I, Fujimaru Ritsuka, am back with a max-level character!

Kadoc added, not without resentment.

Kirshtalia blinked: "Does this involve me?!"

Peperoncino smiled and pointed to the screen.

"Yes, I completely agree. Mr. Kadoc should learn how to speak better."

...

That cold voice is~~~

Kadoc immediately sensed something was wrong.

Olga Marie urged, "Hurry up and find the ley lines to set up the terminal points and summon Servants to transport supplies! Everyone's Servants are already ready in the control room... Be a little serious, really."

Kadoc: "Since everything is ready, that means... could it be!"

Anastasia revealed a smile as cold as ice, like an ice lotus.

She embraced the little fairy, a glimmer in one of her blue eyes: "I heard you, Kadoc."

"I will have a proper discussion with Kadoc about changing my Servant later."

It's over, Kadoc felt that his life was probably going to be ruined by this cold-blooded white devil.

----------

Ophelia and Mash. At this time, Mash is Ophelia's temporary Servant, protecting the seriously injured blonde girl.

Although her body did not recover, the girl insisted on staying in this era.

"I'm sorry, Mashu. It was my mistake. If only I had been more careful..."

Ophelia still felt extremely guilty. If she had paid a little more attention to Belial, she wouldn't have let Fujimaru Ritsuka fall into that dark abyss.

"...I know Ophelia did her best, but I just can't understand why Belial would betray us."

“Senior is still alive. I can vaguely sense his condition from my heart, so Ophelia, don’t be sad. The most important thing now is to quickly gather our strength, fight back, and rescue him.”

Ophelia opened her mouth, her beautiful blue eyes looking at the defiant Mash.

"Yeah, that's right."

Although I want to feel at ease, I can't calm down at all.

This pain in my chest should have quietly dissipated as my heart muscle heals, but why is there still an unbearable ache?

I admire Kirshtalia, and even have a slight fondness for him, but if it were him in the situation, would I feel that same sting?

Or is this a completely different kind of feeling, unlike the feelings for the captain?

I don't know, and I don't want to know.

Fujimaru Ritsuka, you bastard.

Please, please don't let anything happen.

---------

The first palace: the emperor guards the nation's gate; the monarch dies for the state.

Palace of the End

Although we often jokingly say that the true Roman dynasty was in Tongliao, the fall of Constantinople, the moment it became a ruin under the Ottoman cavalry, was the instant when the empire called Rome completely collapsed.

......

The four of them stepped onto the jade staircase, which was adorned with gold. The entrance was a huge chalk-colored door, with four archways on the side and snow-white marble pillars with openwork carvings standing tall.

The sunlight streamed down, casting a melancholic yet mysterious purple hue.

"Rome...it's really sad to see it like this."

"Is the one guarding this place the last emperor of Rome?"

Nero gripped the saddle tightly, his gaze heavy, as if he could see the distant New Rome falling more than 1,400 years later.

"Nero..."

At that moment, Nero's passionate heart must have felt a little down, like a child seeing their beloved toy shatter.

"No need to lament, Fujimaru! Although this is slightly hard to accept, I understand that even the most beautiful and magnificent mistakes will eventually fade away."

“I will not grieve. If this is Rome’s fate, I will bid it farewell with gratitude, as I would with a withered rose.”

The girl took a deep breath and listened to her own chest.

"Although continuing now might seem a bit long-winded."

"Fujimaru, can you lend me the courage and strength to oppose Rome?"

The red-haired, blond swordsman extended his fair hand.

“I am most pleased, Nero.”

"We will stay by your side until we take back Rome."

Fujimaru Ritsuka gave a reassuring smile.

"Well... after all, this is about saving the country of a child emperor like you, so I'll let bygones be bygones for now regarding your disrespect towards the Master."

Hei Dai nodded expressionlessly.

"Hmm! Very good. With your help, I am truly the most fortunate emperor. I will stake the honor of the fifth emperor on this battle!"

Nero held his long, red sword, which was as hot as the sun, aloft.

"They're really active."

The adjudicator gently swayed his black robes, and blazing primordial flames gathered in his hands.

"This is troublesome. Now I have no choice but to give it my best."

The inverted cross on the man's neck gleamed faintly silver in the glow of the crimson fire.

Chapter Twenty-Four: The Palace of the End - Reclaiming the Emperor's Glory

The empty palace exudes an eerie tranquility, while sunlight streams through the colorful stained-glass windows, casting its eternal glow upon the ground.

Even though there is no sun, there is still light shining in from outside the window.

"I see. In order to fully utilize his abilities as emperor, these palaces were transformed into unique miniature worlds?"

Simon guessed, pinching his chin and toying with the golden water glass in his hand.

"Inherent barrier?!"

Fujimaru Ritsuka was slightly taken aback and asked.

"More or less, but not quite the same as that. At least it's not a Noble Phantasm or magic used by the opponent's Servant."

But there's still the advantage of the opponent's court.

If our Nero could use her Noble Phantasm, that would be fine, but the current Nero is a living, breathing human being. Apart from her magic release, slashing attacks, and beam attacks, she is much weaker in everything else [of course, including singing].

"But we have no choice but to go now. I'm prepared, Simon."

"Now that I've arrived at the Palace of the End, I have no reason to back down."

Fujimaru Ritsuka nodded firmly.

clang!

clang!

clang!

The vibrations, the clanging sounds of footsteps hitting the ground, exerted immense pressure on people in the silent darkness.

A young man in silver armor and boots, with long, flowing hair, held a magnificent, jewel-like longsword and flicked his silver-and-red cloak.

As far as the eye could see, there was the center of the palace where everyone stood.

"O foreign wanderer, I ask you, have you also come to destroy Rome, which I love so dearly?"

That was the last emperor of the empire.

The last warrior guarding the city walls.

"No, we are not here to destroy Rome."

Fujimaru Ritsuka shook her head. At the same time, the red-clad swordsman stepped forward gently, looking up at the last emperor who was much taller than himself.

“That’s right, I fight to reclaim what belongs to me, Rome. But I ask you, the last emperor of the empire, what are you fighting for?”

Nero's emerald eyes were filled with a light of hope, a passion as fiery as flames.

"The reason for fighting... there's no particular reason, I was just summoned to protect the Palace of the End."

"A final warning, to future emperors! In the name of Nero Claudius, the fifth emperor of the Roman Empire and the Rose Emperor, I command you to make way."

Constantine XI shook his head. "I cannot comply. Your Majesty Nero, I am ordered to guard the Palace of the End. Even if your opponent is you, I will not let you pass easily."

"Hmm... Is there really no other way? I don't want to fight with fellow Romans..."

Looking into Constantine's refined yet resolute gaze, Nero finally made up his mind, gritted his teeth, and made his decision.

"Hmm, if we can't move forward without defeating you, then we have no choice but to do it this way!"

A blazing fire instantly ignited on Nero's primordial saddle. Nero, the fifth emperor of Rome, the tyrannical Rose Emperor, became more serious than ever before.

"Fujimaru, although I have never been a Servant before, you must have cooperated with me many times, right?"

The girl smiled, feeling the warmth in her lower abdomen after the magical connection, and said very seriously.

"I'll leave the command to you."

Even Fujimaru Ritsuka, who knew Nero's most sensitive spot perfectly, nodded heavily and returned the compliment with a cheerful girlish smile.

"Then, let's buy Rimas! [I'm going to go]!"

"Like a rose in full bloom, I now declare my condemnation of the untimely false emperor!"

Constantine, too, gripped his sharp white knight's sword tightly: "Your Majesty Nero, please forgive me for holding this precious sword. Please enlighten me!"