Fate: Hero of Justice Takeover

Chapter 262 - [262] Excalibur v/s Excalibur

[What will you do?]

The voice echoed alongside the beating of her heart.

"I must... defeat him."

[What will you do?]

"I must defeat him."

[What will you do?]

Shut up. Shut up!

There was only one thing left to do, wasn't there?

—Hand your body over to me.

The girl opened her golden-red eyes and stood.

"I must... defeat him."

In her raised hand was a Class Card, its surface depicting a man drawing his bow as if to pierce the heavens.

A vivid magic circle unfurled, greedily devouring the vast amounts of ambient mana, its intricate patterns clashing starkly against the cold hues of the surroundings. Crouching low, the girl pressed the card against the circle.

"Install."

A torrent of blue-green mana surged inward, coiling around her like claws before being absorbed entirely. Crimson spiritrons erupted, and the silver-haired girl floated expressionlessly as a crimson spiritual attire materialized upon her.

Her golden-red eyes reflected countless swords embedded in a barren wasteland. As she gripped the nameless iron bow, her long hair twisted into a traditional Japanese chignon.

"No way..." Miyu whispered.

On the other side, Sakatsuki nodded approvingly.

"Mmm, much better now."

Praise aside, his actions showed no mercy. With a casual flick of his wrist, a slash of black sword energy hurtled toward the transformed Illya.

A pink circular shield deployed, perfectly blocking the attack. From the rising smoke, three iron arrows shot forth—only to be swatted aside by Sakatsuki's sweeping strike.

Black and white streaks flashed through the air.

Sakatsuki leaped back, but not fast enough—his breastplate bore two fresh gashes, barely missing his flesh.

Unnoticed, Illya had already vaulted into the sky, seizing the moment he dealt with the arrows to strike with twin projected blades. Caught off guard, Sakatsuki had actually taken a hit.

"...Tch. To think I'd get hit by something like that." He clicked his tongue in irritation, eyeing the girl who had already retreated to a safe distance, her black and white swords shimmering anew.

Projection Magecraft. Kanshou and Bakuya.

There was no need to guess which Heroic Spirit Illya had installed. It was the very first gift Sakatsuki had ever received—his other half, the one he knew better than anyone.

"It's like a reenactment of my fight with Saber, just with our roles reversed." Memories of that battle resurfaced, except now, it wasn't him wielding the twin swords—it was someone else.

He was the one holding the holy sword.

"Unbelievable... This form, this combat ability..." Miyu, watching from the sidelines, was utterly stunned. Not just by the white-haired swordsman's display of intellect and power, but by the fact that the Illya she knew had completely transformed.

"It's like... she's become a true Heroic Spirit!"

The next moment, the two Servants charged simultaneously.

Across the wasteland scorched by Excalibur, the swordsman wreathed in crimson mana clashed head-on with the archer radiating azure energy, her twin blades flashing.

The white-haired Saber struck first, his red mana surging violently, splashing forward like ink toward the petite girl.

Under the draconic pressure, the Archer braced her crossed swords, skidding backward—yet like a butterfly dancing atop a blade, she deflected each strike with effortless grace, leveraging the momentum to evade.

The firelight illuminated their cold, expressionless faces. Saber didn't know what thoughts lay behind Archer's eyes, but within his chest, a scorching heat bubbled, threatening to ignite.

'Good. Very good!'

What was it like to fight a past version of oneself?

Saber answered—the instant Archer leaped up, lashing out with a kick, he dropped his holy sword, crossed his arms, and blocked perfectly. Then, in one fluid motion, he seized her slender ankle, twisted, and—

"Mana Burst!"

Like a bullet, Archer was hurled into the ground. Behind her, Saber hooked the fallen sword with his foot, caught it midair, and drove it downward toward her heart—

CLANG!

A scream of shattered steel. Using her twin blades to buy a fraction of a second, Archer twisted free, rolling aside as the holy sword stabbed into the earth where she had lain. She flipped upright, only for another black sword wave to howl toward her!

Barely managing to project new blades in time, she was sent flying like a broken kite, crashing hard before springing back up. Her swords gleamed coldly as she unleashed their true forms, arcs of steel cutting through the air.

SHING!

The enraged dragon pressed forward relentlessly. Saber swung mid-charge like a batter delivering the final blow, sending the "ball" flying—then erupted with mana, chasing after the retreating Archer!

Even as she tumbled uncontrollably, Archer remained eerily calm. A spiral-shaped sword morphed into an arrow, nocked and loosed with pinpoint accuracy.

Saber jerked his head aside at the last moment—the arrow grazed his cheek, the shockwave shattering half his visor and revealing the golden slit-pupiled eye beneath.

Even with his mask broken, the attack had missed. And no matter how skilled an Archer was in close combat, they could never match a Saber. Sakatsuki knew Emiya's strengths and weaknesses all too well—as long as he denied her distance, the physically inferior Archer would inevitably fall!

"..." Though Archer's face remained impassive, a flicker of frustration and unease passed through her eyes.

The more experienced personality within Illya recognized the dire straits. Rather than sliding slowly into defeat, she would stake everything on one final gamble!

And so, the girl parted her lips, her voice icy as she uttered the prelude to their end:

"Trace, on."

With trembling hands, she assumed a swordsman's stance. A miracle defying all rules slowly took shape—a blue-and-gold sword of victory, its elven runes mirroring the stars above.

Gazing upon that holy blade, the swordsman halted, golden eyes gleaming with dark satisfaction.

Purple-black mana surged anew as he raised his own cursed holy sword in tandem.

Stray motes of energy gathered, the ink-like radiance of his blade opposing her sacred golden light.

Stars were devoured. Stars flickered.

Mana roared. Mana rejoiced.

"Ex—"

"Ex—"

At last, they unleashed the same strike.

"CALIBUR!!!"

Purple and gold painted the world in devastating brilliance. Countless stars and mana erupted, the twin holy swords unleashing their destructive might without restraint.

The world convulsed in agony. Blood evaporated. Flesh dissolved. And finally, existence itself teetered on the brink.

Thud. Thud.

Amid the drumming of her heart, the purple-black light coalesced into the form of a wicked dragon, its tidal wave of destruction swallowing the golden beam whole.

With no opposing force left, the dragon of ruin loosed a world-ending roar. Like a plow tearing through earth, its corporeal form carved a kilometers-long scar into the land, evaporating the Mion River and erasing all topography in its wake. The residual violet energy radiated dozens of meters beyond the fissure.

The Mirror World—shattered.

***

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.

🔹/aarvan🔹