Following my brief greeting to the Saint, I set upon the wyverns that swarmed from the heavens like a relentless pack of hounds, cleaving through them with my blade.
After what felt like an eternity of slaughter, the wyverns that had once choked the sky thinned until their numbers were few. They were fleeing.
Once I had brought down some forty of the beasts, a stray few began to tuck tail and run. By the time over eighty lay butchered in the dirt, all but the most mindless and bloodthirsty among them had vanished into the horizon.
I finished off the stragglers and gave my sword a sharp flick, spraying the monster ichor from the steel. Turning back, I approached Jeanne, who still sat upon the earth in a daze, watching me with wide eyes.
"Are you harmed, Saint?"
"..."
"Saint?"
"—Ah...? Oh, yes. I am quite well. Thank you for your assistance."
I offered a silent nod in response to her gratitude and extended a hand to help her rise, noting she remained seated perhaps due to her exhaustion or lingering injuries.
Jeanne stared at my outstretched palm for a moment before snapping back to her senses and taking it. I tightened my grip and pulled her to her feet.
However, it seemed her wounds were deeper than I had anticipated. As she stood, her balance failed her; she stumbled and began to collapse forward. I moved instinctively, lunging to catch her before she struck the ground.
"....."
"—Eh......?"
In the confusion of the moment, I found myself holding her in an embrace. Jeanne looked up, her expression utterly vacant as she stared into my face from inches away.
Caught in the suddenness of the situation, she seemed unable to process the proximity, her gaze wandering over my features with a stunned blankness.
Slowly, the light of comprehension returned to her eyes, and with it, a heat that began to crawl up her neck. Realizing the full extent of the situation, the Saint's face—
The color of a ripened fruit washed over her skin.
"W-W-What in heaven's name!"
"?"
Her face was now as red as a beet. Her pupils trembled like a fracturing earth as she cried out.
"Please, let—let me go!"
"....I released my hold long ago. If anything, you are the one clinging to me."
"—Hah!?"
I raised both my hands to show her I was no longer supporting her weight. She cast her gaze downward.
Seeing that it was indeed her own arms wrapped around me, she frantically untangled herself, stumbling back in a panic.
I watched her with a faint look of surprise. To think the Holy Maiden of Orleans could be so unworldly and innocent.
Was this truly the same woman who had uttered such bold things to Sieg in those other tales? My internal image of her clashed violently with reality.
The sheer absurdity of her reaction broke my composure, and I found myself letting out a short laugh. Hearing this, the Saint spoke in a trembling voice.
"D-Do not laugh at me!"
"Ahahaha! My apologies. Forgive me. Your reaction was simply so far beyond my expectations that I could not help myself. I offer my sincere apologies."
"Ugh......."
She groaned and fixed me with a sharp glare, but after a moment, she gave a stiff nod, accepting my apology.
"—Regardless, I must thank you for saving me. My True Name is Jeanne d'Arc. I have been summoned to this place as a Ruler."
I blinked, genuinely caught off guard by the ease with which she offered up her True Name. I was currently manifested as a Berserker.
In this 'Alter' state, I bore every hallmark of a fallen, corrupted knight. Yet, she spoke her identity to me without a hint of hesitation.
I sighed softly at her apparent lack of caution.
"Haa.... What would you have done if I were your enemy? One should not reveal their True Name so carelessly."
"You saved my life, did you not? Besides, Sir Elius, you shared your own name with me first."
"Ah."
I supposed she had me there. When I was first summoned, I had indeed identified myself to earn her trust.
"Hmph.... It seems I have no room to lecture you. Fine then. I am Elius.... specifically, Elius Alter. A Knight of the Round Table."
"A Knight of the Round Table.... That explains your immense strength."
Jeanne nodded, as if my pedigree finally made sense of the carnage she had just witnessed. I looked back at her and asked the most pressing question.
"....So, how do you intend to proceed?"
"For now, I intend to travel and offer aid to those under siege by the wyverns. What about you, Sir Knight?"
"Just call me Elius. As for what I shall do...."
I paused to consider my options.
Truthfully, while my primary objective of restoring the Singularity remained, the sub-mission to rescue the Saint was already complete. I could technically wander alone until the arrival of the protagonist, Fujimaru Ritsuka.
If only my memories of the original timeline were more precise, I would move with more purpose.
But since I could only recall the broad strokes of the Grand Order's history, acting rashly was a risk I couldn't afford. A single wrong move could lead to the loss of an allied Servant or surrender a strategic advantage to the enemy.
While I was buried in my thoughts, a soft voice broke through my reverie.
"—Um...."
".....Hm?"
I stopped my calculations and looked at her.
"Do you have something to say?"
"I-If it is not too much trouble.... would you be willing to travel with me?"
I stared at her in surprise. She seemed embarrassed to even make the request, a slight blush returning to her cheeks.
"W-Well.... I said I would save the people, but I fear my strength alone has limits. And more than anything.... you are quite strong."
"....I see."
The proposal wasn't without merit. If I stayed with her, I wouldn't disrupt the flow of history too severely, and my presence would more or less guarantee her survival.
Having reached that conclusion, I gave her a firm nod.
"Very well. My only goal for the moment is gathering information, so saving a few lives along the way won't hurt."
"—! Does that mean....!"
The anxiety in Jeanne's eyes vanished, replaced instantly by a bright, relieved expression.
I offered her a small smile and held out my hand.
"I will accompany you. I look forward to our journey, Jeanne d'Arc."
"....!!! And I as well! It is an honor, Elius!"
She took my hand with a firm, spirited grip and beamed at me.
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