A Hedgehog Of Chaldea

Septem


*Sonic's Room*

"*Hugging Tightly To The Green Chaos Emerald* Fou... (I gotta say Blue, this is one beautiful gem you have here.)." Fou said

"Come on, Fou. That thing isn't a toy. I rather not risk the Chaos Emerald being destroyed." Sonic replied

"Fou! (It's okay, you said it yourself that these gems can fix themselves together if they break.)," Fou said

"Yea, but I still don't want that to happen either way. Come on, Fou. I'll help you find something else you can hug too. Something that isn't dangerous can be used wrong if the wrong person holds on to one of these." Sonic replied

Fou hugs the green Chaos Emerald tightly as Sonic watches him play with it. However, Fou didn't know where he was walking as he slipped off Sonic's bed and fell to the ground alongside the green Chaos Emerald. Before either of the two can hit the ground, Sonic slides right under and grabs Fou with his right hand and the Chaos Emerald with his left hand.

"Watch your step, Fur-ball," Sonic said

"Fou... (A lesson learned...)." Fou said

"*Enters Room* Good morning. Did you sleep well, Senpai?" Mash asks

"I'll be honest with you, Mash. I didn't sleep at all last night. Only Fou was sleeping." Sonic replied

"What?! Senpai, you know that lack of sleep can affect your health, right? We don't know what it'll be like beyond the Rayshift. When can't tell when or how much we can rest. Please, Senpai, get some sleep as much as possible next time. Staying up all night is prohibited. Your magical energy is linked to your stamina." Mash said

"Mash, you don't have to worry about me. Remember back in Orleans when I told you I had times when I didn't go to sleep for days? This was one of those days... Granted, it wasn't because of Egghead's plans to take control of the world this time. I just couldn't sleep." Sonic replied

"*Sigh* I guess so... I guess prohibiting you from sleeping late won't change anything since you aren't human," Mash said

"Don't worry, Mash. I promise I'll sleep next time." Sonic replied

"Thank you... anyway... Let's go to the command room after breakfast. The Doctor's eagerly waiting. Don't worry; I won't tell him anything about you not sleeping." Mash said


*Command Room*

"Ah, good morning, everyone. Although by that, I mean just you two and..."

"Yawn! Oh, 'morning... The tech department is analyzing the Grail you're retrieved as we speak." Da Vinci said

"...That half-asleep genius and myself. Please pardon the work crew for not being very reliable. We're already set to Rayshift. This time you're headed to 1st Century Europe. Specifically Ancient Rome, the great empire that grew from Italy to control the Mediterranean Sea." Romani said

"Sounds interesting..." Sonic commented

"Hm? Ancient Rome? Really? That sounds like fun! I sort of want to go, too!" Da Vinci said

"You have analyzing to do, I believe. Please partake of Roman pleasures some other time." Romani replied

"Oh, darn it. I don't care which one, but I always wanted to chat with a Roman Emperor. Especially Emperor Caligula or Nero. I bet we'd have a lot in common." Da Vinci said

"Yes, I feel the same... No, we can't. You also have work to do reviving Chaldea. Ahem! Is that clear, Sonic? Your teleport point is the Imperial Capital, Rome. The name of the Roman Empire's capital is also Rome. It's geographically to the last time. The exact location of the supposedly existing Holy Grail is unknown. There may be historical changes as well. Neither can be determined. Sorry, the observation precision seems unstable." Romani said

"Not a problem. Either way, Senpai and I will locate it." Mash said

"And while we're at it... I can try to find the second Chaos Emerald I showed you guys before." Sonic said

"Oh, right! I forgot about that as well. Well, you do what you need to obtain the Holy Grail and that Chaos Emerald you mentioned. Same as the last mission, you'll reach and correct the Singularity. Obtain the Holy Grail or destroy it. Humanity's continuation is on your shoulders, Sonic. I hope you're successful this time, too. And... That you come back safely." Romani said

"Yes. We'll make it back to Chaldea, I promise. I'm counting on you, Senpai. I'll need your strength for this mission... that is... if you're feeling yourself right now." Mash said

"What do you mean?" Romani asks

"Don't worry, Mash. You can count on me as always!" Sonic replied

"Okay!"

"Weird... anyway, no doubt, Servants will be summoned during the 1st Century Rome as well. If possible, call upon their power. Of course, you won't get help from hostile ones." Romani said

"Doctor, I have one question. May I ask it? Hostile Servants and neutral Servants. Is there a way to distinguish them upon detection?" Mash asks

"It would be best if we could distinguish them from our observation data. For example, the ability to see if approaching Servants are enemies or possible allies... I am sorry. Unfortunately, that's impossible right now. Even if we combine Shiva and Trismegistus, the best we can do is to detect lifeforms and Energy readings. The ability to distinguish hostility lies within the realm of psychology. For now, you can't quantify that with numbers. I'm sorry, Mash and Sonic. But, we can speculate on the situation. I'll warn you if there's over a 70% chance of hostility. As for non-Servant readings of local humans, I will also try to detect them." Romani said

"That's okay, Doctor. I'm sorry for asking too much of you. I realize it was logically unreasonable. But, even so..." Mash said

"Is this conversation about reducing the danger, right?" Sonic asks

"...Yes. Strategically speaking, it's best to avoid unnecessary battles. But no, I knew it was an unreasonable request. Please forget it." Mash replied

"No, forgive me. I know I'm putting you in unreasonable danger... I'll support and back you up to the best of my ability. I can promise you that much, at least. Mash, Sonic." Romani said

"Sounds good to me!" Sonic replied

"Thank you. Well, let's start the Rayshift." Romani said

"...Dr. Roman."

"Quit being so gloomy! I'll back you up mentally, as well!" Romani said

"No, that's... It's just the sudden shift in mood is a little..."

"Program start!"

"Wait a minute before we start. Don't I need to bring any of the Servants I summoned just a few days ago? Though, some of them just randomly disappeared for some reason..." Sonic asks

"If you are interested in taking some. Go ahead. I don't mind. Who will you be taking?" Romani replied

"Hmm..."


*A Few Minutes Later*

"Everyone ready?" Romani asks

"Ready!" Sonic said

"Ready when you are," Mash said

"Certainly," Kiyohime said

"Let us begin our journey!" Martha said

"Don't slack off as much, Master," Medusa said

"Unsummon Program start. Spiritron Conversion start. Rayshift in 3, 2, 1... All procedures cleared. Grand Order commencing operation."

Moments later, Sonic, Mash, Kiyohime, Martha, and Medusa begin teleporting to the next Singularity...


AD.0060 Eternal Madness Empire: Septem

Emperor of Rose

"Here we are! This place looks... interesting... to say the least." Kiyohime said

"...Ah, We've successfully teleported this time, Senpai. The feel of the wind, the scent of the earth... the vast blue sky. It's strange. I've seen it on film many times, but just standing here is much more vivid." Mash said

"What do you mean by that, Mash? Does Rayshifting make you nervous?" Sonic asks

"Yes, Rayshifting makes me nervous. But I don't think my state of mind has anything to do with that. I mean, I feel overwhelmed. In France, it was one shock after another. So now I'm finally able to face this landscape." Mash replied

"*Appearing Behind Sonic's Spiky Quills* Fou... Kyu, kyu?"

"Fou?"

"That creature is with us? I didn't see it before we teleported here." Martha said

"That creature does know how to keep quiet," Medusa said

"Fou? Did you tag along again with us? I didn't feel you behind me." Sonic said

"Kyu! Kyau! (Always check your surroundings Blue!)." Fou said

"Looks like Fou will be tagging along again. He prefers the outside world to that cramped base. I can agree with that sentiment. Battles can be scary, but it makes me happy to discover new worlds like this. But "that" is visible in the sky in this era as well, isn't it? That ring of light. It's the same as the one that was over France. No, I mean it looks the same. Not that I've examined it precisely. I wonder what it could be? It's such a huge..." Mash said

"Ring of light, huh? We can't get a good look at it from here. But it is an intriguing phenomenon. I will continue to investigate. By the way, is that... Oh? Weren't you supposed to be in... Rome?" Romani asks

"We teleported on the hills instead," Sonic replied

"You're right, Senpai. We're in the hills."

"That's weird. I confirmed it from here as well. That's not the capital. I'm sure that I fixed your teleport position... Uh, it looks like that's a suburb of the Roman capital." Romani said

"Was there an error in the coordinates? Is the era correct?" Mash asks

"The era's correct. The 1st Century where Singularity exists. During the reign of Nero Claudius... the fifth emperor of Rome. That's for certain. Still, his is strange. Why are we so far from the capital? Despite the poisoning of Empress Aggripinga last year, Nero isn't in his dangerous years yet. An era where the emperor is loved, and the city of Rome is prosperous... that's why should've been awaiting you." Romani replied

"No, Doctor, it's just rolling hills. All it needs is some sheep to complete it." Mash said

"There must be some reason for this. Do you see anything unusual in the surroundings, you four?" Romani asks

"Fou, fou! (I hear something!)." Fou said

"I hear it," Mash said

"What?"

The five heard sounds of battle cry coming in the distance.

"This is..."

"If anything... some kind of battle going on right now," Sonic said

"Yes, I think it's the sound of a large battle. it seems to be coming from over the hill." Mash replied

"A large battle? A war, maybe" No, no, no. Impossible. There were no full-scale wars near the Roman capital in that era. That means..."

"There's a historical anomaly. That must be it." Mash replied

"Come on, everyone, let's go and see what's happening!" Sonic said

"Fou!"

Sonic grabs Fou from the ground and places him on top of them. Soon after, The five begin running towards the area where the loud noises are located.


*Few Minutes Later*

"Wow..." Sonic said

"Look's like this is our destination," Medusa said

"Oh my, such a horrible scene," Kiyohime said

"How wretched of this nonsense happening right now," Martha commented

"You're telling me... That's... No doubt about it, they're in combat. One side is overwhelmingly larger than the other. The larger force wears the regalia of crimson and gold. The small wears the same, but a different design." Mash said

"Crimson and gold-coloured especially liked in Ancient Rome. Mash, anything else that's distinctive?" Romani asks

"...A woman. A young woman is leading several groups of the smaller force. She's practically taking on the enemy forces herself. The overwhelming avalanche towards the capital, all by herself. A powerful individual. A Servant, perhaps." Mash said

"No, I am not getting any readings on Servants. You don't sense it wither, do you?"

"Correct."

"Then it's certain. That woman is a human of this era. This is just personal speculation... But she reminds me a bit of Jeane. I've no basis for it, though." Romani said

"Of Jeanne? The saint who rose to defend the sacred? Hmmm, who of this era was like that... I can't think of one. My knowledge is lacking." Mash replied

"In any case, an impossible war is going on. Which means..."

"We need to help out that person!" Sonic said

"Yes, I agree with your firm policy, Senpai," Mash said

"Anything for you, Master!" Kiyohime said

"Let's stop this madness, Master!" Martha said

"You don't have to tell me twice," Medusa said

"Kyuu! Kyu, kyu!"

"You aren't facing Servants or Monsters, but they have great numbers. Be careful!" Romani said

"Right!"

"Now then, let's go!" Sonic shouted

Moments later, the five jumped high as they headed toward the army. While the Roman Conf. Soldiers were battling with the other military. They noticed five silhouettes in the air coming right towards them. Moments later, the soldiers were able to see who the silhouettes were. It was Sonic and his team of Servants. Sonic curls himself into a ball and homing attacks several Roman Conf. Soldiers, knocking each one and dropping them to the ground. Sonic then rushes towards a Roman Soidler and circles around for a few seconds before attacking the Soldier fast. The Soldier couldn't see Sonic and wasn't able to attack him. Moments later, Sonic jumps right at the Soldier's faces and throws a powerful punch at them, knocking them to the ground and out cold.

Mash lands and rushes towards a hoard of Roman Conf. Soldiers, knocking them to the ground and dropping them to the ground. Moments later, Kiyohime fires multiple fireballs right at the Roman Conf. Soldiers that Mash knocked over as they were engulfed in flames, yelling in pain as their skins began to melt and eventually turned into ash. Medusa rushes to several Roman Conf. Soldiers and attacks them with her weapon very fast, cutting them up as blood spews out of them. She then runs back towards the soldiers and slices their heads off one by one as their heads fall to the ground, rolling before vanishing.

Soon after, Medusa jumps right next to Martha, who soldiers surround; the two looks at each other and nod as both begin battling the soldiers. Martha fires several white energy projectiles at the soldiers as they all hit them directly and knocked them away from her. Medusa then rushes towards the soldiers and slashes them with her weapon, defeating them quickly and easily. As Medusa kept fighting the soldiers around her and Martha, Martha fired several more energy projectiles toward an oncoming hoard of Soidlers heading towards her. The Projectiles directly hit the soldiers and were knocked to the ground before Medusa rushes past them and slices all their heads off, falling to the ground before vanishing away. Sonic performs an overhead axe kick at one of the Roman Soldiers' heads and drops them to the ground somewhere else. Two more Soldiers rush towards Sonic from behind, about to attack him, until Mash runs in and punches one of the soldiers' faces, knocking them away.

In contrast, the second Soldier is engulfed in flames from Kiyohime's attack before turning to ash. Moments later, several more Roman Soidlers circle around Kiyohime, Mash, and Sonic as they are all about to charge them at once until Medusa and Martha both land right alongside the three circled in and stops the soldiers from getting closer. The soldiers begin to worry as they see the five take together, knowing they all quickly take down their comrades. Moments later, all lunge at the soldiers as Sonic jumps in the air and performs a spin dash that releases two shock waves directly hitting both soldiers and knocking them to the ground. He then conducts a high-speed Spin Dash towards the two soldiers and slaps them on their heads, knocking them to the ground and lying there motionless. Three soldiers were charging toward Mash, but Mash quickly jumped into the air, slammed her shield at all three of them hard, and knocked them to the ground, where security crushed them. Moments later, Mash jumps away from the three as Kiyohime fires several fireballs toward the soldiers and hits them, causing them to be engulfed in flames and screaming in pain as their skin melts from their bodies, eventually turning to ash. Martha fires several energy projectiles toward a few soldiers charging at her and directly hits them, throwing them to the ground while they let go of their swords. Moments later, Medusa throws her weapon at the soldiers as it goes through all the Soldier's necks, stabbing them before Medusa pulls it back to her and slices their heads off their bodies before falling to the ground and rolling. All soldiers were defeated as the five jumped and landed right in front of the female fighter wearing a beautiful red outfit.

"Now that's what I call the power of teamwork!" Sonic said

"Great job out there, Senpai. We kicked the butts!" Mash said

"The battle is over, Master. However, don't celebrate too early. There's more yet to come." Medusa said

"Hmph... It saddens me to cause pain for others, but I must do what I must do..." Kiyohime commented

The Female fighter is a blond-haired young girl oh short but curvy stature with pale skin, yellowish blond with intake, and bright lime green eyes. She dresses in a revealing red and white dress with long poofy sleeves, a transparent front, a leotard, and knee-high golden armored boots.

"Sheather, your swords! It's over. You there! Are you reinforcements from the capital? I thought the capital was sealed off... No matter, I commend you! It doesn't matter if you were once my enemy. I am merciful, so past mistakes are water under the bridge. More importantly, I praise how you all fought just now—especially you, Blue animal. I have never seen anyone curl themselves into a literal ball and can use it for an attack. Mhmm, I must say I like you, Blue! You showed such indescribable fighting! Very good, I shall allow you all to fight by my side. Revel in the ultimate honor! However, you five sure dress in a strange fashion. Aren't you girl and blue animal showing a little too much? Are you foreigners?" The female asks

"Well, you could say we are beyond words for your praise," Sonic replied

"Mhmm, hmm. You may enjoy wallowing in the sweet sounds I utter. At any rate, this victory belongs to us. I will reward you handsomely!"

"Wait, what?"

"Oh, uh, sorry. I couldn't help myself just now. You'll have to wait for your reward since I have nothing but this sword. It will all be taken care of after we're back in Rome. Now then, follow me!"


*Later*

"By the way, you all. I don't doubt you're all foreigners, but where are you from? Surely not... Britannia. The Far East... doesn't seem likely, either." The Female asks

"I'll be honest with you, I don't know what those are, but we are from the future. However, some of us aren't exactly from this world. But that is too advanced for you, so I won't d so th, at that further." Sonic replied

"What? If that's true, we're going to have a problem. You have my sympathies, but did you fall down the stairs, perhaps?" The female asks

"Umm..."

"*Notices more Roman Conf. Soldiers are charging at them* That's enough small talk. We still have many enemies to deal with. The second wave is coming!" Mash said

"Damn those ruthless United Empire fools! How dare they interrupt my beautiful voice! Let's go! You! You four beautiful-looking ladies, I order you to fight alongside me! That means you as well, talking animal!" The Female said

"O-Oh... I appreciate the compliment..." Martha said

"I'm truly flattered," Kiyohime replied

"*Blushing* S-Sure..." Medusa replied

"Huh? Uh, right! Senpai, now we're the ones under command somehow!" Mash said

"Meh, I don't mind. I was about to say the same thing as well. Let's just take care of these guys!" Sonic replied

Moments later, the six all charge at the next wave of soldiers heading towards them. The female lunges first, swings her sword at one of the soldiers, and slashes across their chest plate, breaking it in half before turning her blade again and leaving a considerable scratch mark on their body before falling to the ground. Two more soldiers were charging toward the Female and were about to attack her. Still, the female backflips over both soldiers, landing behind them before shooting them multiple times with her sword from behind, swinging once more and throwing them right towards Sonic. Sonic quickly performs a somersault kick and knocks one of the soldiers into the air. Soon after, Sonic jumps and serves a powerful downwards kick that hits the Soldier's back and throws them down to the second Soldier, where they both shoot each other and fall to the ground hard before vanishing away. Moments later, Sonic lands back on the ground and is to keep fighting until he notices a Roman Soldier charging at him with their spear weapon and begins to swing at the Blue Blur. However, Sonic jumps repeatedly while dodging each swing the Roman Soldier tries to land on him. The Soldier continues to turn their spear at Sonic until Sonic grabs it, pulls it away from the Soldier's grip, and throws it aside before curling into a ball, then homing attacking right at them and knocking them to the ground. As soon as they fall to the ground, a fireball hits the Soldier as they are engulfed in flames. Sonic watches in horror as the Soldier screams in pain from being buried alive until eventually falling to the ground and laying motionless in front of Sonic. Sonic turns around and notices Kiyohime looking at the burning Soldier with no emotion on her face. She then looks at Sonic and gives him a smile like nothing ever happened. Sonic looks away while rubbing his back before running off to continue fighting the soldiers. Moments later, several soldiers charge at Kiyohime with their weapons aiming at her, ready to attack her. However, Kiyohime charges up and fires powerful fireballs at the soldiers as all are directly hit by them and knocked away from her. As they were trying to get back up, all of a sudden, Medusa rushed past them and slashed each Soldier across their bodies, causing blood to spew out of them as they all yelled in pain. Moments later, the female rushes towards them and slashes them one by one as they all fall to the ground, laying motionless before falling and vanishing soon after. Mash blocks the attacks from a few soldiers trying to attack her, but Martha helps her by firing energy projectiles at them and throwing them away from Mash. Martha then fires more powerful shots at the soldiers and directly hits them as they all fall to the ground, dropping their weapons and trying to escape. Moments later, The female rushes in and slashes the soldiers with her, cutting them in half as their bodies fall around her before vanishing away. Martha, Mash, the Female, Medusa, and Kiyohime all return together as they notice ore soldiers heading towards them. The five were about to fight again until a dust cloud appeared, blocking the view of the soldiers and the five. Moments later, the dust dies as they quickly notice the army of soldiers suddenly disappear and are nowhere in sight. Sonic then skids in front of the five and cleans his gloves together.

"And that's all taken care of," Sonic said

"Well done, Master. You easily took them down, no problem." Martha said

"Great work, Senpai. But you should've done that earlier." Mash said

"That would've been boring; I wanted to give those guys a chance to see if they were capable of taking all six of us," Sonic replied

"...Looks like we're out of danger. You ended up saving the day again. I'm sure it's not uncommon to be outnumbered in war, but being on the bad side is no fun. So tiring!" The Female said

"Are you kidding? It's fun when you have the odds against you!" Sonic replied

"It's not over yet. I can sense more coming!" Mash said

"A Servant, Mash, Sonic! I've detected a single Servant!" Romani shouted

"Yes. I'm sensing it. It's almost... there it is!"

"My beloved younger sister's child."

"Uncle! No... No, no, let me call you this now. You fool who inexplicably lost his way, aligning with the United Empire! "Caligula!"

"What did you just say? Uncle? Is that what she said?" Romani asks

"Yes, I'm sure that's what I heard. A human living in this era, and a blood relative... of a Servant?" Mash replied

"Let's look into that later, Mash. No question about it; that's a Servant. Sonic, are you ready? This is our first Servant battle since coming to this era." Romani

"I'm always ready! Besides, this guy looks familiar to a swordsman I once fought and would usually say, "I fight for my friends..." Or something close to those words. However, I can't remember his name." Sonic replied

"My... My actions. Give up your life. Give up that body. ALL OF IT! GIVE IT UP!" Caligula shouted

"Uncle, how could you?"

"Here he comes! Master, let's do this!"

"Don't worry, sit back and enjoy the show red dress, lady... Blast away!"

Sonic curls into a ball and spins dashes towards Caligula at high speeds. Caligula notices Sonic heading toward him, quickly makes a fist and throws it at Sonic. Sonic uncurls himself and throws a punch toward Caligula as well. Moments later, both their fists make contact as they create a shockwave around both of them. Caligula begins to throw punches toward Sonic soon after, but Sonic dodges each energy Caligula throws at him. While Caligula continues to fight Sonic, Medusa lunges toward Caligula with her weapon ready. Sonic notices Medusa running towards him as he quickly backflips away; Medusa appears in front of Caligula and swings her gun at him several times. Caligula quickly blocks the attack from Medusa with his arms, but Medusa's weapons left scratches on his armor, and he couldn't counter back as Medusa moved faster than him. Kiyohime and Martha fire multiple fireballs and energy projectiles toward Cauliga as they hit him from behind and disrupt him from blocking Medusa's attacks. Soon after, Caligula gets hit by Medusa around his body and leaves slash marks. Moments later, Medusa kicks Caligula on his stomach and pushes him away from her. After moving Caligula away, Mash rushes towards Caligula and swings her shield at Caligula, knocking him back before running at him, throwing a punch at his face, and throwing him to the ground. Seconds later, Sonic jumps above Caligula and performs a powerful overhead ax kick from a frontward somersault, kicking Caligula in the head as a shockwave occurs soon after and jumps away from him.

"And stay down!" Sonic said

"Oh... Oh... My beloved... younger sister's child... Why won't you... give it to me. Why can't you give it to me? My beautiful... My... My... My... My..."

"H-He's gone? Uncle..."

"I can no longer sense his presence. The enemy troops seem to be withdrawing as well." Mash said

"...My uncles must've been the general of that battalion. I didn't think I'd ever see him again."

"..."

"Looks like he turned into a Spiritual Body and left. Or fled rather good work—berserker class from the looks of him. If so, it's hard to believe that he'd flee... Could it be that... He has a Master?" Romani asks

"Hmm. Huh?"

"Wh-What is it?"

"There's another man around here who can be heard but not seen. From the feel of it, maybe a Mage?"

"I am glad you know of magecraft. Yes, Sonic, Mash, and I are from an organization called Chaldea... these three ladies right here are Sonic's Servants. Sonic himself is a Master as well." Romani said

"Very interesting. That's all right."

"Hey... you interrupted me..." Romani said

"I'm not sure about the one with nobody, but the five of you fought marvelously. I praise you again! Before I ask your lineage, I'll offer my own. I am... The true protector of Rome. Truly, I am Rome itself. I swear to rebuild the empire. I swear to the gods, my ancestors, myself, and the people! I am Nero Claudius, the fifth emperor of the Roman Empire!"

"It's nice to meet you, Nero Claudius. Names Sonic... Sonic The Hedgehog! The world's fastest Hedgehog! And these are my friends, Medusa, Martha, Kiyohime, and of course, Mash!" Sonic introduces himself and his friends to Nero

"You don't have to call me by my full name. You can call me Nero if you like, I don't mind. It's nice to meet you all as well!" Nero replied

"Emperor Nero."

"Was... a girl... History... Is deep..."

"Please don't go on that subject again, Roman," Sonic said


To Be Continue...


"Next Time: Septem (Part 2.)" Sonic As The Narrator