Fate: Hero of Justice Takeover-Chapter 609

Chapter 609: Was That Half-Step Back Serious?

Vlad III didn’t lower his voice. The words "Who exactly are you?" rang clearly in everyone’s ears.

This should have been the opening line that could lead to tens of thousands of words of suspenseful plot. Any normal person would surely be curious about this and attempt to investigate the truth, right?

Yet everyone present were magi, whose way of existence was far more direct and pure.

Who Sakatsuki is—what does that have to do with me?

All I need to know is that the young man standing here now is strong, strong enough to be a top-tier tool for exploitation—that’s more than sufficient.

The Masters thought with such indifference, unaware that it was precisely because Sakatsuki saw through this that he consistently refused their recruitment.

This was the contradiction of the Holy Grail War—the more orthodox the magus, the harder it was to resonate with the heroic spirits they summoned, while those Masters who still retained some softness in their hearts would often be trapped by the cocoon woven from morality and sentiment.

Fortunately, throughout the generations of Holy Grail Wars, the brilliance of humanity always shone. As long as this light was guarded, it could illuminate the path of travelers.

The thought lasted only an instant. Sakatsuki glanced sideways and saw the worried expressions of Nero and Rin. He smiled faintly and turned his face away.

But now, it wouldn’t be so easy to fool them...

"You’re not the one from the preliminaries. Where is he now? Who are you?"

Vlad III was still shouting, but inadvertently, he had already retreated to his Master’s side. Blue Road stared at him blankly, then grabbed his armor as if realizing something.

No words were needed. Their mutual understanding made Blue Road realize that his Servant intended to flee.

Although Vlad III sensed something off about Sakatsuki’s aura, the fact that he had effortlessly stopped the spear with one hand clearly indicated that his strength still surpassed that of a top-tier Servant.

Vlad III might have been falsely rumored to be a vampire, but he wasn’t actually suffering from brain thrombosis. Having already been beaten once in the preliminaries, what was the point of going up again now? To ask for another beating?

No one would have expected that the seemingly valiant Servant from moments ago was now thinking of running away. Just as Vlad III steeled himself to make his escape, he felt a gaze land upon him.

A gaze has weight.

Realizing this, Vlad III shuddered. He saw Sakatsuki raise the spear and flash him a rather ominous smile.

"Leaving so soon? That’s too polite of you."

With a metallic clang, terrifying force was poured into the spear, causing it to tremble and hum. The moment Sakatsuki released it, it vanished like a shooting star.

"I don’t accept gifts without my Master’s permission—here, take it back!"

Amid the Archer’s sinister laughter, the oversized "arrow" shot forth like an enraged dragon. Vlad III’s pupils contracted sharply as he crossed his arms. His ferocious iron armor shimmered with sacred radiance, the blessing of faith descending just as the brutal spear collided with him.

BOOM!

An invisible shockwave erupted, drawing gasps from the stands as a gale swept through the arena, toppling the Masters in the front rows and stirring the warrior’s mottled white hair. Facing Sakatsuki’s full-powered throw, the man had actually used his own body as a shield, refusing to retreat even half a step. The radial cracks suddenly forming in the sunken ground beneath his feet and his seemingly fragile gauntlets—delicate as porcelain—testified to the sheer ferocity of the blow.

But he had blocked it! 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

After a brief moment of dizziness, Vlad III instinctively raised his head, searching for his beloved spear that Sakatsuki had hurled back at him.

He saw the war spear, suspended momentarily in midair from the recoil.

He also saw the cloak burning like flames, and the tall, straight figure clinging close to the spear’s side!

Bad!

Vlad III’s warrior instincts screamed in alarm. Casting aside all decorum, he turned and wrapped his arms around his Master, then—with his back to the murderous Sakatsuki—bolted at full speed.

He was actually running away!

The Masters in the stands erupted in uproar. Under the clear moonlight, Sakatsuki noticed Vlad III’s movements as well, his lips curling into a mocking smirk.

"A wound on the back is a swordsman’s disgrace, oh Prince!"

He began his descent, headfirst toward the ground, his right foot tracing a smooth arc like a shooting star chasing the moon.

An overhead bicycle kick!

The tip of his foot struck the spear’s tail with pinpoint accuracy, channeling his full body’s force violently into the weapon. With a piercing shriek, the spear shot toward its owner at even greater speed, piercing through the protection of faith before impaling Vlad III’s right flank!

This was the second "arrow" Sakatsuki had prepared for Vlad III.

"Guh—!" Blood sprayed uncontrollably from his mouth, but Vlad III dared not stop. He didn’t even have the chance to pull out the spear. All he could manage was a hate-filled glance over his shoulder at Sakatsuki before vanishing beyond the arena.

Only the handsome young man remained at the center of the arena, his crimson attire billowing like flames.

Silence fell.

Though they had anticipated Sakatsuki’s strength, his performance still left the Masters stunned.

Two "arrows."

Just two improvised attacks had crippled Vlad III, sending him fleeing in disgrace.

Such overwhelming dominance made it almost easy to forget that Vlad III was also a hero—a ruthless warrior who, not long ago, had slaughtered other Servants as effortlessly as slaughtering chickens.

If Vlad III was a beaten dog, then what did that make them?

"Sakatsuki?"

A flash of red leaped down into the arena, subtly pushing Tamamo out of view before running to Sakatsuki’s side. But what she heard was the young man’s regretful murmur.

"Not enough yet..."

"Huh?"

Nero blinked, staring at him in confusion, but Sakatsuki didn’t answer. Instead, he tilted his head back, gazing at the eternally tranquil moon.

The battle with Vlad III had been just an interlude. He still had more important matters to attend to.

Now that his opponent in the third round had been subdued, and with Rin looking after Hakuno until her memories returned, his strength had mostly recovered. He had thought he could finally pursue that goal—

But judging from today’s fight, he was still one step short.

Sakatsuki clenched his fist, feeling the power coursing through his body, then released it with a sigh.

After the second round, his magecraft, Mystic Eyes, combat techniques—all had been fully restored.

But his physical prowess hadn’t caught up yet.

If his Dragonkind physique were still intact, the first strike just now would have pierced straight through Vlad III.

If he were to do that thing now, perhaps it’s still a bit lacking.

That was what Sakatsuki thought, unaware of how utterly pretentious his words sounded to Nero.

"Thou, this fellow..." The girl puffed up her cheeks and angrily pinched Sakatsuki’s face. "We are both Servants, how can the difference be so vast? Thou givest me no chance to shine at all! I am displeased, most displeased, for thou hast stolen all the glory!"

"Stop fooling around, Your Majesty... mmm..." Faced with Nero’s antics, Sakatsuki could only sigh helplessly and let her have her way.

Thus, the Masters, who had just recovered from Vlad III’s retreat without a fight, were once again thrown into shock. They watched as Sakatsuki stood there obediently, letting Nero do as she pleased, and could only think that this world had truly gone mad.

Where was your arrogance? Where was your dignity as a powerhouse? If you’re being held hostage, blink twice!

Yet somehow, as they watched, the Masters began to feel an inexplicable sourness creeping in. It was as if dog food was being scattered everywhere for free, stuffing them to the brim without pause.

What’s wrong with being single? Must single people endure such suffering?

Wahhh... we’re already full, stop feeding us!

Fortunately, Nero sensed something amiss and, before the Masters’ gazes could shift further, hastily dragged Sakatsuki away. They twisted and turned through the corridors until Sakatsuki was nearly dizzy before finally stopping.

"Ah, Sakatsuki, I’ve thought about it for a long time, and I’ve decided to be honest with thee." Suddenly, Nero spoke.

As she said this, she bit her lower lip lightly, clearly having made this decision after much internal struggle.

"About what happened after I was summoned and separated from Hakuno... and why I’m unwilling to formally contract with her right now."

What other reason could there be? It was because of the ties of the little red dragon that drew you away.

And Draco’s existence made it impossible for you to set aside your worries and focus solely on assisting Hakuno.

Sakatsuki remained silent. He had already uncovered the truth of the matter, but he still didn’t speak. Instead, he quietly followed Nero, listening to her story about Draco.

Listening to her attitude toward that little red dragon.

"I don’t know why, but I feel like I can’t just abandon her. It’s strange, really—I’m not the type to stubbornly cling to things..."

You, Nero... not stubborn?

"In any case, that child was moved by my relentless spirit and tearfully begged for my help! So, I reluctantly agreed to her request and became her Servant!"

It’s the other way around, isn’t it...?

"Though that child barely speaks, spends all day curled up in a corner, and refuses to go outside, I believe there’s a reason for all of it. I just haven’t reached her heart yet—but I know I’m in there somewhere!"

What kind of pitiful simp talk is this, my dear Nero?

Sakatsuki kept a straight face while internally roasting Nero’s words. But beneath the jest, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of melancholy.

Though he, too, was alone, he possessed the Third Magic, martial prowess, and magecraft that placed him above most Servants from the very beginning—a coveted prize countless Masters fought over.

But what about Draco? She had nothing. Even if she possessed the rank of Beast, it was no crown—it was poison.

The Moon Cell would spare no effort to eradicate the calamity of the Beast.

In other words, apart from staying in her own room, this world offered her no sense of security whatsoever.

And this situation had persisted for two whole weeks.

"So... wouldst thou care to take a look?"

"Huh?"

Sakatsuki snapped out of his thoughts and realized Nero had somehow appeared at the door, her hand resting on the handle.

Turning her head, her peach-blossom eyes brimmed with allure and anticipation.

"Though there is no cat that can do backflips, this is an invitation from thine emperor... Wilt thou enter?"

Before he knew it, he was standing right before Nero’s chamber door!

Sakatsuki stiffened in alarm. By then, Nero had already pushed the door open, the flowing red gauze of her dress cascading into view—

He stepped back, dodging away.

As if fleeing from some monstrous beast, he found himself drenched in cold sweat before he even realized it. Without wasting a second, he turned and strode off.

"Sorry, Nero! I’ve got something to take care of—gotta go!"

"Eh? Eh! Sakatsuki!"

Nero was stunned. She called out to him several times, but Sakatsuki didn’t look back, vanishing straight around the corridor corner—leaving her utterly bewildered.

What in the world just happened?

What a shame. She had wanted to introduce him to Draco as someone she liked...