"..."
Ian completely hadn't expected Jeanne to make such a suggestion at this moment.
He subconsciously denied it.
"Jeanne... wouldn't that be bad?" Ian asked, his blue eyes looking at her with concern.
"Why would it be bad?" Jeanne blinked her beautiful blue eyes.
"Brother, the other 'me'... is clearly also very pitiful." Jeanne said softly, her voice filled with empathy.
"She doesn't know anything, doesn't understand anything, and only came to this world in this way because someone made a wish for resurrection."
"Since brother has decided to save this world——"
"Then she should also be saved." Jeanne added, her gaze firm.
"And——" Jeanne's eyes held a hint of guilt.
"If we really want to get down to it."
"Aren't we also one of the reasons she came to this world?" Jeanne asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
"..." Ian carefully considered the words Jeanne had just spoken, and realized that they were indeed correct in a certain sense.
After all—
If Gilles de Rais hadn't misunderstood Jeanne's "death" back then, then none of the subsequent events would have occurred.
However, although he agreed with Jeanne's statement, Ian still had doubts in his heart.
"Then——"
"Jeanne, how do you plan to make the other 'you' your younger sister?" Ian asked, his blue eyes filled with curiosity.
"Hehe~" Jeanne giggled playfully, "I don't know~"
"But, meeting her first, that definitely can't be wrong, right?" Jeanne tilted her head, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"Everyone go together?" Ian's gaze swept over Mash, Mordred, and Fujimaru Ritsuka present.
They were comforting the overly saddened Gilles de Rais with words—no one would have thought that such a burly man would feel so guilty.
"No." Jeanne shook her head.
"If everyone goes, the pressure will be too strong." Jeanne explained, her expression becoming serious.
"Brother~" Jeanne looked at Ian with pleading eyes.
"Just the two of us will go."
"..." Although it felt a little dangerous to face the Black Jeanne with just the two of them.
But seeing the incredibly determined look in his younger sister Jeanne's eyes, Ian didn't hesitate any longer.
"Okay, I understand."
"Since you think it's okay, then let's try it." Ian said, a hint of uncertainty in his voice.
Ian was the absolute core of everyone present.
Hearing him propose to enter the city alone with Jeanne.
Although everyone had some doubts in their hearts, no one raised any objections.
This wasn't difficult to understand.
A man who could resolve a major crisis that would have required a group of people to face within three hours naturally had a lot of credibility in his words.
And so—
Ian and his younger sister once again walked into the Demon King's Castle, Orléans, directly heading towards the castle where the Dragon Witch, Black Jeanne, was located.
Walking along the road, Jeanne's expression gradually became surprised due to the surrounding scenery.
This was completely different from the city in her memory—after all, this place had experienced the Dragon's battle!
Jeanne still remembered the dilapidated and miserable state she saw when she first came here, but now it had completely disappeared.
Seeming to see through his sister's thoughts, Ian quickly said,
"It feels very unfamiliar, doesn't it?" Ian asked gently, his blue eyes looking at her with understanding.
Knowing that there was nothing to hide in front of her brother, Jeanne nodded.
"Yes."
"It's completely different from the Orléans in my memory... it's even much more beautiful than back then." Jeanne admitted, her voice filled with wonder.
"That's only natural." Ian's gaze swept over the buildings on the street, instantly capturing the traces of magical power lingering in the air.
He continued to explain,
"Because——"
"These are all things projected through magic, so naturally they will be much more beautiful than the original buildings." Ian explained, his voice calm.
"Eh?" Jeanne was surprised at first, but quickly fell into a certain sadness.
There was even a hint of sympathy in her eyes.
"Brother."
"Is the other 'me' always living in this illusory environment?" Jeanne asked softly, her blue eyes filled with concern.
"..." Ian understood Jeanne's thoughts.
He ruffled Jeanne's hair and said gently,
"Alright, Jeanne."
"This isn't your fault... you didn't want this either, right?" Ian's voice was soft and comforting.
"Mmm~" Knowing that Ian was comforting her, Jeanne nodded.
"Brother, then let's hurry!" Jeanne said, her blue eyes looking at him with determination.
"Okay."
Holding completely different thoughts from when he left, Ian returned with Jeanne to the door of the bridal chamber where he had slept with the Dragon Witch.
And at this moment, something unexpected happened.
Jeanne reached out to stop Ian and then said,
"Brother."
"Can you let me go in alone?" Jeanne asked, her blue eyes looking at him with a hint of nervousness.
"..." Another request that sounded extremely absurd.
But this time, Ian didn't rush to refuse his sister.
"Jeanne, I don't object to you having your own ideas." Ian said gently, his blue eyes looking at her with concern.
"But——"
"You at least have to tell me the reason for doing this, right?"
Hearing her brother's question, which could already be considered quite polite.
Jeanne lowered her head and explained in a voice that wasn't loud, but was firm enough,
"I don't know how to say it either."
"But——"
"I feel that if you let me go in and meet her alone, it might make things much simpler." Jeanne said, her voice barely above a whisper.
"..." Although it didn't sound like a reason that could be used as an explanation at all.
But seeing the determined look in his sister's eyes to try it, Ian ultimately couldn't bring himself to refuse her request.
"I understand." Ian crossed his arms and leaned against the wall beside the door.
"Since you want to go in alone——"
"Then go in alone."
"But let's make it clear first, if things don't look right, shout immediately."
"I'll go in right away." Ian said firmly, his blue eyes looking at her with concern.
"Mmm!" Having obtained her brother's support, Jeanne took a deep breath and then pushed open the door that separated the inside from the outside.
As if destined by fate.
The moment the Saint stepped into the room, she directly met the eyes of the Dragon Witch who had just woken up.
"..."
"..."
"You——!" A roar erupted from the Black Jeanne's throat.
It was the most primal anger.
"You bastard, how dare you appear before me!" Black Jeanne roared, her red eyes blazing with fury.
Saying these words, Black Jeanne didn't even bother with the light clothing she had specially put on for Ian, and conjured her flag, intending to stab the other party.
Looking at the weapon that was almost identical to the Holy Flag, Jeanne's heart felt a little scared, but more than that, it felt sympathy.
The Saint had already confirmed that the Black Jeanne before her was just a pitiful "avenger" who had taken her place as the Dragon Witch.
She... actually didn't understand anything.
"Um——"
"Can we sit down and chat for a while?" Jeanne asked softly, her blue eyes looking at the Black Jeanne with a hint of nervousness.
Slash.
The flag stopped right before Jeanne's brow.
The Dragon Witch frowned tightly, her tone filled with doubt.
"What kind of joke are you playing?" Black Jeanne asked, her red eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"We... sit down and chat?"
Knowing that the other party wasn't completely unwilling to listen to what she had to say, Jeanne didn't hesitate and continued,
"Yes."
"We... don't actually have to be enemies." Jeanne said gently, her blue eyes looking at the Black Jeanne with sincerity.
"What nonsense are you talking about?!" Black Jeanne made the flag disappear in a swirl of black energy. "We are natural enemies!"
"No." Jeanne shook her head gently.
"We have never had any actual conflict." Jeanne said, her voice soft but firm.
Jeanne looked at the face before her that was almost exactly the same as her own.
"And——"
"You keep saying you hate France... but do you know why you hate it?" Jeanne asked, her blue eyes filled with concern.
"That's because——!" Black Jeanne froze.
Yes.
Why did she hate France?
What exactly was the reason?
Seeing Black Jeanne's voice suddenly stop, Jeanne knew that she had indeed caught her blind spot.
The corners of her eyes became a little moist—it was a sign of her feeling sad for the other herself.
"See?"
"You actually don't know why you hate France at all, do you?" Jeanne asked softly, her blue eyes filled with empathy.
"..." Seeing that she couldn't think of any reason to refute the other party at all, Black Jeanne suddenly became anxious.
"Annoying!" Black Jeanne exclaimed, her red eyes flashing with annoyance.
"Hate is hate, what reason does it need!"
"No." Jeanne shook her head gently. "Even the smallest hate has a reason."
"You... actually don't know what you're doing." Jeanne said softly, her blue eyes filled with concern.
"So——" Jeanne looked at the "herself" before her.
"Stop, the other 'me'." Jeanne pleaded gently, her blue eyes filled with compassion.
"This is the wrong time, we can't continue like this anymore."
"..."
"What are you talking about!" Black Jeanne exclaimed, her red eyes flashing with anger.
"I don't acknowledge such a thing."
Black Jeanne, whose sore spot had been touched, flew into a rage and swung her fist at the other "herself."
But before this punch could hit the other party's body, it was directly stopped.
The one who stopped her was none other than Ian.
And the moment she saw him, Black Jeanne grabbed onto him as if he were a lifeline.
"You hurry up!" Black Jeanne cried out, her red eyes looking at Ian with desperation.
"She said I don't know what I'm doing at all! You quickly help me refute her!"
"..."
"What's with that look on your face?" Black Jeanne roared again, her red eyes blazing with fury.
"Do you also think the same way as her?!"
Looking at the Black Jeanne who had become agitated, Ian's heart felt very complicated.
After all, the so-called Dragon Witch was just a tragedy born from bearing many evils.
Without even realizing what she was doing, could she really be considered to have committed an unforgivable mistake?
"Jeanne, I..." Ian's lips were clearly moving, but he couldn't say anything.
But this behavior was already enough to express the man's true thoughts.
"Even you..." A hint of bitterness flashed in Black Jeanne's eyes.
At this moment, the Dragon Witch only felt betrayed in her heart.
She shook her head, completely unable to accept all of this.
And just at this moment—
Black Jeanne felt a warmth.
She quickly reacted—it was Jeanne hugging her!
"What are you doing?!" Never having felt a hug from anyone other than Ian, Black Jeanne's speech was a little slurred.
"You... what are you doing?!" Black Jeanne asked, her red eyes wide with confusion.
"I feel sorry for you." Jeanne's eyes were already a little moist.
She recalled some past experiences—like the encounters after accepting the so-called divine meeting.
"You... originally didn't have to bear this kind of thing, right?" Jeanne asked softly, her blue eyes filled with compassion.
"This isn't the life you should have."
"..." Black Jeanne, who had been struggling just now, suddenly became much quieter.
"I don't." She turned her face away and muttered softly.
"I like this kind of life very much."
"Because——" Black Jeanne took Ian's hand.
"I can sleep in the same bed with him every day." Black Jeanne confessed, her red eyes looking at Ian with affection.
"That kind of thing makes me really happy."
Hearing these words, Jeanne's eyes became even more sympathetic.
"But this has nothing to do with destroying France anymore, does it?" Jeanne asked gently, her blue eyes filled with concern.
"You... just want to be with him."
"..." Jeanne's simple words made Black Jeanne, whose logic was already unclear, even more confused.
She was on the verge of collapse.
"Then what can I do?!" Black Jeanne cried out, her voice filled with despair.
"If I don't have such a purpose... then I won't be qualified to be with him, right?"
"No, that's not it at all." Jeanne shook her head gently.
"If——"
"You really just want to be with brother."
"I think, even if you weren't the Dragon Witch, brother wouldn't reject you." Jeanne said with a gentle smile.
Hearing these words, Black Jeanne subconsciously looked towards Ian.
The Dragon Witch's eyes were already completely different—perhaps a long time ago, she had already thought about similar questions?
And the man very decisively stated his attitude.
"She's right." Ian's hand gently stroked Black Jeanne's head.
"Even if you're not some Dragon Witch... you can still stay by my side." Ian said softly, his blue eyes looking at her with affection.
"..." Two lines of clear tears flowed from the Dragon Witch's eyes.
She first sobbed, and then cried out loudly,
"You should have said so earlier!" Black Jeanne wailed, her red eyes filled with tears.
"I thought... if I wasn't a witch, I wouldn't be qualified to marry you!"
"Hmm?" Jeanne realized that she seemed to have heard something incredible.
"Marry?" She released Black Jeanne and moved back a little distance.
"What marriage?" Jeanne asked, her blue eyes wide with surprise.
"Eh, don't you know?" Having figured out one thing, Black Jeanne wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes and then took Ian's arm beside her.
"He and I are married." Black Jeanne declared proudly, a hint of possessiveness in her voice.
"He... is already my darling~"
"What?" Jeanne's eyes widened.
She had originally thought that Morgan and Artoria, whom Gareth and Mordred had mentioned, were the limit of her brother's lovers.
But now—
Even the Dragon Witch was married to her brother?!
"Brother, is this true?" Jeanne asked, her voice trembling.
"...It's true." Ian didn't deny it.
"I am indeed married to her."
"However——"
"It should be a little different from what you imagine." Ian added, his blue eyes looking at Jeanne with a hint of amusement.
Hearing these words, Black Jeanne looked at Ian, then looked at Jeanne.
Not completely understanding the concept of "marriage," she stared at the other herself.
"Hey!" Black Jeanne called out, her red eyes fixed on Jeanne.
"Haven't you married him yet?"
"You!" Hearing these words, Jeanne couldn't sit still any longer—she often lost her composure when it came to matters involving her brother.
"Who said I haven't married him!" Jeanne retorted, her blue eyes flashing with indignation.
"It's just..." Jeanne's voice became less and less confident—the things she had experienced along the way made her realize that her brother was really too popular.
The number of people who liked him probably couldn't be counted on two hands.
That wedding that no one knew about couldn't be taken as proof of his love for her at all.
Just at this moment—
Ian took both of the two Jeannes' hands at the same time.
The man looked at them, a hint of responsibility already in his eyes.
"There's no need to keep worrying about whether we're married or not." Ian said gently, his blue eyes looking at both of them with affection.
"I... can just marry you both again, can't I?"