For those expecting Jeanne to be really dead, that's so cruel of you! For those expecting her to just return to normal, that's asking too much! Never mind. The author is just being delusional or maybe butthurt after getting practically no response for last chapter's 'oh so dramatic' cliffhanger. How sad.

03

Good Lord...

If she had known what awaited her in heaven was such an attractive boy, she would've run headfirst into the war from the start in her pajamas only. Perhaps she was not in her right mind here, but the sight that greeted her as she slowly opened her eyes was simply mesmerizing. He stood there silently a distance away, calmly gazing up at the moon, basking under its soft glow. She honestly had never seen someone this attractive before that she paid no mind how weird it was staring at such a young-looking boy, clearly younger than her by looks alone.

For so long, her personal desires had been repressed for the greater cause that after it was all over, they just burst forth freely, overwhelming her body. It was such surprisingly ecstatic feelings. And it was clearly evident with the pleased grin unknowingly formed on her face as she enjoyed what she saw.

The fluffy white hair ruffled by the breeze.

The tanned skin lit by the moon.

The strong arms -

Wait.

She remembered those arms. They were now fully exposed, having the sleeves rolled up to the elbows. But she knew one in particular well enough, the right one. A haunting image of strange, reddish black runes covering that arm filled her mind then, making her jolt in horrifying realization.

This was not heaven...

No heaven had such a heartless devil in it.

Really, if she had actually died like she honestly expected, she wouldn't have ended up still with her supposed murderer. There was still a chance that she had really died, though. Maybe since her murderer was a devil, he had dragged her to hell with him after she died?

Such a horror.

To her greater horror, it suddenly dawned on her then that she had practically drooled over this heartless devil who had beaten her up mercilessly with an all too innocent smile on his cute face. Tough, to be fair, she was still too dizzy after waking up to recognize him quick enough. That and the fact that he no longer wore that distinctive red cloak of his for some reason. Even his black top had gone missing too, leaving only the plain white, long sleeved shirt underneath.

He really looked much better wearing less...

Stop it!

Gritting her teeth, she narrowed her eyes at the devil in a cute boy disguise. She couldn't let her guards down here. For all she knew, he might still intend to abuse her or even violate her, judging from his suspicious behavior at first when he woke her up. Thus, she tried to ignore her growing attraction in favor of making herself see the actual danger hidden behind his harmless looks. And it was made easier when her gaze spotted a strange longsword at his hip.

How dangerous.

He could've easily killed her with that... but he did no such thing.

In fact, as far as she could remember, he hadn't even once drawn the sword in their fight. He just played her around, thrashed her around until fear consumed her and not even her madness remained. He chocked her then in the end, but by that time, she had regained her real self again.

Now, here she was, under the somewhat familiar tree, and as it seemed, most likely still alive.

Then... could it be that... all along... no matter how hard it was to believe... he had actually wished to... save her?

If so, she might instantly fall head over heels for him right this moment!

That was way too good to be true, though.

The pain all over her worn out body chose the moment to finally reach her senses and remind her harshly how cruel he had been to her. He clearly had no noble intention behind his sadistic action, not in the slightest. Only the most evil would come out of nowhere to beat up an unsuspecting maiden until she broke down completely with a smile instead of some explanation at the very least.

It really hurt all over...

Biting her lip to stifle a cry, she sat up better to check on her hurting body. To her surprise, however, her eyes immediately found the familiar red cloak currently missing on his person. It had been carefully draped over her body up to her chest, leaving only her collarbones and shoulders for her to see. Here she also spotted a torn piece of black fabric suspiciously wrapped over her right shoulder. Curious, she pulled down the cloak a bit to see where the fabric actually led to. Her eyes widened then at what she found.

Slowly she made the connection...

His black top had strangely gone missing, and here she found torn strips of fabric of the same color wrapped around her broken arm... with some pieces of wood... to make a nice makeshift sling.

If what she thought here was true, then she might really fall head over heels for him...

Feeling hopeful and a bit giddy all of a sudden, the probably unstable girl got up without thinking, wanting to get close to the enigmatic boy. Her poor condition sadly disagreed. Pain surged all over her body at once, forcing her to fall back ungracefully on her butt.

"Ow!"

Well, at least with that, she got his attention. A disturbingly smug look briefly crossed his face as he turned toward her, but it was gone almost immediately. And by the time he came to kneel down close to her, the look on his face was nothing but harmless.

"You shouldn't have moved a lot already, Miss Jeanne."

So he knew her name...

That was not exactly what she preferred to be called now, though.

"Just Jeanne."

"Alright, Jeanne."

"Just Jeanne."

"Just... " He blinked in bewilderment. "Jeanne?"

"Mhm." She nodded shyly. "It's Just Jeanne now. She doesn't want to be called anything else."

"..."

Sadly, what she got in response was a weird look from him like he thought she was dumb or something, but she tried not to take it to heart.

"And you? What's your name?"

"... Don't bother. You would have difficulty spelling it anyway."

Why did it seem like he really thought she was dumb here?

"How rude..." She pouted slightly. "Just Jeanne is not dumb, you know."

"..."

Sorry, he really couldn't agree here with someone who didn't even realize that her way of speaking in third person just came out of nowhere and was simply dumb. It gave him annoyance on top of the already building up disappointment. Discreetly, his gaze traveled down to her purplish, still raw neck as he briefly contemplated to just snap it and be done with her already. This didn't go unnoticed by her, however, making her understandably defensive.

"You want to choke Just Jeanne again, don't you?" She accusingly scowled. "Is this what you like to do? Beating up unsuspecting maidens and then treating them just to abuse again?"

"... I know I'm evil." He looked away slightly maybe in shame. "But even I am not that sadistic."

Uh oh.

"Sorry..." Now she smiled sheepishly. "Just Jeanne knows how it feels honestly. Earlier, just like her, you were not really yourself, weren't you?"

"Not true. Unlike you, I'm always fully aware of my actions. They bring me regrets sometimes, but I would not hesitate to do the same again if necessary."

"... You're really evil then."

"True."

This was just sad...

"... No one could ever accept someone as evil as you."

"True."

"... No one could ever love someone as evil as you."

"True."

"... Except for Just Jeanne."

"Tr-"

His eyes widened at once as he took a second look at her strangely determined face. It made him lost for words for sure. He could only gave her a questioning look, one that was full of disbelief. And she returned it with a raised eyebrow until eventually her eyes widened too in panic.

"What Just Jeanne meant was -" Soon enough, she sighed resignedly. "... She knows she has become such a bad person herself. And, you know, bad persons only deserve each other, so... if you ever need for a wife... Just Jeanne is your only option here."

Seriously...

This was beyond ludicrous.

Her face had gone so red, and it was made even more ludicrous with the purplish swelling on her cheek and dark shadow under her eyes. All in all, she didn't look remotely close to attractive despite her 'generous' offer. And here, like any other sane male, Amakusa Shirou knew well enough the best answer for it.

"No, thanks."

Ouch.

"But why?!" The desperation didn't help her look at all. "Is Just Jeanne not pretty enough?"

Here, at the moment, obvious-

"I'm not that shallow."

"Then... not smart enough?"

"Well... that plays a part perhaps." He looked away uneasily. "You really can't be called smart here."

Ouch.

"Just Jeanne is not dumb!"

"..."

It seemed that he was being mean to her intentionally here. It was getting hard not to take it to heart. Tears began to well up in her eyes, but she ignored it. Somehow, she felt more desperate to prove him wrong, desperate enough to just come up with something she thought was only her imagination.

"Just Jeanne is smart enough to know you're hurting. You turned evil because you're..." Unconsciously, she braced herself. "... heartbroken."

And the reaction she got appeared worse than she expected. She cursed herself here for crossing the line as she saw his eyes widened instantly. She could've even sworn that he trembled slightly. Just as she was about to apologize, however, only a shocked gasp left her mouth.

In a blink of an eye, he seized her delicate chin none too gently, making her look into his steely eyes.

"Listen here, you dumb cow. You know nothing about me."

... dumb cow.

... dumb cow?

... dumb cow?!

Tears finally fell uncontrollably down her face as she shoved him away from her with what little strength left in her hurting body.

"Stop being mean to Just Jeanne! What has she ever done to you?"

"..."

"First, you beat her up mercilessly... Not enough with that, here you bully her too!"

"..."

"How could you be so heartless?" She slumped in defeat. "She has nothing left already..."

"..."

God...

He knew he had been the worst kind of scum for so long, but he had never really felt like that as he did here. It also had never crossed his mind that the one who would make him feel this way was none other than the very person he could never stand. Nonetheless, that one sliver of good left in his heart compelled him to make up for his awful action.

"... I know I don't deserve forgiveness." He looked down in shame. "I could never make it up to you, but... if there's anything you want from me for all those unfair treatments, just tell me."

Honestly...

Deep down... he was such a sweet boy, wasn't he?

"Well, if you insist..." She couldn't help but smile shyly. "Just Jeanne still wants to live. She wants to enjoy life, but she doesn't really want to work, so... you must provide for her!"

"..."

"Like a husband!"

"..."

"... Please?" It was getting hard to keep her smile as her hopefulness faltered. "H- Husband?"

"... Forget it. You're going home."

/

He really had the worst of luck if the sad thing could even be called luck to begin with.

Turning away from the hopeless girl who had gone back to sleep again, he returned to work on drawing a set of particularly complex diagrams on the ground. It was meant to be one of the most crucial part of his new plan. He still had to do it as soon as possible despite the plan having gone awry already.

What a disappointment.

He had intended to use the girl as a pawn to do his bidding and secretly carry out his plan for him while Alaya's attention was focused on him. If all went well, no one would even suspect a thing until it was too late to stop the plan. But something had gone horribly wrong. His first attempt of using his Evil Eater on another had such a disappointing result. Instead of getting an obedient pawn, he ended up with a dumb girl in denial.

The worst possible incarnation of an already annoying saint.

Just Jeanne...

Perhaps that was her copping mechanism after all the traumas she suffered consecutively, but still... nothing could be dumber than that.

No matter.

It would not be as easy as he initially intended, but his plan was still a priority. Out of what little kindness he still had, he had decided to take the girl back to her home village first thing in the morning, but after that, he would begin to put everything in motion at last. That meant he needed to finish setting up this one most prudent part of the plan already.

The mysterious diagrams were completed soon enough, followed immediately by a not less mysterious incantation he uttered in a whisper. Nothing in particular happened for a while, but he knew that it worked quite well. And sure enough, a few moments later, an otherworldly presence arrived.

Admittedly, it was rather underwhelming as his eyes found a particularly grumpy-looking owl as it took perch upon a branch of the only still standing tree in the vicinity. Well, at the very least, this owl glowed a bit, meaning that it was no ordinary owl. Seriously, though, he knew well enough that this was just the one he wanted to meet.

"Greetings." His signature smile appeared easily. "... Avatar of Gaia?"

"... Rulebreaker."

"Oh? Never thought I'm well known enough to have a nickname..." His eyebrow rose innocently. "That one makes me sound like a delinquent, though."

"You're the worst kind of delinquent! The worst of the worst!" It looked even grumpier before calming down considerably. "However, Gaia's willing to hear you out since you've fallen too far out of Alaya's favor if nothing else."

Straight to the point.

"Thank you." He nodded in subtle approval. "I am here humbly offering an assistance to Gaia, anything, in return of a mere protection from Alaya's unavoidable sight and grasp."

By all means, that sounded perfectly fair.

Even the Avatar had to admit that it was definitely the kind of not meant to be dismissed offer. Aware enough of the Rulebreaker's capacity and potential, after a moment, It begrudgingly nodded.

"Very well. You will have such protection if only you agree to eliminate Alaya's strongest."

"You mean..." He blinked in disbelief. "The Beast of Alaya?! Why would I need a protection still if to get it, I have to offer myself on a platter to such a thing?"

"Foolish Rulebreaker! Beast of Gaia is there to face Beast of Alaya!"

"... Then who?"

"The undisputed strongest." Here, for some reason, It seemed to shudder in fear. "... The Antithesis."

Damn...

Just when he thought it couldn't be even worse...

The so called Rulebreaker involuntarily shuddered as well. And it was something that he recalled to have only ever happened when it came to none other than the one mentioned here. During his years in Alaya's realm, he had seen that particular Counter Guardian a few number of times. And each time, this utter sense of powerlessness always consumed him as if he stood before the Almighty Himself...

The deal was a must, however.

No compromise.

Desperate, he was forced to think hard and quick. Then, to his relief, he soon enough remembered having discovered something that might as well had been the most confidential secret for Alaya. In fact, if he played his cards right here, he might end up with a result better than he dared ever expect.

"Deal." He tried to hid the triumphant glint in his eyes. "I don't think it would be necessary for me to do it, though."

"... How come?"

"Only select few know this, but our undisputed strongest has been dying for a while now, beyond even Alaya's help."

"How?!"

"I don't know for certain." He shrugged innocently. "But if what I assume here is true that Gaia finally wishes to bring down Alaya once and for all, there's really no longer reason to hesitate."

He was really way too cunning for his own good, well, for everyone's good. Seriously, no one would ever think to evoke a never seen before war between the very two Counter Forces. And it was all just for the sake of his own plan. Then again, if the war did end up happening, he would have enough freedom during all the resulting chaos to freely move.

To break even more rules...

Meanwhile, the Avatar of Gaia was frustrated that despite knowing how dangerous this Rulebreaker was, It couldn't say he was lying. Even worse, his words admittedly seemed to make sense and indeed evoke a real idea of war. Though, for the moment, It should focus on the fact that a deal had been made here.

"It changes nothing, Rulebreaker. You will still receive Gaia's protection from here on in return for your agreement to eliminate Antithesis."

"Of course."

"If that's all -"

Suddenly, the grumpy owl jumped in surprise as a pitiful moan came from under the branch It comfortably perched upon.

A certain sleeping maiden with much difficulty had managed to finally get up. Her body still hurt, but the serious hunger couldn't be ignored any longer, waking her up rudely from her sleep. Her eyes quickly found a certain someone, but to her disappointment, he wasn't even looking at her. She dejectedly looked up to where he was staring at then only to find something that made her empty stomach growl. Her mouth began to water at what she saw.

"Poultry..."

That sounded quite disturbing for some reason, disturbing enough that the other two present stiffened in alarm until the one in human form gave her a look.

"... That's an owl."

"The poultry under those feathers..."

At that, the one in animal form stiffened even more, but it went ignored by the pair unfortunately.

"... That's not just any owl."

"Poultry is poultry."

"... That's the Avatar of Gaia in owl form."

"Still poultry."

"..."

There it was again, him looking at her as though she was dumb, but she was just too hungry here to complain about it.

"Husband, please..." She gave him such a pitiful look. "Just Jeanne has not eaten for days..."

"..."

He didn't know what came over him then, but he found himself looking back at his confederate sheepishly. Here they both looked at one another for a moment with the owl seemingly turning even grumpier if that was even possible.

"..."

"Uh... Avatar of Gaia?" He gulped nervously. "Could you please let this poor, hungry girl eat your current form? I mean, it's just a grumpy-looking owl. You could get a better one easily for sure, a griffon or even dragon!"

"..."

Said grumpy owl only gave the odd pair such a dreadfully unimpressed look.

Thankfully, after a long, tense silence, the otherworldly presence eventually vanished along with the glow, leaving a passed out owl falling down from the tree branch. The boy caught it easily, and it instantly put a wide grin on the girl's face. It didn't even cross their minds that she would be known in history as the only one to ever eat a Counter Force's Avatar.

/

Going back home.

It simply seemed surreal.

Back in the war, she had sometimes thought about it a bit at nights before falling sleep. It gave her a little hope, something to look forward to, even though she knew deep down it wouldn't happen. She had practically lost contact with home since she left. Her parents, she didn't even know how they had been doing. Maybe they had disowned her and moved on since she had not exactly left in good terms. It was also possible that they had already gone.

Honestly, she had been afraid to find out, afraid to face the past, even more so now that she had found a better reason for just wishing to move on herself and hopefully start anew.

Her husband...

Well, technically speaking, the boy was not exactly her husband. They were officially still no way close to being married yet, but it didn't really matter to her. It had easily become her favorite habit to call him husband despite his apparent annoyance. Maybe he was just being shy, seeing that she looked to be the older one of them. Though she was confident he would eventually come around once they made it official.

She really didn't want to lose him.

It was true that they had the worst start, but it had only been getting better and better since. During the days of their journey together, she had gotten to see that underneath his hard and often mean exterior, there was actually such a caring boy. Without much words, he always made sure she was safe and well cared for. It was also endearing how respectful and even thoughtful he was indirectly to her. She always felt like smiling every time she looked over the familiar red cloak on her body, and remembered how he told her to keep it, saying that he just didn't need to see her looking indecent.

He really cared.

If only he cared enough about giving them a chance...

She couldn't understand why he had come to such an unfair decision out of nowhere. It honestly made her feel depressed. After all, being sent back home was one of the worst nightmares for a wife. Then again, if she thought about it, she had not really given him enough reason to consider her as a good wife. Yes, she had not gotten well enough yet to please him much, but she could've at least presented herself better.

This might be her last chance.

Her home village was not that far away now from what she could remember.

This might be her last chance to prove her worth.

Determined, the wannabe wife scooted closer to her supposed husband, secretly trying to make them appear more like a real couple as they walked together, before nudging him with her good arm to get his attention.

"Just Jeanne is really not dumb. She's quite perceptive in fact. She can count pretty well too!"

"..."

"Once she gets better, she'll show that she's also a hard worker. Yes, yes, she said she doesn't want to work, but only for a living. That should be husband's responsibility in her opinion, while she stays home doing daily chores like a good housewife."

"..."

"She knows. It's kind of late for her to marry, being almost twenty. But it also means her figures have already developed well as a woman. Just look at her! She has such thick childbearing hips."

"..."

"And... And such big breasts! Husband, your children would never starve of milk if they have Just Jeanne as their mother!"

"..."

"..."

Oh Lord.

Why did it seem like she ended up trying to sell herself like a cow here?

A dumb cow... just like he had called her before.

Her step faltered a bit as she felt herself blushing madly at once. It was a good thing perhaps because she was too embarrassed to show her face to him right this moment. Unfortunately, unbeknownst to her, it also meant that she was missing the light but unmistakable reddening of his face too.

The pair fell into a rather awkward silence from that point on that lasted for the rest of the journey.

Then it slowly came into view.

Before she knew it, the peasant girl found herself poignantly looking over her birthplace. Here, standing on the hill overlooking the village, the still familiar sight of rundown roads and buildings she grew up around was clear enough to see. It unwillingly filled her with melancholy, making her unable to take any further step. Seeing this, her impassive companion touched her back to push her forward gently.

"Go."

"Husband?" She looked back desperately one last time. "Please..."

"... Take care."

Then, without another word, he turned around and just walked away, leaving her behind with a broken heart.

She had never felt so defeated...

Still, a good wife shouldn't go against her husband's wishes. With that thought in mind, she denied her own desperate wish to run after him, and forced herself to slowly walk back to the place she honestly could no longer call home. This end of the journey felt the most difficult somehow even though her body had felt much better than back at the start. But she had to go on as he wished her to, even at the cost of her feelings.

It took quite a while, but her weak, uncertain steps eventually brought her to an entrance to the village. Here she finally paid real attention to her surroundings as she heard hushed whispers coming from the villagers who had stopped to stare at her suspiciously. It made her feel uncomfortable for sure, but with a polite smile, she still tried to appear friendly.

"Good afternoon..."

No response at first, only more hushed whispers until even more villagers appeared. They started to get louder then, bolder, showing apparent hostility.

"Is that the crazy girl that used to live here?"

"It seems so... Anyone heard what happened in Rouen?"

"She's gone mad there, killed everyone, and burned down the whole place!"

"Hey now. The same could happen here too if she doesn't leave..."

"She must've become a real witch at last!"

"Just look at her hair now, dull and pale like ashes of the dead..."

"Quick! Someone go to the city and call some Templar!"

It was getting hard to bear, but then the crowd suddenly quieted down as a middle aged man who appeared to be some sort of figure in the village arrived. And almost immediately, he stopped short in recognition as his harsh gaze fell on the apparently unwanted newcomer.

"Jeanne? Why are you here?!"

"... Uncle?"

"Not anymore! You've been long disowned. Even your parents have already left out of shame for you!"

"S- Sorry!" Her eyes widened in shock. "She didn't -"

"Just leave!"

"But... She has nowhere -"

"Are you dumb?! Can't you see you're not wanted here?"

"..."

"No one's responsible for what happens if you refuse to leave."

As if on cue, the crowd got loud again, even louder than before. Hostile threats were given left and right, making things even worse for the poor girl who could only stand anxiously in place. Sadly, her helplessness seemed to only fuel their ire until it all inevitably led to a rock being thrown at her.

It hurt... more than just physically.

More and more rocks were thrown in her direction, making her stumble back in pain as some of them hit her still not yet well body. At least none of them were large enough to inflict serious injury. Unfortunately, it was only a matter of time until a large one got thrown right at her. She was clearly in no condition to do anything about it, and could do nothing but close her eyes helplessly.

Strangely enough, the pain didn't come. Nothing hit her in fact. And for some reason, it had grown quiet all of a sudden.

Could it be that she finally died?

No such luck.

Her still hurting body proved as much, making her open her eyes warily only for them to widen fully in surprise. She felt like crying at the unexpected sight of a familiar broad back in a white shirt before her. And her voice, no matter how feeble it was, she could always count on it to say that one word.

"... Husband?"

"I'm here."

That was more than enough to instantly make her beam in hopefullness. Though he couldn't see it with his back to her. He seemed to be busy staring blankly at the large rock in his grasp before slowly looking up to glance over the shocked crowd.

"That's enough, people. Nothing more to see here."

How nice of him.

Unfortunately, his peaceful approach only seemed to provoke them for some stupid reason. They began to get loud again, but like before, they paused when the village figure decided to speak for them.

"And who are you, boy? Are you lost? Where are your parents?"

There were some snickers, but the boy paid no mind to them.

"Did you not hear what the girl said?"

"Heh. Then why don't you drag your dumb 'wife' out of here already?"

"Now, that's just rude." His all too familiar smile began to grow. "No one's allowed to call her dumb except for her evil husband."

"... You're sick, boy!" The man instinctively stepped back in alarm. "Get lost already!"

"No. You get lost. All of you."

Not so nice now.

"Or what?!"

Suddenly, the large rock in the boy's grasp shattered to pieces as his eerie smile made a full return.

"Or this whole village would end up like the rock obviously."

The danger he gave off with that alone was so palpable that even the crowd of regular civilians could sense it. It was a good thing that they were at least still sensible enough to not react foolishly. One after another, they all backed away hurriedly to the safety of the village without unnecessary words.

The unlikely pair was left alone at last.

Acting like he had not just threatened to wipe out a random village, the boy innocently shrugged before turning around to grab the girl's hand gently and be on their way again.

/

The sun had begun to set by the time the traveling pair decided to take a break at a small riverbank. There had not been much words between them since they reunited again. Even here, only the steady sound of flowing water filled the silence as they sat side by side none too closely together. The peacefulness of the place, complimented by the warm glow of the sunset, was just enough to keep their minds of the harsh reality even for a moment.

Small ripples broke the river's calm surface as the frail girl put her bare feet down into it and began to move them slowly back and fort.

"Look here." She smiled down bittersweetly at the water. "It would be nice to just drown here and leave everything behind..."

"It's too shallow. You would just stumble down dumbly like a cow only to wet yourself if you try."

"How mean!" The smile turned into a pout as she looked up. "Just Jeanne would really drown here now out of spite, and you could do nothing about it!"

"Really? What if I suddenly feel like getting myself a wife?"

How tempting...

In fact, she could already picture it here in her mind, standing in a pristine white gown before him on the alter of a nice church. He tried to look unimpressed as usual as he looked down at her face, only for a smile to appear on his face, betraying his intention. She beamed at him brightly, paying close to no attention to the surroundings and audiences. However, the view somehow began to shift out of her control until she no longer saw it in first person. It was in third person then that she found herself helplessly watching someone else in her place, someone prettier... better than her.

As it should be...

She smiled down again bittersweetly.

"You mean... another wife?"

"Another? I already have one?"

"Just Jeanne."

"Oh? What's she gonna say about it?"

There was a little pause as she pondered quietly.

"Find someone you could truly love..."

"... Like?"

Here, somehow, that 'someone else' appeared again in her mind.

"Hmm, some pretty... blue eyed blonde perhaps?" She chuckled weakly. "She has to be smart for sure. Unlike Just Jeanne..."

"Hmm, I just know someone who fits that description perfectly."

Ouch.

"Then leave Just Jeanne alone to drown, and go marry her already!"

"... Why does it seem like I'm being rejected here?"

That was enough to make her chuckle again, livelier this time, until the bittersweet look returned.

"Husband... Deep down, you're truly kind, the kindest Just Jeanne has ever met, even. She can say this wholeheartedly even after you beat her to a pulp."

"... Why does it seem like I'm some sort of abusive bastard now?!"

"Well, your wife here with her broken arm still thinks you're evil!" She pouted, but didn't look so convincing. "Even so... knowing husband better has made her realize that you can be evil but still kind at the same time no matter how dumb it sounds."

"..."

"The thing is, you deserve better than being burdened by Just Jeanne who's clearly broken beyond repair... She owes you all her gratitude, yes, and genuinely wishes to devote all her life to you, but she's afraid she'd just drag you down..."

"..."

The usual impassive look had returned to his face as he just silently let her express her feelings, and she honestly appreciated him for that.

"No matter how unfair it feels, Just Jeanne knows she deserves this fate. For once, she'll admit that she's been so dumb all along. In her delusion to achieve something beyond only human's capability, she has forgotten that she's just a girl who has the right to live as she wishes too. Lord has given this life to her, so it makes no sense that He would be happy to see her throw it away even in His name for some grandeur they call sacrifice."

"..."

"However... it was just wrong of her to wish to live so madly that she turned mad for real until it costed the lives of many others."

A real dumb girl could never have such a deep reflection of herself just like she did. He had to admit that. Not that he would just go easy on her here.

"You were really dumb. Seriously, how dumb could you be to just so gullibly listen to some unknown, laughably suspicious voices not only once, but twice?"

"... Donkey level at least?"

It took effort not to snort at that.

"Looking at the bigger picture, however, you're just another victim of fate. It's simply unfair for an innocent girl who was giving her all to make a difference to meet a tragic end in return. It's even more unfair for that same girl to be played around like some cheap toy just because she still had a fragile wish to live by that point." Here, he sighed reservedly. "Then again, in this world, it's perfectly fair for fate to find amusement in unfairness."

There was a meaningful silence as she readily gave a soft but wholehearted nod to his words until she eventually looked up with a wishfully bittersweet look.

"It shouldn't have to be that way if only there was real fairness in the world. With it, everyone who does good will have good result whilst everyone who does bad will have bad outcome, no exception. That way, everyone will naturally strive to be better, and if everyone is good, there might even be no more necessary need for order. Everyone could have a fair chance to just freely live and be happy..." Here, she sighed wishfully. "It would be... paradise."

... Was this truly real?

It truly felt like some kind of revelation as he suddenly found himself wholly awestruck by the supposedly dumb girl. He was no way being cheesy here, no way in hell. However, he couldn't deny what this no more impressive than usual sight of her elicited in him right this moment. It was quite alarming really because it came to the point that he even felt like kneeling down to her in some kind of worship...

Damn.

Oh fuck it!

The confused boy unexpectedly knelt down for real on one knee, offering his hand to the girl sitting dreamily.

"Let me take you there."

"Huh? Where?"

"Let me take you to that paradise, Just Jeanne!"

Cringe.

"Husband... are you well?" She blinked at him worriedly, dumbly. "... or just being dumb?"

"..."

"Such a place doesn't exist. Even Just Jeanne knows it's nothing more than a dumb fantasy."

To her pleasant surprise, however, here he gave her exclusively a genuine, hopeful smile.

"Let's build one then." Confidently, he took her good hand himself. "Together."

Really now...

It only sealed the deal.

No matter how dumb he had apparently become all of a sudden, she would follow this evil husband of hers to the end of the world and beyond.

Ha! Shirou becomes dumb himself in the end. It's not completely dumb, though. He becomes that way only after finding Jeanne's fantasy coincidentally to be a clearer and just overall better version of his vision for the world. This is after all the story of a damned boy challenging fate, giving his all, breaking rules, setting off an apocalyptic war, and becoming the enemy of the whole world just to build a paradise for a broken girl he supposedly despised. That's why this isn't tagged as romance!

Feel free to ask any questions you may have. This author loves answering questions even the dumb ones! Right, Just Jeanne? "Just Jeanne is not dumb!"