Miracle Summoner

In the end, Rozen still didn't let Artoria (Alter) have her way and deal with Jeanne (Alter).

The reason was simple.

"In the First Singularity, she helped us. For that alone, I owe her a debt."

This was Rozen's reasoning, which Mash also shared.

During the First Singularity in France, although Jeanne (Alter) wreaked havoc on the nation fueled by hatred and even posed a grave threat to Rozen and his team at one point, her Holy Grail was ultimately taken by Lev. In her dying state, to take revenge, she cooperated with Rozen and his team, using her Noble Phantasm to incinerate the demon pillar Lev Lainur Flauros had transformed into. Thanks to her, Rozen and the others managed to secure victory.

Without Jeanne (Alter), Rozen's team would have been powerless against the demon pillar at the time.

Even if Jeanne (Alter) didn't save everyone out of altruism but for revenge against Lev, her actions directly enabled Rozen to successfully repair the First Singularity and reestablish the foundation of humanity in France.

Therefore, even for this alone, Rozen wouldn't stand by and let Jeanne (Alter) be killed in front of him—let alone by one of his temporarily contracted Servants.

Mash felt the same way.

"Miss Jeanne fought alongside me before. I can't just stand by and watch her be killed."

Mash attempted to stop Artoria (Alter) for this reason.

Although the Chaldea team remained wary of Jeanne (Alter)—a former enemy who couldn't be entirely trusted—none of them stopped Rozen and Mash from making their decision.

Thus, under Rozen's resolve, they decided to save Jeanne (Alter).

"Are you absolutely sure about this, Master?" Artoria (Alter) asked, sounding uncharacteristically dissatisfied. "If you want to back out, now's your last chance. If you're too softhearted, I can pretend not to notice. Once we leave this underground place, I'll simply obliterate it with one strike of my Holy Sword. That way, your hands stay clean, you clear the debt, and no one owes anyone anything."

Artoria (Alter) hadn't entirely given up on executing Jeanne (Alter) on the spot.

Jeanne (Alter), however, laughed aloud.

"I already despised this second life nonsense. What's the point of a fleeting, bubble-like second life? It's bound to pop sooner or later. Everything about me was borrowed—the name, even the hatred in my heart. But now, I've changed my mind. Hey, Master over there, how about ditching that cold-blooded woman and forming a contract with me instead? My flames are no weaker than her Holy Sword, and you can throw me into the battlefield for self-destruction anytime. No need to cater to a tyrant. Sounds like a win-win, doesn't it?"

Jeanne (Alter)'s mockery was laced with bitterness.

Rozen could tell her words were genuine.

As harsh as they were, she truly held no affection for the miracle of her second life, let alone hope. She found it repugnant and regarded herself as a mistake that should disappear entirely.

Summoned into this era, appearing in this Singularity—Jeanne (Alter) likely didn't feel fortunate but rather confused.

After all, she was merely a fleeting phantom. Once the Singularity was repaired, the foundation of humanity reestablished, and the distortions erased, she would vanish along with everything else.

For such a transient existence, where even her name and hatred were false, Jeanne (Alter) couldn't possibly cling to hope.

Thus, her tendency toward self-destruction and her venomous words were her way of mocking this hollow existence and the world itself.

"Miss Jeanne…"

Mash tried to speak.

But Jeanne (Alter) interrupted her.

"Don't call me by that name!" Jeanne (Alter) glared at Mash and snapped. "Who needs to be saddled with the title of some nonsensical saint?"

Mash fell silent on the spot.

Rozen, however, acted as though he hadn't heard a thing. Raising his hand, he held a golden talisman and waved it lightly toward the cell before him.

"Bang!"

The cell's bars shattered instantly.

Rozen stepped inside and approached Jeanne (Alter). With another wave of the talisman, he targeted the chains binding her.

"Boom!"

This time, the chains binding Jeanne (Alter) exploded, disintegrating into useless scraps.

Jeanne (Alter), now free, instinctively rubbed her wrists where the chains had dug into her flesh, rotating them gently.

Watching her, Rozen smirked.

"If you're serious about forming a contract with me, I don't mind. But if you expect me to abandon a Servant I've already contracted, you're out of luck."

With that, Rozen extended his hand toward Jeanne (Alter), his expression one of calm amusement.

"Hmph." Jeanne (Alter) glanced at his hand, smirking maliciously. "If you think I'll be obedient like that foolish woman who calls herself a saint, you'd better think again. I'm no longer a Ruler but a genuine Avenger. Aren't you afraid of being incinerated by my flames?"

Jeanne (Alter) wasn't bluffing.

In fact, she was now a completely different entity than she was during the First Singularity, her very class having changed.

"I am an Avenger—a vengeful spirit reborn in this world. I am both a revenger and a witch. If you aren't afraid of my fiery wrath or being consumed by my hatred, then go ahead and take my hand."

Jeanne (Alter)'s tone was full of mockery as she extended her hand but didn't take the initiative to clasp Rozen's.

"An Avenger…"

The faces of everyone present shifted.

—Avenger.

A rare class, like Shielder (Mash) and Ruler (Jeanne).

The criteria for this class were unknown, but once granted, the Servant's alignment was fixed as Evil in nearly all cases. If the Servant possessed divinity, it often significantly diminished or disappeared altogether. Their personality also changed, becoming entirely driven by vengeance.

Jeanne (Alter), now manifesting as an Avenger, fit this mold precisely.

This class's Servants were notoriously unstable—more likely to turn on their Master than even Berserkers. All recorded instances involved figures of significant danger.

Naturally, Rozen was aware of this.

Yet...

"If you're capable of that, go ahead and try."

With a nonchalant smile, Rozen decisively took her hand, his unwavering resolve evident in his actions.

In Jeanne (Alter)'s astonished gaze, Rozen clasped her hand firmly.

"Zing!"

The next moment, a summoning circle lit up.

Rozen and Jeanne (Alter) had officially formed a contract.

At the same time, Jeanne (Alter)'s appearance began to change.

Her pitch-black robe vanished, replaced by an armor set reminiscent of Mash's, with an elegant yet daring design. Her shoulder-length hair transformed into long, flowing locks cascading to her waist, exuding both beauty and ominousness.

Empowered by Rozen's planetary-level mana, Jeanne (Alter)'s Saint Graph re-manifested, granting her even greater strength.