"A successor…to Saintess Jeanne d'Arc's soul?"
Rias repeated blankly, stunned speechless. And she wasn't alone—everyone was equally shocked.
"But isn't Saint Jeanne supposed to be…"
Issei murmured in confusion, turning to Jeanne Alter. Rias, Rossweisse, Koneko, Gasper, and Kiba followed suit, all casting questioning glances at Jalter.
Among everyone present, only Jeanne Alter remained composed.
Kiba furrowed his brows, murmuring softly, "Does that mean the one in the Hero Faction is a fake?"
Unlike Siegfried, who possessed the "Sigurd factor," there couldn't possibly be two true inheritors of a soul.
"Of course she's a fake!"
Xenovia's voice trembled with rage, her body shaking as if her very faith had been defiled. Anger blazed in her eyes.
"How could a terrorist, a criminal who brings disaster to the world, be the successor of a saint's soul?! The true Saint Jeanne d'Arc is right here! Lady Jeanne! That vile impostor dares to wreak havoc under your name—we cannot forgive her!"
Despite having reincarnated as a devil, Xenovia still held unwavering reverence for God and His saints. Fortunately, Rias was understanding and had not forced her to abandon her faith in the Biblical God after her rebirth.
Jalter herself hadn't reacted much, but Xenovia was already boiling with fury. Her aura surged chaotically, leaving no doubt that if the other Jeanne were to appear now, Xenovia would draw Durandal and charge like a rabid dog.
Everyone's gaze rested upon Jeanne Alter, filled with unconditional trust.
Compared to the terrorists of Khaos Brigade, they believed in Jeanne Alter completely. If Jalter claimed herself to be Jeanne d'Arc, then she was indeed the true Jeanne d'Arc in their eyes.
Even if she wasn't the "real" Jeanne, their trust wouldn't waver in the slightest. She remained their beloved "Jeanne-san" or "Jeanne-senpai."
Meeting each pair of trusting eyes, Jalter suddenly felt uneasy and averted her gaze.
If she had been the true Jeanne—the "white Jeanne"—she could easily reciprocate their trust, even if confronted by this world's version of Jeanne d'Arc herself. But she was Jeanne Alter, strictly speaking, unrelated to the "real" Jeanne.
She opened her mouth, but words failed her. After a long, frustrated silence, she irritably broke the tension.
"Isn't there something more important we should focus on? We need to regroup with Ophis and Asia quickly. We still don't know what our enemy is truly after."
"But Ophis should be pretty powerful, right?"
Scratching his head, Issei looked confused. "Aside from Great Red hiding in the Dimensional Gap, no one in this world can threaten Ophis. Shouldn't she and Asia be the least of our worries?"
"I don't think that bunch of fools could harm Ophis or Asia under her protection either…but I can't rest easy without seeing it myself."
Jalter sighed quietly, her expression grim. "Azazel was completely sealed off by [Dimension Lost], yet they deliberately allowed Ophis to enter—as if they didn't care about her strength. Combined with Akeno's intel about the Hero Faction stalling for time, I have a bad feeling."
Through her magical perception, Jalter had tracked everyone's positions and conditions since entering this space, allowing her to swiftly locate and assist the scattered group. She sensed Issei's struggles immediately, and she could also perceive Ophis's current situation: the enemies surrounding Ophis were numerous, but oddly, they were merely encircling her without attacking.
Their intentions were easy enough to understand—against Ophis, no number of opponents would make a difference. It was as ridiculous as expecting Hassan's Hundred Personas clones to defeat ORT.
Thus, when Jalter arrived with everyone, they were greeted by the bizarre sight of Ophis and countless grim reapers silently staring at each other.
The reapers wore their hoods low, their faces hidden in shadow, with sinister red eyes glowing faintly, making the staredown unsettlingly literal.
"Jeanne-san! Everyone!"
Seeing Jalter and the others, the tension on Asia's face instantly melted into relief.
Ophis's expression didn't change much, but upon seeing Jeanne Alter, a subtle gleam flickered in her dark, bottomless eyes.
Their arrival also drew the attention of the reapers and monsters. Given Ophis's power, she naturally attracted the most opponents—several times more than everyone else combined.
Countless hostile gazes focused on the group. Beastly rage mixed with deathly energy, forming a nearly tangible wave of oppressive, dark aura crashing down upon them, enough to make even Rias and the others turn pale.
At this moment, a figure calmly stepped forward.
"Hmph."
With a casual scoff from Jeanne Alter, a savage, domineering aura surged outward. The incoming dark wave burned away like dry grass ignited by flames, swiftly dissipating.
The shockwave forced the reapers and beasts to stagger back involuntarily. Jalter surveyed her foes coldly, crossing her arms with a contemptuous sneer.
"How amusing. Afraid to come forward, even with your numbers? You fear a single woman that much?"
Her mere presence was like an insurmountable abyss, rendering countless enemies unable to advance an inch.
"The final players have arrived."
Dense white mist suddenly gathered, clearing quickly to reveal three figures.
One was the white-haired swordsman who had just clashed with Kiba—Siegfried.
Another was a blonde woman, whose appearance nearly drove Xenovia to madness. Obviously, she was Jeanne.
Standing in front of them was a bespectacled man, whose square frames gave him an air of scholarly intellect.
Adjusting his glasses, he stared deeply at Jeanne Alter from afar.
"We've often heard of you through our intelligence, but meeting you face-to-face is a first, Miss Self-Proclaimed Jeanne."
"What do you mean 'self-proclaimed'?! She's the genuine Saint Jeanne d'Arc! You impostors dare to insult the true saint even when standing before her? I—!"
Before Jeanne Alter could respond, Xenovia exploded once again, forcing Rias and Akeno to physically restrain and calm her, lest she recklessly rush into battle.
After all, between them and the Hero Faction stood a legion of reapers and beasts. Xenovia might handle dozens, but taking them all on at once was impossible.
"Seriously, I'm the genuine one, the real Jeanne, yet why won't the little holy-sword girl and everyone else believe me…"
Jeanne pouted with hands on hips, visibly irritated.
Unbothered by the interruption, the glasses-wearing man quietly waited.
"You're the current leader of the Hero Faction?"
Jeanne Alter spoke abruptly, assessing the man carefully.
He gently shook his head.
"The Hero Faction's leader can only ever be Cao Cao. We gathered around him to witness his ambition, and with his death at your hands, the faction itself became hollow. Even now, we are merely puppets."
His gaze flickered with complex emotion, swiftly hidden.
"Perhaps I've lost the right to use this name, reduced as I am to someone else's tool. But allow me a formal introduction… My name is Georg—Georg Faust's descendant. Devils here should be familiar with that name."
Georg Faust—Johann Georg Faust—was the central figure in Goethe's myth, a man seduced toward damnation by the devil Mephistopheles.
Though Chaldea held no Servant named Faust, it certainly had Mephistopheles, whose voice was unmistakably villainous.
In this world, aside from the 72 Pillars, existed Extra Devils. Mephistopheles himself was one, serving as a director within the Mage's Association, compiling the mountains of magician résumés sent to Rias.
Incidentally, the dragon Tannin had been reincarnated by Mephistopheles, making him his servant.
Georg's gaze shifted toward Ophis.
"Infinite Dragon God—exactly as Cao Cao described. Even faced with such overwhelming hostility, you remain unmoved. You're infinite, invincible. We can't even scratch your boundless power… Yet that's precisely why we're here."
"You're too strong, Ophis. Your existence threatens too many people, who all wish for you to die right here."
After Georg's declaration, Jeanne Alter vanished instantly.
Like lightning, countless flaming black spears appeared, piercing through reapers with terrifying power. Georg and his companions stood unflinching until space distorted, revealing a death god wielding a scythe who casually erased her attack.
A Death God at Satan-class?
"Thank you, Pluto," Georg said calmly.
Pluto, in a clown-like mask, replied curtly. "This woman is monstrously strong. Hurry and finish your task."
"It's already done."
Behind Georg, an enormous magic circle emerged. Black flames poured forth ominously, and malicious intent spread chillingly outward.
"This is the greatest dragon-slaying weapon, created by the Biblical God to exterminate all dragons—the [Dragon Eater]."