[The Red faction made a sudden mistake for no apparent reason, giving Dracula the perfect opportunity to break through their encirclement and rush toward the Holy Grail.]
[Jeanne and Chiron immediately pursued him.]
[However, Dracula was far too fast for them to catch up.]
[Chiron fired arrows as they ran, but Dracula transformed into bats, effortlessly evading the attacks.]
[At that moment, thin beams of light shot from the depths of the corridor, targeting and shooting down Dracula's scattered bats one by one.]
[But even after being struck down, the bats swiftly reformed into Dracula's body, with all wounds healed instantaneously.]
[Before long, Dracula reached the end of the corridor, pushed open the large doors, and came face-to-face with the object of his obsession—the Holy Grail.]
[However, someone stood in the middle of the staircase leading to the Holy Grail, blocking his path.]
[It was none other than Kotomine Shirou.]
["So, this is how far you've come, Darnic Prestone Yggdmillennia."]
[Dracula instinctively prepared to strike down the man before him, but an inexplicable chill pierced his heart, and he reflexively stopped in his tracks.]
["Who... are you?"]
[Kotomine Shirou smiled faintly. "Or perhaps I should say, you are but his remnants. I truly admire your persistence, but I cannot allow you to take the Holy Grail. Especially not you, who has become a vampire."]
[Suddenly, a flood of memories surged in Dracula's mind.]
[They were Darnic's memories—memories of the Third Holy Grail War, the root of everything, and the events he could never forget.]
---
[Video Paused]
[Question: What is Kotomine Shirou's true identity?]
Kayneth: "Wait a moment! The Third Holy Grail War?! How could that be possible?!"
Tohsaka Tokiomi: "Kotomine Shirou, are you, like Darnic, a participant in the Third Holy Grail War who prolonged his life through some form of magic?"
[Ding! Congratulations to Tohsaka Tokiomi for partially answering the question correctly. You have earned 1 Saint Quartz.]
Tohsaka Tokiomi: "Hmm?"
He had been so anxious earlier that he had forgotten about the question-answering phase. Thankfully, his partial answer still earned him a reward.
Semiramis: "Hahaha, why don't you all hurry up and answer the question? This is practically a free point!"
Kotomine Shirou: "It doesn't matter. Let's see what they manage to guess."
His true identity was a secret. He doubted anyone would figure it out.
Sisigou: "Father Kotomine, I didn't expect you to be hiding so much from us."
Tohsaka Rin: "I thought he was just a fresh-faced priest, but it turns out he's an old monster."
Waver: "Besides being a participant in the Third Holy Grail War, what other identity could this man have?"
Iskandar: "Are you asking me to guess his name? How am I supposed to figure that out?"
Waver: "No, since this is a question-and-answer format, the answer must be something we can deduce, even if we haven't considered it yet."
Kayneth: "What are we overlooking here…?"
Tohsaka Tokiomi: "I've reviewed the records of the Third Holy Grail War participants I have, and none of them match him."
Chihiro: "Why can't you all think more boldly?"
Rin Tohsaka: "Bolder? How bold?"
Chihiro: "For example, consider the possibility that Kotomine Shirou isn't even human. Perhaps he's a Servant who materialized during the Third Holy Grail War and has survived to this day."
[Ding! Congratulations to Chihiro for answering the question correctly. You have earned 3 Saint Quartz.]
Chihiro: "As expected."
He had guessed that the answer wouldn't require something too specific, like Kotomine Shirou's original name or class designation. That would have been impossible for anyone but himself to figure out.
"A Servant? Kotomine Shirou, you're actually a Servant who incarnated during the Third Holy Grail War?!"
This revelation left not only Tokiomi and his companions but even the Red Servants in utter shock.
Semiramis: "Haha, it seems you've been caught red-handed."
Kotomine Shirou: "...Chihiro, how did you deduce my identity?"
Chihiro: "Was it really that hard to figure out? Considering you could hold your ground against both Diarmuid and Karna, and your repeated efforts to avoid Jeanne, the conclusion was clear if one thought a little bolder."
Waver: "But no one else dared to guess as boldly as you did."
Chihiro: "And why wouldn't I? Even if I guessed wrong, I'd only lose 1 Saint Quartz."
Tohsaka Rin: "Alright, alright, we get it, you're wealthy and can afford to be reckless."
Kotomine Shirou: "Hah, Chihiro, I won't underestimate you again."
Jeanne: "I see now. That's why you've been avoiding me. You knew that if I encountered you, no matter how well you disguised yourself, I'd see through your real name."
Kotomine Shirou: "Exactly."
Tohsaka Rin: "So why don't you keep hiding, then? In the video, it looks like you're about to show your cards."
Waver: "He must feel there's no need to hide anymore. He's already achieved his goals."
Kotomine Shirou: "That's right. Unfortunately, my plans last night were foiled."
---
[The video resumes.]
[Dracula: "Impossible… This cannot be…!"]
[Kotomine Shirou: "Is that so surprising, Darnic? If you're still alive, why wouldn't I be?"]
[Dracula: "How is this possible?! Why are you here?! Why are you still alive?!"]
[Kotomine Shirou spoke calmly, "Because I am a Master in this Holy Grail War, on the Red faction. I've been waiting for this moment, Darnic. The Greater Holy Grail of Fuyuki belongs to me!"]
["A magician? A vampire? It doesn't matter. No matter what you've become, how could I hand over the Grail to someone whose existence only leads to destruction?!"]
["Shut up!"]
[Dracula stepped forward in rage, only to stumble and fall to his knees the next second. Looking down, he saw a black key embedded in his leg.]
[Kotomine Shirou: "What a pity. Vampires are indeed powerful, but their weaknesses are many. They cannot withstand sunlight, they are weak to holy relics, and purification tools like Black Keys leave them completely defenseless."]
["So now, vampire, it is time for you to pray."]
[The crimson cloth of Shirou's attire fluttered as countless Black Keys surrounded Dracula, deflecting every counterattack. Shirou grabbed the grotesque vampire's face.]
[For a moment, Dracula felt as if an overwhelming force was crushing his very soul.]
[Kotomine Shirou began chanting. Each word felt like a blade stabbing into Dracula's body.]
["Ssssss—!"]
[White smoke began to rise from Dracula's body, accompanied by an agonized hissing sound.]
[It wasn't just his body, it was his very existence being destroyed.]
[If a priest from the Church had been present, they would have been shocked. Kotomine Shirou's chant was not something a human could achieve. It was an extraordinary baptismal rite.]
["May God have mercy on your soul."]
[As the final words of the chant echoed, Dracula's body dissolved completely, and his soul—if it could even be called that—was obliterated.]
[Dracula, fallen.]
Tohsaka Rin: "I didn't expect Dracula, who was so difficult to deal with earlier, to die so easily in the end."
Tohsaka Tokiomi: "Every field has its specialist. The Holy Church has always been particularly adept at dealing with vampires."
Kayneth: "To think that such a high-level baptismal chant could exist… Kotomine Shirou, it seems you were an exceptionally devout Christian during your lifetime."
Kotomine Shirou: "…"
[At this moment, Jeanne d'Arc and Chiron also arrived at the scene, finally coming face-to-face with Kotomine Shirou.]
[No words were necessary. The moment Jeanne laid eyes on Kotomine Shirou, she understood everything.]
[Or rather, Kotomine Shirou no longer bothered to hide his identity and instead revealed it on his own initiative.]
[Why her summoning as Ruler had gone awry, why Kotomine Shirou had continuously avoided her, every doubt she had vanished in an instant.]
["…Are you the sixteenth Servant?"]
[Chiron, astonished, asked the question directly. The members of the Red faction who had just arrived looked equally shocked upon seeing Kotomine Shirou.]
[Because they could now sense it clearly, Kotomine Shirou, whom they had always believed to be human, was exhibiting the spiritual foundation of a Heroic Spirit.]
[At this moment, Kotomine Shirou's true identity was laid bare.]
[He was not human. He was a Heroic Spirit.]
["I'm not the sixteenth Servant, Chiron. The sixteenth Servant is Ruler, standing right beside you."]
[Kotomine Shirou smiled faintly. "To be precise, I should be considered the first Servant."]
Tohsaka Rin: "As expected, he's revealing his true nature now that his plans are complete."
[Atalanta: "Kotomine Shirou, Assassin, what did you do to our Master?!"]
[She had long harbored suspicions but refrained from speaking out for the sake of the Red faction's unity. After recent events, however, she could no longer hold back.]
[Achilles and Karna also turned their gazes toward Kotomine Shirou, their expressions demanding answers.]
[Kotomine Shirou simply smiled faintly. Raising his arms, he let his sleeves fall, revealing what lay hidden beneath. The sight left everyone present stunned.]
[His arms were densely lined with Command Seals—eighteen in total, arranged in an orderly fashion.]
[This meant that aside from Saber, every single Servant on the Red faction was now under his control.]
[Moreover, the Command Seals of Spartacus, who had already exited the stage, should have disappeared long ago. Yet they, too, remained in Kotomine Shirou's possession.]
***
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