Chapter 618

Chapter 618: Beast Metamorphosis·Messiah

[Beast Metamorphosis: EX]

When Sakatsuki was pushed into Pandora’s Box by Darius in the Einzbern Castle, he shed the taint of malice, rejected the blessing of the Machine God Core·Pandora, and as a Beast Contractor, embraced the dark side of this divine treasure—all the evils of the human world—to obtain this skill.

Upon its first appearance, it effortlessly crushed the millennia-old patriarch Darius, forcing the Einzbern family to submit completely. However, due to insufficient energy, it dissipated after only a few minutes and remained grayed out in the skill list afterward. Sakatsuki had initially assumed it was due to Pandora’s Box and planned to seize Pandora after the Holy Grail War on the Moon...

But now, it seemed that wasn’t the case?

"It’s just that I forcibly activated this skill," Draco’s voice echoed in his mind. "Though the cost is high, I wanted to try merging with you, Sakatsuki!"

"I see." Sakatsuki’s pupils darkened as he endured the excruciating pain of his limbs and body splitting apart, his lips twitching.

"There’s no need to rush next time... If you really want it, I can let you experience it tonight—ah, damn..."

"Mmm, Sakatsuki, you’re terrible." Draco naturally understood his teasing, and somehow, the pain Sakatsuki felt doubled. "Anyway, anyway, I’ve entrusted myself entirely to you—go wild!"

"Yeah, I know."

In the vortex of the crimson abyss, the young man’s roar abruptly ceased. He tilted his head back, chunks of bloodied flesh peeling away and crashing to the ground under the horrified gazes of the Masters.

"Sakatsuki!" Nero and Hakuno cried out in unison. Despite their earlier grievances, they were the most frantic when something happened to him.

The Sakatsuki before them was no longer humanoid. As his internal organs sloughed away, only a ghastly white skeleton remained.

The horrifying spectacle didn’t last long. With a metallic crack, a substance interwoven with crimson and platinum rapidly climbed the skeletal frame like newborn flesh—though not plump, instead appearing cramped and razor-sharp.

When the figure raised its head, crimson bone hands extended from its neck, as if cradling its cheeks like a maiden’s touch. The fingers of the bone hands splayed apart, stretching along the sides of Sakatsuki’s face and morphing into a grotesque yet solemn mask.

The fingertips spread, enveloping and outlining the shape of a skull. An unseen hand dipped a platinum brush, painting those ruthless, icy, narrow eyes. The hands cupping his cheeks slid downward, crimson crystals flowing like blood to his chest before blooming into scarlet roses, encasing his inverted triangular torso.

Spikes resembling fingers—or perhaps beastly horns—protruded from either side of his chest, piercing through his body and jutting out near his exposed spine. The young man stood there calmly, shoulders slightly drawn back, his form radiating an explosive sense of power.

Beneath the rose-colored heavy breastplate lay a seamless suit of platinum armor. Compared to a human body, the silhouette outlined by the armor was unnaturally gaunt, yet it exuded a sharp, formidable sense of power due to the exposed bone spikes and jagged plating. His legs were particularly grotesque, covered in barbed thorns, the skeletal structure resembling combat boots creaking as it shifted, transforming into Sakatsuki’s feet.

Cruel, brutal... yet possessing an unimaginable aesthetic beauty.

This was the first impression Masters had of this form. And when Leo and the others noticed the towering presence behind Sakatsuki, they were struck speechless.

Behind this white humanoid figure stretched seven long, segmented bone tails, each joint clicking as they swayed. The central tail was the thickest and longest, exceeding three meters in length!

Yet, the body itself stood no taller than two meters, making it appear almost petite compared to its own tails.

But no one dared to laugh. Merely gazing upon this inhuman form sent shivers of terror through the souls of both Masters and Servants alike. It was as if a monstrous beast had emerged through this body, baring its fangs at frail humanity, unleashing its malice without restraint.

However, as hostile entities, the Faceless Angels knew no fear or hesitation. Silently, they raised their weapons and advanced.

"Heh..."

A cold chuckle echoed softly. In the next instant, no one could discern what Sakatsuki had done—only that he flickered amidst streaks of blood and fire countless times. By the time his figure reappeared in their vision, his form remained largely unchanged. Yet, the dozens of Faceless Angels surrounding him had been utterly annihilated in a split second.

One hundred, five hundred, a thousand... countless bloody holes riddled the bodies of the Faceless Angels. It was impossible to discern what weapon had caused them, let alone the order of the wounds. The Masters merely blinked, and the Faceless Angels shattered into streams of dissipating data.

Fast. Too fast.

Crimson mist sprayed from the sides of Sakatsuki’s bone-masked face. As he gazed at the dozens of Faceless Angels torn apart in an instant, the corners of his lips curled upward, the mask twisting along with them into a horrifying, grotesque grin.

Whoosh— By the time the Faceless Angels lunged forward, that narrow, razor-sharp figure had vanished.

Even in his normal state, Sakatsuki could tear apart Faceless Angels with his bare hands. Now, having fully embraced the beast within humanity—how could he possibly be satisfied with just this many kills?

Within the vast crimson world, Sakatsuki’s figure had completely disappeared. Only the Faceless Angels, who rivaled top-tier Servants, were being dismantled at a bizarre, visible pace.

Swish, swish, swish! Streaks of light flickered, leaving behind trails of platinum or ochre glimmers scattered across the bodies of the Faceless Angels. Once Sakatsuki’s speed surpassed a certain threshold, in his vision, the Faceless Angels and the onlookers froze in place, motionless.

Only the multiplying streaks of light remained, nearly filling the entire world.

Boom! Finally, a streak of light crashed to the ground, revealing Sakatsuki in his bestial form.

"Hah..." He parted his eerie lips, exhaling clouds of demonic mist, then raised a hand to his mouth and blew softly.

Whoosh—

In that instant, all the faceless angels within the crimson world seemed to activate some switch—they disintegrated simultaneously!

Like a torrential downpour, the shattered limbs of the faceless angels exploded across the sky, scattering before vanishing completely upon touching the ground. As this ephemeral storm dissipated, only the stunned onlookers remained in the area, along with Sakatsuki floating midair, radiating overwhelming demonic energy!

"H-how...?" Beside Leo, the silent man in dark robes suddenly let out a low gasp. His eyes were fixed on the projected screen before him, then shifted to Sakatsuki’s swaying bone tail. As if stung, he averted his gaze—only to meet Leo’s questioning eyes.

"What’s wrong, Julius?"

"...Leo." The man who had once attempted to assassinate Hakuno pressed his lips together. Leo noticed his usually composed and indifferent older brother was now trembling. "Look at him... look at Sakatsuki’s class."

"His class? We already knew it was Archer, one of the three knight classes..." Leo muttered as he reactivated his Master’s vision. Then his pupils constricted, and he fell speechless.

The apocalyptic trumpet blared across the heavens, its soundwaves morphing into crimson hues that painted the sky and drowned the earth. Before their crumbling sanity, it roared the name of that existence.

[Evil of Humanity · Manifestation]

[Evil of Humanity · Acclamation]

His class was—Beast!

No words were needed, no explanation necessary. A calamity of mankind that no Heroic Spirit or Servant could ignore.

"So this... is Sakatsuki’s true form?"

Julius’s voice wasn’t hushed. Not only Leo, but the other Masters also saw the terrifying class displayed before them, their faces paling.

If they could study other opponents to find a chance at victory, Sakatsuki’s existence was like a deus ex machina—no amount of self-delusion could ignore his presence.

He was simply too strong. Having endured multiple Holy Grail Wars and honed by countless trials and blessings, even his mere fragments could dominate among Servants.

How could the fleeting shadows of human history compare to a divinely ordained hero (calamity) walking the modern era?

The seven bone tails retracted segment by segment, the plates receding as flesh and blood filled their place. When a woman of wild beauty appeared beside him, clinging to his arm, Sakatsuki opened his golden eyes and smirked at Vlad III.

"The small fry have been cleared. As for you, Prince... do me a favor."

Pausing, the young man’s grin turned teasing.

"Let me grant you a swift end."

With the greatest obstacle now resolved—having guaranteed Draco’s freedom to roam the Moon Cell as a Beast’s contractor—Sakatsuki could finally spare the effort to wrap up this side quest.

"..." Vlad III glanced at Sakatsuki, then at the other Masters watching like tigers eyeing prey. Knowing escape was impossible, he spat blood and cursed vehemently in Romanian before Draco’s blade pierced his chest, his form dissolving into spiritrons.

Thus, the hunting tournament Kirei Kotomine had orchestrated by altering the rules ended as abruptly as it had begun—a flashy start with a whimper of a conclusion.

Sakatsuki, the mysterious and powerful Servant who had displayed forbidden powers, once again became the focal point of the Holy Grail War. Yet the young man paid no attention to this, merely gazing thoughtfully at his updated status screen.

[Servant Status Updated]

[Beast’s Metamorphosis: EX] → [Beast’s Metamorphosis · Messiah: EX]!