On the battlefield where Carmilla and Elizabeth Bathory clashed.
Adam was making his way there, followed closely by Kiyohime, Draco in her second Saint Graph, and Ciel in her dazzling third Saint Graph.
Carmilla and Elizabeth Bathory were still fighting intensely.
The two dragon girls were putting on a classic Type-Moon show: one fighting her own self.
Elizabeth had been unable to gain any advantage. After dozens of exchanges, the battle still showed no decisive winner.
After another round, the two temporarily separated.
Elizabeth glared at Carmilla, grinding her teeth in fury. She stomped hard on the grass as if it were her enemy.
"You damn woman! Damn, damn, damn!"
Carmilla looked at her past self throwing a childish tantrum and curled her lip in disdain.
"This version of 'me' is truly annoying," she said, her beautiful face filled with disgust.
Elizabeth's anger flared even hotter. Her pointing finger trembled as she spoke, her voice mixing rage and confusion.
"I should be the one saying that! Why did someone like you become a Servant?!"
Carmilla scoffed again, looking at her like an ignorant child.
"Is that all you have to say?"
"To me, the fact that you became a Servant while still clinging to your original form is even more detestable."
"I am the Blood Countess feared and respected by the world. That is my true, complete form. You are nothing but a half-finished product in comparison."
"I feed on fear and manifested as an Anti-Heroic Spirit, which is why I can stand here."
"But you?"
Carmilla looked down at Elizabeth with extreme arrogance.
"You are trying to devour my existence. All you're doing is desperately refusing to age and fearing being sealed away."
"Though I suppose that isn't surprising. To you, I am the crystallization of sin—the crime you committed with your own hands, the indelible record of slaughter."
After hearing those words, the anger slowly faded from Elizabeth's face.
She wanted to argue back instinctively, but she knew Carmilla was speaking the truth.
A look of dejection appeared on her face, and her voice lost its previous vigor.
"Yes… you are my true nature, and you are my inevitable end."
"You are the symbol of the sins I can never erase, no matter how much I cry or scream."
"Denying your existence is the same as running from the crimes I committed."
Then, Elizabeth's tone suddenly shifted. The dejection vanished, replaced by burning determination.
"But—!"
"I cannot simply ignore the mistakes I've made. Even if it's an ugly self-deception, I will still shout it proudly…"
"I refuse to become someone like you!!!"
Seeing her past self stand so firmly, Carmilla was momentarily stunned.
She truly could not tolerate Elizabeth living in ignorant youth, but for a split second, something inside her wavered.
She quickly suppressed that feeling and, to cover her lapse, put on her arrogant attitude again.
"I was wondering what you were getting so worked up about."
"How foolish. We are ghosts of the past. Our future is already set in stone~"
"No matter how much you resist, you will become me in the end!"
Carmilla was right. As Servants, they had already died once. For them, both past and future were fixed. You could not change what had already happened.
For Elizabeth, her future was destined to turn into Carmilla.
Even so, Elizabeth's passionate will and dream for the future only burned brighter.
She stared at Carmilla—the future she was fated to become—and roared her defiance.
"I know that better than anyone! Even so, the current me will still say this."
"I will absolutely never become someone like you!"
"Even if my future is already decided, I will keep denying it!"
"And I will keep singing!"
Carmilla's inner turmoil had been growing stronger—until she heard the last line.
She had even begun to admire her past self's attachment to a bright future and started questioning how far her own life had strayed from her childhood dreams.
But the moment Elizabeth said "I will keep singing," Carmilla snapped out of it. Her expression completely collapsed.
Sealed memories flooded back. Any budding admiration vanished instantly, replaced by urgent denial of her black history.
"You—!"
Carmilla's face twisted with panic.
"Give up on that unrealistic dream right now!"
"Becoming an idol singer and embarrassing yourself in front of everyone…"
"Ugh~ Just the thought is unbearable!"
Desperate to bury her black history, Carmilla unleashed everything she had. All her attacks rained down on Elizabeth in full force.
Elizabeth was shocked by how Carmilla viewed her dream and fired back passionately while defending herself.
"You're calling it embarrassing?!"
"Come on, did your brain rot in the future or are your ears broken too?!"
"My singing voice can captivate thousands!"
Carmilla, remembering how audiences had actually fainted because the singing was terrible, grew even more determined. Her attacks became sharper, faster, and more ferocious, pushing to 120% of her power.
Elizabeth gradually found herself overwhelmed.
"You damn woman! How did you suddenly get so strong?!"
She couldn't understand why she had gone from even footing to being suppressed so quickly.
"Because of the shame, you self-aware fool!"
Carmilla practically roared the words.
I cannot lose. Not when my black history is at stake!
Her attacks continued to intensify.
Elizabeth was slowly pushed to her limit.
Finally, Carmilla swung her bat-shaped staff and fired a magical blast.
Elizabeth leaped to dodge it.
While still in mid-air, she saw Carmilla swing her staff downward, dark purple magical energy gathering.
"Disappear forever, my black history!"
A black-purple portal opened above Elizabeth. Something massive was about to crash down from it.
It was Carmilla's Iron Maiden.
If it hit, Elizabeth would be crushed into paste.
Is my idol dream going to end here…?
Trapped in the air with no way to dodge, Elizabeth closed her eyes in fear.
But instead of the crushing impact, she only heard the soft sound of her own feet landing on the grass.
"Need some help?"
Hearing the familiar voice, Elizabeth opened her eyes.
Adam stood there, reaching out a hand to help her up.
She lit up like she had seen her savior and immediately jumped into his arms, pressing herself tightly against him.
"Perfect timing, puppy!"
"You're here! Quick, help me beat this disgusting woman!"
Adam listened, then slowly turned his gaze toward Carmilla.
Question: Where did the Iron Maiden Carmilla dropped on Elizabeth go?
Answer: It was punched into pieces by Ciel in her third Saint Graph.
Collect the Iron Maiden fragments to synthesize a golden-rank equipment—[Carmilla's Iron Maiden].
Carmilla had watched the entire thing. She swallowed nervously. If that punch had hit her instead… Her body was nowhere near as durable as her Noble Phantasm.
Seeing Adam beside Elizabeth, she immediately understood he was the Master Jeanne d'Arc Alter had warned her about—the troublesome one.
If she had to fight him, she was finished.
She glanced at the scattered fragments of her Iron Maiden and broke into a cold sweat. Still trying to put up a strong front, she shouted at Adam, though her voice betrayed her fear.
"Hey… you, Master over there! This is between me and myself…"
"An outsider like you shouldn't interfere!"
She tried to sound tough, but when she noticed Ciel looking at her, her tone immediately softened.
"So… please don't interfere… okay?"
Adam smiled at how Carmilla tried and failed to act strong.
"Sure, Carmilla."
"Neither Ciel nor any of my other Servants will interfere."
"I'll only let 'Elizabeth' fight you."
Carmilla stared in disbelief.
"R-Really? You really won't interfere?"
While some rejoiced, others despaired.
Elizabeth looked at Adam in shock.
"Eh?! Puppy?"
She grabbed his clothes tightly, looking up at him with pitiful eyes like a little puppy.
Adam leaned down and whispered gently into her ear.
"Don't worry. I'm right here."
His words carried a strange familiarity that calmed Elizabeth's unease.
Carmilla watched Elizabeth cling to Adam and felt an inexplicable irritation.
"Alright, 'me'!"
"Stop hiding behind that man like a coward and come face me!"
"Weren't you going to change your future?"
"If you can't even beat me, how do you plan to overcome the future?"
However, the one who stepped forward wasn't only Elizabeth.
"Your opponent isn't just her," Adam said as he swiped at the air in front of him, as if browsing through a list.
"What do you mean?"
"Didn't you say you wouldn't interfere?!"
Seeing Adam approach, Carmilla frowned and took two nervous steps back.
"I said I would only let 'Elizabeth' fight you."
"I never said it would be only one 'Elizabeth.'"
Adam gave her a polite smile.
"W-What do you mean…?"
"You'll find out soon enough."
The moment he finished speaking, another Servant appeared beside him.
She looked like an Elizabeth Bathory who was even younger than the one standing there.
***
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