This Is My Holy Grail War [146]

The pale moon was veiled by a thick mist, obscured as if hidden behind heavy clouds. Only a faint silhouette of its glow remained in the heavens. On the burning ground below, life perished with every passing moment. All living things withered and died beneath the relentless flames.

The crackling of fire filled Jeanne’s ears, an incessant noise that grated on her nerves. The voice of Amakusa Shirou Tokisada lingered in her mind, refusing to fade.

Amakusa spoke casually about deciding the fate of humanity, his demeanor calm and composed, exuding a facade of maturity. Yet Jeanne sensed something deeply twisted in his heart—like a madman, consumed by his own deranged ideals.

Sixty years had passed since the last Holy Grail War. Time had utterly transformed Amakusa, a fellow Christian. Once a saint devoted to the people, he had fallen into madness.

To strip the world of all emotion and desire—could such a fate even be called human?

Even if it could, humanity’s drive for progress would vanish. The destiny of mankind should not be dictated by the Holy Grail. It was a future that humanity must shape on its own.

Amakusa’s wish had far exceeded Jeanne’s expectations, far beyond the bounds of what the Holy Grail War should encompass. She believed she had to stop him. Yet, she was painfully aware that her strength alone was insufficient.

Jeanne’s legs moved tirelessly, carrying her forward without pause. She ran through the burning forest, emerging into a stretch of untouched land.

This area had been spared the flames, a protective barrier warding off the scorching heat. The smoke and intense heat were completely repelled, and even Jeanne herself had to stop outside the barrier.

She had reached the fortress of the Yggdmillennia family, constructed for the Holy Grail War. From the outside, it appeared as nothing more than a thick wall of stone.

The once-magnificent castle had been reduced to ruins, bearing scars that resembled the aftermath of a meteor strike. The air was thick with chaotic magic, remnants of a great battle.

As a Ruler, Jeanne possessed privileges beyond merely identifying Servants’ True Names. She could also sense the approximate locations of all participants in the Holy Grail War.

This allowed her to navigate unerringly, guided by divine revelation. Amid the ephemeral ripples of insight, she saw a shadow—a figure with their back turned. It was Gilles de Rais.

Jeanne blinked in astonishment. There was no place for him in this Holy Grail War. Could the revelations be wrong? Such a thought had never crossed her mind.

Unable to make sense of it, Jeanne shook her head and dismissed the vision.

Following the guidance of her skill, Jeanne halted at the fortress. Though the stronghold lay in ruins, she knew the Black faction’s Servants were still gathered here.

“I am Jeanne d’Arc, the adjudicator of this Holy Grail War!” she declared loudly outside the Yggdmillennia fortress. In the name of her role as Ruler, she entered the Black faction’s workshop.

Jeanne was met by homunculi. Surrounded by these artificial beings, she stepped into the fortress.

Though the outer walls were intact, the structures within had been almost completely destroyed. The place where Jeanne now sat was a makeshift stone hut created by the Black faction’s Caster. Despite its crude exterior, the interior was tastefully decorated by the homunculi.

Jeanne observed the homunculi bustling about outside, their urgency palpable. The entire camp was steeped in tension.

“May I ask, dear adjudicator, what brings you to our faction?” Darnic Prestone Yggdmillennia greeted her with a slight bow. As the host, he conducted himself with practiced decorum.

Jeanne surveyed the Masters and Servants nearby. Once assured of their safety, she spoke. “The Masters of the Red faction have violated the rules of this Holy Grail War.”

Her words immediately stirred murmurs among the gathered magi and Servants.

“What exactly did they violate, adjudicator?” Darnic asked.

“Ruler—Amakusa Shirou Tokisada.” Jeanne’s voice was firm, her gaze unyielding as she delivered her answer. She noticed Darnic’s expression tighten.

“He was the adjudicator of the last Holy Grail War, sixty years ago,” Darnic stated plainly, offering no pretense. “I was one of the Masters in that war,” he added.

Darnic’s history was no secret. Even so, Jeanne regarded him as nothing more than a former participant in the Holy Grail War.

“He has now become a Master for the Red faction,” Jeanne explained, “and he intends to use the power of the Holy Grail to alter humanity’s destiny and destroy its future.”

Silence engulfed the room. Her revelation left the participants stunned. The dimly lit stone hut seemed colder, its grim atmosphere accentuated by the flickering lights.

Despite the addition of modern furnishings, the space remained sparsely adorned. The occasional flicker of the unstable lighting only heightened the tension.

“Unforgivable!” The Master of Saber of Black sprang to his feet, his rotund form shaking with indignation. The dimming light reflected off his face as he shouted in outrage. “A mere familiar dares to sabotage humanity’s future?!” His sneer was contemptuous.

“Are you planning to continue participating in this Holy Grail War?” Jeanne asked, her tone skeptical.

“Of course!” Gordes vowed without hesitation, his response immediate and resolute. “Victory will belong to Yggdmillennia in the end!”

Jeanne noticed the Command Spells on Gordes’s hand—three marks in total. It was evident that he took great pride in his role as a Master.

Black Saber had already defected and become Amakusa’s Servant. Jeanne hesitated to reveal this fact. Gordes seemed unaware of the betrayal.

“Do you know the current status of Saber?” Jeanne inquired curiously.

“She perished…” Gordes’s tone was sorrowful, yet tinged with pride. “She vanquished the treacherous Assassin, slew the Red Rider, and destroyed the enemy’s floating fortress. She was a Servant I took great pride in.” His chest swelled with each achievement he listed, his chin lifting higher with every word. By the time he finished, his nostrils were practically pointing skyward.

Jeanne was deep in thought. Nearly all the Red faction’s Servants had allied with Amakusa. Without the Black faction’s assistance, there was no way she could stop Amakusa’s plan to "save" humanity. Failure was not an option.

After a long silence, as the Black faction deliberated, Jeanne dropped a bombshell. “Black Saber has already betrayed you.”

“What?!” Gordes’s expression froze, his jaw nearly unhinging. “Saber… betrayed me?!”

He looked utterly incredulous. Refusing to believe Jeanne’s claim, Gordes roared in defiance. “Saber is my Servant! She would never betray me! Never!” His voice echoed with sheer disbelief.

“This is the truth,” Jeanne said as she rose to her feet, her voice steady. “I saw Saber with my own eyes, and I can still sense her presence now.”

“That must mean… the Red faction forced… forced her!” Sweat streamed down Gordes’s face. “Saber would never defect to the Red faction. There’s no reason for her to do so!” He stumbled back several steps, barely able to stand. “Ruler, you must have made a mistake. This isn’t possible. It can’t be!”

Fortunately, the small size of the stone hut saved him from collapsing outright—his back came to rest against the rough, unpolished stone wall. It was coarse, bearing jagged edges left from its hasty construction.

Gordes’s sweat-drenched face looked almost as pale as that of a dying man.

Drip.

A single bead of sweat struck the stone floor. Suddenly, he jolted upright and shouted, “We must take Saber back! He belongs to me—to me!”

He?

Jeanne caught an oddity in his phrasing. Gordes, as Black Saber’s Master, undoubtedly knew her True Name. Yet, instead of using a feminine pronoun, he referred to Saber as he.

This slip revealed something significant: Black Saber’s appearance was not as straightforward as it seemed.

“Black Saber has become Amakusa Shirou Tokisada’s Servant,” Jeanne announced, her resolve unwavering. “They are now allied.”

“I suppose that’s why you’ve come here, Adjudicator?” Darnic interjected.

Jeanne nodded and posed a critical question. “The Greater Grail—can you locate it?”

Darnic fell silent, unwilling to answer. It was his Servant, Black Lancer, who responded instead.

“Yes, the Greater Grail is here,” said Vlad III, his tone confident.

“Ruler, you seem particularly interested,” Vlad noted, narrowing his eyes.

“Not exactly,” Jeanne replied, shaking her head quickly. “I only want to confirm who currently holds the Greater Grail.”

“This is my territory,” Vlad declared firmly. “Nothing can escape my gaze.” His confidence suggested thorough preparation for battle.

“That’s a relief,” Jeanne murmured, reassured. If the Grail had been taken by the Red faction, she would have needed to organize a retrieval mission. With it secured here, she could focus on defending it against the Red faction’s inevitable assault.

“I will personally execute the traitor,” Vlad added, his voice laced with fury. The mention of Black Saber’s betrayal filled him with rage. “The traitor will face my final judgment.”

The Impaler. Jeanne couldn’t help but recall the infamous moniker that struck fear into children.

“If she is indeed a traitor,” Vlad continued grimly, “I will pierce her body from head to toe.” His savage expression lasted only a moment before it faded into composure.

“I would like to confirm something,” Jeanne said, turning to Gordes. “What is Black Saber’s True Name?”

“You don’t know?” Darnic asked, his surprise evident.

“No,” Jeanne admitted. “It seems to be obscured by a curse. All I can see is a dense, black mist.”

Jeanne’s words carried an almost hypnotic weight, drawing all eyes to Gordes. For a moment, the rotund magus raised his sorrowful face. Hastily, he answered, “Lancelot. Saber’s True Name is Lancelot.”

Everyone, including Jeanne, was momentarily stunned by his claim. Yet Gordes pressed on with conviction.

“There’s no mistake!” he insisted. “The relic used to summon Saber originated from Britain. And she confirmed it herself!”

His hands, slick with sweat, trembled as he continued. “Her weapon is [Arondight], and her appearance was altered through her Noble Phantasm. You must believe me! I swear it!”

Though magi’s oaths were not easily trusted, Jeanne detected genuine sincerity in Gordes’s eyes. He didn’t seem to be lying. Without a revelation from her divine insight, she had no choice but to let the matter rest.

“The petrifying [Mystic Eyes] which slew Jack the Ripper cannot explain this,” Black Archer suddenly spoke, breaking his long silence. “It’s possible this Saber has some connection to Perseus. At the very least, I’m certain she knows Heracles.”

Chiron, the Archer of Black.

The discussion hit a stalemate. Jeanne felt helpless. This Servant, despite appearing innocent, was a master manipulator—deceiving even their own Master and spreading countless falsehoods. A pretender who betrayed, deceived, and wielded magecraft with ease. These were the impressions Saber had left on Jeanne.

“I have another question regarding the Grail’s use,” Darnic interjected once more, his tone measured.

“Go ahead,” Jeanne replied.

“Will Ruler interfere with how we use the Grail?”

“I will not interfere,” Jeanne answered. “Once Amakusa Shirou Tokisada is eliminated from this Holy Grail War, I will completely withdraw from the conflict. The final decision on how to use the Grail will be left to the victors. Whether you share it or fight to the last, it’s entirely up to you.”

“Understood.” Darnic bowed courteously, adding an apology. “Please forgive us for the lack of proper hospitality. War often leaves us in such meager circumstances. As hosts, we regret having to receive you in this state.”

“It’s fine,” Jeanne assured him, unbothered. She cared little for superficial comforts.

“Your understanding is greatly appreciated,” Darnic replied politely, before raising his voice in a rallying cry.

“So long as the Grail remains here, we will never allow Amakusa to alter humanity. What we protect is humanity’s future!”

His resounding declaration filled the room, casting Darnic as a moral guardian of mankind’s destiny.

Outside the Yggdmillennia fortress, the surrounding forest had been completely consumed by fire. Smoke from the charred remains began to dissipate, revealing the desolate moonlight above.

Yet Jeanne could feel the temperature rising sharply, even as a Servant.

The source of the oppressive heat was Karna, the blazing son of the sun. The clearing sky was no act of nature—it was driven by the overwhelming magical energy of Black Saber.

Jeanne’s perception as Ruler offered a clear answer: the Red faction had arrived, and their target was the Greater Grail!

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This is a fan translation of 这是我的圣杯之战 by 向希望祈祷. All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!