"Looks like something happened to his Master."
After waiting for a while, he shouted again:
"Other than that golden Servant who spoke disrespectfully just now, are there any other Servants who dare come forward and gather here?"
One second, two seconds...
After more than ten seconds passed without any Servant appearing, Iskandar shook his head in disappointment.
"No good. They're all cowards who don't dare show themselves."
"It's rare for someone to have set up such a grand stage, yet no one dares step onto it and perform. What a disappointment."
With that, he turned to Nero and laughed.
"Nero, Emperor of Rome, I heard your name not long ago. Before this, I once believed you were an incompetent and foolish tyrant."
"But now, I acknowledge your existence."
"In this Holy Grail War, you will be my greatest enemy."
Nero chuckled and asked:
"You are interesting. Do you wish to challenge me here?"
"Of course!" Iskandar replied without hesitation. "I like this city of yours very much. I'll take it and make it my base of operations."
"If you have the ability, then come and try," Nero said, staring him down.
Iskandar drew his short sword and raised it high, shouting grandly:
"This expedition has truly been disappointing, but meeting the Emperor of Rome has made the journey worthwhile."
The moment he finished speaking, light burst forth from around him.
In an instant, the Colosseum was replaced by an endless desert.
At the same time, the sound of synchronized footsteps rang out behind him.
Within the shadows veiled by sand and dust, a vast army appeared behind Iskandar.
Before Iskandar stood an immense city.
Nero stood alone with her sword planted against the ground. She swept her gaze across Iskandar's army, and the corners of her lips lifted slightly into a beautiful smile.
"My peerless army! Our enemy this time is Nero, Emperor of the Roman Empire. Let us have a glorious battle!"
Iskandar swung himself onto his horse, his sword pointed straight at Nero.
Behind him came the soldiers' unified roar:
"Certain victory! Certain victory!!"
Seeing this, Nero's smile faded, and she spoke just as loudly:
"I do not like war, but when faced with an invading army, I will certainly stand at the very front."
"I am not a qualified commander. Many of my glorious victories were the work of Emperor's Husband. But no matter how powerful the enemy, I will never retreat a single step."
"I like art, flowers, fine food, and hunting, but the thing I love most is Rome."
"I am Nero Claudius, Fifth Emperor of the Roman Empire. I... am Rome."
As soon as she finished speaking, an army emerged from the city behind Nero, forming rank after rank of square formations.
"Foreign enemies have invaded. Rome lies behind us, so there is naturally only one thing we can do—victory."
"Rome! Rome!!"
The army behind Nero likewise erupted with a roar that shook the heavens.
The sight of the two sides facing each other head-on made Iskandar laugh.
"Ha ha ha... As expected of the only enemy I have acknowledged on this expedition."
"The enemy are warriors defending their homeland, while we are invaders from afar. This campaign may not be just, but that does not matter."
"Defeat the Roman army and seize that glorious city! Charge!"
Holding his short sword, Iskandar rode his black warhorse and charged forward first.
Behind him, sand and dust billowed as the Macedonian army followed close behind.
Watching the army charging toward her, Nero's face showed a trace of astonishment.
What are they trying to do? Have a brawl?
No tactics, no troop deployment—just charging forward in a disorganized mass. Is that even warfare?
Even if I am not a qualified commander, there is no way I could lose to an army like this.
The next moment, Nero suddenly realized that the other side was unlike her. They did not possess a skill that reduced the mana consumption of their Noble Phantasm.
Normally, a Reality Marble on this scale would consume an enormous amount of mana.
So they had not arranged any tactics and were charging forward in a mass simply because their mana could not support anything else.
"Go. Show them Rome's methods of war."
"Yes, Your Majesty Nero."
The archers stepped forward first. After three volleys of arrows, they retreated behind the shield soldiers.
The Macedonian soldiers at the front of the charge had already been wiped out in great numbers.
Waver, left far behind by the army, stared at the distant scene in shock.
Although he could not see clearly, it was obvious that his side was at a disadvantage.
Both Noble Phantasms had the same issue, but the other side seemed prepared for a prolonged battle, while Rider was becoming impatient.
The reason was simple: his mana was insufficient.
Realizing this, Waver gritted his teeth, activated his Command Seals, and shouted at the top of his lungs:
"King of Conquerors, you must achieve victory."
"King of Conquerors, you must..."
"King of Conquerors..."
After using three Command Seals in succession, Waver quietly let out a breath.
My mana held Rider back. I hope the Command Seals can make a difference.
Sensing the sudden increase in mana, Iskandar laughed. He stopped where he was and began directing his army, abandoning the mindless tactic of charging forward in a mob.
Adding Some Flowers to Adorn the Journey
Section 18: Adding Some Flowers to Adorn the Journey
Elsewhere, time rewound to more than two hours earlier, shortly after the Nero Festival Master Tournament had ended.
Kariya Matou handed the Golden Apple he had won to Shirou. After greeting Sakura, he hurriedly left.
Although he used having something to do as an excuse, he actually had nothing to do.
He left only because he felt somewhat superfluous there.
Sakura has Shirou with her. I no longer need to worry about her.
After what happened just now, Tokiomi has probably begun reflecting on himself...
At that moment, Kariya Matou felt self-satisfaction and relief, but more than anything, he felt lost.
Before, his goals had always been to save Sakura and beat Tokiomi.
Now that both goals had been achieved, he had no idea what he should do next.
"Ah..."
As he sighed, Kiritsugu Emiya, standing by the street and smoking, suddenly entered his sight.
Having heard Shirou describe the future, he was no stranger to Kiritsugu Emiya.
A Hero of Justice. Though somewhat extreme, he was probably a good person, right?
In the match just now, Kiritsugu Emiya had lost to Kirei Kotomine, but it was clear that he had not used his full strength.
Moreover, from the future Shirou described, Kariya knew that if Kiritsugu Emiya truly fought desperately, he should be able to kill Kirei Kotomine.
Kariya Matou unconsciously walked over and tried to strike up a conversation.
"Would a man like you also be interested in something like a Golden Apple?"
"It sounds like you know me rather well?" Kiritsugu Emiya asked without looking up.
"Fairly well, I suppose. I know your dream is to become a Hero of Justice, and I know you have always been doing things like killing one person to save three."
Kiritsugu Emiya abruptly raised his head, a sharp gleam flashing through his eyes.
He had not expected there to be an enemy in this Holy Grail War who understood him so well. And that enemy was Kariya Matou, whom he had barely paid any attention to.
"You... are different from the information I gathered."
"Is that so? Well, I have changed a great deal over the past two days."
Kariya Matou unconsciously smiled, and his state of mind gradually relaxed.
"Do you believe someone can see the future?"
"Prophecy?"
"Something like that. In this Holy Grail War, there is nothing that can fulfill your dream. The Grail was corrupted long ago. It cannot grant wishes at all."
"What do you mean?"
"In the Third Holy Grail War, the Einzbern family summoned... So the Grail cannot be used at all. In the end, it will all come to nothing."
Kariya Matou smiled and shook his head, thinking:
I must be crazy. Why am I telling him so much?
Though he will become Shirou's father in the future, he has not yet given up on his dangerous idea of saving the world. He is no different from a terrorist.
Kiritsugu Emiya furrowed his brow slightly, continuously analyzing the possibility of what Kariya had said.
The Grail had been corrupted and could not be used.
That was easy enough to verify. He only needed to ask Illya, and he would soon learn who the Previous Master summoned by the Einzbern family was. Kariya had no reason to tell such a clumsy lie.
"Then... why are you participating in this Holy Grail War?"
"I joined to save Sakura, and more importantly, to beat Tokiomi up."
At the mention of Tokiomi's name, Kariya Matou unconsciously ground his teeth, and a trace of anger rose within him again.
"That bastard Tokiomi did not investigate the Matou family's secrets at all before pushing Sakura straight into a wolf's den."
"He claimed it was for Sakura's own good. There were clearly many better options, yet he chose the worst one."
"Still, after what happened just now, he should reflect on himself."
Kiritsugu Emiya carefully analyzed his words and quickly reached several simple conclusions.
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Just a sudden impulse, I suppose." Kariya Matou paused. "Perhaps I also want to persuade you to give up."
"Your wife is the Lesser Grail. Once more than five Servants have died, she will die."
"If you want to save her, you must make preparations as soon as possible."
Kiritsugu Emiya's expression froze. After a long time, he asked hesitantly:
"Can you save her?"
"I cannot, but Your Majesty Nero probably can. I asked her, and she said she could."
"What do you want in exchange?"
"What if I asked you to give up the Holy Grail War?"
This time, Kiritsugu Emiya remained silent for a long while, as though a fierce battle was raging within him.
He took out a cigarette, lit it, took a few puffs, then stubbed it out again.
Before you continue