"I have returned!"
After the Duel, Nero reappeared before the group. Everyone in the Prisma Illya World was already aware of the incident at Chaldea, and they had gathered around the affected Nero and Illya. Then, Nero had suddenly vanished.
Aside from Prisma Illya and Miyu, the others were used to this kind of disappearance. They just hadn't known Jiang You had added Nero to his Deck. Now, with Nero's sudden, energetic return, everyone's attention immediately snapped to her.
For some reason, the other Heroic Spirits remained unusually silent, simply staring at Nero without a word.
"Miss Nero, are you alright now?"
Sensing the strange atmosphere, Prisma Illya decided to break the silence. From her perspective, Nero's current state clearly indicated that Jiang You had gained the upper hand; otherwise, she wouldn't look so relaxed.
Just as Prisma Illya was about to step forward to ask for details, Medusa quickly pulled her back, shielding her.
"Don't go near her!"
The sudden tension startled Prisma Illya, and she quickly hid behind Medusa.
"Who are you?"
The Heroic Spirits had all noticed something off about Nero's aura—a chilling presence that made their skin crawl. It seemed Nero's very existence had changed. When you looked directly at her, she appeared the same as before, but the moment you glanced away, you felt as if some inhuman entity had taken her place. A faint, soul-trembling song seemed to emanate from this presence.
"You're not Nero!"
"Umu!" Nero beamed, as delighted as someone whose new hairstyle had been noticed at first glance. "To think you've all noticed I've changed! Of course, I must show off my new attire to everyone! I am now the God of Music, you know. Would you care for a performance? Jiang You praised it endlessly (he didn't)!"
Nero had always been a lively Servant, but after obtaining the Spirit Origin of the ever-playing Tru'nembra, this trait became even more pronounced. She also developed an even stronger desire for self-expression. In short, all her personality traits were amplified.
Next, Nero fully unleashed her current Spirit Origin. An incredibly ominous aura instantly enveloped everyone, and for some reason, they all felt the strange illusion of sitting in an audience.
"!!!"
The Servants immediately entered combat stances, drawing their weapons and deploying magic circles in an instant.
I was careless! I should have been wary of Mental Pollution this severe from the start! Medea cursed herself inwardly. She had long since identified that Nero and Illya were suffering from Mental Pollution. She should have established a territory here back then to prevent her allies from undergoing such a transformation. She could sense that Nero's Spirit Origin was now immense; even if all of them combined, they might not be a match for her.
"Why are you all so on guard?"
Nero didn't fully understand what the entity within her Spirit Origin truly was, so she couldn't comprehend everyone's reaction. She was mostly focused on the title "God of Music."
"Don't react so strongly to my singing, please! I'm quite confident in it. Just one verse, how about letting me sing just one verse?"
Medea turned to the others and immediately began preparing a silencing spell. "You all remember how Gudako described Nero's singing back then, right?"
Everyone nodded in unison. Gudako's expression at the time had been far too genuine to be an act. They wouldn't have chosen to listen even to a normal Nero, let alone this version.
"...She just said Jiang You praised her singing, didn't she?"
Medusa pinpointed the crucial detail, earning a series of enthusiastic nods from Nero. Medusa's expression grew incredibly grave.
"In that case, I fear Jiang You has fallen victim to it as well. When he reappears, he might also be..."
"Don't be so pessimistic," White Lancer Artoria interjected, needing to maintain everyone's morale. "My existence in this world is sustained by Jiang You's Noble Phantasm. If something truly happened to him, we would have been dismissed instantly."
"Besides, Jiang You isn't an ordinary Heroic Spirit. With Tiamat's help, most crises pose no threat to them, so you can rest assured."
But Nero's mutation had occurred after being summoned by Jiang You's card. Medea ultimately didn't dare voice this thought. If Jiang You also had a problem, the situation would be utterly hopeless—the disaster would extend far beyond just one or two worlds.
"You're all making me angry!"
Nero's willful nature was also part of her personality. Believing everyone was doubting her singing, she grew visibly displeased.
The three Heroic Spirits exchanged glances and nodded simultaneously. Although it might destroy the hotel, they couldn't afford to hold back against such an opponent. They had to end this quickly. Then, the three Servants launched their attacks at once.
Medusa took the role of crowd control. While her chains weren't a famous Noble Phantasm, they were more than capable of briefly restricting the enemy's movements, especially in such a confined space.
Medea, in her support role, instantly erected a silencing barrier to block all sound.
Simultaneously, she hurled several Curse Spells at Nero. The hastily prepared spells weren't particularly potent, but their main purpose was to catch her by surprise.
White Lancer Artoria, as the main damage dealer, immediately unleashed her Holy Lance. Golden magical power flooded the entire room in an instant. There wasn't enough time to activate her Noble Phantasm, so she instead channeled all her strength into a full-power Mana Burst. The Holy Lance was a top-tier weapon, and combined with her thrust, anyone struck without a defensive Noble Phantasm would be instantly defeated. And Nero herself possessed no powerful defensive Noble Phantasms.
Seeing her companions attack her just to stop her from singing, Nero became genuinely furious. She resolved to prove herself—she was the God of Music, after all! "All of you, sit quietly in the audience! I possess a part of a King, and thus, the magnanimity of a King. Therefore, I extend an invitation to you! Come and listen to a song that transcends all words, a ballad for the Eternal Dreamer—Golden Theater Beyond Time!"
A palace—if one could even call it that—descended.
It was less a palace and more a profound darkness. Then, stars converged, and star clusters, along with unknown things, formed a magnificent theater. On the seat of the theater's master(?), there was an ancient stone bed. Beneath a curtain of stars, an unknown being slumbered. Unfortunately, no matter what method was used, it was impossible to discern the true form of the being behind—perhaps it was humanoid? Or perhaps it was formless Chaos.
"Now, let the unending concert begin!"
Nero's attire transformed into a formal gown, but this gown seemed to spread and churn across the stage like a dense fog.
"Of course, it won't actually be unending. I'll just sing one song."