Fate: Hero of Justice Takeover-Chapter 606

Chapter 606: Little Alice Who Gets Sold Out Yet Still Helps Count the Money

Rin Tohsaka had to admit that her initial approach to Sakatsuki had ulterior motives.

Her goal in participating in the Holy Grail War was to achieve ultimate victory, and to that end, she needed to leverage every available resource. Sakatsuki, a first-rate fighter and someone she already knew well, was undoubtedly a prime candidate for recruitment.

Though she had gradually been moved by Hakuno and become her close friend... she had never truly abandoned this ambition. It was just that, as she came to understand Sakatsuki better, she found the prospect increasingly unlikely.

Rin didn’t know how Hakuno had managed it, but Sakatsuki was clearly a man of strong convictions. He appeared gentle and humble, but beneath that exterior lay an unyielding pride—he wasn’t the type to make promises lightly.

Moreover... she always felt that Sakatsuki harbored many secrets, like a lightless black hole. Even Hakuno, she suspected, hadn’t truly reached the depths of his heart.

A Servant so enigmatic and self-possessed—even someone as proud as her had no confidence in controlling him.

And yet now—Sakatsuki had actually offered to become her Servant?!

"Don’t get too excited, Rin." Sakatsuki’s voice dipped slightly, carrying a barely perceptible hint of amusement. "I regret to inform you that, just like Hakuno, what you’ve received is merely a trial version. It’s only because you defeated your opponent in the third round ahead of schedule that I’m willing to help you this once."

Hearing this, Rin couldn’t help but glance at Alice, finally understanding Sakatsuki’s meaning. "In other words, you’ll only assist me in this round?"

"Correct." The young man nodded. "Consider it an advance payment."

Truth be told, when she heard that Sakatsuki wouldn’t truly join her, Rin actually felt a wave of relief—this was the man she knew.

But soon, her excitement returned. "This is a huge help. The opponent I’m facing this time is arrogant, ruthless, nouveau riche... but the Servant he summoned is genuinely troublesome, the kind I’d have a hard time dealing with."

"You know him?"

"Yeah. After all, he’s the head of the magi families in the Middle East. He and our resistance forces never got along—we’ve clashed a few times over oil disputes. Or, more accurately, tried to kill each other a few times."

It was only in moments like these that Sakatsuki could clearly remember that this world’s Rin wasn’t the girl from Fuyuki, but rather a military leader active in the Middle East. Even as she spoke of such brutal events, her expression remained unshaken.

"The most dangerous time, the entire oil field blew up. I spent a month in intensive care, while that guy lost most of his limbs and had to replace most of his organs with prosthetics..." At this point, Rin shrugged. "And that’s how we became mortal enemies."

"Truly befitting of an Oil King," Sakatsuki couldn’t help but remark.

"Who?" Rin blinked in confusion, but quickly grabbed Sakatsuki’s arm and eagerly pulled him toward the door. "Never mind! Anyway, if I only get to use you once, there’s no harm in showing off a little, right, Sakatsuki?"

"I’m going to make that insufferable nouveau riche bastard understand that I—ahem, that this lady isn’t someone to be trifled with!"

The infirmary door swung open and shut, and just like that, Sakatsuki and Rin were gone.

And at that very moment, the girl named "Kishinami Hakuno" opened her eyes.

Her gaze was vacant, her mind blank, yet she heard voices and saw departing figures walking side by side.

"Sakatsuki..."

Repeating this familiar yet strange name, the girl suddenly clutched her chest and pressed her lips together.

It hurt here, just a little.

————

In the gymnasium, Rin finally found her old rival.

Although... the scene was somewhat... well... hard to describe.

"Hey, Rin Tohsaka." Sakatsuki’s expression was complicated as he pointed at the basketball rolling on the floor, his lips twitching. "Where did you buy this functional prosthetic opponent of yours? It can serve as both a head and a ball to kick around."

"Stop, just stop..." Rin’s face turned slightly green as she covered her mouth and looked away. "I didn’t expect it to turn out like this either... ugh..."

Before them, several Masters lay peacefully on the ground. Though someone had mischievously arranged them into various shapes, the individuals themselves had no complaints, their Servants remained silent, and naturally, no one else dared to comment.

But even though this was a basketball court, wasn’t it a bit against the rules to ignore the official game balls and bring their own ’basketballs’ to play with—one for each person?

Noticing the conspicuous red mark on the hoop, Sakatsuki couldn’t help but complain internally.

Judging by the shape and force of that mark, it might have even been a perfect three-pointer!

It was almost a miracle the brain matter hadn’t splattered everywhere.

"My, my, what a wanton display of destruction."

A deep, magnetic voice rang out as the stern-faced overseer in priestly robes emerged from the shadows. Witnessing such a bloody scene, he couldn’t conceal the delight in his eyes: "To remove the heads of three Masters... you certainly have quite the imagination."

"Wait, Father Kirei, this wasn’t us!" Rin Tohsaka hurriedly distanced herself. "We’re just witnesses!"

As she tried to explain further, Sakatsuki suddenly stepped in front of her, facing the sadistic overseer.

"The Moon Spirit Crystal watches over everything in Tsukihirai, Kirei Kotomine. You should already know who the culprit is."

After a long stare-down, the priest with the familiar name and familiar face shrugged and sighed in boredom. "Fine. In any case, congratulations, Master Rin Tohsaka. Your third-round opponent has been eliminated early, so you can prepare for your next match ahead of time."

With that, he clasped his hands behind his back and turned to leave—only to be stopped by an irritated voice.

"Wait. You still haven’t told me who killed this guy."

"Oh?" The priest turned back to see the twin-tailed girl biting her lip, her calm tone belying her anger.

"If someone took the liberty of dealing with my opponent, I should return the favor."

"Hmph... an amusing little thing." The priest calmly turned away, melting into the shadows. "No harm in telling you early. Her name is Lanlujun."

Lanlujun?

The unfamiliar name made Rin frown, but Kirei Kotomine’s final words still echoed through the gymnasium.

"But her Servant is someone you definitely won’t forget."

"After all, it’s the one who caused such a ruckus in the preliminaries."

And so, the white-haired, blood-eyed spearman resurfaced in both their memories.

————

An unfamiliar ceiling...

Nero lay with her eyes open, staring blankly upward.

In the morning, they caught the culprit behind the daily feedings and learned that Master Hakuno had been taken. Then, Sakatsuki and Nero stepped into the arena...

And then?

Her memories after that were as hazy as if she’d drunk counterfeit liquor. She struggled to recall, but only fragments surfaced.

Like those childish remarks, like being carried around and treated like a doll by Sakatsuki, like clinging to him and refusing to let go, and...

Why is a raven like a writing desk?

Covering her eyes with her arm, Nero could feel the heat in her cheeks. Suppressing the urge to scream, her breathing grew increasingly rapid, as if suddenly drowning in a sea of pink bubbles.

Nero-class, heavily damaged!

It was like recalling childhood embarrassments decades later—still enough to make one cringe hard enough to dig out a three-bedroom apartment. But Nero’s shameful memories were even worse.

After all, it had just happened recently—acting all spoiled and obedient despite being an adult, a complete social death! 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

"I’m going mad..." Nero muttered to herself, just as she heard a young man’s gentle voice.

"Gladiolus flowers symbolize ’forgetfulness.’ Do you have a past you wish to forget? Or is it all things you’d rather not lose?"

No, it’s better to forget... completely and utterly!

Since time can’t be reversed, maybe turning herself back into a fool would work? At least then she wouldn’t have to writhe in shame!

Just as Nero was about to respond, a clear, childish voice chimed in. A girl seemed to shake her head and reply softly:

"Though there are things I’d like to forget, Alice wants to keep the memory of meeting Alice. If I forgot that, I’d be very sad, wouldn’t I?"

Alice and... Alice?!

Nero sat up abruptly, staring blankly at the scene nearby—a young man crouching down to speak with a girl in a pale blue dress.

"Are you talking about her? The Servant (Caster) who took on your appearance?"

Alice, whose True Name in a certain grand order of fate was ’Nursery Rhyme’—a Servant not derived from an actual hero but an inherent bounded field reflecting the Master’s heart.

After forming a contract with Alice, her appearance became a mirror of her Master, transforming into an innocent, fragile child—the ideal friend Alice most wished to meet.

Sakatsuki held a bouquet, weaving something as his gaze settled on the girl in the violet-black dress—the ’Alice’ mentioned by Alice. "Did you hear that? Alice doesn’t deny her past memories."

"...Mean." Alice—or rather, Nursery Rhyme—wore a displeased expression. Though she saw through Sakatsuki’s ploy, as a Servant, she wouldn’t refuse her Master’s wishes.

"If you want to preserve the joyful moments, you must face the hardships that come with them," Sakatsuki said with a smile. "In other words, misdeeds must be punished. Since you erased those two sisters’ memories—"

The young man pointed at Nero lying on the bed... and the bewildered Hakuno beside her. "You’ll have to take care of this sister until her memories return. If you’re a good and adorable Alice, I’m sure you can manage that, right?"

"Obedient and adorable..." Alice’s fairytale-like pink eyes sparkled as she nodded vigorously. "Mhm, I’ll definitely take good care of the March Hare, don’t worry, Mad Hatter brother!"

March Hare and Mad Hatter? What kind of strange nicknames were those?

Nero was puzzled, but then she saw Sakatsuki curl up the corners of his mouth in satisfaction as he placed the woven gladiolus wreath on the girl’s head. "Alice, you must bravely face unknown challenges and courageously stride toward the future."

"Yes, I definitely will!" The girl’s eyes shone brightly. "If sister wakes up, can we have a tea party? A tea party hosted by the March Hare!"

"Of course we can, little Alice." Sakatsuki beamed with a sunny smile, while Nero stood dumbfounded beside them.

On the surface, it looked like a heartwarming scene of a big brother getting along harmoniously with his little sister—full of joy and touching beauty.

But to put it another way, the cunning and deceitful Lord Sakatsuki had not only captured his opponent from the third battle alive but also used sweet talk to trick an innocent little girl into becoming a caretaker... Even more astonishing, Alice was happily helping this black-hearted capitalist count his money after being sold!

Truly worthy of you, Sakatsuki!