifices.
But the moment Jack the Ripper was summoned, she wasted no time in eliminating her so-called "Master," driving her bde through his chest before he could even use his and Spells.
Reika, who had been moments away from death herself, was saved by Jack's intervention.
Their unusual e formed swiftly, with Jack choosing to establish a tract with her instead. Despite Reika's fragmented mind, she now found herself as the Master of Assassin, a killer who shared her disdain for the world.
Determio help Jack seize the Holy Grail, Reika made her way toward Romania, their goal now iwined.
---
Meanwhile, in Romania…
The Bck Fa's Servants had all been summoned successfully, and the same could be said for the Red Fa.
Within a secluded church, Kotomine Shirou exged a knowing smile with Semiramis, the Red Assassin and Empress of Assyria.
Elsewhere, in a desote cemetery, Sisigou rubbed his temples in frustration as he tried to reason with his temperamental Saber, Mordred.
---
Kotomine Shirou had informed the Clock Tower of the Yggdmillennia 's premature summoning of Servants, prompting the association to act just as hastily.
The Clock Tower decided to send Sisigou as one of their representatives, arming him with both the Hydra hatg vial he had been eyeing and the fragment of the Round Table as a catalyst.
The summoning proceeded exactly as anticipated—Mordred answered his call, her rebellious personality on full dispy from the moment she materialized.
"Finally, I've been summoned! Let's tear them all apart!" Mordred excimed, stretg with a wicked grin before swiftly shattering the fragment of the Round Table into pieces with her bde.
"I'm sick of seeing this thing!" she growled, clearly harb lingering bitteroward her past.
---
At the same time…
Jeanne d'Arc, the appointed Ruler of the Great Holy Grail War, also made her dest.
However, an unforeseen plication disrupted her summoning. Instead of materializing as a pure spiritual entity, Jeanne's spiritual core was forcibly fused with the body of a high school girl named Laeticia.
---
Laeticia was an ordinary girl living in France.
But her striking resembo Jeanne d'Arc, down to her physique, spiritual affinity, and even her bloodline—was no ce. It was as if she was Jeanne's reination, though she was entirely unaware of this e until now.
Despite the unusual circumstances, Jeanne gained Laeticia's sent to share her body, allowing both of their sciouso coexist. Jeaook trol of the body in bat, while Laeticia's sciousness remained dormant, events as though watg a movie.
Thankfully, as a failsafe measure from the Holy Grail, Laeticia's life would remain intact even if Jeano fall in battle.
---
The arra came with its ow of challenges. Jeanne could no longer dematerialize, requiring food, water, a like any ordinary human. Laeticia, meanwhile, found herself relutly funding their jouro Romania, draining her hard-earned savings to cover travel, food, and aodations.
By noon the following day, preparations across all fas were in full swing.
---
[Ding! The question-and-answer session will begin in ten minutes. Please prepare.]
[Ding! New group members "Reika Rikudou" and "Laeticia" have joihe group chat.]
---
Tohsaka Rin: "Oh, more new members!"
Tohsaka Rin: "I thought we already maxed out the group after yesterday's additions."
Waver: "Judging by their names, one seems to be from Japan and the other from France. Iing."
Astolfo: "Hi, hi, hi! Wele to the group!"
Darnic: "Rider, please… to down."
Darniched the bridge of his nose in frustration. He had a headache. After spending the night iing with the servants, he had e to uand their personalities.
Siegfried, Chiron, and Fraein were all manageable, but Astolfo's personality eculiar, to say the least.
To put it simply, Astolfo's thought process seemed fually fwed. If one didn't stop to carefully sider his words and as, one might actally have their own intelligence questioned.
Initially, Darnic had po sileolfo to avoid unnecessary trouble. However, ike ftly refused his proposal.
This depraved woman seemed to have her miirely preoccupied with… those sorts of thoughts.
Left with no other choice, Darnic could only begrudgingly keep a close wat Astolfo's activities in the group chat.
---
Laeticia: "Miss Jeanne, what do we do? Should I say something?"
Jeanne: "No, not yet. Stay quiet for now. Observe and avoid unnecessary iions."
Laeticia: "Got it."
---
[Ding! The first question is about to begin!]
As the prompt appeared, Laeticia remained silent, following Jeanne's advice.
Both Reika and Laeticia were cautious, knowing full well that their ck of experieh magecraft made them vulnerable to exposure.
---
[This is a three-stage elimination multiple-choice question. Each stage will have a five-miimer for answers. All group members may participate.]
[Correswers earn 3 Saint Quartz, while incorreswers deduct 1 Saint Quartz. If no one answers correctly within five mihe question will be void.]
[Bonus: Answering two questions correctly in a row grants an additional 1 Saint Quartz. Answering three correctly in a row grants 3 additional Saint Quartz.]
[Please watch the video below.]
---
Video Begins:
[A truck rumbled along the highway uhe cover of night, making its way toward Romania.]
[Jeanne, dressed in modest casual attire, sat iruck bed, her luggage beside her.]
[Suddenly, she tensed, sensing something ominous.]
["Stop the truck," Jeanne called out, leaning forward to speak to the driver.]
[The man, a middle-aged trucker with a kind expression, shook his head.]
["I 't leave a young girl out here alone in the dark."]
["Please," Jeaned, her voice calm but firm. Her eyes glimmered faintly as she invoked a hypnotic suggestion, pelling the driver to obey.]
[The truck stopped, and Jeaepped down, watg as the vehicle drove away.]
---
["You must be Ruler."]
[A deep, resonant voice cut through the night. Jeaurned sharply, spotting a figure standing atop a road sign.]
[It was Karna, the Red Lancer, bathed in the faint glow of moonlight.]
["I'm attag!" Karna decred as a bzing beam of light shot toward Jeanne.]
Darnic: "Haha, I didn't expect the Red team to actually attack the Ruler."
Bluebeard: "Ah! How dare you attack my beloved Jeanne! You deserve to die!"
Karna: "Huh?."
["You're Karna, the son of the sun god Surya, aren't you?"]
[After reizing her oppo, Jeanne decred solemnly: "I am the Judge of the Holy Grail, Jeanne d'arc. Surely you uand the sequences of attag me!"]
[Karna: "There's o state the obvious. My being here is already a decration of war."]
[Jeanne: "Even if you kill me, what will it achieve?"]
[Karna: "I don't know. I'm simply following the Master's orders."]
---
The video froze.
[Ding! Question: What will be the oute of this battle?]
[A: Jeanne wins.]
[B: Karna wins.]
[C: Both sides are tied.]
[D: A third party intervenes, and the battle is terminated.]
---
Waver: "This question is tricky. Both are powerful, but Jeanne has the advantage of being Ruler."
Kayh: "Yes, but Karna is a demigod, and his strength is overwhelming. Even with her and Seals, Jeanne might not have an easy victory."
Tohsaka Rin: "Could it end in a draw? That seems pusible."
Waver: "A third-party intervention could also happen. The Bck team might step in if they serouble."
Kayh: "Unlikely. The Bck team wouldn't know about this atta time to intervene."
Gordes: "Chief, how should roach this question?"
Darnic: "It's better for everyoo choose based on their own judgment. If we all choose the same answer and it's wrong, the eeam will lose points."
Caules: "That's true."
Astolfo: "Haven't you all decided yet?"
Chiron: "Wait! Did you already choose?"
Siegfried: "You didn't just pick randomly without thinking, did you?"
Astolfo: "Yup! I think multiple answers could work, so I just went with o random."
Bck Team: "..."
Jeahe Red Team attacked?"
Laeticia: "Miss Jeanne, didn't you say you're the referee and wouldn't interfere in this war? Why would they attack you?"
Jeanne: "I don't uand this situatioher. Could it be..."
Jeanne suddenly thought about the interfereh her summoning.
Could it be that the man named Kotomine Shirou nning to do something that vioted the rules, and knowing she wouldn't agree, he was trying to eliminate her first?
