Chapter 569: Love-Hate Relationship, The Preliminaries End!
The half-formed steel barrier shattered instantly as several iron stakes broke through the defenses, flying past the boy's arm and embedding themselves into the infirmary wall with a spray of blood. Sakura's pupils contracted as she watched the crimson droplets trace a tragic arc through the air before landing on her cheek.
With a thud, Sakatsuki collapsed, pinning Sakura beneath him. Flustered, she instinctively tried to squirm away but forced herself to stop, turning her face aside as she whispered, "Y-you... are you hurt?"
"Call me 'senpai,' and my wounds won't hurt anymore."
Sakatsuki narrowed his eyes with a playful grin, reaching out to brush the bloodstain from her cheek. Though the crimson had been wiped away, the girl's face only grew redder. Finally, she turned back to him, her violet eyes glistening as they met his.
"Please don't do this again... I'm just an AI. Even if I die, there are replacements..."
"But you're one of a kind to me. So, what should you call me?" His gentle caress turned into a rough pinch, making Sakura pout. Still, she obediently murmured,
"...Senpai."
"Good! Fully healed!"
Satisfied, Sakatsuki rose from the soft warmth of the girl beneath him. The wound on his arm had already healed rapidly, and the white-haired man he had fought had retreated after unleashing his Noble Phantasm.
"Um, Senpai..." Sakura stood up hesitantly. "Hakuno-san suddenly disappeared."
"It's fine, not your fault." Sakatsuki chuckled. "She just went where she was meant to go."
When the finalists invaded the school, Sakatsuki had known the preliminaries were nearing their end. He had come to the infirmary to bid Sakura farewell, only to get caught up in this mess. Fortunately, during his time in the preliminaries, he had fully adapted to Mooncell's mechanics. Vlad III of this world had no chance against him at his peak.
Just as he was thinking this, Sakatsuki suddenly felt a scorching gaze—one filled with a dangerous emotion that seemed ready to pierce right through him.
"Thou, art thou finished?"
A crimson dress trailed along the floor as the little red dragon sat on one of the infirmary beds, grinding her teeth as she forced out her words.
"If thou art unsatisfied, We can wait... a little longer."
To flirt with another woman right before Our very eyes... Thou hast grown bold indeed, Sakatsuki!
Rage Meter: 80%... 85%... 93%...
Under Draco's terrifying glare, Sakatsuki's expression stiffened. He forced a dry laugh and quickly waved at Sakura.
"Alright, see you in the main tournament, Sakura! I'm heading out first!"
For Sakatsuki, who had regained his memories a week prior, leaving the preliminaries was as simple as a thought. Closing his eyes, he felt his consciousness being pulled away, arriving somewhere else in an instant.
But when he opened his eyes, what greeted him wasn't the awakening chamber where Masters summoned their Servants—but a blank, white space, filled with a surging red tide.
"Huh? Where is this?"
Sakatsuki was somewhat bewildered, but unlike the unarmed Shirou, his array of abilities gave him immense confidence. The young man wanted to explore this space, yet suddenly, he sensed something unusual.
"My body... is undergoing changes?"
Just as Sakatsuki was about to focus and examine the anomaly, a flash of red once again caught his eye. A beautiful young girl stood with her hands behind her back, looking up at him with a faint smile on her lips—as if the gritted teeth from earlier belonged to someone else entirely.
"Perhaps it's because Mooncell intends to heal your injuries first before conducting the Servant summoning ritual. It's just a minor matter, no need to worry so much."
"Oh?" Sakatsuki narrowed his eyes and quipped, "You're awfully calm, Your Majesty. What if something goes wrong?"
Faced with his question, Draco actually blushed—a rare sight—and lowered her head slightly, speaking softly, "It's fine... I believe in you."
That gentle bow of the head, like a lotus flower shyly trembling in the cool breeze, was enough to captivate even Sakatsuki, who had spent countless days with her.
Was Her Majesty unexpectedly... cute today?
However, Sakatsuki failed to notice the subtle curve forming at the corner of Draco's lips.
This was a lie.
Because the current anomaly was entirely this woman's doing! Her Majesty had nearly reached her breaking point after witnessing Sakatsuki's flirtatious behavior along the way!
No one could tolerate their lover openly courting others in front of them—especially not Draco, whose possessiveness knew no bounds. The kind of rage that would make a pure love warrior furious and a bull-headed enthusiast rejoice would undoubtedly incur Her Majesty's merciless punishment!
The only reason she had held back until now was because she was secretly gathering her strength to unleash something big!
"Damn it... Rin, Sakura, Shirou, even Leo... and adjusting the data to register as a Master instead of a Servant—he must be trying to summon that old flame of his! That gluttonous king of Britain!"
"I won't let you have your way!"
Such were Draco's inner thoughts. And as she employed her charms to buy time, Sakatsuki, momentarily dazed, felt his handsome face flush slightly, even scratching his cheek in a rare display of bashfulness.
"Is that so? I didn't expect you to trust me this much..." The young man smiled, radiant as sunlight. "Honestly, I'm really happy about it too."
The assault of good looks was mutual. Just as Sakatsuki had been ensnared by the little red dragon's beauty, Draco, too, found herself momentarily stunned by the boy's charm before snapping out of it.
What's going on? Since when did my contractor become so smooth with words? It's... oddly unfamiliar.
But—this was a lie!
Sakatsuki, hailed by countless heroes as a master of both pen and sword, was no mere figurehead. The moment Draco played dumb, he sensed danger!
He remembered every single time this little red dragon had disobeyed him—there was no way he'd believe a word of her nonsense!
While Draco feigned innocence to stall, Sakatsuki multitasked, investigating the source of the anomaly.
"Mooncell's registration data is changing... shifting toward a Servant's parameters?!"
Are you kidding me? I finally get to be a Master for once, and I haven't even rolled the gacha yet—what if I land a rainbow spark?
Don't underestimate the obsession of a FGO player, damn it!
Sakatsuki's expression changed as he instinctively activated the Third Magic, forgetting that he was deeply bound to Draco. Naturally, the magical disturbance couldn't escape the little red dragon's watchful eyes.
"You reacted this quickly? Damn it, stop right now!"
Draco's face darkened as she immediately pounced, clinging tightly to Sakatsuki's arm in an attempt to disrupt his actions. But Sakatsuki would never give up his noble Master's right to summon—especially since Draco's Servant conversion ritual seemed far too dangerous. And so, the love-hate couple began their usual antics once more.
"Stop being unreasonable, Your Majesty! Let me use one summoning ticket—it's the request of a lifetime!"
"Impossible! You just want to summon those women! I won't let you have your way!"
"Tch... You saw right through me. So what? I'm on vacation—isn't it normal to want some company?"
"I was here first!"
"No lolis allowed! Unless... Your Majesty switches to your third Ascension!"
"Hah?! You actually dared to say that! That form of mine will never, ever, ever appear before you!"
"Then there's nothing left to say. Our love has faded, our fate has ended—let's part ways amicably!"
"You— chomp!"
"Wha— Hey! No fair! Since when does a Beast Nero dare to bite her Master?!"
"Wrrrrr—!" (How dare you call me that—I'll bite you to death!)
Amid the heated argument, neither of them remained idle. One rewrote data with the power of the Beast, while the other suppressed it with the Third Magic. The clash of these two high-tier forces caused the hastily constructed isolation space to groan in protest. The leaking energy even triggered Mooncell's alert system—azure data streams spread as an unseen, overwhelming force began descending to purge the anomaly.
This was the final moment of their struggle. Would Draco succeed in turning Sakatsuki into a Servant, or would Emperor Sakatsuki stand supreme, subduing the little red dragon? With time running out, they had to settle this now.
Without hesitation, the two locked eyes and poured all their power into one decisive strike.
"Become my Servant (slave), Sakatsuki/Draco!"
BOOM!
The platinum radiance of the Third Magic collided with the crimson calamity of the Beast. Space shattered in an instant, and before the azure data storm could engulf them, two streaks of light shot into the sky—one of which was captured by Mooncell, plummeting into the depths of the Empyrean.
As the quarrel between these two came to an end, a white-haired warrior, battered and broken, reunited with his "wife." Rin Tohsaka searched everywhere but returned empty-handed. Shinji Matou laughed heartily at the figure appearing before him. Hakuno Kishinami collapsed, chest torn open, as a familiar, deep male voice crackled with static, echoing through the desolate halls of Tsukumihara Academy.
[The preliminary selection deadline approaches.]
[To all Masters who failed to advance...]
[Farewell.]
This is the final proclamation of the Moon Cell. The 999 magi who had confidently embarked upon the Holy Grail War of the Moon, after undergoing a unique competition, only 128 Masters now remain, advancing toward the final stage prepared for them—even if the steps forward are paved with the still-warm corpses of countless fallen.
[Immediate forced elimination initiated]
[Immediate forced elimination initiated]
The Moon Cell is neither cruel nor merciful. Like a six-winged seraph gazing down upon civilization, it indifferently observes the rise and fall of this world, watching as living beings clash with one another in pursuit of their desires.
The preliminary rounds have concluded.
The Holy Grail War of the Moon has now reached its second phase—the decisive battles of the main selection.
The confrontations between Master and Master, the fierce battles between Servant and Servant...
This is the arena of layered trials, where one struggles between life and death.
It is also the path of kingship, drenched in blood and fire, toward the crown of the Moon.
Come forth, Masters.
Upon the distant Cage of the Blazing Heaven, someone lowers their head pensively, their glasses reflecting a cold white light.
The path of retreat is sealed. There is no turning back now.
This is the endless, ever-turning spiral of fate.
Do you seek dominion? Wealth and riches? Or perhaps love and peace?
Whatever your ambition, victory will reshape the world as you choose.
Tell me, what delusions do you seek?
The silent inquiry receives an answer. Points of light drift down from beyond, converging into fleeting radiance that illuminates the golden brilliance of the Cage of the Blazing Heaven. Within the eternally silent core of the Moon Cell, before the figure sitting in stillness, something gradually takes form...