Vlad III, the Lord of Wallachia, was originally known as the Shield of the Lord. However, due to the extreme brutality he employed to defend his nation—impaling enemy soldiers on high stakes—he also earned the moniker "The Impaler." In later literary works, he was even transformed into Dracula, the progenitor of vampires.
Summoned in Romania, the former territory of Wallachia, he received a powerful boost to his stats. His wish for the Holy Grail was to cleanse his name of the vampire stigma that later generations had attached to it.
Having once repelled an Ottoman emperor and defended the Christian nations behind him, he earned the title of being a shield.
Yet, he could not tolerate this: Guinevere—an enemy of the Lord from his era, who had carried out her "Purification Plan" in Britain nearly a thousand years ago—now hovered above his head.
Noble Phantasm: Kazikli Bey.
This was Vlad III's B-rank Anti-Army Noble Phantasm. It could summon a total of twenty thousand stakes from any point within a one-kilometer radius. If a target was pierced even once, stakes would erupt from within their heart.
The only way to counter this attack was to envelop oneself, inside and out, with flames.
Conveniently, Guinevere possessed just such a form—a state that also allowed her to better wield her Holy Sword.
Dressed in ornate robes, with disheveled golden hair and dark circles ringing his eyes, Vlad III raised his spear and slammed its butt against the castle wall he stood upon...
In an instant, the space around Guinevere filled completely with execution stakes, leaving no room to escape.
Guinevere unleashed a burst of mana, shattering the first wave of stakes. She immediately activated her Second Noble Phantasm, Falsification, altering her own Class to Ruler.
Next, she activated the Ruler Class's Second Noble Phantasm. Declaring herself a god, Guinevere drew upon the power of the Archangel Uriel.
Golden flames blazed, enveloping Guinevere inside and out, causing her Divinity to overflow.
In this form, the dragon wings from her Caster Class's Falsification naturally faded, replaced by three pairs of angelic wings and a Divine Halo above her head.
"Master, did Guinevere ever reveal this form during the Fuyuki War?"
"She likely never used it. The Purification Plan called her a Holy Maiden, hailed as the one who would cleanse the world's filth in the Lord's name. I'm not surprised she possesses such a form. However, if word of this gets out, the Church factions on the European continent will have no choice but to canonize her. This form... it looks as though she has received the Lord's personal blessing."
The Head of the Yggdmillennia Family spoke with confidence. Vlad III, however, lost all desire to use Kazikli Bey again. As the Shield of the Lord, he was a true zealot.
Yet, his reluctance was limited only to Kazikli Bey.
"Lancer! Are you prepared to die? After this battle, I will create a collection of paintings depicting you as an ordinary man. It should help convince the people of today that you are not a vampire."
In the sky, Guinevere swung her sword. Golden flames surged across the heavens, incinerating the remnants of the execution stakes she had just shattered.
Her promise stunned Vlad III. He couldn't comprehend how she knew his deepest wish.
Yet, this did not deter him. As a king, he offered her a prayer of thanks and raised his spear high.
With the Territory Bonus further enhanced by the stacking effect of his Personal Skill, Demonic Defender of the State, Vlad III's base parameters were nearly all A-rank. He was a Servant more than capable of clashing swords with Guinevere.
After Vlad III's gesture of respect, Guinevere didn't wait for him to attack. Her sword was already closing in on his head.
The Ruler Class's Second Noble Phantasm consumed an immense amount of Mana in this form. Fortunately, Guinevere's body was composed of Black Mud, providing a Mana Supply comparable to the Holy Grail itself.
"So, it's a Noble Phantasm that tortures the soul. A pity it's ineffective."
After several minutes of combat, Guinevere felt a pang of dread with every thrust of Vlad's spear. This was due to an additional effect on his weapon, which instilled in his opponent the illusion of already being impaled.
"Is that so? I, too, hope this torment is ineffective against you."
As a king, Vlad III shouldn't have been a master of combat. But his Wallachia was a small nation caught between two great powers.
In his youth, he had witnessed his father's assassination and his elder brother's live burial. He had even fought his own younger brother for the throne.
After becoming king, he employed guerrilla warfare and scorched-earth tactics. It was only to strike terror into the hearts of his enemies and deter their armies that he chose to impale them on stakes, hoping it would be an effective deterrent.
In the end, he was not defeated on the battlefield, but by the political machinations among nations.
"Then, it's my turn to torture you! Vlad III, you impaled and displayed twenty thousand defeated Turkish soldiers. Don't you feel even a shred of guilt?"
This was Ruler Guinevere's [Judgment] Skill. She had judged him guilty, forcing him to endure this inner torment.
Yet, Vlad III's spear showed no hesitation. It was the most practical killing weapon, honed on the battlefield.
"Why should I feel guilt for defending my country and killing its enemies? From the moment the Turks set foot on Wallachian soil, they deserved death."
This single [Judgment] caused Guinevere to falter, her mind momentarily frozen by his answer. She nearly took a direct hit.
But in combat, reacting to an enemy had long become instinct for Guinevere. As her consciousness stalled, her body moved first, defending until she regained control and launched a counterattack.
A smile spread across Guinevere's face, satisfied with Vlad III's response. Her sword strikes grew even more lethal as she began to incorporate the results of her training from the past two days.
From that moment on, every swing of Guinevere's sword carried the awe-inspiring might of heaven and earth.
But the result...
"All sword techniques, though different paths, ultimately converge on the same goal: to kill more effectively. Yet, what you seek seems to be more than just that."
"Since your sword is called the [Sword of Destined Judgment], you must imbue it with the concept of severing 'Destiny' itself—grant it the power to forge entirely new worldlines!
"Understand this: it is your First Noble Phantasm, surpassing both your Second Noble Phantasm as a Caster and your Second Noble Phantasm as a Ruler.
"Those others were merely granted to you by the Human Order in recognition of your deeds."
This torrent of words left Guinevere stunned. Most shocking of all, the voice came from just twenty paces away, spoken by the "ordinary old farmer" she had come to recognize—the suddenly appeared First Hassan.
During another of her mental blackouts, Vlad III glanced at First Hassan and instantly foresaw his own defeat and death.
"So, it was you... the Angel of Death, Azrael!"
Vlad III muttered to himself, awaiting the fatal blow Guinevere would deliver once she regained her senses. But even knowing death was certain, he would struggle with all his might—just as he had once fought with teeth, nails, and even his own body against the invading great powers!
Soon, Guinevere snapped back from her trance.
This was the third time she had received guidance from First Hassan. Though he had only pointed her toward the path forward, the debt she owed him was already immeasurable.
She glanced at Vlad III, then stepped back to create some distance. Turning to First Hassan, who stood waiting twenty paces away, she performed a disciple's bow.
But to her regret, First Hassan vanished before accepting it.