Chapter 365

Chapter 365: Chapter 365

"Come on. Let’s go watch the fun."

Kiriya turned back toward Jeanne and Ryuu.

"What about her?" Ryuu asked, pointing toward Sakura, who was still standing there in a daze.

Jeanne approached the girl and asked gently, "Do you have any other family? If you do, we can take you to them."

"..."

Sakura hesitated for a moment and stole a glance at Kiriya before finally shaking her head.

"I... don’t have any family anymore."

That left Jeanne and Ryuu somewhat troubled. Their group would be dealing with Servants and Magi frequently from now on, while Sakura was no longer a Master and had nothing to do with the Holy Grail War. Bringing an ordinary girl along would undeniably be inconvenient.

"Could I... stay with you?"

Sakura asked cautiously. When she noticed their hesitation, she hurriedly added, "I can cook, clean, and do all sorts of things around the house."

"I’ll listen to whatever you tell me and won’t cause trouble."

"Could I?"

The almost painfully humble request made both Jeanne and Ryuu soften. In the end, they turned toward Kiriya. He was the one who made the final decisions for their group.

"Then she can come with us."

Kiriya shrugged.

"It’s not like one extra person will be much trouble."

Besides, having a sweet young cook and maid around certainly wouldn’t hurt the scenery.

"However, since you’re joining us for the time being, that makes you part of the group. You’ll need to follow instructions. If you act recklessly or refuse to listen, I’ll throw you out immediately. Understand?"

Kiriya already knew Sakura was famously gentle and obedient, but rules still needed to be stated clearly beforehand.

"Yes. I promise I’ll listen."

Sakura nodded repeatedly.

"Then let’s go."

Kiriya took the lead while Jeanne and Ryuu followed behind, each holding one of Sakura’s hands.

"My name is Sakura Matou. Um... how should I address the two of you?"

"Ryuu Lion. Ryuu is fine."

The elf kept her introduction characteristically concise.

"All right, Miss Ryuu."

Sakura’s voice became noticeably brighter.

"I’m Jeanne. Jeanne d’Arc."

The Saint smiled as she introduced herself.

"That name... is the same as the famous French saint from the legends."

Sakura spoke almost absentmindedly, but when Jeanne made no attempt to deny it, her violet eyes slowly widened.

"Could you actually be... that Saint Jeanne?"

"I’m hardly worthy of being called anything so grand."

Jeanne gave a helpless smile and shook her head.

"Just call me Jeanne, the way ordinary friends would."

"Friends?"

That single word brought warmth into Sakura’s chest, and a faint mist appeared in her eyes.

"Can I really be friends with both of you?"

There was hesitation and uncertainty in her voice.

For many years, Sakura had possessed very few genuine friends. Her heavy, dark past had made it impossible for her to confide in others, turning friendship into something impossibly precious—something she could only look at from afar.

But now...

Could she really have friends of her own?

Seeing the inferiority and uncertainty written across Sakura’s face, Jeanne and Ryuu naturally remembered everything the girl had endured. Their sympathy for her deepened.

After suffering through such a terrible life, she had somehow managed to retain this gentle and kind nature.

That alone was remarkable.

Jeanne and Ryuu each squeezed one of Sakura’s hands.

"Of course. From now on, we’re friends."

"Thank you... Thank you."

Sakura’s voice became slightly choked, but the smile on her face was one of genuine happiness.

Kiriya had been paying attention from the front. Seeing Jeanne and Ryuu close the distance with Sakura after only a few sentences, he silently gave them a thumbs-up.

’As expected of Ryuu and a genuine Saint. Their natural approachability really is something else.’

"Miss Jeanne, Miss Ryuu... how should I address that gentleman?"

Sakura glanced toward Kiriya’s tall back before quickly lowering her gaze and asking in a small voice.

"Kiriya. Just call him Kiriya."

Jeanne smiled.

"He can be a little unserious sometimes, but when it matters, he’s actually someone you can rely on."

Ryuu couldn’t help letting the corners of her lips curve upward.

"Hey, Jeanne, you can’t just say whatever you want."

Kiriya immediately protested from ahead.

"When have I ever been unserious? I’ve always been extremely steady and dependable."

"Yes, yes. You’re the most steady and dependable person in the world."

Jeanne deliberately drew out her words before breaking into laughter herself.

Kiriya continued grumbling, insisting that he only joked around because he didn’t want everyone getting too tense and that he was merely fulfilling the vital role of keeping morale high. He even began muttering something about his "excellent sense of humor" and "magnanimous gentlemanly temperament," making the girls laugh softly as they continued walking.

For once, the gloomy underground passage felt surprisingly cheerful.

’This is nice.’

Sakura watched the harmonious scene with deep envy.

She wanted to be able to laugh and joke around so freely too.

And perhaps...

one day she could stand a little closer to that young man walking ahead of them.

BOOOOM—!

A sudden deafening explosion shook the underground structure.

Sakura’s heart nearly leaped out of her chest, and her face immediately turned pale.

"What happened? Are we under attack?"

"Don’t worry."

Ryuu gently patted her shoulder.

"It’s only Esdeath sparring with Rider."

As they spoke, the group emerged from the deep corridor and entered a vast underground chamber.

Two figures—one blue, one purple—were colliding violently in the distance. Powerful shockwaves rippled across the ground with each exchange, and the explosion Sakura had just heard had come from them.

They were Rider and Esdeath.

"HAAH—!"

Rider shouted sharply as Monstrous Strength erupted through her body, allowing her to forcefully send Esdeath flying.

She immediately pushed off the ground and became a streak of light, catching up with Esdeath in midair before thrusting her short blade directly toward the woman’s chest.

"Ah!"

Sakura cried out in alarm.

Wasn’t this supposed to be a friendly spar?

Why was Rider attacking so viciously?

Wasn’t she afraid Kiriya would become angry?

A moment later, Sakura understood.

Clang—!

At the critical instant, Esdeath brought her sword horizontally across her chest and blocked Rider’s blade. Using the force of the collision, she shot backward while twisting through the air and immediately launched a relentless counterattack.

Ice filled the chamber.

Needle-sharp icicles fell in numbers dense enough to resemble a torrential rain. Thick spears of ice erupted violently from the ground, enormous frozen meteors formed overhead, and bone-piercing cold spread in waves through the surrounding area.

Every casual movement Esdeath made seemed capable of producing a natural disaster.

Sakura stared in complete astonishment.

"Is that woman... really human?"

She murmured under her breath.

Then another realization occurred to her.

Apparently, not a single woman around Kiriya was weak.

Jeanne needed no further explanation. She was the legendary Saint of France, and the sacred flames she wielded had effortlessly purified the entire worm nest.

Ryuu, with her pointed ears, had also displayed astonishing speed and swordsmanship earlier.

And Esdeath...

Esdeath might as well have been a humanoid ice dragon.

’Could it be... that he likes powerful women?’

The thought had only just appeared in Sakura’s mind before it took root, rapidly spreading and growing beyond her control.