Jiang You finally managed to explain that he intended to remove the Agrius Metamorphosis from Atalante to restore her original form. Only then did Achilles abandon his melodramatic, snow-in-June demeanor.
"Now that I've emerged victorious, may I speak?"
Jiang You had already put on his act, tormented Jason, and was mostly satisfied. It was time to end this misunderstanding.
"Kill or cut me down—make it quick!" Achilles spat. After all, aside from the two Jeanne d'Arcs, Jiang You was far beyond his league. "What's the point of humiliating us like this?!"
The strong humiliate the weak, Jiang You thought, but he knew it was an inappropriate sentiment. A strong person should show restraint. "I've been trying to explain this from the start. Tiamat didn't appear here to destroy the Human Order. Her task is already complete. Her presence here is an accident. You think I wanted to fight you? You're so weak, like mere cannon fodder. There's no satisfaction in crushing you."
"You—!"
Achilles choked on Jiang You's final words. Jiang You's restraint, after circling around, had finally been abandoned. As a renowned Hero with a name and legend, Achilles possessed his own pride, yet he couldn't refute Jiang You's statement—it was the truth.
"The victor need not concern himself with the feelings of the vanquished."
Seeing Achilles attempt to rise, Melusine swiftly pressed her weapon against the back of his neck. "Please allow Master to finish speaking."
Once again, Jiang You issued no command, prompting him to glance at Melusine with newfound interest.
"Fine," Achilles conceded.
He was already seventy percent convinced. Jiang You's victory indeed made further explanations unnecessary. It was merely Jiang You's harsh choice of words that stung. If Achilles, a Hero of such renown, was considered mere "fodder," then most other servants would be deemed utterly insignificant.
"Tiamat, you can come out now."
Jiang You drew Tiamat forward. His initial plan had been to overwhelm the enemy with Tiamat's raw power, but she had expressed reluctance to bully children (though to her, everyone seemed like children).
The Beast's overwhelming presence tightened Achilles' nerves again. However, Tiamat wasn't as savage as he had imagined. In her human form, she actually seemed quite gentle.
"It's wonderful that we can clear up this misunderstanding," she said, "but bringing Little Jalter here to fight right after she was born? That's completely unacceptable!"
"...Using 'just born' might be a bit much..."
Jalter, never expecting to be described this way, suddenly felt an urge to flee.
Achilles blinked in confusion. Could this domestic atmosphere, this casual conversation, really be coming from a Beast capable of destroying the Human Order? Was his information wrong?
Jiang You explained the full situation. To prove his words weren't false, he even took Achilles on a tour of the Library, demonstrating his ability to cross worlds and confirming that he wasn't a servant summoned from this realm. The existence of Bubble startled Achilles once again, forcing him to admit that he was indeed merely a foot soldier compared to this group. The only thing he couldn't understand was why a weakling like Jeanne d'Arc was mixed in with these monsters.
"Can even Beasts become companions?" Achilles' face twitched slightly. Just moments ago, he had been prepared to fight to the death, only to realize he had been talking to himself the entire time and had thoroughly humiliated himself. He wanted nothing more than to crawl into a hole and disappear.
"Before we get any further, can you explain how to dispel the Agrius Metamorphosis Noble Phantasm?" Jiang You asked, gesturing toward Atalante, who was still rubbing against his pant leg. The scene was somewhat surreal, though Jiang You was secretly enjoying it. However, he didn't have the gall to put on such a show in front of others.
"You wouldn't want your Big Sister to stay like this forever, would you?"
"I think she's fine like this."
Jason chimed in, scratching his chin as he observed Atalante's docile demeanor. "She's usually so fierce, but now that she's a wildcat, she's become much gentler. I actually find her more agreeable this way."
With a teasing glint in his eyes, Jason reached out to provoke Atalante. She usually regarded him with disdain, and if not for his inferior strength, he would have long since grown resentful. However, he was sorely mistaken. Atalante's docility stemmed from Jiang You's blood being a vitalizing tonic for her. Beasts, lacking ulterior motives, simply acted on instinct, making her appear affectionate towards Jiang You. The moment Jason extended his hand, Atalante bit down on his wrist, bared her claws, and clawed wildly at him.
The stat boosts from the Agrius Metamorphosis were no joke. Jason's blood splattered across the ground as his agonized screams pierced the sky.
Seeing that Jason was about to be torn apart, Jiang You had no choice but to cancel the summoning and send him back. Medea would surely intervene—though she disliked Jason, she wouldn't let him die like this... right?
"Sorry, I can't do anything about this."
Though watching the Big Sister purr and nuzzle against a man who had been their enemy just minutes ago made his blood pressure spike and his temples throb wildly, "This Noble Phantasm can only be dispelled by the user. We'll have to wait until she regains her senses. With enough magical power replenishment, it shouldn't take long..."
"..."
Jiang You could only wait and steered the conversation to another topic.
"Tiamat wasn't summoned from your world, so the crisis you're facing isn't caused by a Beast."
Jiang You motioned for Achilles to stand up. Now that the misunderstanding had been resolved, there was no need to remain on guard.
"Wait, you mentioned our world's crisis?" Achilles seized on the key point in Jiang You's words. So there really was something going on here? Of course, Achilles didn't fully believe him yet, though Jiang You had no reason to lie. "True or false? How do you know?"
"It's normal for someone who hops between Parallel Worlds to have some information about the future, right?" Jiang You couldn't exactly say he'd learned it from watching anime. "Just think of it as I have something similar to future sight. I also know about your situation—your current leader is a Ruler named Amakusa Shirou, right?"
"You mean the unprecedented situation of two Rulers appearing in the Holy Grail War, right?"
Achilles nodded. This was indeed a major point of suspicion. Previously, seeing Jeanne d'Arc working with the Beast, the enemy of humanity, everyone had blindly accepted Amakusa's accusations without question, believing Amakusa to be the true Ruler. Now, upon reflection, a glaring anomaly emerged: how could Amakusa, as a Ruler, become the Master of an Assassin? While it was true that Rulers possessed Command Spells capable of transferring control of servants, Amakusa had been a Master since the very beginning of the Holy Grail War. "So, you're saying Amakusa Shirou Tokisada is the false Ruler?"
"His Class is indeed Ruler," Jiang You confirmed.
Jiang You had no reason to lie about this. "But he wasn't summoned for this Holy Grail War. He's a servant who was illegally summoned by the Einzbern family during the previous Fuyuki Holy Grail War, not the Arbiter of this Holy Grail War."
"Judging by your expression, you don't quite believe me, do you?"
Jiang You instructed Jeanne to reveal her Spirit Origin, but Achilles' eyes still held skepticism.
"You're right," Achilles conceded magnanimously. "Since we're both Rulers, there's no way to tell who the true adjudicator is."
"That's easily proven. As adjudicators, the number of Command Spells we possess differs from those of ordinary Masters. Though Jeanne's Command Spells were depleted due to sharing a Summoning Circle with Tiamat, it doesn't affect the outcome."
Jiang You had Jeanne expose her back, revealing the half-wing-like Command Spells, far exceeding the usual three markings.
"Then why would he pretend to be a Ruler? What advantage would that give him?"
Achilles grew more convinced; Jeanne's Command Spells were undeniably genuine. Even if they were fakes, they were still real Command Spells. Moreover, Tiamat's forces had no need to deceive him into joining; his own strength here was merely a bonus.
"After all, he's a Saint (according to Nasuverse lore). The Beast's emergence is a genuine threat. How could he possibly pass up the chance to claim the title of Savior?"
After all, before Chaldea summoned Beasts, who could have imagined such creatures becoming allies? Even with Tiamat on their side, Jiang You didn't believe Amakusa's actions were wrong.
"He wasn't wrong in that regard. The world's crisis doesn't stem from his actions, but from his wish. As the leader who eradicated the Beast, wouldn't it be natural for him to claim the right to use the Holy Grail?"
"Not necessarily. After it's over, it's every man for himself." Achilles figured he wouldn't relinquish it so easily, but upon reflection, he realized that the Hanging Gardens—their current base (too massive to take flight yet)—was Amakusa's territory. If they truly succeeded in defeating the Beast, their remaining combat strength would be minimal. Moreover, Assassin Semiramis, the most ancient of assassins, could wipe them all out with ease.
"Hmm... you might be right. So, what exactly is his wish?"
"To crystallize all of humanity, granting them eternal life and eliminating the walls of the heart that divide them."
"Doesn't that sound like a good thing?"
Achilles clearly didn't grasp the full implications of the statement. "But what exactly is 'crystallization'?"
"Here, it's this thing."
Jiang You, having firsthand experience with the crystallized remains of humanity, reached into his Inventory and tossed a Soul Crystal to Achilles. Ever since the Seventh Singularity, where he'd received several large Soul Crystals, he had plenty to spare.
Achilles caught the crystal and examined it. The small gem contained an unimaginable amount of magical power. Even without being a Magus himself, he could sense its immense value—something that would drive nearly all Magi to madness. Connecting the dots, Achilles' expression shifted dramatically. "So, when humans crystallize, they turn into this?"
"What else would they turn into? Orange juice?"
"No, is he insane?!"
Achilles finally understood. Amakusa planned to turn all of humanity into stone. In that state, they would indeed achieve eternal life, and conflicts would cease because, well, stones don't exactly engage in conflicts.
"How could he even come up with such a scheme? Is this something a normal person would think of?"
"That's definitely not normal human thinking... It's probably because of his Former Master," Jiang You mused.
After a moment's thought, he concluded that the Einzbern family bore the ultimate responsibility, though the Church might also share some blame. It wasn't necessarily Ma Po; this timeline seemed to lack that ancient, pleasure-seeking villain. "Soul crystallization is an application of the Third Magic. The Einzbern family are the foremost Magus specializing in this field. They must have had some influence on Amakusa."
Jiang You suddenly realized that Kiritsugu and Irisviel from the Fourth Holy Grail War might be the perfect individuals to handle this situation. Letting Amakusa witness the true potential of soul crystallization might be a bit eye-opening, to say the least.
Achilles, though bewildered, expressed his awe: "I need to confront him and verify this! If it's true, I must stop him!"
Seeing Achilles about to charge off with fiery determination, Jiang You quickly grabbed his arm.
"Think for a moment! Rushing in alone is practically suicide. Do you think he'll just let you ask questions without killing you on the spot? We'll go together. After all, he's a religious man. We can make him swear an oath on a dove."
Believers are absolutely unyielding when it comes to their faith, especially when it concerns a Saint. Asking him to lie to the pigeons would be impossible. "If he tries to evade the question, just keep pressing him," Jeanne instructed.
"...Fine," Achilles agreed reluctantly. He couldn't abandon his Teacher and Big Sister here, even though the atmosphere was awkward. For the sake of his companions, he could endure it.
"Mr. Jiang You, please refrain from addressing the Lord in such a manner. It's... slightly disrespectful," Jeanne protested weakly. Due to the Revelation, she knew Jiang You's true nature. But as a Saintess, she found his casual reference to her faith unacceptable.
"Ha?" Jalter finally found an opening to retort. "You're just a posthumously canonized Saintess! Stop acting like such a big deal, okay? If the Lord truly favored you, you wouldn't have been burned at the stake by the very country and people you swore to protect!"
"Exactly! Look, you're even charred black!" Jiang You pointed to the singed hem of Jalter's cloak, deliberately designed to emphasize her fiery persona.
"Shut up!" Jalter snapped, stabbing at Jiang You with her lance for making light of Hell. After all, she saw him as far stronger than herself, so she had no fear of hurting him.
"I did receive a divine revelation. Even if I'm not formally acknowledged, I must fulfill my duty," Jeanne insisted. To her, being burned at the stake was merely a small part of her life; completing her mission was all that mattered.
"You—!"
Jalter despised Jeanne's way of thinking, pitying her naivety. "You idiot! You're being sold out and still counting their money for them, you fool!"
"Alright, alright," Jiang You interjected, smoothing things over. He had been stabbed clean through by Jalter, but the wound was nothing to him now—it would heal in minutes. His only concern was that Atalante was watching him hungrily, ready to pounce and drain him the moment he pulled out the spear.
"Our priority now is to settle things for Tiamat. Let's discuss this issue after we've resolved that."
After all, these two had completely opposite personalities, and their argument would never reach a resolution.