Chapter 43: This Battle Effect… is Too Lit!!
"You think you can defeat me just because of that?!!"
Vlad III was seething with fury.
His limbs were bound tightly by the silver chains.
Blood seeped from his restrained arms.
But at that moment—
The crimson droplets moved as if they had a will of their own!
They transformed into a multitude of razor-sharp spikes—
And shot straight toward Johanna!!!
"If I cannot touch you— Then I will completely obliterate you!!"
The blood-forged spikes hurtled toward Johanna's body—
With absolute power—
Determined to pierce through her!
"O light of the Lord, fill the land!!!"
A sacred radiance descended around Johanna. The moment the blood spikes touched the light, they instantly disintegrated.
"Give it up. The moment your Noble Phantasm became ineffective against me, this battle was already decided."
Johanna stepped forward, gripping her holy staff with unwavering eyes.
"No… I haven't lost yet!!!"
A crimson madness blazed in Vlad III's eyes.
"Even if I must become a monster— I will defeat you!!!"
His face contorted as he threw his head back and chanted:
"Not out of hatred, not for pleasure, but as an inevitable sacrifice. To spread terror upon my enemies— even if I must become a demon! Legend of Dracula!!!"
The sound of bones twisting echoed through the air as Vlad III's entire body began to transform.
His eyes turned blood-red, his fingers elongated into razor-sharp claws, and terrifying fangs emerged from his mouth.
The silver chains that should have bound him tightly—
Dropped to the ground the very next moment.
Vlad III, who had been restrained, had vanished without a trace.
"Shhhhhh—!!!"
A chilling streak of light sliced through the air.
Vlad III, now a full-fledged vampire, swung his clawed hand with deadly precision.
Recognizing the attack, Johanna swiftly raised her silver staff to block.
Although she managed to deflect it, the sheer impact sent her flying several meters backward.
"I will drain you dry!!!"
The Grand Duke launched another frenzied assault.
Each time the silver lunar rings around Johanna closed in on him, his body would disappear, only to reappear from another direction, striking without warning.
Johanna could only remain on the defensive, gradually being pushed into a disadvantage.
Seeing his opponent backed into a corner, the monstrous Grand Duke opened his mouth wide, ready to sink his fangs deep into Johanna's pale neck!
"A pitiful beast."
But at that instant, Johanna suddenly drove her silver staff straight into the ground.
A burst of radiant energy exploded at once!!!
"What—?!"
A wall of light appeared, sealing the vampire within, completely nullifying his ability to teleport.
"What are you doing, Popess?!!!"
"Vlad Țepeș… The moment you became a monster, your control over this land was lost. You discarded your humanity in pursuit of victory— that was your greatest downfall."
The sacred ground beneath Johanna's feet began to spread.
Clutching her silver staff tightly, she solemnly chanted:
"I have come to kill, I have come to save. I have come to wound, I have come to heal…"
Within the wall of light, divine flames roared— engulfing the vampire's entire body.
Pale holy fire ignited violently upon him!
"Wryyyyyyyyaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh—!!!"
The Grand Duke screamed in agony, thrashing within the storm of light.
"No one escapes my grasp. No one evades my sight. Vanish— The defeated, the withered— all shall be summoned, subdued, learn from me, and bow before me…"
Johanna's chant intensified the Grand Duke's agony.
Even as a powerful vampire, at this moment, he had become terribly weak.
"Aaaahhh… I have not lost yet! As long as I stand upon my land, I will never be defeated!!!"
He repeatedly hurled himself against the wall of light, desperately trying to break free, but no matter how much he struggled, he remained imprisoned.
"Rest now. I will gently let you forget all burdens… Mercy is here, with this body, I swear— O Lord, please have mercy…"
As the chant concluded, the vampire-turned Grand Duke was completely incinerated, leaving behind only a pile of ashes.
"Even after becoming a monster, you still sought to protect your land?"
Johanna gazed at the remains and shook her head slightly.
"But this is not your homeland. Rest in peace, Heroic Spirit of Romania."
—
The system carefully split the screen to display both battles simultaneously.
Seeing Johanna overturn the situation and claim victory, the viewers in the livestream—who had been sweating in anxiety—finally sighed in relief.
[Johanna-chan's battle effects are amazing, just as good as Mo-chan's, right?]
[The other fight ended a while ago. In terms of combat ability, the other side is still a level stronger.]
[This was a magic battle, the other was melee. Of course, magic fights take longer.]
[Popess vs. vampire, absolutely on theme!]
[How could this battle not be "lit" enough???]
[Vlad III: I'm literally on fire!!!]
[Anyone saved the chant just now? I have a friend who wants to use it for missionary work.]
[Be honest, is that friend actually you?]
...
[System: 'Father Luke from the New York Church' has sent 1,000 Saint Quartz!]
[Message: Thank you to the host and Popess Johanna for spreading the Gospel. May the Lord bless you all!]
...
The moment the donation appeared, the entire chat exploded.
[Holy crap, a church member is watching too?!]
[Wait, are they here to hunt heretics?]
[Oh no!!! The host is about to get burned at the stake.]
[Is this guy legit? Someone verify!]
,,,
[System: 'Father Zhang from the Beijing Church' has sent 10,000 Saint Quartz!]
[Message: Host, would you like to visit our church for a livestream tour? If you need a filming location, we can provide professionals and facilities free of charge.]
...
The massive message flashed across the screen, leaving the entire chat dumbfounded.
[Wait, ANOTHER priest is here too???]
[The host has definitely caught the church's attention now.]
[Do churches have Wi-Fi?]
[Of course, we are not savages.]
—
Seeing the dangers around Mordred and Johanna resolved one after another, Ethan finally let out a temporary sigh of relief.
Clang! Clang! Clang! ——————!!!
But on this side, no matter how much Mash attacked, the horde of Dead Apostles continued to charge, relentlessly striking.
"Haa… haa…"
Mash's stamina was gradually depleting, her breaths becoming labored.
Unlike other Servants, Mash was only a Demi-Servant who had just begun fighting—she didn't even know the name of her Noble Phantasm yet.
Even so, she stubbornly held the defensive line, refusing to let Ethan behind her fall into danger.
"Useless pawns, being wiped out one after another."
From deep within the forest, Carmilla's furious voice echoed.
"I can't afford to keep playing. Otherwise, that witch will never let me go."
Whoosh————————!!!
Another sinister beam of light shot forward at terrifying speed.
"Senpai, watch out!!"
Mash immediately raised her shield, blocking the attack.
"Fufufu… you've fallen into my trap~."
A chilling presence suddenly appeared right behind Ethan.
A moment later, an enchanting noblewoman's face emerged right beside him.
"Young man, don't blame me for this."