"Lord Guard, this is the mask you entrusted to me before the battle. I protected it carefully!"
The Intelligence Officer held the mask with both hands, handing it to Takumi with a mix of excitement and reverence.
This mask was, of course, the one Nero had crafted for Takumi. Because he knew the intensity of this battle would likely be very high, Takumi didn't carry it with him onto the battlefield.
After all, this mask was just a very beautiful piece of craftsmanship, not a Noble Phantasm. If he carried it and it got smashed, Takumi would have nowhere to cry.
"Thank you... By the way, why do I feel your attitude towards me has become much more distant?"
Takumi took the mask and asked hesitantly.
Being sensitive, he could still feel the subtle change in others' attitudes.
"Look at what you're saying. Not just me, even the other soldiers have nothing but admiration for you."
"You are the existence who followed Her Majesty the Emperor across several battlefields. Moreover, I saw you standing on that giant tree just now, ending the battle in one go!"
"And that Roman-style attack descending from the sky—just thinking about it makes one's heart surge!"
"If I could have a chance to do that once, I would be willing to die on the spot!!"
As the Intelligence Officer spoke, his face suddenly filled with longing and excitement.
"Ah haha... Then your eyesight is pretty good, to be able to see it from so far away..."
Feeling that this Intelligence Officer's emotions seemed a bit too agitated, Takumi smiled awkwardly.
"Hehe, I've had good eyesight since I was young. And actually, I wasn't that far away earlier." The Intelligence Officer chuckled honestly, then said something shocking.
"While the other brothers were busy running away, I discussed it with a few brothers and actually moved quite a bit closer to your battle location."
"Don't say, when that ring of airwave and vibration hit my face, it was really powerful!"
"Even though my brothers and I were prepared, we were still blown rolling several times on the ground!"
While speaking, the Intelligence Officer vividly demonstrated his actions at that time.
You shouldn't be in this movie set; you and your brothers should find a place with Magnetic Field Power to stay.
Takumi covered his face, speechless, and could only give him a thumbs up.
With his performance, perhaps he should have found a more suitable person to entrust this mask to.
Why?
With his behavior, Takumi wouldn't be surprised if he died somewhere, and whether the mask could be retrieved then would be another story.
...
Because of Romulus's retirement, the clever IQs of the Roman soldiers who were "charmed" by his leadership charisma gradually returned to the high ground.
Especially after the tree reaching the sky fell, every single one of them woke up, decisively chose to surrender, and returned under Nero's command.
After all, the Emperors of the Roman United Empire were all gone. If they stubbornly held on there, wouldn't they really become fools?
So next, it probably wouldn't take much time for Nero to regain the prestige belonging to the Roman Emperor.
Since things had come to an end, in order not to be the last one to leave again, Takumi activated the return program of the "wristwatch" after retrieving the mask.
In about three minutes, he would be directly recalled by Chaldea.
At this time, golden light also appeared on the bodies of the currently surviving Boudica and Lu Bu.
"...Boudica? Are you guys leaving?"
Although Nero, who noticed the abnormality, had expected this, she still couldn't help feeling lost.
"Of course. We were just summoned here. Since what needed to be done is completed, naturally we have to leave."
"What? Is the dignified Majesty Nero reluctant to part with me?"
Boudica said with a smile.
"Who said that! It's just that you haven't forgotten the agreement, right? You and I agreed that after the war ends, if you were defeated, you would join my command!"
Nero retorted strongly with a flushed face.
"Oh my, Nero, you really are naive. That kind of agreement is only effective if both parties are alive, right?"
"I am a dead person through and through now!"
Boudica was straightforward, not looking like someone who had died once.
As for why call Nero naive? That was naturally because Nero was indeed a very naive person.
As a Heroic Spirit, Boudica had all the knowledge she should have, especially knowing Nero's and her own stories like the back of her hand.
She naturally knew about Nero's end, which was largely caused by naivety.
After manifesting, she learned from various inquiries that the suffering she encountered due to the Roman invasion wasn't Nero's intention but done by subordinates hiding it from her. This gave her a deeper understanding of Nero's naivety.
Her resentment and hatred towards her also dissipated almost completely.
After rendering Nero speechless, Boudica turned her head to look at Takumi with a smug face.
"It's a pity I came a bit late and didn't have much chance to chat more with you, Master."
"But since it's like this, it's time to say goodbye, Master!"
As a mother-type Servant, Boudica indeed looked at Takumi with a feeling of motherly love exploding. If it weren't for really arriving too late, she would definitely have dragged Takumi to sit by the fireplace for some good care.
Although he always felt maladjusted when it came to parting, Takumi still smiled and nodded:
"Mmh, see you around."
Hiss——
Lu Bu aside suddenly sprayed a mouthful of white steam, attracting everyone's attention.
"Umu, it seems General Lu Bu is quite dissatisfied with his performance?"
"After all, this war is over, and he seems to have only defeated one enemy Servant together with Spartacus, without really performing properly."
Lu Bu crossed his arms, looking unhappy. Nero and Takumi, who could roughly understand his thoughts, couldn't help laughing out loud.
But no matter how dissatisfied he was, the story of the Second Singularity had ended.
So in just a few seconds, both turned into light particles and disappeared in front of everyone.
Only Takumi and Nero were left looking at each other.
Suddenly, silence fell.
Both held a high status in each other's hearts, so parting was naturally especially painful.
After a few seconds of silence.
It was Nero who spoke first, full of reluctance.
"...So Performer is leaving too?"
Looking at Nero's shimmering eyes like a spring pool and her slightly trembling eyelashes.
Takumi exhaled, wanting to look straight into Nero's eyes, but still couldn't help averting his gaze.
He could only scratch his head, look at the "wristwatch" on his wrist, and pretend to be open-minded:
"Yeah, about one minute left before I have to go..."
Although he was looking at the "watch," this watch didn't have a countdown function. Usually, Takumi counted in his heart.
"Your Majesty, don't blame me for leaving in a hurry."
After speaking, Takumi cracked a joke.
"Umu, am I so unreasonable in your eyes?"
Nero put her hands on her hips, feigning anger.
But halfway through, she broke character. Her hands on her hips dropped, and the expression on her face became relieved.
"...Performer must have a long road ahead, right? Stepping onto this path, presumably, you also made an unimaginable determination."
"Since that is the case, as your Monarch, how can I hold your hand and not let go in this situation?"
That would be too selfish, wouldn't it?
Nero smiled and retreated backward, leaving enough space between the two.
"So, goodbye, my favorite subject."
"May your journey ahead have a magnificent victory like a blooming rose!"
Looking at the girl bathed in the twilight sun, lifting her skirt and smiling incomparably brightly.
Takumi suddenly choked up a bit.
He wasn't afraid of pain, but he found it hardest to adapt to parting. No matter how many times, he couldn't control his emotions.
But since Her Majesty the Emperor was sending him off with a smile, he should also say goodbye with a smile.
"Ah, goodbye, my favorite Majesty the Emperor."
As soon as the voice fell.
The smiling boy disappeared from Nero's eyes as if he had never appeared.
Nero's smile gradually faded, and the hand lifting her skirt slowly loosened.
Looking at the position where the boy had just stood, she muttered to herself:
"Performer, realize your true power quickly. Only by igniting that flame will your journey ahead not be too painful..."
Unfortunately, this power hadn't fully matured yet, so she couldn't explain it to Takumi in advance.
Otherwise, she would definitely have had a good talk with him about it.
—Chaldea—
Hiss——
Accompanied by the sound of the chamber opening, Takumi slowly walked out of the Spiritron Transfer Chamber.
Back in the true safe zone, Takumi collapsed like a corporate slave returning from work.
"My waist and chest hurt like hell. Probably something broke or something else..."
"My wrist also hurts a bit. Better go to the infirmary for a checkup first..."
Takumi clutched his waist, muttering to himself.
With every step, the sound of shoe soles hitting the floor echoed continuously in the long corridor.
To this, Takumi had long become accustomed.
The infirmary was very close to the Combat Simulation Room, seemingly to better treat Masters injured from simulated combat.
So every time Takumi went to the infirmary, he could see the Combat Simulation Room.
But for Takumi, the simulation room that helped him through the novice period felt somewhat tasteless now.
Tasteless to eat, but a pity to discard.
Kung Fu was never something that could be trained in a day, especially for Takumi, who had long concluded his own aptitude.
At best, he had mediocre talent. Even if he trained himself until the Human Order was completely destroyed, his frontal combat power probably wouldn't be a match for a normal Servant, right?
Moreover, the developers of the Combat Simulation Room knew this themselves, so its primary job was more to train the Master's command ability.
Unfortunately, Takumi's aptitude in this regard wasn't outstanding either.
"Heh."
Laughing self-deprecatingly, Takumi supported himself against the wall and walked into the infirmary.
...
Skill Obtained:
[Natural Body (C)]
Skill Upgraded:
[Magic Resistance (C)] → [Magic Resistance (B)]
Noble Phantasm Upgraded:
[The Unwavering Heart (C)] → [The Unwavering Heart (B)]
---
[Original Author's Note]:
I feel the need to clarify something: the main theme of this novel is [Leveling Up], not [Character Growth]. I actually know that there is a high probability I can't write character growth well, so the tag I set from the beginning was just [Leveling Up]. Therefore, character growth accounts for only a small portion of this novel.
Besides, no one thinks a wishy-washy protagonist can save the world all by themselves, right?
What the protagonist actually lacks most is sufficient power. If he had the power of Goldie (Gilgamesh) or a Grand Servant class, it's hard to say who would be the one crying.