The battle between England and France was about to climax at Orléans.
If this land can be conquered,
the English army will be able to topple the rest of South France.
On the other hand, if this land can be protected,
the French army will be able to organize the crowning ceremony for Princess Charlotte.
Montmorency was trying to command a troop of about one hundred soldiers
to deliver provisions to Orléans.
However, the bridge used to cross the Loire River
was already occupied by the English army,
and the impregnable Tourelles complex sits on the southern shore.
A frontal assault will be difficult.
It looks like our best option is to go around to the relatively unguarded east side,
and carry our provisions across the upper Loire River using boats.
Astaroth.
Please tell the commanding officer in Orléans to bring over diversionary troops.
Fine, fine.
I almost wish I couldn't fly.
#06 Ashes to Ashes
Jeanne d'Arc and the Alchemist Knight
Orléans Fortress
Please carry them to the barn in the back.
There's no rush.
We're almost there! You can do it!
Montmorency.
Oh, Batard.
Long time, no see.
The commanding officer was a princess knight?
I'm male.
My cousin, Princess Charlotte, has forced me to dress like a girl since I was a child.
I don't need a little brother!
I want a little sister!
I see!
That's why your chest is flat!
I don't like girls!
Charlotte bullied him all these years, after all.
I'm not scared of gentlemen,
so you can touch me, Montmorency.
Why would I want to touch you?!
Yet, your cheeks are turning red.
Cut it out!
What a reckless bunch.
I've heard rumors, but I wasn't expecting you to be walking around with an archangel.
Who's that?
Alençon.
Richemont's younger brother.
My sister is so selfish!
Don't say that.
She's a disgrace to knighthood.
Oh, well. We now have a promising reinforcement instead.
Leave it all to me!
He's being sarcastic. It's sarcasm.
Huh?
It's still not too late.
Send her back to Domremy.
What?!
They're about to break our front line!
I'll head out.
Do you understand, Montmorency?
Throwing a shepherd girl dressed in armor into a battle
violates the code of chivalry!
Is it just me, or is he more stubborn than before?
It's not easy to have such an accomplished sister.
Think of this as an opportunity, Alençon.
If you change the tide of this battle on your own, now that your sister is gone,
no one will call you the useless little brother again.
Fear not!
Justice is on our side!
Therefore, God is also on our side!
Get out of my way!
What?!
What was that?
I shall be your opponent.
Are you telling me that she is that girl from before?
Who are you?
Ulysses Noire.
Noire?
You call yourself the black Ulysses?
Interesting.
the white Ulysses shall test your worthiness for that name!
This is not a fight between human beings.
I wanted to see you.
I came here because I wanted to see you so badly!
We'll see how long you can keep laughing!
Too fast!
You actually dodged my attack?
Jeanne!
Wait!
Stop chasing!
Don't forget that you can remain Ulysses for only three minutes!
Are you all right?
Retreat!
I-Incredible!
She's a real saint?!
I can't believe it!
I never knew there was such a wonderful woman in the world!
Give her a handshake later, will you?
P-Please don't make me.
Paris
Ulysses...
"Ulysse" in French, huh?
Overwhelming fighting power.
However, England used to be a land of monsters.
The history of battle for us is the history of monster hunting.
This is nothing that we haven't encountered before.
Isn't that right, Glasdale?
It's gonna cost you.
Not a problem.
Money is no object.
Hunt that unsightly monster for me!
Oops, "monster" was a bit too much.
Forgive me.
I hope you can refrain from acting on your own next time.
We're a team.
Yes.
Our saint!
Maiden of Domremy!
The archangel is with them!
I don't feel right about this...
I'm not a real savior.
You're a savior in your own right.
Really?
Then...
Thank you!
Let's do our best together!
I can't believe you took down a fortress so easily.
The most important thing in war is the command.
Also,
strong winds blow at specific times around the Loire River at this time of the season.
Light up a fire, and before long...
This is France.
We have geographical advantages.
You're the best, Montmorency!
Let go!
I'm not into boys!
S-Sorry.
I feel so rejuvenated!
Y-You...
It's like I'm addicted to Montmorency now!
I need more elixir!
Give me more baiser!
You've already had enough!
I still need more!
I can't produce more! No more!
What's wrong with me?!
Montmorency,
you're starting to see Jeanne as the opposite sex
as you continue to baiser with her.
She's just a child!
But you're still a male, and she's a female.
The desire for procreation is the fundamental instinct of all animals.
This is absolutely wrong.
I must think of a solution right away!
There is a solution.
R-Really?
Take out the Philosopher's Stone.
Huh? Okay.
This is...
If you can draw out the power of the Philosopher's Stone to its limit,
this beauty will be yours.
The Philosopher's Stone still has a secret like that?
If you can embrace her with your hands,
you won't be interested in human girls again.
I can't.
She is, indeed, astonishingly beautiful,
but true love can't be born without spending time together.
Just kidding.
I read that from some novel.
Astaroth?
No one has successfully obtained her yet.
Heroes are all blinded by the radiant fires of war
and romance in front of them,
and they all forget about her.
What's happening?
The townspeople have gone out of control!
We won't let the English do as they like anymore!
We have a saint on our side!
We can go to heaven if we die in battle!
They headed to the Tourelles complex?
The English troops are all gathered in that fortress!
We don't have a strategy for defeating Ulysses Noire, either.
Why didn't you stop them?
No one would listen to me!
It's all your fault!
What?
They're unable to take action if they're too demoralized,
but if they get too worked up, they become irrational and go out of control!
You and the female saint boosted the townspeople's morale too much!
I'll take command.
Any objections?
This will violate the code of chivalry,
but we'll use the mob headed for the Tourelles complex as a diversion,
and our forces will conquer the other fortresses.
We cannot let them die in vain.
That's a very logical course of action.
Richemont didn't train him for nothing.
We can't do that, Count Alençon.
Jeanne.
We have to head to the Tourelles complex, too!
We came all this way to save the people of Orléans,
but it would be pointless if we used them as a diversion!
We don't have enough manpower for a frontal assault of a fortress
guarded by enemy forces.
I'll go to the fortress, even if it means going alone.
J-Jeanne, if you die, Orléans would truly be doomed!
If that happens...
English troops that are excited after seeing blood in the battlefield would say...
"I don't care if he's a boy!"
then the English soldiers would push me down, and...
Mommy!
War requires strategy and discipline.
If you let your emotions take over, we'll just get taken down one by one.
No! No!
Please, calm down, Jeanne.
Jeanne's emotions are resonating with the stone inside her,
and it's on the verge of losing control.
Astaroth...
Give it up.
No one can stop her now.
What a turn of events.
Damn it!
Who would've thought they would come head-on without a strategy.
They must be desperate.
Oh, well.
I'll just be doing my job.
I'm sorry, Montmorency.
"Let's ignore peasants who don't listen, and use them as a diversion!"
If you'd said that with a smile, it would've troubled me more.
Waiting for the right time.
Got it?
Okay.
God bless the maiden!
Become human shields, heroes of Orléans!
These are not the usual weak French peasants!
The witch sucked their blood and now they're... immortal!
Passion is overwhelming their fear.
Just as Montmorency predicted... so far.
Where's the Ulysses?
Glasdale.
I'm William Glasdale!
Remember the name of the one who kills you before you die!
Witch, Ulysses, enemy of mankind!
Looks like you couldn't die, so I'll help turn you into ashes!
They've finally shown up.
Yes. If the battle drags on,
the commanding officer will eventually show up at the front line.
Jeanne!
Please run for cover!
Run for cover!
Go for it!
What?!
You're mine!
Jeanne!
The power granted by your Philosopher's Stone is "acceleration."
But you can't accelerate while in free fall.
That's the rule.
Glasdale's attack was a diversion,
to make you jump and initiate a free fall attack.
So that I could capture you, like this.
French girl.
The first projectile was a fake.
This is my real weapon...
Ash to ash!
No! That arrow is...
Let go!
This may the ideal ending for us.
We can die while we're still pure.
While being watched by our beloved Montmorency.
Who are you?
Ashes to ashes.
Those who should die should head to realm of the dead.
Die, Jeanne.
As expected of monsters,
you're still alive and moving.
But you know, this arrow...
is borrowed from the Holy Lance in Antioch that killed Jesus.
It's a Philosopher's Stone!
Even without drinking elixir, giving up my humanity...
I can weild a Philosopher's Stone as a weapon and kill a Ulysses!
Ulysses can regenerate any part of the body other than the brain,
but organs taken by this weapon won't heal.
The wielder of the Holy Lance
can hunt down monsters that should be exterminated from the world of mankind.
That's who I am, the Ulysses Hunter!
Eternal separation from Montmorency...
in other words, you fear death.
Then there's me, who's waiting to die.
I was no match for you from the start.
Montmorency...
Jeanne...
Don't...
Montmorency...
Don't!
Grab the witch's body!
Remove the Philosopher's Stone from her corpse!
The Duke of Bedford will generously reward anyone who gets it!
Our saint was killed...
It's over!
Montmorency, we have to retreat!
Hurry, Montmorency!
Get ahold of yourself, Montmorency!
Jeanne is...
dead.
To Be Continued
#07 Rain and Memory in Brittany
The most beautiful shape in nature...
is the shape of Étienne's breasts, which are about the same in height and width.
I call them the Golden Breasts.
Episode 7: Rain and Memory in Brittany
That has nothing to do with a preview,
but don't worry about it!
Surprisingly useful French lesson
"I never knew there was such a wonderful woman in the world!"
Use it when you see a wonderful woman!