Clang—
With a sweep of his longsword, the King of Florence once again severed the head of another so-called "damned man."
Looking at the headless corpse before him, Lorenzo sharply flicked his sword, scattering the blood, then sheathed it.
"The time... is about right."
He turned and left.
"Let my nation become a place without any noise—"
"A perfect nation."
Lorenzo had long stopped caring about Credi.
In the end, he had merely been an unintentional move on the board. That man's strength was not worth expecting anything from.
Whether it was Lawrence, Verrocchio, Simonetta, who had tried to ambush him, or... that rebellious younger brother.
All of them, in the end, were nothing more than insignificant obstacles.
"I will become the king who protects this nation forever."
"Today, no later than evening, we will head for the Florence Royal Palace."
"This time, there is no need to consider anything else. We only need to fight."
"However."
Inside Ovis Villa, Fujimaru Ritsuka looked at his three Servants, as well as Giuliano and Simonetta standing beside them.
"Mr. Giuliano, are you really coming with us?"
"I have to go."
Giuliano's answer was resolute.
"Lorenzo and I made an agreement back then. Whoever was more outstanding would become the King of Florence, while the other would kill him should the king become foolish or tyrannical." Giuliano looked at Fujimaru Ritsuka with utter seriousness. "And if he did not become foolish, then the other would assist the king for the rest of his life."
"Lorenzo has gone mad now. I must..." He clenched his fists, suppressing his hysterical rage and grief.
"So you and your brother made an agreement like that?" Simonetta looked at Giuliano twice, somewhat surprised.
"And Piero must die as well. He is the true source of all this chaos."