chapter 8

Jeanne d'Arc, Ruler of the Great Holy Grail War, had faced many impossible situations in her time.

But this?

This was something else entirely.

She sighed, crossing her arms as she studied the strange warrior before her. Goku had shattered the balance of the war, yet he held no ill intent. He wasn't an enemy, nor was he an ally. He was simply… there.

And that was a problem.

Mordred, who had been watching with amusement, scoffed. "Well, that was anticlimactic. You give up, and now we're all just gonna sit around?" She turned toward Goku, cracking her knuckles. "I say we keep goin'. I'm not done with you yet."

Goku laughed. "Haha! You're really fired up, huh?"

Jeanne, however, stepped between them. "No. The battle is over." She looked at Mordred sharply. "We still have a war to fight. Your Master would not approve of you wasting energy on a meaningless battle."

Mordred clicked her tongue, clearly irritated. "Tch. Fine. Whatever." She shouldered Clarent and turned away.

Goku scratched his head. "So… what now?"

Before Jeanne could answer, a new voice cut through the air.

"That is what I'd like to know as well."

A presence emerged from the shadows. Clad in dark robes, his piercing red eyes gleamed with quiet intensity.

Shirou Kotomine.

The false priest. The mastermind behind the Red Faction. The man who sought to claim the Holy Grail for his own salvation.

The moment Jeanne laid eyes on him, her expression darkened. "Kotomine…"

Shirou smiled. "Ruler. Saber." His gaze finally settled on Goku. "And… you."

Goku grinned. "Hey there! You strong?"

Shirou didn't react. He simply observed Goku, calculating. "You are an anomaly. A piece that does not belong to this war."

Jeanne stepped forward. "And yet, he is here. Whether by fate or accident, he has disrupted everything you have planned."

Shirou was silent for a long moment. Then, finally—he smiled.

"…Yes. He has."

Mordred narrowed her eyes. "Tch. What's with that look? You got somethin' planned?"

Shirou chuckled. "Nothing immediate." He turned his back to them. "But this war is far from over. Ruler, Saber… Saiyan." He glanced at Goku one last time. "Enjoy this moment of peace. It will not last."

And with that, he vanished into the night.

Jeanne clenched her fists. She knew Shirou was dangerous—but now, she had a feeling he would become even more unpredictable.

Goku, however, just scratched his head. "Man, that guy's intense. He should relax a little."

Mordred groaned. "You have no idea what you've gotten yourself into."

Jeanne sighed. "Let's just return for now. There is still much to prepare for."

As the war pressed forward, one thing was certain—

The arrival of Goku had thrown the Holy Grail War into complete chaos.