Fate: Question And Answer System of Traversing Heroic Spirits

Gordes let out a heavy sigh.

He had hoped to keep Siegfried's identity hidden for strategic reasons, but it was revealed far too early.

The reasoning behind this decision was simple—Siegfried's weakness, his vulnerable spot, was far too apparent, just like Achilles.

With this information exposed, all Gordes could do now was remain on high alert, watching for any possible countermeasures.

---

In a dimly lit room stained with blood, a golden-haired man lay lifeless in a corner, his expression frozen in disbelief as a large hole was blown through his chest.

At the doorway, a graceful woman with long brown hair, dressed in a green gown, held the hand of a small white-haired girl as they calmly exited the scene.

The little girl, who resembled a ghostly doll, was Assassin—Jack the Ripper.

And the woman was her Master, Reika Rikudou.

As for the deceased man, he was Sagara Hyouma, the last missing Black Master whom Darnic and the others had discussed.

---

Reika's story was a tragic one.

Once the privileged daughter of a well-to-do family, her life spiraled into chaos after her parents died in an accident. With no support and a growing sense of emptiness, she became numb to life itself, losing any regard for the value of others—or her own.

Eventually, Reika fell into ruin, becoming a woman who lived a hollow existence, barely surviving through degrading means.

Sagara Hyouma, a self-serving and sadistic mage, had chosen Reika as his pawn to summon his Servant, believing her to be an expendable tool.

Much like Ryuunosuke Uryuu, he had intended to summon using blood sacrifices.

But the moment Jack the Ripper was summoned, she wasted no time in eliminating her so-called "Master," driving her blade through his chest before he could even use his Command Spells.

Reika, who had been moments away from death herself, was saved by Jack's intervention.

Their unusual connection formed swiftly, with Jack choosing to establish a contract with her instead. Despite Reika's fragmented mind, she now found herself as the Master of Assassin, a killer who shared her disdain for the world.

Determined to help Jack seize the Holy Grail, Reika made her way toward Romania, their goal now intertwined.

---

Meanwhile, in Romania…

The Black Faction's Servants had all been summoned successfully, and the same could be said for the Red Faction.

Within a secluded church, Kotomine Shirou exchanged a knowing smile with Semiramis, the Red Assassin and Empress of Assyria.

Elsewhere, in a desolate cemetery, Sisigou rubbed his temples in frustration as he tried to reason with his temperamental Saber, Mordred.

---

Kotomine Shirou had informed the Clock Tower of the Yggdmillennia Clan's premature summoning of Servants, prompting the association to act just as hastily.

The Clock Tower decided to send Sisigou as one of their representatives, arming him with both the Hydra hatchling vial he had been eyeing and the fragment of the Round Table as a catalyst.

The summoning proceeded exactly as anticipated—Mordred answered his call, her rebellious personality on full display from the moment she materialized.

"Finally, I've been summoned! Let's tear them all apart!" Mordred exclaimed, stretching with a wicked grin before swiftly shattering the fragment of the Round Table into pieces with her blade.

"I'm sick of seeing this thing!" she growled, clearly harboring lingering bitterness toward her past.

---

At the same time…

Jeanne d'Arc, the appointed Ruler of the Great Holy Grail War, also made her descent.

However, an unforeseen complication disrupted her summoning. Instead of materializing as a pure spiritual entity, Jeanne's spiritual core was forcibly fused with the body of a high school girl named Laeticia.

---

Laeticia was an ordinary girl living in France.

But her striking resemblance to Jeanne d'Arc, down to her physique, spiritual affinity, and even her bloodline—was no coincidence. It was as if she was Jeanne's reincarnation, though she was entirely unaware of this connection until now.

Despite the unusual circumstances, Jeanne gained Laeticia's consent to share her body, allowing both of their consciousnesses to coexist. Jeanne took control of the body in combat, while Laeticia's consciousness remained dormant, observing events as though watching a movie.

Thankfully, as a failsafe measure from the Holy Grail, Laeticia's life would remain intact even if Jeanne were to fall in battle.

---

The arrangement came with its own set of challenges. Jeanne could no longer dematerialize, requiring food, water, and rest like any ordinary human. Laeticia, meanwhile, found herself reluctantly funding their journey to Romania, draining her hard-earned savings to cover travel, food, and accommodations.

By noon the following day, preparations across all factions were in full swing.

---

[Ding! The question-and-answer session will begin in ten minutes. Please prepare.]

[Ding! New group members "Reika Rikudou" and "Laeticia" have joined the group chat.]

---

Tohsaka Rin: "Oh, more new members!"

Tohsaka Rin: "I thought we already maxed out the group after yesterday's additions."

Waver: "Judging by their names, one seems to be from Japan and the other from France. Interesting."

Astolfo: "Hi, hi, hi! Welcome to the group!"

Darnic: "Rider, please… tone it down."

Darnic pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. He had a headache. After spending the night interacting with the servants, he had come to understand their personalities.

Siegfried, Chiron, and Frankenstein were all manageable, but Astolfo's personality was… peculiar, to say the least.

To put it simply, Astolfo's thought process seemed fundamentally flawed. If one didn't stop to carefully consider his words and actions, one might accidentally have their own intelligence questioned.

Initially, Darnic had planned to silence Astolfo to avoid unnecessary trouble. However, Celenike flatly refused his proposal.

This depraved woman seemed to have her mind entirely preoccupied with… those sorts of thoughts.

Left with no other choice, Darnic could only begrudgingly keep a close watch on Astolfo's activities in the group chat.

---

Laeticia: "Miss Jeanne, what do we do? Should I say something?"

Jeanne: "No, not yet. Stay quiet for now. Observe and avoid unnecessary interactions."

Laeticia: "Got it."

---

[Ding! The first question is about to begin!]

As the prompt appeared, Laeticia remained silent, following Jeanne's advice.

Both Reika and Laeticia were cautious, knowing full well that their lack of experience with magecraft made them vulnerable to exposure.

---

[This is a three-stage elimination multiple-choice question. Each stage will have a five-minute timer for answers. All group members may participate.]

[Correct answers earn 3 Saint Quartz, while incorrect answers deduct 1 Saint Quartz. If no one answers correctly within five minutes, the question will be void.]

[Bonus: Answering two questions correctly in a row grants an additional 1 Saint Quartz. Answering three correctly in a row grants 3 additional Saint Quartz.]

[Please watch the video below.]

---

Video Begins:

[A truck rumbled along the highway under the cover of night, making its way toward Romania.]

[Jeanne, dressed in modest casual attire, sat in the truck bed, her luggage beside her.]

[Suddenly, she tensed, sensing something ominous.]

["Stop the truck," Jeanne called out, leaning forward to speak to the driver.]

[The man, a middle-aged trucker with a kind expression, shook his head.]

["I can't leave a young girl out here alone in the dark."]

["Please," Jeanne repeated, her voice calm but firm. Her eyes glimmered faintly as she invoked a hypnotic suggestion, compelling the driver to obey.]

[The truck stopped, and Jeanne stepped down, watching as the vehicle drove away.]

---

["You must be Ruler."]

[A deep, resonant voice cut through the night. Jeanne turned sharply, spotting a figure standing atop a road sign.]

[It was Karna, the Red Lancer, bathed in the faint glow of moonlight.]

["I'm attacking!" Karna declared as a blazing beam of light shot toward Jeanne.]

Darnic: "Haha, I didn't expect the Red team to actually attack the Ruler."

Bluebeard: "Ah! How dare you attack my beloved Jeanne! You deserve to die!"

Karna: "Huh?."

["You're Karna, the son of the sun god Surya, aren't you?"]

[After recognizing her opponent, Jeanne declared solemnly: "I am the Judge of the Holy Grail, Jeanne d'arc. Surely you understand the consequences of attacking me!"]

[Karna: "There's no need to state the obvious. My being here is already a declaration of war."]

[Jeanne: "Even if you kill me, what will it achieve?"]

[Karna: "I don't know. I'm simply following the Master's orders."]

---

The video froze.

[Ding! Question: What will be the outcome of this battle?]

[A: Jeanne wins.]

[B: Karna wins.]

[C: Both sides are tied.]

[D: A third party intervenes, and the battle is terminated.]

---

Waver: "This question is tricky. Both are powerful, but Jeanne has the advantage of being Ruler."

Kayneth: "Yes, but Karna is a demigod, and his strength is overwhelming. Even with her Command Seals, Jeanne might not have an easy victory."

Tohsaka Rin: "Could it end in a draw? That seems plausible."

Waver: "A third-party intervention could also happen. The Black team might step in if they sense trouble."

Kayneth: "Unlikely. The Black team wouldn't know about this attack in time to intervene."

Gordes: "Chief, how should we approach this question?"

Darnic: "It's better for everyone to choose based on their own judgment. If we all choose the same answer and it's wrong, the entire team will lose points."

Caules: "That's true."

Astolfo: "Haven't you all decided yet?"

Chiron: "Wait! Did you already choose?"

Siegfried: "You didn't just pick randomly without thinking, did you?"

Astolfo: "Yup! I think multiple answers could work, so I just went with one at random."

Black Team: "..."

Jeanne: "The Red Team attacked?"

Laeticia: "Miss Jeanne, didn't you say you're the referee and wouldn't interfere in this war? Why would they attack you?"

Jeanne: "I don't understand this situation either. Could it be..."

Jeanne suddenly thought about the interference with her summoning.

Could it be that the man named Kotomine Shirou was planning to do something that violated the rules, and knowing she wouldn't agree, he was trying to eliminate her first?

***

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