Era of Heroic Spirits: I Was Exposed by Alaya

"It was clearly this king who found Nameless first!"

"Bastard, how can a berserk beast like you be so sure that Souma is Nameless?"

"Don't tell me your brain is entirely made of muscle?"

For a moment, Gilgamesh was utterly dumbfounded.

How could this ordinary high school student possibly matter to Heracles, a being of such overwhelming, berserk strength?

Under normal circumstances, even if Souma stood right in front of him, he wouldn't warrant the slightest bit of attention.

Yet now, Heracles was opening the door for Souma at his own home!

This was beyond absurd!

At the same time.

Heracles glared sharply at the other man. "Why are you here?"

His hostility and wariness were unmistakable.

If the King of Heroes had managed to find this place, it was obvious he had recognized Souma as Nameless.

Which meant he also knew Illya would be coming!

The greatest threat to his daughter!

"???"

The sheer casualness of the question left Gilgamesh completely bewildered.

This was his damn best friend's house—so why did it feel like you were the one in charge now?

Did this king come here to eat your rice or something?

"Hmph, were you following me?"

Heracles' gaze grew even colder.

Let's not forget—this King of Heroes possessed Clairvoyance, along with the [Sha Naqba Imuru], making it all too easy for him to track someone.

Frankly, no one in the world could escape his surveillance.

This bastard absolutely needed to be kept under close watch!

As for him knowing Souma?

What a joke.

One was the King of Heroes, with the [Gate of Babylon] at his disposal, able to obtain anything he desired.

How could he possibly mistake an ordinary high school student for Nameless, the guardian of human history?

Even if Souma walked right past him, he wouldn't spare him a second glance!

"Hmph, this king was about to ask if you were the one following me!"

Gilgamesh's crimson eyes sharpened with equal intensity.

As a king, his natural arrogance and dominance brooked no disrespect from anyone.

Just then.

Roya came running over, surprised. "Oh, Mr. Gold is here? Welcome, welcome!"

This guy was an insanely rich tycoon.

Rumor had it he came from the Middle East—so wealthy it made her green with envy.

Those people were all loaded, each richer than the last, buying up everything in sight across the globe.

But wait—one was Illya's senior, who supposedly took up a job hauling bricks at a construction site.

The other was a super-rich tycoon. So why did these two seem so hostile toward each other?

Instantly, Roya's mind conjured up a dramatic soap opera-worthy scenario.

Had Mr. Gold, in his flashy sports car, stolen Mr. Basaka's girlfriend?

That kind of thing happened all the time in TV dramas and novels.

[I'd rather cry in a BMW than laugh on the back of a bicycle.]

Scary. So scary!

Ahem—she was probably overthinking it.

Roya glanced at Basaka's towering frame, then at Mr. Gold in his casual attire.

If that were the case, given Basaka's strength as a brick-hauling powerhouse, he would've already punched the guy into orbit.

Still, guests were guests. Might as well be hospitable.

"You know, I've always thought Basaka would make a perfect Hercules. And Mr. Gold, with that rich-guy aura, would totally nail the role of King Gilgamesh in a cosplay."

Roya quickly changed the subject, looking at the two with a smile. "We're planning to go to the comic convention. How about you two cosplay as something?"

???

Gilgamesh and Heracles both froze.

This girl clearly had issues, right?

She could subconsciously see through their disguises, and yet claimed she didn't have Clairvoyance?

"By the way, Illya will be coming too. With you all together, it'll be absolutely perfect!"

Roya was already scheming in her mind.

The convention was hosting a Servant cosplay contest where you could win money for the most accurate portrayal!

Bringing along the handsome "Golden Boy" and the muscular Basaka would be simply perfect.

"Are you serious?"

Heracles frowned deeply, his usual gentle and honest demeanor instantly turning icy cold.

If he didn't know she was completely clueless, he would've already punched her.

Truly the troublemaker Souma had warned about.

Her ability to stir up trouble was extraordinary!

She actually wanted him and Illya to reenact that tragic scene where he, having lost his sanity in a berserk state, was slaughtered by the King of Heroes while trying to protect Illya.

Adding insult to injury?

Are you fucking kidding me? Are you some kind of Human Evil?

"How about we bring Souma along too and have him cosplay as Nameless?" Gilgamesh paused, then broke into an exceptionally pleased grin.

Amusing!

Truly amusing.

He couldn't help but smirk wildly.

This was indeed the world-ending troublemaker his bastard best friend had bound with countless chains!

In Gilgamesh's eyes, the girl was wrapped in layer upon layer of restraints.

Each chain's power rivaled that of Enkidu's Chains of Heaven—an absurdly terrifying thought.

It made him wonder: if all those restraints were released, could she single-handedly take on every Heroic Spirit?

The very idea made Gilgamesh feel slightly excited.

Wouldn't this mean fighting alongside his bastard best friend again?

At that point, given her current strength, she'd have to rely entirely on him—he could make her do whatever he wanted!

"Uh... him as Nameless?"

Roya blinked in surprise.

Two images abruptly surfaced in her mind.

One was of a domineering, god-slaying legend whose deeds were sung by thousands.

The other was of a deadbeat otaku who, aside from cooking in the kitchen while wearing a cute panda apron, spent all day lazing on the couch watching anime or playing games.

How could these two polar opposites possibly be the same person?

"That feels way too jarring... emmm."

Roya couldn't help but grimace.

If he could be called a hero, then she could single-handedly defeat every Heroic Spirit in the world!

Souma was still out shopping and hadn't returned yet.

If he were home, she'd have pointed at him and asked which part of him could possibly pass for Nameless.

"Why not give it a try?" Gilgamesh's grin widened.

Something this entertaining—why not join in?

His bastard best friend was dead set on living an ordinary life.

Too bad that was impossible.

Ever since Alaya released those videos, Gilgamesh, with his future-seeing Clairvoyance, had already sensed an impending catastrophe.

A terrifying, world-ending crisis no one could stop!

When that time came, they'd inevitably have to unite with every Heroic Spirit in the world to fight it. How could he keep hiding then?

Most importantly—

Silently protecting the world without seeking recognition might seem cool?

Bullshit. Why shouldn't he enjoy the glory and status he deserved?

Wouldn't it be better to stand at the pinnacle of the world like him, revered by all?

A person hiding in a corner, silently licking his wounds—so pitiful that even Alaya couldn't bear to watch!

Perhaps this was the reason for releasing the exposé video.

For a race, forgetting history means betrayal!

Alaya is, after all, the collective consciousness born from humanity's instinct for self-preservation.

A bastard of a best friend who protected humanity deserves to be remembered by all!

Gilgamesh suddenly had a terrifying thought:

What if Alaya also turned into a girl and pursued Nameless? What would that make their relationship?

"Fine, we can give it a try."

Roya thought for a moment before reluctantly agreeing.

As an old-school otaku, cosplaying naturally required striving for authenticity as much as possible.

The costumes for these common Heroic Spirits could all be purchased on-site—no problem at all.

"I refuse." Heracles snorted coldly.

Did they really expect him to humiliate himself in public and rub salt in his wounds? No way he'd agree.

Roya smiled slyly. "Illya is planning to go to the convention, you know. Aren't you going?"

"...Fine, I'll go."

Heracles reluctantly nodded.

He'd heard all sorts of weirdos showed up at these events. He had to stay by his daughter's side.

For my daughter, I can even defeat the King of Heroes!

...

At the convention.

Souma stared blankly at the cloak in his hands. "So... you want me to cosplay as Nameless?"

Earlier, the brat had said she wanted him to come over, claiming there was a great opportunity to make big money.

He thought the brat was up to no good again, so he rushed over in a hurry, planning to give her a good spanking.

But—

Who would've thought she actually wanted him to cosplay as Nameless? Are you kidding me?

Me, cosplaying as myself?

"Hurry up and put it on! The cosplay competition is about to start!" Roya urged.

The competition in the distance had already begun.

A crowd of people were cosplaying as Heroic Spirits, Kamen Riders, Ultraman, and the like.

The most ridiculous part? There were already tons of people cosplaying as the Nameless Heroic Spirit, each one looking impressively accurate.

Nameless, Archer, Emiya the Young Hero, Gudao, Emiya the Hero, Senji Muramasa… It was like a full family reunion of Nameless Heroic Spirit variants had descended at once.

No helping it—recently, Alaya had released a series of exposé videos, skyrocketing Nameless' popularity.

He was practically the hottest Heroic Spirit of the year.

Not only were countless guys fanatically idolizing and cosplaying him, but even a bunch of pretty girls were dressing up as Nameless.

"Fine."

Souma glanced at the massive crowd and reluctantly nodded.

With so many people around, even if he did cosplay as Nameless, no one would recognize him anyway.

A short while later—

Dressed in a white cape, a red-and-black bodysuit, and a red headband, he looked like a perfect replica—except for his black hair instead of the signature red.

"You…"

Roya let out a heavy sigh.

She knew this hopeless otaku couldn't pull off the Hero look!

How could such a cool, fiery outfit make him look like—a lifeless, washed-up loser?

The aura of a deadbeat otaku was practically oozing out of him!

She patted him on the shoulder. "Forget it. Just stick to being a househusband. I'll take care of you from now on!"

She had completely given up hope.

Might as well accept that she would be the breadwinner, treating him like a pretty boy to spoil.

"Uh… that bad?"

Souma twitched his lips.

Then he checked himself in the mirror—yep, he looked utterly lazy.

Not a trace of dominance or intensity, just your average otaku who stayed up all night binge-watching anime.

Ah… what a blissfully ordinary and unremarkable life!

A faint smile tugged at his lips.

Only in a safe, peaceful world could one afford to indulge in such mundane happiness.

Thankfully, there was no more need to fight…

Roya casually rolled her eyes. "Come on, just give it a shot. Maybe the judges are blind?"

She hadn't expected much to begin with, but this was even worse than she imagined.

Still, the grand prize was a whopping 500,000 yuan—definitely not something to pass up.

"Tch, am I really that lame?"

Souma couldn't help but roll his eyes.

Seriously, if I cosplay as myself, winning should be a piece of cake, right?

The number of contestants was absurd.

Souma was speechless.

Everywhere he looked, there were people dressed as him—more than even the past hype around Platelet, Rem, or Kanna.

It was downright ridiculous, like stepping into a Nameless Heroic Spirit wholesale factory!

Couldn't you guys at least cosplay some cute girls for eye candy?

When he finally stepped onto the judging stage—

The host gave him an apologetic look. "Sorry, contestant. You've been eliminated."

"..."

Souma fell silent.

"Not even making it past the first round of auditions, let alone winning a prize. Seriously?"

So I got eliminated just like that?

Damn it!

But it's fine. This just proves that my portrayal of an ordinary high school student is absolutely flawless. Don't I deserve a little golden statue for that?

Souma wasn't too bothered.

After all, what he sought was ordinariness.

Getting eliminated was proof that he'd succeeded!

"I knew it!" Roya gritted her teeth.

A grand prize slipped right through their fingers.

Five hundred thousand yuan—just think of how many ten-pulls that could buy! All gone in an instant.

Out of hundreds of participants, ninety percent were eliminated in the auditions.

Among the remaining ten, Souma spotted a familiar face, which left him with mixed feelings: "Miss Rin isn't playing Ishtar but instead chose to cosplay as Gudao?"

Yes, Rin Tohsaka was cosplaying as Gudao—his identity in Chaldea.

Under normal circumstances, she should have been cosplaying as the goddess Ishtar.

She wouldn't even need to dress up; it would be a natural fit.

But alas, that goddess's popularity couldn't even compare to Ereshkigal's, let alone his.

A useless, embarrassing goddess who always dropped the ball!

Maybe that's why she chose to cosplay as Gudao instead.

Honestly, she nailed it.

A perfect portrayal!

Even the flat chest was replicated flawlessly.

The beautiful hostess excitedly raised Rin's hand and announced, "Congratulations to this young lady for winning first place in the [Nameless Hero] cosplay contest! Her portrayal of Gudao is absolutely spot-on!"

"Thank you."

Rin suppressed her inner excitement.

Perfect!

Five hundred thousand yuan, just like that. She could buy a few more cheap gemstones now!

When Rin first saw Nameless appear as Gudao, she immediately noticed the uncanny resemblance—it was like a male version of herself!

Upon learning about this contest, she meticulously prepared to perfectly capture his essence.

Beside her, Sakura watched her elder sister's joyful expression, then glanced at her flat chest: "Congratulations, Sister!"

But... was this really something to celebrate?

Why did it suddenly feel a bit sad?

"Where are you looking?" Rin naturally noticed her little sister's glance.

Her eyes then drifted to Sakura's significantly more prominent assets, filling Rin with envy and resentment.

Damn it! How could there be such a huge difference between siblings born to the same parents?

"N-Nothing."

Sakura smiled gently.

Since childhood, she had idolized her sister, always following her like a loyal puppy while everyone else praised her endlessly.

She was outshone in every aspect—except this one.

And it seemed Nameless had a preference for larger figures.

Like Tiamat, whose generous proportions earned her the affectionate nickname "Mother Tiamat" worldwide...

***

Meanwhile.

At the Pantheon in the United States.

"The information war has begun. Our publication, The Seven Deadly Sins of Qin Shi Huang, is spreading like wildfire across the globe."

[Goddess of Wisdom] stated calmly. "Now, apart from China, which still reveres Qin Shi Huang, we've gradually seized control of the narrative in every other nation."

In this era of hyper-connectivity, whoever controls the narrative holds true power.

Because, you can twist death into life, white into black.

Even murder and arson can be justified as the victim's fault.

As for the truth?

No one cares.

The United States Council of Gods, which had dominated the world for over a century, had held absolute authority from the very beginning.

The Council of Gods knew full well.

The vast majority of ordinary people simply wanted to watch the spectacle.

Unconcerned about matters that didn't affect them, they were content to stand aloof and enjoy the show.

To thoroughly trample a supreme heroic spirit underfoot, branding them with labels like "tyrant" and "ruthless oppressor"—

For audiences worldwide, nothing could be more thrilling and satisfying.

After all, this was the Eternal Emperor with two billion fans globally, the most followed figure in existence.

In this era of heroic spirit idolization, most people weren't exclusive fans—they adored multiple heroic spirits simultaneously.

Yet, not even the combined followings of the King of Heroes, King Arthur, and others could compare.

Even the United States' Council of Gods' fanbase was mercilessly overshadowed.

Now, the Council of Gods intended to drag this figure down from the clouds and crush them beneath their feet!

"Hahaha, we've finally completed the analysis and become true Machine Gods!" Councilor [Poseidon] couldn't help but roar with laughter.

Over a century ago, the Beacon had fortuitously excavated twelve Machine Gods near Mount Olympus.

At any cost, they transported them back to their homeland and began a century-long research and analysis.

Recently, while preparing to retrieve the remains of the Giant God Attila in Central Asia, they encountered the heroic spirit Altera born from those remains.

The Giant God's inherent advantage over them forced the Council of Gods to retreat.

However, they had also obtained numerous valuable materials from each other, finally completing their analysis.

From now on, they would possess true chief god-level combat power!

A full twelve—

No, eleven chief gods!

"We must first reclaim the [God of War] machine god seized by China and force them to hand over Nameless," the [Pluto] councilor declared, brimming with killing intent.

His control over the power of death was now fully unleashed without restraint.

If ordinary people were present, they would all perish in an instant!

Previously, the [God of War] councilor had gone to Fuyuki City, armed with numerous life-saving trump cards they had provided, only to be slain by Nameless, the King of Heroes, Qin Shi Huang, and others.

For them, this was the greatest humiliation in a century—there was no way they would let it slide.

If not for the sudden descent of the Beast of Humanity, Tiamat, they would have already launched their assault.

But now, they had finally found a way to counter Tiamat's overwhelming presence.

Coupled with their complete transformation into true chief god-level machine gods, they could effortlessly suppress all of China.

Including the King of Heroes, Qin Shi Huang, and all the other heroic spirits!

Because they were true gods.

Unrestricted, capable of unleashing their full power without hesitation—gods!

Even if the Greek pantheon emerged from a singularity, they would stand no chance against them and would be easily crushed.

"The mortal world has become tainted. It is up to us to govern its order!"

The [God King] surveyed all the councilors present. "This world has been at peace for too long—so long that people have forgotten the majesty of our Divine Council of the United States!"

"Let those without faith or reverence know who truly rules this planet!"

Their earlier claims of not believing in God were purely paving the way for the future.

Even they themselves didn't believe in God at all.

That entity had no evidence of its existence whatsoever.

It was merely a fabricated faith created by countless people.

Even if it did exist, it was nothing more than a higher-dimensional deity utterly indifferent to humanity.

Look at the Dark Saintess across the Atlantic in France.

She prayed to God for salvation but received no response—instead, she was burned at the stake!

Everything you do, the Lord cares not for!

Think of Him as a mere dove.

Beings of that level are entirely indifferent to you and could never take an interest in humanity.

Or rather, their indifference is humanity's greatest blessing.

Now that they had become true gods, it was only natural to enjoy the worship and faith of the masses.

They would become the gods worshipped by all!

Replacing God!

"Then, let us reveal our true forms and force Qin Shi Huang to kneel at our feet!"

The [God King] grew increasingly domineering. "All in favor of launching an immediate attack, raise your hands!"

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Hands shot up one after another without hesitation.

The resolution passed unanimously in an instant.

War had begun!

***

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