Ritsuka smiled. "Welcome to our team, Miss Jeanne."
Jeanne nodded, smiling softly in return.
"Then, let's escape the city first," Ritsuka suggested. "You're a wanted witch, and moving around in daylight will only cause problems."
That would've been the safest route—at least better than handing her over to the city guards. But Jeanne shook her head firmly.
"No—we can't!"
Everyone turned to look at her in surprise.
"We don't have time! We have to stop the witch Jeanne. Right now!"
"Stop what?" Olga asked from the screen.
"The ritual!" Jeanne declared.
"Ritual?" Gudako blinked.
"What do you mean?" Ritsuka leaned forward, concerned.
Jeanne struggled to get the words out fast enough. She hadn't explained everything clearly yet, but Da Vinci, ever perceptive, already picked up on something.
"Is the other Jeanne planning a large-scale ritual with catastrophic consequences?" Da Vinci asked from the screen.
"Yes!" Jeanne replied urgently.
"How large are we talking?" Romani pressed.
"It'll involve the entire city!" Jeanne declared, her voice grave.
Ritsuka's eyes drifted to the wanted poster on the table. The center was creased, but the bold claim remained readable:
'Casted a Great Curse upon the city of Vaucouleurs.'
This was far more serious.
"Tell me everything you know. How do you know this?" Ritsuka asked, now fully focused.
Jeanne lowered her eyes. "When I arrived in this city, I sensed a strange presence—then I saw her. The witch Jeanne. I tried to approach, but I didn't have enough mana to confront her. She was radiating immense magical energy… more than I could handle."
She clenched her fists. "I had to retreat before she noticed me."
Mashu and Mandricardo exchanged anxious glances. Bondica tensed.
"She's offering this city… to an evil god," Jeanne continued, her voice heavy with dread. "She's using a book—an evil, tainted tome. Even from a distance, I could feel its energy. It wasn't just cursed—it was corrupted." Jeanne went on, "but when I saw the ritual chamber in city while escaping… I realized what it really was. That book is a catalyst. It's designed to summon the evil god's power."
Ritsuka narrowed his eyes. "So, they're planning to sacrifice the entire city to fuel that ritual? And the book is what's triggering it?"
"Yes," Jeanne confirmed, her voice low.
"I hate this kind of ritual," Gudako muttered.
Romani's voice came through the screen, calm but grim. "That sounds like the 'City Offering Ritual.' In ancient times, evil cults would plant divine statues in multiple sectors of a city. Once the setup was complete, they'd siphon the life force of the citizens directly into the statues, invoking the god's favor… or summoning it directly."
Mashu's face paled. "That's… horrifying."and Fou agrees with her.
Da Vinci nodded solemnly. "It's banned magic. A method erased from magecraft traditions long ago. If someone like the other Jeanne is trying to replicate that—"
"Taking the life force of the people… What is she planning to use it for?" Bondica asked, her voice low with dread. "But… if they actually succeed in completing this ritual—"
"This city will become a city of the dead," Mandricardo said grimly. "And they'll gain power equivalent to its scale."
Gudako clenched her fists. "If Evil Jeanne completes the 'City Offering Ritual,' she'll turn the entire population into undead—building an army from their corpses. Then she'll strip away their remaining life force. If she harvests energy from this many souls…"
"She'll gain power on a catastrophic level," Jeanne admitted quietly. "She'll become… unstoppable."
"And a great calamity would befall human history," Ritsuka added darkly, his voice heavy with the weight of the truth.
"It seems the zombies are already a side effect of the curse," Gudako said. "That means we're running out of time! The ritual must be nearing completion—we can't waste time gathering more intel. We need to act now!"
"But in our current condition? How do we stop it?" Ritsuka snapped. "It'll be a dead end! Isn't that right, Miss Jeanne?"
At Ritsuka's sharp tone, both Jeanne and Gudako fell silent.
Ritsuka didn't flinch. He didn't believe Jeanne, in her current state, could stop anything.
"I can't just sit by and accept that!" Jeanne cried out, desperation in her voice.
"This is my advice," Ritsuka said coldly, his gaze sharp. "Get off your high head."
Jeanne's eyes widened in shock. Even the others glanced at Ritsuka with surprise.
But he didn't stop. Leaning back in his chair, arms crossed and jaw raised in stern defiance, Ritsuka didn't blink.
"What exactly do you think you can do by yourself?" he asked, voice laced with biting realism. "You couldn't even face her. You ran away. You've been hiding on the streets like a ghost for days. And now, with no mana and no plan, you think you can change everything on your own?"
Jeanne's head lowered. Her fingers trembled slightly, lips parting as if to answer—but no words came.
"If we hadn't found you, you would've disappeared without mana in some nameless alley… or been captured by Evil Jeanne," Ritsuka said coldly. "And the world would've remembered you only as the Witch who cursed this city and humanity into a nightmare."
"Um… Master," Mandricardo interjected hesitantly, stepping forward. "I think that's enough…"
Worried that Ritsuka was being too harsh, Mandricardo tried to intervene—but Ritsuka didn't stop.
"I know your life history from Doctor Romani so listen, You don't want to involve anyone else in your problem? And face Judgement unnecessarily, That sounds noble—until you realize it's just another way of abandoning them," Ritsuka continued, his voice sharp. "You're willing to let it burn, all because you want to protect your own ideals? That's not justice. That's cowardice."
He had read people like her before in stories—saints, heroes, selfless warriors who threw themselves into chaos for the sake of others. In peaceful times, they'd be admired. In war and ruin, they became legends.
Ritsuka didn't hate those kinds of people. He respected them more than anyone. But respect didn't mean blind acceptance.
He understood when people made hard choices with knowledge and strength—and still failed. That was tragic, but at least it was rooted in responsibility. But those who charged into battle with just ideals and nothing to back them up? Who refused help and let others suffer for the sake of their "noble path"?
Those people angered him.
And right now, Jeanne was one of them.
"If it were just your life on the line, I'd say go ahead," Ritsuka said, his voice calm now, almost cold. "But it's not. If you fail, people die. Innocent people. Humanity will be gone, You need to stop pretending this is about your pride or your penance."
He leaned forward, staring her down. "So use that pure heart of yours and think. What is the right thing to do?"
Jeanne stood still, trembling. Her fist clenched tighter and tighter—until her knuckles turned white. Her eyes, once clouded with shame, now burned with conviction.
"…You're right," she said quietly. "I understand now. Thank you for making me realize my mistake."
Then, raising her head, Jeanne declared with unwavering resolve, "That's why—we'll stop them. Together."
Ritsuka's gaze softened slightly. He leaned back, crossing his arms again, this time with a subtle nod of approval.
"Good. Then tell me—do you know where Evil Jeanne is?"
Jeanne blinked, then nodded slowly. "Yes. She's staying in a mansion… deep in the northern district."
"Perfect. Then we're heading there now." Ritsuka stood up. "Jeanne, Gudako, and I will go scout the location, confirm the ritual's progress, and gather intel."
"What? Right now?!" the others gasped in unison.
"Yes. Right now," Ritsuka said calmly. "Trust me, I have a plan. But before we move forward, I need more information about this ritual—how it works, where it's being cast, and how to stop it."
Mashu stepped forward, concern on her face. "Please be careful, Senpai."and Fou nods his head.
Gudako gave her a reassuring smile. "Always."
---
Ritsuka, Gudako, and Jeanne slipped out of their lodging into the shrouded night. Fortune was on their side—the moonlight was smothered by thick clouds, casting the city in a blanket of darkness. Ritsuka held Gudako's hand firmly as they moved through the dim alleys, the shadows cloaking their presence as they headed toward Evil Jeanne's mansion.
Gudako glanced at him, her heart thudding with a mix of thrill and warmth. She wasn't used to such covert missions outside of Chaldea—but here, sneaking through the dark with her Ritsuka, felt oddly cinematic. Like a moment straight out of an action romance movie. Her cheeks flushed just thinking about it.
Ritsuka suddenly stopped, sensing the wind around them. "Okay… I've gathered enough wind prana. Time to change."
He raised his hand and called out, "Henshin."
In a flash of emerald light and twisting wind, his form shifted—armor clicked into place, and he transformed into Kamen Rider 1. A sleek, powerful form with a glowing red scarf and striking compound eyes. His very presence became sharper, cooler—like a silent storm.
Jeanne gasped softly, stunned by the transformation. "You… you can do that?"
Gudako, on the other hand, couldn't contain her joy. "You're so cool, Ritsuka!" she whispered giddily, practically bouncing. "This is so boyfriend material!"
Ritsuka gave her a light smile under the helmet. "Focus. We're not on a date."
"But it could beee~" Gudako whispered playfully.
Jeanne cleared her throat, regaining composure. "It's over there." She pointed ahead.
They turned a corner—and the witch's mansion came into view.
It was massive. Towering over the nearby buildings like a noble's estate, its yard was lined with expensive, exotic plants that shimmered faintly even in the dark. The three-story mansion gleamed subtly under magical lamps, with a dozen wide windows reflecting faint light like hollow eyes. The place reeked of arrogance and wealth—a castle for someone who wanted to be worshipped, not just feared.
Ritsuka narrowed his eyes, observing the building. "Wait here."
He left them quietly, dashing toward a nearby structure and scaling it with ease. From the rooftop, he had a full view of the mansion grounds. His visor glinted in the faint light as he assessed the scene.
The grounds had guards, yes. But not many. Maybe too few.
'Something's off.'
Ritsuka crouched lower. Lamps were placed to keep the entire yard lit. Yet the number of guards didn't match the size or importance of the mansion. Some of them even looked… ordinary.
'That's not a soldier. That guy's breathing too casually… no formal stance either.'
Returning swiftly to the others, he reported in a quiet voice, "There are guards, but the security is light. And some of them look like regular civilians—no magic signatures, no aura of evil Servants."
"Let's first try going in," Ritsuka said, voice calm as ever.
Gudako blinked. "Will it be alright? Wasn't there something off about the whole setup?"
"Well," Ritsuka admitted with a small shrug, "it does seem like a trap could be waiting for us."
Jeanne tensed. "T-Then shouldn't we reconsider?"
What surprised Jeanne more than anything was Ritsuka's relaxed, almost bored tone.
"If we had more time," Ritsuka continued, "we could hang back, watch for a while, and adjust the plan. But… we don't have that luxury, right?"
He glanced at Jeanne meaningfully.
"Y-Yes," Jeanne nodded, remembering what was at stake. Every moment counted.
Gudako stepped forward with her usual fire. "Even if it's a trap… we have to go in anyway, right?"
"…Yes. You're right," Jeanne said, her voice firmer this time.
Ritsuka smirked and glanced at Gudako. "Oi, you're more reckless than I am."
Gudako puffed her cheeks in mock offense. "Isn't that why we make such a great pair?"
Jeanne, watching them banter so casually on the brink of danger, could only sigh. This generation…
Still, what took hold of Jeanne's heart now wasn't anxiety—it was the firm will these two carried, the kind that refused to waver even when the odds were stacked high.
"Let's go," Jeanne said, her voice filled with resolve.
Seeing the change in her, Ritsuka gave a small approving smile.
"You don't need to worry too much," he said as he placed a hand on Gudako's back gently. "We're not going in recklessly."
Gudako's nervous breath slowed, soothed by the gesture—until suddenly—
"Ah—!"
Ritsuka hoisted her over his shoulder like a sack of rice.
Gudako clamped her hands over her mouth before a scream could escape. "W-What the hell are you doing, idiot!?"
Ritsuka adjusted her weight casually. "We're sneaking in. This is the most efficient way."
"But this feels like I'm baggage!"
"You are baggage. For now."
"You jerk!"
Behind them, Jeanne watched the chaos unfold and muttered under her breath, "Young people these days…"
Ritsuka ignored the comment, his attention already back on the mission. He moved like a shadow through the night, his Kamen Rider form making him almost weightless. His steps were near-silent. Gudako clung to his neck instinctively, feeling the wind rushing past them.
Jeanne followed behind, leaping with light precision. She landed quietly on the grass where Ritsuka had already touched down.
'No guards here. No signs of movement from the windows either,' Ritsuka noted.
Not wasting time, he used the cover of foliage—shrubs, thick trees, and decorative statues—to sneak through the yard. His motions were fluid, swift, almost rehearsed. Gudako and Jeanne, watching from behind, were both impressed by how effortlessly he blended into the shadows.
Reaching a side window sealed shut with thick wood, Ritsuka gently shifted Gudako's weight with one arm and pulled out a small stone from his belt pouch with the other. He pressed it into the thin gap of the window frame.
Snap.
A faint cutting sound echoed, and the lock clicked open.
He quietly slid the window up and slipped inside, placing Gudako down gently. Jeanne followed, and Ritsuka closed the window behind them, retrieving the dropped lock, twisting it into a 90-degree angle and using it like a thread to reseal the window—securing it shut once more.
"I think we can rest easy. No one saw us," Ritsuka said calmly.
Gudako looked at him with a mix of awe and suspicion. "Ritsuka… were you a thief before? That was way too smooth."
"Why? Because I snuck in too naturally?" he replied, feigning innocence.
"Yes! You even re-locked the window like it was second nature! I wouldn't be surprised if you told me you were a master thief."
"I'm a normal student," he said, as if that settled it.
Gudako narrowed her eyes. "Please don't lie to your girlfriend."
"I can introduce you to my Grandpa, if you want."
Gudako's face turned red. "Can't believe you're planning to present me as a granddaughter-in-law already."
"I never said that," Ritsuka muttered, turning away.
Jeanne stood silently by the wall, arms crossed, lips pursed.
She was feeling it again.
That undeniable sensation of being the third wheel.
These two really do move to their own rhythm… she thought.
Still, watching them helped keep her nerves steady.
Ritsuka lightly tapped Jeanne's shoulder.
"Since we managed to get inside the mansion safely, it's time for us to gather information. Can you sense where the dark energy is coming from?"
"Yes, I can. Please follow me," Jeanne said firmly.
After moving through several halls in tense silence, Jeanne stopped in front of a particular door.
"It's here. The dark energy is strongest behind this door."
Ritsuka and Gudako exchanged a glance, then turned to the door. No signs of life came from within, but…
"There's something… off about this room," Ritsuka murmured. "It's irritating."
He slowly opened the door. Light from the hallway poured into the room, revealing a huge statue standing ominously in the center. It resembled a bulky, muscular suit wrapped in dark aura. Its limbs ended in webbed designs, and its sharp, glaring eyes resembled those of a ravenous predator—hungry and waiting.
They saw the name of the Evil God in strange Ancient words.
God Solomon.
"I don't know this language" Ritsuka said
Gudako squinted and made a face. "Ritsuka, is it just me or does this evil god statue look like a cockroach with a human body?"
Ritsuka gave it a flat look. "Yeah. A stupid cockroach-headed evil god."
"Can't believe that evil Jeanne worships a cockroach-headed god," Gudako deadpanned.
Ritsuka stepped toward the statue. He reached out slowly, knowing the real intel lay beyond mere sight.
'Sakura, should I just touch it? Will you scan it from there?' he asked in his mind.
[Yes, Host.] Sakura's voice replied, calm as always.
Put!
His fingers met the surface, and he channeled a small stream of mana into it. The moment he did, a shudder went through his entire body.
'Ugh. It feels disgusting... like I just touched a bloated corpse in a sewer.'
[Scan complete. Analyzing energy. Magical pattern detected. Beginning decoding process.] Sakura's voice rang out in his mind, professional and efficient.
Ritsuka quickly pulled his hand back, visibly disturbed. "That was horrible. I wish it had been something clearly dangerous instead. This… this just felt filthy. Like rolling around in a rotting trash can full of fish guts."
"Ahah! That's what you get for touching gross stuff!" Gudako scolded, grabbing a bottle of water and forcefully scrubbing his hand.
"Let's find that evil Jeanne," Ritsuka said once she was done. "This statue is definitely the central piece of the ritual. If we'd found it earlier, maybe we could've stopped it. But now... unless we use overwhelming force to destroy the catalyst, we can't stop it."
"…Yes. Understood," Jeanne and Gudako both replied.
With that, they turned away from the grotesque statue and stepped back into the dim corridor, ready to face what lay ahead.
[End Episode]
---
Note: maybe Ritsuka was angry in this chapter but I recently saw Jeanne Interlude and saw How Ritsuka was so angry on Jeanne for thinking to sacrifice herself. So I added it here.