Fate: I Will Eventually Become the Hero of Justice

As he watched Jeanne's expression turn gloomy while she spoke with the homunculi, Shirou couldn't help but smile and shake his head, feeling the tension leaving him completely.

Good thing Jeanne's the one who showed up, who else among the Heroic Spirits would be this patient with a homunculus?

Jeanne caught sight of Shirou and exclaimed, "Eterna—Assassin!"

She'd almost referred to him as the "Eternal King" but caught herself, mindful of keeping his true identity a secret.

"Hey, Ruler!" He greeted Jeanne, then shifted his gaze to the three homunculi surrounding her. "Stand down. She's not a threat."

"Understood, Mr. Assassin."

At Shirou's word, the homunculi, who had been adamant about detaining Jeanne, sheathed their weapons. 

Jeanne felt the difference in treatment immediately.

With a simple phrase, 'She's not a threat,' Shirou diffused the tension. The homunculi knew who had treated them kindly and who hadn't. Shirou was one of those who had shown them kindness, and while they couldn't repay him, they offered the next best thing: their trust.

"So, what brings you to our camp, Ruler?" He asked as they settled into the camp.

"To be honest, I'm not sure," Jeanne admitted, her brow furrowed. "I'd resigned myself to a likely death and was headed for the Red Faction's camp, but somehow, I ended up here."

"Could this be a revelation from God? Leading me here... But I had set my sights on the Red Faction. Why am I here?" she pondered aloud.

Her innate A-rank skill, "Revelation," came to mind. It was a skill similar in nature to "Intuition," but whereas "Intuition" acted as a sixth sense in battle, "Revelation" guided her in all matters concerning her objectives—like choosing the best route on a journey or successfully reaching a destination.

Still, "Revelation" had its limitations.

For instance, it was useless when it came to solving high-level math problems.

No, actually, high school math problems.

Leticia turned to Jeanne and asked, "Miss Jeanne, maybe it's because you've been thinking about Assassin this whole time?"

"What? No, of course not!" Jeanne exclaimed defensively. "While I do hold Eternal King in high regard, I would never neglect my responsibilities!"

"Is that so?" Leticia replied, sounding unconvinced.

"Yes, absolutely!" she insisted.

After catching up with Shirou, Jeanne took her leave, setting her sights on the Red Faction's camp once again.

But, oddly enough, no matter which direction she started from, she kept winding up back at this same camp.

She'd bid Shirou farewell at least seven or eight times now, but every attempt to leave landed her right back in the camp.

The last time she left, she had made a solemn proclamation about finally heading to the Red Faction's camp.

And yet...

"Ah, this woman is back again," A-11072 said with a flat expression.

"How many times does this make?" another homunculus asked.

"Twelve, if we're counting," A-11072 replied, tallying on his fingers.

"What in the world is happening?!" Jeanne wailed, her face a mask of utter despair.

Can you believe it? She had looped back to the camp a whopping twelve times without ever managing to leave!

"Why, God? Why keep sending me back here?" she lamented, staring at the heavens.

She tried a few more times, unwilling to accept her rotten luck, but to no avail.

Finally, she slumped against a wall, defeated.

"Are you not trying anymore?" Shirou asked.

"At this point, yes," Jeanne conceded, looking utterly deflated.

One of the homunculi piped up, "The woman has finally stopped."

"And how many attempts is that now?" another homunculus asked.

A-11072 answered, "Seventeen."

Pausing, he added, "And it's already dark out."

Indeed, seventeen tries later, and Jeanne hadn't managed to leave even once.

No matter the starting point, the angle, or the method, Jeanne always found herself mysteriously circling back.

Leticia asked with great interest, "Miss Jeanne, are you sure you're not constantly thinking about Assassin?"

"I'm not, I swear I'm not!" Jeanne said with a face of despair, "All I'm trying to do is get to the Red Faction's camp!"

"Then why does God seem intent on bringing you back here?" Leticia asked

"I...I have no idea," Jeanne admitted, her expression gloomy.

By now, she'd figured it out. Her inability to leave was probably the result of her "Revelation A" skill. Its influence was such that no matter where she tried to go, she'd inevitably find herself back in the camp.

From this point of view, "Revelation" seemed almost too powerful, yet it had its own set of limitations and drawbacks.

And despite those drawbacks, Shirou still coveted the skill. Unfortunately for him, "Revelation" wasn't a mortals' feat, so it couldn't be replicated.

"Maybe you should just stick around for a while, Ruler," Shirou suggested.

"I apologize for the inconvenience," she sighed.

Even though she was at a loss as to why she'd been kept here, she figured there must be some greater reason. So, she decided to pay attention.

As for Jeanne's extended stay, Spartacus had no objections, and the homunculi were like blank slates; as long as their lives and freedoms weren't jeopardized, they naturally had no differing opinions.

...

Night had fallen.

The homunculi gathered to prepare dinner, working seamlessly as a team.

After eating, they built a bonfire at Spartacus's suggestion. They sang and danced around it, the flames casting a warm glow on their smiling faces.

Shirou sat off to the side, taking in the scene. He had been invited to join the dance but had declined. The man had never set foot in a nightclub; dancing was not exactly his strong suit.

"Who might this be?" Jeanne shifted her attention towards Mash.

"Good evening, Miss Ruler," Mash greeted respectfully.

Shirou gave Mash a supportive pat on the shoulder and smiled. "Meet my Master."

Jeanne looked puzzled. "I was under the impression you didn't have a Master."

"That was true, so I went ahead and got myself a new one."

Mash turned to him, her expression one of concern. "What happened to your previous Master?"

He met her gaze. "He's dead. And I was the one who killed him."

"Uh, Mr. Fujimaru, did you just... I mean, did you say something super disturbing just now?" Mash asked cautiously.

"No more disturbing than the truth: I killed my previous Master."

Mash was startled, her limbs trembling.

Noticing her reaction, he smiled wickedly. "Ah, how did I kill my old Master? Right, I remember now."

Mash's eyes widened in horror, but he continued. 

"I used the black hands to rip him into five pieces. Even scrawled 'pathetic' on his face with his own blood! Now that I think about it, I really do have a knack for killing Masters."

"Waaaaaah!"

Mash let out a scream, her face turning pale.

"Sorry, sorry, the joke went too far."

He burst into laughter and reached out to pat Mashu's head but hesitated, opting for a shoulder pat instead, realizing that could be inappropriate.

It was a minute detail.

Neither Mashu nor Jeanne caught it, but Leticia did.

"Were you trying to scare me?" Mash finally managed, her voice still shaky.

With a nod and a reassuring smile, he said, "My last Master was a homicidal maniac who summoned me through a blood sacrifice. So, yes, I killed him."

"Really?" she asked, her voice tinged with lingering fear. "So, you won't betray me, right?"

"Don't you have Command Seals?" He raised an eyebrow.

"I do, but I still feel uneasy," she admitted, her voice shaky.

He smiled. "You should be; Command Seals won't work on me."

She gasped, her last shred of security vanished immediately.

He closed his right eye and said, "So you should strive to be a competent Master. Or else, you might find me less than loyal."

Mash quickly nodded, her face a mix of fear and determination.

Just then, A-11072 ran over, "Mr. Assassin, you should join the dance as well! Everyone is waiting for you!"

He shrugged, "But I'm not a dancer."

"It doesn't matter!" A-11072 exclaimed, "No matter how you dance, you'll look awesome!"

Flattered, he ruffled A-11072's hair. "You sure know how to butter someone up."

Beaming, A-11072 looked delighted to have earned his praise.

Shirou then made his way to the bonfire's center.

All dancing stopped, every eye turning to focus on him.

He chuckled. "I can't dance for the life of me. But you all have been so inviting, I can't let you down. How about a song instead?"

"Awesome!"

The Homunculi burst into applause, grinning from ear to ear.

Spartacus folded his arms and smiled. "A performance from the king himself? This is going be epic!"

And it wasn't just Spartacus; Jeanne, who'd been pouting over being stuck at camp, lit up the moment she heard Shirou would sing.

As a total fangirl, how could she miss out when her hero was about to take the stage?

She had to get a front-row seat!

Using her Heroic Spirit strength, she shoved her way past the Homunculi and snatched a prime spot in the front.

Leticia raised an eyebrow. "Miss Jeanne... I know that you're a fan of Assassin, but aren't you taking it a bit too far?"

Jeanne was unashamed, even proud. "The legendary Eternal King has excelled in so many areas—politics, economics, culture, agriculture, even fishing! I can't even list them all. So hush, Leticia. We're about to witness an epic moment in music history. And I'll have the incredible honor of experiencing this groundbreaking moment firsthand!"

Leticia: "…"

She had no words.

Listening to Assassin's song from the front row was clearly a golden opportunity. Thanks to his status, A-11072 had also snagged a front-row seat and looked up at Shirou in awe.

This didn't sit well with Jeanne.

As a certified fangirl, how could she let someone sit closer to the stage than her?

So, she inched forward.

A-11072, who was equally excited for Shirou's performance, felt a bit upset.

He moved forward too.

Both glared at each other, each trying to get a bit closer.

Shirou was speechless.

"You're both almost hugging my legs!" He was exasperated.

Both Jeanne and A-11072 blushed and retreated, taking their seats—but this time, they sat at opposite ends of the front row to avoid any more problem.

Mash was about to join them when her wristband started to vibrate.

Startled, she cast a quick glance at Shirou and, covering her wristband, retreated to a quieter spot.

Shirou was delighted inside. He had always thought of himself as a pretty good musician, and having a great singing voice was the cherry on top.

As he cleared his throat, Jeanne couldn't contain a fangirl scream.

This left Leticia shaking her head in disbelief.

Was this the same Jeanne who was once the revered savior of France?

Talk about a stark contrast!

Then, Shirou closed his eyes.

He visualized the towering Himalayas, floated through the endless expanse of the cosmic ocean, and saw the miracle of life taking shape...

And then...

"My hometown is in this village--!"

An epic musical extravaganza began!