In this strange space, it seemed as though heaven and earth had been turned upside down.
Above their heads and all around them was a blue light curtain, while beneath their feet was a smooth surface like water, reflecting their figures.
Such a marvelous scene couldn't capture their attention; in the eyes of this master and disciple, bound by a wonderful fate, there was only each other.
"Then, I'm going for it, teacher!"
Achilles eagerly raised his fists, taking a fighting stance.
"Come on! Let me see if you've regressed!"
Seeing his spirited and courageous disciple before him, Chiron's eyes flashed with a hint of gratification, quickly turning to sternness.
"Archer!"
"Rider!"
Two bronze fists collided like hammers with a resounding impact!
While the master and disciple engaged in a fierce, passionate battle in the enclosed space, elsewhere...
Riding on the Hippogriff, Astolfo and Kaar were the first to arrive at the battlefield.
Seeing the homunculi being slaughtered by the dragon tooth warriors ignited a flame of anger in Kaar's eyes.
Without a word, he leaped off.
"Huh? Kaar!"
Astolfo felt a lightness behind him and quickly turned to see Kaar's falling figure, instinctively reaching out but catching only air.
"Oh~ moooo~"
Astolfo complained, but his face showed delight.
While still in mid-air, a dazzling flame enveloped Kaar.
As the flames dissipated, the hero Karna, with white hair and golden armor like the reincarnated sun god, descended to the world once more.
The sun's flames had a purifying effect on filth and evil. After Karna landed on the battlefield, he began to decimate the dragon tooth warriors with overwhelming force.
At first, Kaar chose to use his golden spear imbued with magic. Later, finding it too slow, he switched to casting large fireballs filled with the sun's flames at the gathering dragon tooth warriors.
Boom!
With a series of explosions, large swathes of dragon tooth warriors were burned to ashes by the sun's flames.
Already in disarray from Frankenstein's attacks, the dragon tooth warriors were utterly defeated by Kaar's arrival.
From above, the white torrent swallowed the gray tide, nearly reaching the Hanging Gardens.
Perhaps unwilling to accept defeat, a large number of black dots flew out from the Hanging Garden. Upon closer inspection, they were gargoyles.
"Looks like it's my turn~"
Seeing his Master's impressive display, Astolfo stretched lazily, his face full of battle spirit.
He pulled up the reins and flew head-on toward the Winged Dragon Tooth Warriors in the sky.
Astolfo's long knight's lance continuously pierced out, shattering each Winged Dragon Tooth Warrior it struck.
Despite his weaker combat strength, a Servant's basic attributes were still formidable, making the Winged Dragon Tooth Warriors easy to cut down.
"Seems a bit slow."
Even amid battle, Astolfo started daydreaming.
One finger touched his cheek as he struck a cute thinking pose.
"Got it!"
He clapped his hands and pulled out a strangely shaped horn.
The horn circled around, fitting onto Astolfo.
Woo~
As the Winged Dragon Tooth Warriors surrounded him from all sides, Astolfo calmly blew into the horn.
The horn emitted a sharp, piercing noise, causing the transparent magical power in the air to vibrate continually.
The sound waves radiated from Astolfo, spreading far and wide.
Affected by this strange magical sound, the Winged Dragon Tooth Warriors fell from the sky like dumplings, shattering upon impact.
With one blow, the sky was instantly cleared.
"Did you see that? This is the power of one of Charlemagne's Twelve Paladins, me, Astolfo!"
With remarkable achievements, Astolfo immediately puffed up with pride. He stood tall, chest out, right fist on his chest, wearing a victor's smile.
As the saying goes, pride comes before a fall.
Astolfo's arrogant show of provocation quickly drew the attention of the Empress.
Seated on her throne, the Empress glared at the distant scene.
The dragon tooth warrior army was defeated, the Winged Dragon Tooth Warriors were annihilated, and Astolfo was still there provocatively taunting.
The Empress's anger surged, and malice welled up in her heart. She raised her palm and began to move it.
As she did so, a massive magic circle appeared in front of the Hanging Garden, inscribed with incredibly complex runes. The magic circle suddenly lit up, and a blue light beam shot out from it, targeting Astolfo, who was flying in mid-air.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!"
Astolfo screamed in fright.
Seeing the beam of light about to envelop him, Astolfo instinctively pulled out an ancient-looking magic book and used it as a shield in front of him.
The beam of light slid past Astolfo as if blocked by a transparent glass cover.
Having escaped danger, Astolfo patted his flat chest with his hand, showing a terrified expression.
"Hmph!"
The Empress on the throne was annoyed when she saw this but did not launch another attack.
Her magical prowess easily allowed her to see the powerful magic resistance properties contained in that magic book, which was practically a Caster's nemesis. Attacking would just waste her mana, accomplishing nothing.
Unaware that he had narrowly escaped disaster, Astolfo nervously steered his Hippogriff away from the Hanging Garden, clutching the magic book that had saved his life tightly.
The book's name was the Casseur de Logistille.
This magic book was bestowed upon Astolfo by the witch Logistilla and contained methods to break all kinds of magic.
Although its stats appeared to be only C-rank, its actual effectiveness exceeded some A-rank Noble Phantasms. Just holding it granted the user magic resistance equivalent to A-rank.
Once its true name was released, it could break through bounded fields or similarly powerful great magics.
It was practically a bane to magic.
Unfortunately, Astolfo was both a fool and a forgetful person. He couldn't remember the book's true name unless specific conditions were met.
That specific condition was the night of a new moon.
...
"The time is almost here."
Amakusa spoke suddenly, standing beside the Empress.
"What? Are you getting impatient, Master?"
The Empress teased.
"Yes, sixty years of waiting has been for this moment!"
At this moment, Amakusa Shirou radiated a light of unwavering belief, as if he had been tempered a thousand times over.
This caused a faint sense of resentment to rise in the Empress's heart.
Outwardly, the Empress remained expressionless, following Amakusa Shirou's command and directing the massive Hanging Garden towards the Millennia Castle.
In the heavily guarded study of the castle, Fiore watched in panic as the Hanging Garden of the Red Faction brazenly approached the castle.
"Why? Do they not fear that we will destroy the Greater Grail!?"
"Because you can no longer do so," a cold voice suddenly answered.
"!"
Fiore covered her mouth in shock when she saw the figure.
Bathed in moonlight, Vlad III, dressed in a black formal suit, stepped out of the shadows like a king of vampires.
He tossed a blood-soaked figure in front of Fiore.
"Caules!"
Seeing the gravely injured figure, Fiore couldn't help but cover her mouth, tears immediately flowing.
The severely wounded and dying person was Caules, who had gone to the Greater Grail's location to install a self-destruct spell. He was Fiore's most important family member, her younger brother.
The scene before her made everything clear to Fiore.
This great hero, known for his loyalty and patriotism, had reached an agreement with the enemy and betrayed the Black Faction.
At the most critical moment, he had viciously stabbed the Yggdmillennia family in the back.
He had sabotaged their plan to install a self-destruct device on the Greater Grail, allowing the Fake priest to easily seize the Greater Grail using the Hanging Garden, plunging the Yggdmillennia family into the abyss.
With Vlad's betrayal, the Yggdmillennia family was left with only two Servants. Once Amakusa Shirou seized the Greater Grail, they would be powerless to reclaim it.
Fiore couldn't imagine the consequences for the Yggdmillennia family, which had declared war on the Clock Tower but lost the Holy Grail War and the Greater Grail.
The Clock Tower nobles, greedier than vampires, would devour them without leaving a trace. Even death might become a luxury.
"Why did you do this?"
Concern for her brother and despair over the Yggdmillennia family's future made Fiore ignore her own life as she angrily questioned the Archduke.
"Because I despise those despicable people the most!"
Vlad's eyes were cold, his expression ruthless, completely unmoved by Fiore's questioning.
"Because of those people, my brother and I were forced to become hostages. My father and elder brother were assassinated.
I fought off the greedy Ottomans time and again, only to face my brother on the battlefield because of those people.
Even after my death, these despicable people wouldn't let me rest; they slandered me as a filthy vampire, an enemy of my lord, denying me peace even in death!
So, even if I bear the stigma of betrayal, I will eradicate them!"
"Are you referring to..."
Fiore's eyes widened in shock, her mind flashing with the image of a person.
It was that person, who had single-handedly caused the Red and Black factions to fall apart and fight amongst themselves with mere words.
"That's right! That detestable Easterner, Nguyen Ryou!"
Vlad almost gritted his teeth as he spat out the name.
Fiore was both amused and exasperated; she never expected to receive such an answer.
So, the Millennia family got caught in the crossfire for no reason.
But in this world, might make right, and the strong would never care about the thoughts of the weak.
With his mind clouded by hatred, Vlad naturally wouldn't care about the disaster he brought upon the Millennia family.
"To slay that detestable Easterner, I don't mind falling into a path of evil even I loathe!"
As Vlad made his resolute vow, his eyes turned blood-red under the moonlight, his teeth became sharper, and his skin paler. His already cold demeanor grew even more chilling.
To deal with Ryou, he had used the Noble Phantasm he despised, the Legend of Dracula!
This Noble Phantasm manifested the legendary image of Dracula, transforming Vlad into a vampire.
While in this form, Vlad III, synonymous with the name of the vampire, would have his other skills and Noble Phantasms sealed. However, his physical attributes would be greatly enhanced, and he could use some unique vampire abilities.
These included transforming into a bat, possessing charming eyes, recovering damage by drinking blood, and turning into mist.
Even the trait of vampires to convert others by biting and drinking their blood was inherited, a trait even Servants couldn't avoid.
This Noble Phantasm was a prime example of "blackening makes him five times stronger, whitewashing makes him three points weaker."
Seeing Vlad III, who had already shed his human identity, Fiore felt a chill run through her body, as if something terrifying had completely broken free.
But before she could take any action, Vlad suddenly looked at her. His gaze no longer carried killing intent but was full of superiority, like a higher being looking at an inferior being.
"You siblings are somewhat talented; since you have served me well, let me grant you the gift of eternal life. It's your honor."
Instinctively, Fiore activated her custom-made Mystic Code. Two mechanical claws immediately extended from behind her, unfolding like petals to reveal their cannons.
But just as she aimed the cannons at Vlad, he appeared before her in a blur, as if teleporting.
A silver flash like moonlight sliced through, and the mechanical claws were severed in two.
Vlad III looked down at her from above.
"Don't waste your effort. No matter how an ant struggles, it can't harm me."
Vlad grabbed Fiore by the throat and lifted her.
"Accept my gift!"
He opened his mouth, aiming to bite Fiore's tender neck.
"Let go of that girl, you enemy of my Lord!"
A voice filled with anger rang out.
Immediately, Jeanne d'Arc jumped into the room from the balcony.
"A grand duke trying to assault a disabled girl. Even if you shed your vampire title, you'll still be called a depraved fiend."
Ryou followed Jeanne's lead and leaped into the room.
"Nguyen Ryou!"
Seeing the figure he had longed to face, Vlad immediately threw Fiore towards Jeanne and, like a massive bat, turned into a shadow and attacked Ryou.
To avoid harming the poor girl, Jeanne had to use her skills delicately, retreating while dispelling the great force Vlad had applied to Fiore.
Thus, Ryou was left to face Vlad alone.
Without hesitation, Ryou transformed into Spartacus.
Facing Vlad's sharp claws, he fearlessly confronted him head-on.
Vlad's agility was already high, and with the vampire transformation's enhancement, his speed completely outmatched Ryou in this state.
Vlad raised his sharp claws and slashed Ryou twice. Two claw marks appeared immediately, with blood gushing out profusely.
PS: 1 Power Stone = 1 Push up