Chapter 599 Screw This, I'm Out!
At seven in the morning, while many university students were still struggling under the seal of their blankets, numerous Masters had already risen early and headed toward the Second Lunar Sea.
With only three days left until the second round of the Holy Grail War, time was of the essence. To make matters worse, the Masters had spent an entire day in the screening room gathering intel, only to gamble away their fortunes and lose their homes in the process. To this day, the rooftops were still littered with the lifeless bodies of unfortunate souls who had met their bitter end.
Ahem. In any case, they were short on funds, experience, and bond points!
So where could they obtain these?
Through the dreaded dungeon runs, of course!
For the magi participating in the Holy Grail War, the arena was their lifeline. To train their Servants into outstanding "Pokémon," they had to acquire magical resources there and foster synergy between Master and Servant. Otherwise, they wouldn't stand a chance against increasingly formidable opponents.
The most unsettling part? You never knew whether others were still grinding while you rested!
This was essentially an advanced version of the catfish effect. In the Moonlit Sea Academy, there were no small fish—every Master was a catfish, forcing the other "fish" into a frenzy while they themselves had no choice but to engage in relentless competition, lest they become prey one day.
Thus, driven by an unspoken understanding, today's Masters once again gathered at the arena's entrance, ready to embark on their daily dungeon runs.
And then, as expected… the unexpected happened.
A deep purple barrier stretched across the entrance, its shimmering light resembling scales as it blocked the path ahead, as if someone had finally had enough and decided to put a stop to the Masters' "grind till you drop" mentality.
Stop it, all of you! No more grinding!
Naturally, no Master would give up so easily. At a single command, Servants materialized and launched attacks without hesitation—spears, swords, beams, slashes… An energy storm erupted at the arena's entrance. Yet when the smoke cleared, the deep purple barrier remained intact.
Just as the Masters, refusing to accept defeat, prepared for another assault, a flash of light erupted. One by one, Masters and Servants plummeted like dumplings into boiling water, landing with startled cries right in front of the crowd at the entrance.
"You guys… Weren't you already inside the arena?" one Master recognized the sudden arrivals. "Why did you get ejected from the Second Lunar Sea? Did something happen?"
The commotion drew the attention of the others. The Masters crowded around, watching as the magi winced and dusted themselves off. Keen-eyed observers even spotted the now-dull magical talismans scattered beside them.
"Wait, aren't those emergency escape charms? If I remember correctly, those things aren't cheap…"
The person who recognized the items spoke in disbelief, their gaze sweeping over the dozen or so discarded talismans on the ground.
"You guys are all this loaded?!"
"What kind of joke is this? How could I possibly waste money on something like this!" Among the Masters who had been 'emergency ejected', a twin-tailed girl was fuming with humiliation. "It's all Sakatsuki's fault! That bastard shoved some item at me while spouting nonsense about 'sacrificing for the greater good' when I wasn't looking, and next thing I knew, the system kicked me out of the Second Lunar Sea!"
The other unlucky victims nodded frantically in agreement, corroborating Rin's claim. Hearing this, the Masters who had been blocked outside the gates from the beginning exchanged bewildered glances, falling into an eerie silence.
You're saying the arena was locked down? Who would do something so insane? I'll have the Moon Cell punish them!
It was Sakatsuki.
...Oh. Never mind then.
As if the name carried some kind of magic, the previously discontented Masters immediately quieted down. For some reason, they instinctively felt that the young man named Sakatsuki was absolutely capable of such an act.
If someone told them one day that Sakatsuki had blown up the Moon Cell, they wouldn't even be surprised!
"Wait a minute," one Master finally realized, "if Sakatsuki locked down the arena, that means his second wager with Lord Dan..."
The scene fell silent again as the Masters exchanged glances before collectively turning their gaze toward the towering deep purple barrier, as if they could sense the young man's unwavering determination emanating from within.
Not even giving them a chance to catch their breath? Just how deep does this grudge run?
After venting their frustrations, their curiosity inevitably returned.
Just how far had the situation progressed now?
————
"My grave lies beyond this arrow—O blessings of the forest, become the venom that punishes tyranny!"
Under the druid's incantation, the poisonous demon trees rose once more from the Second Lunar Sea. But before the corrupting toxins could spread, they were severed by a twilight-hued sword beam, the massive trunks cut clean through. Amid the thunderous collapse, a crimson figure burst through the toxic mist like a hawk, the chime of the Crowned Bow ringing out as arrows streaked like shooting stars!
"Tch!" The green-cloaked outlaw clicked his tongue, swiftly dodging through the trees as azure-golden arrows rained down like mortar shells, blasting apart dense foliage and shredding layered thorns. Explosions of flame bloomed behind Robin Hood, beautiful yet deadly.
Robin had no time to look back—merely evading Sakatsuki's barrage left him panting for breath. The era he hailed from was not the Age of Gods, and the outlaw of Sherwood Forest was not renowned for his archery. In contrast, Sakatsuki possessed the combat experience of Archer EMIYA, having crossed blades with Chiron and Atlanta in the Holy Grail War. His skill was far beyond that of an ordinary Servant.
Not to mention, Sakatsuki had once received the answer of the Crowned Servant Orion in the Second Singularity—firing an arrow that pierced through a Beast (Beast) itself!
"Gah—!"
A shockwave erupted, sending Robin flying through the air as if punched, slamming him hard against a tree before he tumbled to the ground in disarray. In the distance, Sakatsuki lowered his second spiral arrow, his expression devoid of triumph as he shouted:
"I prepared this stage just for you, yet you still insist on hiding, Robin Hood! Concealed in life, concealed even in this digital sea—nothing but assassinations, devoid of honor. It seems you have no understanding of what a duel truly is!"
The bow was drawn full like the moon, Sakatsuki stood in a perfectly standard sideways stance, nocking another arrow that shot forth like a meteor toward Robin Hood.
"A duel is not merely about defeating your opponent. Only those who honor each other's dignity in combat, admire each other's skills, and surpass them all can truly be called victors!"
"Will you keep running even in our final duel?!"
It was a taunt.
Even though he recognized it clearly, anger still flared within Robin Hood.
"Hah? Of course I haven't tried that nonsense!"
With a furious roar, Robin Hood halted, and the arrow Sakatsuki had loosed embedded itself in the ground before him, reflecting his blazing eyes.
"What I do is simply work. That 'dignity' you speak of—I was never born with it in the first place!"
Instead of Sakatsuki, it was his Master, Dan Blackmore, who responded with a composed voice.
"Calm yourself, Archer. I know your abilities better than anyone. Remember our conversation in the church."
Robin Hood's gaze wavered slightly as he recalled his Master's words. The anger born from humiliation and disgrace was, at some point, doused as if by cold water.
"Beyond being my Servant, I wish for you to display your skills as a knight. I trust you, Archer." The old knight paused, then suddenly added,
"Come to think of it, this young man named Sakatsuki might also be expecting this from you... Perhaps he doesn't want you to have regrets?"
"He's not that kind, old man." Robin Hood's expression had already regained its composure. Facing his Master's jest, the noble thief replied softly, "Maybe he does have some intention of helping me. But as an enemy, his resolve to eliminate us won't waver either."
"Hmm, so..."
"So, I should respond with my full strength as well."
The cloak symbolizing the 'Faceless King' was flung high into the sky by Robin Hood. This time, he abandoned his Noble Phantasm, the Bow of Prayer, and instead donned close-fitting armor, gripping two sharp daggers in reverse grip as he fixed his gaze on the young man ahead.
"Finally stepping onto the stage, Robin Hood?"
Seeing this, Sakatsuki's lips curled slightly. The blue-and-gold Crown Bow dissipated in his hands, replaced not by the twilight holy sword or the roses of red and yellow, but by the unremarkable yet renowned black-and-white blades—Ganjiang and Moye.
"Can't be helped. I've got a stubborn yet respectable Master, after all." Robin Hood returned a fearless grin. "I don't think I mentioned—my close combat skills aren't any worse than my archery."
"Good. If that's true, then I can fight without holding back."
With those double-edged words, Sakatsuki stepped forward, appearing before Robin Hood in an instant as he swung down his twin blades:
"After all, I won't go easy on you!"
A verdant afterimage brushed past the black-and-white gleam. In the next instant, Robin Hood's dagger struck like a viper toward Sakatsuki's temple. But at that moment, Sakatsuki's movements hitched—his eyes uncontrollably streaming with data-like light. His wrist, which should have exhausted its momentum, suddenly twisted with flawless precision, reversing the slash toward Robin Hood's neck!
"How is this possible!" Robin Hood was terrified by the bizarre strike, hastily ducking his head and scrambling away to evade the relentless attacks. Putting distance between them, he stood up with a shaken expression still lingering on his face. "You shouldn't possess such refined skills! Unless... you've been hiding your true strength all along?!"
Sakatsuki didn't respond. He simply tilted his head upward, gazing at the empty virtual sky while murmuring silently in his heart.
So that's how it is... You've been working hard too...
Swallowing that address, the white-haired, golden-eyed youth turned his attention back to his opponent, tilting his head slightly before uttering words that could spike anyone's blood pressure.
"Guess?"
"Guess my ass!" Robin Hood charged forward furiously. "I'll show you why flowers are so red!"
But the clash didn't last long before Robin Hood found himself jumping around frantically under the assault of the twin black and white blades, barely escaping life-threatening situations. At this moment, he finally realized the source of Sakatsuki's transformation.
"You bastard... Your martial arts have actually reached the Divine Realm?!"
At the cost of a cut on his arm, Robin Hood escaped the attack range again. Staring at the utterly composed Sakatsuki, he cursed this shameless scoundrel inwardly.
First he talks about fair knightly duels, then whips out Divine Realm martial arts to bully me!
How is this despicable behavior any different from pulling out an RPG during a battlefield clash?
Screw this, I'm out!