The drooping sky curtain was torn apart.
Under the Ancestor Godâs unreserved strike, not only was the hundred-meter blood-forged defense line destroyed, but even the originally ethereal sky and the heavy earth could not withstand it. They shattered with a mournful cry, making way for this aurora-like light.
"T-This..." Elizabeth was dumbfounded at the scene, screaming, "This is beyond roasted dragon steakâitâs like thereâs not even ashes left!!"
"The supreme god of Rome, on par with the war god Mars, possesses such powerâitâs not surprising. But still..." Stheno stood behind Fujimaru, her expression solemn. "Itâs hard not to feel that this is just too out of spec!"
"Exactly, nya!"
Listening to the conversation among the Servants, Fujimaru didnât need to ask to understand how overwhelmingly powerful the Grand-class Romulus truly was.
To tear apart the world and pioneer civilizationâthose romantic arms that seemed as though they could one day reach the stars were like spears of light. This was both the manifestation of mankindâs arrogant dominance over all things, and the brilliance of humanityâs dream of constant progress toward tomorrow.
If used as an attack, it would bring immense destruction.
He quietly turned his head to steal a glance at Draco. The latter remained calm-faced, but her intoxicating red pupils flickered incessantly.
So, even a Beast can feel fear... Well, it makes sense. After all, Grand Servants were made to battle them...
Fujimaru thought so, unaware that Waver was standing behind them, also watching Draco, the reflection of white light covering his lenses, making his expression unreadable.
A cry of surprise pulled everyoneâs attention away.
"Look! Sakatsuki is still alive!"
Fujimaru instinctively looked over and was stunned. His face showed disbelief.
That man wasnât just aliveâhe looked completely fine!
Romulusâs attack did destroy the blood crystal layer, but Sakatsuki seized the fleeting chance, dodging sideways and narrowly avoiding the strike!
The Holy Grail continuously supplied mana, repairing the generalâs left armour. He grinned viciously at Romulus high in the sky, his intact right fist slowly clenching.
"To not respond would be impoliteâlet me return the favour with all my blood wrath!"
With a shrill howl tearing through the air, blood-red wrath surged up, turning into a tsunami, a storm, splashing wildly over the battlefieldâs backdrop, eventually becoming a landscape of mountains of corpses and rivers of blood!
Altering heaven and earth with his own strength!
Holy golden wings spread in this hellish scene. Romulusâs expression remained calm, watching the man grip the blood wrath spear that had lost its form and hurl it in a perfectly poised, tension-filled motion that split in midair!
Split into two, then four, then eight...
Gasps echoed as a rain of blood-red spears poured down toward Romulus. At the same time, Sakatsuki roared, and behind him rose a towering, majestic blood-red figure wielding a massive blade, slamming down at the enemy!
Thunder roared from the sky.
Facing a full-force enemy, the Ancestor God responded with a mighty shout, his golden-red wings trembling again. The divine barrier unfolded, forcefully blocking the oncoming storm of spears. Immediately after, an even more solemn power surged from his humanoid form. His handsome features sharpened, and his red eyes grew quieter and deeper.
Romulus was burning.
Pure light condensed on his arms, and the majesty of civilizationâs pioneers burst forth, slashing down!
Unmatched sharpness.
The unbreakable guandao (long blade) was blocked by his hands, shattering inch by inch. Even the giant soldier statueâs body quaked, cracks blooming across itâso fragile, so tragic.
Just a movement as simple as stretching limbs shattered Sakatsukiâs attack. The golden-red god howled, finally descending from the lofty heavens, wings spread in pursuit, arms ablaze with dazzling divine light.
"Nine Livesâ"
At the moment Romulus invoked the true name, Sakatsuki, without hesitation, summoned the Blackbird Banner and planted it into the ground.
An ancient, desolate chant echoed. Countless terracotta warriors regained life, mounted their horses, and shrank their formation amid the chilling blood wrath, becoming a flawless defensive wall.
And the meteor falling from the skyâdescended with a great laugh.
"Roma!"
Like the blazing sun shining down, that radiant sunlight turned into flashing fists, exploding with brilliance across the stars.
The combat knowledge inherited from the war god Mars, who had fully witnessed Heraclesâs epic battleâor perhaps an evolved manifestation of "Father of Heracles" in the current realm.
Heracles-Roman School.
The Nine Lives executed by the founder of Rome held a different flair but the same terrifying might!
Like a powerful eraser scrubbing a drawing, soldiers of Qin were wiped out one by one, disappearing. Whether shield, armour, or blood wrathânone could withstand this apocalyptic meteor shower!
The unseen air turned into a howling beast tide. Not just on the battlefield, but even within Fujimaruâs tent, Chaldeaâs communications were completely silenced. Waver shielded Fujimaru, standing in front, raising his right arm. The Eight Trigrams turned, barely blocking the shockwave.
When the dust settled, the godlike Ancestor and the upright general stood face-to-face, less than three meters apart.
A deadly distanceâbut there was no more hostility between Sakatsuki and Romulus.
"âThis is fine. Youâve proven everything to me," Romulus said as golden spirit particles began to dissipate from his body.
"Uhâis it just me, or is that scary-looking guy Romulus getting shinier and shinier...?" Dragon Girl asked in confusion.
"No, youâre wrong, Elizabeth!" Fujimaru exclaimed in disbelief. "His Spirit Origin is dissipatingâheâs leaving the field!"
This was something Fujimaru understood clearly after going through multiple Singularitiesâit was the sign a Servant was returning to the Throne!
"Ancestor God Romulus, whatâs happening to you?!"
"Nothing muchâlike a phone running out of battery, just shutting down," Sakatsuki calmly answered in Romulusâs stead, slowly lowering his spear.
"Without the Holy Grail, a Masterless Servant has limited power, let alone after a fierce battle with me."
"Precisely." Romulus nodded. "This body descended as a human incarnation. The reason I could shift to a Grand Spirit Origin was because we sensed the decisive moment and received the blessing of the Counter Force."
At this, the Ancestor Godâs crimson eyes finally looked at the smirking Draco.
"Too bad a Hero (Roma) stood in my wayâI lost my chance to destroy the enemy."
"Now, now, surely some of that was mercy on your part too?" Bai Qiâs Spirit Origin fell silent as Sakatsukiâs nature took over again. He smiled. "Even if this body is top-tier in Spirit Origin, itâs still a world apart from a Grand-class in terms of output, not to mention all of Lord Wu Anâs strengths lie in commanding troops."
"Being able to survive your hands is already due to your mercy."
Romulus pondered for a moment and sighed. "Perhaps so. As Romeâs founder, itâs hard to decide."
"Ahhâafter all, Draco is just Emperor Neroâs transformed self, right?" Tamamo Cat suddenly realized, blurting out the truth.
Romulus showed no reaction to Tamamo Catâs words. Sakatsuki smiled silently, but Draco clicked her tongue and turned away in annoyance.
Romulus looked back at Sakatsuki again.
"I will soon disappear. The United Roman Empire is on the brinkâsurely you understand what this means."
If the United Roman Empire followed the old Roman Empireâs path to destruction, Draco would be completely freed from Neroâs restraints and seals, becoming a true Beast larva.
At that point, even Bai Qi at his peak wouldnât be a match for her.
"Of course I understand, Your Majesty, the first emperor of Rome." Sakatsuki still wore a confident expression. "Since youâre about to pass on, please name the next successorâeven if the United Roman Empire is but a fleeting illusion."
Upon hearing this, Romulusâwhose lower body had already vanishedâfroze, then let out a hearty laugh.
"Hahaha! Looks like I donât need to say much after all. Youâve done well, my child!"
With that, the supreme god of the Mediterranean spread his arms and completely vanished from his territory. Only a ray of golden light fell, wrapping around one person.
"Wha...!" The little girl in the red dress and golden hair tried to avoid it, but it was too late.
The "fate" of the United Roman Empire had already been generously bestowed upon her by Romulus!
***
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