The military strength of the Roman Coalition is finite.
To be precise, it means the number of troops Lev Lainur can squeeze out using the Holy Grail has hit its limit.
The plan of the Demon God Flauros, Lev Lainur, is to completely retire Ritsuka Fujimaru and me, even if it means sacrificing the entirety of Singularity 2: Rome. He is currently targeting me, as I clearly possess the greater combat potential, by dispatching Servants in my direction.
He sent Caesar as a vanguard or a reconnaissance mission to gauge my strength, then sent Iskandar and Zhuge Liang to ensure my death. That strategy was undeniably effective... but because I already knew their legends and had prepared counter-measures, I was able to dismantle the Ionian Hetairoi with the help of two other Servants, causing his scheme to end in failure.
...And considering that I, arguably the strongest asset on our side, am currently in a state of complete exhaustion, the fact that he hasn't immediately dispatched another Assassin or additional Servants to finish me off means that Lev Lainur's side is also running dangerously thin on their Servant lineup.
'There are descriptions of the Divine Ancestor, Romulus, resisting the brainwashing. Even without that, moving a piece like Romulus to attack us would carry a significant risk for Lev Lainur as well.'
The possibility of Emperor Nero being a Beast has diminished significantly. She is likely opposing both the Roman Coalition and Boudica's forces for some other reason... but even so, the Roman Coalition, which stains her legitimacy as 'Emperor,' should be her primary target.
Even if Nero were a Beast, or even if we concede she hasn't awakened yet but is on the verge of blooming into one, Lev Lainur would be left defenseless if Romulus moved. Nero would immediately take his head. Beasts are beings that inherently loathe and seek to kill one another.
'Ultimately, it can be interpreted either way. One thing is certain: the number of Servants remaining on Lev Lainur's side is remarkably small. There are four confirmed Servants left... King Leonidas, Romulus the Divine Ancestor, Caligula, and Darius III.'
Spartacus can handle Caligula, and Leonidas with his 300 Spartans is a force we can easily bypass through Boudica's flanking maneuvers. If necessary, I can simply summon a Nue and fly over them...
The problem, as expected, lies with the Divine Ancestor Romulus and Darius III.
The probability of success drops if we just charge into the Roman Coalition for a hit-and-run, especially considering monsters like Lev and Romulus. And if I were to summon the monstrosities of the Animal Path again to keep Darius III's legion in check? That would be no different from opening a new vulnerability in order to block an existing variable.
'I'll give up on receiving a supply from the Holy Grail. Two puppets are damaged, but still usable. As for the Mystic Eye Mass-Pro Athlete... it's impossible to supplement the Prana for a Servant summoning with this.'
I knew all too well that relying on a "kill and replenish" mindset in war was madness, but I couldn't help but find the massive bait sitting in the heart of the Roman Coalition's base incredibly tempting.
"...I suppose we have to go with this plan after all."
Fortunately, Boudica nodded in agreement with my strategy.
[If I can burn my very soul to carve a path toward the future, then I, Spartacus, shall gladly become the sword of rebellion!]
...And Spartacus, the most vital key to this operation, accepted with enthusiasm.
"Lev Lainur has likely begun preparations to replenish his Servants. Since our weakness in large-scale army battles was exposed in the previous fight, he'll look for a Rider or Caster proficient in such combat... and since their victory condition is the death of Ritsuka and myself, he'll try to summon an Assassin Servant to eliminate her."
However, as Doctor Roman—or rather, Solomon the King of Magic—would say, summoning a Servant is never simple.
"Essentially, while the Grail provides a supply, Heroic Spirits are summoned based on the Prana drawn from the land's Leylines. He could pull magical energy from the Grail, but... considering where that Prana originates from, it would be nothing short of a waste."
In other words, since he summoned several high-cost Servants, it will take some time for the exhausted Leylines of the land to recover...
"The objective is to seize their Leylines definitively! Boudica, you hold Lev Lainur back as much as possible. Spartacus, stop the Divine Ancestor Romulus in his tracks, even if only for a brief moment."
[Ooh! Can it be? Can I finally embrace that giant, that mighty oppressor with the love of Spartacus?!]
"Yes, give him a firm embrace. Make sure he can't escape, and can't move an inch!"
[I understand! If it is for the sake of freedom, I shall gladly do so even if my limbs are torn from my body!]
Berserker Servants are certainly easy to talk to once you understand their preferences.
Servants with EX-rank Mad Enhancement essentially possess a pseudo-ability to see through lies.
"That sounds fine, but how do you plan to get us there?"
"It's simple. Boudica, call your chariot."
The root of Magecraft is, ultimately, human imagination.
Imagination is often called creation, but in the end, every imagination in the world is a form of imitation.
Even H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos, which supposedly created an 'unprecedented horror,' drew its roots from the fear of spaces like the deep sea or outer space, and the signature tentacles were inspired by deep-sea creatures like squids and octopuses. Of course, in this insane Moonlit World, it's established that he 'incidentally' mimicked an Outer God that actually existed...
At any rate, countless forms of Magecraft are nothing more than imitations.
Lightning Magecraft mimics the descent of a thunderbolt from the sky, and the Flame Magecraft used by the Tohsaka family is, literally, Magecraft that imitates fire.
...And as for my techniques, well... is there any need to hide it? They are all techniques whose motifs were taken from the manga in my memories.
Even the Mystic Eye called the 'Rinnegan' is technically an eye from that manga that popped out of the Root, but the applied techniques I use are mostly derived from my memories of my past life.
For example, the ability to shroud one's body in Shinra Tensei to automatically intercept most attacks is a technique of a certain 'Ordinary Man' from a manga, and draining the life force of people or the vitality of the Leylines through the Preta Path is on a similar line.
"Boudica. Spartacus."
"Yes?"
"Just hypothetical..."
"If you were to go on a trip, where would you like to go?"
Output 200%.
Imitation — Arash Flight.
And this is a technique mimicking a certain bear from a certain manga.
*
Shifting perspective briefly to Lev Lainur.
He wore a smile full of self-confidence.
Emperor Nero? The Queen of Victory?
In the end, they were all in the palm of his hand.
"The King's scheme is perfect, indeed it is."
Preventing Nero and Boudica from trusting each other was incredibly simple.
Using his power as a Demon God Pillar and the strength of the Holy Grail, it was possible to project illusions that those lowly Servants' Magic Resistance could not pierce. Through that, he could selectively publicize information within the Singularity as he pleased.
The troublesome wandering Servant, Lu Bu, had been removed beforehand. Jing Ke, who might have acted as a competent informant, was neutralized early on and framed to make it look like Boudica's doing.
While the Queen of Victory might notice something strange with these tactics, it was certain that Nero—a beast that hadn't even emerged yet—would notice nothing.
'Ah, truly, the King's scheme is perfect!'
The loss of Iskandar and Zhuge Liang was also within the King's calculations.
From the bottom of Lev Lainur Flauros's heart, he wanted to send Caligula as an additional Servant... or even step out himself to crush the exhausted pair, but the King refused.
[O King, O King. Now is the chance. We must seize this moment to eliminate those who will become the greatest obstacle to the grand achievement of the Incineration of the Human Order.]
'I refuse, Flauros. If you step out and target them first, Chaldea's Master will throw those other two insects as bait just to flee toward the capital. If that happens, Emperor Nero and her subordinate Servants, along with the entire force of Chaldea, will attack.'
[Within that time, I can manifest other Servants. If I complete my workshop as a Demon God Pillar and prepare to intercept them, I can definitively repel Chaldea. O King, I request authorization.]
'I refuse once more, Flauros. There exists an unprecedented level of possibility within Chaldea's Servants. Currently, the best method is to prevent Chaldea from easily joining forces. Allowing their strength to be replenished is what creates variables for them.'
[...I shall comply, my King. I will return to my duties.]
'However, the existence of Chaldea's Master, Karma Kirigaya, is a variable. Just in case, I authorize the use of "that."'
[Understood. This time for sure, I shall complete the mission and return to the Temple of Time.]
Lev was brimming with confidence.
The ultimate trump card prepared just in case; Chaldea's communication network, which he had severed via the Holy Grail... and Karma Kirigaya, who was forced into a lonely charge without support.
"...Yes, looking back, he was a nuisance."
Ever since the Fourth Holy Grail War, he had been making a name for himself, even going so far as trying to kill the parts of Lev that were split into 'Lev Uval' and 'Lainur Gusion.'
Lev had intended to find a gap to remove him during the Rail Zeppelin incident, but Karma showed an unimaginable amount of strength, even putting Lev on the defensive... Furthermore, it seemed his King was right that Karma's claim to see the future was no lie; he had completely liberated Olga Marie's personality, whom Lev had intended to subjugate, and sent a hitman to assassinate Marisbury. Though, rather than assassination, it was practically a suicide.
There was an 'insurance' policy inside Chaldea, but using it was strictly a last resort...
The insurance his King had authorized was the same.
Summoning it would place him in a more advantageous position, but conversely, Lev himself would be desummoned, potentially preventing him from planning for the future. Especially if the Master of Chaldea was someone who could overcome such adversity... he might even crush that very insurance policy.
...Therefore, he would use it as bait.
He had already predicted their strategy by listening to his King's message.
"There are no blind spots...!"
Already, the Roman Coalition's headquarters had completely transformed into Lev's territory.
At the valley at the forefront stood Leonidas's troops, who according to legend, blocked a massive Persian force with an army of 300. Above both sides of the valley, Darius waited. If they tried to force their way through, Leonidas and his invincible shieldmen would stop them, while the immortal army leaped down from the valley top to pressure them.
They could use the Animal Path to fly through the air and bypass the defensive line, but if they did, Romulus, who controls trees that sense life, would use his Noble Phantasm to skewer them like a kebab... Even if they dodged every Noble Phantasm, they would ultimately have to fight Romulus, and in the center stood Lev himself and the final bastion, Berserker Caligula.
Moreover, he had authorization from the King to use the 'final resort' if necessary—preparations were perfect!
Even if they tried to steal that means, there was nothing they could do...
"Now... I don't care which way you come from. I'll kill you all!!!"
However, Lev did not know.
He did not know that the 'memories of a past life' held by Chaldea's Master exceeded his intellect.
"Did you think I wouldn't expect this?"
I predicted every possibility and confirmed every constant.
I accepted Iskandar's advice and made the plan a direct breakthrough, and predicted how they would form their defensive lines.
The large valley located on the path to the Roman Coalition's base. Undoubtedly, Leonidas will be blocking it. Beyond him, Darius III will likely be waiting... He is a Servant with an army-type Noble Phantasm specialized in buying time to summon more Servants.
Romulus the Divine Ancestor will probably be guarding the entrance to their base. That insane Noble Phantasm that summons an enormous arboretum... no, a great forest that goes beyond an arboretum, has the ability to forcibly turn flat land into something resembling an urban area.
And in the center... Lev will be there. Caligula will likely be there as well. Even Lev would find gaps in the brainwashing of Romulus, so it would be easier to handle Caligula, whose stats are boosted by Mad Enhancement and who is fully brainwashed.
"There's no need to actually fight them."
In that case, why bother fighting them?
Leonidas? The army of 300?
Darius III? The immortal army?
Romulus? Septem?
Screw all of that.
If it's Lev, he's probably prepared the final resort as well.
The single Servant summoned by sacrificing all of Rome.
The Destroyer of Civilization, the terminal of the Giant God, and the King of the Huns—Altera...
[Seriously, I didn't expect this!!!!]
Yes, this time for sure, I'll kill him definitively.
I know he'll just resurrect in the Temple of Time anyway, but what does that matter?
Belatedly realizing the presence of the 'chariot,' Romulus scattered an enormous amount of trees toward the sky, but naturally, none of them hit the target.
[OPPRESSIOOOOOOON!!!!!!]
The moment Spartacus saw Romulus, he leaped down. Having discarded his secondary sword, he tackled him as if intending to engage in a raw brawl and took a mount position.
"This, this is nonsense... to do such an irrational thing so casually...!"
[Fuck off, you bastard!!!]
An insane wind brushed past, and with a thunderous roar, as the chariot slammed into the ground, a fuming Lev began screaming at me.
"You don't even deserve to enter the Reverse Side of the World! Close those eyes in your ignorance and repent for your atrocities, you wretched beast!!!"
Saying so, Lev Lainur held up the Holy Grail and shouted.
"I already know your plan! You intend to take my Grail, occupy the Leylines, and summon other Servants! But it is useless... useless, I say! Hahahaha!!! The Leylines are already mine, and you won't even be able to lay a finger on my Grail!"
Having said that, Lev Lainur rolled up his sleeve and showed three shimmering Command Spells.
[I order with a Command Spell: Come here, you beasts!]
"...Oh, goodness."
Boudica let out a sigh of lament. The situation was reversed in an instant.
Romulus, who had appeared before me in a flash, held up his spear with a solemn expression and immediately fired several giant tree trunks.
Spartacus was bleeding profusely, his entire body skewered by wooden spears, and Boudica had lost an arm at some point.
Darius III's undead troops began to crawl slowly up from the ground, and Leonidas's veteran soldiers began to manifest as well.
"Hahaha! Did you think our King wouldn't notice your plan? This place, this Singularity, was your grave from the very beginning!!!"
"...Yeah, it's definitely an effective strategy."
Extremely effective.
"But you damn Leif, did you think I was crazy enough to charge Romulus without a plan?"
Usurping a Heroic Spirit's summoning... yeah, it sounds great on paper.
But the problem is too big... Lev Lainur and the Divine Ancestor Romulus. You're telling me I'd try to summon a Servant while fighting those monsters at the same time?
Furthermore, the Servant to be summoned is Altera, the King of the Huns... Naturally, if Lev Lainur noticed, he would try to cancel the summoning midway or simply usurp the process to make her his own Servant. He might have been an airhead in the original story, but here he is a truly powerful foe who has opposed me for decades.
"I'm glad you know, because that Servant's Saint Graph is so immense that she can't be summoned without sacrificing the entirety of 'Rome'... but isn't it strange? I'm the one who's supposed to protect 'Rome.' Why would I come all the way here to summon that Servant, you idiot!!!
How exhilarating.
Truly, from the bottom of my heart, it was exhilarating.
Because right now, I've succeeded in deceiving him—Lev Lainur Flauros... no, the Demon God King Goetia.
It was an unnecessary emotion for the situation, but I couldn't hide that overwhelming feeling and let it show.
Lev Lainur, seemingly finding my expression unpleasant, wore a sneer and shouted as he raised the Grail.
"...So what? Your deaths remain unchanged regardless of—!"
"Sorry, but preparations are already finished."
The conditions for preparation were different than before, but they were sufficient.
When I used this spell in the past, I used the Ring of Solomon given to me by Lord Brishisan and his factor information... but now, I substitute it with her Saint Graph, which Lev Lainur registered in order to use as his 'secret weapon.'
As for the sacrifice, it is the simple magical circle that Spartacus forcibly implanted while he was in mount position... A single 'Rome' who carries that magic circle within his body: the Divine Ancestor Romulus.
And... a secret technique that was inputted as the cost when the Root took its due.
"Impure World Reincarnation (Edo Tensei): King of the Huns. Manifest, Warrior of Destruction!"
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