Hi everyone and welcome back to chapter 23 of the story! Get something to eat if you want and let's start it!
DISCLAIMER: All the Nasuverse characters belong to Nasu and are property of Type-Moon, with the exception of the OC's that belong to me, the author.
"Hey dad, what exaclty are stars? And why there are so many of them up in the sky?"
"You see Peko, every star up there represents every individual dreams and ambitions. They look endless because it also contains the dreams of people from long ago from the past and all the way to the present. The ones that shine brightly, are the ones with the most powerful of dreams and ambitions."
"Wow. That sounds amazing."
"Also, why do the stars only appear at night?"
"...Well, that's because people usually sleep and dream at night. No one would spend a day full of light in bed haha. Hence why for the stars only appearing at night Nala. The darkness of the night altough may appear scary, are the things that invite and teach the stars to coexist. It's existence is as important as light."
"Oh! A shooting star!"
"Hey dad, dad! And what are shooting stars? What do they mean?"
"Hmm, when a shooting star appears, it means someone's dreams have become true, and so their star existence is no longer needed in the sky. It's purpose has been fulfilled."
"Then that's sad."
"Why do you say that Nala?"
"Because there is plenty of them right now. Wich means many people still haven't accomplished their dreams."
"That might be true. Some dreams would take more than one life to make it become real, or the opportunity just wasn't presented itself while these people where alive. However, if their star is still there, it means their dream is still alive, eventually to descent to Earth when their respective individual attains it's dream through the ambition. People's dreams will eventually become true, even if takes several lifes to do so."
"Then, where's your star dad? Has it already fallen a long time ago?"
"Heh, yes it has Peko. My dream has already came down in it's shooting star."
"Really? Then what was your dream dad?"
"Easy. To have two kids that would never stop making questions to their father haha. Here goes!"
"H-Hey! Hahahaha."
"Who's ready for some flight?"
"Me! Ready when you are dad!"
"Alright! Hang tight you two!"
And so, the father brought his children to make a journey at the stars company while running across the wide opened rooftop, with it's steps touching the grass as he carried both kids on each arm while running. It eventually reached it's destination, with the father lying in the middle of his two children in the grass as they all continued to stare at the nightsky.
"Hey. Listen carefully you two. I need to tell you something..."
"What is it dad?"
"When...I'm no longer here and-"
"Don't start with that talk! Just please, don't!"
"...Heh. Then, if I happen to get into a very good sleep, one that will take me some time to wake up, and you two get into some kind of trouble, make sure to take care of each other's back, understood?"
"Hm! Understood dad!"
"You can count on us!"
"Always stand with your head tall, no matter the adversity and remember: That I'll always love you, Peko, Nala."
Opening his eyes slowly, Peko looked at the ceilling from the bedroom that was given to him and Nala by Nero and Seneca. What the boy had dreamed, couldn't just be that. It was way more than a mere dream. Everything felt so real, so believable, so credible to be only a product from Peko's mind. Of course Peko now was wearing a bandage on his head due to his fighting earlier that day and maybe he was just imagining things. Everyone, specially Nala, got worried about the condition in wich he had arrived. Peko felt that telling about that alley's existence near Seneca and Nero wouldn't be the most wise thing to do, moreso that the two may had not believe him.
So instead, Peko told a small lie that he was actually attacked by some group of kids that threw stones at him. Altough he doubted that the lie would sold on all of them, Nala wanted to immediatly go after those kids for what they did to him, only for Seneca to quickly dismiss it and change everyone's attention to the dinner they were about to have.
"There's no way it could be any other person." A tiny smile appeard on the boy's face. "Even if I couldn't see his face or vaguely remember him, this was definetly a memory. A memory of a person I called dad." Peko then turned his head to the side. "Sis was also there." Peko said to himself, as he saw Nala sleeping in her own bed with a happy smile on her face. Something could say that she was also having a pleasent dream. Peko smile grew a bit. "Are you perhaps having the same dream, Nala?"
Outside of the palace, Mash was in one of the building's balcony, looking to the city of Rome below and the area around. She decided to spend sometime looking at the view since she wasn't feeling the need to sleep yet. And what happened to Peko was bothering her. Even if the boy told them it was just some kids trying to mess with him, she suspected that wasn't true or the whole thing. Ritsuka and Nala tought the same. A group of kids wouldn't be so cruel to the point of making injuries and wounds on Peko's body and that he himself wouldn't let someone such as kids hjs age to beat him up, specially with a sword now.
"Was he perhaps attacked? But that would mean that something hostile is wandering inside Rome. It's hard for me to believe that. This city seemed secured of any enemy attack. Was it something else then?" As Mash was thinking more and more about the situation, she ignored Seneca's presence who had just arrived at the balcony.
"Does something concern you Miss Kyrielight?" Seneca asked Mash, making his presence noticeble to the shielder.
"Oh! Seneca-san I'm sorry! I didn't saw you coming." Mash apologized to the old philosopher. "But it's true that something concerns me. It's about the situation that envolved Peko today..."
Seneca took some steps forward. "Thankfully he's alive and well. No permanent damage that could put the boy's life at danger. Altough I presume you are thinking more on what he told you."
"What Peko told sounded a bit off to me and the rest of the group. I doubt that kids could hurt someone like this just for pure fun." Mash told the senator. "That doesnt make much sense to me."
"Kids sometimes tend to be cruel without knowing how much pain they are causing. All that matters to them is having fun, no matter if someone is hurt or not." Seneca told Mash. "But at the end of the day, they are still kids. Once old and mature enough they will look back at these moments as regrettable things in their lives. Learning from your own mistakes is one of life's many essences."
"Learning from my own mistakes huh? Is that what maturing and growing means? To become someone who recognizes it's own mistakes?" Mash tought. "Then, does Seneca-san believe that what the kids did to Peko wasn't really out of malice?"
"Well, as I can say that their actions were indeed bad, their minds never tought of a 'what we are doing is bad?'. They think only about 'what I'm doing is entertaining and amusing to me, so I must keep doing it'."
"Then what if a kid knows what they are doing is bad but still does it?" Mash asked Seneca.
"That means the kid prioritizes it's own enjoyment over others well being. That's why guidance and education are very important things. Mentors and older people will help the younger to shape and define their morals as well as what is good and bad in this world. History is a big event that each generation creates it's own pages until passing down onto the next one. The people and environment surrounding the youngster is what will mold it into the person that it is today." Seneca told Mash, putting his hands on the balcony's fence. "Growing up from one's mistakes and mature however, is totally on the individual's responsability and choice. You don't drown on a river by falling in it. You drown because you choosed to stay in it."
"People that surround me as well as the environment, is what helps me shape into what I am today..." Mash closed her eyes and reminded herself of some memories, resulting in a small smirk and chuckle from her. "The education he gave me truly helped in molding what I am today."
"Did this conversation awakened good memories, Miss Kyrielight?" Seneca asked her with a smile on his face, seeing that the shielder's smile was of someone who had a great mentor figure to guide her.
"Yeah. You made me realize Seneca-san..." Mash looked at the stars up above in the sky. "How lucky I was to have people who cared for me in the beggining and still do now. And that I also want to grow and learn from possible mistakes. How can I help my team even more than now. Heh, deep down, I guess we are all feeling that." Mash stared at her own hand. "Senpai, Peko and Nala also want to do their best. As a friend and member of the group, I'll do my best as well!"
"That is a pleasent thing to hear." Seneca said happily. "I can tell that you were raised and mentored well." He brushed his beard.
Before Mash could say thanks to Seneca, she spoted a scroll underneath the old man's armpit. "Excuse me about the question but, what does Seneca-san bring there?"
Hearing loud and clear, Seneca took the scroll out of his armpit. "A poem for emperor Nero." Seneca put an hand closed to his face and approached to Mash. "No one know this but she requests me to read her some poems at night right before she sleeps in her bed." He whispered.
Mash found that very cute. "Hehe, that sounds lovely. What type of poems do you read to her?"
"Majority of the times is about the Praetor's greatness herself. But I also read her some epics about the great ancestors of the empire as well as other tales and feats. It has been like this ever since I became her advisor. It has been difficult to think of new poems without recicling some ideas lately." Seneca scratched his head.
Mash saw that he and Nero had a deep connection, one that has been present throughout Nero's entire life and a quarter of Seneca's. Wherever Nero went, Seneca was always with her most of the time. The two knew each other almost as family. And Nero also seemed to care for her advisor's well being. As much as she was the main star of the empire, Seneca also shined brightly next to her as the secondary protagonist.
"She is a good person, you know?" Seneca said to Mash, not looking at her. "She is a good girl, despite of what you may have tought of her when arriving here. One that wants to be an incredible artist and bring smiles and joy to the people of the empire through her art. I know it sounds too egotistical of her, but Nero genuinely believes in that. If the people are smilling due to her presence and art, it means to her she is doing a good job as an emperor. All that she wants in the end, is to feel loved and approval by everyone, as that is what I, her, and everyone believes an emperor and ruler should be: a figure loved by everyone."
"So that's her way of thinking." Mash looked to the floor. "I honestly can see where she's coming from with that. But the way she behaved was kinda odd when we met her. The way she was so angry at that one person..."
"These last two months have been stressing her out. Many problems and insecurities have appeard. An enemy with almost as much power as us, some reports of an epidemic starting and people getting sick everyday and also this thing with the christians. All of this makes her uncomfortable and nervous. She even drinks endlessly from that cup recently as a way to endure all of this. Nero fears that the presence of Christianity may take the attention and love of the people away from her, hence why she hunts them so obsessively." Seneca sighed. "I myself don't care much about the religious aspect of one person. But to Nero, none should devot themselves to another god and beliefs that isn't her or the empire's beliefs. Doing art is her way to cope. As her personal advisor and only senator, I try to keep her calm and the things in control." Seneca sadly looked at Mash. "Altough, I don't know if I can keep like this for much longer."
"That's terrible." Mash said in lament. It looked like the Roman Empire was on the verge of collapsing with all this. And Mash knew that if the Roman Empire went down in this specific age, there wouldn't be anymore humanity or Human Order. "I hope our presence here can help to ease the things a little."
"It surely turns the problem against our enemy a bit easier to manage." Seneca looked at the scroll on his hand. "And speaking of it, I council you to rest now Miss Kyrielight. Tomorrow you'll need to be in the best conditions for the battle at Mount Etna. Staying awake at late hours would only prejudice your performance."
Despite Mash wanting to continue her talk with Seneca, she had to agree that it was best for her to go to sleep now rather than being awake for the entirety of the night. "Perhaps I really should. Either way, it was a pleasure talking to you Seneca-san. You made me think of some things on another perspective. Good night."
"Good night to you too."
Then the tomorrow arrived and the Chaldea group alongside Jing Ke, Spartacus and Lu Bu would start their journey to Sicillia, Mount Etna, where their enemy awaited. Behind them there was a whole legion at their disposal, ready to help them at the battle. It really showed the man power of that the empire had. As for Nero and Seneca, the two would stay behind in Rome.
"You sure you don't want to go Emperor Nero? Your presence would be very up lifting to the soldiers." Ritsuka asked to the emperor before going for his horse.
"I already decided umu!" Nero responded with certainty as she took a sip from her cup. "The sheer fact that they are all sons of the empire and fight for it, is enough motivation. They were all well casted by me and Seneca to help you in what will be a victory for us."
"Is everything around her a theatre play?" Nala asked to Peko and Mash who were next to her.
"Seems so. Perhaps that's how rulers of nations see things." Peko said, wondering what felt like to be in such position of power as Nero.
"We don't know what goes in a person's mind so who knows?" Mash told them, but after that talk with Seneca she couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for Nero. Like doing art, perhaps this was another way of the emperor to relief herself.
"At least she's very happy. So something good must be." Nala said, watching Nero's happy gestures and expressions. "I think it makes sense for the leader to show positivity to it's men before a battle. I mean, no one would like to see their leader down and pessimistic before a battle that's for sure."
"Yep. And the huge numbers we have on our side must boost the moral way up. They clearly look more confident and cheerful than many soldiers we saw in France." Peko commented, seeing how large was the army that was willing to fight for the empire and Nero.
"They indeed seem to respect her a lot." Mash said.
Seneca who was with Nero, explained the why she would be staying behind. "The emperor decided to stay here due to bussiness she must attend to in the city. We both agreed that the presence of the emperor here with the defenseless civillians is more important." Seneca smiled to Ritsuka. "We also believe that you and the rest of the generals will be able to guide the army during the battle. Our trust is in you, mages from the future."
"Geez! No pressure or anything." Ritsuka felt a bit flattered. "I-I'll do my best! We promise to come back with a victory, Seneca and Emperor Nero!"
"That's what I like to hear umu!" Nero was pleased by Ritsuka's words, putting the cup aside after taking another sip. "It even makes me do a little speech. So Seneca if you don't mind..."
Seneca nodded his head. "You can do the honor my Praetor."
Nero proceeded to look on the large army that was in front of her. She cleared her throat and saw that it was now the moment where the spotlight would be focused on her. So, she proclaimed loud and clear. "My ligion!" She shouted, making everyone quiet and stare at her. "What are you?"
"CITIZENS AND CHILDREN OF ROME!"
The words were spoken loudly and clear by the collective voices of the soldiers. It was enough to send chills to the enemy, if they were present at the moment.
"What is your duty?" Nero asked to her army again.
"FIGHT AND DIE FOR THE GLORY OF ROME!"
"What do we do to the enemy?"
"ANNIHALATE THEM WITH THE STRENGHT OF ROME!"
"Is there any opponent that can conquer or stop our centuries of grandeur?"
"NO! ROME IS INCONQUISTABLE AND WILL ALWAYS BE! IT'S THE WILL OF THE GODS!"
Nero clapped to the response of her soldiers. "Good! Excellent! Whorty of serving as the swords and shields of the empire!" She then stopped clapping. "However, there is now an enemy who thinks that we can be defeated. That we can be conquered! One that wants to strip us from the glory! Wanting to burn and destroy everything that our great ancestors built during these last centuries! It hides behind the figures of great respect in our past, in hopes to deceive and separate us! Are we going to let them do that?"
"NO!"
"Then go forth my soldiers! To Mount Etna, where will shall make the enemy realize how bad of a mistake it was to try and conquer those who can't be conquered! Now all with me! GLORIA AD ROMAM!"
"GLORIA AD ROMAM!!!!"
The entire legion raised their voices as well as weapons in the air and cheered in a big euphoria, the noise being comperable to that of a football stadium.
All of the Chaldea group stood in awe seeing how much effect Nero's speech had on the whole army.
"Wow! I'm not even roman but that left me an impression." Nala commented.
"It kinda gives a certain emotion. But I don't know what it is." Peko said, touching his own chest.
"I guess that you are feeling patriotism." Ritsuka said as he was now reunited woth the rest of the group.
"Patriotism? What is that?" Nala questioned Ritsuka.
"It's wanting to fight and protect your homeland, kingdom, country, etc." Ritsuka told to the boy. "You want to make sure it prospers and no harm comes to with, like if you were defending your own house from a fire or thiefs."
Nala looked intrigued by that idea. "Oooh! Do you think our homeland also makes us feel patriotic Peko?" She asked to her brother.
"I don't have a way to know since we can't remember where we even came from, but I'd like to imagine it could also makes us feel like what these soldiers are feeling." Peko said to his sister. "I wonder if our homeland has a ruler and what type they are or would be. Also if Nero feels so much her people and empire, then why those people in the alley looked so miserable?"
"I never experienced that sensation Senpai." Mash said to Ritsuka. "This might be the first time feeling it. It must be a nice thing to feel your own nation like this."
Ritsuka was confused. "Wait! You didn't know what patriotism was before this Mash?"
Mash blushed a bit in shame. "...No."
"Well, looks like I also know things that you don't." Ritsuka smiled. "But if you want, I can teach somethings."
Mash smiled back. "Oh, I'd love that mas- I mean, yeah of course."
Nala giggled. "Someone looks way too eager." She then turned to Ritsuka. "Altough I can't lie that I also would want to learn things that I may have forgotten."
"I too would like that. There's probably many things I had forgot about. What do you say about teaching us, Ritsuka?" Peko asked to his friend.
"H-hey easy there! I'm not a teacher here! Besides, Romani and Da Vinci would be more suited to explain some more complex things than I." Ritsuka said, feeling overwhelmed by the requests.
Seneca clapped to Nero's speech as the two walked torwards the Chaldea group. "Brilliant performance my emperor. Your words were well spoken. I couldn't have chosen better myself."
Nero smiled cheerfuly. "Thank you Seneca! I took some inspiration from your works too! So my words were also yours! But damn did all that shouting left me a bit hoarse." She said before taking a refreshing gulp of her cup. "Hah! Much better umu!"
Seneca proceeded to look at the Chaldea group. "Now I assume all of you are ready. Mount your horses and good luck my friends. Me and Nero will be counting on you."
"Understood Seneca!" Ritsuka said. "I won't let you down." The master of humanity said as he went to mount the horse they had given him...only to fall from it in mere seconds.
"Ritsuka are you alright?" Peko went to check on him.
"Well, that was a dreadful first attempt." Nala tried to contain her laughter as she also went to help alongside Mash who moved her head in dissapointment.
"You should have asked for lessons first master." She sighed.
Meanwhile Seneca laughed. "Hahahahaha! You reminded me of the first time I saw emperor Nero trying to ride an horse!"
Nero immediatly tried to shush him. "O-Oi Seneca! That was supposed to be a secret damn it!"
Even the hologram of Doctor Romani appeard to laugh. "Pffffffffhahahahaha! That would definetly enter in some sort of fail videos compilation haha!"
"Like those video compilations of MagiMari you were watching when I first met you?" Ritsuka replied with a smug to the doctor.
"...You win this time, Ritsuka Fujimaru."
A day had passed ever since the Chaldea group alongside the three other servants and the army were on their way to Mount Etna. They would lead the long and large line of roman soldiers behind them, making some stops to eat or drink every five hours. Thankfully, the weather was nice and places they would pass by were beautiful, making these journey less tedious.
Mash and Peko were sitting both on the same horse with Ritsuka and Nala on another horse. Jing Ke was following them right behind with Spartacus and Lu Bu staying more down the line.
"Do you not feel tired of walking all these miles by yourself Jing Ke?" Peko asked to the chinese assassin.
"Hehe, no worries. Walking for long periods with no pause for us servants is of no consequence. We can't feel tired by doing it." Jing Ke responded. "Our bodies are normally way stronger and resilient than that of a normal human."
"Then you are able to lift a giant rock with no problems?" Nala asked her.
"Every servant is able to do it. Even the weaker ones." Jing Ke said, telling the different aspects of physical strenght of servants and normal humans.
"Then every servant must be pretty strong! Is a human even capable of defeating them?" Nala asked.
"An average one has no chance, but an average magus has against weaker ones." Mash said. "It all depends of the mana and training that the human mage can do to reach the same physical status of a servant."
"Then that means servants are in a league of their own." Ritsuka commented.
"Correct. If an average human went to fight a servant, even the most weak of them would win against the human 100% of the times. Now if it's a human mage that can cast spells and use magecraft, it can have very great chances against weaker servants and even average ones."
"Then how powerful can a servant be?" Peko asked with curiosity.
Jing Ke smiled evily. "Powerful enough to blow up the enitre planet with one attack."
All of the Chaldea group stared at her in horror, seeing that servants could be that broken in power.
Jing Ke then started to laugh all happily. "No worries! I may be a servant but I don't have that kind of power. Even Spartacus and Lu Bu that are the strongest we have here don't reach to those levels of destruction." She looked to the two giant servants behind. "I myself am more agile than raw strenght."
"Thank god we didn't face any servant of that kind yet." Ritsuka said in relief. "We would stand no chance."
"Doctor told us that the journey would get harder as we went further sooooo, I think we will face that type of servant sooner or later." Nala said a bit nervous. "We can barely go toe to toe with a normal servant. In France we were lucky that we had other servants on our side too. But facing off a enemy that can blow up the whole planet?! We better be prepared for when that time comes." Nala remembered that time she broke the chain while being held captive by the Dragon Witch. "A normal human wouldn't be able to do that, would it?"
"Yeah. Whatever happens we need to get ready for that!" Ritsuka said to the rest. "As the enemies will get stronger alongside the journey, so will we!"
"Well that's why we've been training." Peko said. "The mere tought of such destructive power existing is...frightening. But we just can't cower in fear like that. Ritsuka and Mash are on a mission to save humanity and me and Nala decided to help them! It's too late to regret a choice like that. I promise Ritsuka to help him until the end!"
Seeing that the Chaldea group was starting to talk between each other, Jing Ke decided to leave. "I'll go check the things with Spartacus and Lu Bu. If anything happens on the front call me, okay?"
"Understood Jing Ke-san." Mash said as the assassin went down the line.
"So this isn't your first time on a horse Nala?" Ritsuka asked to the girl that was sitting in front of him.
"Already had some bit of experience back in France." Nala responded. "Feels nice doing it. Horses are quite the beautiful animals." She patted the horse's neck.
"I never tought I would ride one ever in my life. Nowdays it's kinda difficult." Ritsuka told her.
"Hm? Why? Everywhere we went had a lot of horses." Nala asked confused.
"Well, it's that there are now things like cars and other vehicles that move a lot faster than a horse. No offense buddy." Ritsuka said to the horse.
"Really? How fast are they?" Peko asked to Ritsuka.
"It depends of the type and model of the car. Some can go very fast. The fastest one can travel at the speed of sound if I remember correctly."
Both kids were surprised by such information. Specially Nala.
"I-Is that faster than the speed of light? Can any car reach that?" She asked to Ritsuka.
"Nope. That would be awsome thou. The light is the fastest thing ever, so it's pretty impossible that any normal car even with the highest technology can reach that speed. It travels way beyond our eye sight."
Nala heard with attention. "I need to reach that speed again. I did it somehow that time and I'll do it again."
"Then that means we would be at Mount Etna in seconds instead of traveling for a whole day! That's crazy." Peko said.
"That's the speed of light for you." Mash said with a smile.
Some minutes passed as they were now passing through a bridge that connected the two sides of a river. The group was a bit silent, choosing to look at their surroundings and see what nature had to show them. The landscape while being almost the same as France, it was also nice to stare at.
As Mash was enjoying the moment, she noticed something on Peko's face. The boy seemed to be thinking on something very deeply. Was it perhaps something related with that time Peko went alone to Rome? "Is something bothering you Peko?" She asked him.
"...Yes." Peko told her.
Ritsuka and Nala were also hearing it. "It wasn't some random kids who did those injuries to you was it?" Ritsuka said.
"Hmmmm..." Peko didn't know if he should tell, since it could create some damage to their allience with Nero.
"Please say it Peko. I want to know." Nala told him. "Whatever it was we're here for you."
"Nala's right." Mash put a hand on Peko's shoulder. "It will be hard to work as a group if some of us keep secrets from the others. So please tell us, so that we can help you out."
With everyone of the group wanting Peko to tell the truth of what happened at that moment and believing on Mash's words, he decided to spit it out. "What actually happened when I went to the city, was that I went to some dark alley as a shortcut for the paint store. In there I saw some people that were in such horrible sick state, almost if they were not even living. They all mistaken me for Nero and begged for my help. To take them out of the misery. Then I was attacked by three roman soldiers. Except, they didn't even looked alive. Like if they were..."
"Zombies?" Ritsuka speculated.
"Yeah. Fortunately I was able to fight them off and escape that alley. But ever since then, I can't stop but think of the faces of those poor people and their pleads. Rome looked like such a beautiful city, so to see that is just shocking."
Mash, Ritsuka and Nala all heard in apprehension, not expecting literal zombies to wander among Rome.
"Well, every city has it's poor zone with the homeless and all but that sounds way more serious." Ritsuka said.
"And Nero does nothing about it? Who let's such things happen like that in their own city?!" Nala said a bit angered. To think her brother could've died because the emperor decided to not deal with such problems was honestly making her blood boil.
"The area was denied to anyone's entrance, so it's not like everyone could walk there." Peko tried to calm down his sister. "But still, to let sick people to rot there and with zombis...maybe she didn't knew all the details."
"Seneca told me that signs of a plague is starting to appear in the city." Mash revealed to them. "You have entered in a quarentine zone Peko. And it would make sense for them to not alert about the zombies to the rest of the population. It would be utter chaos. But I do agree that a situation like that should be treated more properly. Locking the area and just ignore it won't be good for the situation."
"There wasn't a plague that happened way before that black death one? And right around the time of the Roman Empire?" Ritsuka asked to Mash, triying to remember about any plague cases that he has heard of.
Mash tought for a second before reaching to the answer. "The Justinianic plague. The first ever major outrbreak of a plague in the world. It's also the world most old pandemic known to mankind."
Before Mash could say anything more, the hologram of Doctor Romani appeard. "Wait wait wait! It doesn't make sense! The time periods don't match! That plague won't happen until the next five centuries from where you are now! And by that time half of the Roman Empire didn't no longer exist and the other half changed to the Byzantine Empire." Romani was sweating, trying to think how could something that was yet to happen in the distant future, was happening now.
"Another anomaly of the Singularity then!" Peko said. "Things are happening way before they should!"
"Right! Something tells me this Singularity is already changing. The history of this era is being slowly distorted. The persecution of christians and now the Justinianic plague. All happening at the same time isn't good." Ritsuka said, seeing that the creation of another empire to rival the Roman Empire wasn't perhaps the weirdest thing here.
"And Seneca is the only senator right now. But of what I was told a Senate is much more than just one man, right? That also doesn' make sense. Like, what happened to the others?" Nala put the question of Seneca being the sole senator at the time in question.
"True. He also never become a senator so that counts as another anomaly." Mash said. "This Singularity looks a lot more broken than the one in France. The only thing that didn't make sense and wasn't supposed to exist was the alter of Jeanne D'arc, but here there are many more odd things that shouldn't exist. At least not in this year or time."
"Damnit! This is bad! The Roman Empire won't be able to resist to all this problems happening at the same time!" Romani said clearly worried. "While not as bad as the Black Death plague, the Justinianic plague was also devastating for it's time, wiping out millions of people. If a plague like that happens at this age of the Roman Empire, where the medicine isn't very advanced, and adding the other problems...Yeah, the civilization of the Roman Empire totally falls and humanity goes extinct. We must avoid that, understood guys?"
"Understood!" They all exclaimed.
"We should tell Seneca and Nero about this after the battle Senpai." Mash told Ritsuka, thinking that they should inform the two.
"Sure! They must know something about this. We need to demand some answers for why this Singularity is screwed up." Nala agreed with Mash.
"I don't know why, but something tells me they may not share any information they may know with us." Peko felt a little skeptical.
"Either way, we need to get some answers." Ritsuka said. "But first we need to focus on the battle ahead."
"The map tells me you are almost there. You must arrive at Mount Etna in 2 hours. Good luck guys." Romani informed.
At the start of the night, the had finally arrived it to Mount Etna. Or at least to it's foot. After stepping the sandy grounds of the beach, they went inside the local village on their way to get near to the Mount Etna. All the civillians had either abandoned the area or locked themselves inside their houses. They knew that a battle was about to start.
The volcano of Mount Etna was quite lively, with it's lava dripping from it's center and going all the way down. The hot temperature could be felt in the air despite of being the beggining of the night. The moon was even clouded by the smoke coming out of the volcano.
"Finally here." Ritsuka said, arriving to their distination after quite the long journey they made on their horses to reach here.
"And there they are." Peko said, pointing at a large group of people that were standing a little higher on the Mount Etna.
From above they all saw the soldiers of the enemy, as ready to fight as the soldiers from their side. Altough shorter than their army, the enemy had almost the same number of soldiers as them.
But what caught attention of the group, were two persons that stood out from the rest.
The first was a tall adult man with short dark blue hair, full red iris that stood out in his black eyes. The man had a very well built stature, wearing an incomplete set of golden and black armour alongside a very worn out red cape. He was obviously the general of the army there and their main target to take down, the emperor that came before Nero and also her uncle, Caligula.
"Nero..." The former emperor said in a vedy bland tone, looking down at the enemies that came for him.
"Sorry to dissapoint you, but it looks like she didn't come with them." Said the person next to Caligula.
A woman with a long greyish blue hair and green eyes. The woman herself looked more she was going to a fashion show than a battle with the clothes she was wearing. It was very modern for the era she was in. Wearing leather trousers and a jacket as well as very golden pieces of jewelry on her clothes. One could mistake her for a fashion model.
"Anyway, ready to beat the crap out of them?" The woman asked to Caligula.
"..." The man didn't respond, instead choosing to only grunt.
"I take that as a yes." The woman smiled sheepishly.
Ritsuka looked at his group. "Alright guys. You ready? Just like in France."
"Ready to engage on combat master!" Mash said, preparing her shield in fighting mode.
"Count me ready!" Nala said, summoning her sword.
Peko did the same. "Ready to battle!"
Ritsuka then looked at Jing Ke. "Jing Ke, are you and the others ready to fight?"
Jing Ke nodded in affirmation. "Yes we are. Spartacus and Lu Bu are-"
"Let's destroy the opressors Lu Bu! Come with me on our odyssey for liberation!"
Spartacus yeld excited as he and Lu Bu both screamed and advanced into the enemy troops, not waiting for any orders to attack, resulting in a dissapointed Jing Ke and a very confused Ritsuka. The noises of the two Berserkers euphoria was the only thing that could be heard amidst the dead silence of both armies.
"Are they..."
"Whatever. Mindless Berserkers will be mindless Berserkers." Jing Ke tried to shove it off. "Let's just give the order to attack already."
"...Okay." Ritsuka said simply. "Attack!" He screamed to the soldiers behind them, who all roared and started their charge and climb to the Mount Etna, full of fearless determination.
"NERO!!!!" Caligula shouted as a sign for his army to charge as well, with his troops responding with a roar almost as loud as his.
And the battle of Mount Etna had finally started.
To be continued...
And that's it for chapter 23!
Lately I've been wondering if I should continue to put music soundtracks in the story. Like, I want to know if you are okay with it or not. If it turns your experience reading this better or worse. If I'm abusing it or not. It's that on one side I feel it would enchance some certain scenes of the story and trasmit the emotions of the scene more strongly to the reader, but by one side I fear if that might be a turn off for some or perhaps annoying. So if you are reading this, feel free to comment about if I should continue putting music in my story or not.
Now for the chapter: In case you are wondering, yes that was Cleopatra at the ending of the chapter. The reason for why I decided to put her in Septem is because the game developers do little to nothing with her character, and its FREAKING CLEOPATRA!! Not only a very well known character, but I'd say her design is cool as fuck. And honestly it's sad that she until now had no participation in any story event. That should be punishable by law. So seeing that Septem is already a clusterfuck that needed a whole rework and that some character would be removed as well as some characters would be introduced, I decided to put Cleopatra in Septem, since it's the main story event that she had more chance and it would make more sense for her to appear in.
Also sneak peek at Peko and Nala's father at the beggining? WHAT!? Wonder when we will see his face, since in the dream/memory Peko had, his face and head was blurry. Like, we don't want to reveal his face that soon, right?
And lastly, this Singularity clearly shows to be way more troubled and in danger than our group of heroes initially tought it was. Let's see how it develops on future chapters.
Anyway, that's all I wanted to say and see you next time on chapter 24! Peace!
P.S: Now excuse me as I'll bow down to the supreme pharaoh queen that is Nictoris Alter. Whoever made her design deserves a prize. Lasengle really had to press the 'money printer' button with her. Still, it shows that having consecutive dead weeks and not giving any spoilers of LB7 playable characters was kinda of a mistake. I still find their designs very fire thou.
