Fate: Hero of Justice Takeover-Chapter 624

Chapter 624: The Theater, the Empress, and Their Soldiers

Despite it being the dead of night when even the most diligent Masters would be fast asleep, neither Hakuno nor Nero paid any heed to the time. They walked side by side down the corridor, its emptiness as clear as still water, not speaking a word, simply enjoying the tranquil night in solitude.

And then, they stepped into the depths of the Third Lunar Sea.

The Third Lunar Sea still bore the scars left behind after Sakatsuki’s rampage. The tide of roses had swept through the surroundings, leaving behind an irreparable wasteland. Yet, where the faceless angels had fallen, countless hostile programs now stood like bamboo shoots after rain, tirelessly patrolling their territory.

Having absorbed the scattered data fragments of the angels, these programs had grown increasingly ferocious and powerful. Even a first-rate Servant would find them challenging to deal with. Most importantly, the rewards for defeating them were no different from other programs, so Masters had tacitly agreed to avoid this area.

But Hakuno had come here precisely for them.

"Prepare for battle, Saber."

With a mere wave of her hand, countless magical formulas were applied to Nero, each one perfectly suited. Nero shot Hakuno a surprised glance, but with the hostile programs closing in, she had no time to dwell on it. Drawing her sword, Aestus Estus, she charged forward.

A first-rate Servant, paired with a Master who was no longer the same as before.

At first, there were brief clashes, even some missteps due to imperfect tactical coordination. But after just a short period of adjustment, both were astonished to discover just how in sync they were.

Truly, Nero was the Servant deemed most compatible with Hakuno by the Moon Cell. Compared to Sakatsuki, who would settle Hakuno safely in the rear while he single-handedly obliterated all threats like a doting guardian, Nero and Hakuno’s partnership was far more harmonious. Their combat flowed effortlessly, a sight to behold.

Every time Nero advanced, she left Hakuno ample safe distance. Every step Hakuno took created better combat space for Nero.

When Nero unleashed a wide-range skill, Hakuno promptly provided amplification spells. When Hakuno began restoring mana, Nero swiftly returned to guard her side.

When Nero successfully felled an opponent, Hakuno smiled faintly in encouragement. Every time Hakuno offered precise assistance, Nero lavished her with praise... Half an hour into the battle, both were still brimming with energy, showing no signs of fatigue from prolonged combat—if anything, they were eager for more.

"Praetor, art thou truly without thy memories?" At some point, Nero had switched to a different form of address. "To me, thy combat prowess seems remarkably high."

"Praetor?" The tea-haired girl feigned confusion, deftly sidestepping the question. "What kind of title is that?"

"Umu!" With a clean strike, Nero took down the last hostile program and planted Aestus Estus into the ground, her ahoge standing proudly. "I am the supreme sword, the ultimate instrument. Before the beauty of my voice, even the Muses would bow their heads in shame!"

"The Praetor is the one who plucks the strings, who brings forth all of thy brilliance!"

Completely unaware of how deeply ambiguous her words sounded, Nero brimmed with confidence. Watching her, Hakuno felt both amused and exasperated—yet, somewhere in her heart, she couldn’t help but feel a twinge of envy.

If only I could be as cheerful as her, perhaps then...

"Cheer up, my Praetor! You’ve grown so much!" Nero seemed to notice Hakuno’s despondency and gave the girl’s shoulders a firm pat, trying to lift her spirits. "Compared to the inexperienced version of you that Sakatsuki described, you can now hold your head high and tell him you’re no less capable than any Master!"

Yet in response to Nero’s comfort, Hakuno pressed her lips together, her expression bitter.

"But no matter how much I’ve grown, he... Sakatsuki can never come back."

No matter how many times she told herself to let go, whenever that name was mentioned, the sorrow that welled up in her heart was impossible to suppress.

Perhaps it was precisely because those past days had been so beautiful that when the vibrant colors were stripped away from her life, the fall after all her efforts still ending in failure felt so excruciatingly painful.

Nero opened her mouth, but seeing the faint redness in the girl’s eyes, the emperor who could eloquently address tens of thousands during inauguration ceremonies found herself at a loss for words.

Who could truly understand matters of the heart?

Especially when Sakatsuki had chosen another her...

What right or position did Nero have to offer comfort to anyone else?

This melancholy didn’t last long. Nero blinked suddenly and cried out, pushing Hakuno away.

"Look out, Praetor!"

Crash!

A weapon resembling a signpost with a spade-shaped tip came crashing down, sending up clouds of dust. A crimson figure burst through the dust cloud, her Aestus Estus flashing gracefully as she bisected the soldier clad in playing card robes.

Nero landed and immediately looked toward her Praetor. Hakuno had already gotten to her feet and was running in small steps to Nero’s side, her gaze fixed on the sudden appearance of enemies.

It was an entity dressed completely differently—it lacked any human facial features, instead wearing a small medieval-style helmet with hollowed-out patterns. Atop the helmet stood the spade symbol from playing cards, matching the patterns on its square-shaped robes. Wrist decorations resembling ruff collars added dimensionality to this playing card soldier.

Though the signpost weapon with its spade-shaped tip looked utterly ridiculous.

"Are you alright, Praetor?"

"I’m fine. More importantly, Saber, what is this? A new version of hostile programs?"

"No, it doesn’t feel right." Nero tightened her grip on her beloved sword, recalling the sensation when she swung it, and frowned in confusion. "It felt like cutting through playing cards—completely different from hostile programs."

As the two puzzled over this, something even more astonishing happened—right before their eyes, the bisected playing card soldier’s remains flew up and perfectly reattached at the wound, as if completely unharmed, and continued charging at Nero.

"Immortality? Is this the work of a magi (Caster)?"

Nero advanced fearlessly, her sword flashing as she sliced the soldier into dozens of pieces in an instant. Meanwhile, Hakuno stepped back, giving Nero space while scanning their surroundings—then gasped.

Spades, hearts, diamonds, clubs...

Somehow, they had become completely surrounded by soldiers representing all four suits of playing cards!

On the distant hillside, two petite queens—one dressed in black, the other in white—stood surrounded by soldiers, gazing down at the hunt below.

"Alice, and her Servant, Nursery Rhyme..."

"Good evening, March Hare," the two girls chimed cheerfully as Hakuno noticed them. Arm in arm, they rose and curtsied politely.

"Ne, ne, we heard the third round is about to start?"

"That scary Mad Hatter big brother isn’t here anymore, right?"

"Which means..."

"Which means—"

The two girls exchanged glances and giggled.

"The ladies’ tea party begins again!"

With Alice’s declaration as the signal, the playing card soldiers lurking nearby surged forward like a tide toward Hakuno. This was no child’s game—the soldiers’ murderous intent was unmistakable, dragging the barely recovered battlefield back into chaos.

Though the reason was unclear, Alice and Nursery Rhyme had undoubtedly come to kill them, to eliminate their opponents in the third round!

Back to back, the crimson-clad emperor and the tea-haired Master faced hundreds—no, thousands—of cold, disciplined soldiers. Even someone as optimistic as Nero found it hard to offer words of comfort.

She had led wars herself and knew all too well that standing alone against an advancing army was as futile as a mantis trying to stop a chariot.

No... perhaps there was one exception.

Recalling the white-haired general who had stood with effortless grace, sword planted firmly, Nero couldn’t help but smile bitterly.

But the Governor... wasn’t here now.

Coincidentally, Hakuno, pressed against Nero’s back, was thinking of the same person.

That very morning, Sakatsuki had stood in this very spot, alone against a tide of faceless angels, and alongside Draco, had annihilated them all.

And now, tonight, another Master-Servant pair faced another overwhelming horde...

Could she and Nero make it through?

[The hand you need to hold now... is no longer mine.]

The young man’s parting words still echoed in her ears. The pain had dulled, perhaps even numbed, replaced by a strange realization rising in her heart. Hakuno blinked suddenly and grasped Nero’s hand.

"Z-Zousha?"

Under Nero’s astonished gaze, Hakuno took a deep breath. Though her legs trembled uncontrollably, she managed a reassuring smile.

"Let’s fight together, Saber."

Hearing Hakuno’s words, Nero’s eyes widened in shock.

Beneath the pure moonlight, the tea-haired girl—shaking with fear yet forcing a smile to encourage her—was forever etched into the Roman emperor’s memory.

Without a second thought, Nero tightened her grip on Hakuno’s hand. With a flourish of her sword, she let the surging passion in her heart ignite. The Primordial Fire blazed, the flames dancing along her blade mirroring her exhilaration:

"Umu, leave it to me!" 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

From their perch on the high cliff, the two little queens sensed the shift. Below, a rose-like inferno erupted, swallowing the soldiers in an instant. And at the heart of this magnificent, perilous spectacle, the crimson emperor charged forward, her spirit aflame:

"Open the gates, raise the curtain for my solo! And why, you ask—?"

"I, the Flower of Olympia, shall present the most perfect performance for the performer!"