Fate: Hero of Justice Takeover-Chapter 200: [] The Appearance of the New Moon in Winter City

It was slaughter.

When the bullet effortlessly pierced through Acht's forehead, the gunshot that took his life also became the prelude to the second disaster for the Einzbern family.

Endless homunculi surged forward. Unlike Irisviel, who had awakened her consciousness, her siblings faithfully carried out their orders, surrounding the murderers designated by Acht before his death, their halberds thrusting forward without mercy.

It's almost laughable. It's well-known that the Einzbern homunculi are not skilled in combat. Three consecutive failures in the Holy Grail Wars have proven this fact. That's why Acht brought in a specialized weapon against magi, the infamous "Mage Killer," Kiritsugu Emiya, as the family's son-in-law.

And these combat-specialized homunculi (like Liz) were all trained by Kiritsugu during his time with the Einzbern family.

In other words, this was a battle of disciples against their master, or perhaps a master cleaning up his own house.

Of course, from the current situation, the old fox still had the upper hand.

Not letting anyone intervene, Kiritsugu's eyes were as sharp as an eagle's as he strode forward without hindrance. His beloved gun, the Contender, roared in his left hand, sending bullets crashing into the homunculi's heads, shattering them. His right hand wielded the Calico M950, spraying the remaining necromantic bullets. Any homunculus hit by them had their bodies eroded, dying in spasms and wails.

He was not a vengeful demon, but the reason for his advance was more important than revenge. Any obstacles in his path were mercilessly kicked aside.

"Time alter, Double Accel."

His figure, carrying the scent of smoke, transformed into a ghost, slipping through the encirclement of countless homunculi. The sharp halberds fell like guillotines behind him, but it was all in vain. The bullets flying from the front effortlessly took the lives of their owners.

"Still not retreating?" Breathing heavily—not out of fear, but because his body was craving oxygen—Kiritsugu coldly glanced at the homunculi continuously pouring in from outside. Finally, he decided to hold back no longer.

He opened his coat, revealing the last two heart grenades, exuding the aura of vengeful spirits.

If they exploded in this enclosed parlor, the flying teeth and nails would take the lives of all the homunculi.

"Don't..." Irisviel covered her mouth, her crimson eyes filled with tears.

Though her creation was different, Irisviel, now no different from a human, had long regarded the homunculi of Winter City as her family.

In other words, what was unfolding before her eyes was the cruel scene of her husband slaughtering her family.

Before arriving, Kiritsugu had already considered this situation and repeatedly asked Irisviel if she wanted to avoid it, but she refused.

"Even if it comes to that, I still want to witness the end of the Einzbern family."

That's what she had said at the time. But now, sorrow and regret gnawed at her heart, making the already pure Winter Princess falter.

Please, is there anyone who can save them—?

Saber deflected the homunculi's attacks with her sword, looking at Irisviel's pained expression, and sighed inwardly.

This was an unavoidable situation. The glorious King Arthur had also once violated the knight's code to slaughter an entire village of women and children to protect Britain.

The heart-wrenching pain from that time was still fresh in her memory.

But since it was the path she had chosen, no matter how bitter or painful, she had to witness it to the end—this was the responsibility and duty of being human.

That said... wasn't this scene too cruel?

Just as Saber was feeling uneasy, a sudden change occurred on the battlefield.

"That's enough, Kiritsugu Emiya."

A shadow, flowing like liquid, cut into the battlefield, swallowing the surrounding homunculi. Then, it suddenly manifested a beast's head, lunging at the lone Mage Killer.

"Danger!" Saber had already appeared behind Kiritsugu, pushing him toward Irisviel with one hand while gripping her holy sword, slashing upward from below!

The holy sword, shining with noble light, split the beast's shadow in two. However, after a brief pause, the shadowy beast reformed, circling around Saber as if mocking her, searching for an opportunity to strike.

"Return, Shadow of Imaginary Numbers." The voice rang out again. Though the shadowy beast clearly showed resistance, as a familiar, it could only reluctantly be recalled by its master, disappearing.

And the master of the Shadow of Imaginary Numbers now stood before Saber and her group—

"Who are you?!" The moment he saw the face, Kiritsugu blurted out in shock, "Are you a puppet modeled after the winner of this Holy Grail War?!"

"He looks so much like Sakatsuki..." Irisviel and Maiya Hisau exchanged glances, murmuring.

Saber silently tightened her grip on the holy sword, her instincts sending mixed signals of danger and reassurance.

The reason for their shock was simple: the boy before them looked far too much like someone unforgettable.

White, tousled hair, golden eyes, along with an overly youthful face and a shrunken stature—this boy looked almost like a younger version of Sakatsuki!

Considering the Einzbern family's exquisite homunculus craftsmanship, it was no wonder that Kiritsugu's first reaction was that this was a puppet modeled after Sakatsuki.

Facing the stunned group, the boy smiled gracefully and bowed politely.

"Long time no see, Irisviel, Kiritsugu, and Saber."

His familiar tone undoubtedly confirmed his identity.

***

"So... the result of your wish on the Greater Grail was turning into this?"

On the way to the core of Winter City, Irisviel still couldn't believe it and asked for confirmation.

The Saber group had immediately flown back to Winter City after confirming the end of the war, so they naturally didn't know about Sakatsuki's transformation.

"Exactly," Sakatsuki turned his head, showing a bright smile, "How is it? Not bad, right, Irisviel?"

Just as Irisviel was about to answer, Kiritsugu calmly changed the subject: "You said Illya is in the core of Winter City. What's going on?"

How petty... Sakatsuki glanced at Kiritsugu's unchanged expression and gave up on the idea of "charming" Irisviel. "Let's go. The core holds the answers you seek."

Walking through a long, dusty corridor, the workshop at the core, shimmering with magical light, finally appeared before them.

"What is this place?" Kiritsugu looked around, shocked.

As a Mage Killer, he had thoroughly investigated the layout of Einzbern Castle on his first day, yet he had never discovered this hidden workshop deep within Winter City!

Was it because of the magical barrier concealing it...?

As Kiritsugu pondered, Irisviel noticed the little girl sitting obediently on a chair in the center of the workshop.

Seeing the group enter, the silver-haired, red-eyed little girl smiled with delight. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ

"Kiritsugu, Mama!"

""Illya!""

***

Hey readers!

Want to read ahead? 📖 Join my Patreon for early access to 30+ advance Chapters! Your support helps me write more and bring the story to you faster.

🔹patreon.com/aarvan🔹