From a spot on the cliffs, a flag was waved high above the Roman camp.

The mood changed instantly. Instead of an industrious, watchful calm, everyone within began moving quickly – soldiers that had been previously resting quickly donned their gear as those that had been laboring put down their tools and grabbed their weapons. They took up positions on the battlements of the palisade as they quickly double checked all their supplies were in place: Arrows, rocks, and even burning pitch that they just managed to procure from Mediolanum. A crew of engineers stood at the ready with wood and stone, ready to reinforce and repair the walls as necessary.

Throughout it all, Ren, Ritsu, Mash, and Nero stood on the battlements, looking out into the mountain pass. Both Masters were wearing the armor Nero had gifted them, while Nero herself had put on her golden armor, the helmet gleaming despite the cloudy skies. They had decided to keep the army within the reinforced camp, as it would be foolhardy to neglect defensive fortifications and advantages, especially with their numbers so few. Thus, Nero wouldn’t be heading out herself either, much to her annoyance – though dealing with the invaders that climbed up the wall was a decent compromise.

There had been a quick discussion on where the Servants would be stationed. The legate had been about to order them to position when Nero surprisingly enough countermanded him. “I have promoted Amamiya to Centurion,” she had declared. “He would know best where to distribute his own forces and where they can best contribute to the battle.” Asisculus wasn’t happy about the decision but acquiesced regardless.

Before Ren sent them out, however, he gathered all the Servants. Loki had a casual smirk on his face, Tamamo looked determined, and while Joan looked surly, he had her full attention. “So, about what we said about holding back before,” he said. “Forget that. They outnumber us by ten to one or so and we can’t afford to retreat. Just limit what collateral damage you can, but otherwise, I’ll leave it to you guys on how you wanna handle this.”

With that came positioning. Outside the palisade stood two Servants: Lu Bu and Joan. Both of them were far more adept on the front lines than the others and so would meet the army directly. They were positioned on the left and right of the pass, funneling the United Roman Empire into the middle – right into the waiting Roman archers. There was also a ditch lined with stakes as well in front of the palisade, with more rows in the center compared to the sides.

On the battlements were Mash and Tamamo. The former would help knock soldiers off battlements as well as provide protection for the Masters, prioritizing the latter. Tamamo would serve as cover fire and artillery with her spells and talismans – indeed, a good portion of the pass was already littered with her talismans, to be set off at her leisure. They were dialed back so they didn’t bring down the entire mountain pass on everyone within, however – they were looking for a victory, not a mutually devastating loss.

Finally, both Loki and Jing Ke were out of sight. They were going to handle their usual matter of taking out the enemy officers and thinning out stragglers where they could. Between the two of them, they would easily be able to cut off the head of the enemy, making them far easier to manage. However, there was still the unknown factor of the inhuman soldiers. If they were part (or all) of the invasion force, did they require orders? Would the lack of orders even matter to them? Scouts had reported that there were officers among their number, but exactly how much influence did they have?

They were about to find out through trial by fire – in this case, almost literally.

Ren glanced beside him. Ritsu was squirming uncomfortably, tapping a finger against the edge of the wall of the palisade. Her stare at the other side of the pass was so intense he could’ve sworn she would shoot lasers out of them. Mash looked steadier, though she was keeping a tight grip on her shield. Nero had her arms crossed, calmly yet also impatiently awaiting the approach of the enemy army.

For himself… he could feel all his muscles coiled like springs, ready to leap into action. Frankly, he couldn’t blame any of them for feeling so tense – even right before heists, he always felt the same way. Him and Morgana usually went to bed extra early because they knew it would take a while for them to actually fall asleep. It was a wonder they were well-rested in the end.

He looked over at Joan and Lu Bu standing in front of the fortifications and defenses. They were stock still, with Joan’s banner fluttering in the wind. He had to wonder what they were thinking – were they just as nervous? Were Servants so used to battle that this was nothing to them? What about Joan? Was she used to these kinds of battles? Maybe he could ask Tamamo later, as well as Archer and Medusa when he saw them again. Joan probably wouldn’t talk to him unless she had to and Loki… talking to them was headache inducing.

A drop on his face caught his attention. Then another. Then yet another. As expected, it was starting to rain. He had been so preoccupied that he didn’t think about what to wear to block it off. Well, he’ll have to manage-

“Oh, Ritsu-senpai, Ren-senpai, here!”

Ren blinked as he looked over to see Mash holding a pair of dark-grey rain ponchos with hoods. The Masters grabbed it and slipped it on, pulling the hoods over. “Dang, Mash, you thought of everything!” Ritsu marveled with a grin.

The shielder smiled bashfully. “I thought it would be a good idea to bring them along, just in case,” she explained.

The Phantom Thief simply grinned. Not only were they blocking out the rain, but the dark-grey coloration was handy for camouflage in the mountain pass. He could see the white Chaldea logo on the front of it. These must be standard issue for excursions. “Good thinking, Mash,” he complimented. “Thanks for looking out for us.”

Mash blinked as her face turned a shade of red, but she smiled regardless. “We did make a deal, Ren-senpai,” she pointed out. Ren could only chuckle as Ritsu cheekily grinned. The redhead had gotten the details of the deal before they left Mediolanum and honestly, she had been grinning ear to ear once she heard about it. Things were going wonderfully.

“Someone is approaching!”

At the sentry’s warning, everyone’s attention immediately snapped over to the mountain pass once more. Marching through the rain were three people. Two of them were Roman soldiers, marching in perfect sync and holding their pilum at the ready. They were flanking the third person, who cut a much more impressive figure: Taller than both soldiers, broad-chested and muscular, dressed in a bronze cuirass that left his powerful arms exposed. In his right hand, he wielded a spear. In his left, a massive round shield. His features were hidden underneath the helmet he wore, but they could feel the heat of his gaze through the T-shaped opening in front.

Even from this distance, Ren felt a chill down his back. He didn’t need anyone to tell him what the man was: A Servant.

As they marched through, the Servant glanced over at Joan and Lu Bu. The latter began stirring, almost raising his halberd before a quick glare from Nero stopped him. Joan didn’t move, but her pale-yellow eyes warily watched him for any moves. The two soldiers that guarded him didn’t seem to take notice whatsoever, still marching in step as they acted as their commander’s escort.

About thirty feet from the palisade, he stopped, planting his spear in the ground as he stood tall. “I come forth to demand terms!” he boomed. “Who speaks for you?”

“’Demand terms?’” Nero cried back. “You are impertinent and ungracious for an envoy. Name yourself and your terms at once!”

The Servant stood taller. “I am King Leonidas of Sparta!” he declared. “We of the United Roman Empire do not wish to spill any more Roman blood! Surrender and we promise mercy and clemency to you and your men! Fight, and we will wipe out every single one of you! Those are our terms!”

Ren’s eyes widened. A glance at Ritsu and Mash showed similar reactions. All of them had heard of Leonidas. The legendary Spartan king who defended with three hundred of his countrymen against an army of a hundred thousand Persians at the pass of Thermopylae. Even though they were briefed that Leonidas was one of the men leading the United Roman Empire, to encounter him so soon was unexpected.

Meanwhile, Nero scowled. “Well, King Leonidas of Sparta,” she snarled. “Allow me, Emperor Nero Claudis Caesar Augustus Germanicus, to respond. You dare look down on the Roman Empire, the greatest civilization to ever exist? Do you truly believe I will allow you to trample roughshod over my people? I had thought you were a wise, brave kind, not an utter fool!”

She glared down at the Spartan king. “Here are my terms in turn,” she continued. “We will be open to peace talks in the future, but for this insult, we demand restitution: Kneel and show proper repentance. After that, take your forces and retreat so they no longer menace my cities and my people. If you do not, then we shall regard you and your men as hostile. You and your forces shall crash against this place like waves against a sheer cliff: As hard as you may fight, we will never yield and will drive you back! Do you agree to this?”

Leonidas shifted. “Apologies, your grace,” he called out. “I would kneel, but the ground is rather muddy from the rain, and I would rather not soil my armor. I would rather stand, with spear and shield in hand.” Ren couldn’t see his expression, but he had the feeling the king was smirking. “It takes a while to get mud stains out of good bronze, after all. Are you perhaps aware of this?”

“When was Leonidas such a dandy?” Ren heard Ritsu muttering in disbelief.

Nero nodded, however, stone-faced. “Indeed, it is difficult to get rid of stains in one’s arms and armor,” she replied stiffly. “If that is the case, then we have nothing more to discuss.”

“No, we do not,” Leonidas agreed. “I hear Romans know how to show hospitality. I expect a fine welcome from you and yours, Emperor Nero.”

“As emperor, I shall make sure even uninvited guests receive a grand reception,” Nero retorted. “Do not dally.”

With that, the three turned around and marched off, heading back towards their own army who were most likely waiting only some distance away out of sight. They all watched in silence as he left. “So,” Ritsu commented nervously, breaking it. “I didn’t expect Leonidas to be such a dandy about his stuff. Though he’d be more… I dunno, rough and tumble?”

The emperor frowned at Leonidas’s retreating figure. “It was a metaphor,” she corrected the Master. “He wouldn’t dare stain his pride by kneeling or showing deference to the enemy. A fine stance and honestly one that is expected. However, that only means this battle will be more difficult for us from here on out.”

She turned towards the camp. Ren, Ritsu, and Mash noticed that the entire camp was looking towards her. “Romans!” she cried. “Today, we stand at the very precipice! If we secure our victory here, we shall be one step closer to our ultimate glory! If we fail, then all we know shall fall!”

Then Nero grinned. “But that matters naught!” she declared, much to her soldiers’ confusion. “We stand against the Spartan king Leonidas! There is hardly a worthier foe for us! Thus, we shall fight with all our might, so that victory or defeat, our names will resound until the end of time! Today, the name of Rome shall ring loud and clear, not just for us, but for the world! For Rome!”

“For Rome!” the soldiers cheered.

Ren had to smile at Nero’s confidence as he turned back to the pass. The battleground may be different, but still, this was all still familiar: The moment right before they commenced the heist. Sure, it was going to be brutal, but he couldn’t help but feel excited.

They would be marching on them soon. It was time.

----------

Meanwhile, as Leonidas marched back, he glanced down at his armor and sighed. Metaphor or not, it was annoying to clean mud off bronze.

-----------

The rainfall became heavier, making it harder to see. The gravel path beneath became brown, slick mud as the ground became soaked. Roman soldiers lined the battlements, bows at the ready with fresh supplies of arrows in quivers and baskets right beside them. Master, Servant, and human waited with bated breath for the approach of the United Roman Empire forces.

Then the first column appeared, bristling with pilum spears as they marched forward. They had their great rectangular shields raised to deflect arrows from above, in front, and on the sides. Then two more columns appeared, marching on either side of the first column. The pass was wide enough to accommodate three columns, though no more. And more appeared behind them. And more. And even more.

Ren felt a cold chill down his spine. He thought he was prepared. He had faced many foes before, from the figures of mythology, religion, and fairy tales back in Tokyo to Servants and monsters in the singularities. They had even faced these soldiers before. However, the sheer number of men marching towards them was truly staggering. It was a sight he had only seen in shows and movies. To witness it in reality, and coupled with the fact they were all marching on them caused a lump of dread to form in the pit of his stomach.

“This… This is really something.” Ritsu noted faintly, gulping nervously.

“I have read of such scenarios,” Mash murmured as her grip around her shield tightened. “But I didn’t think I would witness it. Please stay close to me, Ren-senpai and Ritsu-senpai.”

The redhead practically scurried to Mash’s side as Ren meandered over, still watching the approaching columns in equal parts awe and dread. He glanced over at Nero and Asisculus, who were also watching. And waiting. There was a plan set for their approach. All they needed was for them to get closer.

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“First line!” an officer roared. “Loose!”

The Roman archers fired off a hail of arrows before falling back at letting a fresh line of archers fire off another volley, repeating the process. The arrows descended like a cloud of death onto the United Roman Empire army. Most of them were deflected by or embedded in the large scutum shields, though a few managed to make their way into the gaps and took out precious few men.

However, despite the storm of arrows, the United Roman Empire columns still marched relentlessly, their sandals splattering against the mud as they approached the walls. Joan and Lu Bu stirred as they got closer, the Lancer raising her blade as spears of dark energy appeared in the air above her while the Berserker hefted his great halberd. Scorpion bolts flew above their heads and crashed into the approaching columns, tearing through their shields and into the soldiers behind. Yet all they did was close ranks and continued marching, barely even slowing. They marched closer… closer…

“Now!” Nero roared.

Suddenly, multiple tornadoes of fire burst into existence amidst the columns of United Roman Empire soldiers, incinerating the ones caught within while blasting away the ones who were nearby. They were talisman traps, courtesy of Tamamo. Meanwhile, the onagers within the camp were loaded with pots filled with pitch, set aflame, and launched right into the enemy lines. They shattered and splashed all the soldiers in burning, sticky resin, setting them ablaze. It was a scene that could be described as something straight from hell.

And yet the soldiers marched. They made no sound – no screams of agony, no panicked shouts. They didn’t even break formation. If they were knocked over, they simply picked themselves back up, rejoined a column, and kept marching. Some officers were barking commands to move around the flames but were rapidly silenced either by Loki or Jing Ke. It mattered little, however, as the soldiers already had their orders.

A volley of arrows sprang up from the back lines of the United Roman Empire’s forces. The soldiers on shield duty immediately raised their shields, blocking out the majority as a few found their marks regardless. Mash had done the same, easily blocking the arrows as both Ren and Ritsu took cover underneath. From the shouts of pain and alarm, a few arrows had found their mark. As the wounded and dead were carried off, the arrows were recovered by runners and restocked for their own archers to use.

Finally, they had gotten close enough. With war cries that reverberated off the cliff walls, they charged in. With each cleave, they cut through the soldiers like hot butter, their transparent liquid splashing everywhere as they fell over soundlessly - only to be replaced by yet more soldiers, thrusting with their pilum spears. Regardless of everything, they still marched forward, only some diverting towards the middle as planned.

Ren watched as they fought. Lu Bu’s moves were extremely rough, more just swinging his halberd around than any actual technique, with the soldiers getting incidentally caught by them. Joan in comparison fought with more finesse, swinging and stabbing with her banner and slashing with La Pucelle. Spears of dark energy darted forward and impaled more of the soldiers, immolating them in blue fire.

Looking past the Servants, he could see that some of the enemy soldiers were carrying ladders to scale the walls as well as constructing their own scorpions and onagers. He immediately sent a mental communication to his Servants. ‘Caster, deal with those ladders!’ he commanded. ‘Avenger, take out the siege weapons! ’ Seconds later, blasts of wind and flame destroyed the ladders as the onagers and scorpions were smashed to pieces.

“Wh-why do they not flee?” one soldier whimpered as he loosed yet another arrow into the mass. “They don’t cry or scream, they just march like… like soulless husks! What are these monstrosities?!” Similar cries of fear and panic began spreading contagiously throughout the battlements and lines, causing Ren, Ritsu, and Mash to look around in alarm. This wasn’t good. They needed to calm everyone down-

“Do not panic, my soldiers!” Nero cried, standing tall on the battlements with her eyes towards the chaos in the pass. Her greatsword lashed out and sliced down several arrows that sought to harm her. Thankfully, the Chaldeans had briefed her and Asisculus on the inhuman soldiers Morgana had encountered. “These are nothing more than facsimiles. They may bear the shape of Roman soldiers but are no Romans! Look! They do not even bleed red – the color of the empire! Truly, the enemy’s mockery knows no bounds!”

She pointed her sword forward. “Any true-blooded Roman is worth more than ten – no, a hundred of these forgeries!” Nero roared. “Will the people of Rome capitulate to forgeries? Show them, men! Show them why Rome stands as the apex! We will not be bested by these insults!” The soldiers roared and redoubled their fire, their rage kindled by the insult on themselves and the empire.

“Jeez, this is just crazy,” Ritsu commented as she kept her head down underneath Mash’s shield. “Have you ever been through something like this, Ren?”

The Phantom Thief blinked and shook his head. “We’ve been through some pretty crazy adventures,” he admitted as the sounds of arrows hitting the shield echoed above him. “But this is the first time facing an army. It’s a lot louder and chaotic than I expected though.”

He poked his head above the wall to see how things were going. The pass was an inferno thanks to the magical flame tornados as well as the burning pitch. Joan and Lu Bu were still mowing through the soldiers without an issue. The ditches were already filled with skewered soldiers as they continued to march. They were getting close to the wall, but there weren’t any ladders or siege weapons nearby, meaning they were shut out regardless. Everything seemed to be going well so far.

“ How are we holding up, guys? ” he called out as he ducked back down. “ Caster? ”

“ They aren’t any match for a miko’s skills, ” Tamamo reassured him. “ But there are still a lot of them. Covering all this ground is tricky even for someone of my talents. But otherwise, there hasn’t been any trouble on my end. ”

Ren nodded. Both Ritsu and Mash were listening in as well. “ Lancer? How about you?” he asked.

He half expected the incarnated Servant to ignore him, but to his surprise the reply was prompt. “ Nothing going on here, ” she stated. “ These idiots just keep marching right into both me and Berserker. They’re even worse than the wyverns I summoned in Orleans! Guess they’re just constructs that can’t do shit without instructions, after all.”

He blinked. It certainly did seem that way, and it was certainly making the army more manageable in a sense. They needed every advantage they could get with just how utterly outnumbered they were. However, their lack of self-preservation instincts meant they still advanced despite the almost literal hell that was being thrown at them.

A chill ran down his spine. It reminded him far too much of the robots in Okumura’s Palace – especially when they were given the executive orders to self-destruct. The greatest consolation here at least was that these… things… weren’t people. Hopefully.

“ Avenger? ” he called out.

“ Frankly, I’m almost disappointed,” came Loki’s drawl. “ I expected this to be boring but honestly, it was even worse than I expected.”

“ Loki… ” Ren called out warningly.

An annoyed sigh came in response. “ Everything’s going well, ” was the trickster god’s exasperated reply.

Ren nodded as Ritsu giggled at the conversation between the two. Even Mash couldn’t help but smile, helped by the fact that she didn’t have to do much beyond holding up her shield to ward off arrows. Still, something was off as he once more peered over the wall. Everything seemed to be going well so far. The soldiers were going down without too much trouble and thanks to Loki dealing with the siege weapons, their walls hadn’t even been scratched. There were the arrows, but everyone’s shields seemed to be holding up well enough. Though a lot of it could be attributed to the Servants-

His thoughts froze immediately as a realization hit him like a ton of bricks, his eyes widening. “Er, something wrong, Ren?” Ritsu asked, confused. Mash shot Ren a worried glance at the question.

He didn’t immediately respond as he immediately shot out another mental message. “ Have any of you guys seen Leonidas anywhere? ” he questioned. Both Ritsu and Mash’s eyes widened at the question as they waited for the answer.

“ Not seeing him here in the front lines, ” Joan noted.

“ My talismans aren’t picking up anything, ” Tamamo mused.

“ I wouldn’t be so bored if he was here in the first place, ” Loki groused.

His worry quickly escalated. “Emperor!” he called over, catching Nero’s attention. “No one’s seen any sign of Leonidas!”

Nero’s eyes widened as she immediately turned to Asisculus to consult with him. Meanwhile, Ren’s eyes became red as he turned back towards the pass – which didn’t help out too much as all of the enemy soldiers were highlighted in red, leaving him only seeing a solid smear of color and light that completely covered the pass. He had to turn away blinking to get rid of the dots in his eyes – and almost jumped at Ritsu’s cry of surprise. “Wha-wha-wha,” she stammered. “What’s with your eyes?!”

Ren blinked, then chuckled despite the tense situation. That’s right, he never told her about his Third Eye. The topic really never came up – not that it was easy to explain anyway. “I’ll tell you later,” he quickly said before looking around. Then he caught a hint of something from the back in the mountains: A flash of red. His throat immediately went dry. “They circled around,” he murmured in realization.

Ritsu frowned. “What?” she called. “I didn’t hear you!”

“They circled around!” Ren repeated louder. “They’re gonna hit from the other side!”

He rapidly turned to the emperor again. “Nero!” he called out to her. “They’re taking another path and circling around. They’re gonna hit the other side!”

Nero paled as she spun to Asisculus. “Get your men to guard the eastern walls!” she quickly barked.

Asisculus scowled in turn. “All our forces are barely holding the main force at bay, Imperator!” he growled in frustration. “We can’t spare anyone!”

Ren meanwhile started contacting the Servants again. “ They’re taking another way and are gonna hit us from behind!” he relayed to them. “ Can any of you intercept them?”

“ I can’t move from here, Master, ” Tamamo replied. “ I need to stay in closer proximity to maintain these fire tornados! ”

“ Bit busy here!” Joan grunted.

Loki sighed. “ While this is boring, unfortunately there’s still a lot of officers and siege engines, ” he grumbled.

The Phantom Thief paled. They were pinned down. Absolutely nobody was available to intercept them, meaning that the flanking force, including a Servant – King Leonidas of Sparta at that – had a huge opening to strike back. The defense would crumble like a sandcastle in a rising tide. And there was no way to stop him. Unless…

It was damn risky, but then, he wasn’t a stranger to risks.

He turned back to Ritsu. “Keep an eye on this battle and send backup as soon as you can,” he ordered. “I’m gonna delay them as long as I can.”

Ritsu blinked. “Wh-what?” she spluttered in confusion. She didn’t get an answer as Ren took off and ran down the wall into the camp.

“R-Ren-senpai?!” Mash called out worriedly. Still shielding the redhead, the two of them quickly followed Ren, their shoes splashing against the mud. They caught up at the opposite side of the camp where there weren’t any soldiers as he looked around, seemingly seeing if anyone was nearby. “R-Ren-senpai, I’ll come with you!”

“No,” Ren replied immediately. “I need you here to protect Ritsu and the emperor, as well as act as both backup and the last line of defense here. Just do what you can and keep yourselves safe.” With that, he took a breath and raised a hand to his face, once more envisioning himself tearing off his mask.

“Cerberus!”

With a flash of blue flame, the white lion burst into being with a mighty roar. Ritsu yelped in surprise, falling on her rear and splashing mud everywhere as she stared in shock at the persona. “That’s… that’s your magecraft?!” she spouted, utterly bewildered. “Wait – you mean that’s a persona?! That’s Cerberus?! But… why the hell is it a lion?!”

Ren paused for a second. “You know, I never really asked why,” he admitted. “But I just kind of went with it.” He reached out to the persona… and touched it, feeling the lion’s surprisingly soft fur. It was corporeal. Honestly, he had never done something like this, but that was what he willed his persona to be, and here it was.

He nodded. This was what he needed.

With that, he mounted Cerberus. Both girls were still staring in pure shock until Mash regained her senses first. “Ren-senpai, please!” she pleaded desperately. “Let me come with you, or at least wait until someone else can go! You don’t have to take this risk!”

“Sorry, Mash, but I don’t think we can afford to wait,” Ren commented grimly. Indeed, checking with the Third Eye again, the detachment force had advanced a good deal further. He didn’t know how long their route would take but frankly, he wasn’t about to take any chances. Turning back to them, he smirked – as much as his confidence would allow, anyway. “I’ll be counting on you guys,” he stated. “Catch you in a bit!”

With that, Cerberus took off with the speed of the Underworld, with Ren clutching at his mane so he wouldn’t be flung off. Above the rain, he heard the two girls screaming his name as they faded away. His grip tightened as his lips pressed into a grim line.

This wouldn’t be easy.

-----------

The detachment force marched silently, the quiet broken only by the occasional barking of an officer amending his orders. Their sandals trod easily on the winding muddy paths uphill. It had been the hardest starting out on this mountain side path, where it had only been wide enough to march two men abreast. Thankfully, as the path crested, it widened so they could once more form a decent column. No doubt the path would once more narrow on the way downhill but it would matter little at that point.

In front of the detachment force was Leonidas. The report he had received from the soldier was information about a side path that shepherds sometimes used when the main route was too clogged up from trade or military patrols. A scout went and verified the path, including its ending point: Right behind the entrenched enemy fortifications.

With the information, he took a force of approximately two hundred soldiers with him. Any more and they would be hopelessly snarled up in the narrow pathways, not to mention they would lose the element of surprise. It was less than the soldiers holding the camp, sure, but just as one could defend with a lower number than the opponent, so too could one ambush with a lower number in turn.

Besides, he always had his own loyal men to call upon as well. Warriors vastly greater and more capable than these soulless constructs or the glory-hungry, greedy officers with him. While he didn’t care too greatly about winning, if the Roman Empire couldn’t best him, then what chance did they have against those that stood behind him? No. He needed to make sure they were strong enough to fight, with enough cunning and forethought to deal with unexpected attacks like what he planned.

Underneath his helmet, he broke into a small, amused smile. This was almost exactly the same as his infamous battle at Thermopylae, down to the side path. The same kind of path brought about his defeat then. Would it bring about the Roman Empire’s defeat in turn? He would be disappointed if it did, but not altogether unexpected.

As they reached the crest of the mountain where it was widest, Leonidas blinked in surprise. One person stood before him. A young man barely into adulthood, he wore merely the cuirass of a Roman soldier, but it was of surprisingly fine make. He also wore some sort of dark-grey cloak designed to ward off the rain. His countenance was hardly Roman or of any peoples he knew of nearby. All in all, he looked to be a foreigner who had been given grace by the Roman Empire.

Under normal circumstances, he thought the man was deserting – in which case, he’d cut down the man on the spot – but he could feel a certain tension in the air about them. No, this wasn’t a deserter. This man was a soldier, who had seen them coming and had taken upon himself to hold them off by himself. Even then, he thought that perhaps it was arrogance coming from youth…

Until the young man lifted his face, his red eyes glimmering almost malevolently in the clouded sun as he smirked. Oh, it wasn’t arrogance. The young man was confident that he would be able to hold them here. How interesting.

Leonidas raised his spear, and the entire army stopped behind him. “You are a long way from your camp and fortifications,” he called out. “What is your business here?”

The young man’s smirk widened. “I think you already heard from the emperor,” he replied. “Even unwelcome guests are given a grand welcome by us. It wouldn’t look great if we allowed them to slip by us without granting them a bit of hospitality, would it?”

The Spartan couldn’t help but chuckle. “No, it wouldn’t,” he agreed easily. “However, it wouldn’t do for the host of this reception to remain unknown. Name yourself.”

“Names have a lot of power, you know,” the young man replied casually as he took off his hood, revealing a mess of black hair. He murmured something underneath his breath and an instant later, a beautiful young woman appeared behind him in a blaze of blue fire. She was kneeling, gently holding an outstretched thread in her hands, her gaze observant and serene.

Despite only having a vague impression of her, Leonidas somehow immediately knew who she was: One of the Moirae Sisters – Lachesis, the Measurer of the Thread. Already, he could feel his fate being spun in the thread she held. He barely heard his officers crying out in shock behind him as they registered her presence as well. This was utterly unexpected – and that only had him more excited. This was turning out to be a far more interesting expedition than he expected.

“But for you, King Leonidas of Sparta?” the young man continued as he grinned. He brought out a knife which transformed into a pistol – and trained directly on him.

“You can call me Joker.”