Chapter 590: Celestial Blue Rain in the Night Sky
When Sakatsuki rushed frantically to the infirmary, Hakuno was lying on the bed, her face pale as she took small, labored breaths—a sight that tugged painfully at the heart.
Hearing the hurried footsteps, the girl opened her eyes and looked up at her Servant with guilt. "Sakatsuki..."
The young man's expression was grave as he raised a hand to stop her from speaking. He sat by the bedside, unceremoniously lifting the edge of the blanket to grasp her arm. On Hakuno's forearm, a small wound pulsed with alternating hues of deep violet and azure. The azure streams of data attempted to heal, but the violet energy relentlessly corroded the injury, causing Hakuno visible pain.
"It's yew poison, Senpai," Sakura, clad in a white lab coat, spoke softly from the side. "A lethal toxin extracted from nature—an exceptionally vicious substance."
"Can it be healed?" Sakatsuki's voice betrayed no emotion.
"Yes, but it will take until tomorrow at the earliest to fully repair the damage."
"Then I leave it to you, Sakura." Sakatsuki nodded before reaching under the blanket again. Ignoring Hakuno's flustered expression, he retrieved the protective charm he had given her.
The magical artifact still carried the warmth of the girl's body. Under normal circumstances, Sakatsuki might have teased her, but now he merely closed his eyes for a moment before opening them in surprise. "The protective spell was triggered once... and then manually deactivated?"
So the charm he had given Hakuno had indeed worked—only for its function to be inexplicably turned off by Hakuno herself, leaving her vulnerable to the enemy's next attack.
But why such a bizarre decision?
At this, Hakuno fell silent, lips pressed together. In the end, it was Rin who stepped forward, her face flushed as she bowed deeply in apology.
"I'm sorry. It's my fault."
Through her explanation, Sakatsuki finally learned the full story.
After receiving the charm, Hakuno had gone to consult Rin. But the moment the two girls met, Rin's Servant issued a warning—too late. A poisoned arrow had already struck Hakuno's forehead, only to be deflected by a sudden barrier of light.
"It actually blocked a Servant's attack?" Rin had been stunned, her gaze immediately drawn to the charm around Hakuno's neck. She recognized it instantly. "Archer's Talisman? One of the most expensive A-rank items in the shop? Sakatsuki actually gave this to you?"
"Archer's Talisman...?" Hakuno repeated the name uncertainly. "What is it?"
"Seriously? You don't even know what this is?" Rin's eyes were full of envy. "A high-tier item purchasable only by those of the corresponding class. For Archer, its effect is to block Servant attacks until its energy is depleted. Recharging it requires a massive amount of QP... It's an expensive consumable, but undoubtedly one of the most precious defensive Mystic Codes!"
Expensive?
Rin had rambled on, but Hakuno had latched onto that single word. When she heard from Rin just how much QP was needed to recharge it, her expression stiffened before she began fumbling in panic.
"Quick, Rin—how do I turn this talisman off?!"
"Just having the thought to deactivate it is enough... Wait, you're not thinking of conserving energy now, are you? No way! The enemy might not have retreated yet! Ah, watch out!"
Despite pushing Hakuno aside at the critical moment, the poisoned arrow still grazed her arm, causing the girl to collapse from the toxin. Rin, while ordering her Servant to drive off the assassin, brought Hakuno to the infirmary and urgently sought out Sakatsuki to inform him of Hakuno's injury.
"...So, that's the situation." Before Sakatsuki, Tohsaka Rin hung her head in dejection, her face burning with shame. "I'm sorry. Because of me, Hakuno got hurt..."
It was this guilt that prevented her from turning a blind eye or kicking someone when they were down, instead leading her to extend a helping hand to another Master. Out of pride, she didn't avoid responsibility despite Hakuno's protection but stood forthrightly to ask for Sakatsuki's forgiveness—even as she followed him to the infirmary, Rin could feel the young man's mounting fury.
In Rin's eyes, she had become an accomplice to the enemy, causing Hakuno to voluntarily deactivate her defensive Mystic Code and leading to her poisoning... This was an unforgivable mistake on her part.
So, even if Sakatsuki seized the opportunity to attack or outright drew his sword to treat her as an enemy, unleashing his full wrath... No matter what, she was prepared to take responsibility.
Maintaining her bow of apology, Rin tightly shut her eyes, only to feel someone pat her shoulder in her daze.
"Is that so? Thank you for protecting Hakuno for me, Rin." The slightly lowered, mellow voice made the girl open her eyes in astonishment, meeting Sakatsuki's calm gaze, devoid of any trace of misplaced anger.
"You... don't blame me?"
"Why would I blame you? You set aside the rules of the Holy Grail War to help us—isn't that enough for me to be grateful?" Sakatsuki lowered his head, unable to resist extending a finger to lightly tap Hakuno's forehead. "As for this foolish Master of mine... she made her own mistake. How could I blame you for that?"
H-he actually called me a fool! I'm a patient here—doesn't he feel any pity for me at all?
Hakuno widened her eyes in shock, mentally stabbing a Sakatsuki-shaped doll several times in her heart. But seeing Rin's guilty expression, she forced a smile and softly said, "It's alright... Thank you, Rin."
"Eh? Ah... I, I, um, you're welcome?" Faced with the gratitude from the Master-Servant pair, Rin immediately flustered, stammering like a little girl who'd never encountered such a situation before. Suddenly, she snorted coldly, crossed her arms, and turned her head away. "I just didn't want a rival I acknowledge to fall to such underhanded means! Don't get the wrong idea!"
Classic Rin, always a tsundere... Sakatsuki chuckled, then stood up and headed for the infirmary door.
"Where are you going, Sakatsuki?" Rin called out in surprise, but the young man didn't turn back, only saying:
"To investigate who injured Hakuno, of course."
"But Hakuno hasn't recovered yet. If her Servant isn't by her side..."
"There are Command Spells, aren't there? Besides, Sakura is in the infirmary. If anything happens, she'll let me know."
"Oh, right. Need any help?"
"Heh, how could I refuse the help of an excellent Master? And Hakuno, you stay in the infirmary and rest. I'll make sure those who hurt you pay the price."
"Okay..." Hakuno pouted, pulling the blanket over herself to hide. She tightly grasped the spirit talisman in her hands, feeling its faint coolness, which brought her a sliver of comfort.
"But... I still wish you could stay with me, Sakatsuki..." The girl's sigh was muffled within the small cocoon of her blanket, along with the feelings she couldn't voice.
When the night grew still and silent, the door to the infirmary quietly creaked open. The pale light from the hallway pierced through the thick darkness of the room like an arrow.
Creak~
Tap, tap, tap.
Had anyone been present, they would have widened their eyes in disbelief—because whether in the depths of the pitch-black room or within the sliver of light seeping through the door, no silhouette could be seen.
No figure, yet faint footsteps echoed in the room, stopping right before the bed where the girl lay asleep. A cloak that concealed presence and form was lifted, revealing a young man with golden hair and green eyes, smiling coldly.
"You're one tough nut to crack."
The dagger gleamed ominously in the light, as chilling as the mysterious man's grin. Without hesitation, he drove the blade down toward the sleeping girl.
Clang!
A deafening metallic clangor erupted. Hakuno's eyes snapped open, meeting the man's equally stunned gaze. But before she could react, his expression twisted with malice, and the dagger came down again with vicious force.
"Be free!"
Clang! Clang! Clang! Crack!
A series of thunderous impacts followed. Nearby, the sound of a chair being pushed back and Sakura shouting her name reached her ears, but Hakuno had no time to respond. She stared blankly at the dagger rising and falling relentlessly, hearing the shattering of the protective barrier amidst the deafening strikes.
The energy of her defensive mystic code was nearly depleted. Though Sakura had begun erecting barriers, could she truly survive in time against this ruthless assailant?
Paralyzed by terror, Hakuno watched the faltering shield, her heart sinking into despair.
Too late... She was going to die!
The energy swirling in her chest dissipated completely, and the barrier vanished. The mysterious man's eyes flashed with triumph. Even as formidable magecraft gathered around him, he tightened his grip on the weapon and aimed for Hakuno's heart—delivering the fatal strike.
"No one can save you now. Die!"
Shing!
A single, resplendent sword chime, blazing with fury.
Within a suddenly unfolding diamond-shaped field, the sound of a drawn blade rang out. By the time the mysterious man realized it, a slash like the glow of dusk was already upon him!
"The one who's dying—is you!"
"Guh—!"
Demonic flames surged as the sword's edge clashed against the hastily raised dagger, shattering it effortlessly. The man's arms went numb from the impact before a powerful kick sent him flying, embedding him deep into the wall. Amidst shattered data fragments, he coughed up a mouthful of blood.
That overwhelming sword's radiance reignited the light in Hakuno's dimming eyes. Pale as she was, the girl couldn't help but smile—a breathtaking sight.
"Sakatsuki!"
Night reversed, dusk spilled, and amidst the swirling crimson robes, crisp footsteps rang out. A handsome young man with star-like eyes appeared before the girl, just as promised when the contract was forged—
"Answering the chosen call, I shall become your blade, your sword, to cleave through all obstacles ahead."
Sakatsuki, holding the demonic sword Balmung, turned and flashed a radiant smile at Shiraha on the sickbed: "Of course, that is until you find a more suitable Servant."
"Sakatsuki! That addition was completely unnecessary!" Even Shiraha, usually composed, couldn't help but protest.
"You… you didn't leave?!" The mysterious youth stared fixedly at Sakatsuki as the infirmary door was blasted open by a gale. The corridor light cast upon his face, weaving between light and shadow, revealing a malice so profound it chilled the mysterious youth to the bone.
"If you're referring to those decoys leading all the way to the arena, sorry to say, such clumsy tricks are things I've long since outgrown."
Warmth vanished. When Sakatsuki's smile faded and he gripped Balmung with an expressionless face, the crimson-robed figure exuded cruelty and arrogance—like a king presiding over life and death, or something far more savage wearing human skin.
With a flourish of his sword, he aimed Balmung at the mysterious youth who sought to kill his Master. Sakatsuki's lips moved, invoking ancient verses that summoned mystery in this very moment.
"The evil dragon shall fall at last, the light and shadow that sever all—"
Balmung roared with hunger. Night mist swirled, coalescing into a tangible vortex before Sakatsuki. As the azure jewel ignited, a tide of True Ether surged forth, engulfing everything in an instant!
"What?! A Noble Phantasm?! Are you insane?!" The mysterious youth's pupils contracted, unable to mask his terror. "This is inside the academy! Even if you kill me, you'll be judged by the Moon Cell!"
Never had he imagined Sakatsuki's resolve to kill him would be so absolute!
"Since you dared harm my Master, you should have been prepared to be torn limb from limb—Robin Hood!"
Amidst the intense clash of night and dusk, Sakatsuki's eyes blazed with flames so tangible they seemed real. Despite the overwhelming force, the bed behind him remained untouched, with only a gentle breeze brushing Shiraha's hair.
The mysterious youth paled—not just because his true name was exposed, but because death's shadow now loomed over him!
"The world welcomes its twilight now! I strike you down—Phantasmal Greatsword, Heavenly Demon's Descent (Balmung)!!"
Azure radiance exploded outward, morphing into a dragon's silhouette under Robin Hood's despairing gaze. It devoured him, shattered the infirmary walls, and surged relentlessly into the sky!
Awakened by the violent magical surge, Masters rushed to their windows, gazing at the scene beyond the school building—rendered speechless by the sight.
From the shattered breach in the building, the azure torrent stretched hundreds of meters—wild as untamed steeds, ethereal as dust, alive as breath itself. Deceptively gentle, it tore through the night inch by inch, exposing the data-laden void beneath.
The world fell silent, all things dimmed. As the terrifying aftermath finally came to an end, a radiance akin to dragon's breath scattered, causing brilliant stars to fall like rain, reflecting in the shining eyes of both Masters and Servants.
For an instant, it was as bright as day.