"[Romulus Quirinus] can only be Special Summoned from the hand when there is a Beast Servant on your opponent's field! This summon cannot be negated! Furthermore, it cannot be destroyed by effects! Rome shall reach the heavens! I shall end your sins! I Special Summon—Me (Rome)!"
Romulus raised the card high, the overwhelming aura of a Grand Servant manifesting within.
All of the Seven Hills resounded with his name, a roaring tide of voices heralding the descent of the Grand.
[Romulus Quirinus] – Level 12 Lancer, ATK 4000
"Let it be unleashed from my very limbs—the power of the gods, the radiance of the heavens. A force that shall reach beyond the stars—"
The golden supreme deity, Quirinus, descended from the sky, arms outstretched as if to embrace all of Rome, filling the heavens with his divinity. His luminous spears, embodying eternal progress and the brilliance of humanity, rained down like a tempest.
"Our arms shall expand all—unto the skies!"
With Romulus's thunderous roar, his Noble Phantasm—manifesting the very concept of civilization's expansion—descended from the firmament. Supreme divinity, supreme power, inescapable, unstoppable.
Amidst the blinding golden radiance, all enemies were annihilated.
And then, the golden city of Rome stood tall.
"[Romulus Quirinus]'s Summon is successful! All Servants on the opponent's field are destroyed!"
The Beast's frontlines were completely wiped out, their equipped cards sent to the Graveyard along with them. Now, only [Gate of Babylon] and two set cards remained on their field.
"You've lost." Romulus crossed his arms, staring at the Beast. "The world is filled with the radiance of humanity's romance, yet you, who devour humanity for your own desires, trample upon that romance! Ugly Beast, perish here! Humanity has already surpassed this trial!"
"I told you, I'm not a Beast! Also, the duel isn't over yet! I activate [Species Genesis]—I Special Summon two Level 4 or lower Servant cards from my Graveyard with their effects negated! I'll revive these two generic faces—[Macedonian Phalanx] and [Waver]!"
[Macedonian Phalanx] – DEF 800[Waver] – DEF 600
"Seriously, how long is this going to drag on? I still have work to do!" Waver grumbled, hiding his face behind a stack of documents as if trying to escape his perpetual employment. He had been dragged into these duels way too often and could already foresee his overworked demise.
"You think stalling with defense will save you? Futile. My attacks can pierce through defenses and inflict double battle damage!" The sheer battle strength of Grand Lancer was terrifying—any Servant with less than 2000 ATK or DEF might as well not exist. "Entering Battle Phase! I attack [Waver]!"
A crimson magical current surged from the wings on Romulus's golden armor, and though his attack had yet to land, the sheer pressure was suffocating. The documents shielding Waver's face were shredded by the overwhelming force alone.
"Could you, uh, ease up a little—" Before Waver could finish, Romulus's fist was already incoming. This was a Grand Servant's strike—his vision darkened, and a massive "DEAD" character seemed to slowly overtake his field of view.
"Wait a second! Waver, don't be so scared—I won't let him hurt you. I'm such a kindhearted duelist, aren't I~?" The Beast placed a hand over their last set card. "I activate [Tunguska Explosion]! Destroy all cards on the field!"
"So when you said you wouldn't let him hurt me, what you really meant was you'd kill me first?" Waver deadpanned. "…Fine, whatever. I need to get back to work anyway."
"It's useless! I already told you—[Romulus Quirinus] cannot be destroyed by effects!" Romulus declared as the crimson meteor plummeted from the sky, its devastating power capable of obliterating everything.
"Exactly. Since you can't be destroyed… what cards can be?" The Beast giggled softly, tilting their head as they began counting on their fingers.
"[Throne of Quirinus]""[City of the Seven Hills]""[Gate of Babylon]""[Species Genesis]""[Macedonian Phalanx]""[Waver]"
"Made in—oh, wait, that one's got something weird in its DNA. That makes six total." The Beast playfully tapped their lip with a finger, batting their eyelashes. "And [Tunguska Explosion] deals 500 damage per destroyed card to both players."
"!!!!" Romulus finally realized what the Beast was planning.
"Your LP is at 2700, and mine is at 3500! Sure, I can't take down Grand Lancer… but I can take down you."
The Beast's playful demeanor melted away, revealing a savage, unhinged grin, eyes glinting with feral intensity. Their lips curled so wide it nearly split their face in half. "I've been waiting for this moment!"
The crimson meteor continued its descent, its searing heat enough to evaporate lakes.
"The pinnacle of Heroic Spirits! Grand Lancer! The concept of a Chief God! Romulus Quirinus! Perish here! The victor is me! The one who overcomes this trial—is me! Take this 3000 points of direct damage!"
"No! Rome has not fallen!" The final card in Romulus's hand began to glow. "Romulus Quirinus may have fallen, but you have not won."
"I am Rome, but Rome is not only me! Caesar, Caligula, Nero—they are Rome as well! As long as Rome endures, humanity's enemy shall never take another step forward! I activate Quick-Play Spell [ROME!!!]!"
Romulus raised both arms to the heavens, his voice echoing across the Seven Hills.
"This card can only be activated when a Servant with 'Rome' in its name is on the field! Its effect can only be used once per duel, and it cannot be negated! I Special Summon as many Roman Servants from my Graveyard as possible! Come forth, Kings of Rome—my successors! Charge against humanity's enemy!"
Caesar, Caligula, and Nero returned, crying out "Rome!" as they stood alongside Romulus against the coming cataclysm.
"The total number of destroyed cards is now nine—that's 4500 damage in total! Beast! Fall together with Rome! Consider it an honor!"
A cataclysmic explosion shook the heavens and earth.
-
(Unrelated to the Main Story)
Waver sat dazed at his desk, staring at the empty space before him.
"WHERE ARE MY DOCUMENTS!?" he howled.
-
(Note: Caesar, Caligula, and Nero all technically have "King of Rome" prefixes, but omitting them doesn't change the context. Everyone knows they're Roman Servants.)