Chapter 54: Grand Execution
"Servant Assassin, Cassius Chaerae."
A flash of light above a massive summon array signaled the appearance of the Servant. The light was blinding inside this dark and dilapidated ruin of a building.
Appearance-wise, he was a very effeminate male who wore the armor of a Roman Praetorian Guard.
In front of Cassius, though he appeared to be a human, he wasn't one at all. Rather, it was a 'thing' that wore the skin of a human. It wore the clothes of a human. It spoke like a human as well. But it wasn't a human.
"Good enough for now." In the hands of that not-human was a golden cup filled with magical energy. "Cassius Chaerea, the Praetorian who slew his Emperor…"
Cassius felt a sense of anger at the insinuation that his act of killing Caligula was something 'negative'.
"The mad Emperor deserved to die. Not only did he throw my honor into the dirt, but he was also a threat to Rome itself."
The not-human turned around, his back facing the Assassin. "Yes. You are honorable. Though you may have killed a mad tyrant, we have a new one."
Cassius' muscles tensed, "A new one?"
"By the name of Nero. Nero Claudius, the successor to Tiberius Claudius, whom I presume you're familiar with?"
"... How is this 'Nero' a threat?"
"Though she may not seem like it right now, Nero would soon be known throughout history as an Emperor even madder than Caligula. She committed matricide, killing her mother Agrippina, burning the Eternal City of Rome just to make space for her new palace, kicking her wife Poppaea to death to prevent the birth of her child, marry a young boy who'll then be forcibly castrated. All this and more eventually culminated in the Revolt of Vindex. Nero's final words will be 'What an artist the world is losing!'"
Flauros knew exactly what button to push to get Cassius to act. This man embodied the power that the Praetorian Guards held in determining whether someone was worthy of being an Emperor. If they are, the Guards wouldn't think twice to lay down their lives, but if they aren't, the Emperor will be removed post-haste.
After the not-human finished, Cassius' immediate question was "Where is she?"
"Residing in Rome itself. Though, beware. She has compatriots who'll continue on her madness if not dealt with. 'Chaldeans', they're called."
Without saying another word, Cassius left the dilapidated structure, heading West, to Rome on the stone roads for which the Empire was so famous.
Sneaking into the capital was simple enough. As an Assassin-Class Servant and someone who killed their target under the guise of an individual meant to protect them, Cassius possessed a special kind of Presence Concealment. Rather, something that is the opposite of Presence Concealment.
Lordship Sanction.
Unlike Presence Concealment which hides a Servant from detection, Lordship Sanction requires perception to work. The Skill permits the bearer to disguise themselves as a trusted bodyguard of the highest authority within a social structure. While it may disguise Cassius as a Praetorian Guard in Rome, it would be entirely different in another Empire.
At A-rank, this Skill has a memetic quality to it, in that it changes the memory of all who see Cassius and makes them remember that the Servant was always a bodyguard to the highest authority within the land.
The Assassin first decided to collect information on Nero. Where she is, what her daily schedule is, who the Chaldeans are, and more. Through this information collection, the Servant found that the Chaldeans were barbarians, and within the ranks of the Chaldeans was a very powerful witch that rivaled gods.
Problematic.
Cassius was outside of the city, trying to figure out an escape route when he heard a loud boom from the heavens. Looking up, the Servant saw a streak of green splitting the dark sky in two.
Perfect. This was his chance to kill Nero and the Chaldeans.
When the Assassin went to find the Emperor in the early morning, when she was supposed to still be asleep, however, that's when his plan hit a snag. Emperor Nero was nowhere to be found.
He hurried out and asked a fellow Praetorian Guard where the Emperor was, only to discover that she had decided to sneak out of the city secretly.
Fortunately, it wasn't a wasted effort as Cassius managed to find two of the four Chaldeans. They were inside a large lounge area that had a balcony off to the side, with curtains filling the spaces between each individual marble pillar. Various servants were waiting on hand.
Cassius moved. Faster than the normal human eye can spot, the Assassin dispatched all the other servants around the two, each with a single swing of his blade.
As he looked at their fallen bodies, Cassius couldn't help but feel guilty. They were only guilty by happenstance. Coincidence led them to be here, where he couldn't leave any witnesses.
"That's a Servant!" A voice not of the male teen nor the girl yelled out.
The teen instantly jumped up from the sofa and got between him and the girl. Admirable.
"How honorable. Given that, I feel like you deserve to know my name before you die— Cassius Chaerea, Assassin-Class Servant." The Servant introduced himself to the Chaldeans.
Recognition didn't spark in the eyes of the teen. Cassius found himself a tad bit disappointed. Neither did recognition spark in the eyes of the girl, who was staring at the teen in something resembling a mix of awe and confusion. It was as if the girl didn't expect something from the teen.
"Wait! If I willingly allow you to take me, will you let the girl go?" The teen asked, a hand raised as though pleading Cassius to halt if only for a little while.
"Why would I allow that when both of you are right in front of me?"
Cassius' blade struck out—
"[Emergency Evade]!"
—And jabbed air.
"—?"
Right as Cassius' blade was about to pierce the Chaldean teen's body, the latter moved with supernatural speed, coming out of focus before appearing more physical about a meter away from where he used to stand.
The Chaldean was out of the blade's range.
His right hand flared, "Come here, Archer!"
Another Servant appeared— teleported— next to the Chaldean Master. He had white hair and steel-colored eyes. In his hands was a fully drawn bow—
Which he promptly let loose.
*Thwack*
The sword-arrow moved with incredible speed. To Ritsuka, he couldn't even see the arrow as it moved.
"Aargh!"
It spoke volumes of how fast Assassin was when, instead of piercing his heart as the arrow was aiming at, it only nailed his left shoulder.
And then it went through it. Stabbing into the marble pillar behind Cassius.
The force of the arrow threw Cassius back by several feet, landing upon his back as he lost his left arm.
The Archer nocked another arrow and drew back his bow, preparing to finish the job.
Cassius is out of options. He can't run away. He's not faster than the arrow.
"Wait! Archer— we can talk about this! We don't have to kill him!" Ritsuka yelled.
"Master, this isn't the time. I know this is your first time seeing someone get killed— and it is traumatizing. But I have to do this."
A green boy then, Cassius thought. Fresh as the buds on a tree in spring, not yet touched by the grace of war and winter.
Perfect.
Cassius took this opportunity when Archer was distracted by his Master to activate his Noble Phantasm. Though it was meant for a 'tyrannical king', a 'Master of Servants' would still be affected. Cassius pointed the sword at the Chaldean Master.
"<Sword of Damocles: Death Hangs Above the Head of a Ruler>"
As the one who embodied the power of the Praetorian Guards as a whole, Cassius Chaerae's Noble Phantasm reflected this aspect of himself.
At its most basic, the Noble Phantasm can be classified as a curse. It reflects how the Sword of Damocles is a metaphorical curse upon the heads of all rulers. It symbolizes the ever-present risk and responsibility that come with authority and privilege, serving as an eternal reminder to those in positions of power who must always be wary of threats and consequences.
When activated, the Noble Phantasm manifests the moment Cassius personally drives his blade into Caligula's body—crystallizing the instant the Sword of Damocles falls upon the ruler's head.
Thus, the more authority the target has, in turn, the more powerful this Noble Phantasm is. As befitting those who are the tallest fall the hardest.
The ceiling broke apart because of the size of the 'Sword of Damocles' that hung above Ritsuka's head.
A blade the size of a large apartment building, its color as blue as the ocean itself. It was an executioner's sword.
It was a mirror of how much authority Ritsuka possessed. The Last Master of Mankind.
Before anyone can react. Before Archer could even think, the Sword began its descent.
It moved as fast as lightning, synonymous with how fast a coup suddenly became uncontrollable.
Air burned around the blade with how fast it moved—
"Halt."
The 'Sword of Damocles' cut a single hair on Ritsuka's head before stopping suddenly.
Cassius could not comprehend the sight in front of him.
There was dead silence until it was interrupted by Chaldea's Master suddenly falling to the ground in sheer terror at the sight of the giant sword above him, the flames that once burned around the blade stopped, yet not extinguished.
It was as if the blade was frozen in time. The flame coming from friction froze along with it.
"How selfless thou art, to place thyself betwith— betwex—betwixt? Betwixt danger and me. Thus, permit me, my Polkovodets, to replicate the valorous deed thou didst perform for me within that facility, deep beneath the ocean's embrace."
Though Zvezdnyy took a step, the girl seemed ethereal. Her strange fashion sense only seemed to enhance that otherworldliness.
"Be not afraid. Return to whence thou came."
With a single phrase, Cassius was forcefully returned to the Throne of Heroes in an explosion of gold particles.
The Sword above disappeared alongside Cassius. There wasn't even a loud collapse of a vacuum as it should when previously occupied space was suddenly freed up.
The sun peered down from the destroyed ceiling at Zvezdnyy and Ritsuka. The latter recovered a bit from seeing the giant sword above his death while the former oozed out a calm confidence that appeared foreign in the mental image Ritsuka had of Zvezdnyy.
"What… happened?" Ritsuka numbly asked, feeling a bit out of it.
Rays of light from the hole in the ceiling shone down on Zvezdnyy, making her appear almost angelic. Heavenly. The only thing missing would be white robes and wings for Ritsuka to think the girl was actually some kind of angel.
"Hehehehe!" Zvezdnyy suddenly giggled as her body started shaking. She vibrates with joy, "I've longed to perform such an act! Oh, if only my Polkovodets was here to see it!"
____
Gaul
A barren landscaped stretched as far as the eye can see. Deathly silence hung in the air. What little vegetation there was left was burning, the crackle of their fire being the only sound that populated this land filled with death.
Until—
"Haa… Haa…Haa…" Clutching the pommel of his sword, Crocea Mors, Caesar got up. His armor was severely damaged, and he was missing the iconic crown of golden leaves, the Corona Triumphalis.
He looked around at the area around him, stopping only when he saw the evaporating soldiers coming from the Holy Grail.
"You all were the best soldiers a General could ever ask for," Caesar said as he stared at the vanishing remains.
The hair on the back of his head suddenly sprung up as he felt a presence behind him. However, Caesar doesn't respond to his survival instinct screaming at him to move.
Standing up proud, Caesar was never the type to die without a fight. He was the type to die standing up, with pride in his chest and his throat raw from the screams of a battle cry.
"Allow me then, my soldiers, to rectify this tactical mistake that I made. With my life."
Caesar activated his Noble Phantasm— Crocea Mors— and made a slash against the Goddess.
*Swish— Tang*
It didn't even cut into her skin.
"Ah… it seems I never stood a chance…"
The Goddess gave him a passive look. She didn't even bother responding and instead used one of the many orbs of blazing green light that hovered around her, having it blast forth a torrent of sky fire that burned right through the Saber-Class Servant.
Caesar's final thoughts were of how passive the Goddess was as she slaughtered his men. It was as though they were all pebbles to her: innumerable in number, yet all equally unworthy of even the slightest attention.
How inhuman. How divine. How terrifying…
___
Outside of Rome
"Can't you hurry faster Mash?" Nero asked as she trekked through the woods at a rapid pace.
Mash herself was struggling to catch up, especially when the Shielder was maintaining constant vigilance in search of potential traps around the place.
The purple-haired girl was prepared to jump into action the instant she saw hostile action, ready to put her life down for the Emperor.
They continued trekking through this forest. Almost aimless before finding a series of fallen swords strung about as though they were candies meant to lure kids to a white van.
"This… is a trap," Mash said, recalling one of the cartoons she watched about a cat and a mouse.
"This isn't a trap. Umu, it's a way for them to catch my attention."
The sheer level of confidence Nero had destroyed any remaining protests from Mash. Even though they were following this trail of swords, the Shielder made sure to stay extra close to the Emperor just in case the trap sprung.
"Neeigh!"
The sound of a horse galloping nearby caused Nero to pause, bringing out her curved black and scarlet blade— the Aestus Estus: The Original Flame. The many curves on the blade caused it to look like a tall bonfire frozen in time. Made from meteor metal, written upon the blade was the Latin phrase Regnum Caelorum et Gehenna.
The sound of horses running grew louder. The instant Mash fully determined where the sound was coming from, she placed herself between it and Nero, implanting her heavy shield upon the ground with a loud clank of metal.
"Greetings!" A young voice called out as the horse stopped about ten meters away.
The voice belonged to a young boy with a head of red hair.
"So you're the one who called for me! I will forgive you for using such tactics, now tell me your names!"
"Actually, this was the Teacher's idea."
"Teacher?" Mash said hesitantly.
From behind the horse came a man dressed in a modern suit and red tie. "You could've done more," He uttered.
"I am Alexander the Third of Macedonia. And this…" Alexander gestured at the older man, "Is Zhuge Liang. My Teacher."
"The Great Conqueror and one of the greatest strategists in history?" Mash called out as soon as she realized her opponent.
Nero stabbed her sword into the ground at the apparent lack of hostility coming from the two foreign Servants. Smiling, she asked, "So have you all come to join me? A bit unconventional of a method, but I will forgive you for this attempt at trickery."
"Actually, I'm here for a talk. My Teacher worked very hard to orchestrate this fateful meeting between the two of us." Alexander said as he got off his horse. It was a gesture of trust as the strength of a Rider-Class Servant comes from their mounts, and Alexander had just given up that advantage.
"Umu? And how difficult was it?"
"That Goddess… she was the greatest obstacle. So my Teacher instructed Caesar to launch an invasion of Gaul. We also had a time limit as an Assassin was sent after you by the Court Magician of Romulus."
"Umu!" Instead of feeling fearful, Nero felt proud, "Sending Assassins? How un-Roman that Court Magician must be! Only barbarians and Carthaginians send out assassins since they can't fight on a battlefield!"
The Emperor then reached out with a hand, "I've decided! I shall listen to you given how I'm entertained by how far the United Roman Empire has fallen."
Alexander gazed at Nero. Seeing how sincere she was, he went on asking, "Let me ask you this, Fifth Emperor of the Roman Empire Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, why are you fighting?"
That surprised Nero.
"Huh? Why are you asking something like that—"
"You have someone who calls herself a Goddess lacking in divinity, yet her power rivals the Gods. You can just rest easy in Rome, and enjoy all the splendor the Empire has to offer while ordering the Goddess to deal with the United Roman Empire in less than an hour. Not even that non-human Magician can stand up against her. Why aren't you?"
"…"
"As an Emperor, you must understand that victory demands sacrifices as well as I do. Although I may not know it as intimately as my older self, I'm familiar with the notion that not all of my friends who go into battle with me will come out alive. Blood must be spilled, that is the eternal law of war. Yet here, you are given an opportunity: a Goddess will fight for you. You can win without needing any sacrifices. So why then? Why do you not utilize your greatest weapon?"
"... She is a foreign Goddess." Nero hummed before nodding, "Umu, I'm sure she appeared in Rome's time of need because she could not bear to see the splendor of Rome be destroyed! A city so great that even the gods found it precious."
"You did not answer my question," Alexander pointed out, ignoring how arrogant Nero's statement was.
"We came to an understanding."
That caught Mash's attention, finally causing her eyes to drift away from the other Servants towards Nero.
"The Goddess told me of the tragedy that is her adoptive ward. She was a loveless child, her parents died at childbirth. Her mentor betrayed her. Never once did she have a chance to grow up. A poor child, I pity her immensely because even the lowest slave of Rome would know of what the sun looked like from the moment of their birth. I agreed to show the child the splendors of Rome, and in extension, the World. Afterward, the Goddess promised she would lead the army to deal with the United Roman Empire."
Mash was stunned by what Nero said. Her mind played back what occurred the past several days. All that unheard-of luxury she indulged in for the first time in her life. Luxuries that were unimaginable to her a year ago.
All of that came at the request of Goddess Kukulkan.
"Would you trust a foreign Goddess that much?"
"Umu! She's as easy to read as an open parchment!"
Alexander closed his eyes and nodded, "I see. So it is the Goddess' own decision to delay the inevitable. But I have one last question."
Nero placed her hands confidently on her hips. Her sword stabbed into the ground in front of her.
"If what you profess, and what the United Empire and its Divine Progenitor are spreading are both 'Rome', then why are you two opposing each other?"
"Umu?"
This time, it was Mash who spoke up, "If Rome falls here, then the Human Order will collapse and the future promised to all humans will forever be cut off."
"That is your future, Shieldmaiden. Emperor Nero exists in the now. She has no reason to follow your future that she will never witness. For Nero, there is nothing more precious than Rome, and in the proper human history, Rome falls. Combining forces with the Divine Progenitor can avoid that fate. Pax Romana Aeternum. The eternal Roman peace."
Slowly, with her fingers spread apart, Nero reached out to grab her sword. The moment the tip of her middle finger touched the blade's handle, Aestus Estus burst into flame. "You're wrong. Even if Chaldeans hadn't come to Rome's aid. Even if the Goddess had never come, I would still have fought against the United Roman Empire. Do not forget that I met the Chaldeans as I was leading my army on a campaign against the United Empire. Even knowing of what you said, Pax Romana Aeternum, these hands will not let go of this sword."
In a single unbroken swift motion, Nero pulled out Aestus Estus from the ground and pointed it at Alexander.
"Whether it's a blood relative raised from the dead, a great conqueror, or even the Divine Progenitor himself! Now, there is only ONE EMPEROR! And that Emperor is ME!"
The black and scarlet sword blazed with a fire so hot Mash was forced to move away from Nero lest it become too uncomfortable. The ground underneath Nero's feet started steaming as water dried up from the heat.
"Even if all the Gods of Rome came down and demanded me to join the United Empire, I would never retreat. I never bow. I never bend. I never break. I AM NERO CLAUDIUS CAESAR AUGUSTS GERMANICUS! Why do I still persist in fighting? The cheers of Rome's prosperity and splendor! That fervor in the eyes of all my citizens! Watch me, o' Great Conqueror, watch me reign and prosper without retreating! I alone am the sole shining star! I am Rome itself! No one else!"
"...Heh," Alexander smirked as his horse ran up beside him. "Yes. Yes, that is the passion I've heard about—the answer I so desired from this talk. You are a true emperor worthy of the mantle of Rome. You are a rose that heralds prosperity and splendor. The Beast that carries the Number of Depravity. <Bucephalus: The First Trampling Domination>"
An enormous amount of power flared across Alexander's horse.
Getting onto the horse, Bucephalus charged at Nero. It was scattering sparks of Zeus' lightning, setting fire to everything around it.
The power behind that charge prompted Mash to brace against the fire wrapped around Nero's sword and slammed her shield down right between the Emperor and the Conqueror.
*BAAAAAM*
"Ufff—!" Mash cried out as she was thrown off to the side. She was like a baseball that had just been hit by the bat, flying through the air until the girl smashed into a tree. The power behind Alexander's Noble Phantasm was too great for her to handle. If only she had a Noble Phantasm!
"Emperor Nero—"
Mash's first worry wasn't for herself, but for the person whom she was supposed to protect. Even as she was bleeding with several of her bones broken, the Demiservant couldn't help but worry for someone else first.
Looking up from her fallen position strewn across the ground, Mash saw how Nero had her sword up. The faint sound of water sizzling reached Mash's ears as she saw how a leg-less Alexander was now behind the Emperor, having fallen from his horse and evaporating into gold particles.
"As I thought, as Teacher said, I was never a match…" Alexander said.
"You never had any intention of joining me."
"You don't need me. Even without that Goddess and the Chaldeans, if I had to bet on you or the United Roman Empire's victory, I'd place my wager on whoever had the greatest will. Your desire for victory outmatches that of the Divine Progenitor. He desires for you to come, you know? To come before him yourself." Alexander sighed, "That pride of yours is a beautiful rose. But as with all roses, it must also have its thorns."
Seeming done, Nero swung down her sword and executed Alexander.
"Ahhhh… Hah… Hah… Fufufufufu… So the Progenitor Romulus wants me to come before him?" Nero gripped the side of her face, and a maddening glint appeared in her eyes, "I shall do exactly that, for I am Rome. For that reason, not even the Divine Progenitor will be anything more than a single drop to fill my cup."
Mash wondered how Nero had transformed so quickly.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone