Reborn with Steve Stand

Chapter 799-1: Holy Grail is coming to an end…

"Archer, you actually..."

Rin Tohsaka quickly realized what had happened. Though the details were unclear, it was obvious that she had been betrayed. The recent strike severed her connection with Archer, meaning she was no longer his Master. From Sakura Matou's words, it was clear that all of this had been orchestrated by Archer himself. The realization left Rin in disbelief—she had trusted Archer completely, only to be betrayed by him.

Even though the truth was right in front of her, she struggled to accept it.

"No..."

At the same time, Fang Mo, who had just entered, was also taken aback by what he saw. "Girl, you sure moved fast."

Using the Noble Phantasm from Caster at Ryudou Temple to sever the connection between Master and Servant had indeed been part of Fang Mo’s plan. However, even he didn’t expect Sakura to act so quickly. She had been under his watch the entire time, so she had no chance to make a move. Yet, somehow, during the brief period of his absence, Sakura had managed to obtain Caster's Rule Breaker.

The entire process took only a few hours, and Rin and Shirou hadn’t even noticed.

"Archer-sama."

Sakura didn’t offer any explanation. Instead, she excitedly raised her hand, looking up at Fang Mo with expectation. "I’ve severed the Command Seals with Saber. Please make a contract with me now!"

"Oh, alright."

Fang Mo didn’t hesitate, gently tapping the back of her hand.

With a surge of magical energy, a Command Seal began to appear on Sakura’s hand, formed at Fang Mo’s will. It was a circular seal with two intersecting curved lines in the center. Perhaps due to Sakura’s previous contact with the black mud from the Holy Grail, her Command Seal had mutated. Originally a bright red like blood, it had turned into a deep, ink-black shade. The very atmosphere around the seal seemed to change, exuding a grim, deathly aura reminiscent of a European grim reaper wielding a massive blade.

The chilling sensation that filled the air wasn’t just unsettling to certain onlookers—it made Rin herself nervous. The sheer magnitude of magical power radiating from Sakura was now immense.

Previously, when Sakura had been contracted with Saber, her magical energy was already quite potent. But compared to now, it seemed insignificant.

As the Command Seal fully formed, Rin felt as if the entire world trembled in fear. It wasn’t just her own body—her soul, the nearby objects, and even the space around them seemed to shudder, as if on the brink of collapse.

"What kind of joke is this...?"

Rin stared at her trembling hands. "Sakura’s magic power... How is this possible?"

Of course, Rin’s interpretation was off. The mechanism of summoning a Servant involved the formation of an encrypted bond between Master and Servant, with the Master providing the Servant with magical energy.

Normally, Sakura would indeed need to supply magic to her Servant. But Fang Mo wasn’t a typical Heroic Spirit—he wasn’t even considered a living being anymore. At his core, Fang Mo was a forbidden concept from beyond the stars. After deciphering the summoning system, he had utilized a spell from Kamar-Taj to generate magic, converting his dimensional energy into magical power. ℟άNőꞖËS

The power of his dimensional energy was on an unimaginable scale. As a result, instead of Sakura providing him with magic, the reverse happened. Fang Mo’s immense magical energy flooded into Sakura, overwhelming her.

"Good, good. Very nice."

Fang Mo nodded in satisfaction, realizing that unlocking the Heroic Spirit system had been worth it. Otherwise, he would still be relying on illusions. But there was more—now that he was linked to Sakura through the magic bond, he detected a strange, dissonant aura within her, something akin to the abyss of human nature. It was filled with negative emotions—jealousy, anger, pain, and resentment.

"All the world's evils, huh?"

Fang Mo glanced at Sakura, quickly deducing why Saber had fallen into corruption. Sakura’s magical energy was tainted, likely due to her previous exposure to the black mud. Any ordinary Heroic Spirit connected to her would inevitably succumb to the corruption.

And it seemed that Fang Mo’s overwhelming power had somehow further agitated the magic within her. Sakura looked as if she was on the verge of complete corruption.

"Hey..."

Fang Mo was about to speak up when the sound of hurried footsteps from outside interrupted him. Moments later, Shirou Emiya burst into the room, shouting, "What’s going on!? What happened!?"

Upon seeing everyone in the room, Shirou scratched his head in confusion. Rin and Sakura appeared unharmed, but the strange, ominous magical energy in the air made him wary. "Uh... Is it not an enemy attack? What are you guys doing?"

"Shirou, stay away from them!"

Rin quickly warned him, her voice filled with tension. "Sakura has taken my Archer..."

"What?"

Shirou blinked, completely bewildered.

"Senpai."

Sakura suddenly spoke, her voice calm. "Archer-sama is now my Servant. I can return Saber to you. Please, join our side."

After all, who would dare leave such a chaotic being in the world? It would be asking for another war. Hiroshima and Nagasaki were already infamous for their devastation... If Fang Mo unleashed weapons like Tsar Bombas, Japan might literally sink.

"Let me guess what you were planning with your last Command Seal."

Fang Mo smirked, seeing that Rin had no retort. "Were you thinking of using it to control me after victory? To make me kill myself with a spear, perhaps?"

"I... I wasn’t!"

Rin felt an overwhelming sense of guilt, nearly shouting in denial.

"It’s too late for excuses now." Fang Mo shrugged, taking a slow step toward her.

"What are you doing!?"

Shirou immediately stepped in front of Rin, defensively.

"Don’t worry, I won’t kill you."

Fang Mo smiled at the cautious Shirou. "I’m a reasonable person. As long as you’re my ally, I won’t say a word—just like how I didn’t mind Italy’s shortcomings. Here, take a parting gift."

With that, Fang Mo grabbed Shirou’s wrist.

"Ouch!"

Shirou winced in pain as Fang Mo’s grip felt like a vice. He watched in shock as Fang Mo placed a single finger on the back of his hand.

In the next moment, a Command Seal began to form, glowing brightly on Shirou’s skin.

"What... is this?"

Both Shirou and Rin stared in astonishment. The appearance of a Command Seal typically signified a contract with a Heroic Spirit, but there was no other Heroic Spirit present.

"If you ever feel hopeless, try calling on your future self for help."

Fang Mo chuckled, patting Shirou on the shoulder before pushing him aside to face Rin.

"You..."

Rin’s emotions were a whirlwind as she looked at Fang Mo.

"Here."

Fang Mo gently took her hand. She flinched slightly at the contact, but didn’t pull away.

With a familiar technique, Fang Mo restored the Command Seals on her hand, three dark red rings that seemed dormant, as if not yet activated.

"Saber is now without a Master."

Having completed his task, Fang Mo softly adjusted Rin’s collar. "Find her and make a new contract. At least this way, you’ll be able to protect yourself during the war..."

"Archer, you..."

Rin gazed at him in a daze, her mind filled with confusion.

"All set."

Fang Mo didn’t linger, turning smoothly and walking toward the door. "Sakura, let’s go."

"Archer-sama, where are we going?"

Sakura quickly followed him.

"Let’s check out Ryudou Temple. The Greater Grail’s leyline is underground there." Fang Mo replied as they left. "The Holy Grail War is coming to an end..."

"And ‘Mein Kampf’ has only just begun.”