Book 2: Chapter 23: Gilles Is a Jeanne-dâArc-Con
Chen Hengâs side had the authentic Jeanne dâArc.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
Jeanne dâArc used a honeypot trap and a verbal exchange to restrain Gilles de Rais, distracting him from thinking of taking back the Holy Grail. The others did their best to attack and defeat him before he could take back the Holy Grail.
âGilles, you created the Dragon Witch with the Holy Grail, right? I have already spoken to the other Jeanne dâArc. She clearly doesnât have any memories of her family.â It started! It started! Jeanne dâArc had started her verbal assault.
âYour instincts are as sharp as ever. Precisely so. The Dragon Witch is my long-cherished wishâmy Holy Grail.â Gilles de Rais did not lie, straightforwardly telling the truth. Perhaps he did not want to lie to the saint he idolized.
âI wished for you to revive. That was the wish deep within my heart. That is normal, right? Exceptâ¦the Holy Grail rejected me. It should be an all-powerful wishing device, but it said it could not fulfill this wish. However, all I want is you. Since that is the case, Iâll just create a newâ¦saint that I firmly believe in, the ideal you! Let me be the one to create you! I used the Holy Grail to create Jeanne dâArc, the Dragon Witch!â
Gilles de Raisâs expression slowly turned ferocious. He wanted to revive Jeanne dâArc, but the Holy Grail did not permit that, despite it being the all-powerful Holy Grail. Since that was the case, he just created his own Jeanne dâArc.
ââ¦So, thatâs the case. You did not tell her about this, right? Gilles, if you successfully revived me, I would not become the Dragon Witch. Indeed, I got betrayed and mocked. However, I do not hate my country. I cannot possibly hate it, as you all are still in this nation!â Jeanne dâArcâs verbal assault dealt a fatal blow to Gilles de Rais.
Heaven rewarded the faithful. Gilles de Raisâs defense wavered under Jeanne dâArcâs honeypot trap and verbal assault. Hiding using his Illusion Arts, Merlin caught an opportunity and stabbed his sword into Gilles de Raisâs Spiritual Core.
That was right. The trash Merlin. This fellow finally became useful.
How to put it? Although Merlin was a Grand Caster candidate, he was a subpar Magus. He could even bite his tongue while chanting an incantation.
However, this did not stop Merlin from being a skilled swordsman.
It was not too difficult for Merlin to stab Gilles de Rais when Gilles de Rais carelessly turned away from him, especially with his A-ranked Illusion Arts.
This was the culprit behind the 1st Singularity, the true wielder of the Holy Grail. Gilles de Rais died to Jeanne dâArcâs honeypot trap and Merlinâs backstab.
âThis is impossible! I absolutely cannot accept such an unreasonable result! Iâ¦havenâtâ¦!â Gilles de Rais was unresigned at getting stabbed by Merlin and having his Spiritual Core broken. He had not used his Holy Grail yet. He even wanted to summon the Holy Grail back and put up a last struggle. Howeverâ¦
âGilles, thatâs enough. It is already alright. Go and rest. You have already done your best. You were willing to trust an inexperienced young girl like me and helped me liberate this cityâ¦. No matter what you become, I will also trust in the you from back then. It does not matter. I will never regret it. Alright. Go back. Go back to where you came from [Throne of Heroes].â Jeanne dâArcâs words again achieved miraculous effects.
It had to be said Gilles de Rais was a Jeanne-dâArc-con through and through. To think Jeanne dâArc convinced him in the end.
ââ¦â Ultimately, Gilles de Rais did not recall the Holy Grail.
âIf anyone has to go to hell, I alone am enough. If possible, can you let the other Jeanne dâArc off? When I summoned her, I gave her Mad Enhancement.â This was mentioned when the 1st Singularity started. Jeanne dâArc Alter and Fafnir were summoned as Berserkers. Furthermore, she was a Berserker that had Mad Enhancement applied to herâa doubled berserk.
âI have a companion who said he could bring her to Chaldea. However, I do not know the details. The success rate is questionable, and it depends on the Dragon Witchâs decision.â
Perhaps because Gilles de Rais made Jeanne dâArc Alter with the Holy Grail or perhaps for some other reason, Jeanne dâArc Alter sensed Gilles de Raisâs Spiritual Core shatter.
When Jeanne dâArc Alter sensed Gilles de Raisâs death, she decisively stopped pursuing Chen Heng.
âGillesâ¦even you failed? Are you going to leave me too? Thatâs right. The Holy Grail can save you!â Jeanne dâArc Alter rushed to Gilles de Rais; no one stopped her. She felt strangely upset as she looked at Gilles de Rais, who had his Spiritual Core shattered.
Jeanne dâArc Alter suddenly thought of something and took out the Holy Grail from her body, wanting to hand it to Gilles de Rais.
âItâs useless. Give up. My Spiritual Core has shattered. Even the Holy Grail cannot save me.â Gilles de Rais handed the Holy Grail back to Jeanne dâArc Alter, pushing it back into her body.
Gilles de Rais was not merely injured. His Spiritual Core, the foundation of a Servant, had shattered; this was not something that a Holy Grail could solve.
As long as the Spiritual Core did not shatter, a Servant could recover from any injury using mana, no matter how severe. However, a Holy Grail had no way of mending a shattered Spiritual Core. At best, it would only delay things for a while. This was how important a Spiritual Core was to a Servant.
âListen, Jeanne dâArc, you probably have already guessed something from your conversation with the other Jeanne dâArc.â Perhaps this was a final kindness before death, or Gilles de Rais truly loved Jeanne dâArc deeply, or a final warning for his âdaughter.â
âThat meansâ¦â Although Jeanne dâArc Alter had already guessed, she still found it somewhat unacceptable when Gilles de Rais told her the truth.
Her life was fake, her rage also was fake. In that case, some Dragon Witch she turned out to be.
âDonât be disappointed. All your memories are fake, but you can create memories that truly belong to you. I created you with a Holy Grail, so the Throne of Heroes has no records of you. Hence, I hope you will leave this world with Chaldeaâs people. If you die, you will truly die. After I die, the Mad Enhancement effect that the Holy Grail placed on you will disappear. Make your choice with your own judgment.â
Perhaps with death approaching, Gilles de Raisâs rationality recovered, struggling free from Mad Enhancementâs influence. He said many things he would not have previously said to Jeanne dâArc Alter.
When Jeanne dâArc Alter was about to answer, Gilles de Raisâs figure vanished slowly as he returned to the Throne of Heroes.
While Gilles de Rais and Jeanne dâArc Alter spoke, the others did not remain idle. Instead, they rushed about to help their allies who had not defeated their opponents yet.
Everyone left aside from Jeanne dâArc and Merlin.