Takumi's luck was very good, and also very bad.
The good luck was that after being sent flying by Altera's [Photon Ray], when the brief duration of [Escapist] ended, he wasn't stuck inside a wall or the ground.
Instead, after flying backward carried by inertia, he quickly broke away from the torrent of light of [Photon Ray].
Then he probably passed through a section of earth or wall and crashed into a relatively safe space exactly at the moment [Escapist] deactivated.
The bad luck was—Takumi was buried in the ruins probably caused by Romulus's Noble Phantasm earlier.
The illumination Rune lit up a faint light in the pitch-black space, illuminating Takumi's dust-covered face.
Dust fell continuously, landing on Takumi's hair and body.
'Go back... I have to go back... Nero still needs me over there...'
But Takumi acted as if he didn't see it, gasping heavily while staring dead at the stone slab above, constantly trying to move it with his hands.
The experience of the previous Singularity, as well as the sacrifices of Jing Ke and Spartacus this time—everything seemed to be right before his eyes. Takumi didn't want to lose any more companions, even if they were just Servants.
The flesh on his fingers cracked, and the blood seeping out left bright red fingerprints on the stone slab with Takumi's movements.
But it failed to move the stone slab even a millimeter.
Takumi's hands and feet were exhausted. The stone blocks that could be easily moved under normal circumstances felt as heavy as Mount Tai to him now. His magical energy had also bottomed out due to uninterrupted high-intensity combat.
This caused the illumination Rune to flicker, as if it would go out completely in the next second.
This space wasn't large; it was probably someone's cellar. Some parts had collapsed, and large and small rocks had rolled in, barely leaving enough room for Takumi to stretch his body.
It could be said that calling to heaven received no response, and calling to earth proved ineffective.
The enclosed and cramped space made Takumi uncontrollably anxious and panicked. His breathing became heavier and heavier, and the movements of his hands unconsciously sped up.
Fresh blood gradually smeared the stone slab above. The slimy touch made it impossible for his fingers to grip properly.
But Takumi seemed unaware, still repeating the same movements.
Only, tears were flickering in his eyes at some point.
Memories he didn't want to recall constantly surfaced in this vaguely familiar situation.
Those were the days when he lay alone in bed recovering from injuries in Chaldea. Loneliness and suffocation drowned him like a tidal wave.
Those were the countless times he looked up at the door, hoping someone would come to see him.
And the tears shed in disappointment after countless waits.
Takumi wanted to activate [Escapist] more than once to escape from these ruins in a flash.
But the stinging pain in his brain and the twitching of his heart made it impossible for Takumi to use this ability, the only one that truly belonged to him.
He... was trapped here.
Finally, the light of the Rune went out.
The cramped space returned to darkness.
Takumi's movements froze.
Warm tears instantly left his eye sockets, dripping continuously onto the dust below, wrapped by dust into small gray beads.
The strength in his whole body seemed to be drained completely. His head smashed weakly onto the stone beneath him.
Suppressed sobbing echoed gently in the darkness.
'I'm so scared... someone please save me...'
Fear had overwhelmed the will to protect in his heart at this moment. So feel free to call Takumi fragile and disappointing.
Anyway, in many people's eyes, he was just a crybaby, right?
Crash!
A rapid and violent sound suddenly reached Takumi's ears.
Before Takumi could react, the wind generated by the lifting of a huge rock suddenly hit him.
The large and small rocks blocking in front of him were all lifted away at once.
Fresh air poured into this cramped space, and the breeze blew Takumi's hair.
Bright sunlight shone on his face and body.
Takumi, who raised his head abruptly, was unaccustomed to it and could only blink repeatedly, trying to see clearly what was happening outside.
"My ([Rome]'s) Child, stand up. I lend you the power of [Rome]."
Under the sunlight, a robust figure holding a strange weapon extended a hand to Takumi.
A familiar voice. Takumi endured the discomfort in his eyes and looked through the sunlight, finally seeing clearly the person standing in front of him.
Red and gold color scheme, dark skin, a wound on the chest constantly emitting golden specks of light...
The Roman Divine Ancestor, Romulus.
He didn't die under the combined attack of the three, but hid instead.
Waiting until now.
"Go. Use My ([Rome]'s) power to complete what you should do."
Romulus smiled, his broad palm placed in front of Takumi.
Takumi was stunned.
Countless thoughts flashed through his mind in just a few seconds but were instantly cleared.
Do all of you with status like to play like this...
Finally, he smiled as if relieved of a heavy burden.
Takumi placed his hand on Romulus's.
...Doesn't matter anymore. Play however you like. Anyway, I will only consider what I should do right now.
Romulus had disappeared.
His power entered Takumi's body without reservation.
"Is this the true power of Romulus-Quirinus?"
He went easy, he definitely went easy.
Feeling the explosive power in his body, far exceeding Siegfried's, Takumi didn't doubt how long those few moves of his could last against Romulus.
Maybe five seconds?
As soon as [Escapist]'s duration reached its limit, he would have been hammered to death on the spot.
Even with Nero helping by the side, there probably wouldn't be any surprise.
He shook his head, throwing all those random thoughts out.
Using the excellent perception of Romulus's Spirit Origin, Takumi easily detected the three people fighting fiercely outside the Allied Capital.
They were Nero, Altera, and an unfamiliar Spirit Origin reaction.
"Since it's such a powerful force, it's okay for me to use it a bit willfully, right?"
Takumi muttered to himself looking at the Spear of Nation Building in his hand.
Then he slowly pointed the Spear of Nation Building towards the sky.
"[Magna Voluisse Magnum: All Things Lead to My Spear]!"
As soon as the voice fell, countless trees broke through the earth, drilled out of the ground, growing wildly, proliferating frantically!
In the blink of an eye, a dense forest was generated, wrapping Takumi within it.
Suddenly, the forest's growth paused.
Then it violently grew towards the sky at an even faster speed, as if eager to compete with the sun for light.
Countless trees intertwined and spiraled, like a meteor flying in reverse, carrying Takumi straight into the sky.
In just a short time, a giant tree reaching the sky stood in the Allied Capital.
On the other side.
The interception battlefield on the plain in the distance.
"Give up. You cannot stop me."
Altera swung her lightsaber, the rainbow sword light easily knocking back Nero and Boudica.
Looking at the white-haired girl with a calm face who hadn't even assumed a proper stance, the expressions of the two were not good.
Altera with the Holy Grail's enhancement was ridiculously strong. Just relying on the two of them, it was incredibly difficult even to stop her movement.
Even though Altera cared more about the mission and didn't put the two in her eyes.
Nero didn't respond but looked at the flag in her hand.
To actually say such words... How much determination do you think I mustered to run here without stopping for a moment to block your path?
Planting the flag, which wasn't handy for her, into the ground.
Nero's eyes became incredibly firm. Holding her sword with both hands, she seriously assumed a stance.
"No matter what, I will not let you advance another half-step!"
"That's right, stop talking nonsense. The battle has come to this point; is there any room for us to retreat?"
Boudica was also ready to use her Noble Phantasm at any time, staring solemnly at Altera's movements.
All necessary probing was done.
Next, it was probably time to decide the outcome...
"...Civilization?"
Seeming to sense something, Altera suddenly looked up at the sky.
The two were stunned and couldn't help but follow her gaze upward.
Like a pillar supporting heaven and earth collapsing, a shadow larger than a mountain was "slowly" approaching here.
Visible air currents were constantly rolling on both sides of the massive object. Just by looking at it, one knew the weight and destructive power contained within.
"That is—Performer?!"
Nero sharply saw Takumi standing on the verdant tree crown, her face instantly filled with surprise and joy.
She didn't even think carefully about why Takumi would appear in this way.
"Idiot! Is there any way to survive if that thing hits you? Run quickly!!"
Fortunately, Boudica beside her still had her IQ online. She grabbed Nero and ran outside the shadow.
'Such a strange civilization...'
Altera thought blankly, standing still and unmoved. She just pointed the lightsaber in her hand at the falling tree reaching the sky.
"No matter what civilization it is, it should be destroyed."
Rainbow light began to erupt, and the patterns on Altera's body began to glow.
Under Takumi's control, the tree reaching the sky was growing while accurately falling toward Altera's direction.
Takumi, situated high up, naturally could see Altera's movements.
"Destroyer of Civilization, huh..."
—Then I will use the power of [Roman Civilization] to deal with you!
What Romulus's Noble Phantasm created wasn't simple trees; it manifested the past, present, and future forms of Rome. In a sense, it could indeed be called half a civilization.
Giving neither side time to relax.
The giant tree reaching the sky crashed down, and the rainbow light of [Photon Ray] washed over this "giant tree" at maximum power.