"Gáe Bolg."
With a flash of red light, Cú Chulainn's opponent—Caligula, the third Emperor of Rome, summoned under the Berserker class—looked down at the gaping hole in his chest before his body slowly dissolved into golden light and vanished.
As Caligula disappeared, the already struggling forces of the United Roman Empire immediately began to scatter and flee. Nero, seeing this, swiftly ordered a full pursuit. The emperor's spirits were soaring—ever since the upheaval began, her side had only known defeat, and now, at last, the tides had turned.
After confirming the cause of the Roman Singularity, Daniel brought three Servants—Cú Chulainn, Artoria, and Jeanne Alter—to the empire. Nero had been visibly surprised to see that both Artoria and Jeanne Alter bore strikingly similar faces to her own, but with war at the gates, she didn't press the matter. Instead, the group marched straight onto the battlefield.
Though the United Roman Empire's army outnumbered Nero's, she now had more Servants on her side. Cú Chulainn immediately engaged Caligula, while Artoria and Jeanne Alter helped break through enemy lines and mow down soldiers.
Even though the soldiers of this era were far stronger than those of future generations—thanks to the "more ancient = more mystical" rule of the Moonlit World—they still couldn't compare to Heroic Spirits. In an age where gods and men had not yet separated, humans had greater physical prowess, but still fell far short of Servants.
Daniel, observing from the rear, saw Artoria's true form on the battlefield. It made him realize something: even though she usually seemed quiet and focused on food, she was still King Arthur—the knight who led the Round Table through countless campaigns. Her personal might and tactical prowess were unmatched. Unlike Daniel, who relied purely on brute force, she commanded with the precision of a seasoned general.
Daniel didn't step in this time, staying back to support Ritsuka and Mash instead. Artoria, Cú Chulainn, and Jeanne Alter were all hardened veterans. But for Mash and Ritsuka, this was their first real war. The dragon war against Jeanne Alter had been different—those had been monsters. This time, they were facing human enemies. It would be a trial by fire.
Of course, Daniel didn't have to guide them through that emotional struggle—that was Romani's and Olga Marie's responsibility.
"Come to think of it, Artoria and Nero were technically enemies in history."
Watching Nero and Artoria from behind, Daniel recalled historical details. In this era, Rome and Britain were rivals. Artoria had agreed to help not only for the sake of repairing human history, but also out of a personal desire to meet Boudica.
Boudica was the ancient Queen of Britain—predating Artoria—who had died resisting Rome's tyranny. Of course, that only applied in the Moonlit World.
Strangely, this former enemy of Rome now served under Nero, helping her resist the United Roman Empire. That's why Nero had initially assumed Mash and Ritsuka had been sent by Boudica.
Boudica had been summoned shortly after her death. Though she had opposed Rome in life, her understanding deepened after becoming a Heroic Spirit, and she chose to help Nero now.
As for why Nero had no Servants and fewer troops near her capital, it was because Boudica had taken most of the army—and the Servants—to defend Gaul, a city of greater strategic importance than even Rome. As long as Gaul stood, Nero still had a chance. It was the empire's primary supply base.
"Today's victory is all thanks to the aid of these mages!"
After the battle, Nero delivered an impassioned speech to rally morale and publicly honored Ritsuka by appointing him as a governor. After the war, he'd be allowed to choose a city as his fiefdom.
The group returned to the palace for a celebratory banquet, where Nero also generously rewarded her troops—just and fair as always.
"Today, I am truly elated! A perfect time for a song!"
Slightly flushed from drinking, Nero stood up at the banquet, declaring her intention to sing before the crowd. The rare victory and the arrival of powerful allies had lifted her spirits to new heights.
"Hearing Her Majesty sing is a rare privilege indeed."
This remark came from none other than Romani, watching from Chaldea. Out of curiosity, and with Nero's permission, Mash had activated the visual feed so Chaldea could observe the palace of this ancient empire firsthand.
A real Roman imperial palace—far grander than any museum photo or record could convey.
"You're a brave man…"
Hearing Romani speak so expectantly about Nero's singing, Daniel silently sighed. Nero's voice wasn't inherently unpleasant—on the contrary, it was rather charming. But Daniel knew the full story. The fact that the palace maids and guards had all gone pale at the mention of her singing was proof enough.
Concerned for his own ears, Daniel quietly excused himself from the hall before the performance began.
"This era is actually quite ideal for magi to train in… maybe I should let Rin stay here for a while."
Standing on the rooftop of one of the palace's side buildings, Daniel absorbed the ambient mana. It was rich and pure—perfect for magecraft.
"You all okay?"
When he saw a group of pale-faced individuals stumble out of the hall—including Artoria—he asked with concern. Their dazed expressions made it clear that Nero's singing had left them deeply rattled.
"I'd rather go fight my teacher again than hear that voice one more time…"
Even the usually fearless Cú Chulainn was trembling. That he'd rather face his terrifying master than endure another of Nero's songs spoke volumes. Her voice was practically a hidden Noble Phantasm.
"I'm going to bed."
Mash, Ritsuka, even Romani all claimed fatigue from the earlier battle as an excuse to flee. Otherwise, they'd have had to suffer more of Nero's singing.
"The leyline? There's one at Mount Etna near the capital. That's what the former court mage used to say."
The next morning, the group asked Nero where the nearest leyline was so they could set up a summoning circle. While Daniel's mana could sustain all three of his Servants, it wasn't efficient. Using the leyline's mana would be far better.
Nero wanted to join them, but with preparations for a counteroffensive underway, she had too much to handle.
As Mash and Ritsuka journeyed to Mount Etna, Daniel returned to Fuyuki and found Rin. Luvia was there too. Their relationship remained as fiery as ever—constant bickering, yet they somehow loved being around each other.
Rumor had it Luvia was planning to transfer to Rin's school in Fuyuki.
"Want to visit the Roman Empire?"
Daniel didn't bother hiding it from Luvia. One more or one less person didn't matter.
"Roman Empire? Chaldea? What's that?"
Rin knew about Chaldea, but Luvia had never heard of it.
"Chaldea is…"
Daniel gave a brief explanation and swore her to secrecy.
"Parallel worlds… Are you a Magician?"
Luvia was shocked.
"Close enough. Interested? I'll warn you—it's dangerous. There's a war going on."
"A true magus never fears danger."
Luvia immediately agreed and insisted on bringing Medea. As a magus, facing danger was part of the job.
"Alright then, let's go."
"This is Luvia—you already know her. And this is Ritsuka Fujimaru, the last Master of Chaldea, doing everything he can to save humanity."
Daniel brought the three of them to Rome, then used the mark left with Artoria to locate the group en route to Mount Etna.
"Careful—magical readings detected. Enemy nearby."
Romani's voice rang out via comms. Chaldea's sensors had picked up something ahead.
"A wyvern… I never thought I'd see one with my own eyes."
A bipedal wyvern appeared before them. In this era—when gods still walked the earth—such creatures were not uncommon.
"I'll handle it."
Just as Cú Chulainn prepared to fight, Medea nodded to Luvia and struck first. Three magic circles appeared above the wyvern, blasting it out of the sky.
Wyverns were considered extremely dangerous in this time. Most people fled on sight. But today, the wyvern had picked the wrong fight.
"Wraiths, golems, skeletons… Rin, let's see who gets more kills."
As they continued toward the leyline, they encountered many enemies. Luvia, now in high spirits, challenged Rin to a kill contest. Rin, who might yield to anyone else, would never back down from Luvia. But she wasn't foolish—seeing Medea behind Luvia, she quickly said, "Fine—but no Servants."
"Why not? She's my Servant. If you're jealous, get one of your own."
"Fine. I want Saber."
Without hesitation, Rin chose Artoria over Cú Chulainn. Daniel promptly transferred Saber's command to her.
"You all take care. I've got some things to do—heading back to Chaldea."
After handing Saber over, Daniel nodded and opened a magical portal back to Chaldea. With Medea added to their roster, their strength was more than enough to challenge even a Demon Pillar. There was no need for him to stick around. If the final battle proved too much, he could always return.
"Servants, mana… Maybe it's time to replenish."
Back in Chaldea, Daniel entered the magecraft lab and began studying Einzbern alchemy again—this time focusing on artificial magic circuits, aiming to enhance Ritsuka's circuit count.
Unlike Shirou, who had a mage father, Ritsuka had been an ordinary civilian before arriving at Chaldea. As a first-generation mage, her circuits were limited.
"Unseen magus… you're impressive. Better than any scout. Want to be my court magician?"
As Daniel studied, Nero's counterattack had begun. Chaldea's sensors were far more effective than traditional scouts, but Nero didn't know that—she assumed it was Romani's doing.
"I appreciate the offer, Your Majesty," Romani declined.
"So this is the power of fanboying… Even Solomon has fallen."
Romani's true obsession wasn't strawberry cake—it was Magi☆Mari. Even when Olga and Da Vinci insisted she couldn't exist under the current conditions, he remained stubborn. So stubborn that even Olga couldn't deal with him.
Daniel was deeply curious—what would Romani's reaction be when he discovered the truth behind Magi☆Mari in Chapter 7?
"Jing Ke… I wonder how she managed to assassinate Qin Shi Huang in this world. Did she pilot a Gundam?"
When Nero led Mash's team to Gaul, they finally met the defending Servants: Boudica, Lü Bu, and Jing Ke.
In most worlds, Jing Ke's assassination of Qin was relatively straightforward. But in the Nasuverse, things were different—especially when Qin Shi Huang could literally build the Great Wall in orbit.
Such a Heroic Spirit implied that in some Lostbelt, China had overridden the Proper Human History.
Intrigued, Daniel paused his research and traveled to Gaul to meet Jing Ke—and Lü Bu.
"Why is he a Berserker? Shouldn't he be a Lancer, Archer, or Rider?"
Seeing Lü Bu summoned as a Berserker puzzled Daniel. Given his lore, Lancer or Rider seemed more fitting.
______
(≧◡≦) ♡ Support me and read 20 chapters ahead – patreon.com/Mutter
• Every 100 Power Stones = 1 extra chapter on Saturday.• Every 5 reviews = 1 extra chapter on Saturday.