The Triumvirate Chapter 12:
The Triumvirate: The Madman
Two hours have passed since the group followed the goblins towards their hideout. Along the way, they began to chat more with the six goblins about various subjects. As that was going on, Mashu noticed Rob and Wag talking to themselves. Curious as to what they were talking about, the Shielder walked towards them and cleared her throat.
"I am sorry for interrupting, but may I ask what you two are talking about?" She asked.
"Oh, we were just talking about what we would be doing after all this." Wag answered. A short goblin with red hair, red shirt, green pants and scarf, he had a certain innocence about him.
"If you do not mind me asking, what is it you plan to do?" Mashu asked.
"We go home." Rob answered. A powerfully built goblin with a blue shirt, yellow cap and green trousers, he seemed to be the most stern of the goblins, aside from Moe. "You see Wag and I are from Britannia, and we were just here to visit our friends, only for things to go bad when we got here."
"You two are far from home." Mashu said. "It is surprising that you two are willing to stay with them instead of returning home."
"We never considered that as an option." Wag said.
"It is because they are your friends, and you want to help them, right?" Mashu asked.
"Yep." Rob said. "You don't ever abandon a friend when they're in a pinch."
Mashu smiled. "I agree. I only wish I could do the same….."
"Oh don't worry, I'm sure you'll be doing that one day." Wag said. "You look like someone that would be the only one to do so when no one else can."
"I hope you are proven right." Mashu said.
As that was going on, Cleopatra, Siegfried and Boudicca were in the middle of a deep conversation. The three of them were curious about each other, and since they were all on the same side, they decided to talk more about themselves.
"Say Cleopatra, what is your weakness?" Boudicca asked.
"Caesar." Cleopatra joked. "Okay, my real answer is that I technically don't have a weakness."
"Looks like we're in the same boat." Boudicca said. "Like you and Astolfo, I don't have any real weaknesses to speak of."
"So what is your weakness, Siegfried?" Cleopatra asked. "Since Caligula's Noble Phantasm induces madness, it would probably be important to know each other like this in case we can't stop ourselves."
"There is a small spot on my back." Siegfried answered.
Boudicca raised an eyebrow. "Why is that your weakness?"
"When I killed Fafnir, I bathed in his blood, and became invincible." Siegfried answered. "That is, except for one area that was hidden by a leaf. That one area is where I can be killed."
"Oh, so you're invincible except for that one area?" Cleopatra asked.
Siegfried shook his head. "No, Ritsuka's and Tatsuko's mana aren't enough for that. Instead I am just incredibly durable. But even if I was invulnerable, I still have a second weakness that I can die from, one that no one else but I knew about."
"What is it?" Boudicca asked.
"Balmung itself." Siegfried answered.
Cleopatra and Boudicca looked at the Saber in shock. Of all the things to reveal, this was one they never expected. His own sword was also one of his weaknesses?
"How do you know this?" Cleopatra asked.
"I was cleaning Balmung one night after bathing in Fafnir's blood, when I accidentally got nicked by the blade. It was then I knew that it was my other weakness."
"Well since you're carrying it, then that means that weakness is nullified." Boudicca said.
Siegfried nodded. "Meaning I only need to worry about my back."
"Okay guys, we made it!" Moe said. "Welcome to our little hidey hole!"
The group turned up and looked in awe at what they saw. One large, cozy looking cabin with a nice little pathway leading to the door.
"Wow." Tatsuko said. "This looks like something out of a fairy tale."
"Ya should tell that to Rob and Wag." Moe said. "They were the ones who did most of the buildin', me and the others just got the wood and cut it into planks."
"Hey quick question," Liz said. "Do you have anyone else living with you?"
"Yeah." Fred answered. "We found a woman not too long ago and nursed her back to health. Ever since then she's been helping us hide from the United Empire."
"And if it weren't for her, we'd've been dead ten times over." Bert said. "She's the reason we survived this long with the United Empire on our doorstep."
Moe walked towards the cabin, the chimney continuing to puff out smoke as he opened the door. "Come on in, and make yourselves at home! Except for the lions, they're gonna have to stay out here."
The Chaldeans and their allies nodded and walked towards the cabin with Mr. Mittens and Linus deciding to prowl around the cabin. Surprisingly, the interior was even bigger than the outside, with simple decor, giving it a more homely feel to it. However, something seemed off. Some of the Servants and Ritsuka sniffed the air and noted how strong it was.
The whole cabin reeked of alcohol.
"Hey buddy, we got guests!" Moe said. "Thought you'd like to meet'em!"
The sound of uneven footsteps caught everyone off guard. They all turned to the living room, only for the Chaldeans and Nero to widen their eyes as they saw a familiar woman in white, her face flushed, a bottle of alcohol in her hand, and a goofy smile.
"Wellll looooookieee here, I told you guysh we'd meet again!"
"JING KE?!"
"That'sh meeeeee!" The Assassin said as she walked over and wrapped an arm around Ritsuka. "It'sh been a while. So how have all you beeeenn?"
"You DO remember that you tried killing Nero a while back, right?" Tatsuko asked.
"Yup!" Jing Ke answered. The Assassin then pulled the male Master close to her, drew her dagger, and pointed it at Nero. The Chaldeans and the allied Servants immediately sprang into action and drew their weapons to try and save the male Master. Jing Ke instinctively put the dagger towards Ritsuka's throat. "Don't move."
"Jing Ke, what're ya doin'?!" Fred shouted.
"I'm going to kill an emperor." Jing Ke answered.
"And you think taking Ritsuka hostage is going to help you here?" Liz asked.
Jing Ke raised an eyebrow at the statement. She then turned to Ritsuka with a perplexed expression. "You're not Nero."
Ritsuka shook his head. "Nope. Maybe you should lie down for a bit, and then maybe we can talk things out."
"Actually I thiiink hic, the goblinsh have something that can make me shhhhoooooberrrr." Jing Ke replied drunkenly as she put away her jug of alcohol.
"I have it right here." Bert said as he handed her a potion from his sack. "You really need to cut back on the drinking."
"Never!" Jing Ke said. The Assassin took a few gulps of the potion, and exhaled sharply as she turned to Ritsuka and let him go.
"Sorry about that." She said. "I try to make it a point to not attack people who aren't my target….that is unless I have to fight my way out."
"It's fine." Ritsuka replied.
"Senpai, are you okay?" Mashu asked.
"I'm a little surprised at what happened, but I'll be okay." Ritsuka answered.
Jing Ke then turned to Nero and readied her dagger. "Time for us to get down to business."
"Now hang on a minute here, they're guests!" Rob said.
"Then we can just take this outside." Jing Ke said.
"Hang on a minute!" Tatsuko shouted. "If you kill Nero, then humanity dies!"
Jing Ke raised an eyebrow at Tatsuko. She then looked to Nero, who smiled smugly at the statement, before turning to face Tatsuko again.
"I have a hard time believing that." Jing Ke said.
"Believe me, I'm in the same boat as you." Boudicca replied.
Nero scowled at them for a moment, before taking a deep breath, and staring at Jing Ke. "The goblins told us that they nursed you back to health. I assume that means you encountered the United Empire and tried attacking the enemy general, only to fail, does that sound about right?"
Jing Ke nodded. "I sensed he was an emperor, and I wanted to kill him."
"You really seem to have an obsession with wanting to kill emperors." Leonidas muttered.
"How about you tell us everything?" Nero asked. "We do have an enemy in common after all."
Jing Ke sighed. "Very well. I'll go set up the table and we can talk."
"I'll help." Curly said. The Assassin and the goblin walked off towards the dining room, leaving everyone alone in silence. Moe turned to the Chaldeans and Nero with a curious expression.
"What's your history with her?" He asked.
"Long story short, she snuck into Nero's palace one night and tried to assassinate her. We stopped her and since then she practically disappeared." Nobunaga answered.
"And considering how drunk she was, I can only guess that failing twice got to her a bit." Ritsuka said. "Though to be frank I think I found someone that can drink Honoka under the table…"
"Honoka? Who is that?" Jeanne asked.
"She's one of the prostitutes I knew, and also the second most protective of me and Doc." Ritsuka answered.
"You knew prostitutes?!" Boudicca said in shock. "Young man I know you're at that age where you'd be curious, but you shouldn't just-"
Tatsuko's communicator activated, revealing Mata Hari's frantic face. "It's not what you think, Boudicca! Ritsuka grew up knowing the prostitutes in his district and they had a friendship with his caretaker."
"Oh I see." Boudicca said in relief. "I'm sorry Ritsuka, I shouldn't have assumed the worst…."
"It's fine." Ritsuka said.
"Okay, the table is ready." Jing Ke said from the dining area. "Come in and we can talk."
The group all looked at each other, and nodded with uncertainty. Whatever happened now was going to be incredibly awkward, but they needed to get this done. They then walked towards the dining room together, all the while Nero stared blankly in front of her. Something wasn't sitting right with her. She knew that she had to defeat her uncle, but she didn't know if she could do it. Though perhaps there was a way to win, and Jing Ke could perhaps be the answer to it all…..
An awkward silence filled the dining room as the Chaldeans, their Servant allies, Nero and Jing Ke stared at each other. The goblins decided to stay in the other room, not wanting to get involved in their business, but also not wanting for things to get violent, the six fairies decided to put their ears to the door, and listen in to see what was going on.
"Okay, how much do you know of the United Empire?" Jing Ke asked.
"We know that their army is vast enough that they could attack Rome and Gaul simultaneously." Mashu answered. "They also most likely have only three generals that lead the army alongside Lev Lainur."
"You're half right." Jing Ke replied. "There's actually four, but only one of them is a mid-tier general, who isn't really that high up."
"I'm guessing that the mid tier general is Darius then." Tatsuko said.
"Correct." Jing Ke said.
"You seem to know quite a bit about their structure." Vlad said. "I cannot help but find this suspicious."
"I was in their camp gathering information about this group when I overheard some creep in a green outfit talking to this Caligula person, and mentioned that Darius was a mid-tier general compared to him and the other two. After he left, I attacked Caligula, and he basically gave me quite the beatdown. If I wasn't found by Bert, then I'd probably have been in trouble."
"So Lev was there….." Jeanne muttered.
"You guys know him?"
"We have a….history with him." Ritsuka said.
"I see." Jing Ke replied.
"How many more of these oppressors are there?" Spartacus asked.
"That's the thing. He only has those four." Jing Ke answered.
Cleopatra's eyes widened. They knew so far that there were three generals, but to confirm Ritsuka's suspicions that Darius was a mid-tier general….the Assassin had to get to the bottom of this, and knew just what to ask.
"Jing Ke, do these three top generals have a special name for their little group?" Cleopatra asked.
Jing Ke nodded. "They do."
"And what are they called?" Cleopatra asked.
"They are called the Triumvirate."
Ritsuka's eyes widened. "Oh my god….."
"What is it?" Malgus asked.
"Back when we first met Caesar, I thought he only called himself the third of the Triumvirate as a title of his past life. But that's not the case…."
"It refers to the fact he was the last of the three that was summoned, and Caligula was the second one summoned." Cleopatra said. "It would seem Darius was merely a buffer…."
"And once again a Roman supplants another person who's also worthy." Boudicca snarked.
"And how many soldiers does the United Empire have stationed here?" Leonidas asked.
"I don't think she's going to give an accurate number since we destroyed the vanguard last night." Nobunaga countered.
"Actually I probably can." Jing Ke said. "Just tell me how many were in this vanguard, and I'll be able to tell you how many are left."
"You can do that all from the top of your head?!" Astolfo asked excitedly. "That's awesome!"
Jing Ke chuckled. "How many were in this vanguard you mentioned?"
"One thousand undead soldiers." Mashu answered.
"Well that was fast." Jing Ke said in surprise.
"Mashu and I counted them last night before bed." Leonidas replied. "So with this in mind, how many remain?"
"Is there anyone here who has an Anti-Army Noble Phantasm?" Jing Ke asked.
Almost all the Servants raised their hands. "Good, you're probably going to need them."
"Why?" Nero asked.
"Because the remaining army numbers at thirty thousand." Jing Ke answered.
"If only we had someone that could kill three thousand of them at long range," Nobunaga said. "Oh wait, we do, and it just so happens to be me!"
"Unfortunately Ritsuka and Tatsuko won't be able to handle the strain of us all using our Noble Phantasms at once." Sanson countered. "You may be the exception, but the others, not so much."
"Then there's another problem." Jing Ke said. "Even if you do manage to fire them off, one of those undead could escape."
"Please tell us where the camp is and we can figure something out." Boudicca said.
"Do you really think you can pull this off?" Jing Ke asked. "Aren't you all forgetting something?"
"We already know about Caligula's Noble Phantasm." Tatsuko countered. "Astolfo can just dispel the madness when it takes hold, and Spartacus and Mashu have some resistance to it. So we have a way to deal with that."
"And how do you plan to beat him if everyone else is busy with the army?" Jing Ke asked.
"I can help Spartacus and Astolfo in dealing with Caligula." Sanson said. "I just so happen to be extra effective against Servants of the evil alignment, and he just so happens to fall under that."
"Then count me in as well." Boudicca said. "I am good at dealing with Romans, so this way we have two people who can hit him harder."
Jing Ke chuckled. "It's an idea. But you guys really don't understand what I'm trying to get at here…."
"Wait, what are we talking about again?" Astolfo asked.
"I'm talking about having an actual plan." Jing Ke answered.
"And this is why I need something from you."
Everyone stared at Nero in confusion as she got up from her seat and walked to Jing Ke. "The night you tried to kill me, you did so under the cover of night, and climbed to my balcony. There's only one place I can think of that would allow you to do so without being noticed by the guards on their rotation. You must have been studying the rotations to get to me. So this means only one thing, you were planning on killing me for weeks in advance."
Jing Ke chuckled. "Well well, I didn't think you were that observant."
"I wouldn't have guessed either." Boudicca said.
"So, what do you want?" Jing Ke asked.
"Join us." Nero said. "Your keen mind will be invaluable to our cause."
Silence filled the air. The Chaldean Trio and Astolfo looked on with nervous expressions as Jing Ke stared at Nero with a calm gaze. That is, until the Assassin began to laugh. "Oh this is really ironic! I'm being asked to help kill an emperor, by another emperor, and one that I tried to kill no less!"
"Ms. Jing Ke, does this mean you accept?" Mashu asked.
Jing Ke nodded. "Count me in."
"In that case, do you mind if I help you with the planning?" Ritsuka asked.
"I don't think you're old enough to be planning something this big." Jing Ke said.
"His strategies have helped us in the past." Jeanne said.
"That he did." Nero replied. "He's also good at adapting plans to certain situations."
Jing Ke shrugged. "Okay, I'll give him a chance. Though it really doesn't change our schedule in the slightest."
Tatsuko raised an eyebrow. "Schedule?"
Jing Ke grinned. "You're going to need to get comfortable, because we're going to be here for a few days to iron out the kinks."
Day 25
Siegfried, Cleopatra and Liz continued to survey the camp. To their surprise, even though the soldiers of the United Empire were all undead, it was still quite lively with activity. They were still maintaining their weapons, patrolling the camp, and doing their training drills. It would seem that even in death, their discipline and training never died with them.
The three of them then spotted Caligula patrolling the camp with some of the soldiers, growling to himself. It would seem that even now he was not mentally stable. Seeing all of these undead soldiers made them glad that Nero's decision to send the soldiers home ended up being correct. Siegfried opened a telepathic link to begin the operation.
"Ritsuka, Jing Ke, the targets have been found. But Lev Lainur is not here."
"Well that can't be helped." Jing Ke said. "Head to the next checkpoint, and wait for the signal for us to begin."
The Saber nodded and looked at the Assassin and Lancer. "We did all we can here, it is time for us to get into position."
The two women nodded and ran alongside him towards their designated starting positions. As that was going on, Mashu hid behind some trees alongside Rob and Wag. For their role, Mashu had to protect them as they worked, but at the cost of being farther away from Ritsuka and Tatsuko. While she did not mind this arrangement since it was for the sake of the operation, she was concerned for the two goblins and their involvement. She didn't want them to-
"I know what you're thinking." Wag said. "You're worried that we'll get hurt because this is your fight, and not ours."
Mashu nodded reluctantly. "You all do not need to help us. The six of you could have stayed home where it was safe."
"You got it all wrong, Mashu." Rob said. "We're here because we CHOSE to. We want to help."
"But why?" Mashu asked.
"Isn't it obvious?" Wag asked. "We want to help our friends in their time of need."
Mashu smiled at the comment. He wasn't just referring to Moe and the other goblins, he was referring to her and the Chaldeans as well.
BAM!
The sound of muskets firing alerted the three of them. Mashu felt a surge of magic flow through her as a telepathic link was formed.
"Mashu, it's Nobunaga. I'm heading right for you!"
"Understood!"
Mashu turned to Rob and Wag with a knowing glance, the goblins nodded and headed to their positions. Wag ran out towards the road as quickly as possible before running up the path way, and to where Leonidas waited for him.
As that was happening, the two Masters and Jing Ke overlooked the entire area from the cliffside. The Assassin smiled as she saw thousands of undead soldiers leave the camp to chase the different sources of musket fire. Out of all the ideas to begin their attack, this was perhaps their best option.
Step one; Divide and Conquer.
"I must say kid, you're as good at planning as the others said you…..are…." Jing Ke looked at Ritsuka with a raised eyebrow in confusion. "Are you okay? You look really pale."
"Ritsuka's terrified of heights." Tatsuko said. "That's why Mashu and I suggested we all be at ground level….."
"I see." Jing Ke muttered. "Well we might get that chance soon, so bear with it."
"If it does, I'm going to where Mashu and Leonidas are…." Ritsuka muttered.
Tatsuko grinned mischievously at the comment. "Sounds like someone doesn't like the idea of Mashu being alone with other men."
"I was talking about the fact they're getting the majority of the soldiers heading straight for them." Ritsuka said as he pointed at the soldiers.
"Well it's a good thing that we thought ahead for a possible hiccup like this." Jing Ke replied. The Assassin opened another telepathic link for their coordinator.
"Malgus, head over to where Mashu, Nobunaga and Leonidas are." She said. "But don't attack until we're ready for phase two."
"I am on it!"
The Assassin and the two Masters continued to watch as all the separated undead soldiers continued to march, not knowing what awaited. It was finally time to begin their plan in earnest. Starting with Jing Ke's stratagem.
Step two; Box them in and make escape impossible.
"NOW!" Tatsuko shouted telepathically.
The sounds of trees crashing down upon a few undead soldiers in the various locations rang throughout the area. The undead soldiers that were not crushed by the trees, and at their mercy. The roars of Mr. Mittens and Linus carried on for miles, making the undead soldiers turn to look for the source. However the undead soldiers in the smallest trapped area were soon set upon by the two lions, who immediately tore through the first soldiers with ease. The undead soldiers immediately tried to retaliate, but the two lions were too quick, and tore through the attacking undead. Mr. Mittens leapt to one of these soldiers, and ripped their throat out.
"Wow, when Nero said they were still dangerous she wasn't kidding." Tatsuko said.
The three of them watched as the lions heard a whistle, and returned to the tree lines. The three of them then covered their ears for what came next.
Step three; Nuke them.
Liz was the first one up. The Lancer activated her Noble Phantasm, the soundwaves ripping through the undead soldiers that Linus and Mr. Mittens did not take care of. Vlad was next, impaling all of the undead soldiers in his area.
The sound of a portal opening caused them all to look up, and the three people on the cliff watched as undead soldiers fell from high up in the sky, and to the ground below. Ritsuka couldn't help but whimper at the sight. Tatsuko put a hand on the black haired teen's shoulder before opening up a telepathic link.
"Hey Malgus, can you open up a portal to bring Ritsuka to your location?" She asked. "Preferably close to Mashu."
The sound of a portal opening behind them answered that question. Ritsuka ran towards the portal, until he was behind the same treeline as Rob, and knelt down beside the goblin. Mashu glanced at his direction, only to scowl at Malgus as she fought alongside Leonidas to give Nobunaga some cover.
"I am sorry Senpai." She said telepathically. "I asked Malgus to NOT open a portal that high up, but he did not listen."
"No need to apologize." Ritsuka replied telepathically. "By the way, where is he anyway?"
"Remember when Fou wasn't happy to see Malgus when we first met him? I decided to let Fou "play" with him for now."
The sound of screaming made Ritsuka turn to his left, and saw Fou ferociously attacking Malgus on the ground, the young mage tried to fight back, but Fou's sheer determination prevented any victory for him. The male Master knew that he should not take amusement in the suffering of others, but he'll just let it slide just this once. Rob and Wag walked over to Ritsuka, and handed him some water.
"Wag? Weren't you supposed to be farther up the path?" Ritsuka asked.
"Just got back." Wag answered. "There wasn't much to do so I decided to come back here to see what I can do to help."
Ritsuka smiled. "Well thanks. We all owe you guys."
"Hey, don't sweat it." Rob said.
"Ritsuka, we have a problem!" Tatsuko shouted telepathically. "Astolfo just got on his hippogriff and is now flying around the camp! He's too early and now Jing Ke left!"
"Oh, well don't worry about it." Ritsuka said back to her. "It just means the next part is going to be a little early is all."
"And is Nero part of this? Because I just got word she's going with them."
"It is." Ritsuka answered. "Nero wanted to face her uncle, so Malgus enhanced her physical capabilities just for this."
"But Boudicca is part of that group….."
"You need to have a little faith." Ritsuka said. "They all know the next part."
Step four; Attack the target.
Nero stared down at her uncle calmly. The fight into the camp was easy thanks to Boudicca and Spartacus' efforts. And now all that was left was for the three of them to fight Caligula, and end the campaign in Gaul for good.
"I know that negotiating with you in your state is impossible." Nero said. "So there is no point in speaking to you, uncle. I promise this will be quick."
Caligula roared, and then charged at Nero. Boudicca immediately reacted, and blocked the attack with her shield. Nero took the opportunity to thrust her sword at the Berserker, cutting him on the cheek. Caligula snarled and kicked Boudicca into Nero, knocking the two women down. Spartacus lunged at the Berserker and punched him, causing Caligula to be pushed back after blocking it. The purple haired Berserker charged at Spartacus, but Boudicca slammed her shield into him, disorienting him for a moment while Spartacus and Nero sliced into Caligula's arms. The purple haired Berserker smacked Nero to the ground, but Boudicca was quick to retaliate by cutting into Caligula's armor. Spartacus kicked Caligula into a tent. The purple haired Berserker had only enough time to roll away as Spartacus leapt into the air and lunged at him with his sword. Caligula punched the blonde Berserker in the face, causing Spartacus to recoil from the force and impact. Caligula then repeatedly punched Spartacus in the gut, and then proceeded to uppercut him in the face.
The moment Spartacus went down, Boudicca sliced into Caligula's back. The Berserker launched himself at the Rider, his fists encased in red lightning. Boudicca dodged his first punch, and cut into his thigh. The red haired woman then ducked under his left hook, she then proceeded to launch a strike at the neck of the Berserker in an attempt to finish the fight, stabbing it from side to side, only for Caligula to kick her away and rip the sword out of his neck.
"Just what do I need to do to kill you!?" She yelled at the Berserker, a scream of pure rage and murderous intent. Nero leapt at the Berserker, and stabbed him into the shoulder. Caligula grunted and threw his niece onto the ground, and prepared to smash her face with his fist when Spartacus grabbed him and ran through the tent. The two Berserkers collided with multiple tents, with Caligula smashing his fists into Spartacus's back, but it did not seem to have an effect on him. The moment they were free from the last tent, Spartacus tossed him into a throne. Caligula did not have time to react as Spartacus, Boudicca and Nero raised their blades, and stabbed him in his chest, gut and throat.
The Berserker roared in anger, before tossing them, and their weapons, to the ground. Nero got up from the ground, and rubbed her nose, wiping the blood off.
"This oppressor is not as weak as I thought." Spartacus said.
"Well I am pleasantly surprised Astolfo's early arrival didn't derail our plan." Boudicca said.
"Of course things are going well." Nero said proudly. "Ritsuka and Jing Ke did plan everything after all."
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but for once I agree with you." Boudicca replied.
Caligula roared, causing the sky to darken. The three combatants readied their weapons.
"Looks like he's done playing around." Boudicca said.
"Get ready." Nero said. "Spartacus, if Boudicca attacks me when the moon comes, please kill her."
"That might be a little too uncalled for….." Spartacus muttered. The three of them went silent as the full moon appeared before them. Boudicca started to groan and grit her teeth as Caligula snarled at them. Spartacus took a deep breath and looked to the sky.
"Astolfo, it's time!" Spartacus said telepathically.
"On it!"
No sooner did he say that did the Rider fly over them, his spellbook in hand, and magical runes fell to the ground, curing Boudicca of her impending madness. Caligula watched as Astolfo flew around each area, dispelling the madness from everyone. Caligula snarled in anger as Astolfo flew back to the camp, and leapt off his hippogriff and onto the ground. The group smiled as the most important part of the plan was a success.
Step five; Neutralize the enemy's Noble Phantasm.
Caligula roared in anger, and charged at the four combatants. Astolfo summoned his lance, but Caligula grabbed the Rider by the neck, and threw him to the ground. Spartacus was quick on the draw, and cut Caligula's arm. The purple haired Berserker roared in pain before kicking the blonde berserker back, but before he could continue his assault, Nero and Astolfo, now off the ground, cut into his back while Boudicca slammed her shield into his side. The purple haired Berserker kicked his niece and Astolfo away in rapid succession before slamming his remaining fist into her gut. The red haired Rider fell to her knees, staring up as Caligula prepared to stomp on her face. But the attack never came, for two slashes appeared on his chest, forcing him to stumble back as Sanson and Jing Ke materialized.
"Right on time you two." Boudicca said.
Sanson knelt down and healed the Rider. "I already took care of Nero and Astolfo."
Boudicca nodded and got up, and stood alongside the rest of the group. It was now time to finish this once and for all.
Final step: Finish him.
Jing Ke went first, and stabbed Caligula in the eye. Caligula roared and swung wildly at the Assassin, but Jing Ke dodged each strike, slashing him in the side, arm and shin before leaping out of the way as the Berserker slammed his fist in the ground. Astolfo slammed his shoulder into Caligula, knocking him down. As he got up, Nero ran to Astolfo and reached out to him. The Rider took her hand, and threw the blond emperor at her uncle. Nero landed near her uncle and lunged at him, cutting his hamstrings. Caligula used his remaining arm to knock her back, but left himself open for Sanson and Boudicca to strike him with their blades multiple times. Caligula swung his arm wildly, forcing the two of them to step back a bit. However, this was a mistake for Caligula, for if he was paying attention, he would have noticed the huge Berserker behind him.
SCHLICK!
Caligula grunted and looked down to see a sword in his gut. He looked up and saw Spartacus looking down on him. The blonde Berserker pulled his sword out, and walked in front of him. The group watched as Caligula breathed heavily, it was obvious that he could not fight anymore.
"Ne…ro….."
Nero's eyes widened. Caligula stared at her, but the rage and madness was gone. In its place was warmth and love. It was as if he was back to how he was when she was a child, when he would dote upon her.
"Uncle…"
Astolfo put a hand on her shoulder and stared at her sympathetically. Sanson walked up to the blonde emperor with a calm expression. "I will do it. You shouldn't be forced to kill your uncle."
"But the Great Founder would probably want me to-"
"If that is what he wants, then we can just fight this war without him." Boudicca said.
Nero looked at the group for a moment, before returning her attention to Sanson, and nodded reluctantly. The blonde emperor stepped back, and towards Jing Ke. Sanson took a deep breath, stepped forward and saluted to Caligula with his blade. The Berserker gave a small nod, knowing what was to come.
"Executing the sentence."
A large guillotine appeared before Caligula, and various shadowy hands took hold of him, gently holding him in place. The Berserker closed his eyes, and waited for Sanson to finish.
"La Mort Espoir."
The result was immediate. The blade of the guillotine came down, and decapitated Caligula in one swift strike. His head rolled to the ground for a moment, before it, and his body faded into golden dust. Tears fell from Nero's face as she watched her uncle fade. As soon as the last dust particle dissipated, she walked away as the sun returned to its original position.
Day 26
The Chaldeans, their allies and Nero finished their packing. The rising sun was beautiful from where they stood. They all turned to the goblins and smiled. The goblins smiled back, with Moe taking a step forward.
"Thanks for gettin' rid of the United Empire from our doorstep!" He said.
"Ah shucks, it was no problem at all!" Tatsuko said. "Thank you for helping us in getting rid of them!"
Bert looked at Jing Ke sternly. "You better watch your drinking while on the road, you hear?"
Jing Ke rolled her eyes playfully. "I'll be fine."
Mashu couldn't help but giggle at the exchange before she and the two Masters looked at Rob and Wag.
"I hope you two can get to see home soon." Mashu said.
Rob smiled. "And I hope we get to see each other again sometime!"
"Good luck on your journey!" Wag said.
"Thanks, Wag." Ritsuka said.
"Come on everyone!" Malgus shouted. "We have to get moving!"
Fou growled at him, but calmed down as soon as Ritsuka rubbed his chin. The Trio and the Chaldeans looked back at the goblins, and waved their goodbyes as they walked to the edge of the woods, and onto the pathway to their next destination. As they did so, Nero could not help but smile as she stroked her lion's manes and stared at the sun, a huge weight lifted off her shoulders.
The United Empire's days were now numbered.