Book 2: Chapter 9: A Show by Three Rulers
“We can?”
“We can add a few more flying swords.”
“…”
Chen Heng took out three swords from his spatial storage. Then, he used his attraction ability to control the three swords and attack the two. One sword went for Jeanne d’Arc, and the remaining two headed for Mash. This strange method of attacking caught the two off-guard, forcing them to defend hurriedly. Then, Chen Heng took out a deck chair and sat on it, controlling the flying swords from there.
Every time the two’s defenses were about to crumble, Chen Heng slowed down his attacks.
As the two fought, their coordination with each other improved. Mash rushed at a flying sword heading for Jeanne d’Arc. She took charge of defense while Jeanne d’Arc focused on striking the middle of the blades with her flag. After about ten minutes, the two successfully broke the three flying swords. Then, they noticed Chen Heng and Fujimaru Ritsuka lying on deck chairs and drinking fruit juice while watching them train.
“Very good. You don’t need guidance on your combat techniques now. Instead, you need more practical experience. As Servants, these combat techniques are all engraved deep within your bones, even for a Demi-Servant like Mash. I’ll take charge of drawing out these combat techniques from your bodies.”
Jeanne d’Arc and Mash’s training increased from three swords to four swords, and soon five.
“Alright. We can stop now. That’s all for today. Tomorrow, you will fight three swords while in a gravity field. For now, come have supper.”
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The next day:
In the morning, after some discussion. Jeanne d’Arc, the most familiar with France, decided to head to La Charité to see if they could get intel on Orléans. Orléans was currently Jeanne d’Arc Alter’s stronghold. They would have to head deeper if they could not get any information from La Charité. The group wanted to avoid that for now. After all, their group currently had only three Servants.
[TL Note: La Charité and Orléans are locations in France. Here are their Wikipedia entries: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Charit%C3%A9-sur-Loire and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orl%C3%A9ans.]
When the group was still far from La Charité, Chen Heng’s True Name Discernment picked up traces of Servants ahead. However, he did not say anything, as the city had already been massacred. Doctor Roman only detected signs of Servants when they approached La Charité.
“I detect signs of Servants in La Charité. However, they are currently far away… Ah! The signal disappeared; they move too fast.”
“The city is burning!” Mash saw this scene when Fou tugged on her, prompting her to look up.
“We should hurry.” Jeanne d’Arc had a bad feeling, so she urged the rest to hurry.
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“The city is already devoid of signs of life.” Doctor Roman told everyone the results of the scan.
Jeanne d’Arc’s bad feeling came true. The entire city had been destroyed, leaving no survivors.
Chen Heng watched the disappointed Jeanne d’Arc. He felt too embarrassed to get her to deal with the zombies and wyverns eating the corpses, so he used his ability to explode them all.
Jeanne d’Arc only noticed the wyverns, which were eating the corpses earlier, when she heard the noise.
“Thank you, Mister He Who Knows Fate. It was ‘me’ who did this, right?”
“Miss Jeanne d’Arc…” Mash wanted to console Jeanne d’Arc but did not know how to start.
“Jeanne d’Arc, don’t be sad. That Jeanne d’Arc Alter cannot be considered you. She is just a fake, a counterfeit created by Gilles de Rais.” Chen Heng revealed the information to console Jeanne d’Arc. This was not an unspeakable secret, after all.
[TL Note: Here is Gilles de Rais’s profile: /wiki/Gilles_de_Rais_(Caster).]
“Gilles? Is that so…”
“Alright. Don’t be sad. Prepare for battle. Those Servants are returning. Jeanne d’Arc, you can’t run away now. On the contrary, you should face that Jeanne d’Arc Alter.” Chen Heng’s Ruler personal skill triggered, and he noticed the Servants rushing back.
“I implicated you all. If we cannot win later, you should go first. I’ll delay them.”
“However, they have six Servants. Oh no! They are moving so quickly! They’ve arrived already….” Before Doctor Roman finished, Chen Heng saw Jeanne d’Arc Alter’s group rushing over on wyverns.
“Ruler, I have finally found you. Have you thought of how you want to die yet? Do you prefer burning to death or getting bitten by a dragon?” Jeanne d’Arc Alter and the other five Servants with her each stood on a wyvern.
Jeanne d’Arc Alter did not look at Jeanne d’Arc when she arrived but focused on Chen Heng.
“I say, you are not very intelligent with the Mad Enhancement added to you. Haven’t you suffered enough? To think you dare to fly before me?” Chen Heng truly felt that these Berserk-Servants were not very smart. He had pressed them to the ground before, and they dare to fly now?
[TL Note: Mad Enhancement is a skill in Fate/Grand Order that characterizes a Berserker. Gilles added the Mad Enhancement when summoning Jeanne d’Arc Alter. Servants summoned this way are known as Berserk-Servants. Here is more information: /wiki/Mad_Enhancement.]
“Oh no! Hurry…” The simple-minded Jeanne d’Arc Alter was the first to react, but…
“It’s too late. Star of Eden, First Power!” As Chen Heng said that, he increased the gravity on the wyverns and Servants from the opposing side tenfold. Why did he invoke the name of the Star of Eden? Isn’t calling out an incredible-sounding move cool?
[TL Note: The Star of Eden is likely a reference to a Honkai Impact 3rd weapon, one of the God Keys like the Oath of Judah mentioned in Book 1 Chapter 22. Here is its profile: /wiki/God_Key#9th_God_Key_-_Key_of_Devouring_series.]
The Servants and wyverns in the sky fell to the ground. This happened so suddenly that they didn’t have time to react. When they fell, Chen Heng dismissed the gravity field.
“Ruler, you bastard!” Jeanne d’Arc Alter felt thoroughly incensed. This makes twice! That darned Ruler has sneak-attacked me twice!
“Hold on. There are three Rulers here right now. Is the bastard you are referring to me, the Ruler beside me, or yourself? You should clarify this before we fight.” Chen Heng did not retort with an insult. After all, Jeanne d’Arc Alter was only a few days old, a child. She had to learn tolerance, so he planned on teaching her how profound language was before he beat her up.
“I… You… Why are you so full of nonsense? I’ll pull out all your teeth when I capture you!” Jeanne d’Arc Alter did not want to argue with Chen Heng now. She just wanted to burn him to death after capturing him.
“Please wait a moment. Permit me a few words. Jeanne d’Arc Alter—erm…I feel that this address is rather strange—why did you attack this city?”
“…You ask me…why? I thought you would understand, given that you are Jeanne d’Arc too. To think that you have become so stupid after your nature changed? You ask me why I attacked the city? Isn’t the answer obvious? I just want to destroy France. I…I am a Servant! Methods involving politics and the economy are too problematic. I can just destroy it physically. Isn’t that simpler and more reliable? Alright. Cut the crap! Attack together!” Jeanne d’Arc Alter had no patience to talk nonsense with the real version. She just wanted to capture Chen Heng.
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