Hello everyone and welcome back to chapter 24 of the story! And it will be the first chapter that I'm writing on my computer! That's right. I've been writing this whole 23 chapters of the fanfiction on my phone before! I'm grateful for finally being able to write on a more helpful writing device, because when writing on my phone, omg, it wasn't very helpful. And also, now that I'm on the computer I can also see that there are a lot more people that see my stories than the ones that fav and follow it, wich gives me quite the moral boost XD. Now that I will be writing this on the computer from now on, I hope I can be able to commit less grammatical mistakes when making these chapters. And now with that out of the way, 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.
As the orders were given, the soldiers from both sides chraged in a powerful confront. Swords clashed, arrows flew and soon enough, the lowest area of Mount Etna was full of noise and screams from the battlefield. Every single man was giving it's best. Yet, the ones from the United Roman Empire could have the advantage of attacking from above but many that went ahead were being efortlessly dealt with by Spartacus and Lu Bu, who were both having a huge pleasure in dealing with their enemies.
"Hahahaha! Come as many as you want opressors! Me and my friend will destroy anyone who stands in the way of the opressed!" The muscular spartan declared enthusiastically, as he and Lu Bu where way up ahead, opening a path to their troops who were following behind.
"As bold and reckless that was, they make up for it with that brutal strenght!" Jing Ke said as she alongside the Chaldea group and the troops were running uphill and starting to clash with the enemy faction. "We better separate and help others in the areas of the battlefield. Rituska, I'll be going to the right! You should go to the left!"
"Okay! You sure you will be able to fight in such opened area?" Ritsuka asked to the chinese woman.
Jing Ke smirked in response. "Just because I am an assassin doesn't mean I'm not efficient in fighting my enemies face to face. I'll be okay, no worries!"
"Understood then!" Mash replied to Jing Ke and looked at Ritsuka. "I'll be going to the left with you too Master!"
"Then me and Peko will go to the right with Jing Ke!" Nala told the two. "What do you think Peko?"
"I too think Ritsuka and Mash can take care of each other well. Right we go!" Peko took the same opinion as his sister.
"Then good luck to you two and be safe!" Ritsuka wished to the two kids.
"You too! Be careful!" Peko said as he and Nala went to the right with Jing Ke while Ritsuka and Mashe went to the left, separating from each other.
At a more higher zone of the active volcano, Caligula and the woman both watched the confusion happening below from where they stood. The temperature from the lava was starting to get so hot that any soldier that was in the same area as the two would start to sweat. However the two 'generals' of the United Roman Empire seemed to be handling the hot temperature pretty well.
"Eish! Things look nasty down there." The woman said as she observed Spartacus and Lu Bu obliterating their soldiers who tried to fight them. "Those two muscular idiots are tearing up everything. Thankfully..." She smiled as her eye gazed at Caligula who was next to her. "We also have a muscular idiot on our side. What do you say, O great mad emperor?"
Caligula's eyes went up to the sky, to see the moon that at the moment was clouded by Mount Etna's smoke. It was almost unnoticeable to any eyes, but Caligula's red ones could see it, altough they also weren't able to watch the moon at its fullest. "Grghh...Nero..." The previous roman emperor grunted again, in a tone of dissatisfaction.
"So?" The majestic woman was waiting for what would be Caligula's next move.
Stretching his neck and moving it to both sides, making a cracking noise in the process, Caligula took a deep breath, preparing himself for the battle ahead. "NERRRROOOOOOOOOO!" The man roared insanely as his whole body jolted to the front and with great strenght on his legs, Caligula sprinted downhill all the way to Spartacus and Lu Bu location, leaving the woman alone.
"What a hot head." The woman said as she played a bit with her hair. "Guess I should be going down there too."
"Peko, stand down!" Jing Ke warned the boy as she threw on of her knives at an enemy that was behind Peko. It hit the enemy right in the head, killing him in an instant.
"That was a close call! Thanks Jing Ke!" Peko thanked his allie.
"Be careful next time Peko! We are in a battlefield!" Nala briefly scolded her brother as she went back to clash her sword with another enemy soldier. Despite being a kid, she outmatched the soldier and kicked him in the head, putting the soldier unconscious.
"I'm trying my best here sis!" Peko said as he shifted his attention to another soldier who was about to attack him. Peko reacted fast enough to block the attack. "How did I felt the enemy presence that one time in France? There must be a way to do that again."
Seeing that the soldier was tottaly occupied with Peko, Jing Ke took the opportunity to sneak up on him and knock the soldier down. An assassin like her could be very stealth even in the battlefield.
The trio continued to fight when all of a sudden the ground beneath them was illuminated by a flying flaming boulder that was heading down to their direction.
"Dodge!" Jing Ke told the two as she helped them to avoid the incoming attack that hit the ground with impact and released the flames from the boulder, killing many soldiers nearby. "Are you two alright?" Jing Ke asked them.
"Yeah. Still intact." Nala said, trying to see from where that burning rock came from. "Ah! There!" She pointed to a group of catapults that where situated in one of the highest points of Mount Etna. They wouldn't stop shooting the flamming rocks to the bottom of the mount.
"We're in big trouble!" Peko saw the amount of boulders that the enemy had in stock and ready to shot. "They will keep shooting at us everytime throughout the battle!"
"They look to focus on us the generals more than the rest of the army." Jing Ke putcher knife ready in hand. "So they are after someone like me. My presence with you here will also make you an easy and constant target for them." She told Peko and Nala. "I'm sorry but I'll need to get some distance from you two."
"That's alright, we understand." Peko said as he was watching his surroundings. "We'll try to win this area over here."
"We will be fine. See if you can find a way to deal with those catapults." Nala told to Jing Ke.
"Ok then! I'll try to do that. You two get careful!" Jing Ke then went away from Peko and Nala, not putting them at risk of the catapults attacks. Now the two siblings were on their own to try and help the soldiers of their army.
"Do you think we can hold on against all of them?" Peko asked to Nala, seeing the chaotic battlefield that was happening around the two. It felt somewhat weird that no enemt soldier was coming to attack them now.
"We'll sure as hell try our best!" Nala responded, waiting an attack from all the sides at any moment. Yet, all the enemy soldiers were busy fighting their own soldiers or instead of fighting the duo they instead would go against another soldier of their army. It was certainly odd.
"Hey, why aren't they attacking us? Did they forgot we exist?" Nala couldn't understand why the sudden ignorance of both the siblings existence to the opponent.
Peko was just as confused as her. "It really doesn't make much sense. Why they won't fight with us?"
"That's because I ordered them not to." The sound of a voice and steps came from behind, making the two kids quickly turn around to see who was the newcomer. It was the woman who was next to Caligula when they first spoted her in the top of the mount. "Turned your life easier I know, no need to thank me." She smirked.
"So you are one of their commanders too!" Nala put herself ready to battle, as it would appear this woman wasn't just like the rest of the soldiers.
Seeing this, Peko also entered in his battle posture. "Why do you talk like we should owe you a favour now, eh?"
The woman cleared her throat and checked her golden pieces of garment before replying to Peko's question. "First of all..." She pointed a finger from her two hands at each kid. "Your names. Can you please say them to me?"
Both Nala and Peko were dumbfounded by what they just heard. The enemy asking for their names wasn't something normal in a situation like this. The battlefield wasn't a place for such formalities as telling your names to each other.
"Why should we tell you? Get lost with that!" Nala shouted at the woman, not showing any bit of willingness to say her name to the opponent.
"Is that some sort of tatic you are trying on us?" Peko asked with an accusing tone.
The woman frowned slightly, seeing that neither kid would be saying their names to her. "Then what if I tell you my name eh?" She smiled to her two adversaries. "The name's Cleopatra. Does that sound familiar to you?" The woman, now with her name revealed as Cleopatra, asked them.
Once again, Peko and Nala just looked at each other, trying to see if the other knew what the hell this woman was trying to tell them.
"Sorry but I don't know any woman with that name." Peko replied to Cleopatra "Even if I'm with amnesia, I know for sure I have never met a woman like her in my life."
"Yeah! If you are planning in making us believe in some sort of lie you have there in your mouth, then you can already forget about it!" Nala pointed her sword at Cleopatra who lowered her eyes in some kind of sorrow.
"I see...So you are not them." She muttered to herself.
"What did you said?" Nala demanded, thinking that se heard Cleopatra say some words.
"Nothing of your interest kid!" The woman raised her voice in a authoritive way, showing that she was still the two sibling's enemy. "I'm just not a very huge fighting adept. Specially with kids like you two. I mean, look around you." Cleopatra opened her arms, signaling for Peko and Nala to see their surroundings, full of figthing, blood and dead corpses of soldiers already in the ground. "A child shouldn't be subjected to such cruel and harsh vision."
Peko and Nala heard Cleopatra's words while they where watching the battles around them. And in a sense, the woman was right. Seeing large amounts of bloodshed and bodies in such brutality was still a new concept to the mind of the two young kids, and they still had to get used to seeing such things. After all, the memories of the dead civillians and soldiers in the first Singularity was still fresh in both minds. Any other kid would be traumatized at this point by such violence on these past few weeks. And perhaps, they where already traumatized, knowing that those images wouldn't get off their brains so easily. But one thing they could be sure.
"Are you sure you want to fight in this war? See more people die as you go along? I noticed that neither of you have killed any of my soldiers so far. Only knocking them uncounscious." Cleopatra then narrowed her eyes. "However, how long will it take for you to start killing them? Can a mere child wash the blood of men with families off their hands so easily?"
"Hmm..." Nala stared at Cleopatra, anguishing in silence by knowing that the woman's words this time were making sense in her head. "Can I really be able to go on without killing normal persons? Servants and those monsters are one thing but the soldiers..."
Peko then took a step forward. "Someone has already helped me on that doubt." He said, staring at Cleopatra in the eye. "He told me that despite being wrong to kill, there will be times that to protect myself and the ones I care about, I'll have to do it. I admit that as much as I wouldn't like to do it, I accept and get prepared for when that day may come." Peko said, staying firm and certain of his words. "Also, these soldiers are ready to fight and die for their beliefs and homeland. So dying is something that they don't fear. Seeing how they all shouted their emperor's words, made me see that death for them in a battlefield, is nothing more than a honour."
Nala stood behind Peko, getting surprised by such conviction and statements being speaked by her brother. "Peko..."
Cleopatra tilted her head to the right. "Then you are saying that you are okay and ready for any rough time that may come ahead?"
"Yes I am! Of course that the tought of killing a person still makes me hesitant! That I may not have the courage to do that yet! However..." Peko raised his sword. "If I want to help my friends and achieve my goals, I need to surpass those barriers that are in the way!"
Nala went right to his side. "I dislike killing people that have dear ones as well, but if I have to defend myself and others I love by killing them, then I have no choice! And as Peko said, these soldiers were raised to fight and die in this situation. That fact eases the pain a little."
Peko stared at Nala. "Ready then sis?"
Nala smiled to him. "Yes. In the battlefield, we need to give everything from us!"
Cleopatra smirked a bit. "These kids are really willing to go through all this then eh?" She looked at both of them. "You are more decided than I expected. I'll give you that." She brushed her hair aside, with some flashy sparks coming out of it. "Now let's see if you can reallyhandle it or it's all just talk."
"Master! Spartacus and Lu Bu are fighting Caligula at the moment!" Mash informed Ritsuka as she observed the enemy emperor changing blows with the other two Berserkers. Being outnumbered and smaller than Spartacus and Lu Bu didn't hindered Caligula from going toe to toe agains them. The brawl between the three servants was getting intense. It was hard to see who would come out as the winner. "What should we do?" Mash asked to Ritsuka, waiting for any order as she was dealing with some soldiers.
"We should help them Mash! If we defeat Caligula I'm sure the enemy troops will have to retreat!" Ritsuka ordered to Mash, seeing that Caligula alone against two servants and a half would increase the chances of defeating him.
"Understood! Then let's change from area!" Mash exclaimed as she made sure Ritsuka was behind her and proceeded to use her shield to run across the field with Ritsuka and reach to where the servant fight was happening.
"Nero!" Caligula screamed as he throw a punch at Lu Bu who blocked it with hi giant spear.
"GGGRGGGHHH!" The chinese general made a defiant sound as he pulled Caligula away. As soon as the mad emperor recovered his balance from being pulled away, Spartacus was already on his side with the sword ready to slash him.
"Die opressor!" Spartacus yelled, descending his weapon at Caligula who instead of dodging, boldly used his hands to grab Spartacus sword, being able to handle the whole impact as blood from his hands flew upon contact.
"Gghgh!...Neeroooooooooo!" Caligula concentrated a lof of strenght in his muscle arms and the emperor parried Spartacus sword, kicking the gladiator in the face. Caligula wouldn't go down that easily. But he didn't predicted what would happen next.
"Ah!" Mash came from behind and bashed her whole shield against the opponent's body, making a surprised Caligula flew some meters away. "Spartacus-san! Lu Bu-san! Need any help?" The shielder asked to her two allies.
While Lu Bu make some random noises that could be better translated as a 'Yes. We appreciate it.' Spartacus was replied with actual words. "A help to take down the opressive forces is always welcome! Do join us general Mash and Ritsuka!"
Mash smile didn't last lonsg as Ritsuka gently tapped her in the shoulder. "He didn't liked that." Ritsuka pointed at Caligula who was getting up from the ground, already with some scratches and wounds showing in his body. "Nerooo..." The man hissed,not liking to have been caught by surprise.
"A Berserker when angrier also tends to get more dangerous. But, it also gets easier to find open spaces in them to attack." Mash told Ritsuka as she watched Caligula slowly walking torwards them.
"Attack goes up and defense goes down?" Ritsuka asked to Mash.
"Yeah. It's like tha-!"
"Nero!" Caligula, in a rush of adrenaline, passed by Spartacus and Lu Bu and at an incredible speed punched Mash's shield who reacted just in time to stand up against the fist. The blow was hard enough to push Mash's body who stopped abruptly by making contact with Ritsuka that tried to help her stand on her ground.
The shock of the impact could even be felt on the master's arms. "It felt like stopping a swinging punching bag at a high speed with the arms. Hhgh, so this is the power of a Berserker." "Mash, you good?" Ritsuka asked concerned for her well being.
"I'm alright Master!" Mash said while still tanking Caligula's punch. "This is almost like that fight against that servant knight in France. As much as it's a pain to be fighting against the physically strongest class of servants..." Mash, putting a huge effort, pushed Caligula away from them and put her shield in the offensive. "It helps me a lot to become more resilient and put me train with the shield in practice!"
Spartacus and Lu Bu went back to engage in their fight with the mad emperor who seemed to have forgot abou Mash and Ritsuka's existence, being now fully focused on the other two servants.
"He's not paying attention to you Mash! Strike him!" Ritsuka ordered Mash, who immediatly rushed to Caligula.
Finding opening on his back, Mash used the sharp parts of the shield and attacked him, making a cut on Caligula's back. The emperor couldn't divert his attentions to the shielder since Spartacus and Lu Bu striked him at the same time as well. The situation was turning difficult to Caligula. The hits of the two berserkers sent him flying to a nearby rock, crashing on the impact.
"Good one Mash!" Ritsuka exclaimed happily. "You too as well, Spartacus and Lu Bu!"
"Thanks Master-" Mash spotted a burning boulder coming down from the air. "Watch out!" She threw her shield in the air, right into the boulder's trajectory, taking the attack and protecting Ritsuka at the same time. The flames fell to the ground but fortunately not a single one hit Ritsuka's body.
"Are they throwing boulders on us?!" He said after recovering from the quick shock of seeing what was about to kill him if it wasn't Mash.
"Seems so! They have been raining this on us for some minutes now!" Mash said, avoiding another burning boulder. "This is causing serious loses on our side! We need to take these catapults down as quick as possible!"
"Fou fou!" Fou then came out of Mash's back, giving signs that the creature wasn't enjoying all this heat of the volcano. Both Ritsuka and Mash were surprised by seeing that Fou had come with them.
"Fou? What are you doing here? This is a battle-" The animal creature interrupted Ritsuka as it was pointing with his nose up to the higher grounds of Mount Etna.
"Master! Fou has spotted the catapults they are up there!" Mash pointed to the same location as Fou, helping Ritsuka to see them. "Now we need-"
"I'll deal with that!" Ritsuka said to Mash, taking his decision as a leader. "Help Spartacus and Lu Bu defeat Caligula!"
"But master, it will be dangerous for you to go alone!" Mash warned him. Ritsuka was just a normal human with no combat experience. Going to destroy those catapults all by himself would be near impossible.
"I'll be okay Mash! Trust in me!" Ritsuka smiled to her. "As the master of humanity and leader, I promise to you I'll be fine!" "I can't stay here just watching and giving orders. As a master I also need to act and help the rest of my group!"
Mash saw that Ritsuka was right. That she needed to trust in him as part of the group too. Ritsuka wanted to prove to himself that he was capable of being a leader and Mash would always support him in that. "Understood Master! Good luck!"
Ritsuka nodded at her and runned away from the battle heading uphill to the catapults as he would dodge from all the fights that were happening in the way. Fou also followed him behind, jumping to his shoulder.
"Fou!"
"Hm? Ok, you can come with me Fou." Ritsuka told to the fluffy creature. "Now it's me and you againt those catapults!"
"Lady Mash, the battle isn't over yet." Spartacus called Mash who was still observing Ritsuka. "The opressor still draws breath." The gladiator said as he and Lu Bu saw a silhouette of Caligula walking out of the smoke. Despite being more injured and wounded, the bleeding wouldn't stop Caligula from giving up of the fight. And the veins on his head showed that he was more rageful.
"Nerooooo!"
Mash put her shield ready. "Then let's make sure to end his rage here!"
"Ggh!" Nala grunted as she blocked Cleopatra's leg strike that would have gone directly to her head.
"Not bad at all! But how about if I do it repeatedly?" The woman said as she continued her kicks, each one stronger and faster. It came to the point where Nala's stamina was running out.
"For how long can she does this?!" Nala thinked as her defence was eventually broken and one of Cleopatra's strikes hit Nala in the chest. "GAH!" Nala coughed as her body fell a few meters away. The blow was almost strong enough to break a rib or two. Nala was lucky that wasn't the case. But it would definetly leave a mark.
"And as for the other..." Cleopatra took a quick glance to the side, stopping Peko's sword with her boot, foiling the boy's surprise attack.
"This strenght and agility...she has to be a servant!" Peko focused on Cleopatra's face who then kicked back his sword, making Peko exposed and then with a roundhouse kick, she hit Peko on his right shoulder and sent him also flying some meters aways.
"GRRGH! That hurt!" Peko cleenched his teeth in pain as he touched the shoulder that had been hit with his other hand. The nerves of his whole right arm were screaming from the shock.
"This was a warning." Cleopatra explained to the two kids. "I don't see the reason of going all out on kids like you. It's both pointless and cruel. So give up now and leave, before the damages on your bones get worse. I have better things to do then kicking children." Cleopatra threatened them coldly, showing her willing pity to the two.
"...N-Never..!" Nala coughed as she slowly got up from the ground. "We already told you. We have no intention...of turning around!" She said defiantly to Cleopatra, holding the area of her chest.
"S-Same here!" Peko tried to not groan from the pain that was moving his right arm now. He was still getting used to have his body hurt in a battle. "No matter how hard you hit us, we won't retreat!" Peko stood firmly on his feet, looking also defiantly to the opponent. Both him and his sister wouldn't run away because of some hits.
Cleopatra shaken her head in dissatisfaction. "Are you some kids from Sparta or anything? Or just not well in the head? Or both?" Cleopatra's eyes took a glance at both Peko and Nala's swords. It was clear that they couldn't be normal kids or even some of those kids that were taking military excercise. No normal boy and girl would go around and fight, specially with blades like that. Such prestige and clean white metal from both swords, as well as incredibly sharpened. The art and details on the pommel and hilt were also pretty astonishing. Those sword looked like they were forged with the most special materials in existence by the most skillful blacksmith. And if there was one thing that the egeptian queen was good at, was seeing the value of material goods. With her mind so focused on the enemy's weapons, Cleopatra gave a cheeky smile.
"Now, not only am I a woman willing of second chances and all, but my eyes also have a great ability for prices." She told them. "Aaaand what you have ther in your hands may be the most valuable treasure I've ever seen." Cleopatra pointed at the swords. "As an expert, those thing may value a great fortune you know?" She winked.
"So what?" Nala replied back, not intrested in hearing Cleopatra's views on valuable goods and whatnot.
"Look at my clothes kid." Cleopatra pointed at herself, showing the golden pieces she was wearing. "I'm a veteran when it comes to this type of things. And I can guarantee you that from west to east, there's nothing more valuable then those swords of yours." Cleopatra rubbed her chin, thinking of numbers. "Adding all the beauty and performance of those swords, I'm willing to give you two one thir-no. Half of my belongings to you. They are very good and expensive too." Cleopatra tried to convince Peko and Nala. "All that fortune can give you some nice lands to buy next to the Mediterranean Sea. So, what do you kids think? Do we have a deal?"
Nala stared at the woman with a dead pan expression. "Can we fight again already or you're not over yet?"
"Damnit! She refused my millionare offering!" Cleopatra yelled in shock to herself.
"Wait! I think I'm willing to do that deal!" Peko said, accepting Cleopatra's proposal.
"What?!" Nala stared at her brother in disbelief.
"Oh! A kid with a brain for monetary negotiations I see!" Cleopatra said happily. "I guarantee you will not regret it!"
Peko smiled to her. "I was thinking the same too. After all, I prefer having a mansion than having to risk my life in a stupid fight like this."
Nala was shocked by what she was hearing. "What the hell are you saying Peko?!" She couldn't believe hee brother would do a fast change of opinions just like that and without any consideration.
"Anyway, here's the sword. All yours." Peko threw his sword at Cleopatra's direction.
Cleopatra joyfully opened her arms, ready to welcome this majestic weapon into her hands. "This will be a huge success on the market! I can already imagine the prices for it!" As the sword was closer to make contact with her, Cleopatra immediatly realized that Peko had just given his sword way to easily after saying all those things before. Something was definetly off. "!" Cleopatra quickly got away from the swords's range as it fell to the ground, dropping some sparks and eletricity from it's blade.
The egyptian woman frowned slightly in anger. "What a sly boy you are. That trap almost got me."
"Yeah. I forgot to inform you but no one else can touch it apart from it's wielder. So I guess you can't walk with that on your way to home unfortunately." Peko smirked. Altough it didn't had worked out totally in the end, he was still happy for seeing that Cleopatra had fallen to his bluff from some moments. Even Nala.
"Wait! Our swords can do that?" She askes in surprise to Peko.
"Ups! I forgot to tell you! Sorry sis." Peko scratched his head nervously.
"You are keeping secrets from me now, you idiot!" Nala punched Peko in the shoulder.
"Argh! Nala, that was the shoulder where she hit me!" Peko exclaimed in pain to his sister as he grabbed the shoulder.
"Oh damnit! I'm sorry Peko! I didn't meant to!" Nala apologized all worried for having caused harm to her brother out of impulse.
Peko then stopped his grunts of pain and smiled to Nala. "Fooled you again!" He laughed a bit.
"T-T-That wasn't funny at all Peko!" Nala blushed embarassed, seeing that her brother was able to fool her twice in a matter of seconds.
Cleopatra just stood watching the two siblings interacting with each other. She had to admit, it was a bit wholesome. And then she stared at Peko's sword on the ground. "So it seems the value of this object has decreased to zero. What a shame."
"Not like you need it since you have all that fortune." Nala told to Cleopatra.
"And besides, this sword..." Peko called the weapon back. "Is something of importance to me. Something special. Same goes to my sister." Peko entered into a battle pose. "So there was no chance we would give them to you in exchange for money!"
Nala also adopted a fighting posture. "Now if all of your tricks to persuade us are over, let's already move on into finishing you!"
Cleopatra giggled, liking to see the perserverance of the two kids. They were really no ordinary boy or girl. "Okay. I see that you want me to go all out on you." She violently stomped her heels on the ground. "Then celebrate you peasents! For I will grant you that wish!"
"Imperial Privilege"
A golden aura shined briefly on Cleopatra's body. No holding back anymore. Peko and Nala now had to stay with ther attention high and on alert.
Cleopatra started walking torwards them. "You better know what you got yourself into."
Ritsuka put his hands on his knees has he had finally reached to the ground where the catapults were after running and dodging from the enemies while going up the hill. "Ok! Now for the next step." Ritsuka stabilized his breath and walked to the nearest catapult alongside Fou. The master of humanity started to get suspicious as he saw that there were no soldiers near them, wich was very weird. "Did they went downhill and left all of this alone?" Ritsuka tough to himself.
"Fu, fou." Fou touched the catapult, giving an inspection.
"You're right Fou. I need to destroy this things since that's what I came for." Ritsuka put his arms agains the heavy weaponry and started to push it. As expected, it was very heavy and difficult to push it off the cliff alone. But Ritsuka wouldn't give up because of that. Even Fou was helping him despite not mkaing such difference.
"Come ooooonnnn!" Ritsuka sweated as he felt the catapult slowly moving. Thankfully, it was really next to the cliff, so Ritsuka wouldn't have to spent much time trying to push it. "Keep it going Fou!"
"Foooou!"
Due to the ongoing effort of Ritsuka, and to an extent Fou, the front wheels were already out of the ground, now staying suspended on the air. Slowly but surely, the catapult was being pushed off. Ritsuka continued as the catapult was getting less floor to stand. "Almost there Fou! Just a bit mooooore!" Ritsuka's arms put all their strenght to keep pushing, and soon enough, gravity did the rest of the work.
"Woah!" Ritsuka lost his balance as he watched the catapult going all the way down and crashing upon touching the ground below. Ritsuka was able to regain it fortunately. "We did it! Good job Fou!" Ritsuka cleaned the sweat ooff his face as he smiled to the small animal creature. "Now..." He looked to his left side, seeing how many catapults remained. "...only four more to go." Ritsuka sighed with a hint of being tired for putting a lot of strenght in destroying just one.
Unknown to him, an enemy soldier had appeard behind Ritsuka, quietly approaching with his sword in hand, ready to stab Ritsuka from behind.
"FOU! FOU!" Fou jumped and tried to tell Ritsuka about the danger that was behind him. Ritsuka just looked at the creature a bit puzzled, but understanding that something wasn't right.
"What was it Fo-" As Ritsuka turned around to see what was causing Fou to act like that, the soldier that was about to stab him got pierced in the back by a knife, knocking him out, much to Ritsuka surprise and confusion.
"Thank god I made it in time." Jing Ke appeard from the shadows, right in front of Ritsuka's eyes. "Don't let your guard down that easily Ritsuka."
"You're really worhty of being an Assassin servant Jing Ke. Thanks for the save." Ritsuka said to her. "Are you also the reason for why this place is without nobody?"
"Yes, I killed some and made the rest chase after me, allowing our troops down there to get some time without being bombed by the burning boulders." Jing Ke confrimed Ritsuka's question.
"That was surely helpful!" Ritsuka cleaned the sweat from his face again. The hot air from the active volcano was clearly making his body temperature go up. "Man, so this is what's like to be next to a volcano. Ufff, it's damn hot. Servants don't get affected by it, do they?"
"No, we don't. Altough I also feel the hot temperature my body doesn't get affected by it since I am an Heroic Spirit who isn't 'actualy' alive." Jing Ke gave Ritsuka a short lesson on how a servant's body worked.
"There they are! Quick! They already took down one of our catapults!" The voice from the enemy sounded as Ritsuka and Jing Ke watched the remaining soldiers who had chased the chinese assassin return for her.
"And here they come again." Jing Ke held three knives beetween her fingers. "Go and destroy the rest of the catapults Ritsuka! I'll take care of them!" Jing Ke ordered Ritsuka before facing off the group of soldiers.
"Understood! Leave it to me and Fou!" Ritsuka said as he runned to the next catapult while Jing Ke engaged in the battle. "We won't let them use these anymore!"
"To your right." Cleopatra said as she moved behind Peko and broke his defense, proceeding to kick him in the stomach.
"Blergh!" Peko coughed some blood out of his mouth as he hit the ground. Cleopatra wasn't joking when she said that she would go more ruthless on them now.
"Peko!" Nala shouted, worried for her brother, before staring angrily at the woman. "You..!" She launched at Cleopatra, who dodged every swing of Nala's swords with not so much effort.
"A hot head in battle isn't a good thing." Cleopatra told to the girl as she found space and room to kick her in the right leg and then was about to kick her in the head if Nala wasn't fast enough to dodge slightly out of the way, with Cleopatra's attack only scratching right below Nala's left eye.
"This is bad." Peko slowly stood up from the ground. "She's been dodging all of our attacks. We still need more practice to wing against a servant alone. As of now we are just to the level of minor incovenience to them in a fight. Also she doesnt seem to be on that Madness Enchancement thing that the Dragon Witch servants were back then. Meaning that this woman is on total control of her own actions, capabilities and mind." Peko cleaned the blood from his lips and grabbed the shoulder that had been previously hitten by Cleopatra. "I can't move my arm with the sword too much or I may suffer a serious injury. This pain is quite annoying!"
"Aww, really now?" Cleopatra looked with disdain at her heels, now covered in blood. "These things cost a lot. I'll have to clean it with the utmost care when this battle is resolved."
Nala took this opportunity to check the cut on her cheek. "Her leg movements are really fast. If I tried to dodge it any second later, my skull would probably crack!" Nala grunted softly as she felt the hurt from her right leg. "I'm feeling like my bones are about to break anytime soon. If we get hit one more time by her, I doubt our bodies will be able to take it. Damnit! She's making us fight like some pair of cripples!" Nala stared at Cleopatra who was now making sure any other part of her clothes had been soaked with blood. "I need to stay with my head cold on this! Get a notion of her speed. If I try to attack her with no tought of what I'm exactly doing, I won't be able to hit her not even once! It would be like that time against the Dragon Witch all over again..." The girl tightned the grip of her sword. "I need to do better this time!"
"At this rate, me and Nala won't last very long against her." Peko looked at his other arm. "Now that I think, my other arm is still fine...that's it!" Peko make a gun sign with his fingers, pointing at Cleopatra. He started to concentrate his mana to the fingers. "I'll use it! It's our best chance!" A ball of light started to form on the front of his fingers. "Nala! Cover your eyes!" He shouted to his sister.
"Huh?! Why?!" Nala asked in confusion before turning back her attention at Cleopatra that had just finished checking her clothes.
"Trust me!" Peko told her as the ball of ligtht was getting bigger. "Last time it worked well. Let's see if it can do it for a second time!"
"What you two kids are chatting about?" Cleopatra questioned them as she jumped at Nala, trying to hit any kicks on her again. She knew that if she kept like this, the girl's energy would eventually run out, and after dealing with her, the boy would be next.
Peko stood some meters away, is mana from the light ball reaching to a perfect amount like the previous time. "This size is great enough!" Peko then focused on aiming to the ground near Cleopatra and Nala. "Nala! Cover your eyes now!" Peko screamed as he fired the light ball from his fingers, moving fastly to his sister and Cleopatra.
Giving trust to her own brother, Nala did as he told her and quickly covered her eyes.
"What are-" Cleopatra didn't have time enough to even question why Nala just did that, as the light ball the second after exploded on the ground near them, with the egyptian queen making the huge mistake of looking directly at the bright explosion that went to her eyes.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! FUCK!" Cleopatra covered her eyes with her hands, screaming in huge pain. Her eyes were hurting like hell. "My fucking eyes damnit!"
"She's blind Nala! Attack now!" Peko told to his sister,, giving her an opening to attack the enemy.
Without saying anything, Nala rushed with sword in hand to Cleopatra. "Take this!"
However, in a split second of opening slightly her eyes, Cleopatra was able to feel the attack even if her vision was mostly blank now. "Tsk!" She moved her body out of the way, being able to dodge Nala's swords by centimeters.
"I was already counting on that!" Nala said, quickly changing the trajectory of her sword and making a second slash, this time caughting the woman off guard and cutting her in the chest.
"Blurgh!" Blood splashed out from Cleopatra's mouth. "Y..You pesky brats...!" She cleenched her teeth in anger.
"If you're angry that those clothes costed a fortune to you..." Nala was ready to swing her sword a third time. "...I'm sorry to inform you, but I couldn't care less about them." Nala proceeded to swing her sword several times at Cleopatra, with each time feeling closer to hit the opponent. "I'm already getting the notion of her speed. The fact that she's momentarily blind and losing her composure also helps. The training with Jing Ke helped me a lot to train my own movements and agility! And if what she teached me was right then..." Nala's eyes quickly spotted a small opening on Cleopatra's left side of the abdomen in a matter of short time. "This is when I attack!" Nala slashed with success the opening that Cleopatra had unknowingly given to her opponent.
"Ghargh!" Cleopatra left out a small growl from the wound she had just received. "I can't believe I'm getting wounded by two kids!"
"It still ain't over!" Nala declared, ready to strike Cleopatra once again.
"Again?!" Cleopatra said to herself in shock, not accepting the fact that Nala was still going on to slash her yet another time.
But that's when the Nala's injured leg had given up. The girl instantly sliped. "N-No! My leg can't give up on me now!"
Cleopatra smirked as her eyesight was slowly returning and just in time to still get the image of Nala's leg giving in. "Finally, you've reached your limit girl. Now I can end-"
Peko runned to the two, seeing the contrariety that had happened to Nala. With another light ball, except this time smaller, Peko jumped right to Cleopatra's side, pointing his finger gun at the woman who wasn't expecting his intervention at all. "This one is different. The amount of mana is fewer but the potency I put in it is still the same. I tought about trying that attack that I used against that zombie on the alley but...my arm could break with the amount of mana I've been using already on this battle. So this is the best chance we got!" Peko slowly descended his thumb to shoot. "Whatever happens, I hope it can cause some damage! It's all or nothing!"
Peko looked at Cleopatra in the eyes, about to send his attack in her face. The moment the thumb went down, a small bright projectile went off from his fingers like a bullet. The speed was so incredible that te fact Cleopatra managed to somehow dodge her head from it by just a few milimeters was even more shocking.
The look on both Peko and Nala's face was of terror. "I-I missed?!"
"Hphm!" Cleopatra looked at the boy with a stare if royal arrogance. "What a way to waste your little stun-!" Cleopatra suddenly felt her leg being pierced, causing a tremendous and painful shock on her. The bullet that the three had tought to have missed it's target, actually bounced off behind Cleopatra and penetrated her leg, leaving behind a small hole. "W-what?!"
"P-Peko you did it! The bullet hit her!" Nala exclaimed to her brother, relieved.
"I-It actually did it!" Peko was still in the heat of the battle and thinking about how the bullet hit Cleopatra. "I aimed for the head and she dodged it, so how and on what the bullet bounced off?"
More uphill of Mount Etna, Jing Ke was still fending off the enemy soldiers as Ritsuka, now only wearing his shirt on the top due to the heat of the volcano, was pushing the last catapult off the cliff with the little help of Fou.
"Lassssstt onneeeee!" Ritsuka said as with a final push, he and Fou finally threw the last catapult off the cliff. Exhausted from doing it five times and at such temperature, Ritsuka laid on the ground exhausted, with Fou also recovering next to him. "All the catapults were destroyed, Jing Ke!" Ritsuka informed the servant, going back to take deep breaths.
"Good timing!" Jing Ke said as she took down the last two remaining soldiers. "My task here is also finished." She went next to Ritsuka and left behind the bodies of her defeated enemies. "For a normal human, you did well." She smiled and complinted Ritsuka's efforts in taking down the catapults.
"I also had some extra help you know?" Ritsuka chuckled, looking to Fou at his side.
"Fu..." The animal said tired.
"You did well too Fou." Ritsuka gently patted the creature.
Before Jing Ke could say something, the air was starting to feel dry and hot, with the temperature getting higher. A shakening sound was enetering in their hears as they also felt the ground beneath them shake. This could only mean one thing. A very bad thing.
"We should move out of here now." Jing Ke said as she grabbed Ritsuka's arm and put him on her back. "It's dangerous to stay here any longer."
Ritsuka came to the conclusion that it could only mean one thing. "The lava will surely flow down quicker! I hope evryone is doing well down there."
Mash, Spartacus and Lu Bu were standing in front of a very beatened but still combatant Caligula. Blood and injuries where everywhere on the emperor's body. However, not even that would make him slow down. Mash hoped that at least the adversary was on his last strenght, sensing that she was also running out of strenght to keep fighting. Her body was also injured. Same for Spartacus and Lu Bu. It was incredible how Caligula could bring three opponents, two of them being Berserkers, to such a tiresome battle while fighting alone.
"Even if his strenght and endurance are incredible, he has to be out of energy to keep fighting at this moment." Mash looked at both Spartacus ad Lu Bu. "If we manage to hit him a couple more times, we defeat him. There's no way he will still stand up after that." "Spartacus! Lu Bu! Get ready for what may be the last round! If we attack him like we've been doing, we'll certainly win!" Mash said to her two allies, putting the shield in front of her and prepared to do the final blows on Caligula.
"..Nero..." Caligula said, his legs and body about to colapse from the massive exhaustion he was now feeling. It seemed what Mash was saying was true. Caligula was indeed about to run out of energy to fight. That would be, if at this exact time, a certain natural satellite would finally appear at it's full presence after being covered by the smoke of the volcano. Caligula looked way high to the sky, directly at the moon, as if it was calling for him. "Nero.." Now the emperor could finally unleash it's power under the full moon.
"Nero!" Caligula said agressively, as the earth beneath them started to violently tremble. "Nerooo!" Caligula shouted, with the temperature getting higher and the noises of the trembling louder. The man's rage was also going wilder, like a beast about to come out of it's cage.
"This feels bad." Mash said with apprehension, seeing that Caligula was acting in a very weird way. "Be careful! The enemy seems to not be over yet!" She warned both Spartacus and Lu Bu.
"Then we shall end that opressor before he gets the chance to retaliate!" Spartacus runned torwards Caligula, with Lu Bu doing the same.
"No! Wait!" Mash tried to call them back, but at this point the noise was so high that they might as well had not heard her.
"The volcano is about to erupt! We need to get away from here!" A soldier told the others, with soldiers of both armies retreating to lower parts of Mount Etna as the hot temperature was getting too much for them to handle.
"Nero Nero Nero Nero Nero Nero Nero!" Caligula's whole body and muscles were getting more tougher and slightly bigger, as if the emperor was getting a power up. He was so focused on saying Nero's name and concentrating his power, that he didn't even saw Spartacus and Lu Bu approaching him. "NERONERONERONERONERONERONERONERONERONERONERONERONERO!" The man's words were getting louder and at this point Caligula was shouting them than exactly speaking them. The trembling was also getting more louder alongside Caligula, with the emperor finally looking at the sky and...
"NERRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Like a thundering growl, Caligula's insane shouting came out at the same time as the volcano erupted, with both noises being able to match each other. It was enough to almost make anyone nearby go deaf. The previous emperor's eyes even went pure white. His fatigue went away, replacing with absurd strenght. And with that, he totally blitzed Spartacus and Lu Bu who now couldn't do much to stop him now.
"NERO!" Caligula was now crazily sprinting torwards Mash. The way this man had went from being near defeated to now stomping two of his enemies was scary.
"How did he got all that power?!" Mash instinctively put her shield in front to protect her. Caligula threw a punch at it, and this time the blow and impact was so strong that Mash was immediatly blown away and hit a rock that was some few meters behind her.
"KGRGH!" Mash spited blood out as she felt her back hitting the rock with great impact. Some bones were clearly hurt. "T-This stregnth...is way too much!" Mash legs fell to the ground, coughing and taking breaths. "His strenght is comparable to that berserker knight's strenght." Mash got up from the ground, ignoring the pain of her back. It was also becoming quite hard to breath with such temperature right now. The air was starting to lack oxygen. "We should be closer to defeat him, but now I fell that we just got far from it now!"
"Nero!" Caligula said angrily, walking torwards Mash.
"Right now I need to hold on! I doubt he will give me many chances to attack." And like Mash had tought, Caligula wasn't giving her any time and space to try to attack him.
"Nero! Nero! Nero! Nero! Nero!" Caligula was punching Mash's shield consecutivelly, with each punch making Mash's legs starting to worn out.
"Not...this feeling again!" Mash was doing her best to keep blocking Caligula's assault. But it seemed she couldn't kept going.
"NERO!" Throwing another powerful punch, Caligula was able to break Mash's defense, stunning her for some seconds. And right after it, Caligula threw another punch on Mash's stomach.
"Ah-!" The shielder felt all the air come out from her lungs and she let go off the shield, no energy left to fight back. "I...I can't...he's just...too strong..." Mash's body was slowly falling to the ground. "Senpai...Peko, Nala...everyone..." Her eyes were about to close. "I'm sorry...for being weak..." With her body now on the ground, all Mash could do now was weakly stare at Caligula who was about to finish the job.
As he was about to descend his fist to end Mash's life, Lu Bu appeard all of a sudden and bashed his body against Caligula, throwing him away.
"Lady Mash, are you okay?" The voice of Spartacus calling her, made Mash slowly open her eyes and stare at the gladiator in front of her.
"S-Spartacus..."
"Can you still fight, lady Mash? If so then give your everything. Your energy, power and will. Give everything that still remains of you to end that opressor." Spartacus smiled at her. "But if not don't worry." The gladiator servant turned around to look at Caligula who was now entirely shirtless and more wild than ever. "Let me and Lu Bu handle the rest."
"NERRRRROOOOOOOOOOO!"
"Honor of Suffering"
Spartacus casted a spell on himself and stretched a bit of his muscles. "Ready to free the poeple of Rome from this tyranical opressor my friend?" Spartacus asked to Lu Bu who did a random noise, showing that he was equally ready.
"W-Wait..." Mash used her shield as support to get up as she called the two. "I too...will fight!" Mash told them. "My whole body at this point can't continue on for much longer. I know the best now would be just to rest and hold the pain back. But Spartacus is right! If I'm still counscious and my body is still moving...then it means I will only back down when my enemy is defeated!" Mash looked with determination to her opponent. "My bones are hurting. My muscles is in pain. My nerves are telling me to stop. But if my mind is still telling me to fight, then I'll fight! For the perservation of humanity's future, I must fight!"
With her will to keep going, Mash now joined both Spartacus and Lu Bu in taking Caligula down.
"NEROOOO!" Caligula sprinted torwards the three, more so at Lu Bu who was at the front. The emperor's punch and the chinese general's lance clashed, with Lu Bu being able to fending off Caligula away again and then swinging his lance against Caligula, bashing it wildly with the emperor having no room to dodge and tanking each blow.
"NEROOO!" Caligula then hold Lu Bu's lance with his hands and hold it back, pushing it away from him after a struggle against Lu Bu.
Spartacus attacked him shortly after, with Caligula now having space to avoid the blows. But Spartacus, altough being described as a dumb average Berserker, tought outside the box and hold and entire boulder with his bare hands and threw it at Caligula, who also easily destroyed it with his hands.
That however, was something that Mash was counting on, and in the middle of the brocken pieces of stone she appeard right in front of Caligula. "Yha!" Mash used her strenght and bashed her shield against Caligula and sent him some meters away. However, what Caligula was not expecting as well, was that Lu Bu was right behind him, and so before he could land on the ground with his feet, Lu Bu hit him hard with his lance, sending Caligula flying to the opposite direction.
And Spartacus was right on the emperor's way, swinging his sword on Caligula's body. "Take this opressor!" Being thrown away for a third time, Caligula now was able to land on the ground but not in the best away. His rage was at the limit. "NERRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Sound steps came from behind the emperor, and when he looked behind to see the enemy, it was already too late for him. "This is..." Mash raised her shield and quickly with all her strenght, she pierced the sharpest part of it on Caligula's chest. "OVEEEEERRR!"
Mash still continue to do force on her shield, pinning down Caligula to the ground with it as he struggled to get up. "NERO NERO NERO NERO!" As much as he tried to fight back, Mash was making sure to not let the grip on her shield get any bit loose. Some seconds passed and Caligula's strenght was slipping away. "Nero! Nerooooo!" The emperor now was struggling on dispair, seeing all the blood coming out from his chest due to the shield. But that's when the mad roman emperor realized that what Mash was sying was true. This was over for him.
"Nero." Caligula tried to give one final struggle, but found it to be useless. He finally let go of the flame inside him and just give up from the fight, seeing now that he ended up loosing. "N-Nero..." Caligula used his last dying breaths to stare at the full moon, who now went back to hide behind the clouds of smoke. He always found it so beautiful and endearing, but also bothering and spiteful. And, he didn't know why exactly. In the last moment, a brief moment of sanity appeard on Caligula's face and eyes as his body was dissapearing. "Please...save...Rome..." And with those final words, the body of one of the most infamous roman emprors and Nero's uncle had completely faded, with Mount Etna also making it's last natural roar, before stopping it's eruption.
With the adversary finally gone, Mash dropped her shield and standed still, her body feeling soft and weak but happy for having the job done. "We...won..." Mash stared at Spartacus and Lu Bu celebrating in the distance.
"Mash! Are you alright?" Looking to her side, she saw Ritsuka and Fou coming along Jing Ke from the higher zones of the mountain. It looked like Ritsuka also did his task successfully.
Mash smiled at seeing his presence. "I won...Senpai..." And her body gave up.
"Mash!"
Cleopatra breathed heavily from the wounds she received, staring at a tired Peko and Nala who despite that, where still on their feet. "These two kids are clearly not normal. A normal human would have his bones broken by my kicks. Yet they can still stand." Cleopatra smirked. "I admit, you two are way more threatning than I tought. I underestimated you."
"That compliment won't change anything now!" Peko told her, pointing his sword at her.
"Yeah! We'll still beat you!" Nala said, adding it to her brother's comment.
The two however, were feeling exhausted and tired, doubting if they could keep fighting her. Their bodies were reaching their limits. However, Cleopatra was just slightly better than the two. The tought that two kids make her bleed and sweat could be both frustrating and funny. But now Cleopatra wanted to end this, now.
"Since you made me had to fight this long and ruin my clothes, I think you are whorty of my most powerful attack. Feel honoured, it isn't many who get to see them." Cleopatra told to Peko and Nala, smilling pridefully. "I initially felt bad about having to kill two kids. But after seeing what you're capable of and the lenghts you're willing to go, I think the guilt decreaces a bit."
"Tsk! Peko, do you think that she means..." Nala looked at her brother.
"If that's true, then...we will have no chance of winning this!" Peko said to her, narrowing his eyes in distress. If Cleopatra was about to do what both the siblings were thinking of, then this battle would end in their defeat.
Cleopatra giggled. "You better be prepared for it."
"I should experi-
"Cleopatra-sama! Cleopatra-sama!" A soldier came running out of nowehere, stopping the chanting of the egyptian queen.
"What is it now? Why are you looking like that?" Cleopatra asked for why her soldier looked so despaired and defeated.
"It's emperor Caligula ma'am! He's been defeated!" The soldier revealed the information to Cleopatra who reacted in shock.
"Caligula's down?!"
"That guy that was near her when we reached here?" Nala asked to Peko, trying to remember when she saw Caligula.
"I think so." Peko smiled to her. "It looks like Ritsuka, Mash and the others were able to defeat him!"
Nala smiled in return. "Great! One more to go then!" She stared at Cleopatra who was now trying to visualize the har situation her army was in now.
"The lava from the top of Mount Etna is also reaching here and getting closer! And the temperature is almost unberable now! What should we-"
"Retreat!" Cleopatra ordered the soldier with her authoritive tone. "Get everything and everyone thta is still not dead and flee from the battlefield! This battle is clearly lost!"
"Y-Yes Cleopatra-sama! We shall retreat now!" The soldier went back to where it come and ordered the troops to retreat.
Cleopatra sighed in anger. "This is bad. Why the hell did you had to die you brainless moron?! Now I'll have to explain the casualties all alone to him!" Frustrated, Cleopatra turned around to look at Peko and Nala one last time before retreating. "What you just did, was a big mistake. The Nero you work for, is nothing but a greedful monster." And with that, she went away.
"Wait! Come back!" Nala tried to went after the woman but a sharp pain on her leg make her give up on that.
"Let it be Nala. This battle is already won." Peko helped his sister getting up. "What she meant by all that though? Of making a big mistake?"
"Loser's speech or something. She's probably just angry for losing against us." Nala said before hissing in pain. "My body hurts a lot, goddamn!"
"Yeah. Mine too." Peko responded to Nala. "I'm grateful for just walking out of this with every bone intact."
"Nala! Peko! Are you two alright?" Ritsuka appeard in distance with everyone else, coming torwards the two.
"Yeah. A whole body in pain aside, we're fine." Nala told him. "Glad to see you are fine too Ritsuka."
"She tried to make us give up but we didn't." Peko smiled to Ritsuka. "We fought and gave our best until the end Ritsuka."
"Then you two must have down great then." Ritsuka laughed happily as he patted both kids hair.
"Oh, but where is Mash? Wasn't she with you?" Peko asked to the master of humanity.
Ritsuka immediatly went silent and his smile dissapeard. "About that..."
Jing Ke then stepped in. "She's alive but, her battle completely drained her out." As the assassin woman said that, Spartacus showed Mash's unconscious body to them.
Despite having injuries, Peko and Nala went immediatly to her side. "Is she okay?!" Nala asked with some worriedness for her companion.
"She will live, but will probably spent the next hours resting." Jing Ke told her. "You should do the same."
"I hope Mash can recover fast and didn't suffered any permanent damages." Peko said looking at the shielder's body. "Defeating that Caligula guy must have been harsh."
"Mash is tougher then what she looks like and that's why she ended up winning and now deserves a rest." Ritsuka told him. "Like you and Nala."
"Fou!" Fou tapped Ritsuka in the cheeck angrily.
"Oh, right! You two did well Fou haha." Ritsuka calmed the animal down.
The whole army celebrated the victory and cheered their generals as well as the Chaldea group. One of the main enemy's figure was taken down and they were able to retireve territory. Tonight was a night for all of them to happily smile and party, as they would return to Rome and be hailed by the citizens as heroes and warriors as well as congratulated by emperor Nero herself. What they've been training their whole life for had compensated. As for the Chaldea group all, they tought about was resting for the night and heal the wounds, mainly Mash who needed a more complete recovery. But they went to sleep that night with satisfaction in their faces for being able to defeat the enemy in the first battle of many that would come in this Singularity.
Next Day
"...hmmm..." Mash slowly opened her eyes, feeling her body resting on the comfortable bed she was lying in. Looking around, she saw that she was resting inside the tent. No one else was there besides her. Getting her back up from the bed, Mash noticed that amjor part of her body was covered in bandages. Then she remembered for why she ended up like this. "Heh. We ended up winning the battle." Mash looked at her hand covered in bandages. "Even if my body is...Even if my life is...I'll wont stop fighting for Chaldea no matter what." Getting up from the bed, Mash walked a bit cluncky to the tent's exit.
Coming out, she saw the whole accampment that the roman army had built during the night.
"Do you think someone could drink lava if cold enough?"
"Why are you asking me that right now?"
Looking slightly to her right side, Mash spotted both Peko and Nala sitting on top of some boxes while eating a sandwich. The siblings seemed to be chatting about something.
"Good day. Peko,Nala." Mash greeted them, caughting the siblings by surprise.
"Ah,Mash! You're fine already!" Nala said happily, hugging the older girl."We we're worried about you yesterday!"
"Those injuries that you suffered were nasty. But it's good to see you have recovered" Peko said to the shielder.
Mash then noticed the bandages on the kids arms and legs. "Oh, you two also got injured. Do you feel good?"
"No need to worry Mash. These wounds were fine compared to yours." Nala told her. "We showed that enemy we were fighting who's the boss!" Nala smugged.
"Well, she beated us pretty hard so I'd hardly say we showed her that." Peko whispered. "But she ended up retreating in the end as soon as she heard Caligula has been defeated."
"So she retreated with the rest of her troops." Mash said, getting a nod from both siblings. "Also, where's master?"
"Right here." Ritsuka appeard, walking torwards them. "It's good to see you fine Mash. Spartacus told me you fought like a warrior against Caligula." Ritsuka laughed. "That appearence of yours almost makes me forget you are strong as hell."
Mash blushed a bit. "W-well, I was just doing my best to defeat our main enemy. A-Also I wouldn't have defeated him if it wasn't for Spartacus-san and Lu Bu-san."
"Then now that you're recovered and well, as a leader I said we should celebrate for a bit." Ritsuka looked at his group. "What do you guys think?"
"Instantly approved!" Nala almost shouted, smilling with joy.
"I aprove too!" Peko smiled as well.
"And what do you say Mash?" Ritsuka asked to his servant.
Seeing all of them happy and together, made Mash feel well. She truly couldn't have asked for better friends. "I also think that-"
"Sorry for interrupting your conversation my generals." A soldier walked torwards them. "But some civillians are on the base's gates wanting to see you and talk with you."
"Really? Then we better see what they want." Ritsuka said as he started to go to the gates direction. "Come guys!"Ritsuka called the rest of his group.
"Do you think they will give us gifts or something?" Nala asked Peko.
"It's possible. We fought off the enemy that took this territory from the Roman Empire, so they'll probably thank us." Peko responded.
"Strawberry cake as a gift!" Nala said enthusiastically.
"I doubt that cakes like that existed at this time." Peko scracthed his head.
Reaching to the entrance of the base, they saw a small group of civillians from the nearby village waiting for them, standing right at the entrance.
"Alright, you are the local village citizens aren't you?" Ritsuka smiled to them. "How may we help you?"
A woman stepped forward and coldly stared at them."With all due respect, you should leave. Right now."
To be continued...
And that's it for chapter 24! Oh my, 5 chapters in a month, I'm unstoppable!
As well as mine unintentionally obsession to write long chapters. I plan on the next one being a bit shorter thou.
So this chapter was essentially, fight fight fight. With Mash gaining the main focus by defeating Caligula (because I believe in eggplant supremacy). It also felt a little tired to write it since when it comes to fights I generally ain't that great writting them. Like fights are something that is more easier to tell with images and animation, so some of them can sometimes sound lame by just being decribed in words rather than by manga panels or an epic Ufotable fight scene. However, I try to do my best and will keep trying to evolve my writting so that in the future I can be able to describe the battles in a better way. But if you still enjoyed it that's cool. Now why did that lady at the end told them that? Wait for next chapter to find out :D (Yeah I know that cliffhangers can be a bitch and agonizing lol)
Anyway, that's all I wanted to say, and see you next time on chapter 25! Peace!
P.S: Thank god I've finally bought a heater to my house. It felt like being in a freaking freezer before! January is cold af and Lasengle decided to do nothing for it's entirety Only good thing about this month is that my bday is in it, or else I would abominate it's existence.
