Thinking back, Jeanne had felt something was "off" from the very beginning.
A battle with many participants—seven Servants against seven Servants. Such an extraordinary situation indeed necessitated the summoning of a Ruler.
However, Jeanne was certain that the purpose assigned to her was not merely this.
It felt as if something within her was urging her forward. Rather than a sense of duty, it was more of a sense of crisis, as if something irreversible was happening.
Her encounters with Artoria, her conversations with Shinji, and the intelligence she received from Kairi all confirmed this feeling.
Upon seeing the enormous floating fortress, Ruler's anxiety peaked.
That should be the aerial fortress belonging to the Red faction. Despite the numerous Holy Grail Wars, such a thing was exceedingly abnormal. If it were merely a matter of flight, there would be no need for a Servant; modern technology and magecraft could achieve that. However, this was something from an entirely different dimension. Even in the Age of Gods, few could accomplish such a feat with magic.
It was likely a Noble Phantasm belonging to one of the Red Servants, and an exceptionally powerful one at that. According to her "Revelation," the root cause of her summoning lay at the heart of that fortress.
"It seems this won't be easily resolved."
Not to mention dealing with the lethal being hidden within, even reaching that person would not be a simple task. Yet this did not shake Jeanne's resolve; she bore not only her mission but also the trust of her friends.
The obstacles came quicker than she expected. In front of the galloping Dun Stallion, hundreds of dragon-tooth soldiers gathered, sensing Jeanne's presence, and immediately charged at her.
Faced with such several dragon-tooth soldiers, even a magnificent horse like Dun Stallion, active since the Age of Fairies, couldn't simply charge through as before.
However, the white horse showed no signs of slowing down. Upon spotting the dragon-tooth warrior, Jeanne gently patted its back. The spirit-bound horse quickly understood Jeanne's message—keep moving forward, leave the obstacles to me.
This girl, exuding a similar aura to its master Artoria, was a trusted friend of its master and thus also a trustworthy figure to Dun Stallion. Since Jeanne requested it, Duon Stallion would comply without hesitation.
Just before the white horse's head was about to touch the dragon-tooth soldiers, Jeanne swung her holy flag, sweeping away the obstructing soldiers.
Indeed, this holy flag was her usual weapon, not the crystalline one-handed sword at her waist.
Whether it was a custom of the time or a mere coincidence, the French military flags had spear-like tips at their tops, which Jeanne used specifically for attacking—either by stabbing with the flag tip or using the flagpole to strike enemies. The flag, representing military spirit and morale, was extraordinarily sturdy. While no one had done this before, it undeniably proved effective as a weapon. Jeanne's bravery in battle, always leading the charge with the flag flying at the forefront, greatly boosted the French army's morale, turning the tide of the Hundred Years' War in favor of France.
Of course, her comrades, led by Gilles de Rais and the Duke of Alençon, disapproved of this method and often advised Jeanne: "We don't mind you stabbing and hitting people, but at least take the flag down. The flag is useless in battle and can sometimes be a hindrance."
This advice was not without merit. However, these sword-wielding noble comrades never considered what a three-meter-long wooden pole with a metal tip would be without the flag—a spear. Spearmen are known for having lower luck. Just look at King Arthur, whose luck is B~A with a sword but drops to C when wielding a spear. Jeanne's initial luck value was C; if she used a spear, it might drop to E. At that point, any stray arrow could end her life, let alone save France or liberate Orléans.
Thus, Jeanne received a revelation from the Lord guiding her, instructing her to ignore her teammates and use the flag as a weapon. From then on, Jeanne proudly used the flag as a weapon, citing the "revelation that the flag's tip should be used to strike others," and continued to do so until she became a Heroic Spirit. (Only the advice is real; the rest is a joke.)
With a sharp roar that seemed to split the battlefield, Jeanne effortlessly cut through the dragon-tooth soldiers' obstruction.
Although she adhered to the principle of "avoiding actions directly affecting the Holy Grail War's outcome," since the enemy had acted against her, there was no other choice.
Just as she leveraged the speed advantage of her white steed to evade pursuit, new obstacles emerged.
These were not from the ground but from the sky, descending from somewhere in the inverted aerial garden—human-sized "somethings."
These entities flew over the cataclysmic battlefield between the Servants, over the endless meat grinder of homunculi, golems, and dragon-tooth soldiers, diving towards Jeanne.
Their upper bodies resembled dragon-tooth soldiers, but they had wings sprouting from their backs, and their lower bodies were distinctly bird-like.
"Harpuia...?"
Jeanne mused.
"No, they're modified dragon-tooth soldiers?"
Through the knowledge imparted by the Holy Grail, Jeanne identified the true nature of these creatures.
As aerial beasts driven by insatiable hunger, Harpuia were naturally cruel yet cowardly, making them unsuitable as soldiers. Thus, Red Assassin Semiramis had fused them with dragon-tooth soldiers, creating entirely new magical constructs: "dragon-wing soldiers."
Despite bearing the name "dragon-wing," the soldiers' shabby and grotesque appearance was unmistakable. However, this did not mean the dragon-wing soldiers were weak. Their claws were sharper than steel, their flight speed surpassed that of eagles, and they were numerous, just like the dragon-tooth soldiers. The sight of over a hundred dragon-wing soldiers attacking simultaneously resembled a scene from a bird funeral, all launching an assault under the orders of the garden's mistress to eliminate any intruders.
As flying units, they could attack from all directions, making it troublesome even for someone with Jeanne's Saber-level attributes to fend them off purely with martial prowess, especially since she also had Dun Stallion to protect.
Fortunately, while Jeanne might not excel in offense, she was highly adept at defense. The dragon-wing soldiers had picked the wrong opponent.
The legendary maiden who had saved France gripped her holy flag with both hands and, with a saintly posture etched into history, invoked the true name of her Noble Phantasm.
"God is Here With Me!"
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I added New Typemoon Fanfic: Aozaki Aoko Case File