FATE/LÚNASA FÓMHAR

"August Harvest"

Chapter 22: The Missing Perspective

Everyone present in Uma gaped in total disbelief at the grandiose stage that suddenly burst out from beneath the lake. No one was sure which was more unbelievable; the blatant grandeur of the Noble Phantasm, or the presence of an enemy faction leader arriving to provide assistance.

Despite this ridiculous development, Lucius smacked his forehead and visibly cringed. "Ugh… Of all the times, why did she have to show up?"

"Um, what's going on here?" Connla wondered, looking totally clueless about this new development.

"Your guess is as good as mine, lass."

Nero Claudius nodded in delight and beamed, "Yes, indeed! Feast your eyes upon me to your hearts' content, good citizens of Uma! I have decided to be magnanimous enough to deliver my performance to your very doorstep, in the name of unity and goodwill!"

Her viridian eyes suddenly turned sharp as she snapped at the Fomorians, "As for you filthy vermin, I will not permit the likes of your unholy kind to even think about participating in the festivities! Your brethren have already made a right royal mess of my Roma, so it is high time I paid such mischief back with interest!"

Lucius visibly blinked when he heard this, and he murmured under his breath, "Roma was attacked too…?"

Nero raised her arm and declared, "Behold! This is the Golden Theatre of the Sea! On my command, scatter with the flower petals, netherworldly abominations! Laudarentum Domus Illustrias!"

The apex of the theater shone bright like a star, then dozens of pink lasers shot forth and snaked their way through the air past the Servants and toward the oncoming horde of monsters. Each shot barreled into the ground around them and detonated simultaneously, leaving behind a fantastic display of rose-colored lights. Thanks to the attack, most of the monsters were either vaporized, dead, or scrambling to retreat.

Connla covered her mouth and gasped, "Whoa! Amazing!"

Nero turned her attention to the Servants and cried out, "Go to the palace posthaste! I shall keep these monstrosities at bay!"

"Thank you, Nero! We of Uma are indebted to you!" Parvati exclaimed.

"Umu! Just the words I needed to hear!"

That seemed to stir some sort of ire in Lucius, and he took the lead while shouting, "I don't understand what's going on here, but like hell if you're going to steal all of the thunder from me, Tyrant Emperor! Come, Connla! To the core!"

"Eh!? R-Right!" the child Saber uttered and followed him towards the castle. Beowulf likewise took pursuit so he could help carve a path through the thick wave of Fomorians pouring out of the grand structure. The three Servants of the Lugh Faction worked together to slaughter and decimate only the monsters that were getting directly in their way. It was gradually getting harder and harder for them to break through as they moved further from Nero's Noble Phantasm, but they wouldn't stop for anyone or anything regardless.

During the fight, Connla couldn't stop thinking about Medusa and Heroine X. She wondered how they were faring when they were stuck in the heart of the onslaught. Her worst fear was that she was going to find two dead bodies. She kept telling herself over and over again that she was doing the best she could, yet something kept urging her to push herself harder than before. While distracted with her thoughts, she took a strong blow to her back and was sent tumbling along the ground.

Beowulf immediately bifurcated the fiend that attacked Connla, then helped his ally to her feet and barked, "What do you think you're doing!? This is way too much for a little kid like you!"

"I'm fine! I can keep going!"

"Like hell you can! You're bleeding like crazy!"

"This is nothing! I don't want to slow you down, so don't worry about me and keep pushing forward!"

"God damn it!" he swore and got in front to guard her from a huge broadsword that descended upon them. At the same time, she launched some fireballs at a few incoming goblins to protect his rear.

Lucius leapt high and slashed a giant's throat, then landed near his comrades and snarled, "Absurd! To think we are being pushed back right at the gates! If only I had a moment to charge Florent, then I could make short work of that core!"

Connla heard this, then decided on what to do next. She ran past the startled Beowulf and conjured Lugh's Halo within her hands. Although using it would definitely not be enough to defeat the Fomorian horde, she at least wanted to buy Lucius some time. Perhaps it would drain her of all of her remaining magical energy, rendering her unable to get out of the way of Lucius' Noble Phantasm. Still, she felt it was better than doing nothing. She heard Beowulf imploring her to stop, but she ignored him and prepared to throw the flaming wheel at the monsters.

Just then, they heard a woman's sultry voice echo throughout the entire area as she said, "Such a paltry attack is a waste of time and energy. Stand back and watch how it's done."

Connla immediately ceased her attack and looked up at where she thought she heard the woman. A bright white glint caught her eye, and she spotted a beautiful white winged horse flying high above the castle. A wave of immense relief washed through her as she recognized Medusa riding the steed, with Heroine X holding on to the animal's leg for dear life. The Rider commanded Pegasus to turn its trajectory toward the monsters flooding out of the gates, and the sharp turn caused X to lose her grip and fall painfully through some awnings.

"OUCH!" she squealed.

Connla barely noticed that Beowulf had grabbed and carried her away from the vicinity, as she was too focused on what Medusa was doing. Pegasus descended upon the surprised Fomorians at lightning speed, and Medusa called out the name of her Noble Phantasm:

"Bellerophon!"

A massive explosion of pure white light overwhelmed everyone's senses, and the blast threw the Servants away for several meters. Any monsters that were caught directly in Pegasus' path were immediately vaporized, while others were violently blown high into the air. Lucius snarled and grit his teeth as he fought to maintain his balance. Once the wind settled enough, he broadly grinned once he saw that the entrance to Uma Palace was clear.

"Splendid work, Bewitching Serpent of Stone! But you will not be the one to have the last laugh!" he declared, then raised Florent before him. Absolute glee took him over, and he channeled that excitement into his sword so that it shone bright white. Florent was a sword that responded to the owner's desire to declare their sovereignty and conquer other nations, as if adding more and more flowers to an ever-expanding garden. As he channeled his Noble Phantasm, Lucius couldn't forget how King Arthur once accused him of how twisted his ambitions were:

"If a lily is the flower of birth, then the way you wield your sword suggests that it is a blood-stained flower that only brings death."

He smiled even harder than before.

Fine by me! I am not one to hide my intentions behind pretty little ideals like you do, Arthur! I will not stop until my reign over all of these factions is assured! To that end, my conquest can only be achieved through shedding the blood of villains who dared to manipulate me!

Red petals swirled around Florent, then he raised it high above him and shouted, "My blade sings of the Emperor's rule over all the people of the continent! Behold my authority, and tremble at its might! Demon Sword…"

Then he swung down in a powerful arc.

"FLOREEE~EEENT!"

A streak of white light rushed straight through the gates. The energy seared clean through thick walls as it made its way for the Fomorian idol's altar where the core resided. Once the Noble Phantasm hit its mark, it exploded in such a fantastic burst of white that every window and crevice illuminated long light rays outward. Not only that, millions of flower petals whirled everywhere, giving the palace a divine appearance for a few moments.

From her vantage point, Nero witnessed the glowing castle and shielded her eyes from the light, then remarked, "Whoooah! Not bad, Lucius Tiberius!"

Parvati and Ashwatthama likewise watched as their home was decimated. Even so, they weren't as discouraged about it as they should have been. They already knew that the Uma Faction was doomed the moment their guardian deity betrayed them, so they felt it was best to let things happen accordingly. Now that the threat was officially neutralized, they needed to focus on getting the citizens to safety and explaining the situation to them.

Back at the castle gates, the Noble Phantasm gradually lost power until the light completely faded and all of the petals fluttered around everyone like snow. The Roman Procurator boldly stood there, rested Florent over his shoulder, and glared at the dead Fomorians with mirth in his flashing eyes and arrogant grin.

"Fu… Fwa ha ha ha… FWA HAH HAH HAH HAH HAH HAH!"

Lucius' laugh bellowed all around the Servants. Beowulf sighed and grumbled to himself, "Good grief. I can't tell if he's trying to make himself out as a hero or a villain."

Connla didn't have anything to say about that. She was just happy that the incident was resolved without any of her friends dying. It was difficult to say whether or not the citizens were okay since there were clearly some dead bodies lying around, but at least the roster of Servants was still going strong. Once everyone was evacuated to the treasury and fully rested, she would consider how to move on to launching a counterattack against the mastermind of this incident.

Some kind of crumbling sound alerted Connla, and she looked over to find Heroine X sifting her way through the rubble she was buried beneath. She rubbed a sore part of her back and painfully groaned, "Ugh… Talk about a rough landing…"

"Miss X!" Connla squealed and ran up to give the surprised Assassin a hug. "Thank goodness you're okay! I thought for sure you would be…"

"Hm! To be honest, I thought I was a goner as well. After Medusa and I dispatched the Shadow Servants, monsters just started spawning like crazy from where the stone idol was. Luckily I managed to grab hold of Pegasus' hoof at the last moment and ride my way to safety."

"Just so we're clear," Medusa interjected as she landed near them, "I had no intention of saving you."

Beowulf looked around, then said, "Looks like we're all accounted for. Let's haul our asses back to the others and get everyone sorted out before returning to the treasury."

Connla nodded. "Good idea. We're all exhausted, and some of us need to get caught up with our current situation. Perhaps a strategy meeting between all of the factions is in order once we all meet back at base."

"Time to go on the offensive, huh? Sounds like my kind of battle," the Grendel Slayer smirked. He then glared over at Lucius, who was still laughing manaically, and shouted, "Hey, dumbass! How long do you plan on howling like an idiot there!? We're leaving with or without you!"

"Pah! Is a man not allowed to savor his hard-earned victory!?" Lucius retorted, then sighed. "Alas, I shall relent for now and save this joy for when I declare my sovereignty over both Uma and Zhou simultaneously! I, for one, am also most curious to know why Nero decided to show up when she did! Come, let us rendezvous with Parvati's group and interrogate that preening tyrant!"

While the other Servants were absent, Nero, Parvati and Ashwatthama cooperated to either eliminate the surviving Fomorians or guide the fleeing survivors to safety. The outskirts of Uma were steadily filling up with frightened and confused citizens who were looking around for their friends and family. After some time, Ashwatthama returned from his final patrol and reported to Parvati, "I think that's all of the survivors we're going to find."

"Good work. We shall wait for Lucius' group to return, then depart."

"Don't you think just up and leaving is a bit much for everyone after what they just went through? Haven't you explained the situation to them yet?"

"I will in a moment. I needed to make sure that we saved everyone first before telling them."

Meanwhile, Nero hopped down from the stage that was still parked within the lake. She overheard their discussion, then asked, "You say you are to depart from these lands? If your intention is to evacuate them to Roma, then I am sorry to say that it will not be an option."

"So your guardian deity turned against you as well?" Parvati asked.

"Indeed. My word, what sort of calamity has befallen us? I still cannot comprehend the gravity of this situation. On top of that, my fellow Triumvirate have given up their lives to ensure that I carry on Roma's legacy."

"What!? Caesar and Cleopatra are dead!?"

"Umu…"

Lucius and his comrades had already made their way back across the bridge out of the city when they heard Parvati's exclamation. The Roman became stunned, and he barked, "What nonsense is this!? Just what in the Nine Hells has happened to Roma!? Explain yourself at once, Nero!"

"Whoa, calm down, dude," Beowulf implored, grabbing the back of Lucius' coat and pulling him away from the swimsuit-clad Emperor. "I know you're upset, but we're going to step all over each other demanding for explanations. Let's hear what she has to say first, then we'll tell her our sides of the story."

"Ungh…"

At the same time, Medusa quietly approached Parvati and Ashwatthama. She kneeled before the former and murmured, "My apologies for the delay. I'm afraid I have only unfortunate news to bring back to you."

"Don't worry about it. I already have a good idea of what happened," Parvati assured and rested her hand on the Rider's shoulder. "I was more worried about whether or not you would make it back alive. Seeing you is consolation enough for me."

"Please, you need not waste such words on me…"

Meanwhile, Heroine X ran up to Nero's theater and froze like a deer caught in headlights. Her eyes widened so much that they probably would have fallen out of the sockets, and her jaw dropped as she gasped in repressed horror, "That's… That's…"

"What's the matter, Miss X?" Connla asked.

X's expression turned into one of absolutely unfettered rage.

"THAT'S MY SPACESHIP!"

"Eh? You mean the one powered by that Artorium stuff you were looking for?"

The Assassin was in no mood to correct her friend, as she dropped to her knees and cried out in blatant anguish, "What the hell is this!? Why has my spaceship been converted into such an atrocious-looking amphitheater!?"

"Don't look at me," Connla raised her hands defensively. "Emperor Nero's the one who used it."

"Did someone say my name!?" Nero exclaimed and approached the duo gallantly. "Well!? How do you like my latest invention!? You both seem positively dumbstruck by its splendor!"

She rested her hand upon her chest in pride and continued, "I call it my Golden Theater, and the high-class aurora of the seas; Domus Aurea de Curcubeu Mare! Isn't it just the most fantastic thing your eyes have ever beheld!? For the sake of a lord's grand summer, its voice will take down all calamities and obstacles, and ensure the most brilliant victory above all els-!"

"KIII~IIILL!" X suddenly shrieked and threw herself at Nero, intent on slashing her into bloody meat ribbons with Secretcalibur.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!" Connla yelped and hurried to latch herself against the livid Assassin's back like a koala hugging a tree in order to fend her from the bikini-clad emperor. She grunted hard, then squeaked, "What do you think you're doing!?"

"That harlot used my spaceship as parts for a freakin' pipe organ! Unforgivable! Just wait until I get a hand on YOUR organs, Nero Claudius! I'll bury you six feet under the sea if it's the last thing I do!"

"H-Hold on now! Time out, TIME OUUUT!"

"My!" Nero gasped, apparently unperturbed by X's outbursts. "So that abandoned contraption belonged to you? Well have no fear. It seemed to be lacking in practical function, but its technology was so impressive that I took the liberty of repurposing it into my Noble Phantasm."

"Yes, we saw that already!" Connla yelped, still struggling to keep X at bay. "D-Do you think… you could… give it back to her!?"

"Hmm. That would be rather difficult, given how it no longer resembles its original form."

Tears streamed down X's face as she cried out in furious agony, "Then how am I supposed to get back to the Servant Universe!? That was my only way off this planet!"

"We'll think of something, I promise!" the young Saber pleaded. "Just calm down for now! Losing your temper like this is not going to help anyone!"

"Guuuh… Uuuuh! My spaceship, gone! And now I'm being comforted by a Saber… Could my life possibly get any worse right now!?"

X gave up trying to murder Nero and sauntered off to a distant corner to sulk by herself. Connla twiddled her fingers together, then said to Nero, "We should probably leave her alone for now."

"Agreed," the emperor said, then called out to the Servants, "All right, everyone! I know you have been waiting with bated breath for my part of this tale, and I appreciate your continued patience! Let me begin in summation by stating that, indeed, Roma has fallen in the clutches of this mysterious enemy! I am aware of Uma's status, but what of Zhou? Has Wu Zetian's territory met a similar fate?"

"Mm," Connla nodded. "Zhou's survivors are currently making their way to the Lugh Faction's headquarters."

"Lugh Faction?" Nero raised an eyebrow, then immediately turned to Lucius and declared, "I bet this was your idea, wasn't it? You certainly would be the type to abandon your status as a member of my Triumvirate to find leadership in your own faction. Your idolization of the Celtic god Lugh was often one of your defining characteristics, after all."

"Fwa ha ha ha! Of course!" he laughed. "But let us be clear – you were the one who expelled me! I simply took that as an opportunity to escape from your overblown shadow!"

"Hmph. Well, we shall save those semantics for a later time. For now, let me regale you all with my account of what happened in Roma."

Several days ago…

The grand coliseum situated within the center of Roma, the largest city among all three existing factions, roared with life. Rows upon rows of seats were filled to the brim with cheering spectators as they watched the latest match unfold. This was the beating heart of the annual event known as Nerofest, named in honor of the Roma Faction's leader and the Triumvirate's most powerful member. Everyone always looked forward to this occasion, especially the guards and warriors who were eager to vent some steam and let out their pent-up frustrations upon each other in flagrant displays of violence. Even so, the number one rule of Nerofest was, "No killing allowed," so these matches never wound up causing fatalities.

The senators' section of seats were situated way at the bottom so the most privileged and elite of Roma's citizens could watch the action directly. Nero sat in the highest seat – a golden throne clad in velvet cloth – and observed the latest fight with a pleased smile. The two seats next to her (which were purposely lower than hers) were occupied by Emperor Gaius Julius Caesar and Pharaoh Cleopatra VII Philopator. The rotund man waved a fan in front of his face and groaned, "My, my. What a bother. Why must I force myself to observe such ridiculous contests of strength? I fail to comprehend how these tedious and repetitious displays can be conceived as entertaining."

"Don't say that. I'm finding this rather pleasant," the beautiful green-haired woman seated next to him replied. "My body practically itches with the desire to show off my elegant combat style."

"No, no, no! A proper lady like yourself should not throw herself into the ring so callously!"

"Fu fu fu, I know that. I've been holding back on your account. A man of your… um, stature might wind up having a coronary attack if he watched his beloved fight for entertainment's sake."

"Ugh. Is this another one of your pokes at my weight?"

"My, what ever do you mean? Don't make such baseless assumptions," Cleopatra defended herself, but obviously possessed a tinge of guilt in her eyes.

"Well, fine," Caesar relented and smiled. "Besides, it's not like Nerofest is a total waste of time from my perspective. A real businessman like myself never allows an opportunity pass to display his real talents. Think of all the wealth this festival has garnered! With but only a fraction devoted to necessary expenses, we have brought in countless customers and inspired them to surrender their money to us! Ah, I sometimes fear how powerful my eloquence is. It is truly a gift from Venus herself."

"Oh well. I suppose everyone has fun in their own way," she shrugged and returned her attention to the fight.

They watched the next three matches unfold without incident. During the middle of the fourth though, something bizarre happened. Just as the two gladiators were about to clash swords, the caged entrance to the field blasted off its hinges and clattered along the dirt, surprising everyone present. Standing there was a Fomorian monster wielding a blunt club, and it hobbled into the arena on its misaligned legs. Everyone fell silent, unsure of what was going on.

"What is that nightmarish thing?" Caesar wondered, then faced Nero and asked, "Did you plan for monsters to show up at random to spice things up?"

"No, I did not," she admitted, sounding as confused as him. "All predetermined matches as to be held as scheduled, and exhibition fights forbid the use of monsters."

One of the fighters decided to raise his sword and charge at the Fomorian, assuming that it was a threat that needed to be neutralized. Suddenly, it lumbered over him and swung its mace at the man's head, decapitating him in one swift motion. The head sailed across the air and landed in the spectators' stands, terrifying anyone who was unfortunate enough to be in the immediate vicinity. Panic instantly overcame the citizens, and they screamed for their lives while scrambling to escape from the coliseum all at once.

"What in the world!?" Cleopatra shrieked. Caesar and Nero were equally as stunned by the brutal murder. The angered Pharaoh hopped over the rail and landed in the battlefield before shouting at the monster, "What do you think you're doing!? Don't you know that this event forbids killing!?"

"GwwWoOooOOgGH…" the Fomorian growled and turned to face her. She sensed nothing but hatred and bloodlust in its malformed eyes, and she winced.

An entire troop of Roma's guards hurried in front of her, and one man shouted, "Please stay back, Pharaoh! This creature is dangerous!"

"No need to state the obvious to me, thank you very much!" she retorted, then got into her fighting stance. "I am beyond angry at this point!"

"You don't understand, my lady! This is not the only monster that has appeared! There are dozens of them surrounding the coliseum as we speak!"

Nero's eyes widened as she cried out, "What balderdash is this!? Where did they come from!?"

"We just got a report from the last survivor of the men guarding the deity, and they said that those creatures started pouring out everywhere after the idol destroyed itself! Casualties are already in the hundreds… no, perhaps the thousands!"

"No… Romulus preserve us…"

Caesar then shouted, "The citizens! If what that guard said is true, then the escapees might be slaughtered the moment they leave the coliseum!"

"Damn it! I will take care of it! Caesar, leave the monsters that have breached the coliseum walls to the guards! You go with Cleopatra and find out what is happening with the guardian deity!"

"Normally I would not be eager to accept such a task, but this time is different! Anyone who disturbs Roma's peace and lays a hand on my Cleopatra will come to know my wrath!"

The rotund emperor brandished his golden sword and hopped out of the stands to assist his beloved in the ring. Nero elegantly leapt high into the air backwards and jumped along the rising seats to the coliseum's highest walls, twisting her body several times simply for dramatic flair. From this vantage point, she had a good view of the chaos happening outside. Her heart sunk with dread as she witnessed several monsters murder some citizens who were fleeing from the coliseum. The sight of innocent people's blood spewing everywhere angered the otherwise cheerful emperor, and she clenched her teeth in fury.

"Unforgivable!" Nero cried out in shock. "I do not know what has provoked such senseless carnage, but damned if I will allow this to continue! Although the timing is not desirable, I must unveil Nerofest's grand finale and protect my adoring fans!"

She spread her arms out, and a flurry of flaming red rose petals swirled around her. They increased in number until they provided enough coverage for her to change her outfit in privacy. Her vermilion dress burned away until she was completely nude, and the bow in her hair untied itself to undo the French braid she wore and let her long blonde hair flow free. Then the flaming petals affixed themselves to her body and transformed into a striped criss-cross bikini. In that moment, Nero's Spirit Origin changed her class from a Saber to a Caster. Once she was ready, the flowery spectacle dissipated so she could show herself off to the onlookers below.

Under normal circumstances, Nero would have happily given herself a grand introduction. Now though, she was so livid beyond belief that she couldn't bring herself to speak. She wielded her sword Aestus Estus, then dropped down and plummeted upon the horde of Fomorians terrorizing the citizens. In a brilliant flash of gold, a pair of pipe organ-like weapons materialized over her shoulders, and she commanded, "FIRE!"

Several organs detached themselves from the weapon and sailed toward the monsters, then unleashed a flurry of laser attacks that tore them into pieces. Nero clenched her fist and punched with all her might upon a surviving creature's head, pummeling it clean into the ground with one blow. Two Fomorians attempted to ambush her from behind, but she swung her sword in a high arc and cleaved through them with little effort. She vaulted back to her feet, then folded her arms and positioned her cannons so that they could fire a single powerful shot at a group of fiends approaching her in the distance. The explosion both obliterated them and decimated the surrounding area in a fiery storm.

Once she was sure she cleared out the coliseum's entrance, Nero called out to the escapees, "Let us retreat to the caverns for shelter! I shall safeguard you all along the way!"

Meanwhile, Caesar and Cleopatra did as Nero commanded and entrusted the coliseum's safety to the Roman guards while they hurried out of the back entrance. The Pharaoh summoned her snake familiar and rode along its back toward the citadel where Roma's stone idol was being housed. Caesar desperately tried to keep up, but wheezed, "Hah… hah… haah! S-Slow down for me, will you!? A man can only go so fast!"

"Quit your bellyaching! And I mean that in more ways than one!" she retorted. "Consider this an opportunity for you to get some much-needed exercise!"

"Then why… don't you… run along… with me!? T-There's nothing better… than couple's exercise… is there!?"

"I already did my 25 laps around the coliseum this morning, so I am as fit as can be. Not that I don't have the perfect body already, mind you. Perhaps you should look to my perfection as inspiration for your own fitness endeavors."

"Hah… hah… hah… G-Give me… a break…!"

They eventually reached the entrance to the altar, and Caesar collapsed face-down on the ground to catch his breath. Cleopatra dismounted her snake and stood tall like a fashionista as she panned her eyes around the area. Although the entrance to the altar was demolished and rubble was strewn about everywhere, there weren't any signs of hostile life anywhere. She frowned in disdain, turned to face Caesar, and muttered, "What a disaster. But it looks like we're in luck. I don't see any of those fiends lurking about anywhere. Good thing too – I'd deliver Heaven's wrath itself for having to work up a sweat against such abominations after applying my makeup."

As Caesar regained his composure and got to his knees, that was when he noticed unusual movement behind Cleopatra. The dirt softened into viscous mud, and several malformed hands reached out to grab the surface. One such hand snatched her ankle, and she cried out, "Hyah!?"

"Why you-!" Caesar snarled and jammed his sword into the offending wrist. He pushed her away and continued hacking at the monster that was trying to emerge from the mud, mercilessly killing it. Cleopatra stumbled backwards, then gazed in horror at the Fomorians that revealed themselves.

"Looks like our guardian deity's sanctuary has turned into a mausoleum for the living dead," she scoffed, then flipped her long green locks with her fingers and pointed at the beasts like a diva. Spontaneous flashes of sparkling bright lights flared around them, blasting some monsters' stomachs wide open. One managed to escape the onslaught and rushed in to punch her. She deftly sidestepped it and used its own weight to throw it onto the ground with a judo toss. She then stomped her heel on the back of its neck, internally decapitating it.

Caesar struck down several more Fomorians with his sword. One tried to crush him to death with its club, but suddenly found its heavy swing blocked by some kind of strange stone appendage that had formed around the emperor's arm.

"Hmph," he smirked. He used his new gargantuan arm to pick up the attacker and viciously hurl it at the oncoming crowd of fiends, toppling them all like a bowling ball hitting the pins. He shouted at Cleopatra, "We musn't tarry any longer! Let us see what has happened to the guardian!"

"I'm right behind you!" she exclaimed as she slaughtered another Fomorian with her lightshow magic. She did some gymnastic flips and reunited with Caesar, then they hurried inside the altar when they had the opportunity. They thought for sure that the stone idol was under attack from some mysterious enemy, but when they saw the state of things inside, their theory was immediately dashed.

"Unbelievable!" Cleopatra gasped.

The Fomorian idol's core pulsed with dark energy akin to a beating heart. Each throb unleashed a malevolent wave that congealed and formed into each monster they just fought. Caesar was so astonished, he barely recognized his own voice as he cried out, "This… This isn't possible! Our own protector is responsible for this mayhem!?"

"So it would seem," the Pharaoh sighed sullenly, thinking of the humans and Servants who had been sacrificed to it before. "We offered so many lives so that it may provide for Roma's future, and this is how it thanks us? Or have we been mistaken this whole time? Is what we call a 'deity' actually a gluttonous demon that will not be satisfied until all forms of life are offered in its name?"

"Kh! To think that I had been deceived so callously! Never before have I seen a silver tongue finer than mine!" the Roman shouted angrily. A deep red haze formed around him in response to his fury, and he declared, "So be it! If Roma has been built on the fragile foundations of lies and false promises of everlasting wealth, then I will shatter this illusion with my bare hands! Indeed, a nation's success should not come from an external source, but rather from one's own talents coupled with the efforts of an entire community striving for the same future!"

"Ah, such moving words… Well spoken, my lord," Cleopatra crooned. "My heart always weighed heavy, knowing that I had to give up my former Egyptian faction's independence and merge with Roma if I wanted my people to survive. I thought for certain that exchanging the lives of traitors and dissidents for resources was the right thing to do. But if this so-called 'guardian' has the gall to laugh at the many poor souls sacrificed in its honor, all while hungering for more offerings to sate its appetite, then I will have no more of this!"

She got into her fighting stance and yelled, "Come at me however you like, scoundrels! I will shine most brilliantly walking atop your fetid corpses!"

She sidestepped a falling mace, then raised her leg as high as possible and smashed her heel upon the monster's arm. The blow was so powerful that she fully disconnected the lower arm from the rest of its body. It balled its other fist and punched the surprised Pharaoh, throwing her back-first against the wall. It would have pummeled her further, but a distinct golden slash sliced through its throat, killing it instantly. The livid Caesar landed in front of his wife, then scowled darkly at the oncoming Fomorians and let out a battle cry that she had never heard before. Despite his gaunt stature, Caesar was surprisingly quick on his feet as he barged through the monsters and hacked away at them with no hesitation.

Seeing his valiance, Cleopatra quickly recovered and vaulted along the floor, then landed on the wall and launched her full weight at another fiend. She raised her knee and delivered a blow to its cheek, then twirled about and kicked its head clean into the concrete floor. She sensed another monster charging at her from behind, and she calmly snapped her fingers. On her command, bursts of yellow light pulverized the attacker into pieces.

The creatures growled, noticing that they weren't making much progress against the two Servants. The core flared a sinister deep green color, and an inky substance snaked its way out until it formed into a gigantic Fomorian. Its bellow shook the ground around them, and shattered any nearby windows. Shards of glass rained around the Servants as they glared at their new opponent.

"Watch us, Caesarion! Your mother and father will do you proud!" Caesar declared, then took the lead in charging at the fiend. Cleopatra nodded and followed him, readying her dominant leg to deliver a roundhouse kick.

Violence struck the creature so quickly that it had no idea what was going on. Caesar slashed his sword wildly in perfect tandem with Cleopatra's barrage of kicks. Their movements mirrored each other as they ripped apart the Fomorian with no remorse. They then finished it off by thrusting forth parallel to each other, emerging on the opposite side as the monster collapsed to the floor. Cleopatra strutted, flipped her hair, and exclaimed, "Indeed, the power of love conquers all!"

"Hm… I'm afraid we have little time to celebrate our victory," Caesar frowned as he glared at the pulsating core. He clenched his stone-armored hand and muttered, "This nightmare will not end unless we be rid of the source, yet I fear my sword alone will not suffice."

"My Noble Phantasm could eliminate it, but unleashing it within such tight quarters will be far too dangerous."

"Ugh. If there is an enemy I so detest, it is one that cannot be negotiated with."

The Roman let out a resigned sigh. Soon, he muttered, "Fine. My mind is made up."

"Caesar…?" Cleopatra whispered.

Before she could stop him, he readied himself before charging straight for the core. It sensed his presence and launched numerous black needle, piercing through his thick golden armor. He ignored the pain, jumped high, somersaulted a few times, then pointed his sword downward and stabbed it while shouting, "If it's for the greater good of Roma, then my life is an inconsequential sacrifice in comparison!"

"Caesar!" the frantic Pharaoh shrieked, and tried to run to her husband's aid.

"Stay back!"

"But-!"

"Now's your chance! Use your Noble Phantasm while I have it pinned down!"

"Don't be ridiculous!"

Before she could get any closer though, the core suddenly exploded with numerous spikes like a prickly burr, impaling Caesar through numerous areas of his body. Blood spewed out of his mouth, and he moaned, "Good grief… Dying like a hero really isn't suitable for me… But oh well. What are you going to do? We'll just have to leave the rest to Nero."

With firm resolve, Caesar drove his sword further into the core, then shouted at Cleopatra, "Do it!"

"All right! I don't want to do, but there is no choice!" she called back, then stood tall and chanted, "The cause for the Fall of Egypt. The Serpent that signals the End Times. I command you as the Last Pharaoh…"

A large serpent comprised of a golden boa constrictor's head and various disjointed pieces for its body lithely coiled around her before rushing toward Caesar and igniting in a burst of searing flame.

"Uraeus Astrape!"

Before either Servant knew it, they were fully engulfed in a merciless inferno that incinerated everything. The stone idol's core was vaporized into nothing, swiftly ending the onslaught of monsters assaulting Roma. However, both Servants knew that they would not make it out alive. They simply stood there and accepted their fate. Whether it was with their own voices or through their minds, neither of them would be sure, but they somehow managed to have a last conversation together.

"Cleo… pat… ra…"

"Cae… sar…"

"Guess… this is… a little late… for me to… say this… but… sorry for not… slimming down… like you asked…"

"…"

"Are you mad?"

"U… U fu fu fu… Of course not. You're still… the Caesar… I know and love…"

"Good grief…"

"Let's go. Caesarion… is waiting for us…"

"… Yeah. You're right."

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I sincerely apologize for the super-late update. I was getting a little fatigued with writing back in summer, so I decided to wait until NaNoWriMo to build up some new ideas before resuming. Now that it's here, I should be able to get much closer to finishing this story so I can work on ideas for the seventh story. Thank you for your patience and please continue giving me your support.