The woman walked in an empty and sunny place, not knowing how she had arrived there or why she was without clothes.
"Are you lost?" the woman heard someone's voice.
She turned around and found a man with tanned skin and white hair combed forward.
The woman didn't mind or feel disturbed by the man's nakedness, after all, she was without clothes too.
The woman with purple hair gave a gentle smile to the man.
"Could you tell me where I am? It's so beautiful here," said the woman, observing her surroundings.
The man smiled at the woman's attitude; she seemed like a child experiencing something for the first time.
"I can see that you're not from here," the man said to the woman.
"I would like to answer, but I do n't know either," the man said, catching the woman's attention from her.
She turned and looked at him.
"Are you lost too?" the woman said with a smile.
"Not really. I'm just waiting," the man said to the woman.
She blinked, "Waiting for what?"
"To be called," the man replied.
The woman decided not to question further.
"Can I... wait with you?" she asked.
"Of course," the man said.
The woman walked and stood beside the man. The two of them waited in the empty white place.
Grand Order
-13-
A massive tremor caught the attention of the group inside the cabin.
?!
"What was that?" asked Boudica, getting up from her chair.
Da Vinci had lost balance, causing him to fall to the ground.
"That's not natural..." said Da Vinci as he got up from the floor.
Elizabeth and Nero fell on top of each other, causing both girls to grumble.
"Could you... please... get off me?" said Elizabeth, feeling the weight of Nero on top of her. Even though Nero was light, the "dragon" girl was small, and physical strength was not her forte.
"Umuu..." said Nero, dizzy as she got up and held her head, which hurt from the impact of her forehead against Elizabeth's horns.
Ritsuka was lying on the ground, holding onto her food, and Mashu landed on her buttocks due to the tremor.
"What hit us?" asked Mashu, rubbing her rear end due to the impact.
"It seems... something was hit..." said Da Vinci.
"Something?" said Elizabeth, dusting herself off while still undressed.
Nero tilted her head to the side in confusion until the Emperor felt a familiar pressure that made her tremble.
Ritsuka noticed this and decided to ask Nero what was wrong.
"Is something wrong, Nero?" said Ritsuka, getting up and placing their plate of food on the bench.
"I..." but the Emperor interrupted.
A man entered the cabin, grabbing everyone's attention.
"Spartacus, is something wrong?" said Boudica, looking at the warrior.
"The oppressor... is attacking," Spartacus said, but he wasn't smiling as usual.
Boudica blinked at what the man said.
The oppressor?
"No... is he here?" said Boudica, wide-eyed.
"He?" Da Vinci looked at Boudica, but the woman ran out of the cabin at an incredible speed.
"Hey!" said Elizabeth as her tail swayed.
"Where is she going?" said Ritsuka, confused.
Nero held onto her left arm while trembling, which did n't go unnoticed by Da Vinci.
Da Vinci's eyes widened in realization.
"Romulus..." Da Vinci said, wide-eyed.
"Eh?! The demigod, here? Now?" said Elizabeth, looking at the man in surprise.
"Are we under attack?!" said a worried Ritsuka, but then she remembered something.
"Where are Archer, Artoria, and Scathach?" said Ritsuka loudly. Everyone looked at the master and thought the same thing.
Oh no...
Nero tightened her grip on her arm even more.
"This isn't good... not good at all..." whispered the Emperor.
-13-
Blood... There was so much blood around him, the man lay on the bloody ground, not breathing.
Was he dead?
No, no, no, no, no...
It happened so quickly... so quickly...
She heard the sound of something colliding.
Again and again...
She blinked, looking at the man with his face on the ground, drained in his own blood from him.
"Get your head back in the battle, you fool!" Artoria shouted, snapping Scathach out of her trance.
The woman felt something approaching. Turning her head, she came face to face with the demigod. A furious expression appeared on the goddess's face as she twirled her spear and took a defensive stance.
Scathach defended against the demigod's powerful strike, causing the ground around the goddess to crack and form a crater.
Scathach's body shrank with the powerful impact.
"Grr," the goddess wasted no time and forcefully pushed her spear against her enemy, causing the man to rise slightly in the air.
The goddess delivered a kick to the demigod's weapon, sending him flying through the air, but it seemed like the man didn't care about it.
The saber had already closed the distance in the air between the two, but Romulus spun his body and unleashed a spinning strike, forcing Artoria to defend and crashing violently into the ground.
The ground beneath them shattered as the woman rolled on the ground, driving her sword into the ground to stop herself.
The Saber's mask was completely shattered, and her armor was worn.
Romulus finally touched the ground, but Scathach was already behind him with a murderous and hateful look in her eyes.
"WRETCHED, WRETCHED, WRETCHED! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" the goddess shouted as she thrust her spear, trying to pierce through Romulus, but the man effortlessly evaded and blocked her attacks.
"I see that you hate me... is it because I killed your friend?" Romulus said as he drove his spear into the ground, halting Scathach's own spear.
The woman's eyes widened, and her clenched teeth revealed her fury.
"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" Scathach shouted with hatred in her eyes.
The Saber's eyes were filled with hatred and rage as she glared at Romulus.
Artoria tightened her grip on the hilt of her sword as she tried to push her blade towards the man's guard, but without success.
"I won't show you mercy," Artoria said as she pushed the sword with even greater force.
"I see..." said Romulus as his hand bled, but he didn't budge.
Artoria's cursed holy sword began to emanate black energy.
"Ahhhhhh!" the Saber shouted as her sword released a black energy beam.
Before Romulus could be pushed back by the energy, he quickly let go of Artoria's sword and grabbed his own spear.
Romulus was thrown and hit a rocky area, causing a curtain of smoke.
Artoria held the sword with both hands and took a battle stance as she looked at the smoke.
Scathach used her hands and leaped into the air, landing beside Artoria. The goddess raised her hand, summoning her spear and assuming a different battle stance. She was not graceful, but rather violent, much like her disciple.
The two of them stared at the dissipating smoke, revealing Romulus without a scratch. The man simply tilted his head to the side as he observed the two warriors.
"I expected this to end quickly. I don't want anyone to suffer. If you had died quickly like your friend, you wouldn't have to feel any more pain..." the man said as he leaned his spear against the ground in a relaxed manner.
Scathach and Artoria's eyes widened.
The air in the area grew heavy... very heavy.
"I will try to finish you off quickly, so you can reunite with your friend. I promise," Romulus said as he lifted his spear from the ground and assumed a combat stance. There was no opening in his stance; the man stared at the two warriors like a predator prepared to attack its prey.
"Quickly..." Artoria said.
"To reunite with him..." Scathach said.
A black aura began to grow around the Saber, while a blood-red aura surrounded Scathach.
Artoria's sword transformed into pure energy.
Scathach's combat stance became even more beast-like, the goddess resembling her disciple. She was like a wild beast.
Runes appeared, enhancing the goddess's attributes of her, but Scathach made no gestures to summon them—they simply appeared.
"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" the two warriors shouted in an animalistic manner.
-1-
The man lay on his back on the ground, his neck stretched as he watched the intense battle unfold upside down.
His eyes remained open as he observed the two women fighting fiercely, yet Romulus seemed to have no difficulty handling both of them.
The man's gauze shifted to the side, notifying his left arm of him torn off in front of him. He could only feel something warm beneath him.
Was it his blood? He couldn't tell...
Lying on the ground, he continued to watch the battle unfold upside down.
Gradually, his vision darkened, his eyes growing weary.
And all he saw was darkness.
...
"How long does he intend to sleep?" The man heard a voice, but he ignored it and kept his eyes closed.
"I don't know, but I can do something to wake him up," another voice said, licking her lips, causing the woman beside her to give her a disapproving look.
"You... you act like an animal in heat," the woman stuttered, feeling slightly embarrassed.
The man frowned and opened his eyes, slightly annoyed by the commotion.
"So early, and you're already shouting," the man grumbled with a scowl.
The two women turned to look at the man who had finally awakened.
"Archer, you sleep too much. Shiro would already be up and ready for work at this hour," the Saber said, kneeling by the bed.
The Archer glanced at the Saber for a moment, then turned his body from him, pulling the blanket to cover himself.
"Then go sleep in his bed if that's the problem," the Archer said as he tried to go back to sleep.
"Archer!" Artoria shouted as she tugged at the blanket, pulling it off the man.
The Archer scowled and grumbled. When he opened his eyes, he saw the other woman with long purple hair staring at him with a smile.
"You too?" the Archer said, still scowling.
The Rider continued to smile at the Archer as she knelt by his side of him.
"I wonder how you manage to be angry all the time," she said, lying down next to him, her long hair spreading across the bed.
"I must agree with Rider. You're very grumpy. You should smile more," Artoria said, kneeling in a formal Japanese manner.
The Archer looked at the Saber more closely. The woman was naked, in fact, they were all naked.
The room was a mess, with clothes scattered everywhere, torn sheets, and some broken furniture.
"It seems I ended up hurting you both ..." the Archer said as he felt Medusa's hand on his eyes. He held her hand and saw bite marks on her arm and her shoulders. Artoria had scratches on her body, bite marks, and red marks on her neck.
"Oh, you have a gentle side too~~" Medusa said. The Archer narrowed his eyes with a scowl and took the smaller goddess's hand, biting it.
"Oh!" Medusa pulled her hand out of the Archer's mouth, revealing a bite mark on her wrist.
"I didn't know you were so territorial, Archer~" Medusa said with a smile.
"Annoying," the man muttered, but the woman just smiled.
"I-I appreciate your concern, Archer, but I'm quite resilient," Artoria said, placing a hand on her chest della, her cheeks turning red.
"I can see that," the Archer said as he sat up in bed and stretched his body, causing audible cracks to emanate from his joints.
The two women observed the giant X-shaped scar on the man's back.
That scar always made the two women curious, but whenever they asked, the Archer wouldn't respond, as if he didn't want to remember the reason for having the scar.
The Archer had his hand on his neck as he got up from the bed, turning to notice the two women staring at him.
"What?" the man said, raising an eyebrow.
Artoria shook her head in denial.
"Nothing, it's just... your body has been through so much violence," Artoria said. The Archer had other smaller scars on his body —knife marks, bullet wounds, and bite marks from some kind of animal.
"It seems like you..." Artoria couldn't finish her sentence. She looked down at her hands.
But it was Medusa who completed it.
"Never stopped fighting," Medusa said, looking at the front of the Archer's body—a body of a warrior... no, of a survivor. The man was not a warrior; he never was.
The Archer displayed a cynical smile towards the women.
"Sorry, but I wasn't fortunate enough to die with silky smooth skin like you two, King Arthur and Goddess Medusa," the Archer said as he looked at the two.
But the two women just kept staring at the man's body, which made him scowl.
"Tsk, I'll take a shower..." the Archer said as he walked towards the bathroom.
Rider and Saber exchanged glances and then got up from the bed, following the Archer.
"A bath sounds nice," Medusa said beside the grumpy man.
The Saber agreed with the woman.
"Yes, a good, long bath would be great," Artoria said from the opposite side of Medusa, smiling at Archer.
"Look... I wish both of you would stop invading my apartment," the Archer said as he grabbed his toothbrush.
"If you did n't want us here, you would have kicked us out a long time ago, Archer," Medusa said, resting her chin on her shoulder as she picked up the other toothbrush.
"Stop being grumpy, Archer. You look better when you're not like this. Especially when you're asleep," Artoria said, turning on the shower and testing the water with her hand to make sure it was warm.
"I don't know if I should be concerned or not about what you're saying, Artoria," the Archer said as he brushed his teeth.
"You deny it so much, but in the end, you enjoy all of this, don't you?" Medusa said, taking a bite on her trapezius, but the Archer just glanced at her from the corner of his eye and raised an eyebrow.
"You know I don't feel that way, don't you?" the Archer said, spitting out the toothpaste into the sink.
"Such a killjoy," the smaller goddess said, leaning her chin on her man's shoulder.
"If it bothers you, Archer, we can kick Rider out and have it just the two of us," Artoria said as she picked up her toothbrush. The petite blonde woman left the shower running to let the water warm up.
"Of course, that's what you want..." Medusa said, brushing her teeth with her chin still resting on Archer's shoulder.
Artoria narrowed her eyes at the lesser goddess.
"What? It's only fair since I've known him longer," Artoria said as she brushed her teeth.
"And it took you longer too. You seemed like a swimmer. No matter how much you moved, you never made progress," Medusa retorted, spitting out the toothpaste into the sink.
"You! You were just shameless in that regard," Artoria shouted, her face turning red with anger.
"Of course, it's not my fault you're slow," Rider tilted her head to the side and gave a cynical smile to the saber.
The archer rubbed his nose in frustration at the two women's bickering and quietly walked into the shower.
A bath would be nice...
The two women noticed the archer entering the shower and followed him.
The archer closed his eyes, allowing the hot water to cascade over his body, and he let out a sigh of relief.
The archer felt Rider's ample breasts pressing against his back.
Opening his eyes, the archer glanced back.
"What? You're hogging all the water, fufu," said the woman with long hair.
The archer also felt Artoria's smaller breasts pressing against his stomach as she leaned against him.
"I want to enjoy the hot water too. Don't be selfish," Artoria said, pushing herself against his stomach.
"Tsk, you guys really know how to be annoying. Why don't you go after the boy? I was enjoying my peace..." said the archer with a frown.
"Stop being grumpy and just enjoy it. It's not like this will last forever," Medusa said, her hand slowly moving around the man's hip and lingering near his thing, causing him to grunt. The archer grabbed Rider's hand, but the saber also held something between the man's legs in a gentle manner.
The archer glanced back at Artoria with a frown.
"Artoria is right, Archer. Let's savor this, our time here is limited. Please..." said Artoria, giving a loving kiss to the man's stomach. The blonde girl was quite short, only reaching his stomach, not his chest. Her height had its disadvantages and advantages.
The archer looked at Artoria, then at Medusa, and fell into deep thought.
"Be careful what you wish for," said the archer, wrapping his arms around the saber and pulling her close to her body, causing the King of Britain to chuckle at the gesture.
"That's the spirit," said Medusa, gently biting the man's ear.
"Let's cherish every ... moment," Rider ran her other hand over the archer's stomach while whispering in her ear.
And so, those beings who didn't belong in that place cherished the time they had.
...
The archer widened his eyes in surprise as he watched Artoria and Scathach being overwhelmed by Romulus.
"Why... am I... remembering... this?" the man whispered as he turned his body and tried to get up with his good hand.
Perhaps he repressed desires... no... just remembering happy moments from his existence... maybe... trying to disconnect from reality and live a fantasy of the past that would never return.
Blood trickled from the archer's mouth as he exerted force in his arm, attempting to rise. Even though he felt no pain, his body still responded to the abuse he had endured.
The nameless man got on his knees and gradually stood up, his knees trembling and his teeth grinding with the effort.
Now was not the time to relive the past. All the man had to focus on was the present. The archer saw Scathach blocking Romulus' relentless attacks while Artoria attempted to strike the demigod with powerful blows, but the man effortlessly redirected their attacks.
It was time for the archer to return to the battle. He stretched out his arm towards where they were fighting and snapped his fingers.
Particles of red energy appeared above the three battling Servants, and a dozen spears materialized and rained down upon them.
Artoria and Scathach felt a familiar mana, and both warriors jumped out of the way. Romulus was confused by their sudden retreat, but the man's eyes widened as he sensed a surge of prana above him.
The spears, upon hitting Romulus, exploded, creating a curtain of smoke.
Scathach and Artoria quickly turned their heads at an incredible speed.
"Archer!" both women shouted, but the man didn't give the saber and lancer a chance to say anything more.
"Now is not the time for that, focus on your enemy!" the man yelled, causing both women to widen their eyes at his condition. His arm had been torn off, and he was covered in blood and dirt. His hair was disheveled in parts, stained red with blood.
Artoria and Scathach turned and saw the smoke dissipating.
Romulus placed his spear above his head to block the attack, but not completely. One of the spears struck his shoulder for him, but the damage did n't seem to bother the demigod. He simply removed the spear and threw it to the ground. The bleeding stopped in an instant, but the wound didn't close. This made Romulus look at his injured shoulder, then at the dying archer.
"You are cunning... I thought I had finished you off. I had hoped to end this quickly, but since you desire to resist, I will use everything for the glory of ROME!" Romulus shouted with a giant smile, his red eyes gleaming. A red aura surrounded him as the Servant assumed a battle stance.
Artoria and Scathach get ready and the archer just watches the man while his hair sways by the gust of air created by the Demigods.
"Come my enemies!" shouted Romulus as he advanced.
-13-
Boudica ran as fast as she could, hearing the sounds of explosions and metal clashing against metal.
Davinci ran alongside the worried woman, the Archer, Artoria, and Scathach not responding.
"That's not good, umu..." he muttered with low self-esteem, running alongside the group, which didn't go unnoticed by Davinci.
Truly... this is not good, Davinci thought, gripping his staff tightly.
"Hey, what happened to all that self-esteem? Let's hear what you hear with Emperor Nero," said Elizabeth next to the emperor.
"Umu..." Looks like it didn't help much...
"Davinci, they aren't responding... don't you think?" Ritsuka said worriedly. The girl was being carried in a bridal-style by Mashu.
Davinci looked at the girl and gave a half-smile.
"Let's not think the worst, Ritsuka," Davinci tried to comfort the girl.
"That's right, Senpai. Mr. Archer, Scathach, and Artoria are strong. They would n't fall so easily," said Mashu, her Master, with a reassuring smile. The girl nodded.
The group finally arrived at the scene and saw the three Servants fighting the Demigod God. Their condition wasn't the best... especially the Archer's.
"The oppressor..." said Spartacus, staring at Romulus.
"That's not good... it's not good at all. Why is he here? And why now?" The Queen of Great Britain shuddered upon seeing Romulus effortlessly fighting the three of them.
"His arm of him ..." Elizabeth whispered when she saw the man's condition. Archer wasn't even using any type of weapon, just summoning them and using them as projectiles. The man realized that trying to physically fight someone stronger than him with just one arm was not a good idea, leaving the hard work to Scathach and Artoria.
"Uncle Caligula isn't here..." Nero placed his hand on his chest in relief. The girl didn't want to kill someone from her own family.
"This is not the time for that. We have to help them!" Ritsuka shouted to everyone.
Spartacus wasted no time and jumped into the fray, his feet together and arms outstretched in a T-pose, moving at incredible speed.
"Take my freedom, Oppressor," said the warrior as he struck Romulus 'back from him, causing him to be thrown. But the man planted his spear in the ground and tore through the ground, reducing the impact.
The demigod looked at his assailant and retrieved his spear from the ground.
"A freedom fighter. It's a worthy and commendable thing... He has my respect," said Romulus to Spartacus.
The warrior thumped his chest with a gigantic smile.
"Not an oppressor will live while I Spartacus is here fighting for Freedom" said the man drawing his sword.
Four blue energy balls were fired, forcing Romulus to leap and dodge two of them, while the other two followed him and positioned themselves on his opposite sides. The spheres energized, preparing to discharge an electric shock. However, Romulus was faster and spun his spear, shattering the energy balls.
"Sorry for the delay, but you were quite far away," said Davinci, approaching the group.
Artoria turned her head to Davinci, the King Arthur in a deplorable state. Her armor was in tatters, and her body bore cuts and bruise marks. Artoria's hair was disheveled, and she was without her mask.
"Took you long enough. For a moment, I thought you had abandoned us," said the King, devoid of emotion.
"I've already apologized!" Davinci replied, taken back by Artoria's attack.
Ritsuka stayed at a safe distance with Elizabeth acting as her bodyguard.
The dragon girl looked at Ritsuka.
"Don't even think about being an idiot and going onto the battlefield, or I'll kill you myself. I won't waste time protecting someone who wants to die, got it?" Elizabeth said, causing Ritsuka to shudder.
"You should show me more respect. I am your Master..." whispered the orange-haired girl, pouting.
Elizabeth glanced at her for a second, then turned her attention back to the battlefield.
"Mr. Archer, are you okay?" Mashu stopped speaking upon seeing the man's condition.
The Archer noticed the girl approaching him.
"I'll survive, but you should focus on someone else, girl," said the Archer, directing her gaze towards Romulus, who was emanating a red aura.
The Archer felt someone touching the location where his arm had been severed. He turned his head and noticed Scathach touching him. The woman trembled as she looked at the spot where her arm should be, seemingly in a trance.
"I... I thought... you were dead," the goddess said, her fingers trembling. The Archer sensed her distress.
He simply scoffed, drawing the goddess's attention to her.
"To think that I would die so easily offends me, Scathach. You underestimate me," said the Archer, closing one eye and giving a smile to the woman.
Scathach blinked at the Archer and stood still for a second.
The goddess smiled at the man. Her mask had been destroyed, and in fact, her clothing was completely torn, revealing a lot of skin, but she did n't mind.
"You have exceeded my expectations, mortal. Perhaps after we deal with this nuisance, I will give you a reward," said Scathach, smiling at Archer before shifting her attention to Romulus.
"Sure, sure," said the Archer, snapping his fingers, summoning spears, swords, and axes behind him.
Artoria saw the Archer with a smile on her face. The man was alive. How could he think that he had died? She knew better than anyone that this man was stubborn, even in the face of death. Artoria returned her attention to Romulus.
A wave of focus came at high speed. Romulus noticed it and spun his spear, releasing a gust of wind to counter the attack.
"Tsk, I thought he was distracted. Better luck next time," said Nero, holding her flaming sword.
Boudica looked at Nero strangely.
"I thought you had lost hope..." said the suspicious queen.
Nero simply pointed to Romulus's shoulder.
"Look, he's wounded. At first, I thought he was invincible, but I was mistaken. We have a chance. We will win, umu," Nero nodded happily. Boudica looked to where Nero was pointing and saw the wound on his man's shoulder.
Perhaps... they had a chance...
Romulus looked at Nero, causing her to tremble.
"Nero, daughter of Rome. I see that you still have the energy and motivation to fight for what you believe is best for Rome. You have my respect for that, child," said Romulus with a smile, surprising Nero.
"Thank you..." Nero didn't know how to feel about it. He was her enemy, but to receive praise from the founder of Rome was…
"Why is he so..." Mashu began, feeling Romulus's immense aura.
"Powerful... It seems that he's experiencing a power surge from the Holy Grail. In this state, he's not a Demigod... he's a God," said Davinci, looking at the man.
The Archer looked at Davinci and then at his enemy. The man was right, at this point, Romulus was a deity. With the Holy Grail, his power was growing with each passing second.
"Don't be disheartened. The victory is ours, rejoice!" exclaimed Nero, twirling his sword and driving it into the ground with a smile.
"Rejoice, for I shall lead us to victory. We will build a great and prosperous Rome for the new generation to thrive in wealth and prosperity. So lend me your strength for the victory," Nero said with a smile as he emanated a tremendous amount of mana. Blue lines of Magecraft began to appear on the ground.
"Laus St. Claudius" Nero shouted joyfully as the emperor summoned a grand colosseum with roses falling from the sky.
Everyone was in awe of the beauty of the place.
"This is my soul, and as my soul, let us transform Rome into something as beautiful as what lies before us," said Nero, pulling his sword out of the ground and preparing for battle.
"For victory," the emperor declared, eliciting a joyful smile from Romulus.
"Incredible, princess. It truly is beautiful... ROME is beautiful. You should be proud of yourself; this is magnificent," Romulus said, observing the colosseum. But his words angered Nero.
"Hey, don't call me princess. I accept my enemies calling me Emperor," Nero said with a huff of indignation.
Romulus smiled at the small girl.
"Then show me the Emperor that you are," said the demigod, causing Nero to assume a cautious stance.
It's almost like a marble of reality, the Archer thought as he analyzed the surroundings.
Not bad, girl, not bad at all...
Artoria observed the colosseum, the falling roses... it was beautiful... it was completely different from what she was...
"Come on, my enemies. Fight to the end," shouted the demigod with a huge smile.
-A-
Author
Sorry for the delay, I've been busy with college. I'll try to post more often, but I'm short on time, well I hope you enjoy the chapter.
Next update Oct 2030 if college keeps eating up all my time…
See you in the next chapter…
Next update Honkai Impact 3rd.