Why did the outer walls reinforced with divine spells collapse so easily?
Why did the Roman garrison in the capital remain unmoved?
Why did the great general merely watch as the decisive battle unfolded?
Is this a distortion of human nature or the collapse of moraâcough, wrong script.
"By now, you should all understand, right?" Sakatsuki grinned and nudged Boudica with his chin. Boudica snorted but didnât refute him.
Days earlier, she had already struck a deal with Sakatsukiâto assist him in toppling the Roman Empire.
"Is it because of the past?" The voice from the wrist communicator belonged to the Doctor. "Is it because of the atrocities Rome committed against Britannia?"
Under everyoneâs gaze, the queen who once raised a rebellion against Rome instinctively shook her head. After a moment of contemplation, she blushed faintly and nodded slightly, as if struggling to admit it.
"Well... maybe a little. But more than that, itâs because Sakatsuki was right. Thereâs something... wrong with His Majesty Nero right now."
Hearing this, everyone couldnât help but glance toward the throne, where the red-robed emperor remained seated, her smile unwavering even as she was called out.
They couldnât help but recall her silence since the retreat from Gaul, her unfamiliar demeanour and tone.
If before they could still delude themselves into thinking it was just a drastic change in personality due to trauma, now, after Boudica pointed it out, Fujimaru could no longer ignore the issue:
"Your Majesty Nero..."
On the throne, Nero had closed her eyes at some point, her breathing slow and steady, as if she had fallen asleep.
Snap!
A crisp sound broke the silence as the white-haired man clapped his hands cheerfully, cutting off Fujimaruâs question.
"Now, now, arenât you all technically prisoners of war? Isnât it a bit too much to just talk among yourselves right in front of me?"
With a wave of his hand, he summoned terracotta soldiers to carry Nero away from the throne, while another group dragged the heavily injured Servants before him.
Seeing the teasing smile on the manâs face, Stheno shuddered, her expression resembling Medusaâs whenever she was pranked by her sisters.
"You... what are you planning?"
"Come!" Sakatsuki boomed. "Let me see if youâve been growing properly!"
"P-Pervert!!!"
***
That said, Sakatsuki merely bound their Spirit Origins with blood-red energy to secure his "prisoners."
Not following the Qin tradition of collecting heads as military merits was already something to be grateful for.
However, Sakatsuki didnât spare even the unconscious, blackened superior officer. Even Fujimaru wasnât exemptâchoking on a blood-energy-infused "Six-Flavored Rehmannia Pill," coughing violently and barely catching his breath.
"And thus, it is done." The man, now fully revealing his true nature, plopped onto the throne and crossed his legs. "The Roman Empire has fallen, and youâre all my prisoners. Hmm... letâs call it a day. Do whatever you want; weâll deal with the rest tomorrow."
His tone was so casual, as if he were just a tourist visiting for fun.
There was no sense of defeat at all. In fact, with him around, it almost felt like this Singularity was doomed from the start...
Fujimaru stared blankly at Sakatsuki on the throne before finally speaking up.
"I still donât understand. How did you evade Saberâs Noble Phantasm and defeat her?"
"Thatâs a secret, Fujimaru. It wonât work if I say it out loud." Sakatsuki chuckled and stood up, walking toward him.
The method was actually simpleâhe used the Holy Grailâs power to instantly spiritize, dodging the attack before materializing behind Alter Saber to knock her out with a sneak attack.
Alter Saber probably never expected him to fight so dirty. A surge of blood-energy later, she was out cold.
...And by the time she woke up, itâd be too late for retributionâafter all, sheâd already be his prisoner.
With that in mind, Sakatsuki stopped in front of Fujimaru and handed him a prepared card case.
"Whatâs this?"
"Consider it compensation, Master of Chaldea." Sakatsuki waved a hand dismissively and turned away. "Itâs trueâIâve hidden many things in this Singularity and obstructed your mission to restore humanity. But I have no intention of stopping now."
"All I can promise is that once my task is complete, this Singularity will be saved."
"Until thenâ"
Just before stepping out the door, the man glanced back, locking eyes with Fujimaru Ritsuka, his gaze brimming with unshakable confidence.
"The star of this show must be me."
Just as Fujimaru was stunned by Sakatsukiâs overwhelming presence, a figure came barreling down the hallway and crashed straight into him.
BAM!
The next moment, the man who had been oozing coolness just seconds ago was sent flying, slamming into the wall before crumpling to the ground, unable to get up.
"M-Master, itâs terrible!" Tamamo Cat, completely unaware of who sheâd just KOâd, slid over and clung to Fujimaruâs leg, tears in her eyes.
"Nero, Nero shrank, meow!"
***
In the dimly lit corridor, sparse torches flickered.
Outside the emperorâs bedchamber, several figures peeked inside like nosy onlookers.
"So? See anything?"
"Too far! Itâs all grayscaleâcanât make out anything clearly!"
"Thatâs just you being useless, piglet. Move, let me try!"
"Meow! You stepped on my tail, woof!"
"So are you a cat, a dog, or a fox...?"
Elisabeth, Tamamo Cat, Fujimaru Ritsuka, and Boudica crowded by the door. Meanwhile, Stheno lazily yawned and glanced at Saber, who had removed her helmet at some point, revealing golden eyes and an indifferent expression.
"Not joining the fun?"
"Unnecessary."
"Oh? I thought youâd be interested in that man. After all, heâs currently sharing a bed with an emperor who looks just like you."
"...It has nothing to do with me." After a sullen reply, Saber turned and strode away. The white-robed goddess leaned against the wall, covering her mouth with a sly smile.
"Is that so? If you werenât interested from the start, why did you answer Fujimaruâs summons in the first place?"
Meanwhile, inside the bedchamber that had piqued the Servantsâ curiosity, nothing particularly scandalous was happening.
At most, it was just Sakatsuki lying on the bed, pinned beneath a petite figure...
Thatâs all.
"Thou art quite bold, daring to intrude upon Our chambers."
A golden crown adorned her head, her blood-red dress draped over her body as a scaled tail slithered freely, coiling around the manâs ankle and creeping upward, upward...
Stopping just shy of his thigh.
The small-faced girl clung to the man like a lover, tilting her head to blow softly against his brow. Her intoxicating, wine-like eyes gleamed with mischief.
The crimson patterns etched across her arms, face, back, and chest exuded a mystique that tempted one to fall.
"To leave thyself so vulnerable before Us... does this mean thou hast prepared to be devoured whole?"
Pressed against the man, the girl brought her lips to his ear, whispering like a loverâs murmur.
"Master (Servant)"
***
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