Chapter 58: Full Collection of the Holy Faction—Excalibur!

By the time Lucien finished assigning tasks to Nao Hayasaka, he had just enough time to return to the Fate world.

The moment he arrived—

A familiar system notification chimed.

[Ding!~][Congratulations! Villain Sign-In Triggered!][Sign-In Rank: Purple → Silver.][Sign-In Type: Stage-Based Event Sign-In.]

[Sign-In Event: Full Collection of the Holy Faction.]

[Requirement: Recruit and reincarnate key figures from the Holy Faction as subordinates.](Examples: Xenovia, Irina, Griselda, Gabriel, Jeanne d'Arc, Reind Selzen, etc.—as long as they worship the God of the Bible, they count as the Holy Faction.)

"Full collection of the Holy Faction?"

"I get the others, but... does Jeanne really count?"

Lucien recalled the Jeanne d'Arc from the DxD world—

The one in Cao Cao's Hero Faction.

Her Sacred Gear was Blade Blacksmith, and she had joined the Khaos Brigade.

Did that still qualify as part of the Holy Faction?

"Wait… so she became a terrorist in the name of her faith?"

"Was she fighting for 'God'... or was she just delusional?"

"Did she mistake 'Jehovah' for 'Allah' or something?"

Lucien couldn't help but find the whole situation hilarious.

Just as he was mulling over Jeanne, a familiar fragrance and a soft embrace suddenly entered his arms.

Looking down—

Lucien saw a flustered, blushing woman pressing against him.

It was Aoi Tohsaka.

Her arms clutched Lucien's hands against her chest, her gaze pleading.

"Lucien-kun! I just saw Rin!"

Even though she had grown up, Aoi was sure—

That girl was her daughter, Rin Tohsaka!

And right now—

Her daughter was fighting a monster.

As a mother, how could she not be worried?

So the moment Lucien returned, she had immediately thrown herself at him.

A woman in love would naturally see her man as her pillar of support—

And for someone as traditional as Aoi, this was even more true.

"Rin? That means she's been possessed by her future self?"

Lucien glanced toward the riverbank.

"Alright, I'll check it out now."

His gaze swept across the battlefield—

And quickly locked onto a golden-haired girl standing tall, wielding a battle flag.

A braided beauty, her golden locks extending down to her waist.

Her sacred aura was impossible to miss.

Especially since—

She was activating her Noble Phantasm.

"Wait… Jeanne?!"

Lucien rubbed his eyes.

No, he wasn't seeing things.

This wasn't the Jeanne d'Arc from DxD, the one who used Sacred Gears and joined a terrorist organization.

This was—

The Jeanne d'Arc from Fate!

"So… does 'Full Collection of the Holy Faction' actually mean the Jeanne from this world?"

Lucien's expression turned slightly intrigued.

This just got interesting.

Ten Minutes Earlier.

Before Lucien returned—

At Jeanne's command, all Master-servant pairs had gathered by the river.

"Haaaaaaah!!"

Saber took the lead, stepping across the water's surface, slashing apart the tentacles of a sea monster.

While Saber held the enemy back, Jeanne began a passionate speech to the gathered servants.

"Everyone! The Holy Grail War has gone completely off course!"

"Not only are modern Masters and Servants involved—

Even Masters and Servants from TEN YEARS in the future have been dragged into this!"

"The timeline is in disarray! Even the World's Will seems to have fallen asleep!"

"But even so! As heroic spirits, we still have a duty! A duty to protect humanity and all living beings!"

"This giant sea monster grows stronger by devouring life! If we don't eliminate it immediately, it will become a world-ending catastrophe!"

"Therefore, as this war's Ruler, I call upon ALL Masters—

Even those from the future—

To work together and destroy this monstrous evil!"

"If we succeed, I will grant all participating Masters one additional Command Seal! Those who perform exceptionally will receive two!"

Her words stirred the hearts of many Servants.

And then—

"BOOM!~"

Thunder crashed.

A massive ox-drawn chariot arrived late to the battlefield.

"Well now—looks like this job is up to me!~"

Riding atop the storm, Iskandar, the King of Conquerors, grinned widely.

With a single charge, he unleashed a lightning-infused strike, severing a massive tentacle aiming for him.

Then, he turned to Saber.

"Saber! Since you have future memories, you should already know how we originally took down this monster, right?"

Saber nodded.

"I do. And unlike before, this time—

I'm at full power."

With that, she leaped from the river's surface, dodging an incoming attack with ease.

Iskandar's eyes lit up.

"Good! Full power is exactly what I wanted!"

He grinned excitedly.

His battle against Gilgamesh had been a clear loss—one he fully acknowledged.

But that fight didn't satisfy him.

What he truly desired was the thrill of raw combat—

And nothing could give him that more than a clash of warriors!

With Iskandar and Saber present, Jeanne finally sighed in relief.

She knew that in the original timeline, these two were the key figures in taking down the Sea Monster.

"I understand your resolve! Then I leave this to you both!"

Raising her battle flag, Jeanne blocked a massive dragon breath attack, preventing it from reaching the residential area.

Taking advantage of the opening—

Iskandar quickly rallied with Saber.

"Saber!"

"Same plan as before! I'll drag this monster into my Noble Phantasm!"

"While I hold it down, you charge up your attack!"

"Once you're ready, I'll eject the monster at the designated location. Sound good?"

"No problem! I already confirmed the coordinates with my Master!"

Saber's voice carried newfound resolve.

Her future knowledge had allowed her to see through the Grail's true nature—

Which meant she had softened her stance toward Kiritsugu Emiya.

"Alright then!"

"Let's begin!"

[Ionian Hetairoi! (Army of the King!)]

Iskandar's Reality Marble engulfed the battlefield—

Dragging the Sea Monster into his domain!

Meanwhile—

Saber sprinted across the river, rapidly reaching her targeted location.

And then—

"BOOOOM!!"

The battle was only just beginning.

"Whoosh!~"

The Invisible Air dispersed.

A golden radiance erupted—

The Sword of Promised Victory illuminating the battlefield, sending ripples across the river's surface beneath Saber's feet.

The Servants of the Fate world were fundamentally different from the Devils of DxD.

DxD's Devils had a balanced power output, with no glaring weaknesses—

Even their physical bodies were exceptionally strong.

But the Servants of Fate?

They were highly specialized, almost extreme in their abilities.

Unlike Devils or Angels, who were smooth, all-around powerhouses—

Servants were more akin to Sacred Gear Users.

Or more accurately—

Noble Phantasm Wielders.

Every summoned Servant was at least a top-tier Ultimate-Class Devil equivalent—

And their true forms were one to two whole tiers stronger than their manifested copies.

But unlike ordinary Sacred Gear Users, Servants didn't just wield weapons.

Their Noble Phantasms were the manifestation of their legend itself.

In a way, all Servants started in a permanent Balance Breaker state!

The strongest among them?

They were on par with Longinus users—

Or even beyond.

After all, Longinus Users rarely had the physical power of a Servant.

And Saber…

Was one of the absolute strongest.

"EX————"

Saber's red lips parted slightly.

Instantly—

Her sword erupted in a blinding, golden radiance.

This was Excalibur—The Sword of Promised Victory.

A blade that could manifest the strongest fantasy—

A weapon that shone with the brilliance of the stars.

This sword—

Surpassed all space and time, embodying the unfulfilled dreams of mankind.

This sword—

Forged by the stars, infused with the radiance of human history.

This sword—

Was the pinnacle of both man and star, a weapon that only those acknowledged by both could fully wield!

Golden particles streamed through the air—

Gathering toward Saber's holy blade.

"Saber! Five seconds until Iskandar releases the Sea Demon!"

"Five… Four… Three… Two… One!"

"Here it comes!"

Iskandar's Reality Marble collapsed, ejecting the Sea Dragon Beast at the designated location!

At the same moment—

Saber's charge was complete.

"CALIBUR!!!"

A torrent of starlight burst from Excalibur, surging forward—

To purge all evil before it!

The Sea Dragon Beast was completely engulfed.

Its flesh burned away, unable to withstand the holy energy.

"GRAAAAAARGH!!!"

It howled in agony, its massive body writhing in pain.

But then—

Something felt off.

"No! This one is different! This fusion of Sea Monster and Dragon Beast is much stronger than the original!"

Even as Saber's light engulfed it, the creature continued to scream—

That meant it was still alive.

It should have been obliterated instantly!

But it wasn't.

Which meant—

Her attack wasn't enough!

"It's not enough! Master!"

Saber gritted her teeth, feeling the strain.

She needed reinforcement—

Now!

"By this Command Seal—Saber! Fully unleash your Noble Phantasm! Exterminate the Sea Monster!"

Kiritsugu activated a Command Seal.

"HAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!~~"

With her Master's forced mana infusion, Saber's magic power overflowed—

Reaching its absolute peak!

Her sword's radiance surged to unprecedented levels—

Consuming the Sea Monster whole!

"Did it work?"

Jeanne's hopeful gaze focused on the battlefield.

But the moment she spoke—

A death flag had already been raised.

"GRAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!"

A roar tore through the sky.

The sheer sonic force shattered the surrounding dust clouds, even dispersing the storm clouds above.

"It's still alive?!"

Emerging from the fading light, the Sea Monster's massive body was only half-destroyed—

The other half had already started regenerating.

In just a few seconds—

The creature's full form was restored.

Jeanne and Saber's eyes widened in disbelief.

"How the hell—?!"

This recovery speed was insane!

So it was true—

The same attack never works twice on a Saint Seiya!

Meanwhile—At the Church.

Kotomine Kirei strode forward, unfazed by the battle.

He had no interest in fighting the Sea Monster.

Jeanne's reward didn't tempt him at all.

One Command Seal? Two Command Seals?

Did that even compare to the dozens he was about to obtain?

But even though he wasn't participating, the battlefield situation still caught his attention.

If Saber's Excalibur couldn't destroy the monster in one blow…

Things were getting troublesome.

"Gilgamesh, if you used Ea—"

Kirei hesitated for a moment, then voiced his suggestion.

"Kirei… Are you asking this king to deal with this beast?"

Gilgamesh's golden snake-like pupils gleamed with a strange light.

"Yes, King of Heroes. I ask that you exterminate this creature."

Kirei spoke frankly.

If the monster continued its rampage, this entire war would collapse into chaos.

His stage for entertainment would be destroyed.

Kirei's words were blunt, but—

Gilgamesh didn't seem offended.

"Very well, Kirei. I shall grant your request."

"However—"

"I will only act once two conditions are met."

Kirei smirked slightly.

"Understood. If that is your decision, then I shall wait."

With that, he turned and walked deeper into the church—

Seeking out his father, Kotomine Risei, to fulfill his long-standing wish.

"Kirei, aren't you curious about my conditions?"

Gilgamesh's lips curled playfully.

"No need."

Kirei's voice was calm.

"A servant should not question his king."

"Unless you wish to tell me, I won't ask."

Gilgamesh laughed in amusement.

"Hahahaha! Kirei, your self-awareness is truly commendable!"

"As a reward, I shall tell you my two conditions."

"First—Saber must be utterly defeated. She must experience the limits of her so-called power."

"Second—that faker must appear."

"That faker?"

Kirei immediately understood.

If he had received his future Servant's power—

Then the faker likely had as well.

And when he appeared—

Gilgamesh would personally teach him the consequences of stealing from the King.

Elsewhere—

The battle was about to reach its climax.

On Jeanne's side, the second phase of the operation began immediately.

"If one holy sword isn't enough—"

"Then how about two?"

At that moment, Rin Tohsaka finally arrived at the battlefield.

She had been recovering her mana at the Einzbern Castle, but before she even reached half-recovery, she had been dragged out to work overtime.

"With two Excaliburs, our odds of victory should rise significantly!"

Jeanne sighed in relief.

Thanks to her future memories, she knew that Saber had participated in the Holy Grail War ten years later.

And if that was the case—

Then the Saber of this era's young Master should have inherited her power as well!

At first, they hadn't called him because—

One Saber seemed enough.

Besides, forcing a child into overtime felt wrong.

But now—

With the threat escalating to this level—

Forget child labor laws—everyone was getting dragged into overtime!

(Image: Jeanne d'Arc, Heroic Spirit Form)