Is It Wrong to Abusing Cartoon Tropes in Dungeon?

Vlad III, the Grand Duke of Romania, or as legends abroad call him, Count Dracula, was a cursed vampire in foreign tales, but in Romania, he was a national hero who defended his homeland.

In Romania, his fame as a hero was unmatched. The summoning of Heroic Spirits was influenced by several factors. First, the Master's quality determined the Servant's base attributes. A weak Master meant a weaker Servant, with reduced magical energy and Noble Phantasm potency. A famous example was a certain "hero of justice" who turned an all-A-rank Saber into a ravenous eater.

Another factor was fame. Like a magic card's field advantage, a Servant's strength grew with their renown in the Holy Grail War's location. In some cases, this could even push them beyond their class limits. Case in point: Vlad III, standing before Altair with his striking dark eye makeup.

In Romania, Vlad was the ultimate patriot, his fame amplifying his attributes to extraordinary levels, making him an exceptional Servant. On Romanian soil, his Noble Phantasm, Kazikli Bey, the Lord of Execution, could strike with devastating effect. This Noble Phantasm, born from the legend of Vlad impaling enemy armies on stakes to create a terrifying spectacle, didn't require him to move. He could simply activate it, and stakes would erupt from the ground to pierce his foes. A mowing-down machine! For Servants with low defense, it was an instant kill, being impaled from within was lethal, even for Heroic Spirits.

However, against Servants with exceptional defenses, Kazikli Bey was less effective, its attack power limited. While an anti-army Noble Phantasm, it was mainly suited for clearing fodder.

Satisfied with identifying one Servant, Altair nodded and continued prowling the Millennia Fortress, seeking others.

Inside, he encountered the Archer-class Chiron, the wise teacher of the Age of Gods; the Saber-class Siegfried, the dragon-slaying "sorry guy"; the Rider-class Astolfo, the charming paladin of Charlemagne's Twelve; the Berserker-class Frankenstein's Monster, known as Kenma; and the Caster-class… well, Altair couldn't recall his name. The guy lacked presence, a mere three-star in the game, with weak magecraft. His only notable skill was crafting disposable golems, and his sole offensive Noble Phantasm, the Eden Giant, was another golem with pitiful damage, easily crushed by any anti-army Noble Phantasm. Beyond that, he was unremarkable.

Descending further, Altair found the Greater Grail itself. He was tempted to take it, but it wasn't yet active. If it were, the Black Faction would've wished on it already. The Grail needed the war to progress to a certain point, so Altair left it be.

His scouting confirmed that, aside from the absent Assassin, the Black Faction's Servants matched the known storyline, no anomalies.

The missing Assassin was likely Jack the Ripper, prowling Tulifas on a killing spree.

With enough intel gathered, Altair exited the fortress and headed to reunite with Kairi Sisigou and Mordred, who'd retreated to a nearby forest. Using a Somersault Cloud for speed, he quickly found them.

Leaping from the cloud, Altair landed behind them, startling them before sharing his findings.

"Lancer's a local legend with a fame boost, and that Noble Phantasm sounds tricky." Kairi said.

"Indeed. The Black Faction's Lancer is offensively maxed out. Not ideal for us, nobody wants stakes sprouting from the ground to skewer them." Altair replied.

"Hah! Stakes? What's scary about those?" Mordred scoffed. "I've taken a holy lance to the gut. Stakes don't faze me."

"The stakes themselves aren't the issue. It's their surprise factor. They can strike anytime, anywhere in Romania, even erupting from inside you, causing you to implode. That kind of attack? You can't withstand it, Mordred." Altair explained.

"What?! From inside? That's disgusting!" Mordred recoiled, more grossed out than scared.

"That strong?" Kairi asked, equally stunned.

"Yup. It's a hidden feature of his Noble Phantasm. Without a counter, we're at a disadvantage." Altair said. Vlad's exceptional power in Romania stemmed from this ability, stakes bursting not just from the ground but from within his foes.

"No need to worry, though. We don't have to face Lancer head-on. We can focus on taking out the others." Altair said, counting on his fingers.

"Our Red Faction has three Servants who can counter him. First, Lancer-class Karna, the Son of the Sun. His solar armor shrugs off low-level attacks, and Kazikli Bey qualifies as low-level, so Karna's immune."

"You scouted our Red Faction too?" Kairi asked, shocked.

"Yup, back at the church." Altair said.

"In that short time?" Kairi was floored.

The world showed no major deviations, so Altair saw no issues. "Then there's Rider-class Achilles, the immortal hero. Non-divine attacks can't pierce his defenses, and his speed outpaces Kazikli Bey's stakes. Plus, his flying chariot makes him untouchable."

"And the third?" Kairi asked.

"Assassin, Semiramis, the Assyrian Empress." Altair replied.

"Semiramis? The poisoner?" Kairi said, skeptical. "She counters Lancer?"

"Her combat skills are average, but her Noble Phantasm changes the game. The Hanging Gardens of Vanity, a massive floating fortress, operates in the sky. Vlad can't target it, and if he leaves Romanian soil to pursue, he loses his homeland buff."

Altair didn't mention himself. As a Campione, his god-tier magic resistance and physical durability rendered Vlad's Noble Phantasm ineffective against him.

He briefed Kairi on the other Red Faction Servants, leaving both Kairi and Mordred stunned. This King Arthur was unreal, scouting both enemy and allied Servants, securing a massive intel advantage. Was he really a Saber? Shouldn't he consider switching to Assassin?

"With this, the Red Faction's basically guaranteed to win." Kairi said.

"On paper, yes." Altair agreed.

The Black Faction? Vlad III with his homeland boost, Chiron the divine mentor, Siegfried the dragon-slayer, Astolfo of Charlemagne's Twelve, a forgettable weak Caster, the disposable Frankenstein's Monster, and the disobedient Jack the Ripper.

The Red Faction, meanwhile, was stacked: Karna, the golden warrior; Achilles, the invincible; Semiramis with her aerial fortress; Atalanta, the divine huntress; and Altair's buy-one-get-one Saber duo of himself and Mordred. Even ignoring their Caster and Berserker, the Red Faction's five could dominate the war.

"So, our biggest threat is our own Red Faction!" Kairi concluded, strategizing.

"Yes, but not entirely." Altair said.

"Huh?"

"Our greatest enemy, besides the Red Faction, is this war's Ruler!"

***

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