Fate Q&A: Chapter 307/308

Chapter 307: Shakespeare Takes Action

Waver: "Really? Dead?"

Waver: "Sisigou, do you regret it? You could have left peacefully."

Sisigou: "This was my own decision. I have no regrets."

Sisigou: "Well, this ending isn't bad."

Sisigou: "Besides, I'm doing just fine right now."

Waver: "That's true."

[Sisigou could no longer respond to Mordred, but she already knew the answer without asking.]

[Watching his body slowly fade away, Mordred closed her eyes, as if drifting into sleep.]

[In her dream, she returned to Camlann—the place where her memories ended.]

[But this time, she wasn't experiencing it from her own perspective. Instead, she witnessed what happened after her death.]

[I had been pierced by the Holy Spear, and Artoria had suffered serious injuries before being taken away by a silver-haired knight.]

[Mordred followed behind, watching as the knight tirelessly encouraged Artoria and searched for a place to rest.]

[She remembered his name—Bedivere.]

[Though he was among the first Knights of the Round Table to serve under my father, he wasn't particularly strong. Instead, he took care of my father's daily life, making his presence easily overlooked.]

[She watched as Bedivere placed Artoria beneath a tree, hesitated twice before finally returning Excalibur to the Lady of the Lake at her insistence.]

[And with that, the legend of King Arthur came to an end.]

["——I'm sorry, Bedivere. This time, I think I'll sleep a little longer——"]

[Seeing Artoria's peaceful expression, free of regret, Mordred couldn't hold back her tears.]

[Perhaps this was only a dream, but she believed her father was worthy of such an ending.]

[Outside, Mordred's figure vanished, leaving behind only the cigarette she had been smoking. It slowly rolled next to Sisigou's cigarette, burning away together.]

Artoria: "Sir Bedivere, huh? I really miss you."

Mordred: "That was the end of my father."

Lancelot: "..."

Shakespeare: "Ah, what a finale, truly a masterpiece of artistry!"

Shakespeare: "Remember this, remember it well! That final counterattack, even if it only wounds the enemy, it is still a victory! This is a story worthy of legend!"

Semiramis: "It's your turn next. Try not to embarrass yourself."

Shakespeare: "Oh, my dear Empress, such things are difficult to predict."

[After traversing a long, narrow corridor, Jeanne d'Arc finally arrived at her destination, the chamber where the Holy Grail was kept.]

[It was a vast, bowl-shaped space, stretching beyond sight, with the Holy Grail floating at its center.]

[Jeanne: "Red Faction's Caster, show yourself at once!"]

["Oh! Since you've called for me so earnestly, how could I refuse?"]

[Dissolving his spirit form, Shakespeare materialized, declaring, "My masterpiece crafted with sincerity, passion, purity, and a myriad of other elements shall reach its grand conclusion here!"]

["Shakespeare?"]

[The moment he appeared, Jeanne activated "True Name Discernment" to confirm his identity.]

[Shakespeare: "Ah, the country girl herself! Oh dear, how rude of me—I let my natural disposition slip. Yes, I am the Red Faction's Caster. Tell me, are you disappointed?"]

["Jeanne d'Arc, there exist more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy!"]

Bluebeard: "How dare you address the Holy Maiden by name!"

Even he had never called her by her true name—yet this man dared to.

Shakespeare: "Names exist to be spoken, and your saint does not seem to mind. Do you, my dear Jeanne?"

[Though irritated by his theatrical manner, Jeanne still replied patiently, "Though I doubt it will do any good—will you surrender?"]

[Shakespeare: "Oh~~ Surrender, you say? How difficult! For you do not meet the conditions required for my surrender!"

Jeanne: "Conditions?"]

[Shakespeare lifted a quill and began writing in the air.]

["The first condition is an emotional one. ''I am an official Servant of the Red Faction. My ability to stir the hearts of men ranks among the top two of our side—I refuse to become a mindless beast!"]

["The second condition concerns entertainment. Our eyes are sharp, we are the chosen ones blessed with inspiration! In other words, this moment, this scene is utterly thrilling!"]

["The third condition is power. Our might surpasses your wildest imaginings, it is despair itself. No matter how hard you try, you cannot catch up. No, rather, the harder you try, the further behind you will fall! Like Achilles and the tortoise, no matter how much you struggle, you will meet your end here."]

[Jeanne gazed at Shakespeare and spoke in a low voice, "And what exactly is it that will bring me death?"]

[Shakespeare raised his arms in an exaggerated flourish. "Why, it can only be our grandest spectacle—'A Tale for the Ages, a Thunderous Ovation'! Now, allow me to set the stage for what comes next."]

["I'm not interested in your performance!"]

[Jeanne had lost all patience and lunged at Shakespeare.]

[She was no fool, why would she simply wait for him to unleash his Noble Phantasm?]

["Alas, the curtains rise! Take your seats! No smoking! No photography! And absolutely no booing! The world is my stage—A Tale for the Ages, a Thunderous Ovation!"]

[Unfortunately, Jeanne was a moment too late. Just as her holy flag was about to pierce him, Shakespeare's Noble Phantasm had already been activated.]

[In the next instant, the scenery shifted, a nostalgic scent of fresh grass filled the air.]

[Jeanne found herself back in Domrémy, her hometown. Her armor and flag were gone.]

Tohsaka Rin: "Is this the same trick he used against Frankenstein before?"

Tohsaka Tokiomi: "No, the activation method is different. The previous instance seemed like a mere spell, but this—this is his true Noble Phantasm."

Waver: "An illusion?"

Shakespeare: "No, not an illusion—a story."

Chihiro: "It's just that sometimes, the actors rebel."

Shakespeare: "Silence! Last night's tale shall remain our greatest embarrassment!"

Jeanne: "Did you see his Noble Phantasm last night?"

Chihiro: "Yes. A detestable Noble Phantasm that suits its equally detestable Master."

Shakespeare: "Oh, should I take that as praise?"

["Is this… an illusion?"]

[Jeanne scowled at Shakespeare's lack of taste, quickly scanning her surroundings, only to find him gone.]

["It is useless," his voice echoed. "Whether it be me or the characters within the play, this tale will not stop. Such is the nature of this Noble Phantasm, even for a Ruler like yourself."]

[Jeanne: "If it is an illusion, I can dispel it with my Magic Resistance."

Shakespeare: "Ah, but this is no illusion—it is a story. You, Jeanne d'Arc, are the protagonist. Now, recall your life and experience a tale that never should have been."]

["So, are you ready?"]

[Shakespeare's Noble Phantasm transcended mere magic. Its authority was on par with that of an Innate Bounded Field.]

[Once one stepped onto this stage, they were bound to play their role until the very end. Escape was impossible.]

[It was not sorcery but a Noble Phantasm that preyed upon the heart itself.]

Tohsaka Rin: "So his Noble Phantasm is this powerful."

Waver: "He calls it a story, but in reality, he's forcing his victims to relive their most shameful memories!"

Illya: "That's awful."

Shakespeare: "Oh, but it is not so simple! My tale is finely crafted not a mere retelling of the past."

Shakespeare: "It has twists and intrigue, true entertainment!"

[Jeanne: "...My life is insignificant compared to many heroes. It would be a dull play, hardly worth performing."]

[At this moment, she had yet to grasp the true horror of Shakespeare's Noble Phantasm.]

["Jeanne, are you really leaving?"]

[A nostalgic voice rang out, sending a shiver down Jeanne's spine.]

[It was her mother.]

[Since bidding her farewell at the age of seventeen to join Charles VII's army, she had never seen her again not even at the moment of her own death.]

[She had prepared herself for this, yet the instant she heard that voice, guilt and sorrow tore through her heart.]

Jeanne: "Shakespeare, you—!"

Shakespeare: "Calm yourself! If you lose your composure now, how will you bear witness to the rest of the story?"

Jeanne: "Guh—!"

["Yes, Mother, I must go."]

[The words came naturally. She was merely reenacting her conversation from years ago.]

["I cannot ignore the Lord's call. This may be our final parting. Please pray for me. As long as you and the Blessed Virgin watch over me, I shall not fall."]

["I will pray for you, my dear child, that your path remains ever illuminated."]

[This should have been the end of their exchange, the moment she set out on her journey. But—]

["But you never returned."]

[Jeanne's mother turned away, shaking her head in sorrow.]

["Why did you have to be burned at the stake, mocked for eighteen years?"]

[Your will was unbreakable, iron and flame. No matter the pain or despair, you never wavered in your faith. But as your mother, I could only feel sorrow.]

["So—don't go. You already know how it ends, don't you?"]

[Even though she knew this was merely an illusion, Jeanne could not deny that it truly reflected her mother, Isabelle's, grief.]

(To be continued.)

Chapter 308: Jeanne d’Arc Will Not Hate

[Without hesitation, Jeanne d'Arc took her mother's hand and said firmly, "Mother, even so, I must go, to save this village, to save this country. I have to stand up."]

[Her mother, however, was not comforted by these words and continued to weep.]

Tohsaka Rin: "Is it really worth it? Leaving your family behind and never returning?"

Jeanne: "I believe it is. Looking at the outcome, I succeeded in protecting my homeland."

The First Emperor: "This is war. A nation is a nation. The nation comes before the family. If everyone only seeks to protect themselves and their families, then when the country falls, who will protect them? Do they expect mercy from the enemy?"

Iskandar: "Precisely. Entrusting your fate to your enemies is no different from a pig waiting to be slaughtered."

["As expected of Jeanne d'Arc. With such unwavering conviction, no wonder she doesn't regard ordinary heroes as her equals!"]

[The voice narrating the scene was none other than Shakespeare's.]

[Jeanne: "Caster, no matter how much you try to shake my heart using my mother's form, it won't work. If you're satisfied, end this now."]

["No, no, your tale has only just begun! Act Two, the curtain rises!"]

[With a snap of his fingers, the scenery around Jeanne shifted instantly.]

[The scent of blood. The stench of gunpowder. This was—]

The battlefield.

[Unable to resist or reject it, Jeanne was forced to relive the battles of her past.]

[It was fine. Even if she suffered setbacks, even if she collapsed, even if she reached her limit, she would endure.]

["No matter how many times—"]

[No matter how many times it repeated, her duty would not change. Her path would not change. Her past would not change. And she had no regrets.]

[Even if she faced her final moments, her heart would not waver.]

["I see, just as your mother said. No matter the situation, as long as you find the right course of action, you will simply push forward to the end. Marvelous!"]

[Jeanne resisted the urge to curse and could only continue playing her role in the story.]

Illya: "What a despicable old man."

Tohsaka Rin: "You really enjoy poking at people's wounds, don't you? Do you not have a single shred of positivity in you?"

Shakespeare: "Positivity? Do you mean those trite happy endings? How hypocritical and dull. Only tragedy reflects reality!"

[Even though she was a saint, she fought on the battlefield. Even though she was a saint, she still took lives.]

[The voices of the dead soldiers surrounded her, accusing her.]

["You call yourself a saint, yet you killed us?"]

["You wield the holy flag, yet you struck us down?"]

["We were not sinners. We were ordinary men, merely standing on the opposite side."]

[Jeanne silently accepted their accusations. They were right. Though she bore the title of Saint, she had still raised her holy banner and fought, harming others in the process. Such actions were hardly befitting of a saint.]

[Once, a saint had single-handedly repelled an evil dragon.]

[But all she had done was lead soldiers into battle and defeat her enemies alongside them.]

["That's right. I've never thought of myself as a saint."]

[Even with unshakable faith, one must still pray to the Lord daily, even after receiving His revelations.]

[A soldier, his head marred by a fatal wound, asked, "Then why did you stand up and fight?"]

[Jeanne: "Because even so, I believe this path leads to righteousness."]

[At her words, the soldiers crumbled into dust, vanishing along with the battlefield.]

The First Emperor: "Well said."

The First Emperor: "Pay no mind to what others think. On the battlefield, there is no right or wrong—only survival and death."

Iskandar: "Indeed. If you do not kill, you will be killed."

Mordred: "Scribe, that's not all you've got, is it?"

Shakespeare: "Haha."

["But of course! This is a tale about whether your life was mistaken and if so, whether it should be corrected. Now then, Act Three!"]

[The scene changed once more. This time, Jeanne found herself at Notre-Dame de Reims, witnessing her own coronation ceremony.]

[The ritual would only be complete once Charles VII anointed her forehead with holy oil.]

[But then, Charles VII turned to Jeanne and said, "Jeanne d'Arc, why don't you stay here?"]

[The cheers ceased. Every gaze in the cathedral turned toward her, questioning.]

[Jeanne: "...What do you mean?"

Charles VII: "I walk a different path than you. At this moment, even if the Lord Himself remains silent, I understand that you are bound to fall. You are intelligent—you must already know this."

Jeanne: "..."

Charles VII: "Jeanne d'Arc, answer me. Do you truly believe your path is correct?"

Jeanne: "...Yes."

Charles VII: "And yet you have no proof. The revelation you received was for you alone, and the results only became evident later. How can you convince anyone else that your way is the only truth?"]

[Jeanne: "—Simply put, I walk my own path. Your Majesty is different, for you harbor doubts yet still place your faith in others."]

[Charles VII's desire to reconcile with the Burgundians was the turning point that led to his parting ways with Jeanne.]

["History may later prove that you were right. But all that is mere retrospective analysis imposed by historians. At that time, in that moment, was I wrong? Can anyone truly say that I was? And Jeanne d'Arc, why couldn't you make me believe? If you had been stronger, I would have believed! It wasn't that I doubted you, it was that you doubted me!"]

[Jeanne shook her head, firmly grasping Charles VII's hand.]

["No. It was fate that Your Majesty and I parted ways here… Besides, even if Your Majesty had believed, nothing would have changed. We are but bricks in the great structure of history, each forging ahead on the paths we believe in. You may have been wrong, and yet you were also right. I may have been right, and yet I was also wrong. In the end, Your Majesty and I were merely fighting for our beliefs. Isn't that enough?"]

[With her words, the vision faded into nothingness.]

Leaticia: "...Miss Jeanne, do you truly not resent the king?"

Jeanne: "No. I was captured in war, it had nothing to do with him."

Leaticia: "But he didn't save you…"

Jeanne: "He couldn't save me. Both England and Burgundy wanted me dead. The high ransom was nothing more than an excuse."

Bluebeard: "No! Jeanne d'Arc, he betrayed you! You should hate him!"

Jeanne: "Gilles, I will never hate."

Bluebeard: "Hnnn…"

["——Now, let us proceed. The final act awaits."]

[The scene shifted once more. This time, a rotund, large-eared cardinal appeared before her.]

["Pathetic wretch, we meet again."]

["...Pierre Cauchon."]

[Facing this man, Jeanne felt a complex mix of emotions.]

[For he was the bishop who presided over her trial, the man of the Burgundian faction who condemned her.]

Leaticia: "This is the man who orchestrated Jeanne's death."

Tohsaka Rin: "To be that well-fed in that era, he must have lived quite comfortably."

Illya: "I heard he wasn't even qualified to judge Jeanne in the first place."

Waver: "Just another sickening political game."

[Jeanne: "Caster, this is pointless. Even if you recreate him in your play, it will only be a repetition of my past. Your Noble Phantasm cannot inflict physical pain, can it?"]

[Cauchon—played by Shakespeare—shrugged. "Indeed, Jeanne d'Arc. My power cannot make you shed a single drop of blood. Only true heroes like Karna, Achilles, or my Lord could do that."]

[Jeanne: "Then what is your goal?"]

["Ah, but I shall reveal that—at the climax."]

[Shakespeare, now assuming the form of Pierre Cauchon, stepped forward. The scene around them shifted once more.]

[This time, it was the place of Jeanne d'Arc's execution.]

[Everything around her seemed frozen in time. She could clearly see those who mocked her, those who watched with pity, and those who wept as they bore witness to her fate—]

[Shakespeare: "Do you understand what this scene represents?"

Jeanne: "Yes. I am aware that this is my end."

Shakespeare: "Do you have regrets?"

Jeanne: "Of course not. Because in the end, I became the foundation upon which my country was saved."

Shakespeare: "So! You claim to have no regrets. Even though there has never been, and never will be, a girl more tragic than you in this era—or in any era to come—do you still stand by that?"

Jeanne: "What an outsider sees is not the same as what one experiences firsthand. I do not think my life was tragic at all."]

[The flames rose, engulfing her. The saint who once perished in fire now stood once more, facing the man who had condemned her, in the vast, empty square.]

[Shakespeare: "Was this fate?"

Jeanne: "Yes. It is a fate that cannot be avoided, and I have no intention of escaping it."]

["Do you owe an explanation to those who suffered because of your arrogance?"]

[Shakespeare, still in the guise of Pierre Cauchon, laughed. His dark eyes bore into Jeanne, filled with the same contempt and malice as those of the judges at her inquisition.]

[Yet even so, Jeanne answered calmly.]

(To be continued.)

(T/N: Sigh, guys, I was planning to wrap up the Apocrypha arc today, even if it meant releasing about five chapters, because I felt we were near the end, right? How wrong I was. And judging by the titles, they probably weren't anything of importance, just El-Melloi II and Fate/Apocrypha.

While I love this book, this author is testing and draining my sanity. So you mean I'll work on about 75 chapters that probably amount to nothing and are mainly just filler?

Even though I told myself I would see every book I start working on through, I am really tempted to just drop this and get over it because of how the author loves dragging things out unnecessarily. This whole Apocrypha arc could have ended fine after he got back, but no. More chapters = more money, so they keep adding unnecessary stuff.

I don't want to disappoint my readers, so I'll skip all that and jump straight into the 5th HGW, if you don't mind. But if the author doesn't change, I might have to stop to avoid wasting our time. I'll be on the lookout for another good Fate ff, just in case, or if you have one, please share it. )


Sorry about that, this is just me ranting because I was pissed off when I saw this.