Chapter Two – Eternal Mad Empire: Septem.
Hello, kids! It's me again.
Boudica, who foams at the mouth at the mere mention of Rome, has finally met Nero. It seems these two hate each other to the bone – a true cat-and-dog fight. In short, we're in for a clash between a Celtic queen obsessed with revenge and a Roman emperor obsessed with art. Something to behold, right? Everyone got their popcorn?
"Fuli-puli!"
"Wade!"
Ritsuka and Mash called out to Deadpool as they pushed through the ranks of rebels.
"Oh my god, children! Where have you been? Mommy has been looking all over for you. Not a step without my permission from now on, understand? As punishment – a month of house arrest!"
Despite her feigned sternness, Deadpool, overjoyed, scooped both of them into his arms and began ruffling their hair like a proud father with his offspring. The Gallic rebels looked on in bewilderment at the scarlet servant who so boisterously welcomed the suddenly appearing saviors.
"Ah, judging by this, these are your comrades. But how did they end up here, amidst the ruins of Rome?"
Cú Chulainn approached Deadpool and asked the question.
"Opa! Is that my three-star silver Caster Cú Chulainn? What, they didn't let you into Fuyuki, so you decided to show up here? Looks like you were itching to get on stage. Well, if you were a Lancer, they'd probably have made you commit suicide by now."
"I think I just heard something extremely insulting, but the situation is critical right now, so I'll pretend I didn't notice anything."
"Kill yourself, Caster," Deadpool grumbled, clearly not fond of Cú Chulainn.
Meanwhile, Boudica – the owner of the sword that had pierced Nero's neck – stared at the emperor with a fury that surpassed any feeling seen before.
"Kha-a!"
Nero, dropping the Grail, spewed a fountain of blood and with difficulty pulled the blade from her own neck. Then, she turned her gaze to the barbarian who dared to touch the emperor's body.
"You… Celtic whore."
"Roman trash."
The dramatic meeting of sworn enemies had taken place. Despite the blood gushing from the wound, Nero still maintained the unwavering majesty of an emperor.
"A dirty barbarian defiles my Rome with her presence. Hmph! It's even somewhat pleasing."
Nero smiled. But there was not a drop of kindness in that smile – only concentrated malice and madness.
"Burn to ashes along with this place. Let the judgment of Jupiter and the wrath of Mars be done! Hmph! Did you really think I, the Emperor, would be afraid of some piece of iron in my throat!"
Despite her bravado, with every shout, Nero coughed up clots of blood. Yet, she continued to mock Boudica with a mad grin.
"That's good. I don't want you to die too quickly either! I'll strip you naked and throw you to my men to be torn apart, so you can feel firsthand what was done to me and my daughters! I will crush you! Rome!"
Boudica's body began to be enveloped by a dark, viscous mist. Mash, sensing the malevolent energy, hastily pushed Ritsuka back.
"Crush? Me? You? Leaky girl, are you so eager to follow your daughters? Hmph! But I won't let you die easily either. I'll make you my eternal toy! The perfect piece of meat to fuel the flame of my creative genius!"
Crimson and black shadows also began to swirl around Nero. The dark aura from both sides soon completely engulfed them, burning away the last remnants of Nero's and Boudica's sanity.
"Oh-ho, I have a bad feeling about this."
Deadpool, having found and reattached his severed arm, chose to hide among the building's debris, away from the epicenter.
"Nero-o-on!"
"Boudica-a-a!"
They lunged at each other with cries. Nero's long red sword and Boudica's short blade were about to clash when suddenly…
"Oh, what a pity to interrupt you, gentlemen, but the play is over."
"Y-you!"
A man in green robes appeared between Nero and Boudica. The mage who called for the burning of humanity, the traitor of Chaldea – Professor Lev Lainur.
"Professor Lev! So it was you behind all this, pulling the strings?!"
"Ah, Mash Kyrielight. Long time no see. Glad to meet you. And this applies to you too, Fujimaru-kun."
Ignoring Mash's question, Lev gave a polite bow.
"Why are you blocking my path! As you ordered, I have crushed all the emperors of this world. You promised that then I would become the absolute emperor and fulfill my wish! With the help of this Grail!"
Nero pointed at the Grail in Lev's hands. The chalice lay on the ground, washed by the emperor's blood while she pulled the sword from her neck.
"I beg your pardon for my insolence, but I have never lied. It's just that something else is needed to fulfill your wish."
Lev snapped his fingers, and at that moment, someone struck Boudica in the back.
"How can this be…!"
Mash's eyes widened in horror: Cú Chulainn, the druid in blue robes, with a dispassionate face, plunged a blade into Boudica's back. Then, gripping the bloody weapon, he calmly approached Lev.
"So 'someone's request' meant that you…"
"Ah, well, yes. I am his Servant. Although, it's probably not for long."
Cú Chulainn casually slung his staff over his shoulder as the bleeding Boudica teetered on the brink of madness from another betrayal and rage.
"I led my troops as you ordered! Why?!"
"Utterly boring. And for revenge for two daughters, you made us suffer so much? You should have sought revenge alone. What a burden you are, woman!"
Cú Chulainn swung his staff, and a giant flame instantly turned the remnants of the Celtic-Gallic resistance to ash.
"Then we'll finish this from this side too."
Lev snapped his fingers again, and Nero's elite legionaries turned to dust.
"Aaaaaah!!!"
Boudica fell into despair. Her great dream of revenge was crumbling before her eyes. The betrayal of the sage she trusted, and the realization that she was merely a puppet in his hands, finally drove her insane. The last thread of self-control snapped, and a black aura completely engulfed her body.
"Servant Rider, Boudica. I awaken the memory of your betrayal. Awaken… no, be reborn! Heroic Spirit of Vengeance, Avenger!"
Her leather armor and scarlet cloak over a snow-white dress changed to obsidian-black distorted armor and gray rags. Her red hair turned white as snow – she was reborn as the Servant of Vengeance, Avenger.
"Avenger… An Extra-class, summoned only in exceptional cases! Judging by her legend, she is more than suited for the role of a vengeful spirit. Lev used precisely this!"
But Lev's plan didn't end there. Soon, Nero was also engulfed by a crimson aura, transforming her into a distorted, perverted imitation of herself. She manifested not as a Heroic Spirit of Vengeance, but as a servant corrupted by Lev – an Alter-version with deathly pale skin, whose right side of the face, contrasting with her dark red dress, was covered in a bloody web of tattoos.
"Now it's my turn," Cú Chulainn said.
He raised his sword and plunged it into himself. Suicide. It was not someone's order – merely his own will. To fill the chalice of the Grail, a colossal amount of mana was required. Cú Chulainn knew this and sacrificed himself for his master – Lev Lainur.
"Blood of madness, blood of vengeance, and the mana of all Servants, gather together to manifest the Grail! Incinerate the foundations of this world, burn the history of humanity, and return everything to its origin! O, Human Evil!!"
From the Grail, which Lev raised high to the sky, a pillar of crimson energy erupted. It scattered into countless threads, entwining Boudica and Nero Alter. The dark power consumed them, merging them with the Grail itself.
"Behold, the embodiment of Human Evil, born from my master, the King of Mages, to burn the foundations of this world! The Demonic Pillar!"
As soon as the Grail touched the ground, a colossal pillar shot up into the sky. Like a giant vortex, it grew upwards, spewing out tentacles that intertwined into a single mass. It resembled no earthly material – only a monstrous mountain of flesh… human flesh.
[Demonic Pillar… Impossible…]
Romani, watching the events unfold through the communication channel, could barely stand from shock. Ritsuka and Mash, witnessing this firsthand, could barely dodge the debris scattering in all directions due to the cracks in the ground caused by the appearance of the colossal structure.
"The hour of awakening has come. We, the seventy-two demons, shall incinerate this place and lay the foundation for a new world. Those who resist – lay down your arms and wail. Tremble and beg for mercy until the very end!"
It was Lev's voice. But he himself was nowhere to be seen. The words emanated from the Demonic Pillar – a black mountain of flesh studded with thousands of bloody eyes.
[Lev merged with this pillar. To summon such a behemoth required an incredible amount of mana. Moreover, seventy-two demons – that's the legend of Solomon's seventy-two demons! That's why he needed the blood of fallen spirits, corrupted by extreme malice and thirst for revenge.]
Mash looked up, listening to Romani's explanation. The enormous Demonic Pillar, next to which any building seemed like a toy, rotated its countless eyes, heralding its arrival.
"Uh oh…"
"Sen-senpai!"
As the Pillar awakened, Ritsuka cried out softly in pain. Mash immediately rushed to him and saw that his hand with the Command Spells was pinned by debris and heavily bleeding.
"Senpai! Are you alright? I'll heal you now…"
"It's fine. Mash, take care of this monster…"
Mash tormented herself over her carelessness. She could have dodged more cautiously, she could have protected her master. But Ritsuka, enduring the pain, merely managed a weak smile, trying to comfort her.
"Hey, since you're fussing so much over one hand, maybe you could spare a little attention for me?"
"Deadpool…"
Emerging from under the rubble from an unknown location, Deadpool appeared before them in a rather pitiful state: his limbs were twisted at unnatural angles after the Pillar's appearance. However, thanks to his healing factor, his bones were snapping back into place.
"Sigh, in the end, it all comes down to this again."
Deadpool scratched his head, looking at the rotating-eyed Pillar emitting eerie sounds. Whether in Orleans or here – he couldn't understand why some giant monstrosity always stood in his way.
"So how do we stop this?"
Hearing Deadpool's question, Romani froze for a moment, looking at the monitors, and then frantically began analyzing the data.
[It must be destroyed. But the Demonic Pillar is too powerful right now. It was summoned through a medium in the form of Lev Lainur and fueled by the energy of fallen Servants…]
The words "we can't win" stuck in Romani's throat. If he said them now, Ritsuka and Mash would fall into despair. But there was no other way. There was no time either. If nothing was done, the Roman singularity would be erased, just as Lev planned.
"Haa. Four or five times!"
Seeing that even Romani couldn't find an answer, Deadpool sighed heavily and addressed Ritsuka and Mash.
"To become a hero, four or five moments in a lifetime are enough. So… this is the third one right now. Damn, I can't believe I'm quoting that guy with steel balls!"
He was clearly not thrilled with his own words and showed extreme displeasure in every way.
"Phew… Seriously, why do I always get caught up in such hopeless messes? What did I do wrong in my past life? Was it because I agreed to star in 'Green Lantern'?!"
Despite the stream of complaints, Deadpool approached the injured Ritsuka and examined his broken arm.
"In this condition, you're unlikely to be able to use your tattoos. Hey, kid. Lend me a strip?"
It seemed Deadpool had a plan, and he asked for one of the Command Spells.
"Romani, is this possible?"
[Although he's an atypical Servant, technically there are no obstacles. If you give your consent…]
Romani didn't object, hoping for the mercenary's idea. Ritsuka, gritting his teeth in pain, transferred one of the three Spells from the back of his hand. At that moment, a scarlet pattern appeared on Deadpool's arm.
"Mash, keep an eye on the kid. To become a hero, I alone am enough!"
Deadpool extended his hand with the Spell and shouted, looking directly at the Demonic Pillar, which had already focused hundreds of its red eyes on him:
"By the authority of the Command Spell, I command! You, Deadpool…"
Deadpool's eyes gleamed with excitement. And then came the snap of fingers.
***
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