Fate: Hero of Justice Takeover

The scales of war tilted once again.

If Saber's unleashed Noble Phantasm had forced "Caesar" to shed his disguise, then the counterattack launched by the revealed true form of the magical beast became an unbearable weight for the Imperial Army.

Like the firing of a starting pistol, the moment the magical beast appeared, the corrupted soldiers of the Allied Forces also exposed their wretched nature.

Chaos, distortion, corruption, degeneration...

Slimy tentacles pierced through flesh, emerging from human shells. Dense scales and horns grew, forming lumpy protrusions that parasitized the soldiers' bodies before finally breaking through their cocoons and bursting outward, turning the mindless beasts into increasingly inhuman monstrosities.

The howls of death enveloped the entire battlefield. Against enemies who had completely abandoned their humanity, the Imperial soldiers were easily overpowered. Desperate cries for help were soon replaced by the sounds of beasts tearing into flesh.

Blood splattered wildly, souls trembled, and spirits teetered on the brink.

The Imperial soldiers stared in horror at the frenzied beasts—they were nothing more than lambs to the slaughter!

"We can't go on like this!" Boudica barely managed to kill a few beasts that lunged at her, but the effort left her gasping for breath. "What's wrong with these soldiers? Their strength is almost on par with Servants!"

"It's just an illusion created by burning through their lifeforce. These enemies won't last more than a few days," Stheno remarked calmly, as always, signalling Tamamo Cat to help her retreat.

"Let's retreat for now. In a few days, they'll lose their fighting strength on their own."

"No!" Boudica refused outright. "We can't retreat. If the enemy pursues us, the Gaul front will collapse completely. The Roman Empire will be left defenseless, with no chance of counterattack!"

"Then what do we do?" Elizabeth panicked. Though she was strong, being swarmed by sheer numbers was still dangerous. "I don't want to end up as dragon steak! Piglet, piglet, think of something!"

She frantically pushed the young man beside her, but Fujimaru Ritsuka remained silent, collapsing forward.

"What's wrong, Fujimaru?!"

"Master, woof!"

"T-This isn't my fault! Piglet just fell over with a tiny push!"

Amid the exclamations of the Servants, Tamamo Cat reacted the fastest, catching the unconscious Ritsuka. His face was pale, his breathing weak—only the slight rise and fall of his chest proved he was still alive.

"These are symptoms of mana depletion. Ritsuka's lifeforce is being drained continuously, and we can't stop it!" Dr. Roman's voice came through the communicator in alarm. "He's actively shut down the control port. Someone needs to stop him—this is too reckless!"

"Someone's overusing mana?" Stheno mused, scanning the group of Servants before her gaze settled on the black-armored swordsman locked in combat with "Caesar."

Under the effects of "Mana Burst," the petite figure moved like a bullet, clashing with the monstrous beast without faltering.

Such reckless expenditure of mana was undoubtedly the source of the Master's exhaustion.

"Truly a fine warrior..." Stheno gently brushed her fingers over Ritsuka's forehead, channelling pure mana back into his body. At the same time, she gave Tamamo Cat a meaningful glance.

Understanding, Tamamo Cat cupped her paws around her mouth and shouted toward the battlefield:

"Hey, scary black swordsman over there! Master can't hold on much longer, woof!"

The voice carried across the distance. Saber, locked in battle with the beast, clicked her tongue in irritation before disengaging and retreating swiftly. However, the beast embodying arrogance gave chase, spewing mana and auroras as it lunged at the swordsman.

"Tch!" Saber had no choice but to turn and block. Just as the battle threatened to stalemate again, a thunderous war cry erupted in the distance, followed by a clear voice ringing out:

"I am Jing Ke, here with General Lü Bu to lend our strength!"

As the words faded, everyone instinctively turned toward the source. A towering warrior, his arms bulging with muscle, drew back a massive bow and unleashed five radiant arrows.

Anti-Unit · Anti-Army · Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasm—God Force!

The true name of the legendary "Sky Piercer," a versatile weapon capable of six forms: slash, stab, strike, swing, cut, and shoot.

When Lü Bu fought at full power, its might could reach the staggering level of an Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasm!

Like five missiles descending upon the earth, beams of light crashed into the endless tide of beasts. The scorching points rapidly expanded, erupting into a sea of light and heat—bringing annihilation in their wake.

Destruction took root in the soil, and soon, the seeds of ruin bore fruit.

The earth trembled violently as shockwaves rippled outward. One after another, seeds of destruction bloomed into towering infernos, sprouting like majestic trees of flame in the heart of the enemy forces.

These were the two Chinese Servants who had roamed the lands of Rome. Before the arrival of the crescent moon, they had voluntarily joined Nero's ranks to defend the Singularity (Lü Bu: ?) and lead troops into battle.

Now, with the front lines in crisis, they had broken away from their respective defenses to provide reinforcements.

"Well done, General Lü Bu!" Boudica cheered, raising her fist. Spartacus laughed heartily, ignoring the beasts gnawing at his legs as he swung his greatsword, carving a path forward.

Seizing the moment of the beast's distraction, Saber unleashed her Invisible Air, breaking free from the battlefield in an instant. She scooped up her Master and urged sharply, "Retreat!"

"Huh? But we just got reinforcements..."

"No, we must retreat." Freed from the burden of sustaining Saber's immense mana consumption, Ritsuka quickly regained consciousness with the help of his Mystic Code. Clinging weakly to Saber's cold armour, he gasped, "The Doctor detected a high-energy mana reaction. That beast isn't dead. Without Saber holding it back, the soldiers won't last!"

Before he could finish, an enraged roar erupted in the distance. A monstrous, tentacled creature burst through the mist, its demonic scales gleaming with a destructive hue.

In the next instant, countless beams of mana erupted indiscriminately!

"Chariot of Boudica!"

Boudica's Noble Phantasm unfolded, but it groaned under the assault of the mana beams. Gritting her teeth, she shouted, "Move faster! I can't hold this for long!"

No further urging was needed. The Servants swiftly regrouped, gathering their forces and retreating. Yet even so, when Boudica's Noble Phantasm shattered, the beast's mana beams claimed countless soldiers' lives.

"I told you, these soldiers are just ordinary humans! They can't stop these monsters!" Boudica stumbled back, her hair dishevelled. Heartbroken at the sight of the fallen soldiers, she clenched her teeth in frustration.

"You've done well, General Boudica." Jing Ke, clad in white robes, appeared with her troops beside the group. "So you must be the Master Fujimaru we've heard about? A pleasure. By the way, where's Emperor Nero? Shouldn't she be leading the charge in a situation like this?"

"She's... not in good condition. We had her rest at the camp."

"Is that so? I never thought that the emperor would show weakness. Hmm... but the situation isn't looking good. What we need now is a true legendary general. The Queen of Victory is famed for her rebellion, but her abilities lean more toward defense, don't they?"

"Y-Yes, that's right." Boudica deflated slightly at Jing Ke's blunt assessment.

The others exchanged uneasy glances.

A general who could command armies and achieve victory after victory...

But would he really come?

Another roar echoed in the distance. Elizabeth looked up and paled.

"P-Piglet! They're coming!"

"What?!" The group turned in alarm. The massive beast had vanished, replaced by a blurred humanoid figure herding the frenzied beasts like a tide of corpses toward them.

Compared to the Imperial Army, burdened with wounded, the speed of the beast tide was overwhelming!

"Noble Phantasms! Does anyone have a Noble Phantasm that can stop them?!"

"Impossible! The Master's mana is nearly depleted!"

"We're running low too, since we're not under contract."

"ROOOAR—"

"Guess there's no choice..." Ritsuka clenched his teeth, raising his arm. The three Command Spells on his hand began to glow.

"Are you sure, Ritsuka? If you use a Command Spell now, you won't be able to replenish it until we return to Chaldea!" Dr. Roman urgently reminded him.

***

Amid the chaos, atop the enemy's fortress, a general clad in heavy armour, his crimson eyes gleaming, slowly ascended.

The three-foot-long sword in his hand dripped with fresh blood.

"It seems there's still room for growth, Fujimaru. But this is precisely why I didn't choose these Servants."

Shaking his head at the sight of the Imperial Army's disorderly retreat, the man flicked his sword, sheathing it cleanly before raising his right hand high.

A black banner unfurled, the dark avian emblem of Water Virtue spreading its wings proudly against the golden-red sky.

A domineering declaration stirred a raging gale:

"Who says we lack robes?!"

As his impassioned voice faded, countless footsteps and answering cries rose in unison:

"Who says we lack robes? We share the same garments. When the king calls for war, we sharpen our spears and halberds. Together, we stand!"

"Who says we lack robes? We share the same armour. When the king calls for war, we ready our weapons. Together, we march!"

Amid the earth-shaking thunder of marching, an endless tide of armoured terracotta soldiers surged forth—an unstoppable steel flood raising their weapons against the exposed rear of the Allied Forces.

"All troops, charge!"

***

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