The infinite sword system has been mastered, and you say this is the dragon clan?

Chapter 397 Don't Speak, We're on the Same Side!
When Emiya saw the large, gleaming portrait of Michael, which was none other than his own likeness, his thoughts froze for a moment.

Then, immediately afterward, this thought flashed through my mind—

Thanks for the invitation. I'm in Rome, just arrived in heaven, and have already become the vice-ruler of the kingdom.

If Michael were to appear in this world at this moment and see Emiya's head photoshopped directly onto his body, he would probably protest a couple of times:

'Kids, this isn't funny.'

'Man! What should I say? Emiya, get out!'

Not long ago, in the previous singularity, Emiya had just defeated an avatar of Michael that Emperor Karl had summoned. And now, in this singularity, his head has been attached to Michael's body?
At this moment, the clown in the painting remains silent, only striking poses.

Although that face was a disguised form of the Sword Emperor, and didn't quite match Emiya's original appearance, it was still somewhat of a hellish joke...

Emiya sighed silently, and surrounded by religious music, he craned his neck to listen to their chanting of scriptures for a while.

As expected, the story tells of Michael descending to earth at the Lord's command, displaying great power to annihilate the armies of nations, leading the people by giving revelations to the destined leader, and even defeating the dragon, an incarnation of Satan, and so on.

This is essentially a retelling of the original Michael story in Christianity. (He annihilated the 185,000-strong Assyrian army that invaded Jerusalem overnight, prevented Abraham from sacrificing his son Isaac, summoned Moses from the burning bush to lead the Hebrews out of Egypt, and captured and imprisoned the dragon, a symbol of Satan.)
However, it is also closely related to the major events that Emiya recently accomplished as the Sword Emperor.

For example, the armies of the nations that Michael descended to earth and annihilated are clearly the same armies of Trajan and Caesar that Emiya defeated. The leader of mankind praised in the scriptures, who was revealed to humanity by Michael, is also clearly Constantine.

Yes, this is part of the alliance plan.

If Pope Anton uses these stories "based on true experiences" as a unified religious propaganda narrative and spreads them widely in the territories conquered by Emiya, coupled with various policies that benefit the lower classes, the unsuspecting populace will readily accept this narrative and likely believe it to be true.

In this way, the Eastern Roman Empire was able to quickly stabilize these war-torn cities, gain a solid foundation for rule through faith, and greatly benefit the recovery of its national strength.

"...But whose masterpiece is this painting?"

Emiya carefully examined Michael's portrait. Putting aside the head and face, the upright and dignified demeanor, the flowing fiery red cloak, and the crimson cross sword in his hand all matched his own features.

Perhaps because Pope Joan specifically commissioned a painter from the Caster department to create it, the "Sword Emperor version of Michael" in the painting even comes with a GIF effect.

The red cloak moved without wind, and the thick red hair swayed silently. The halo behind the face even had a faint shimmering glow, which radiated outwards through the painting itself, as if bathing the believers listening to the religious symphony in holy light.

Wow, it's even a 4K ultra-high-definition large-size live wallpaper!
When he thought of this, Emiya suddenly paused.

The little stories compiled by the Pope have already spread. If this painting were to follow in his footsteps and spread wherever his conquests take him... it seems that I might actually become the real Michael, and be regarded as the incarnation of Michael.
By the way, when Joan and Constantine were discussing the alliance with these high-ranking officials of the Eastern Roman Empire, they mentioned the secret idea of ​​using faith to enhance power, which was very similar to what Charlemagne did in the last singularity.

Now they've included their own part in the process. Doesn't that mean he can also gain a share of Michael's power in this process?
Alas! Karl the Great, the eternal god.

One trick is all you need to succeed.

Emiya quietly retreated, preparing to leave discreetly and conceal his achievements, but who could have foreseen that at this very moment—

"Hey! Look, that looks like Michael! He looks exactly like the one in the portrait!"

"What do you mean exactly the same? Then it must be real! Michael has appeared to us!"

"God, praise the one who is like God! Praise the Lord Almighty!"

……

No one knows which clever little devil noticed Emiya first, and then the news spread like wildfire until all the believers in the square, as well as a large number of Roman citizens who were just watching the show, saw it.

The religious atmosphere is still quite strong these days. Although the large number of followers has boosted various technological levels in society, the development of spiritual civilization has not yet caught up.

When faced with all sorts of technologies or products that defy comprehension, everyone has to carefully and solemnly pray a few times, "Oh! Praise be to God xx," in order to ensure that their "machine soul is overjoyed," not to mention when facing those top-tier Servants or even angel incarnations who come and go at great heights.

After the initial minor chaos in the square, believers began to kneel down, uttering incoherent auspicious words or prayers, some even mixed with strange, chaotic barbarian dialect: "May the Heavenly Father bless us! We, we pay our respects to the messenger Michael!"

"...?" What are you mumbling about?

After that, prayers in various Latin and Germanic languages ​​filled the air. Thanks to the leading role played by the believers, the square and the surrounding crowd of onlookers numbered over a thousand.

When the local Romans heard that some Christian archangel had actually descended to earth, they were all terrified and began to worship and pray.

After all, so many gods in their own Roman mythology are renowned, yet none of them have manifested their power over the years.

On the contrary, it's other smaller sects that have had miraculous manifestations, so isn't it obvious which one we should worship? Anyway, the Pantheon in Rome is all-encompassing, so worshipping a few more won't hurt!

This is an epic success story of religious propaganda. If this timeline weren't a singularity, this scene would have been recorded in history and passed down through the ages!

Emiya's lips twitched as he watched as he realized he had deliberately chosen a small corner of the plaza, but in the blink of an eye, he had become the absolute center of attention, overflowing with popularity. The stark contrast made him feel somewhat uneasy.

The members of the religious band who were originally on the stage in the center of the square did not show any resentment towards him when they saw people's attention quickly shift.

He could only beat his chest in frustration, regretting that he lacked the fortune to be close to the High Priestess and too far from the Angels, thus failing to receive the Holy Light's blessing!
Even so, the commotion in the square spread far and wide, and even on the bustling streets outside, a considerable number of people stood on tiptoe, craning their necks to try and see what was going on.

Immediately afterwards, they were also greatly shocked by the rumors of the collective worship and angelic apparitions, and they all joined the ranks...

"Oh no!" Emiya thought to himself, seeing how things had gotten so chaotic in just a short while. The square was already densely populated with people, and the pushing and shoving could easily lead to a stampede.

Feeling that since he was being treated as Michael, Shirou might cause the situation to spiral out of control if he responded, and finding it troublesome, he simply turned and left.

With a leap, flames erupted from beneath his feet, and he vanished as a streak of light.

But as it flew away, I could still hear the exaggerated exclamations of amazement and praise from the crowd:
"Oh, so this is indeed the great godlike Michael! The commander of the angelic army on the right side of the throne! Wielding a sword against evil! The symbol of fire among the four elements!"

Emiya: “…”

The four elements of mysticism correspond to the four archangels, right?

……

[Hehehe, how does it feel to 'show off in front of others,' senior?]

When Emiya landed in another part of Kalia—a secluded spot three blocks away from the city center square—BB's figure appeared just beside him, in the shadows of the alley corner.

Due to the need to conceal her identity during the singularity, BB wore a loose-fitting pure white Roman robe and a light-colored veil, exuding an air of mystery. Only her bangs and a pair of purple eyes like the surface of a deep lake were exposed, making her look exactly like a celibate woman.

But the moment she opened her mouth, her true nature as a "female demon" was revealed.

Naturally, Emiya showed her no mercy either.

"You didn't anticipate this, did you? Well, let me guess—you deliberately filmed me wielding the Red Cross sword on the battlefield and then gave that Pope Joan an idea?"

"I think that without your interference, the Pope, who couldn't witness the battlefield firsthand, wouldn't have known that I made a Red Cross sword at the end, and she wouldn't have been able to come up with this crazy idea like a super genius."

At this point, Emiya suddenly paused, staring intently as the girl beside him lifted her pretentious, thin veil. The girl exclaimed and leaned against the wall, her round, double snowballs bouncing. "BB, you... recorded my entire battle?"

[Hehe, as expected of a senior, you guessed it right away! It seems that your understanding of BB has become increasingly profound, and you are of one mind with her. Hmm, with your current posture, are you about to directly break through... no, ravage BB's delicate and tender heart?] BB blushed and pretended to be reserved. Her curvaceous body under her Roman-style robe trembled slightly, exuding allure. It made people very suspicious that her mention of "heart" had something else in mind.

"Don't beat around the bush and avoid the topic."

【Hey! That's right, BB also wants to witness the heroic figure of the senior's powerful move!】

Emiya didn't believe things were that simple. He tentatively asked, "Tell me, did you sell my recording? How many companies?"

"What? Sold to several stores?" BB rolled her eyes, seemingly trying to avoid admitting defeat. "BB doesn't know! Besides, Senior, didn't you gain a lot of benefits? You got on that Michael's good side for no reason, reaping both fame and fortune! It's a win-win situation, Senior!"

"Winning! It's like Qin Shi Huang touching an electric shock switch – I'm completely blown away. But I believe I might really profit, but BB, you definitely won't lose out either—"

The speech was interrupted.

Emiya suddenly released BB, because the quiet alley at the end of the street that he had specially chosen could actually sense someone approaching.

Who is this expert? He's only been here a short while since he landed, but he's already come running because he smelled something.

"Sword Emperor, you've finally returned! By the way, what brings you here? This humble woman has been waiting for you in Kalia for quite some time."

Oh, it's Kiyohime! That's alright then.

"I was worried about your safety and fatigue just a few days ago, wondering if you needed my personal care... cough cough, what I mean is, the Pope and His Majesty are very concerned about your health. After a long campaign, you also need time to rest and recharge your energy."

As Kiyohime spoke, she rushed over like a whirlwind. In an instant, Emiya saw her feet disappear and turn into a rapidly moving snake tail, only returning to normal when she got close.

At first glance, Emiya has a sense of déjà vu of Nuwa, who once traveled in the same way. However, Nuwa usually didn't like to do that when she was around, so Emiya didn't find Kiyohime's snake-transformation strange and was very accepting of it.

Unlike Anzhen, who was terrified and fled in panic when she saw a beautiful snake coming towards her.

As Shirou watched Kiyohime approach, he glanced at his own side and noticed that BB, who had been leaning against the wall, had disappeared without a trace.

A voice came from Kiyohime's back, then jumped down, "You ran too fast, you made me dizzy, ouch! I'm getting off!"

"Huh? Nero... Claudia, what brings you here?" Emiya saw Nero land on the ground, still clutching the golden cup in her arms, looking like a mother hen protecting her hot eggs.

Little Nero awkwardly turned her head away, "Hmph, just came to see if my contractor is dead or not—"

"Ok?"

"Ah, I haven't heard from my elder brother for several days and have been missing him dearly, so I specially declined Elizabeth's invitation and asked Kiyohime to bring this message..."

Seeing the subtle "you're lying" looks on Emiya and Kiyohime's faces, Nero stammered out the truth.

"How did you end up getting involved with Elizabeth?"

Emiya's expression changed. Were the talented singers finally going to gather together to form a band?
When these two hold a concert, the Golden Theater will close the doors to the audience, and the other person will unleash a dragon roar through a megaphone...

He couldn't believe how terrifying the music created by such talented individuals working together could be.

"What's wrong?"

When Nero looked at him with suspicion, he even sensed a hint of surprise and apprehension in his eyes—why was it like this?

Is there something wrong with Elizabeth? She'd heard that Elizabeth, as the music equipment advisor to the Eastern Roman Pope, was extremely professional! Or perhaps the Sword Emperor disapproved of her becoming a singer?
Despite Nero's aloof, awkward, and childish demeanor, she subconsciously still relies on Emiya, who saves her. Therefore, she completely follows Emiya's opinions on important matters, even neglecting her new friend Elizabeth and her eagerly anticipated stage performance, to rush over and check on Emiya's situation.

It's clear that she still prioritized Emiya over her own little ideal.

"..."

Emiya pondered for a while, carefully considering his words before saying, "Do you genuinely believe that Elizabeth's singing ability is very strong? And do you genuinely want to learn from her?"

Nero nodded vigorously.

Kiyohime gasped. This child actually appreciated the red lizard's music, and without a hint of lying! ...Her musical taste was terrible enough; could it be that she also—

"Then I suggest that when you practice singing in the future, don't sing to your own people or allies, just sing to the enemy. Oh right, you can suggest that to Elizabeth too. That way you can even team up..."

Nero was very tempted by the suggestion of "forming a band," but he was quite puzzled by the idea of ​​"aiming at the enemy."

Emiya was sweating a little, and tried very hard to explain:
"This is to give your singing a bigger stage! Think about it carefully, if you are surrounded by your relatives, friends or stakeholders, they will inevitably be unable to make an objective and fair reaction to your music because of emotional factors and interests!"

"!"

Little Nero suddenly "realized"—"Yeah, that makes sense!"

"Right? Actually, I'm the same way. This is the dilemma for those close to me. I might also offer encouragement and support based on my own stance, rather than criticizing your flaws and mistakes, so as not to discourage you."

Emiya was almost convinced by his own words—because, based on his life experience, this was indeed the case in many situations.

"But the enemy is different! They share a completely irreconcilable element of hatred with you, and their interests are completely in conflict with yours! In other words, if you can play so well that even the enemy is moved to tears, cheers, and applauds, it means that your musical skills have been honed to the extreme, and your stage performance level has reached its pinnacle!"

“That makes sense!” Little Nero’s eyes widened, and for the first time he felt what it meant to be “enlightened by a sudden enlightenment.”

"That's right, what kind of skill is it to only sing for your own people! Your musical art transcends all positions! It belongs to the world! Use your singing to influence your enemies, and then, ascend to the pinnacle of music!"

"vertex!"

Little Nero repeated the lesson with some excitement, feeling as if a fire had been ignited in his heart!

So this villainous Sword Emperor is actually very supportive of my ideals. How infuriating! Why didn't he say so sooner? And he even criticizes my life... Oh well, I'll stop calling him a villain in my heart and start calling him "Good Guy Emperor" instead!

Kiyohime stood beside Emiya, helplessly fanning herself with a folding fan. She hadn't realized that raising a child was truly difficult for the Sword Emperor…

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The following day, in Elizabeth's personal practice room.

Elizabeth, an idol with bright red hair, is in front of a makeup mirror, where a makeup artist is helping her to pin a beautiful flower to her witch's hat.

"Makeup, OK! Stage, are you ready?"

Just as she was about to ask a question, she suddenly received a notification from her subordinates that Nero was coming to visit.

"Oh, it's little Claudia! What's up?"

Little Nero beamed and told Elizabeth about the matter at Emiya.

Elizabeth was overjoyed upon hearing this. "Oh? This Sword Emperor certainly has excellent taste in music. Why don't we form a band together and ask him to be our manager? Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

(End of this chapter)