Chapter 631

Chapter 631: The Battle-Hungry, Bathed in Blood and Fire

A few minutes earlier, in the "Anti-Sakatsuki & Draco Alliance" communication channel.

Before the tournament rules were updated, this channel had been created by a certain visionary to discuss strategies and countermeasures against the two great demons of the Holy Grail War. Unfortunately, due to various factors, it had remained lukewarm until now. Only with the recent update to the Holy Grail tournament rules did the number of participants suddenly surge like bamboo shoots after a spring rain.

Riding this momentum, the "Ambush Sakatsuki Squad" plan was proposed and quickly passed with unanimous approval. Magi who had been at each other’s throats just days ago now set aside their grudges and hatred in the face of a common threat, swiftly putting the plan into action.

The world had long suffered under Sakatsuki’s tyranny. To die now or to rise up—both led to death. If death was inevitable, why not strive for greatness?

Something seemed off about that... but never mind. Even the magi hadn’t expected their shared fear of Sakatsuki to become the key to their cooperation. Fueled by this fervor, they laid an inescapable net outside Sakatsuki’s private quarters, rubbing their hands in anticipation. All they needed was for the door to open, and they would swarm in to cut down the two demon kings where they stood.

And so they waited... and waited... until their fervor cooled and the magi’s rationality returned to the forefront; until the moonlight in the sky dimmed, too indifferent to even glance their way.

Finally, someone spoke up with hindsight.

"I say, let’s call it a day."

A series of beeps sounded from the magi’s terminals. They first glanced at the person at the front of the line, then looked down to read his message.

[There’s only an hour left until dawn, and Sakatsuki still hasn’t come out. He’s probably already seen through our plan—or worse, there’s a traitor among us.]

[There’s no point wasting time here anymore. Besides, what if Sakatsuki has a teleportation item that lets him go straight to the Moonlit Sea? Then we’d just be standing here like fools.]

[Instead of idling here, we should head to the now fully accessible Moonlit Sea or go back to prepare for the tournament. We can regroup tomorrow. Once Sakatsuki’s time in his private quarters runs out, he’ll have to show up!]

The strongest fortresses crumble from within, and these magi were enemies to begin with, only forcibly united by a greater threat.

Just looking at this naysayer, the magi couldn’t help but recall his impassioned speech before the plan was executed.

"After the third round, only sixteen magi remain. It’s precisely because our numbers have dwindled so much that we must take Sakatsuki and Draco, these ’special magi,’ seriously."

"Fighting them alone is a losing battle, my friends. This is an indisputable fact."

"That’s why we’ve gathered here. That’s why we must use every ounce of our strength to confront these special magi in the shortest time possible!"

"Trust me, someone like Sakatsuki would never cower in his private quarters, refusing to fight!"

...

The one who had shouted the loudest and charged ahead first was now the first to give up.

How utterly despicable.

Someone let out a mocking laugh—whether at the self-righteous mediator or their own irrationality was unclear. But starting from that speech, Masters had already begun turning away, leaving this damned circus troupe. Soon enough, the once-dense crowd thinned out.

A farce that had begun on its own now ended just as abruptly—had Sakatsuki not appeared.

Yet, as it happened, that mediator had been right about one thing: Sakatsuki would never agree to stay holed up in his room, hiding for temporary peace.

A new storm had already arrived—how could he possibly stand still?

Just imagining battles with all sorts of heroes and warriors had him nearly mad with excitement.

And so, the door to his room swung open—precisely when the morale of the punitive force had crumbled, and their ambush system had gaps.

"It—it’s open?"

The dwindling crowd froze in place. Someone stared blankly at the figure emerging leisurely and muttered in disbelief, "Sakatsuki... he actually came out?!"

The rich scent of alcohol assaulted their nostrils, momentarily clouding their minds—but what followed was courage and recklessness ten, a hundred times greater than usual.

The high bounty addled their brains, making them disregard the fact that most of their allies had already left as they barked orders at their Servants:

"What are you waiting for? Attack now!"

Before the words even hit the ground, a Master impatiently triggered their trap. Not just magical arrows, but high-priced artifacts activated, transforming into countless chains that bound the young man firmly in place.

Yet with a sudden burst of strength, all restraints shattered.

Golden flames ignited in the depths of the youth’s eyes, his crimson robes swirling like endless fire. Steel gleamed like a tide, spreading outward, while the shadow of a monstrous beast laughed mockingly from the darkness, its mirth turning into a haze of crimson dust as dangerous as stardust.

The Third Sorcery unfolded. The three great magecrafts coalesced. The highest-ranked Phantasmal Species incarnation stepped forward upon the merciless earth.

"Come—"

Sakatsuki swept his gaze over the stunned faces, mockingly curling a finger at them. "Let me see just how prepared you all really are!"

Fear quickly turned to rage. Among the enemies surrounding the entire corridor, a whip-wielding Servant roared, electricity crackling along his weapon as he lashed it toward Sakatsuki’s head.

What met him was a blade so sharp it seemed to cleave space itself.

Schlick!

A head hit the floor.

"Hah... mere third-rate trash."

The unleashed Kanshou and Bakuya spread their wings, letting out a satisfied groan amidst the splattered blood. Their owner had already shifted his focus, facing three charging Servants as he flexed his arms and swung!

The shrill shriek of steel pierced the heavens. Whatever trick the enemy had used, Sakatsuki felt his wrists go numb—his twin blades flew from his grip, embedding themselves high in the ceiling.

"He’s disarmed!" someone shouted, a Master nearly delirious with joy. "Well done, Saber! Kill him now!"

But the next moment, that very Saber’s eyes bulged violently as blood—like crushed tomatoes—gushed from his mouth. His entire body was sent flying sideways, his Master’s short hair whipping wildly from the force, before he crashed into the wall like a meteor, silent and still.

It was only then that the deafening roar exploded in everyone’s ears. The red-robed young man maintained his bow stance, his arm as hard as steel raised, with wisps of white smoke rising from its outward-facing side. At his feet, blood-stained fragments of armor clattered to the ground with a crisp sound.

Ancient Martial Arts · Baji · Mountain-Crushing Shoulder Strike!

With just one blow, the heavily armored swordsman was utterly shattered!

The other two Servants’ eyelids twitched violently, but they did not retreat. Instead, they roared in fury and charged forward side by side, their weapons whistling through the air as they slashed down.

Exposed beneath the falling blades, the young man raised his right hand. Cursed light erupted alongside steel, coalescing into the outline of a spear—the twin lances that had torn through centuries of wind and moon, piercing the tragic fate of knights, now manifested here.

As he swung, streaks of red and yellow light flashed across the corridor’s painted scroll. Amidst the malice of the curse, the Servants hesitated and retreated, their movements suddenly halting as Sakatsuki stepped forward, closing the distance in an instant!

He roared within the encirclement of enemies, then thrust his spear forth like a dragon!

In that fleeting moment of daze, the foremost Servant instinctively raised his round shield, only to see Sakatsuki brush past him and charge straight toward the rear. His heart sank: "Assassin!"

The fourth Servant, hidden behind the others, bore the full brunt of the dragon’s roar. A dull pain flooded her consciousness, and by the time she regained her senses, that sternly handsome face was already inches away.

Beneath her feet, the magically reinforced floor shattered as the dragon-like figure advanced. Gritting her teeth, the Assassin desperately summoned her courage and drew her lethal dagger—a weapon meant to kill in a single strike!

The crimson rose-spear erupted with thunder.

Thrust!

Fragments of the dagger scattered like cherry blossoms, revealing the delicate form of a young girl beneath the black cloak. So beautiful, so enchanting—yet the destined death had already torn through her abdomen, piercing her like lightning.

In an instant, beauty turned to bleached bones.

"Assassin! Waaah...!" The anguished wail of her Master rang out. The Assassin girl weakly lifted her eyelids, only to see the merciless yellow roses blooming and multiplying in her vision.

Until they stole away all consciousness and soul.

Death!

A brief opening flashed by. With the hidden trump card slain by Sakatsuki in a single exchange, the lead Servant finally shook off the dragon’s intimidation. Roaring, he raised his ancient sword and brought it down toward Sakatsuki’s back.

Yet in the next moment, it was parried by an even more resplendent, more majestic demonic sword.

In that instant, the red-robed figure turned his back to him, grinning as he flashed a brilliant smile.

Then, the twin rose-spears plunged into the ground. The young man gripped the dragon-slaying demonic sword and swung it toward his neck.

The ancient sword rose, blocking Sakatsuki’s swift strike. But as the blue jewel at the base of the demonic sword twisted, True Ether instantly enveloped the blade. With a flick of the young man’s arm, it shot forth like an arrow!

The lead Servant’s honed skills saved his life—his ancient sword deflected the sword energy, forcing him back a step. Immediately after, he heard the entire building tremble with a thunderous roar. The observing Servant clearly saw Sakatsuki stomp the ground into fragments, darting forth like a bullet as the demonic sword Balmung roared, plunging deep into the enemy’s chest and bursting out from his back.

Baji · Earth-Shaking Stomp!

The leading Servant instinctively turned around, intending to drag this damned enemy down with him, only to see the young man raise his hand without even looking back, delivering a punch that sent him flying back to the Throne of Heroes.

Account settled.

In the blink of an eye, the corpses of three Servants hit the ground, dissipating at the feet of the last remaining one.

"Is that all?"

As if snapping out of the exhilaration of battle, Sakatsuki looked bewildered at the spear-wielding Servant, whose terror was barely concealed. The man seemed even more incredulous than he was. "Nothing else?"

As he spoke, the shadows of the world’s dark side began to take shape, forming the outline of a Beast. It opened its eyes, casting a distant, disdainful glance at the foolish mortal realm.

Beast Mutation·EX, passively triggered.

The last surviving Servant stood frozen in place. He was but a footnote in human history—a mere squad leader who had only earned the right to manifest by participating in a significant battle. Even so, he prided himself on having followed his king through unimaginable, hellish combat.

Yet tonight, in these few short minutes of fighting, all his pride and confidence had been shattered.

Battling this young man had involuntarily brought back memories of that time in Constantinople, when he had slaughtered his own kin until his eyes turned bloodshot and his stomach twisted—an asphyxiating, nightmarish experience that still haunted his soul to this day.

And now, it had caught up to him. It was right in front of him, grinning savagely!

This wasn’t a return to the meat grinder where hundreds of thousands tore and devoured each other. The one who instilled the same terror in him was... just a single person.

A person with one head, two hands, two feet—someone who would die if his head was cut off, just like anyone else!

So why couldn’t he even muster the courage to take a single step forward and swing his weapon?

Damn it, move! Me!

Watching the nameless Servant’s lips tremble and his legs shake, Sakatsuki felt an inexplicable... disappointment.

He lowered his eyes and sighed dejectedly.

"I overestimated you all..."

The demonic sword, its cruel outline traced in blood, slowly rose.

There, in the dimly lit corridor, the brutal slaughter reached its unremarkable conclusion with the crisp sounds of blade meeting flesh and bone—taking with it the last Servant and his now masterless contractor.

Soon, silence returned.

Even if any fleeing Masters had heard the commotion and rushed back, the sight of this one-man massacre would have sent them covering their mouths and fleeing for their lives. Sakatsuki didn’t pursue them. He simply tidied up the battlefield at a leisurely pace before turning and entering his room.

When he emerged again, the sharp screech of a chair being dragged across the floor echoed through the corridor, only to be swallowed by the pool of blood, its shrillness fading.

Leaving only a low hum.

Like the final note of the first movement—or perhaps the prelude to a new one.

Under the watchful eyes of familiars and awakened Masters, the lone and ferocious killer pulled over a chair and sat down right in the middle of the corridor.

He lowered his head, quietly gazing at an empty corner of the void.

His eyes once again brimmed with anticipation and curiosity.

"You... are watching me, aren’t you?" The young man spoke slowly, word by word. "Fools... who dare to covet my head."

As if receiving a silent reply, the white-haired, golden-eyed Dragonkin flashed a cold smile.

"I’ll be right here, waiting for you."

Frozen on the surveillance screen was the image of a stern young man surrounded by twin blades, twin guns, and a demonic sword, trampling over mutilated corpses like a monarch.

He sat there.

Like a king ascending his throne.

And this crown bathed in blood and fire... never lacked challengers.

Before long, when the young man roused from his feigned slumber, he saw a gaunt figure.

A formidable foe that made his soul tremble—one he’d been anticipating since the qualifiers ended.

"Seems this old man has arrived late?" The martial artist’s red robe embroidered with golden dragons billowed without wind as he calmly asked, hands clasped behind his back.

"No matter." Sakatsuki curled his lips in genuine delight, rising to his feet and clasping his fists in salute.

"I’ve been waiting for you."

The next instant, he lifted his gaze—and in the red-haired martial artist’s eyes, they saw each other’s maniacal grins reflected back.

The anticipation was already... unbearable!