Rome, 60 AD, Septem Singularity
Nero POV
The sun had dipped into the horizon slightly, which changed the sky from a bright yellow to a waning orange. Yet the moon still hung impatiently nearby, as if getting ready to usher in the night at a moment's notice.
The Roman army stood by, their discipline keeping them composed, however, inside, many of them were afraid of the incoming horde.
At the head of the army stood the great Emperor Nero, her modest frame might have been dwarfed by the people around her, but her presence was anything but meek.
Standing near her, her fellow generals stood at attention.
Elizabeth Bathory, the horned super-idol with lungs strong enough to deafen all of Italia if she so wished.
Jing Ke, the female assassin, came to fight in the open even though such tactics weakened her abilities.
Next was Simon Magus, her court mage. While she will admit that he is a foul-mouthed, big-headed, and overall a nasty guy, he is still a loyal friend.
Standing shyly nearby was her longtime friend, Locusta. She has known her for years and is the woman she goes to when she needs poisons to be brewed. She was not much of a fighter, but she was still fiercely loyal to her and Rome that she took up command when Rome needed her most.
Lastly, was one of her strongest and most charismatic generals, Charlamagne or Charlie as he preferred to be called by those he was close with.
He is a man with short, spiked black and white hair. He wore an impressive white outfit with several armored sections protecting his knees and his feet. While she and many of her fellow Romans see his wearing of trousers as barbaric, he never takes the jabs to heart and accepts them with a smile.
Their unified presence alone was enough to calm the anxiety in the Roman soldier's spirits, however small it was.
Unbeknownst to Nero and her army, a white sphere emerged from the ether and hovered in front of the group, completely invisible to all of them.
[Woah!! POV Switch!! Who dis? ]
[It's the UMU emote girl!! The one who looks like King Arthur!! ]
[ Is that Gudao?!! As a knight?!! ]
[PerfectlySaneHex: (╭ರ_•́) I can see why you guys would mistake Gudao for whoever that is, but trust me, as an expert in all things Gudao, I can say with confidence that that man is clearly not Gudao. Gudao doesn't have black and white toothpaste hair like this rando guy does.
Ergo, you all need to go have your eyes checked. ]
[No wait… I remember that guy. We've seen him before. ]
[Really? From where? Seriously, where? I don't keep up with Gudao ch. often. ]
[Bunny_Aachan: Woah!! Charlie!!? How is my King here?!! He's fighting with Rome?! Of course he is, he is a Roman emperor after all. ]
[The_Impaler: So that is the legendary Charlamagne huh? Truly an honor to meet an esteemed legend. ]
[Gudao: Hm? What's going on guys, where are you? ]
[TheIcePryce: It seems the stream has dragged us into what I assume is the city you and young Mash are heading towards. The Romans are preparing to engage an enemy. ]
[Bunny_Aachan: Master! If Charlie is fighting for the Roman Army, then that means he's on our side! You should meet him! He's a genuinely great man who will listen to our cause and will help!! ]
[Gudao: Uh… sure Astolfo. ]
[ZaWarudo : Sup bitches!! I came to see the concert!! ]
[Eon_Red: YAY, It's Eli! She's back!! ◝(˶˃ ᵕ ˂˶) ◜♡ ]
[Blood_Countess: People actually like my childish self's yapping?! ]
[Yeah, she has a lot of fans here. Some of them claim to even genuinely enjoy hearing her voice.]
[Blood_Countess: (ಠ ⌓ ಠ)]
An ocean of people rapidly approached the capital and its defenders. Many of these barbarians dressed in colorful checkered outfits, but a far greater quantity were dressed in loose Middle Eastern clothing.
Despite the diversity among them, they all shared one thing in common. All of them were on horseback.
Hooves thundered across the plains, the stamping vibrating the earth as the mountain of flesh and steel approached.
The wheels of their chariots ravaged the flat ground, ripping apart the grasses and flowers and upturning them like a farmer would to their fields. Except, these farmers came not wishing to sow and harvest wheat or barley, they came to reap the innocent lives of her citizens.
To rip out Rome from its roots and toss it aside for the sun to dry into kindling to be burned.
[Woah that is a lot of people. ]
[Wait a minute, those uniforms… that's the army that Zenobia recruited!! ]
[Uh oh. ]
[Gudao: What are you guys talking about? ]
[The_Impaler: It would seem the army the Queen of Palmyra poached from Alexander the Great is now waging war against Rome. Which means that she is now a confirmed enemy of us as well. ]
[MashuMellows: No way… ]
[GARcher: Unfortunate, but I saw this coming from a mile away. Zenobia is a woman who rebelled against Rome, so her opposition against the empire that crushed her army and subjugated her and her people makes sense. It would seem the army the Queen of Palmyra poached from Alexander the Great is now waging war against Rome. This development means that she is now also a confirmed enemy of Chaldea. ]
[Heart0f6old: Why is it always the hot ones that are evil? ]
Leading the whooping army of barbarians was a redheaded queen, her chariot slightly in front of her army. Boudica's eyes were locked onto her glorious self, her smile wicked and bloodthirsty.
Standing in front of the redheaded queen was her small passenger, who was glaring at them. The small brown girl's red eyes bore into her enemies with a cold calculation, a calculation that stumbled as her eyes landed on Charlamagne.
Charlamagne himself noticed her as well, and his lips pursed in discomfort and sadness at seeing her on the opposing side.
"Sister…"
She side-eyed Charlamagne, and her frown soured further. She would not judge their familial relations based on appearance, however, such things are trivial now since the child is actively fighting against Rome.
Although appearances can be deceiving.
The small girl was actually a warlord of the future who terrorized Rome with her army of highly trained cavalry, according to Simon's and Charlemagne's reports.
[Okay, that is legit a child riding with Boudica. What is she doing out here in the middle of a battlefield?!! ]
[CasCu: Isn't it obvious? She's a servant that is opposing Rome. ]
[I never thought Zenobia would ally herself with people who employed child soldiers… disgusting. ]
[It would seem that this little girl is likely the same one that we saw on Utube. Which means that Gudao Ch did end up giving us a preview of what was happening in the singularity after all. ]
[Kream: ( ˶°ㅁ°) !! …Altera?!! ]
[Ms.Roxanne: Care to share with the class Kream? ]
[Kream: That child… that tiny and adorable little girl… she shares a striking resemblance to Altera, or Attila the Hun as history knows her. ]
[GARcher: So your ex husband huh? The world truly is small. ]
[AYO?! Kriemhild's ex husband was a child?!! :Hypno Emote: ]
[ :Hypno Emote: ] x 213
[Kream: ◔_◔ Calm yourselves. She was a fully grown empress with a fully realized empire when we married! ]
[Uh huh… sure. :I'm Watching You Emote: ]
[ZaWarudo: :Uragami stoic glare emote: ]
[ZaWarudo : BROTHER… ARE YOU SEEING WHAT I'M SEEING? ]
[HeavenlyDivinePearl: YES, I AM. THAT IS A GIANT, A HEAVILY WEAKENED ONE, BARELY A SHADOW OF ITS FORMER SELF, BUT STILL A GIANT. ]
[ZaWarudo : WHAT IS A GIANT DOING HERE? I THOUGHT OUR FATHER KILLED THEM ALL AND TURNED THEM INTO PLATES DURING THE GENESIS OF CREATION! ]
[HeavenlyDivinePearl: LIKELY IT'S BECAUSE THIS ONE IS FROM A DIFFERENT REALITY. OR PERHAPS IT'S A NEW ONE CREATED BY OUR ENEMY AFTER IT RAN AWAY FROM FATHER WITH ITS TAIL BETWEEN ITS LEGS? ]
[Uh… What are you guys talking about? That's not a giant… that's a child. ]
She narrowed her eyes at the encroaching army as a whole. While they are a formidable force that far surpasses them in numbers, they are still barbarians… or at least that was what she thought they were. Because among the sea of barbarians, there was one man who stood out. A man who was unequivocally Roman.
He wore golden Roman armor, complete with a magnificent red cape. His sandals crushed the ground beneath his feet as he rushed at her.
She could hardly believe her eyes, for the man she saw before her was someone she believed long dead.
However, reality was cruel, and it screamed her name with such intensity and familiarity that it sent a chill down her spine.
"NERO!!!!"
This man was her long-dead uncle, Caligula, risen from the dead.
"An emperor, how fate smiles upon me," Jing Ke said as she stepped forth, her knife drawn and itching for battle.
Before the woman could race to clash blades with her uncle, she grabbed the slightly taller assassin's shoulder, holding her back.
"No. I shall deal with him. If that is my uncle Caligula, then it is my duty as the current emperor to dispatch him and send him back to the afterlife." She said with finality.
Jing Ke frowned at her reasonable statement, "apologies Emperor Nero, but that guy is a servant, and you're a human. You might have enough fame to become a servant yourself someday, but you are still alive. Let me handle him."
Argh, these people and their talks of masters and servants, how frustrating!
[OrochiMochiHime: That complicates things. ]
[Wait a minute, she's alive? She's not a servant?! Σ(°□°˶) !! ]
[GARcher: Looks like we are on a timer now. Master @ Gudao, tell Martha to pick up the speed, it would seem like Rome is on the brink of collapse and is in dire need of reinforcements. ]
[Gudao: (°⌓ °; ) We're on our way!! ]
"Fine…" she reluctantly agreed, but she still refused to allow people to fight for her without earning some of the glory herself.
"Then in that case, I'll take on my sis, while Elizabeth takes on the Iceni queen, if that is alright with you, Emperor."
She gave a nod of approval to Charlamagne, who beamed at her consent.
The man looked ready to engage in battle; however, he stopped midstep and made a gesture where he hit the palm of his hand with his fist.
"Oh right, I almost forgot!"
He turned to Elizabeth, "Elizabeth, start singing!! Your off-tone voice should give our men a fighting chance against the enemy army!! Just make sure you aim your speakers at the enemy!!!"
The super idol turned to the man with a scandalized gasp.
"Excuse you!! I have a very beautiful voice that charms people with its captivating sound. I'm not some death metal screamer you can just use as a sonic weapon!!"
"But your noble phantasm literally forces you to scream at your opponents."
"It's not the same!! Just for that, I won't use my noble phantasm, you jerk!" Elizabeth said as she stomped her foot on the ground with indignation.
[Lol. Elizabeth being tone deaf to her own sounds will never stop being funny!! ]
Suddenly, their bickering was interrupted by her uncle screaming at the top of his lungs.
"MY NIECE!! YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL!! I WANT TO SEIZE YOU!! I WANT TO TEAR YOU APART!! I WANT TO DEVOUR YOU!! YOUR PURITY!! YOUR BEAUTY, ALL OF YOU IS LIKE A GODDESS!! WITH ALL MY BODY I WANT TO VIOLATE YOU SENSELESSLY!!!"
[ ∘ ∘ ∘ ( °ヮ° ) ? ] x 326
[(°ロ°) ] x 334
[:Vomit Emoji: ] x415
[A creepy uncle has used sexual harassment, it's super effective. ]
[Declaring that you want to "devour" your niece's "purity" and that you want to "violate you senselessly" goes beyond sexual harassment, that is just a plain threat of sexual assault and rape. ]
[Gudao: WOAH, What the heck is going on over there?! (O_O)! ]
[Just hurry up and get over here Gudao, or else your stream is going to go even further beyond R-18. ]
Elizabeth's mouth hung open in shock at that declaration. She seemed to realize her mouth was rather undignified and closed it with an audible clack, her teeth grinding as her anger was drawn away from Charlamagne and toward Uncle Caligula.
"... you know what? I take it back. This perverted pig deserves to get the death metal concert!!" Elizabeth spread her batwings for all to see and twirled her lance for a few spins, then stabbed it into the ground.
She turned to her men, "everyone!! Clutch your ears!! General Elizabeth is about to give a performance! When she finishes using her magic, charge at the enemy and defend Rome!!"
The men, realizing the gravity of her words, quickly cupped their ears.
"Prepare yourselves, you pigs. It's time for your finale!!"
A red circle emerged from under Elizabeth, and the earth shook. From behind her, a massive castle manifested from the top down.
When the initial light show finished, a massive gothic castle towered over the battlefield.
"Báthory Erzsébet!"
Elizabeth opened her mouth, and the surrounding air rushed into her mouth like a vortex. The idol's chest expanded to accommodate the unbelievable amount of the element she took into herself.
She glared at the berserker servant, then opened her mouth and exhaled with a roar.
"RAAAAA!!!"
The sound of her scream was so loud and concentrated that it became a ray of light.
It wasn't the only one, as several other rays of light shot out at the enemy.
The soldiers and horses that took the attacks on directly were the lucky ones, the light turned, killing them on contact before they could register the pain.
Their war cries of the barbarians were drowned out by the intense noise, thousands of them clutched their bleeding ear in agony.
Many more fell off their horses and were trampled by their allies, others managed to stay on their horses, only for them to get pinned to the ground after their horses tripped and fell after also losing their sense of balance from their burst eardrums.
The servants fared better, as they only suffered minor bleeding and deafness.
Caligula himself took a blast head-on; however, he refused death and proudly stood against the unrelenting attack like a stone protruding from the center of a fast-moving river.
He pushed through the attack, slowly but surely, until finally it ended, and he was left gasping and bleeding from his ears but still standing.
The castle vanished, leaving behind a stunned army ready to be attacked.
"Charge!! Kill the barbarians and defend our Rome!!" she yelled out, and even those who struggled to hear after Elizabeth's performance knew it was time.
They charged at the now weakened enemy.
[GudakoBot: New mode unlocked! Split Screen! Chatters now have the option to observe multiple battles at once!
Different battles will appear on singular screens at the bottom of the screen, while the main battle you view will be on the larger screen!
This new mode will make it easier for viewers to see battles they want to see without being forced back and forth between servants. ]
[Woah!! Sweet!! ]
[BattleMANIAC: It's about fucking time!! Now we can watch the fights we want to watch!! ৻( •̀ ᗜ •́ ৻) ]
✦✧✦
Chat POV
Camera 1
"Sister!! I'll be your opponent!!" Charlamagne said as he dashed towards Boudoca's carriage.
The small girl's eyes sharpened moments before she launched herself at him, her own sword aimed to slice him.
CLANG.
Their swords clashed with enough force to cause a miniature explosion of compressed air. Unfortunately for Charlamagne, the girl refused to buckle, even under the effects of Elizabeth's singing.
The sudden crash forced Boudica and the others to swerve around the duo.
[So Charlamagne and Altera are brother and sister? That's unexpected. ]
[Beaumains: But Atilla the Hun was born centuries before Charlamagne, how could they be siblings? ]
[Bunny_Aachan: They aren't related by blood but also aren't adopted in each other's families. They are more like siblings by circumstance. It's not a story I have a right to tell, its my king's. ]
"Hyaa!!" Boudica tried to turn around to help Altera, but she was forced to jump out of her chariot as a comet shot at her from above.
A loud explosion with glittery sound effects destroyed her carriage, her steeds neighing in fear and scattering in different directions.
Boudica narrowed her eyes at her opponent as she stood up from where she landed and brandished her lance at her.
"Sorry, but you aren't allowed to interfere in the family reunion!!" She went for another thrust.
"I am that child's mother, so I'd say I qualify to be a part of that meeting." Boudica exclaimed as she batted away the thrust with her buckler.
While the two were fighting, Altera and Charlamagne were both staring each other down.
Altera's face softened, "I never expected to see you here, Charlie."
Charlie's smile turned radiant, "Of course I am, I would make for a poor 'Father of Europe' if I ignored a crisis of this scale."
The smile dimmed as he spoke his next words, "it seems like no matter what happens, you and I are always destined to be on opposite sides. Are you sure you want to go through with this? It's not too late for you to switch sides."
Altera shook her head, "sorry, but I have already made up my mind. I promised to help my mother Boudica get justice for what happened to her and my sisters."
"I see. Keeping promises is important, then, I hope you understand that I am also a man of my word and that I intend to keep the promise I made to Emperor Nero."
He aimed his blade at the small Altera, his resolve steady, "I will defeat you, here and now!!"
Altera readied herself and glared at Charlamagne.
[Kream: …Is it weird that I want to adopt my former husband as my daughter? ]
[GARcher: (ᵕ•_•) ]
[ILiekQTThings: How many times do we have to say 'AYO' before you get a clue @ Kream?!! Yes, your relationship with Altera is weird… So STOP TRYING TO MAKE IT WEIRDER!! ]
0-----0
Camera 2
The soldiers who managed to survive Elizabeth's attacks continued to push forward, their will to slaughter Rome even more intense than before.
However, before they had a chance to engage the enemy, a wall of fire stopped their charge.
Sadly for them, the wall moved and engulfed the men, women, and horses who had barely managed to stop in time in flames.
Soldiers screamed in agony as their skin, organs, and bones cooked while they were still alive.
High above them, the man who had unleashed the wave of heat was cackling like a madman.
"Burn you barbarians!! BURN UNDER MY HOLY FIRE!!"
[This guy is a little too eager to burn people. (•᷄- •᷅ ; ) ]
[Fyre&FlameZ: While the man behaves like a maniac, his control over fire is superb. None of his attacks are landing on his allies, it's allfocused on the enemy soldiers. ]
[JAlter: Holy fire, hah! Hellfire burns hotter. ↻(𓄼 .̀ ̮.́)Ψ]
Volleys of arrows whistled in the air, however, Simon easily evaded the attacks by gaining altitude.
"Tch, mere barbarians think their toys can reach the mighty Simon Magus? Well, think again!!"
Dozens of fireballs manifested behind him and shot out towards the men below him, who scattered like ants from the unyielding heat.
0-----0
Camera 3
"Hah!" Jing Ke swung her knife downward, but Caligula sidestepped the attack, but barely.
He tried to throw a punch, but the lithe assassin ducked and slashed his thigh.
The berserker grunted as the small blade left a visible cut, but he powered through the pain and attempted to grab her.
His hand grabbed air as Jing Ke vanished.
"Nugh!!" A knife pierced a gap at the back of his armor.
Blood gushed out of the wound in a dramatic way, however, the attack was not enough to stop Caligula from continuing to attack the assassin by chopping the air with his hand.
Another miss.
[OrochiMochiHime: This assassin's speed is rather impressive. Her opponent can barely react to her strikes. ]
The berserker grit his teeth in anger, clearly tired of this game Jing Ke was playing.
"HAAAH!" Caligula raised his arms to the sky and slammed his fists on the ground.
His fists caused a massive shockwave around him, one that sent shrapnel everywhere.
He stood up and surveyed his surroundings.
The assassin was nowhere to be seen.
Thinking his enemy dead, Caligula turned his gaze back to Nero, who had her blade aimed and ready to attack him.
His eyes were so transfixed on Nero that he never noticed the white-clothed Jing Ke above him until it was too late.
"HMPH!!" Caligula cried out as Jing Ke fell on his shoulders and caught his head in a vicegrip between her thighs.
[Heart0f6old: Hoh mama!! That is quite the fighting technique!! ( '◇') ]
[Kohga: Hm… erotic perhaps, but risky. She has voluntarily allowed herself to be grabbed by the enemy servant when she could have whittled down the madman until she could get a decisive blowm ]
[OrochiMochiHime: Agreed. It is a completely unnecessary move. ]
The woman raised her blade high into the sky and drove it into the back of his spine.
"AAAAAH!!" The mad emperor screamed in pain from the attack as blood sprayed out his back like a geyser.
Jing Ke drove the knife further down and tried to use it as a step for her to push herself away, but Caligula did not let her.
The woman groaned as Caligula grabbed her by the hair and dragged her back towards him.
"Gah!" And held her in his embrace.
Jing Ke's face paled as she realized she was now unable to move, her body immobilized by the berserker's hug.
[Heart0f6old: Oh no!! The sexy ninja girl got caught!! ..( ˶óᯅò) !! ]
[Kohga: Just as I feared. Her gamble failed, and now she's going to pay the price. ]
[OrochiMochiHime: She looked like a rather promising assassin, a shame. :Shaking Head Emote: ]
Then it happened: Caligula began to squeeze.
The assassin tried using everything she could to get away, kicking, biting, and even smashing her head on the berserker in a desperate attempt to loosen his grip, but Caligula did not waver.
He continued to squeeze.
"JING KE!!" Nero cried out as she ran towards the assassin to help her, but it was too late.
CRACK.
The Asian woman's back snapped like a twig, her face twisted in disbelief rather than pain.
[ =͟͟͞͞(꒪ᗜ꒪‧̣̥̇) ] x 261
[...ow. ]
[MalasadaMayhem: And that my friends, is what happens when you let a Bewear hug you. (ᵕ • _ •) ]
[Bruh, too soon…]
Caligula finally let her go, and the woman fell to the ground. With her neutralized, Caligula ignored her much the same way a person would ignore trash left on the ground and focused back on his prize.
"Nero, my beloved younger sister's child."
Nero's body tensed, "uncle. You are a proud Roman, so why do you align yourself with barbarians!!?"
Caligula stopped, his face turning from a scowl to a neutral look.
"My actions are my destiny. Give up your life. Give up that body."
His face twisted into anger again, "ALL OF IT!! GIVE IT UP!!"
[Creepy uncle demands his niece give up her body, she refuses.]
[ACinnamonRola: This guy gives uncles a bad name!! ( ｡ •̀ ᴖ •́ ｡) ]
Nero clutched her sword hilt tighter, "uncle… How could you say such a horrible thing? I am Rome!! So if I die, Rome does too!! You have truly lost your way if you demand such a thing from me!!"
[MagnetKing: What are the long term consequences that happen if Rome falls too early? ]
[The_Impaler: Catastrophic.
A 200-year-long period of peace is supposed to occur between the 1st and 3rd centuries. It is considered a golden age of Rome, where it truly stabilized as an empire.
If Rome falls today, that peace would mean people would continue to suffer constant warfare and instability as various tribes of barbarians fight over Rome's former lands. Many countries that exist today could likely either form too early and collapse or not at all.
Including my home.
This also means many heroic spirits would either: 1. not be born at all or 2. Would be alive but would never achieve what they would have in normal history. ]
[GARcher: A drastic change in history here would also disrupt the technologies invented in Rome after the year 60 AD.
There's no guarantee that the same conditions that allowed the steam engine and the industrial revolution to take off the ground and revolutionize human society would happen again if Rome fell early.
That could mean humanity would be worse off technologically by the year 2015, but again, it's difficult to tell what exactly could happen without dipping into 'what ifs.'
All you need to know is that Rome must not be allowed to fall, or else everything goes to shit. ]
[Oh… ]
Nero charged at Caligula, her sword poised to cut the man.
However, her uncle did not dodge.
He raised his hand and backhanded the blade away from him, the sudden action causing Nero to lose her balance.
His other hand formed a fist.
A surge of magical energy formed around his fist, and he was about to drive it into his niece.
A glass bottle smashed into Caligula's face, its purple contents splashing all over the berserker's face.
"GAH!!" Caligula gasped out in pain as the poison got into his eyes. He furiously rubbed them in a vain attempt to clean them.
[NinJanine: Bottles filled with poison. Nice!! (๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵)و ]
"Nero!! Please stand back!! A human cannot fight against a servant!"
The voice of Locusta reached her ears, but she never had time to look back at her as the hooded woman put herself between Nero and Caligula.
Nero's eyes turned to Locusta, her face angry at the interruption.
"Locusta, I do not care!! That man is parading around wearing my uncle's face and is responsible for attacking my Rome! I have to fight him myself!!"
The purple woman pursed her lips, "my Emperor Nero, I know you struggle to understand what servants are, but you must understand that no matter what you do, you will lose!!"
Locusta took out more glass bottles and narrowed her eyes at Caligula, and then they moved towards Simon.
"Cheh, that bastard is too far away. He won't be able to hear. Nero, please run away, my men and I will hold him off!!"
Several soldiers stepped up next to Locusta, their own weapons ready to fight and die for their emperor.
Nero bit her lip, "you keep saying that humans cannot fight servants, but you're just as human as I am!! "
".... I know. But I would gladly sacrifice myself for you, so please. Run!"
"NERO!!"
Both women turned to see Caligula, who was now rushing towards them again.
The soldiers got into formation and pointed their spears at the crazed man, but it was pointless. The man easily broke the formation by just rushing through it.
Men tried to stab him with their spears, but the metal chipped and cracked as it came in contact with the crazed emperor.
Men fell in droves as Caligula punched men to death, their armor proving useless against his might.
Locusta saw her men slaughtered, but she pushed back the grief and threw her bottles at the servant.
Unfortunately for her, Caligula dodged out of the way of the bottles.
His red eyes were now focused on the petite hooded woman.
He lunged at her, which caused her to desperately try to bring out her knives, but she was too slow.
"Grah!!" A large hand clasped itself over the hooded woman's face.
[Ah crap… She's dead. ]
"Locusta!! Unhand her uncle!!" Nero swung her blade in an attempt to cut off his hand, but the man raised his other arm, blocking the sword with his metal gauntlet.
"Geh!!" A sandal met Nero's chest, and she was sent flying, her body skidding on the rough ground until she slid to a stop.
Nero groaned as she tried to get back up, but a sharp pain in her arm stopped her from being able to do so.
"AAAAHHHHH"
Nero's pain was momentarily forgotten as the screams of her friend hit her ears.
Her eyes widened in horror as she saw her uncle lift Locusta in the air, her hands desperately scratching the man's arm so he would let go.
Many soldiers tried to save Locusta, but any attempts they made were abruptly ended when he started to use Locusta's body as a weapon to bludgeon those who tried.
She gritted her teeth and pushed herself up, using her sword.
"How…. dare you… treat my people like this… uncle… You want me don't you?!! Let her go! Fight me instead!! If you truly call yourself emperor, you will fight me like a man!!"
Caligula turned toward her, "Nero…I shall offer you… death."
A wet crunch ended Locusta's screams.
Her legs stopped kicking wildly and fell limp.
Nero stared at the small corpse dangling from her uncle's hand with muted horror.
[Bro… that was brutal… He crushed her head like it was an overripe fruit. ]
[The brutality is back, and it's even more gory than ever.]
Uncaring for her feelings, Caligula tossed the dead woman to the side, who landed on the ground with a thud.
Nero was so shell-shocked by what she had seen that she didn't react fast enough to her uncle's presence until he was too close.
She tried to attack, but Caligula caught her hand before she could complete her swing of the sword.
He twisted his arm, and Nero gasped as her wrist broke with an audible crack.
Her sword clattered to the ground, her hand unable to grip the weapon anymore.
But Nero refused to give up and threw a punch at her uncle. Her fist smacked into the side of his cheek, but it had no effect.
Caligula, unimpressed by the blow, merely raised his hand and hit her face with a backhanded slap.
The force sent Nero tumbling and falling face first into the ground.
✦✧✦
Nero POV
It hurts.
Her head hurts.
Her wrist hurts.
Everything hurts.
Why? Why did things turn out this way? Her reign was not supposed to have been at war… she should be enjoying her life to the fullest. She should be showing her brilliance to her people as their emperor.
She shouldn't be lying broken on the ground, waiting for the ghost of her uncle to take her to meet Pluto in the underworld.
A gurgle rumbled from within her stomach.
…Now that she thought about it, she hasn't eaten anything since the morning. Her anticipated meal was interrupted by these blasted barbarians who sought to plunder her home and mount her head on a spike.
Rome… she can't let it fall here.
Konstantinos's sacrifice would have been in vain if she allowed herself to die here.
But she is hungry… Oh, so hungry….
How she wishes she could have something really decadent right now. Or anything sweet would be nice, anything that wasn't the usual provisions.
She heard muffled voices saying something, but she's too distracted by her hunger to care.
Perhaps some fine wine to wet the throat and help the food slide down better…
"RAAAAAHHHH" A loud, monstrous bellow shook her awake from her delirious state, and an unknown voice returned her focus in her ears.
"ANTI CREEPY OJI-SAN SLASH!!!" The feminine voice cried out, which was followed by the sound of ripping flesh and her uncle's scream of pain.
She forced open her eyes, and the intense light of the sunset burned her eyes.
She rubbed her eye and saw a giant brown paw of some unknown beast. Looking up, her eyes caught a glimpse of a woman dressed in the same eastern garb as Jing Ke.
Her eyes widened as they beheld the bestial features of the woman: a fox tail and ears.
What could this mean? Who is this mysterious woman?
However, she couldn't properly process the appearance of the woman longer as she proceeded to throw herself in the direction of her downed uncle.
"NYAAAH!!"
"Miss, are you okay?"
Another stranger's voice reached her ears and when she turned to see him, she was surprised but confused when she saw the familiar face of Charlamagne.
"Charlamagne… What are you doing? I thought you were going to fight your sister…"
Charlamagne furrowed his brows at her question, "sorry, but my name isn't Charlamagne."
Huh? Not Charlamagne? Squinting her eyes, she realized that the boy spoke the truth. He had the same hairstyle as Charlamagne, but his hair was not a blend of two colors, just brown. He was also dressed in darker colors than her general, and had a much softer look to his face.
This young man was not Charlamagne.
Wait, that's not important!! Her Rome was in danger!! She had to go back and fight!!
She shakily lifted herself up, but her efforts were cut short when a sharp pain stabbed her head.
A pair of gentle but firm hands gripped onto her, preventing her from hitting the ground again, "hey, easy! You got hit pretty hard, I got you! "
Who is this person to tell the great Emperor Nero what to do?! She had to get up and keep fighting!!
She had to fight for her Rome!
She would rather die fighting as a warrior emperor rather than a prisoner!
Her stomach rumbled, loud enough the stranger heard.
"Are you hungry? Hold on, give me a second."
The stranger reached into his pockets for something. She was sure that he was using some form of magic as his hand dug into the pocket deeper than what his garment allowed if it were a normal pocket.
He pulled out a container made of what looked like flexible glass, inside was a delicious-looking bread stuffed with cream. There was a rather strange, colorful creature made of cream posing on the container alongside some strange writing that looked painted on.
…it could be poisoned, but he would have no need to do so on a battlefield where stabbing was the easier method. Even so, she tried to dismiss him, "I appreciate your offering… but there's no time to eat… must fight, my Rome is in danger… are you-"
Then, her words died in her mouth as the boy opened the container, and the sweet alluring aroma tickled her nose.
The stranger then offered the irresistable smelling dessert to her.
The scent was like no sweet that she had ever smelled before, and it made her mouth water.
She felt warmth rush to her cheeks as her stomach growled louder.
… well, a bite would not hurt. Sugar was energy, and she needed energy to fight.
She gingerly took the bread from his hands and took some experimental sniffs to ensure it was not poisoned. Then, she slowly took a bite. The bread tasted a bit buttery and had a flaky texture. However, the sensation was made even more delicious by the sweet filling that gushed into her mouth.
The filling in the bread was even sweeter than she anticipated, but it was not overwhelming.
For some reason, her muscles soothed with every bite, her awareness and even her pain lessened the longer she savored it. But the most notable thing was that her will to fight... it was gone. Now all she felt, was a strong feeling of happiness.
"This pastry is divine… tell me stranger, are you a messenger of the gods?" How else would a person have a strange yet delicious treat that surpassed what even her most talented chefs could make?!
The stranger scratched his cheek, "technically, more an errand boy than a messenger. But that's not important, we're here to help!"
So the gods haven't abandoned us… how fortuitous.
"GAH!!"
Her uncle's sudden cry of pain drew her attention to her right, and what she saw amazed her.
The strangely dressed beast woman was fighting her uncle alongside a scantily clad woman with a giant shield and a blue-haired woman who used a crucifix as a weapon.
Her uncle could barely keep up with the attack from all fronts.
Her Uncle had grown impatient with the constant running and threw a punch, but it never landed as the blue-haired grabbed the man's fist with her bare hand.
Her uncle groaned in pain as the blue haired woman clenched her fist and twisted.
A loud crack reached her ears.
Her uncle, despite the excessive shouting he spouted, did not let out a cry of pain.
However, he let out a groan as the woman yanked him close and delivered a knee to his groin with such force that it caused her uncle to fall to his knees.
Then his eyes met hers, and despite the inhuman stare he had, she could see the sorrow and regret behind his gaze.
"Nero… my niece… I…."
Suddenly, the two women jumped away from her uncle, and the reason why they did so became clear a moment later when a side of her face felt warm.
She turned in the direction of the heat, and her mouth gaped at what she saw.
For a moment, she thought the sun had decided to return to witness her uncle's beating. But no, that was not the case.
The beast woman had raised one of her paws at the sky, and just above her, a miniature sun hovered over her hand.
"You're not allowed to say her name you perv, now Taste the Power of the Sun!"
She threw the sun at her uncle and the man tensed as he sensed the danger approaching.
He braced himself by crossing his arms, but against the might of Sol, it was not good enough.
"AAAAAHHGH!!" Her uncle cried out as the sun made contact with his body and exploded in a bright flame.
When the fire died down, her uncle stood motionless, smoke wafting from his body while his face hung open in a perpetual scream.
His body fell forward and plopped onto the ground, defeated.
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AN: And so, Gudao and Nero finally meet, and if anyone is wondering, the cream from alcremie is known to bring happiness to those who consume it and make them lose the will to fight. So Nero has been pacified so she doesn't do something stupid like go fight a servant again : P.
Initially, I planned Gudao to meet Nero much earlier, but at Flowerman's suggestion, I decided to have Rits meet Zenobia first, for maximum drama.
Anyways, thanks for your patience, and I hope you enjoyed. Leave a like and/or comment if you enjoyed. I'll see you next week.