In the Forbidden World, most sects were derived branches of the Cross religion.
Even if they belonged to different orders, their only divergence lay in their interpretation of the Lord's teachings. But at their core, all acknowledged faith in the same supreme Lord.
Kanzaki Kaori could not fathom how a girl like this—one chosen by the Lord—could appear now and influence the entirety of the Cross sect.
To some, she would be revered as a divine saint, her words taken as direct revelation and gospel.
To others, she would be deemed a heretic, her presence seen as sacrilege, undermining divine authority and shaking the foundations of ecclesiastical order.
But to Kanzaki Kaori right now…
She could only bow her head.
"We're essentially your enemies." Shen He's talismans faded into pale embers as the malevolent energy retreated around her. "But our goal is to investigate and resolve the abnormalities surfacing in this world. And for that, we need allies."
Joan remained silent, standing tall behind Shen He with her lance shouldered. There was no mistaking it—Shen He was the one in charge.
"Abnormalities?" Shenshoku Hoori frowned.
"Kamijou Touma should've informed you that Misaka Mikoto—currently leading a war in Academy City—has changed drastically in strength, demeanor, and methodology." Shen He looked upward toward the apartment, where faint magical defenses shimmered. "She's already clashed with Accelerator. We'll discuss the rest inside."
"—Joan of Arc!?"
Kanzaki Kaori couldn't suppress her startled outcry.
The name had long been enshrined as one of the Cross's most legendary saints.
Even if it was just a coincidence, the presence of this silver-haired woman, clad in glistening armor, wielding a bannered spear and radiating divine conviction—this could not be happenstance.
Kaori began pondering whether Joan's name had been inherited, like the sages of the Magic Cabal—titles passed down through generations, not unlike the divine vessels in certain alchemical sects.
Joan nodded slightly. As she turned, she glanced at Stiyl Magnus—seated on the floor, his eyes closed in silent prayer—and raised her palm toward him.
"May the Lord absolve you."
For a brief moment, a warmth passed over him like sunlight breaking through storm clouds. The anxiety that had clawed at his soul began to subside.
He exhaled a shaky breath, nearly convinced he'd been abandoned by the Lord. Yet even with her absolution, Stiyl bowed his head. A large portion of the power wielded by church magicians stemmed from faith itself. For a traitor to lose faith was akin to draining one's magical circuits. The alchemist Othinus had proven that loss of belief could unravel even the strongest spells.
Kaori followed Shen He, Joan, and Stiyl as they made their way to Kamijou Touma's apartment.
Despite the earlier battle, the surrounding area remained undisturbed—mostly because the students had been evacuated. The apartment was now serving as an emergency base, protected by layered enchantments calibrated through Chaldea's reality sensors.
Inside, Shen He's eyes met a familiar figure.
A boy with a hedgehog-like hairstyle—Kamijou Touma. His face was drawn and tired, the wear of war heavy in his expression.
He looked older than his animated counterpart, touched by decay and stress.
But his instinct to protect Index—the girl in white priestly robes—remained intact. Shen He noted with mild amusement that he instinctively stepped between them, shielding her with his own body.
Hopeless old romantic.
"I'm Shen He from Chaldea," she said, extending her hand toward Touma.
He hesitated, then reached out his right hand.
Their hands met.
Nothing happened.
Touma exhaled in relief. His Imagine Breaker, which dispelled supernatural phenomena, had no effect—meaning Shen He's system-level existence ranked above local anomalies. His arm might as well have tried to erase a fundamental law of the multiverse.
"What's going on here?" Kamijou asked, glancing between Stiyl and Kaori. "Stiyl suddenly screamed about an enemy attack and ran off—was this some misunderstanding?"
The earlier clash had rattled the apartment. Kamijou had genuinely feared that their shelter might collapse mid-battle.
"Time is short. I'll be direct," Shen He said, her voice taking on a tone of authority. "You're aware of Misaka Mikoto's transformation. Our analysis suggests that this 'Misaka' leading the war is not the real one. She is a separate existence—an autonomous entity created by the Holy Grail, a universal wish-granting artifact."
"We refer to her as Misaka Mikoto: Alter."
"Holy Grail?"
"Another Misaka?"
Kanzaki Kaori and Kamijou Touma reacted in unison, though with different emphases. Kaori locked onto the notion of a world-altering machine, while Kamijou could only process the idea of another Misaka.
"No wonder she felt so different," Touma muttered, brows furrowing. "The Misaka I knew—loud, impulsive, maybe unreasonable—she'd never do something like this."
He recalled encountering the Alter version after the war began. She'd attacked without hesitation, employing indirect assaults and terrain manipulation to counter his Imagine Breaker. It was only because of Kaori's timely arrival that he'd survived.
"What exactly is the Holy Grail?" Stiyl asked, his voice uncharacteristically subdued. Kaori, too, looked to Shen He. Even as battle-tested magicians, neither had ever heard of such a construct.
"It doesn't belong to this world," Shen He explained. "That's the anomaly. The Holy Grail was transferred here through a rift in dimensional continuity—possibly from the Moonlit World. Chaldea is an interdimensional agency created to monitor and resolve such cross-universal phenomena."
She gave a concise overview of Chaldea and the vast 'Great Multiverse' it protected—how singularities, Holy Grail wars, and system-spawned anomalies were monitored, contained, or erased to maintain multiversal balance.
She even disclosed Joan's true nature—a Servant summoned through the Throne of Heroes.
"And let me be clear," she added sternly, "Touma, you are not allowed within three meters of her."
Although Servants could regenerate after death, the cooldown could span hours or even days depending on the damage. Shen He didn't want to test what Touma's right hand could do to a spiritual construct bound by the system.
Joan had even demonstrated her Ascension—the saint's radiant transformation marked by rings of luminous glyphs and divine resonance. It was enough to leave Stiyl and Kaori speechless.
"She's… the real deal."
Kanzaki Kaori found herself standing straighter, more respectful.
Though her own 'Saint' classification referred to physical potential—being born with the body of the Son of God—it lacked the spiritual gravitas of Joan of Arc, whose sainthood came from miracles, sacrifice, and reverent faith that transcended death.
Not to mention that Joan had now become a heroic spirit recognized by the Lord and chosen by Chaldea.
"Joan of Arc is currently under Chaldea's jurisdiction," Shen He clarified. "While her origin lies with your Lord, I have no intention of letting her be dragged into theological warfare or political crusades. Once we resolve the anomaly, we'll leave this world."
Shen He harbored no illusions. If Joan's existence became public knowledge, half the magical factions would worship her, and the other half would try to dissect her.
"If all believers were truly pious," she muttered, "there'd be no magic wars."
"As my master says." Joan's voice was gentle, but carried the gravity of compassion, "I belong to the past. Whatever struggles remain between humanity and the divine, they are yours to navigate. I am only here because I was called."
This was the saint who received divine revelation to liberate her homeland… Shenshoku Hoori found herself involuntarily drawn to her presence.
As Shen He continued briefing them on the anomalies and Chaldea's mission, a figure hidden high atop a nearby skyscraper observed through a crystal-fused lens.
Qi Mu Nanzi narrowed his eyes.
The bait had worked.
Alter Misaka would respond soon.
And war was inevitable.
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