"Excalibur!"
A blinding golden light shot skyward, obliterating everything within several hundred meters ahead of Artoria. The group was now locked in a fierce battle at Gaul—a vital stronghold for Nero, and thus a top-priority target for the United Roman Empire.
Daniel and his companions had arrived just in time. Had they been any later, Gaul might have fallen. The enemy had made this city their main objective, deploying troops that outnumbered Nero's forces severalfold, and even summoning several Servants—led by none other than Emperor Caesar himself.
"Go forth, my friends! Gather your souls here, O guardians of Thermopylae!"
As Artoria's Excalibur cleared a path, and Nero's army prepared to press the attack, a Servant on the opposing side made his move. Leonidas I, clad in golden armor, activated his Noble Phantasm. Hundreds of golden magical circles appeared behind him.
No—those weren't magic circles. They were shields. And with their appearance came three hundred towering figures, each wielding a spear in one hand and a shield in the other: the legendary 300 Spartans.
"Attack!"
At Leonidas's command, the newly summoned Spartans let loose. With flawless synchronization, they hurled their glowing blue spears toward Nero's advancing army. The sheer force and magical energy behind each spear would wreak devastating havoc if they landed.
"This is the land that heals all wounds, all hatred—our distant ideal homeland. Appear now, Castle of the Distant Ideal."
As the spears rained down, Mash dashed to the front lines and planted her shield firmly in the earth. Towering walls of pure magical energy rose to either side of her. In the next instant, an endless chorus of thunderous explosions shook the battlefield.
The Spartans' spears struck the walls with ferocious impact, but failed to so much as scratch them. Though the 300 Spartans were formidable, they could not breach Camelot's ideal defenses.
"Attack!"
Seeing their volley had failed, Leonidas raised his spear again. The Spartans rearmed and launched a second salvo—only to be thwarted once more by Mash's unwavering defense.
"Attack!"
On the third command, Leonidas didn't throw—he led the charge himself, his 300 warriors following behind with a thunderous roar, crashing toward Mash's line like an unrelenting tide.
"The Guardian of Thermopylae... quite the Noble Phantasm."
Watching the oncoming Spartans, Daniel nodded slightly. Leonidas's Noble Phantasm was a perfect blend of offense and defense. Without Mash's shield, Nero's army would've been slaughtered.
It was exactly this sort of battlefield-scale Noble Phantasm that had previously forced Nero into retreat time and time again. Spartacus, Jing Ke, and Lü Bu all had decent power, but their Noble Phantasms had critical limitations—unlike Leonidas's, which could be used freely and repeatedly.
Nero's Servant lineup was rather unusual—one Assassin and two Berserkers. Thankfully, Jing Ke could communicate with them. Without her, the two Berserkers likely wouldn't have survived this long.
Especially Spartacus—his Noble Phantasm was powerful, but suicidal, and his glaring weakness was long-range attacks. Unfortunately for him, the Spartans specialized in throwing spears. He had no way to reach Leonidas through their defense. That's why Jing Ke had been keeping him calm, waiting for the perfect moment.
Just further proof of how impressive Jing Ke was. Getting Spartacus to obey was no small feat. In a certain parallel Holy Grail War, he had ignored orders entirely and charged into enemy territory solo.
"Cú Chulainn, it's your turn."
Seeing the Spartans charging, Daniel turned to the red-haired lancer beside him.
"The 300 Spartans, huh? What a rare treat. Gáe Bolg: Barbed Spear of Piercing Death!"
Cú Chulainn grinned with excitement, leapt high into the air, and hurled his red spear with a surge of magical power. It tore through the sky like a crimson thunderbolt.
But as the spear neared its target, something changed. It multiplied—dozens of identical spears exploded into existence around it. This was Cú Chulainn's anti-army Noble Phantasm.
In theory, the spear could split into thirty copies. But in practice, the number depended on Cú Chulainn's mana supply. With enough energy, he could easily exceed a hundred. With too little, he might not manage even thirty.
Unlike Leonidas's Noble Phantasm, whose 300 warriors were fixed in number, Cú Chulainn's scale depended entirely on power reserves.
"Shields up!"
Leonidas saw the danger immediately. He and the surviving Spartans stopped and raised their shields in unison.
BOOM—BOOM—BOOM—
The resulting blasts shook the battlefield to its core. When the dust cleared, only about forty Spartans remained. Leonidas himself stood unharmed.
"Amazing. They actually survived that."
Daniel was surprised. He had once used the same spear via Cú Chulainn's class card and was familiar with its origin and power.
Gáe Bolg Alternative—also called the Spear of Longing—was cursed and had been given to Cú Chulainn by his master Scáthach. Daniel had expected it to wipe out all 300 Spartans. That they'd survived spoke volumes of Leonidas's strength.
"Son of Light, Cú Chulainn."
"Come, King of Sparta!"
Cú Chulainn summoned his spear again and charged. Leonidas let out a mighty battle cry, meeting him with spear and shield. His remaining Spartans didn't follow—they kept heading for Mash.
Lü Bu, Spartacus, and Boudica sprang to intercept them. Mash joined the fray, raising her shield to fight alongside them. In the rear, Ritsuka, Rin, Luvia, and Medea supported the front line with their magecraft.
"Full assault!"
With Leonidas contained, Nero seized the moment and ordered a full offensive. She herself led the charge, sword in hand. The United Roman troops, already shaken, couldn't withstand the renewed assault.
"My, to think it would come to this. No need for further sacrifice—retreat."
Back in the United Roman camp, Caesar watched the tide turn and sighed, ordering his men to withdraw.
But his troops refused. Instead, they turned and roared, "For Rome!"
"For Rome? The enemy is Rome!"
Caesar drew his sword and twisted to strike behind him, sensing danger. He was fast—surprisingly so, despite his girth.
But not fast enough.
A shadow had already slipped behind him. A dagger pierced his chest. It was Jing Ke.
Having struck, she vanished into the shadows as Caesar's bodyguards scrambled.
"So this is the end, huh?"
Caesar felt his Spirit Origin shattering. Calmly, he turned his gaze toward the battlefield, toward the beautiful figure leading the charge with a red sword.
"Such a beautiful person. I had hoped to speak with her. Shame we won't meet again."
Golden light began to rise from his body. He had known defeat was inevitable the moment Leonidas's charge failed and Artoria's sword had broken the enemy lines. He could've fled then. But he hadn't wanted to.
As Emperor of Rome, he had no wish to see his empire split apart. He couldn't defy the will that had summoned him—but this end suited him.
"She's really building up a body count of emperors, isn't she? Still sore about failing to assassinate Qin Shi Huang, maybe?"
Sensing Caesar's Spirit Origin vanish, Daniel smirked. He knew it had been Jing Ke. According to the information he'd gathered, she had already taken down several Roman emperors.
Her assassinations had been crucial in slowing the United Roman Empire's plans. Even if their mysterious summoner didn't care, losing emperors still threw their armies into disarray. Caesar himself had only been summoned after his predecessor was eliminated.
"Don't kill him."
Seeing Cú Chulainn preparing to finish Leonidas, Daniel quickly called out. Leonidas was a perfect battlefield Servant. Daniel had been eyeing him since the battle began, but had allowed Cú Chulainn his duel. Now was the time.
"Rule Breaker."
After Cú Chulainn backed off, Daniel stepped up and plunged Medea's Noble Phantasm into Leonidas. The contract binding him to the United Roman master was severed, and Daniel formed a new one.
"O oppressor..."
As Daniel claimed Leonidas, the remaining Spartans were defeated. Spartacus and Lü Bu had won.
Both were Berserkers, but Spartacus was the scarier of the two—especially with that unsettling smile of his. In the game, he was only a one-star Servant, but in reality, with the right support, he could take down five-stars with ease. Not everyone had Jeanne's defenses.
But commanding Spartacus was notoriously difficult. He was a Heroic Spirit of rebellion; defiance was in his very nature. Even his Master could barely control him—he saw everyone as an oppressor.
"It's finally over. Come on, Artoria, Mash—let's go hit the hot springs."
With Leonidas switching sides and Caesar dead, the United Roman forces broke. As Nero oversaw the aftermath, Boudica gathered Artoria, Mash, and Ritsuka to relax in the springs.
A wise, nurturing elder sister figure, Boudica took great care of the three. Like Jing Ke, she could calm Berserkers—her strategy being: take them to a hot spring.
Romani concluded that all Berserkers could be pacified by bathing.
"British food, huh?"
Aside from heart-to-hearts, Boudica also taught them how to cook traditional British meals. Daniel raised a skeptical brow. Even in the modern day, British cuisine was... not exactly renowned. But Boudica meant well, and Mash wouldn't refuse her.
A grand celebration followed—their victory was massive. Nero, ever generous, spared no expense in rewarding her army.
"Gods, huh? Let's check it out."
While prepping Gaul's defenses, Nero announced her return to the capital. Their victory had added another Servant to her side. The counterattack would begin soon. En route, they overheard talk of gods appearing. Intrigued, Nero decided to detour by sea.
"Gods won't descend unless they limit their power."
Romani, ever the skeptic, dismissed the rumors. But once Nero made up her mind, not even ten elephants could stop her. In the end, everyone had to follow her to the so-called island of gods.
"I've got this."
At the port, Nero quickly acquired a ship and they set sail. During the voyage, she became fascinated with navigation—and naturally, learned how to steer in no time thanks to Imperial Privilege.
Under her command, the journey was turbulent, but the ship didn't sink. When they reached the island, only the magi and Servants were still standing. All the soldiers had collapsed.
Nero, oblivious, considered the trip a roaring success. Romani, begrudgingly, had to agree. The ship hadn't capsized. That alone was impressive.
"The front lines failed? Useless."
Back at the United Roman Empire's headquarters, a shadowy figure raged upon hearing news of the defeat. Victory had been within reach—but now everything was unraveling.
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