Brilliant motes of golden light shimmered as a blonde girl knelt piously at her window, bathed in power flowing from the Throne of Heroes.
"Physical vessel—suitable."
The mechanical, lifeless voice echoed in her ears as sanctified strength poured into her fragile body.
"Spirit origin—suitable."
The gaze of the Counter Force swept over her, sending shivers through her soul.
"Bloodline—suitable."
A resonance stirred in the depths of her veins, ringing through every fiber of her body as if her very muscles rejoiced.
"Personality—suitable."
In the blink of an eye, will descended from the Throne of Heroes, overtaking her mind. A presence beyond the world itself supplanted her thoughts, seizing this delicate yet sturdy vessel.
"Mana flow—suitable."
The mana of the Root surged into her, constructing a lattice of Magic Circuits in an instant. With the combined authority of the Counter Force and the Throne, the foundation for a Ruler's manifestation was set.
And with the vessel's permission, Jeanne d'Arc opened her golden eyes, drawing in the scent of night air.
"So… this is the living world?" Her words carried a quiet complexity. She glanced once at the slumbering "classmate" in the bed, then calmly gathered clothes and travel belongings, already planning her journey to Romania, to Trifas, where the Holy Grail War awaited.
She never noticed the small drone hovering silently outside the window.
Its frame was painted jet black, its engines specially tuned for absolute quiet. It was built with techniques of Magecraft, yet emitted not the faintest magical signature.
That was why it escaped Jeanne's notice—despite her EX-rank Magic Resistance, despite her ability to sense even faint magical ripples.
And yet, Jeanne bore the skill Revelation, an ability bordering on precognition. So why had she failed to sense the drone?
No matter the reason, the feed it carried had already reached Rhodes.
—Servant: Ruler. Manifested in this world.
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As dawn and dusk cycled and the Holy Grail War drew near, tension thickened across Trifas. Streets emptied, the entire city weighed down by a quiet, solemn air.
"You're asking how I slipped past her Revelation? Simple. Just a tiny trick."
In the Yggdmillennia castle, Rhodes lounged across a sofa, head pillowed on Tamamo-no-Mae's lap, face buried between her thighs as he wiggled lazily like some spoiled brat.
"According to your intel, as a saint of the Roman Church, Ruler Jeanne possesses Revelation—practically cheating. Why then did she not sense your spying?"
Tamamo leaned back against the sofa, cheeks tinged pink from his antics.
"Simple. I used 'delayed transmission.'" Rhodes lifted his head briefly, drawing in the castle's stale air before burying himself back against her. His muffled voice was teasingly casual. "Revelation's limit is basically just making Jeanne feel like she's being watched. That's all."
"Really… if that's true, then I—don't bite, damn it!" Tamamo squealed, her face scarlet as she suddenly shoved Rhodes off her lap with surprising force.
On her snow-white thighs, faint bite marks were clearly visible.
"Sorry, Tamamo. You just smell too good." Rhodes laughed, guiltless, eyes glinting with mischief. "When the drone caught Jeanne, I stored the feed as raw data. No one saw her directly. So technically, no spying."
"But now that I've reviewed that footage—the image of her Saint Graph Possession—it means she'll sense it now. The time gap is enough to throw off her judgment about where my hand is moving."
"So it's like that… using modern tech to pull this off…" Tamamo muttered, stunned. Rhodes leaned back into her scent again, wholly unconcerned.
"But why bother? Why spy on the saint's possession at all?" Tamamo tilted her head curiously. Rhodes's lips curled into a mocking grin.
"Of course—to see if Jeanne can get pregnant."
THUD!
Tamamo's fist crashed through the magically reinforced wall. Her smile turned sharp and yandere-dark as she leaned toward him.
"Care to repeat that? Louder. I don't think I heard you right."
"Tch… If I spell it out, your Marriage Fraud Execution Cannon will finish charging, won't it?" Rhodes sighed. "I intend to use the vessel—the girl they call Laeticia."
"Oh? And by that you mean…" Tamamo's brow arched, suspicion flashing in her eyes.
"You know exactly what I mean. Her family. Her classmates. With the werewolf packs I stationed in France, abducting a few mortals will be child's play." His face carried a careless smile, not a trace of guilt in his voice.
"That's vile." Tamamo's words were sharp, her eyes narrowed with reproach. "I prefer Masters who fight openly."
"I know. And I'll still do it." Rhodes's tone was light, almost amused. "That's how I live. Call it vile, call it underhanded—whatever. In war, that is the baseline."
"You understand me, don't you, Tamamo?"
"…Yes. Of course." She exhaled softly, eyes softening even as she pouted. "No matter how awful, you're still my Master."
"And my one and only love."
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