Thanks for the invitation. I'm in Type-Moon, inheriting the legacy of Zi-O.

“It can only be this foolish berserker. No, it’s self-evident that berserkers are foolish, isn’t it?” Even Rafe himself felt a bit uneasy, filled with doubt about this uncertain factor in front of him. “But he disobeyed my orders, which really surprised me. The so-called blood ties? How ridiculous.”

Upon hearing the familiar voice of the magician, Caligula laboriously raised his head.

“My…my fate has nothing to do with my beloved sister’s daughter…Nero…!” Even though the wooden vines bound his movements, Caligula’s eyes were sharper than any beast. Only when he recalled the crimson figure he had seen did the man’s eyes soften slightly.

“Beautiful…beautiful child…Nero, you were…deeply loved…deeply loved…so deeply loved…” Recalling his own fate, the man growled sadly, “Therefore…and my fate…”

"Hmph. What a pity he doesn't have Command Seals." Staring at Caligula, Rafe unconsciously confused him with the black and white monster who had kicked him to the brink of death.

"This brings back unpleasant memories..." Rafe's tone remained calm, but the magical light in his hands gradually intensified. "However, I have prepared a treasured spell for you. You will regretfully kill your own niece, and then destroy everything in this era. However—"

"Perhaps you won't even have enough rationality left to regret it." Leif's excited eyes bulged out, one big and one small, as he madly mocked the Servant in front of him who was about to lose his mind.

"Oh dear. Really, Servants really aren't free beings, are they? No matter what legends they have, or what superhuman strength they possess, they're just familiars in the end. They have the power to roam the world at will, but they have no freedom. What an irony, hahaha! Hey! Don't you think so?"

With a maniacal laugh, Rafe's crazed expression was seen by the man sitting on the throne.

"...Let's get back to the point." The man raised an eyebrow, sensing that he might be a little angry.

"Oh dear, forgive my rudeness. Speaking of which, you're a Servant too." He smiled憨厚ly, as if the madman from before wasn't Leif at all.

"----Hmph. So, you can only obey my orders. If you truly possess destiny, then your destiny is me. The complete destruction of this era, the death of Emperor Nero and the collapse of the Roman Empire, the death of human history."

"This is precisely the noble duty bestowed upon me by my king and that demon who can stand on equal footing with my king!"

Look, sing aloud, for the surprise!

“…Hmm.” The intervals between words grew shorter, as if the man on the throne was becoming increasingly displeased.

“Then let’s replenish our missing forces.” Waving his top hat, he bowed deeply to the man seated on the throne, then looked at the summoning circle he had just drawn. “Perfect timing, the summoning ritual should be complete now. Unlike the half-finished Chaldea, I can truly summon Servants at will. We were created to be such beings. In terms of summoning magic, I stand at the end of this world.”

A gradually flickering summoning circle, a rising orb of magical light—and a figure standing within the summoning circle.

Finally, wielding a gun and shield, his muscles bulging with power, the man's bright red cloak billowed without wind.

"...Servant Lancer. My true name is Leonidas. From this day forward, I will serve you."

"Oh. It's the Heroic Spirit from Thermopylae!" Looking the Heroic Spirit up and down with a hint of surprise, Lev nodded in satisfaction. "Excellent. Go all out and annihilate Nero Claudius!"

---------That's all for now----------

Meanwhile, the group on their way home were exchanging information.

“…Hmm.” Nero tapped his head laboriously. “Remember what that farmer said earlier? The traveling merchant I passed yesterday said something similar. They all said that an ancient god has appeared. Is it true?”

"Who knows?" Dr. Roman, who had been listening in the conversation, also opened his communicator. "That does raise some questions. If it refers to ancient gods, then it must be from the mythological era, right?"

“To be precise, I’ve heard it four times in the last few days. No one seems to be lying.” Mashu counted on her fingers, recalling the rumors she had seen and heard. “They say that an ancient god has appeared on an island in the Mediterranean. The details are quite specific for a rumor.”

“Because Gaul is located on the Mediterranean coast… it’s not surprising to hear rumors from there.” Although it’s not surprising, Nero’s eyes showed great concern. “But hearing it repeatedly like this is still bothersome, even though we are already on our way back to Rome.”

"Hmm~ It is indeed a bit of a concern." Dr. Roman actively participated in the discussion. "Personally, I am very bothered by it. What about Ritsuka? What does Ritsuka think?"

"Could it be related to the Holy Grail?" Ritsuka swayed her orange side ponytail, speaking earnestly. "...Or maybe they just misheard?"

“That… is hard to say.” When the Holy Grail was mentioned, Mash recalled Caesar’s message: “Caesar said that the Holy Grail was in the hands of the court magician.”

"While it's not confirmed yet whether it's Rafe Lenore," the doctor thought for a moment, nearly spitting out his coffee at the mention of Rafe, who was called a god, "that guy couldn't possibly have gone to the Mediterranean, could he?! And he calls himself a god—that's possible. But, well, who knows, maybe he really is a god?" The doctor started indulging in his usual daydreams again.

"Ah, the island where the gods dwell! How wonderful, how romantic!" Laughing, Roman's fantasies grew stronger and stronger: "Ancient gods who descended from the first century! Gods who should have disappeared have returned to the mortal world...!"

"Doctor, I have a question." Mashu valued the possibility of reality more than mere fantasy: "Is it actually possible for gods to manifest in the real world?"

"It's a bit difficult." After being dragged into reality by Mashu, the doctor also began to analyze seriously, "It's almost impossible. At least it's impossible with Chaldea's system."

"Gods? Not Heroic Spirits, but Gods?" Ritsuka was confused again.

“Yes, gods.” This time, it was Nianzhuo who chimed in, pointing his finger at Ritsuka and explaining, “Gods are the sacred beings frequently mentioned in legends around the world. Sometimes they are the embodiment of nature, sometimes they are symbols of power. They are gods, the various gods. You can think of gods as a term that refers to them. They have disappeared from the earth, or from a physical point of view, they never existed, right? Magic that came into existence after the Gregorian calendar cannot possibly understand them. At least in our modern world, they cannot be observed.”

“Think about it, even if you pray to gods and Buddhas when you encounter difficulties, you almost never get any help, right?” Nian Zhuo said, but the doctor felt something was amiss and brought the topic back. “…This example might be a bit strange, but in short, they don’t exist. However, there is a lot of indirect evidence, so we speculate that gods exist in higher dimensions. At least they won’t directly interfere with us. No, it should be said that they cannot interfere.”

"After all, that's impossible, isn't it? The world has long been dominated by humanity and civilization. Even if gentle gods still exist, they won't come to reality to reclaim the lost future. The only ones who can possibly save the world and the future are us." For some reason, the topic became somewhat heavy, so the doctor brought it back to the previous point: "In conclusion, let's return to our previous topic. The question of whether gods can come to the mortal world as servants."

"No. That's the answer. Even if they wanted to come, it would be extremely difficult, even if they had the technology to reach the realm of magic. But in principle, it's not absolutely impossible."

"Then who exactly is the god of the Mediterranean—" Mashu was still somewhat concerned about the rumors.

"It's probably not a real god." Dr. Roman paused noticeably in his answer this time. "The possibility of a god descending to earth is extremely low. However, we can't rule out the possibility that it might happen, you know? If it's a god who fell from their throne, perhaps..."

"This won't solve the problem at all!" At this moment, His Majesty Nero's loud shout broke the silence. "Hmm, since you're so concerned about this matter, let's go and check it out. Fortunately, this place faces the Mediterranean Sea." Pointing in a direction, Nero's ahoge (a single strand of hair sticking up) twitched amusingly.

However, there are always some ungrateful people who try to sabotage these puzzle-solving moments.

"Your Majesty, I humbly report!" A messenger rushed up from the back of the column, kneeling before Nero before he could even catch his breath. "The rear of the column has been attacked by an unknown monster! Our army is struggling to resist...! If this continues..."

“…Hmm, I’m talking to someone right now!” Nero gripped the fiery red greatsword in his hand with displeasure, looking somewhat angry.

“There’s a magical reaction.” The doctor looked at the red dot behind them. “It might be a monster influenced by the Holy Grail.”

"Let's go! Mr. Nianzhuo! And senior!" Before the doctor could finish speaking, Mashu raised her shield.

"Alright, Mashu, let's take care of them carefully and quickly." Nianzhuo, who was only equipped with the Zi-O basic armor, flexed his wrists, and the group rushed towards the back of the line.

The gods of the Mediterranean?

"---The battle is over. No more enemy troops." Mash sheathed her shield and looked at the ravaged forest. The undead beneath her shield vanished without a trace, turning into a wisp of black mist.

"Phew, but that's really annoying." Dr. Roman sighed in relief and sat back down in his chair. "Things like the undead just pop up out of nowhere..."

“I’ve basically gotten used to it.” Sheathing his fiery red greatsword, Nero suddenly looked troubled. “Well, uh… what was I saying earlier—right! That Mediterranean god! I absolutely must go and confirm it with myself!”

"Huh? Don't we need to go back to the capital, Rome?" Ritsuka seemed a little tired; her side ponytail twitched listlessly.

“Although I don’t know what this ancient god is, just imagine, if it really is one of the gods…” Ignoring Ritsuka’s complaints, Nero carefully recalled the ancient Roman texts she had read as a child. “It’s not impossible. That’s right, Rome has such legends! For example, Rome’s greatest ancestor of gods—the founding king Romulus—disappeared in a flash of lightning and became the newest god.” Speaking of Romulus, even Nero’s face showed a childlike longing and yearning. “There are many similar stories. Aren’t ancient gods quite interesting? And, if it were a {Roman} god, but it was taken away by the {emperors} of the allied forces, that would be terrible.”

The scene seemed to automatically fill in his mind, and Nero shook his head like a rattle drum.

"I don't want this to happen! I absolutely do not want to see this situation occur!"

"I see." On the other side, Dr. Roman was captivated by Emperor Nero's charm. "Your Majesty's words make a lot of sense. As guests, we have no reason not to keep you company."

"...Aren't you happy, Doctor?" Mashu could hear the excitement in Dr. Roman's voice.

"No way!" came the loud reply, which seemed to directly reveal Dr. Roman's excitement. "There's no such thing! It's just that as a researcher, I haven't hidden my strong curiosity!"

"Isn't this..." Even Mashu, who usually has no expression, glanced away with an expression of unbearable disapproval.

“Fu… Fu chirp, Fu um {So embarrassing}” Fu Fu also jumped onto Nian Zhuo’s shoulder as if she was scared.

"..." {Maybe I shouldn't treat him as my court magician...} Nero looked like he was "avoiding because he was too scared".

"Look, Nero is angry too...!" Mashu scolded the doctor, but then noticed Nero seemed a little distracted. "Nero? Are you alright?"

“…Hmm, what’s wrong?” Nero looked up blankly, giving him a “what were you saying?” look. “No, I’ve made up my mind. Let’s cross the sea and return in triumph! Then we’ll sail back to the capital, Rome. I’m starting to get tired of traveling by land.”

“Just now, Nero seemed to space out again for a while.” Nian Zhuo didn’t participate in the conversation, but quietly observed Nero’s reaction. “It’s probably because of what Boudica mentioned.”

Meanwhile, Mashu was also secretly communicating with Dr. Roman. All three of them reached the same conclusion.

----Let's go back to the time when we were still at the camp----

“There’s something that’s been bothering me,” Boudica said, serving food to the three of them while reflecting. “It’s about Emperor Nero. It happened when we first arrived, I don’t know if you noticed. She would occasionally space out, like a fool. Ever since the Allied Forces appeared, she’s been doing that from time to time. Maybe it’s just my imagination, but whenever that happens, I can sense a bit of magic.” Perhaps feeling her description wasn’t quite accurate, Boudica paused for a moment.

"...She's a human from this era, not a magician, but I definitely sensed it." Boudica tapped her head with her spoon, looking incredulous. "I've subtly inquired about it with her, but she seems completely oblivious. So, could you please keep an eye on her? Spartacus and I, as governors of Gaul, must defend this place. That person... if possible, I hope you can help us."

"I understand," Mash replied first. "You're... worried about Nero, aren't you?"

“I’m not worried about Emperor Nero!” Boudica suddenly slammed her hand on the table, her expression softening slightly. “...This isn’t something that can be swayed by personal feelings. After all, she’s the symbol of this land. If anything happens to her, we’ll lose the war. I’ve had enough of losing battles, and that’s the only reason I care about her.”

"...Hmm." Nodding, none of them said anything more.

"Okay, then let's put this aside for now. Mashu and Nianzhuo, do you have time?" Boudica's inexplicable smile made Nianzhuo, who was eating quietly, a little scared.

"Um, that..." Mash didn't know what Boudica wanted to do, but her suddenly friendly tone still made her shrug her shoulders awkwardly.

"I just want to eat in peace..." Nian Zhuo was on the verge of tears, as if he knew what Boudica was about to do.

"Before we set off, let your older sister teach you some secret Britannian dishes, okay? Of course, you'll have to learn Nianzhuo too, okay?" For some reason, Boudica seemed quite enthusiastic about teaching the two of them Britannian cuisine. "If you can remember them well and make them your own specialties, I'll be so happy!"

Silently pressing down on their shoulders, Boudica began to lead them out of the tent.

"Ah...no, this-----" Mashu and Nencho both looked at Ritsuka, who was quietly eating to the side. "Senpai {Ritsuka}..."

"I just wanted to eat in peace." Ritsuka felt the two gazes on her back, as if they were thorns. She silently turned around.

"You're so cute, you should really take some bridal lessons beforehand~" Boudica tapped Mashu's cheek and smiled before turning her gaze to Nianzhuo. "And Nianzhuo, as a man from Britain, cooking is also a great skill!" Seeing Mashu close her eyes in some trouble, Boudica was as warm as a neighborly older sister.

"Ah, really, so cute!" Boudica had already walked quickly to the stove. "Come here, come here~" Seeing that Mashu was standing still, Boudica quickly walked over and pulled her over.

"Wow..." Only Mashu's surprised voice echoed. "Again---breasts-----"

"Alright, alright, good girl, good girl." Gently stroking Mashu's head in her arms, Boudica's expression suddenly turned bitter. She looked up at Nianzhuo standing to the side, her voice trembling slightly, "You two must always be healthy and energetic, okay? Don't always act recklessly and hurt yourselves. After all, you are just children."

“…Hmm.” As if sensing something in the doctor’s words, Nianzhuo simply responded softly.

"Um...okay..." Mashu, struggling in Boudica's arms, was suffering. "Um...no, I am...Mr. Nianzhuo...and senior, a solid shield..."

"Alright, alright!" Boudica looked at the face in her arms carefully, seemingly very happy. "Hmm~ I'm so happy to have two such outstanding juniors!"

"..." Mashu helplessly gave up struggling and let the former Queen of Britannia hold her.

---End of flashback------

Mediterranean Gods x2

"..." Recalling the scene of being disciplined by Boudica, Mash and Nianzhuo were both somewhat distressed.

"Yes, we can indeed sense a trace of magic from Nero." The doctor looked at the faint magical reaction representing Nero on the screen. "However, it's also possible that she has magical training." Roman continued to exchange information with Mash in a low voice.

"So, what could it be?" Mash asked, glancing at Nero, who seemed lost in thought again.

“Hmm, not enough information…” Dr. Roman stretched in the control room chair.

"Alright! It's settled then!" With no objections raised, or rather, no one would object to His Majesty the Emperor's proposal, Nero cheered with joy. "Let's go, we need to get the ship as soon as possible."

"Wait a minute..." Nencho stretched out his arm to stop Nero from continuing forward. He looked around and said, "Before that, Ritsuka, and Mash, prepare for battle. There seem to be remnants of the enemy forces around. I can sense their presence."

"We've been discovered!" Immediately afterward, more than a dozen Allied soldiers jumped out of the bushes, only to be met with fiery red greatswords and shields that were already in place.

"Hmm~ I see. I've also confirmed the reactions of multiple organisms. I was just about to say that we detected a hostile reaction from multiple allied Gallic armies." The doctor felt somewhat conflicted that the only intelligence gathering they could gather had been taken away from them.

"Hmph, we might let deserters go, but since they've come to us, let's not bother with them! Counterattack!" Commanding the army behind him, Nero charged forward, brandishing his fiery red greatsword.