If she had acknowledged that she was actually a woman sooner, restored Guinevere to single status, and sincerely blessed them, things would not have escalated to that point in the end.
Thinking of the past, she instinctively wanted to apologize, but after hesitating again and again, she still could not bring herself to say it.
"You are here. It seems we will not be enemies for the time being."
Seeing how cold her attitude was, Lancelot lowered his head in disappointment.
If possible, he truly wanted the King to punish him personally.
But with the King's personality, she would surely blame everything on herself and silently bear it all.
At that moment, Lancelot's guilt deepened even further. The intense sense of guilt weighed on him so heavily that he could barely breathe.
Seeing the two of them facing each other in silence, Kariya Matou let out a soft sigh.
King Arthur and Lancelot, who had betrayed her—their relationship was easy enough to imagine.
"Time is of the essence. Let's hurry outside the city and help."
"Let's go, Saber."
Artoria immediately looked at Kiritsugu Emiya and asked suspiciously:
"What are you planning this time?"
"Help Your Majesty Nero defeat the King of Conquerors."
"Is that all?"
"Yes. That is enough."
As for what came afterward—whether he used a Command Seal to make Saber kill herself, or used some other method to let Your Majesty Nero win—would depend on Your Majesty Nero's wishes.
The Holy Grail had already been corrupted and was completely unusable. Naturally, the Servants were no longer of any use either.
With that, having Your Majesty Nero treat his wife had become Kiritsugu Emiya's greatest goal.
"Your Majesty, the enemy has charged over. Please fall back."
"No! I shall stand here and not retreat a single step. Rome is behind me, and I shall stand with Rome."
"If that is so, please forgive your subject's insolence."
The next moment, several Servants dressed as generals stepped forward and blocked Nero's path.
"Enough! You brainless fools are blocking my view."
Nero looked displeased as she reached out and pushed one person aside.
Her height was an eternal pain in her heart, especially at a time like this.
She was clearly the strongest person in the army right now, yet they treated her like a child. It had to be because of her height.
The King of Conquerors, Iskandar, came charging forward on horseback, his sword pointed straight at Nero as he loudly declared:
"Nero, Emperor of the Roman Empire! I, Iskandar, King of Conquerors, have arrived! Do you dare step forward and fight me?"
"I accept your challenge."
Nero had only just agreed with a smile when a group of people rushed up from behind and stood before her, doing everything they could to stop her.
"Your Majesty, you must not! This is the enemy's scheme."
"Your Majesty, how can an emperor take the field and kill enemies? Before we are all dead, we will never let anyone harm a single hair on Your Majesty's head."
"That's right! Your Majesty is the supreme commander. As long as we still draw breath, we will never let Your Majesty take the field."
Looking at the subordinates before her, Nero was furious.
"Shut up! You are merely projections I summoned. You are fake. I am the strongest person in the army now."
"Even so, before we are all dead, Your Majesty must never take the field."
"Move aside, all of you. This is an order!"
"Never! If Your Majesty insists on going over there, then please step over our corpses."
Damn it! These people.
They were like this when they were alive, and they were still like this after death.
I want to charge ahead and slaughter enemies like that King of Conquerors too.
I am clearly the strongest in the entire army, yet I can only be protected behind everyone like a child.
"You fools, listen to me! You must win!!"
At that instant, the Roman army's morale soared, and cries of "Rome! Rome!" once again resounded through the heavens.
This scene further heightened Iskandar's already excited emotions.
"Hahaha... Emperor Nero, a ruler like you was actually passed down as a tyrant. Those historians should all be dragged out and hanged."
"My peerless army, the enemy we face today is the strongest enemy we have ever encountered."
"They possess not only a battle-hardened army and a prosperous, flourishing city, but also an enlightened and beautiful ruler."
"But even so, I have not the slightest doubt about our final victory."
"Charge, everyone!"
The Macedonian army shouted in unison:
"Victory! Victory!"
Flower of Rome
Flower of Rome
When Kariya Matou and the others arrived outside the city, the King of Conquerors' Macedonian army had already been reduced to almost nothing.
Only a few generals remained around him, fighting bravely.
As for their opponents, the Roman army had also lost many men, but they still maintained their complete formation and guarded Nero firmly.
"My magical energy has run dry, and my armor has become tattered. Hahaha... It seems this expedition is about to end here."
Iskandar raised his sword and laughed as he walked toward Nero step by step.
"Emperor Nero, come and take my head. That is your privilege as the victor!"
"Very well. I shall personally send you on your way."
As soon as Nero finished speaking, the many generals before her all dropped to one knee.
"You must not! We have reached the end already. Your Majesty, please do not risk yourself."
"Your Majesty, please stop!"
"If Your Majesty insists on going over there, then step over our corpses. To be trampled by Your Majesty is our highest honor!"
"You bunch of fools!" Nero glared at them angrily and could only abandon the idea of personally killing the King of Conquerors.
Unlike the King of Conquerors, who commanded like a general, Nero had always directed her forces from the rear as a commander and had never gone to the front lines to personally fight the enemy.
Because of that, she had actually anticipated this situation long ago.
"Sorry, King of Conquerors. With these fools blocking the way, I probably cannot take your head."
"There is no need to apologize. You have a group of loyal subordinates. This time, my defeat is not unjust."
Iskandar laughed a few times, waved the shortsword in his hand, and charged straight at Nero.
The next moment, countless arrows and thrown spears swept toward him.
Although he blocked some of them, even more went undeflected. His body was instantly pierced through, and he gradually vanished into Spirit Particles.
In the blink of an eye, Nero, Kariya Matou, and the others returned outside the Colosseum.
The surviving Roman soldiers vanished along with them.
Nero looked around, her gaze settling on Kariya Matou. She nodded slightly and said with a smile:
"It seems your operation went very smoothly."
"Then I hereby declare that this Nero Festival has concluded successfully!"
"Though I am deeply reluctant to part, today's experiences will surely become precious memories for every participant."
"At the end, I shall give a gift to every participant fortunate enough to witness all this, wishing you all everlasting health in body and mind."
Having said that, Nero stood with her sword planted on the ground and smiled slightly.
"Behold my talent, hear the thunderous applause; embrace the glory of one who rules, and bloom like a flower. Blossom in splendor! Chariot of Argalia!"
The surroundings instantly became a magnificent golden palace. Red flower petals filled the sky, and Nero's entire body radiated a holy glow.
Standing atop the high platform, Nero began to sing once more.
This time, her singing was incomparably moving.
In every listener's eyes, it was as if an endless river of stars had appeared.
Light spilled over the earth, flower petals continued to fall, and the moving melody echoed endlessly beside their ears.
"...Then, until we meet again, everyone!"
As the projection vanished from the sky, discussion filled the city.
"That can't be possible, right? The difference between Your Majesty Nero's two songs was way too huge."
"It was so beautiful, simply heavenly! Sob... I never expected Your Majesty Nero's claim that she was an artist comparable to Apollo to actually be true."
"I'm sorry, Your Majesty Nero. I take back what I said before. I never expected you to sing so beautifully. That awful first song must have been a broadcast accident."
"That's right! It was definitely an accident. Your Majesty Nero is the true Flower of Rome. Being able to hear Your Majesty Nero sing has made this life worthwhile."
"Sob... I'm so moved! I really want to live in the Roman era. Then I could often hear Your Majesty Nero sing."
"Oh no! I thought it would be at the same level as the first song, so I didn't record it. Did you record it?"
"Yeah, I recorded both songs."
"Give me a copy—no, sell me one! I'm willing to pay a high price..."
Inside the Colosseum, Nero turned back and saw the stunned expressions on Kariya Matou and the others' faces. Smiling, she asked:
"Well? Have you been so immersed in my astonishing talent that you cannot contain yourselves?"
"Your Majesty Nero, did you deliberately sing the first song like that?" Kariya Matou could not help asking.
"What do you mean? Were the two songs not equally moving?"
As soon as she finished speaking, Nero suddenly seemed to remember something and smiled.
"Oh, right. If I really had to say, it was probably because I put different amounts of care into them."
"The first song was sung for myself. I sang as I pleased, singing whatever tune came to mind. The latter song was a blessing song personally composed by Emperor's Husband. The melody was fixed, and not a single note could be changed."
"Even one wrong note would cause vastly different blessing effects."
Kariya Matou and the others looked at her speechlessly, all thinking the same thing:
Case closed!
No wonder the first song was so awful. She had sung it however she pleased, singing whatever tune came to mind. What a free-spirited person.
If every song she sang was as moving as the second, then it was no wonder she was called the Flower of Rome. It was no wonder she called herself an artist comparable to Apollo, and no one objected.
Kiritsugu Emiya was the first to react. He lowered his head and asked:
"Your Majesty Nero, when will you save my wife? Three Servants have died already, and I am worried about her body..."
"Do not worry. You kept your promise and eliminated Archer. Though your methods were somewhat despicable, I am not someone who cares about such trivial matters. Therefore, I shall treat your wife immediately."
Nero smiled and nodded, and golden light immediately appeared in her eyes.
After looking around, her gaze settled to the southwest.
"Taiga Fujimura is carrying your wife around in search of a doctor. Go bring her here."
"Yes."
Kiritsugu Emiya looked worried, but considering that matters here had not yet been resolved, he did not leave immediately. His gaze unconsciously turned toward Artoria.