Fate: Hero of Justice Takeover

Chapter 267 - [267] The Master's Traditional Nighttime Chat Partner

Thanks to that stunningly brilliant sword strike, Sakatsuki was surrounded by enthusiastic soldiers for the rest of the banquet, bombarded with toasts. Neither Fujimaru Ritsuka nor even Nero could find an opening to speak to him.

In the end, the mystery of the Command Spells on Nero's hand remained unresolved...

Standing in the imperial garden, the black-haired, blue-eyed young man gazed up at the starry night sky—and the unnaturally radiant ring of light—before letting out a deep sigh.

A lively and passionate young emperor, a mysterious and powerful Pseudo-Servant, and the so-called United Roman Empire they spoke of...

What would the future of this Singularity become?

"So this is where you are, Fujimaru Ritsuka."

A voice he had only recently come to know but already felt familiar with reached his ears. Turning around, he saw the white-haired yet far-from-elderly general smiling and nodding at him.

"Lord Sakatsuki? Is something the matter?"

"Nothing in particular. I just wanted to chat with you. Besides, isn't a nighttime talk one of your signature traditions as a Master?"

Spouting words the present-day Fujimaru couldn't possibly understand, the white-haired commander made himself comfortable, plopping down beside him without ceremony.

"By the way, Rome isn't the first world you've visited, is it?"

Faced with Sakatsuki's question, Fujimaru hesitated briefly before nodding.

"No, it isn't. Before this, we've already experienced two other Singularities... worlds."

"Then, could you tell me about your experiences?" The white-haired man smiled, his crimson eyes deep and unfathomable.

'How did Fujimaru Ritsuka, bereft of Mash, manage to struggle through such hardships and make it here?'

He truly wanted to know.

"..." Fujimaru gave Sakatsuki a puzzled look, first offering an apology before murmuring something into his wristband. After a brief exchange with the doctor on the other end, he finally looked up.

"This... will be a very long story, Lord Sakatsuki."

"Then give me the abridged version, Master~"

"O-Okay..."

Seeing Sakatsuki's determination, the black-haired youth stopped resisting and slowly began recounting his tale.

Though Fujimaru obscured the names of those involved, Sakatsuki—familiar with the story—could easily match them to their counterparts.

In Singularity F: Fuyuki, he and Director Olga Marie had fled in disarray until Cú Chulainn, moved by their resolve, stepped forward to become his Servant. They then lured the blackened Archer into Rider's territory, where he was petrified by her Mystic Eyes and rendered helpless.

In the battle against the blackened Saber, Cú Chulainn drank from a holy spring he had somehow procured. Even with his Spirit Core shattered, he still managed to unleash his Noble Phantasm: Wicker Man, annihilating both himself and the immobilized Saber.

In the First Singularity: Orléans, Fujimaru experimented with using Shadow Servants in battle but found himself outmatched against the wyverns. However, he soon reunited with Ruler Jeanne d'Arc and was aided by the summoned Marie Antoinette and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart when five Berserk-class Servants attacked. Later, he also encountered Siegfried, Saint George, Kiyohime, and Elizabeth Báthory, eking out a hard-fought victory against the dragon Fafnir, Jeanne Alter, and Gilles de Rais.

...

...

"I see." As Fujimaru finished his tale, a heavy hand suddenly landed on his shoulder, radiating warmth.

"Lord Sakatsuki?"

"You've come a long way, Fujimaru." The white-haired general offered a gentle smile that made the black-haired youth's nose sting.

Unlike the greetings from Servants, Sakatsuki was thanking him as a magus—as a fellow human being living on this planet.

To this, Fujimaru Ritsuka responded with heartfelt gratitude.

Seizing the moment, the question he had been pondering all night slipped out.

"Ah, right. Lord Sakatsuki, about the Command Spells on His Majesty Nero's hand...?"

"Oh, that." Contrary to Fujimaru's expectations, the man shrugged nonchalantly. "That clueless idiot of an emperor used one on the very day she summoned me, ordering me 'not to leave on my own' and 'punishing' me by stationing me at the frontier. I didn't even have time to protest before it was done."

"T-That does sound like something His Majesty would do..." The doctor's voice was equal parts exasperated and amused.

Unlike Chaldea's "lightweight" Command Spells, Nero's carried unparalleled coercive force—and, more importantly, were non-replenishable. Once wasted, they were gone for good.

Just then, Fujimaru abruptly asked:

"Then, misunderstandings aside... Lord Sakatsuki, do you wish to continue existing as His Majesty Nero's Servant?"

The doctor on Chaldea's end held his breath, feeling an inexplicable pressure even through the communication line.

Sakatsuki studied Fujimaru's calm, rational blue eyes for a long moment before finally curling his lips into a smile.

"Of course—I am her Governor (Servant), after all. It's only natural that I take responsibility for her, no?"

Hearing this, the black-haired youth pressed no further, and Sakatsuki acted as if nothing had happened, rising to his feet with a smile.

"Anyway, you've worked hard, Fujimaru. Go get some rest. If there's a night attack, I'll handle it. Try to rest as much as you can."

"Hahaha. I should head back to my room too." The doctor's somewhat frivolous laughter came through the wristband. "I need to check Magic☆Merlin's blog. Her diary should be updating soon."

Sakatsuki: "..."

Fujimaru Ritsuka: "..."

"What's with those looks, like you're staring at some pitiful creature? Can't a man stan an internet idol? Untainted by the sensationalizations of mass media or the regulations of TV stations—she's the very definition of an ideal idol!"

Even through the wristband, Sakatsuki could practically envision the orange-haired doctor puffing up his neck, red-faced and vehemently defending his beloved idol.

"Doctor... hasn't the outside world already been destroyed?" Fujimaru facepalmed, sighing in secondhand embarrassment.

Romani Archaman responded with the smug tone of a petty villain: "Ah, you've hit the nail on the head. The outside world has indeed been destroyed."

"And so you think Magic☆Merlin and her homepage would stop updating? How naive! Magic☆Merlin is an idol who transcends the mundane world itself!"

"...Though, well, it's probably just an AI simulating updates based on preexisting data."

Fujimaru rolled his eyes, while Sakatsuki chuckled beside him.

"Doctor, as much as I hate to criticize the hobbies of a single man pushing thirty... do try not to neglect your actual job."

"Otherwise, the moment Fujimaru gets back, he'll delete your precious folders without hesitation."

"D-Don't be like that! I was joking, I'll keep monitoring the surroundings and gathering intel! Anyway, you two should get some proper rest!"

Threatened with physical persuasion, the doctor immediately caved. Fujimaru and Sakatsuki exchanged amused glances before bidding each other goodnight and parting ways.

Walking alone through the beautiful nighttime garden, Sakatsuki sighed and pulled out the Mystic Code he had brought with him from the start.

"In the end, I still didn't have the courage to give this to him."

Not out of shyness, but apprehension.

With Mash gone, Sakatsuki couldn't begin to guess what the future held for this version of Chaldea.

No—strictly speaking, the fact that Fujimaru had even met him was an anomaly. He was an outsider who should never have existed in this story to begin with.

Whether the world was destroyed or not mattered little to him, but Fujimaru Ritsuka was someone he couldn't bear to hurt. After all, in a way, he was Fujimaru Ritsuka, and Fujimaru Ritsuka was him.

Precisely because of this, Sakatsuki treaded ever more carefully, terrified of making irreversible mistakes or pushing too hard.

"And then there's Nero... I didn't even broach the subject of her issues. Ahh, I really am hopeless."

With these thoughts weighing on him, Sakatsuki couldn't help but let out another melancholic sigh.

The more he dwelled on it, the more tangled his feelings became.

***

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