[Nightmare]
Unknown Universal Calendar.
Earth, year 1431.
Location: France.
Jeanne, after hurriedly escaping, went to the lower floors.
"This is…"
Her breath hitched as she took in the sight of the bloody scenery in front of her.
She held both hands close to her mouth but soon shook her head.
Crouching down, she offered a silent prayer before standing back up.
"Hey, hey, isn't this the Saintess? Since we're doomed already, why not save us kekeke?"
"That brat was good; however, what a shame."
"Yeah."
Several prisoners like her, but with obviously minor punishments, had said that.
To ridicule her? She didn't know.
They all clung to the iron bars of their cage as they eyed her with obvious intent.
Sure enough, these people were no good.
The Aristella, like them also was no good; however, he was far better, or so she thought.
And that was if anyone like that had an interest in the male.
"Sure, I'm sure the Lord would save your miserable souls at the end of your journey."
It was completely partial of her to say such a thing. Not a thing a saintess should say, obviously.
Even as of now, despite seeing what he'd done, she bore no intentions of killing him.
Then like that, she completely exited the tower.
As she did, the first thing she saw was flames rising up from the far distance.
Sights of orange, red, and black that rose up to the air.
On her face was a look of pure horror as she gritted her teeth together.
"He really did go along with that, didn't he?"
She muttered, quivering while clicking her tongue.
"That troublesome fool!"
She cursed with an unbecoming expression. Next, she sped up her movements.
Anyone who had believed she was a frail girl could never be more wrong.
Planting her feet firmly on the ground, the spot she was standing on cracked, then splintered as she began dashing towards the location in front.
It was a speed that exceeded what the normal mortal eye could hope to follow.
On the other hand—
"What on earth's sake is going on?"
By the time they noticed, it was too late. Flames, wild and unforgiving, swallowed rooftops. The sky bled red.
According to what they could make out, one of the prisoners had escaped, and their target was currently the cathedral.
"Tch. That doesn't matter. The ritual proceedings, what about them!?"
"It's no good. It would be too late by then."
"Dammit all!"
Even after going through the stress of proclaiming the holy lady and the symbolism of misfortune, it had all come down to this.
[Let the veils of fate be sundered. He who is marked by misfortune shall find his end severed in the count of five, and the one hailed as the Holy Child shall be unmade in the reckoning of nine]
Having acquired the two necessary ingredients, all this then had to happen.
And now, they had been cornered; even if they managed to leave, no, it couldn't be possible.
Where on earth would they find another Holy Child like Jeanne?
The prerequisites for being a Holy Child were harsh, and he dared say, currently in this era, there was nobody that could take her place as a Holy Child.
Misfortunes are easy to find; however, so could not be said for someone like Jeanne.
"Eiiiiy! It doesn't matter anymore! Face him and destroy him!"
The church's pope had declared. An old-looking man with white hair and a moustache, dressed in white embroidered with cross symbols.
"Arm yourself!"
In the end, having found their stance, they declared as they armed themselves up inside the cathedral.
However—
BAM!
The door was struck open. A single silhouette stood outside, with the curl of his lips.
"Behead the Misfortune and crucify the Holy Child."
"Misfortune is me, no doubt, and Holy Child… Is it Jeanne?"
The male, whose right hand was wrapped in chains and his left, which held a longsword, looked like an angel.
An angel of death, that is.
"That—that is the Misfortuned!"
"Heresy!"
They all exclaimed feverently, brandishing their weapons against the male.
As for the male, on the other hand, he knew he couldn't handle them all.
About ten priests, all heavily armed. However, because they are heavily armed, it is easier.
"All right then, you all, have at me."
Ren declared that with a growing smile.
Obviously, he was at a disadvantage, but that didn't stop him.
The priest looked at each other before glancing back. Then with a loud yell.
They had all charged at him.
One by one.
The first priest had run towards Ren, and likewise.
However, Ren had extended his reach by curling his chains over his opponent's neck.
With a pull of the chain, Ren then plunged his head into his thrust long sword.
The next had just been behind the first, in the air, with an overhead slash.
Ren had read this move too.
Hence, he baited Him, and then at the last moment, he sidestepped.
Having faced death so many times, instead of closing his eyes to await death, he could now stare it in the eyes.
Hence why he still kept his calm.
Sidestepping the priest with a vertical slash aimed just right under his helmet, Ren decapitated him.
"Two!"
"Hiiek!"
They all shrank back in fear for a second, seeing him brutalise one of their fellows.
However, as if not willing to stand this.
"Surround him! Don't give him the chance!"
The head priest had shouted while running away towards one of the doors placed on the two sides at the front of the hall.
"Urwogh!"
With a strange battle cry, they all slowly surrounded him.
"Haah. What futility."
Ren had sighed languidly, shaking his head as if he had the upper hand.
His target, however, was the head priest.
The man who was always present in each iteration.
The one who always led the charge for his decapitation.
"You, I won't let you go."
Saying that, Ren dashed towards the head priest.
Obviously, he had his priest cover for him; however, this didn't stop him.
One had particularly stood proud with his shield and longsword thrust at him.
However, his longsword was met with Ren's own, sending the priest's longsword flying.
"Ghk!"
What followed this, of course, was a sword to the throat.
Like that, he continued pursuing the head priest, who had seemed to lose the strength in his legs after seeing the misfortune easily dealing with his' priests.
"Impossible... Impossible!"
The head priest staggered back, sweat dripping from his temple.
"That strength—! No, no, NO! Only the Holy Child should have it! Not YOU!"
"It… it couldn't be… you're a limit breaker too? A Holy Child!?"
Beating a group of experienced soldiers was anything but normal.
Not to mention, they were more armed than him and also had the advantage in numbers so it couldn't have made sense.
Even an experienced soldier wouldn't go head-to-head with a group of trained soldiers.
But that's not what he was seeing.
One swing to decapitate them. And, moreso, he always went for the head.
It was a style Aristella had come to love after witnessing his own decapitation hundreds of times.
"The neck is as soft as butter. Hence, I can cut it."
Those were his thoughts, but it bore great results.
But to the priest, there was nothing more horrifying than this.
There was only one person—Yes, 'only one person' that could do this type of thing.
One who wished to stop the war so much that she awakened.
Jeanne D'Arc.
"He's a possessor of "that" too? Why is this world unfair!"
The head priest soon knelt on the floor with clear mania on his face.
He lived to see not one but two awakened humans possessing the ability to break the limits imposed upon humanity by Divine Will.
For him, no matter how much he toiled, he couldn't attain that state.
He wanted to become the saviour of the world, but such was not possible.
Of course he too was one of the victims of war.
However, when was it… that he had lost the sight of his soul and turned?
Yes. Ever since coming into contact with that "thing."
"Argh! I refuse! I refuse to believe this!!!"
"It's the end of the line, old man."
Though the man shouted in mania, unfortunate for him, death was already in front.
"Hahaha! You don't see or feel it, do you? Haven't you thought about how you were able to come this far?"
The man said such, confusing him, but he didn't speak, merely holding the longsword straight at his neck.
Any small movement from the man would result in decapitation.
"You've been blessed with abilities you don't even know about! How do you think Jeanne is the so-called Holy Saint?"
"That little girl! Just because she has been blessed with little power, going against the order like that, I can't accept it!"
Now, it started to make sense.
The reason why she'd been captured was because she was in the way.
But what interested him the most were the words he'd said, "limit breaker."
Was that the reason behind his confidence?
No.
That couldn't be it. Certainly, he had thought of their neck to be butter, but that didn't explain him slicing it like one.
Not to mention. More than anything, he excelled at attacks. To the throat more than anything.
But then. Such a thing doesn't matter.
"After all, with this. Things are over."
Pressing his longsword against his neck, with a single motion, the head priest was decapitated.
However, even after this, he felt nothing.
Only relief. Only satisfaction.
But… there was one thing, rather, one person left.
BAM!
The already opened door of the cathedral had been broken down.
Appearing there was someone who, though he'd known for a short time, had made him experience emotions others hadn't been able to give him.
Jeanne.
"Haah. Haah. I'm here to stop… Haah… you!"