Fate: Hero of Justice Takeover

The Emperor's Tent.

The golden-haired young emperor was still deep in slumber, though her sleeping posture was far from graceful. The soft blanket had been kicked aside, and she hugged a pillow tightly between her snow-white thighs, as if it were someone she cherished.

From time to time, however, her brows would furrow, and she would let out small, helpless whimpers like a wounded animal. The tear stains at the corners of her eyes shimmered faintly in the darkness.

At some point, a white-haired man had taken a seat beside her bed, silently watching Nero's sleeping face, his expression unreadable.

He reached out and gently brushed her cheek. The girl nuzzled against his hand with unconscious affection, but then her frown deepened, as if she had fallen into a nightmare. Her eyelids trembled slightly, and a few more glistening tears escaped.

It was as though she had walked through a radiant past, only to find that the path ended at the abyssal depths of the inferno, with no hope of escape.

But this time, the man did not comfort her. Instead, he let out a soundless sigh, stood up, and left the tent, drawing the curtain shut behind him.

The brief glimpse of light vanished, and the night's curtain fell once more. The sleeping girl's eyes snapped open, her crimson irises flickering with confusion.

***

Outside the Tent.

The Servants of the Roman Empire stood gathered, their gazes wary as they faced their former comrade—now the leader of the rebellion.

Under the weight of their silent hostility, the white-haired general smiled as if basking in a gentle breeze. Yet, when his eyes landed on a certain black-armored swordsman at the back of the group, his expression stiffened imperceptibly.

"We've allowed you to see His Majesty Nero," Boudica spoke, her tone grave. "Now, fulfill your promise, General Sakatsuki. Answer our three questions."

Allow me to see Nero, and I will answer three of your doubts. That had been Sakatsuki's offer. Out of caution toward his unfathomable strength and a premonition of impending catastrophe, they had agreed after deliberation.

Of course, if Sakatsuki had suddenly attacked Nero, Fujimaru outside the tent would have immediately used a Command Spell to send their strongest Saber charging in to cut him down.

"Ask away." The white-haired man waved a hand, and a chair materialized from swirling blood-qi. He sat down, gesturing for them to proceed.

After exchanging glances, Fujimaru stepped forward and posed their first question:

"General Sakatsuki... why did you betray the Roman Empire?"

"A good question. Though I'd love to dodge it..." Sakatsuki's lips twitched as he felt a certain gaze sharpen. "...I came here precisely to share information. After all, one must understand the rules before joining the play."

Without waiting for their reaction, he continued:

"After all this time together, you should have realized—Nero is no longer, or at least not entirely, the fifth emperor of Rome, Nero Claudius."

Fujimaru froze, exchanging a glance with Boudica as memories of Nero's strange behaviour during their first meeting resurfaced.

"Is that why you chose to betray her?"

"Not solely. Even if Nero were unchanged, our ideals could never align." Sakatsuki's words were less an answer and more an explanation—to someone unseen. "She loves Rome, loves the world, even forgives her captives. But I am different."

His crimson eyes burned with conviction as he straightened his back and enunciated his creed:

"Rather than forgiveness, rather than gambling the future on the flimsy hope that enemies will repent... I would sooner believe that death erases the root of all trouble."

An emperor who bestowed love could never coexist peacefully with a general who ended strife with slaughter.

This was a clash of ideals—between the famed generals of Qin and Nero Claudius herself—an insurmountable divide.

Understanding this, the group pressed no further. Instead, Boudica stepped forward with the next question.

"Then... what are your plans moving forward?"

"How boldly straightforward." Sakatsuki chuckled, answering without hesitation.

"At dawn, I will launch my assault. I will not stop until the Roman capital falls and the emperor is captured."

"By yourself?!" A Servant blurted out in disbelief.

"Myself alone is enough." The man smirked.

Boudica nearly snapped, ready to rebuke his arrogance—but the chilling aura radiating from his calm, oppressive figure made the words die in her throat.

Perhaps... no, this legendary general could do it.

This wasn't a rational deduction, but something deeper—an almost fanatical reverence from those who walked the path of warfare toward one who stood at its peak.

If even such a peerless strategist couldn't achieve this, who in all the world could wage a war of annihilation?

Boudica fell silent. Seeing the others quiet, Fujimaru stepped forward to ask the third question—about the strange state of the United Empire and the mysterious enemy known as the Beast Her—but before he could speak, a shadow moved ahead of him and spoke in a cold voice:

"Even at this cost... are you truly prepared?"

"Saber?!" Fujimaru gasped. Yet the black-armored swordsman, who had never removed his helm, remained composed. In contrast, Sakatsuki's usual smirk faded as he pondered the question before answering earnestly.

"I don't know whether what I'm doing is right or wrong. But what I can say is—I never expected anything in return."

Though his words were cryptic, everyone present understood in that moment what he was truly answering.

Amid the heavy silence, the man continued:

"In the end, is that affection born of friendship, gratitude, or merely the fleeting bond of a few days' companionship?"

"We all know this is but a dream destined to end. I could easily accept it all without a second thought."

How simple it would be.

You descend like a prince from a fairy tale, embodying every fantasy of a lovestruck maiden. She trusts you, depends on you. A mere smile from you brings her joy. A single act of kindness, and she would offer you her heart—completely unguarded.

If you wished, you could pluck this delicate flower of Rome, indulge in conquest, and then... do as you pleased, again and again.

But then what?

Would you wake with a sigh, lamenting how fleeting the dream was, only to yearn for the next chance to act without consequence?

Singularities, Lostbelts, the world of the moon—there are too many "real dreams" disconnected from proper human history. Even if you commit sins, you can simply walk away and live freely in another timeline.

But what kind of trash would that make you?

"The line between man and beast lies in that self-punishing rationality." Sakatsuki rose to his feet, his voice calm. "One must take responsibility for their actions. The path I've walked until now was not meant to lead me back to the scum I could have been from the start."

In the suffocating silence, the white-haired general nodded to his future adversaries and turned to leave.

"General Sakatsuki!" Suddenly, Fujimaru called out to him, the words he had held back finally spilling forth.

"How do you truly feel about Nero now?"

That's the fourth question, Fujimaru.

Sakatsuki almost said it, but something made him stop. Instead, he smiled bitterly and answered:

"Perhaps, back then, I should've just taken that Excalibur head-on."

***

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