I, Wang Ha, the Three Red Unparalleled Assassin

Arthas was taken aback when he saw Joan of Arc looking at him, then turned and disappeared into the darkness of the forest.

Meanwhile, Joan of Arc, with her extraordinary perception that covered the entirety of Tulipas, firmly locked onto Arthas's trail and took off after him.

Although the stout Gold was a magician, he was very untrained and, in addition, his expertise was in alchemy, so he was not skilled at using enhancement magic.

Therefore, the idea of ​​trying to win over the Arbitrator at Danic's request also fell through when Joan of Arc disappeared, because Gordes simply couldn't catch up with her.

Furious at having botched a mission, Gold yelled at Siegfried, who was in the middle of a battle:

"Saber, give it your all and crush our opponents! We can't go back empty-handed this time!"

Siegfried did not respond to this, but the magical power he unleashed suddenly increased to another level, and he began to counterattack Karna with exquisite swordsmanship.

"Oh? Has your fighting spirit grown even stronger?"

Karna brandished his spear, parrying Siegfried's series of slashes and strikes, his blue eyes flashing with a fiery red light.

"If you are not afraid of the divine spear I wield, then come forth! Siegfried!!"

In a clearing in the forest, Arthas, who had arrived earlier, stood waiting for Joan of Arc's arrival.

Despite arriving as an Avenger with his own unique skills, Arthas did not descend into madness.

Although he was indeed influenced and controlled to unleash the Scourge when he pulled out Frostmourne before his death, this negative status was later removed using a premium item from the Great Tomb of Nazarick.

After all, compared to Deathwing's 'Whispers of the Old Gods' and 'Sorrow of the Earth', the negative effects of Frostmourne are far less significant.

Even Nessalian could be healed by pay-to-win items, so it's not surprising that the corrupted and mad Lich King could be restored to the humble and kind Prince Arthas of the past.

In short, spending money makes you stronger, and spending money solves everything.

Perhaps, if Arthas were to descend as a Berserker, he would be a mad and tyrannical undead lord, unleashing a terrifying catastrophe capable of destroying the world.

"The adjudicator? It must be because of Shishikatsu Kairi's illegal summoning that they came to me."

"But fortunately, it was descended as an Avenger, whose skills can restore mana, enough to maintain a certain level of mana consumption in regular combat."

"Otherwise, with the Master's mana reserves, not only will we not be able to realize the wonderful fantasy of 1+1>2, but we will also end up in a state where Mordred and I are equally matched."

The sound of iron boots pounding the ground grew louder as Joan of Arc, fully armed, appeared before Arthas. She stopped and looked at the silver-haired, blue-eyed youth standing in the center of the open space.

"A·venger, summoned by a certain Master of the Red Team in violation of regulations, is the Lich King Arthas Menethil, who leads the Scourge army of undead from another world."

“My name is Jeanne Dark, and I am the arbiter of this Holy Grail War.”

Joan of Arc planted her flag and spear in the ground, her gaze fixed firmly on Arthas. Her beautiful face, usually reserved and serious, was now solemn as she solemnly declared:

"To uphold the fairness of the Holy Grail War and to ensure the normal conduct of the Holy Grail War."

"According to the relevant regulations and rules, I hope you can voluntarily withdraw or stay by my side until the war ends."

Looking at Joan of Arc, whose face was holy and steadfast, Arthas could indeed sense the aura of a priest and a power similar to holy light emanating from her.

As for these devout and steadfast believers, verbal reasoning usually doesn't work, and sometimes even physical persuasion is ineffective.

"Sigh, there really isn't any room for negotiation. It seems we can only settle this with our hands."

Arthas sighed and lowered his head, then his entire aura underwent a dramatic change. A deep blue magical power erupted from his body, bringing with it a bone-chilling frost.

The pitch-black, menacing armor was constructed from magic, and the icy blue Frostmourne appeared in his palm. Two flickering blue lights shone from the slits of the eyes on his helmet.

“Holy Maiden, your agonizing cries will be the best proof of my wild power.”

Arthas's deep murmur echoed through the forest. He rested his greatsword, which exuded a sinister and chilling aura, on the ground with both hands. His long cloak billowed behind him in a magical whirlwind. The Lich King, who once sat atop the Frozen Throne and looked down upon the world, had descended upon this place.

"The holy light that prides itself on justice and fairness will surely be forever condemned to the all-encompassing darkness!"

Seeing that Arthas was about to violently resist the French, Joan of Arc naturally did not hesitate or back down, and took the lead in raising her flagpole and charging forward.

Arthas blocked Joan of Arc's spear thrust with his greatsword, then pushed off the ground with his right foot, using his height to knock Joan of Arc, who was much shorter than him, away.

Frostmourne, brimming with the power of death, aimed straight at Joan of Arc's face, forcing her to fall backward uncontrollably. She then tumbled several times, somewhat awkwardly, to avoid Arthas's fatal blow.

Golden holy light and gray death aura swirled and intertwined in the air. The destruction caused by the battle between Jeanne d'Arc and Arthas was no less than that caused by Karna and Siegfried in the distance.

The sudden outbreak of battle attracted the attention of nearby Servants and Mages, but the other two Servants, whose battle was at a stalemate, had no time to pay much attention to what was happening outside the arena.

Only Gold stared wide-eyed at the forest that had been frozen solid in the blink of an eye, stunned by the faint hint of death emanating from it, and dared not muster the courage to go and investigate.

"Did the Red Team send other Servants to intercept and kill the Arbitrator? With that level of power, he must be an outstanding Servant who ranks among the top."

Martha, who was rushing in this direction, immediately recognized the identities of the two combatants. She leaped through the air, using tree branches as footholds, and called out:

"Hey, Tarask! You stupid turtle, hurry up and catch up with me!!"

In the forest, the contest between Joan of Arc and Arthas was a one-sided and overwhelming affair from the very beginning.

After descending as a Servant, Jeanne d'Arc's agility and luck are far superior to Arthas's, but her endurance and magic power are relatively lower, with only her strength being comparable.

With the two having similar physical attributes, the outcome of the battle was already a foregone conclusion.

Arthas, a paladin by birth, had undergone rigorous and systematic combat training, while Joan of Arc, a village girl from the French countryside, did not have such valuable experience.

Moreover, compared to Joan of Arc, who often served as a symbol and leader on the battlefield, Arthas was a valiant man who would inevitably lead his loyal Death Knights to the front lines in every major battle.

Arthas kept close to Joan of Arc, preventing her from effectively utilizing the advantages of her long-handled weapon, the flag spear, while Arthas raised his greatsword and slashed at her from various tricky angles.

"What's wrong, Holy Maiden? Your movements in wielding the flag spear were full of flaws!"

Joan of Arc, gritting her teeth, was exhausted from Arthas's relentless and stormy offensive, and was firmly suppressed at a disadvantage with no way to turn the tide.

After all, the two are far apart in terms of combat experience.

The greatsword flew in all directions, tracing countless paths. Its sharp blades whistled as they cut through the air, and the resulting gusts of wind left deep and shallow furrows on the ground, sometimes even severing the surrounding trees.

Joan of Arc managed to remain undefeated thanks to her agility, but this tactic couldn't last long, and Arthas soon found a weakness in her.

"What!?"

Amidst Joan of Arc's cry of alarm, the flagpole in her hand was skillfully deflected from her grasp by Arthas's greatsword, landing on the ground dozens of meters away.

The somewhat panicked girl looked up at the greatsword that Arthas was holding with both hands and about to bring down heavily, her right hand involuntarily gripping the rapier that always hung at her waist.

Chapter 158 Joan of Arc: Do you all really want me to self-destruct?

Although Jeanne d'Arc is mostly a Judge when she appears as a Servant, she also has the adaptability of a Saber-class Servant.

The knight's sword that always hung at her waist was not just a ceremonial decoration for show, but because she was indeed a skilled swordsman.

(Note: Jeanne d'Arc clashed with Archer (Red Archer) with her sword in the opening PV of FGO.)

At the critical moment, Joan of Arc drew her sword and slashed upwards, barely managing to deflect the downward slash of Frostmourne, the slender blade emitting a mournful cry.

Compared to the broad and heavy greatsword Frostmourne, Saint Catherine's sword in Jeanne's hand is not even a Noble Phantasm in itself.

The fact that it wasn't severed in one blow suggests that the material and forging process were decent, and that no corners were cut.

Joan of Arc gripped the sword in one hand and used the other to brace against the blade, employing strength comparable to Arthas's to push upwards and deflect the heavy sword that felt like a mountain pressing down on her.

Taking advantage of the brief few seconds, Joan of Arc swiftly moved away from the Lich King, leaping several times to get quite a distance before catching her breath.

“Truly tenacious. Holy Maiden, your spirit is commendable, but one must always act within one’s capabilities.”

Alsace stood with his sword in hand, displaying the demeanor and domineering presence of a king to the fullest, which reminded Joan of King Charles I, who once ruled France.

Even though both are kings, they cannot be compared side by side.

A wise king does not fly into a rage for the offense of others, and Arthas, the Lich King, was no exception.

Although Joan of Arc immediately asked him not to interfere in the Holy Grail War, Arthas did not fly into a rage.

Whether as a prince or a paladin, or as the Lich King, Arthas would never stoop to such a despicable act.

Judging from the fact that Kairi of Lion's Prison illegally summoned the eighth class, their side did indeed violate the relevant rules of the Holy Grail War, and Jeanne d'Arc, who wanted to fulfill her duty, was not wrong in herself.

A true champion will not deny the mistakes he has made.

Since that is an unchangeable historical fact, it is better to think about how to remedy the situation and prevent it from happening again than to waste time on it.

Therefore, when facing Joan of Arc, Arthas did not intend to argue, and he was not prepared to leave the scene so easily, so his only choice was to settle things with force.

"Step back, you are no match for me."

"There are still many aspects of this Holy Grail War that require your supervision. I don't want the first Servant to fall under this demonic sword to be the one who judges justice."

After hearing Arthas's words, Joan of Arc fell silent. Even though she didn't want to admit her powerlessness, the reality was that she couldn't defeat him.

Perhaps, if they directly use their ultimate Noble Phantasm as a trump card, they might still have a fighting chance.

But as the Lich King said, the Holy Grail War has just begun, and she will need to monitor the movements of both the Black and Red factions for the next six days to ensure that there are no irregularities.

The previous incident where Karna ambushed Joan of Arc had already sown the seeds of doubt in her heart.

If someone wasn't acting out of guilt, why would they bother sending out such a powerful Servant to wait for a neutral third party who wouldn't normally intervene in the Holy Grail War?

However, Joan of Arc was also unwilling to leave as advised by the Lich King, because such an action would also violate the duties of the adjudicator.

If you make the first mistake, there's no guarantee you won't make the second, third, or even more mistakes later on.

This is something Jeanne would absolutely not allow to happen, and judging from the Servants she has encountered so far, she can basically not defeat any of them.

So what difference does it make whether we retreat or not?

"It's alright, even if I leave the stage. I'm sure the Holy Grail will summon a more suitable Servant to succeed me as the Arbiter and continue this duty. I just want to have a clear conscience."

Joan of Arc figured out the problem that had been troubling her, her furrowed brows relaxed, and she looked inexplicably much more relaxed.

"It seems you have made your choice."

"It is regrettable that you did not heed my advice, but this only makes me admire your noble character even more."

The Lich King gazed at Joan of Arc, whose eyes were firm and clear, as if he could see directly into the girl's radiant soul.

The young woman who stepped forward without hesitation to lead the army to victory during a time of national crisis deserves to be sung and praised for her actions and deeds.

She may not be the saint of the whole world, but she was certainly the saint in the hearts of the French people at that time.

"Since that's the case, then I will bestow upon you a grand exit ceremony, holy maiden from a foreign land!"

As the Lich King's stirring words resonated, a vast amount of magic surged forth, and Frostmourne, which was originally a mage's sword, finally had the opportunity to do its proper work.

A complex and intricate multi-layered magic circle unfolded around Arthas in a circular pattern, with pale blue runes and magic patterns shimmering with a mysterious light.

The fully deployed magic circle soared into the sky, transforming into a pillar connecting the sky and the earth.

Joan of Arc, who had already decided to sacrifice herself for righteousness, did not show the slightest fear in the face of the Lich King in full force. Instead, she solemnly knelt on the ground, gripping the blade of her knight's sword with both hands.