Adam had reached the edge of the battlefield where Vlad III and Saint George were clashing.
The fight was still locked in a stalemate. Sword and spear rang out again and again—clang, clang, clang—neither side able to gain a clear edge.
Adam watched the two Servants, his eyes fixed on Vlad III, as an idea took shape.
He opened his Servant roster. The deployment screen showed a certain mysterious Executor lady already queued in the third slot, ready to answer his call.
But Adam didn't summon her yet.
Instead, his gaze drifted to another entry: his own Vlad III—the Lancer version.
In Adam's Chaldea, ever since both the Lancer and Berserker versions of Vlad III had been summoned, the Lancer had gone out of his way to avoid the Berserker. He refused every attempt Adam made to bring the two together and clear the air.
From experience, Adam knew the Lancer held some kind of misunderstanding about his other self. But every time Adam tried to arrange a meeting, the Lancer would shut it down immediately.
The Vlad III fighting here in the France Singularity was technically a Lancer, yet his mannerisms screamed Berserker—most likely the result of Jeanne Alter's Mad Enhancement twisting his mind in that direction.
Either way, Adam decided to treat this version like the Berserker he knew. It was the perfect chance to finally resolve the knot in his own Lancer's heart.
Under the current circumstances, the Lancer wouldn't be able to run from this confrontation. After all, the enemy standing in front of them was still an enemy of Adam's—and when it came to protecting his Master, the Lancer would face even himself without hesitation.
From Saint George's perspective, he still didn't know the enemy's True Name. Adam hadn't had the chance to share that detail when they were discussing Jeanne Alter's forces earlier. So Saint George fought cautiously, probing for clues in the vampire's fighting style that might reveal who he really was and allow a targeted counter.
He had already caught glimpses during their exchanges. This opponent's every move screamed vampire.
Clang!
Another collision of sword and spear. This time Saint George didn't pull back. He planted his feet and pushed, locking weapons at point-blank range.
Staring straight into the other Servant's eyes, he asked sharply, "Several times during our fight, your attacks carried the clear intent to drink my blood. That style of combat… you're a vampire, aren't you?"
He had closed the distance on purpose, wanting to watch the enemy's face up close. A Servant's True Name was their most guarded secret; most would deny it outright. But reading micro-expressions at this range, Saint George was confident he could spot the lie.
What he didn't expect was for Vlad III's lips to curve into an open smile, the vampire admitting everything without a shred of shame.
"Hoh~"
"I didn't think you'd figure it out so quickly. Then again, I made no effort to hide my thirst for the blood flowing through your veins."
"That's right!"
"I am a vampire who craves blood."
Far from denying it, Vlad III proudly embraced the title.
Saint George's eyes widened in surprise at the frank confession—
—but before he could respond, a new voice cut across the battlefield.
"You should really finish that sentence properly, Grand Duke. The way you phrased it is a little misleading and open to misunderstanding."
The moment the unfamiliar voice rang out, Vlad III slammed his spear forward with sudden force, shoving Saint George back several meters. The Rider retreated another dozen steps on his own, recognizing the speaker and knowing reinforcements had arrived.
Both Servants turned toward the source of the voice.
It was Adam.
"Who the hell are you?" Vlad III demanded, eyes narrowing as he watched Adam approach.
For some reason the man felt strangely familiar… and far more dangerous than he looked. Vlad III's instincts screamed that this newcomer was extremely dangerous.
Adam smiled faintly, as if the question had reminded him of something. "Just a passing Master."
"A passing Master?" Vlad III frowned.
Then the memory of what Jeanne Alter had told him clicked. "I see. So you're the troublesome one my Master mentioned, correct?"
"Maybe~" Adam replied lightly. "Though we've got two Masters running around here. Who's to say the 'troublesome Master' Jeanne Alter was talking about isn't Fujimaru Ritsuka instead?" He said it with an easy, joking tone.
Vlad III arched an eyebrow, catching the playful lilt and refusing to take the bait seriously.
Once he had confirmed Adam's identity, his thoughts circled back to the very first thing the man had said. Curiosity burned in his chest.
"What did you mean by that earlier remark?" he asked. "And why did you call me by that title? Are you… familiar with me?"
Adam chuckled. Was he familiar with Vlad III? Of course he was. There had been a stretch where he deployed the Berserker version more than almost any other Servant.
"I am very familiar with you, Grand Duke. And not just with you—I know the other you pretty well too."
"The other me?" Vlad III's interest sharpened. "What do you mean by that?"
"Another version of you from a different class, Grand Duke," Adam answered simply.
Vlad III let out a short, scornful laugh, clearly not buying it. "Hoh~ And what exactly is this 'other me' like?"
"You'll find out in a moment."
Adam temporarily swapped the Executor lady out of the deployment queue and moved Vlad III (Lancer) into the active slot instead.
The moment he confirmed the summon—
Vlad III (Lancer) materialized right beside Adam.
The Singularity Vlad III stared at the identical figure standing next to his enemy, eyes widening in genuine shock. He had heard Jeanne Alter say this Master could summon Servants, but he had never imagined the man could summon another version of himself.
Vlad III (Lancer) glanced around, still orienting himself, then looked to Adam. "Master, did you summon me here? What's wrong? Did you run into trouble?"
His voice carried that familiar manic edge—not directed at Adam, simply his natural state. In a way, it almost felt like the classes had been swapped: the Lancer hid calm beneath madness, while the Berserker hid madness beneath calm.
"There is something I need you to handle, Lancer Grand Duke," Adam said. He gestured toward the enemy below and repeated the words the Singularity Vlad III had just spoken—his open admission of being a vampire.
The moment the Lancer heard it, rage exploded across his face. Blood vessels bulged in his eyes as he glared down at his counterpart.
"Do you even realize what you're saying?!" he roared. "For years I have fought tooth and nail to deny the slander that I am a vampire! Look at what I have become because of those filthy rumors! And you—you stand there and casually admit it?!"
"Have you lost all pride as a hero?!"
The Singularity Vlad III listened in silence for a few seconds, then let out a weary sigh and shook his head slowly.
"That is not the case, other me."
"I despise my identity as a vampire just as much as you do."
***
If you want to read up to 25 chapters ahead, don't hesitate to visit our patron: pat reon . com / XElenea (remove space)