VOLUME 2

Chapter 3

Ch3-15

It was overwhelming.

As I thought.

Kuh!

Speaking with a dispassionate voice, Lancer of Red was cornering Lancer of Black. His precision, which didnt show the slightest bit of mercy, was truly cold-hearted, suitable for a great hero.

However, the hero Vlad III, who had equally fought against him just a little bit earlier, was greatly inferior to him.

Lancer of Black himself could also sense that abnormality. He had become weaker. If his earlier self was rated 10, his current self was at best a 6.

Stakes were being created from Lancer of Blacks own body. But their force and sharpness were not as great as before. Even without covering himself in flames, Lancer of Red was able to repel all of them with just his spear and armor.

These Hanging Gardens are the domain ruled by our camps Assassin. Its not your territory. In other wordsas long as you are within these gardens, you arent the great patriotic hero who saved his country.

Assassin of Reds Noble Phantasm,Hanging Gardens of Babylon, was a fortress Noble Phantasm that ruled a defined domain. To put it another way, that place wasnt Romania where Vlad III was revered as a hero. Accordingly, the level of his fame became equal to zero.

Naturally, Lancer of Red, Karna, also had close to zero fame here. But there was a difference in basic power between Karna and Vlad III.

Even if his fame was equal to zero, as long as his legend existed somewhere in the world, Karna was unmistakably a great hero. On the other hand, outside of Romania, Vlad III was only known as a blood-sucking vampire.

Having been summoned with the characteristics of a hero, Lancer of Blacks fame didnt give him any power. Rather, it inhibited his ability to display his original specs.

As he faced against Lancer of Red who wielded a spear, Lancer of Black had lost the refinement, splendor and even sternness that he had always maintained. Only the fact that he had pride and dignity as a hero supported him.

That alone gave him the power to fight.

But it was far from enough to cut off the head of Lancer of Red.

If the fighting spirit that Lancer of Black had due to his pride as a hero weakened even slightly, the battle would end with the force and speed of an avalanche.

The two Lancers understood that very well. In that case, Lancer of Black should just retreat, turn back and run away. Though, if he could do that, he wouldnt have become a Heroic Spirit in the first place.

Im going to die.

That thought, dyed with certainty, suddenly welled up inside Lancer of Black. His defeat would naturally mean the defeat of the entire Black camp. But it couldnt be helped. He had been unable to win and had chased the enemy too far. Most of all, he had never imagined that the Greater Grail would be stolen.

If only Saber of Black was alive.He had such thoughts as well. Shame, despair and regret threw his heart out of order like an overflowing river.

But

It really couldnt be helped.

The moment he thought that, was certain of it, and resolved himself to it, the Master who had contracted with him appeared there as if through magic and whispered to him like a devil.

No, we can still win. If you release that Noble Phantasm, that is.

All the Servants present there stopped moving. The one standing there was a single Master, the head of Yggdmillennia, Darnic.

Lording over the Servants from atop a temple-like pillar some distance away from the open space where the Servants were in the midst of fighting, Darnic was strangely irritated by Lancer of Black.

But what he had said just now was a far greater problem. With a strong blow, Lancer of Black took distance from Lancer of Red and glared at his Master.

Darnic. What did you say to me just now?

He wasnt playing around this time; he was radiating genuine killing intent. Receiving it coolly, the magus continued speaking even more disrespectful words.

My lord, I said to release that Noble Phantasm. We have no chance of winning besides that.

What are you saying!? I told you I wouldnt use that Noble Phantasm, have you forgotten!? I will die here! I will crumble away in death with regret! But that is the fate of the defeated! Darnic! I will never even consider using that and turning into an unsightly existence! Never, never!

Youre the one who has forgotten. We must obtain the Greater Grail by any means possible! In order to turn it into a symbol and retaliate against the Association of Magi. Or to reach the Root. As a king, your wish should be fervent as well. In that casetheres no other way but to use that Noble Phantasm.

Saying that, Darnic held out one hand. On top of it were three red and shining Command Spells.

You!?

As Lancer of Black widened his eyes, Darnic laughed at him and spoke in a penetratingly cold voice.

I order you with a Command Spell.Heroic Spirit Vlad III. Activateyour Noble Phantasm,Legend of Dracula.

Darnicyou bastaaaaaaaaaaaard!!

Even Lancers shout, which was filled with the deepest hatred and despair, didnt reach Darnic.

Im, not, a vampire Im, not!

That trembling mutter was the last of the reason of Heroic Spirit Vlad III. And then his Master Darnic smashed it into tiny pieces.

No,you are a vampire. The vampire Dracula, a creature pitifully burdened with infamy due to literary works. I order you with a second Command Spell.Continue to survive until you obtain the Greater Grail.

Lancer of Black howled and leapt at his Master Darnic. While giving a faint smile, Darnic let himself be struck in the chest.

In the span of a second, his chest was pierced through. His body collapsed. Fresh blood flew through the air and rained down on Lancers face. And the one who laughed loudly at itwas Darnic.

Hahahahaha! How rude of me, my Servant! As an apology, you can drink my blood! You really are a blood-sucking vampire, the king who rules the night! Your wish is unnecessary. I will bequeath you my dream, my wish, my very existence! I order you with a third Command Spell.Engrave my existence into your soul, Lancer!

What?

Did that whisper came from one person or everyone present there? Regardless, they were all shocked by Lancer of Black killing his Master and the third order that Master had spoken with a Command Spell.

Servants could devour the souls of humans and convert them into prana. This was their privilege as spiritual beings. Humans could only transfer souls between vessels or observe them.

But this magus Darnic was an exception. He had devoted his attention to the soul which should have been impossible to convert and transform with magecraft and was useless as nourishment.

Most likely, it was due to having fought alongside a Servant in the third Holy Grail War. Or perhaps he had accomplished this great exploit out of fear of that prediction a certain magus had told him.

Darnic had worked out a spell to turn the souls of others into nourishment for himself However, it was a form of curse that was exceedingly close to being taboo. It wasnt a matter of ethics. If it was for the sake of his own life, he wouldnt balk at even crushing the head of a baby.

But this spell was far too dangerous. It was a risky piece of High-Thaumaturgy that, if something was off even by only a few millimeters, would instantly lead to his own death. The actual number of times he had consumed souls during the past sixty years was only three times.

He had held the ritual under as perfect conditions as conceivably possible each of those three times, but even so, the precision ratio of his body and soul had been reduced to sixty percent. Someone who wasnt himself was gradually coming to rule over him little by little.

Most likely, even if he perfectly accomplished the next ritual, he would no longer be Darnic Prestone Yggdmillennia, but someone else instead. Even if he had his memories, even if every detail was perfectly recordedit wouldnt be him.

In other words, for Darnic to consume the soul of Lancer, a Servant, without even conducting the ritual was nothing other than a genuine suicidal act.

After all, it was the soul of a Heroic Spirit. A vast and enormous soul of the finest quality that could activate the Greater Grail with seven of them. Therefore, it should have been impossible for a human who wasnt a [vessel] or anything else to consume such a thing.

No way, thats impossible!!

Thats why it was only natural for Archer of Black to murmur in shock.

A Command Spell. No, even with that its impossible. Darnic no, the current you is neither Darnic nor Vlad III.

Lancer of Black no, the person who was neither Lancer nor Darnic smiled fearlessly.

Exactly, Archer. Even if, with, the third, Command Spell, I took the soul of the, Heroic Spirit Vlad III into myself, to the utmost limit it isnt possible to control a Heroic Spirit. Let alone take one into oneself.

His thin sneering voice was already difficult to distinguish between that of Darnics or Vlad IIIs.

But, but. I can engrave into it. I can engrave, my thoughts of a hundred years my tenacity for the Holy Grail I am no longer either Darnic or Vlad III! I am just a monster that only seeks the Holy Grail, and I dont care about being one!

In the first place, even if the summoning of the Heroic Spirit was accomplished using a holy relic as the foundation, their spiritual nature tended to be close to that of their Master. Darnic and Vlad III, who wanted to wipe away their disgrace and infamy in other words, held excessive confidence and pride in themselves, resembled each other closely on the level of the mind and soul.

Furthermore, even if it was for a short time, they had spent many days together as Master and Servant. If the binding of the third Command Spell was added to that, it became possible to even engrave the identity of [Darnic Prestone Yggdmillennia] into the tremendous soul of a Heroic Spirit.

The tenacity of this magus had, even if just slightly, surpassed that of the Heroic Spirit.

Stop!! Stop, stop, stop, stop, please stop!! I am the King of Wallachia, the son of Vlad IIdont enter inside meeeeeeeeeeeee!

Lancer of Black cried out, his form already filled with hatred. But his face was already rearranging to an extremely vague visage that was both like that of Darnic and of Vlad III. It was just like an amorphous monster.

Now with this, you are me and I am you. My lord! No, vampire! Your power will become our shared property! Everything is for the sake of the Holy Grail! My dream, my wish will take root within you and continue on for eternity!

Darnic Prestone Yggdmillenia. He had now become a parasite within the soul of the Heroic Spirit Vlad III with the viciousness of a cancer.

Y-You bastaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaard!!

This isnt good.

As someone who had devoted himself to [looking at others], Lancer of Red immediately drew near and with his spear, tried to pierce through Lancer of Blacks chest from the back. He didnt think it was cowardly; in the first place, the one who had looked away in the middle of battle was Lancer of Black.

He pierced the heart where the spiritual core was. Almost all servants would die without question at this point. Heroic Spirits who were recognized for their stamina could still remained connected to the current age even after that, but Vlad III, who had unfortunately lost his fame, wasnt such a powerful Servant.

Thats right. If the Servant that Lancer of Red had stabbed wasVlad III, that is.

!!

Lancer of Red should have definitely pierced the heart of this lands lord who had shown his defenceless back.

But he neither vanished nor even turned around. Instead of blood, a black shadowy something began leaking out from the spot he had stabbed.

Lancer of Red stared his spear and murmured.

I definitely felt feedback, but attacks like that have been reduced to having no effect, huh?

Lancer, your spear had no effect?

Archer of Red couldnt hide her shock. Like her bow, Lancers spear was a great weapon bequeathed from the gods. For it not to have any effect after being driven into an enemy Servants spiritual core meant

If it was before he became a vampire, it probably would have destroyed his spiritual core like normal and killed him.

Bats gathered together and combined together into the form of a person.

But what stands before us is not Lancer of Black, Vlad III. It is the creature known and feared throughout the worlda vampire.

Vampires called Dead Apostles existed in this world. Some slipped in among people and sucked their blood while others remained in isolation without coming into contact with anyone, but either way, Dead Apostles possessed their own unique concepts and culture and lived quietly in the shadows of the world.

Right now, the one in front of the gathered Servants wasnt such a vampire. In terms of the concept of mystery, it was only a hundred years old. But the terror of it covered the entire world. When people heard the word vampire, what they first thought of wasnt the Dead Apostles who hide themselves from the rest of the world, but the one who had been created using the great hero of Romania, Vlad III, as a basethe vampire Dracula.

Its a monster.

Lancer of Reds frank feelings were agreed with by all the Servants gathered there.

Having completely regained human form, the vampire faced the Servants. There was cruelty in his eyes, but his gaze wasnt brimming with intelligence.

His elegant, black aristocratic clothes were torn to shredsand from within them, shadows with mass began to spill out instead of blood or flesh.

The spear Lancer of Black had held vanished like dust at the same time as his aspect as a hero was extinguished.

Now then, return my Holy Grail. I must grant my clans dearest wish with that Greater Grail. Yes, in order to grant my longstanding desire, I must infinitely and inexhaustibly survive. I must increase my bloodline. I must gather talent, effort and a nurturing environment and give birth to those who will follow after me. So, give back the Greater Grail give it back, give it back, give it back, give it baaaaaaaaaaaack!!

That shout had Darnics selfish dream and his instincts as a vampire mixed together into it.

He had thrown away all of his humanity not for the sake of reaching the Root, but rather for the preceding steptoincrease ones clan.

He had to increase his bloodlinefor the sake of his clan.

He had to become strongerfor the sake of his clan.

The wish he would ask of the Greater Grail was to propagate himself, augment himself and increase himself. The man who had confused his love for his clan and his own deep-rooted and delusional convictions refused to understand how destructive his dream was.

All that was left was merely a creature that didnt hide his cruel, blood-red eyes and bared his fangs. He slowly looked around as if surveying his surroundings and then focused on a single point.

This nameless creature had already sniffed out the location of the Greater Grail where it had been brought into these gardens.

Hah. Regardless, the fact that youre a monster far off from the gods doesnt change!

Rider of Red stepped forward. Holding his hero-slaying spear in one hand, he closed the distance between himself and the vampire in an instant with his swift feet. He threw his spear at the same time as he leapt forward, and it closed in on the vampire with the speed of a bullet.

No!

The voice of restraint came from Archer of Black. But it was too late. The spear had already been brought to a halt.

Wha!?

It was a sure-kill spear that he had thrown fast enough to surpass the sound barrier. And yet the spear that should have been close to impossible to evade had been stopped by one of the vampires hands.

It was like grabbing a flying missile bare-handed. Naturally, his hands flesh was torn to shreds, his nerves were snapped apart, and his bones were smashed loudly.

But the vampires regenerative ability worked far faster than the speed at which he was wounded. Even the sight of his hand regenerating from its snapped ends looked disgusting.

The vampire laughed and jumped at Rider of Red. Having just jumped himself, Rider couldnt stop himself from being pushed down to the ground. But even so, Rider was still composed. As long as the enemy didnt have the blood of the gods, no attack would affect his body, so it was only natural he would feel that way.

The instant the vampire bared his fangs, Rider immediately held out his arm to protect himself, most likely due to his abundant accumulated battle experience and survival instincts warning him. The moment he was bitten, he felt a strange itchiness.

Poison!?

The next instant, he was sent flying by a strong kick from Archer of Black. The fangs came out of his arm and the itchiness disappeared.

After standing up while groaning, Rider of Red protested to his teacher Archer.

What are you doing all of a sudden, sensei!?

Its true that attacks against you wont have any effect without the [Divinity] skill. And due to your Bravery skill, not even bewitching spells that interfere with the mind will affect you. But even without the blood of the gods, there exists ways to turn you into anally.

Archer nocked an arrow to his bow and, without hesitation, fired it at the vampire who should have been his ally only minutes ago. But even after the arrow pierced him, the vampire calmly pulled it out. Not a single drop of blood came out, and his wound closed at once.

That wasnt an attack just now, but rather theact of blood-sucking. It wasnt intended to kill you, but to transform you into his comrade. Your body is virtually invincible against ill will and killing intent. But it was requested that part of you be weak. Yes, in other words

Rider of RedsAchilles mother, the goddess Thetis, had tried to extinguish his human blood and turn him completely into a god by bathing him in holy flames when he was a baby. Though it had been stopped midway by her husband Peleus, his entire body except his heel became immortal.

As a result, no form of attack would have any effect on Achilles, but that special characteristic of his had two pitfalls. First, he could be wounded by those with the blood of the gods like himself. And second, when faced not with an attack, but instead

Against an act that displays friendship, my invincibility does not apply.

Rider of Red made a displeased expression as he finished Archers explanation himself. Archer of Black nodded without smiling.

The vampire turned to face an unexpected direction with a twitch. He grimaced with displeasure and threw Rider of Reds spear from his hand. He aimed not at any of the gathered Red and Black Servants, but at a girl who had just come running here.

There was a shining flash that seemed to tear through the darkness.

Rider of Reds spear was knocked down without reaching the girl. Her flag that fluttered in the wind was a first-rate holy weapon that could smash any kind of darkness.

Ruler!

At Archer of Reds shout, everyone else turned to gaze at her. Lancer of Red, who had tried to kill her once before, was also among them, but Ruler took no notice of himshe just glared fervently at the vampire that had just been born here.

Vlad III no, you are a vampire, and Darnic as well

The vampire, who had abandoned even his existence as a Servant, couldnt be bound with Rulers Command Spells. Lancer of Black was in a state close to vanishing, and even if she ordered him to kill himself with a Command Spell, the parasite within him, Darnic, could reject it.

Ruler had already deemed this vampire as being the greatest threat that could destroy the Holy Grail War.

He was neither a proud Heroic Spirit nor even a Servant. He was simply a nameless creature that had gained the power of a vampire and lost any trace of morality.

The most troublesome part of all was his concept. Even under normal circumstances, Vlad IIIwas mixed with the legend of Kaziklu Bey, the Lord of Impalement, and the legend of a vampire that was associated with him. It was possible that the power and fame of Vlad III would be adopted by the vampire here as well.

If he reached the Greater Grail and he was released from the Hanging Gardens Romania would likely turn into hell in a single day.

It was something that mixed, joined and fused together history and legend. It would become a Grand Guignol1that simply slaughtered the people who dwelled in this country. Someone with a heart might call this tragedy thus.

That isthe[Night of Wallachia]2.

Just as Assassin of Red had said, Ruler had to take him down before anything else.

In order to safeguard the conductance of the Holy Grail War, I ask that you all temporarily join forces.

Hoh. So our enemy is this vampire, huh?

Ruler nodded at Archer of Reds words.

Yes. I request that we maintain a truce amongst each other until he is defeated. We cannot let this vampire reach the Holy Grail Absolutely not.

The vampire seemed to wait in anticipation even as he heard those commands, simply glaring at Ruler. Ruler raised her left hand and spoke clearly.

In the name of Rulerof Jeanne dArc. I order all Servants gathered here with my Command Spells! Defeat the vampire who was once Vlad III!

The Command Spells engraved on her left hand released an intense light. Chains of commandment coiled around Archer of Black, Caster of Black, Archer of Red, Lancer of Red and Rider of Red.

Those chains werent an impediment if they fought the vampirerather, they would raise the abilities of all the Servants as long as they were fighting him. But if they tried to fight the group that had temporarily joined together to oppose the vampire, their movements would dull, and the strength to wield their weapons would weaken at once.

In that case, it was obvious whom they should fight. In the first place, they were heroes, men and woman of valor who fought to defeat monsters, demons and man-eating fiends.

Very well. Ill provide support along with Archer of Black. Rider, Lancer, you two move as you wish.

Roger that, Nee-san. So thats how it is, Lancer.

I dont mind.

Caster. Can you make shackles with golems like you did when we captured Berserker of Red?

Its not that I cant, but it wont work like it did with Berserker. It will only dull his movements a bit. Also, itll be pointless if he changes form into mist or bats.

Caster of Black manipulated his fingers in the air, and ten golems started moving smoothly. One finger for each golem. With just that, the ten golems attacked the vampire, each with completely different movements.

Compared to this, the golems that had operated autonomously on the battlefield were mere puppets.

While dodging the arms that the vampire lashed out with, the golems struck at him with their bronze fists. Even after being hit by strong blows that would considerably damage even a normal Servant, he just casually counterattacked.

But now that Ruler had given an edict with her Command Spells, he had not a single ally, and everyone that stood around him was his enemy.

Rider and Lancer of Red matched their timing and attacked with each of their spears. On one hand was a hero-slaying spear bequeathed from Riders teacher, and on the other was a spear of light that was said to be capable of even killing gods.

Furthermore, the two Archers, who boasted of talent that reached the domain of the gods, fired arrows in succession through the gaps between their two spearmen allies without minding them as they approached the enemy.

And in addition to this, Ruler, Jeanne dArc, was also added to their forces. She used her holy flag which the vampire was weak against and systemically knocked down the vampires arms as he tried to extend them.

They were six in total. Six Servants who were all worthy of being called the strongest. However, there was not the slightest bit of relaxation shown on any of their faces. It wasnt in order to stop themselves from being negligent. They really were desperate.

Kuh, hes turned into mist again!!

Vlad III had been summoned as Lancer of Black, and had been given the Noble PhantasmKaziklu Bey: Lord of Executionthat came from his affinity as the Lord of Impalement as long as he was within his dominion.

By becoming a vampire and taking in Darnic, those had all been sealed away, but he had been given new weapons. The various unmatched abilities possessed by those known as vampires.

A black cloak that melted into the night and stakes that stabbed out from inside it had been summoned forth. Since they werent summoned from the ground, there was no fear of a surprise attack, butthe stakes were thrown with the superhuman strength of a vampire, breaking the sound barrier as if it were extremely natural.

Tch, how troublesome!!

Rider of Red stepped into range and rapidly snapped them away with his spear. Generally speaking, there was no one among these Servants present who could beat him in terms of speed. It was the same even if he wasnt mounted on his chariot. There was no one, either before or after his death, who had beaten the great hero Achilles of the Trojan War in speed.

Though he was one step slower than Rider, Lancer of Red was also quick-witted and agile. He smashed all the stakes that had been shooting at him since earlier.

Butat last, one of the mass-produced spears seized Lancer of Reds foot. It pierced through the top of his foot with power equal to that of a Noble Phantasm. The moment he tried to pull it out, Lancers movements stopped slightly.

With his terrifying superhuman strength, the vampire simply hit him with a punch. Just that was enough to send Lancer flying into a wall. The damage itself was insignificant, but Lancer couldnt hide his surprise at how the vampire had overpowered him with just his overwhelming physical strength.

Rider of Red reflexively turned his gaze to the wall that Lancer had collided against. When he did that, the vampire attacked Rider as if he had intentionally aimed for that. He bared his fangs in order to suck Riders blood and turn him into one of his kind.

Lancer of Red prevented him from doing so by throwing his spear at him.

Tenacity, malice, or perhaps conviction based on flawed beliefs. Neither a magus nor a hero, you are no longer anyone now. Your agony over having become something not yourself isnt half-hearted. Dont leave any regrets or lingering attachments behind, monster. Just swiftly disappear.

It was true that, just as Lancer of Red had pointed out, the creatures agony was extraordinary.

The sensation of his very self completely disappearing. It couldnt be helped that even his own name, which could be called the foundation of a human being, felt like someone elses to him.

Who am I, what am Ieven those questions faded away.

What he clung to was solely the order that had been given to him with the second Command Spell. Even when surrounded by six Servants and with his core self fading away even now, the vampire still howled loudly.

Ha, haha! No! As if Ill let myself die or be killed yet! No, I wont die until I obtain the Greater Grail!

When arrows pierced him, he would turn completely into mist and bats, and on top of that would turn into a giant savage dog baring its fangs. He continuously changed his form, and his superhuman strength and claws tore through not only the golems, but even occasionally the two Archers, approaching them with speed that resembled teleportation.

However, with all six Servants attacking him together, the situation wasnt at a disadvantage for them. Considering the battle as a whole, the Servants led by Ruler could be said to be the ones dominating in this situation. After all, it would be fine as long as they could buy time. When dawn came, the vampires power would drop sharply. It would be easy to kill him then.

The problem was that he was trying to head towards where the Greater Grail was stored. Even while fighting, the vampire continued to remain obsessed on the Greater Grail due to the second Command Spell his Master Darnic had used and also Darnics own will.

What should happen if he reached the Greater Grail? What would he wish for with that swirl of prana that had been accumulated over sixty years? If he had even a fragment of reason left, his wish would be definitely be the final goal of magecraftin other words, to reach the Root.

But, if even that fragment of reason had been lost, his wish would probably be something exceedingly destructive.

It will definitely be the latter.

And Ruler had a premonition. That he would wish for destruction with the Greater Grail. As long as the Greater Grail wasnt completely activated, there was a chance it wouldnt grant his wish, but Ruler was not so foolish as to simply hope for the best.

The six Servants split into vanguard and rear guard and continued fighting efficiently.

We can do it.

All the Servants gathered there were certain of it. It was slow going, but the speed of their attacks had started to win against the regeneration of his wounds. Even when he turned into mist, the flames from Lancer of Reds [Prana Burst] didnt give him the leisure to run away.

The vampire unleashed an attack with a hateful gaze, but it was blocked by Lancer of Red coming to the forefront. However

Far too abruptly and without any warning, all the Red Servants fell to their knees with anguished expressions and stopped moving.

Guh what!?

Is it, our Masters!?

Though it was only for an instant, their existences terribly weakened. The vampire didnt overlook that short opening and jumped over them to begin running towards the Greater Grail.

Wait!!

Ruler and Archer of Black began running after him at the same time. Was the chill Ruler had felt since earlier due to fear of the vampire having his wish granted?

Casting aside such thoughts, she concentrated on running with intense speed and chasing after the vampire. Fortunately, the prana of the Greater Grail could be sensed even from here. There was no way they could miss it.

Butthe vampire was fast!

Archer of Black, stop his legs!

At Rulers order, Archer nocked arrows on his bow without saying anything or decelerating at all, and shot five of them in succession as strafing fire. All the arrows pierced through the vampires legs and waist, just as he had aimed for. But then the vampire changed into bats.

His speed had dulled a little, but it hadnt managed to stop him. Shaking his head, Archer of Black focused on pursuing him.

Archer of Black, do you know the reason why the Red Servants stopped moving just now?

No. I thought the effect of your Command Spells might have worn off, butit doesnt seem so.

Archer of Black sensed power gushing from inside his body that was separate from the prana supply from his Master. This was most likely the boost effect from Rulers Command Spell.

Ruler was also bothered by it. Had the Red Masters disagreed with fighting together with the Black camp? No, in that case, they would have first told their Servants. What happened just now was if

The bats flying ahead of them were suddenly shot down one by one. Contracting lights like fine threads were shot one after another from far down the hallway ahead.

Kuh so she doesnt care if they hit us either!

However, those lights were also inevitably strafing Ruler and Archer who were chasing after the vampire. The shooter, Assassin of Red, probably didnt take that into account at all. She seemed to think that her own power alone was enough to take down the vampire.

But that was negligent. The bats returned to the form of the vampire once more and, even with his entire body being torn apart by the lights, he regained his speed by prioritizing the regeneration of his feet alone.

Rather than running, he simply advanced forward determinedly by repeatedly crashing into walls like a flexible ball. Eventually, the vampire found a door. If he passed through it, he would find what he sought there. The almighty wish-granting device that would release the violent emotions gushing inside his chest was behind that door.

Just a little more, and my wish will be granted.

Three Servants, consisting of Berserker of Black, Berserker of Red and Saber of Black, should already be stored in the Lesser Grail. Saber of Black had been re-summoned due to a miraculous phenomenon, but there were still two Servants collected in the Lesser Grail. If it was a small-scale wishin other words, as long as it wasnt a wish as great as wishing for the world itself to change and transform, he should be able to forcefully activate the Greater Grail and have it grant his wish.

The propagation, augmentation and supplementation of his flesh. There should be no problem with a wish of that level.

Darnic Prestone Yggdmillennia. That name already seemed like that of someone else to him now.

But he understood that that man had sought the Holy Grail and he was now here at the end of that search. Sorejoice, Darnic. Your wish will soon be granted!

He opened the door without hesitating for an instant, and there lay precisely what he wished for. The broad stairway of sun-dried bricks before his eyes headed straight down and, at the bottom there was a gigantic structure standing there that seemed to pierce through the top floor of the building in which it was contained.

Filled with pale white light, it was the almighty wish-granting deviceFuyukis Greater Grail.

Ah.

He had stolen the march on not only many Servants, but even Ruler. The vampire had reached it at last. Now he just had to forcefully activate the Greater Grail and grant his wish

Thats far enough, Darnic Prestone Yggdmillennia.

A person stood halfway down the steps to the Greater Grail. Judging that it was a Master and not a Servant, the vampire had decided to kill him.

But he reflexively came to a stop when he heard those words, as if held back by them. Though it would have been better to just go down and kill him without breaking a sweat, something about that voice bothered him.

Who are you?

At the sound of the persons footsteps, the vampire reflexively drew back. He felt a chill. His instincts were telling him that he mustnt meet with the person in front of him. It was a bomb. The fuse had already been lit and a shattering explosion was less than a few seconds away.

Standing before the vampire was a tanned-skinned youth. He wore a gentle smile and declared thus solemnly.

Or perhaps I should call you the remains of Darnic. I honestly admire that tenacity of yours. But Ill never hand over the Holy Grail to you. Much less now that youve been reduced to a vampire.

It exploded. Within Darnic were memories of the past that he absolutely wouldnt forget even if he forgot his own name. The Third Holy Grail War that he had desperately fought to the bitter end in as a magushe would absolutely never forget that battle which had been the start of everything.

Thats why he was shocked now.

Thats, impossible.

Oh my. Those are truly banal words, coming from you, Darnic. Since you managed to survive, then theres nothing to be surprised aboutme surviving as well.

Thats, impossible! No way! Why!?Why are you here!?Why are you still alive!?

The youth shrugged his shoulders and spoke in a very aloof manner.

Naturally, its because Im participating in this Great Holy Grail War. As a Master of the Red camp.

It was an absolutely impossible declaration to the vampire. Ignoring the speechlessness of vampire, the youth shouted in an increasingly louder voice.

Ive waited for this moment, Darnic! Fuyukis Greater Grail belongs tome! Whether you be a magus or a vampireI will never hand over this Greater Grail to the likes of you who can do nothing but drive the world to destruction!

At those words, the vampire was freed from the shackles of fear that had unconsciously bound him.

Dont screw with meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!

Enraged, the vampire took a step forward to rush at himand fell down in an ungainly manner.

Guh!?

When he looked down, something sharp and pointed was stabbed into his knees. These were the thrown-type Conceptual Weapons that were favored by agents of the Church [Black Keys].

You are a vampire. Unfortunately, vampires must also have various weaknesses as compensation for their unmatched strength. Sunshine weakens them, and they are weak against holy symbols. Andthey are also weak against weapons meant for purification like Black Keys.

Yes, what the youth said was certainly correct. A Church agents Black Keys were Conceptual Weapons strong enough to purify Dead Apostles.

But the power of his Black Keys was far too extraordinary no,abnormal.

Coolly and solemnly, the tanned-skin youth spoke in praise of another.

No, compared to Ruler who was chasing you, someone like me is worthless. Im just a worthless, unacknowledgedsham of a saint. However, I have enough power to pulverize your current self.

His red holy shroud fluttered, and silver blades flew out. The Black Keys stabbed around the vampire, suppressing any counterattack, and the youth grabbed the vampires face.

The youths presence suddenly transformed. He was no longer a Master now, but someone different. Yes, this was the one who had fought to the death against the Servant Darnic had summoned in the past

Then, its time for prayer. Nameless vampire.

I will kill. I will let live. I will harm and heal. None will escape me. None will escape my sight.

The vampire shrieked and struggled with his limbs.

But the hands grasping him tightened on the face of the vampire as if in a vice.

Be crushed. I welcome those who have grown old and those who have lost. Devote yourself to me, learn from me, and obey me. Rest. Do not forget song, do not forget prayer, and do not forget me. I am light and relieve you of all your burdens.

The youth quickly lifted the vampire up the stairs and dashed through the hallway while still holding him. Physical strength wasnt an issue here. This was a clash of conviction and faith.

So there was no way that this unknown person, who had been reduced to a vampire, could match this youths faith that was as hard as steel and as sharp as a sword.

His existence was being erased with just a few words. The Greater Grail that should have been in reach of his hand just earlier was getting further and further away before his eyes. That filled him with regret.

Do not pretend. Retribution for forgiveness, betrayal for trust, despair for hope, darkness for light, dark death for the living.

The youths dark and ageless eyes, together with the chant, stabbed into the vampire like a blade. It was an extraordinarily powerful Baptism Rite that wasnt possible for a human.

And why did he have to be killed by him of all people? The vampire could understand if it was a Servant. He would be tormented by regret if it were a Master. But this wastoo incomprehensible. A meteorite crashing into his head would be more understandable than this.

Relief is in my hands. I will add oil to your sins and leave a mark. Eternal life is given through death. Ask for forgiveness here. I, the incarnation, will swear.

Ah, ah, ah! My Holy Grail, my dream (illusion)! My Holy Grail! My dream (wish)! Its still unfulfilled, unfulfilled, unfulfilled!!3

The vampire crashed against a door as he was pushed along. Not minding the details, the youth simply continued running forward at full speed. The door was smashed apart and the youth stepped inside. The room was a chapel. The youth ran through the chapels naveand, in the presence of God, he spoke the final holy words with a gaze filled with compassion and pity.

But why?

Kyrie Eleison: I grant compassion onto this soul.

The entire body of the [nameless monster], who had once been a devout believer and king of a land and who had also once been a magus before becoming no one in the end, began to emit white smoke. He was melting. Not his flesh, but his very existence was melting away.

While leaving behind moans of regret and gasps of despair, the vampire evaporated away right down to the final fragment of himself. The hero who saved his homeland and the leader of a clan who commanded many magi were already dead.

The past kings were dead, and the current king raised a loud song of victory.

And it was then that Ruler and the other Servants that had been chasing the vampire stepped into the chapel.

Here!?

Strangely enough, those two met in a chapel, a place suitable for the two of them. The vampire, having melted away in the center of the chapel nave, no longer moved or spoke. He had evaporated away. His soul had returned to where it should be.

Standing calmly beside his corpse was a youth. He had tanned skin and white hair like silver, and he wore a red stole and mantle over his cassock.

The instant she saw him, Rulerunderstood everything.

No, way.

Because she understood, she gasped. Impossible, it couldnt be. The youth in front of herwas aServant. No, if it were just that, it would be fine. A Master being a Servant deviated from the rules, but at the very least, it would be a conceivable possibility.

But the problem was his class. He wasnt Saber, Archer, Lancer, Rider, Berserker, Caster or Assassin.

How do you do? Ruler ofthiswar.

A sixteenth Servant!?

Even the calm and collected Archer of Black couldnt hide his surprise. The same went for the Red Servants who had arrived after frantically following behind Archer and Ruler.

The youth they had thought was a Master was definitely openly exuding the spiritual nature of a Servant from himself.

Im not the sixteenth, Chiron. The sixteenth is Ruler beside you. Strictly speaking, I am thefirst Servant.

Master of Assassin What have you done to our Masters!?

In response to Archer of Reds enraged question, the youth chuckled and held up one arm, rolling back the sleeve covering it. Everyone gasped as they looked at it.

Engraved on it was all the respective Command Spells for Archer of Red, Lancer of Red, Rider of Red, Berserker of Red, Caster of Red and Assassin of Redeighteen Command Spells in total.

I peacefully had them turn over their rights as Masters and each of their three Command Spells. Dont worry, the prana necessary to keep you all in this world is a trivial amount to supply now that Im connected to the Greater Grail.

Peacefully?

The youth nodded at the murmur spoken by someone, and spoke while glancing at Lancer of Red.

After all, our camps Lancer is a hero of charity who excels at seeing through peoples lies. Thats why I had to have things proceed according to our plan without lying as much as possible. The reason I purposefully had my orders conveyed via your Masters was for the sake of that. Yes, your Masters didnt lie. They think that they gave directions according to their own judgement even now.

Yes. What I sensed, what God warned me of was you, I see now.

I wonder about that. I have no intention of defying God, though.

Even without thinking deeply about it, everything about Jeanne dArcs summoning had strange from the beginning. A possession summoning by borrowing a humans body. At first she had thought it was because this war had an unprecedented summoning of fourteen Servants, but when she thought about it, it was the opposite. If it was a situation where it was inevitable that chaos and mayhem would be caused by fourteen Servants, the Greater Grail would have correctly accomplished Rulers summoning at all costs.

The reason it couldnt do so was because the Greater Grails identity recognition was confused by the absolutely impossible situation of there being two Rulers existing at once.

In that case, it was obvious that it would be confused how to properly summon the one being summoned second. And the reason this priest had run away from her was also because she was Ruler. Because of the skill that Ruler possessed as one of her privileges[True Name Discernment].

This skill, which exposed the class and true names of other Servants, was naturally effective even on Servants that had achieved incarnation. In the worst case scenario, if he had met her on the battlefield, the youths plan would have failed.

You arethe Ruler who was summoned in the Third Holy Grail War in Fuyuki.

Every Servant gathered there gasped at Rulers words.

Yes. It would have been troublesome if I met you face-to-face before I became their official Master. After all, you have Command Spells. If you realized who I was, everything would have come to nothing, right? I wont let you get in the way of my dream.

There was no hatred in the youths voice. But there was a resolute will in it. Persuading him was impossible, and this youth wouldnt stop unless he was killedRuler was certain of that.

Ruler gazed at the youth with her amethyst-like eyes, and called him by his name.

What is your objective, Amakusa Shirou Tokisada?

Thats obvious. Its the salvation of all humanity, Jeanne dArc.

The boy and the girl were famed and extolled for creating miracles by the unrewarded masses and the soldiers who chased after their backs.

Unable to forgive each others existence, they quietly glared at each other.

CHAPTER 3 END