158: Chapter 158 New Partner Joins

Hearing this, PD hadn't reacted yet, but the players in the livestream were already going crazy!

"Emiya?! Is that freaking Archer?!"

"No! The original Archer isn't dark-skinned! This sounds like a completely blackened [Emiya Alter]!"

"Old Thief Gu actually blackened Archer too? He's really going all-in on making everyone a villain!"

The man on the phone paused for a moment and continued:

"As for the prey surrounded by Emiya, who is now out of ammunition and in a desperate situation..."

"She has pale short hair and holds a battle flag burning with the flames of vengeance. If I'm not mistaken, your Chaldea seems to like calling her—the [Dragon Witch]."

"What?!"

The cola cup in PD's hand almost dropped to the ground. "Jeanne d'Arc?!"

"Exactly."

The voice on the other end carried a hint of seductive laughter:

"That fire-breathing tsundere country girl is at a life-or-death crossroads. If you leave her be, her pride and joy, her battle flag, will soon be broken by that cold Emiya Alter."

At this point, the man on the other end changed his tone, his voice gaining a hint of cold, hard logic:

"However, as your loyal accomplice, I must remind you. That woman calling herself the Dragon Witch was once a dangerous fake who wanted to burn down France and fight Chaldea to the death."

"Is it a worthwhile deal... to provoke a fully armed blackened Archer for the sake of such an untrustworthy, brutal, and wicked woman?"

Listening to this, a few sharp-eyed lore enthusiasts in the livestream felt a slight sense of dissonance—

During the final battle at the Grand Temple of Time, Jeanne d'Arc Alter had clearly responded to the summons as an ally and fought alongside the Count against the Demon God Pillars. How could the Count describe her as an 'untrustworthy dangerous element'?

But for PD, such rational analysis simply didn't exist!

"Worthwhile my ass! Who dares touch my wife Jeanne d'Arc Alter!"

Without even waiting for the Count to finish his cool line about 'watching from the sidelines or making a scene,' PD slammed the phone down and turned to look at Saber Alter, who was munching on fried chicken. A fighting spirit like never before burned in his eyes.

"Grab your gear! We're going to rescue her!"

...

Vroom—!

Accompanied by the frantic roar of a heavy motorcycle engine, the black wheels kicked up a long spray of water on the rain-soaked asphalt road.

"Two blocks ahead! Faster, faster, faster!" PD sat on the back seat of Saber Alter's motorcycle, clutching the edge of the seat tightly while shouting in desperation.

Ever since receiving that mysterious call from the person calling himself 'Edmond Dantès,' PD had completely thrown 'rationality' out the window.

That's Jeanne d'Arc Alter! Even knowing that a trap set by the blackened Young Hero Emiya lay ahead, he had to break through!

"Shut up. Any more noise and I'll throw you off."

Saber Alter replied coldly, but she twisted the throttle all the way down.

The motorcycle, like a frenzied black beast, smashed through the abandoned barricades ahead and charged into a dilapidated district filled with thick smoke.

However, when they arrived at the coordinates mentioned on the phone, the scene before them left PD stunned.

There was no heavy encirclement of gang members and modified monsters as expected, nor was there the dark-skinned Archer.

The entire street looked as if it had just undergone a tragic, hellish fire.

The remains of Mechanical Hounds burnt to charcoal were everywhere, along with the bodies of gang members emitting the pungent smell of roasted meat.

Rows of abandoned cars had been melted into molten iron by the terrifying heat, and lingering dark-red cursed flames still flickered on the surrounding walls.

"This... Is the fight over?"

PD jumped off the motorcycle and walked forward, stepping on the charcoal-covered ground.

"It seems the fake calling herself the Dragon Witch has a temper even more explosive than I imagined."

Saber Alter held her holy sword in one hand, her golden eyes scanning the surroundings. "She burned through the encirclement all by herself."

Just then...

"Cough, cough... Who's there..."

A weak yet still defiant cough came from a corner of the ruins at the end of the alley.

PD rushed over. Beneath a collapsed brick wall, a young girl with pale short hair and damaged black armor was leaning weakly against the wall.

Her iconic Fleur-de-lis Battle Flag, burning with the black flames of vengeance, was now broken into two pieces, hanging limply on the ground.

A trace of blood hung from the corner of the girl's mouth, and her fair skin was covered in scars. Her chest heaved violently; she had clearly undergone a tragic struggle far beyond her capacity and had completely exhausted her magical energy.

Seeing Jeanne d'Arc Alter in this state, the hearts of the viewers in PD's livestream shattered instantly, and the bullet chat refreshed frantically:

"Wife!!!"

"My heart is breaking! Just how badly injured is Jeanne d'Arc Alter!"

"Old Thief Gu, you have no heart! Couldn't you let my wife make a more dignified entrance!"

Seeing that it was PD who ran over, Jeanne d'Arc Alter's dark-gold eyes widened slightly, then she immediately looked away, an unnatural blush appearing on her pale cheeks.

"Why is it you, you annoying fellow..."

She gritted her teeth, trying to stand up with the last of her strength, but her legs gave way and she almost fell again. "I don't need a Master from Chaldea to save me... I can handle these small fry alone."

Looking at this tsundere witch whose health bar was almost empty yet who still refused to admit defeat, and thinking about how his favorite character—whom he had personally leveled to 100 and NP5—was hurt like this, PD couldn't help but feel a bit sour.

He put away his usual glib-tongued manner and directly ignored the girl's insincere denial. He strode forward and, before Jeanne d'Arc Alter could fall, firmly caught her arm, channeling his magical energy as a Master to her without reservation.

"Yes, yes, you're the best fighter. But even the world's number one God of War has to refill their health bar before bragging, right?"

PD looked at her, teasing her with the specific intimacy an old player has for their most trusted main unit.

"Stop pushing yourself. I risked being bitten to death by those dead dogs and crossed half of Shinjuku just to fish you out. Hurry up and sign the contract."

This 'Master's speech,' which gave Jeanne d'Arc Alter plenty of face and validation, instantly broke through the girl's defensive facade.

Feeling the warm and massive magical energy pouring into her parched spirit origin, Jeanne d'Arc Alter's tense body softened slightly, allowing PD to support her.

She glanced at PD, then quickly turned her head away again, muttering in a low voice:

"Hmph... Since you insisted on coming all this way to deliver magical energy, I'll reluctantly accept it. Let's get one thing straight: I'm only temporarily lending you my power because you're too weak, not because I'm acknowledging you!"

However, before PD could fully enjoy the joy of his main unit returning to the team, a cold, mocking voice suddenly came from behind him.

"Hmph. To think the grand Dragon Witch who wanted to burn France has been reduced to such a pathetic state by a few Shinjuku thugs. A fake is just a fake after all."

Saber Alter stepped forward with her holy sword, looking down at the seated Jeanne d'Arc Alter with a disdainful sneer on her lips.

Hearing this voice, Jeanne d'Arc Alter snapped her head up. When she saw the blonde woman before her—wearing a black camisole, a short jacket, and dressed in a very modern and cool style—raging fighting spirit and anger instantly ignited in her dark-gold eyes!

"King Arthur?!"

Jeanne d'Arc Alter stood up abruptly. Though her body was still weak, her aura didn't lose an inch. "You gluttonous knight who only thinks about eating, what right do you have to lecture me?!"

"If you were the one being chased and blasted through three streets by that dual-wielding, mad-dog-like dark-skinned guy, you wouldn't be any better off than me!"

"At least I wouldn't break my own flag," Saber Alter countered with a sneer.

"You...!"

Jeanne d'Arc Alter was so angry her teeth itched, but looking at the broken battle flag in her hand, she was momentarily speechless.

Seeing these two top-tier blackened Servants about to start a fight on the spot, PD quickly jumped in the middle to smooth things over. With much effort, he managed to separate the two high-and-mighty ladies who couldn't stand each other, preventing an immediate internal conflict.

Accompanied by the sound of heavy metal engine reverse-thrust, Shinjuku's Archer finally descended from the sky, panting, and finally caught up with the group.

However, before the old man could open his mouth to ease the atmosphere, the mood in the ruins suddenly took a 180-degree turn.

Jeanne d'Arc Alter's gaze skipped right over the newly landed old man and landed squarely on Saber Alter, who was leaning against the motorcycle drinking cola.

More accurately, it landed on Saber Alter's cool black camisole, slim-fit hot pants, and that stylish modern jacket.

Jeanne d'Arc Alter looked down at her own heavy medieval iron armor, which was covered in battle scars and even looked a bit rustic. Then she looked at Saber Alter's long, fair legs. A nameless fire called 'woman's jealousy' instantly burned wildly in her heart!