Nero-Fest: III

The arrow struck the dead centre of the target, as if it had always been destined to strike true.

Arash smiled to himself as he lowered his bow, turning to face the Archer next down the line, the tanned servant in red merely hummed in response as he nocked his own arrow.

"I cannot help but feel as though this competition is weighted against me." Archer remarked with a hint of amusement "Considering I am competing with the great Arash Kamangir of all things." he glanced at the Servant out of the corner of his eye and gave him a smirk "Don't you think so?"

Arash raised an eyebrow at him "Really? I think it's all in good spirits." he shrugged, gesturing to the targets and then to the roaring crowd in the stands "They seem to be enjoying it."

"Romans are notorious in their amusement of one-sided beatdowns." Archer commented as he drew the bow back, loosening the arrow soon after and striking dead centre of the target "In all honesty, do you not think this might be an odd manner of competing?"

He got a confused blink in response.

"Do you seriously believe there is an Archer here who would miss a target at this distance?" He honestly asked, dismissing his bow and crossing his arms "It might entertain them but it is hardly a challenge."

"I concur." The final target was all but atomised as an arrow the size of a small tree impacted it, obliterating both the target and the ground the target was standing up. The pair of Servants flinched at the explosion before they both turned to their left, seeing the giant form of a third Archer looming over them. Gough slowly lowered his giant bow and gave a disappointed rumble "I recall the great competitions of old…There was challenge in them."

"I suppose you might be right." Arash chuckled, scratching the back of his head and looking around "What do you suggest we do to make it more interesting then?"

Archer remained silent as he looked at the other two, humming to himself.

"What about a moving target?" Another voice called out, the trio looked down to see Artemis floating near them with Orion sitting upon her head. The bear having spoken up and looking around "You know…try and test your aim a bit more sort of thing?"

"Thee suggests a moving target." Gough rumbled, nodding his head "Doth thee have a plan small…what art thou?"

"Don't worry about it big guy." Orion waved his hand in dismissal, then cupped his small chin with a pawed hand "...I think there's this thing that they do now called a clay pigeon shoot?"

Archer raised an eyebrow then looked up at Gough "I don't think there's a pigeon big enough for this one."

Gough shrugged in response, not even attempting to deny the statement. "Art there dragons about, perchance?"

"...I don't think so." Orion replied honestly, then looked back towards the stands "I think I saw one of these guys riding one but I don't think he'd let you loose an arrow at it."

"Is it me…or is that Giant looking at us?" Lothian quietly whispered to the others on the bench, Martha and Jeanne nodded their heads while Faraam's own dropped into his hands. Lothian noticed the God's odd behaviour and raised an eyebrow "Is something wrong with your Lordship?"

"Not really." Faraam shrugged "Just telling Storm not to come out is all…" his voice slightly strained "Mainly because if he does come out, Gough is going to ground him faster than anyone can do anything about."

"Oh?" Martha looked towards the God "Is he an old acquaintance of yours?"

"Yes." Faraam nodded his head, pausing and then looking down at the Saint "I'd also advise you to keep your own friend close by…considering he'd also hunt them for sport as well."

Martha stared blankly at him for a few moments, then turned her head to look back at the Giant who was still looking towards their group. "...I believe I will take that advice to heart."

"That would be wise of you."

"Something wrong, big guy?" Orion queried, breaking Gough out of his trance and bringing his attention back to the bear and Goddess. "You're recognise someone or something?"

"Hmmm…Perhaps." Gough replied with a hint of unsureness in his tone, then shook his head "Tis the trick of the mind perhaps. Thee were speaking of Dragons?"

"Yeah." Orion nodded his head "Or something else of the like…" he paused, then looked back towards the stands at a certain God in particular "...I've got an idea." the bear replied, then looked down at Artemis "Hey, dear?"

"Yes, Darling?" The Goddess looked up at him, gently reaching up and taking hold of the bear and lifting him off her head and holding him just in front of her "Do you need something?"

"Just a quick question." Orion replied "That Gwyndolin kid, he could make illusions right?"

"Gwyndolin?" Gough looked towards the crowds then slowly nodded his head "Ah yes, he was always skilled in the art of shapecraft. Thee believes him capable of mimicking wyrms?" he paused, moving his right hand to scratch his chin "Perhaps tis worth the ask in any event."

"Dragon Hunting?" Artemis blinked, tilting her head and then smiling "I have just the Servants to help!" she excitedly went on, virtually bouncing with glee "Also I feel bad for ruining her race."

"Oh boy…"

"Pffffffthahahahahahahaha!" The only sound to be heard across the entire stadium was the roar of Gough's laughter, the giant had hunched himself over to the point he was propping his body up with a hand on his knee as he continued his thunderous sounds of amusement.

The other Servants remained silent, the only ones who had a hint of what the giant found so amusing were Gwyndolin and Faraam. The former had a slight twitch of his lip as he stared down at the odd servant out in the lineup of Archers.

The latter was just staring down at the centre of the arena towards the individual with an utterly dumbfounded expression.

Sanura fidgeted as the giant continued his laugh, raising his other hand and pointing at her as the laughter only seemed to intensify. The Lancer looked around at the others, now feeling very self-conscious about the fact the Giant was just laughing in her face. The fact of the matter was that the moment he had caught sight of her head had begun laughing.

"M-Mildady Artemis…" Sanura whispered out to the Goddess in a slightly dejected tone "D-do I really need to be here?"

Artemis was too busy scowling at Gough to answer her, the giant now clutching at his chest as he eventually ran out of air to fuel his laugh, panting heavily with each breath sounding like a tree falling over in the woods.

"Haaaaaaaa…." Letting out one last ground shaking breath, Gough eventually straightened himself out, holding his fist up to the area of his helmet where his mouth would be and coughing several times to clear his throat. After shaking his head, he held his hand up in surrender towards Artemis and Sanura "I meant thee no disrespect…but…It is simply that-Hahaha-" Another giggle bubbled its way from his throat "-hahaha…I merely knew the one whose armour that was based upon." he explained, shaking his head "Seeing a human wear it, I could not help but imagine his reaction."

Sanura stilled "Y-you mean the great Dragon Slayer of the Sun?" she squeaked out in a quiet voice "H-he wouldn't be offended…would he?"

"Terribly confused, perhaps." Gough chuckled, shaking his head "Dear me…I know that the good Ser Artorias would never allow him to live such a display down without comments upon it." his tone was as light as it could possibly go before he placed his hands on his hips "Nevertheless…I have for thee, high expectations. Thee wears the armour of a dear friend. T'would be a great comfort to see thee of good skill with that spear."

"W-well…I…" Sanura looked around nervously, the woman's eyes coloured with hesitance before she eventually opened her mouth to respond.

"Here!" The Lancer jolted as a shadow passed over her head, the woman looked up and promptly gaped as the distinct form of Caffrey passed overhead, the girl beating her wings and giving a wide smile as she flew around the eye height of Gough "Take this!" the Goddess shouted out, throwing down a single coin into the hands of the Lancer.

"L-lady Caffrey!? I-I cannot accept-"

"Just do it!" Caffrey cut off her attempt and placed both her hands on her hips, staring down at the Lancer with an encouraging smile "Good luck!" she looked at Gough and promptly blinked as if realising he was there "...You're big."

"And thou art rather small, little Goddess." Gough replied with an amused tone of voice, moving his hand up to scratch his chin "Thee has wings of golden shine?"

The girl beamed at the praise and rapidly nodded her head, spreading them wide as if to show them off further "Yep! Mother always said they were a symbol of angelic beauty!" she paused, the placed a single finger on her chin and tilted her head in confusion "Although I've never met that many Angels…" she remarked, her eyes scanning the crowd before they seemed to glow as she locked onto some "Nevermind!" she happily exclaimed as she shot off away from them.

Gough watched her leave silently before he turned down to the others "...Thee referred to her as Lady Caffrey?" he asked Sanura, the Lancer rapidly nodded her head.

"The Princess of Heide." She explained "Daughter of Queen Gwynevere and King Flann."

Gough let out a snort "King Flann?" he rumbled with a tone of barely concealed amusement "A title he gifted himself no doubt." shaking his head, the Giant looked across to where Gwyndolin was seated "...Lord Gwyndolin's niece then…" he mused quietly to himself before shaking his head. "Let us begin preparations for a true competition!"

Sanura remained silent before she looked down at the gold coin in her hands and then towards the individual next to her, Atalanta stared back at her with a curious expression before her eyes shifted to where Caffrey had flown off to "...She is a child Goddess?"

"Lady Caffrey?" Sanura nodded her head "She is…younger than most other Lords." she admitted "...Is it really appropriate for me to be here?"

Atalanta raised an eyebrow "How is it not?"

"...I don't have a bow." Sanura pointed out, raising her cross spear and waving it "See?"

"...Can you not throw it?"

"...I do not believe just 'throwing it' would allow me to truly compete with those of the Archer class." Sanura replied with a frown "There is a reason it is the Class of the bow and arrow. Those who dedicated their life to the art would surely be displeased to hear me attempt to compete with them under the preconception that hurling weapons makes me their equal."

Archer snorted, drawing the attention of the two cat women respectively, the tanned servant gave the pair a smirk which just screamed that he knew something they didn't. "Trust me, the qualifications for being an Archer are not nearly as strict as you think them to be."

"He's right." Arash supported with a wry smile, sighing "I knew of this blonde guy who just hurled swords around sometimes and he was apparently an Archer."

The tanned Archer grimaced as if remembering something unpleasant "A rather boisterous laugh?"

"Yeah." Arash replied with a nod "The loudest." he shrugged "Quite skilled with those two swords of his as well."

Archer nodded then paused, a frown soon came to his face followed by one of confusion. A man with twin swords who would occasionally use swords as projectiles and was apparently within the Archer class? He blinked.

Had he actually been copied by him of all people?

"Then you just need a target?" Gwyndolin called back down to the giant, Gough nodded his head in response.

"Preferably a moving one." Gough rumbled back, shifting his massive frame and pointing towards the gathering of Archers "So that we might find which of us is more skilled."

"Hmph." Gwyndolin merely hummed in response, then looked past him and down into the stands "Is that human woman really wearing-"

"Indeed."

"Does she know who wore-"

"She does."

"...Most strange." Gwyndolin mused to himself, then turned to face Gough once again before he shifted his lips into a faint smile. "I will provide you with a most suitable target for your practice, Ser Gough." His tone contained a mischievous hint, as if there was something more to the statement.

Gough stared at him in silence for a few moments, trying to figure out what he meant before giving a low hum and marching back over where the others were.

Medusa stared at the expression on Gwyndolin's face with a slight trace of curiosity "You look as though you have something planned."

Before Gwyndolin could response, the Gorgon sisters instantly leapt onto the words.

"Look, me." Euryale pointed towards the pair with a teasing smile "Medusa can already tell what he's thinking at a glance."

"Quite so, myself." Stheno replied with a grin to match her sister "Maybe they are closer than we thought." the Goddess looked down at Medusa and giggled "Perhaps our jests about you finding a companion have some weight, little sister."

Medusa flinched, tightening herself up and fidgeting nervously.

Before Gwyndolin could make to comment, Quelaag chose that opportunity to speak up.

"Is it me, or are those snakes of yours standing up a little straighter?" The Chaos witched asked with a perfectly innocent tone of voice as she pointed towards his dress "And dear me, did I miscount or is that another one?"

"Pwah!?" Gwyndolin spluttered in shock as he spun around to face the witch "Must you use such crude humour? Where is your sense of decorum!?"

Quelaag gave him a raised eyebrow in return, meaningfully gesturing to her lower half "Would 'decorum' really help me with this?"

"It is merely for formalities sake." Gwyndolin got through gritted teeth, exhaling and shaking his head "Besides, Lady Medusa and I-"

"Ooooh~?" Quelaags's grin turned positively sharklike "Lady Medusa? How noble of you Linny." she gestured towards his head "Do you tip your crown at her as well?"

Gwyndolin gave her the flattest expression he could manage, the Chaos Witch merely elected to grin back at him in amusement. The God of the Moon eventually released a barely concealed huff of annoyance as he turned back towards the arena. "Will you be wishing luck to Ser Gough?" he eventually asked "I realise you enjoy breaking the norms, perhaps you will be the one to gift him a rose and not the other-"

Quelaag punched him in the side of the head.

"What on earth are they doing up there?" Archer asked aloud as he stared up towards the stands, the collection of Divine related beings swiftly descending into a childish scuffle. Arash followed Archer's line of sight before releasing a snort.

"Looks like the lady decided to use that sharp wit of hers again." The persian explained with a shake of the head "Frankly, I'm surprised it took her this long."

"A common occurrence then?"

"For them? Who knows." Arash shrugged "For her? Oh yes. She was quite adept in the art of…what would you call it? Verbal sparring." he elaborated with a mirthful expression "I suspect they'll eventually stop…"

Archer pointedly watched as Gwyndolin wrapped one of his snake legs around Quelaags neck in an effort to strangle her while she tried to pry his helmet off.

"...Really?"

"Oh…give it but a few moments." Gough remarked with amusement of his own "They shall bleed this theatre from their system eventually…she was actually one of little Gwyndolin's few friends as children." he gestured to the pair "This is rather in line with what their time as children was."

"Really?" Arash chuckled "Sounds about right for kids though, doesn't it?"

"I was never a father, so I could not answer thee." Gough replied, the servants continued to watch as the Gorgon sisters - and Asterios - backed away from the wrestling duo as the fight threatened to involve them as well.

"...I'm going to assume we aren't getting that competition any time soon." Atalanta voiced out, watching the display with a raised eyebrow, then looked to Arash "Are we?"

"I don't see it." The man shook his head, then pointed to his eyes "And I see a lot of stuff…" he trailed off, slowly turning towards the far end of the arena - to where there was a grate in the sand which led to a pit - and raised both his eyebrows "In fact…give it a moment…"

The other Servants all looked in the direction he was staring, the Archer himself continued to look at it expectantly for what felt like ages. After nearly half a minute of staring, Sanura finally mustered up the courage to speak up.

"Are we waiting fo-"

The grate exploded, the metal lid being flung nearly a foot into the air before it slammed back into the ground with a heavy clunk.

Dead silence spread across the entire colosseum as a small billow of smoke rose out from the hole. Arash nodded slowly and turned back to Sanura, throwing a thumb over his shoulder and giving the girl a casual smile "We're waiting for that."

"And what was that?" Orion asked, staring at the smoke with a hint of puzzlement "What was even down there anyway?"

"You snake footed, dark spawned little toad!" A rather gruff and angered voice roared out jolting everyone's attention back to the hole. Gwyndolin clicked his tongue as he let go of Quelaag, the Chaos witch in turn released his gown. The Dark Moon God turned his attention towards the hole as a figure climbed out of it.

Sulyvahn shook clean the remaining chains which clung to his body, one of which was still tied around his leg and dragging behind a wooden pillar as he hauled himself out into the open. The Caster glared up at the stands as best as his featureless face could manage. "I suppose you think chaining me like some common dog was clever!"

"It was." Gwyndolin called back, sounding more irritated than anything else "How did you get free?"

"You think mere chains could hold me!?" The pontiff sneered back.

"Yes."

"The chains of oppressors will never contain the spirit of the free man!" Another rather boisterous voice echoed out, soon followed by a blur throwing themselves into the sky.

"Not him again…" Atalanta grumbled out loud, slamming her hand into her face and shaking her head. Earning a look of puzzlement from everyone who actually heard her.

A grey blur slammed into the ground next to Sulyvahn, kicking up a rather large dust cloud and causing the Caster to cough heavily and wave his hand in front of his face to disperse it. The newest arrival stood well over the height of the Caster, dressed in nothing but a metal plate underwear and a metal mask covering most of his face. The blonde scraggly spilled freely down his face but not far enough to cover the maniac smile the grey skinned man sported.

Wielding a spiked club, the giant pointed up towards Gwyndolin while grinning like a mad man "I found my Comrade in arms bound in chains, like so many others trapped under your oppression and granted him the freedom he deserves!" with his free hand, he roughly slapped Sulyvahn on the back and caused him to stumble slightly "To be kept in the dark and yet his spirit remains unbroken! He is a beacon to all those who bear the weight of oppression!"

Gwyndolin stared at him in silence for a few moments before only a single word was uttered past his lips "Pardon?"

"Yes." Sulyvahn nodded his head, gesturing up at Gwyndolin "He is indeed the great oppressor. He chained all the world to his will."

"The fiend!" The Berserker exclaimed out in horror "I see you are well at home amongst these other oppressors!" he gestured to the colosseum "Where we all fight and die in bloodsport for your amusement!"

"I do not believe any among us have perished." Gough pointed out, scratching his chin as he stared down at the man.

The grey-skinned servant turned and stared up at Gough for a few moments before a roaring bark of laughter emerged from his throat, the man pointing his spiked club at the giant "I see now! You are the grandest of oppressors here, clearly having built up your might by treading upon the weak!" Sulyvahn cradled his head in his hands "The sound of your body falling to earth shall be a rallying cry against all oppressors!"

"Thou…accuses me of oppression?" Gough voiced out in an oddly toneless voice.

"Of course!" The man shouted out, pointing to Sulyvahn and then to the crowds "Who else would chain a man such as this to these crowds of oppressors! These Romans who hold slaves-" he paused, eyes flying wide "There are still brothers and sisters in chains here!" he cried out in horror, spinning on his heel and sprinting off towards the nearest gate "I shall free you from your bonds of oppression!"

The Servants watched the man charge off in silence, all staring at his retreating back before they slowly turned back to look at each other. Sulyvahn remained silent for a few moments, then just quietly started to walk away from them and back towards the crowd, muttering curses under his breath - many of which involved Gwyndolin - without being stopped.

Arash just watched the man wander off then turned back to see the Berserker - because he couldn't be anything else - rip the iron bars of the gate asunder and charge out into the streets.

"...Should we stop him?"

Atlanta just stared at him in silence for a few moments then shrugged "Do you think we could stop him?"

"U-ummm…" Nero's voice echoed out across the stadium "Could someone stop him before he causes too much trouble?"

"Nero?" Ritsuka looked towards the Emperor as she sat in her seat, the woman repeatedly tapping her chin with a slight hint of frustration painted on her features. The woman continued to tap away at her chin even as Ritsuka called out to her, the Saber not looking as though the voice even registered to her.

"Saber." Olga remarked - slightly louder than Ritsuka - to the woman, who still remained silent. "Nero!"

"E-eh!?" Nero jolted, spinning in her seat to face the Director, her face brightened when she caught sight of the white haired woman "Ah! Pale Rose-" Olga twitched at the nickname "-you needed me?"

"What on earth are you frowning about?" She asked, crossing her arms and staring down at the Emperor "You dragged us all here and you've spent most of the time just scowling at nothing."

"You're worried about me, Pale Rose?" Nero grinned with relief "I am gladdened to hear that-"

Olga let out a groan as her head fell into her hands, Nero stared at her with trace amounts of confusion for a few moments before she looked to the others present. Ritsuka waved to the Emperor with a faint smile on his face before it turned moderately concerned.

"Is something wrong Nero?" He asked, tilting his head "You don't look as…" he struggled for the right word for a few moments before snapping his fingers "Excited! You don't look as excited as you did earlier!"

"Really?" Nero frowned, humming to herself and cupping her chin "Yes…I am enjoying these festivities greatly and I believe that my subjects are as well but I cannot help but feel as though there could be more I can do for them." the Emperor remarked, standing up from her seat and moving towards the balcony overlooking the arena itself "It is rather irritable…" she admitted.

"You're worried about it not living up to its potential?" Roman voiced through the communicator in a tone of understanding "I guess…at the moment it's not really that different from something like the Olympics…" he muttered out, scratching his chin "But still, gathering so many Heroic Spirits and having them compete against each other in sporting activities without anyone getting injured is-"

"Terribly dull!" Leonidas exclaimed, shaking his head and looking towards Nero - the woman having let out a startled gasp at his sudden shout - the Spartan placed his hands on his hips and stared at the Emperor "Where is the sense of competition!? The warrior spirit all these Heroes no doubt possess?" he slammed a hand onto his chest "We are Servants fit for fighting and with so many of us, I would ask we fulfill that natural obligation!"

"W-wait a second Leonidas-san!" Mash hurriedly spoke out as she realised the direction the conversation was going "There's no need to fight-"

"Fight?" Leonidas tilted his head "I was going to suggest a tournament of fighters from every legend competing until we have an accredited winner!" the man threw his arms wide "Is that not something to be ventured towards?"

"You want us to run a bloodsport?" Olga's lip curled in disgust "Like some common Holy Grail War?"

Leonidas stared down at her "...The winner is already getting a Holy Grail." he pointed out "I merely suggest that we make it a more challenging task. We are chock full of many servants from across the world and my spirit is crying out for release!"

Nero was oddly silent, the woman scrunched her face up in thought for a few moments before she slowly nodded her head. "Umu…Umu!" she grinned "Umu! A most spectacular idea!" she spun around and marched towards the balcony "My Romans! I, Nero Claudius, have gathered the greatest warriors from across the land-"

"It is a sad state of affairs if she believes me to be a warrior." A deep voice grumbled "As it stands, I'm pitiful in a fight although that's just natural given my talent lies elsewhere from swinging a club around like some primitive ape."

Sulyvahn stared down at the person he found himself sat next to with a puzzled aura about him "...Are you some manner of dwarf?"

"Are you some manner of discarded halloween decoration?" The blue haired child shot back almost instantly "Aside from that, whatever my appearance might be has no true impact on my words."

"Stunted from growth, were you?" Sulyvahn grumbled, looking away from him and back towards the spot where Nero was shouting from "She is just stunted in the head."

"She appeals to the masses and the masses find her amusing." The boy muttered "It's certainly an art form, although how appealing it actually is very much depends on the tastes of the individual at any given moment." his lip thinned "The problem with humans is that their tastes tend to change. Give them too much of the same thing and they'll eventually grow bored of it and seek out another form of entertainment."

Sulyvahn gave him a passing glance "That is the problem of appealing to the common man's tastes. The common man is an idiot who knows not what he truly wants."

"Ha!" The boy barked out a laugh "Spoken like a fool who has never met the common man nor sampled in the tastes of the common man." he pointed at Nero "Regardless, if that toddler body of hers in any indication she is also vertically challenged."

Sulyvahn grunted "And to be lectured on the wisdom of man by a child? How valuable your insight may truly be."

"Have you ever heard the phrase not to judge a book by its cover?" The boy scoffed "Actually, forget I asked. You probably avoid books on account of your relatives being turned into them."

"Aren't you sharp of tongue?" Sulyvahn gave a hollow laugh "A brain of wisdom within that feeble body of yours perhaps?"

"Wisdom?" The boy's face scrunched up as if he'd heard something ugly "I would hardly call it wisdom. It is as much the blatant truth as anything another is liable to hear. Whatever reaction a person has to my words is for them alone."

"Hmph." Sulyvahn looked away "Then I will leave you to your words, child."

"Hmph, then I will accept this generosity from you, Tree."

"-and have brought them to the greatest civilisation in the world-" Nero failed to notice almost a dozen heads turn and glare up at her "-for your entertainment!" she reached into…somewhere, and pulled forth the glowing shape of the Holy Grail "Now they will compete in a tournament for this grand prize!"

The crowd positively exploded with applause as the Chaldean's behind her could only stare with a large degree of exhaustion.

"So…does this mean we're gonna have to compete?" Roman asked, chuckling nervously "Because we probably should make sure that we get the Grail."

Olga clicked her tongue, looking back at the Doctor and then towards Nero. She could just order Berserker to grab the Holy Grail now and call it a day, she was confident Stahl could easily best the Emperor…although there was the problem of fame boost. Nero was standing in Rome itself, she was likely receiving a great deal of regional support as a result.

Not to mention the half dozen Servants she had probably summoned with that Holy Grail likely not taking too kindly to it.

"...Yes." Olga got out through gritted teeth, turning towards Ritsuka, Ash and Mash "We apparently are now."

"Fighters and champions!" Nero shouted out "The roses have aligned, the festival is nigh! My fellow Servants! Prepare for battle, claim glory and win this Holy Grail! A celebration of Rome! The Nero Festival!"

Dead silence echoed out amongst the colosseum before the stands exploded with noise as the crowd had been worked up into a frenzy.

"Well…she's got a way with words at least." Ritsuka nervously chuckled to himself, scratching the back of his neck. "So…what now?"

"Now?" Olga gave him a flat look "Now gather up all the Servants who are from Chaldea. Inane as I might find this, it is likely the easiest option available to us to play the Emperor's little game for the time being."

Nero, however, was much too busy deciding on an order by which to arrange the matches. The Emperor was thinking of which class would go first and what the order would be after that. After a few moments of deliberation, she eventually snapped her fingers and grinned.

"The Saber class shall go last, as it is the class I inhabit and therefore it is the best class." She announced, turning to the other Chaldeans "As they say, 'Save the best for last' do they no?"

Ritsuka snorted, shaking his head "Right. Only you Nero…only you."

"She does have logic, Senpai." Mash commented "The Saber class is considered the strongest class as it is usually the one inhabited by Heroic Spirits of great legend." she paused "A majority of the Knight's of the Roundtable would qualify for the Saber Class and we already face King Arthur in Fuyuki."

Ritsuka opened his mouth to reply before slowly closing it "...I guess?" he shrugged "I suppose Ash is also of the Saber Class." the Saber in question merely grunted in response "Although you'd probably qualify for most other classes, wouldn't you?"

Ash frowned in thought for a few moments "...Likely all but Rider and Berserker." he admitted after a few moments "As I have never had a period in time where I was lost to madness." he paused "At least until the…incident on the ocean."

"I don't think acts of madness contribute to your affinity for the Berserker Class after you have already been summoned as a Servant, Ash-san." Mash reassured him with a faint smile "They have to occur while you're still alive."

Ash merely hummed in response, his eyes briefly flicking to the screen Roman was on. The doctor glanced back at him for a few seconds but said nothing.

"So…" The doctor clapped his hands together "Are you going to be working on a team, Fujimaru-kun?"

"I guess." Ritsuka nodded "It depends what we're actually doing." scratching his cheek, the Master sent a fleeting glance towards Nero before looking back at the others "But I'm sure it'll work out."

"And so my fellow Romans! We begin the Nero Festival with the battle of the Riders!" the Emperor grinned before pointing down to the colosseum "In the corner of Chaldea we have the Knight of Madness-"

"That's Paladin of Lunacy actually!" Astolfo shouted back, looking as though he wasn't particularly bothered about being called an idiot "It sounds much cooler!"

"Does it though?" Boudica asked with squinted eyes and a tone which just oozed incredulity. The pink haired rider merely shrugged in response.

"I don't know. I didn't think about the name."

"-and regarded, by himself, to be the cutest Servant in Chaldea - again, by no one but himself as I am here now - the Paladin of the Franks, Astolfo!"

"Yeah!" The pink haired boy waved at the crowd "...I've got a terrible feeling by the way!" he exclaimed in a merry tone of voice.

"So do I." Boudica grumbled to herself, crossing her arms and glaring at the crowds "Especially being here."

"And accompanying him is…um…" Nero's voice faltered slightly "A…um…G-great warrior Queen from a distant land!" she recovered, earning a raised eyebrow from the red-haired Rider in question. "Her name is Boudi!"

Astolfo giggled "Heh…Boudi sounds like Boobie." he pointedly looked at her chest before his eyes turned skyward and he let loose an innocent whistle.

Boudica pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head "I knew I shouldn't have come here." grumbling to herself, the Rider tapped her boot against the ground rapidly as she awaited the announcement of their opponents.

"And standing against them for the title of 'Best Rider' is…oh…" The Emperor trailed off, suddenly sounding very unsure of herself as she looked down again at them then back towards the parchment she had in front of her. Clearing her throat, she spoke out again with a noticeable dip in her confidence "F-from the land of Warriors blessed by a Dragon-Slaying wargod. He rose through the ranks from humble grunt to general of the army…and has never lost a battle."

"Well…" Astolfo cheerfully placed his hands on his hips "We're screwed!" he turned his eyes skyward as a shadow passed atop their heads, the silhouette of a blue Wyvern rapidly approached the ground.

The lizard beat its wings several more times to slow its descent before the Rider disembarked, Lothian clambered down from Gorm, planting both boots on the ground with a gentle thud and unholstering his axe from its place on his hip. The Rider gave the weapon a few practice swings before he turned his helmet back to face them.

"One who abandoned the battlefield to find a foe who could best him in combat and failing to do so, Shieldless Lothian of Forossa!"

The General gave the crowd a patient wave of his hand, only occasionally looking at them before he returned his full attention to the duo in front of him,

"Are the three combatants ready!?"

"Hey!" Astolfo shouted out "Where's his partner! Two on one doesn't seem very fair!"

Silence followed in his wake before Nero coughed loudly "A-alright! If you insist!"

"What are you doing?" Boudica hissed at the Paladin, Astolfo turned to her and raised an eyebrow in questioning "It was a two-on-one advantage."

"I'm still a paladin." Astolfo pointed out, giving the woman a wide smile "So that means if it's a fair tournament, I don't want to rely on trickery! We get two fighters, they get two fighters!" he pointed at Lothian "And it can't be much worse than-"

"The Patron God who rules over the land of Warriors!" Nero bellowed out, Astolfo's smile freezing on his face "And a God of War! I present the Dragon Rider, Faraam of Sunlight!"

Heavy wing beats filled the air, followed by a rumbling growl as a much larger shadow passed above everyone's heads. The giant figure of the near forty metre long shape of Storm cresting over the top of the colosseum walls instantly attracted the attention of the crowd. The giant feathered drake swung its head upwards and unleashed an earth shaking roar into the air before it spread its four wings wide and pushed itself down towards the centre of the colosseum.

Not before giving a passover of the entire stadium before it eventually landed onto the ground.

Faraam clambered down from Storm, his landing onto the sandy flooring was much less subtle than his follower. The God's feet instantly kicked up a small cloud of dirt as he landed on the ground before straightening himself out.

Astolfo nodded his head several times before he replied "...Next time I just won't say anything."

"Yeah." Boudica gave him a hollow smile "You do that."

"Are the combatants ready?" Nero called down once again.

"As we'll ever be." Boudica muttered to herself as she drew her sword and tensed her body, Astolfo hefted his jousting lance and beamed as wide as he could.

"Indeed." Faraam rumbled, hefting his large swordspear and planting it into the ground with the tip pointed skywards. The surface of the blade crackled with golden sparks of light as it thrummed with divine power. His dull golden eyes looked between Boudica before they fell onto Astolfo and narrowed "You…I remember you."

"Who? Me?" Astolfo pointed at himself before furiously shaking his head "Nope. Never met you before in my life. I certainly didn't help in killing your dragon in France. Not me. Nor was I there when someone tackled you off said dragon." he then pointed at the God's legs "I also definitely didn't steal one of your legs."

Three other Rider's stared at him with varying degrees of confusion, Boudica eventually decided to do the smartest thing she could in that situation.

She took five steps to her left and increased the distance between herself and her teammate.

"I…what?" Faraam tilted his head in puzzlement "Are you trying to insult me or are you just this stupid?"

"Stupid? Me? Never!" The Rider loudly proclaimed "Just because I don't have anything even remotely similar to reason and common sense in my body does not automatically make me an idiot!"

"Are you touched in the head?" Lothian bluntly asked, no longer being able to contain his own confusion in the matter "Because you sound as though you are a few spears shy of a phalanx."

"All my spears are properly accounted for!" Astolfo happily exclaimed, waving his jousting lance "I have my spear for my enemies and my spear for my many lovers!" he pointed directly at his waist "See? Both of them! Although you'll have to take my word on the second one, Roland would just strip himself here and now to show you."

"...What?" Lothian blinked at the pink haired boy, then looked towards Faraam with his posture one of clear confusion. Faraam shrugged and looked towards Boudica for an explanation.

Boudica gave a half smile and shrug in response to their questioning gazes "Honestly I don't think anyone really understands him at all."

"...Perhaps we should just get to fighting?" Faraam suggested, looking around for confirmation before he straightened himself out. "Excellent." the God's entire posture flipped, the Rider span his swordspear around and pointed it directly towards the space between the two servants. The blade glowed a brilliant golden as both Boudica and Astolfo widened their eyes in alarm and threw themselves to the ground.

The spear unleashed a bolt of pure golden lighting towards them, striking the ground and scorching it immediately. Faraam's eyes instantly locked onto Astolfo and the God launched himself forwards to clear the distance between the two combatants.

Astolfo rolled back to his feet, exhaling through his mouth and grinning "Talk about a close-" he cut himself off, releasing a panicked cry and throwing himself back to the ground as the edge of the swordspear sliced through the air above his head, the Rider locked eyes with the God as his form towered over him. Scrambling backwards, Astolfo made to clear the distance as Faraam raised his leg up to stamp down on him.

"Hippo-kun!" Astolfo shouted out, Faraam instantly turned himself around as the mount barreled into him and nearly knocked him off his feet. Digging his feet into the ground, Faraam wrestled with the mount before he did something almost entirely unexpected.

He headbutted it.

The hippogriff recoiled from the rather bold attack as Faraam spun his spear in his hands, raising it above his head like a club and smacking the hippogriff over the back of the head with the handle of the weapon. The Hippogriff's eyes rolled back and the creature slumped over unconscious.

"What the heck!?" Astolfo pointed at the God "Animal abuse! Everyone saw it! Who even headbutts a Hippogriff?" he winced "Bradamante is going to kill me for this!"

Faraam silently turned to face the Rider, raising the spear and leveling it towards his head. The tip already glowing with golden light.

"So…" Astolfo let out a nervous chuckle "Is it too late to apologise for the whole…you know…leg thing?"

Faraam continued to stare at him in silence then abruptly lowered the spear and just touched Astolfo in the gut with the tip of the weapon, which was still crackling with lightning. Astolfo released a rather high pitched scream as the Rider virtually tased the boy with divine lighting for what felt like hours for Astolfo - for everyone else it was barely ten seconds - before he lifted the spear up again.

"I would rather you didn't." Faraam replied "A warrior does not apologise for his attack."

"Ouchie…" Astolfo rolled on the ground, clutching his stomach and occasionally twitching "I think I peed a little…"

"How is that even…" Faraam's face scrunched up "What is wrong with your head?"

"The moon stole my brain…"

"...What?"

On the opposite end of the battlefield, it could hardly be said to be going in Boudica's favour either. Lothian swiftly closed the distance with the Rider and swung his axe towards her shield, the moment she raised her own guard the weapon slammed into it with much more force than it had any right to.

Boudica staggered as the weight of the axe pushed her backwards before Lothian pulled it back and raised it up high again. Boudica rushed forwards, swinging her straight sword up and hooking it underneath the blade of the axe and halting its descent. Lothian's face was hidden behind his helmet, although that didn't stop her feeling the amusement he clearly had.

"A rather daring ploy…" He mused, swinging the axe towards the side and caused her to overextend while swinging his knee upwards into her gut. The woman let out a heavy cough as she was nearly lifted off her feet by the power of the attack and forced backwards. "Unfortunately it can leave you open to counterattack."

Boudica was too busy coughing to reply as Lothian closed in on her, the Rider instead opting to swing his weapon upwards in an uppercut movement. She raised her shield to block it and the attack once again slammed into her with much more power than she could anticipate, the impact rattling her bones and causing her to flip with the momentum and onto her back.

"Hm. It was a rather poor situation for you." Lothian muttered out as he hovered above her "I don't blame-" he leaned back when Boudica lashed out with a kick towards his head, the Forossan merely tilted his head back with the boot not even touching upon his helmet. Boudica used the power of the kick to roll her body back onto her feet and into a low crouch.

"Hmmm." Lothian straightened himself out "Alright then." His voice was oddly toneless, as if the affair was nothing more than a simple chore for him. Frankly, if what Nero had boasted about him was true, then it probably was. Just her luck to be matched against the type of general who took to the field and still never lost a single battle.

Boudica's eyes flickered away from him and towards the blue Drake.

Which was currently curled up and snoring loudly. Her face instantly warped with incredulity before she flashed Lothian a puzzled expression as her eyes darted between the two of them.

Lothian merely angled his head in puzzlement before following her gaze onto the sleeping wyvern. "Oh, I see. Gorm won't interfere if that concerns you." he waved his hand as if in reassurance "Not until I find a foe I will actually need his help for."

"That's a little bit insulting, isn't it?" Boudica commented, giving him a raised eyebrow.

"Perhaps." Lothian shrugged "But I have already seen through your movements. You are good, that much I fully admit…but you are not even close to being my equal." his voice was now more disappointed than anything else "If I were to tell you the truth, I would rather have faced both you and the girl alone-"

"Boy." Boudica corrected automatically.

"...Boy?" Lothian turned his head back to Astolfo and seemingly stared at him for a short amount of time "Are you sure?" he asked again, then raised his arm to catch Boudica's wrist as she tried to swing at him. Stopping the movement dead in its tracks without even having turned to face her.

"I am being serious." Lothian continued on as she struggled to get her arm free "Is that actually a boy? I thought they were just jesting."

"They're actually a boy!" Boudica growled out, then swung her leg into his knee. Her eyes bulged as it felt as though she'd kicked something much tougher than a servant's knee. Wincing, she recalled her foot and hissed through her teeth.

"Ah, that would be my ring activating." He muttered, finally turning to face her "Really, this matchup was just entirely unfair to you."

Boudica huffed "What was your first clue? The undefeated warrior riding a wyvern of all things or the wargod teammate?"

Lothian remained silent for a few moments before he spoke again "...I do not believe I can give you an adequate answer which will not-"

Boudica suddenly closed her eyes as her sword exploded with golden light, releasing a burst of power into the air while also flashing into Lothian's eyes. The General released a grunt as the golden light flooded his vision, briefly blinding him in the process and causing his grip to slacken. Seizing this chance instantly, Boudica ripped her hand free of him before she swung her shield at his head.

Lothian thrust his axe into the sky, releasing a thin burst of golden lighting upwards as the shield approached his head.

Then Boudica felt her whole body seize up as a brief flash of pain coursed through her entire being, she soon recognised it as being electrocuted before it passed. Lothian swung his body around before slamming a haymaker into the side of her head and sending her to ground with a heavy thud.

"Clever." Lothian grunted "But if flashes of light were all it took to keep me distracted, then I would have made a poor general in a siege."

"I'll remember that…" Boudica got out as she raised her hand to nurse the side of her head, already feeling sore from the punch.

"And with that, we have concluded our first victory for the Riders!" Nero proclaimed, grimacing slightly as she watched Boudica and Astolfo stumble off to the edge of the field "Which means we shall now move onto the second battle of the Servants!"

Spreading her arms wide, she beamed "The Assassins!"

Ritsuka frowned in thought as he cupped his chin, leaning over to Mash "Don't we only have one Assassin?"

"We do." Mash nodded her head "And Sasaki-san seems to behave more like a Saber than an Assassin."

"I would have thought you'd discuss the catastrophic loss we just suffered." Boudica pointed out, then sent a fleeting glare at Nero "Almost as if it was rigged against us…"

"N-now, now!" Nero hastily waved her hands "I wouldn't do it quite so bad! I didn't know who it was who signed up until I drew the names from the bowl!" she pointed towards the golden dish lying atop a small pedestal "I wouldn't lie about this!"

"Hmm." Olga gave a flat hum in response as she leaned back into her seat "Regardless, this might work into our favour. Sasaki Kojiro is a superior combatant to most usual Assassin class Servants. His performance in the French Singularity is proof of this."

"Won't he still be outnumbered if they bring out two Servants?" Roman pointed out with a frown "We've only got one Assassin."

"Ah…you do?" Nero winced, then looked back at the parchment. "Oh…so you do…um…I could make it a simple one on one fight in the interest of fairness so you can calm yourselves." she offered with a calm smile, then turned back "And we shall now assemble the fighters for this duel in the art of duplicity and cunning!"

"Well…That is certainly one way of describing the work of an Assassin." Sasaki commented to no one but himself as he stood with his arms tucked into their sleeves, calmly strolling forwards and further into the colosseum. "Although I would much rather face a Saber."

"And for the side of Chaldea, here stands the legendary bird slayer himself from the far east and accredited saviour of France!" Sasaki blinked in surprise at the sudden title, he might have been there but he'd hardly have said he was the saviour of the country. Still, it got the crowd raring to go "Sasaki Kojiro!"

The Assassin gave a respectful bow to the crowd as he slowed himself to a halt. Smiling calmly as he waited for his opponent to appear.

"And for his opponent, they are a killer from across the sea who slays defenseless women for the pleasure of his foreign God." Sasaki's smile vanished. That just sounded unpleasant. "One who shrouds themselves in foul deeds…Lautrec of Carim!"

A man fizzled into existence, dressed in bronze coloured armour and wielding twin shotel swords. The man spun the weapons around as he paced in front of Sasaki, the crowd already booing the man as if he were the grand villain or some such. Sasaki had to give him credit, he didn't look put off in the least by the manner in which the crowd already seemed to despise him.

Wordlessly, he reached for the sword on his back and slowly unsheathed it. He gave his new Nodachi a once over, he had never heard of this 'titanite' material before but he could tell at a glance that this sword was infinitely superior to the one he had previously wielded before it had been broken. A rather unfortunate incident which had apparently worked out in his favour.

"I suppose we have already been introduced, so we might skip that formality." Sasaki commented as he assumed a stance and staring at Lautrec with a calm expression "Then we might begin immediately, no?"

"Hmph." Lautrec merely twirled the Shotel's in his hand as he stared back at the opposing Assassin before coming to a halt. Adjusting his footing, Lautrec tensed himself in preparation for a rush. Sasaki, however, looked as though he was in no hurry to adjust his position. Content with waiting for the other Servant to make their move first.

Both Sasaki and Lautrec remained still for what felt like hours before the armoured Assassin charged, clearing the distance swiftly as he approached with the curved blades swinging from both sides towards Sasaki's midsection. Kojiro's body blurred as the man grabbed the Nodachi with both hands and swung the blade upwards. The first strike parried the left shotel high before he swung the sword down into the right shotel and knocked that off course. Turning his body to face Lautrec sideways, Kojiro thrust the pommel of his sword into the man's gut and caused him to stagger backwards away from him.

Lautrec stepped back and reevaluated the man in front of him as Kojiro slowly returned to his original posture. As if baiting him to attack again. Narrowing his eyes behind his helmet, Lautrec paced from side to side as he watched the man before coming to a halt once again.

He swung down against Kojiro, who raised his sword to block the strike with ease, before he swung his other sword in a reverse grip towards his gut. Sasaki's eyes flickered to the blade in question before pushing the other sword away from himself and swiftly backing away so the blow barely touched upon his clothes. Lautrec charged him down, swinging from both or the same side as he attempted to pin down Sasaki.

The humble swallow slayer kept up a calm expression as he effortlessly parried or blocked the strikes against his person with finesse expected of a swordmaster. Or someone posing as one at the very least. It was noted that Kojiro had yet to go on the offensive, still defending from Lautrec as the fight went on.

Swiftly parrying another strike away from his body, Sasaki shifted his stance and then thrust his Nodachi towards Lautrec, the Assassin retreated as Kojiro launched the first offensive of the entire match. The single thrust blurred just fast enough that Lautrec had to retreat and swing his right shotel upwards to block the strike. Sasaki didn't leave it at that, soon moving forwards while unleashing a rapid barrage of swift slashes and thrusts towards the Assassin.

Lautrec stared to frown behind his helmet as the assault continued, quickly becoming apparent that Sasaki was undoubtedly a more skilled swordsman than he was. It just meant he'd have to rely on a little dirty fighting.

Stepping further back, Lautrec moved backwards at a considerable distance to try and keep Kojiro from easily getting to him but not so far as to highlight what he was planning. As he jumped back again to avoid a slash at his neck, he rested the edge of his shotel into the sand and stared at the Assassin as he advanced. Once he got close enough, Lautrec swung the sword upwards like a golf club, throwing sand into Kojiro's face and charging forwards to accompany the cloud.

A resounding clang went off as Sasaki parried away the attack with relative ease through the cloud of sand before twisting his body and slashing away at the thin armour at the side of Lautrec's knee. The Nodachi hit home, Lautrec released a grunt as the blade sliced into his knee and caused him to wobble slightly.

Kojiro didn't advance as he stared at the Assassin step away from him.

"We can end this here." He eventually remarked "Unless you have a warrior's pride and such. Although judging by how you were introduced…" he meaningfully trailed off.

Lautrec instead grumbled as he pushed himself to stand up straight "I will not allow a sacrifice to Fina slip through my fingers…" he grumbled as he assumed a shaky stance "Not this time!" charging forwards, he swiftly went on the attack with an almost frenzied barrage of swings.

Sasaki retreated from the blows, either ducking or sidestepping them with an occasional parry to accompany them. Eventually, the Assassin found the right moment to strike. When Lautrec swung up at his neck, Sasaki ducked down and slashed upwards towards his arm. The bronze armoured man released a hiss of pain as the shotel dropped from his hand and the limb recoiled. Blood trailing down from the wound to his elbow.

Flicking his blade clean, Sasaki once again assumed his usual stance with both hands on the sword and the blade pointed directly towards his opponent. Lautrec stared at the wounded left arm, occasionally attempting to clench his hand into a fist and failing before he released an annoyed grunt and faced Kojiro.

The man shifted his body into a new stance and smiled "Still…you cannot say I did not warn you." he commented before the smile disappeared and he took in a deep breath. "Hiken-" he stepped forwards and closed the distance with Lautrec as he swung the sword "-Tsubame Gaeshi!"

One blade became three. Lautrec wasn't even aware if they were illusions up until the point all three struck against his body. Slicing into his legs and remaining arm with relative ease and causing him to drop to the ground with a groan. Hissing as he bled profusely as a result. Sasaki - content with his work - sheathed his Nodachi and calmly turned away to leave while Lautrec lay groaning on the ground.

"Did he just…" Ash was stood up, pointing down at the battle with a baffled expression "I saw three blades…"

"S-so did I!" Roman exclaimed with shock "What the heck!?"

"A Noble Phantasm of sorts?" Olga raised an eyebrow "Perhaps he just generates copies of his attack-"

"N-no! He was in three places at once!" Romani choked out "As in…" the man waved his hands "As if there were three identical versions of him!"

"...What?" Olga blinked staring at Romani with wide eyes "B-b-but-but that's just-! You can't-! That isn't-! You can't just be in three places at once at the exact same time!" she spluttered out "T-that would be to touch upon a True Magic!"

"Is that good?" Ritsuka quietly asked Mash, the Shielder looking more dumbfounded at the revelation than anything else. "Mash?"

"H-huh?" She blinked, then looked at Ritsuka before rapidly nodding her head "Senpai! True magic is something that cannot be replicated through science at all! It is a true miracle!"

"Ooooh." Ritsuka nodded his head, then frowned in thought "Didn't the Director say that Ash used a True Magic?"

"The act of moving across worlds is the second Magic, Senpai." Mash dutifully explained "Although his seems to have limits from what we have inferred. But still…" she looked back down with awe "To think someone has a Noble Phantasm like that…"

"So many Servants in Chaldea who just brazenly use true magics!" Olga growled into her hands "Why does every one of them insist on using Miracles of Magecraft to just swing swords around like savages!?"