I stared in a mixture of awe and wariness at the tall Servant. He had a regal air about him, like Nero but cranked up by twenty at least. I swallow softly, my mouth suddenly feeling dry, and to my shock I feel my right hand shaking slightly from the presence of the Servant. Just who were we dealing with here?!

"Brave ones," the mountain of a man said, gazing shrewdly at each of us, before focusing his gaze on Nero, who was still looking stupefied. "You are truly brave, and that is why you rule over the current Rome. Nero," he said, as if tasting the word and savoring it. "How adorable. How beautiful. How gorgeous. I can see how you held Rome up with those slender arms of yours," he said, bowing his head slightly towards the blonde in a gesture of respect.

When he had complimented her, he didn't sound pervy or lecherous like Caesar had. Nor did he share the demented lust of Nero's uncle. Rather, he sounded like a parent reuniting with a long-lost child. "Now, come. The past, present, and future. All that is Rome loves you," the Servant said, gesturing towards the city behind him before turning around and re-entering said settlement. "Come, and all will be forgiven, your acts against Rome," he said over his shoulder.

"What?" Nero said, sounding shell-shocked. "What's…No, I-I can't…would…that…even…be…possible… No, no, but…" She said, sounding more and more hysterical with each word.

"Nero?" Mash asked, visibly worried. "You don't look well. Did someone cast a spell on you?"

"I'm not detecting any traces of magical energy. It's probably not due to magecraft or Servant Skills," Roman reported grimly. I hummed in thought, when I hear one of my Servants speak up in a gruff manner.

"Then that means that this should work. About damn time, too," Mordred said as she sauntered up to the near-catatonic Nero. My eyes widened and I opened my mouth, just as I hear a loud, meaty smack as the Knight of Rebellion slammed a (thankfully bare) fist into the right cheek of the Emperor of Roses.

"Mordred!" I snapped, fighting back the urge to groan. I was more frustrated at myself for not realizing that the Saber would gleefully take advantage of the opportunity to burn off her aggravation that had built up while dealing with Nero and her quirks.

Nero groaned as she stood up, one hand rubbing her red cheek as she stood up, shaking her head slightly. She stared with a surprising amount of calm at the smug Saber. "Thank you for snapping me out of it, as you say," Nero said grudgingly, before her light green eyes hardened. "But do that again, and ally or not, I will end you."

"You can try," Mordred said, smirking ferally with her arms crossed. I coughed loudly, preventing the verbal catfight between the two short blondes from escalating further.

"As riveting as this is, let's stay on track. Nero, you seemed to recognize that person? I assume he's not Augustus?" I said, though part of me wonders if the Servant that had stupefied Nero was the first emperor in all but name of Rome. She nodded slowly, taking a slow breath to steady herself. The soldiers behind us must have been ordered by the newcomer to leave us be, for they didn't pay us a lick of attention.

"I…Yes. I had thought it to be impossible, but it seems that word is most absent this year. He is Rome, the founder of my city."

"Nero?" Ritsuka asked, unsure of how to react. I remained silent as the Emperor of Roses continued speaking.

"The holy progenitor of Rome…Romulus," Nero said, her features hardening as she tightly gripped her sword. The founder of Rome, huh? It made sense, in a way. I had wondered what kind of Servant it would have taken to get someone like Caesar to submit, and now I know.

"He's a Servant, Nero, just like your uncle and Caesar. He might be tough, but he can be killed. For the sake of survival, he will be killed," Ritsuka said with a surprising amount of steel in his voice. Then again, these kinds of moments could do wonders in hardening a man's resolve.

"Yes. The Emperor of Roses fears no one. Come, let's finish this!" Whether it was forced bravado or determination, it didn't change the fact that she was the first person to enter the enemy city, though we were right at her heels.

It didn't take long for us to realize several things upon entering the capital city of the United Empire.

"It looks just like Rome," Mash said in subtle disbelief, and I grunted in agreement, though not paying as close attention to our surroundings as we advanced down the main avenue. It was, and yet it wasn't like the Rome we had visited in this time. The streets here were devoid of life. The only sounds that we could hear was the ever-fainter sounds of combat from outside the gates, and our own footsteps echoing off the marble-clad buildings flanking us as we delved further and further into the city.

I wasn't sure if that was because the inhabitants who weren't soldiers were hiding inside their homes, or if there was no one in there in the first place. Regardless of which was the answer, it made for an eerie sight. The buildings may be nearly identical between the two cities, but there was still a key difference.

This place lacked a soul. There was no noise, no cheerful citizens, no market stalls selling their wares. It felt cold and emotionless. Sanitized. It felt wrong.

"And yet, it is far different from Rome," I finally said softly. Nero nodded, a grim look on her face.

"Umu. I see no sign of joy, of cheer or happiness. No matter how perfect a ruler might be, how can there be a nation without laughter? Without pride? As the Fifth Emperor of Rome, I will not let my beloved Rome turn into this," Nero said.

I saw Mordred pursing her lips slightly, and didn't miss the conflicted look in her eyes. Most likely thinking of her father and his reign. I subtly nudge Mordred in a gesture of support, and was rewarded with the slightest of nods.

"Magic signatures up ahead," Doctor Roman suddenly called out, bringing us to a pause.

A loud series of thuds could be heard as a familiar earthen-built shape approached us. "More golems?" I said with a sigh. Well, at least it wasn't a dragon or some other manner of over-powered beast. More golems started to join the first, and with a loud creaking sound of its animated joints, the lead golem began charging down the cobblestone path.

"You know the drill, guys. Hit them hard and fast," I said, sheathing my sword. It would be suicidal of me to try and cut down a being made of solid rock, but for Servants, this would be a walk in the park. Already, red electricity was arcing over the armor of my partner, smirking.

"You got it, Master!" Mordred roared, activating her Mana Burst ability and throwing herself forward into the air. As she began her terminal descent, the Knight of Rebellion raised Clarent over her head before slicing downwards, cleaving the lead golem in half. Not wasting a moment, Mordred charged into a cluster of golems and swung her massive broadsword in a circular arc, bisecting the entire cluster around their midsections in a single stroke.

"There things lack elegance or grace. They shall fall," Sasaki said, readying his no-dachi, before activating his Noble Phantasm. Though I could barely process it each time I had seen it unleashed, it was still a breath-taking sight, seeing one blade become three as the golem the Assassin had targeted fell into three different pieces.

The golems we were currently up against seemed to have been the most basic kind, and so with so many Servants fighting for us, we managed to carve our way forward, leaving behind large piles of shattered rock in our wake. It was slow and tedious, but we wouldn't be stopped.

We had finally reached the largest building, in the heart of the city. Red and gold banners hung from the roof, while a massive pair of doors bearing carefully-detailed murals marked the entrance. Surely, this had to be where Romulus was waiting for us.

"Your Majesty, are you ready?" I asked Nero softly, who answered with a simple nod.

"Well, let's get this party started," she said with a big smirk, before turning around and kicking the decorative doors off of their hinges.

"….You do realize you could have checked to see if they were unlocked, don't you?" Sasaki said dryly, voicing the line of thought we were all sharing. Mordred shrugs unabashedly.

"What's done is done. Come on, I wanna get back to Chaldea," she replied. I couldn't help but laugh, shaking my head as we entered the building.

I had a faint sense of Deja vu as we progressed down the gilded hallway. Minus the blood, gore, smell of smoke and ash, and fire, it felt much like Orléans. However, no crazed Servants appeared. Nor did we encounter any guards, monsters, wraiths, or even mundane Servants.

We said nothing, the only sound being our footsteps as we finally reached an even larger, artistically-carved set of doors. If I had to guess, this was the entrance to Romulus's throne room. I took a deep breath, ready to face both the ancient Servant and undoubtedly that court mage of his as well.

"Masters," Chiron said softly, and Ritsuka and I looked over at the Archer. "We have enemies approaching from the rear. If I may make a suggestion, take some of the others with you, while the rest of us hold the door," he said, and we exchanged glances quickly.

"Hai. Chulainn, Medea, you guys ready?"

"Always!"

"I see why not," the reclusive Caster said softly.

"Jeanne, Mordred," I called out, and the two blondes nodded in agreement. I turned back to Ritsuka's Archer. "See you guys soon," I said, and the Greek Servant nodded with a wry smile, before he and the others readied themselves.

Mash pushed open the doors before Mordred could repeat her 'grand entrance' act, and we entered a massive room. It had to have been one of the largest rooms I had ever seen, and towards the opposite end, halfway between the wall and the center of the room, was an equally impressive-looking dais, upon which rested a throne made of what appeared to have been solid gold, decorated with precious gems and occupied by the giant who was our apparent host.

"Here you are, my beloved child," Romulus rumbled in satisfaction, his paternal look of affection present once more as he focused his ruby eyes on Nero. This time, however, Nero didn't hesitate, nor did she lock up, instead strutting forward defiantly.

"Umu, I am here! O proud founder of our great nation, King Romulus!"

"Splendid radiance. In that case, should Rome call out your name, 'Emperor'?" I couldn't tell if the emphasis the Servant placed on Nero's title was a veiled insult or not, but as always Nero took it in stride.

"Oh, there's no need. Call me what you did just now," she said, before her features hardened. "Whether it's past, present, or the future, I am the one and only Fifth Emperor of the Roman Empire, and the Emperor of Roses! Holy Progenitor, O King Romulus! I hereby challenge you with my warriors, my swords!"

The throne room shuddered slightly as the Roman Servant threw back his head and laughed. It sounded like a dozen brass bells chiming at once, before he looked back at Nero with an admiring glint in his bright eyes.

"I'll allow it, Nero Claudius. Show Rome that you can trample over it's love with that of your own," he said, standing up at his full height as he brandished his odd-looking weapon. "Behold. My spear—"

"That's a spear?" Chulainn muttered, a scornful look in the Lancer's eyes as he held his own spear tightly.

"ROME IS HERE!" Romulus, apparent Lancer Class Servant, roared, and I resisted the urge to cover my ears as he leapt forward off of the dais. His feet cracked the marbled floor, sending bits of sharp pebbles flying towards us. At the last minute, Mash slammed her shield down in front of Nero, Ritsuka, and I, and we could hear the soft pinging sounds of the mini-projectile being deflected.

"Take him down!" Ritsuka said. Medea levitated slightly into the air just in front of us, spreading her cloak as her staff appeared, and she began charging up what I affectionately described as her death laser array.

The beams of magical energy streak forward, while Chulainn and Mordred both charged onwards. The King of Rome merely smiled, and stood still. My eyes widened as at the last second, his leg muscles bugled slightly, and he leapt forward just as Medea's attack stuck the floor where he had been standing on.

The Lancer lands between a startled Chulainn and Mordred. Even for a Servant, Romulus was moving faster than one might expect for someone with his body mass. That moment of hesitation gave Romulus a perfect opportunity to attack. With his right foot, he lashes out and hits Mordred in her midriff, while with his feather duster-looking weapon, knocks Chulainn of off his feet.

Jeanne charged forward, grunting as she came to the aid of her comrades. Romulus stepped backwards as the spear tip of Jeanne's banner cuts through thin air. Chulainn rolls to the side, quickly flipping back up onto his feet, while further away an angry Mordred slammed a fist into the ground as she pushed herself back up onto her feet, crimson lighting arcing over her armor.

"Yes, Rome always needs a challenge to crush!" Romulus laughed as he deflected another thrust from Jeanne. With a casual wave of his hand, he uses his 'spear' to knock Jeanne off to the side. The Ruler skidded across the marbled tiles, sparks flying from her sabatons as she came to a halt.

Romulus growled as Clarent bit into his shoulder. Mordred had taken the momentary gap in his guard to score first blood in the fight. The Knight of Rebellion swiftly planted both of her feet against his side, using him almost like a springboard to simultaneously push herself away and yank free her sword. Romulus's strike misses her as she lands on her feet, display almost cat-like grace.

The wave of cheer that Mordred's blow had given me quickly drained away, however, as Romulus's body began glowing. Mash readied her shield again, expecting an attack, most likely his Noble Phantasm, but nothing happened. Or rather, nothing happened to us.

"Oi, that's cheating!" Mordred roared as the light faded, and we could see that the deep cut had vanished. Romulus merely laughed.

"Rome is Eternal! Mere scratches against her walls are naught but fleeting sights," he boomed, and I bit back the snarl. That arrogant, cocky bastard! Still, it was worrying. Could he do it again, and if so, was there any limitations to it?

No, nothing is truly immortal. Even Divine Spirits fade away, a form of death if you will. Romulus would be no different. All we had to do was find the right spot at the right moment and give it everything we got!

My eyes widen as a familiar arc of crimson lighting gleams over Romulus body. "What the hell?"

"See what Rome's Imperial Privilege skill grants!" The enemy Servant boomed, before suddenly disappearing into a blur, reappearing in front of a startled Jeanne. I called out my Ruler's name, but the blonde is sent flying into the air after a punch to her gut.

"Did…did he just copy Mordred's ability?" Ritsuka asked numbly. Another blasted Servant skill, it seems. However, unlike the one Caligula used, which seemed to have boosted the Berserker's attack at the cost of lowering his resilience, this one seemed to (hopefully temporary) mimic the ability or skills of another.

"You…you…BASTARD!" Mordred roared, re-activating her Mana Burst ability. This time, however, Romulus was prepared, and with his normal, but still impressive, dexterity, sidestepped the charge. With a triumphant grunt, he swung his 'spear', which with a loud crack connected with Mordred's back, sending her tumbling forward across the floor.

Romulus didn't have a chance to follow up with another attack, however, as our own Lancer dashed forward. Twirling Gàe Blog, Chulainn jabbed at the Roman, who halted the probing attack with the haft of his spear.

In what must have been thirty seconds or less, this process repeated in several different manners. Probing attacks being either countered or dodged, and any wounds that were scored on the enemy Servant's body were rapidly healed, but neither side dealing a debilitating or, better yet, fatal blow. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the two sides broke off, and a brief, silent stand-off ensued. Mash and Medea held back, the former guarding us while the latter watched passively, as was her typical nature it seems. Still, in her defense, that battle was a melee whereas she specialized more in ranged-type attacks, so I held nothing against her.

The three Servants exchanged glances, a silent conversation of some sort between the unlikely trio. Chulainn nods, and the three begin to spread out, all while Romulus stares confidently. The two female blonde Servants attacked almost as one, Mordred swinging high while Jeanne thrusted her spearpoint forward. The enemy Lancer uses his weapon to parry Clarent, while twisting to the side and only getting a light graze along the torso instead of being skewered by the Ruler. Romulus swings his spear (though I personally would only use that term to describe it quite loosely) while also lashing out with his right knee.

Mordred leapt backwards, dodging the weapon, though Jeanne wasn't as lucky, as she was sent flying once more from another blow from the Servant. She didn't get up, looking battered, and presumably unable to rejoin the fight any time soon.

"Come on, come on, come on," I muttered to myself as Mordred dismissed her helmet with a serious expression on her snarling face.

"CRIMSON LIGHTNING!" Mordred roared, thrusting her sword in the air as the backdraft had her ponytail fluttering wildly in the wind. The arcs of red lighting she generated struck Romulus, and the muscular Servant flinched and roared in discomfort as smoke began drifting off of his body.

With another roar, he took two massive steps forward, and punches my Saber in the face, sending her skidding backwards with a gasp. Romulus's shoulders heaved up and down, and the occasional

"Who says that I was the one trying to kill you?" Mordred asks, blood dripping down her face. Romulus recoiled slightly, looking confused, before noticing that only the two blonde Servants were before him.

Romulus's eyes widened, and he dropped his weapon, his massive hands reaching for the crimson metal sticking out of his chest. Directly where the heart would be.

"Good job Chulainn!" Ritsuka cheered as Gàe Bolg was yanked out swiftly, a thin crimson spray staining the walls as the Irish Lancer flourished the cursed spear.

"Couldn't let the Saber have all the fun, now, can I?" He said with a friendly taunt that had Mordred rolling her eyes at him. I laughed dryly, feeling my nerves settle slightly as the wounded Romulus merely chuckles sadly. A trickle of blood leaks out of his mouth as he coughs, revealing red-stained teeth as he grimaced in pain.

"Your love is so dazzling, Nero. My eternal crimson and gold empire. I entrust it all to you and your heirs. Don't forget," Romulus said, his body starting to glow brightly. "Rome is eternal. Therefore, the world must always be eternal. Remember that…"

With those final words, Romulus's body finished dissolving. For a few moments, there was naught but silence in the room. Finally, Mash was the first one to break it.

"We've defeated the enemy Servant, Lancer Romulus. Victory is ours," she said dutifully, reporting to Doctor Roman.

"Umu. Rome shall be restored to its former glory," Nero added, a tired but pleased smile on her face.

"That's true, more or less, but we still haven't found that court mage, or the Holy Grail. We need to find both of them," Roman reminded us, thankfully preventing Nero from either singing or getting herself worked up.

"Hmm? But the United Empire has already met its end. Isn't that right, Unseen Mage?" Nero asked, cocking her head to the side in mild confusion.

"That's certainly true, give or take," Roman admitted, as I stiffened. I felt the presence of someone else. A hostile presence, to be precise. "But unless we secure the Holy Grail, our purpose will be—"

"Show yourself, coward!' I roared, my blood burning. A condescending chuckle filled the room, along with a sarcastic clapping of hands, as a familiar and hated figure stepped out of the shadows.

"Well, well, well," Lev Lainur said, his voice dripping with mock approval and an undertone of scorn. "Fancy running into you here."

Original Endnotes: So what did you guys think of this chapter? Had to do a bit of improvising due to making my own changes to the story at this point, so I hope it wasn't too confusing or short. Also, Chulainn finally manages to kill an enemy Servant while summoned as a Lancer! Realized that overall, Mordred has been the one dealing the coup de grace in every Servant battle so far, so I am going to try to fix that. As much as I love Mordred, if she is always going to be the finisher of the fight, then what's the point in having so many Servants accompanying Ritsuka and Jacob on each deployment, ya know? Also, Lev and Jacob in a room together...what could possibly go bad? LOL

Now, for the question(s) of the day: Seeing as how it is now December, what is/are your favorite winter activities? Second: What's your favorite Sci-Fi movie/series?

As always, a hearty thanks to each and every one of you wonderful guys and gals and in-between for reading and leaving some form of feedback, be it kudos, comments, bookmarking, subscribing, or even just reading! Makes me more and more happy to have decided to give this story life and seeing how its been received, and I must have been a tree in a past life or something because darn it I keep getting sappy lol. Anyways, eagerly awaiting y'alls feedback, and I hope you enjoyed!