Chapter 5: Void Ascension
Consciousness returned to Xian Wuji not as a sudden awakening, but as a gradual expansion. Within the golden cocoon, his awareness extended beyond normal parameters, perceiving not just his immediate surroundings but the structure of reality itself—layers of conceptual frameworks intertwining to form the cosmos.
He existed in a state between being and non-being, his physical form suspended in the void while his consciousness roamed freely through conceptual space.
[Heaven-Devouring Ascension Matrix: Cosmic Reforged] ✦ Status: Evolution in Progress ✦ Physical Recovery: 73% Complete ✦ Conceptual Integration: Multiple New Aspects Synchronizing ✦ Current Integration: • Radiation Aspect: 92% (Derived from Reactor Exposure) • Death Dao: 68% (Accelerated by Near-Death Experience) • Void Dao: 87% (Enhanced through Stasis Cocoon) ✦ Evolution Threshold Approaching...
In this state of expanded awareness, Xian could perceive the activity around his cocoon. The containment chamber Chaldea had placed him in was heavily monitored, instruments recording the mysterious energies emanating from his healing form. Beyond the chamber, he sensed the facility's gradual recovery from Flauros's attack—repairs underway, systems being restored, personnel regrouping.
But more importantly, he could feel something deeper stirring within his cultivation system—a fundamental change catalyzed by his near-death experience in the reactor.
The radiation that had nearly destroyed him was being integrated, transformed from a destructive force into a new aspect of his cultivation. Death itself, which had reached for him with greedy fingers, was being assimilated as a conceptual Dao rather than an ending.
Within the void of his cocoon, Xian focused his will, accelerating the process.
[Hidden Achievement Unlocked: Death Walker] ✦ Requirement fulfilled: Survive lethal conceptual poisoning and integrate the destructive principle ✦ Reward: Death Dao permanently elevated to Grand-Tier access ✦ Passive Effect: Immunity to conventional mortality ✦ New Ability Unlocked: [Deathless Meridian Circulation] • All damage now automatically converts a percentage to cultivation energy • Fatal strikes have 70% chance to be converted to temporary power boost
The notification sent a pulse of energy through his system as new pathways opened within his conceptual structure. Power flowed differently now, his near-brush with oblivion having fundamentally altered his relationship with mortality itself.
Time passed differently in his state of suspended animation. What felt like moments to him were days to the outside world—days during which Chaldea scrambled to address the growing threat of humanity's incineration.
Through his expanded awareness, Xian could sense the preparations—Fujimaru and Mash training for deployment to the first Singularity, Da Vinci constructing new equipment, Romani analyzing timeline distortions, and Olga Marie coordinating it all with iron determination despite her recent trauma.
And Scáthach... his contracted Servant visited his cocoon regularly, her ancient eyes seeing more than the instruments could detect, her presence a silent affirmation of the bond they shared.
As his recovery progressed, Xian felt the moment approaching when evolution could no longer be contained within the stasis field. His consciousness returned fully to his physical form as systems aligned for the final integration.
[Heaven-Devouring Ascension Matrix: Cosmic Reforged] ✦ Critical Mass Achieved ✦ Multiple Dao Synchronization at Threshold Level ✦ Advancement Opportunity: Major Evolution ➤ Recommended Transformation: Ascend to Grand Sovereign Stage ➤ Warning: Ascension will release significant conceptual energy ➤ Proceed with Ascension? [Y]
Within the cocoon, Xian's form began to glow with intensifying light. The monitoring instruments in the containment chamber registered energy spikes beyond their calibrated limits. Alarms activated throughout the facility, bringing staff running to the chamber.
Scáthach arrived first, somehow sensing what was about to occur. Her expression remained impassive, but her eyes reflected understanding of the transformation taking place.
"Stand back," she warned as others entered the chamber. "He is ascending."
Within the cocoon, reality compressed around Xian's form. The cumulative experiences since his arrival at Chaldea—the awakening of his system, the battle in Fuyuki, the confrontation with Flauros, and his near-death in the reactor—all catalyzed a fundamental evolution in his cultivation.
Energy spiraled through his meridians, reconstructing his physical form at the atomic level, reinforcing it with conceptual weight. His consciousness expanded further, perceiving not just immediate reality but potential branches, alternate timelines, and the underlying patterns connecting them all.
[Ascension Complete: Grand Sovereign Stage Achieved] ✦ All Primary Parameters Increased ✦ Core Stats Updated: • Strength: A → A+ • Endurance: A+ → EX • Agility: A → A++ • Mana: A+ → EX • Conceptual Weight: B+ → A++ ✦ Passive Abilities Enhanced ✦ New Active Abilities Unlocked
The golden cocoon pulsed once, twice—then shattered in a controlled explosion of light, dissipating into countless motes of energy that swirled briefly before being reabsorbed into Xian's now-standing form.
He stood in the center of the containment chamber, transformed. His physical appearance remained recognizably him, but with subtle, profound changes. His hair, once black, now contained strands of pure white that seemed to absorb and emit light simultaneously. His eyes had deepened in color, containing flecks of gold that shifted like stars in a night sky. His skin bore intricate patterns—not quite tattoos, but rather manifestations of the Daos now integrated into his being, visible only when he channeled specific energies.
Most notably, where radiation damage had ravaged his body, the regenerated skin had a subtle opalescence, as if reality itself had been used as material for his reconstruction.
"Xian," Romani was the first to speak, medical scanner forgotten in his hand as he stared in bewilderment. "You're... awake."
"And changed," Da Vinci observed with characteristic perceptiveness. "Fascinating. Your entire cellular structure has reconfigured itself."
Olga Marie pushed forward, practical as always despite her obvious surprise. "Candidate 48—or whatever you are now—report your status immediately."
Xian smiled slightly, his voice carrying new resonance as he replied. "I am functional, Director. More than functional. The radiation exposure accelerated aspects of my cultivation system that might otherwise have taken years to develop."
"Your 'cultivation system,'" Olga repeated skeptically. "Which you still haven't properly explained to any of us."
"A fair point," Xian acknowledged. "Perhaps now is the time for greater transparency, given what we face."
His gaze swept the chamber, taking in Romani, Da Vinci, Olga Marie, Mash, and Fujimaru—the core of what remained of Chaldea's command structure. His eyes lingered longest on Scáthach, who regarded him with the evaluative gaze of one who recognized fundamental change.
"You've ascended," she stated simply. "Beyond your previous limitations."
Xian nodded. "The Heaven-Devouring Ascension Matrix has evolved to a new stage. I've integrated concepts that were previously beyond my reach."
"In plain language, please," Olga demanded.
"I've become stronger," Xian simplified. "And gained abilities that will be crucial in the battles ahead."
As if in response to his words, the air around his right hand shimmered with gathering energy. Motes of light coalesced, strands of reality weaving together in complex patterns as conceptual weight manifested in physical form.
[New Manifestation Available: Dao Armament Forging] ✦ Integration of Sword Dao (83%) and Void Aspect (87%) permits physical manifestation ✦ Recommended Armament: Conceptual Blade ✦ Note: Armament will evolve with further Dao synchronization ➤ Proceed with Manifestation? [Y]
What formed in Xian's hand was a sword unlike any seen before in Chaldea. Not crafted of metal but of condensed concepts, its blade shifted between translucency and absolute solidity, its edge defined not by sharpness but by the boundary between existence and void. The hilt appeared to be formed of interlocking golden characters representing fundamental laws, each one pulsing with inner light.
"[Void Horizon Blade – First Form]," Xian named it, feeling the connection between the weapon and his cultivation system. "A physical manifestation of my progress in Sword Dao and Void Aspect integration."
The observers watched with varying expressions of awe and wariness as Xian performed a simple practice cut. The blade left a momentary tear in reality itself—a glimpse into the void beyond—before the fabric of existence sealed itself seamlessly.
"That's... that shouldn't be possible," Romani muttered, his scanner now registering readings that defied conventional magecraft entirely.
"Many things we'll face in the coming battles will defy conventional understanding," Xian replied, dismissing the blade with a thought. It dissolved into particles of light that reabsorbed into his palm. "Including the enemies orchestrating humanity's incineration."
Olga Marie's expression hardened with determination. "Speaking of which, while you were recovering, we've been preparing to address the first major Singularity. Fujimaru and Mash are scheduled for deployment within 48 hours."
Xian turned his attention to the pair—Mash standing with quiet resolve beside Fujimaru, whose face showed a mixture of determination and understandable apprehension.
"Orleans, 1431," Romani explained. "The SHEBA system identified it as the first of the seven major distortions threatening the timeline. Something has gone catastrophically wrong during the Hundred Years' War."
"Jeanne d'Arc should have been executed at Rouen," Da Vinci added. "But historical records within the Singularity show her leading an army of dragons, slaughtering thousands across France."
"A corruption of her legend," Xian observed. "Similar to what happened with the Servants in Fuyuki, but on a larger scale."
"Precisely," Da Vinci nodded. "And we need to correct it before the distortion spreads further."
Xian considered this information, then turned to Scáthach. "You sense it too, don't you? The pattern."
The Queen of Shadows nodded once. "Seven Singularities. Seven corrupted legends. Seven points where history diverts from its proper course." Her crimson eyes narrowed slightly. "The work of the King of Mages, as Flauros claimed."
"Goetia," Xian confirmed, the name sending a subtle ripple through reality around him. "An entity of immense power, orchestrating humanity's incineration across multiple timestreams simultaneously."
"You speak as if you know this enemy," Olga Marie observed shrewdly.
"I know his type," Xian corrected. "Entities that exist beyond conventional time, viewing humanity as a failed experiment to be erased and rewritten. My cultivation system allows me to perceive the conceptual signatures of such beings."
He turned to Fujimaru and Mash. "The Orleans Singularity is merely the first battle in a longer war. You'll face resistance beyond conventional enemies—corrupted Servants, distorted history, reality itself working against you."
Fujimaru straightened, his initial apprehension giving way to resolve. "I understand. Or at least, I'm trying to. This is all still new to me, but if humanity's at stake..."
"You'll do fine, Senpai," Mash assured him with quiet confidence.
Xian smiled slightly. "Your determination is commendable. And you won't be facing these challenges alone." He glanced at Olga Marie. "I assume you intended to deploy me as well, once I recovered?"
The Director's expression confirmed his assumption. "You and your Servant represent our most powerful assets. While Fujimaru and Mash investigate the central anomaly, you and Scáthach will target the source of the corruption directly."
"That was my recommendation," Da Vinci added. "Based on your performance in Fuyuki, you're uniquely equipped to handle conceptual threats while our newer team handles the historical aspects."
Xian nodded in agreement, then turned his attention to the Void Horizon Blade he had manifested earlier. With a thought, he recalled it to his hand, studying its form with analytical precision.
[Void Horizon Blade – Status Assessment] ✦ Current Integration: 84% (Sword Dao + Void Aspect) ✦ Abilities Unlocked: • Reality Severance: Cuts transcend physical limitations, affecting conceptual targets • Void Passage: Creates temporary spatial corridors between severed points • Existence Erasure (Partial): Can temporarily remove minor concepts from local reality ✦ Abilities Locked (Requires Higher Integration): • Absolute Severance • Concept Harvesting • Timeline Bifurcation
"The blade will serve as a focus for certain techniques," he explained to the observing group. "A physical manifestation of abstract concepts. It will grow stronger as my understanding deepens."
He demonstrated with a controlled movement, the blade leaving faint trails of opalescent light in the air. Where it passed, reality seemed to thin momentarily, glimpses of other possibilities shimmering like heat mirages.
"Extraordinary," Da Vinci breathed, her inventor's mind already contemplating the implications. "You're not just wielding a weapon—you're manipulating the boundary between what is and what could be."
"A simplified but accurate assessment," Xian acknowledged. "The blade exists simultaneously as concept and object—much like a Servant's Noble Phantasm, but derived from different principles."
Romani's expression shifted from fascination to concern. "The energy expenditure for maintaining such a manifestation must be enormous. How do you—"
Before he could complete the question, a new alert sounded from the monitoring equipment. Romani rushed to check the readings, his concern deepening as he interpreted the data.
"The SHEBA system is detecting increased distortion in the Orleans Singularity," he reported urgently. "The corruption is accelerating. At this rate, the historical deviation will become irreversible within 72 hours."
"Then we deploy immediately," Olga Marie decided. "Not in 48 hours. Now." She turned to Fujimaru and Mash. "Are you prepared?"
The young Master exchanged a glance with his Demi-Servant before nodding firmly. "As ready as we'll ever be."
"Good." Olga turned back to Xian. "And you? Your recovery is clearly extraordinary, but are you truly combat-ready?"
In response, Xian channeled a fraction of his newly enhanced power. The air around him distorted subtly as conceptual weight manifested in physical space, creating a momentary pressure that made the instruments in the room fluctuate wildly.
[Class Skill Assessment – Post-Ascension] ✦ Body Cultivator Class: Grade 4 (Mythic Body) • Strength: EX • Endurance: A++ • Speed: A+ • Durability: EX ✦ Sword Cultivator Class: Grade 3 (Swordmaster) → Grade 4 (Sword Saint) • Attack Precision: A++ • Sword Aura: A++ • Movement Speed: A+ • Killing Intent: A++ ✦ Elemental Cultivator Class: Grade 4 (Solar King) • Elemental Control: A++ • Destructive Power: EX • Flame Immunity: A+ • Energy Efficiency: A++
"I am more than ready," he assured the Director, the pulsing energy receding as quickly as it had manifested. "My ascension has unlocked capabilities specifically suited to confronting the distortions we face."
Scáthach stepped forward, her own power resonating subtly with her Master's. "And I sense our connection has strengthened as well. Your increased conceptual weight enhances my manifestation in this world."
"Then prepare for deployment," Olga commanded. "Romani will coordinate from the Command Room. Da Vinci will continue reinforcing Chaldea's defenses in case of another direct attack."
As the group dispersed to their assignments, Xian took a moment to center himself, feeling the new pathways of power flowing through his reconstructed form. The near-death experience in the reactor had accelerated his evolution beyond what should have been possible, pushing his cultivation to new heights.
[New Title Achievement: Void Ascendant] ✦ Requirements: Achieve Grand Sovereign Stage through Void Dao integration ✦ Passive Effect: Void-aligned techniques cost 30% less energy ✦ Authority Granted: Limited manipulation of local reality parameters ✦ Note: Title will evolve with further ascension milestones
With the title came a subtle shift in his conceptual signature—a deepening of his connection to fundamental aspects of existence. He could feel reality itself responding differently to his presence now, recognizing him not just as an inhabitant but as an authority with limited rights to its manipulation.
As he made his way to the Rayshift chamber, Scáthach fell into step beside him, her crimson eyes studying him with renewed interest.
"Your transformation exceeds what I anticipated," she observed. "Even for one who has witnessed countless warriors evolve through trial and death, your growth is... unprecedented."
"The Heaven-Devouring Ascension Matrix adapts to challenges in ways beyond conventional cultivation," Xian explained. "The reactor incident provided direct exposure to fundamental forces—radiation, entropy, decay. Rather than being destroyed by them, my system integrated their concepts."
"And now you wield death as you wield the sword," Scáthach noted with professional appreciation. "As one who has walked with death for millennia, I recognize the signature."
They reached the Rayshift chamber, where Fujimaru and Mash were already being prepared for deployment. The young Master looked nervous but determined, while Mash's quiet resolve seemed to have deepened during Xian's absence.
As technicians made final adjustments to the Rayshift coffins, Xian took a moment to focus his enhanced perception on the Orleans Singularity's conceptual outline. Through SHEBA's monitoring systems, he could sense the distortion more clearly now—a twisting of historical reality around a central point of corruption, reality itself warping to accommodate an impossibility.
[Singularity Analysis Complete] ✦ Era: 1431 CE, Hundred Years' War ✦ Core Distortion: Legend of Jeanne d'Arc fundamentally altered ✦ Corruption Type: Saint Graph Inversion + Historical Overwrite ✦ Threat Assessment: Major timeline deviation with propagating effects ✦ Recommended Approach: Dual-pronged intervention • Historical correction (Fujimaru/Mash team) • Conceptual purification (Xian/Scáthach team)
"Something troubles you," Scáthach observed, noting his extended silence.
"The corruption in Orleans follows the same pattern as Fuyuki," Xian explained quietly. "A legendary figure twisted against their true nature, used as an anchor point for broader historical distortion."
"You suspect another Demon Pillar?"
"Almost certainly." Xian's eyes narrowed slightly. "But there's more to it. In Fuyuki, the corruption centered on Saber—specifically, her connection to the Holy Grail. In Orleans..."
"Jeanne d'Arc," Scáthach finished thoughtfully. "The Saint of Orleans. A figure of profound spiritual significance."
"Precisely. These aren't random targets. Goetia is systematically corrupting figures with deep conceptual anchoring in human history—those whose legends represent turning points, whose existence shaped the course of events."
Before they could discuss further, Romani's voice came over the communication system. "Final preparations complete. Orleans Singularity coordinates locked. Rayshift will commence in T-minus three minutes."
Xian moved to his assigned coffin, pausing briefly to address Fujimaru and Mash. "When we arrive, we'll likely be separated by the Singularity's internal geography. Focus on gathering information and establishing a base of operations. Scáthach and I will conduct reconnaissance on the source of the corruption."
"Understood," Fujimaru nodded, his initial nervousness giving way to focused determination. "Should we rendezvous at a specific point?"
"The Singularity will guide us," Xian replied cryptically. "Historical distortions of this magnitude create natural convergence points. Our paths will cross when they need to."
As the coffins sealed and the Rayshift sequence initiated, Xian entered a meditative state, aligning his cultivation system for the transition between timestreams. Unlike his first Rayshift to Fuyuki, he now had far greater control over the process, his ascended state allowing him to perceive the quantum tunneling as it occurred.
[Heaven-Devouring Ascension Matrix: Cosmic Reforged] ✦ Rayshift in Progress ✦ Space-Time Coordinates: France, 1431 CE ✦ Adapting Conceptual Framework for Historical Era ✦ Synchronizing with Servant Bond ✦ Warning: Significant Reality Distortion at Destination ➤ Implementing Protective Measures...
The familiar sensation of dematerialization washed over him as his consciousness separated from his physical form, converted to spiritrons for temporal projection. But this time, instead of merely experiencing the process, he actively participated in it—guiding his essence through the quantum tunnel with precision born of his enhanced understanding of Space and Time Daos.
As the walls of reality thinned around him, Xian could sense the approaching Singularity—a wound in the timeline, bleeding corrupted history. Beyond it lurked a presence vast and malevolent, orchestrating the incineration of humanity from its throne beyond time.
Goetia, King of Mages, architect of humanity's end.
And as the quantum tunnel collapsed into the distorted reality of Orleans, Xian Wuji, Heaven-Devouring Architect, prepared to meet the next challenge in his ascension path—a confrontation not just with corrupted history, but with the fundamental question of humanity's right to determine its own destiny.
The Void Horizon Blade materialized in his hand as reality solidified around him—a war-torn landscape under blood-red skies, the distant screams of dragons echoing across a France that history had never known.
The battle for Orleans had begun.
Heaven-Devouring Architect: Crownless Master of Chaldea
Chapter 6: The Dragon Witch
France, 1431. The landscape that materialized around Xian bore only passing resemblance to the history recorded in mankind's archives. Fields that should have been verdant with summer crops lay blackened and smoldering. Villages dotted the countryside not as centers of life but as charred ruins. And above it all, silhouetted against the bloodied sky, winged shapes circled with predatory patience—dragons, creatures that should have existed only in myth.
Xian oriented himself quickly, his enhanced senses extending outward to map the immediate surroundings. The Rayshift had deposited him and Scáthach on a hillside overlooking a small valley, several kilometers from the nearest settlement—what remained of it.
"The corruption runs deeper than Fuyuki," Scáthach observed, her crimson spear materializing in her hand as she scanned the horizon. "There, reality itself was distorted. Here, history has been rewritten entirely."
Xian nodded, his perception extending beyond physical sight to the conceptual underpinnings of the Singularity. Threads of corruption ran through the very fabric of this timeline, anchored around a central point of distortion—a nexus of impossibility that pulled history away from its proper course.
"Fujimaru and Mash have arrived safely," he noted, sensing their spiritron signatures materializing several kilometers to the south. "But we were separated as expected. The Singularity's distortion field naturally repels multiple intervention points."
"Then we proceed with our assignment?" Scáthach asked, already knowing the answer.
"Yes. Reconnaissance and location of the corruption source." Xian's eyes narrowed as he focused on the distant horizon, where the highest concentration of dragons circled a point obscured by unnatural storm clouds. "While Fujimaru establishes contact with potential allies, we'll probe the heart of the distortion."
As they began moving across the war-torn countryside, Xian activated a more comprehensive analysis of the Singularity's structure, his cultivation system processing the complex interplay of historical reality and corrupting influence.
[Heaven-Devouring Ascension Matrix: Cosmic Reforged] ✦ Detailed Singularity Analysis Initiated ✦ Historical Parameters: France, Hundred Years' War, Post-Coronation of Charles VII ✦ Anomaly Detection: Multiple Class-A Historical Deviations • Dragon manifestation (Conceptual Incursion) • Civilian population decimation (90% reduction) • Jeanne d'Arc deviation (Legend Inversion) • Servant manifestations (Multiple, Non-Grail War Type) ✦ Corruption Source: Localized at coordinates matching historical Rouen ✦ Recommendation: Approach with caution, active Demon Pillar presence likely
They traveled swiftly, Xian's enhanced physique keeping pace with Scáthach's Servant-level speed. As they moved, the devastation became more pronounced—entire townships reduced to ash, fields littered with bodies, and occasionally, the massive corpse of a fallen dragon, evidence that some resistance still existed within this twisted timeline.
Near midday, they encountered their first direct evidence of the altered history—a contingent of French soldiers, or what remained of them. Two dozen men in armor bearing the fleur-de-lis lay scattered across a blood-soaked field, their bodies torn and burned beyond recognition. Their weapons—simple swords and spears—lay uselessly beside them, having proven inadequate against whatever had descended upon them.
Xian knelt beside the nearest body, his fingers hovering over the corpse as he analyzed the conceptual residue. "Dragon fire," he confirmed. "But not natural—there's a magical component, almost ritual in nature."
"Look," Scáthach indicated a banner half-buried in mud nearby. "The royal standard of Charles VII. These were the king's men."
"The legitimate king," Xian mused, "whose coronation was made possible by the real Jeanne d'Arc." He stood, his expression hardening. "In proper history, by this time, Jeanne had been captured, tried, and executed. Her martyrdom became a rallying point that eventually helped France drive out the English."
"But in this timeline," Scáthach continued the thought, "something else has occurred."
"Something impossible," Xian agreed. "And at the center of it all, a corruption of Jeanne's legend itself."
They continued their journey, moving with greater caution as they approached more populated areas. Near dusk, they reached the outskirts of a larger settlement—one that, unlike others they had passed, showed signs of active occupation. Walls had been hastily reinforced, and nervous sentries patrolled the ramparts.
"A resistance stronghold," Scáthach identified. "Perhaps a source of information."
Before they could approach closer, the distinct sound of battle erupted from the far side of the settlement—roars of inhuman creatures mingled with the desperate shouts of defenders and the clash of weapons.
Without hesitation, they altered course, circling the settlement to the source of the disturbance. What they found was grimly predictable—a pack of wyverns, smaller cousins to true dragons, had breached the outer defenses and were wreaking havoc among the defenders.
"We should assist," Xian decided immediately. "These people have information we need, and Fujimaru will likely be drawn to any resistance against the corruption."
Scáthach was already moving, her crimson spear a blur as she engaged the nearest wyvern. The creature barely had time to register her presence before she impaled it through the skull, her weapon finding the single point that would ensure instant death.
Xian took a different approach. Extending his hand, he summoned the Void Horizon Blade, its conceptual edge shimmering into existence as he channeled Sword Dao into physical form. Rather than engaging directly, he analyzed the wyverns' movement patterns and attack formations.
"They're coordinated," he noted with narrow-eyed focus. "These aren't wild beasts—they're following tactical directives."
His observation confirmed, Xian targeted not the individual creatures but the conceptual thread connecting them—the magical influence directing their actions like puppets on strings.
"[Void Severance – Command Link Disruption]," he intoned, swinging his blade in a precise arc that appeared to cut nothing but empty air.
Reality rippled along the path of his cut, the blade slicing not through physical matter but through the magical connection itself. The effect was immediate and dramatic—the remaining wyverns suddenly froze, their coordinated attack pattern dissolving into confusion. Some began attacking each other, while others took flight in apparent panic.
The defenders, momentarily stunned by the abrupt change, quickly rallied to dispatch the now-vulnerable creatures.
"Impressive," Scáthach acknowledged as she rejoined him, her spear dripping with wyvern blood. "You severed their control link."
"A simple application of conceptual cutting," Xian explained. "The wyverns were being directed by a remote consciousness—likely the same entity controlling the larger dragons we observed earlier."
Their intervention hadn't gone unnoticed. From among the defenders, a figure approached—a woman in ornate silver armor, her blonde hair bound in a practical braid, a sword at her hip that radiated holy energy. Despite the grime of battle, her bearing was regal, her expression a mixture of wariness and hope as she regarded the newcomers.
"I don't know who you are," she called as she neared, "or how you managed to confuse the dragon spawn so effectively, but you have my thanks." She placed a hand over her heart in formal salute. "I am Jeanne d'Arc, Ruler-class Servant."
Xian and Scáthach exchanged a significant glance. This was not the corrupted Jeanne they had been led to expect—this was the true Heroic Spirit, the Maid of Orleans as history remembered her.
"You seem surprised," Jeanne observed shrewdly. "Were you expecting someone else?"
"In a manner of speaking," Xian replied carefully. "We've heard reports of Jeanne d'Arc leading an army of dragons across France, burning villages and slaughtering innocents."
Jeanne's expression darkened with pain and anger. "That... thing... is not me. She wears my face and claims my name, but she is a perversion—a 'Dragon Witch' created to tarnish everything I fought for."
"A corruption of your Saint Graph," Xian surmised. "Or more accurately, an alternate manifestation—a 'what if' scenario given form."
"You speak as one familiar with such matters," Jeanne noted. "Are you mages? From the Clock Tower perhaps?"
"We are from Chaldea," Scáthach answered. "An organization dedicated to preserving human history."
Jeanne's eyes widened slightly. "Then... you understand what's happening here? This wrongness that pervades everything?"
"We do," Xian confirmed. "This entire timeline is a Singularity—a distortion in human history that threatens the proper course of events. We've been sent to investigate and correct it."
Relief washed over Jeanne's features. "Thank God. I was summoned in response to the distortion, but my powers as a Ruler are limited against... against myself. Or what claims to be myself."
She gestured toward the settlement. "Come. There's much to discuss, and the others will want to meet you."
"Others?" Scáthach inquired.
"Other Servants who have answered the call to resist the Dragon Witch," Jeanne explained. "We've formed a small alliance, though our numbers are few compared to her forces."
As they followed Jeanne into the settlement, Xian continued his analysis of this new development, his cultivation system processing the implications.
[Heaven-Devouring Ascension Matrix: Cosmic Reforged] ✦ Anomaly Update: Dual Jeanne d'Arc Manifestation ✦ Classification: Original Saint Graph (Ruler) + Corrupted Alternate (Class Unknown) ✦ Theoretical Framework: Historical Divergence Point Created and Stabilized ✦ Analysis: Corruption involves fundamental rewriting of Heroic Spirit's core nature ✦ Hypothesis: Similar mechanism to Fuyuki corruption but expanded to affect broader historical reality ✦ Warning: This level of Saint Graph manipulation exceeds conventional Grail capabilities • Indicates direct interference from Grand-Tier Entity (Demon Pillar confirmed)
Inside the settlement's central keep, they found a council of war already in progress. Around a map-covered table stood several figures who could only be Servants—their conceptual weight unmistakable to Xian's enhanced perception.
A tall man in blue and silver armor, his lance propped against the wall nearby—clearly a warrior of tremendous skill. Beside him, a younger man with white hair and tanned skin, his red coat marking him as an archer of some kind. In the corner, partially obscured by shadow, lurked a figure in a skull mask and tattered cloak, the conceptual embodiment of assassination itself.
"My allies," Jeanne introduced. "Servants who have answered France's call in this dire hour."
The warrior in blue straightened, his keen eyes evaluating the newcomers with professional interest. "I am Servant Lancer, though in this distorted Singularity, our true names seem of little consequence." His accent and bearing marked him as Irish—almost certainly Cú Chulainn, though Xian noted he was different from the Lancer they had encountered in Fuyuki.
The white-haired archer merely nodded in acknowledgment, his steel-gray eyes missing nothing. Though he didn't introduce himself, Xian recognized the conceptual signature of EMIYA, the Counter Guardian bound to Alaya's service.
The assassin remained silent, but Jeanne continued anyway. "And our friend in the corner is Servant Assassin, who prefers to remain mysterious even among allies."
"Understandable," Xian acknowledged. "In your position, caution is wisdom."
The true introductions complete, Jeanne turned to the matter at hand, gesturing to the maps spread across the table. "We've been tracking the Dragon Witch's movements for weeks. She commands an army of dragons and wyverns, accompanied by corrupted Servants who serve her willingly or through coercion."
Lancer tapped a location on the map. "Her primary base appears to be here, at Orléans itself—a mockery of the city I—" he caught himself, "—that the true Jeanne once saved."
"And her goal?" Xian asked, though he already suspected the answer.
Jeanne's expression grew grim. "The complete destruction of France and its people. She claims to be me—Jeanne d'Arc—returned from death with a thirst for vengeance against the country that betrayed and burned her."
"A coherent if twisted narrative," Scáthach observed. "Taking the historical truth of your execution and transforming it into motivation for genocide."
"Exactly," Jeanne nodded. "She uses my greatest pain as justification for atrocities I would never commit." Her hands clenched on the table's edge. "It's... difficult to witness."
Xian studied the map thoughtfully. "Have you identified any pattern to her attacks? Any ritual significance to the locations targeted?"
The question seemed to surprise the gathered Servants, but Archer spoke for the first time, his voice measured and analytical. "Yes, actually. The major sites of devastation form a pattern when mapped." He traced lines between marked points on the map, revealing a complex geometric shape. "It resembles a ritual circle of some kind, though none I recognize."
Xian leaned closer, his enhanced perception immediately recognizing the pattern. "It's not a standard ritual circle. It's a conceptual anchor template—a method for stabilizing the Singularity itself." He looked up at the gathered Servants. "Each point marked here represents a location where the historical reality has been most severely overwritten."
"To what end?" Jeanne asked.
"To prevent correction," Xian explained. "The more firmly established the deviation becomes, the harder it is to restore proper history. These anchor points strengthen the Singularity, making it resistant to outside intervention."
"Like ours," Scáthach added. "The entity behind this—the one using the Dragon Witch as its instrument—is securing its hold on this timeline fragment."
A moment of silence followed as the implications sank in. Finally, Lancer spoke, his warrior's pragmatism cutting through the theoretical discussion. "So we destroy these anchor points, weaken the Singularity, then deal with the Dragon Witch directly."
"It's not quite that simple," Xian cautioned. "The anchors are conceptual in nature, not physical constructs that can be demolished with conventional force. They require specific countermeasures."
Before he could elaborate further, a commotion erupted outside the keep. Moments later, a soldier burst through the door, his expression a mixture of alarm and hope.
"My lords! My lady!" he exclaimed breathlessly. "New allies have arrived at the eastern gate—a young man and a girl in strange armor. They claim to be from something called 'Chaldea' and are asking for—" his eyes landed on Xian and Scáthach, "—them!"
"Fujimaru and Mash," Xian identified. "Right on time."
The reunion at the eastern gate was brief but enlightening. Fujimaru and Mash had encountered their own share of challenges since arriving in the Singularity, including a skirmish with wyverns that had led them to an unexpected ally—a seemingly human woman named Marie Antoinette who had revealed herself to be a Servant summoned out of her proper time period.
"She's gathered a small group of Servants at a castle to the south," Fujimaru explained. "Mozart, Sanson, d'Eon—all French Heroic Spirits drawn to this crisis point in their nation's history."
"The Singularity is creating natural defense mechanisms against its own corruption," Xian observed. "Summoning Servants connected to French history to counter the Dragon Witch's influence."
"Marie said something similar," Mash confirmed. "She believes they were called by France itself, manifesting without a proper Holy Grail to anchor them."
As they returned to the keep to integrate this new information, Xian sensed a subtle disturbance in the conceptual fabric surrounding them—a ripple of awareness passing through the Singularity like a tremor before an earthquake.
[Heaven-Devouring Ascension Matrix: Cosmic Reforged] ✦ Warning: External Observation Detected ✦ Classification: High-Order Conceptual Entity (Demon Pillar-class) ✦ Analysis: Your presence has been noticed by the Singularity's controlling entity ✦ Recommendation: Prepare for imminent confrontation
"We've been noticed," he warned the others, his voice cutting through their discussion. "The Witch knows we're here."
As if in confirmation of his words, the sky darkened suddenly, clouds forming and swirling with unnatural speed. A tremendous roar split the air—not the cry of a wyvern, but something far larger and more ancient.
"Dragon approaching!" came a shout from the watchtower. "Massive one—bigger than any we've seen!"
The defenders rushed to their positions as a shadow passed overhead—a true dragon, its wingspan blocking out the sun, scales black as night with veins of molten fire pulsing beneath. Upon its back rode a figure that, even from this distance, was unmistakably similar to Jeanne herself—but corrupted, twisted, her armor blackened and her banner bearing not the fleur-de-lis but a symbol of draconic vengeance.
The Dragon Witch had come to them directly.
"So much for our reconnaissance," Scáthach remarked dryly, her crimson spear materializing in her hands.
Xian's eyes narrowed as he studied the approaching threat, his perception extending beyond physical sight to the conceptual framework surrounding the Dragon Witch. What he saw confirmed his worst suspicions—threads of malevolent energy connected her directly to something vast and ancient, something that existed partially outside conventional reality.
"She's a puppet," he murmured. "Powerful in her own right, but ultimately an instrument of something greater."
The dragon circled once, then descended toward an open area just outside the settlement's walls—close enough for parley but far enough to avoid immediate conflict. The Dragon Witch dismounted with graceful menace, her corrupted banner planted in the ground beside her as she waited, clearly expecting the defenders to come to her.
"It's a trap," Archer warned. "She wants to draw us out."
"Perhaps," Jeanne acknowledged. "But I must face her regardless. She wears my face, claims my name, and perverts everything I stand for."
"Not alone," Fujimaru interjected with surprising firmness. "We face this together."
Decision made, a small delegation approached the Dragon Witch—Jeanne in the lead, flanked by Fujimaru, Mash, Xian, and Scáthach, with the other Servants following at a tactical distance.
Up close, the corruption infusing the Dragon Witch was even more apparent. Her features mirrored Jeanne's exactly, but her eyes burned with golden malice, her pale skin veined with darkness like cracks in porcelain. Her armor, once silver, had blackened as if burned in the same flames that had consumed the historical Jeanne, and atop her standard flew not a holy banner but a flag depicting France being devoured by dragon fire.
"So," the Dragon Witch called, her voice a distorted echo of Jeanne's own. "The other me emerges from hiding. And brings new playmates." Her golden gaze swept over the group, lingering longest on Xian. "Including one who doesn't belong here at all."
"Jeanne Alter," the true Jeanne addressed her counterpart, using the designation that seemed most appropriate. "This slaughter must end. France is not your enemy."
"France is nothing but my enemy!" Alter snarled, hatred contorting her features. "They burned me at the stake after I gave everything for them! Their betrayal demands retribution!"
"That's not what happened," Jeanne countered calmly. "I accepted my fate with forgiveness in my heart. The hatred you feel is not mine—it's been implanted, manipulated, used to corrupt the very essence of who I am."
Alter's laughter was brittle and cold. "You're a fool. A weak, pathetic fool who died for nothing." Her gaze shifted to Xian again. "But you... you're something else entirely. Not just a Master from that pitiful Chaldea. Something more... problematic."
"You can sense it," Xian acknowledged, taking a step forward. "Because whatever controls you can sense it through you."
For the briefest moment, Alter's expression faltered, genuine confusion replacing the manufactured hatred. Then her features hardened once more, though a calculating light entered her golden eyes.
"Clever," she admitted. "Yes, I serve a greater purpose—the incineration of human history. This timeline is merely one of seven that must burn for the new world to emerge." A cruel smile twisted her lips. "And there's nothing you can do to stop it."
Xian matched her step for step, closing the distance between them. "Your master misinformed you. Fuyuki has already been stabilized. One Singularity corrected, six remaining."
Genuine shock flashed across Alter's face before fury replaced it. "Impossible! Flauros assured—" She caught herself, but too late.
"Flauros," Xian repeated. "One of the Seventy-Two Demon Pillars serving Goetia, the King of Mages. Your true master."
The name sent a visible tremor through Alter's form, as if the mere mention of Goetia invoked his power even across the vast distances separating them. For a moment, her golden eyes flickered, revealing glimpses of something else looking through them—something ancient and malevolent.
"You should not know that name," she hissed, her voice momentarily overlaid with another, deeper tone. "No human should possess such knowledge."
"As you noted," Xian replied calmly, "I am not merely human anymore."
To demonstrate, he extended his hand, the Void Horizon Blade materializing in a display of conceptual manifestation that visibly disturbed Alter. The blade's edge, existing partially in the void between realities, caused distortions in the air around it—ripples in the fabric of the Singularity itself.
"What are you?" Alter demanded, taking an involuntary step back.
Instead of answering directly, Xian channeled power through the blade, activating one of his newly evolved techniques.
"[Void Insight – Conceptual Revelation]," he intoned.
The blade's edge shifted, becoming less a weapon and more a lens through which reality's hidden aspects could be perceived. Directing it toward Alter, Xian forced the conceptual framework controlling her to become briefly visible to all present—revealing thick, tentacle-like appendages of corrupted energy extending from her form upward into an impossible direction, connecting to something that existed beyond conventional space-time.
Gasps of shock came from the assembled Servants as they glimpsed the true nature of the entity pulling Alter's strings. For Alter herself, the revelation appeared physically painful—she staggered backward, clutching her head as the connection was exposed.
"Enough!" she snarled, drawing her darkened blade. "You think your tricks impress me? I command the dragons of vengeance! I am the Dragon Witch, and I will burn France to ash regardless of your interference!"
With that declaration, she swung her sword in a wide arc above her head. The massive dragon behind her responded immediately, its maw opening to unleash a torrent of flames toward the settlement's walls.
Xian reacted instinctively, stepping forward and swinging the Void Horizon Blade in a precise counter-arc. Where the conceptual edge passed, reality parted—creating a void that absorbed the dragon's flame entirely, preventing it from reaching its target.
The display of power seemed to give Alter pause. For a moment, calculation replaced blind rage in her golden eyes.
"Interesting," she murmured. "Perhaps we have underestimated Chaldea's resources." She mounted her dragon with fluid grace, her decision apparently made. "We will meet again, false Jeanne. And you, anomaly—" her gaze fixed on Xian, "—my master will be most interested in what you've become."
With that ominous promise, the dragon beat its massive wings, lifting Alter into the sky and away from the settlement with surprising speed.
"She's retreating?" Mash asked, confused by the abrupt disengagement.
"Tactically withdrawing," Scáthach corrected. "To report what she's learned and prepare a more appropriate response."
Xian nodded in agreement, dismissing the Void Horizon Blade with a thought. "The revelation of her connection to Goetia destabilized her temporarily. More importantly, whatever entity controls her now understands we represent a greater threat than initially calculated."
"Which gives us a brief window," Lancer noted, rejoining them with practical focus. "While she regroups, we should strike at one of these anchor points you mentioned."
"Agreed," Xian turned to Fujimaru and Mash. "You and the Ruler Jeanne should coordinate with Marie's group to formulate a broader strategy. Scáthach and I will target the nearest anchor point to disrupt the Singularity's stability."
"Divide and conquer," Archer observed with a slight nod of approval. "Logical, if risky."
As they returned to the settlement to finalize their plans, Xian felt a familiar prickling sensation—the cultivation system detecting another observational intrusion, more subtle than before but unmistakably present.
[Heaven-Devouring Ascension Matrix: Cosmic Reforged] ✦ Warning: Secondary Observation Detected ✦ Classification: Unknown Entity (Distinct from Demon Pillar signature) ✦ Analysis: Observer exhibits technical familiarity with Chaldean operations ✦ Hypothesis: Possible ally or neutral third party
"We're being watched," he murmured to Scáthach. "But not by Goetia or his Pillars. Someone else has taken an interest in our activities."
"Another player enters the game," she replied thoughtfully. "Friend or foe?"
"Unknown," Xian acknowledged. "But in a battle against the incineration of human history, neutrality itself becomes complicity with destruction."
As night fell over the embattled settlement, plans were laid, forces organized, and preparations made for the coming conflict. The Singularity of Orleans had been engaged—the second front in the war for humanity's continued existence. And as Xian meditated, aligning his cultivation system for the challenges ahead, he sensed the watchful presence of Goetia's consciousness turn briefly in his direction, a vast and ancient intellect regarding him with newfound wariness across the gulf of time and space.
The Heaven-Devouring Architect had been noticed by the King of Mages himself.
The true battle was just beginning.