"—Heroic King. Tell me, wasn't there a legend that the moon has the power to drive the hearts of men to madness?"
"Indeed. The moon is often defined as the very incarnation of insanity. Countless souls have fallen into ruin because of it. —Is something on your mind, Ea?"
"—If this entire incident is a manifestation of madness—both for ourselves and for others..."
"—Oh?"
"—Then our own motivations are tainted by it. And for that reason, you have driven the other heroes to madness as well. Using dango and moon-viewing as a pretext to bewitch everyone, all to stage this grand chaos just to lure us—to lure the Master here..."
(Oho! It feels like we're finally closing in on the truth!)
"—This power to drive even disciplined samurai and holy saints into a frenzy of worldly greed... it is surely—"
"The work of a 'God.' Hmph. So, the truth finally reveals itself. There is only one man capable of casting such a shadow."
"—Yes! All that remains is his motive! Why on earth would he steal the dango? We'll have to demand the answer directly from him—!"
Back at Chaldea
"Calm down, Sister! Stop thrashing! Calm down!"
"Let go of me! Let go! I've always done everything for the children! For the children—!"
"Is she having another fit, Achilles?"
"Teacher, help me stop her! Getting desperate isn't going to solve anything!"
"Why must I face nothing but trials...?! This isn't what 'Crossing Arcadia' was supposed to mean—!!"
"Nobubu, Nobu!"
"NO-BBU!"
"Nobu! Nobubu!"
"How do you like it, brats?! My cutting-edge band, comprised entirely of Me—the All-Nobu Rock! It's rock, isn't it?! It's totally rock!"
"Gunuuu... Rock! As a Celt, I cannot let this insult stand...!"
"It's incredibly noisy, but it's also incredibly fun!"
"I want to... take it apart!"
"So... lively."
"Exactly, exactly! Feel this soul that burns even through tears! Feel the rhythm! YEAH!!"
"Have they stopped crying? ...That's what matters most."
"All that's left is to settle the bill, I suppose?"
"Look, Nefertari! I'm going to do a magic trick~"
"Oh...!"
"—Hmph..."
Something Equal to Hatred and Wrath
"UOOOOOH! DANGOOOO!! KNEAD THEEEEEEEM!!!!"
In a wasteland under the French moon, the terrifying, ghastly roar of an Emperor beloved by the moon echoed across the fields.
His name was Caligula. The Roman Emperor etched into human history as both a wise ruler and a tyrant. Well, "Great Rome" covers many things.
"Hm, your appetite is truly worthy of Rome as well. Yes, I understand your feelings and your motives perfectly! These dango are packed with passion! Round, smooth, yet with a chewy texture that truly satisfies! Yes, yes, magnificent!"
Savoring the treats beside him was another pillar of Rome. The man who laid the foundation of the Empire, the Great Julius Caesar. He was tossing dango into his mouth like an automatic washing machine, basking in the joy of the snack.
Beside them sat a literal mountain of dango. These were, without a doubt, the stolen goods from Chaldea. The King's property, and the crystallization of Jalter's hatred and passion.
"UOOOOOOOOOH! FA-T-T-YYYYYYYYY!!!"
"I am not fat, I am voluptuous! However, it is a tragedy that even Cleopatra has not been summoned. A tragedy of the highest order. The moon and the dango would have surely shone brighter if she were here to gaze upon them with me..."
The massive pile of dango—it was the ultimate prize.
From a distance, Gilgamesh observed them with his Clairvoyance. He relayed the situation to the group.
"Do not attempt to trade words with those men. That man moved all of Rome with his eloquence alone. If you stand on the same stage as him, you will have no chance of victory."
Rikka nodded honestly at the King's warning. While she might be able to make friends through words, when it came to out-talking someone, she was no match for a Heroic Spirit of his caliber.
『Gil is right. His eloquence is a type of mental attack. He's the kind of master orator who could talk about stocks and have you signing a contract before you realize it. If you're trying to be friendly, that's one thing, but give up on trying to out-argue him. Especially Caesar—he never makes a move that doesn't benefit him.』
Olga Marie backed the warning. Having dealt with him as an instructor, she knew the power of his vocabulary and his ability to incite others. "In some ways, he's more troublesome than a sword," the experienced Director warned.
"Did you suffer actual damages?"
『A few vases... I-I mean, never mind! Anyway, you have a terrible matchup this time. Since conversation won't work on Emperor Caligula either, you'll have to go in like savages.』
"Fuhaha, my disciple's words are full of wisdom. Did you hear that, Alter? You're quite fond of using force to end an argument, aren't you? Even if you've been split from the Saint, that part hasn't changed. Burn them to your heart's content."
"You're annoying! The way you say that is so annoying! Even if it's true! ...Ready, Rikka?"
Rikka and Jalter nodded to each other. This time, the sword would speak louder than the tongue.
"Let's go! Commencing guerrilla operations! At least... at least we'll do a frontal assault!"
"—Manners are important, after all. Very important. Even war has rules."
(Because breaking them is scary when you lose! Well, we won't lose, though!)
"Indeed. A failure to adapt is a disgrace that deserves punishment. Now, shall we proceed with the rightful reclamation?"
The three leaped out before the two Great Emperors!
"That's far enough!! Those dango are something I made by burning my own hatred! I'm not giving them to the likes of you, so stop eating! And this has nothing to do with Rome!!"
Jalter asserted her rightful ownership while brandishing her banner. Caligula reacted to one specific word.
"—? Not... Rome? Rome... is not... dango? But the Great Caesar is... round... What... does this mean...?"
"It doesn't mean anything! Don't group me in with circular objects! ...Tch. Interrupting a blissful meal. How bothersome. Truly, truly bothersome."
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