The march had been fairly uneventful for Ren overall. Aside from collecting some reinforcements from scattered villages or outposts as they passed by, it had been monotonous overall. There hadn’t been much to do except to train, observe the Romans, and report to Chaldea. He had been worried about Ritsu, Mash, and Morgana, but from their own reports, it seemed like everything had turned out well for them. Once the logistics were finished on their end, they would regroup and then march onto the URE capital.

For now, they were all camped outside Masilia, around a hill and out of sight. The city was just ahead of them, but it was clear that it was currently occupied by the URE. They needed information first. Sieging the city was a possibility but very much a last-ditch option – they simply didn’t have the manpower or resources to stage and maintain one. And there was always the risk of reinforcements from the URE - Ritsu’s report of Gaul made that clear it was all too likely a possibility.

Frankly, it made her victory all the more astounding in turn. The report of Morgana’s and Ritsu’s respective successes greatly heartened the Roman forces. Nero herself looked far happier than she had in a long while, giving speeches emphasizing these victories and spurring her forces forward with renewed vigor. It had been a much-needed morale boost overall.

As for the Servants, even Ren had to admit things could be better. Joan refused to talk more to him than professionally necessary. He did try to broach the topic once or twice but was shut down with a harsh glare before he could get more than a few words out. It made him all too aware still of how badly he had been rattled before. There was much he needed to do. He would need to talk to Rider as well whenever she came back. She needed the full story.

But that was the question: How much could he tell, and who could he tell? He had no doubt that Medusa would keep her silence – she wasn’t the type to blab about such an important matter – but the longer this was kept secret, the worse it would be when everything was revealed. A ‘perfect’ world – a utopia – was always a topic of heavy debate after all, and Chaldea couldn’t afford to fracture over such a thing.

Loki was… well, being Loki was perhaps the most generous way to put it. They were content with spooking people by popping out of nowhere and just silently observing and listening, but that only made Ren more wary. He knew how Akechi thought and how to handle him – the two were more kindred spirits than they had realized – but Loki was not Akechi. Frankly, Ren half expected them to light the camp on fire if they thought it would be entertaining.

Of the two Chinese Servants, Jing Ke was the only one anyone could really talk to. The only thing Lu Bu could ‘say’ were grunts, growls, and roars – nothing that made for conducive conversation. Besides, the Berserker’s glare sent alarm bells ringing in Ren’s head that had nothing to do with how powerful he was. Ritsu had told him that Lu Bu was known two things: His martial prowess and his backstabbing tendencies. While Akechi had been a traitor, he could still understand the false Detective Prince and sympathize with him. Not so for Lu Bu. Frankly, he was reminded far too much of Shido’s shadow whenever he saw the warrior. Not someone he wished to deal with if he could help it.

Right now, however, everyone was now in the command tent with Nero and her various officers. Jing Ke and Loki had been sent to scout Masilia and find out what they can. It took them a few hours before they returned. Information was imperative in dealing with the city as quickly and efficiently as possible with minimal losses.

“Report, auxiliaries,” Nero ordered. The emperor wasn’t the spitting image of health – dark circles lurked underneath her eyes, and she seemed more haggard overall than before. However, her emerald eyes were still clear and sharp as they scrutinized both the Assassin and the Avenger, her posture still strong despite her shorter stature. Ren frankly wasn’t sure how someone could seem both utterly worn down yet even stronger than ever before, yet the emperor managed it.

She was full of surprises, that was for sure. For some reason, he felt like he had seen such a thing before, though he couldn’t remember exactly where or what. Well, it wasn’t immediately important anyway as he turned his attention back to the Servants.

“Nothing besides facsimiles and human officers,” Jing Ke reported. “No Servants, no beasts, golems, or anything of the sort. There are a lot of soldiers though, and they’re pretty entrenched. We’re probably gonna have to shake them loose before we can really push forward with an attack.”

Ren frowned as Jing Ke made her report and glanced over to the Avenger. “Loki, any suggestions?” he asked. Nero glanced over at the Servant as well. She had made Ren a centurion for a reason – it would be wise to listen to what counsel he had about his own allies.

The trickster god in the meantime glanced at their nails as if they were more interesting than the war council. “Honestly, same as always,” they replied in a bored tone. “Take out the officers, then pick off the soldiers. After all, a place entrenched by those soldiers is still nothing more than a dollhouse – easy to deal with if you’re not complete idiots about it.”

“Can you map out the locations of the officers and troop placements?” one of the officers piped up. Jing Ke smirked and walked forward, easily putting down markers like it was second nature to her. Loki continued scanning their nails, though they occasionally glanced up at the map as if ascertaining their positions before resuming. Ren wasn’t too surprised – given Jing Ke was a renowned assassin, she most likely learned this as a necessity. They had planned similarly for their heists, infiltrating and mapping out Palaces as necessary. Still, the effortless way Jing Ke did it… he had to keep it in mind.

After that, they discussed their plans. It was fairly straightforward overall thanks to the intelligence retrieved by the two Servants. They would take the day to allow the troops to rest from the long march and then they would begin their invasion. If things went well, then there would be minimal casualties for capturing the cities.

The sun was setting for the evening. The usual fortifications and structures were set for the camp, so all that needed to be done was organize for tomorrow’s assault. It would commence before dawn – a parallel that Ren found a bit humorous. He saw the practical applications, but he couldn’t help but notice regardless.

Ren glanced about. The soldiers seemed more heartened and optimistic about their chances of victory. A stark contrast from the atmosphere back in the command tent – when he left, despite the easier chance for victory, the officers were still surly and grim, and while Nero looked better than before, she still looked restless.

He blew a sigh. Managing an army was harder work than he expected, even just observing them. Makoto might be able to do something about this once she stopped being flustered but right now, all he could do was what he did best. And speaking of which…

“If you wanted to chat with me, you could’ve just said something,” Ren said out loud, despite having seemingly no one around him.

There was a moment’s pause, then suddenly Jing Ke appeared out of thin air with a smirk. “Didn’t expect you to notice me,” she commented. “How’d you find out?”

The Phantom Thief smiled and shrugged in reply. “Lucky guess,” he replied easily. It was partially the truth anyway – he knew someone was watching him extremely closely, but he couldn’t tell exactly who. He definitely didn’t see anyone or anything out of the ordinary, so he decided to just speak. The fact that his guess was on the mark was, indeed, a lucky guess. “So, did you need me for something?”

The Assassin raised an eyebrow. “Aren’t I supposed to ask you that?” she asked in turn. “You were staring at me pretty hard with some kind of intention, after all. I was gonna follow you to see what’s up, but as long as we’re here…”

Ren blinked again, then chuckled ruefully. “I’m that easy to read, huh?” he asked, rubbing the back of his neck.

Again, the Assassin smirked. “Only on the surface level,” she reassured him. “Now out with it, before I decide I need you as a drinking buddy tonight.”

The teen couldn’t suppress the shiver that ran down his back. His time with Ohya in the Crossroads wasn’t something he cared to repeat anytime soon, especially with how often the reporter got sloshed. “I noticed you were able to map out the troop and officer positions so easily,” he explained. “I wanted to know more about it – I’ve had to do it before, but I could use some pointers and tips myself.”

Jing Ke blinked, then began guffawing. “That?” she gasped. “Come on, you don’t need me for that – it’s a simple matter of memorization, after all. Takes just a bit of practice to do it right.”

Her experienced eyes rested on Ren. “Still, you’ve had to do it before, huh?” she mused. “Interesting…” Then Jing Ke nodded with a broad smile. “That settles it then. You’re gonna be my drinking buddy tonight!”

Another shiver went down his back. The Ohya flashbacks were certainly intensifying and frankly, he had a sinking feeling that the Assassin was just as bad as the reporter if not worse. “On second thought,” Ren began nervously. “Maybe we can have this conversation another time-“

The Assassin raised her finger. “Ah, ah, ah,” she tutted. “No backing out now. You don’t have to drink – why you guys are so prudish, I can never understand. Ah well, more for me anyway.” The last bit got a chuckle out of Ren. Definitely something Ohya would say. The Assassin reminded him so much of her it was almost uncanny.

They found a small corner that had just been vacated by soldiers. It was lit by a nearby torch, bathing the area in a dim, orange light as the sun sank below the horizon. Sitting on logs nearby, Jing Ke pulled out a jug of wine and proceeded to pour herself a cup. “You sure you don’t want any?” the Assassin asked. “Not often you get a chance to try foreign spirits.”

Ren smiled as he held up a hand. “I’m fine, thanks,” he declined. Jing Ke shrugged and happily filled her own cup regardless.

“So, what do you mean when you say you’ve done this kind of thing before?” the Assassin began, staring at Ren over her cup. “Not doubting you – you’re hardly an ordinary kid – but I want some context so I know what to tell you.”

The Phantom Thief felt himself being closely scrutinized despite Jing Ke’s inebriation. Even though she was drunk off her mind, that sharp stare of hers wasn’t letting any details past her. For the umpteenth time, he was reminded of Ohya. Drunk or not, that woman was amazingly sharp and could snap to business in an instant if need be. Maybe there was some relation between the skillsets between an assassin and a reporter?

He had to chuckle to himself. She’d laugh herself sick if she ever heard him say that.

“I’m a thief of sorts,” Ren replied. While he knew Jing Ke could keep a secret, there was no reason to tell her about being a Phantom Thief just yet. Just enough to confirm what little she knew and work from there. “Not exactly an assassin but similar skillsets – in this case, tracking and memorizing soldier placements and patrol patterns, as well as intel gathering. Things like that. I thought I’d get some advice from someone more experienced in the field.”

Jing Ke simply watched Ren, not answering for a bit, then took a large gulp of her wine. “Did Ritsu tell you about my legend?” she asked as she contemplatively swirled her wine, watching the dark liquid whirl within the cup.

Ren shook his head. “No,” he admitted. “But I do remember you from my studies. The assassin that was within ten steps of killing the first emperor of China, right?”

The Assassin nodded. “Right in one,” she confirmed. “You sure you want tips from someone like me? I think your Avenger might have better lessons than me.”

“They’re a bit… strange to work with,” Ren replied hesitantly. Frankly, he still wasn’t sure how Loki could constantly keep disappearing and reappearing like that – although he could hazard a guess – and it wasn’t something he could easily replicate. “Besides, you came within a couple meters of killing him anyway – that’s still worth talking about, especially with all you prepared to get that close to an emperor.”

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Jing Ke blinked again, then began laughing uproariously, catching Ren by surprise. “Hahahaha!” she laughed. “I thought you and Ritsu were different, but by the heavens you two are more alike than I realized! I need to keep a closer eye on the both of you from now on!” She continued laughing, a mirthful sound that couldn’t help but cause Ren to smile as well.

“I’m guessing she said the same thing?” Ren inquired, already knowing the answer.

“A bit more enthusiastically, but yes,” Jing Ke replied happily before downing the rest of her cup, then pouring yet another. “Alright, I’ll teach what I can,” she said. “Just remember, a lot of this is gonna require more practical experience - stuff you need to learn or train yourself. That work for you?”

Ren grinned. Considering how his adventures first started, this was hardly a new experience. “Works for me,” he replied easily.

And with that, the lesson began.

----------

“What’s the status of the United Roman Empire?”

Ren glanced over at Nero addressing the officers. It was about an hour or so before dawn broke over the horizon. Even so, daylight was starting to break. They were fast approaching the time for the operation to begin. If there was anything that needed to be stated or dealt with, it would be in the command tent, where all the Servants and officers had assembled.

“Our sentries are keeping an eye on Masilia,” one of the officers reported. “So far, no movements. I’m not even sure if they know we’re here.”

Nero nodded. “That would be the best-case scenario,” she stated. “And what of the troops?”

“Mobilized and ready,” legate Asisculus responded. “They only await the order.”

The emperor turned to Jing Ke and Loki. “Have you two made what preparations you needed?”

Loki yawned. “Not much needs to be prepared for what we do,” they replied in a bored tone. “Just say the word, oh illustrious emperor, and we shall paint this chapter of Roman history red once more.”

Nero narrowed her eyes but raised her hand to forestall the outraged cries of her fellow officers. Jing Ke in turn rolled her eyes as Ren glared at the Avenger, who once more only seemed mildly amused by everyone’s reactions. Regardless, they had their answer. “Then once you’re done, we will need to send soldiers in to open the gate and capture the city,” Nero continued. “No doubt the United Roman Empire soldiers have standing orders to defend, though.” She huffed. “Not as clean as we would like, but much better than it would be otherwise.”

“Actually,” Ren began, drawing everyone’s attention. “I have an idea for that.”

Half an hour later, they were all standing outside the camp, still behind the hill and out of sight. “So, what is this idea of yours, centurion?” Nero asked, glancing quizzically over at Ren. Instead of elaborating on the plan, he suggested they send out Jing Ke and Loki first to do their work. The emperor decided to go along with his idea, but her curiosity had been aroused. He always had some trick up his sleeve and frankly, she was quite eager to witness it.

Ren in turn smirked. “You’ll see,” he replied enigmatically. It was an idea he happened upon last night after deciding to take a glance at Masilia. It was one of Jing Ke’s lessons: ‘Even if something seems ordinary, look again,’ she said. ‘There’s always something you can use to take advantage of, and it’ll probably be right under the enemy’s nose.’ This was a harebrained scheme and more of a test run, but if it worked…

Joan huffed. She and Lu Bu were standing nearby as well – Ren had specifically asked for their skills and power. It was going to be a close quarters assault, after all, and their skills would be needed. If they were lucky, the two Servants would have to do minimal work, but it was better safe than sorry. He certainly wasn’t about to go alone – it wasn’t necessary and he was pretty sure everyone would tear him a new one again.

“It probably won’t,” Ren joked – and flinched as Joan glared at him in response. “The idea shouldn’t be too much stress on me,” he replied more seriously. “If it works well, then we won’t have any casualties getting in.”

Nero hummed. “You are promising much, centurion,” she stated. “And I have no doubt you will fulfill it. I look forward to seeing what sort of miracles you’ll work this time.”

Ren chuckled. “Not a miracle,” he corrected. “Just a trick of mine.”

Jing Ke and Loki then appeared in front of them. “Officers are dispatched,” Jing Ke reported. “The soldiers pretty much aren’t doing anything besides patrolling their set routes or guarding their spots. Honestly, I thought it’d be more challenging.”

“Truly, I thought time traveling to a Roman singularity would be entertaining,” Loki groused. “I hadn’t expected it to be quite so… well, boring.”

“It doesn’t have much flair,” Nero agreed. “But practicality takes precedence. Centurion? I believe it’s your turn.”

The Phantom Thief nodded as he switched to the proper persona. Once more, he mentally ripped off his mask as he summoned its power.

“Fafnir!”

In a burst of blue flames, a creature appeared: A being made entirely of metal, with elongated limbs and tail. Instead of a dragon’s head or even a regular face was a skull. It had two wing-like appendages that seemed to wrap around its neck like a cloak of sorts, and an emblem that bore a red heart on its chest. It looked more like a hybrid of a cyborg, a dragon, and a human.

Nero gasped as she stepped back, her eyes wide as Lu Bu growled. Joan, on the other hand, glared at the persona before turning away with a huff. Ren had spoken to her mentally about utilizing Fafnir to get up to the city walls, as it was the only persona that could fly and could support the weight of multiple people. The sheer apoplectic rage he felt from the Lancer almost overwhelmed him before she dialed it back.

‘You are incredibly infuriating,’ she growled. ‘Do what you must.’

Ren glanced apologetically at Joan, who just ignored him in turn. He was happy that they could at least work together professionally at least, but he wished he could at least resolve the matter. Frankly, going in with just Joan and Lu Bu would probably already have Ritsu, Mash, and Morgana screaming at him at how dangerous this was, but it should be fine here.

The emperor, however, stepped forward, her eyes wide at the mechanical dragon. “Magnificent,” she breathed. The Fafnir persona turned to look down at Nero but otherwise made no reaction. She looked over to Ren. “This is one of your abilities, I take it?” she inquired. “Then I stand by my statement – it is indeed a form of miracle. Never have I seen such a being conjured up even by the best court mages I have. Tame, perhaps, but not conjured.”

The Phantom Thief chuckled. “I suppose it does seem that way,” he relented somewhat. Thinking about it, being able to summon a legendary dragon like this into reality would certainly seem like some form of miracle. Everyone else already told him that this form of magecraft was rather ludicrous as well (Olga specifically). Honestly, he didn’t think much of it – they were a part of him much like he was a part of them. After all, it wasn’t like he thought much about his own limbs personally.

“If we’re done here, we should go,” Joan growled, turning back to glare at Fafnir once more. “We’re not on a time limit but the sooner we get this done, the sooner we can get a move on.”

Ren blinked, then nodded. Joan was right – there was little sense in wasting time. He hopped on the persona first, followed by the Lancer then Lu Bu. As he watched Lu Bu mount Fafnir, he half expected the dragon to buckle, but to his surprise, the dragon didn’t even so much as flinch. He had to wonder whether it was an aspect of personas in general, or Fafnir simply was that strong. Probably both.

Meanwhile, Nero watched them with no small amount of awe. Three legendary heroes boarding a dragon to attack a city? Really, once everything was resolved, she would have to put quill to parchment and write a glorious tale about this. It would be a very long time before she would be able to write it - rebuilding the empire would take no small amount of time - but she must. It would be an epic talked about by her people for eons to come. She would make sure of it.

“We will be standing by and watching for your success, centurion,” she called out. “Once those gates are open, we shall march.”

The Phantom Thief grinned back down. “We’ll be back before breakfast!” he replied easily. Turning back, he took a deep breath as he felt his circuits burn from maintaining Fafnir. Time to go. With a mental command, Fafnir took a step forward… then sprung into the air. Its wing-like appendages didn’t move, yet it still cleaved through the air like it was nothing, easily taking to the skies.

Frankly, this was a first time for Ren, and despite the increasing pain from the circuits, there could only be one word to describe how it all felt: Exhilarating. Feeling the howling wind rush past his face, the lurching vertigo as the ground beneath him shrank, Nero becoming nothing more than a red dot within seconds, the city of Masilia looking more like a model than an actual city. And despite everything, Fafnir felt powerful and strong underneath him, easily riding the air as though he was the master of it.

An excited grin spread across his face. He needed to tell the others about this once he got back. Even Makoto with her motorbike persona, or Morgana who once turned into a helicopter, would be jealous! Maybe if they could find enough of an unoccupied area, he could take everyone for a ride-

“None of them are paying attention to us.”

Ren snapped back into focus at Joan’s observation. In his excitement he lost focus. He immediately gave a critical glance at the city, his eyes turning red as he used his Third Eye once more. It was hard to see with the glare of red, he could easily tell an empty spot they could land in. “Yeah,” he commented loudly over the wind. “I don’t think we were that subtle with Fafnir, but these soldiers couldn’t care less. Guess that makes it easier for us.”

He quickly dissected the soldiers’ positions and patrols and formulated the plan. Glancing back, he nodded to Lu Bu. “We’re gonna drop you off in the streets,” he called back. “Take out the patrols throughout the city, but try not to cause too much damage.” Lu Bu roared back in response. Guess that was as good an agreement as he’d get.

Then he turned to Joan. “We’ll land on one side of the wall and take out the troops along the way,” Ren continued. “Once we reach the gatehouse, you’ll keep taking out soldiers while I get the gate open.”

Joan frowned but nodded without any argument. With the plan set, Ren smirked.

“It’s showtime.”

----------

Bringing down Fafnir into a low swoop, Lu Bu jumped off the persona with a mighty roar, halberd in hand. He crashed onto the streets with enough force to crack the tile underneath him as he landed. The nearby patrol immediately turned around to face the Chinese warrior, drawing their gladii and raising their shields as they silently began moving in to confront the Berserker. With a few sweeps, Lu Bu easily cleared out the patrol before racing off to find the next one.

Both Ren and Joan noticed that despite Lu Bu’s incredibly loud entrance, nobody raised the alarm – not a single shout was heard nor was there the stomp of boots of soldiers immediately moving to intercept. As expected, the soldiers simply continued their set patterns without reacting whatsoever. It made things much easier, but Ren certainly couldn’t help but find it… unsettling.

Images of robots in a factory appeared in his mind once more, constantly slaving away at their jobs and barely reacting to anything else around them for fear of reprimand or a vain hope of praise and promotion. No, these soldiers were worse. They were truly automatons without a single thought of their own. As if this entire situation wasn’t unnatural enough.

Once Lu Bu was dropped off, they landed an empty section of the wall before Fafnir vanished, dropping them onto the battlements. The soldiers surrounding them immediately turned to face them drawing their own gladii without a single word. Joan scowled and with a gesture from La Pucelle, skewered a large number of them with the blue flaming spears.

Taking point, she quickly carved through the soldiers who were marching single file to intercept her while Ren followed from behind, easily picking off the stragglers that were approaching from behind them – which amounted to one or two soldiers as the others further down didn’t bother turning from their guard positions. He turned around, thinking to give Joan some cover fire, only to see her easily slicing down the soldier one after the other. If anything, the Lancer looked more bored than threatened, leaving Ren just following her at leisurely pace as Lu Bu’s roars echoed in the distance, with a very occasional explosion.

He didn’t think a heist would be so easy. If anything, this was basically anticlimactic. That being said, he had to consider once more the sheer strength of Servants. Jing Ke and Loki cut off the head of this army in half an hour after mapping them out. Lu Bu and Joan were barely breaking a sweat eradicating the army. And from what Ritsu and Morgana reported, their respective Servants had been the key reasons why they won in the first place. It was both utterly amazing and bemusing.

As they approached the gatehouse, Ren discarded the thought as Joan kicked open the door, the timber splintering under her grieves. Inside was a small pack of soldiers which were quickly cut down by the Lancer. After making sure the coast is clear, she glanced over at Ren, who nodded at the door on the other side. “Keep clearing out the soldiers,” he ordered. “I’ll get this gate open.” Joan nodded, kicked down the door, and disappeared through. Soon, sounds of her cutting down soldiers echoed through the opening.

Ren turned back to the mechanism. It was a large lever that could open the gates. Moving into position, he took a deep breath and cracked his knuckles, braced his legs, and pushed. And pushed. And pushed. Despite his best efforts, it didn’t budge whatsoever. Panting, he got up and noticed there was another lever on the other side of the gatehouse. The room wasn’t big, but he definitely couldn’t reach the other lever at the same time, and he wasn’t strong enough to single-handedly push this open by himself. He would have to wait until the Servants were finished.

Or there was one other method he could use. This persona he didn’t use quite as often, but it would be handy here. He readied the personas in his mind, then once more tore off his mask.

“Hecatoncheires!”

A giant burst into being. Despite it kneeling, it still dwarfed Ren with its size. Green and muscular, its numerous blue eyes bulged as its three mouths screamed silently, a chain and lock dangling from its neck like a depraved amulet. With a mental command, its countless arms reached the levers with ease and pushed. He found he had to restrain himself however – if he went full force, he was more likely to snap them into pieces.

He could feel his body heating up as his circuits activating, but before long, the levers had been pushed and Hecatoncheires vanished. He breathed a sigh of relief. He felt uncomfortably warm thanks to all he had done today, but there shouldn’t be anything else that needed his attention. Stretching, he turned to walk out – and saw Joan staring at him with an unreadable gaze. The two stared at each other in silence for a moment as Ren tried to figure out something to say… then the Lancer just sighed and walked back out.

Ren rubbed the back of his neck. This was getting awkward.

Walking out, he looked around. The soldiers were slain almost in an orderly manner with how they were positioned. Lu Bu was still going about, judging by the roars, but they seemed rarer and rarer. He was probably finishing up. Looking in the horizon, he already saw columns of soldiers appearing from behind the hill, marching in to capture the city.

The Phantom Thief sighed. Well, not the most exciting heist, but a successful one nevertheless. His stomach growled. Breakfast would also be good.

It was a good day.