It had decomposed skin, rotting eyeballs, missing nose and ears, and dirty bones sticking out from all parts of its body. It was a human corpse that moved by receiving dark energy, and this zombie's appearance was a truly gruesome sight to see.
"Urgh!" Gudako gagged.
Back During their trip in Singularity 1 in fuyuki city, she saw a skeletons and shadow servants and actually killed a shadow servant herself while saving mashu. However, the creature in front of them was on a different level smell.
Grrr! Grrrr!
Under its torn skin, they could see its Adam's apple bobbing up and down.
Step!
The zombie walked slowly but boldly towards the group, and gudako took a step backward.
"S-s-s Ritsuka! T-that is! Its real zombie"
"master let me take care of this and put it to rest."
Clang!
Bondica moved past the stuttering Mashu and gudako and pulled out her sword. The moonlight dyed the blue Light, making it look like the sword of judgment that an angel might use.
Step! Step!
Bondica followed the footsteps of the zombie that was coming towards them. Behind them the group watching her.
Grrrrrrr!
As Bondica closed in on it, the zombie stretched out its hands. In its open mouth, dirty teeth hung irregularly, and the zombie's long and black fingernails looked sharp enough to rip a person's skin into pieces and take out their bones. Its discharge was toxic enough to rot a whole body.
But...
'It's still just a zombie.'
"Whoaaaaaaa!"
The zombie wildly moved with its tangled-up legs, and she dodged to the side and swung her sword.
Slice!
The sword cleanly cut the zombie's neck. Even as the zombie's head flew to the sky, it clacked its teeth at Bondica—but that was only for a moment.
Drop!
Thud!
Two different types of collisions could be heard: the sound of the zombie's head falling to the ground and the sound of the zombie's body shedding.
"Eick!"
The zombie's head rolled to the bottom of mashu' feet, and mashu backed off with a shriek.
"I-bondica, you are cool now"gidako says
"Yeah."Ritsuka agree with Her.
Mandricardo says "Miss Bondica, your sword" he points at her sword
With a scowl, Bondica looked at her sword's body; it was smeared with the zombie's fluid.
"Ah, damn it!"
"This is why I hate zombies! skeletons are much better!"Gudako says
"Yes, Senpai. You are right "
Bondica took off some tree leaves and intensely wiped the zombie's fluids off his sword before she placed it back inside its sheath. Then, she walked to the side of the fallen zombie, and Ritsuka also snuck around behind her.
Gudako wiped her mouth with the back of her sleeve.
"Ugh… It still smells. Worse than a shit," she muttered. "Seriously, I thought I'd built a resistance in Fuyuki with Mashu skill, but this…!"
Mashu steadied her breathing and adjusted her shield.
"I wasn't expecting this either, Senpai. That… wasn't an ordinary undead."
Bondica kicked a stone near the body with a grimace.
"No, that was fueled. Something gave it power—kept it together past normal decomposition. Undead or not, that thing was animated by dark energy. My blade can feel it."
Mandricardo, rubbing his arms to dispel a shiver, frowned.
"Great. Not only do we have zombies, but powered-up zombies. What's next, vampires in armor?"
"Don't say that!" Gudako pointed at him. "You'll jinx us!"
Fou, who had been sniffing the air with narrowed eyes, let out another agitated "Fou!" and leapt onto Mashu's shoulder, clearly unsettled.
Ritsuka, meanwhile, was focused on the call from Chaldea.
On the screen, Romani adjusted his hair and spoke quickly.
"The time axis confirms we're in A.D. 1431, Vaucouleurs, France. I've double-checked the temporal coordinates. There's definitely a distortion, but… that zombie wasn't supposed to exist. It's not in any historical record."
Olga Marie crossed her arms, visibly tense.
"That thing doesn't exist in human history. We never recorded anything of the sort here. It was definitely related to Our enemies."
"Then what's animating it?" Ritsuka asked. He asked Even through he knows unknown energy in zombie with sakura help. He hoped for more information on this energy.
Da Vinci leaned into the screen, her tone serious but intrigued.
"From the scan, I can confirm—there's dark energy residuals. Very ancient. Almost primal. Not Magecraft as we know it."
Gudako muttered, "You mean like pre-magic foundation stuff?"
"Possibly," Da Vinci answered. "Either way, it's not from this time."
Romani glanced nervously at the readings.
"Great," Gudako sighed. "We're not in zombie apocalypse history—but we might be heading into one."
Olga Marie rolled her eyes.
"You're exaggerating."
"I'm not!" Gudako snapped. "Look at Airi! She's clearly scared!"
The camera panned slightly as Olga turned to Airi, who was clinging to the back of Romani's coat with wide eyes.
"Ah—Airi, it's okay," Olga said, sighing and patting her head. "We're watching over them."
Bondica stood straight, her sword cleaned and re-sheathed.
"I suggest we head toward the city. Whatever this energy is, we'll find its source there."
"But wouldn't people already have fled if there were zombies?" Gudako questioned, worry creeping into her voice. "I mean, if it's like any movie I've seen—"
"Movies aren't real, Senpai" Mashu said quickly.
"But Mashu, they could be based on something real!" Gudako retorted.
Mandricardo scratched his head. "Even if people ran, maybe someone stayed behind. It's not like we've got any plan."
"I agree," Ritsuka nodded and tapped Mandricardo's shoulder in reassurance. "We need to move. Carefully."
Ritsuka glanced at the zombie's head which had stopped moving with its mouth hanging wide open.
"I don't have a good feeling about this."
From his experience, he had felt this feeling when something big was about to happen.
Bondica looked up at the sky—the massive magical circle still faintly glowing above the horizon like a moon-shaped curse.
"I think none of us do."
---
The city streets whispered with forgotten memories and ash. Broken carts lay abandoned. Windows were boarded shut or smashed through. Not a soul wandered openly.
The group's torchlight flickered as they moved cautiously.
Gudako wrinkled her nose. "Why is it always this kind of place…?"
Crunch.
Ritsuka stepped on something—then crouched. It was paper, slightly burnt, wind-scattered across the cobblestones.
"It must be a wanted list," he murmured, picking one up.
Mashu took another sheet. Her brow furrowed as she read the calligraphy, eyes widening in disbelief.
"Senpai… this is…"
"Who?"
"Who?"
Ritsuka and Gudako leaned in simultaneously.
Mashu pointed to the elegant but unmistakably condemning poster, freshly stuck to a city wall.
> [Wanted]
[The Witch: Jeanne d'Arc]
Sins Committed:
Responsible for the fire execution of Bishop Pierre Cauchon.
Casted a 'Great Curse' upon the city of Vaucouleurs.
The drawn face stared back with an eerie calm—a woman with long, white flowing hair, eyes full of intensity and sorrow. A saint turned villain in ink.
"Wait—Jeanne?" Ritsuka blinked.
"You can read French?" Gudako shot him a look.
"I know it… not professionally," he lied, quickly thinking about his AI overlay Sakura had fed into his vision.
On the screen, Olga's voice chimed in.
"What does it say?"
Ritsuka translated smoothly, and everyone fell silent.
Romani's image appeared beside Olga, voice serious.
"Let me clarify. Historically, this never happened. It was the opposite. Jeanne d'Arc was betrayed by the Church and executed under false charges—Pierre Cauchon led the trial against her. She was burned at the stake… and centuries later, canonized as a saint."
"This wanted poster reverses that entirely. It's not just false. It's a distortion of her very legend."
Gudako scratched her head. "So someone flipped history upside-down with Jeanne history?"
"Seems like it. Either we're in a warped version of reality or we're looking at an alternate Jeanne. A corrupted one," Romani explained grimly. "The curse on the city is real—It's real. The zombies are proof of that. But the cause… that's what we need to uncover."
The group made their way deeper into the city's heart. Doors were shut. Candles flickered behind cracked shutters. Footsteps scurried away when they approached.
Ritsuka sighed. "No one's willing to talk. Not tonight."
Mashu nodded. "They're terrified. Even if they're not infected… they know something dark is happening."
Bondica sheathed her sword and surveyed the ruined houses. "Master,It's no use interrogating shadows. Let's rest and start fresh tomorrow."
As they entered one of the least-damaged homes, Mandricardo sat on the steps, staring at the poster still in his hand.
"Doctor Romani," he said, "was Lady Jeanne really a witch?"
Romani's voice was firm.
"Absolutely not. She was a heroic spirit of unmatched purity and conviction."
"Then all of this… are these all just lies?"
Romani hesitated.
"They're not just lies. Someone—our enemy—is rewriting the narrative."
"The evil Jeanne must be the one who cursed this city for revenge," Bondica said solemnly.
Gudako flopped onto a broken couch with a sigh. "Let's rest. My brain can't handle history class on an empty stomach."
The alley pressed in with unnatural darkness, as if it had swallowed even the fading twilight. Every breath the group took echoed faintly, as if the shadows were holding their breath.
"Wait."
Ritsuka halted, his voice quiet but firm.
"Huh? What is it, Ritsuka?" Gudako whispered, gripping her hands.
"Follow me."
Without hesitation, Mashu and Gudako followed behind, torchlight bobbing with each step. Mandricardo and Bondica exchanged wary looks before moving as well.
The alley twisted. The deeper they went, the more unnatural the dark became—like a shadow not cast by absence of light, but by something living. Even Gudako's torch hissed faintly, as if the darkness wanted to snuff it out.
And then—at the alley's dead-end, Gudako saw it.
A human figure, crouched in the corner.
Her heart jumped. The silhouette was unmistakably feminine, but frail, tense. It didn't move like the undead. No twitching. No hollow groans.
Ritsuka stepped forward slowly. His gaze was calm but sharp.
"So, the 'witch' is hiding here."
The woman turned slowly toward them. Her blue eyes shimmered with fear and caution.
"W-Who are you?" she asked, voice trembling.
The light revealed more of her.
Her once-golden hair was dulled by dirt and ash. Her silver armor was battered, cracked. The fabric beneath was torn and stained. Her face—still beautiful—carried the weight of fatigue and sorrow. She looked nothing like the confident figure from the wanted poster.
"She's not a zombie," Gudako whispered.
Romani's voice came through their communicator.
"Scan complete. Ritsuka, Gudako—she's a rouge Servant. She matches Jeanne d'Arc's face. I'd say it's safe to assume she is Jeanne, even if something's off."
"I am Jeanne d'Arc," she confirmed softly.
"You look wretched," Ritsuka said bluntly.
Jeanne flinched. Her lips trembled and she bit down to hold back her shame.
She slowly rose to her feet.
Mandricardo crossed his arms. "Judging by your reaction, you know you're wanted right now."
"…How did you find me?" Jeanne asked.
"I'm confident in my senses," Ritsuka replied. "There was a presence that didn't belong to the rot and hatred of this city. I followed it."
He left out the part where, as a Kamen Rider, his instincts and senses had sharpened to supernatural levels. There was no need to scare her more.
The others, though, stared at Ritsuka like he'd just grown wings.
"Seriously… What are you, master?" Mandricardo muttered.
Jeanne, however, took a deep breath. She had no time to be surprised.
"…Are you going to turn me in?" she asked.
Though her voice was soft, her hand subtly moved near the hilt of her broken flagpole, as if preparing for a final stand.
"Will you believe me if I say I wouldn't?" Ritsuka responded.
Her eyes studied him. Then, her shoulders eased just slightly.
"I didn't curse this place," Jeanne said. "I was summoned into this singularity like everyone else… but my hometown—Vaucouleurs—it had already become a hell. I thought I could help. But then she appeared."
"She?" Mashu echoed.
"There's another me here. She wears my face, but not my soul. Her hatred is… pure. Consuming. She called herself Jeanne d'Arc as well—but she's no saint."
Jeanne lowered her head. "Because of her, they all look at me like a monster."
Everyone went quiet. Even Romani didn't speak right away. The only sound came from—
GRRRRWWWWL.
The monstrous groan echoed through the alley.
Everyone froze.
Except for Gudako, who turned beet red.
"That wasn't a zombie," Mandricardo said slowly.
"…No," Mashu sighed.
"It was my stomach," Gudako admitted, trying to disappear behind her torch.
A beat passed. Then another. And then—
Ritsuka sighed. "Let's eat first."
Gudako opened her mouth, then closed it. And finally, she nodded with a sheepish grin.
Everyone went inside the ruined house. Mashu removed food supplies from her shield—just enough to feed Gudako.
"Hah! I guess it can't be helped if the great Gudako is hungry," Ritsuka teased with a smirk.
"What? N-no, this is…!" Gudako turned bright red, flustered. She murmured something under her breath in Chinese. "…Idiot."
Then she started eating.
Romani's voice came from the screen. "Jeanne, can you tell us what happened?"
"Before that," Jeanne said softly, "can you tell me what rumors are spreading about me in the city?"
"That's not hard. In Orleans, they're saying you executed Bishop Pierre Cauchon by fire and cast a 'Great Curse' on the city of Vaucouleurs. There's even a wanted poster circulating. Do you want to see it?"
Ritsuka pulled a folded piece of paper from his clothes and handed it to her. Jeanne looked at the wanted poster, her expression hardening. Then—
"…You really look good with white hair," Ritsuka muttered under his breath, then quickly added, "It's nothing."
Olga, watching from the screen, blushed slightly—her own white hair now on her mind. Gudako, chewing on bread, murmured smugly, "My hair color's better than white…"
"It's not true," Jeanne murmured. "I'm not a witch."
"Then let's hear your side of the story," Ritsuka said, folding his arms as he sat across from her.
Jeanne took a deep breath and began. "It was just a few hours before I fully manifested… when I appeared in this era. It's physically impossible that I'm the witch responsible. I have no memories of causing anything like that. At least… not if my memories are accurate."
"That's all rather vague, isn't it?" Ritsuka noted, raising an eyebrow.
"It's likely due to her Spirit Origin," Da Vinci chimed in. "Her existence is unstable."
"Huh? What does that mean?" Gudako asked, finally finishing her meal.
"Saint Jeanne," Romani said gently, "your abilities have been suppressed, haven't they? You can't use some of the skills or knowledge you should naturally have?"
"…That's true," Jeanne admitted. "I don't know why, but I feel… incomplete. It's embarrassing. Like I'm not even a proper Heroic Spirit. Honestly, I feel more like a rookie Servant."
"Rookie Servant…" Mashu echoed thoughtfully, relating to that feeling.
"Miss Jeanne," Ritsuka asked, "what do you plan to do now?"
"That's the one thing I'm certain of," Jeanne replied with firm resolve. "I will liberate Orleans once more. I will defeat the other Jeanne d'Arc—the witch. I haven't received a revelation. I don't know how I'll succeed. But even if I must do it alone, I can't stand by and ignore this."
Mashu watched the fire in Jeanne's eyes and felt a deep respect for her resolve.
"Then," Ritsuka said, standing up, "I think it's our turn to introduce ourselves."
He and the others explained their mission—to correct the Singularity and preserve humanity's future.
Jeanne listened quietly, then finally said, "If I believe your story…"
"I already trust you," Ritsuka interrupted with a warm smile. "Your resolve convinced me. I look forward to working with you."
Jeanne hesitated for a moment—then smiled and reached out.
Their hands clasped firmly.
Mashu and Gudako smiled as Romani and Da Vinci watched from the screen.
And with that, a new alliance was born.
End of Episode
---
Note: this chapter become bigger than I thought. In next chapter I will give the hints okay.