Chapter 50: The Saint's Probe
It was only at this moment that Saber understood that the Morgan of this era was not the evil witch of her impressions, but a completely different, true "King." Realizing this, Saber's emotions suddenly became incredibly complex.
"In the end... it was still I who personally..."
This final farewell and confession was like a sharp blade piercing Saber's already soft heart. Regarding the fact that she had personally killed her, Saber felt a suffocating distress, finding it difficult even to breathe. To be able to see such a version of her in this world, regardless of the outcome, there was likely some joy in it for Saber. What is past is past; in this day where everything has faded away, even a former enemy feels dear upon meeting again.
"A failure, then..."
Lorelei's face bore an expression of slight regret. For her, the Holy Grail War was merely a stage to compete with various magi; she didn't truly care about the rest. For an orthodox magus like Lorelei, something like the Holy Grail held insufficient attraction; she had possessed everything she wanted since childhood and thus had nothing she craved. Even the ultimate path to the Root was something she would eventually achieve sooner or later. Therefore, with her Servant now defeated, Lorelei exhibited only this much reaction.
Shirou looked up at her and spoke.
"If you leave now, I will spare your life. After all, killing you holds no meaning for me."
As long as she didn't get in his way, Shirou saw no necessity for random killing. Lorelei had personally witnessed Shirou's strength before, so in her current state without a Servant, even if she felt frustrated, she did not dare to show it.
"Much obliged."
After nodding to Shirou, Lorelei left quickly. No longer concerned with Lorelei's receding figure, Shirou looked toward the somewhat despondent Saber.
"Let's go back."
"Yes..." Saber nodded, the ahoge on her head drooping listlessly.
Leaving the Mion River area and walking through the moonlit streets, Shirou looked at the low-spirited Saber walking beside him. Just as he was about to offer some comfort, his expression suddenly froze.
Swoosh—!
The sound of something piercing the air grew from distant to near. Shirou's hand shot out like a bolt of lightning, clutching something tightly. The atmosphere shook violently from the impact. By the time Shirou could look, he finally discovered that what he was clutching was a spear wrapped in a white flag with gold trim.
In the next instant, the spear in his grip vanished, summoned back into the hands of its wielder. Shirou immediately looked in the direction from which the spear had been thrown. Set against the backdrop of the moonlight, a petite woman with a blonde braid stood atop a tall building, looking down at the two of them.
"I didn't expect to meet twice in one day. Coming to find me of your own accord late at night—do you want to see me that badly, Miss Jeanne?"
Shirou joked.
Jeanne, however, looked at Shirou with a cold expression: "You seem to be very familiar with me."
"Jeanne d'Arc, the Saint of France—how could I not know of your deeds?"
'I even know your three measurements perfectly.' Shirou did not say this out loud.
"..."
Jeanne fell into a brief silence, while Shirou speculatively wondered with great interest why this Saint had appeared in this Holy Grail War. Given that Arjuna and Morgan had already appeared, the appearance of Saint Jeanne was not particularly strange to Shirou. He was simply curious about what purpose this Saint had for manifesting.
However, Jeanne took a deep breath and tightened her grip on her spear. Her personal skill—the A-rank "Revelation"—allowed her to perceive that Shirou possessed Divine Authorities. However, the information she could discern was ultimately limited; otherwise, she would never have confronted Shirou so directly.
Right now, Jeanne wanted to probe the powers within Shirou that she couldn't see through, to figure out why this person caused her Lord to be so concerned. At this point, further words were unnecessary. Amidst the whistling wind, Jeanne had already charged toward Shirou.
The ground cracked inch by inch under the counterforce of her steel boots. The holy spear, embroidered with irises, swung out, its cold tip flashing as it lunged straight at Shirou. However, this strike deliberately avoided vital points, intended only to cause a degree of injury.
Noticing this, Shirou's eyes narrowed slightly. This Saint didn't seem to want to kill him, but rather to test the power he possessed.
Clang—!
A crisp sound rang out as Saber manifested Excalibur and parried the spear Jeanne had thrust.
"If you wish to harm my Master, you must pass me first, Ruler!"
Saber looked at Jeanne with an incredibly serious expression, her entire being filled with battle intent.
"King Arthur... Unfortunately, though you are powerful, you cannot contend with me."
Jeanne swung her spear in a wide sweep toward Saber's body! As the spear approached, Saber raised her holy sword in a diagonal slash. Iron clashed against iron, sending sparks flying.
Clang—!
Saber raised her sword and blocked Jeanne's sweeping strike. To her surprise, Jeanne found she could not advance a single inch against Saber's strength. It made sense; Saber belonged to the strongest tier of Servants, while Jeanne's "Strength" was only B. To contend in power against a Saber whose "Strength" had reached A was naturally impossible. In close-quarters combat, a single rank difference is like the distance between heaven and earth.
Clank—!
Intense sparks flew as spear and sword clashed several times.
"Strike Air (Hammer of the Wind King)!"
Saber transformed the Invisible Air surrounding her sword into a swirling gale, blasting it toward Jeanne.
"Wha—!?"
Caught off guard, Jeanne was hit by the swirling winds and sent flying backward. However, at the critical moment, she urgently twisted her body in mid-air and landed on the ground unscathed. Meanwhile, because Invisible Air had been used, the dazzling golden blade of Saber's Excalibur was revealed.
"So this is the true form of your weapon..."
Jeanne possessed the B-rank "True Name Discernment." Being summoned as a Ruler, the True Name, Class, and status information of any Servant she directly encounters are automatically revealed. If the opponent has an innate ability or Noble Phantasm to hide their True Name and status, a check based on Luck is required. She had seen through Saber's identity as King Arthur the moment she first saw her.
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