"So are you going to just stand there? Cause I could chat all day long. Except I guess I can't right now, since we have to bring you down quickly. That's why I'm here!"
"Oh? You think you're fast?"
"I can be fast when there's a need to be fast."
"I see. Shall I put this to the test?"
"You're not going to use your super-strong attack on me?"
"And why should I, when I can just crush you at what you're best at?"
"You know that saying things like that only makes people want to beat you up even more?"
"To crush an ant is as easy as crushing a hundred. And to crush a hundred ants is no different from crushing a hundred motivated ants. But enough chit-chat. If you're so fast, then come at me. I'm ready."
"So am I. Here I come, Grandpa."
In a flash, Nero lunged forward, readying her sword for one swift strike. As Remus closed the distance too, she prepared to use her refined technique, a slash so fast that it was capable of defying time itself.
"Jove - The slash that surpasses time!"
One moment later, they were both facing the opposite direction, having seemingly teleported. When Nero tried to move up, she felt a sharp, stinging pain in her right side. Instinctively bringing her hand over it, she looked down and realised she was bleeding. A deep wound, though not a mortal one.
"You managed to dodge my attack. I was aiming for your heart."
"Ouch, serves me right... I should have known better... there's no reason to hold back against someone like you..."
"Hmm? So you weren't using your full power?"
"I'm afraid my pride got the better of me. I thought that since you didn't use your Noble Phantasm, I didn't have to either. Well, opsie daisy, I forgot you're a Grand Servant, so I should always take you very, very seriously. Let's try again. This time, no more screwing around."
"Good, show me what you got."
"With pleasure. The Golden Theatre is now open!
AESTUS DOMUS AUREA!"
As Nero activated her Noble Phantasm, Remus looked around with disinterest. No matter what tricks anyone had up their sleeve, his absolute power was sure to crush them.
"Such a location seems improper for a duel, and more appropriate for a ceremony of some sort."
"Is that what you believe? Well, I don't fault you; it really is a perfect place for celebrations. If you want to, you can think of it as your funeral."
"My funeral?"
"Yep, cause one way or another, you're going down, Grandpa."
"I told you to shut up, idiot girl!"
As the two adversaries approached each other, Nero could perceive in that split second that Remus's speed was increasing more and more. It wasn't just because he was taking things more seriously: being the cause of the time distortion that the cancerous alternate reality was, and being the latter also his source of power, his presence generated a positive feedback through which the longer he was alive, the more powerful he became.
However, he wasn't the only one who had gotten faster and stronger. In her domain, Nero's power was nearly absolute. So much so that it was almost as if she could do whatever she wanted. Not because she could alter reality, but because even reality was forced to submit to such power. Charging up her mana to the maximum, she readied another strike.
"LAUS ST. CLAUDIUS!"
Nero's power was nearly absolute in her domain. Such a statement was indeed true... in a typical Holy Grail War, in a simple exchange between Servants. But this wasn't that. This was much more, so much bigger, bigger than the Holy Grail, bigger than a foolish mage's aspirations, bigger than Nero herself. This was the fight against a Grand Servant. A being born to defend Earth from threats that could destroy it. To destroy a planet is no small feat, and therefore, to be able to contend with such monsters, it's safe to say that Grands are monsters in their own right. That was the simple, cruel truth.
Before she could realise it, Nero was on her knees, her Reality Marble shattered, coughing up blood, her body screaming in agony as a profound sense of weakness invaded her. The new injury was much more severe than the last, though obviously not quite enough to instantly kill her. Her brain was feeling quite dizzy from all the blood she had been losing, and her eyes were ready to shut down at any moment.
"So, this was all the strength you could muster up? Pathetic, truly pathetic. Trash like you shouldn't even look me in the eye. Just fall on your face and die already. I have no need for someone like you in the world I'm destined to rule. Trash will always be trash, there's no changing that."
"... damn it, I was just about to give in, to admit defeat and surrender... but you just had to get on more comment in, you cheeky bastard... you just don't know when to stop talking. I get it, I have the same problem, but sometimes it really gets on people's nerves. That's why I'm trying to get better... but you... You just keep spewing and spewing. Well, guess what, asshole? We still have to go on one more round."
Using her skill, the Roman empress raised herself from the half-dead state she was in and turned back to face her enemy one more time.
"You can't be serious. You can barely stand. Trash should know its place. You-"
"Shut the fuck up and come at me, you failure of a king."
Nero had her way with words. She knew that as soon as she said such a sentence, an incredibly pissed off Remus would be rushing at her. She would have barely enough time to react. Their exchange would last less than a second, but she was determined to achieve her goal. And what exactly was her goal at this point?
"I want to make this bastard bleed!!!"
Once more, she called forth her golden theatre, the change of scenery having no effect on a Remus with killing intent written all over his face. Using all the remnants of her strength, Nero focused on producing an attack even a Grand Servant wouldn't be able to dodge. The only thing that can rival a power entrusted by the World itself would be the purest form of Mystery manipulation. In other words, True Magic. The Fifth Magic grants mastery over time, a dimension Nero had already surpassed. But that wasn't enough. It seemed like overcoming just one dimension of reality wouldn't do.
What else was there? She was no magician; the limited knowledge she had on Magic would never allow her to copy it using Imperial Privilege. Not that she was any good at stuff like that. She had many talents, not the least of which was slicing and dicing, but Magic was not one of them. Then, as Remus's spear was already honing in on her heart, a realization hit her.
She had already faced someone whose technique was said to rival the Second Magic. Someone whom she had beaten by copying his technique. That was it. All the elements were there. Now all she had to do was combine them into a single strike. An attack that could surpass both time and space. An attack from everywhere with no time to react. An attack, even a pissed off Grand, wouldn't be able to avoid.
"LAIUS TSUBAME GAESHI!"
Nothing mattered. Not her old injuries, nor her new, not her body begging for rest, nor her mind telling her to give up. Her soul kept shouting one phrase.
"I want to make this bastard bleed!!!"
Remus did what he could, but it wasn't enough. As he stared down at his body, what he thought unthinkable was right before his eyes: a mere Servant, someone whom he considered trash, was able to injure him. Red liquid escaped from a cut on his side as he just looked at it in disbelief for what seemed like quite a while. A chuckle brought him back to reality.
"Damn, even after all of this, you still managed to avoid a fatal injury. You really are strong. However, I accomplished my goal. I showed everyone that you aren't invincible. That you can bleed. That you can lose. That you can die.
Well, you arrogant sucker, have fun fighting my friends now."
And with one final smile, Nero collapsed on the ground.