Lost a Hand, No Big Deal / Charge Straight In

As if she were self-taught, she immediately understood the sword's special properties. As for swordsmanship itself, as someone who had fought on the battlefield for a considerable time, she understood it.

She gently swung the sword, feeling the power within it, and a smile appeared on her face.

"A familiar feeling, but I don't know why it feels familiar..."

"Because this is the power of France, the power formed by gathering the strength of the France people and then channeling it into the sword," Mephistopheles said. "In other words, this is the power of the France king."

"But I'm not the king! The king should be Charles VII!"

"He's already dead," Mephistopheles said casually. "If you don't mind, you can have Henry VI of England perform the ceremony for you; after all, he also has that title and can be King of France."

Jeanne d'Arc hesitated.

"Alright, why think so much? Anyway, Charlemagne gave the sword to Roland in the past, and now I'm giving it to you. Your status as the France Saintess is universally acknowledged. No one can say anything about you taking it. If Charles VII comes back to life and has objections, we can just beat him until he takes his opinion back."

Mash Kyrielight tried desperately to cover Mephistopheles's mouth, but she was too slow and missed. Ritsuka Fujimaru instinctively covered her eyes. How could someone say something like that?

On the other end of the communicator, Romani and Olga Marie also looked on with disbelief. Wouldn't they get beaten up for talking like that?

Mephistopheles, however, paid no heed to his words. He concluded, "What does it mean that this power is gathering around you? It means that the people approve of you, and it has nothing to do with who is the king."

Jeanne d'Arc was silent for a moment, then gripped the hilt of her sword and nodded slightly. "I understand. I will use this sword to save everyone and put history back on track! For the sake of France, and for the future of all mankind!"

Chapter 142 A hand was cut off, but it's not a big deal.

Jeanne d'Arc was indeed a woman who rose from the bottom and was wholeheartedly devoted to the France people. She had her own awareness and was willing to fight even though she was weak, and this fight was not for herself.

This being, who was practically a saint in religion, left Mephistopheles somewhat in awe.

However, Mephistopheles was also very happy.

Because this is the best Jeanne d'Arc of Arc, because she is inhuman in her emotions, she is saintly, and therefore the best!

He had his own plan. Durandal was a fake he created, unable to reach the level of the original Durandal. If it were based on the original Durandal's power, although it wouldn't reach the power of an archangel, it could still come close.

The miracle caused by combining the power called France with the power called the Holy Lance, granting power approaching that of an archangel, is what Charlemagne did in the world of A Certain Magical Index.

The Durandal created by Mephistopheles might allow its wielder to easily unleash destructive power against a city.

Not to mention, because of Mephistopheles's clever method of creating the sacred artifact, the artifact within it has a time limit. As time goes by, it will inevitably become weaker and weaker, eventually turning into an ordinary object.

By then, the sword had become just an ordinary iron sword.

However, as the sword was placed in Jeanne d'Arc's hands, Jeanne d'Arc saintly qualities caused the sword to change, drawing upon the power of angels. At this moment, Durandal, though still not at the level of the original sword, had already far surpassed all the Noble Phantasm in Mephistopheles's possession!

The power that Durandal possesses now is so great that it could easily be called Star-Cleaving Sword!

That truly meant possessing the power to cleave a planet in two with a single blow!

Even the problem of it weakening over time was resolved, after all, it truly gained the approval of the Holy Spirit, and was held by Jeanne d'Arc of Arc, receiving the blessing of a saint.

It's a pity that Jeanne d'Arc can't truly unleash such power. Mephistopheles estimates that the current Jeanne d'Arc d'Arc is at the T0 level of Heroic Spirit, but Mephistopheles's not too sure if she's at the Grand level.

Because Mephistopheles has never encountered any Grand Order, he cannot give an objective evaluation.

As for whether this sword will follow Jeanne d'Arc in the future, Mephistopheles is not worried at all. Jeanne d'Arc is a Servant, an existence formed from magical energy. Even if she eats a banana now, as long as the banana has not been swallowed, it will fall to the ground the moment she disappears.

Therefore, the sword will not leave with her; it is merely a quest item for her in this instance.

Once the mission is completed, Jeanne d'Arc disappears, and the sword is retrieved, Mephistopheles will possess a Spirit Dress that, while not as powerful as those in the A Certain A Certain Magical Index world, is still quite decent for this world.

A Durandal that could be considered one-tenth of the original, who knows how many?

In any case, it's enough for Mephistopheles right now. Even if he can't unleash his full power normally, as long as he finds a way to unleash it, he can still serve as a trump card.

The group continued walking when suddenly, strange sounds came from afar. They quickly turned around and saw a large group of zombies. Clearly, these creatures were gathering and preparing to attack the fortress.

"Let me test the power of this sword!" Jeanne d'Arc said, holding Durandal, her whole being brimming with fighting spirit.

"In that case, we should also..." Mash Kyrielight said, about to go into battle, but Mephistopheles grabbed her arm. "Mephistopheles- senpai, what are you doing..."

"Let's take a break. I need to see just how powerful my Durandal can be right now," Mephistopheles said with a smile, pointing to the sword in Jeanne d'Arc's hand. "I need to gather some information first."

"I see. In that case..." Mash Kyrielight said to Jeanne d'Arc, "Miss Jeanne d'Arc, please feel free to call me if you need anything."

"Okay, you rest first, let me try out this new power!" Jeanne d'Arc said, gripping the hilt of her sword tightly. Then, with a powerful push from her feet, she vanished instantly!

Along with the disappearance of Jeanne d'Arc, there were craters appearing on the ground and bursts of air!

The sound of that explosion was like a thunderclap.

Jeanne d'Arc felt the power flowing from the sword into her body. It wasn't just magic; it was a special kind of magic that directly strengthened her body, enhanced her senses, and gave her immense power!

She can now move at supersonic speeds using only her physical body, without needing to rely on her own magic to enhance it!

She gently brandished the weapon in her hand, wanting to test its power.

Then, the body was dismembered!

It wasn't just one zombie, but almost all zombies that were decapitated at that moment. Large areas suffered similar blows at that instant, and with each blow, holy power erupted from the sword, severing all the filth!

It was clearly just an ordinary attack, yet at this moment it displayed the power of Noble Phantasm unleashed. Even if it only reached the level of an ordinary Noble Phantasm unleashed attack, it was still incredibly terrifying.

After all, it was just a casual strike!

However, this also brought a problem: she found it difficult to judge how strong the sword really was.

The opponent was far too weak to conduct sufficient testing!

Unless, of course, there is a sufficiently powerful opponent!

"Let me try!" A voice suddenly appeared, and Mephistopheles's figure blurred as he appeared in front of Jeanne d'Arc. In his hand was a sword, a short sword that looked quite ordinary, but strangely, it was constantly releasing an enormous torrent of magical power, which had even transformed into a swirling tornado!

"Alright, then be careful!" Jeanne d'Arc didn't waste any words and immediately chose to fight Mephistopheles. Since Morpheus could forge such a powerful weapon on his own, Jeanne d'Arc believed that Mephistopheles was definitely not an ordinary person and that his strength was absolutely formidable!

As expected, Jeanne d'Arc's attack, which she thought would pose a great threat to even Servants, was actually blocked by the human in front of her. In fact, the human's weapon was evenly matched with her own, resulting in a stalemate!

"What is the Noble Phantasm you hold?" Jeanne d'Arc asked as she blocked Mephistopheles's attack.

"The War God's Sword, or you could call it the Ares's Sword. In terms of level, it's an EX-grade Divine Construct." Mephistopheles said, and after a few more moves, Jeanne d'Arc quickly blocked his attacks, then changed her moves and attacked Mephistopheles as well.

As a result, Mephistopheles blocked her attack with the sword in his hand.

"A top-tier Noble Phantasm, and a Divine Construct at that! You're truly amazing, and you seem so mysterious. Not only do you possess Divine Construct, but you can even create weapons that are no less powerful than Divine Construct!"

Jeanne d'Arc's tone was filled with shock, but despite her shock, her attacks showed no sign of abating. The two fought for a while longer before Mephistopheles suddenly took a step back and shouted, "Attack me with all your might!"

Are you sure?!

"Okay, I'm sure, but wait while I change positions!" Mephistopheles said, appearing in mid-air in a flash. "Attack me! Let me see just how much power it can unleash now!"

Knowing that Mephistopheles flew into the air and asked her to attack from below with all her might to prevent damage to the ground or even people if she dodged the attack, Jeanne d'Arc obediently aimed her attack at the air.

Then, a dazzling golden light appeared from the sword and slashed straight into the air!

This strike even severed space itself!

The spatial structure became unstable under the pressure of the sword, and then collapsed. The violent sword light disappeared into the cracks!

But then, in less than the blink of an eye, the sword light appeared in front of Mephistopheles, emerging from a spatial rift.

As for this spatial rift, it suddenly appeared and shattered right in front of Mephistopheles!

This sword severed the continuity of spacetime, and even caused its own attacks to leap!

Mephistopheles hurriedly tried to block with his protective gear, but it was to no avail. The sword light slashed through Mephistopheles's body and severed his left shoulder!

"Senior Mephistopheles!"

"Mephistopheles!"

The people who had been watching the battle shouted immediately, and Jeanne d'Arc, looking very nervous, rushed over.

On the communicator, Olga Marie and Romani, who had been watching the show, suddenly became anxious.

Olga Marie immediately shouted, "Are you crazy?! You're just going to take it head-on like that?! Can't you dodge?!"

Romani immediately shouted, "Get back quickly! I'll treat you when you get back, and remember to bring your severed arm!"

"Alright, why the rush?" Mephistopheles frowned, intense pain surging through his brain, but he seemed completely unconcerned. Instead, he easily picked up his severed arm, gently reattached it to the broken part, and then took out a bottle from his pocket, opened it, and gently dripped the contents onto the arm.

What's coming out of the bottle is red liquid—it's blood!

There was only two drops of blood, but after these two drops of blood came into contact with Mephistopheles's wound, his injury began to heal at an incredible speed!

In just a few seconds, what should have been a broken arm was now completely healed!

Everyone gasped in astonishment at the bizarre scene.

Olga Marie stammered, "What... what is this thing?"

"The blood of the Holy Son! The blood of the Holy Son can restore health; this has been recorded since ancient times."

Upon hearing this answer, Olga Marie let out a scream, startling Ritsuka Fujimaru: "So, there's something wrong with the Holy Son's blood? Why did the director react like that?"

Mash Kyrielight was also in shock. Upon hearing Ritsuka Fujimaru's words, she quickly whispered an explanation, "Holy Child, that refers to Jesus! Mephistopheles- senpai just used Jesus' blood, and how did he obtain that blood?"

Ritsuka Fujimaru was stunned; she had never expected that the thing Mephistopheles had taken out would be so precious.

"You're such a spendthrift! Jesus's blood is still there! This is practically a sacred relic, something that can even bring the dead back to life, and you've used it like this? Your injuries could have been repaired when you came back!" Olga Marie said, her heart aching.

Jeanne d'Arc was also shocked to see Mephistopheles. As Christianity, she knew very well what the blood of Jesus represented. She never expected that Mephistopheles would carry the blood of Jesus with him!

Romani's face showed shock, and he was equally shocked inside.

"Mephistopheles is indeed amazing. He even possesses the blood of Jesus, and the Durandal he created is also incredibly powerful."

"The data just showed that Durandal's power in the final stage even surpassed the release of the strongest Noble Phantasm recorded in Chaldea, and this level of power was achieved in pure strength, without relying on any special concepts or tricks."

"Even those strange phenomena that happened to Jeanne d'Arc just now were miracles sent by God, no, at least by angels. Even when I was Solomon, I had never heard of True Magic that could grant power in this way. How did Mephistopheles know about this method?"

Thinking about this, Romani suddenly remembered what Mephistopheles had told him.

"By the way, he also wants to use my blood to make Ring of King Solomon. I originally thought he might make a weaker version of the fake, but now it seems he might make a Solomon's Ring that even I don't know how it works."

"After all, he said he was going to create a Durandal, but the Durandal he created was clearly nothing like the Durandal I knew."

"If Charlemagne had possessed this weapon in the past, he would probably have unified all of human civilization... I'm afraid even King Arthur's Sword in the Stone, Excalibur, cannot compare to this sword."

While everyone was still in shock by Mephistopheles's power, Mephistopheles took off his clothes, then took out a needle and thread and began to sew and mend them on the spot.

"This... this is your dress, isn't it? I'm sorry..." Jeanne d'Arc said embarrassedly, but Mephistopheles shook his head. "It's okay, it can be repaired. The main structure is still there. Anyway, it can be used as long as it's sewn up. It's not like the magic on it has been completely erased."

Mephistopheles spoke without any apparent concern, and his sewing movements looked incredibly skilled, like someone who had been doing needlework for over a decade.

Chapter 143 Just Go All Out

It didn't take him long to mend his clothes. The special patterns sewn inside using special techniques were also restored under Mephistopheles's repair. After putting the clothes back on, he looked at Durandal in Jeanne d'Arc's hand and showed a satisfied expression.

"Indeed, truly impressive. Now, to block this sword's attack, unless one obtains something of the same or even greater level, there is no way to prevent being cut down by it."

As Mephistopheles made his assessment, he also muttered to himself.

Servants, or Heroic Spirit, who are detached from the timeline, can indeed be useful in certain situations. According to normal history, Jeanne d'Arc of Arc has not yet been canonized, but the Jeanne d'Arc of Throne of Heroes does not have this problem. No matter when she ascends to the Throne of Heroes, she will receive the blessing of legend, which is equivalent to her possessing the concept of a saint.

Not to mention that this is France, and the people's recognition of Jeanne d'Arc exists. Even if people are now engaging in bashing Black Jeanne, as long as this foundation remains, and its foundation is slightly shifted, it can still produce such a powerful effect.

Incidentally, using the blood of the Holy Son for treatment is indeed a good idea, but unfortunately even if I sanctify myself, the blood I produce cannot last long. Each time I need to draw blood, I have to torture myself first, which is too troublesome.

The most bizarre thing is that, even when I've transformed myself into a holy child, the healing effects of my blood are ineffective against me...

I feel like after becoming a holy son, I'll be an incredibly powerful Tang Sanzang (a monk in Journey to the West). My flesh and blood can help others, and incidentally, I'll also be incredibly powerful myself.

Jeanne d'Arc happily brandished her sword, declaring, "With such a weapon, even my so-called witch is no match for me!"

Mephistopheles asked, "What should we do next?"

Jeanne d'Arc glanced at the weapon in her hand. "Without this weapon, I would definitely choose a roundabout tactic, slowly gathering intelligence and figuring out the enemy's strength to the best of my ability, while depleting their manpower as much as possible. But with this weapon, our best approach is to charge in head-on and eliminate them before they cause any further damage!"

Should we just attack head-on?

Mephistopheles, who no longer remembered much of the plot, nodded slightly as he listened to Jeanne d'Arc's words. "I agree. Let's just charge straight in. Our goal is simple: kill Black Jeanne and destroy all the monsters she summons, so that history can return to its normal course."

"A direct assault?!" Ritsuka Fujimaru swallowed hard, a look of excitement flashing in her eyes. "This... this is too epic!"

Mephistopheles reached out and patted Ritsuka Fujimaru on the shoulder, laughing, "Of course! You're standing before Ancient Greece hero who participated in the Argo' voyage; naturally, you can have some heroic epics to tell!"

"Huh?! You're from Ancient Greece?"

I just happened to be passing by and joined in the fun.

"That's amazing! It's exactly like something out of a story I've heard before. Ancient Greece is always full of heroic tales!"