Capítulo 25: Nero-chan and the Golden City
"What do you think the people of the city will say when we arrive?"
"Who knows, they could be hostile, so we need to watch out."
"Of course! But we are strong, right, Salty?"
"Yeah, but there could be dozens of Heroic Spirits inhabiting that city, so they could overpower us with sheer numbers."
"Mmm, that would be a problem..."
"Well, even if that did happen, we could just hold out until the others come."
"I don't think Goldie is going to wake up today."
"Well, I think the Martian could. Perhaps the painter could be of help too, although he must be exhausted."
"Let's just hope everything goes well, umu!"
"Yeah, of course. It's just that I can't help have a bad feeling about how this is going to go."
"I, for once, am breathing a very familiar air, strangely enough."
"We are approaching the city."
"Yeah, I can see the golden buildings. And the giant temple! Wow, it really must be El Dorado."
"If you insist..."
"Hehe, maybe we can make some new friends there."
"What is it with you and wanting to make friends everywhere?"
"Well, the more you have, the better, no?"
"Have you never heard the saying that it's better to have ten good friends than a 100 bad friends?"
"To be honest, I don't think I can yet tell apart a good friend from a bad friend... just having a friend is enough, no? I mean, I'm a pretty bad artist, all things considered, but at least I try and I enjoy art... even if someone is a bad friend, they would still care about you, wouldn't they?"
"... it's my fault. What would I know of having friends."
"Aw, don't be like that, Salty... you have me and I have you, right?"
"For the time being, I guess."
"Great! Put it up!"
"No way."
"Come on, be a bit more cheerful!"
"Being cheerful is not my style."
After some more little banter, they finally reached El Dorado. The great buildings, the modest houses, the tables, the decorations, the temple, every road, everything was completely made out of pure gold, so much so that the city glistened as if a second Sun had descended from the sky.
However, one thing was notably lacking: people.
"There's no one!"
"... Nero, let's use maximum caution. Something is clearly wrong."
"You don't have to tell me twice."
They walked around, holding back their awe in such a peculiar and spectacular place. In the end, they were right in front of the temple.
"Maybe we should enter it?"
"It's the last place we haven't checked. If anyone is here, it must inside this place."
"Got it. Let's go then!"
Nero cheered as she started approaching the entrance. Suddenly, a part of the wall started lifting, revealing a secret door.
"Release the Minotaur."
Before they could even realise what was happening, a monstruos and gargantuan beast, with a muscular humanoid body, but with features and head of a bull, sprang out from the once hidden path and charged at them, crashing into Salter without giving her time to react.
His rush seemed to never end and when he was done running and the Black Saber was done flying, they were already a few thousands steps outside of El Dorado.
"Damn beast, were you hoping to kill me with a surprise attack? You'll have to do better than that. All of that... was just for a drop of blood."
She taunted the monster as she wiped away the blood building up on the side of her mouth. The Minotaur huffed and started beating his chest with his powerful arms, each with enough force to shatter half a mountain with just a punch, as he readied himself for the battle.
Salter also got into a fighting stance, preparing to meet his enemy's ferocity with her blade. She sighed ever so slightly, her look not betraying her concern. However, worry was building up inside her: this was the worst possible scenario that could have happened. They had been separated by at least one strong and capable fighter, with no chance to meet back or to retreat.
"Salty!" Nero shouted, as she turned around and dashed towards the two Servants, however she was forced to stop dead on her tracks when a spear was launched towards her from the temple. She dodged it and turned back to face her new adversary.
"Who are you?"
"There's no need for you to know. Welcome to El Dorado! If you want to see again that other missy, you'll have to do that over my dead body." Cortés replied as he exited the temple and, with a simple gesture, the golden walls started morphing, changing, taking a different shape as huge chuncks of gold started emerging and becoming more and more human, until there was a whole army of golden people, all wielding a weapon.
"So this is your ability, bearded man?"
"I don't need to tell you."
"Won't you be a good sport?"
"That has never won my a battle before."
Despite being, without a doubt, an evil bastard, Cortés wasn't stupid. He was a tactical mastermind and he knew that the number one thing to do is to never reveal your strengths and weaknesses.
Nero readied herself as she tried to take him by surprise, only to be blocked by his inhuman servants. "You think I would hesitate turning these things into my meatshields? Don't think of me so lowly, little girl." He said with a smirked as he swang his sword, slashing through the robot who had blocked Nero's attack.
However, she jumped back, only to be shot at by a golden humanoid with a bow. She deflected the projectile and cut through a couple more of them. Cortés simply waved his arms and from the houses dozens of new soldiers emerged.
"Very well, I'll return to my throne now, young lady. Call me when you're done dealing with my army."
Cortés mocked her as he turned around and started heading back inside the temple.
"Don't think you can escape so easily, Mr. Gold Guy." Nero responded, as she started charging her sword. She had saw this Skill used many times by Salter, and now, using her greatest skill, Imperial Privilege, she was going to replicate it. Mana Burst.
With one strong swing she turned the landscape into an inferno of molden gold. However, she used her skill once more to imagine herself being able to step on the air now that fumes were coming out from the ground, and she started walking on air, preparing for another devastating swing.
"I see, so she must have some sort of adaptive ability, similar to mine. Not to worry, though. She doesn't possess a strong analytical mind. Against those who think irrationally... I have always won!"
He ended his thought with a grin as he faced her with a turn and threw a spear in her direction. She blocked it, but was sent flying a few steps. In the meantime, the molten gold started reforming, becoming solid again, until the army of golden robots had completely regenerated.
They all charged at once their enemy, as Nero regained her footing and started blasting every single one of them.
"It's alright, I got this under control. I'll use Imperial Privilege to adapt to fighting against multiple opponents at once, just like those gladiators I saw fighting in the arena!"
She started gaining an advantage, no longer being overwhelmed. She was able to close in the distance with the archers and block their arrows. She decapitated one and split another from the torso. However, in doing so, she was swarmed by other soldiers behind her. She managed to fend them off, only to realise that Cortés had appeared in her blindspot, ready to strike.
She unleashed a powerful burst of mana that moved her body away slightly and blocked his easiest trajectory, making it possible for her to block his sword. She pushed him back and went for a swing to the neck, only to be forced once again on the defensive by his spear attacks.
"Where are you pulling out all these weapons?"
"Wouldn't you like to know?"
He charged at her, with a few golden soldiers blocking her vision and the others attacking her front all sides. She jumped in the air and walked on it before going back down, reappearing behind Cortés, ready to unleash a finishing blow.
"It's over."
"Yeah, it is."
He said grinning as he swiftly moved aside while from the main entrance to the temple a powerful blast was unleashed by a cannon that had just appeared. By blocking it with Mana Burst, Nero was able to come out unscathed from the attack, however she was knocked back, allowing Cortés to escape back inside the temple.
"I won't let you run away." Nero stated as if she was giving a promise to the entire world, as she lifted herself into the air, jumping on it as if she was graciously flying, all the while charging her mana.
"Imagine the perfect tool to defeat an army... that's obvious... Goldie's barrage of Noble Phantasms! Sculpt it in the mind, replicate it with your abilities, enact your interpretation: the concept of an unending series of powerful attacks... an unending series of attacks... an unstoppable barrage!"
She shot down to the ground all the mana she had accumulated, however, instead of using it up in a single slash like a mini-Excalibur, she transformed it into a barrage of quick and concentrated blasts that rained down her enemies, not strong enough to melt them, but strong enough to pierce them and temporarily incapacitate them.
She landed and started chasing after Cortés inside the temple. As she was descending a flight of stairs, she nearly tripped and had to nearly kneel down on one of them from the pain. She brought her hands to her forehead.
"N-No... not right now... damn it... it's even worse than usual."
The migraine did not pass, and she resorted to continue with a much more modest pace, basically forcing herself to walk each step. She reached a door and to her surprise it wasn't locked. She gently opened it as she stumbled inside, still in terrible pain.
"Hey there, young lady. Are you alright?"
"Never been better, especially now that I get to fight you 1 one 1."
"You still wish to fight me even in this state... you mustn't push yourself so far, there are some people who deeply care about you."
"Shut up! You don't know anything about t-" She tried to charge at him, but she was forced to bow down on one knee, as she was in too much pain and her equilibrium was thrown off.
"Oh, I know all about you, Nero Cladius. Someone that deeply cares about you has told me so much of you, much more than what I learned in my life. Oh, there is indeed a person who cares so much about your wellbeing, Nero. That's why you don't have to overdo it. This person cares about you so much that they travelled a long way just to meet you, just to see if you're fine. And they have arrived, Nero. Here, you can greet her."
Cortés said with a creepily gentle smile as he turned around and a door from the other side of the room opened. Nero looked up and her eyes widened. A woman was standing right in front of her, with a smile printed on her face.
"Hello, my dear Nero, how are you doing?"
"M-Mother..."
Nero muttered, as a single tear fell from her eyes.
"Yes, my dear child. It's me. I came to see if you were fine. And honestly, you don't, my dear son, you seem in pain. I can fix that."
"I-I..."
Nero stammered as her mouth was wide open, nearly drooling, her eyes wide, her pupils nearly vibrating, her forehead sweating, and tears starting to form more and more frequently and to fall down her cheeks as she started breathing heavily and her body trembled.
"Don't worry, Nero. Come to mommy. From now on, everything will be alright."
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