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

—But all of that was burned to the ground by the flames.

"You were very popular?" Mary looked at Joan's expression. "I always felt that Joan had many friends back then—"

"...No," Joan of Arc paused briefly, then blushed again. "Because my hair was very short back then, and I seemed to always be treated like a boy—"

(Zhuo recalled his conversation with Joan of Arc earlier. Her face looked quite androgynous in the firelight, but if you looked down 30cm... Joan of Arc was really amazing for a 14-year-old who was so flat-chested, in every sense of the word.) Zhuo, who had a lot of inner monologues.

However, during the time he was distracted, the French Women's Club session ended. Unexpectedly, Marie Antoinette gave Joan of Arc another hug at the end.

"Ah, it's so great to be a Servant! I never imagined I'd be able to chat with Jeanne like this. Being a Queen has its advantages!"

Joan of Arc shook her head. "I should be the one saying that. I never thought I'd be able to talk to the famous Marie Antoinette. There are advantages to being a Servant."

"It's fortunate that this isn't a normal Holy Grail War, otherwise we wouldn't be able to chat so leisurely—"

“...Mary,” “Yes.”

Looking into Mary's blue eyes, a hint of lesbian romance seemed to begin between them (of course, that was impossible).

Zhuo couldn't resist stepping on a tree branch and snapped it.

"Crack—" A sudden noise broke the tranquility of the forest, and Zhuo cried out that something was wrong!

Fortunately, Mash ran over at that moment, carrying her shield. "You two! Excuse me for disturbing you. It seems there's an enemy attack! I'll go wake up the Master! And Mr. Nianzhuo, please engage them first!" With that, Mash quickly ran towards the camp.

Taking advantage of the moment when the two went to fight, Zhuo's figure sped back to the camp several times.

“Then, Joan of Arc, let’s fight like Servants!” Marie suggested, looking at Joan of Arc beside her. “Brave, strict, and relentless, yet also endearing, like a girl in love. Not as a saint, not as a queen, but purely as we are.”

"Hmm!...However, my fighting style is hardly flashy or elegant..." Joan of Arc waved her flag, sending whistling sounds through the air. "Besides—"

Looking at the spot where Zhuo had been hiding

"I have a feeling that the sound just now didn't come from the enemy."

Why are you yelling so loudly?!

No matter how many demonic monsters there were, they couldn't break through the united barrier of the Servants. When Mash struck the last monster with the back of her shield, rendering it helpless, the one-sided battle came to an end.

"Hmm," Fujimaru Ritsuka rubbed her eyes, looking like she hadn't slept well, "I was clearly dreaming~"

But things are far from over.

The director's communication came through Mashu's communicator: "Servants detected! Multiple life forms reacting!" The urgent voice alerted everyone, and even Ritsuka, who had just seemed listless, shook her orange side ponytail and became serious.

“I can’t muster any enthusiasm either. Having sharp hearing isn’t necessarily a good thing.” Amadeus shook the cane in his hand, looking miserable. “In fact, I hate this sound so much I want to scream. These hostile footsteps are more unpleasant than a shrill trumpet.”

"How can you hear me from that far away?" Looking at the data transmitted from Chaldea, they found that the other party was in a range that even ordinary Servants could not detect, yet Mozart could even hear footsteps.

“Of course. I became a Servant simply because I’m a musician, you know? I can accurately analyze any sound wave that vibrates the atmosphere.” Amadeus casually mentioned his enviable talent, but he also became unusually serious. “For example, your snoring and Maria’s snoring during camping, I enjoyed listening to both of them. And it’s not just snoring, I’ve even perfectly recorded the more subtle biological sounds (see note 1) in my mental record!”

—The illusion crumbled instantly, perfectly shattering the image of the perfect musician.

“…Sexual…sexual harassment Servant!” Holding her great shield at Amadeus, Mash took a few steps back to stand beside Zhuo.

"I'm sorry, Mashu. As his hunter, I'm truly sorry." Mary said in a tone that seemed quite used to it. "But please bear with it, because once you take his ears away, this guy will only have his perverted side left!"

"What are you talking about? Any living being, as long as it has life activities, is filthy." Amadeus slid his musical staff, looking troubled. "Only when facing this reality can music be considered complete. Life is about getting filthy and then cleansing yourself." Only when talking about music would this genius show a slightly serious side.

Then, he suddenly turned and warned the crowd behind him, "—Alright, I hear a lot of footsteps and the sound of swords being drawn. How vulgar and boring, although my music isn't for fools—"

The musical staff traced purple notes in the air, and the dirge of death emanated from them. "But at least they've come from afar. Even if it's just an impromptu, cheap performance, let you still enjoy the song of death..."

Several musical notes sang the song of death, and glass-like roses bloomed, taking away one monster after another. Next, only the 'distinguished guest' who had come from afar remained.

"Is everyone alright? Do you need any treatment for your wounds?" Mary breathed a sigh of relief after looking around and seeing that no one had any obvious injuries.

"It's alright! Director, haven't the enemies arrived yet!?" Mash, who had regained some strength, asked again. If they were monsters, where was the Servant reaction that had been detected earlier?

"—They're here! Get ready for battle!" Mary's intelligence report came after a one-second pause.

At the same time, a bright light shot straight out from the bushes ahead.

"Clang—" The sound of metal clashing rang out.

—It was Nian Zhuo. He had already summoned the Limitless Sword in his hand, and the bright silver light rushed straight towards Ritsuka. He quickly adjusted his posture and positioned himself in front of Ritsuka.

His sword was met with a cross. Having failed in its first strike, the woman of the cross swiftly retreated, creating distance.

"Thank you, thank you, Tsuru," Ritsuka said, patting her chest. Still shaken, she hadn't quite recovered.

"Good evening, everyone," the woman of the cross greeted casually, glancing at the familiar faces around her. "What a quiet night."

Martha, one of the twelve saints of Christianity, is based on Saint Martha who helped the people defeat the evil dragon. She is an exception among the Riders who can ride dragons.

Instantly recalling the information about the woman in front of him, Zhuo twirled his sword and held it in front of him.

"If I'm not mistaken, you are a saint who swore to protect the people, so why would you ruthlessly kill innocent humans?" Zhuo still chose to test them, to find out the extent of the [Berserk] that Black Jeanne had inflicted on them.

“I have been telling myself all along that I should be a proper saint, but in this world I am being bossed around by a deranged saint.” With a troubled look on her face, Martha seemed to be thinking about who she was.

"...abnormal, saint?" Joan of Arc frowned, pondering the meaning of those words.

"Yes, it's all because of her. My rationality has vanished, and I've become incredibly brutal. Right now, I'm desperately trying to control my impulses, it's really a headache~" Clenching her fist, the saintess's face revealed a dangerous smile.

"So, while I appreciate your expectations, I cannot become your ally. You wouldn't want a Servant who could be ambushed from behind at the slightest moment to become your ally, would you?"

"Then why did you show yourself?" Joan of Arc pointed her flag at Martha, already prepared to fight her.

"...My mission was to monitor you. But my last vestige of reason led me to test you. Standing in your way is the 'Dragon Witch' riding the ultimate dragon's crystal of calamity. If you cannot even surpass me, you cannot defeat her." Martha pointed the cross in her hand, declaring...

"Defeat me! Pierce my chest with your blade! My real name is Martha, well! Now it's your turn, Great Armored Dragon Tarasque!"

A huge black shadow emerged from behind Martha; it was a dragon.

It was a gigantic dragon, its scales covered with a black iron-like luster, its horns twisting and releasing a cold light, its breath spewing out intense heat, and the barbs on its tail like sharp spears.

Needless to say, it is a dragon species that occupies the top position among the fantasy species. Its true name is Tarasque. The evil dragon that Martha defeated.

"Attention everyone! Martha is a saint who subdued dragons with just prayer! If someone like her becomes a Servant, that means—" Martha's voice came from the device. In any case, the enemy in front of her was somewhat beyond her expectations.

"Let me test whether you can step over my dead body!" Martha moved, taking the dragon with her.

Wielding a cross, Martha approached Nianzhuo and waved the cross in her hand.

A clang rang out as the sword in Zhuo's hand clashed with Marda's cross. Their eyes met.

—Needless to say, I am determined to kill the other party.

On the other side, the evil dragon Tarasque spewed scorching dragon breath as it clashed with other Servants.

Amadeus's notes struck his metallic dragon scales, but failed to inflict any damage.

However, Tarask was only a young dragon, still a child and much weaker than an adult, so he fought quite well. But it was still a tough battle.

He's always been good at seduction.

The sword tip pierced the soil, and the dragon's breath scorched the earth.

And on this devastated land, roses as clear as glass bloom.

On this side, Martha and Nianzhuo were still engaged in close combat, but it was clear that Nianzhuo was at a disadvantage in terms of skill. Not only could the opponent easily evade his attacks, but he could also seize the openings to counterattack.

Zhuo gripped the sword with both hands and swept it horizontally from left to right, aiming straight for Martha's neck. This simple attack made Martha's mouth curl up in a frenzy. Just as she raised the cross to block the sword's edge, Zhuo...

Zhuo twisted his arms, forcibly changing the trajectory of the sword with his enhanced strength. The silver-white blade drew a crescent moon and slashed at Marda's neck from the opposite direction.

Meanwhile, Martha was still holding the cross in her hand to defend against the attack from the left, and this feint really surprised her.

—But that's not enough.

He released the cross he was holding with his right hand and, with a speed that surpassed Nianzhuo's, struck Nianzhuo's abdomen with his right elbow.

With an unexpected burst of force, Nian Zhuo was sent flying and crashed to the ground, rolling several times before finally coming to a stop.

"Not bad, you managed to take that attack." Martha looked at Nianzhuo, who had gotten back up, with interest and admiration. "If I hadn't gone berserk, you and I would probably have gotten along very well. But unfortunately, all I have left is killing intent, so please leave here!"

With a powerful push, Martha blasted off the ground, the cross tearing through the air as it swung towards the turbid head.

But! There's no Kansai! (Playing on a meme)

A bright red watch face appeared in his hand, and he smiled—pressing the knob on it.

A red ring that appeared out of nowhere blocked the cross in Martha's hand, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't move it an inch. So she quickly pushed back, observing the sudden change in the scene, her brows furrowing slightly.

At this moment, Nianzhuo was immersed in the joy of using the Drive watch face for the first time when a virtual hand reached out to him.

Needless to say, when I looked up, I was met with the smiling face of Tomari Shinnosuke.

"You stopped here? You're way too slow."

Zhuo shook his head helplessly and smiled, "How could that be?"

Then he grabbed Shinnosuke's outstretched hand.

"It's about to start." "Ah—"

"Self-defense established!" Nian Zhuo fastened the Drive's dial to the driver on his waist.

"Armor Time——" "drive!"

"type Speed"

Here—the Zio Drive form appears.

Clenching his fists, Zhuo felt a continuous surge of energy emanating from his body.

"Come on, let's start speeding!" The turbid, red phantom rushed towards Martha at top speed.

The visceral sensation brought by the specialized speed made Zhuo feel as if everything around him had slowed down. He sheathed the Limit Sword in his hand and charged forward with only his fists clenched.

Almost the instant his figure moved, he was in front of Martha, and punched her in the abdomen with his left fist.

Surprisingly, the attack was blocked.

Martha, one of the Twelve Saintesses, possesses a unique skill called "Miracle," which sometimes turns the impossible into the possible. While it shares some similarities with the Star Pioneer's skills, they are fundamentally different. Furthermore, the things it can be applied to are different.

At that very moment, a miracle occurred, allowing her body to react and block the attack.

But... no!

"Accelerate!" His figure transformed once more into an even faster red streak, trailing dazzling red stardust like sparks. Zhuo's agility increased again.

The second attack was from behind, which I blocked.