"Ugh…"
With a heavy head, Gray slowly opened her eyes. She shook her head slightly to clear her mind, then looked around.
"Where am I…?"
It felt like a dream—having an older sister who was a succubus, Gray had often entered dream worlds. Sometimes due to Merlin's playful antics, sometimes for other reasons.
Was this another instance of Sister Merlin needing her?
Gray thought so at first, but quickly dismissed it. In Merlin's dreams, there was always the scent of flowers, whether strong or faint, but always present.
In this dream, there was no floral scent. Only a warm, holy light enveloped her, like a thin blanket that made her feel as if she were back in her mother's embrace.
"Where is this, really…?"
"Hello."
Just as Gray was feeling confused, a gentle voice suddenly echoed in the golden space. Then, a girl appeared as if materializing from thin air, standing before her.
"You are…?"
"I'm Jeanne." The girl answered. "Sorry, we have to meet like this. It must be bothersome, right? But don't worry, I mean no harm. I just need your help."
"Have you ever heard of the Holy Grail War, Miss Gray?"
The Holy Grail War.
Of course, Gray had heard of it. Not only did she herself have a certain connection to the Holy Grail War, but her older brother had even participated in one a few years ago. She had heard all about it from Naoki.
"My brother once said it's a magical ritual where seven Mages summon seven Servants to fight for the Holy Grail, which can grant wishes, right?"
"You know? That makes things easier." Jeanne sighed in relief. "Actually, a Holy Grail War is coming up soon. In this world, Holy Grail Wars happen quite frequently, almost too often, but so far, they've stayed within 'normal' limits."
"But the upcoming Holy Grail War has an anomaly."
"An anomaly?"
Gray instinctively furrowed her brow but quickly relaxed it—Naoki had told her that anomalies in a Holy Grail War were, ironically, normal. A Holy Grail War proceeding without any anomalies would be the truly unusual thing.
Rule violations, unexpected critical situations… Whatever the circumstances, as long as the Holy Grail War took on a unique form with unpredictable outcomes, the Grail at its center would summon a Servant to act as a referee.
"I am the Ruler summoned by the Grail this time." Jeanne explained.
"But the anomaly in this Holy Grail War is worse than I expected. I was supposed to be summoned by the Grail, but I can't manifest naturally as a Servant. I can only attach myself to someone in the real world to appear."
At this point, Jeanne's intention was clear.
"Miss Gray, this might be a heavy request, but could you lend me your body temporarily during the Holy Grail War? I promise it won't affect your body at all."
Jeanne's tone was deeply serious.
Even though this was for the sake of the Holy Grail War, asking something like this of a girl under ten years old still made Jeanne feel uneasy.
Even if it was the will of God.
After hearing Jeanne's request, Gray fell silent for a moment, then slowly shook her head. "Sorry, Jeanne. I can't decide this on my own. If it's okay, I'd like to discuss it with my brother first."
"Alright, I understand. That's fine."
Jeanne nodded.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
A few minutes later, in the Natsukawa family dining room.
"So that's the situation, Brother. What do you think? Should I accept Jeanne's request?"
After recounting the events, Gray asked Naoki, who sat across from her.
Naoki tapped the table, took a deep breath, and said, "This… is completely beyond my expectations."
'Jeanne chose Gray as her vessel?'
'Wasn't she supposed to choose a middle school student from France? Even though Gray is a talented Mage, exceptional even in the Age of the Dead, she still shouldn't have been chosen by Jeanne.'
'Especially since she's not even ten years old! Forcing a nine-year-old into a Holy Grail War?'
"Gray, can you contact Jeanne? Lend her your body for a bit. I want to speak with her directly."
"Okay, I'll try."
Gray closed her eyes, and a holy light began to glow around her. Moments later, when she opened her eyes again, Naoki immediately sensed a change in Gray—her dull silver hair now shimmered with golden highlights.
"Nice to meet you, Gray's brother. I'm Jeanne." said Jeanne, now borrowing Gray's body, as she greeted Naoki. "As Gray explained, may I borrow her strength for a while?"
"Why Gray?" Naoki asked.
In truth, he wasn't too worried about Gray's safety. With Jeanne's abilities, Gray wouldn't be in danger. Even in a critical situation, Gray could use her special privilege to escape a fight and teleport to safety.
What Naoki was concerned about was—why Gray?
"This is the result of Revelation." Jeanne replied. "I received guidance from God. He told me that Gray is the most suitable person to be my assistant. To fulfill my role as Ruler, Gray's presence is absolutely necessary."
Gray is absolutely necessary?
This statement made Naoki's brow furrow even more. 'Revelation from God…'
[It might be the interference of the Counter Force.]
Manaka's voice echoed from within him.
[That girl's talent is indeed extraordinary, but undeveloped talent is just that—talent. Right now, she's still a child with almost no power. The reason she was chosen might be because you're by her side.]
Naoki loved Gray dearly—everyone who knew him was aware of that. So, by involving Gray, Naoki would inevitably step in to protect her. And with Naoki's abilities, resolving the anomaly in this Holy Grail War wouldn't be difficult.
'So, I'm being forced to work for the Counter Force?'
[That's how they operate. They don't intervene directly but nudge events along, guiding someone to resolve things—so, are you joining in, dear protective big brother?]