"A second... Ruler?"
Shirou tilted his head slightly, puzzled. He admittedly wasn't well-versed in the details of the Holy Grail War, but he quickly thought of a solution.
"Maybe we could ask Darnic later. He seems to be the organizer of this Grail War, so he might know something about Amakusa Shirou Tokisada."
All of Shirou's current understanding about the Grail War came directly from Darnic—though Darnic's explanations always came mixed with personal grievances, like how the war began or his complaints against the Mage's Association.
Shirou wasn't particularly knowledgeable about these matters, but he could still discern between facts and biased opinions, at least enough to identify key information.
Although Jeanne already knew Shirou's likely answer, she still couldn't resist asking. After all, he'd lost his Servant, used all his [Command Spells], and wasn't part of Yggdmillennia. He had every reason to withdraw from this war.
"What do you plan to do?"
Jeanne's heart was conflicted. On one hand, she hoped Shirou would stay away from the Grail War for his own safety, but on the other, she desperately hoped he'd lend her his support.
Even with the mana support from the Grail, she wasn't entirely sure she could face the enemy's Rider and Assassin alone—let alone Amakusa Shirou Tokisada himself, who was a Servant in his own right.
Jeanne wasn't primarily a fighter-type Heroic Spirit, but rather someone more suited for command and strategy.
What to do...?
Shirou's thoughts drifted momentarily to Amakusa Shirou Tokisada's stated goal.
The salvation of all humanity, huh…
He murmured those words under his breath, then quickly hardened his resolve.
"I'll help you," Shirou stated decisively, looking directly into Jeanne's eyes.
"Thank... thank you!" Jeanne whispered softly, gratitude evident in her voice.
Soon enough, the two of them returned to the villa carrying their provisions.
Before they could deposit the groceries into the storeroom, a homunculus approached them with an urgent message.
"Darnic-sama requests your presence immediately to discuss an important matter."
Shirou and Jeanne exchanged a quick glance before swiftly heading toward the main hall.
In a spacious, conference room-like area within the villa's main hall, most of the surviving homunculi and Yggdmillennia magi had already gathered. Anxiety filled the room as they debated how to secure victory in this seemingly hopeless Grail War.
With only a single Servant remaining—and a particularly weak one at that—their confidence in victory was practically nonexistent.
"You two have finally returned," Caules said in greeting, pushing Fiore's wheelchair toward Shirou and Jeanne.
"Please, sit down first," Fiore politely suggested.
Shirou and Jeanne both noticed immediately that her eyes were clouded with fatigue.
Ever since Vlad III, Darnic's Servant, had exited the war and the Greater Grail had been stolen, Darnic's hair had practically turned white overnight. Utterly demoralized, he had abruptly relinquished all leadership duties, leaving everything to Fiore.
Perhaps the villa's initial liveliness had briefly distracted him, but once reality set in, it was obvious to Darnic that Yggdmillennia was essentially already defeated.
None of the remaining Servants truly belonged to Yggdmillennia. Astolfo was bound to that homunculus Master, not to them.
Even worse, forcibly claiming Astolfo's contract was impossible, and even if they managed it, with Astolfo's lack of combat strength, their odds of victory remained depressingly slim.
Yet Darnic knew he had to preserve at least the illusion of hope for the other magi. After all, he had brought these magi together to oppose the Mage's Association precisely because he'd confidently promised them victory in the Grail War.
If he openly declared defeat now, Yggdmillennia would collapse, fragmenting into countless disillusioned factions. Thus, no matter how he truly felt, Darnic couldn't openly admit his despair.
But emotionally drained as he was, Darnic had begun passing virtually all important decisions to Fiore.
Buried in this constant flood of responsibilities, Fiore had little opportunity to consider that their remaining Servant, along with their current fighting strength, essentially no longer belonged to Yggdmillennia.
"Heya!"
Astolfo, meanwhile, greeted Shirou and Jeanne as cheerfully as always, completely unfazed by the gloomy atmosphere.
"I truly apologize for our inadequate hospitality," Darnic said, rising and bowing deeply to Jeanne.
With their castle destroyed, homunculi nearly wiped out, and most magi dead or incapacitated, everyone was burdened by urgent tasks. Even Jeanne's visit could scarcely be properly accommodated.
Shirou and Kairi Sisigou had been similarly neglected; neither were technically members of Yggdmillennia, and Fiore hadn't felt comfortable asking them to help with internal matters.
Not that Sisigou minded at all—after all, getting paid to do nothing was practically ideal for him.
"You don't have to apologize so formally, Master of Lancer of Black," Jeanne reassured gently, shaking her head.
Jeanne didn't mind the lack of hospitality. Right now, far more pressing concerns occupied her mind—concerns that required answers from Darnic directly.
"Have you ever heard the name 'Amakusa Shirou Tokisada'?"
The moment Jeanne uttered that name, Darnic visibly jolted, staring intensely at her with undisguised shock and disbelief.
"Where did you hear that name!?" Darnic demanded, ignoring Jeanne's question as his voice filled with barely-contained astonishment.
"The Master of Assassin of Red is Amakusa Shirou Tokisada. He is a priest from the Holy Church—though here, he goes by another name: Kotomine Shirou," Jeanne explained calmly.
She saw no reason to hide this information—her role as Ruler had clearly shifted from simply overseeing the Grail War to actively opposing Amakusa Shirou.
At this point, Jeanne might as well openly ally herself with the Black Faction to stop him. Only once Amakusa Shirou was eliminated would she return to her primary duty of ensuring the proper continuation of the Holy Grail War.
---
T/N: 4 chaps meeting this weeks quota, i was too focused on something elseeeeeeeeeeeee ive been playing 7daystodieeeeeeeeeee
bonus chaps
100 stones -> 1 chapter
200 stones -> 2 chapters
300 stones -> 3 chapters
and so on
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