Fate: Hero of Justice Takeover

Stepping into the spatial tunnel, the distorted light made time itself seem intangible—until, in an instant, everything opened up before him.

When the young man opened his eyes, he stood upon a diamond-shaped platform, emerging outside the vast cavern of Mount Enzou.

The mountain remained the same, but the sky had changed entirely.

He remembered leaving in the golden warmth of early summer, yet now, an unnatural snow drifted around him—not the pure white of crystal, but a dull gray, like the ashes of burnt joss paper, scattered helplessly by the wind.

It felt like a silent, grand funeral.

The warmth he had carried from another world dissipated instantly, replaced by a cold that seeped into his bones.

Exhaling a frosty breath, Sakatsuki didn't huddle for warmth. Instead, he stretched his limbs, letting the near-soul-freezing chill wash over him, scouring away complacency and reigniting the blazing will to fight.

Step by step, he walked out of the mountain—following the same path Miyu had taken when she first arrived in Fuyuki.

And where Miyu had once paused, awestruck by the distant glow of human life in another world, Sakatsuki now stopped, his golden eyes lifting.

Before him lay a city buried in snow, frozen rivers, empty houses… and at its heart, a massive crater—like a hollow eye staring blankly at the leaden sky.

"This… is also Fuyuki." Gazing at the apocalyptic ruin, Sakatsuki felt a tremor in his chest. "Our Fuyuki."

No longer in the mood to wander, he tapped his toes against the ground. The unique pulse of Displacement magecraft seeped into the leylines, carrying an invitation to the masters of this city.

Did Sakatsuki hold a grudge against the Ainsworths? Not really. At most, they had hunted him as an escaped prisoner. Their patriarch had even allowed Emiya the Hero (his "predecessor") to single-handedly win the Holy Grail War and sacrifice seven Class Cards to send Miyu away. By all accounts, they had been… generous.

But Angelica?

She had chased a still-weak Sakatsuki for seven days and nights.

That, he wouldn't forgive.

Since words were pointless, he might as well declare war outright. The proud Ainsworths, with Gilgamesh at their side, wouldn't refuse.

With that thought, his figure blurred—reappearing at the mountain's base, then at the edge of Fuyuki's crater, before striding into a familiar shop.

"Welcome—oh, it's you."

The apron-clad owner, his head wrapped in a traditional hachimaki, glanced up from the counter. His expression didn't flicker at the sight of the white-haired, golden-eyed young man.

Sakatsuki slid into a seat without ceremony. "Hey, the usual. Mapo tofu, no spice."

"First, this is a ramen shop. Second, we only serve spicy, extra spicy, and hellfire-level spicy." The man wiped his hands meticulously before folding his arms. The white character for "Má" (麻, numbing spice) stood out starkly against his blue apron.

"If you're not here to eat, leave."

"Aw, can't a guy joke with an old friend?" Sakatsuki tapped his chopsticks. "How long has it been since I left, Kotomine Kirei?"

Kotomine Kirei.

In the Fate/Zero timeline, he had been a overseer-turned-mastermind, partnering with Gilgamesh in search of meaning—only to be outplayed and killed by Sakatsuki.

Here, however, he was merely a monitor dispatched by the Church. Emiya Kiritsugu had slipped past him before the Holy Grail War even began. Kirei now posed as a mapo tofu ramen vendor, claiming to be a priest witnessing the world's end.

"Time? Why ask me something anyone could perceive?" Kirei's eyes narrowed, but he answered anyway. "Several dozen days."

Then, as if following an unspoken rule of quid pro quo, he posed his own question:

"How fares the Divine Child of the Satsuki family?"

"Thanks to you, alive and well."

"I had no part in that."

"Hah, won't even take fake credit?" Sakatsuki propped his chin on his hand, amused. "What have the Ainsworths been up to lately?"

"Aside from hunting you? Gathering magecraft materials nonstop." A pause. Then, bluntly: "Do you still cling to your justice, Emiya Shirou—or whatever you are?"

"Oh? You figured out I'm not Shirou?" Sakatsuki's smile didn't waver. "But sorry, I don't know the Ainsworths' 'justice.' Care to enlighten me?"

To his surprise, Kirei obliged.

"Humanity is doomed. The Ainsworths see beyond—past leaves to the trunk, past trunks to the forest."

The priest paced, his footsteps and voice merging into a solemn rhythm.

"Not the individual, but the species. To achieve greatness, one must be willing to sacrifice the small."

"—And that 'small' is Miyu, the last Divine Child of the Satsuki line."

Sakatsuki stood, his smile thinning as he mirrored Kirei's steps—two hands of a clock that would never overlap.

"Sacrifice for the greater good. That's the Ainsworth'—no, Julian's—grand justification?"

"…What are you implying?" Kirei frowned.

But Sakatsuki didn't answer. Instead, he turned toward the door, raising an eyebrow.

"Not joining us, miss?"

"No need." Outside, a statuesque blonde stood with icy poise. "I'm here to retrieve you, Sakatsuki."

"Finally got my name right, Angelica." Sakatsuki whistled.

[Fate Compendium Updated.]

For the first time in a while, the Fate Compendium chimed with a new entry.

[001/020: Angelica Ainsworth (Gil-chan)]

[Character Info: A doll from the Ainsworth family, also working as a maid. She is adept in using Ainsworth's Displacement magecraft, Flash Air, capable of warping objects through space, or moving a target's consciousness to substitute a person's soul and create dolls with virtual consciousness.]

[Hidden Info: B98/W62/H94]

[Record Conditions: 0/2]:

[•Defeat Angelica (Incomplete)]

[•Clash against Enuma Elish and prevail. (Incomplete)]

Ah… that familiar thrill.

Suppressing his battle lust, Sakatsuki shot Kirei a glance—realizing his plan to drag the priest into the fray had failed. Without another word, he strode outside.

One step. Red coat and white robes materialized—his Magic Dress manifesting.

Two steps. Golden pupils sharpened, hair bleaching frost-white.

Three steps. A Grand-class bow materialized, its curve like a crescent moon!

In three strides, he and Angelica stood miles away, azure prismatic barriers dissolving around them. The once-plainly-dressed woman now donned golden armor, her body etched with crimson divine patterns.

Class Card: Archer (Gilgamesh)—INSTALL!

"Come."

The battle intent Sakatsuki had nurtured since arriving at Mount Enzou now erupted in a single word, resonant as a temple bell.

"Either I kill everyone here, or everyone here kills me!"

"Don't mock me!"

Golden ripples spread—but Sakatsuki merely drew his bow, and moonlight cascaded, forcing the Gates of Babylon shut.

"A hero unrecognized after three days must be looked at anew."

And Sakatsuki had returned from countless battles, honed to a razor's edge!

With instincts screaming, Angelica rolled aside—just as a silver streak pierced the space she'd occupied, vanishing into the horizon.

Three exchanges in, and she was already fighting for her life.

No more holding back.

The moment the thought formed, Angelica ripped the spinning Sword of Rupture from the vault.

"The time of creation has come—"

"I DECLARE!"

Sakatsuki's voice, fiercer than hers, made her heart stutter.

He was faster.

Had he predicted she would draw Enuma Elish?!

Before she could process it, the young man raised his left arm, proudly baring his soul to the crumbling world.

"I AM HERE!"

The snow-clad world trembled—and above the rising sun, a new reality unfolded.

***

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