In a normal war, the vanguard forces of both sides usually clash first, followed by the commanding generals carving paths through the enemy lines and engaging each other.
But for Heroic Spirits in the Nasuverse, possessing strength and Noble Phantasms beyond mortal comprehension, a single one of them was equivalent to an entire army.
Relying on the speed of his demonic horse, the Black Lancer Vlad III undeniably led the charge, becoming the first to engage the surging Dragon Tooth Warriors.
Facing the skeletal army swinging broadswords, greatswords, and spears toward him like a tidal wave, Vlad III showed no hesitation. With a cold snort, he activated his first Noble Phantasm.
"Kazikli Bey!"
There was no blood, as the enemy was merely a horde of fleshless skeletal Dragon Tooth Warriors. Yet, the instant Vlad III activated his Noble Phantasm, the sickening sound of sharp objects piercing flesh echoed abruptly across the vast plains.
The next moment, accompanied by a surge of magical energy, countless black iron stakes dripping with blood erupted from the earth, centered around Vlad III. Like a field of black reefs, they shredded the surging black tide into countless fragments of dragon teeth.
With just this single strike, the Dragon Tooth Warriors within a five-mile radius were completely annihilated.
"Hmph. Merely filthy creatures. Before my 'spear tip,' you are nothing but dry bones!"
Gazing at the Dragon Tooth Warriors continuously pouring out from the Hanging Gardens in the distance, Vlad III scoffed coldly.
As a Lancer, Vlad III wasn't a traditional spearman. Although the weapon he wielded was indeed a spear, it wasn't even a Noble Phantasm; it was simply a convenient tool.
The true "spears" that allowed Vlad III to manifest as a Lancer were the twenty thousand impaling stakes used as his method of execution in life.
These objects, which appeared to be mere torture devices, were the Black Lancer Vlad III's true weapons.
Especially here in Romania, bolstered by his territory and the skill "Demonic Defender of the State EX," these twenty thousand stakes—elevated from rank B to A—truly made Vlad III a top-tier Heroic Spirit even without utilizing his taboo Noble Phantasm.
This was precisely why Darnic, as the leader, had chosen to summon him.
At this moment, atop the Black Faction's castle, Fiore and the other Masters witnessed Vlad III annihilating countless Dragon Tooth Warriors single-handedly through the familiar feeds. They couldn't help but marvel at his power and Darnic's wise choice.
Hearing their praise, Darnic felt a surge of pride, but also a strange sense of concealment.
Especially when he looked at Vlad III's peerless figure sitting proudly atop his warhorse on the battlefield, a trace of intense craving entered his eyes.
While the Black Faction's morale soared thanks to Vlad III's opening strike, the Red Faction standing high upon the Hanging Gardens wore serious expressions.
"That Black King is very strong."
Achilles was the first to offer an assessment. This wasn't just because of the impact of Vlad III's strike; as a warrior, he possessed an innate sensitivity to the strong.
"Agreed."
Similarly, as a natural-born warrior, even from a great distance, Karna sensed Vlad III's strength. Realizing they shared the Lancer class drew his attention even more.
"Considering this is Romania, and the opponent made no effort to hide his True Name from the start, it is perfectly normal for Vlad III to display such power with a territorial boost bordering on deification."
Listening to his Heroic Spirits discussing the pitch-black King, Amakusa, who had done his research, smiled wryly and added context.
"That should be the effect of the Lord of Impalement's exclusive skill, 'Demonic Defender of the State'."
Souya offered his evaluation as well.
"Darnic likely knew he would manifest with this ability, which is why he summoned him early, made no attempt to conceal his identity, and even brazenly revealed his True Name to us."
"In other words, it is highly likely that the area centered around the Millennia Fortress, including these plains and forests, falls within the range of his 'Demonic Defender of the State'."
Hearing Souya's words, most people present felt that Vlad III would be incredibly troublesome to deal with.
A famous commander possessing full rationality and tactical acumen, whose Noble Phantasm and abilities were elevated to a level equivalent to the "Mad Enhancement" skill—such an overpowered existence was something anyone would want to avoid fighting.
But this was a Holy Grail War. As Servants and Masters, evasion was not an option.
"I will handle him."
The Son of the Sun, Karna, who shared the Lancer class with Vlad III, stepped forward.
Without hesitation, magical energy red as flame erupted from him, and an elegantly designed spear materialized in his hand.
Upon seeing the spear, Souya, Amakusa, and the battle-hungry Achilles instantly realized that this was likely the Noble Phantasm wielded by the Lancer-class Karna, the indestructible blade. And hidden within this divine blade lay his ultimate Noble Phantasm.
"O Sun, Abide to Death" (Vasavi Shakti)—commonly known as the God-Slaying Spear.
If it was Karna, victory was practically guaranteed.
Seeing him volunteer to face Vlad III, Souya and Amakusa both breathed a sigh of relief.
Souya in particular felt an immense sense of security seeing the incredibly charismatic Son of the Sun from his past life standing right in front of him.
"Then, Lancer, I leave the enemy Lancer, confirmed as Vlad III, to you."
Amakusa smiled and issued the attack order to Karna.
"Very well. Since my Master has entrusted command to you, I naturally will not disobey your orders."
Leaving those words for Amakusa, Karna leaped from the Hanging Gardens. Wreathed in flames, he plummeted toward Vlad III on the ground below like a flaming meteor.
"Alright then! Since Lancer is making his move, I certainly won't fall behind!"
Seeing Karna sound the horn of attack, Achilles became eager to join the fray.
But just as he prepared to leap down after him, Atalante stepped in his path.
"Wait a moment, Achilles."
"Hm? What is it, Atalante?"
Seeing that Atalante was the one stopping him, no matter how impatient he was, Achilles forced down his urges and stopped in place.
At the same time, Souya and the other Servants heard the commotion and looked over.
Atalante merely gave a faint smirk, a strange look appearing on her beautiful yet wild face.
"Since we are officially starting the war, allow me to clear the path for you."
Hearing this, the Red Faction members realized that the Black Faction's homunculus army and golems had reached the front lines and joined the battle.
If they allowed them to tangle with the Dragon Tooth Warriors, ignoring whether it would affect them as the primary combatants, the sheer clutter of the battlefield would make things difficult.
Understanding Atalante's intention, Amakusa did not hesitate and authorized the release of her Noble Phantasm.
The moment his words fell, Atalante nocked the two gold and silver arrows, drawing the Bow of Heaven to its absolute limit.
This time, however, her target was not anywhere on the battlefield. The Hunter angled her bow sixty degrees upwards, aiming at the sky.
Here it comes. Atalante's Noble Phantasm, Phoibos Catastrophe!
Watching the uniquely colored arrows, clearly containing the divine power of Apollo and Artemis, Souya felt a surge of excitement.
After all, this was a Servant he had maxed out in both level and bond in his previous life. To say he wasn't looking forward to it would be a lie.
As expected, accompanied by the green-clad Hunter's fierce shout, the two arrows shot into the sky. Following closely behind, countless gold and silver magical arrows rained down upon the Black Faction's homunculi and golems like a torrential downpour.
"I offer this prayer to Lord Artemis and Lord Apollo. Manifest, Phoibos Catastrophe!"
Boom! Boom!
Like countless missiles detonating, under the indiscriminate bombardment of a "Phoibos Catastrophe" clearly a rank higher than its anime counterpart, the neatly organized homunculus army was blasted apart in seconds. Even the ground level dropped slightly from the impact.
"Dammit!"
In the distance, witnessing this scene, Gordes felt immense heartache. Atalante was no Saintess like Jeanne. Raised by bears, she believed in the law of the jungle from childhood. In her eyes, there was no such thing as an innocent homunculus.
As for Gordes, as a magus, his abilities were considered excellent, but his character was lacking.
However, his humanity had not completely vanished. Compared to other magi, he still possessed normal emotions and a conscience. Therefore, even though Sieg was sent away by Souya and Siegfried did not sacrifice himself, upon seeing Sieg's desire to live, Gordes inevitably developed a different perspective on the homunculi he had created.
But unfortunately, no matter how much his heart ached, he could not stop their deaths, for such is the cruelty of war.
All Gordes could do now was furiously order the Black Saber, Siegfried, through their connection, to quickly pin down the enemy Servants and prevent further casualties.
As Gordes's Servant, Siegfried was quite satisfied with his Master's change of heart. Upon hearing the order, he did not hesitate. Wielding his Demonic Sword, he prepared to release his Noble Phantasm to scatter the arrow cloud formed by Atalante's attack.
But the moment he raised his sword and appeared on the battlefield, Kriemhild, who had been eagerly anticipating his arrival, did not hesitate. Without even notifying Amakusa, she leaped from the Hanging Gardens and charged toward Siegfried.
"Lord Siegfried! I have come for you!"
"..."
Listening to the shouts of the yandere madwoman fading into the sky, Amakusa rubbed his temples.
"Forget it. As long as she can pin down the enemy Saber, that is enough. Whether she kills him or not doesn't matter."
At this time, Achilles, thirsting for battle, also spotted the Black Berserker, Penthesilea, appearing on the battlefield following Vlad III's path. His eyes lit up, and he laughed loudly as he leaped into the air.
"Excellent! It just so happens I didn't get to finish my fight with this Amazon Queen from the same world as Atalante last time. This is the perfect opportunity. Then, everyone, I will go on ahead!"
Before anyone could react, Achilles blew a loud, piercing whistle in the air.
The moment the whistle sounded, accompanied by the neighing of horses, a silver-white chariot pulled by three divine horses materialized in midair. Achilles flipped backward onto the chariot. Calling out the names of his three horses, he charged toward Penthesilea, who was obliterating Dragon Tooth Warriors with her morning star on the battlefield below.
"Charge!"
"Troias Tragōidia!"
In an instant, Achilles's chariot broke the sound barrier, plummeting like an emerald comet.
"Phew..."
Seeing this, Amakusa exhaled a long breath. The war had now completely begun. His next task was to assist Morgan in breaking Merlin's illusion Bounded Field alongside Semiramis, and seize the opportunity to capture the Greater Grail.
But just as he turned around to speak to Souya and Morgan, he was stunned to find that Souya had removed his somewhat restrictive cassock and was stretching his body, looking ready to jump down and fight as well.
"Souya? What are you doing?" Amakusa asked instinctively.
Souya answered straightforwardly. "Warming up, of course. Then I'm heading down to fight alongside the Servants."
"What?"
Hearing this, Amakusa, the Empress, and Atalante all froze, staring at Souya in shock and disbelief.
Only Morgan maintained her composed demeanor. Instead of objecting, a smile of anticipation played on her lips.
"You can't do that!"
Amakusa frowned, but before he could say more, Souya interrupted him.
"Don't worry, Shirou. I am not an idiot. I naturally won't do something as foolish as throwing my life away."
"It just so happens our Servant distribution is a few short compared to the Black Faction. Leave the Black Rider and Assassin to me."
Hearing this, Amakusa's frown deepened. He instinctively assumed the recent battles had made Souya overconfident, causing him to forget the massive gap between a magus's magecraft and a true Servant.
But right at this moment, Morgan spoke up for Souya.
"Rest assured, priest. I know my husband's strength. With me here, no one can harm him."
Morgan smiled softly, her voice filled with pride.
"Soon, you will understand what I mean. That is the clear, radiant light exclusive to my knight."
Despite his doubts, Amakusa thought for a moment and ultimately agreed to Souya's request.
Having witnessed the bond between Morgan and Souya these past few days, Amakusa chose to trust this sister-in-law, who was far stronger than he had been as a Servant.
Souya smiled gently at Morgan. Without hesitation, his figure began to turn transparent, enveloped in golden light and white feathers.
At the last moment, Atalante, who had been watching silently, suddenly stood up. Leaving behind a quick "I'm going with him," she darted into Souya's arms like a swift wildcat. Under his caught-off-guard gaze, she teleported to the battlefield with him.
What followed was Morgan's teeth-gritting voice:
"You wild country girl!"
"Achoo!"
Somewhere in the forest outside the battlefield, Jeanne, with a few leaves still stuck in her hair, suddenly sneezed.