Thanks for the invitation. I'm in Type-Moon, inheriting the legacy of Zi-O.

And—the silver-haired, black-armored girl with a cold and stern expression—Alter Jeanne d'Arc.

If that were all, it wouldn't have surprised Zhuo. However, Zhuo saw on Joan of Arc's chest something that could never possibly belong to her.

A cassette tape—suspended on an iron chain around her neck.

"How could this be..." Zhuo murmured in disbelief, "What exactly was that cassette tape?"

There was no time for him to think; on the other side, the blonde Joan of Arc couldn't hide her astonishment.

On the other side, Jeanne Alter spoke first.

"--I really didn't expect... I never expected... I never expected something like this to happen." Black Jeanne looked at Jeanne's astonished face opposite her, and her cold laughter and sharp words rang out once more.

"Hey. Please, can someone pour a bucket of cold water on my head? This is terrible, this is awful. I'm going crazy!" Covering her face with one hand, Jeanne Alter acted like a delusional teenager. "Because if it weren't for this, I'd probably die laughing at this ridiculous scene!" Jeanne Alter pointed at Jeanne standing motionless and laughed loudly. (Imagine an emoji here: "Coming over to laugh right away!")

“Hey! Look, Jill! That poor little girl! What is that? Termites? Rats? Earthworms? They're all pretty much the same, so insignificant they don't even evoke my sympathy. Ugh—really, a country that can only rely on little girls like that is worse than a rat kingdom. I say, Jill, you too—” Suddenly, the girl seemed to remember something, “Oh, right. I didn't bring Jill with me.”

The scene was very quiet for a time.

"Who...who are you!" Joan of Arc looked at the girl opposite her who exuded a demonic aura. Her face and clothes were almost identical to her own, except for the colors and patterns.

"I wanted to ask that too..." the girl said in a barely audible voice, then reverted to her previous indifferent state. "Alright, as the one in a superior position, I'll answer your question." She gently waved the black dragon banner in her hand. The girl shouted loudly.

"I am Joan of Arc, the saintly savior who rose from the dead, another 'me'."

What followed was, of course, Joan of Arc's rebuttal.

"...Don't talk nonsense. You're not a saint, just like I am. No, that's all in the past, no need to bring it up again. More importantly—" pointing the flag at Jeanne Alter, "Why did you attack this city?"

"You ask me...why?" Jeanne Alter's mockery vanished, staring at her fellow Servant opposite her. "I thought you, as a fellow Jeanne, would understand. Has the attribute transformation made you so dull? Asking me why I attacked this city? What a foolish question, isn't the answer obvious?" She shrugged, explaining casually.

"I only want France to perish. I... am a Servant." A mocking smile returned to the girl's face, but her words plunged Jeanne into an icy abyss.

"Using political or economic means is too troublesome. Wouldn't it be simpler and more reliable to just physically defeat them?"

Trembling with cold, Joan of Arc glared at the indifferent girl before her. "...What an incredibly foolish act!" Looking at her other self, who so casually spoke of destroying her country, Joan of Arc's expression darkened.

"Foolish actions? We're the foolish ones, Jeanne." Arriving at Jeanne Alter, she demanded, "Why do you want to save this country? Why do you want to save these foolish people?" Unable to contain her resentment any longer, Jeanne Alter glared at Jeanne, demanding an answer.

"Knowing they betrayed you! They despised your existence!" This question rebukes the former self, questioning why they cannot resent their past ideals and dreams.

Because I'm dead? Screw that!

Because you're a saint? Get out of my way!

So why do you perceive your own resentment as wrong?

“That’s because—” Jeanne d’Arc was about to say something, but was interrupted by Jeanne Alter.

"I will no longer be deceived, nor will I allow betrayal again." Her expression was fierce, and her words were incredibly venomous. "Besides, I can't hear the Lord's voice. Not hearing the Lord's voice means the Lord has given up hope on this country. So I will destroy it. I will carry out the Lord's lament. I will uproot all seeds of evil. As long as humanity continues to reproduce, this hatred will not cease. I will transform this France into a silent land of the dead."

"This is me," Jeanne Alter said, raising her dragon banner and pointing it at the other, her eyes filled with determination. "This is how I, Jeanne d'Arc, save my country by facing death and growing stronger, and being renewed."

Seeing the other's angry expression, Jeanne Alter's face was full of amusement. "However, you can't understand, can you? Always putting on a saintly face, always pretending not to see hatred and joy, a pure saint who has not grown at all in terms of humanity cannot understand!"

The indirect, childish remark to Joan of Arc caused her face to flush red. "What—"

"No, no, no, actually Servants shouldn't have any growth in humanity, rather it's more like an improvement in spirit...?" Roman's carefree voice came, but it made the unseen Jeanne Alter very angry.

"There's an invisible, annoying fly... If it keeps bothering me like this, I might kill it!" Looking at the surrounding ruins, Jeanne Alter seemed to be trying to find the fly's location.

"!?! My control panel is on fire! If this keeps up, the director will give me another lecture! Can that Servant curse someone just by glaring at them?!" Roman's comical voice kept coming.

But the atmosphere on the field remained frozen.

"...Are you really 'me'?" Joan of Arc still couldn't believe it.

"...This is utterly ridiculous." She tapped the black flag. "I've shown you such a simple and easy-to-understand performance, and you still have this kind of doubt. What an ugly kind of justice! It's not that you can't understand, it's that you're unwilling to understand this anger." Black Jeanne's tone shifted abruptly.

“But I understand now. Seeing you as you are now, I understand everything about myself as a Heroic Spirit. You are neither the Judge nor Jeanne d'Arc. You are nothing but the scum I discarded.” She negated everything about the other. Black Jeanne ignored the other's sharp gaze.

"Since you and I are the same beings, and of the same class, you must be somewhat confused, right? But those things are of no value to you. You are nothing but a ghost who wants to repeat the mistakes you made and recreate history. Berserker Lancer, Berserker Assassin. Take care of that village girl."

Pointing to Jeanne d'Arc opposite her, she commanded her familiars. Alter Jeanne gave the order to kill. "You're all tired of dealing with grunts, aren't you? Enjoy the thrill this time; they are powerful. Among the Servants I summon, you two are particularly bloodthirsty monsters. Sweeping away heroes is the meaning of your existence; slaughter to your heart's content."

"Very well, then the blood will be left to Yu." Wielding his spear, the silver-haired man launched the first attack.

"That won't do, Your Majesty. I also want her body, her blood, and her internal organs..." With a cruel smile on her lips, the woman moved as well.

"No, you will not succeed." Zhuo Dong, who had been listening since the beginning, was enveloped by the relentless turning of the gears of time, and golden eyes emerged from behind him.

"Open your eyes!" The sound effect rang out.

"You will all die here, blood-thirsty monsters!" The figure transformed into a golden streak of light. Zhuo launched the first attack.

The Ghost form appears for the first time (thank you for the correction).

Crimson spikes shot up from the ground, hurtling straight toward the golden figure that was flying towards them.

Nian Zhuo had just equipped himself with Ghost's armor, his figure transforming into a golden stream of light. He also summoned the Time Limit Gunsword in his hand.

With a single stroke, it shattered the oncoming spikes and charged toward Vlad III with unstoppable momentum.

He teleported in front of him, his spear-sword slashing horizontally. The gleaming silver tip of the sword aimed for Vlad III's neck.

But the Grand Duke of Romania was no ordinary man. He raised his spear, and sparks flew as the sword tip collided with the spear shaft.

He increased the pressure on his hand, pressing the tip of the sword repeatedly towards Vlad III beneath him.

However, he would not have another chance to exert force. Several magic bullets came from his side. Countess Camilla of Blood would not stand by and watch him attack recklessly. The staff in her hand kept flashing with magical light.

With the Holy Grail's blessing, Jeanne Alter, as her Master, no longer needed to worry about mana costs, and Carmilla's magic bullets instantly wove into a giant net.

But it doesn't matter.

The bright silver blade sliced ​​through the magic bullet without the slightest resistance, while the dark blade, as lustrous as a full moon, once again demonstrated the swordsmanship he had learned from Galahad.

A hole was torn in the net of magic bullets, and the turbid figure accelerated once more towards Vlad III, who was constantly creating spikes to attack from the other side.

The next moment, Zhuo's figure appeared before Vlad III, slicing through the wall made of deep red spikes. Zhuo's blade struck Vlad III's spear shaft once more.

This time, Zhuo did not maintain a stalemate with him. He leaped up, using the force of his sword to raise himself into the air, and slashed down again.

"Clang—" A powerful downward slash struck, and Vlad III's feet sank as he blocked the attack with his spear. Then, with a thought, many more deep red spikes shot out from the surrounding area.

Zhuo flipped over and landed on the ground, gripping the hilt of his sword with both hands and thrusting it straight at Vlad III's heart.

The gleaming silver blade pierced through the layers of spiked stakes. Its momentum then continued towards Vlad III's chest.

"!" Vlad III was frozen in place, facing the deathly intent that kept stabbing at his chest. His face was contorted in a ferocious rage.

“The Bloodstained Demon King (Kazikli Bey)…” Vlad III shuddered as he uttered the true name of the Noble Phantasm with a ferocious grin, his body exposed to the murky eyes.

With a helpless click of his tongue, Nian Zhuo quickly retreated. The Time King Watch in his hand was already pressed against the Time Limit Sword, and both of their magical power was constantly rising. Everyone around expected that both of them were about to unleash the true names of their Noble Phantasms.

"Quickly, get behind me! Senpai!" Mashu bit her lower lip anxiously, staring intently at Nianzhuo in the distance. She stood in front of Ritsuka and Jeanne.

"Ha—hahahahahaha!" Vlad III trembled, his ferocious face contorted with rage as he glared at the man who had just led him to his death. "What will your blood taste like! Let me savor it!"

Vlad III's torso exploded, shooting out the "stakes" generated within his body. In terms of materials, in addition to wood, there were also bones, flesh, shadows, hair, etc. Anything within range could be used as a stake.

He could even freely control these crimson piercing stakes, condensing them into thick, crimson stakes with sharp barbs, which flew towards Nian Zhuo.

On the other side, Nian Zhuo, hidden beneath the mask, exhaled a breath of turbid air. The blade in his hand was wreathed in bright silver light, and then, gripping the gleaming, full-moon-like blade, Zhuo faced the charging, deep red spiked stake.

"ZI-O GiliGiLi Slash!!" The blade, carrying a clock-like illusory image, collided with the stake—the clock, which housed the power of GhosT, shone with a deep yellow light, and the stake, unable to bear the weight, shattered with a cracking sound.

Undeterred, Zhuo charged toward Vlad III, who stood rooted to the spot, his gleaming silver blade slicing through flesh, leaving a deep, bone-revealing gash from his left shoulder to his right abdomen.

"Pfft—" Blood gushed from his mouth as the heavily wounded spearman knelt on one knee. "Why...why couldn't my spikes penetrate you...I've already managed to accept...being a vampire..."

"I am the Time King, the King of Time." With his back to Vlad III, a calm voice came from beneath the mask, "No one but myself can judge me."

"Is...that's how it is..." Vlad III lowered his head, his figure dissipating into purple particles.

Thus ended the defeat of Vlad III, the first Servant, who was a Lancer.

But it wasn't over yet. Looking at the assassin Camilla, who was stunned by the death of her companion not far away, Nian Zhuo pressed the Ghost watch on his waist.

"Flish Time!"

The turbid figure leaped up, revealing a dark golden glow.

“Omega Drive Time Breake!”

The same color lit up beneath his feet, and the murky figure, accompanied by a golden vortex, charged straight towards Camilla.

"Hey!" Camilla stared wide-eyed at Nian Zhuo flying towards her. Her vampire instincts told her that if she took this attack head-on, she would undoubtedly die like Lancer just now.

There was no time to hold back; he released the chains from the torture devices behind him. Standing before him, Camilla also began to gather magical energy.

"Phantom Maiden..." The door to the girl praying devoutly outside opened. Finally, the fangs inside were revealed.

The irregularly shaped, sharp spikes, gleaming with silver light, are undoubtedly instruments of torture that would cause the person wrapped in them to die in agony. Coupled with the legend that Camilla loves the blood of young girls, she poses a great threat to female heroic spirits.

Enveloping the figure kicked by Nian Zhuo, the Iron Maiden's door began to close, preparing to carry out her punishment, causing the person inside to bleed profusely and die in agony.

But no.

Above the Iron Maiden torture device, a woman's face trembled and her mouth opened, as if she were wailing in pain. Cracks continued to appear on the iron walls binding her body.

Then, golden rays of light shot out from the torture instruments.

"Why! Why were you able to spare the Iron Maiden from punishment!" Camilla shouted in disbelief, looking at Nian Zhuo who had been kicked away, even forgetting to dodge.

"Because...this child is already dead...a dead person...how can you judge someone who's already dead?" It felt like someone was pushing Zhuo from behind. He turned around and was met with Xiao Zun's smile.

"It's time to go, hero." "Ah, please."

The golden ghost kicked Camilla, and with blood gushing from her mouth, Camilla was kicked into the ruins, dust billowing up, her fate unknown.

"Next." Looking at Jeanne Alter, whose face had turned grim after losing two Servants in an instant, Nianzhuo beckoned with his finger.

"Country girl, it's your turn."

You give me a road!

"Next, it's your turn, country bumpkin." She beckoned to Black Jeanne, whose face was grim. Zhuo's figure shifted again, changing the Ghost watch face to the Build watch face.

"This watch face is better for dealing with you." Transforming into Build form, Zhuo charged straight at Jeanne Alter. His target was her chest—

—A cassette tape hanging above.

But how could she, as a dragon witch, be the easiest person to deal with?