"Father!!"
Mordred was also stunned by Saber's illogical answer. Gripping the emblem tightly, she asked, "Don't you care about those children's lives at all?"
"Hmph. I'll find a way to save them myself. I don't need your twisted, unorthodox methods!"
Saber's tone was cold. "As for you—your actions clearly violated the code of knighthood. It was the right choice not to name you as my successor back then."
Mordred took another critical hit.
"Oh, come on. She's only doing this because you backed her into a corner." Dracula grumbled. "If you left, she'd have used the emblem without a second thought and saved those kids."
"And you think you can save them? Yeah, right." He rolled his eyes.
"What do you know about spells from the Cthulhu mythos anyway?"
Turning toward Diarmuid, who stood frozen with his twin spears, Dracula added:
"And you, Diarmuid—please don't get involved in this family drama."
As he spoke, Jeanne and Nero moved to flank Diarmuid, boxing him in from both sides.
A cold sweat slid down Diarmuid's back.
---
Amid the forests, a figure with green hair and an androgynous appearance wandered peacefully in a white robe.
It was none other than Enkidu—the only friend the King of Heroes, Gilgamesh, ever had.
he skipped lightly through the woods, humming a joyful tune. No wonder he was happy—he had confirmed with his own eyes that his friend had been summoned into this war, and based on her usual behavior, he predicted today would be the day she'd appear here.
he hadn't come to fight. he was just here to loaf around and maybe say hi.
Elsewhere, within the Einzbern Castle, as Keyneth and Kiritsugu Emiya clashed in deadly combat—
Kenneth suddenly sneezed hard.
"Stop right there. Don't take another step!"
A voice halted Enkidu's movement.
A man with short black hair, tan skin, and green armor drew back the red string of his bow, aiming straight at her brow.
"Oh my, oh my. I don't really want to fight." Enkidu raised her hands. "I'm just tagging along with my Master to see my friend. That's all."
"You expect me to believe that?" Archer's aim didn't waver.
"You'd best stay right where you are."
"Sir Archer, is it?" Enkidu smiled calmly. "At this range, do you really think you can take on me—a Lancer—and come out on top?"
"Oh really?" Arash returned a pure, almost sacred smile.
"Then let me tell you something you may not believe—I could very well drag you to hell with me in a single shot."
Enkidu studied his face and voice carefully. he could tell he wasn't lying. In this close range, with her current Servant body, he could actually lose.
So she smiled sweetly and replied:
"Alright then, kind sir. I suppose we'll just stand here and wait. My friend hasn't arrived yet anyway. So… mind keeping me company?"
---
"Hmm?" Diarmuid suddenly looked up, sensing something impossible—his Master… had fallen?
"Ah… Looks like your Master's about to bite the dust," Dracula noted casually.
"You may go. We won't stop you."
"…Thank you for your generosity. Letting an enemy like me walk away…" Diarmuid bowed.
"Don't misunderstand." Dracula waved him off. "If I considered you all enemies, you'd already be dead. I'm just a spectator in this ritual. If you really want to thank me—then hurry up and kill the other participants. Or die. That'd help me get to the Grail even faster."
"…You're refreshingly blunt." Diarmuid gave a wry smile. "Then—if you'll excuse me."
He vanished in a shimmer of light.
Not long after, Saber—who had been facing off with Mordred—also sensed danger. Her Master, Irisviel, was in peril. Gritting her teeth, she turned to leave.
"Trying to run?" Mordred stepped in front of her.
"Out of my way!" Saber shouted, raising the sacred sword in her hand. "If you don't move, I'll let you taste the might of this holy blade!"
"As if I'm scared of you!" Mordred lifted her own not-so-trustworthy sword. "It's not like I don't have one too!"
The already-tense atmosphere between the two flared with even greater intensity.
"Enough, Mordred," Dracula interjected, stepping between them. "Keep this up, and things will only spiral further out of control."
"But, Mr. Dracula!" Mordred protested.
"I said, enough." As those words fell, an inexplicable aura of pressure surged from Dracula's form—like a misbehaving child suddenly confronted by a very stern parent.
"…Fine." Mordred hesitated for a moment, then reluctantly stepped aside.
"Much appreciated." Saber gave a curt nod to Dracula before dashing off into the forest, quickly vanishing among the trees.
"Your father's surprisingly well-mannered in places like this," Dracula quipped, then extended a hand toward Mordred. "Hand it over."
"Huh?" Mordred looked confused.
"The crest Nyarlathotep gave you," Dracula said, palm open. "Or are you giving up on saving those children?"
"Oh… right." Mordred obediently handed over the crest.
Dracula took it and began removing the cursed marks from the unconscious children who had been used as hostages. "Look, kid, I'm not saying Nyarlathotep didn't have a point, but you've gone too far. Seriously."
The children had collapsed the moment Caster had summoned his beasts—now lying scattered and unconscious on the ground.
"And besides, your so-called 'father'—she's just a girl who never figured herself out. She never saw herself as a father, not even once."
As Dracula released the last of the cursed seals, he softly intoned:
"Za Warudo."
A platinum stand materialized behind him, its fists raised as it activated its supreme power.
With a dual-fist motion, the Stand rewrote the initial moment of the child's death. The shattered skull began to knit back together, flesh restored, and breath returned to the young body. The child was brought back to life.
While dialing the emergency number, Dracula opened a portal and gently transported the unconscious children to a safe location, where they would await rescue by authorities.
Then, he turned back to Mordred and continued, "If you want your father's recognition, then you have to break away from her shadow. You're a good kid, but you need to take things one step at a time. First, get your own life in order."
"…Okay." Mordred nodded with a mixture of confusion and acceptance.
"Even if you don't fully get it, that's fine. Just stick to your knightly ideals for now." Dracula patted her on the head and added, "Also, don't take everything Nyarlathotep says at face value. She'll definitely screw you over… Anyway, I already took care of the payback for you."
At that moment, Nero and Jeanne approached. Jeanne asked, "Mr. Dracula, where do we go now?"
"Well…" Dracula turned his gaze behind him. "Why don't you ask her?"
From the shadows, Gilgamesh slowly emerged from spirit form, fully materializing before their eyes.
---
Meanwhile, inside Demon Castle – Nyarlathotep's Room
As Dracula scolded Mordred, Nyarlathotep was busy dodging an aggressive pounce from Kuko. She dove behind her desk, fuming, "Where did you even get that Old Seal!?"
"Heheheh… Dracula gave it to me," Kuko replied, drooling and giggling like a fool. "You can't use your powers anymore, right? Nyarlathotep… just give in already!"
She leapt toward Nyarlathotep once again, completely undeterred.
"Over my dead body!"
And so began a cheerful round of cat-and-mouse—Nyarlathotep circling the room's desk with Kuko in hot pursuit, dancing a bizarre game of "tag" through her own chambers.