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

At this moment, a guard beside Nero advised, "In that case, Your Majesty, equip the next expedition with chariots."

“Of course, it’s necessary!” Recalling the intelligence he had received, Nero’s gloomy expression vanished. “After all, the next expedition will be a full-scale attack on the capital of the United Empire!”

"Yes!" The soldiers' morale was high as they thought about the country they were fighting for being reclaimed.

"Mmm mmm~" Nero also enjoyed the trusting looks from his soldiers.

At that moment, the communication device in Mashu's hand beeped, and Dr. Roman's voice came through it again.

"Hmm... Your Majesty, it seems there's an enemy attack." Looking at the flashing red dot on the screen in front of him, Roman scratched his head in a rather troubled manner. "Enemy troops have been detected ahead, and there's a large-scale reaction."

"...Is it my turn to go on stage?" Nencho wanted to take out his driver again to join the battle, but his movements were interrupted by a fiery red greatsword.

"My general Nianzhuo, you've done enough. This time, let's have Yu and Mashu go." He dismounted, and flames once again coiled around Nero's sword.

"That's right! Mr. Nianzhuo, you should rest and recuperate in the rear. Mash Kyrielight, launch!"

Ultimately, although the enemy forces were numerous, they were no match for Nero and Mash. Both of them had conserved a great deal of energy during their battles on the island, which was more than enough to deal with these ordinary soldiers.

"How...strange." Mashup blocked the last soldier's blade and watched him fall to Emperor Nero, thus bringing this battle to a close.

"The frequency of enemy appearances is almost the same as before." With a hint of confusion in her voice, Mashu calmly looked at the unconscious soldiers around her.

“Yes.” Nero nodded in agreement with Mashu’s statement. “Our army has clearly taken control of the neighboring Gaul region. Could it be that the attack was launched from the sea? The reconnaissance troops have not detected it yet, which means…” At this thought, Nero’s expression suddenly turned serious.

“There might be an elite enemy force capable of detecting and eliminating scouts who have landed,” the doctor finished Nero’s sentence. “That explains it, but then—”

Suddenly, a lot of hostile red reactions appeared on the screen again. It seems that Dr. Roman and Nero's guess was correct, but unfortunately...

—Everyone, including Rome, is in danger.

There was no time to think about it anymore; Dr. Roman spoke rapidly into the communication device again.

"Just as I feared. Enemy forces have been detected again! And in large numbers!"

"...Soldiers!" Mash turned to the soldiers behind her, some of whom were already prepared to die, and shouted, "Please, everyone, stay safe! I will fight with all my might!"

"...There's no time to worry about that now." After stretching his limbs and feeling the cracking sounds from his bones, Nian Zhuo took out the driver and walked to the front.

"May Nianzhuo and Lord Mashu also have great military success!" the soldiers shouted, and both sides began their charge.

Holding the black and pink watch face in his hand, Nian Zhuo also showed a rare smile.

“Ex-Aid—Dragon Knight Hunter, it’s been a long time, old friend.” With a gentle twist, Nian Zhuo fastened it to the driver on his waist.

"Rider Time! Kamen Rider Zi-O!! Armor Time! Level Up! Ex-Aid!"

"DD-Drago! Kni-Kni-Kni-Kni~ght! Dra-! Dra-! Drago Knight Hunter! Z!"

The black wheel enveloped Nian Zhuo's figure, and then the dragon hunter, wielding a chainsaw in both hands, reappeared after a long time.

"Alright, the game has begun." Suddenly, the dragon relief above their heads spewed out some black flames.

However, to Nian Zhuo's surprise, these soldiers seemed to be quite different from the Allied soldiers that Mashu and the others had just fought. These soldiers' skills far surpassed those of ordinary soldiers, and even their physical abilities were vastly different.

“What was with those soldiers just now—” Nero, slightly out of breath, planted the Primal Flame into the ground and said indignantly, “They were so different from ordinary Allied soldiers, weren’t they? They didn’t look much different, but…”

“…Yes, rather than human soldiers, the aura emanating from them is more like that of Servants.” Mash, who was constantly enduring their attacks, understood this deeply. “But they’re not Servants, are they? Doctor, who exactly are they…?”

"There are several possibilities, it's really a headache." Roman put down his strawberry cake and scratched his head in confusion. "This situation is most likely caused by a Noble Phantasm. And it's not an ordinary Noble Phantasm, it's probably the kind that needs to be used on the battlefield."

"That means ――――――" The answer is self-evident.

There is a servant here who is connected to war; it could be one, or it could be...

The sound of armor scraping against the ground could be heard, and a large group of soldiers was marching in the distance.

...No, more like a follower.

A series of crises - the true king of war

The iron cavalry kicked up dust, carrying the force to shatter the earth and the feeling of a ferocious beast, as they slammed heavily onto the Chaldea group.

"...Master, it's the aura of Servants." Even Mash, unusually, didn't address Ritsuka with the title of "senpai." "It's the aura of Servants, and the number is one...no, hundreds! The aura of these hundreds of enemies is the same as that group of soldiers from before. However, we can only confirm the muscular aura of one of them...!"

As soon as Mashu finished speaking, a deafening roar came from afar.

Even the Roman soldiers were somewhat flustered and reported this to Nero, who was standing nearby.

"Enemy forces are attacking! They number in the hundreds!"

"Is it an ambush?" Nero frowned, utterly baffled. "Where did these hundreds of people come from...?"

Among the hundreds of enemy soldiers, a man stepped forward.

Muscles, muscles of steel. The man wore a heavy helmet, carried a round shield and a pointed spear, and his red cloak stretched across the ground.

Reaching the front of the battle, the man, exuding the aura of a seasoned veteran, stood facing Nero.

"This is not an ambush. I had already decided to set up defenses here. You have voluntarily stepped into my stronghold. In other words, I am about to launch a defensive battle for the stronghold."

This is a linguistic trap. Leonidas possesses a skill called "Rear Guard Pride."

The "Rearguard's Pride A" is a skill that embodies the strength demonstrated in the Battle of Thermopylae. It is a unique skill that allows its power to be fully utilized in unfavorable situations, such as defensive battles or retreats.

"Annihilate all invading enemies! More valiant than offense, more solid than defense. This is the Spartan fortress defense tactic; you will experience it for yourselves."

"You mean Sparta? Then you must be—"

"Leonidas? His real name is Leonidas." Standing at the front of the group, holding a sharp spear, the man who called himself Leonidas was as solid as a city wall.

"Not hiding your real name, huh?" Dr. Roman was quite surprised. "Both last time and this time, it's very different from a typical Holy Grail War."

“Leonidas?” Holding the Primal Flame, Nero moved closer, trying to see the man's face clearly. “You are King Leonidas of Sparta?”

“That’s right.” Without denying it, Leonidas pointed his spear at Nero, “and will be the one to crush you in this cruel and inhumane war.”

"What...!" Nero's hand holding the sword trembled slightly. "Leonidas, the legendary guardian of the Flame Gate! It's not just the [Emperor] who has been resurrected?" As if sensing something, Nero seemed to realize something.

"Hmm. So Boudica, she..."

"Let's get to the fight!" Remembering Boudica's instructions at the camp, Ritsuka quickly interrupted Nero's thoughts. "After all, there's still Elizabeth and the others!?"

“Ah, that makes sense.” Nero still hadn’t shaken off his doubts. “Hmm, could Boudica… actually be dead? Really? I told her before, ‘Since you’re still alive, submit to Rome this time…’” Recalling his slip of the tongue, Nero’s morale plummeted.

"Miss Nero! The more important thing now is that the enemy's numbers are staggering. We need to strengthen our defenses!" Mash urged anxiously.

"Uh, no, our forces are outnumbered." Nero glanced at the enemy troops tightly surrounding them, then at their own strength. "Successfully holding them off would be ideal, but—"

“Once we defeat that true Servant, the remaining hundreds of soldiers should disappear.” Mash’s gaze fell upon Leonidas, who stood motionless. “So—”

"Mash! This is a Servant battle!" Ritsuka clenched her left hand, which bore the three Command Seals, and her body shimmered with magical energy. "Mr. Nencho! I'm counting on you too!"

"Understood!" Upon hearing this, the armored heroic spirit, who was both black and pink, turned around and strode over to them. "Leave it to me."

"Oh! Is that Heroic Spirit over there also skilled in defense?" The soldiers' arrogance grew as they repeatedly struck their shields with their spears.

Warrior's Roar B is a skill that boosts morale, similar to the breathing technique in karate called "breathing breath," where a loud shout is used to adjust one's mental state.

“You’re wrong about that…” The next moment, Nian Zhuo’s figure appeared above Leonidas, his chainsaws slashing down and striking Leonidas’s shield, creating a burst of golden sparks.

At the same time, Leonidas's legs broke through the earth and sank deep into it.

A stalemate of power, between heroic spirits, is being reenacted here.

Even with immense force coming from his left hand, Leonidas's right hand was not idle. He flipped the spearhead, quickly moved the shield aside, and thrust it straight at Nianzhuo's face.

A gust of wind, carrying the tip of a spear, came from in front of him, and Nian Zhuo quickly retreated.

He then moved below Leonidas and swung the chainsaws horizontally at Leonidas's abdomen.

"Ha—!" With a roar, Leonidas's muscles tensed even more, and the spear tip he thrust out flipped at an almost right angle in the air, turning towards Nian Zhuo's double blades.

He thrust out, retracted, then flipped the spear tip and thrust out again. Leonidas's imposing aura, hidden beneath his mask, grew ever stronger.

He swung, cleaved, and slashed sideways. Then, he kept turning around and swinging the chainsaws in both hands. Sweat beaded on Nianzhuo's forehead, which was hidden beneath his mask.

Their rapid exchange of blows severed the air and cleaved the earth, creating a buzzing sound in the surrounding air.

In the protracted battle, Leonidas gained the upper hand. Nianzhuo's chainsaw gradually slowed down. Although he could surpass Leonidas in speed, the opponent's high morale and physical strength, which were comparable to his own, made it impossible for him to see the key to victory.

"Tsk... Let's retreat for now." Despite suffering a stab to the calf from the tip of the opponent's spear, Nian Zhuo successfully created distance between them.

"Huff... You're strong!" Leonidas exclaimed, catching his breath. "But! Your muscles aren't hard enough!"

“There’s nothing I can do… After all, I wasn’t exactly a legitimate Heroic Spirit to begin with.” Shaking his head, Nian Zhuo removed the Ex-Aid watch face, then turned to look at Mash and Nero, who were struggling to hold off the enemy forces behind him, and Ritsuka, who was not far away.

He held the orange-yellow dial in his hand and then clipped it onto his driver.

"Distraction in battle..." Before Nian Zhuo could even turn his head, the gust of wind from the back of his head told him of the impending death. Leonidas was thrusting straight at him with the tip of his spear. "...That's a cardinal sin in battle!"

“Indeed… ha.” Turning the driver over, Nenju’s gaze, peering through the mask, swept over Leonidas. “But with your abilities… could you kill me?”

"Rider Time! Kamen Rider Zi-O!! Armor Time! Soiya! Gaim~!"

An orange ring enveloped Nianzhuo's figure, and a huge orange fell vertically from above.

Leonidas's spear struck the enormous orange without even a spark (the invincible law of knight transformation).

The ring dissipated, and the warrior who inherited the will reappeared.

His own unwavering commitment.

After transforming into Gaim form, Nencho's attack style also changed abruptly.

He became more agile and swift, and the two large orange pills in his hands greatly annoyed Leonidas.

However, the battle would not last long. The Roman army behind them was already showing signs of weakness. Even with the support of Mashu, the Demi-Servant, and Nero, the hundreds of Spartan soldiers who had only appeared thanks to Leonidas were far superior to the Roman soldiers.

"We have to finish this quickly..." Nian Zhuo told himself not to panic, but he swung the large orange pill in his hand even faster.

This, in turn, gave King Leonidas more opportunities. The outcome of the battle, which had been undecided just moments before, was quickly shifted to King Leonidas's hands in just over ten seconds.

"..." It was still the same old story where Nian Zhuo deliberately widened the gap between the two, but this time it wasn't for the purpose of switching forms.

Speechless, Nian Zhuo clutched his side, where Leonidas had just stabbed him several times with the butt of his gun.

“I must admit, you are truly strong, King Leonidas.” The Great Orange Pill in his hand disappeared, transforming into a large sword shaped like an orange. Nian Zhuo once again pointed the blade at King Leonidas. “So, let this final strike be a farewell gift to you…” As he finished speaking, Nian Zhuo gripped the Great Orange Pill tightly in his left hand, and orange light gradually emanated from the blade.

"A last stand, is it...? Fine! Then bring it on!" Leonidas braced his round shield, his legs stomping through the ground like an impenetrable wall. "I will take your attack, and your life with me!"

“Is that so…” Turning the driver over, a silver light suddenly appeared on Nian Zhuo’s empty right hand. “Sorry…” Nian Zhuo said softly in a voice that he could only hear.

"Ha—!" The shield in his hand gleamed with magical light. Leonidas was already prepared. "Bring it on!"