"Remember this!"
With Fafnir gravely injured and all her allied Servants defeated, Jeanne Alter immediately opted to retreat. She shot a venomous glare at Daniel before glancing down at Jeanne d'Arc, then gave Fafnir the signal to withdraw. Although the dragon roared in frustration, it obeyed her command. Even with one of its wings severed, it still managed to fly.
Daniel made no move to stop her retreat. Instead, he promptly went to harvest the massive piece of Fafnir's wing he had lopped off. This was no mere wyvern part—this was from Fafnir, a true Phantasmal Species from the Age of Gods. Its value far exceeded that of any two-legged dragon.
Dragon blood, dragon bones, dragon scales—all of it was precious. Fafnir's blood, in particular, was legendary. Just look at Siegfried: after bathing in it, he gained an almost invincible body. If not for a single leaf blocking his back during the bath, leaving a vulnerable spot, he would've never been assassinated. That leaf, stained with dragon blood, eventually became the artifact used to summon him.
Even though this Fafnir was a summoned creature in a Singularity, its blood still held substantial power. It might not be of use to Daniel directly, but for Ritsuka, who was just beginning to study magecraft, it could accelerate her development. The same applied to Mash. Though she was a Demi-Servant, she still had a human body. The stronger she became, the better she could wield the power of her fused Heroic Spirit.
"Why did you let her go? What are you planning?"
As Daniel was collecting materials, Da Vinci—done helping evacuate civilians—walked over, her tone tinged with suspicion.
"Let's talk later. Help me with this first. This is Fafnir's blood, after all."
To modern magi, materials from Phantasmal Species were priceless. Even if Daniel didn't need wealth—he had gold bars stockpiled by the warehouse—materials were the true currency of the Moonlit World. Some things, no matter how much money you offered, wouldn't be sold. But with the right materials, doors could open.
He had previously thought Chaldea's spiritron calculator, Trismegistus, had been purchased with money via the Holy Grail. But after talking to Olga Marie and Da Vinci, he learned it was obtained through a contract with Atlas.
The Atlas Institute had once issued seven contracts. Anyone holding one could request anything from Atlas—even one of their seven forbidden weapons, each said to have the power to destroy the world.
"I wonder if we can raise our own Gudako out of her…"
Daniel mused to himself. Gudako was, of course, Ritsuka Fujimaru—but the meme version. A human capable of punching Heroic Spirits to death, the eighth Evil of Humanity beyond even the original seven. Chaotic Evil.
"Jeanne Alter isn't Jeanne's corrupted form. She was created by Gilles de Rais using the Holy Grail—his ideal version of Jeanne."
Once the materials were collected, the group gathered. Daniel directly explained Jeanne Alter's origin: born not from corruption, but from Gilles' twisted wish for a vengeful, ruthless Jeanne.
"Gilles…"
Upon hearing this, Jeanne d'Arc's expression became incredibly complex. As a summoned Heroic Spirit, she knew exactly what her former comrade had done after her death—becoming the infamous "Bluebeard."
Despite everything, she held no hatred in her heart. It had only been three days since her burning, and yet she bore no grudge. A true Saint.
"Jeanne…"
Marie Antoinette wanted to comfort her but didn't know what to say. All of them knew Gilles had fallen because of Jeanne's death. It was a tragic chain of cause and effect.
"So what's your goal?" Da Vinci asked after a moment of silence.
"Simple. Unlike you, Jeanne Alter wasn't summoned from the Throne of Heroes. If she disappears, she disappears forever. So I want to bring her with me."
Honestly, Daniel wasn't entirely sure about this. He wasn't the Counter Force; he had no knowledge of the Throne of Heroes. Besides, in Chaldea's future, Jeanne Alter did show up again—meaning perhaps she had returned to the Throne somehow.
But that was the Counter Force's decision. For now, he'd prioritize her safety and maybe later negotiate for her entry into the Throne.
"She's a new life, an infant given memories and twisted guidance. If someone steered her right, she could become something else entirely. I want to give her that chance."
"That's unexpected…" Romani's voice sounded over the comms, filled with emotion. After a pause, he continued, "So the Holy Grail isn't with Jeanne Alter, but with Gilles de Rais, right?"
"Exactly. So, what's your decision?"
"Thank you."
Jeanne d'Arc suddenly stepped forward, expression resolute. "Leave her to me. I'll settle this."
Though Jeanne Alter wasn't her direct reflection, Jeanne still felt responsible. As a Saint, she could not ignore her.
In the original story, Jeanne also sensed the truth but had no way to change things beyond defeating Jeanne Alter. Now, Daniel had offered another path.
Of course, Jeanne didn't mean to kill her. After learning Jeanne Alter's origins, Jeanne couldn't do that. Jeanne Alter might have her memories—but she wasn't Jeanne.
No one objected. All present were of the Good alignment, heroes who once gave their lives to save others. Siegfried, for instance, gave his heart to an artificial being to make them human in another timeline.
Even his original death had been voluntary. His body might not have been fully invulnerable, but he had still allowed himself to be struck.
"Sounds good. Let's wrap this up, then. Fafnir and the other enemies are yours to deal with. Leave Gilles de Rais to me."
"Agreed. But first, let's lift Siegfried's curse."
With Jeanne and Saint George working together, the curse on Siegfried was soon removed, restoring him to full strength. The difference between game stats and reality was clear—he may have been a 4-star in the game, but here he rivaled any 5-star Servant.
"Ugh, why does my brain go straight to 'what if Siegfried gave his heart to Mash'…?"
Daniel shook the thought from his head. Mash was a test-tube baby, and had some similarities to a homunculus. If he told Siegfried that giving his heart would save her, he might seriously consider it. But Mash would never agree. Nor would Daniel. It was just a passing thought.
Before facing Jeanne Alter and Gilles de Rais, the group decided to rest. Many of the Servants had used their Noble Phantasms and needed time to recharge—even with the summoning circle connected to a leyline.
"So this is what you were preparing for all along…"
During their break, Da Vinci approached Daniel. She finally understood why he had focused so much on studying Command Spells and summoning techniques.
Daniel had learned how to form contracts, transfer Command Spells, and store and retrieve Mystic Codes—all areas where Da Vinci excelled.
"Yes."
Daniel nodded. He'd had his reasons all along. Some of the Mystic Codes he studied were designed specifically to hide or alter Servant signatures—useful when it came time for inevitable Grail Wars.
In this Singularities-based timeline, there weren't any. But other worlds? Anything was possible.
"Your portal can go to Chaldea, right? Since we're resting, why don't we go visit?"
Elizabeth and Kiyohime arrived, bickering as always—except this time, they were united. They both wanted to see Chaldea, which put Romani in an awkward spot.
"Well… it's not impossible."
Romani paused, then relented. Normally, the repair of Human History didn't allow for such breaks. But with Daniel's portal, things were different.
The Chaldea staff and Olga Marie were excited. After all, these were legendary figures—Siegfried, Jeanne d'Arc, Saint George, Mozart, Marie Antoinette…
"Alright. Let's go."
With permission granted, the group returned to Chaldea. Seeing them, Romani sighed. The once-dire journey to restore humanity had taken on a drastically different tone thanks to Daniel's presence.
Their arrival caused a sensation. With no urgent missions, many staff came to watch. Some even asked for autographs.
"This would be a great concert venue," Elizabeth remarked after surveying the area. Many staff agreed—until Ritsuka quickly talked them out of it.
They had no idea what Elizabeth's singing actually did. Ritsuka, however, knew full well. A single concert would leave the base unable to function for days.
"How were all these Servants summoned in Chaldea anyway?"
As Olga Marie chatted with Jeanne, Daniel pondered the question. Chaldea was considered one of the four major powerhouses of the Moonlit World. Surely it had more than just Mash.
Indeed, Chaldea later housed a massive number of Servants. Even EMIYA was their cook.
The facility was designed from the start to support multiple Servants. Originally, the plan involved 48 Masters—each summoning one Servant. That even included the elite A-Team.
Had things gone according to that plan, the fight to restore humanity would've looked very different.
"Her vitals are perfect. Don't worry."
Since they were back, Da Vinci took the chance to give Mash a check-up. She usually had daily medical exams due to her condition.
"These should make great dragon-blood elixirs."
Although one could bathe in Fafnir's blood like Siegfried had, Da Vinci had better methods—alchemy to turn it into potent potions.
"This isn't how I imagined saving humanity…"
Romani appeared in Da Vinci's lab. Chaldea should have been in chaos—humanity destroyed, and the fate of the world resting on their shoulders. But with Daniel around, things had taken a whimsical turn.
Chaldea lacked resources, yes. But with portals to parallel worlds? Restocking wasn't a problem anymore.
Romani, who had studied for ten years to become humanity's savior, now found himself unsure what to think.
"Well, since you're so free, why not go chat with Magical Girl Merlin?"
Smart as he was, Solomon still fell for Merlin's prank. Daniel couldn't wait to see what reaction Romani would have when Merlin's true identity came to light.
Humanity was burning, and Magical Girl Merlin still updated her blog daily. Even Olga Marie was suspicious. Yet Romani remained hopelessly devoted—his one true passion.
"Right, Melly-chan!"
At the mention of Magical Girl Merlin, Romani's face lit up. He quickly ran off, eager for his next dose of sugar-coated lies.
"Time for the final battle. Let's move."
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