A warm, damp sensation enveloped her entire body.
Stepping through a thick layer of white fog, Jeanne once again felt solid ground beneath her feet, finding herself standing on a familiar street.
She knew this street intimately—having passed through it countless times, either leaving or returning home.
But Jeanne was certain this wasn't the same place she knew so well. Despite looking identical, she couldn't sense even a hint of human presence here.
Recently, the weather had been unbearably hot and sunny, so hardly anyone ventured outdoors unnecessarily. Yet, it was impossible for the place to be this utterly lifeless, devoid of all vitality.
The sky was bright, yet the sunlight falling on her gave Jeanne a strange chill. Intricate, kaleidoscopic patterns covered the sky, slowly rotating and distorting, making her feel dizzy.
All these anomalies clearly indicated to Jeanne that this wasn't Kuoh Town.
She had been transported into an alternate dimension, just like the battlefield where she once fought Riser—an exact one-to-one replica of the real world.
Turning slightly, Jeanne gazed at the white mist behind her.
As an artificially created small world, it had boundaries, and the mist itself marked these borders, somewhat akin to the edges of an old "Minecraft" world.
Feeling the faint sense of threat from the mist, Jeanne instinctively tensed.
Even Jack's fog barrier didn't provoke this level of instinctive unease. Quickly, she recalled relevant information from her memories.
"[Dimension Lost], a Longinus-class [Sacred Gear]..."
[Dimension Lost], the strongest barrier-type [Sacred Gear], manifested as dense mist capable of creating barriers tailored to its wielder's desires, each barrier endowed with unique properties.
Among the thirteen Longinus, [Dimension Lost] ranked fourth, with [Boosted Gear] fifth and [Divine Dividing] sixth. While rankings didn't absolutely define power, only the top four were considered "High-tier Longinus."
The barrier trapping Rias and the others in the Underworld had likely been crafted by [Dimension Lost]. No wonder even Odin, God of Wisdom, could only teleport himself inside, while Loki had later exploited it. The original wielder must have abandoned it afterward.
It was also probably how Diodora had swiftly traveled from the Underworld to Kuoh Town.
"You recognized [Dimension Lost] and still boldly walked right in here? I must admit, you're quite courageous."
A voice echoed nearby, but Jeanne wasn't surprised. She had already sensed the presence.
Standing atop a residential building was a young man clearly of Eastern origin, dressed in traditional Chinese attire, with a sharp, youthful face.
More concerning to Jeanne, however, was the spear resting on his shoulder—a spear emanating an aura akin to twilight and fresh blood, causing a prickling sensation across her skin.
From that spear, Jeanne sensed a threat on par—or perhaps even greater—than Fenrir's god-slaying fangs.
Despite holding such a lethal spear, the man was unmistakably human—not a devil, not a god, merely a human.
Yet, he stood with an arrogant smile, observing Jeanne with an evaluative gaze.
"I admire your courage. For a human to become a hero, to achieve the impossible, one must indeed possess a foolish amount of bravery... Oh, human who claims the name 'Jeanne.'"
Jeanne stared at him, her gaze sharpening as magical energy surged within her body, radiating intense flames.
"What fierce killing intent," the spear-wielding man chuckled lightly. "But I don't think such hostility is necessary between us."
"You casually threw disgusting trash right at my doorstep, and now you expect polite conversation?"
Jeanne sneered mockingly, "Do you not realize how illogical your words are?"
"For that, I apologize deeply. But there was no helping it—I was simply too curious about you. After all, you're like us: humans who bear the title of 'hero.' Clearly, we should be allies rather than siding with devils or fallen angels."
Jeanne found herself deeply irritated by him. She couldn't pinpoint exactly why, but whenever this man uttered words like "human" or "hero," she felt an immediate sense of disgust.
Facing Jeanne's hostile stare, the man suddenly amplified his voice as though delivering a grand speech.
"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Cao Cao, descendant of the famous Cao Cao from the Records of the Three Kingdoms... And this—"
Pausing for dramatic effect, Cao Cao raised his dangerously emanating spear.
"You've been staring at this spear, so you've probably recognized it already, yes? Indeed, this is the strongest Longinus—[True Longinus], the Holy Spear of Twilight. As someone who calls herself 'Jeanne,' surely you recognize it."
Flames suddenly exploded forth.
Without hesitation, Jeanne attacked, launching a massive fireball that obliterated the building Cao Cao stood on.
Lightly landing atop a streetlamp, Cao Cao glanced calmly at the burning ruin, slowly shifting his gaze back to Jeanne.
"You keep emphasizing phrases like 'someone who claims to be Jeanne,' as if deliberately provoking me. What's your intention?"
"I'm just speaking the truth. After all… the real Jeanne is with us."
Cao Cao's words hit precisely the nerve Jeanne had been sensitive about.
"But honestly, I don't care who's real or fake, nor why you insist you're Saint Jeanne… I only care if you're human."
"A human who defeated both the Governor-General of the Fallen Angels and the Archangel. Since learning of your existence, I've become incredibly intrigued. That's why we used Diodora—to test you. Unexpectedly, we discovered a delightful surprise."
Jeanne's expression darkened, while Cao Cao's smile deepened.
"Our leader… So she's been hiding with you all along. We've been looking for her a very long time."
Suddenly, the bright sky dimmed, and the earth trembled slightly—mere illusions produced by the oppressive aura Jeanne unleashed.
Cao Cao's pupils narrowed sharply.
Jeanne merely stood still, yet her overwhelming presence momentarily halted his breathing and heartbeat.
This absurd strength was entirely uncharacteristic for humans.
Humans were fragile, lacking innate strength or magic, forced instead to rely on external tools and refined skills.
Cao Cao had always believed this—until he met Jeanne, the singular exception.
His body instinctively shuddered, the fear understandable when facing an insurmountable mountain. Yet, paradoxically, his heart raced with excitement, his blood boiling, drawing a delighted grin across his face.
"How did you become so powerful? I'm increasingly eager to recruit you—or at least fight you once. But first, I must report about our leader Ophis."
Jeanne advanced steadily toward Cao Cao, each step imposing heavier, tangible pressure, suffocating him with oppressive weight.
"Exactly to prevent that information from reaching your allies—I came here."
"I figured. You probably won't let me leave easily."
Cao Cao tapped his shoulder casually with [True Longinus], displaying his annoying, arrogant confidence.
"But I wonder… How exactly will you stop me?"
White mist rapidly surged around Cao Cao, beginning to envelop him for a teleportation escape.
Jeanne sneered at the sight.
"Anchor release!"
Instantly, brilliant golden light pierced the sky, forming a towering pillar.
Waves surged at the spear's tip, scattering golden particles like stardust caught in a hurricane, solidifying the unstable space.
The mist rapidly dispersed, exposing a bewildered Cao Cao.
From the [Savior Blade], she'd drawn [Rhongomyniad], the Lance of the End, once wielded through the Saint Graph of Artoria (Ruler). Its presence instantly stabilized this fragile dimension, sealing any chance of escape.
Golden light shot forth like javelins, forcing Cao Cao into frantic defense.
Jeanne smiled mockingly. "What happened? You seem awfully distressed now. Weren't you curious about how I'd stop you? Why aren't you arrogant anymore?"
Known for holding grudges, Jeanne despised anyone flaunting arrogance before her.
Suddenly, she paused awkwardly, recalling the origin of the radiant spear behind her.
Wait… This belonged to that Burger King, didn't it?
She briefly hesitated, then stopped the spear's attacks, feeling inexplicably uncomfortable wielding a weapon once belonging to King Arthur.
Instead, she would deal with him another way.
Just then, a monstrous beast burst forth, lunging at her with three vicious heads.
Her golden eyes turned icy, uttering one chilling command:
"Scram."
Scarlet flames exploded outward, engulfing the monster instantly.
It charged through the flames, injured but still standing. Jeanne swiftly drew her sword, decapitating it in one clean strike.
Facing Cao Cao once more, Jeanne raised her hand, unleashing relentless fire. Another resistant beast protected him.
"Beasts resistant to fire… specifically to counter me. Clever."
"Indeed, simple trash like Diodora wouldn't suffice for testing you."
Cao Cao readied himself grimly, realization dawning on him.
"You hold many secrets… Two Jeannes, an unknown holy spear, your incredible strength. If I wish to survive, it seems I'll have to defeat you and that spear behind you."
"Indeed, but—"
Magic surged fiercely around her, flame-like and overwhelming, her killing intent drowning everything else.
Jeanne raised her chin proudly, voice sharp and commanding:
"Do you really think you're capable?"
---
T/N: "Mm. If you've read this far, I suppose you're at least a little invested."
"If you want to support the translator, there's a Patreon here: patreon.com/wisetl. It's optional—think of it as tossing a few extra coins on the counter. Early chapters are just a bonus side-effect of that support."
"This place also has its own strange currency… Powerstones. For every 100 Powerstones the story gets, you'll receive 1 bonus chapter. 100ps = 1 chp, 200ps = 2 chp, 300ps = 3 chp… you can do the math."
"If you'd rather talk than throw money or stones, there's a Discord: discord.gg/wisetl. Go there if you want to complain, theorize, or poke the translator for more updates. Just don't expect me to mediate your arguments."
Say thank you to Maomao guys