"Die!! Dragon Witch!!!" Tens of thousands of French soldiers chased after them, forcing the group to run for their lives.
"We're clearly helping them, yet they're chasing us!!!" Mash shouted, carrying a massive shield with Fou perched on her head.
"I'm out of mana, teehee," Caster said, bonking his head, pretending to be useless.
...He's a Servant, outrunning these humans should be a piece of cake, yet he's acting like he's weak.
[Hurry up, everyone! They're catching up!!]
"Maybe the reason Orleans became a singularity is because of these medieval French people. I think the Dragon Witch was right!" Gudako said, causing the group to steer clear of her.
"I'm sorry for dragging everyone into this," Jeanne said, clutching her flag, tears streaming down as she apologized repeatedly.
"Take this! Combine! Witch Slayer!" The French soldiers shouted, converging into one spot.
They began climbing over each other, tens of thousands of French soldiers forming a giant robot made of their bodies.
"Holy sheet?!"
"Fire!!" The French robot launched a single French soldier at them, which exploded on impact.
"Aghh!!"
"What?! A Broken Phantasm?!"
"Fouu!!"
Seeing the dire situation, Jeanne stopped in her tracks.
"This is my responsibility! I have to stop them!"
"By killing them, right?" Gudako asked.
"W-what?! No! They're innocent—"
"Get out!" Gudako kicked Jeanne aside and raised her hand with the Command Seal.
"Caster Cú Chulame, use your Noble Phantasm!"
"My name is Cú Chulain, not Chulame!"
"Whatever, Mario!"
Caster stepped in front of Gudako, raising his staff.
"Don't get burned!"
A swarm of glowing particles surrounded him.
"Timber giant, eaten away by fire.
Be imprisoned in a cage of flame!"
Flames erupted, spreading across a wide area.
"Wicker Man!"
A massive burning wooden figure appeared behind him.
The French soldiers flinched but didn't panic.
"Don't be afraid! It's the witch's magic!"
They charged forward, aiming to punch the Wicker Man.
"...Poor things, the Wicker Man's gonna blow up soon," Gudako said, wiping a tear like a saint, causing Mash to back away from her again.
And, well... as expected, the Wicker Man exploded, sending the combined French soldiers flying in all directions, each one scattered.
"Phew! I'm gonna enjoy spamming my NP more often," Caster said, wiping his sweat and looking at the group.
"Good job, Mario!" Gudako gave a thumbs-up.
"Senpai... I think we should use this chance to keep running. What if their reinforcements show up?"
"What? Nahhh."
[About 100,000 soldiers are heading this way. That's an alarming number!] Roman warned.
"To the forest, live like Tarzan!" Gudako pointed to the woods.
So, the group dashed toward the forest, with Jeanne clumsily trailing behind.
"Don't leave me behind!!"
***
In the middle of the forest, Mash gathered firewood, and Caster used runes to create a fire.
Jeanne sat leaning against a tree, looking at the three of them, not counting the... rabbit or whatever it was.
[You're Jeanne? Jeanne d'Arc?] Roman said, typing something.
"Um, I am a Servant of the Ruler class, and for some reason, I was summoned a few days after my original self was burned to death."
"Ruler? You mean like a measuring ruler?" Gudako scratched her head.
"No, Senpai, Ruler is like an arbiter! 'Coach don't play,' something like that!" Mash explained while Fou watched Caster struggling to cook.
"ohhhh… you mean a ruler?"
She didn't hear anything Mash said.
"Then give us a reason to trust you, Miss Ruler," Caster looked over at Jeanne.
"I know you don't trust me, but Orleans is in danger… another me, wearing black, has thrown the whole country into chaos."
"I thought France was already chaotic?" Gudako smiled innocently, making Mash cover her mouth.
"B-but even in chaos, there are still innocent people! They have nothing to do with this!"
"Huh? You mean the people who happily shouted your name when you were burned at the stake? Totally innocent, huh?" Gudako kept that innocent smile, while Mash and Fou tried harder to shut her up.
"S-still, if this isn't stopped, France will never know peace!"
"Peace? You mean becoming a colonial empire, invading Vietnam, and committing countless crimes? That's some peace you're talking about." Gudako, with that same innocent face, delivered another critical blow.
Mash and Fou had no way to deal with her anymore.
"…" Jeanne fell to her knees, on the verge of tears.
"Master, aren't you being way too harsh on her?" Caster said, handing each of them a bowl of soup.
"Oh, thank you dog. I'll savor every flavor of this soup made by a blue Irish dog. Good job!"
"You couldn't even thank me properly?!"
Just as Gudako was about to sip the soup, a voice rang inside her head.
'Master, it's me, Nura.'
The moment she heard that name, she threw the bowl of soup straight into Caster's face.
"Nura?! Where are you?! I don't want to stay with this blue mutt Caster anymore!"
"What did I do to you??"
'Master, where are you right now?'
"In the forest, why?"
'Perfect. I think you should head straight ahead. There's a castle near this forest. I'm currently fighting a Servant… I think.'
"What?! My brother in arms! We've got to save Nura!" She kicked the entire pot of soup, startling everyone.
"I haven't even eaten yet!" Jeanne looked painfully at the soup spilled on the ground.
"Caster! Got any runes that'll let us run faster?!"
"Nope."
"This Lancer is useless, he might as well just die."
"Rude."
'Master, I advise you not to join this battle.'
"Huh?! Why??"
'Because the enemy numbers are overwhelming. Even if you go, you probably won't win. I think you should summon an Archer-class Servant to attack from a distance instead.'
An Archer, not Baeber?
Ughhh, if Nura says so, then I've got no choice!
"Let's go, we're heading to the wilderness. I'll summon a Servant!"
"Huh? Summon?" Jeanne looked surprised.
Well, normally to summon you'd need a magic circle, artifacts related to the Heroic Spirit, materials, blah blah…
Pretty long process, basically you'd have to prepare beforehand.
'And she's planning to summon right now?' Jeanne scratched her head.
"COME ON, WHAT ARE YOU STANDING THERE FOR?!"
"AH! WAIT FOR ME!"
***
"I can see the castle in the distance," everyone stood in the desolate grasslands.
Not far away, the ruined castle loomed, and they could even hear the sounds of battle from there.
"THIS IS BAD! MY NURA IS FIGHTING OUT THERE! MASH, PUT THE SHIELD DOWN!!"
Mash carefully placed her shield onto the ground, which surprised Jeanne.
"First time?" Caster smirked at her.
"This shield… it's the summoning circle for a Servant? So they don't need catalysts? They're summoning based on her personality?" Jeanne asked, pointing at Gudako.
[Not exactly random. They'll summon from Chaldea's list.] Roman's voice echoed.
"Huh? I thought you were dead?"
[What do you mean by that?]
"Alright, Senpai, you can use the Saint Quartz now," Mash said.
But Gudako's face twisted in pain.
"I don't wanna use Saint Quartz…"
"Huh? Then what else are you going to use to summon?"
"…Oh, right!"
She pulled something out of her pocket, and everyone stared.
"…What is that?"
"Friend Points!"
Friend Points? That's a thing? Why have I never heard of it?
"GACHAAAAAAAA!" she hurled it onto Mash's shield.
The shield immediately glowed, but unlike a Saint Quartz summoning, most of what appeared were worthless in Gudako's eyes.
Until—one card emerged.
"YES! A SERVANT! ARCHER, RIGHT?!"
But the bronze card revealed a Caster.
"Damn it! This is all Lancer's fault! Lancer's luck is garbage!"
"I am Caster."
The card transformed into a Chinese man holding a military strategy book, wearing traditional robes and glasses.
"Servant, Caster.
My name is Chen Gong, and my courtesy name is Gongtai.
Getting summoned like this must be a form of fate.
I look forward to working with you in the years to come."
It was Chen Gong.
Suddenly, Caster, Mash, and Jeanne all felt chills run down their spines.
Not because he was terrifying… but because he was dangerous. Dangerous in *that* kind of way…
"Oh, I'm Gudako! Nice to meet you!"
"Oh, Master. Just treat me as a tool. I'll devote myself to supporting you… as long as you have enough allies to spare."
Alright, this bastard is dangerous! He's 100% the type to sacrifice allies!
"Sounds so cool!" Gudako's eyes sparkled, forcing Jeanne to step back.
The two of them were a surprisingly good match.
"But I still didn't get an Archer… and I'm out of Friend Points… What should I—"
Suddenly she froze, then widened her eyes.
"THAT'S IT! SOMEONE ELSE'S SERVANT!"
…Huh?
Right after that, a flash of light appeared beside her, startling everyone.
"I am Arash! I've come because you needed my help!"
…Huh??
[Wait a second?! Where did that Servant come from?! I didn't see you summon anything again!] Roman panicked.
"Well, I didn't summon him. This is a Servant I borrowed from another version of myself in a different Chaldea!"
The heck?? You can do that?!
"Interesting… Master, you're full of surprises," Chen Gong adjusted his glasses with a natural smile.
"So, what do you need me for… other Master?" Arash scratched his head a little.
This girl was the female version of his usual Master. She's probably just as kind as he is, right?
'Did you summon an Archer yet?'
"Yup! And it's Arash too!"
'Arash?'
"He's the nuke Servant! You're lucky!"
'Then fire it right now. I'm injured.'
Hearing that, she looked straight at Arash.
"Use your Noble Phantasm."
"…Huh?"
"Noble Phantasm."
"Wait, what?! I came here to help, why are you suddenly making me blow myself up??"
"Command Seal!"
The Command Seal on her hand glowed, forcing Arash's body to move. His whole form shone as the aura beneath his feet swirled violently.
"STELLA!!!"
He loosed an arrow glowing blue, like a falling star, straight toward the castle.
Everyone was shocked, stunned, horrified.
…Except Chen Gong. His eyes sparkled exactly like Gudako's.
BOOMMMM
The entire castle erupted in a massive explosion, like a nuclear bomb.
As for Arash? He returned to Mother Earth.
"What a difficult battle… and with casualties too, how terrible. Surely, this is all Lancer's fault." Gudako wiped fake sweat, crocodile tears streaming.
"…" Everyone stepped back, not wanting to go anywhere near her.
Well—except Chen Gong. Already, he felt that the Master before him was the one he would serve faithfully for life, never forgetting, even in death.
Chen Gong Bond 0 → 1!