The young woman stood high atop the streetlamp, clad in dazzling golden armor, radiating palpable killing intent. Standing bolt upright on the ground like a javelin, the girl’s clear eyes burned with fighting spirit.

On one side, the Gate of Babylon, filled with treasures like scattered stars; on the other, a greatsword of deep crimson wreathed in flames. The King of Heroes, Gilgamesh, and the tyrant of ancient Rome, Nero, the two Servants positioned at the forefront, clashed head-on.

Even the Hero King, who regarded the world with disdain, dared not treat Nero lightly. Merely through the resonance between Servants, she could sense that this was no opponent to be easily defeated.

And Nero felt the same; though the opponent appeared to be an underdeveloped little girl, the pressure emanating from her was unprecedentedly heavy… The two merely stared at each other, and the surrounding air seemed to freeze solid… Sparks sputtered from the shattered streetlamps tangled in the wires along the street. The battle between the two was imminent… But, just at that moment— “Hmph.

I’ll spare you this time, Cow.” Suddenly, the petite Hero King lowered her hand, and the countless Noble Phantasms arrayed around her instantly dimmed their brilliance, vanishing without a trace. Although anger still contorted her face, the murderous aura in her flushed eyes had receded.

Only her proud demeanor remained unshaken as she looked down upon Nero from on high. “Next time, I’ll definitely beat you until you’re kneeling and licking my shoes!” After shouting this final declaration, the girl’s materialized form vanished.

The golden armor lost its texture, leaving behind only residual light before disappearing completely. After the Hero King vanished, Nero lowered the deep crimson greatsword in her hand and let out a gentle breath.

Although she didn't know why the other party suddenly retreated, for the first time, she held no intention of pursuing… That girl was the strongest enemy she had ever encountered; she wasn't confident of victory, or perhaps the likelihood of defeat was higher. The battle ended just like that.

Gilgamesh, that tsundere loli, had withdrawn unexpectedly, throwing a tantrum and leaving mysteriously. But since she was gone, Lin Luo certainly wasn't going to seek her out for trouble.

For him, there was no immediate need to fight this loli; the most important thing now was to stall the Holy Grail War. “Nero.” Lin Luo called out softly.

The red-clad girl slowly walked to his side, looking him up and down. “What are you looking at?” Lin Luo felt inexplicably scrutinized, thinking he had developed spots on his face.

“MASTER, it seems you’ve provoked another formidable enemy this time, hahahaha…” The girl first spoke gravely, then suddenly burst into laughter, wearing an expression of smug schadenfreude. “…” Lin Luo felt quite speechless and retorted, “You’re not confident?” “Hmph,” Nero immediately snorted haughtily.

“I am the King of the World; how could I lack confidence? When I catch that underdeveloped brat next time, I’ll definitely spank her bottom!

However…” Here, her expression darkened again, and she focused intently, “However, that person seems incredibly difficult to deal with. If we truly engaged her, our chances of winning don’t seem high.” “…” Lin Luo had no response.

One moment she was talking about spanking the sparkling loli, the next she was saying she couldn’t beat her. Well, he supposed it was just the contradiction typical of girls.

“Let’s not discuss this for now. We might not even cross paths anyway.

Let’s head back.” Lin Luo said, waving his hand, ready to return home. Nero nodded and followed behind Lin Luo.

But after walking a short distance, she glanced back towards where the Hero King had been standing. She had an intuition… that a battle with that girl was inevitable.

At the same time, inside the Tohsaka residence. “Tohsaka Tokiomi, you bastard, interfering with my battles again and again!

You’re getting bolder and bolder!” The small Hero King sat upon a golden chair, glaring furiously at the man beside her. “My King, please calm your rage.” Tohsaka Tokiomi stood respectfully to the side, speaking with a hint of excitement.

“The Holy Grail War has only just begun; it is not appropriate to reveal your full strength now. Going all out is out of the question.” “Hmph!

Does this King need you to remind me how to conduct myself? A mere cow is hardly worthy of me expending my full power…” The girl’s anger had not fully subsided.

Finally, she seemed unable to sit still on the chair, jumping up abruptly. Then, without another word, she vanished from the room, and the golden chair she had been sitting on disappeared along with her.

“Sigh,” Tohsaka Tokiomi sighed heavily. Because the other party was a Hero from ancient legend, he did not treat her as a mere familiar or a tool, but granted the King of Heroes the utmost respect.

But… had Gilgamesh already approached the maximum limit he could tolerate so quickly? A Servant who forcibly possesses the Independent Action skill and does not rely on their Master can only be controlled through Command Spells.

These are mandatory commands that can only be used three times. To have Gilgamesh, who shows no respect for her Master, as a Servant, those three uses of the mandatory command are extremely precious, but— Tohsaka Tokiomi looked down at the back of his hand; only one Command Spell remained.

The Holy Grail War had only just begun, yet accidents kept happening, each more shocking than the last. He absolutely could not reveal his full power at a time like this.

Moreover, that red SABER was clearly not someone to be taken lightly; her power was no less than that of the white SABER. If a formal battle commenced with this red SABER, even if Gilgamesh won, her true identity would definitely be exposed, putting her in danger of being known by the other MASTERS.

Besides, was there truly a need to fight this Servant of completely unknown origin? … It was only the first day of the Holy Grail War, and Tohsaka Tokiomi had already used two Command Spells.

This meant that the last Command Spell absolutely could not be used until he achieved ultimate victory. “Lin Luo, what role are you truly playing in this Holy Grail War?” Staring up at the empty ceiling, Tohsaka Tokiomi murmured softly.

… “Now then, let me introduce her. This is my Servant, SABER.” After meeting with Mikoto Rin and the others at the inn, Lin Luo gestured towards Nero as he introduced her.

“Th-This is…” Seeing two people who looked exactly alike, the three girls from the A Certain Magical Index world were not overly surprised. Given the existence of the Misaka clones, they had seen plenty of identical people.

However, Rin and Lily were completely stunned, pointing at Nero and struggling to speak, “She, could she also be…?” “No, she is not Artoria, but the Roman Emperor Nero,” Lin Luo said with a smile, knowing what they were thinking. “Nero, the ancient Roman tyrant who predates Artoria,” Rin said, visibly moved.

Even Lily’s eyes flashed with a hint of surprise; as it happened, Nero had a slight connection to her. “Tyrant…” Upon hearing Rin’s words, Nero frowned, a fleeting shadow of melancholy crossing her eyes.

But this momentary wistfulness went unseen by anyone, and then she burst into laughter, “Hahahaha! The Ruler of Rome, the King of the World, is me!” “…” Everyone unanimously found her incredibly arrogant.

Ignoring the self-proclaimed King of the World for the moment, Rin’s gaze swept between Nero and Lily, filled with confusion. “But speaking of which, why do they look exactly the same?” She could understand if Lily looked identical to the genuine Artoria, since the two could practically be considered the same person, but the King of Heroes and the Roman Emperor were worlds apart.

“It’s very normal for people to resemble each other,” Lin Luo explained, though his inner thoughts were different: Of course they are the same, they come from the same company, and both were feminized by the same person. “Exactly the same?

Are you kidding?” Nero disagreed with Rin’s assessment. She pointed towards a certain area on Lily’s chest, “Look at her, then look at me.

Where are we the same? We are completely different!

Hahahaha…” “What do you mean by that?” Although she didn't explicitly name it, everyone could tell what Nero was referring to, especially with her smug laughter that greatly annoyed Lily. “I mean nothing.

I’m just stating a fact,” Nero didn't elaborate, only smiling. “You…” Lily was so angry she almost drew her sword.

“Alright, alright, you are all comrades. Don’t get angry over small things right now, Lily, calm down…” Seeing this, Lin Luo quickly stepped in to restrain her.

He couldn't have these two starting an internal war when they were surrounded by powerful enemies. Then he pointed at the Tyrant, standing tall with her chest thrust out.

“And Nero, tone it down a little.” “Hmph,” Lily shot Nero a resentful glare before walking aside to sit down, refusing to look at her again. Nero, however, sat down at another spot, laughing carefree.

Lin Luo couldn't help but sigh; indeed… the conflict of cup sizes has been irreconcilable since ancient times. It’s a truth.

“Well, since one has been introduced, there’s no need to hide the other one.” Seeing the two seemingly in a cold war, Lin Luo felt the atmosphere needed to be eased, and only one person was best suited for that task. “There’s another one?” Rin looked at him as if he were a monster.

“Yeah, come out, little SABER.” Lin Luo smiled, and then… a small figure stood upon the table. “Wow, what is this… so cute!” The moment little SABER appeared, everyone except Lin Luo and the two Heroic Spirits froze for less than half a second before rushing to the table to surround little SABER.

“W-What are you doing…?” Surprised by the immediate attention, little SABER showed a fearful expression. “Is this really the Servant SABER?” Rin asked, looking at her with doubt.

“Don’t use ‘this,’ I’m not cargo, that’s rude!” little SABER’s face was filled with indignation, but she quickly realized that the onlookers weren't trying to harm her, but rather seemed very curious. She couldn't help but start showing off, “But you have some insight, so I won’t blame you.

You’re right, I am the strongest SABER among the Servants.” “Hey, hey, shorty, I can’t pretend not to hear you claiming to be the strongest,” Nero immediately objected upon hearing this and stood up from her seat nearby. “Indeed.

Even I cannot ignore such a statement,” the Perfect Knight King also turned her gaze over. “Uh…” Sensing the imposing pressure from the two, little SABER felt immense pressure and showed a hint of timidity in her eyes.

She instinctively looked around before quickly flying onto Lin Luo’s head. Raising her head and puffing out her chest, her expression was even prouder than the sparkling loli’s.

“Hmph, what’s the big deal? So what if they’re slightly larger than me?

What’s so great about that?” After speaking, little SABER turned her head away with an air of disdain. That one is so arrogant… Nero and Lily exchanged a look, instantly understanding the meaning in the other’s eyes.

Likewise, Lin Luo was utterly speechless. This little thing clearly saw him as her backer and was deliberately using his head to make bold statements.

“Lin Luo…” Just then, the door to the innermost room suddenly opened. Rei stood at the doorway, rubbing her eyes.

Everyone immediately turned to look. “Who are these people?” Rei asked, completely bewildered by the crowd standing in the room.

She couldn’t figure out why there were so many people here just because she had taken a nap. “Well, this…” Lin Luo scratched his head, unsure how to explain.

He glanced at Mikoto and the others, only to find them snorting coldly and turning their heads away immediately, clearly unwilling to explain for him. “…” Lin Luo realized he’d have to handle it himself.

“Um, Rei…” “Ah, little SABER!” Before Lin Luo could finish speaking, Rei spotted the strongest Servant perched on his head and instantly forgot her previous questions, rushing forward to join the circle of onlookers. Seeing this, Lin Luo didn't hesitate for a second and immediately placed little SABER back on the table.

It wasn't that he couldn't tolerate little SABER acting cocky on his head, but rather that all seven pairs of eyes—fourteen gazes—in the room were focused on him. Although they were looking at little SABER, he still felt immense pressure.

“Wow, what are you doing? Don’t touch me!” little SABER’s dissatisfied voice came from the table.

It couldn't be helped; she was too adorable, and everyone couldn't resist reaching out to touch her. Once one person made a move, the others naturally followed suit… Seeing them like this, Lin Luo didn't interrupt.

In fact, letting little SABER divert their attention was exactly what he wanted. He glanced at Nero and Lily, suddenly realizing that due to the urgency of the situation, he hadn't checked their data yet.

Checking now would be good for planning future actions. So, he immersed his consciousness deep into his mind once more, commanding, Open the Book of Contracts… Sure enough, right behind little SABER’s entry, was Nero’s information.

Special Contractee: Nero Race: Heroic Spirit Status: Normal Gender: Female Alignment: Lawful Neutral Strength: A Mana: A Endurance: B Luck: A Agility: A Noble Phantasm: A++ Abilities: Magic Resistance: C. Cannot defend against large-scale magecraft, ritual spells, etc.

Charisma: EX. Skills that she shouldn't possess can be temporarily acquired based on her own declaration.

Applicable skills include Riding, Swordsmanship, Art, Military Tactics, Strategy, etc. (Comprehensive strength above S-rank allows for the acquisition of Divinity).

Headache: B. A curse inherited from birth.

Due to chronic headaches, the possibility of being significantly affected by mental skills is reduced. Her rare artistic talent is also hampered by this skill.

Realm/Boundary: EX. (Insufficient rank for query) Noble Phantasm: Ur-Nagan (Primordial Fire), B Noble Phantasm: The Epic of Gilgamesh (Book of Unnamed Rituals), A+ Noble Phantasm: Theater of Golden Splendor, EX Reason for Special Contractee Generation: Current contractor's rank is insufficient for query.

Nero’s stats were excellent and powerful; basic stats aside, an EX-rank Noble Phantasm—this was truly… The only drawback was that using this Noble Phantasm caused headaches, which seemed like a fatal flaw. The only thing Lin Luo couldn't understand was the ‘Realm/Boundary’ entry.

What was that? It reached EX-rank!

Could it be that legendary BUG ability Nero possessed that functioned like Instinct, Golden Rule, and Eternal Arms Mastery combined? Lin Luo was somewhat confused, but… never mind, the truth would surface later.

Next was Lily… Although Lily wasn't directly his contracted Servant, she was attached to Rin, so Lily’s status panel was visible right next to Rin’s. SABER (White) Race: Phantasmal Species Status: Normal Gender: Female Alignment: Lawful Good Strength: A Mana: A Endurance: A Luck: A+ Agility: A Noble Phantasm: A++ Abilities: Magic Resistance: A.

No magecraft can inflict harm upon her. Riding: A.

Possesses near-perfect control over most mounts. Instinct: A.

During combat, can continuously 'read' the most advantageous next move, halving the effectiveness of visual and auditory interference from enemies. Mana Burst: A.

Imbues weapons or her own body with mana, magnifying the effect through instantaneous release. Charisma: A.

Talent for commanding and leading large armies; this rank represents the highest level of human charisma achievable. Noble Phantasm: Excalibur (Sword in the Stone), B Noble Phantasm: King's Authority, A+ Noble Phantasm: ???, ???

(Cannot be queried) … In terms of basic stats, Lily was even more exaggerated than Nero, with all stats reaching A, and even one A+! Furthermore, all her other retained skills were also A-rank.

What could he say? She truly was the idealized King Arthur; absurdly strong, no further explanation needed.

But thinking about it carefully, even the genuine SABER under Emiya Kiritsugu had three A-ranks. For Rin, whose magical energy far surpassed Kiritsugu’s, to have an idealized Knight King under her command, having such stats wasn't strange at all.

After reviewing Lily’s attributes, Lin Luo finally understood why she could engage the Berserker in close combat. With these stats, even if it wasn't Lancelot, she might not be at a disadvantage even against Bessy (Heracles)… However, attributes were just data.

Even if Lily’s stats were slightly superior, Lancelot possessed Innocent Monster (Infinite Martial Arts), and relying on that bizarre ability, he could easily double all his attributes. He could understand everything else, but Lily’s second Noble Phantasm left Lin Luo puzzled.

Since her Noble Phantasm rank was A++, her final Noble Phantasm must be ranked higher than A++ to be on par with the previous two. This meant her last Noble Phantasm was… EX?