Chapter 592: The High-Stakes Wager That Captivates All
There was no reason to refuse. After accepting Sakatsuki's challenge, the old knight Dan left the infirmary with Robin Hood.
Once they were gone, a graceful figure peeked in from the doorway, locking eyes with Sakatsuki—who showed no surprise—before blushing and stepping inside with poise.
"You really said something outrageous just now. I'm starting to see you in a new light."
"What's that supposed to mean? How did you see me before?" Sakatsuki gazed at the girl, whose well-proportioned figure and elegance resembled that of a doe. "Miss Rin Tohsaka."
"See? There you go again." Rin pointed at the faint smirk on Sakatsuki's face and the slight upward tilt of his eyes, pouting. "That fox-like expression—like you know everything but refuse to say anything—just looks smug and insufferable!"
"Honestly, the arrogant attitude you had when facing the old knight Dan was way better!"
"But both are still me." Sakatsuki rubbed the corner of his mouth, feigning helplessness. "More importantly, what brings you to the infirmary in the middle of the night? Or should I say, all of you?"
Had anyone been standing in the hallway outside, they would have sensed the thick miasma of magical energy—clearly, aside from Rin herself, many other Masters had dispatched familiars to monitor the situation.
Sakatsuki's remark only stoked Rin's irritation. "Oh, right. I wonder who decided to unleash a Noble Phantasm in the dead of night and scare every Master in the building awake? Anyone would think Moon Cell was under attack!"
An A+-rank Anti-Army Noble Phantasm was no joke. Especially when Sakatsuki had gone all out—even Moon Cell's defensive barriers had been obliterated without resistance. Such a spectacle would have been strange if the other Masters hadn't reacted.
Yet the young man seemed to find it perfectly justified. "Robin Hood tried to kill my Master. I only regret not finishing him off for good."
What, are you her overprotective mother or something? This is way too much.
Rin's eye twitched, and she decided to change the subject. "You wrecked part of Moon Cell's academy. The Moon Cell Automaton will definitely impose penalties—at the very least, an exorbitant amount of QP. For us, fresh from the first round, that'd mean total bankruptcy... So, mentally prepared yet?"
"B-Bankruptcy?" As expected, the words struck a nerve with Hakuno, who paled and looked at Sakatsuki in panic.
After finally escaping hardship, she had no intention of returning to the days of splitting a single meal into three!
"Heh~" Rin crossed her arms, clearly pleased with Hakuno's despairing expression. "Of course, right now, there just so happens to be a generous, affluent, beautiful, and magnanimous Master standing right in front of you."
With a flick of her twin-tails, she lifted her chin, her poised yet expectant demeanor making her meaning crystal clear.
Beg me!
...Except none of those adjectives actually apply to you, Rin. Sakatsuki stifled a laugh as he entered the amount on the red screen that appeared before him and pressed confirm. "Done."
No sooner had the words been spoken than a waterfall of azure data streams cascaded down, restoring the damaged infirmary to its pristine state in the blink of an eye. Ignoring the stunned expressions of the others, Sakatsuki walked over to Sakura, took the teapot from her hands, poured himself a cup of tea, and calmly sipped it.
After a long silence, Rin finally snapped out of her daze. "The Moon Cell repaired the infirmary...? Sakatsuki, have you already accepted the penalty?"
"Mmm, it was only 100,000 QP," Sakatsuki chuckled like a fox, leisurely watching Rin. "What's so expensive about that?"
"One, two, three, four, five..." Hakuno, standing to the side, counted the zeros on the shared payment screen, beginning to doubt whether she was still dreaming. "How can there be so many zeros...?"
That was a full 100,000 QP! And he had just handed it over so casually?!
Even Rin was left speechless, taking a long moment to recover. "W-where did you get that much money?"
"Is it really that much? It's not even a billion." Sakatsuki glanced at the 'Fair Youth' skill in his status window (Note: Golden Rule had been incorporated into Fair Youth) and smiled without another word.
What had returned after the first round wasn't just his strength, after all.
A single day had been more than enough for Sakatsuki to stir up chaos in the Moon Cell, leveraging his skills and foreknowledge.
Much later, Rin finally recovered from the shock and weakly excused herself to catch up on her beauty sleep. The infirmary fell silent. In the darkness, Hakuno's eyes gleamed like a cat's in the night, fixed on Sakatsuki, who sat beside her.
"Hmm?" The young man tilted his head, his expression indistinct in the dark. "Something wrong, Hakuno?"
A rustling sound came from the bed, and the two gem-like feline eyes suddenly vanished. When Sakatsuki looked closer, he realized Hakuno had buried herself under the blankets.
"Won't you get hot like that?" he asked, reaching out to pull the covers back. But the girl's grip was surprisingly strong, and after several attempts, Sakatsuki gave up with a sigh. "Fine. Just make sure to come up for air if it gets too stuffy. Don't suffocate yourself."
Even now, he was still worrying about her? That was just unfair... Blushing beneath the covers, Hakuno responded with a soft murmur. Satisfied, Sakatsuki chuckled, then closed his eyes. Soon, the faint sound of snoring filled the room.
Only when his breathing grew slow and steady did Hakuno finally peek out from under the blankets. Her large, glistening eyes lingered on Sakatsuki, brimming with emotions no one else could fathom.
The girl named Kishinami Hakuno had only ever desired two things: care and sweets. She had always thought that obtaining just one of them would be enough. But now, as she gazed at the young man's handsome face—
"It's too sweet..." she whispered before burrowing back under the covers, suppressing the overwhelming sweetness threatening to spill out, wriggling like a caterpillar.
Though she had sworn to protect him when they formed their contract, it was Hakuno who had been the one carefully looked after—not Sakatsuki. And because of her injuries, he had gone so far as to pay such an exorbitant penalty.
Perhaps it was just a whim, an impulsive act on his part. But Hakuno's heart was already overflowing with joy.
No one could dislike the feeling of being cared for so deeply.
Her emotions and thoughts gradually settled, and before she knew it, the girl had fallen asleep, her breathing even and peaceful.
In the dim light of the late night, the young man smiled, his expression gentle.
The next morning, at the entrance of Ninozuki Sōkai
Robin Hood and the old knight Dan arrived as promised, while Sakatsuki and Hakuno had already been waiting at the arena's entrance. The two pairs of Master and Servant sized each other up, all brimming with energy and ready for battle.
"You came."
"Yes, I came."
"You shouldn't have." Sakatsuki said solemnly, to which Robin Hood rolled his eyes.
"Are you out of your mind? You're the one who proposed this bet in the first place."
The joke fell flat, leaving Sakatsuki with a faint sense of melancholy. He sighed and cut straight to the point:
"Two rounds. The rules for the first are simple—Ninozuki Sōkai will be the battleground. Use whatever tricks you want, fight dirty, and if you die, tough luck. If we're both still standing when a winner is decided, we move to the second round."
"The second round will follow the Holy Grail War's tournament format—a fair and square duel in the finals."
"One additional condition: my Master must not be directly targeted."
After succinctly laying out the rules, Sakatsuki lifted his gaze to Robin Hood. "This way, you can leverage your strengths while still honoring the old knight's demand for a battle of glory. Any objections?"
"Hmph." The righteous thief of Sherwood scoffed. "To think you'd be this arrogant, daring to trample over the field I take the most pride in. Fine then. I assume you won't mind if I enter Ninozuki Sōkai first to set up traps?"
"Since you know I specialize in assassination, surely you'll allow me ample preparation? Or—are you too scared to agree?"
It was undeniably a taunt.
Hakuno tugged at Sakatsuki's sleeve. The young man clasped her hand in return, giving her a reassuring look before nodding. "Why not?"
"Hmph… Your readiness is almost irritating." Robin Hood smirked. As the old knight Dan gave up on dissuading him, his demeanor grew ever more reminiscent of his past self. "I trust you'll regret this soon enough."
"I'll be waiting." Sakatsuki flashed a confident smile in response. Seeing this, Robin Hood said no more and strode into Ninozuki Sōkai alongside the old knight Dan.
The first round of the bet had begun.
Meanwhile, inside Tsukihaimura Academy's school building, Rin Tohsaka yawned as she knocked on the projection room's door.
As a public facility, Tsukihaimura's projection room boasted the largest screen and best equipment, making it an ideal surveillance spot for magi.
Though its high price had deterred many during the first round, with the knowledge that Sakatsuki and Robin Hood would duel today, renting the room to observe and analyze their abilities was a sound decision.
However—
"The price dropped unexpectedly…?"
Rin couldn't help but mutter to herself. Keeping her guard up, she paid the QP and pushed the door open—
Only to be startled by dozens of figures inside.
"Huh…?! Why are there so many people?!"
The once-spacious projection room was now as crowded as a morning study hall. Numerous Masters in Tsukihaimura uniforms sat in their seats, eyes fixed intently on the screen ahead, occasionally whispering to one another.
And on the large screen, the scene of Ninozuki Sōkai was being projected.
"Oh, it's you, Miss Rin Tohsaka."
Noticing the movement at the door, the golden-haired boy sitting in the front row turned around—it was Leo: "You're late, you know. The duel has already begun."
"Leo, you..." Rin looked around, still struggling to comprehend, "What exactly is going on here?"
"You weren't the only one who heard about those two's wager last night, Miss Rin," the young King of Saints said with a smile. "Everyone was curious about how Sakatsuki, a Masterless Servant, managed to defeat his first-round opponent. At the same time, Robin Hood, who assassinated a Master within the school building, has made quite a few people wary."
"In the end, everyone ended up gathering in the screening room. There was no other choice, so at my suggestion, the Moon Cell temporarily opened the screening room for public use. For a small amount of QP, anyone could gather and investigate the situation together."
"I see, that explains why the price dropped so much." Rin suddenly understood, striding over to sit beside Leo. "Then let's see what's happening in the Second Imaginary Sea."
The moment Rin took her seat, the large screen in the screening room flickered to life. An overwhelming purple mist spread across the display, enveloping the Second Imaginary Sea.
No explanation was needed—every Master present knew the duel had officially begun.