Chapter 41: Holding Dual Scripts, Taking Jeanne to a Hotel

Afterward, Kuroda Takashi seemed to recall something and began to explain in detail:

"Back then, after I fell off the cliff, I could feel my life slipping away bit by bit. I had to do something… otherwise, I would have died right there. Actually, the reason I came to the back of Mount Enzou today was to try summoning a powerful Servant. But before I could even attempt the summoning, this happened. So, as I was on the brink of death, I used my own blood to draw a summoning circle, hoping to call forth a Servant who could save my life."

"I desperately prayed in my heart, and then, my consciousness began to fade. Just as I was about to lose myself to the darkness, I felt the presence of something like a vengeful spirit beside me. When it realized my condition, it wrapped me in that black mist, and then I completely blacked out. The next thing I knew, I woke up and saw you, Jeanne. That’s everything I remember."

"However, now that I’m awake, I’ve noticed something else in my mind—some kind of knowledge about how to use this power."

Takashi raised his hand, and the black mist surged from within him, swirling around both himself and Jeanne. Ghostly figures emerged from the mist, but Takashi suppressed their ferocity, making them appear as ordinary spirits.

"This power… I can’t even see through it."

Jeanne activated her [Revelation] skill, attempting to discern the nature of this power and identify which Servant could wield it. Yet, to her surprise, her skill seemed ineffective—she couldn’t perceive anything.

"So… what exactly is going on, Jeanne? Do you understand? Why did I suddenly gain this black mist? And if I successfully summoned a Servant, why can’t I sense it now?" Takashi quickly retracted the mist and asked.

Jeanne pondered for a moment, combining her knowledge of the Holy Grail War with Takashi’s experience. After careful consideration, she spoke:

"If I’m not mistaken, your injuries were healed by the Servant you summoned. Your situation is also quite unique—the reason your Servant disappeared is that it has merged with you, just like how I am merged with Laeticia."

"Merged with me?"

"Yes. The fatal wounds you sustained, combined with the passage of time, would have been beyond the healing capabilities of ordinary magecraft. That’s why the Servant you summoned chose this method of fusion—distributing the damage and suppressing it with its own power. After merging with a Servant, your physical body has become akin to that of a Servant. What would be a fatal wound to an ordinary human is now negligible to you."

"So… my Servant didn’t vanish. It fused with me and granted me the same power as a Servant… just like Laeticia and you?" Takashi closed his eyes, trying to sense something, then added, "But I don’t feel its consciousness. I don’t even know the name of the Servant I summoned."

"It seems your situation is even more peculiar than mine," Jeanne said. "In order to heal your body, the Servant may have fallen into a deep slumber… or perhaps it only left behind remnants of its power within you. So, Shirou-dono, you are now both a Master and a Servant. You alone are equivalent to two participants in this Holy Grail War."

Takashi nodded, though his thoughts were entirely different:

"Perfect. Jeanne has successfully been misled into believing that I’ve merged with a Servant. This means the plan is nearly complete. I’m essentially holding two scripts now."

After a lengthy discussion, Jeanne and Takashi returned to Ryuudou Temple. However, unlike before, Jeanne packed her belongings, explained the situation to the temple’s head priest, and terminated her rental agreement before leaving with Takashi.

There were several reasons for her decision:

Ryuudou Temple had been attacked by an unknown Servant, making it no longer secure. With the enemy lurking in the shadows, Jeanne agreed with Takashi’s suggestion to relocate to a more populated urban area to conceal their presence.

His fusion with a Servant was a phenomenon Jeanne had never encountered before. To uphold the integrity of the Holy Grail War—whether in dealing with the rogue Servant or investigating Takashi’s situation—Jeanne needed to stay by his side.

"Shirou, it seems we haven’t found any traces of that Servant in the city."

The final reason was Jeanne’s hope of using her class abilities to locate the rogue Servant. Unfortunately, she had no success. As for the change in how she addressed Takashi, he had explained afterward that he was using a pseudonym to conceal his identity as a Master in the Holy Grail War.

"Let’s call it a night. If we can’t find the enemy now, we’ll just have to rest and resume tomorrow," Takashi said. "Even if you want to investigate the irregularities in this Holy Grail War, Jeanne, it’s not something that can be resolved immediately. We’ll have to wait until that Servant makes another move to expose its weakness."

"Very well." Jeanne nodded, reluctantly accepting the situation.

[Ding—]

"Congratulations, Host! You have successfully deceived the holy maiden Jeanne d’Arc, diverting her investigation into the Holy Grail War’s anomalies toward Emiya Kiritsugu. You have pitted the two enforcers of the Counter Force against each other. Reward: 500 Villain Points, 10 Standard Gacha Tickets, and 1 additional Command Seal. Current Villain Points: 3,000."

[Ding—]

"You have triggered the Villain Main Quest—[Holy Grail War: Black vs. Red]. The number of Servants in this Holy Grail War has far exceeded the standard seven. As the mastermind, you will manipulate the entire war, toying with every Master and Servant, ultimately emerging as the supreme victor. Fulfill the mission objectives for generous rewards."

Mission Rewards:

10,000 Villain Points

1 Legendary Gacha Ticket

1 Villain Template

Mastery of the Third Magic: Heaven’s Feel

1 Dimensional Travel Scroll

[Ding—]

"This main quest includes secondary objectives. Current secondary objective: Obtain all seven standard-class Servants (one for each class). Progress: 4/7. Upon completion, reward: 1,000 Villain Points and the passive aura [Master of Seven].

[Master of Seven] Effect:

All Servants under your command receive a rank-up in parameters (max: EX).

Mana consumption is reduced—supporting seven Servants costs the same as supporting one.

You may select any one Servant and inherit all its parameters, skills, and Noble Phantasms. Can be switched at any time."*

Three consecutive system notifications left Takashi momentarily stunned. After carefully reading the rewards, he couldn’t help but exclaim internally:

"Holy shit, System, when did you become so generous? 10,000 Villain Points right off the bat?"

"Host, this is your first major Villain Main Quest! The rewards have to be worthy of your efforts~ So go all out, Host! This System can’t wait to see you dominate this Holy Grail War!" the System replied cheerfully.

"Got it. But first, let me get a room with Jeanne."

"???"

A real man keeps his word. Without hesitation, Takashi took Jeanne straight to a hotel and approached the front desk.

"Two single rooms, please."

The receptionist looked up, glancing between the handsome Takashi and the stunning foreign blonde beside him. A knowing smirk appeared as he cleared his throat.

"Ah, my apologies, sir. Our single rooms are… all fully booked."

"What? All booked?" Takashi frowned.

"It’s peak travel season, so rooms are in high demand. However… we do have one double room left. Perhaps the two of you wouldn’t mind sharing for the night?" The receptionist winked.

"Uh…" Takashi immediately understood the misunderstanding.

"Besides, two single rooms would cost much more than one double. When traveling, it’s always better to save money where you can, right?"

"Shirou, a double room would be fine. It’s more economical, and we can keep an eye on each other," Jeanne added after checking the prices.

"Wait, Jeanne, aren’t you concerned about… propriety?" Takashi almost blurted out, but then he remembered—historically, Jeanne d’Arc hadn’t cared about such things.

If she didn’t mind, neither would he.