Ch. 89 - Infiltration

"It seems you once more stand at the precipice, my dear guest."

Ren chuckled as he stood before Igor once more. "Isn't that always?" he remarked. "But yeah. We're going with this plan. Gutsy of Ritsu to take up such a role, so I thought it wouldn't be a good idea to let her down."

Lavenza giggled. "Ritsuka Fujimaru is quite remarkable," she noted. "She has bravery, kindness, and openness in great amounts. She reminds me of you at times, my Trickster."

"And a penchant for risky gambits," Olga growled, her arms crossed. "While I agree there aren't many palatable options, throwing herself into the lion's den so recklessly in such a manner – especially when she doesn't have any particular assurances or backup – would jeopardize the mission. You best tell her off after this, Amamiya."

The Phantom Thief frowned a bit. "Ritsu's doing her best here," he argued. "Yeah, you're right, it's risky as hell, but if she thinks she can pull it off and that we can succeed, then all we can do is make sure she's right in the end. Besides, we're not gonna let her come to harm. You know that."

Olga opened her mouth to retort, but seeing the steely determination in Ren's eyes forestalled any further arguments. Instead, she breathed an irritated sigh but otherwise made no further comment.

Both Igor and Lavenza chuckled. "It is gratifying and reassuring to see such trust and care for your connections, my dear guest," the former commented. "Now, I did invite you to discuss a particularly interesting matter. As you are aware, the Velvet Room is a place between dream and reality, mind and matter. It relies much on human cognition to function. However, because of the Incineration of Humanity, it has not been able to work at full capacity."

Ren nodded as he listened carefully. Right. Many of the functions of the Velvet Room – from creating items by executing personas to training them within solitary confinement, and even something as fundamental as creating new personas by fusing two of them together – was unavailable. It was fortunate that the Velvet Room still had the ability to draw forth his personas from the Compendium, and that he had went out of his way to make sure it was entirely filled before his time in Tokyo ended. So far, it had been enough to get by.

"However, with this time period on the precipice of the Age of Gods, we may have a way to circumvent that quandary," Igor continued as Ren listened with increased interest. "With an item of great mystery, we can harness its potential and power the Velvet Room's capabilities temporarily."

The Phantom Thief nodded in thought. Retrieve an item from the real world with a great amount of mystery – which meant an item of significance - and use it to power up the Velvet Room. "Sounds simple enough," he replied. "Two questions: is one item enough to restore the Velvet Room back up to full functionality, and how am I gonna drop off the item in question?"

"When you discover and retrieve an item of great mystery," Lavenza explained. "We will form a drop-off receptacle within your vicinity. Simply deposit the item there and we shall reserve it in the Velvet Room until you have need of it."

"And the Velvet Room requires far more resources than you can imagine, Amamiya," Olga joined in. "Even if you find an item with significant mystery, the most it can do is power one auxiliary function of the Velvet Room once. I'm trying to find some way to make the conversion more efficient or at least possibly jumpstart them so they can work with at least some functionality but for now, we cannot promise anything more."

Ren blinked in surprise at the answers. So, he would drop off the item – whatever it would be – at a location that they would expect him to know. And that item would be just enough to use the Velvet Room's other functions only once. He breathed out a sigh.

And grinned. "Better than nothing," he replied simply. "If it's only once, then I'll have to make it count. I don't suppose you could do more if I brought more stuff in?"

Igor chuckled. "It is reassuring to see you are not daunted in the slightest, my dear guest," he commended. "But to answer your question, that might be the case. However, time is not your ally. I do not recommend allowing greed to cloud your judgement, especially if you believe it is for the greater good."

The Phantom Thief stared at Igor. The Master of the Velvet Room's face was unreadable. So were Olga and Lavenza's. Well, it was another thing he was used to. They helped as much as they could, but that was it. They couldn't – wouldn't – fight his battles for him, no matter how difficult it got. But their advice was always helpful, and if that's what they cautioned him, well, who was he to argue?

"Alright, one treasure it is," he accepted. He turned to look at Olga. "Going to need to prep, Olga. Can you help with that?"

The former director huffed in exasperation. "Don't ask questions you already know the answer to, Amamiya," she grumbled as with a wave of her hand, a cell door opened into nothingness. She stepped through and vanished, followed by Ren soon after. The door closed, leaving only Igor and Lavenza in the main room once more.

"It seems things are about to reach a turning point, my Master," Lavenza murmured.

"Yes they are, my dear Lavenza," Igor agreed. "He will soon learn the allies around him are far more beneficial to him than even he expects. It will truly be a spectacle to witness."

As Lavenza smiled, a delighted chuckle echoed through the panopticon that formed the current shape of the Velvet Room. The Trickster was truly one-of-a-kind.

The dark of night lay heavy upon the capital of the United Roman Empire's capital. It would only be an hour or so before dawn, which made the gloom all the more oppressive. Countless torches had been lit as they always have been all around the city, the flames lighting up the streets and the grandiose buildings that loomed above. Even if in the darkness with limited light, the grandeur of the buildings still stood in magnificence, gleaming and glorious. A testament to their might.

And it felt like yet another dagger to the heart of the Progenitor of Rome.

Romulus stared outside the window of the imperial palace, watching the shadows dance among the flickering flames. Each flame highlighted another feature of the city while leaving others in shadow, both dancing with each other and accentuating some other magnificent piece of architecture. A play of light and darkness that was fascinating to watch for those who had the eyes to see the beauty.

He would normally delight in such beauty, but it tasted like ash in his mouth. The whole capital, just like all the soldiers stationed throughout, were all facsimiles and mockeries. They looked like Rome and Roman soldiers, but they were not in the slightest. He sensed none of the spirit of Roma within them. It was truly ironic – and he had a feeling that it was deliberate.

Damn that mage. Ever since he had been summoned, he had been forced to play along in this farce of a war, assaulting the glorious empire and bringing it to near ruin. He had done his best to be as gentle as possible: He had convinced many of the cities and townspeople to simply desert and flee wherever their heart desired. Many retreated to other parts of the Roman empire, perhaps fleeing for their relatives or friends.

But to his surprise, many more had retreated towards him and his forces instead. Perhaps they saw the radiance that was Roma even through these facsimiles and forced conquest? It touched and hurt him how they could still glean the majesty of Roma, despite everything. The refugees had been shepherded toward the capital, where they would come to the least harm. They couldn't all possibly fit into the city, but it was of little importance: He used the mockeries to create the outer city for the refugees, ensuring their health, comfort, and future prosperity. They were the children of Rome, after all. He must nurture their spirit, for their spirit was that of Roma.

At least those mockeries had been useful for something, and witnessing the happiness and relief of the citizens of the empire soothed his grieving heart, if only a little. And while it was all a false city, it gave them some reprieve and hope before they could finally continue with their lives. They were children of Roma, after all. Their spirits were strong. They would survive as thrive, just as it always did.

Suddenly, a resounding explosion rang through the entire city, the shockwave reverberating through the air and ground, causing him to look up in surprise. Are they truly resorting to such destructive means? He was glad he had shepherded the refugees away to a neighboring city, away from the capital and the path of Roman army. He knew even the inner city would be under siege before long, and thus it wouldn't be a refuge for them. Perhaps after everything they have been through, such destructive methods were to be expected after all.

Then another arrow flew right through his window into the throne chamber and exploded. Or more accurately, it became a miniature whirlwind that gusted throughout the room, scattering cards through the air. Romulus frowned in bemusement before reaching up, easily snatching a card from the howling wind, and read it. Moments later, a sound issued from the Imperial Palace. One that had never been heard since the summoning of Romulus and since the formation of the United Roman Empire.

Sonorous, booming laughter.

Ritsu watched as the dust settled from the explosion. The plan had been simple here: Archer fired his explosive arrow at the gates as a friendly knock hello, followed by the missive arrow directly into the Imperial Palace of the capital. There had been a rock formation nearby that allowed the red-mantled hero to easily make the shots. Now they simply had to wait.

The redheaded shifted uncomfortably. The golden breastplate was a marvel of engineering, per usual of Da Vinci's work, but it was still rather suffocating. It certainly didn't help that she also wore her Roman armor underneath just in case. She had full trust in Da Vinci's workmanship, but it never hurt to have a bit more protection. The fact that there was room to fit it in showed her genius as well.

Still, it was hot and suffocating. The helmet she wore didn't especially do wonders either, what with the blond wig on her head. Her vision, while still mostly free, was also restricted as well, leading to a small sense of claustrophobia, exacerbated by the armor. Da Vinci said she would've added some temperature regulation systems to the armor if she could, but even a genius like her was pressed for time with creating everything.

And finally, the dress, which Da Vinci had been most proud of. It was made of surprisingly light yet tough fabric, built to withstand the chafing of the armor and yet be breathable to allow for better aeration – which was probably why she was merely sweating and uncomfortably warm as opposed to cooking like a microwave dinner. It was also sized up to allow her Master uniform underneath as well. It's just as well – the Mystic Code was far too useful to give up for anything.

But all in all, that meant she was wearing approximately four layers. Nero, in contrast, had only worn two. No wonder she could handle this so much better.

Oh right. Then there was the greatsword. It was lighter than she expected, honestly, enough that she could easily swing it, but not so light that it didn't get tiresome after a while. It was like carrying around that massive pick when she helped out in the orphanage's garden. She was happy to dig a hole with it when asked, but that didn't mean she liked carrying it around everywhere.

'How's it look, Archer?' Ritsu asked, keeping her eyes on the destruction.

There was a moment of silence before he answered. "The gate and surrounding walls are in ruins," the red-mantled hero reported. "As well as many of the surrounding buildings, primarily the outer city. It seems our worries that they are fortified were groundless. That being said, they're not moving yet. I'm guessing Romulus is deciding on his course of action."

"Any news?"

The whispered question from Asisculus caused Ritsu to jump a bit, thankfully landing on her armored heeled grieves. Why the hell did Nero wear something so uncomfortable? Thankfully, the dress and the armor hid most of her movements so no one noticed anything out of the ordinary. "None yet, but keep on your guard," she murmured. "They aren't gonna let this go unanswered."

"As you say," Asisculus agreed before marching off, barking similar orders to the rank and file. Ritsu breathed a small sigh. The plan that she had taken Nero as a body double had only been told to the senior officers as well as her bodyguards – both of whom were flanking her – but no one else. So far, no one had been able to tell that Nero had been replaced.

One less butterfly in her stomach – out of probably thousands.

She glanced quickly about. Lu Bu and Spartacus were outside the camp, weapons in hand and standing proudly. Boudica was off to the flank, ready to sally forth as necessary to disrupt any flanking maneuvers. Astolfo was high above, almost unseeable, waiting for the opportunity to swoop in. All around her, the soldiers were at their stations, ready and waiting. All the supplies were on hand as necessary, and the catapults had been set up within the camp, complete with wheels to rotate them. The camp fortifications had also been completed.

In short, they really couldn't be more ready save perhaps having an actual fortress.

"Master, they're coming. But their movements are…"

Ritsu immediately turned her attention back to the city. From the ruins came what looked to be a gigantic mass. She expected them to resolve into their usual rectangular formations soon. Any second… but instead, the black mass just flowed out of the gates and outer city. "Archer…" she called out in growing alarm.

"They're not creating any semblance of formations or even bothering with tactics," Archer rapidly reported. "They're just outright swarming. Get ready, all of you!" He cut off the communication and soon, arrows started raining down on the swarm, cutting down swathes of soldiers, yet more replaced them and continued charging.

Asisculus rushed over to Ritsu. "What news?" he panted.

The redhead was about to shake her head, but remembered what role she was supposed to play and kept her eyes steady. "They're just swarming us," she replied. "I don't know why they aren't bothering to engage like a proper Roman army, it doesn't matter. It's not relevant. Get everyone ready – it's gonna be rough."

The legate narrowed his eyes and nodded. "Ready yourselves!" he roared at the soldiers. "The enemy has forgone all semblance of mocking Roman discipline and are charging at us like beasts! Their might shall be ferocious, but we are greater than that – we are proud soldiers of the Roman army! Thus, we shall cut these beasts down where they stand! Archers, ready! Fire!"

A wave of arrows joined Archer's as they soared through the air, cutting down even more soldiers as they didn't even bother lifting up their scutum shields to defend themselves. As they approached, Lu Bu and Spartacus hefted their weapons and took their stances, roaring in defiance as Boudica shot out in her chariot, running down a detachment that had separated from the main host. The tide of soldiers was completely unbroken all the way back to the city as more simply charged out.

Exactly as they had planned.

Alright, guys, the stage here is ours, Ritsu thought to herself. You're up – and good luck.

Thus the final battle between the Romans and the United Roman Empire began – and the path for the Chaldeans was opened.

Ren adjusted the grappling hook on his wrist to make sure it was strapped on securely. The infiltration group had left late in the night, sticking to the darkness and shadows with what little cover there was to reach one of the sides of the city, well away from the battle and commotion. They had picked the north side as their infiltration route, close enough to the attack that most of the soldiers there would most likely be funneled into the assault, but far enough to not be discovered easily.

For now, they had ducked down behind another outcropping for rocks, out of sight, and waited. The only light they had were the stars glittering in the sky and the crescent moon shining high above. Once their eyes had adjusted to the dim light, it was surprisingly bright enough for them to work with details, like the grappling hooks.

"Senpai, can you check if this is on correctly?"

The Phantom Thief blinked in surprise as Mash spoke up beside him, offering her wrist where her own hook was attached. With a small, affirming smile, he began making sure everything was strapped in place and the wire had no issues. "Nervous, Mash?" he asked quietly as he worked.

Mash blinked, then nodded sheepishly. "Somewhat," she admitted. "We are entering into the heart of enemy territory, after all, one we haven't been able to perform proper reconnaissance or even map out the territory. I'm sure with your and Morgana-senpai's leadership we will pull through, but I'm still a bit nervous about the situation." She glanced up at Ren. "What about you, senpai?" she asked curiously. "Are you nervous?"

Chuckling, Ren nodded. "Yep," he admitted easily. "I'm always nervous right before moments like these. Lot of things that can go wrong before, during, and after. But in the end, there's nothing to do but to take the plunge, and it'll be over before you know it. Honestly, the nervousness in the end is just part of the fun. And when you think of it that way, it's a lot easier to accept and manage." He made a final adjustment and nodded in satisfaction. "There," he stated. "Da Vinci's work is immaculate as always."

"Ren speaks the truth about nervousness, auxiliary Kyrielight."

They both turned to Nero, who was getting up with Joan from where Morgana had been fastening their own grappling hooks and instructing them on how to properly utilize them. Instead of her usual regalia, she was dressed in standard Roman soldier armor – iron scale armor ending with a red leather skirt and sandals, topped with an iron helmet with no plume or decoration. Underneath she wore a rough tunic. Her forearms and legs were exposed, but their usual flawlessness was obscured by a layer of dirt she had rubbed on them before setting out. Instead of her usual greatsword, she carried a scutum and gladius as befits a soldier of Rome.

And yet all that did little to diminish her beauty, especially as she gazed at them with her determined, emerald-green eyes.

"I have felt much of the same nervousness myself when taking the office of emperor," she recalled. "And before I have stepped foot on stage for one of my masterpieces in the theater. It is the nervousness of one called to action. As Ren said, it is quite natural, and accepting it is but part of the charm of it all. Ah, what a thrilling play this would be once pen is committed to papyrus!"

Ren smiled nervously as he remembered Nero's 'talent' back when they spoke to each other in Rome, then smiled more warmly toward Mash. "As Nero says," he agreed. "It's all part of the process. And don't worry – we're with you as well. So give it all you got, Mash."

The Shielder blinked, then nodded, a resolute expression on her face. "I'll do my best, senpai!" she declared. Ren grinned in response.

'They're marching out,' came Archer's mental communication, grabbing Ren's attention. 'You should set out soon.'

'Got it. Thanks, Archer,' the Phantom Thief replied. 'Loki? How are things on your end?'

'A few stragglers in the outer city,' the Avenger drawled. 'We'll deal with the overwatch. I suggest hurrying before anyone catches sight of you.'

Ren nodded as he turned to the infiltration team. Aside from Jing Ke, Loki, and Joan, they had also brought along Medusa, Tamamo, and Tamamo Cat. At first, they had been wary of bringing the latter two along together but so far, they simply chose to ignore each other rather than engage in hostilities. "Alright guys," Ren murmured. "It's showtime. Tamamo?"

Tamamo nodded. Holding up a talisman, she tossed it above them and created a barrier around them, shifting the surrounding light. It wasn't complete invisibility, but it distorted their appearance enough that it would be difficult to place them unless someone was directly looking and was trying to find them. Under the darkness of night and with the light distortion, any sentries or passersby would be hard pressed to spot them.

Once that was done, they quickly moved out, crossing the plain that separated them from the outer city. The raucous din of the battle was audible even from where they were. Ren was tempted to contact Archer for an update but shook his head. If it was something serious or required his attention, the red-mantled hero would have contacted him already.

Thanks to their cloaked approach, the infiltration team reached the outer city without issues. As they approached, they spotted a soldier stationed at a barrier on the main road. Changing direction, the group quickly moved behind a building, out of sight. 'Loki, we're right outside the city,' he reported. 'Where are you?'

'Busy,' they replied. 'Jing Ke should be en route. She'll be able to help you out.'

if on cue, Jing Ke appeared out of nowhere. Both Ren and Morgana merely blinked while Mash held a hand to her chest from the surprise. "You guys made good time," she commended. "Follow me closely. There're only a few soldiers, but we can't be careless."

She glanced over at the Servants and nodded to them. "You guys should probably enter your spirit forms," she suggested. "The less people that have a physical presence here, the better."

Ren frowned slightly but turned to the others regardless and nodded. What she said made sense – more people meant more chances to get caught. This wasn't the Metaverse where hiding was frankly an almost laughable matter. Here, they had to be careful or the whole plan would be blown. Acknowledging their wishes, Medusa, Tamamo, and Tamamo Cat vanished, leaving Ren, Morgana, Mash, and Joan.

Once that was done, they followed her lead. Ducking behind a narrow alley, they bypassed the main road and popped out into a back street. They kept moving, stopping occasionally to allow a patrol to march past them. While Ren and Morgana were able to easily follow Jing Ke like her shadow, Mash, Nero, and Joan had a harder time. They had to occasionally stop and wait for them to catch up, keeping a lookout just in case.

"A shame they don't have any supply carts moving in," Jing Ke murmured quietly, seemingly talking more to herself than anything.

"Guess that'd be an easier way to get in?" Ren asked with a wry grin.

The Assassin let out a low chuckle as she peeked out from behind a corner to check for anyone nearby. "One of the easiest ways," she agreed. "If you have the friends or connections, you can get yourself hauled in with a trick box or barrel and cart. Sometimes, it's even as easy as storing yourself in an actual barrel or a cart full of food or hay, but the larger cities always inspect the carts before letting them in. There's still other ways of sneaking in, of course, but none as convenient."

"Huh," Morgana muttered as they crossed a larger street after making sure the coast was clear. "I'm guessing you know almost every method then."

"Not all, but most," Jing Ke acknowledged. She glanced over at Morgana with a smirk. "If I could shapeshift like you into a cat, almost every infiltration would be a breeze," she noted.

The catlike being blinked in surprise before giving a resigned sigh. "Yeah, being a cat does have its advantages, I guess," he reluctantly admitted. While he long ago accepted that he was a cat, that didn't mean he liked having it rubbed in his face, no matter how many times he called himself the most awesome cat ever. And besides, she did have a point – back in Tokyo and even when they first arrived in this singularity, his cat form had proven incredibly useful for intel gathering and monitoring.

At an L-bend, as they were about to turn, Jing Ke held up a hand and stopped their progress. She put a finger to her lip, turned, and vanished. Peeking around a corner, Ren saw a soldier marching down the alley in their direction. A split second later, the Assassin appeared behind it and drove a dagger into its throat. As the soldier collapsed, she grabbed the body and picked it up, the ducked behind a building. A moment later she reappeared, sans soldier, and beckoned to the group.

"Quick work," Ren commented as they caught up, glancing at the building where she had deposited the body.

"Lots of practice," Jing Ke replied simply with a grin.

Before long, they were at the foot of the wall. Jing Ke had vanished as they approached to scout ahead. The battlements loomed high above them, though they were unable to see if there was anyone patrolling on the battlements thanks to their angle. Ren reached out to Loki once more. 'Can you guys take out the sentries on the wall above us?' he asked.

'Not possible,' Loki flatly reported back, bemused. 'There's a lot of soldiers on the battlements here and they seem more aware than usual. If any of them vanish, it might alert the rest. There are also even more soldiers within the inner city itself. I'm not sure if the plan has failed, Romulus or Lev have taken absolutely no chances, or they just have way more soldiers than any of us have anticipated. Infiltration will be a lot more difficult than we expected."

Ren blinked in surprise, then contacted Archer. 'Archer, how's the camp?' he asked.

'Still under attack, but within expectations,' the red-mantled hero replied. 'They haven't slackened off or increased if that's what you're asking. Why?'

'There's still a considerable garrison within the capital,' Ren responded. 'Thanks, Archer. I'll update you if anything changes.'

'Of course, Master.'

He turned back to the inquiring gazes of the others and explained the situation as the Servants reappeared. "So far, there's no indication our plan has failed," he said. "But it's gonna be a lot more difficult than we expected. We can either head back or press on, unless someone has another idea."

Medusa frowned slightly. "Perhaps it would've been wiser to simply fly in on either my Pegasus or Astolfo's hippogriff,' she murmured.

"Then they would see us coming from kilometers away," Joan huffed. "And if we flew high enough to conceal ourselves, we'd be risking the safety of our Masters. Much as I hate to say it, this is still our best option short of tunneling underneath, which we don't have time for."

Ren looked to the others to see if they had any suggestions, but no one replied. He took a deep breath, then nodded. 'Loki,' he reported. 'We're going to press on. Can you locate gaps in their line and see if there's somewhere we can sneak through?'

There was silence for a moment. Then Loki replied, 'Jing Ke found something. Head to your left about twenty meters or so. Keep your heads down just in case.'

The Phantom Thief nodded. With a gesture, he quickly began leading the infiltration group in the direction Loki advised. They stopped once they were there. It didn't seem any different than the spot they were just at. 'What now?' Ren asked.

'The sentries here leave a gap in their line here,' Loki explained. 'Reel up and stand by. I'll let you know when it's safe to cross. You'll wanna get to ground level as soon as you can.'

Ren nodded grimly and relayed the situation to the others. Ren, Joan, and Mash took a few steps back from the wall as the Servants vanished once more.. While Morgana hopped up on Ren, the three took aim and fired their grappling hooks. They all hit their mark, rapidly reeling them up the wall to the battlements. And there they waited, dangling like fish on hooks. Glancing back, they could only hope that none of the soldiers in the outer city had the wherewithal to look up.

'Gap,' Loki hissed. 'Go!'

With a nod and gesture, all three of them quickly clambered up the battlements. Ren was the fastest thanks to long experience despite physically being the weakest, followed by Joan. Mash almost climbed up – then slipped with a squeak and almost fell off, only to be caught by the wrist by the Phantom Thief just in time.

'Shit, they're coming back,' the trickster god snarled. 'Get moving, damnit!'

"Go," Ren hissed to Joan, Nero, and Morgana. All of them hesitated for a second, then they leaped off the wall into the inner city below. With a grunt, Ren pulled Mash up to the battlements – just for a soldier to appear in view on each side. Scowling, he glanced over at Mash and they both nodded to each other.

Pulling out his knife, Ren charged at one soldier and thrust the blade into its chest, easily piercing through armor and flesh. The soldier froze then collapsed, with Ren managing to catch him in time before he could clatter to the ground. Meanwhile, Mash snatched up a decent sized piece of rubble that had been laying on the battlements and flung it straight at the other soldier. Darting straight and true, it punched a hole right through its armor and chest. The Shielder dashed forward and caught the soldier as well in turn.

'More coming!' Loki cautioned. 'Get off the walls! And do something about those bodies!'

Ren scowled once more before glancing back at Mash, who met his gaze. He nodded to her, wrapped his arms tight around the corpse, and jumped off the battlements. Releasing the body in midfall, he quickly fiddled with his grappling hook. It was going to be close, and the momentum meant he was going to have a hard collision with some wall, but-

Just as Ren was about to use the grappling hook, he was suddenly blasted through the air by something and felt arms wrapping around him. The next moment, he crashed and slid against the ground, stopping once they hit a wall – though it was clear he landed on something far softer than he expected.

"Are you alright, senpai?"

He glanced up and saw Mash looking in concern – and quickly realized she had caught him and used her own body to shield his fall. "Yeah. Sorry for the trouble, Mash," he apologized as he got up, offering her a hand. "Are you hurt? Do you need healing or anything?"

Mash shook her head, trying to suppress the warmth in her face. "I'm okay, senpai," she reassured him as she took his hand and he helped her up. "But thank you for your concern. Where are Joan, Nero, and Morgana-senpai?"

"This way, legate! Auxiliary!"

Hearing the hissed reply, they both turned to see Nero peeking from behind a corner of an alley, hurriedly beckoning them over as Joan kept watch for anyone approaching. The two of them quickly rejoined the others, Mash looking over her shoulder to make sure they weren't followed. The sentries on the walls didn't seem to have noticed their intrusion, still sticking to their patrol routes.

Moving down the alley, they found Loki perched up above them, as well as Morgana who pointed towards an open door. The five of them quickly went in and shut the door behind them as Jing Ke appeared as well. They paused, listening for any sounds outside in case they were followed. At the silence that followed, all of them breathed a sigh of relief. Once they caught their breath, Ren took stock of where they had settled in.

The building they entered was a one-story affair. It wasn't the largest – in fact, it was somewhat cramped – but they had a clear view of the alleyway in case anyone was outside, and a side door if they needed a quick escape. It was also fully furnished and unlike the cities they had seen before, it was clear someone had lived here – cloth draped over furniture with scrolls laying about. The furniture lay slightly askew as if they had been regularly moved. A doll had been set on a nearby counter.

"You caught me really quickly, Mash," Ren noted as he grinned at the demi-Servant. "How'd you mange that?"

Mash blinked in surprise, then scratched her cheek sheepishly. "I followed your lead, Ren-senpai," she explained quietly. "After jumping off the battlements and releasing the body, I saw that you were awfully close to the ground, so I summoned my shield to move toward you and catch you. I'm sorry if that was unnecessary – you seemed to have the situation well in hand."

Ren shook his head. "Maybe," he admitted. "But even if I fired my grappling hook, it would've been a pretty hard crash against a wall if it wasn't the ground. So thanks, Mash. That was amazing." Now that he thought about it, falling from the wall to the ground would've taken about… three or four seconds? So in that time, Mash summoned her shield, calculated the trajectory, blasted toward him, and caught him in midair.

He could only shake his head as he imagined it. Mash truly was amazing.

"A truly amazing city from what little I see," Nero commented as she looked around the home, her face pensive. "It truly feels like Rome in its full glory. It's why I aspire my own Rome to be. I shall have to be observant as we push on."

Ren shifted his head slightly. "But…?" he asked, sensing an underlying address.

The emperor shook her head. "It feels ephemeral," she concluded with a sigh. "Like a dream. A glorious dream, yes, but a dream, nevertheless. And dreams vanish when the sleeper wakes, never to be seen again. Ah, it is a pity. But I suppose that's why I love my own capital and people so much – they are imperfect, but because of that they are perfect in their own right."

"Sorry for interrupting your pondering, but we should focus back on the matter at hand," Morgana cut in. He turned towards Jing Ke. "What have you found?" he inquired.

The Assassin shook her head. "Soldiers everywhere," she replied tersely. "They're occupying the buildings, sentries on rooftops, and patrols in the streets. This feels like a fully occupied city rather than-"

She froze, then ducked down, motioning the others to follow her lead. Everyone else immediately ducked, with Ren and Morgana immediately moving underneath the windows with their ears open. The sounds of soldiers marching began growing louder and louder outside as they approached. As everyone held their breath, they watched the shadows of the soldiers move by… and continue moving, their marching now steadily becoming fainter and quieter.

Morgana peeked out the window after transforming into his cat form. "All clear," he quietly called out.

They once more stood up, breathing a sigh of relief. "Yeah, like that," Jing Ke acknowledged, nodding towards the window. "It's not going to be a straight shot to the imperial palace, unless you guys want to attract every single sentry and patrol."

Ren frowned as he considered his options. "How open are the rooftops?" he asked.

"Very," Loki replied, crossing their arms. "Clear sightlines all around. Any sentries would see us moving for kilometers around."

The Phantom Thief nodded. "Caster?" he called out. At the mention, Tamamo appeared in a shower of golden light. "Is there any magecraft around or traps we might trigger?"

Tamamo frowned as she brought out a talisman, held it up… and it remained inert and limp. "None that I can detect, Master," she reported. "It could be that there's none, but there remains the possibility of a Caster being summoned with far greater capabilities than mine. They would be able to obfuscate my own mysteries. However, there are precious few Casters who are capable of such a feat. If they have been summoned, then I do believe we have far more pressing concerns."

"Then perhaps the sewers?" Mash innocently suggested. "I do recall Rome having built an extensive sewer system underneath."

There was a considerable pause at the Shielder's suggestion. Nero cleared her throat. "While that is an option, auxiliary," she explained carefully. "It is unclear if there are soldiers stationed down there as well. And if there are, we might be too… incapacitated to fight them properly. It is a good suggestion however, as the sewers are spread all throughout the capital. We shall keep it as a last resort if every other path fails us."

Mash blinked, then nodded in agreement. "O-of course, your majesty," she replied. That was true – she hadn't accounted for the smell and disgust possibly rendering them incapable of fighting properly. Unfortunately, gas masks weren't among the supplies she had brought with her, nor had she requisitioned any from their last resupply. Berating herself silently, she forced herself to remember to have some on hand from now on, especially when their environment demanded them.

Ren crossed his arms. "If the streets and rooftops are both inaccessible," he mused. "What about inside the buildings?"

Mash blinked. "What do you mean, senpai?" she asked.

"The buildings here are closely packed together," he explained. "And we have grappling hooks. We can cross from building to building here with limited exposure. We'll need to be careful none of the sentries look across and see us, but otherwise, we should be able to get across."

"Jing Ke mentioned there are still soldiers in the buildings though," Joan pointed out. "There's still a chance we'll get caught."

"Maybe, but they're less likely to alert others if we take care of them indoors than out in the open," Morgana retorted. "Besides, we don't have many other options here."

Nodding, Ren glanced up. "Sounds like we have a plan," he concluded. "Jing Ke, Loki. Can you two map out a path we can take through the buildings to reach the Imperial Palace?"

The Assassin and the Avenger nodded. "Right across from us, actually," the former pointed out with a smirk. "We can get to the second floor and start from there. Hope you guys don't mind jumping a lot though."

Morgana grinned. "Who do you think we are?" he demanded. "Come on, let's go!"

And thus, the group moved out, their new path set. The Imperial Palace was now within their reach.