Chapter 132 – Grand Lancer Romulus-Quirinus
Countless points of light gathered in the surrounding air, and the magical energy within the summoning circle before Ethan continued to surge.
He felt the strength in his entire body gradually fading, but he still persisted in standing firm.
"Ahahahaha, you foolish human Master, even now you still intend to summon a Heroic Spirit to fight me?"
The seductive woman laughed arrogantly amidst the filth radiating from the Holy Grail.
"The Human Order can no longer be saved! You are the final witnesses—embrace your despair until the very last moment!"
"ROOOOAAAAAAAAAARRRR——————!!!"
Behind her, the dragon head of a demonic beast roared and opened its mouth, firing a beam of light straight at Ethan!
Mash immediately raised her shield and stood in front.
"BOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMM——————!!!"
Deprived of magical energy, Mash struggled to hold up her shield, but after a few steps back, she was blasted away!
"Senpai!!!"
Mash screamed, but it was already too late to stop it.
At that very moment, particles of light exploded violently from within the summoning circle!!!
"The future path of humanity will not end here."
From within that radiant light, a man stepped forth, his entire body glowing like a miracle—not only blocking the attack but also dispelling the surrounding darkness.
"After the Age of Gods, humanity continued to advance. The love of mankind—its name is———"
His voice echoed across the heavens and the earth.
"ROMA!!!"
"Nani——————?!?"
The Beast of Sodom screamed in utter shock.
...
"Servant analysis complete—it's… Grand!!!"
At Chaldea, Leonardo da Vinci beamed as she looked at the data on the screen.
"Romani, unbelievable! Ethan has summoned a Grand Servant!!"
For the first time, a smile appeared on Da Vinci's face.
"It's a Lancer—a Grand Lancer! With this, we finally have the power to confront Beast VI!"
...
"Oh? So Master-kun summoned a Grand Servant through such a 'bridge'… Just as I predicted. Truly an interesting fellow."
Merlin let go of her staff and gazed toward Ethan with interest.
...
"My children…"
That man looked at everyone around him.
"You have all endured so much to reach this moment. From here on, allow me to pave the way forward."
Then, he looked at the Beast before him, who was grinding her teeth in fury.
"To think… my child… would fall and become a Beast."
"Hmph, and I never imagined that you—crushed to the very core—could still come back, and even utilize a Grand-class Saint Graph. Truly eye-opening."
The elegant woman looked at him with a cold gaze.
"If all this must be attributed to one thing, then it proves only a single truth."
The proud man spread his arms wide, as if embracing everything.
"This place is Rome! The legendary land born from the cheers and hopes of countless people!!!"
"Don't make me laugh. It's precisely the prosperity of Rome that gave birth to an existence like me. This so-called Rome of yours is nothing but a nest of Depravity!"
"You're wrong, my child."
The man took a step forward.
"Yes, the prosperity and wealth of the mortal world will eventually fade and spawn existences like you—but within the hearts of mankind, they eternally carry hope and a future. That is the romance of humanity!!!"
"Shut your mouth!!!"
The elegant woman immediately lashed out with a blood-colored shockwave.
"Even if you possess a Grand-class Saint Graph, you still cannot defeat me!!!"
"BOOOOM——————————!!!"
That shockwave exploded right in front of the man, mere meters away!
"No. Humanity will claim victory."
His gaze was unwavering.
"My true name is—Romulus Quirinus!!! Grand Lancer!!!"
"My arm, stretches toward the heavens!!!"
"My light, grasps the very sky!!!"
The Beast of Sodom swung her arm, and the seven Phantasmal Species behind her roared and charged forward.
"Then let your screams be my entertainment!!!"
"ROOOAAAR—————————!!!"
Facing the oncoming Phantasmal Species, Romulus did not halt his advance.
"SWOOSH SWOOSH SWOOSH————————!!!"
Suddenly, seven golden spears fell from the sky, striking the heads of the seven Phantasmal Species with pinpoint precision—instant death!
The Phantasmal Species shrieked, their massive bodies twisting before collapsing one after another, quickly falling silent.
"The Seven Hills are the pride of our glory. They must never be defiled like this."
Romulus stepped over their corpses and continued walking toward the Beast of Sodom.
Seeing Romulus appear in such majestic form, the audience in the livestream room erupted into cheers.
[ROMA!!!]
[ROMA!!!]
[ROMA!!!]
[ROMA is the world, and the world is ROMA!!!]
[Can someone explain what's going on? Wasn't the Divine Ancestor defeated earlier? Why is he suddenly so strong now?]
[Maybe it's just because.. THIS IS ROMA!]
[Umu, now I completely understand, ROMA!!!]
[Wait, this Romulus is a Grand Lancer, so why doesn't he carry a spear?]
[AHAHAHA, well, in the Fate series, Archers rarely use bows anyway—so of course this Lancer doesn't need to use a spear either.]
...
[System: 'Umu ga shinda' has sent 100 Saint Quartz!]
[Message: I have one question. Since her appearance, why hasn't UMU-Emperor said "Umu" even once?]
[System: 'Everyone is Roma' has sent 300 Saint Quartz!]
[Message: What caused the founding emperor Romulus to be reborn, and what made Emperor Nero turn into an enemy of humanity? The secret will be revealed in the next episode of Dragon Ball— I mean, the next episode of the Livestream!]
...
Not just in the livestream room, but all the Servants present at the scene had witnessed the overwhelming power of the Divine Ancestor Romulus.
"So this is the power of a Grand-class?"
Waver pushed up his dark-rimmed glasses.
"Onii-sama must be thinking: 'If only I could possess a Grand-class Saint Graph too,' right?"
Reines, supported by Mercury Maid, stood up.
"Don't say such foolish things. The Grand-class Saint Graph is granted directly by the Human Order—it's not something just anyone can use. Romulus was deified by humanity into a Divine Spirit, so of course he qualifies as a candidate to wield a Grand-class Saint Graph."
Waver immediately corrected Reines's assumption.
"Boring~ Onii-sama, I thought you'd at least make a witty remark like in the old days."
Reines feigned a relaxed tone.
"More importantly, I'm curious why this Grand-class Saint Graph, which should be summoned by the Human Order, has now appeared at the hands of a Master."
Waver fixed his gaze on Ethan.
"Oh? Onii-sama's falling back into old habits again?"
Reines pointed across the battlefield, where Merlin was watching with great interest.
"That self-proclaimed Lady of Avalon, the Caster over there, seems to know something—but she doesn't look like the type to share information easily."
"Tsk! If I had a Grand-class Saint Graph, that damn Beast would already be toast."
Mordred, using Clarent as support, stood up with effort, gritting her teeth in frustration.
"Hahaha, the rebellious knight."
Jeanne Alter looked at Mordred with a sneer as she slowly stepped toward Ethan.
"Looking at you now, you've clearly been affected by the Beast, haven't you? So pathetic—like you'd collapse just from a light touch."
"Who the hell are you, looking for a fight?!"
Mordred instantly raised Clarent, pointing the blade straight at Jeanne Alter.
"You're way too eager to brawl. If I had the time, I'd entertain you. But not now—save your strength, your mana's about to run dry anyway."
"Mordred-san, are you alright?"
Mash, exhausted, glanced toward her. But seeing Mordred still standing brought a soft smile to her face.
"Just a scratch, really."
Mordred plunged Clarent into the ground, breathing heavily, trying to stabilize herself.
Not far from them stood the wielder of the Holy Sword—Arthur. He silently observed the battle between the Beast of Sodom and Romulus.
From Romulus, he could feel a staggering power—one that could go toe-to-toe with the Beast of Sodom.
Perhaps… the task of destroying this Beast could be left to him.
No.
He had traversed countless worlds, searching endlessly—and at long last, had encountered Beast VI.
Arthur tightened his grip on the Holy Sword of the Star.
That sword had been taken up for one purpose—to save the world.
And yet, this Beast was devouring that very "hope of salvation" to feed the growth of its monstrous horn.
Earlier, the sword's seal had been partially released. But even one fully empowered strike hadn't destroyed the Beast. Worse—it consumed the hopes within that holy light to accelerate its evolution.
Arthur shook his head in silent frustration.
Merlin… why didn't your prophecy reveal this…?
...
"Retreat!!!"
The Beast of Sodom swung her arm forward.
The Holy Grail atop her head spewed out waves of black corruption, coalescing into a dark sword hurtling straight at Romulus.
"The one who should retreat… is you, demon of mankind!"
Romulus raised his hand and caught the attack head-on.
"Your evolution is hasty. Incomplete."
"So what?! My power is more than enough to deal with a mere human Servant like you!!!"
A crimson tidal wave surged forth from her, roaring toward Romulus!
"My path has already reached the divine!!!"
Romulus thrust his hand forward—light, sharp as a blade, cleaved the overwhelming wave in half.
"It's over… my child."
Romulus stretched his hand toward the Beast of Sodom.
"You were born from Rome, and thus you are Rome. Prosperity inevitably leads to decline, and wealth gives birth to Depravity. It is the boundless ambition of mankind that leads them to believe this is a treasure that not even gods can possess!"
"The future of mankind must not end here—because mankind's future… has no end!!!"
"Silence!!!"
The Beast of Sodom let out a thunderous roar.
"Fine! I'll admit—the history of mankind is astonishing, to stand against me to this degree. But now… with the mana of a Second Planetary Class being… I have far surpassed you! Even you, Grand Lancer—cannot stop me!!!"
Her body suddenly sank down, and the Holy Grail above her head also descended into the ground.
"The calamity comes from the sea..."
The ground began to tremble violently, and everyone struggled to stay on their feet.
"Lady Avalon, can you think of any way to counter this?"
Waver, unable to stand firm, immediately shouted toward Merlin.
"Sorry, it seems my power has been restricted by that beast. I can't use my protective abilities anymore."
Merlin tilted her head cutely, apologizing.
"Oh no, it seems my Noble Phantasm has been destroyed as well!"
Iskander looked at the fallen Gordius Wheel, and even Bucephalus could hardly maintain its shape.
"Well, this is quite troublesome."
"The Beast of Sodom is beginning to launch a large-scale attack. It's predicted to be a Noble Phantasm!!!"
The tense voice of Dr. Romani came from the wrist device.
"Mash, quickly lead Ethan to safety!"
"Senpai! Please evacuate quickly!!!"
Mash slammed her shield into the ground and tightened her grip on Ethan, but she noticed that Ethan was still staring toward Romulus, who was standing before him.
Divine Ancestor.
"Let me witness the power of the Grand Lancer!!!"
The ground continued to shake, and at the spot where the Beast of Sodom had just stood, seven familiars suddenly appeared.
They roared in unison, breaking through the earth, and at the center of them, a red vortex silently formed, connecting to the blood-red sky.
"O' crimson pools of gore, now is the hour to grace their demise!!!"
From beneath the bodies of all the familiars of Beast VI, waves of red blood erupted, a massive flood of blood began surging, ready to once again drown the entire Roman Empire.
With Merlin's magecraft flower now lost, there seemed to be no way out.
"I can only unleash the Excalibur again..."
Seeing the blood tide, Arthur immediately prepared to raise the Holy Sword of the Star.
As long as the Holy Sword was unleashed, the blood waves would vaporize, but doing so would likely cause him to collapse from the recoil.
Even so, Arthur did not hesitate, preparing to execute the decision of the Round Table Council.
Not to defeat Beast VI, but to protect everyone still fighting for this world!
But at that moment, a golden light suddenly blazed.
At that moment, Romulus was enveloped in golden light, which transformed into armor.
"This is the Armor of God. It is the form I've reached in divine enlightenment, the supreme existence of Roma!!!"
He slowly floated into the air, raising both arms toward the sky.
"My arm of light is the spiritual foundation granted by the nature of mankind. It is the crown of the spear. Humanity, hold onto your dreams, for the future of mankind will be opened by me!!!"
A massive golden halo appeared above Romulus's head.
"Come forth, our four limbs.The divine power...The power of light...The power that shall reach beyond the stars!"
"Per Aspera Ad Astra!"