Super God: If I punch you, you will die

Ruler was convinced that he couldn't find it. God only favors those who actively put in the effort; searching aimlessly is simply a sign of mental stagnation.

Since that's the case—she glanced towards the stronghold where the five riders were. Perhaps it would be more constructive to ask them directly.

At least the "black" side is using a strategy of appeasement, and shouldn't be like the "red" side, which would immediately try to kill them without saying a word.

Although it was a somewhat overly optimistic prediction, there was no time to delay. So, Ruler brazenly walked straight towards the front of the fortress.

The fortress stood atop a high hill overlooking Torifas. Its hazy, dark silhouette at night evoked images of a giant cauldron from the underworld. Despite its imposing grandeur, completely out of place for a city of only 20,000 inhabitants, the city's residents had no intention of turning it into a tourist attraction. This was partly due to the fact that the fortress was private property, not a public building… but more importantly, it stemmed from the residents' long-standing fear and avoidance of it.

It's not just a simple curse. This fortress now rules Torifas. That's roughly how the inhabitants perceive it, and in fact, that understanding is correct.

Ruler stood before the city gate, looking up at the fortress above—a rigid, unartistic structure, easy to defend and difficult to attack. But the fortress's true character lay elsewhere.

She lightly touched the city wall and instantly felt a tingling sensation. It was probably a powerful spell used for obstruction and detection. Protected by the countless magical defensive barriers layered around the city, even a Servant would need considerable destructive power to breach this fortress.

Ruler stood before the city gate, but before she could even give her name, the gate opened automatically. Inside the slowly opening gate, accompanied by a deafening roar, stood an "old man" holding a scepter.

"You must be the magician from Yggdrasilia? I am..."

"You must be Jeanne d'Arc, the arbiter of this Holy Grail War. It is a great honor to welcome such a renowned saint. My name is Danic Prieston Yggdmillennia, and I am the leader of the magicians residing in this fortress of Millennia."

As if wanting to get ahead of him, Danic gave a solemn bow. His use of her real name was less a gesture of friendliness and more a warning. Of course, knowing her real name wasn't a big deal. On the contrary, not revealing her real name would likely make it difficult to gain the trust of the Masters and Servants. Therefore, she openly referred to herself as Joan of Arc in the church.

0119 King [Please Subscribe]

"To be on the safe side, let me make one thing clear first: I will not favor either the 'black' or 'red' side in this Holy Grail War. The reason I am here is simply to learn about some things."

Despite Joan of Arc's seemingly cold remark, Danic still replied with a smile:

"Of course I understand. However, first of all, please meet our King. He has been quite pleased since he received news of your visit."

"The King?"

Danic nodded, giving Ruler a wary smile, and said:

“Vlad III, King of Wallachia, who is also my Servant—'Black' Lancer.”

Led by Danic, Ruler walked down a stone-paved corridor, where the servants he encountered all bowed respectfully. Because of their striking uniformity in appearance and mannerisms, coupled with the magical circuits within them, Ruler immediately realized they were androids.

"I did this because I wanted to minimize the number of people involved."

"Danic said in a low voice as he walked forward. Although he was adhering to the basic principle of the Holy Grail War—'to avoid involving innocent bystanders'—..."

"Even if it's an artificial human, it can still be considered an unrelated life form."

Ruler replied coldly.

The Holy Grail War was originally the smallest yet largest war in the world. Seven Masters and seven Servants—it was meant to be kept within that scope. Of course, this time the situation is quite different.

"Oh, so after becoming a saintess, even artificial life forms will receive more favor? Does that mean we've violated your rules?"

Faced with Danic's sarcastic smile, Ruler tensed slightly and said:

"Of course it's not that serious."

However, considering the current scale of the battle, this can be considered unavoidable. In this respect, there is indeed no room for "punishing for violating the rules." It's something that cannot be forced, and it's difficult to say they are all children. They were simply designed this way from the start.

“Unlike the other party’s Mage Association, this matter concerns the life and death of our clan. Please be sure to take this into account when making your judgment.”

The gates leading to the royal chamber were opened.

"Ah."

Despite letting out a slight groan, Ruler stepped into the royal chamber without hesitation. Seated on the throne was Vlad III, the "Black" Lancer. The "Black" Servants—Archer, Berserker, and Caster—stood beside him in a gesture of respect.

Although the threat itself is minimal, the hostility from the group still creates a certain degree of intimidation. However, Ruler had experienced a similar situation in his lifetime, where everyone around him was an enemy.

Without any affectation, Ruler walked calmly before the king. Because she was not a subject, she did not bow. And the king remained unmoved.

“My name is Joan of Arc, and I was summoned as the Ruler in this Holy Grail War.”

"Hmm. It is indeed trustworthy to have people who believe in the same God as the judges."

"Because we believe in the same God, I hope you understand that my aim is to uphold justice."

Faced with Ruler's unwavering gaze, "Black" Lancer's lips curled into a smile. Did he take it as a country girl's casual remark?

"Now that it's almost dawn, please state your purpose, Arbitrator."

"You fought against the Servants of the 'Red' side late at night, didn't you? They were Rider, Archer, and Berserker."

"Oh, so what?"

"As a result, Rider and Archer retreated, and Berserker fell into your hands as a capture—after that, what happened?"

"..."

"Black" Archer gave a subtle response to Ruler's question. No, not just him, but the androids wielding their battle axes also wavered slightly.

However, the reaction was stronger than anyone else’s to the “black” Lancer.

"This was very unpleasant."

The mere utterance of those words instantly filled the air with murderous intent. Despite its seemingly childish and irrational outburst, its power rivaled that of a weapon capable of suppressing a vast area. Ruler calmly withstood the murderous aura emanating from this weapon with its own will.

Compared to the malice she felt when she sought an audience with Prince Charles in Chinon as a village girl, and when she was interrogated as a prisoner as a heretic, this was nothing. After all, back then, any suspicious gesture or movement could lead to immediate execution.

"If you're unwilling to answer, there's nothing I can do; this matter ends here. I'll conduct the investigation myself from now on."

Just as she was about to turn and leave, Lancer's murderous aura suddenly subsided.

"Sorry, it seems I went a little too far with my joke."

Faced with Lancer, who dismissed his earlier murderous aura as a "joke," Ruler was speechless. No, perhaps that was his true feeling. For a king, joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness are all tools of governance. Just as one might weep for their subjects when they feel no sadness, or accept tribute when they are not happy at all. So, for him, anger might simply be a facade.

"Saber committed suicide."

"What……"

Upon hearing these nonchalant words, Ruler was stunned. "Black" Lancer shook his head and sighed, seemingly filled with sorrow.

"How could that be—" Ruler was about to say, but immediately swallowed the words back. It seemed that Saber's suicide was indeed true. However, this created a contradiction. "Black" Saber, despite being in a near-death state, was still alive.

In any case, it's impossible for a Master to be unaware of a Servant's life or death. If they are, it's probably because the causal link has been severed.

However, Ruler possesses a level of perception far exceeding that of the "Spirit Item Disc." While indeed quite subtle, "Black" Saber hasn't completely severed ties with this world—she can make that definitive judgment. Although her exact location cannot be determined—he should still be alive.

"Can anyone explain the specific situation?"

"The one who reported to us was 'Black' Rider—because it seems he instigated this, he is now being held captive in the dungeon as punishment."

"is that so."

"Well then, Ruler, let me get straight to the point. We've now lost what could be considered our most crucial swordsman, so naturally we'd like to replenish our forces with enough strength to rival Saber. That should be a very natural thought, shouldn't it?"

The conversation seemed to be getting heated—Ruler frowned.

0120 The Absolute Judge [Please Subscribe]

“As I said before, I am Ruler. I am the absolute arbiter of this war summoned by the Holy Grail... I have my own purpose, and it is not to stand on the same side as you.”

"Don't you have any wishes? Since you were summoned by the Holy Grail, you should have your own wishes, right?"

"Ruler is an exception in this regard. One of the qualifications for being summoned as a judge is to have no desire for the mortal world."

Upon hearing this, the Servants wavered slightly.

"Ruler, don't you have any wishes?"

"Yes, not at all."

Lancer seemed agitated and slammed his fist on the armrest of his chair. He stood up and, as if to unleash his past rage, shouted:

"Joan of Arc, I know how you died! Betrayed by everyone, robbed of everything, and ultimately dying a violent death, you couldn't possibly have no desires! Answer me now, without the slightest falsehood!"

If the murderous aura just now was a weapon of wide-range suppression, then this statement now has the sharpness of an iron stake. If even half a lie is uttered, or if Lancer's approval is not gained, the body will likely be pierced immediately.

Ruler looked at Lancer and spoke in a calm voice that was enough to suppress his imposing manner:

“No. Everyone thinks I died with resentment, that I must have longed for revenge or redemption. But—the life I’ve lived has a sense of fulfillment that only I know. Although it’s not something that everyone can agree on, at least I have no regrets about my life, nor do I have any desire to place my hopes on the Holy Grail. If I have any, it’s only that I hope this Holy Grail War can continue on the right track.”

"You who have been forsaken by God, how dare you say such things?"

“That’s a foolish idea. The Lord would never abandon us. No, the Lord would never abandon anyone. The reason we pray is to heal the Lord’s sorrow. Yes, I truly do…”

"I heard the Lord's sigh..."

I heard cries of sorrow, sighs of lamentation, sobs of grief, and an overwhelming sense of desolation.

The world is tumbling headlong into hell, and no one can stop it. No, or perhaps—it was hell all along?

How tragic—the Lord lamented. People were not even allowed to live a normal life; they were forced to make the ultimate choice: "Either become a beast or become food."

The fighting never ends, and blood is constantly spilled on the earth.

That's why the Lord sighed—and I heard his voice, that extremely subtle sound that no one else could detect.

This is very clear. To listen to that voice and act in accordance with it means to give up everything you have up to now.

I must abandon my simple way of life as a villager, and I must also give up the joy of being loved by others. There will be no reward for doing so. Whether it's an enemy or a friend—I will surely become the object of ridicule by most.

That was a truly terrifying thing. A country girl, all alone, charging into a battlefield filled with murderous intent—that was simply not the act of a normal person.

But the Lord is weeping.

Ah, I... I must be unable to bear this feeling, and I can't ignore it.

To stop the Lord from weeping, and to give Him the greatest comfort, I will challenge the hell of this world. I will don my armor, hang my sword, raise my banner—and offer my life.

Indeed, the revelation I received from the Lord was not glory and victory, nor was it obligation or a sense of mission. The Lord was merely uttering a sorrowful sigh.

Therefore, at the very least, it should be the one who receives this revelation who should eliminate the root of the sighs for the Lord.

"Black" Lancer stared at Ruler silently for a while, then finally shook his head and sat down.

"Although they believe in the same god, it seems they are still incompatible."

"It is only natural that there are people who would burn me at the stake, even though we believe in the same God."

Ruler answered calmly. "Black" Lancer laughed heartily at her witty remark.

“Then there’s nothing we can do. But it’s also true that the ‘Red’ side’s Servants are targeting your life. We just want to win you over, but it seems like they don’t see it that way.”

“That’s right. I also need to investigate what the ‘Red’ team is planning, although I don’t intend to be their enemy…”

"If we get attacked, that's a different story."

"indeed so."

"Then I'll just pray that the 'red' team is a bunch of stupid guys who want to take your life."

After saying that, “Black” Lancer laughed again.

After leaving the Royal Chamber, Ruler headed straight for the dungeon. There, imprisoned was the "Red" Berserker, captured in battle, and another "Black" Servant. According to Lancer, that should be the "Black" Rider.

The dungeon was shrouded in an air that seemed to have never been used in a long time. All that could be seen in the eight cells were rotting wood, dry grass, and cobwebs.

In one of the cells, "Red" Berserker's movements were completely sealed off by some kind of waxy fluid. Although the Master had been replaced, the "Black" faction couldn't let him move freely... However, the fact that he still smiled under these circumstances was truly bizarre.

So, the problem is the Servant who is sealed in another cell.

"Huh? Who are you?"

The boy tilted his head in surprise. Although it was an unintentional movement, he was now sealed even more severely than the Berserker had been. The way his hands and feet were firmly nailed to the stakes looked painful to behold.

"You must be 'Black' Rider. I am the Servant who serves as Ruler, named Jeanne d'Arc. I was summoned by the Holy Grail to manage this Holy Grail War."

Upon hearing Ruler's explanation, Rider nodded in realization, as if suddenly understanding.

"That's true, really. But is it true? Could it be a Servant from the 'Red' team?"

Faced with the questioning gaze and the seemingly amused smile, Ruler pondered for a moment, then unfastened his gloves, rolled up his sleeves, and held "that" up in front of Rider.

"Wow..." Can this serve as proof?

"Okay. Hmm, you are indeed a Ruler. I see, so that's a Ruler's 'privilege'. That's great, I want one too!"

Rider seemed to understand completely, nodding repeatedly.

"I'm so glad you understand. Well then, Rider, I'm sorry, but I have a few things I'd like to confirm with you."

"Okay, okay, I'll answer any question I can. Please go ahead."

Rider replied in a rather relaxed tone.