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

"Yes, that's right. We made it in time." Mashu nodded with a hint of relief.

"I've never seen you before," Jing Ke said with a smile, sizing up the three people in front of him. "But you don't seem to be enemies."

“Yes. We are reinforcements who came from the capital, Rome.” Mashu asked, somewhat seriously, to confirm the identities of the Servants before her again. “Um… you are—”

"We'll talk later." Before she could give a direct answer, the woman had already seen the enemy army that was constantly surrounding them. She gripped the dagger in her hand tightly. "You and that unknown Heroic Spirit over there are both Servants, right?"

"Yes." This was the only piece of information Mashu could reveal without hesitation: "Mr. Nianzhuo and I are both Servants..."

“Nian Zhuo…?” Jing Ke was somewhat surprised. “It sounds a bit like a name that people from my country have.”

"..." Without introducing himself, Nian Zhuo's eyes, also hidden behind his mask, were observing the two Servants in front of him.

The moment Nian Zhuo saw the two, he already knew their identities.

A tall figure, clad in heavy armor, a fierce general with unparalleled strength and superb martial arts skills, "Lu Bu among men, Red Hare among horses" is the best description of him.

Known as "unparalleled in the world," Lü Bu was the most powerful general in the Records of the Three Kingdoms.

The other figure standing next to him was much smaller, with delicate arms, a white dress, and a headdress adorned with pure white flowers.

—If there are still ten steps left, go and kill him.

He is recorded in historical records as a male, and his weapon is the legendary dagger of no return, which contains a deadly poison that can kill even with a mere scratch.

—Jing Ke, the most righteous and chivalrous man in the world.

It would be impossible for Nian Zhuo not to be excited to meet such a famous person he had learned about in history so closely, but now was not the time for him to ask for an autograph.

"Then let's fight our way out together." Jing Ke glanced somewhat strangely at the odd follower who hadn't uttered a word from the beginning. "I hope as many soldiers as possible can return to Rome alive."

"Understood!" Mash shook Ritsuka, who was clutching her stomach beside her. "Master! This is a large-scale battle, so I'm entrusting the instructions to you."

"...!" Suddenly snapping out of his daze, Nian Zhuo realized that he had unknowingly found himself surrounded. He quickly cleared the jumbled thoughts from his mind, and the bright silver Time Gun Sword reappeared in his hand.

"...No need to kill them, that makes things easier." With these ambiguous words, many enemy soldiers could no longer restrain themselves and finally launched an attack.

It must be admitted that watching two highly skilled heroic spirits fight is indeed a pleasure. Nian Zhuo knocked out the enemy in front of him with the hilt of his sword while keeping his eyes on another direction.

Lu Bu and Jing Ke were locked in a fierce battle, yet their movements captivated Nian Zhuo, who was watching them.

Lu Bu's movements were expansive and powerful, yet his defenses were impeccable. Each strike possessed a force that shook the earth, and countless soldiers were felled by his overwhelming power before they could even reach him. The difference in strength and skill between the two was as towering as a mountain.

What filled the gap between Lü Bu and the enemy was Jing Ke's seamless support attacks. Even if the enemy managed to dodge Lü Bu's attacks and tried to launch a sneak attack, Jing Ke's figure would gently walk past them with a hint of fragrance, and then the soldiers would have no hope left.

Like a clear spring dripping from a high mountain, although they are in different time periods, their level of teamwork in battle is unparalleled.

Just as Nencho was watching their battle, Mash and Ritsuka on their side shouted loudly at the same time.

"Mr. Nianzhuo!!"

Turning back in confusion, Nianzhuo saw only the magnified blade flashing with cold light.

professional team

Nianzhuo stared at the approaching sword blade, as if he hadn't yet recovered from the shock of the impending crisis.

"!" Ritsuka immediately stretched out her hand, which glowed with a green light.

“…?” Even Jing Ke and Lü Bu turned around when they heard the two shouts, and in doing so, they also eliminated the enemies in front of them.

“…Oh.” With a simple reply, Nian Zhuo’s Time Gun Sword, which he was holding tightly, instantly transformed into a short and powerful gun. The purple energy blast struck the soldier’s abdomen just before the blade grazed Nian Zhuo’s mask, and the enemy was sent flying by the attack.

"Tsk... I was daydreaming." Nian Zhuo tapped his head, making a clanging metallic sound, and then attached the Zio watch face from his waist to the gun.

"SureSure Fire--!" Purple energy blasts poured out in one go, exploding continuously in the enemy's camp.

After twirling his gun, Nianzhuo still scratched his head, still feeling a bit shaken.

"Oh, that really scared me." Looking around and finding everyone staring at him, Nianzhuo awkwardly scratched his head. "So you've all finished fighting..."

"Please be sure to pay attention to your safety next time, Mr. Nianzhuo." Unlike before, when she reported the damage first, Mashu ran to Nianzhuo first. The seriousness in her tone and the pressure in her eyes showed that she was serious.

"Exactly! Mr. Nianzhuo was actually daydreaming on the battlefield." Even the good-tempered Ritsuka was a little angry, standing with Mashu and lecturing Nianzhuo.

It wasn't until Nianzhuo said, "I'm sorry, I promise I won't do it again next time," that the two girls reluctantly forgave him.

"We have defeated the enemy. Our troops have suffered only minor losses. Everyone, thank you for your hard work." Mashu briefly reviewed the battle situation and only spoke with relief after confirming that there were no remaining enemies.

"Please allow me to express my sincere gratitude once again." Jing Ke walked up to the group. "Thanks to you all, the soldiers entrusted to us were spared. I am Jing Ke, an Assassin, just like you. I am a guest general of Nero Claudius." At this point, a slight awkwardness appeared on Jing Ke's face. "I heard he could kill quite a few [Emperors], so I came here. But before I knew it, I had been honored as a general. However… my primary responsibility should have been reconnaissance and assassination. Galloping across the battlefield and killing enemies should have been his duty, Lü Bu." Pointing behind him, Jing Ke didn't hear the berserker's roar coming from behind him.

"---Hmm, I wonder where they ran off to after the enemy." The worry only lasted for less than half a second before she shook her head with a smile. "...Oh well. They'll be back sooner or later anyway."

"Jing Ke." Dr. Roman's communication finally arrived. "Is he the assassin from Chinese legend? I see. Now I understand why you are so obsessed with assassinating the emperor."

"Hmm—?" Looking around, Jing Ke couldn't find where the male voice was coming from.

------This was followed by Mashu's responsible explanation-------

"Ritsuka, Nencho, and Mashu." Recalling the names of the three, Jing Ke, as a Servant, couldn't find anyone in the Roman Empire with that name in his mind. "Are you visitors from another world?" After receiving their nods of confirmation, Jing Ke nodded with interest.

“I see, I roughly understand your situation. However, this will not affect our subsequent actions.” Speaking of his actions, Jing Ke frowned with hostility again. “That is to kill those so-called ‘emperors.’ This is the goal that Lü Bu and I share. We have already killed three ‘emperor’ followers, so we can compete with you.”

“Is…is that so, competition…?” The usually gentle Mash seemed momentarily confused when the word was mentioned.

"We won't lose, you know?" Ritsuka reached out and hugged Mash and Jie, looking at Jing Ke defiantly. "We've already eliminated two [Emperor] Servants..."

"Who knows?" Jing Ke looked at the energetic and defiant Ritsuka in front of him, shaking his head with a helpless smile. "Once we return to the capital, Rome, Nero will immediately launch a full-scale attack on the allied forces. Our competition will begin then, and the outcome will depend on who can take the heads of more enemy emperors. Between us and you, which side will be able to take more heads?" Jing Ke probably didn't expect to be so determined in this matter, and he smiled as he extended his hand.

"---Ah, I'm starting to look forward to it."

"You...you're right." Mashu looked helpless, forcing a wry smile. "I'm really looking forward to it..."

Seeing Ritsuka and Jing Ke's hands clasped tightly together, Mashu couldn't help but pull Nianzhuo aside.

"No, Mr. Nianzhuo. I can't connect with her at all," Mashu said softly.

"It's okay...actually, I didn't understand either." Nian Zhuo never expected to be at a disadvantage in a conversation. He only came to his senses when Ritsuka pulled him away, and he hadn't even heard what Jing Ke had said before. "I can only do my best..."

"Really... really, Mr. Nianzhuo." With a hint of urgency, Mashu said apologetically to Nianzhuo, who looked completely indifferent.

----Compared to the harmonious atmosphere there, the situation was quite different in the capital of the united empire, far from Rome----

"---I see, so you failed to kill Lü Bu." Rafe Lenore's face also turned serious.

At that moment, the man sitting on the throne spoke up and asked a question.

"---What should we do next, Rafe Lenore?" The displeasure in his tone became increasingly obvious.

"It's nothing, it's nothing at all." His tone was flat, and Leif Lenore maintained his confident expression. "I told you, don't forget. I possess the Holy Grail. I can summon true Servants at will, no matter how powerful the Heroic Spirit!"

[Seventh-ranked, Awakened, a supreme being of any mythical god-level power: HXD, summon us quickly!]

The summoning circle in front of me glowed blue again. With the help of the massive amount of magic power provided by the Holy Grail, the figure of another Servant in the summoning circle gradually formed from spirit particles.

With fiery red hair and wearing leather armor, a rather cute-looking boy appeared in the summoning circle.

"...A Servant Rider, huh? Ah, so this is my class." Looking at Lev beside him, the boy smiled warmly and greeted him, "So, what can I do for you, Master?"

“…Immediately annihilate Nero Claudius.” With a cold expression, Rafe had no idea what he was talking about regarding the “tool” in front of him. “Destroy this era and sever the foundation of humanity from this day forward.”

"...I lend you my army, which you may command at your disposal." For some reason, the man sitting on the throne handed over his army without hesitation when he saw the boy in front of him.

"I understand. So all I have to do is start a war?" The boy gripped his short sword tightly, looking like he was an expert at this.

“…That’s right.” After thinking it over, the man didn’t find anything wrong with it and replied.

"War. War. War, indeed." Feeling the fervor rising within him, the boy nodded excitedly. "I must be quite skilled at this, I understand. Then I'll borrow the army, okay--?"

The man nodded silently, his words fading into the air.

Heading towards the capital of the United Empire

At this moment, the red-haired boy was in the camp of the Allied Empire army.

"---That concludes the overview of Nero Claudius's army." A thin man wearing glasses and smoking a cigarette earnestly and meticulously reported the battle situation between the enemy and his own forces to the boy before him. As he spoke, a large stack of papers suddenly appeared in his hand. "I've summarized the details into a report; you can read it yourself later. There's only one thing to add." Taking a deep drag of his cigarette, the man earnestly advised the boy before him.

"--Treat that unknown armored Heroic Spirit and Lu Bu as a disaster." As if he felt that his words were not accurate enough, the man thought for a moment and added, "Spartacus is the same. It's useless to confront them head-on. However, it is still a disaster that can be dealt with. Those two, being berserkers, are like machines. They should be easy to manipulate. We should be glad that they did not appear in the world in other classes."

"Should I say it's just luck?" the boy said, scratching his cheek as if joking. "Am I really that lucky?"

"After luck, all that's left is reality." As the cigarette in the man's mouth was about to burn out, he threw it on the ground, stomped it out, and then pulled out another one from somewhere. "It may be reality, but you just need to turn it into your advantage."

“Hmm, you can understand it that way.” The boy looked a little confused, but then smiled and said, “It doesn’t matter. I just want to see that person. Nero Claudius, the fifth emperor of the Roman Empire. What kind of emperor would she be? No, I should say, what kind of emperor would she be?”

"I will grant you this wish." The man gazed at the boy before him, a fleeting tenderness crossing his serious face. "I will."

"Thank you." The boy shyly touched his red hair, gazing at the man before him. "However, there's a strange feeling. I'm a somewhat unique Heroic Spirit, so the way my memories exist is a little different. I never expected you to become my teacher; it seems a bit odd."

"That's what I should be saying." The man sighed unhappily. "To be possessed by a completely unrelated heroic spirit and transported back to the past. What will become of me in my original era? Will I be switched with this heroic spirit?" Recalling the name of the heroic spirit that possessed him, the man couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat. "Or perhaps time has stopped in my era, and I, merged with the heroic spirit, exist here?... This is truly inexplicable."

"But that's precisely why you were able to come here and become my new teacher." The boy smiled as he looked at the familiar face before him. "Right? Teacher Zhuge Kongming?"

"No." The man in front of her immediately rejected her suggestion, then slowly said, "No, perhaps it's true for a Heroic Spirit." He took a deep drag of his cigarette and removed it. Amidst the swirling smoke, he introduced himself.

"---I am El-Melloi II."

Amidst the swirling smoke, it was as if the man had returned to his youthful appearance.

-------------------------------------------

"And so---" the professional commentator Mashu reappeared, "The orthodox Roman Empire has begun its advance, launching an attack on the capital of the United Empire. Miss Jing Ke has completed her reconnaissance and confirmed the existence of a city that closely resembles the capital, Rome, at the designated location. The location is the place Miss Stheno told us about; the goddess's blessing truly exists."

"Miss Boudica and Mr. Spartacus, who joined us in Gaul, along with Mr. Lü Bu and Miss Jing Ke, and including Mr. Nianzhuo and myself, there is a total of six followers in this force. This is the legitimate Roman Imperial army led by Emperor Nero. Such a lineup is simply unmatched by ordinary armies, yet the United Empire has not sent any followers. Nor has it found any trace of Lev Lenor, and the army continues its advance every day. The situation is clearly in our favor, and the Imperial army is advancing towards the United capital with unstoppable momentum."

"Under such circumstances, I—"

"In progress----"

"Huh? Mashu, what are you doing?" Finally able to ride a motorcycle openly as a minor, Nianzhuo noticed Mashu's strange behavior. "Are you writing in your diary?"

"Fou?" Even Fou poked her head out of the front basket and looked at Mashu.

“Ah… Mr. Nianzhuo, Fufu.” Noticing that they were all staring at the diary in their hands, Mashu nodded. “Yes, actually—” Just as she was about to speak, Ritsuka on the other side also noticed something was wrong.

"Hmm? What is Mashu writing?" Ritsuka peeked out from the other side, looking at the notebook in Mashu's hand with great interest.

"Oh? Aren't you dizzy anymore, Ritsuka?" Nianzhuo tapped Ritsuka's head and explained with a smile, "We're listening to Mashu talk about what she's writing right now."

"Oh? I want to hear too!" Ritsuka raised her hand, indicating that she absolutely couldn't be absent from this kind of thing.

“...Actually, the doctor asked me to write it.” Scratching her cheek, Mashu gave up after realizing she couldn’t fool anyone. “He asked me if I could write a diary like a war chronicle.”

“That’s right, I asked her!” The doctor’s voice came through the communication device again. “It’s rare that you’ve become one of the governors of Rome! How about calling the book ‘New Gallic War’? The title is a tribute to the book written by Caesar, isn’t it? Isn’t that interesting… The part about gods in the middle needs to be made up a bit…” But he didn’t notice that Mashu, who was listening, had already blushed with embarrassment.