If Lancer was lost in his memories because of those phantoms, then the others just simply saw a series of 'fragments', but the expressions of most people were extremely calm. Except for Astolfo, the 'childlike' heroic spirit, everyone else had experienced things that were no less, and even more, cruel.
Siegfried was a hero, but also a tragedy. His whole life was lived for others, and it was the same until his death. During this time, he witnessed countless joys and sorrows. Although Lancer experience was moving, it could not cause any psychological fluctuations in him.
Amakusa Shirou Tokisada decided to give up his human emotions when he became a heroic spirit in order to save all of humanity. Even if he hadn't given up those 'superfluous' emotions, as the person who led the largest Catholic rebellion in Japanese history and was brutally suppressed by the shogunate at the time, he had long understood the brutality of those 'in power'.
As for Semiramis?
She, who was known as the 'oldest poisoner', regardless of whether she poisoned anyone in the end, still climbed to that position that countless people longed for, and as the one in power, she naturally wouldn't feel anything about this. She even showed a mocking expression when she saw Lancer pained and conflicted expression. Then she couldn't help but glance at Amakusa Shirou Tokisada, who was fighting Siegfried and was completely unmoved.
'Indeed, only a man like this...'
She decided not to care about Shakespeare's malicious pleasure. The other party should be killed in this phantom, right?
But was Shakespeare just simply using his Noble Phantasm to disgust people?
"Look! Those are the souls of the foreign warriors you killed! Even after death, they are gathered in their homeland, longing to protect their families! But they don't even notice that their families are among the souls next to them!"
"Look! Those are the people of the empire you protected! You stained your hands with the blood of those despicable nobles precisely to protect them, but in their eyes, you are like a demon, devouring people!"
"Look! That is your only family! While you were on the front line, she was brutally murdered. You protected this ancient empire, but no one could protect your family!"
"What a tragic life~! You desperately protected the people behind you, but a sharp knife that is constantly moving forward is standing behind you! This sharp knife will cut your skin, tear your muscles, and finally pierce your heart! Look! That is your final end!!"
Shakespeare, who was standing on a high place, was constantly shouting descriptions of Lancer experiences, and with his last words, all the 'passersby' became blurred, and all the scenes returned to the beginning.
A one-armed man wearing a tattered cloak was walking forlornly on a series of steps, and behind him was that emperor who was as proud as ever...
And as the scene changed, a sad and indignant music also began to play.
The entire battlefield looked incredibly bizarre with Shakespeare's meddling, but Lancer, as the target, looked at all of this with a gloomy face and didn't say a word.
'He just wants to provoke me. I must not let him succeed.'
Lancer kept comforting himself with this phrase, but Shakespeare had no intention of letting him go.
"'Executioner of the Ancient Empire'! I'm asking you here --- do you regret it!"
Shakespeare's condescending attitude made Lancer expression even uglier. The thing he wanted to do most right now was to kill that Caster who was babbling like a clown on a high place!
"It has nothing to do with..."
Before Lancer could finish his sentence, he was directly interrupted by Shakespeare.
"Yes! Or no!"
Although his own combat power was that of a novice, and Lancer was confident that he could pierce his heart with one spear, at this very moment, within the other party's Noble Phantasm, his words seemed to have magical power, constantly impacting Lancer heart, making his expression even more ferocious, but this time, he didn't let Lancer speak and after a strange light flashed in his eyes, his voice gradually became more powerful!
"If that's the case, then let me tell you more!"
"Look! That is the border of the empire! The once barren land. Because the residents no longer have to worry about the invasion of foreign tribes, they can cultivate the land, and their faces are filled with knowing smiles!"
"Look! The heartfelt joy of a helpless girl who luckily escaped after meeting a notorious noble!"
"Look! That girl who protected you even in death! The ice droplets in her eyes are not from the fear of death but from saying goodbye to you!!"
Unlike the low tone of reciting a tragedy, Shakespeare's voice at this time was like a storm, telling stories that even Lancer had not noticed, or rather, memories that had been ignored or sealed for various reasons.
And it was at this moment that Semiramis, who had been standing to the side, began to feel that something was wrong.
Didn't he want to attack the other party before? Why did he suddenly start talking about this?
Could it be that he wanted to lift the other party up and then slam them down hard?
As Shakespeare spoke, Lancer buried memories gradually surfaced.
When did he start forgetting why he was killing?
And when did he start regretting everything he had done?
His purpose from the beginning was not for himself.
He just simply wanted to change that pathetic future.
And just as the other party said, he had been covered in thorns and wounds all this way, but there were not only sad memories on this road.
The first time he participated in a battle as a 'soldier';
The relationship between him and Liver, which was both like a superior and a subordinate and like a friend;
Budo's help, which was utilitarian but undeniable...
In addition, there was that girl whom he had always protected behind him but who in the end gave up being with him and devoted herself to cultivation just to be able to help him.
Perhaps it was because he had never encountered such a big setback, which caused Lancer eyes to only see 'black' and forget the 'white' outside of black.
Shakespeare's eyes had been on Lancer from the beginning and never left. He naturally also noticed the changes in Lancer facial expression, and a hint of a blush appeared on his face.
"'Executioner of the Empire'! I'm asking you once again! Do you regret it?! Do you regret everything you have encountered! Do you regret every person you have met! Do you regret it?!"
If all of this was the price for meeting that girl and changing that cruel future, then his answer was ---
"I --- don't regret it!"
"If that's the case! Then what are you holding back for! Your Noble Phantasm! Your honor! Your past! Show it here... Ahhhh!!"
"Puff~!!"
Shakespeare's powerful voice came to an abrupt halt. With a face full of disbelief, he looked down at the purple iron chain that had pierced his body and the black blood that was flowing from the wound.
He spat out another mouthful of blood, and the ground was completely stained black by his blood...