Chiming Bell Summary (Chp 12-17)

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Part 4: The Fortress of the Counterattack
Chapter 12
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Tart delivers a speech to the troops. Now's their time to unleash their counterattack. From their last stronghold in Toulouse, they'll bring the light of dawn back to France.

>Army: "Our Saint!"
>"La Pucelle!"
>"Jeanne La Pucelle...!!"

Iroha's impressed by the voices of the crowd and Yachiyo comments on her popularity. Melissa says that lately, she's had a dark expression on her face because of all the harsh battles they've gone through, but that right there is the real Tart. This reminds Melissa of the day she first laid eyes on Tart.

That day, Tart visited Charles, the crown prince. But the crown prince wanted to test Tart to see if she was really a saint or not, so he had someone else sit on the throne. However, Tart saw through it and pointed out that he's not the real prince.

Iroha and Yachiyo are both surprised that she was able to determine that he was an imposter so easily. Melissa continues and concludes her story, with Charles declaring that Tart was a true saint, a true servant of God. That's how she was granted control over the French army. Melissa fangirls over Tart a bit more, then Iroha changes the subject. Their next destination is the fort where Melissa's father is. Melissa says her father's nickname La Hire is frightening, but he is actually a kind father who treasures her. Riz joins the group to give them the details. They're going to regroup with the forces at the fortress and unleash their counterattack from there. Tart's excited too. Riz says Tart was able to regain hope thanks to Iroha and Yachiyo, so they'll thank them too. Iroha denies that they've played that big of a role. Yachiyo notes how Riz is always near Tart, almost like her shadow. Melissa explains that it's because Riz says protecting Tart is her job.

Iroha observes that Tart is leading the army forward.

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Chapter 13
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The fortress La Hire and the others are at is within their view now. Suddenly, Tart and co. find themselves in a witch's barrier. Tart tells the soldiers to leave the witch to her. And the witch isn't alone. The monstrous knights are there too. Yachiyo wonders why they're in the barrier when they're not the witch's familiars. Riz explains that it's because the owner of the barrier isn't a real witch. This puzzles Yachiyo, who wonders if she means that the witch is just a replica. Riz gives a vague answer.

Two soldiers from the French army start to lose faith when they see the numbers of familiars. One guy begins to suggest that there's so many of them, it'd be impossible even for Tart. The other guy agrees, since even though they have a saint on their side, they've been losing consecutive battles. Melissa angrily interrupts.

>Melissa: I'm asking you, what did you say just now!?
>Iroha: E, Eh...!? H, Hold on, Melissa-san, what's wrong!?
>Riz: If she hears someone say bad things about Tart, she gets like that.
>Iroha: Is that so!?
>Yachiyo: .......That's the daughter of La Hire for you. When she's angry, her ears turn bright red...

Melissa, still angered by what she heard, says she can't trust people like that to the frontline. She'll take care of the monsters on her own instead. Iroha's surprised. Melissa's a magical girl too? Riz says she isn't, though Cube says she has the potential to become one. Yachiyo tells Melissa that there's no need for her to fight. She'll fight. Riz agrees. They start fighting them together.

Seeing this, the army are embarrassed to have kids like that fighting while they just stand back and watch. Iroha tells them not to push themselves, but to assist Yachiyo and Riz. Iroha's going to fight too.


Yachiyo tells Riz she'll land the finishing blow. To her surprise, it wasn't enough to finish the knight off. La Hire takes it out, saving Yachiyo. The barrier goes away. Riz says it must've been the work of Tart, who finished off the witch. Melissa and La Hire have their reunion. The soldiers seem happy to see him again too.

Tart appears and thanks La Hire for coming down from the fortress to help them. She wonders if it's okay for him to be there though. Riz reassures her, telling her that the fort is being protected by Gilles de Rais.

Tart turns to the army and directs them toward the fortress, where their allies are.

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Chapter 14
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They arrive at the fortress where Gilles and their other allies are. After breaking through and recapturing the fortress, the night comes to an end.

Gilles de Rais greets them and directs Tart to go to where the other soldiers are waiting. He invites Iroha and co. too. Tart happily points out that his speech is about to start.

He tells the soldiers not to fear, for the will of heaven is once again upon them. After all, they have the "maiden" and two new saints (Iroha and Yachiyo) with them now. Both of them are surprised that they're being called saints. Regardless, the soldiers cheer out for La Pucelle and also for their new saints.

>Yachiyo: Ah...this is a nightmare.

Riz and Melissa are amused by this.

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Part 5: Rescue the Crown Prince
Chapter 15
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At some point, Yachiyo and Iroha have returned to Kamihama and they asked Felicia and Sana how things are going over there. Felicia says nothing's changed at all, though Tsuruno did stop by. She said she would find the source of this and then went out again. Felicia has no idea where she went. All of that aside, she cheers on Yachiyo and Iroha, saying that she looks forward to the meat that they promised her later. Granted, she's not looking forward to school starting again. Yachiyo tells her to study on her own in the meantime.

Sana asks if they're really going back again, and wonders if there's anything they can do to help too.

>Iroha: Y, You'd better not! A fourth person will be made into a saint!
>Sana: ...Eeeh? I'll be...made into a saint...!?
>Yachiyo: I don't want to talk about that...

Regardless, after Sana and Felicia leave, Yachiyo comments on how they fell for the trap. Iroha adds that if they didn't leave right away, they probably would've been crushed and mobbed by their new fans. Yachiyo isn't exactly comfortable with going back, but Iroha says that enough time has passed that they should be fine. They light the candles and go back to France.


Back at the camp, Tart fills them in. They've got a plan to rescue the crown prince Charles who's being held captive by Corbeau in Bourges. Yachiyo points out how that didn't happen in history. Tart says she'll give it her best anyway, since saving the crown prince so that he can be properly coronated is her duty, as tasked to her by the angel-sama.

>Yachiyo: Angel-sama, huh...

She glares at Cube.

>Cube: ...Huh?


<The night before their departure...>

Riz seems to be training, practicing her moves on her own. Yachiyo comes up and asks if that's what she's doing. Actually, Riz says she was testing their balance. Yachiyo asks if she's referring to her sickle and hatchet, then comments on how the weapons she uses doesn't really seem fitting of an ally of a sacred maiden. Riz doesn't think much of it. She says that if Riz is the light of hope, then she is the shadow drawn close to it. Riz doesn't care what shape her weapons take as long as they can help her protect Tart.

Yachiyo giggles and apologizes for doing so, but she just finds it amusing that Riz seems so adult-like and yet she calls her weapons "these kids". Riz says that she's only one year apart from Tart. The two girls (Yachiyo and Riz) realize they're pretty mmuch the same age, much to their surprise.

They talk about the age of the other girls. Tart's a year younger than Liz, and Melissa is about 3 years younger. According to Yachiyo, Iroha is apparently one year younger than Melissa. Riz sadly comments on how, if Catherine were still alive, she would've probably gotten along with Iroha. She still seems to feel guilty for Tart's sister's death.

Seeing this, Yachiyo tells her not to sacrifice herself, even if it is for someone else's sake. As much as she treasures Tart, Tart treasures her too. Yachiyo continues: Tart's lost a lot of very precious friends along the way thus far. She doesn't need to lose another one. Riz agrees to watch out for herself, not just Tart. She comments on how Yachiyo, just like Tart, must've had many friends who had hope in her.

>Yachiyo: True.
>Yachiyo: "...A lot happened."

Riz comments on how Yachiyo might be a saint too and Yachiyo quickly tells her to knock it off, because she's not.

<The next day...>
Tart announces their departure for Bourges. The soldiers cheer for their "three saints".

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Chapter 16
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They're almost at Bourges, but they have to make it through another barrier. Gilles encourages the soldiers and La Hire compliments him on how good he is at riling them up.

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Chapter 17
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They make it through and Melissa says the crown prince is being held in the basement of the fortress just ahead. Riz comments on how it'll be hard to break through the gate. Iroha asks what they'll do. Riz responds by basically saying they've already planned for that and she tells Iroha to go with Tart. Tart says she'll be the vanguard, when Iroha yells at her to look out.

Corbeau appears. She shot at Tart with enough power to kill her, but it also got deflected again. Riz appears to challenge Corbeau. Using telepathy, Riz tells Tart and Iroha to leave Corbeau to her. She tells Yachiyo to help her out.

Riz asks Corbeau what her intentions are. She answers with an evil chuckle. All she wants is to kill. Riz asks if that's seriously all she wants. Corbeau says it is. When she gets serious, even her allies get caught up in her attacks. But someone told her that in this world, she can rampage as she pleases. Yachiyo silently wonders about the phrase "this world".

Corbeau happily declares the beginning of their head-to-head battle. Riz rejects her and disappears. A second later, Corbeau gets hit from what she assumes is Riz on the left. Unfortunately, Riz says, she's actually on the right. Corbeau laughs in delight, even after getting hit again. She praises the shadow-using black one, and asks if her strategy is to go with the best defense is to go on offense. Riz doesn't deny this. She says she'll be cut down in a battle of power. But if she attacks without breaking...

Yachiyo says she'll assist. Tart asks if Riz is okay. Riz once again tells her to hurry to the fortress. Corbeau summons her knights, saying that there's no way she'll let them go that easily. The knights surround Iroha and Tart. Meanwhile, Corbeau challenges Yachiyo and Riz.


Riz is about to land the finishing blow on Corbeau, but remembers what Yachiyo told her about not sacrificing herself. She barely manages to dodge one of Corbeau's attacks. Corbeau laughs. If she did try to land the finishing blow, she would have died. But she claims that Riz is at her limit. She tells her not to even consider winning if she's going to worry about protecting other people. Just then, Yachiyo intervenes, saving Riz. Riz thanks her.

Yachiyo remembers how Riz replied that she would try to watch out for herself a bit more, and tells Riz that she saved her because it'd be bad if something happened to Riz as a result of Yachiyo saying something. Riz commands Tart to go now, and Tart nods, using La Lumiere to clear up the darkness and destroy half the fortress. Melissa says that now's their chance to head underground. La Hire tells her to leave saving the crown prince to them.

Corbeau asks if that's what they were planning this entire time. Riz says it was. Corbeau laughs. She's willing to give the fort up to them, since it was her mistake for allowing the saint-sama to use her magic. She tells Riz and Yachiyo that she's remembered their faces and that next time they'll really have a battle to the death.

Then Yachiyo points out that the sun has come out. Tart instructs Gilles to give a speech and he does so. Charles thanks Tart for coming for him. Tart is flustered because he takes her hand. Iroha says that Charles is about to give a speech. Charles tells them to look at the light in the sky, for it is proof that heaven has not abandoned France. These girls have proven that as long as there is hope, the sun will shine once again.

Having given the speech, he says he will head to Chinon Castle in the north. That's where they'll begin the key task of recapturing Orleans, which is where the deciding battle will be...