Fate: Hero of Justice Takeover
Chapter 336: [336] Wilderness Survival

Chapter 336: [336] Wilderness Survival

Under Ritsuka’s wise leadership, everyone dispersed in an orderly fashion and hurried back before nightfall, dusty and worn.

The first to arrive were the magical girl team, benefiting from their 3D mobility advantage.

"We’re back~" The two transformed magical girls landed one after the other. Though seemingly unharmed, traces of panic still lingered on their faces.

"Thanks for your hard work." Ritsuka, who had been discussing intel with Kuro, quickly stood up with concern. "Are you hurt?"

"We’re okay, I guess... at least there weren’t any flying monsters," Illya replied with a long face. "But the sea was full of giant crabs—so big my Fire shots didn’t even scratch them. It was terrifying!"

"Illya’s Fire spells are at B-rank magical level," Kuro, now once again in her spirit dress, explained. "So, Ritsuka, it seems our worries were justified."

"Justified?" Illya blinked in confusion. Following the direction Kuro pointed, she finally noticed the neat piles of magical beast—or rather, crab—corpses lying on the ground.

"While you were out, we got hit by four waves of attacks. All of them were these ridiculously large crabs," Ritsuka said with a wry smile. "And the worst part is, their meat is highly toxic—completely inedible. Which means... our food supply is about to run out."

Even though Mash, as a Demi-Servant, had greatly reduced physiological needs, Ritsuka, Illya, and Miyu still required water and food. Without it, their lives were in real danger.

Even Illya, usually the most optimistic, fell silent.

A deserted island in the middle of the ocean, a food crisis, no communication... This was a real crisis, wasn’t it? No, absolutely a major crisis!

"We’re back!"

As worry mounted, the two teams of Servants that had gone to explore deeper inland returned one after another, each with something to show for their efforts.

The female Servants had picked a fair amount of fruit, though the salvaged ones (don’t ask how—just know that Artoria tried them herself) were barely palatable. As for the male Servants, they had put their hunting skills to full use and brought back several deer, ensuring there would at least be food for the night—

"Wait a sec, does anyone know how to make a fire?" Illya suddenly asked. "I remember from Taiga-sensei’s class that in this kind of situation, we’re supposed to rub sticks together or something..."

"Jujutsu – Heaven’s Blaze!"

"Turning Flame Trance!"

Two bursts of flame flew out, igniting the prepared firewood. Only after completing this did Tamamo-no-Mae and Kiyohime turn around with cheerful smiles toward Illya.

"What’s wrong~?"

"Did Little Tamamo just hear someone doubting us~?"

"N-no! Not at all!" Illya was on the verge of tears. She felt like her worldview was collapsing at lightspeed.

Who the heck uses spells and Noble Phantasms to start a campfire?!

After scarfing down some grilled deer meat and sipping seawater that had been barely treated, everyone was more or less fed and hydrated. But then Illya suddenly realized a much bigger problem—

"Wait, where are we sleeping tonight?"

With those words, the previously lively atmosphere fell silent.

Artoria and Mordred, who had been happily stuffing their faces; Kiyohime and Tamamo, who had been clinging flirtatiously to the Master; the Lancer duo sparring nearby, and even the old gatekeeper enjoying the moonlight—all froze in place like a black-and-white still image.

Right... where was the Master supposed to sleep tonight with all these girls?

The Servants could dematerialize into spirit form, but Ritsuka, Illya, and the others couldn’t!

"Umm... Tamamo-no-Mae-san, could you maybe..."

"Nope, absolutely not!" the miko fox firmly crossed her arms in an "X" of refusal. "Little Tamamo can provide water and fire, but building shelters is totally out of the question! Besides, nowhere in my bride training did it say anything about architecture, okay?!"

"Regrettably, my education also didn’t include how to build houses," Kiyohime said serenely—then suddenly burst into a laugh fit for a deranged yandere. "Of course... making children isn’t out of the question..."

Dead silence.

"If only Agravain and Bedivere were here..." Artoria’s ahoge drooped dejectedly. "They... probably could’ve handled this, right?"

"Mmm... mmrmrm..." Mordred clearly wanted to say "I can do it too," but recalling her own past, which consisted of nothing but endless battles, she could only clench her fists in frustration and keep silent.

As for the male Servants...

"I can’t help with that. But I can keep watch at the gate."—Sasaki Kojirou.

"Knights of Fianna never concern themselves with resting places!"—Diarmuid Ua Duibhne.

"Hah? Why’re you looking at me? You think the Red Branch Knights are any better at this?"—Cú Chulainn.

In short, when it came to building shelter, the entire group had hit an unprecedented deadlock.

"Um... I know a bit about wilderness survival."

At that moment, Miyu timidly raised her hand. Before the group could get their hopes up, she quickly added:

"If it’s the absolute bare minimum... like, a shelter that’ll fall apart after one use... I could probably put something together..."

Before she could finish, Ritsuka suddenly grabbed her hand with fervent intensity, eyes shining like she was looking at the last hope of the entire village.

"Everything depends on you, Miyu-chan!"

"Eh? Ehh?! Um... I-I’ll do my best, so could you please let go of my hand first..."

Watching the unusually energetic Ritsuka and the ever-smiling Mash standing quietly beside her, Draco curled up in a corner. She ignored the subtle glances Artoria was throwing her way, quietly scooped up some of the purified water, and took a sip—only to frown as bitterness contorted her small face.

"If it were you, these idiots wouldn’t be scrambling around so pathetically, Sakatsuki..."

At the mention of that youth’s name, Draco suddenly recalled that moment in the battle with Bazett—when her strength and magical energy had inexplicably drained away.

"...What exactly did you do this time?"

Gazing up at the stars, firelight flickering across her face, the legs beneath Draco’s crimson dress slowly began to fade into transparency.

***

Meanwhile, in the heart of Ainsworth, another world—

By the time Sakatsuki realized what had happened, he had already fallen into the depths of Pandora’s Box.

It was like being swallowed by a sea of black mud. At first, darkness smothered all five senses. Then came the flood—greed, deceit, slander, jealousy, pain—all welling up from within.

Evils vast enough to engulf the entire world surged forth in an instant. Like piranhas tasting blood, they dove into Sakatsuki’s body, devouring his suffering and seeking to erase his will.

But in that very instant, a platinum light surged forth and purified it all.

Eyes closed, the white-haired youth moved his fingers in rhythmic motion. During that fleeting moment, he connected to the Imaginary Number Space.

The incomplete Third Magic alone wasn’t enough to overcome this boundless evil.

But Sakatsuki knew someone who could devour it all.

—Beast VI/S.

One who drinks and savors the evils of mankind. To humanity, this black mud was poison. But to her, it was nectar.

She was the Beast of Revelation, the shadow cast by humankind’s soul!

The platinum glow faded—and in its place emerged something far darker than darkness, more ravenous than evil itself—

A beast with seven heads and ten horns—its silhouette, monstrous and divine.

How could mere divine constructs ever hope to rival this eternal sin?

Pandora’s Box let out a final, anguished wail.

***

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