"Mana surges from the Suigunhara Academy direction... Durandal and Rita have already engaged the target... At the church near Shinto Station, the class president and the others are in place too... Hm? That direction—widespread blackout... is that Li Sushang?"
"Wasn't she on patrol in the city as the backup team? Who did she get into a fight with?"
In front of a dark, gloomy, and damp mansion, Raiden Mei's violet-red eyes reflected the kanji on the gateplate: Matou Residence. "Kiana, looks like we need to speed up..."
She turned her head to see a grim look on Kiana's face. "Kiana?"
"Mei, this place... it reeks of filth and malice. I feel sick just standing here."
Her single ponytail swayed in the night breeze as Kiana seemed to sense something and suddenly shouted, "Come out, you crawling vermin!"
Rustle... crunch...
A sickening sound of chitin and chewing filled the air. With a loud creak, the ominous front door of the mansion slowly opened. From the shadows creeping across the ground, a small, hunched figure staggered forward.
Each step echoed through the eerily silent environment like a chilling whisper.
"Keh keh keh... What business do you two have at this old man's estate?"
With a voice like a screeching owl, the moonlight revealed a hunched old man, leaning on a wooden cane. His face was withered and deformed like a corpse.
His hair was gone, barely a few eyelashes remained, and his limbs were like those of a mummy—skin stretched over bones. He wore a robe of dark green and gray, with hands resting atop his cane.
"You... you're not even human anymore."
From Kiana's perspective, she saw it clearly. Inside this hunchbacked dwarf, beneath those sunken eyes glinting with a dusty gleam—there was no flesh, only a writhing swarm of insects forming a humanoid shell!
The foul, reeking malice radiating from him made Kiana wrinkle her nose in disgust.
He might as well have had a sign saying: "I'm a villain, please kill me."
No need for second opinions. This was, hands down, the most revolting being Kiana had encountered yet.
"Keh keh... Human? You two have no right to define what counts as human."
As his raspy, sandpaper-like voice echoed through the darkness, the carpet of insects at his feet began to rise, forming a grotesque bulge.
"Such rude words for a first meeting. Seems like unwelcome guests have arrived." The ghoulish old man gazed lovingly at the shifting mass below him. "I am not some weakling you can trample upon."
The revolting feelers, sticky fluids, and nauseating stench even made Raiden Mei take a step back. She cloaked herself in lightning, her gaze filled with unfiltered loathing.
She'd fought her fair share of Honkai Beasts, but she'd never seen something this vile.
"Such thick resentment... hatred that refuses to rest..."
Kiana's gaze sharpened, and deep inside, a fiery anger surged. Her blue eyes instantly turned a deep, seething red.
BOOM—!
"Demon... I will burn you to ash!"
...
"Ruler, Jeanne d'Arc, by the authority granted by the Greater Grail, I issue the command of God's Resolution to Foreigner Li Sushang—"
In that moment, crimson markings lit up behind Ruler Jeanne's back and quickly extended to her left hand, forming a glowing command seal shaped like a sheathed Han sword.
Hummmm—
"What?!"
Just as Li Sushang was about to unleash her Tenth Divine Key: [Keys of Domination]—the Golden Xuanyuan Sword—with full force, she suddenly froze. The moment the crimson light from Jeanne's God's Resolution swept across her, the mana she was condensing faltered. Her body resisted, and the mana output spluttered like an engine starved of fuel. The golden sword in her raised hand slowly dropped, seemingly against her will.
"This spirit-form body has way too many restrictions... troublesome. Hmph. So that's the Ruler's privilege, huh? Such a cheating skill. What now, Miss Arbitrator? Going to use a Command Spell to force me into suicide?"
"No," Jeanne replied calmly. "As Ruler, I indeed possess many privileges and unique class skills regarding Servants, but [God's Resolution] is used only to maintain the integrity of the Holy Grail War."
"I do not interfere in the conflict over the Holy Grail. My mission is to ensure that the war does not cause irreparable harm to the human world."
"I have no desire to claim the Grail myself, Foreigner. You may rest assured."
Staring at Li Sushang, who still held her golden blade with its tip lowered and a casual, nonchalant expression, yet remained battle-ready, Ruler Jeanne offered her explanation.
She was being truthful.
The Ruler class is never summoned in ordinary Grail Wars. Only when the format is extremely unusual, or the results potentially catastrophic to the world, does the Greater Grail call upon a Servant immune to manipulation.
As a saint canonized by the Catholic Church, Jeanne harbored no wish for the Grail, making her well-suited for the Ruler role.
Only heroes who died without regrets or unfulfilled wishes can qualify as Ruler.
If it had been Selene, she absolutely wouldn't qualify.
Selene's desires were far too intense—and constantly changing and growing. Her greed was insatiable!
Every time she achieved one plan, she would immediately start the next. Every treasure she acquired only made her crave the next, even if she had no use for it.
In short—she wanted everything.
Her creed: "Desire is the driving force of progress."
Satisfied contentment? She didn't even understand the phrase.
Jeanne, in contrast, would restrain herself. She would never use the Ruler's authority for selfish reasons or to support one side over another. Her role was to safeguard the Holy Grail War itself.
"Oh ho~ What if your Master wants the Grail, then?"
"That would be the same!" Jeanne raised her left hand, adorned with Command Seal-like marks, and declared without hesitation.
No one knew the true potential of Command Spells better than Jeanne.
Teleportation? Mana amplification? Absolute orders? Mere batteries of magical energy?
No, no, no—those uses were far too shallow. With [God's Resolution] and the knowledge imbued in her, Jeanne would show everyone how to truly exploit the Command Spell system!
Sure, she might be bad at math, clueless outside of prayers written in scripture, and little more than a village girl, but she wasn't dumb. She once led French troops to beat the English back with strategic brilliance. She had instinctive, battlefield-honed wit.
And with memories of previous Grail Wars and the impact of a certain "Selene," she was now a bit more cunning than before.
Step one: activate the Command Spell. No specific command needed—just speak the Servant's true name to disrupt their mana and open a chance to make one's point.
"If you wish to kill me, Foreigner, I will not resist. I will not use the Greater Grail's authority to force a Servant into submission."
"However, I must ask you not to violate the rules of the Grail War by dragging innocent civilians into our battle."
"Choose the battlefield—be it suburb, mountain, or port. If you have the power to kill me, then so be it. I will accept my dismissal."
Maintaining the glow of the Command Spell on her hand aimed at Li Sushang, Ruler Jeanne spoke solemnly.
"Tch. Hiding the supernatural from the world... your so-called Mage's Association rules are just self-deceiving nonsense. Cowardly."
At those words, Li Sushang's crimson eyes shimmered with disdain. Her battle stance loosened, and she smirked.
"A hero or warrior should act with honor in broad daylight. Sneaking around in the shadows is no way to fight.... Ah well, you're magi, not warriors. And this isn't my world. I spoke too much. When in Rome, I suppose."
Her brown twin tails swayed as she rolled her eyes. "Boring, boring... So, Miss Referee, what's my punishment?"
In response, Jeanne raised her left hand—step two: use a Command Spell to issue a formal penalty for initiating combat in a public area.
This was something she had learned from her last experience during the Romanian Grail War—thanks to a certain someone's rather blunt advice:
"Are you the judge or is he the judge? If someone attacks you, and you just try to reason with them—what, are people supposed to take Ruler seriously? You gotta make 'em pay. Break a few bones, show 'em they crossed a line, or everyone's gonna think they can step all over you."
The shame Jeanne had felt after letting Red Lancer Karna walk all over her still lingered.
"Foreigner Li Sushang, return to your Master. This is a warning. Your Saint Graph is sealed for one day. If you initiate combat in a public area again, I will force your removal from the Holy Grail War."
Even with her new resolve, Jeanne's punishment was mild compared to what some might do. But it was still a step forward—unlike last time, where she did nothing.
As her voice rang out, the Command Spell on her hand burst into crimson light and flowed into Li Sushang. In response, the golden sword in her hand dissolved, and her body began to fade...
Jeanne let out a breath. Playing referee and constantly getting attacked? Exhausting.
She couldn't help but think back to that bold figure who once dragged her around a whole town's worth of eateries.
If that woman were Ruler, and someone attacked her, she wouldn't stop at maiming the Servant. She'd probably kill the Master for good measure, just to blow off steam.
Sigh... Who knows when they'd meet again...
"Ruler, let's retreat. The patrol officers are getting close—eh?!"
Waver also let out a breath of relief, but just as he stepped forward, he saw something alarming: Li Sushang's fading form suddenly froze with a crack. Then—she snapped free of Jeanne's Command Spell.
"Huh?!"
Her spirit form solidified again. Looking down at the purple-red arcs dancing between her hands, Li Sushang blinked in confusion.
"Looks like your [God's Resolution] doesn't work on me."
From Jeanne's commanding tone and her own bodily reaction, Li Sushang had fully expected to be forcibly returned. She'd mentally prepared for it.
But apparently, something within her Saint Graph—some unknown skill—had blocked the forced command.
Foreigner Li Sushang - Class Skill: Existence Outside the Domain: B
A being descended from the outer void. One favored by a foreign god, bearing the harbinger of divine authority and manifesting it through their existence.
"Foreigner, you..."
Jeanne's expression froze. Strange. Not many Servants can fully resist Command Spells—but it's not unheard of. Those with high Magic Resistance could resist for a time.
But her order hadn't been a suicide or something morally objectionable—it was just a recall to her Master, a mere displacement spell with a light seal attached.
Why had it failed?
"B... One rank below Durandal and Kiana. If it were A rank, could you resist a Command Spell completely?"
Li Sushang didn't rush to attack. Instead, she tapped her chin and muttered to herself, analyzing the situation. Then—she froze.
A massive projection materialized above her, using her position as the anchor. Crimson light surged as an overwhelming presence descended.
When her vast form appeared, the surrounding air visibly distorted. Power, majesty, and terror rippled outward like waves.
Big Snake Mode: Activated.jpg
She was, at least in form, a woman—wings spread from her back, scales glistened on her limbs, and her shape was utterly demonic.
"Ah, if it isn't Jeanne~ My dear old friend," Selene purred.
With a face reminiscent of Gorgon's but softer and more seductive, Selene's long, narrow eyes opened lazily. A mischievous allure shimmered within.
Her cool voice carried a seductive edge, low and smooth, as though it had a power of suggestion—enticing trust, perhaps even submission.
But to Jeanne, it was like thunder crashing down on a sunny day.
She looked up at the towering figure, her expression dazed in disbelief.
"Selene?! No, wait... what happened to you? What have you become?"
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