This kind of summoning couldn't be explained by normal probability science.
Based on Shen He's past experience, there were usually only two possibilities: insane luck (Ou) or utter failure (Fei).
So, he had long since stopped holding high expectations.
He clicked the Tenfold Summon button and immediately closed the summoning interface, unwilling to watch.
He closed his eyes and waited for the notification sound indicating a successful Servant summon.
One minute…
Two minutes…
Ten minutes…
…Nothing.
Shen He, breathing heavily, opened the interface. Sure enough—while he had drawn a five-star piece of equipment and a four-star item, there was no new Servant.
"Normal. Completely normal…" Shen He gritted his teeth and pressed the summon button again. "Again!"
He refused to watch, closing the interface once more.
One minute…
Two minutes…
Ten minutes…
Shen He's face turned pale.
"Master…" Violet gently patted his back with her small hand, her large, innocent eyes clearly expressing concern.
"There's still one more ten-pull left," the Two Rituals remarked.
"It won't matter. Even if I do this three times, thirty times—it won't make a difference," Shen He muttered hopelessly as he pressed the summon button for the last time.
Maybe because he had already given up, this time, he simply watched the summoning array's glowing patterns on the screen.
First card—nothing.
Second card—nothing.
Third card—four-star guaranteed equipment.
It was over. The pity system had activated, which meant this summon was a total loss.
Just as Shen He was about to sink into despair…
A brilliant golden light erupted, filling the entire screen. A divine melody rang out, echoing through the room.
"Ding! Congratulations, you have successfully summoned a five-star, ultra-rare Servant: Jeanne d'Arc."
"——!"
For a moment, Shen He thought he had hallucinated.
"Jeanne d'Arc! It's actually Jeanne!"
Overcome with excitement, he leapt up and hugged the Two Rituals.
Only to be immediately thrown to the ground with a brutal shoulder throw.
"Have you calmed down now?"
The Two Rituals' eyes gleamed with warning.
"Y-yeah…" Shen He lay on the ground, still breathless but grinning ear to ear. He rolled back onto his feet, frantically adjusting his posture, trying to appear composed.
If the Two Rituals were simply a character he had admired before, then Jeanne was something else entirely. She was faith itself in the game.
He had never even dared to hope for her, not even when he first spent over a thousand yuan trying to summon her.
Unlike regular summons, Jeanne did not simply appear.
Instead, a golden magic circle slowly emerged from the ground, resembling the system's summoning interface.
From its glowing core, a golden-haired girl stepped forward, clad in silver-white armor and a flowing purple robe emblazoned with a cross. She held a massive flag, the symbol of her unwavering faith.
"Servant Jeanne d'Arc. It is a pleasure to see you, Master." The girl's warm smile was enough to melt the tension in the air.
It's a pleasure to see you…
For the first time in a long while, Shen He felt completely fulfilled.
As a modern Heroic Spirit, Jeanne immediately understood the meaning of the word Master. There was no concern about rejection, nor did she seem difficult to get along with.
Even now, she appeared to be digesting the information transmitted to her mind upon summoning.
Then, before Shen He could fully savor the moment—
"Ding! Congratulations, you have successfully summoned a three-star Servant: Lelouch vi Britannia."
Another Servant?! And not just any Servant—this was the Demon King Lelouch!
Shen He's brain momentarily short-circuited. But as soon as the three-dimensional projection materialized, there was no mistaking it.
The black-haired young man standing before him was the Lelouch—the one who had both destroyed and rebuilt the world.
"…Unbelievable."
Jeanne glanced at her palm in quiet realization.
"This is not the Holy Grail War. I have been summoned under a permanent contract… and I am bound to you alone?" She turned to Shen He. "Master?"
"That's right, Jeanne." Shen He quickly pushed Lelouch aside, his full attention locked onto the girl in front of him. He hesitated for a moment before extending his hand, nervous but determined.
"So… I hope you'll help me in the future."
Jeanne gently took his hand, her fingertips grazing his own.
"I am indeed your Servant," she said softly. "It is my duty to protect and guide you as best as I can. So, let us work hard together."
Shen He felt his chest tighten with emotion. Finally, a follower who won't give me headaches!
But just as he was about to bask in this moment of triumph, an unfamiliar voice echoed in his mind.
"If I accept this contract… what will I gain in return?"
It was Lelouch.
Shen He forced a smile at Jeanne before shifting his thoughts inward.
When he had first watched Code Geass, he had greatly admired Lelouch. But as a summoned Servant…
Lelouch was a strategist to the extreme—a ruthless tactician who believed "if there is no result, then all effort is meaningless." He would do anything to achieve his goals.
Everyone, except for his sister, was a potential pawn. And in the end, even she had been used to further his ambitions.
"You seem troubled." Jeanne tilted her head slightly, her golden locks swaying gently. "Would you like my advice?"
Shen He exhaled. "I… have another summoned Servant. But I'm hesitating on forming a contract because… that person doesn't believe in companionship. His past is full of suffering, and he harbors deep hatred for his world."
Lelouch vi Britannia—a man who had single-handedly waged war against an empire, a mastermind who played chess with human lives.
Shen He was almost certain that, even if he accepted the contract, Lelouch would never truly view them as comrades.
"You mustn't think like that, Master." Jeanne shook her head, her serene expression unwavering. "The bond between Master and Servant is not just that of command and obedience. We coexist, carrying our own thoughts, beliefs, and convictions. If you abandon a follower simply because they think differently, then you are not fit to be a Master."
"…What if," Shen He hesitated, looking directly at her, "what if my ideals contradict yours? What if I'm not as righteous as you?"
Jeanne's expression did not change.
"In that case, I will still follow and fight for you," she said. Her smile was as gentle as an angel's, her eyes as clear as running water. "However, if your actions stray too far from what I can accept… then be prepared. It is a Servant's duty to correct their Master when they lose their way."
"…Understood."
Shen He nodded. He had made up his mind.
He reached out again, this time not for Jeanne, but toward the other presence in his mind.
"Lelouch."
He called out to him directly.
"If you accept this summoning, I promise—I will heal your sister. And I will help you change your world."