Chaldea's summoning room was more lively than ever.
Leonel took a deep breath before the magic circle, ready to summon more support for future Singularities. Around him, all the Servants he had summoned so far were gathered. There was laughter, whispers... and intense stares.
Just as he was about to begin the process, Tamamo, Nero, and Kiyohime approached him with flirtatious looks.
—So your magic works even better, my husband! —said Tamamo, and gave him a kiss on the lips.
—I won't let her be the only one to give you luck, ufufufu~! —added Nero, kissing him passionately.
—My love... don't forget your most faithful fiancée~ —whispered Kiyohime before planting a deep kiss on him.
The entire room fell silent, until three different sighs were heard.
Mash watched them from the back with a massive blush and contained jealousy. Jeanne frowned, arms crossed, while muttering something like "I'm not jealous!". Artoria, for her part, turned away with her face completely red, murmuring that she didn't understand why her chest hurt.
From the control station, Olga Marie just sighed, while Romani laughed discreetly and Da Vinci commented excitedly:
—This kid sure knows how to do a stylish summoning.
The summoning began.
The magic circle glowed intensely. Two feminine figures emerged from the arcane mist, slowly materializing before all present.
The first figure stepped forward with confident strides.
—Class: Rider. Francis Drake, at Chaldea's service... or so I thought —she murmured, until her eyes fixed on Leonel.
Her pupils widened like saucers. A glint crossed her gaze. The memories of the adventure at sea came back to her with brutal force.
—YOU! —she yelled with a wild grin.
Without giving him time to react, Drake ran towards Leonel, grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, and kissed him on the mouth with all the passion of a pirate hungry for treasure.
—Thought you could light a fire in me on that island and then leave without paying up, huh?! Well, no, honey! Now I'm in Chaldea, and I plan to claim my booty properly!
Leonel, red as a tomato, could only stammer while the rest of the harem glared daggers at him. Nero gripped her sword, Tamamo trembled with jealousy, and Kiyohime... simply burned with spiritual fire.
—Another rival... formidable... —murmured Mash while turning her face away.
The second figure appeared silently, with the dark, icy aura only an Avenger could possess.
—I am Jeanne d'Arc Alter. Class: Avenger. I have no intention of pleasing you or socializing. You summoned me, that's all.
Her gaze locked onto Jeanne, the Ruler version who remained silent, watching her with a mix of astonishment and joy.
—You —said Jeanne Alter with disdain—. Just seeing you makes me sick.
—Siiiiiis! —Jeanne shouted with excitement, running towards her with open arms.
—WHAT DID YOU SAY?! —Alter reacted with horror.
—Of course you are. You're me, aren't you? So that makes us sisters~. Let's share clothes, secrets, and maybe even one day... Leonel!
—WHAT?! You're crazy! Get away from me!
But Jeanne already had her by the arm and was dragging her out of the room.
—We're going to get to know each other better! Time to be inseparable sisters!
—NOOOOOOO! YOU'RE EMBARRASSING ME IN FRONT OF EVERYONE!
Leonel just scratched his head, processing that he now had not one, but two Jeannes... and a kiss-happy pirate who had just joined the chaos of his love life.
Tamamo approached him and whispered with a dangerous smile:
—My love... are you collecting girlfriends without telling us~?
Leonel swallowed.
—...I just want to save humanity... is that too much to ask?
Drake came up behind him, wrapped an arm around him, and winked.
—And I just want to keep my treasure~.
A few hours after the summoning, the sun was already beginning to set on the horizon, tinting Chaldea's hallways with a warm hue. As was customary, Leonel offered to give the new Servants a tour.
—Alright, this is the gym. Up ahead is the training room. And over there, the library —Leonel explained with his usual smile.
Beside him, Francis Drake walked with a confident stride, her boots echoing against the floor, but what stood out most... were her breasts, which brazenly brushed against Leonel's arm with every step.
—Wow, Chaldea is a bigger place than I expected. Though not as impressive as you, sweetie~ —she whispered with a mischievous grin, pressing closer.
Leonel swallowed while trying to maintain professionalism.
Behind them, three imposing presences walked in sync: Nero, Tamamo, and Kiyohime, observing the tour as if it were a high-risk tactical operation.
—That brazen pirate... —murmured Tamamo with narrowed eyes.
—I won't let her win by being shameless —grumbled Nero, with her sword in hand, just in case.
—If she takes anything from my beloved... she'll burn in hell with me —muttered Kiyohime with a smile that was too sweet.
The tour ended in front of the cafeteria, where Leonel gave his last explanation.
—And well, if you ever need alcohol, you can ask Emiya here in the cafeteria. He approves it if there's no mission nearby.
Drake stopped, gave him a wild grin, and before he could react... kissed him deeply on the lips, with a mix of intensity and desire that made Leonel take half a step back on pure instinct.
—Thanks for the info, honey~. I'd love to buy you a drink soon —she whispered mischievously.
But that was the trigger.
—THAT'S ENOUGH!!! —shouted Tamamo, running towards them like a whirlwind.
—Shameless woman! That was an ambush! —added Nero with fire in her eyes.
—My beloved... no... —was all Kiyohime murmured before appearing right behind Drake with her typical unsettling smile.
Drake raised her hands in surrender, but with a grin more mischievous than guilty.
—Easy there, easy. It was all on purpose.
—What?! —the three exclaimed in unison.
—I wanted you to come. I need to talk to you —said Drake, regaining her carefree pose—. I know Leonel is special. I noticed it since I met him. So... if I'm going to join this competition for his heart, I want to do it with clear rules.
Tamamo, Nero, and Kiyohime looked at each other in surprise. Then they lowered their guard little by little.
—You want to join... officially? —asked Tamamo with a raised eyebrow.
—I didn't expect you to say it like that —added Nero.
—But if it's for my beloved, I accept there being more... though you will die if you make him cry —declared Kiyohime in a singsong voice.
Drake crossed her arms and smiled with overflowing confidence.
—Fair deal. I don't plan to lose, but I'll play fair. Well... as fair as a pirate can.
The three girls sighed and nodded. It was understood that, even though they were romantic rivals, they shared the same goal: to make Leonel happy.
From a distance, Leonel watched them nervously, still recovering from the kiss and the tension.
—Is this what it feels like to be in the middle of a truce between drama queens...?
—More or less, kid —Emiya told him, serving tea with a resigned sigh—. Welcome to the club.
Location: Chaldea – Interior Garden
—This way, this way!~ I'll show you my favorite place to pray! —exclaimed Jeanne with a radiant smile, pulling the arm of Jeanne Alter, who was being dragged along forcefully with a look of pure annoyance.
—Why the hell are you dragging me around like we're little sisters?! Let go of me! YOU ARE NOT ME! —shouted Jeanne Alter, struggling uselessly.
—Of course I am! It's just that you're a slightly more... spoiled version —replied Jeanne, as if it were nothing. Her physical strength was surprising; no matter how much the Avenger resisted, she couldn't break free.
—SPOILED?! I'LL—
—Here we are!~ —said Jeanne, ignoring her, as they arrived at a small garden area with a bench. Jeanne sat down, pulling Jeanne Alter down beside her effortlessly. Jeanne Alter crossed her arms with a frown.
—Great. Now are you going to pray for me? Wash my soul or something? —she huffed sarcastically.
—No! Well, that too... but first I wanted to spend time with you. You know? I feel a bit lonely sometimes. And you are part of me. You're my sister, Alter —she said with sincere sweetness.
Jeanne Alter blinked, confused for a few seconds, and then frowned again.
—Sister, she says... Bah! This is ridiculous. We are not the same. I was created from hatred, you from love. We have nothing in common, you crazy saint.
—Of course we do. For example, we were both summoned by Leonel! —said Jeanne, smiling as if she had said something incredible.
Jeanne Alter fell silent for a second.
—The human? The one with the kind smile and eyes that seem to read your soul? —she asked with a raised eyebrow.
—Yes! That one! —said Jeanne, putting her hands to her chest—. He's so brave... always trying for everyone, even when he doesn't have to. I've never felt so inspired by someone. Not... not like this.
Jeanne Alter watched her closely. That expression... that warmth in her voice... Was she in love?
—Hoh... What's this sweetness I sense? How interesting... —she whispered to herself.
Jeanne noticed her gaze.
—What is it?
—Nothing, nothing —said Jeanne Alter with a very untrustworthy smile—. Just... reflecting. Wow, talking like that about a human. He's affecting you more than you think, "holy little sis."
Jeanne looked down, blushing, not denying it. Jeanne Alter then smiled maliciously, her invisible tail of mischief wagging in the air.
—Very well, Jeanne D'Arc. Listen to this... if you like that Leonel so much, then... I'll make him mine.
Jeanne looked at her, surprised.
—Huh?
—And when he is, I'll come rub it in your face every day. I'll walk around Chaldea on his arm. We'll sleep cuddled up. He'll kiss me in front of you. And I'll watch you break inside little by little. Kukuku!~ I can already picture it! The saint corrupted by jealousy! Delicious! —she declared, raising her arms triumphantly as if in an opera.
Jeanne just sighed.
—Alter... if you truly fall in love, you'll understand. Love is not a competition.
—Oh, please! For me, everything is a competition. And think about this, "sister"...! If I conquer him before you, he'll be mine.
Jeanne fell silent. For the first time, she didn't have an immediate answer. Her cheeks were slightly red, her expression uncertain.
Jeanne Alter stood up with a playful laugh and walked away, leaving a warning:
—Get ready, Jeanne. Because if that man is worth it... then I'll play to win.
Location: Simulator – Custom Night Mode
The simulator's digital sky displayed a starry firmament, so real that the starlights seemed to twinkle with a faint glow. High above, the full moon shone with a melancholic intensity, spilling silvery light over the programmed environment.
Leonel was sitting alone, on a simulated hill covered in soft grass, looking up at the firmament as if searching for answers among the stars. His hands rested on his legs, intertwined, and his expression was serious... worried.
—"Fuyuki... France... Rome... and now Okeanos..." —he thought, mentally reviewing the Singularities he had passed through.
He remembered what he knew from the game. Events, enemies, allies, decisions. Everything seemed to have a defined order, something he thought would give him an advantage. But at every step, the differences had become more evident. Jeanne Alter wasn't exactly how he remembered. The enemies weren't quite where they should be. New threats. New alliances.
The story was no longer linear.
—"So... does everything I know from the game no longer matter?" —he wondered with regret. He felt like one of his most important weapons —his prior knowledge— had been snatched away without warning. What was left in its place was uncertainty.
A sigh escaped his lips. In solitude, he finally showed the burden in his gaze.
It was then that his Persona, Tezcatlipoca, emerged beside him. An imposing and mystical figure, with his eternal dual face: half wisdom, half judgment.
—"You doubt, my summoner?" —asked Tezcatlipoca, his deep voice resonating like an echo in the heart of the night.
Leonel didn't respond immediately.
—Yes... just a bit. I thought knowing the path would give me an advantage. But the rules are changing. The Singularities are no longer those from the game. If everything is different... how can I protect them? What if I make a mistake that costs their lives?
Tezcatlipoca observed the sky alongside him for a moment, and then spoke with a firm yet serene voice.
—"Knowledge is a powerful weapon, but true valor is forged when you face the unknown without guarantees. You are not a player now... you are the leader of this era. Of these hearts that follow you."
Leonel looked away towards the moon.
—"And what if I fail...?"
—"Then, you will rise. Because you are not alone. You have allies who love you, respect you, and believe in you... sometimes even more than you do yourself. Trust in them. Trust in yourself. The Grand Order will not be a copy of the game. It will be your story, written with your choices."
Leonel fell silent for a few seconds. Then, with a small, melancholic smile, he nodded.
—You're right. I'm not the same person who started this... and I don't need to be perfect. I just... need to keep moving forward. With them.
He looked at his clenched fist, tightened it with strength. The moonlight illuminated his determined eyes.
—I will protect them. All of them. And I will restore human order, no matter what.
Tezcatlipoca nodded slowly, pleased.
—"Then you have taken the next step, summoner. And I, as your masks, will be with you... until the end."
The digital wind blew softly, rustling the simulated grass. And under the eternal moon of that false but beautiful night, Leonel reaffirmed his resolve.