[Leonel's Room – Chaldea Base, Dawn]
The faint glow of dawn filtered through the curtains, slowly creeping into the room. Leonel opened his eyes slowly, feeling dampness on his cheeks. He sat up in silence, running a hand over his face.
"Was I... crying?" he murmured, his voice still heavy with the weight of the dream.
The memory was still fresh, burning in his mind. Glorious Rome. The crowds that cheered... and then forgot. The empress who withered under the weight of betrayal and solitude. His Nero. The woman who sang with fire, but wept in silence.
Leonel sat on the edge of the bed, letting his feet touch the cold floor.
"No... I won't let that happen again," he said with resolve, clenching his fists. "I won't let Nero feel alone again. Not while I'm here."
He got up, walked to the sink, and washed his face with cold water, as if that would help clear the emotional heaviness the dream had left him. He looked at himself in the mirror, his eyes still slightly red.
"I'll be more than just a Master to you all," he told himself. "I'll be your home, your shield, your companion. You're not tools, you're not weapons... You are people with stories that deserve to be heard and honored."
With that determination burning in his chest, he dressed in his Chaldea uniform. The communicator on his wrist vibrated slightly.
[Da Vinci – Internal Communication]
"Leonel, good morning. Meet in the command center as soon as you're ready. There will be a new summoning session today. We'll need more support for the upcoming singularities."
Leonel nodded seriously and replied:
"On my way."
He took a deep breath and left the room with a firm step. Every Servant he summoned from now on wouldn't just be another card on the war board... but a soul with a history. A history he was willing to listen to... and protect.
[Chaldea – Interior Hallways, Shortly Before Noon]
The hallways of Chaldea were quiet, as if the calm were an illusion before the storm. The white lights illuminated the metallic floor, reflecting Leonel's silhouette as he walked slowly, hands in his coat pockets, lost in thought.
"Okeanos... The sea of pirates, monsters, and wandering gods..."
His gaze was fixed on the floor, but his mind traveled far beyond those walls. He knew that singularity. He knew what was coming. The laughter of pirates, the roar of cannons, the melancholy of a distant captain, and a threat growing beneath the sea's surface.
But he couldn't say anything. Not yet.
"I have to act like I don't know. Changing things too much could cause more harm than good."
At that moment, a clear and enthusiastic voice interrupted his thoughts:
"My dearest~!"
Leonel barely had time to react before a figure hugged his arm with that characteristic energy.
"I've been looking for you! What are you so thoughtful about, hmm? Are you worried about another woman?" said Nero Claudius, with her classic mix of coquettishness and imperial authority.
Leonel looked up, and for an instant... he saw her differently.
Not his bright and radiant empress. But the lonely woman he had seen in his dream. Abandoned. Rejected. Crying amidst the broken marble of her ruined palace.
The golden gleam in Nero's eyes seemed slightly less dazzling... for just a second.
"Dearest?" she asked, tilting her head, noticing he hadn't said anything. "Is everything alright?"
Leonel blinked, snapping out of his trance. He felt a pang of guilt for leaving her in silence... right after promising himself he wouldn't make her feel that way ever again.
And then, he smiled.
"Forgive me, Nero... I was lost for a second. I was thinking how lucky I am to have such a wonderful empress by my side."
Nero's eyes opened a little wider, and a slight blush colored her cheeks.
"W-what? W-what kind of declaration is that, so sudden? B-but I don't dislike it, of course! Your devotion shall be recorded with pride in the history of Rome!"
She took her place beside him, taking his arm as if protecting him from the world itself.
Leonel, this time, made sure to keep his gaze on her. The Nero of now... strong, alive, full of dreams and light.
I won't let that light go out.
"Come on, Empress. Today is a great day," he said to her with a softer smile.
"Yes! A day worthy of a Roman festival! Maybe even two!"
They both laughed as they walked down the hallway, and for a moment, the weight of destiny felt lighter.
[Chaldea – On the Way to the Summoning Chamber]
"So, you think it's appropriate to use my 'Imperial Rose' as my entrance for every battle? Imagine the visual impact! You'll look even more glorious by my side!" Nero said animatedly, her dress swaying slightly with each step she took beside Leonel.
Leonel smiled, responding to her enthusiasm with his own touch of humor:
"'Even more glorious'? Sounds like I already shine brightly enough just by being with you."
"Obviously! But everyone can improve, even you, my dearest." Nero winked at him charmingly.
As they continued walking down Chaldea's main hallway, the rhythm of their conversation was natural, fun, almost melodic. So absorbed was Leonel in Nero's words, in her laughter and the passion she exuded with every gesture, that he didn't notice the exact moment their hands intertwined.
He noticed it only when he felt the firm warmth of her fingers enveloping his. He looked down... and there it was.
Nero's hand, joined with his, without the slightest shame. With total pride. As if she were leading her emperor through the streets of Rome.
Leonel opened his eyes slightly, surprised. Not because he didn't want that contact... but because, despite their relationship, he didn't expect such a direct display of affection right in the middle of Chaldea.
"Surprised?" Nero said without looking directly at him, as if she knew what he was thinking. "If we are lovers, it's natural to show it, isn't it? I'm not going to hide like some timid commoner."
Leonel smiled softly, squeezing her hand tenderly.
"I expected nothing less from you, my empress."
"Ufufu~! I love how that sounds..."
And so they walked, hand in hand, amidst knowing glances and an energy that seemed to surround them like a golden aura.
What they didn't know was that, from a distance, at an intersection in the hallway, Mash Kyrielight and Kiyohime were watching them.
Mash had stopped with her clipboard in hand, her eyes slightly wide.
"M-Master... and Nero... are that close...?"
Beside her, Kiyohime trembled slightly, her eyes burning like coals in a furnace.
"Hmph... Nero-dono is very bold. Very bold. How reckless... and dangerous. Master could burn up if he gets carried away..."
Mash swallowed, uncomfortable between her own discomfort and the unease she felt next to Kiyohime.
"I don't think there's any need to... burn anyone, Kiyohime-san..."
"Oh, don't worry, Mash-dono. I'll only do it if she makes him cry... or if she wins by too much."
Mash averted her gaze with a mix of pity and resignation. She was starting to understand that with Leonel, every day would be a cocktail of emotions.
Meanwhile, Leonel and Nero arrived in front of the summoning chamber door. He looked at her for a moment longer, still holding her hand.
"Ready to meet the new allies?"
"Always ready. Let the heroes and legends come! Rome... and I... will welcome them with imperial grace!"
[Chaldea – Summoning Chamber]
The huge doors of the summoning chamber opened with a slight metallic sound, revealing the spacious area illuminated by the bluish lights of the magical circle etched into the floor. The air had that particular tension, that feeling that something big was about to happen.
Leonel took a firm step into the center, accompanied by his radiant companion: Nero Claudius.
"Go forth with courage, my love. Summon those worthy of fighting by our side." Nero gracefully leaned in, and before he could react, planted a quick kiss on his lips.
"N-Nero!" Leonel visibly blushed, frozen for a few seconds as the empress walked away with a coquettish smile.
And just at that moment...
"Master! I want my blessing too!" Kiyohime appeared with almost supernatural speed, taking Leonel's face in both hands and kissing his cheek with an insanely tender look.
"W-Wait, Kiyohime!" said Leonel, still red from the first kiss, and now even more so from the second.
In the corner, Mash witnessed the scene with wide eyes, her face completely red as she tightly held her shield against her chest.
"W-Wh-What kind of morning routine is this...?" she murmured, jealous but without the courage to intervene.
"Ufufufu! What a delicious scene! This seems more like a romantic comedy than a summoning ceremony!" teased Da Vinci, sitting on a table with her legs crossed, enjoying the spectacle with a sly smile.
Nearby, Dr. Romani let out a long sigh as he checked data on his tablet.
"This can't be healthy for his heart rate..."
"Indecent... absolutely indecent..." Olga Marie watched them from a corner, hidden behind a column with a faint blush on her cheeks, muttering to herself. "What kind of director allows these kinds of so... so... exhibitionistic relationships?"
Not far away, Jeanne D'Arc and Emiya were talking near Romani.
"Heh... our Master has more charisma than he lets on. Or rather, a passive conquest skill," commented Emiya, arms crossed with an ironic smile.
Jeanne, for her part, averted her gaze with flushed cheeks. Her hands played nervously with the grip of her banner.
"I-It's just... affectionate expression between comrades... w-we shouldn't think too much about it..."
Romani said nothing, but his amused smile betrayed that he thought exactly the opposite.
Now with all eyes on him, Leonel positioned himself in the center of the summoning circle. He took a deep breath, seeking stability amidst so much emotional tension and expectation.
He extended a hand, closing his eyes solemnly.
"By the oath that binds me to this place... by the bond with the Throne of Heroes...
Answer my call. Servants, come to my side!"
The circle began to shine brightly. Sparks of blue and golden mana emerged around him like a vortex of pure energy.
The air hummed.
And then... two silhouettes materialized within the light.
One noble, majestic figure, with silver armor and a blue cape fluttering as if the wind obeyed it.
"I am Saber, Artoria Pendragon... I have answered your call. I will fight for your cause, for justice... and for honor."
Her emerald green eyes settled on Leonel, assessing him with seriousness...
Her emerald green eyes settled on Leonel, assessing him with seriousness... until she noticed the intense feminine gazes around him. A slight arch of her eyebrow was all she expressed.
Beside her, a second figure emerged amidst pink smoke and a playful laugh.
Fox ears, a cascading mane of orange hair, and an exotic bearing somewhere between mystical and charming.
"Ara~♥ What an interesting place. Tamamo-no-Mae, class Caster, reporting to her new and adorable master~"
She winked at Leonel and approached dangerously.
"Ufufu~ How lucky you are, Leonel-sama. Very lucky indeed. I'll make sure you don't need anyone else..."
The atmosphere froze for a few seconds as Nero, Kiyohime, Mash, and Jeanne clenched their fists, blinked in shock, or simply... boiled inside.
All Leonel could think as the new Servants stared intently at him was:
"This... is going to get out of hand very quickly..."