When Jeanne Alter descended upon the battlefield, it was as though she instantly became the center of this small world. Her terrifying presence spread out in all directions, pressing upon everyone's hearts like the heavens themselves had begun to collapse.
Then came a sea of deadly spikes.
Countless black lances emerged, numbering in the tens of thousands—springing up from the earth and raining down from above, a merciless recreation of Vlad III's impaling hell. In mere moments, the Grim Reapers and magical beasts surrounding Rias and Koneko were skewered without mercy.
Unlike Vlad III's Noble Phantasm, which was limited to twenty thousand stakes, Jeanne Alter's dark spears had no such constraint. As long as her magical energy held out, they would continue to multiply endlessly.
"Jeanne-san!"
"Jeanne-senpai!"
Seeing Jeanne Alter arrive, Rias and Koneko's eyes brightened immediately, relief and trust clear on their faces.
As long as Jeanne Alter was here, nothing could truly harm them—that unshakable belief had already taken root deeply within them.
Within seconds, the army of Reapers and beasts was decimated, leaving only pitiful stragglers unable to pose any further threat.
Jeanne Alter then cast a healing spell on Issei, replenishing his life force and stamina. She could easily tell the biggest issue was his life force depletion—nearly a thousand years' worth of lifespan lost. If he were still human, he would already be dead.
Only after tending to these three did Jeanne Alter finally spare another glance at Heracles. From beginning to end, she had viewed this supposed successor of the legendary hero with nothing but contempt, as though he were merely a clown dancing pitifully for her amusement.
"And now," she said icily, "it's your turn."
As death closed in, Heracles' face drained of color, his body trembling violently.
"When I heard the name 'Heracles,' I confess I was a bit curious," Jeanne Alter spoke with undisguised disdain and disappointment. "But now that we've actually met, frankly, I'm very disappointed."
Heracles, previously frozen in fear, suddenly regained clarity at her words, his eyes flaring with indignation.
"What do you know?! Don't tell me you've actually met the original Heracles?"
"Actually, yes. I have." Jeanne Alter's reply was swift and indifferent.
"He truly was a monster—not just in strength, but in willpower. No matter how many times he was struck down, he rose again. No matter the hardship, he never surrendered. Facing him, one couldn't help but think: 'Ah, so this is how he overcame those impossible trials.' And that's precisely why I'm puzzled… are you truly his successor?"
"Strength aside, you utterly lack his spirit, his resolve. A hero? Don't make me laugh. Even that brat over there has more heroic spirit than you ever will!"
As she spoke, Jeanne Alter drew something out from within her sacred sword's storage space.
It was an oddly-shaped weapon, crafted entirely from stone—part axe, part greatsword, part bow. Yet the moment Heracles saw it, his heart began to pound uncontrollably.
"What…what is that…?"
"Originally, I intended to kill you with this," Jeanne Alter sneered mockingly. "Wouldn't that be amusing? Killing Heracles with the weapon of Heracles himself."
Heracles'…weapon?!
Those shocking words exploded like thunder within Heracles' mind, leaving him stunned and bewildered.
"This was the bow used by Heracles to slay the Hydra. Despite being a bow, he often wielded it as an axe or blunt weapon—after all, any weapon able to endure Heracles' strength must be sturdy beyond comprehension. Unfortunately, I lack his divine archery skills. But as an axe or sword, it suits me perfectly."
Jeanne Alter thrust the weapon into the ground, golden eyes reflecting Heracles' fear-stricken face.
"But now, meeting you face-to-face, I realize you don't deserve such a grand death. In fact, you aren't worthy of the name 'Heracles' at all."
The coldness of an abyss, the scorching heat of hellfire—such palpable killing intent made Heracles glimpse the burning depths of Hell itself.
Fight back? Resist?
These thoughts never crossed his mind.
"No…no…Aaaaaaahhhhhh!!"
Screaming in terror and desperation, Heracles turned his back on Jeanne Alter, fleeing for his life.
Yet this proved the most foolish decision possible.
Roaring flames pursued him, transforming into a ferocious beast that swiftly engulfed his form. Heracles perished, screaming pitifully within the inferno.
His life and death were equally absurd—a clown's fate indeed.
After dealing with Heracles, Jeanne Alter quickly regrouped with Rias and the others, roughly waking the still-unconscious Issei. Given the abundance of enemies within this dimension created by [Dimension Lost], Jeanne Alter felt it safer to keep everyone close, within her immediate view.
---
At another battlefield, equally numerous Reapers and magical beasts faced a fierce opponent—Rossweisse, the former Valkyrie from Norse mythology.
Standing resolutely, she became a mobile artillery platform, casting devastating magic with ease. Gasper, terrified by the chaotic scene, huddled trembling behind her.
Here too was another member of the Hero Faction—a man with silver-white hair, much like the renegade priest Freed Sellzen, a product of the Church's clandestine warrior program, his distinctive white hair resulting from experimental side effects.
His name was Siegfried. Unlike Heracles, he wasn't the reincarnation of the legendary hero, but rather the Church's finest creation born from the "Sigurd Factor."
Engaged in battle against him was Kiba Yuuto, his expression grimly focused as he fended off attacks from four swords simultaneously.
Siegfried's Sacred Gear was [Twice Critical], capable of doubling his power once. Yet, having achieved [Balance Breaker], it created extra arms, further doubling his strength each time. Now, with four arms, each wielding a legendary sword—[Balmung], [Nothung], [Tyrfing], [Dainsleif]—every strike released terrifying destructive force.
Yet Siegfried still could not overpower his opponent.
"Even with these four legendary swords, I can't defeat you… Is this the power of the unprecedented Holy-Demonic Sword? No—though that sword is impressive, your true strength comes from yourself. Your unnatural speed, your perfected swordsmanship…I sense your determination and discipline in every move. I see…your strength isn't natural-born, it's earned through sweat and blood."
"Because the people around me are all terrifyingly strong," Yuuto said resolutely, "and my two swordsmanship teachers have shown me the path to greater strength."
Yuuto's refined technique made up for the overwhelming difference in weaponry, showcasing the effectiveness of Jeanne Alter's teachings.
Suddenly, Siegfried's expression changed as though he'd received alarming news. Anxiety flashed in his eyes, and after a final clash between [Tyrfing] and Yuuto's Holy-Demonic Sword, he jumped back abruptly.
"Running away?" Yuuto challenged, noticing Siegfried's diminishing battle aura.
"Crossing blades with a true swordsman like you has been enjoyable—but sadly, I must retreat."
Siegfried's smile faded, replaced by a solemn seriousness.
"One of my comrades was just killed. Though I didn't always approve of his methods, the terrifying woman who killed him seems to be heading this way. If I delay any further, I probably won't survive. Fighting such a monster? No, thank you—I've already fulfilled my duty of buying time."
Speaking cryptically, Siegfried dismissed his extra arms and swords, drawing instead a sinister blade he'd kept sheathed throughout their battle.
As the sword left its scabbard, a chilling aura surged forth, coalescing into a ghostly visage glaring at Yuuto with malignant hostility.
"The Demonic Emperor Sword, [Gram]—the world's strongest demonic sword. Its dragon-slaying properties clash with my dragon-type [Twice Critical], forcing me to deactivate my [Balance Breaker] before using it."
Dark, turbulent energy surged, forming a devastating slash that cleaved the ground apart. Using this chaotic attack as cover, Siegfried vanished swiftly into the white mist behind him.
Half a minute later, Jeanne Alter arrived with Rias and the others. Remaining Reapers and beasts had no chance to escape before being swiftly annihilated.
"Siegfried, huh?" Jeanne Alter frowned, quickly updated by Yuuto.
Fortunately, Yuuto, Rossweisse, and Gasper were safe. Rossweisse and Yuuto had handled the sudden assault far better than Issei, not succumbing to panic.
"Yes," Yuuto confirmed. "A super-warrior created by the Church from the Sigurd Factor, but he's defected to the Khaos Brigade."
"Oh, so he's not actually Siegfried's reincarnation," Jeanne Alter's expression remained complicated. "What a pity. If it were really him, I'd have torn him apart myself."
Dense hatred radiated from Jeanne Alter, causing Yuuto to shiver involuntarily.
"Jeanne-san…do you have history with Siegfried?"
"Absolutely. A deep, bloody grudge. That damned dragon-slayer apologized constantly in conversation yet ruthlessly slaughtered my dragon without hesitation! Had he not interfered back then, I would've… Even if he's not the Siegfried I knew, just hearing that name fills me with rage, especially since he wields [Balmung]."
Jeanne Alter would never forget Siegfried—the bane of her glory during the France Singularity. Her majestic dragon, Fafnir, had fallen to his merciless blade.
She'd carry this grudge for eternity, for she was Avenger.
Yet, before Jeanne Alter could move forward, Xenovia and Akeno approached hurriedly, visibly distressed—particularly Xenovia.
Their hesitant gazes repeatedly settled upon Jeanne Alter, clearly troubled.
"We met another Hero Faction member… She didn't fight seriously and retreated quickly, apparently due to news of her comrade's death," Akeno explained cautiously.
Then, after a moment's pause, she continued softly:
"Her name…was Jeanne."
"The successor of Saintess Jeanne d'Arc's soul."