The conversation by the stream remained a secret between Sakatsuki and Artoria, one he treasured in his memories without sharing it with Mordred.
Of course, this didn't mean he had given up on reconciling the "ahoge king" and "little Mo." In this world where the Throne of Heroes existed, death was never a chasm that truly separated people.
To say something frightening—if Sakatsuki were willing to pay the price, such as expending a Holy Grail—he could very well reach the Inner Sea of the Planet, knock on the gates of Avalon, and bring Artoria here.
But there was simply no need for that.
As for how to handle the issue with Mordred, Artoria had yet to make up her mind. Otherwise, she could have left Avalon on her own—would that scoundrel Merlin, really have been able to stop her?
Another possibility was that ahoge king hadn't spent enough time with Mordred in Chaldea to make a judgment.
Since Artoria already understood Mordred's true nature, Sakatsuki naturally saw no reason to overcomplicate things.
At most, he might give the two of them a firm push…
"Aside from Chaldea, I recall Mordred also appears in the Fate/Apocrypha setting, right?"
As he pondered, Sakatsuki's lips curled into a mischievous grin.
"If I run into her there… heh heh heh…"
Then he'd settle both old and new grudges at once, absolutely subjecting Mordred to eighteen different humiliating poses, leaving behind enough blackmail material before kicking her straight back to the Throne of Heroes!
Once he handed that blackmail over to Artoria, he refused to believe ahoge king would remain indifferent!
"Hey, brat, hurry up! It's about to start!"
Ritsuka tried to take advantage of Sakatsuki, but the latter didn't give her the satisfaction, tilting his head to evade her grasping hands.
Still under the effects of his punishment, Sakatsuki had reverted to his young boy form after his "secret rendezvous" with Artoria, his charm as a beautiful white-haired shota cranked to the max—tempting everyone to try and ruffle him.
Of course, someone like him would resist to the death.
"Ritsuka, it seems you've completely given up on your four-digit stash of Saint Quartz."
"Wait, Big Bro Sakatsuki!" The red-haired girl didn't hesitate, immediately sliding into a dramatic kneel, her expression the very picture of sincerity and remorse. "I admit my guilt, I apologize, I was judging a gentleman's heart with my own petty mind, boo hoo… So, about those Saint Quartz…"
"Mmm, we'll see."
Watching her Master display such spinelessness, Mash could only sigh in resignation. But when she turned to Sakatsuki, curiosity got the better of her.
"Um… Sakatsuki-san, I heard you maintained this form in Illya's world. May I ask—aside from disguise, does this form hold any special significance?"
"Of course it does." Since it was "little eggplant" asking, Sakatsuki answered without hesitation. "You all remember that I was the victor of the Fourth Holy Grail War, right?"
The white-haired, golden-eyed Sakatsuki walked ahead, glossing over the bloody battles of his past with a casual tone.
"The Holy Grail granted my wish for a physical body, and the form it gave me… was this one."
"So, the Holy Grail gave you… a child's body?" Mash blinked in surprise. "But why? Was it because of your soul?"
"No, even as a soul, I'm a mature young man," Sakatsuki shook his head. "As Lord El-Melloi II of the Clock Tower, Waver, would say—this is to maintain the concept of 'growth.'"
Ritsuka nodded in understanding: "I see. So Sakatsuki-san's wish must involve issues of growth. I've read in books from the doctor's shelf that a body with stunted growth makes excellent magical material but is absolutely unsuitable as a vessel for storing souls."
"Impressive as always, Ritsuka. That's exactly the case," Sakatsuki agreed, ending the small talk. "Alright, we've arrived."
Looking ahead, everyone on the island had gathered around the round table at this rare moment, their eyes filled with both nervousness and anticipation.
After Sakatsuki's conversation with Artoria, more than half the afternoon had passed. Following tradition, the Werewolf game session was about to begin.
It seemed everyone had instinctively sensed the importance of this day. Even those who had already been eliminated returned to their seats, eagerly awaiting what was to come.
"Tonight, we'll root out the last werewolf," Sakatsuki said meaningfully before pulling out a chair to sit beside Draco.
"Tch, let's hope so," Ritsuka retorted irritably, dragging Mash along as they headed to their respective seats.
As everyone settled in, the Holy Grail System's voice rang out:
[Results of Night Two: Contestants No. 4 and No. 13 have died.]
An unsurprising outcome. The "Dreamcatcher" had long foretold Kuro's inevitable death, while for the werewolf faction, eliminating Diarmuid—who had claimed to be the Dreamcatcher—was only logical.
"Ah... I failed," Kuro sighed, stretching her arms across the table in resignation. Beside her, Illya had turned completely ashen.
Looking at her two best friends on either side—Miyu, a werewolf... Kuro, a werewolf!
So I was the only civilian all along?!
Illya's mentality shattered.
Compared to the devastated magical girls, Diarmuid—who had also died during the night—was far more composed. He even smiled at Sakatsuki and said:
"Mission accomplished."
Seeing Diarmuid's demeanor, even the slowest among the survivors caught on.
"Wait... there's something between you two?"
"Hmm, so Sakatsuki asked Diarmuid to do something, like..."
"Like pretending to be the Dreamcatcher!"
Ritsuka, observing from the sidelines, concluded the scheme between Sakatsuki and Diarmuid with finality. After a brief daze, she let out a helpless chuckle.
"This game is... way too interesting. We'll definitely have to play more rounds back at Chaldea."
As the Werewolf King, she now understood why Sakatsuki had confidently declared they'd "root out the last werewolf tonight."
Unless he already knew who the remaining werewolf was, how could Sakatsuki have risked having Diarmuid pose as the Dreamcatcher to buy time?
Especially since after sitting down, Sakatsuki's gaze kept shifting between her and a certain shrine maiden fox—his meaning couldn't be clearer.
"Wait, Senpai, what does this mean...?"
"It means Master and I have already lost, Mash-chan." Tamamo-no-Mae was the second to react, letting out a resigned sigh as she leaned back in her chair. "Ahh, we should have added more werewolves, or at least gotten Sakatsuki on our side."
"Seems I don't need to call for player statements anymore, Miss Werewolf?" Sakatsuki said with an amused smile.
"At this point, let's not waste everyone's time, Mr. Dreamcatcer," Tamamo-no-Mae retorted irritably. "Ritsuka, Cu Chulainn, Miyu, Kuro, and me—all five werewolves have been caught by you, haven't we?"
As soon as Tamamo-no-Mae finished speaking, the Holy Grail system responded.
[The last werewolf has revealed themselves. Game over.]
[The Good faction wins!]
***
Hey readers!
Want to read ahead? 📖 Join my Patreon for early access to 30+ advance chapters! Your support helps me write more and bring the story to you faster.
🔹patreon.com/aarvan🔹