Act I – The Hundred Years' War of Evil Dragons: Orléans.
Allow me to delve into my memories for a moment.
You know it all yourselves. My golden days, when I traveled the world, sending forty-eight bastards to the next world. A bad guy who hunts bad guys. And then – cancer, a laboratory where they beat all the shit out of me, and superpowers as a reward. Taking this opportunity, I send a fiery "action beam" to Francis – that scoundrel who gifted me these awesome abilities.
In short, here's what I'm getting at. All those "superheroes" always whine that revenge is wrong. Will it get easier when you achieve it? Won't emptiness set in? Won't you yourself turn into a monster by killing monsters? What utter bullshit.
Justice? We don't give a damn about justice.
We need retribution.
"I crave retribution. Bishop Pierre Cauchon."
In the main hall of the cathedral stood a knight in black armor. Golden beast-like eyes, sparkling on his pale face, oozed hatred and fury.
"O-once! Spare me at least once! Holy Maiden! I... I was just following orders from above!"
The man who called the black knight "Saint Maiden" knelt, fervently praying for mercy. Bishop Pierre Cauchon, facing death, instantly forgot the steadfastness of his faith and began to deny everything he had done in the past.
In the past…
The Bishop had personally witnessed her burn in the fire. He had even waited until the end of the execution to ensure nothing remained of her but charred remains. If she had survived, it would have been an excellent excuse to accuse her of witchcraft again, so he hadn't left until the very last moment. But on the pile of ashes, untouched by the flames, only a small cross remained standing.
Three days later, she returned. She returned exactly as he had portrayed her in his speeches – the Dragon Witch.
"Bishop, lift your head. Your guilt will not be punished. This is a blessing! Oh, my saint! With the resurrection of Jeanne d'Arc, we shall shed the burden of our sins and receive grace!"
Behind the bishop, a man in a purple robe suddenly appeared. His pale skin, disheveled hair, and the mad gleam in his bulging eyes marked him as insane.
"I-I beg you…!"
"Who dares to object to my arguments, relying on absurd excuses?"
Hearing Jeanne's question, Bishop Pierre raised his face, drenched in sweat, tears, and snot, and pointed a trembling finger at himself.
"I-it's me…"
"Who ordered the soldiers to mock me? Who tried to defile the sacred body granted by the Lord? Who claimed that wearing men's clothes for the sake of honor was against God's will?!"
Jeanne's fury reached its limit. But this fury, distorted by madness, suddenly gave rise to a sweet pleasure. Looking at the man who had burned her three days ago and was now groveling at her feet, she felt an unprecedented ecstasy.
"It's me!!"
"Who?! Who called the holy war for the salvation of the homeland, begun by God's word, a senseless massacre? Who branded me a witch's spawn? Who proclaimed me an apostate who mocked God?!"
This was her final question. The verdict had already been passed.
Jeanne drew her sword, and tongues of flame danced in the air. The moment they touched the bishop's robes, the fire turned into a raging inferno, devouring him alive.
"It's me-e-e-e!"
Gasping in unbearable pain, he still begged for forgiveness. No, what forgiveness? There wasn't a drop of true faith left in him, and she no longer wanted to hear these pleas. However, even if he were thrice a believer, it wouldn't have changed anything…
"My revenge has only just begun. Your so-called God has forsaken me. Well, I am an apostate. A devil's daughter who trampled on sacred things. The Dragon Witch!!"
Soon, Bishop Pierre's body crumbled to dust. Jeanne would have liked to torment him longer, but time was pressing. Her revenge could not be limited to just one pathetic bishop.
"My Gilles de Rais."
"I am listening, O Saint."
The man in the black robe, Gilles de Rais, opened the grimoire clutched in his hands, summoning a magic circle.
"Since you desired it so much, I shall grant you your wish. A monster… a demon… The Dragon Witch!!"
"Appear! Guardians of the Scales!"
At Gilles de Rais's incantation, the vast hall of the cathedral was flooded with blinding light. From this radiance emerged Servants – Heroic Spirits, seated on the Throne beyond time and space.
"My dragons. Become the seven demons who proclaim the end of times and ravage this world. Burn the kings, devour the soldiers. Swallow the children, tear apart the women. Show the truth to the fools who indulge in God's false promises."
Six Servants, including Gilles de Rais himself, knelt, accepting Jeanne's "blessing." This was the power granted to her as a Ruler-class Servant.
Jeanne bestowed upon each of them "Mad Enhancement" – the Berserker's ability that consumes reason in exchange for colossal power.
"Incinerate everything."
◇
"Senpai, Mr. Pool. It seems we've arrived safely."
The first transfer of spiritual particles into the Singularity was successful. Ritsuka and Mash stood amidst the endless meadows of France. Assured that everything was in order, they contacted Chaldea.
"Safely? Hell no! It felt like my kidney was spat out! I'm so nauseous… just awful!"
Behind Ritsuka, Deadpool doubled over, clutching his stomach and feigning retching.
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah. Everything's fine. Just messing around."
Mash and Ritsuka merely winced at his antics. The heavy mission of finding the Grail, requiring utmost seriousness, rested on their shoulders, and this guy kept clowning around.
"Fou! Fou-fou!"
As Deadpool laughed, looking at their sour faces, something familiar and fluffy flew into his face.
"Fou tagged along too?"
"Fou!"
The little creature furiously kicked its paws at Deadpool's face, making yapping sounds. The leyshift system had registered three people: Mash, Ritsuka, and Deadpool. How Fou got here remained a mystery.
"It seems he wanted to go with Wade so badly that he hitched a ride."
"Fortunately, since Fou has attached himself to one of us, we can return together."
"For Fou's sake, we must complete the mission and return in one piece," Mash declared resolutely, responding to Ritsuka's words with a smile.
"I know, of course, that the origins of this game lie in adult eroge, but FGO is actually a turn-based strategy game for selling characters through gacha! And by the way, this isn't a game. Is this even a damn game? This isn't 'Girls' Frontline.' Anyway, deal with your romances after the mission."
As expected, Deadpool took on the role of mediator. First, Ritsuka's group, following Roman and Da Vinci's instructions, decided to find a ley line to activate the summoning circle. Since they didn't know what or where anything was, they should stick together as closely as possible.
"The temporal coordinates indicate the year 1431," Mash reported. "France in 1431 is still fighting the Hundred Years' War with England. However, a truce is in effect this year, so we can rest easy."
"A truce?" Ritsuka asked.
"Like a timeout," Deadpool explained. "In soccer, there are first and second halves, and a break in between, get it?"
Ritsuka nodded – Deadpool's explanation immediately clarified things.
The war between England and France, which had dragged on for a good hundred years, didn't mean continuous slaughter day after day. There were minor skirmishes, but large-scale battles didn't always rage. Kings changed, borders shifted back and forth annually, and both sides needed time to simply catch their breath.
"Mash, Wade… look, the sky?!"
They had walked a considerable distance when Ritsuka suddenly looked up. His gaze met a giant, inky-black hole gaping in the sky, like a puncture in the firmament itself.
[Oh! The picture is coming through. Okay, guys, what are you staring at?]
"Doctor Roman, there's something strange in the sky…" Mash responded. "I'll transmit the image now."
She pointed the communicator's lens to the zenith. When Roman saw the transmission, his jaw dropped.
[That's… well, it looks like some kind of magic formula. But the scale… Wait, it's in Earth orbit! Like a ring of light. The size… my gods! It's as big as North America!]
"Oh-ho, bigger than Canada," Deadpool whistled.
An unimaginable magical contour stretched over the lands of France in 1431. Who, why, and with what purpose had such a thing been placed in orbit? There were a mountain of questions, but for now, they needed to put out fires closer to home.
[We'll deal with the ring here in Chaldea,] Roman promised. [You focus on finding the Grail.]
"Yeah, we've got our own problems to sort out," Deadpool grumbled. "I hope this thing doesn't fall on our heads?"
[Figuring that out is Chaldea's direct responsibility. So, Mr. Pool, please, get to work.]
Surprisingly, Deadpool didn't clown around and simply nodded. Even this incorrigible joker understood that when something unidentified on a planetary scale hung in the atmosphere, it wasn't time for jokes.
"Senpai, wait," Mash said, her voice tense. "Someone is approaching. It looks like a French patrol."
"Oh, did we scatter leaflets about our arrival?" Wade chuckled. "I didn't expect to be greeted with honors."
A group of soldiers appeared from the direction of the settlement. Apparently, a regular patrol making rounds of the area.
"Senpai, should we try to make contact?"
"I think that's too dangerous," Ritsuka hesitated.
And there was reason in his words.
A girl in strange armor with a shield the size of a gate, a man of Eastern appearance, and a guy in a tight red suit – any guard would find such a company suspicious. However, Mash didn't seem to share Ritsuka's concerns.
"After all, we are people just like them. If we start a conversation, we can avoid unnecessary friction. Don't you think so, Mr. Pool?"
"Huh?"
Mash turned around and froze. Deadpool was already seated at a long table, which had appeared from who knows where and how. The table was adorned with exquisite sweets and a tea set – all in the best traditions of an outdoor banquet.
"Nothing sets a friendly mood like a cup of tea," Deadpool declared. "Besides, I'm Canadian. You can count on my French. Bonjour, monsieur!"
The soldiers approached closely. At first, they were clearly confused by the sight of the trio, but they confidently headed towards Deadpool.
"Monsieur Ti Patissier?" Deadpool gallantly offered tea, but the soldiers didn't budge. They scanned him with their eyes, studying every detail. The pastries on the table smelled appetizing, and the fragrant steam of freshly brewed tea wafted above the cups. Such hospitality should have worked, but one of the guards' gazes froze on Wade's clothing. On the chest of his fitted coat, a coat of arms depicting a lion was emblazoned.
"A lion's crest on the chest?! They're English!"
"I'm Canadian, you idiot!!" Wade roared.
Deadpool flinched and tried to tear off his clothes, but this only added fuel to the fire.
"And yet, everything seemed so perfect…" Mash sighed, looking at the failed operation.
"Yeah, a fitting moment to fall into despair," Ritsuka muttered. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
The French soldiers had already drawn their swords and presented their spears.
"We need to appease them somehow! Hey, hey, Doc! Do you have any French jokes handy?"
"French jokes?!" Roman exclaimed indignantly. "How should I know! I don't even have friends to exchange jokes with, I'm a lonely recluse… Ah, damn, why did you remind me of my sore spot!"
"Useless hikikomori…" Deadpool hissed. "Go hide in a corner!"
[In a corner… in a corner…]
The situation wasn't improving. The soldiers, not understanding a word of this bickering, tightened their circle, and their intentions were quite clear. Realizing they would have to resort to the last resort, Deadpool drew his blades.
"Mr. Pool, they are humans," Mash reminded him. "They are not our target…"
"Eh, fine. I'll have to do something outside my specialty – knock them out with a blow to the neck! Try to just stun them."
"If Mash hits them with her shield, they'll die," Ritsuka added.
But Deadpool and Mash, as if caught up in the general excitement, had already broken away and leaped into the thick of the soldiers.
"Deadpool and Mash! Cross-attack!"
"Are you two teaming up?!" Ritsuka could only shout after them.
***
Read the story months ahead of the public release — early chapters are available on my Patreon: Granulan