Chapter 612

Chapter 612: Who Wants to Kill the March Hare?

Should it be called resignation, or was it utterly expected?

The ’surprises’ brought by Draco, appearing at unpredictable moments, had become something Sakatsuki was thoroughly accustomed to—so much so that he could pat his chest and shamelessly declare it part of their affectionate play.

If he could return with evidence while wearing a ’I’m so hurt’ expression, Draco, though cold-faced, would see her obedience skyrocket, even allowing Sakatsuki to indulge in some shameless groping... ahem.

In short, this was just a bit of fun between lovers. How could such a thing be called betrayal? It was all just part of Miss Draco’s tasks!

However, this particular stab in the back was truly...

"Pain... too much pain." Sakatsuki twitched his lips as he pulled the magic sword from the head of the faceless angel, only to turn and face a swarm of hostile programs surging toward him like locusts.

These were no mere cannon fodder to be mowed down effortlessly. The hostile programs dispatched by the Moon Cell were strong enough to rival top-tier Servants, and they weren’t fighting alone. Once they coordinated, their combined power was far beyond simple addition.

To put it bluntly, Sakatsuki hadn’t even had a chance to use recovery items to restore his stamina. The moment he seized an opportunity to summon one, his arm was pierced by arrows from distant archers, and the item was lost who-knows-where.

"Three hundred, four hundred, five hundred... the numbers keep increasing..."

Sweat soaked his temples as Sakatsuki raised his left hand, summoning a shield of pink petals that shattered with a mournful cry. The storm of arrows pierced through, only to collide with a colossal sword that split heaven and earth, rendered futile by its concept of severing all things.

But spear glints and sword flashes were already upon him!

The hostile programs advanced, brandishing spears and swords of various kinds, drowning the tiny flame in their onslaught. Yet a sudden explosion of force sent them flying. The Third Magic rapidly repaired his scorched body as Sakatsuki endured the agony in his soul, tossing aside the shattered remnants of his magic sword and shoving a recovery item into his mouth. Amid the stream of data, all that remained for the hostile programs was the young man’s grin, brimming with madness.

"You seem awfully pleased with yourselves. Mind letting me have a bit more fun?"

Body restored, stamina replenished, his soaring fighting spirit suppressed the wounds to his mind. When the external pressure stretched his heartstrings to their limit, what rebounded was a ferocity even Hakuno—no, even Draco—had never witnessed before: the demeanor of a demon king!

Clang!

Amid the roaring sea of hostile programs, a stark dichotomy of black and white light erupted, interweaving like the destructive breath of a dragon or the radiant cannon of a holy sword. Under the frozen gazes of the faceless angels, it surged forward unimpeded, effortlessly tearing through the encirclement!

Though none could fathom how Sakatsuki had managed it, his divine martial arts wrought destruction in the most direct manner, carving a trench hundreds of meters long into the earth before detonating violently. The entire ground caved in with a mournful groan, fissures spiderwebbing across its surface!

The hostile programs along the path couldn’t even put up a defense before disintegrating into dust. At the end of this trail of destruction, Sakatsuki crossed his arms as the awakened Ganjiang and Moye swords spread like angelic wings behind him. The young man’s eyes burned with rainbow-blue flames that nearly spilled beyond their sockets.

Pale smoke rose as Sakatsuki even had the leisure to sneer ferociously, pounding his chest heavily—as if both challenging and mocking whoever lurked in the shadows.

"For Draco—offer up your heart!"

————

While Sakatsuki was enjoying his battle high, what was Draco doing?

The miracle walker was still farming jungle monsters... cough wrong script. Let’s cut back to Hakuno’s private quarters.

After Sakatsuki left, the room had settled into a peculiar atmosphere.

Nero, who had arrived early in the morning, was cheerfully cooking—or rather, reheating the meal Sakatsuki had prepared before setting it back on the table. Propping her chin in her hands, her beautiful eyes remained fixed intently on Hakuno.

Alice and Alice (Nursery Rhyme) clutched the blankets, timidly peeking out with half their faces visible. Sandwiched between them, Hakuno—despite her lost memories—somehow refused to back down, meeting Nero’s gaze unflinchingly.

In the end, it was Nero who lowered her eyes first, leisurely splitting apart her chopsticks. "Still not getting up? I might just eat all the breakfast myself, you know."

"Ah! I’m starving!" Alice finally realized how empty her stomach was and hurriedly jumped out of bed, while her Servant Nursery Rhyme cheered "Food time!" and scampered barefoot to the table with pattering steps.

The truth proved that Sakatsuki’s cooking remained unbeatable. Even though Hakuno harbored some inexplicable hostility toward this Nero, she couldn’t resist the temptation. Clumsily climbing out of bed, she sat across the table, nibbling small bites from her wrap.

Watching the girl’s blissful expression as she squinted happily, Nero rested her chin on her hand and suddenly murmured, "Is Sakatsuki’s cooking really that good?"

Hearing this, Hakuno, Alice, and Nursery Rhyme immediately covered their breakfast plates, eyeing Nero warily like protective little animals. The sight made Nero both amused and exasperated, her earlier mischievous intentions dissipating.

Bullying these kindergarten-level opponents just felt beneath her dignity...

Just as ’Nero’ was mentally facepalming and abandoning any aggressive thoughts, Hakuno’s muffled mumble reached her ears.

"Sakatsuki... is mine."

"Eh? Has March Hare sister remembered something?" Alice looked up in surprise, but Hakuno shook her head after a moment’s thought.

"I don’t know... but I feel like Sakatsuki is very important to me..."

BANG!

The table shook, dishes clattering as if startled. Even the two Alices jumped in fright, turning to see ’Nero’ with a darkened expression. The crimson-gowned emperor had one hand on the table, the other clenched into a fist beneath it. Staring into Hakuno’s confused eyes, she enunciated each word:

"What’s so great about him?"

"Huh?"

"I’m talking about that Sakatsuki guy!" Looking at Hakuno’s face, ’Nero’ felt inexplicably furious.

It was this little vixen who stole Sakatsuki away!

But bound by propriety, she couldn’t outright scold Hakuno. So without remorse, she redirected all her anger toward Sakatsuki instead.

"Lazy, stubborn, mischievous, self-centered, and especially fond of teasing people... Well, he is indeed a good cook though..."

Just as Sakatsuki could go on and on about Draco, even someone as taciturn as ’Nero’ would start rambling once that young man was brought up.

"Most importantly, that guy’s a scumbag! Flirting around everywhere, picking up flowers and stirring up grass, yet he insists on taking responsibility to the very end!"

"...Huh?"

While the ’scumbag’ part was debatable, wasn’t taking full responsibility supposed to be a good thing?

"What’s good about that?!" Nero slammed the table angrily. "The result is he’s always running around outside! Even when you’re like this, he’s still willing to stay by your side without leaving, yet he won’t even accompany me... Ah."

She’d let it slip.

Realizing this, ’Nero’ felt somewhat embarrassed. But Hakuno and the others were so dense, they probably wouldn’t catch on, right?

Stealing glances at them, just as Nero had expected, the two Alices were focused on their breakfast, not even bothering to look up, while Hakuno...

She tilted her head, put down her breakfast, and seemed to be imitating someone’s angry expression as she slapped the table with her palm.

Smack.

Her palm made intimate contact with the table. Unfortunately, Hakuno had no technique at all, honestly striking the hardwood with her bare hand. The result was a pained yelp as tears welled up in her eyes. Yet she stubbornly raised her gaze to Draco and said earnestly:

"Don’t you, say that, about Sakatsuki."

That’s what you focus on?!

’Nero’ opened her mouth, countless retorts flashing through her mind. But seeing Hakuno’s pure and clueless expression, for some reason, an inexplicable fury rose from her heart, quickly spreading through her entire body.

The purer and more innocent Kishinami Hakuno was, the more it reflected how inferior and tainted Nero herself was.

No one wants to see someone more beautiful in the mirror—let alone expose their own fragile, vulnerable self before it!

"Heh, hehehe..." The girl emperor lowered her head, emitting hollow, icy laughter that sounded like a rotting violin screeching in the chamber.

Crimson flames surged upward, wrapping around the chamber like spider silk. Hakuno and the Alices felt as if they’d sunk into quicksand, their hearts steeped in fear and despair.

"This is... killing intent?" Alice murmured. "How could... Nero-nee... want to kill the March Hare!"

She wants to kill me!

Hakuno realized this too, looking at Nero in disbelief. Though she’d forgotten the past, subconsciously she’d always believed this girl was someone trustworthy.

Moreover, Sakatsuki had brought her in without any suspicion at all!

Why... had things suddenly turned out like this?!

"No reason." The crimson-clad emperor raised her eyes, those viscous blood-like orbs entering everyone’s vision as she curled her lips into an ambiguous smile. "This is simply who I am—a hopeless wretch."

The next instant, a tide of blood surged forth, violently shattering the Moon Cell’s defensive barriers. It rapidly expanded, congealing into a massive dark bowl that blotted out the sky, pressing down to crush the Beast of Calamity’s enemies into the abyss and hell!

"Kyaaaaaaa—!"

Just as Hakuno stood there in confusion, her tiny protectors stepped forward. Though their legs trembled with fear, the Alices still joined hands and shielded her—one screaming in terror while the other grabbed her Master’s hand and raised it toward the sky, summoning their Noble Phantasm:

"Lonely you, sorrowful me, let us fulfill one final wish together—A Story Just for Someone (Nursery Rhyme)!"

A light akin to magic spread its wings, confronting the Crimson Emperor’s tide of blood. After countless violent clashes, as if reaching an agreement, the magical radiance merged with the calamitous crimson, collapsing into a singularity that swallowed all four girls within its reach before vanishing completely.

When they opened their eyes again, everyone heard a woman’s greedy whisper.

"Mother’s wish has finally come true."

"You shall become the Emperor."

"▉▉▉▉▉▉."