How come the Ace of Cups isn't considered the Holy Grail?

"But you-"

"No buts! What are you thinking? You actually want to face that guy who can summon dragons all by yourself?" Semiramis firmly refused.

"Besides, with that knife in your hand, I'm afraid it couldn't even pierce a dragon's scales, could it?"

Amakusa Shiro Tokisada paused for a moment, met Semiramis's disapproving gaze for a while, and finally smiled as he put down the katana 'Michike Tenta Mitsuyo' forged by Shakespeare.

"Ah...you're right, then I'll leave it to you."

"Humph!"

Chapter 156 One-on-One?

"I have this feeling that I've become the villain..."

"what?"

Inside the sky garden, Leticia, who was following closely behind Yuuto, turned her head in the corridor.

Her attention had been focused on Chiron, who was clearing out any potential traps ahead, and she was afraid that he might have triggered some terrible trap. For a moment, she didn't hear what Youdu was saying.

"It's nothing." Not intending to repeat such strange words again, Yudo pulled her to a stop.

Enemies who had been waiting for a long time appeared at the front of the queue.

Lancer, Archer, Rider, and... Saber and her Master? (Red team)

Yudo looked at Mordred, who had taken off her helmet, and Shiki Jie Li behind her with a strange expression.

Aren't you guys working alone?

Why did it also appear here?

Mordred was carrying Clarent on his shoulder, scanning the Black Faction members with a beast-like gaze. When he saw Yudo, he paused for a moment because of the overly obvious look in his eyes, completely unlike his previous helpless appearance slumped in the car.

In fact, she didn't know what the situation was like either.

After all, their group did not choose to cooperate with other members of the red team, so Mordred had not yet fully recognized who her teammates were.

Even the aerial garden beneath her feet was a Noble Phantasm belonging to the Red Assassin, only discovered after she arrived.

They had spent a Command Seal to barely escape the range of Spartacus's Noble Phantasm, but before she could even rest and recover her strength, she and her car were sucked into this aerial garden.

Knowing that the fortress-like structure was likely built by their fellow Red Team members, they didn't struggle at the time, but simply remained on high alert and rested inside the vehicle.

She had only heard from Karna and the others that they were going to intercept the Black Faction's Servants, and after obtaining Shishikatsu Kairi's consent, she brought her Master along.

Mordred was still thinking about the battle where she and Siegfried fought to a standstill, only to be interrupted by Spartacus.

Naturally, she was the first to challenge Siegfried to a fight.

"Yo! Saber of the Black faction! Come and put an end to our unfinished battle!"

Like her, most of the Servants on the Red side had an unfinished battle with the Servants on the Black side, so after her, everyone else except Atalanta quickly chose their opponents.

"Come on, Achilles, it's time to continue our lesson."

Using Chiron's arrow as the signal to start the battle, the master and apprentice quickly found their battlefield along the path they had taken.

Mordred, disregarding everything, immediately engaged Siegfried in battle. As her crimson lightning erupted, a slightly slower crimson spike appeared and blocked the fireball that Karna casually shot out.

"Hmph! That saves me the trouble of looking for you, Lancer of the red team!"

Left behind, Atalanta watched Astolfo pull out his lance and Avisbro, who had already buried the core of the golem in the wall and summoned several stone golems. Atalanta gripped her bow even tighter.

what?

Let her, Archer, take on two opponents at once?

And it's against a Rider with a lot of Noble Phantasms and a Caster with a lot of puppets?

What a terrible matchmaking system!

Fortunately, although Semiramis did not appear directly, she could still provide some support to Atalanta within this aerial garden.

Seated on her throne, she channeled her magic, and a miniature purple magic circle appeared in her hand. At the same time, several magic circles appeared around Astolfo in the surveillance footage, extending chains to bind him.

Okay, now it's one-on-one.

The corridor was not very spacious, so when each person fought against their chosen opponent, they would inevitably have to break off some spikes, knock down some fireballs, dodge some arrows, and smash a few stone golems.

To be honest, the scene was quite chaotic.

Astolfo was chained, gagged, and thrown aside, where he frantically pupaed on the ground like a caterpillar.

It's not that he can't break free from these chains, but every time he manages to break free, Semiramis patiently puts them back on him. The ones on him now are the ones that have just been put back on.

Youdu stood still and looked around.

He had originally thought he would arrange an opponent for himself, such as a Ruler who had obtained a physical body in the previous Holy Grail War, which would save him the trouble of searching for the other party in this unusually large courtyard.

The result is not.

Is she hiding from him... or waiting for him somewhere?

Laetitia, who was following closely behind him, shrank back at the chaotic scene around her, afraid that she would be suddenly struck by the Crimson Lightning or burned by fire, and dared not make any big movements.

Now, looking back on her decision to join Yuuto in the Holy Grail War, and her desire to see magic and Servants—supernatural beings—Letitia couldn't help but feel helpless about her naivety at the time.

Have you seen it?

I've seen it all.

It wasn't just that she saw things; considering what she had seen during this time, the trip was definitely worthwhile...

"Mr. Yudo, let's get out of here quickly..." Leticia tugged at Yudo's trench coat, her only thought now being to get away from this chaotic battlefield as soon as possible.

She was just a weak and helpless ordinary high school girl; how could she withstand such a scorching and lightning-like treatment?

She'd probably collapse to the ground and beg Youdu not to die if she even got a little bit of the aftershock.

You Du was aware of this as well. Just as he was about to lead her away from this place of trouble, he suddenly caught a glimpse of a figure on the second floor out of the corner of his eye.

That was... Vlad III's Master?

What a close call! I almost forgot you were still alive!

"Wait, something seems to be going wrong. Let's wait a bit before we leave."

Leticia: "???"

If something bad happens, shouldn't we run away as fast as we can?

Why do we have to wait a while?

Oh right, you were the referee for the Holy Grail War...

Frustrated, Leticia simply crouched down. This way, although it would be less convenient for her to dodge danger, it would allow her to avoid some unknown area-of-effect damage.

After all, very few people specifically aim to attack downwards.

The two remained where they were, watching as Darnic, his face contorted with rage, used a Command Spell on Vlad III, who was no match for Karna due to the loss of the Netherworld's blessing.

"I give orders with the Command Seal!"

"Heroic Spirit Vlad Zepesh! Activate Noble Phantasm [Legend of Dracula]!"

The forbidden Noble Phantasm was forcibly used under the effect of the Command Spell. Vlad III's fingernails transformed into sharp blades, and his entire body became tall and thin, with a pair of bat wings sprouting from his hunched back.

"Then I gave the command with the second command spell—"

"boom!"

Seeing Vlad III gradually transform into a monster, Shishi-kai Kairi, sensing something was wrong, immediately pulled out his shotgun and fired at Danic, but his hasty aim only hit Danic's shoulder.

At the same time, Vlad III, now a vampire, pierced Danic's heart with a speed too fast for the naked eye to perceive.

Even so, Danic was still alive. He looked at Vlad III, who was irreversibly transforming into a vampire, but his broken heart struggled to utter the rest of his words.

"—Live on until you obtain the Greater Grail!"

The command spell lights up and then goes out.

He still had two Command Seals left in his hand.

Danic: "???"

why? !

Why didn't the Command Seals work?!

"Hey, have you forgotten there's a referee here?"

In the middle of the corridor, Yudo, wearing the unfolded Duel Disk, stood with a smile on his face, arms crossed, looking at Danic who was glaring at him with a face full of resentment.

To conjure up something like a vampire in front of the referee, something that would endanger the world if it got out... You're really underestimating me, aren't you?

Forbidden Magic Domain, kid!

Chapter 157 Vampire

【Bloodline】, an A+ rank anti-personnel (self) Noble Phantasm.

Just like the "Innocent Monster" skill, which distorts the Servant's abilities and appearance due to slander and misunderstanding before and after their death.

Influenced by the novels by Irish author Bram Stoker, Vlad's spirit base also possesses powerful vampire-like powers due to the legends and fabrications surrounding it.

The effect of this Noble Phantasm is to materialize the image of Dracula as passed down through generations, transforming Vlad III into a vampire.

After transforming into Count Dracula, Vlad III will seal away his ordinary skills and Noble Phantasms, and greatly enhance his physical abilities, gaining special abilities such as the ability to transform his form into animals or mist, healing, and the Mystic Eyes of Enchantment.

He will also have the weaknesses of sunlight and holy seals, just like the legendary vampires.

It is a forbidden Noble Phantasm that Vlad III would rather die in humiliation than use.

That is why Darnic, knowing that Vlad III in his vampire form would be stronger than he is now without the blessing of the underworld, used a Command Seal to force him to activate this Noble Phantasm.

The reason why Yudo said that vampires would harm the world is that he would turn those he had drunk blood into vampires for him to use, and the vampires he turned could also turn others into their own kind.

If we accidentally let him out, who knows what kind of trouble he'll cause?

"Now, as the referee of the Holy Grail War, I will rule this as an anomaly. I don't think anyone will object to that, right?"

Due to the unexpected events that occurred here, the battles on other sides also gradually stopped, or rather, had to stop.

Under the rules of the duel, they had no way to do anything harmful to others.

However, none of the Servants present were anti-heroes, so they knew how dangerous vampires were. Although they were very unhappy that the battle was forcibly interrupted, they did not jump out to oppose Yuwatari.

This move, which completely suppressed everyone present, is enough to demonstrate his ability as a referee.

Not to mention they're also busy processing all the extra information that's been added to their minds...

Today, Lion's Lair has finally experienced the same treatment as a Servant.

Danic died in front of Vlad III due to excessive blood loss. After being transformed into a vampire, his mind gradually became dominated by bloodthirsty and violent emotions, like a different kind of berserk state.

However, whenever he is about to completely transform into a monster, he retains the most basic level of clarity under the rules of the duel.

Youdu looked around and nodded in satisfaction at the crowd who were busy receiving and sorting out information.

very good!

Nobody objected!

"So, Lancer of the Black side, are you ready?" Yudou turned his gaze to the person who jumped down from the building after climbing over the railing.

Knowing what he was about to face, Vlad III gasped for breath, his hoarse voice struggling as he spoke haltingly.

"Ah... Come on! Ruler! For me, dying at your hands is far better than continuing to live in this ugly state!"

His arm briefly turned into mist, then coalesced again into a gray-black bat wing-shaped duel disk that unfolded like a fan.

"Duel!" ×2

Vlad III LP: 4000

【Yoto LP: 4000】

"My...round!"

Vlad III pulled a card from his hand with his bony fingers. His bloodshot eyes glared at him, his sharp teeth bared and opening and closing with each word he spoke.

"I will Normal Summon 'Phantom of the Vampire' from my hand in Attack Position."

A ragged, hooded young man appeared on Vlad III's field in spirit form; his sharp fingernails, scarlet pupils, and fangs all clearly indicated his identity.

This is the ghost of a dead vampire.