Note: If you find any mistakes, not my fault. It's your fault for finding it in the first place.
"Huff... haa..."
Lin Qi sprinted across the plains with the flag in hand, chest heaving with each breath as he gasped for air.
That's right—he was lost again.
For almost the same reason as in the First Singularity: couldn't read a map, couldn't tell directions, and Chaldea's navigation system was practically useless—
Honestly, Lin Qi had been holding this rant in for a long time. He really couldn't keep it bottled up anymore.
Seriously, why is Chaldea's system so hard to use? Who's responsible for these coordinates, and how are they this inaccurate?
Back in Singularity F, he'd been practically thrown right in front of a Shadow Servant's face. If his special abilities hadn't been far stronger at the time, he would've died before his first mission even began.
The First Singularity's teleportation had been a bit better—at least Fuyuki-sized areas were small enough that he didn't run into enemies immediately—but it still left him wandering lost for an entire day.
And this time? He had to hand it to Chaldea—they actually managed to drop him in the middle of the ocean. If he hadn't seen land not far ahead when he fell, he might've drowned before even reaching shore.
Still, Lin Qi wasn't quite the same person he'd been before. Ever since inheriting Jeanne d'Arc's Revelation skill, while he couldn't hear divine guidance like Jeanne herself, he could—by firming his resolve—vaguely discern the correct direction.
It wasn't perfect, but at least it kept him from running around like a headless fly.
So Lin Qi had repeated to himself in his mind—Find Nero. Find Nero.—until a faint sense of direction surfaced, and he immediately set off that way.
The Second Singularity was located in Rome, and its key figure was Emperor Nero. No matter how chaotic everything else became, as long as Nero survived, there was still hope.
Thus, his primary objective was clear: find Nero, and protect her—though whether he could protect her was another matter entirely.
He didn't know how long he'd been running when faint battle cries reached his ears from the distance.
Lin Qi's eyes sharpened, and he picked up speed.
Climbing up a small hill, he glanced ahead—only to see a small force of soldiers surrounded by a much larger army. And at the very front of the besieged group, a familiar red figure was locked in combat.
"Good... I made it in time..."
Letting out a sigh of relief, Lin Qi didn't rest for even a moment. He dashed straight down the slope.
———
"Ye... niece of mine... Nero—ahhhh!"
Clad in golden armor and a crimson cloak, Caligula perfectly embodied the mental instability expected of a high-rank Berserker.
Especially before Nero—his frenzied devotion and deranged affection blended into something truly spectacular. Among all Berserkers, his madness had to rank near the top.
"Even if you are my uncle, if you keep shouting my name like that, I shall grow angry!"
Struggling to parry Caligula's strikes, Nero blocked another blow with her sword and frowned in exasperation.
Was it her imagination, or did her uncle actually look dejected after she said that?
But that expression didn't last long. The effect of his Madness Enhancement flared once more, and Caligula went right back to reciting the same line Nero had already heard a hundred times.
"Ye... niece of mine... Nero—ahhhh!"
Same words, same tone, same gesture.
"...If you were an actor, Uncle, you'd make an excellent recording machine."
Nero's expression soured, eyes darting sideways with a mix of irritation and urgency.
Her army was already at a disadvantage; every soldier counted. Yet here she was, stuck in this pointless standoff—forced to watch her loyal troops fall one after another.
Well... to be fair, it wasn't exactly that her uncle had pinned her down—it was more like she was the one unable to overcome him.
Despite his clearly scrambled mind, Caligula's strength was undeniable. Every time Nero met his fists, it felt like grappling with some mythical beast, the shock numbing her arms.
What should she do?
Just as Nero was at a loss, a black shadow suddenly darted into view—so fast even she couldn't clearly see it—and slammed straight into Caligula, sending him stumbling backward mid-chant.
Blinking, Nero froze for a full second before reacting.
"Oh—! Whose soldier is this? So valiant!"
Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she turned and called out to her troops.
"Your Majesty, we're just regular soldiers! How would we know that!?"
One of the weary soldiers, having just slain a foe, looked helplessly at his whimsical Emperor.
"Hmm... true enough. Never mind! Anyone who rushes in to aid me at such a time must surely be an ally!"
Nero—ever the impulsive ruler—had, in fact, just asked an ordinary foot soldier something even her generals couldn't answer.
But no matter. She had her own way of doing things!
"Since we're on the topic—if you survive this battle, I, Nero Claudius, hereby appoint you as my court's First Battlefield Intelligence Officer! You shall henceforth compile and report all strategic information to me!"
With a casual flourish of her small hand, she made this declaration sound as grand as a royal decree.
"Er... while I'm honored to be promoted, Your Majesty... does that position even exist?"
The soldier's face twisted with speechless confusion.
"Silence! If I say it exists, it exists! And if it doesn't, I'll just create it on the spot!"
"Enough chatter—time to aid our brave ally!"
Spotting the "reinforcement" seemingly struggling against her uncle, Nero had no more time for talk. She raised her sword, Aestus Estus: The Original Flame, and charged forward.
"Try not to die!"
She even managed to shout that as she ran.
The soldier could only sigh bitterly as he threw himself back into the fray.
———
Of course, the one who had come charging in to aid Nero was none other than Lin Qi.
After sprinting downhill at full speed, he had quickly switched to a stealthier approach—fully aware of his own strengths.
He slipped into the melee with minimal disturbance, dispatching any soldier who blocked his path in quick, silent strikes. Soon, his gaze locked onto the open clearing where two figures were clashing.
Timing his move precisely, Lin Qi activated both of his special abilities. His acceleration burst forward—and with the second ability, his presence itself faded, mimicking the effect of Presence Concealment.
In a flash, Lin Qi shot forward like a shadowy blur—like a black rat darting through grass—his flag's pointed tip aimed straight ahead.
His speed and approach were both so sudden and underhanded that by the time the flag's tip was almost touching Caligula's chest, the Berserker hadn't even noticed.
Of course, part of that was because Caligula's attention was fixed entirely on Nero.
Splrch!
The flag's spearpoint pierced flesh, and for a fleeting moment Lin Qi could almost hear something shattering inside.
He had struck true—straight through Caligula's heart, the very core of a Servant's Saint Graph.
By all logic, it should've been a fatal blow.
But Lin Qi had celebrated too early—and underestimated a Berserker's sheer vitality.
The momentum of his charge drove the flag clean through Caligula's body, even pushing him back over a hundred meters.
Yet within moments, Caligula's hand clamped down on the embedded shaft. With brute strength alone, he stopped himself mid-retreat, gouging twin trenches into the dirt beneath his feet.
Blood dripped from his lips. He roared in fury—and, ignoring the weapon lodged in his chest, lunged straight toward Lin Qi, intent on tearing him apart.
Dodge!
Lin Qi's heart lurched. He hastily triggered his special ability.
In that instant, the weight in his hands lightened, and their figures crossed—Caligula's attack meeting nothing but air.
Lin Qi reappeared safely behind him.
"Huff..."
Lin Qi readjusted his stance and centered his breathing.
"Despicable... interloper...!"
Caligula bellowed, enraged that this meddler had interrupted his touching reunion with his niece. Without another thought, he bent his knees, leapt into the air, and brought both fists down like a hammer.
Given Caligula's monstrous parameters, Lin Qi had no doubt that one clean hit would flatten him into paste.
He dropped two Black Keys at his feet and activated his first special ability, vanishing from the spot.
BOOM!
Caligula crashed down, smashing the ground into a crater. The runic Black Keys detonated in a burst of fire.
Lin Qi had hoped it would at least slow him down—but to his dismay, the Berserker charged straight through the flames and smoke without hesitation.
His body was marked with fresh cuts from the exploding shards—some fragments still embedded in his flesh—yet Caligula didn't seem to care.
With explosive momentum, he closed the distance again, his iron fists swinging down.
Lin Qi barely managed to raise his flagpole in defense.
CLANG!
The impact made the flag tremble violently; a sharp jolt shot up Lin Qi's arms, nearly wrenching the weapon from his grasp.
Seriously—how much punishment can a Servant take?!
He stole a glance at Caligula's chest mid-fight—the wound was undeniably fatal.
Then why did it feel like this guy was only getting more energized?
Were you holding back against Nero and saving your full strength for me?!
...