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

"I understand!" Even Ritsuka's body flickered with magical energy once again, all of which was transferred to Mash.

"Hmm..." Taking a deep breath, Mashu looked firmly at the large number of enemy soldiers running towards her.

"Imaginary Noble Phantasm/Deploy:" Mash held the shield in front of her, her purple hair moving without wind.

The girl's inner hope of "guarding the future of humanity" transforms into boundless motivation. Even if she fails to understand the true name of this shield, her pure heart will still become a force for protection.

A pristine white wall slowly emerged before Mashu. So holy and inviolable.

"Imaginary Noble Phantasm/Simulated Deployment: Foundation of Humanity [Lord Chaldeas]" The wall gradually solidified, becoming just one wall, facing the endless stream of undead cavalry.

"Thump—" Immediately afterwards, the wall and the soldiers collided.

The cracking sound of bones breaking echoed continuously as skeleton soldiers were constantly trampled or smashed by their comrades surging from behind, only to re-condense from the ground a few seconds later, as if time had reversed.

"Ugh!" Mash cried out in pain, her arms trembling uncontrollably.

The sheer number of enemy soldiers, even just their charge, created such immense pressure; one can only imagine the immense pressure exerted by the colossal elephant behind them.

"Hoo—" Taking a deep breath, the girl's eyes became even more determined. "I believe in Mr. Nianzhuo. No matter what, I will endure it!"

"---" Behind him, Nian Zhuo's crystal-blue light seemed to have reached its peak. The tank bottle had already maximized the destructive power of his armor. "Then, let's go. Put all our hopes on this one strike."

He flipped the driver at his waist, and Nianzhuo's figure suddenly sank into the ground.

"Finish Time----"

The enormous graph of the function was linked to Darius III, who sat atop his war elephant, effectively restricting his movements.

Even the war elephants trembled constantly, as if demonstrating against those who dared to restrain the king.

"Unfortunately, I don't understand these things either~" With a helpless sigh, the blue Nian Zhuo was lifted out of the pit in the ground.

"A blue and red destroyer." "This is the moment when the power of knowledge emerges."

"Victory will be ours - I will bring you down!"

"Vortex Time Break!"

Nian Zhuo leaped down from the highest position of the function, rushing towards Darius III, who was sitting on the war elephant, with a blue and red streak of light.

"..." The streak of light instantly drew the attention of everyone present, and the countless skeleton soldiers also felt the power of the attack, instantly throwing them into chaos.

Layer upon layer, the skeleton soldiers piled up one after another, trying to catch up with or block Nian Zhuo's attacks.

"Ahhh!" The rabbit-shaped full bottle on Nianzhuo's other shoulder also emitted a red light, continuously increasing Nianzhuo's agility.

We can't let those skeleton soldiers block our way; we have to move faster.

Faster -

Faster--

Faster---!

In the blink of an eye, Nian Zhuo was once again enveloped in a red light, perhaps due to his own inner power.

His agility, which should have increased gradually, was boosted to its maximum in an instant.

The blue and red knights, more dazzling than ever before, charged unstoppably toward the rising Darius III.

"This is it! My full-power strike!" With agility and destructive power maximized, Nian Zhuo kicked towards the berserker, his entire body glowing with light.

They won for a moment, and just after Nian Zhuo passed by, the tower built by the skeleton soldiers finally reached Nian Zhuo's height.

"—!" What was Darius saying over there? Nian Zhuo could no longer see clearly, and even his hearing seemed to have disappeared.

The only sounds were the emanating energy from his body and the wind rushing through the air as he leaped down.

Seeing that he could no longer break free from the unknown restraints around his waist, Darius III brandished two axes, his muscles radiating heat.

Even with a fatal wound in his abdomen, the valiant Persian king would still fight his enemies honorably.

The two finally collided, and Nianzhuo's kick struck Darius's axe blade as he swung it.

The berserker's roar echoed across the wilderness as he remained locked in a stalemate with the blue-red comet.

However, the blood loss from his abdomen ultimately cost Darius the upper hand, as the blue and red figure pierced through him.

The axe flew from the war elephant and plunged straight into the ground. The broken blade seemed to still tell the story of the man's indomitable spirit.

But all of that is in the past.

The soldiers screamed as their weapons and bodies turned into particles and vanished.

The war elephant raised its trunk and bellowed to the sky, seemingly venting its frustration or bidding farewell.

Finally, Darius's figure, which had fallen to the ground, also turned into golden particles and dissipated.

The battle has finally come to an end.

The pure white walls disappeared, and Mashu's legs trembled, exhausted.

Ritsuka ran quickly to her side and, after confirming that Mashu was alright, hugged her tightly with tears in her eyes.

But the mind is clouded...

Both girls were looking in the same direction.

The blue and red figure fell there silently.

Decadent Fireworks

The mind remained still and turbid.

"The enemy Servant has been defeated. Well done, everyone." The doctor breathed a sigh of relief only after confirming that the Berserker's Spirit Origin reaction had disappeared from the screen. "You've all become completely accustomed to fighting Servants. The accumulated experience seems to be paying off. Well done, all three of you." Then, as if just remembering something, he added, "As for Nian Zhuo... it shows that his magical energy reaction is still there, so there's no need to worry too much."

“No, Doctor. This is all thanks to the Master’s instructions and Mr. Nencho…” Mash lowered her head, her grip on the shield tightening involuntarily.

"Cough cough..." Nian Zhuo remained motionless. "Come and greet me... come quickly..."

[It's all my fault that this protagonist got the knight's approval, I'm so sorry QWQ: Author's note]

However, Nianzhuo got up on his own because of the arrival of a soldier behind him.

"Reporting to General Nian... Eh? Where is Lord Nianzhuo?" A soldier ran up quickly from behind, kneeling on one knee. "Never mind, General Ritsuka, Mashu. I have something to report! It's an order from His Majesty the Emperor! The rear was attacked by the enemy, and General Spartacus and General Lu Bu have broken away from the battle line!"

"?!" Upon hearing this news, the three of them looked rather grim. [At this moment, Nian Zhuo finally got up.]

"Damn it...! The enemy is launching a pincer attack!" Because the Berserker's Noble Phantasm had completely drawn the doctor's attention, now that he had just switched back to the screen, the sparse hostile reactions reappeared on the screen.

However, there was no spirit origin reaction from Lu Bu or Spartacus.

"Although the two generals routed the enemy, they were separated from their units while chasing the remaining forces!" The soldier said with increasing grief and indignation, his voice growing increasingly somber. "At the same time, their left and right flanks were also attacked by other units, and General Boudica was captured and fell into enemy hands!"

"This... Waaah, this is terrible...!" On one side, they had just defeated an enemy Servant, while on the other side, two of their three Servants were missing and one was captured. This battle was a complete financial disaster. Dr. Roman hugged his head, looking like he was about to cry.

There was no time to say more. The three of them, along with the soldier, rushed to the rear of the army. Compared to the soldiers who were busy fighting off the remaining enemy troops, Nero, who looked dejected, was more noticeable.

"..." Nero remained silent, his expression clearly showing shame and disappointment. He didn't say a word, and when he saw Nian Zhuo and the others rushing over, he simply turned his head away.

The heavy, silent atmosphere caused Nero's ahoge (cowlick) to droop even lower.

"--Miss Nero." Mashu stepped forward and softly called to the dejected emperor, wanting to comfort him but not knowing what to say.

"Hmm? No." Nero was taken aback for a moment, then immediately waved his hand, seeing through Mashu's intentions. "I was just thinking about something, and now I've made a decision." However, the look of shame and anger on his face didn't seem like he had thought about it.

"Should...?" Mashu muttered to herself, puzzled, as she pondered the word.

"Hoo... That battle just now put our army at a disadvantage. I have accepted this cruel reality." After taking a few deep breaths, Nero regained her composure, though whether she was truly at peace was still unknown. "Of my generals who could fight against the enemy general [the Emperor], two have broken away from the front lines, and one has fallen into enemy hands." Her gaze shifted to one side as she said self-reproachfully, "Regarding the former, it was unavoidable. No, it was a mistake in my command."

"Although it may take some time, I believe Lu Bu and Spartacus will eventually return." Gripping the Primal Flame stuck in the ground, Nero declared loudly, "Therefore, now—we must rescue Boudica first! Fortunately, Jing Ke has already discovered the enemy's fortress. Let's seize the enemy stronghold in one fell swoop and rescue Boudica!"

“Hmm…” Dr. Roman, speaking through the communication device, adopted a rare expression of serious thought.

"Doctor? What's wrong?" Mashu asked curiously.

"I still feel uneasy about this." With a furrowed brow, Roman spoke slowly, "The one who kidnapped Boudica must be a Servant. Ordinary humans couldn't do that. But why are they holding onto their stronghold? It's not far from the Allied Forces' capital. Returning to the capital would obviously be more advantageous for them."

The enormous magical reaction in the Allied capital on the screen, and the short interval between the location of the enemy fortress provided by Jing Ke, are indeed suspicious.

"You mean the enemy is trying to lure us in?" Mash was also getting anxious, considering this possibility as well.

“If the goal is simply to eliminate our army, the method we just discussed would have been more appropriate.” Lost in thought as he considered the enemy’s intentions, Dr. Roman’s forehead beaded with sweat again. “I think the enemy probably knows we have at least three followers here. That’s why they used that clever strategy to lure Lu Bu and Spartacus away.”

"...Yes." Now there's only one possibility left. For the first time, Mash felt the sense of crisis of being trapped by the enemy. "They must be an enemy who is very clear about the decisive difference between humans and Servants."

"Alright, Ritsuka. It's time to make a decision." The topic was thrown to Ritsuka, who had been feeling dizzy since earlier but was still trying to understand.

“Then let’s go rescue Miss Boudica.” Without the slightest hesitation, without even considering the answer, he blurted out, “If there are any traps, then we’ll crush them in one fell swoop.”

"Yeah, I knew you'd say that. Just as I expected~" Nencho, who had been quietly observing Ritsuka, patted her head with satisfaction.

Compared to chess players or hunters who rely on rational thinking, it seems that people with strong emotions are more likely to win others' favor.

“…Perhaps it’s not bad.” Ruffling Ritsuka’s soft hair, Nianzhuo, though satisfied with her answer, still feigned a scolding tone. “A little naive. This is war. A strategic perspective is essential. However, I don’t dislike Ritsuka’s ideas…”

“Yes. Me too.” Even Mashu smiled, a rare occurrence, genuinely happy for Ritsuka’s choice.

"So you finally understand what I'm thinking, Ritsuka!" Even Nero, delighted, raised the Primal Flame in her hand and pointed it towards the fortress. "Then let's set off together. Our target is the enemy stronghold! A fortress!"

"A swift and decisive victory! My soldiers, who are like my own brothers, prepare yourselves and march into battle with me!"

Cheers erupted. Nero's few words not only boosted our morale but also gave the soldiers an outlet for their emotions. They roared and charged back towards the enemy fortress with their emperor.

"Hey hey hey, one or two of them. Why are you all so driven by emotions..." With an expression that said "I'm so disappointed in you guys" but a satisfied smile on his face, Nian Zhuo followed the soldiers on their way to rescue Boudica.

In the distant hills, a wolf-like monster with dark blue fur dripped a few drops of saliva from the corner of its mouth.

I followed them quietly.

I've learned my lesson! Yay!

A massive fortress appeared before everyone.

The solid earthen walls, covered with defensive structures, silently proclaimed their strength and grandeur.

------It should have been a tough battle, but the fortress was deserted.

The Roman soldiers looked puzzled, and dared not whisper among themselves because the emperor was present.

However, those who pay close attention will notice that Nian Zhuo and the others' expressions did not relax at all; on the contrary, they became even more solemn.

“It’s a Servant reaction, very close.” The undisguised magical energy in the air made Mash cautiously glance around. “Please remain vigilant, it’s already very close.”