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

"Finish Time---" "Daidai Ichitou"--- Yes, this is a skill that Zi-O Gaim obtained, which does not exist in Nencho's memory. But it is precisely because it is him, and because he was personally acknowledged by Kouta, that he can use the martial arts that Gaim himself possesses.

The figure rapidly approached, and as the distance drew closer, the orange glow on the Great Orange Pill in Nian Zhuo's hand grew increasingly dazzling.

"Orange Squash!" "Big Orange Pill! Maximum output!"

With a clang, a sound cut through the air in a semicircle and struck the shield that King Leonidas had raised.

The sound of metal clashing and sparks flew simultaneously as the blade and shield collided, constantly scorching the surrounding air.

In this duel between shield and sword, who will emerge victorious?

Then, Da Cheng Wan flew into the air, and Nian Zhuo's right hand, which was tightly gripping Da Cheng Wan, was also lifted up by the tremendous force coming from below.

At the same time, Leonidas's round shield also tilted uncontrollably to the left, and even the bulging muscles and veins on his arms could not stop it.

However, he still lost. Nianzhuo could see that the spear hidden under the round shield of his opponent was already thrusting towards him. The sharp spearhead was still flashing with cold light. It would probably pierce his forehead before he could think of a countermeasure.

“But… I had already come up with a plan before the final blow against you.” Nian Zhuo couldn’t help but smile, though no one could see it.

"Hey!" Although he heard the laughter of the unfamiliar heroic spirit in front of him, King Leonidas only understood what the other party was laughing about when he saw it.

The silver light on Nian Zhuo's left hand suddenly transformed into a long, slender sword blade.

Taking advantage of his tendency to fall to the right and back, he gripped the hilt of his sword in reverse and slashed at Leonidas at an angle.

The spear tip, thrusting out, collided with the bright silver blade. Would the two be locked in a stalemate again?

No way! Nian Zhuo applied force to the hilt of the sword again, causing the sword to separate from the thrusting spear. Then, the longsword in Nian Zhuo's hand turned into silver light again, and he held a short, spear-shaped weapon in his hand.

"This...!" Leonidas was only slightly surprised that the heroic spirit weapon in front of him could change its appearance out of thin air. However, with both hands thrown back and his body stiff, he could only watch helplessly as Nian Zhuo flicked the Time Gun in his hand, creating a spear flower before aiming it at his body.

“I’m sorry, King Leonidas…” Not daring to be careless in the slightest, Nian Zhuo pulled the Zio watch from his waist and inserted it into the gun.

"The checkmate is complete..."

"Finish Time----" Purple energy condensed at the muzzle of the gun.

"Time Charge! 5·4·3·2·1···Zero Time!" "Sure Sure Shot! [Sure Sure Uchi]"

Purple energy poured out from the muzzle of the gun, piercing through Leonidas's helmet. At the same time, more energy bullets rained down on Leonidas's unprotected body, leaving bloody holes.

---it's over.

This was the thought of everyone present, including the soldiers who sensed the fluctuations of their king's magic, Nero and Mash who were fighting them, and the many soldiers.

Everyone turned their gaze toward where the two were standing.

"Crack--" The sound of metal breaking echoed as Leonidas's helmet shattered and fell to the ground, revealing a red-haired man with a resolute expression.

"Ugh..." Touching the bloody holes that had exploded on his body, Leonidas showed no pain, only resentment and despair. "So that's how it is... In a battle with nothing to protect, I..." Feeling his eyelids trembling, Leonidas planted the spear in his hand on the ground.

“…Really, nothing good ever comes from war…” He closed his eyes, the red cloak behind him turning even crimson from his blood. “But before I leave, I have a great gift for you…the unknown man who breached my defenses.”

Suddenly, he grabbed the spear that was standing to one side, and as if in a final burst of energy, Leonidas plunged the spear tip into Nianzhuo's abdomen.

"...!" Nian Zhuo was only surprised, because the battle was so difficult that he even forgot his opponent possessed a skill like [Battle Continuation]. A sharp, stabbing pain shot through his abdomen, and Nian Zhuo was instantly sent flying.

Unfortunately, time was up, and Leonidas was ultimately unable to sustain his injuries...

This man stood upright until he turned into golden particles and returned to Valhalla, never falling down, his head held high.

"Disappeared...?" Nero sighed helplessly as he looked at the enemies around him who had also turned into particles and vanished. "They really shouldn't belong to this world."

“…Indeed, he is a very formidable opponent, Mr. Nianzhuo.” The group walked to Nianzhuo’s side, and Mashu looked at Nianzhuo’s trembling right hand and said, “As expected of the strongest stronghold defense Heroic Spirit.”

"There's no enemy reaction around. Neither Servants nor humans, nor any Mystic species have reacted." Another Servant battle, and Roman could finally relax and pick up his coffee, but his expression changed after just one sip.

"...It's cold now."

A short rest

Finally, after the not-so-small turmoil of the campaign against Leonidas, the group's journey back to Rome was no longer fraught with major obstacles.

“Then let’s go back to the capital, Rome!” Stretching, Nero indicated that her body was already feeling exhausted from the journey. “Mash, Ritsuka, and Nenjo. You can all stand up straight! Hmm! Especially Mash, you know? Stand up straight.” Nero nodded repeatedly while looking at Mash.

"Hmm, although it's not as good as mine, yours is still quite nice." Of course, this statement, which would be problematic even in ancient times, made Mashu blush and quickly cover her chest.

"Uh, no..."

"Heh heh. Stand tall and proud!" Nero stretched out his hands. "This is a triumphant return after the conquest of Gaul!"

...a bumpy ride...

When everyone saw the gates of Rome, the capital, reappear before them, they finally breathed a sigh of relief. But the crowds and shouts coming from inside the gates immediately roused them to their senses.

"Ohhhhhhhhhh--!" Countless people crowded at the city gate, cheering for the emperor's triumphant return.

Nianzhuo and the others had never seen such a scene before. The people around them enthusiastically came forward, which made everyone subconsciously tense up. Ritsuka was even sweating profusely.

In contrast, Emperor Nero seemed to have become accustomed to the enthusiasm of the people or had seen too much of this kind of scene. He only breathed a sigh of relief when he sat down on the throne at the palace.

"Phew..." Nero kept rubbing his temples, his headache seemed to be getting worse. "Finally, it's quiet down."

"People are so enthusiastic." Mashu tidied her slightly messy hair and looked at Ritsuka and Nencho beside her. "It's like a festival. Nencho's face was almost distorted by the crowd just now... and Senpai... almost got squeezed into a meat patty, right?"

Yes, the orange-haired girl is currently on Nianzhuo's back, blowing snot bubbles. She had fainted after being surrounded by enthusiastic citizens, but luckily Nianzhuo carried her on his back.

"However, Mr. Nianzhuo doesn't seem to be unhappy about this?" Mashu carefully examined Nianzhuo's face, trying to guess what he was thinking. "Could it be that Mr. Nianzhuo likes that lively atmosphere?"

“…Yeah, more or less.” Nianzhuo helped Ritsuka, who was clinging to his back. “I guess I’m the kind of hedonist…I guess. I think to myself, since it’s a festival, there’s nothing I can do about it.”

“I see…I see,” Mashu nodded her little head repeatedly, looking like she understood. “So the so-called festival is an event where everyone becomes more approachable.”

"Haha. Perhaps that's not entirely true." Roman chimed in, "Those are just people who are supposedly intoxicated by the wine of victory."

"Heh heh heh. The magician who has vanished without a trace." Nero, having now discovered the blind spot, said, "Your tone makes it sound as if you yourself have tasted this bitterness?"

"Hahaha. Because I have a vivid imagination." Dr. Roman's words were airtight, easily covering up his previous mistakes. "But I've also suffered quite a bit because of it."

"Hmm. Mash really protects herself perfectly." Finding that she couldn't get any more information about the magician who could only be heard but not seen, Nero turned her attention to Mash, who had been wary of her since the beginning. "Does she hate contact with others? As expected of a fierce general who defends against enemies with a shield. It's a good thing that she is chaste towards people other than me. I like it even more."

“…Alright, Your Majesty Nero, are you thinking about peaches?” Nian Zhuo was just listening when he suddenly blurted out, “…I bet Rome has a huge peach harvest.”

"Eh...? Hmm, Peach, that's true!" Nero looked at Nencho, who was shaking his head in a helpless manner, with a blank and confused expression.

"Thank you... I am... I am humbled." When Emperor Nero mentioned chastity, Mashu blushed and lowered her head, but her gaze still subtly shifted to Nianzhuo.

"Hey~ why is Mashu suddenly staring at me?" Sensing the strange gaze, Nianzhuo suddenly turned around, startling Mashu.

"Um... um. No, no." Mashu waved her hands and lowered her head even further. "Actually, I'm not... fine."

Amidst the joyful atmosphere, a messenger quickly ran to Nero's throne and knelt down.

"I dare to report to His Majesty the Emperor! The special expedition is on its way back to Rome!"

"What—" After a pause, Nero, realizing what was happening, excitedly slapped her chair and stood up. "They're back?"

"Yes, both generals are alive and well!" At this point, the messenger suddenly lowered his head. "However, due to the fierce attack from the allied forces, they are currently forced to halt their advance."

"That's terrible!" With a worried expression, Nero instinctively grasped the Primal Flame in his hand, then looked at the three people beside him, "Sorry, Mash and Nianzhuo!"

“Yes, I understand.” Mashu immediately understood Nero’s intention. “Then please, senpai…” Then her gaze shifted to Ritsuka, who was sleeping soundly on Nencho’s back.

"...Cough cough." Feeling the gazes gathering on his back, Nianzhuo quickly swayed and put Ritsuka down.

"Eh...is it already the second day?" Rubbing her eyes, Ritsuka was still sleepy and her mind wasn't fully awake.

"...Sorry, I couldn't let you get a good night's sleep." Scratching his head, Nianzhuo slightly turned his gaze away.

“…Then, Mr. Nianzhuo, you will lead us.” Seeing that Ritsuka would take a while to react, Mashu had no choice but to ask Nianzhuo for an answer, “…If it is Mr. Nianzhuo.”

“Thank you, Mashu.” After a brief pause, Nencho still gripped the driver in his hand. “…Defense and support are your responsibility, Mashu. I’ve always trusted you two, okay? So let’s do Nero a small favor again.”

"Understood!" Gripping her shield, Mash assumed a battle stance. "Mash Kyrielight! Attack!"

In a hurry, the group rushed to the place where the Special Expeditionary Force was besieged by the Allied Forces.

"――!――!" However, before they even reached the location of the Special Expeditionary Force, a deafening roar came from that place. Before they could see the full picture of the battle, they could see two agile figures in the fight.

The battle had already begun, and the Roman army was still at a disadvantage.

If you ask why...

Dressed in white, with white flowers adorning her hair, the black-haired woman, wielding a small knife, took the lives of her enemies one by one.

The other, clad in uniform blue armor with massive metal decorations flaring out in a crescent shape behind him, wielded a strangely shaped halberd. This enormous figure, over two meters tall, held his own against the numerous attackers.

A warrior of unparalleled strength and an assassin whose true intentions are revealed at the last moment.

Two figures sped past countless soldiers as if they were in an empty field.

If we were to call that tall figure a synonym for "violence," then he would say that he swept away the enemy army in one fell swoop.

The beautiful figure beside him, like flowing water, kept infiltrating into the enemy ranks, then silently reaping lives before retreating unscathed, without anyone even being able to touch the hem of her clothes.

"――!――!" Facing the encirclement of numerous enemy troops, the tall figure pounded his chest and roared, the sound waves so intense they seemed to shatter eardrums.

"We're completely surrounded." Even that graceful, flowing figure had gotten dusty from repeatedly weaving through enemy lines. "There are enemies everywhere, it's a sea of ​​people." Looking back at the figure that had just repelled another wave of enemy troops, the woman shook her head helplessly.

"With our combined strength, it shouldn't be a problem. However..."

"--." With instinct like a wild beast, the man looked at his comrade standing motionless in front of him, and then at the few soldiers on his side around him. His thoughts became clearer.

"Hmm. You noticed." The woman nodded approvingly, silently slicing the enemy's throat with her dagger as she pondered. "The soldiers Nero Claudius has entrusted to us will die here. We must do everything we can to avoid that. Survive against all odds—" Looking around, she saw fewer and fewer of her own soldiers remaining, and her brow furrowed with anxiety.

"While you and I might be able to find a way out, it would be asking too much of them. What should we do?" Suddenly, the woman noticed a direction. "...Hmm?"

On the distant mountains, one could vaguely see an army sweeping away the dust and rushing towards this place.

“――――――.” Speaking words that ordinary people could not understand, Jing Ke looked thoughtfully at the group of unknown soldiers.

"Reinforcements...?" There was a hint of disbelief in her voice. "But I heard that the Chariot Queen (Boudica) and the Gladiator (Spartacus) are both in Gaul."

While they were wavering, the army broke through the enemy's outer defenses and advanced to their side.

A strange figure in bright silver armor stopped in front of them in an unidentified vehicle. Then, a strange girl carrying a large shield and another orange-haired girl jumped off the back of the vehicle and came to stand in front of them.

"...I remember that vehicle was called...a motorcycle, right?" Jing Ke muttered to himself, watching the gleaming silver armored spirit that had stored the vehicle at his waist.

“…It must be Miss Jing Ke. Her features match the description I heard.” After looking her up and down and confirming that she was the person she was looking for, Mashu stepped forward and spoke first, “We have successfully reunited, Mr. Nian Zhuo and Master.”

“…That’s great.” With a hand on Mashu’s shoulder, Ritsuka clutched her stomach in discomfort. “I…I thought my heart was going to fly out.”

Well, it was also due to Nencho's wicked sense of humor that he couldn't help but speed up when he summoned his Knight Motorbike, giving Ritsuka on the back seat quite a fright.