Jeanne steadied herself, drawing her sword in a smooth, practiced motion. Its silver edge gleamed in the shed's dim light, carrying with it an air of sanctity that seemed to push back the shadows themselves. She gave a soft, almost teasing smile.
"Is it that obvious?" she asked, raising her weapon in a calm guard.
Arjuna's eyes narrowed as he kept his bow raised, though his tone remained even, almost clinical. "Unless you are some gender-swapped King of Knights… there is no other woman of renown who wields a blade in such a manner. That leaves only you, Saint of Orléans."
Gilgamesh chuckled darkly at the declaration, stepping forward as if savoring the tension. "Hmph. To think, the Holy Maiden herself answers the call of a green boy with no knowledge of magecraft. How truly delightful. The Grail grows more entertaining by the moment."
Ritsuka, still clutching his glowing Command Seals, looked between the legendary figures—Jeanne with her unwavering gaze, Arjuna with his bow still drawn, and Gilgamesh radiating arrogance. His voice shook, but he forced himself to speak.
"S-Saint… Jeanne…?"
Jeanne turned her head slightly toward him, her amethyst eyes softening. "Yes. I am Saber-class Servant, Jeanne d'Arc. By the bonds of the Grail, I have come to answer your call."
Her grip on her sword tightened as her expression hardened once more, returning to Arjuna and Gilgamesh. "And I swear this: no harm shall come to my Master."
Arjuna lowered his bow, the glow of his arrow fading into nothingness. Without another word, he turned on his heel.
Gilgamesh arched a golden brow, his voice carrying both mockery and curiosity. "Leaving already, Archer? Running from a proper fight?"
Arjuna glanced back, his expression calm but firm. "My Master ordered me to erase the witness memory's. But that boy is no longer a witness—he is now a participant. The Grail itself has chosen him. My task is complete. And besides—" his eyes flicked toward Jeanne's gleaming sword, "—an Archer engaging a Saber head-on? That is not a battle worth forcing."
With that, he leapt away into the night, vanishing across the rooftops with silent grace.
Rin cautiously peeked from behind Gilgamesh, her hands still trembling as she looked at Ritsuka standing beside Jeanne. "…I guess I have a lot to explain."
Ritsuka, wide-eyed, his pulse still racing from everything that had just unfolded, let out a shaky laugh. "Yeah, no shit."
Jeanne gave him a reassuring smile, but her stance remained protective, her sword still angled toward Gilgamesh as if expecting trouble.
Gilgamesh only smirked, folding his arms as golden ripples shimmered faintly behind him. "Hmph. Things are finally becoming entertaining. Let us see if the boy can keep up with the weight of a war meant for kings."
A few minutes later, the chaos of the battle had given way to uneasy silence in the shed.
Ritsuka sat slouched against the wall, holding his head like it might split open. His eyes flicked between Rin, Jeanne, and Gilgamesh with a mixture of disbelief and irritation.
"So… let me get this straight," he said slowly, trying to piece it together. "I was chosen—without being asked—to fight in this… seven-person death match. With seven people from history. Divided into seven classes. All for a shiny golden cup that grants wishes. A wish cup. And you—" he jabbed a finger in Jeanne's direction, "—are my ticket to survival?"
Jeanne, composed and graceful despite the cramped shed, inclined her head. "That is a blunt way of putting it… but not entirely wrong."
Rin crossed her arms, letting out a sharp sigh. "It's called the Holy Grail War, idiot. Not some 'wish cup death match.'"
Ritsuka gave her a flat look. "Excuse me if I'm not up to date on magic murder tournaments, Tohsaka."
Gilgamesh chuckled under his breath, clearly enjoying the exchange. "Hah. At least the boy is perceptive enough to see this for what it is—a blood-soaked contest between so-called magi, fought with kings and heroes as their weapons. His words may be crude, but they are not wrong."
Ritsuka groaned, dragging a hand down his face. "Yeah, great, comforting. Totally what I wanted to hear."
Jeanne stepped forward, her expression softening as she crouched slightly to meet Ritsuka's eyes. "I know this is sudden, but you are not alone. As your Servant, I will fight by your side. Whatever comes, I swear to protect you."
For a moment, Ritsuka was silent, staring at her earnest gaze. Then he muttered: "…this feels like some kind of bad dream."
Rin rolled her eyes. "Welcome to the world of mages. No refunds."
Rin looked at Jeanne as she spoke. "You are his Sabre Servant"
Jeanne nodded as she spoke, looking at her. "Yes, I am his Sabre, I may not want this, but still".
Rin just looked at Ritsuka as she pointed a figure "Ok how did you summon her?"
Oat Ritsuka got up as he pulled out a big Box from his room. "I think, as you put it, I didn't have Catalyst, to summon a servant as you put it, when you were explain to me how this grisk war works"
Oat Caster Gilgamesh chuckled as he spoke, looking at Rin. "He's almost like you, master. Different, you had the snake to summon me".
Rin just looked at him. "So, the grail gave a servant that match, you... A saint".
Ritsuka open the box. "Also probably because I never use this, dad told me not to touch it"
Gilgamesh's eyes widen as he sees a Beautiful Scabbard, lined in blue, with it being Golden. "Do you realise what you have?"
Ritsuka: It's a magical object right?
Caster Gil just chuckled as he spoke. "That the scabbard of the famous King Of Night... Or was it Knight"
Rin screamed at him. "Why did you use it?!?"
Ritsuka shrugged as he spoke. "Dad said it's magical and not to use it, he said it summons a very rude and judgmental Spirit who talks about Honour all the time".
Rin's jaw dropped. "Wait—WAIT. You mean to tell me you had that sitting in your house this whole time and just… what? Used it as a paperweight?!"
Ritsuka looked down at the golden-and-blue scabbard, utterly unbothered. "Dad told me it was cursed. So I shoved it in a box and forgot about it."
Rin's eye twitched. "Cursed?! That's Avalon! The sheath of the Sword of Promised Victory! People would kill for this!"
Gilgamesh threw his head back and laughed, his voice echoing through the shed. "HAHA! Wonderful! The boy treats treasures of legends as if they were scraps of firewood. I see why the Grail paired him with a saint instead of that overbearing knight. A fitting match indeed."
Jeanne, still kneeling at Ritsuka's side, blinked at the scabbard, then at him. "So… that is the reason I was called instead of the one truly bound to it. The Grail chose me because you… rejected the knight?"
Ritsuka tilted his head, confused. "Rejected? I didn't reject anyone. Dad just said if I messed with it, some 'rude, judgmental spirit' would nag me about honor and duty forever. Sounded awful, so I didn't touch it."
Across the multiverse, countless versions of Artoria and Arthur collectively froze, their swords rattling in their scabbards as an ominous shiver of irritation ran down their spines.
Rin slapped her forehead. "Unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable. You basically told the Grail: 'No thanks, I don't want the King of Knights, give me someone else.' And it actually listened."
Gilgamesh smirked, golden eyes gleaming. "Hah. The knight sulks somewhere beyond time, wounded in pride. Meanwhile, this brat walks away with a saint. Amusing. Truly amusing."
Jeanne's expression softened as she gave Ritsuka a small, genuine smile. "Then it seems fate had its own plans. I may not have been the one your father feared… but I will not fail you."
Ritsuka sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "…Great. So I traded a judgmental king for a saint who's probably way too nice for me. That's… actually not bad."
Rin groaned. "You're impossible."
Across the multiverse, it was the same thought everywhere.
Saber suddenly frowned while washing dishes. "...For some reason, I feel offended."
Shirou tilted his head. "What?"
Saber shook her head. "No, it's nothing. Just… this weird feeling like someone's ignoring you."
Shirou Chuckled . "…Shirou, that happens all the time."
Meanwhile, back in this timeline—
Jeanne tilted her head, brushing her braid back over her shoulder. "Well… I suppose it is not that bad. But for me to appear as Saber is unusual. I usually manifest under a different class."
Rin's eyes sharpened. "Wait—you mean you have more than one?"
Jeanne nodded lightly. "Yes. If I had appeared as that other class, my Master would have had an easier time in this war."
Ritsuka blinked, tilting his head. "You have another class? That's even a thing?"
Rin jabbed a finger at Jeanne, leaning forward with suspicion. "Alright then—what other class? Spit it out!"
Jeanne blinked, caught off guard. She opened her mouth—only for Ritsuka to step in front of her, arms outstretched.
"Hey, Tohsaka! She doesn't want to say it yet, so don't force her."
The air grew quiet. Rin froze, realizing how harsh she'd sounded. She exhaled through her nose, shoulders slumping.
"…Tch. Damn it. You're right." She pinched her temple and muttered under her breath, voice dipping into something half-prayer, half-frustration.
Jeanne tilted her head, her sharp hearing catching the words clearly: "Saint preserve me from idiots who waste holy relics…"
Rin looked up again, glaring daggers at Ritsuka. "I'm sorry, okay? Just… seeing Avalon here of all places—and the fact that you didn't use it—has me pissed off beyond belief!"
Ritsuka winced, holding up his hands. "How was I supposed to know it was important?! Dad just said it summoned a spirit that nags people to death about honor! I figured that was bad!"
Gilgamesh nearly doubled over with laughter. "PFFT—Honor this, honor that! Oh, what a tragedy! The so-called King of Knights discarded in favor of a boy who couldn't care less! This era is truly glorious!"
Jeanne, however, looked at Ritsuka with soft eyes. His impulsive shield of her and casual honesty… it reminded her of something. She smiled faintly, placing a hand over her heart.
"Yes… perhaps this was the better path after all."
Ritsuka looked at Rin, still trying to wrap his head around everything. "...So now what?"
Rin folded her arms, walking out of the shed with Gilgamesh trailing lazily behind her, hands in his pockets like he owned the place. "Now? You're going to meet a priest."
Ritsuka tilted his head. "What?"
Rin sighed, as if she'd just aged ten years. "Yes. A priest. The one in charge of officiating this little bloodbath we call the Holy Grail War. Someone has to explain the rules properly, since you clearly had no idea what you were walking into."
Gilgamesh chuckled, golden eyes glinting. "Heh. My Master finally speaks sense. Indeed, boy, if you want to survive, you must meet the so-called 'judge' of this ritual. Whether you find him to be savior or snake, however… that is another matter."
Jeanne frowned slightly, looking between Rin and Gilgamesh. "A priest that oversees a war for the sake of a false grail… that sounds contradictory."
Ritsuka scratched his head. "So… I'm supposed to trust some priest I've never met with my life? Doesn't that sound sketchy?"
Rin pinched the bridge of her nose. "Welcome to mage society, Emiya. Sketchy is standard."
Jeanne smiled gently at him, trying to soften the blow. "Do not worry. If this priest does turn out to be untrustworthy, you will not be facing him alone."
Ritsuka looked at her—her amethyst eyes steady, her presence radiant even in the dim light of the shed. And for the first time since this madness began, he felt a little less afraid.
Gilgamesh, meanwhile, smirked. "Hmph. This is getting amusing. Very well, Master—let us go visit this so-called priest. I could use a laugh."
To be continued
Hope people like this ch and give me power stones