FATE/MOONCELL: ALTERATION
a FATE fan project
Matthew Miller
All characters aside from my own original creations belong to type moon respectively. If requested I will cease creation of the project.
Enjoy the read, I hope you all like it.
THE REBORN PLANET - 1
The moon cell, a massive library of the world's history, the creator of all things within, stands alone in a dark room. The only source of light comes from the golden rays emanating from the core within…
A young man and his loyal servant stand side by side. They've won, after countless trials and tribulations, they finally reached the end of their journey. All that was left, was for the young man, the victor, to make his wish.
His servant turned to him.
"you were a splendid master, my praetor, may you only find joy and victory in all of your future endeavors!" She told him.
He could feel his eyes tearing up, as he saw the same gold dust emanate from her body that their fallen foes had shown upon defeat….
"you, were a fantastic servant… I'll never forget you!" The man said passionately as she began to fade.
She gave a final hearty laugh in response, clearly pleased.
The man watched as the gold dust flew past him and ascended into the black void surrounding him. He then turned back to the mooncell, and came closer.
It almost felt like it was trying to pull him in, and once he was almost right next to it a bright light filled his vision. He then awoke, floating amongst the very code of his world.
"So this is what the mooncell really is" he said to himself, watching the various ones turn to zeros, and eventually…Buildings…
There were only ruins left, and they were enveloped in flames. People running and screaming, trying to save themselves from their inevitable fate.
Until another bright light filled his vision.
Once it faded, he could see those same buildings, all together again, trees, grass. It had all returned.
He watched in pure awe….
As his wish was gradually realized…
But by the time it had finished, he felt so tired, so much so that he could hardly gaze upon what he'd wrought. He heard someone, calling his name, desperately trying to wake him, she was excited and maybe scared.
"H…ey! L…..ook!...Isn't.. t …it ……Ma…..nifi…cent!"
That was all he could put together before his eyes finally shut, and no matter how hard, how desperately he tried to open them they wouldn't move an inch.
Sleep took him only moments after, and take him it would for days upon months…
Summer, fall, winter, and spring…
The servant, guarding her sleeping master, watched each season pass them by. Saddened that her master was forced to miss it all, that he was entirely unable to experience his wish. In her mind, it was a cruel punishment and one that was entirely unnecessary.
Nonetheless, she couldn't do anything about it herself, she'd just have to wait, and hope that he'd one day awaken again…
The next morning, Nero Claudius sat upon her throne, it was early and she wasn't expecting any visitors, but she needed something, anything to distract her.
That's when she spotted a man wearing a red mantle sitting on one of the benches across the hall.
"Morning, emperor, It's a bit early this morning for you isn't it?" He asked with a slight smirk.
Nero couldn't help but let out a slight chuckle.
"No times too early for a king" she said back with a proud expression.
"I suppose not, well anyway, I'm going to patrol the perimeter again this morning, make sure we don't have any more visitors, I won't be long," He told her as he got up and turned to leave.
"I'll be fine, you don't need to hurry for my sake," she said, smiling.
The man stopped for a moment.
"I'll take that under advisement," He said as he went into spirit form and took off.
Nero laid back on the throne, it was exactly to her liking, the cushioning was perfect and the colors matched her dress almost exactly. She could quite honestly spend her entire day right there without a worry in the world.
But she had responsibilities that needed to be taken care of. She got up off the throne and made her way outside. Her home was much less a castle and more so a huge tower, it was surrounded by a large moat that connected to a river behind the town. It was quite the sight, especially to the average person who came by from time to time to watch in awe, as their emperor went on a morning stroll, yet again, all alone. It was raining today, as it often did. She did not mind at all, as a matter of fact she actually quite enjoyed it. She confidently strode down the road of stone to the city, passing by one of the two general stores located there. That wasn't where she was headed however, where she wanted to go, was right on top of the huge walls that surround them. She walked up to the northern wall and with one jump landed on the rooftop, she gazed down at the plains outside the city. They were just as beautiful as they'd been back when this place was first created.
She spotted the man wearing the red mantle, he had no name, at least as far as she was aware, but he was extremely useful and a great fighter. Actually, now that she thought about it she was pretty positive that he was supposed to be dueling in the colosseum tonight, apparently someone challenged him. It'd be fun to watch, or so it would've had her precious master been here…
She'd seen plenty of duels, heck, back in her time it was her hosting these battles. It was all the same to her, but to share it with him would be different, It'd be something new, and something she was sure would please him just as well as it did her all those years.
"Mornin, emperor"
"Huh?"
Nero turned to see a man in a hawaiian shirt with a fishing rod slung over his right shoulder
"Ah, Cu Culainn, any luck by the lake?" She asked.
"Ah… No, they're not biting this morning, Heck, this last week we've hardly caught anything" He replied.
The great emperor let out a sigh…
"That's a shame, we may need to move on to the sea, I imagine that shouldn't be an issue for you, Irish child of light?
He let out a hearty laugh.
"Not at all! I like a good run!" He replied back happily.
His expression then grew serious and for a moment Nero seemed confused, that is until he spoke.
"Have you been doing alright? You've seemed a bit out of it for some time now"
Nero didn't reply, thinking about how she should respond.
"He's still not awake eh? I see how it is, well, he's gotta get his ass outta bed at some point, don't worry too much, I bet he'll be as fit as a fiddle when he comes out of that sleep" Cu told her.
She smiled briefly, understanding his intention.
"Yes, I'm sure he will," She said back.
He'd be just as brilliant as he was back during the holy grail war, when he led her to victory, and gave her new meaning upon awaking to this place.
Hours passed, Nero had spent much of the day helping her citizens with their daily tasks, particularly hunting, which was something she found many of her people struggled with. She'd usually call upon nameless for this but his patrol was taking longer than usual.
"You there! Wearing the blue hat, aim your bow right for its chest… It's looking right at you!" Nero said sounding slightly frustrated.
The man let go of the bowstring, sending the arrow flying into the large boar. The man's aim was slightly off, landing a tad too high but it was still a lethal shot nonetheless.
"Good shot young man, perhaps I'll promote you to city watch one day" She praised him.
"Uh…Uh .. Thank you, emperor!" He said with a deep bow.
"Umu! I think this is enough for today! Come, let's return home!" She ordered.
It was then, she felt a strange presence. It almost felt like there was another servant… Watching her. She quickly turned towards the source, drawing her sword Aestus Estus.
"I know your there! Show yourself!" She demanded.
She and the rest of the hunting party were then hit with an overwhelming amount of pressure, it was nearly enough to pin her to the ground. She seen a dark figure floating above the treeline. She wanted to pursue it but this strange, immense pressure wouldn't let up. The dark figure stared down at her specifically for a brief time, then turned away and blasted off in the opposite direction.
"Hrk…"
The pressure slowly lessened as the unknown figure gradually got further and further away. As much as she wanted to, it'd be far too dangerous to pursue… Whatever that was, at the moment her people needed her.
"Quickly! To the castle! All of you!" She ordered.
Nero grabbed both boars on her own and followed them back as they fled the woods.
Nameless waited for them at the front gates, Nero noticed his surprised expression.
"Emperor, what happened out there?" he asked seriously.
"We'll discuss it in the castle, follow me" She replied.
Once they made it to the castle she led them all into the throne room and locked the doors leading in.
"Is Cu Culainn with us?" Nero asked Nameless.
"Not as of now, but I can grab him if needed" He replied.
"Go! Quickly!" She ordered.
Right as he was going to go get him they heard a loud knock on the door.
"Hey, are we having a meeting?"
It was Cu, who upon opening the doors could be seen casually leaning against the wall.
"Hurry, its serious" Nameless told him sternly.
"I know, I know, another strange occurrence outside the walls right?" Cu asked as he walked inside.
Nero waited until everyone was settled, then spoke.
"I aided in todays hunt, and while we were making our way back, something attacked us, I know not of what magic or magecraft it had but it was able to pin me down with no effort at all, I was only able to get up after it left, even then I could still feel lingering effects"
"Are they gone as of now?" Nameless asked
She nodded.
"Of course, I was not harmed, but it was still a surprise" She replied.
"There was some kind of, person almost, in the trees…" One of the hunters said.
"A person eh? You feel anything emperor?" Cu asked sounding interested.
"Indeed, I thought it might have been a servant at first, but his appearance was unlike any kind of heroic spirit I could think of" She replied.
Nameless had a similar situation during one of his patrols, perhaps this strange figure was the one behind that as well. He would gather a searching party and try to hunt whatever it was down, but for now…
"For now, emperor, I think it would be best to avoid northwest woods for now, its too big a risk for the hunters, and for you if you go with them again" he suggested
"While the risk is great we cannot allow a danger like this to go unchecked, what if it comes here?" Nero told him.
"We have enough forces here to fend off at least one attack, and, in my opinion the best course of action is to let it come to us and trap it, or kill it if you think that's the better option" Nameless said back.
Nero shook her head.
"No, no, if we can get ahold of it we should try and find out where it came from. That way maybe we can find out what this…Thing was up to, or what it wants"
"Glad to see we have the same opinion on the matter" Nameless said with a smirk.
"Leave me in charge of whittling it down, If it's a servant then I shouldn't take long" Cu said with confidence.
"I trust your abilities Cu, however this wasn't like any ordinary servant if it even was one, we'd need a group of servants to face it, you and Nameless at least" Nero said back.
"I agree, perhaps we should call upon the king of conquerors from the southern region? I'm set to have a duel with him tonight, so perhaps I could bring it up after?" Nameless suggested.
Everyone's eyes were locked onto him.
"What? Is there a problem?" He asked.
"I'm surprised he'd agree to face one like yourself, being as dishonorable as you are" Cu commented.
"Last I checked your downfall was your pride, or am I wrong Irish hound?" Nameless said back.
"That's enough you two, every time it's always the same!" Nero loudly broke in.
They both glanced at her for a brief moment.
"Well, I'm going to meet up with my men back at the armory, what about you?" Cu asked Nameless.
"Where I usually am, you know where to look if you need me" Nameless said with sarcasm as he left the room.
Cu Culainn gave Nero a wave as he followed him out, leaving the emperor to herself once more. She couldn't help but sigh, it was ridiculous really, like they were kids.
Around this time, she usually started receiving requests from her citizens. Often due to structural issues with the walls. For the last three months something has been attacking the walls. Nameless only ever caught a glimpse of it once. Nero, especially after what happened today is under the assumption that it either was the same thing that attacked her or related to it…
Today however, a group of knights entered her throne room, and they most certainly were not from her kingdom. They wore blue and silver, and held large shields that covered them head to toe. They gave off an impressive aura, something that even a servant like herself dared not scoff at.
"We apologize for our sudden arrival, however, we ask that you please give us a moment of you time" the man leading them said.
He was tall, had purple hair, and was heavily built. Nero could tell right away that he was a servant, and from the looks of him probably a saber class.
"On one condition sir knight, that is you introduce yourself, as will I" Nero said back with a smile.
The servant looked slightly nervous, but nonetheless complied.
"I am sir lancelot, a knight of the round table, I come from a kingdom known as New Camelot to the east" he announced confidently.
Lancelot? Nero was taken aback, a knight of the round table.
New…Camelot? So that must mean Arthur and the rest are here too…
Depending on the circumstances that could be good or bad…
"I am Nero Claudius, the emperor of New Rome, the greatest empire of all the land" she said with a small chuckle.
Lancelot stayed silent.
"So, what brings you here sir lancelot?" She asked.
"We come to humbly ask for your aid, you see the land around our kingdom has very little when it comes to food, water, or any other essential need for our people, so if at all possible, we would like to propose a trade route between our two kingdoms, we can supply you with weapons and armor, and we ask that you give us food and water in return" he explained.
Nero couldn't help but look both puzzled and dumbfounded at the sudden proposal she had just been given, it certainly wasn't something you asked upon a first visit… But, she had to admit, her empire was lacking in certain areas, and having a supply of weapons on hand all the time would be perfect, especially just considering what she'd encountered earlier today.
It honestly wasn't that bad of an offer, however, there was one thing she wanted to do first.
"I will consider your proposal, but I must ask one thing" she told him.
"And that is?" He asked.
"That you allow me to meet your king, I know not of you, or your people, I want to see if we'll be a good mix as trade partners" she replied.
Lancelot smiled slightly, it seems her answer was sufficient.
"As you say, I will inform the king of your request at all due haste" he told her as he turned to leave.
"Good travels sir Lancelot" she said as she watched him leave the room.
That was the last person she was expecting to see, or meet at all for that matter. If things work out however this could end up being an essential collaboration, one that they've needed since they all first ended up here…
"That's right, Nameless is going to talk to the king of conquerors" she mumbled to herself.
Who knows, maybe he'd be able to take that thing she found down himself. He wasn't called the king of conquerors for nothing. With that thought she laid back into the throne and waited for the rest of her peoples requests to come through.
Many hours past by, and the sky had begun to grow dark, though she could not yet see the stars.
"It's almost time for the duel," she said to herself.
She had pondered on whether she'd go or not…
She wanted her master to be there with her if she did…
Perhaps… Tonight would be the night he'd wake…
She walked back to her bedroom door and took a deep breath. The moment she went inside she'd have her answer, either his eyes would be open, or they wouldn't. She refitted her dress, ensuring everything was top notch, then her hair and bow. She wanted to look her best, for his eyes shouldn't gaze upon anything less.
Finally, she built up enough courage to swing the door open… And as she thought, he was still asleep. He sat, in the center of the room, with hundreds, upon thousands of wires dig into his back. They reached all the way past the sky presumably to the mooncell core itself.
In truth she didn't even know if he was supposed to wake back up or not…
She sat down on the bed next to him and laid her head down in his lap. Every night would end like this. She'd even waiting a little over a year now and still… Nothing had changed…
"I'll be back soon, my praetor" she told him.
"Maybe then we can continue where we left off?" She asked with a slight smile.
She got up and got ready to leave, sure the duel didn't interest her, but she should probably be there when Nameless has that discussion with the king of conquerors as he'll probably have some questions for her as well.
Either that or he'll want to drink, not that a servant can get drunk, but it's enjoyable nonetheless.
Then, right as she reached the door, she heard something… Something moving.
She turned her head towards the noise, her master had moved…
Her master had…
Her eyes lit up and she rushed over to him.
"Praetor! Praetor!" She said over and over.
"Hakuno please! If your awake say something!" She told him tearfully.
His breathing was slightly heavier then it was before, as was her own.
"M…Morning… Saber'' he just barely managed to get out.
She nearly jumped in pure joy, she could hardly contain herself any longer, her eyes teared up even more, hakuno wiped her tears away with the little energy he had.
She felt his face with her hands, cupping his cheeks, before leaning in for a kiss. His lips were as warm as they always had been, nothing had changed. Of course, she'd been taking care of him ever since he made his wish, so of course he'd be in top notch health!
Neither of them could stop smiling, she had so many questions for him, as he had for her however they had to get moving, yes the duel was going to begin before too much longer and there were so many things she needed to clean and get ready now that he was up she just…
Her thoughts were cut short when Hakuno fell right into her left shoulder after trying to stand, he was trembling a bit, though that came as no surprise just considering.
"Here, allow me my praetor" Nero said, as she lifted him up with both arms.
Hakuno then grabbed onto the wires plugged into him and yanked them out, dropping them on the floor.
"Are you sure!? Does that not hurt?" She asked him.
He shook his head.
"The most they do now…. Is give me magical energy" he replied.
"I see, well just let me know if you feel anything, I don't want to lose you, especially not right after I finally got to talk to you again she said.
"Don't worry… I'm not going anywhere" Hakuno reassured her.
She yet again couldn't stop smiling, this was the best she'd felt in a long time, maybe the best day she'd had since being revived.
"Come! Let us hurry! There's something you must see!" She told him as she carried him out the bedroom door.
"Woah, woah!" Cu said as Nero nearly tossed him over down the main hall.
"Ah, Cu Culainn, are you going to the colosseum tonight as well?" She asked him.
"Not tonight, I made some plans with a friend of mine and u- wait a second" he paused, noticing Hakuno in her arms.
"You woke up, it took you long enough young master, how's the head feeling?" He asked.
"Not.. great" Hakuno admitted.
"It'll pass, I had the same thing happened when I showed up here, oh and actually I should thank you, for saving my master back in the holy grail war, we might of lost in the end but at the very least one of us got to see the mooncell core" Cu told him.
Hakuno didn't know exactly how he should respond, his mind was still fuzzy.
"It's a shame though, that she didn't make it far enough to see it all through, I would've liked to see her again in this place, she would've liked it too I bet, anywho master, I'll see you again soon, if you need anything, give me a shout ok?" Cu said as he walked out the main entrance.
"Rin… I haven't heard that name in some time.." Nero said to herself.
Hakuno knew who she was, but he couldn't entirely remember what had happened. All he remembered was that she was no longer with us, and hadn't been for some time now.
"Anyway, let's not let that ruin our reunion, let's go! Praetor!" Nero said as cheerfully as she could.
They rushed down to the colosseum and stood at the balcony at the very top, looking down upon all of Nero's subjects.
In the arena, Nameless stood on the left side, while the king of conquerors stood on the right.
"Even if this is only a duel between allies, I will not hold back on you archer! Show me your full power!" The king of conquerors said proudly.
"Likewise, I wouldn't expect anything less," Nameless said back.
They stared each other down, both ready to begin at a moment's notice.
The king of conquerors found it peculiar however, that the archer he was fighting held no bow, or any weapon in that regard.
"Welcome! Everyone! To the Doumus Aurea, my golden theater! Gaze upon its many beauties, and take in the glorious battle that's soon to take place, between my most trusted night, the hero with no name, and the king of conquerors from the kingdom to the south!" Nero announced proudly.
The audience looked up at the balcony to see both her, and her long missed master, gazing down from above. They all cheered loudly for the both of them.
So he's awakened? Nameless thought…
"What a splendid night this has become! All the more reason to put our very hearts and beings into this duel, come! Archer! Let's not make this audience wait any longer!" The king of conquerors said.
Archer agreed fully with that sentiment.
"It seems our combatives are ready, the duel will end upon the first cut, Let's begin!!" Nero announced with excitement.
Hakuno watched closely, it had been awhile since he'd seen anything quite like this, of course he'd been in Nero's theater before but that was under entirely different circumstances…
She slung an arm over his shoulders and held him close enough to press their cheeks together.
"Watch, praetor! It'll be brilliant!" She told him.
To him this whole place already was, Astus Estus or passion was the perfect name to describe it, three floors circled around a large gold arena in the middle. Red carpet led to each side of the arena and contrasted well with the gold flooring, along with the sections above which like the arena itself were pure gold with red flags hanging down.
He then heard the clashing of iron.
"you, an archer class servant, attack me with a sword?!" The king of conquerors said, caught off guard.
Nameless swung a second blade for his neck but missed by a hair as the king leaned away, the king of conquerors shook off the first blade before making a wide heavy swing for Namelessess head but missed as he ducked and jumped back several feet.
"Well, I certainly wasn't expecting that" The king of conquerors commented.
He had a good idea as to what his opponent might be thinking of next, so he charged ahead, hoping to close the gap between them as much as he could.
Nameless threw both Kanshou and Bakuya right for him, the king of conquerors shattered one with his sword and swerved out of the way of the second, continuing his charge. Nameless waited until he was right in front of him…
"Trace on"
The king of conquerors could not have predicted this, Nameless knew that long before the duel began. You could say he planned this from the very start.
Their swords clashed, both the king of conquerors and Namelesses new pair of twin swords in pristine condition, he trapped the king's sword between them, holding it there with all his might.
"You think you can hold me here?" He asked Nameless.
The archer class servant didn't respond, rather he tightened his hold even further.
The King of conquerors gave him a solid kick to the stomach, knocking him to the ground and releasing his sword, that's when he heard what sounded like something spinning behind him. He quickly turned around and just barely managed to break the sword flying his way.
Clever trick, he never even suspected it, the sword came back like a boomerang.
Suddenly, right as he was about to turn back to the fallen archer, he felt a sharp burn across his stomach, followed by another following along the opposite side.
He backed up four steps and watched as blood poured onto the gold floor below.
"The victor has been decided! Everyone! Give a round of applause for our exceptional archer, the hero with no name!" Nero announced to the crowd as they roared with cheers and cries.
The king of conquerors let out a hearty laugh.
"Even in failure, there are still joys to be had, and things to be learned" he said
"I'm lucky you didn't use your chariot, you probably would've won if you had" Nameless told him.
"Yes, that may be true, but that wouldn't be a fair fight now would it?"
"No, I suppose not," Nameless said back.
Nero watched them from above as the curtains closed, noticing how the king of conquerors expression went from proud to serious in a matter of seconds, looks like Nameless finally got to the point.
"Hmm? What's going on saber?" Hakuno asked, noticing her expression change.
She turned back to him with her usual smile.
"Oh no, it's nothing, I'll explain it all to you later, alots happened since you've been asleep" she replied.
"I see, actually yeah I probably could use a run down" he said.
His wish had been granted… in a way… That was clear enough but it certainly wasn't all that he was expecting…
"Shall I announce your return, my praetor?" She asked.
Hakuno could tell she'd been wanting to ask him that for a while, probably to celebrate.
"Is a festival what you had in mind?" He asked back.
She let out a sigh and placed a hand on her forehead.
"You know me too well praetor, but yes, we have to celebrate your return! It's been over a year since we've… Since I've got to talk to you again like this" she replied.
Hakuno had no objections however, he didn't quite know how he'd partake in his current state, he could barely walk right now.
Nero noticed him glance at his legs and very quickly realized what he was thinking…
"Fear not! I'll carry you wherever you need!" She announced proudly, lifting him up with both arms.
Oh boy, he couldn't wait to see the look on Namelesses face when he saw this.
"Everyone! May I draw your attention here!" She called out.
The crowd looked up at their emperor, noticing the brown haired boy in her arms.
"My love, and your true king, has returned!" She announced with pride.
"Your… true king? Archer, what does she mean by that?" The king of conquerors asked.
He couldn't see him from where he was behind the curtains, only a shadow shone through.
Nameless peered through a small opening, catching a glimpse of his face.
For a brief moment he appeared shocked, then smiled.
"Our master has finally awoken, it was about time after all, maybe now our emperor will go back to normal" Nameless replied.
Despite the visible confusion the crowd cheered nonetheless, tossing bundles of roses into the air and bouncing up and down.
"Tonight we celebrate! Delight yourselves to your heart's content! All for the glory of your king!" Nero continued.
The crowd got even louder, Hakuno was sure he wouldn't be able to hear anything for the next few hours.
The pair followed the crowd as they left and when they arrived outside Hakunos eyes lit up upon seeing that everything had already been prepared, only then remembering Nero's imperial privilege.
"What do you think? Truly exquisite is it not?" Nero asked.
"Yes, of course, as I'd expect from you," Hakuno replied.
Nero held him tightly, kissing him on the cheek before letting out a hearty laugh.
"So, what would you like to do first, my king?" She asked happily.
Hakuno looked off into the festival, there was a ton of food, games, what looked like a wrestling competition, and just outside the southern walls horse racing.
"Let's eat first, then we'll place some bets on one of those horses" he replied.
"Perfect! Let's go!" She said as she carried down to where the food was being served.
Nameless was testing out a crayfish.
"What do you think? Is it not divine?" She asked him.
"Oh yes, truly my lord, most exquisite" he said back with a wink.
She could almost taste the sarcasm from where she stood.
"Master, help yourself," he said to Hakuno.
"Thanks, and how have you been? I've been out for a while and I'm a little out of the loop" Hakuno asked.
"I've been alright all things considered, I do have some questions for you, but we'll save that for another time, nonetheless, welcome back" he replied.
With that, Hakuno dug into a bowl of chicken dumplings, downing them all in only a few seconds.
"You must be starving after being asleep all that time, I'll make you something myself, perhaps more filling then what's here" Nameless told him as he excused himself.
"Try your hardest Nameless, I put my soul into this banquet, and it won't be beaten by a mere novice!" She said,
"a mere novice you say? That's a different tune, especially compared to what you said back when you tried my stir fry" Nameless said back.
"Ah well that….uh… That was…" she paused, knowing full well that she didn't have a comeback to that one.
"F-fine, go on archer! Give it your best shot, we'll see if you can surpass me!" She finally told him.
"challenge accepted" he replied without a hint of hesitation.
Nero looked back down at Hakuno with pleading eyes.
"don't worry saber, the foods great, the dumplings were fantastic," he told her.
She immediately let out a sigh of relief upon hearing his words before taking off far away from the hero with no name, carrying her master to the horse races.
Nameless had a slightly annoyed look on his face, but nonetheless, got to what he had originally planned to do, he set up a barbecue and got to work.
"Man… there's no clear win here!" Hakuno could hear what could only be Cu Culainn in a fit of frustration.
"Who'd you bet on?" Hakuno asked.
Cu turned his head towards him.
"Huh? Oh, master, yeah I haven't bet on any of them yet, they're pretty well all the damn same other than color" Cu replied.
Nero looked slightly offended but didn't respond, only gave her usual wide smile along with a slight chuckle.
"Just makes it all the more interesting, I find it quite exhilarating," Nero said.
There was a container filled with gold tickets, Nero took one and wrote down Hakunos name. Behind it were five containers with an image of each horse.
"That's the winner," she whispered to him, pointing at the brown one.
"How do you know? Are you cheating?" He asked.
"What? No! I'd never do that!" She replied defensively.
Hakuno let out a sigh as he placed his bet on the brown horse.
"you sure?" He asked again.
"I'm not! I just thought the brown one was the fastest of the bunch! That's all!" She pleaded.
If you say so, he thought to himself….
She hadn't changed a bit over this past year, at least not as far as he could tell anyhow.
"you place your bet? Master?" Cu asked.
"Yeah, here's hoping I don't lose," Hakuno replied.
"Hmm…"
After a long thought Cu decided to bet on the white horse, though like before he was still unsure.
"Well, whatever happens, happens or as they say anyway" Cu said aloud.
"Isn't that right"
It was the king of conquerors who'd just arrived at the races.
"Horse races Huh? Well I'll be damned, the king of Rome has fine taste!" He added.
"Indeed! I haven't seen one in many years, but it was always one of my favorite pleasures" Nero said back.
He glanced over at her, only then remembering that she led this place.
"Oh, that's right!" He suddenly said aloud.
"Hmm?" Cu tilted his head, confused.
"There's something we must discuss, your archer there filled me in on your recent encounter, whenever you're able, let's sit down and talk about our next move as I feel we shouldn't let this go on any further" the king of conquerors told her.
Hakuno looked up at her with a slightly worried expression, from the sounds of it alot had happened since he was out… An encounter with what though he wondered…
"I agree fully, come next morning come to my throne room, I'll fill you in on anything Nameless missed" she said back.
"Excellent, anyhow…" he said, turning his attention to the race.
He placed his bet on the black horse.
"Reminds me of my faithful steed Bucephalus, though, I suppose that one can't fly," he said with a chuckle.
"Huh, so we all chose differently," Cu said aloud.
"Oh really? Huh, I suppose that makes things interesting" the king of conquerors commented.
It was then they noticed that the emperor and Hakuno had disappeared.
"Looks like it's about to start," Cu said as he turned towards the race and saw Nero standing atop a series of steps.
Despite all the noise, Hakuno couldn't help but feel oddly tired, hearing Nero's voice was almost soothing to him, like a lullaby. He wouldn't pass out however, he couldn't allow that to happen during an important event like this. Not after she went through the trouble of setting all this up for his return, it'd be a massive disservice.
He did his best to look as lively as possible, and watched as, hopefully, the horse Nero had picked for him would win.
"So, Nameless" a deep voice said.
Nameless turned his head towards it, seeing Li Shuwen standing next to him.
"What is it? Are you hungry?" He asked plainly.
"for your cooking? Anytime!" He said with a laugh.
"But, I'd actually come to congratulate you! That was a great fight with the king of conquerors! And a clever trick!" He told him.
Nameless smirked slightly, offering him a piece of steak.
Li Shuwen accepted it graciously.
"Do you plan on dueling again?" He then asked him.
"Hmm? Perhaps if I have time" Nameless replied.
"Ah, great, I've been craving to test my skills, and I think you'd be an excellent opponent," he said.
Nameless held a confused expression.
"haven't we fought before?" He asked.
Now it was Li's turn to look confused.
"Ah, I see, yes, the emperor said something similar, I am not the same as the one you faced" he replied.
"I assumed as much, but from past experiences I learned you can never be too sure, the mooncell works in mysterious ways after all" Nameless said.
"Yes, that is undeniable…" Li added as he looked up into the sky.
There were stars everywhere and not a cloud to be seen…
"Do you know?" Nameless asked him seriously.
"About your master awakening, of course, the emperor made that clear" Li replied with a chuckle.
"No, I mean about what happened earlier today," Nameless said.
He hesitated briefly, then let out a huff and said
"Yes I heard a little bit, during your conversation with the king, apparently the emperor encountered a strange being in the forest to the northwest, we've had similar experiences"
"The King of conquerors told me similar, apparently you encountered two of them" Nameless told him.
"Yeah, it got one of the kings soldiers, almost killed him" Li said back.
"One of his soldiers?"
"Yes, from his army, the dark fiend had him on the ground within a second and left a large red slash across his belly, his armor couldn't stop it" Li explained
Nameless turned to him after placing the last of the food on the table.
"It won against a servant, or a being on par with one?" Nameless asked.
"Yes, and quite easily too, they certainly pose quite a challenge" Li replied with a smile.
Nameless didn't comment, instead
"How is he doing, the injured soldier I mean?" he asked.
Yet again, Li Shuwen hesitated to answer.
"Not well, the guy hasn't moved since he took the hit, usually poisons the cause but we checked thoroughly and… Nothing" he finally responded.
Nameless went silent for a moment.
The King of conquerors didn't mention any of this when he'd talked to him previously. He was probably saving it for the official meeting with Nero… Still, there was definitely something off…
Regardless, pushing him on it here would lead nowhere, and it was about time he started shutting things down anyway.
"Will you attend the meeting tomorrow?" He asked.
"Yes, I must, why ask?" Li asked back.
Nameless didn't respond right away.
"It's nothing, just curious" he finally said back as he walked away.
Li Shuwen watched as he left, then let out a heavy sigh.
He's certainly suspicious… this just keeps getting worse and worse…
Well, Iskandar considers them allies so I suppose I won't object…
He then turned and left, searching for his king.
At the end of the festivities, Nero and Hakuno watched from atop the castle, as everyone went inside.
"Do you do this every night?" Hakuno asked her.
"Umu, this is our glorious empire, and all those people are our loyal subjects, if something ever were to bring harm to them, I'd intervene right away, on your order of course, though I imagine you wouldn't stop me" she answered.
"No I'd be right there with you… It's just, wow, I mean just look at this" Hakuno told her, looking down upon the city with awe.
"This was all thanks to you my king, that's why I named you king of new Rome" she said proudly as she gently placed something round upon his head.
"What's?" He paused after touching it..
"A crown of course, every king needs a crown" she replied with a giggle.
Hakuno couldn't help but chuckle at her response.
So, all of this was his, or well theirs, as he knew for sure that he'd need her input and advice, as he had no experience leading a nation.
"Be proud my king! You now own these lands alongside me!" She told him.
He leaned against her shoulder, gazing further upon the city, she pointed out some nice spots they could go to throughout the night if he felt like it.
An hour passed and the city lights started to go out.
"There's one place you must visit before we head in," she told him.
"Where's that?" He asked curiously.
She lifted him up into her arms once more and sped off, jumping off the top of the castle and landing a few feet away from where she wanted to go.
Hakuno could feel heat and steam hitting him in the face.
Nero smiled as she felt the warm air, this was her favorite place to go after a long day.
"These are the springs, I told you about them back in the grail war did I not?" She asked.
"Yeah, I think you did," he replied as he set his eyes upon the steaming pools of water, each covered in rose petals illuminated by the moonlight.
After getting changed Hakuno lay in the first and closest pool, his entire body tingled as he got in.
Nero joined him shortly after, though unlike him, her body was bare.
"Uh, saber were…" He paused as she turned to him and laughed.
"Oh it's alright, gaze upon me maestro and feel no shame, for I am yours, and you are mine," she said with an alluring expression.
She walked over and laid next to him, pressing her chest against his arm. Hakuno couldn't stop himself from smiling as he turned his head to face her.
Nameless was laying down in the next pool over, looking up at the sky. It was still clear, not a cloud to be seen. He then heard footsteps followed by the splashing of water.
"Ahhh…"
Cu Chulainn climbed in and sat on the opposite end.
"How's it been, archer of red?" He asked.
"Just fine, what about you Cu Chulainn, I hear you lost your entire earnings on a single horse, is this a fact?" Nameless said back with a smirk.
"You really know how to piss a guy off you know that?" Cu told him with a slightly angered look.
Right after he said that he felt a huge hand rest on his shoulder along with a deep hearty laugh. They watched as the king of conquerors climbed into the pool, seating himself across from Cu.
"Ahhh, Isn't this a delight, a great way to relax after all that training" He said.
"Must be good for those slashes too I bet" Cu commented.
The king of conquerors let out another laugh saying.
"If they were still there then perhaps, better this way though, I wouldn't want to sully this magnificent spring!"
"You took the words right out of my mouth," Nameless commented.
After a moment of silence, Cu Chulainn sat up, his eyes on the barrel next to the king of conquerors.
"That a keg?" He asked.
"Of course, what's a night like this without a drink" he replied as he poured himself a glass of what looked like red wine.
"Mmmm, The stuff here is great, you can brew wine well beyond anything you'd find outside the mooncell, here, have some" He said as he suddenly pulled out two more mugs.
Cu, while surprised, had no objections, he gulped down the entire mug almost as soon as he got it, Nameless gave him a somewhat concerned look but said nothing of it, he accepted a mug himself, though in contrast to Cu he took his time.
"Are you untrusting of me, Archer? We've been working together for some time now?" The king of conquerors asked with a chuckle.
Nameless didn't answer right away, but didn't show any signs of discomfort.
"No, It's just that after what happened today, I need to be vigilant," he replied.
"Ah, I see, a worthy answer, I take it that's your only drink for tonight?"
"Yes, anymore and I'll be at a disadvantage" Nameless told him.
Cu couldn't help but wonder…
"You know, It's odd, that this is the one place where we can actually get a buzz, as heroic spirits it shouldn't affect us, but in this world it does, ever think about that?" He asked.
"I did for a while, along with many other things, like the sudden need for food and water" Nameless replied.
"I find it quite exhilarating, like it was back in life, well, almost" the king of conquerors added.
"Just, what did that master of hers wish for anyway?" Cu said aloud.
"Yeah, actually, I'm curious too?" the king of conquerors asked.
While he likely would've given a similar response regardless…
"I don't know, I've never been told, and I wasn't there with him when he made his wish, I don't even think the emperor knows herself" he replied seriously.
Both Cu and the king of conquerors looked surprised and confused.
"Seriously? He said not a word of his wish? Not to her during the holy grail war? Or you for that matter since from what I hear you were also with him?" The king of conquerors asked.
"Nope, not so much as a peep, and that's all that I really know about it" Nameless replied.
After a brief silence.
"I see, most procular…" the king of conquerors mumbled, scratching his beard.
Then it was quiet yet again, no one said anything for a time.
After a few minutes Cu let out a brief laugh, trying to break the tension.
"Ah, let's not worry about stuff like that right now, sorry for bringing it up, I was just curious to be honest, anyway, we don't get many nights like this, so let's enjoy it while it's here eh" Cu told them.
"Yes, you're quite right, we'll leave this conversation until the meeting tomorrow morning, until then, bottoms up!" The king of conquerors added, raising his mug.
"Cheers!" Cu said as he joined in.
Nameless said nothing but raised his mug as well…
Nero and Hakuno had just dried off as she carried him inside, she had yet something else to show him. They stood right outside their bedroom doors, Hakuno admittedly had many different thoughts going through his head, but as they entered, he very quickly realized he'd gotten it all wrong… for now anyway.
He heard singing coming from a radio set on a shelf right across from the bed, odd as from what he could tell it was the only thing here he could say was from the modern era. Though knowing her he supposed he couldn't be that surprised.
He looked up at Nero and she looked particularly excited, he couldn't hide his curiosity.
"Does it not sound nice? I thought her voice was quite beautiful" Nero said.
By her she means the woman singing the song…
He understood what was about to happen…
"Karaoke?" He asked.
"Yes! Umu! I don't think you've ever heard me sing! You'll love it, I assure you!" She replied happily.
Oh boy, was the only thought that went through his mind, usually when she gets like this it doesn't end too well…
"Let's hear you first! Allow me to judge, my king, I promise I won't be too harsh…probably" she told him.
He wasn't really much of a singer, heck he was certain he'd never actually sang before nor tried. But… For her, he'd give it his best shot.
After two deep breaths, he gave it his all. His voice wasn't too high or deep, but the tone fluctuated often, showing his inexperience. Nonetheless Nero cheered him on, giving him an applause of her own at the songs conclusion.
Now it was her turn, and she looked all too confident, as per usual of course.
"Prepare yourself praetor, to hear the voice of a true goddess!" She said proudly as she puffed her chest out and took a deep breath.
Hakuno awaited patiently, he knew she loved music, and that she'd been practicing since she was alive but…
He actually had heard her sing before, she didn't know as she was in another room at the time but…
Well, it was safe to say she hadn't improved much…
Her voice, as much as he tried to hide it, sounded like scraping your nails against a chalkboard, or a dying animal, just an absolutely horrendous sound that couldn't even be classified as singing.
Nonetheless he applauded her anyway, with a big smile on his face, however forced it may have been.
"Ah, I knew you'd like it, it's your turn again maestro, let me hear your voice some more" she told him.
As the next song started he tried his best to follow along, but both his eyes and body felt heavy.
"Someone's tired I see, well it can't be helped I suppose" she said, sounding slightly disappointed.
She helped him get in bed, it hurt her heart somewhat to see him struggle so much, his body was clearly still very weak. She hoped he'd recover soon, but no matter what she'd be there for him, and no matter who said what about either he or her she would always see him as the king of New Rome.
"How are you feeling right now?" She asked seriously.
"Just, tired, really tired" he replied letting out a big yawn.
She laid next to him, holding him close. Her grip gradually grew tighter and tighter, he could tell something was on her mind.
"What's wrong?" He asked her.
"You're going to wake up tomorrow, right?" She asked back.
Hakuno hesitated briefly, he wasn't expecting that, though he supposed he should have.
"Yes! Yes I will! I'm not going anywhere now, my job with the mooncell is finished" he replied.
She didn't know exactly what job he was talking about, but she wasn't in any state to question him on it right now, she just wanted to lay there with him, and never let him go.
"Good, because I'm not sure if I could handle even another week without you," she said back.
Hakuno chuckled, he couldn't help it.
"Hey! It's not funny!" Nero said to him in protest.
"I know! I know! It's just, I've never heard you talk like that before" he told her with a slight grin.
She then grew silent, burying her head in his chest, her grip around him tightening even further.
"It's alright, it's alright" Hakuno said gently, rubbing her shoulders.
He couldn't lie, it felt like his back was going to break for a moment.
It seemed she noticed as she eased up but didn't move an inch.
"I love you, my king," she said.
He remembered the first time she'd said it to him during the grail war, it was unexpected to him, of course he quite literally had no romantic experience at the time. He didn't really know how to react.
"I love you too, my queen," he said back.
It seemed she liked that last bit, so much so he felt her lips press against his right cheek. She then rested her head back on his chest and within the minute he could already hear her snoring…
Not long after, his eyes wouldn't open anymore, and he too fell asleep…