The Holy Grail, an object containing a vast amount of magical energy.
According to the stories passed down by mages, each Holy Grail can grant the wish of its owner.
Because of this, it is often called the "Cauldron of All Things" or the "Wishing Machine."
And Ian had always been a firm believer in such claims.
After all—
He had truly witnessed the power of the Holy Grail.
In the distant Heian-kyō era, the great onmyōji Abe no Seimei had already used the Holy Grail to create a descendant named Abe no Taishin.
After several decades, this ultimately led to the change in Minamoto no Yorimitsu's destined end.
To put it bluntly.
A normal Holy Grail, in the hands of someone who knew how to use it, could indeed achieve the extent of reversing fate.
However—
For Singularities, the Holy Grail was no longer the same—they themselves were the root cause of the Singularities.
The overwhelmingly powerful energy contained within the Holy Grail caused the distortion of history, thereby giving rise to many possibilities that should not have existed.
The Pan-Human History thus gradually moved towards an incorrect direction of development, ultimately leading to the Incineration of Humanity.
This was the most terrifying aspect of Lev's actions.
Thinking of this, Ian couldn't help but gasp.
He adjusted his emotions and brought his analysis back to the present.
If the Black Jeanne hadn't lied just now—if she really came from a Holy Grail summoning.
Then many things could be explained.
Why did she have memories related to Artoria?
—Because this was a "memory correction" unique to Holy Grail summoning, which could enable Servants to possess some memories they wouldn't normally have.
Why did she have an appearance almost identical to his younger sister Jeanne?
—Because she was not a real person, but an existence reproduced through the medium of the "Holy Grail," so there was naturally no need to consider her appearance.
Wait.
Ian suddenly realized that the situation seemed even more wrong.
Although the existence of the Holy Grail could indeed explain many previously incomprehensible questions.
But similarly, it also brought more questions that currently had no answers.
Firstly.
If she before him was indeed "Jeanne"—then that meant there was indeed someone who wanted to summon "Jeanne," right?
Who could that person be?
Secondly.
Assuming the first point was true, how did this person who wanted to summon "Jeanne" prepare the relevant items?
Holy Grail summoning wasn't something that could be done just by wanting to.
It was a rather complex process.
Thirdly.
Assuming both the first and second points were true.
Then why was an existence with such a fragmented mental state like the Black Jeanne born?
What exactly happened during the summoning process?
Damn it.
This wasn't an answer at all—it was a conveyor belt bringing more questions to him!
Ian subconsciously clenched his fist.
"Hey!" The Black Jeanne's irritable voice came.
She reached out and pinched the man's face before her.
"You're starting again, aren't you?" she accused, her golden eyes narrowed.
"Why do you always suddenly zone out halfway through talking?! Don't tell me you're thinking about that Saint Maiden!" she demanded, her voice filled with suspicion.
"..." Looking at the Black Jeanne's murderous aura, Ian knew that he definitely couldn't say what was on his mind directly.
Her mental state was extremely unstable, and if she received any more stimulation, she might do anything.
At this moment, the best way to handle it was to pretend to be her believer and praise her actions.
"Of course not," Ian replied gently, shaking his head slightly.
"I just think this method you described is very..." he began, searching for the right words.
"Very?" The moment she heard this word, the Black Jeanne moved her body forward again, her cheek almost touching the man's face.
It was obvious that although she had no sense of shame, she cared a lot about these external evaluations.
Thankfully—
The man's answer was still praise.
"Very cool," Ian said sincerely, a soft smile on his lips.
"Eh—?!" The Black Jeanne had originally thought that Ian would criticize her behavior just now, but she didn't expect to suddenly receive praise from him.
The her who had been so aggressive just now immediately softened a bit.
"Really?" she asked, her golden eyes widening slightly.
"Do you think I look... cool like this?" she questioned, a hint of bashfulness in her voice.
Although it was somewhat against his conscience, Ian still nodded seriously.
"Yes," he confirmed, his gaze unwavering.
"That's indeed what I think," he added, his voice gentle.
A few simple words deeply touched the Black Jeanne's heart.
A hint of joy appeared in her eyes, looking like a younger sister who had done something good and was praised by her older brother.
But soon—
She seemed to realize that this was too embarrassing, so she immediately changed the subject.
"By the way, I have another question to ask you!" she exclaimed, her golden eyes sparkling.
"What question?" Ian asked, his brow furrowed in curiosity.
"It's this!" The Black Jeanne said, showing the man the "front garden" that had been used for their deep exchange on the dragon's back just now.
At this moment, it was still "raining" outwards.
Drip, drip, like snow that couldn't be seen in summer.
"What exactly are these... things you left behind?!" she asked, her golden eyes narrowed in confusion.
"..." Ian knew that the Black Jeanne had zero knowledge in this area, but he hadn't expected it to be so barren.
"Put it down first," Ian requested gently.
"..." Although she didn't really like being ordered around by Ian, who was her Servant, the Black Jeanne, who really wanted to know the answer, still did as she was told.
She stopped that action full of embarrassment.
"Alright," she said, her golden eyes looking at him expectantly.
"Now it's your turn to tell me the answer, right?" she pressed, her voice filled with anticipation.
"..." Realizing that what he was about to say might cause a permanent and irreversible impact on the Black Jeanne, who had absolutely no experience in this area,
Ian carefully considered his words.
"Hmm... it can be considered as a kind of recognition from me to you," Ian explained gently, a soft smile on his lips.
"Recognition?" The Black Jeanne, sitting on the man's lap, looked at him with a puzzled expression.
"Yes," Ian nodded.
"Because you said this was to form a contract, right?" he reminded her gently.
"Since it's forming a contract, then it's actually a process of mutual examination—you're examining me, and I'm also examining you," he explained, his gaze soft.
"..." The Black Jeanne didn't answer immediately.
But judging from the girl's serious thinking expression, she at least didn't dislike this explanation.
"Then what was the result of my examination?" she asked, her golden eyes looking at him expectantly.
"That would naturally be excellent," Ian coughed lightly. "It's overflowing, isn't it?" he added, a hint of amusement in his voice.
"Really?!" Hearing the man's affirmative answer, the Black Jeanne seemed very happy.
It seemed that for her at this moment, being able to achieve even such a small accomplishment in anything was something worth showing off fiercely.
And seeing her reaction, Ian breathed a sigh of relief.
However—
Before he could feel fortunate for even a few minutes.
The Black Jeanne, who had been so happy just a moment ago, suddenly tightened her brow as if she had thought of something terrible.
"Wait a minute!" she exclaimed, her golden eyes widening slightly.
"I remember you saying—" she began, her voice filled with suspicion.
"You're very familiar with that Saint Maiden, right?" she asked, her golden eyes looking at him intently.
Noticing the killing intent emanating from the Black Jeanne, Ian became cautious.
"...Somewhat," Ian replied carefully, his gaze unwavering.
"Then—" The Black Jeanne this time sat directly on the innermost part of Ian's lap.
She grabbed the man's shoulders, and it looked as if raging red flames had appeared in her golden eyes.
"Have you... examined her too?" she asked, her voice laced with a hint of danger.
"..." Mistakenly.
The Black Jeanne, who didn't understand the situation at all, actually asked an extremely sensitive question.
Although he could easily gloss over it with a little lie.
But Ian didn't really want to do that at this moment—because it always felt like he was letting down his younger sister Jeanne.
After thinking it over again, the man replied:
"Hmm... I have indeed examined her," Ian admitted gently, his gaze softening slightly.
"Then what was her result?!" The Black Jeanne grabbed Ian's collar with extreme excitement.
"...Excellent," Ian replied, his voice calm.
"What?!" The Black Jeanne showed an extremely displeased expression, and the strength in her hands increased a bit.
"I didn't even win against her?" she asked, her golden eyes flashing with disbelief.
"Were you even seriously reviewing it?!!!" she demanded, her voice rising in anger.
Although the Black Jeanne was very displeased, Ian didn't change his statement.
"It's precisely because I reviewed it seriously that I got this result—the areas you and she focus on are completely different," Ian explained calmly, his gaze unwavering.
"You like the kind of powerful process," he continued, his voice gentle.
"While she is better at the slow and steady approach," he added, his gaze softening slightly.
"These two have no distinction of superiority or inferiority in my eyes—I like them both very much," Ian concluded, a soft smile on his lips.
Hearing this, the Black Jeanne bit her lip, looking like she didn't really want to accept this kind of fence-sitting answer.
"You're clearly my Servant... you should be trying to please me," she complained, her golden eyes narrowed.
"But you wouldn't want your Servant to lie to you, would you?" Ian replied calmly.
"Besides, this doesn't mean you lost, does it?" he added gently, a soft smile on his lips.
"Eh?!" Being pointed out by Ian's words, the Black Jeanne suddenly realized something.
"So, if you put it that way—" she began, her golden eyes widening slightly.
"Anyway, as long as you go inside, it counts as an examination, so that means it can be done many times, right?" she asked, a hint of excitement in her voice.
The man realized that his remarks just now didn't seem to have changed the Black Jeanne's thinking.
She seemed to have understood it in another way.
But at this moment, he could only go along with her thoughts.
"...It's not wrong to understand it that way," Ian replied, a hint of amusement in his voice.
"Then—" The Black Jeanne's gaze quickly moved downwards.
She licked her lips.
"I'm going to make my examination result better than that Saint Maiden's!" she declared, her golden eyes flashing with determination.
"You're going to help me!" she added, her hand reaching directly towards the examination site.
Ian quickly stopped her.
"I don't object to you improving your examination result," Ian said gently, his hand covering hers.
"But—" he continued, his gaze softening slightly.
"Before that, can you let me see the Holy Grail first?" he requested, his brow furrowed in curiosity.
"See the Holy Grail?!" The Black Jeanne looked at him with wide eyes.
"Yes," Ian nodded.
Ian reached out and gently patted the Black Jeanne's head—he already knew she didn't dislike this action.
"I want to see what exactly is so cool that it could summon you," he explained gently, a soft smile on his lips.
The man had completely mastered how to handle the Black Jeanne.
His words just hit her sweet spot.
"Alright!" she exclaimed, her golden eyes sparkling with excitement.
"I was just planning to let you see the other Servants anyway—I want to let them know that a very special person has joined us!" she declared, a hint of pride in her voice.
The girl let out a whistle.
The Evil Dragon carried the two of them from the cold ground and flew into the night sky, heading towards the distance under the moonlight.
Time shifted back to earlier.
In a forest several hundred miles away from the yet-to-be-burned Domremy Village.
"My head hurts..." Saying these words, Mordred, lying on the ground, held her head and suddenly opened her eyes.
However, the first figure that came into her eyes surprised her a bit.
Because it wasn't her usual father and Master, Ian.
But—
Fujimaru Ritsuka.
"Eh? You're awake~" Seeing Mordred wake up, Fujimaru Ritsuka breathed a sigh of relief.
"That's really great," she said, a soft smile on her face.
Honestly, because Fujimaru Ritsuka had previously taught her how to use a mobile phone in the sickroom, Mordred had a very good impression of her.
So even though she had now replaced the father who should have been there, Mordred wasn't too angry.
But things weren't that simple.
Mordred looked around and quickly realized a problem.
"Ritsuka... why is it just you?" she asked, her brow furrowed in confusion.
"Where's Father... Master? And where's Mashu?" she pressed, her violet eyes looking around anxiously.
"I don't know," Fujimaru Ritsuka shrugged, forcing a helpless smile.
"Because I also just woke up not too long ago," she explained, her gaze soft.
"What—?!" Mordred quickly realized that the four of them had been separated after the teleportation.
"Then can't we contact them?" she asked, her voice filled with worry.
"Hmm," Fujimaru Ritsuka nodded with difficulty.
She shook the small device used to contact Chaldea.
A burst of static came from it.
"Communication... seems to be blocked," she reported, her voice filled with concern.
"How could..." Mordred hadn't expected the situation to turn out like this at all.
She, who didn't understand much about technology in the first place, was even more anxious now.
"This is too unreliable!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with frustration.
But before she could complain any further, a sharp whistle came from the sky.
Mordred and Fujimaru Ritsuka simultaneously looked towards the direction the sound came from.
They saw a dark black Evil Dragon soaring in the sky.
Soon, it discovered the two people on the ground looking at it.
"Groaaaaar—!!!" The Evil Dragon roared, then swooped down towards the two people on the ground, with the clear intention of killing them there.
However—
Mordred was no ordinary person.
She remembered what her father had once instructed her—Fujimaru Ritsuka was someone who needed to be protected.
"Clarent—!" The girl gripped her Noble Phantasm—the pure silver sword blade—and charged towards the swooping Evil Dragon, then unleashed a powerful blow.
It was an attack method infinitely close to Excalibur.
The Evil Dragon's body was pierced in an instant, and then it fell to the ground.
"Heh, I thought it had some skill!" Mordred, who had achieved victory, didn't expect that there was more than one Evil Dragon.
While she was focused on destroying the Evil Dragon before her, the attack from the other side had already approached Fujimaru Ritsuka.
It was another Evil Dragon.
"Ah—!" The orange-haired girl screamed.
"Ritsuka!" Mordred was too late to save her.
At the critical moment, a figure wearing a cloak flashed by.
The Evil Dragon that had attempted to harm Fujimaru Ritsuka was instantly cut in half with a single slash.
This clean and decisive scene left Mordred dumbfounded.
"So, so strong..." she stammered, her violet eyes wide with surprise.
"This is already at the level of a 'Servant,' right?" she questioned, her voice filled with awe.
"Servant?" A gentle voice came from inside the cloak.
"Sorry, I'm not a Servant," the person replied softly.
The person who had slain the Evil Dragon took off their cloak, revealing a long ponytail.
She turned around and looked at the two girls with a smile.
"Hello, I am Jeanne d'Arc," she introduced herself gently, her blue eyes kind.
"Just an ordinary nun from France," she added, a warm smile on her face.