Shaking off Jeanne and the others behind him with swift speed, the vampire Dracula continuously passed through various obstacles, finally arriving outside the room just steps away from the Greater Holy Grail. Dracula unhesitatingly pushed open the door and found that it was indeed the expected location.
Before him, a wide staircase made of sun-dried bricks extended straight downwards, and a colossal structure stood there, piercing through the highest floor. That was the omnipotent wish-granting machine, the Greater Holy Grail of Fuyuki, radiating blue-white light.
"Hahahaha!" Not only did he lead many Servants, but he even surpassed the Ruler. Dracula finally reached the location of the Greater Holy Grail. Now, he only needed to forcibly activate it and fulfill his wish.
"This is as far as you go, Darnic Prestone Yggdmillennia."
In the center of the staircase leading to the Greater Holy Grail, a figure stood upright. Hearing this restraining call, Dracula instinctively stopped. Something in the voice felt wrong to him.
"Who are you?" Slowly descending the stairs, the figure finally stopped not far from Dracula. This allowed Dracula to clearly see his appearance: a young man with brown skin. And this young man was none other than the Red Assassin's Master, Amakusa Shirou Tokisada.
Amakusa Shirou Tokisada showed a gentle smile on his face, then solemnly declared, "Or perhaps I should say you are merely the remnants of Darnic. I deeply admire your obsession. However, I cannot hand the Holy Grail over to you, especially not to you, now that you've become a vampire!" Dracula felt as if his brain was roaring with an explosion deep within. For Darnic, even if he forgot his own name, there was one memory he could never forget. It was the memory of the Third Holy Grail War, where he fought as a magus risking his life.
He could never forget that battle, which was the beginning of everything. But precisely because of this, he was astonished.
"How can this be? Impossible."
"Oh, for you, this is truly an ordinary and common phrase, Darnic. Since you are still alive, it's not surprising that I am also alive, is it?"
"How can this be? Impossible! This can't be! Why! Why are you here! Why are you still alive?!" Amakusa Shirou Tokisada shrugged, speaking casually, "Of course, because I'm participating in this Holy Grail War, as the Red Faction's Master!" Amakusa Shirou Tokisada's words were an absolutely unacceptable declaration to the vampire. Ignoring the speechless vampire, Amakusa Shirou Tokisada continued to shout:
"I have been waiting for this moment, Darnic! The Greater Holy Grail of Fuyuki belongs to me! Magus, or rather, vampire. Even if you are neither, how could I hand this Greater Holy Grail over to you, who only knows how to lead the world to ruin!" Hearing these words, the shackles of fear, which unconsciously bound Dracula, were broken.
"Enough talk!" An enraged Dracula stepped forward to accelerate, but then fell awkwardly to the ground. "Guh?!" Dracula looked around and saw a sharp object inserted into his knee. This was precisely the Black Key, the conceptual armament favored by Executors.
"Because you are a vampire, I am very sorry, but as the price for gaining that incomparable power, vampires have various weaknesses."
"It cannot tolerate sunlight, and its resistance to holy seals is very weak. Moreover, it has no resistance to weapons like the Black Key, which are for the purpose of purification." However, compared to ordinary Black Keys, Amakusa Shirou Tokisada's Black Keys were even more significantly effective.
The red shroud fluttered in the wind, and silver blades danced. Having sealed all of Dracula's counterattacks with Black Keys embedded around him, Amakusa Shirou Tokisada grabbed the vampire's face. Then, Amakusa Shirou Tokisada's aura underwent a 180-degree shift. He was no longer a Master, but an entirely different existence.
"Now, it's time for prayer, nameless vampire."
"[By me I kill, and I make alive. I wound, and I heal.
Neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand, neither can any escape the watch of my eyes.]"
"[Let them be broken, the defeated, the aged, I invite them all. Entrust to me, learn from me, obey me. Rest. Do not forget the songs, do not forget the prayers, do not forget me. I gently let you forget all weight.]"
"[No need for pretense. Retaliation for forgiveness,
betrayal for trust, despair for hope, darkness for light, gloomy death for the living.]"
"[Rest in my hands. Pour oil and seal your sins. Eternal life is gained only in death forgiveness is here. I, having regained flesh, swear this here.]"
"[Please grant mercy to this soul.]"
"Ah!!!" In Dracula's wails, this monster, Dracula, formed from the fusion of Vlad III and Darnic, completely turned to dust and vanished. For Vlad III, who was a devout believer in life, being personally purified by a Saint after Mad Enhancement was perhaps the best outcome
for him!
And this was the Holy Church's ultimate technique, the Litany of Baptism. As the highest-ranking anti-spirit magecraft, it was the only miracle the Holy Church allowed to be studied. But even so, its power could not reach this level. For Servants, this had no effect. But even the best sword depends on how its wielder uses it.
For ordinary members of the Holy Church, this magecraft was indeed useless against Servants. But the one using it was not an ordinary missionary. He was a true Saint! In Amakusa Shirou Tokisada's hands, this magecraft unleashed an extraordinary level of power, directly purifying Dracula! One can only lament Darnic's luck. After all, Amakusa Shirou Tokisada, as a Saint, had an extraordinary counter to vampires!
The moment Dracula died, Jeanne and the others, who had been chasing Dracula, finally entered the chapel.
"Here?!" It could only be said that it was a great coincidence that two Saints met in such a fitting place as a chapel. The vampire, almost completely dissolved in the central corridor, was now silent and still. And beside the pile of ashes on the ground stood a young man quietly. Brown skin, silver-white hair. Draped in a red stole and cloak over a priestly robe. The moment she saw him, Jeanne finally understood everything.
"How can this be?!" Precisely because she understood everything, Jeanne couldn't help but gasp. It was too absurd, simply too absurd; it was utterly impossible. The young man before Jeanne was actually a Servant. No, that alone was fine. A Master being a Servant, while against the rules, was at least a possibility. But the problem lay in his class. He was not Saber, not Archer, not Rider, neither Berserker, nor Caster, nor Assassin.
The Servant before her was Ruler.
"Greetings for the first time, this time's Ruler."
"Is he the sixteenth Servant?!" Even the usually calm and composed Chiron could barely conceal his astonishment.
The Red Faction members who hastily caught up later were likewise astonished. Only Shirou stood watching them all, arms crossed and smiling. The reason Chiron and the others understood everything at this moment was precisely because they sensed the aura of a Servant from the young man before them.
"I am not the sixteenth person, Chiron. The sixteenth person should be the Ruler standing beside you. Strictly speaking, I should be the very first Servant among those present to arrive in the current world."
"Ruler of the Third Holy Grail War, Amakusa Shirou Tokisada, welcomes you all!"
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