Era of Heroic Spirits: I Was Exposed by Alaya

Meanwhile, in China, no one was aware of this.

Fuyuki City.

The comic convention continued in full swing.

Everyone was thoroughly enjoying the festivities.

Countless cosplayers dressed as various characters roamed the convention grounds.

Illya huffed, "Berserker, I'm fine. There's no need to be so tense."

Honestly, he was being overly protective, sticking by her side as if some threat might appear at any moment.

But then again, it made sense.

The comic convention was teeming with all sorts of bizarre cosplayers—you could find just about any character here.

There were even people cosplaying as Tiamat and the Demon God King.

Two Beasts of Humanity!

Or rather, mass-produced Beasts of Humanity!

After the previous video went viral, related heroic spirits and characters spawned endless waves of merchandise, fan works, and performances.

Especially the gentle and beloved Tiamat, whose popularity skyrocketed like crazy.

Following the "Olympian Gods" video, the already highly popular Greek deities saw their fame surge once again.

The venue was packed with cosplayers, creating a chaotic scene where gods and Beasts of Humanity seemed to dance together in utter madness.

"Good."

Heracles replied with a single word.

He couldn't even be sure whether all these seemingly ordinary people around him were just cosplayers or the real deal.

After all, standing right beside him was the ever-enthusiastic Fuyuki citizen—the King of Heroes!

Just then.

Thud!

A man and a woman suddenly collapsed not far from them, scattering pearl necklaces and other items across the floor.

Heracles instantly tensed up.

What had happened to these two?

Why had they suddenly collapsed?

However, this couple's target wasn't them—it was another person cosplaying as Batman.

"Don't worry."

Illya looked at the bewildered, helpless Batman cosplayer and couldn't help but feel deep sympathy for him.

How pitiful—even dressing up as Batman subjected him to such a tragic reenactment.

Adding insult to injury!

"Ahem, Batman only became a dark knight after witnessing his parents die right in front of him."

She made sure to explain it to Heracles.

After all, he hadn't seen the movies.

This scene was a brutal stab in the heart for any Batman cosplayer.

Then.

Illya stared in stunned silence as she spotted someone in the distance also dressed as Illya, with another person cosplaying as Heracles bound by Enkidu.

And standing before them, a Gilgamesh cosplayer was laughing maniacally with utter arrogance.

The Illya cosplayer was even crying and shouting—

"Berserker can't lose! He can't lose to someone like this! Because, Berserker, you're the strongest!"

A crowd quickly gathered, watching the performance with fascination.

Meanwhile, the Gilgamesh cosplayer sneered coldly—

"Heracles, you're about to die—why haven't you abandoned your burdens yet? Only by casting them aside will you stand even the slightest chance of victory!"

"Finally out of revives? Truly nothing but a beast! All you know is mindless savagery. And here I was, holding some small expectation for you."

Watching this, Heracles felt his fists clench in fury.

These bastards—how could they go this far?!

In that moment, he suddenly understood exactly how the Batman cosplayer had felt earlier.

Did all of you have to twist the knife like this?

Then.

After mocking the Heracles cosplayer, the King of Heroes cosplayer turned toward the girl imprisoned by Enkidu.

"False puppet, obediently offer up your heart—become the core of the Holy Grail!"

It was a flawless reenactment of that most infuriating, gut-wrenching scene from Unlimited Blade Works.

Even the ever-composed "Mr. Gold," Fuyuki's model citizen, fell into deep contemplation at the sight.

Truly, comic conventions were magical places!

Meanwhile, the real Heracles, standing nearby, was so enraged by the performance that he was on the verge of committing murder!

Snap!

The actor playing Heracles suddenly broke free from his chains and kicked the King of Heroes to the ground.

"Why did it turn out like this???"

Gilgamesh's lips twitched.

Wasn't this supposed to be a perfect reenactment?

How could they just rewrite the plot like this?

This was supposed to be the scene where he overpowered Heracles—so why had they twisted it into him getting beaten up instead?

Yet.

The countless onlookers burst into applause and cheers—

"Nice hit, Heracles!"

"Yeah, punch him a few more times! That was so infuriating earlier!"

"Even if the King of Heroes had some amazing moments in Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia, we can never forget his insufferable, tyrannical chuuni persona!"

"Liking the Wise King is one thing, but seeing this bratty Gil is just unbearable!"

...

For countless viewers.

The Wise King Gilgamesh in Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia was indeed an awe-inspiring, peak-performance character who won over countless fans.

But the Wise King and this arrogant, bratty Gil were completely different.

Some things were just meant to be hated.

Under Gilgamesh's exasperated gaze.

The actor playing him had become a universally despised clown.

The crowd of onlookers was practically itching to rush forward and throw a few punches themselves.

Miyu approached, concerned. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, really."

Illya, who had been looking sorrowful just moments ago, couldn't help but burst into laughter at the sight.

It was really satisfying.

In fact, seeing Nameless cut off the King of Heroes' arm and stab him through the heart earlier had already made her feel like she had avenged Berserker.

"It's good that you're alright," Miyu sighed in relief.

This was a performance that a group of people had rehearsed for a long time, specifically for its debut at the comic convention.

There were quite a few similar scenes, all staged as theatrical performances.

Then.

She turned around and saw someone cosplaying as Miyu lying on a magic circle.

The one cosplaying as Gudao, Rin Tohsaka, had now transformed into Emiya the Great, standing guard over her.

It was the exact scene from Vow in the Snow, where Emiya the Great fought through seven battles in one night to end the Holy Grail War.

"..."

Miyu fell silent.

Back then, her brother had sacrificed himself to save her, achieving an impossible miracle.

You all think it was cool as hell, but I'm the only one who feels heartbroken for him.

Souma, who was walking over from a distance, also felt utterly speechless.

I really shouldn't have come to this convention!

A bunch of people who love stirring up drama for entertainment.

But, putting himself in their shoes, if he saw such a realistic performance from someone else, he'd probably clap and cheer too.

But when it's about him, it's just unbearable.

It's like rubbing salt into the wound over and over, a public execution of his dark history!

Still, it really is peaceful.

Souma looked around at the bustling convention, thoroughly enjoying this kind of life.

No battles, all disasters just performances—a perfect, ordinary daily life.

Except for these two hostile Servants standing before him.

Souma rubbed his forehead, feeling a headache coming on.

Why did Berserker and Gilgamesh have to run into each other?

Earlier, Fou had told him that while he was out, the two had even shown up at his house at the same time.

They had almost fought, nearly triggering a terrifying battle.

These two clearly recognized each other.

This is a huge problem!

After Unlimited Blade Works was exposed, both of them had regained their related memories.

The King of Heroes' tyrannical actions had even pissed Nameless off enough to cut off his arm and defeat him.

Not to mention Berserker, who had suffered brutal torment at his hands.

Back then, Heracles had lost his sanity, fighting purely on instinct without any combat experience.

But now, he was in his ultimate form, with his Twelve Labors intact.

If these two really fought, the outcome would be hard to predict.

Sigh, why does my peaceful daily life feel like it's slipping further and further away?

Ding dong~

Just then, Souma felt his phone buzz with a notification—

[You have a new connection request. Will you accept?]

This message had been forwarded by Alaya.

The actual sender was—

Athena!

"Huh, looking for me again?"

Souma casually found a seat and sat down, pretending to rest.

Then, he chose to accept.

Hum~

His vision blurred as space and time shifted, and once again, he found himself in the mysterious divine realm of the subspace.

On an endless grassy plain.

Under a parasol, Athena gazed at him calmly. "Come, have a seat. Would you like some tea?"

As she spoke, she handed him a steaming cup.

"N-no thanks..."

Souma twitched at the corner of his mouth.

Just thinking about how this tea was the same temperature as her body made him feel like it was downright perverted.

Drinking something like this from a cup was absurd—

Using his mouth directly would make more sense.

He sat down and asked, "So, what did you call me for this time?"

"The United States Council of Gods has completely taken control of the mechanical divine bodies we were forced to abandon!"

Athena stated bluntly, "Which means you'll be facing eleven true chief deities!"

This is the age of humanity.

All gods are restricted in the main world.

Even she can't manifest her true form, let alone the sister goddesses Ereshkigal and Ishtar.

However, the United States Council of Gods were originally humans who used the mechanical bodies the Olympians had to discard, transforming into genuine machine gods.

In other words, they won't face any restrictions!

"War?"

That was the first word that flashed through Nameless's mind.

Eleven chief deities would be enough to dominate Earth unchallenged!

With such overwhelming power, how could they not go mad with it?

War is coming soon!

"Not just eleven machine gods—that wandering star vanguard who once defeated us will also awaken!" Athena calmly revealed this terrifying fact.

Eleven machine gods alone were horrifying enough.

But behind these beings lurked something even more terrifying that might appear.

When that civilization destroyer emerges, it would truly herald apocalyptic disaster.

"This is troublesome."

Souma frowned.

He'd just been enjoying peaceful daily life, only to be told war was imminent.

At his peak mythical form, he wouldn't fear these foes.

Unfortunately, his current strength simply wasn't enough.

Athena spoke again: "We need to cooperate!"

During their last conversation, he'd said he needed time to consider. Now she was asking again.

After being defeated by the wandering star vanguard, they'd completely abandoned their mechanical bodies, choosing instead to serve as humanity's guardian deities.

But those machine gods who took their bodies would reshape the entire planet, herding all humans like livestock.

Human history would end, and with it, the gods themselves would perish.

Prosperity and decline were now shared.

The Olympian gods had long been bound to humanity.

"After they start the war, I'll contact you."

Souma ended the communication calmly.

Space-time shifted around him, returning him to the bustling convention center.

Of course, this was just a mental projection.

His physical body hadn't moved.

A privilege granted by [Alaya]—he could initiate or end these conversations at will.

Just then, Roya approached saying, "Souma, the car's ready."

After hours at the convention collecting souvenirs, it was time to head home and enjoy them.

Her legs ached from walking miles through the convention, so she'd called a ride earlier.

"Oh, let's go then."

Souma followed the three lolis out of the convention.

The two rival top-tier Heroic Spirits hadn't followed.

This worried Souma—were they off somewhere fighting?

What a headache!

Reaching the curb, they saw a black sedan waiting.

Roya stretched in the backseat: "It's so quiet here—no strange people around. Such a difference from the convention!"

Inside had been packed with noisy crowds.

"Perfectly normal. Outside conventions, everyone's just ordinary people."

As Souma reached for the door, a brilliant flash erupted across the sky.

The light explosion resembled a second sun rising.

Everyone raised their heads in unison, looking up at the sky with confusion.

"Hey, what's going on?"

By the time they returned home.

There was no need to ask—overwhelming news reports were already spreading everywhere:

[The Council of Gods of the United States has blasted through China's Heavenly Court defense system, declaring war on Qin Shi Huang!]

"How dare they?!"

Souma was instantly shocked.

The [Heavenly Court] defense system was China's strongest protective barrier, a symbol on par with the United States.

In this era of brilliant Heroic Spirits, only China and the United States possessed defense systems of equal caliber.

Capable of unleashing earth-shattering attacks from the skies, surpassing the destructive power and deterrence of nuclear weapons, with the ability to strike globally.

Yet at this very moment.

The Council of Gods of the United States had the audacity to blast through it—equivalent to declaring all-out war on China!

Athena had just given an early warning.

And now, mere minutes later, those bastards had actually dared to declare war outright!

"Is war about to begin?"

Roya was equally shocked. "Who knows how many will die!"

Every top-tier Heroic Spirit was equivalent to a mobile nuclear arsenal, capable of annihilating a small nation single-handedly.

Only a Heroic Spirit could oppose another Heroic Spirit.

Small nations without one stood no chance of resistance.

China possessed Qin Shi Huang and numerous Heroic Spirits, while the United States boasted the Council of Gods.

Both sides were overwhelmingly powerful.

A clash between them would be nothing short of a cataclysmic collision—like Mars smashing into Earth.

If war truly broke out, the casualties would be unimaginably horrific.

Turning on the TV, one could see the United States Council of Gods holding a press conference—

"We, the gods, have proclaimed the Seven Deadly Sins of Qin Shi Huang! This tyrannical and unrighteous ruler must face judgment under the United States, the beacon of humanity's hope!"

"Hand over the [God of War] council member you cowardly ambushed—and that Nameless Heroic Spirit."

"Come obediently to the United States and submit to our judgment!"

"Thus declares the gods: You are guilty!"

On the massive projection screen behind the speaker loomed rows of warships suspended in the sky.

Yes—cosmic warships!

After thorough analysis, the United States Council of Gods had fully unlocked the true form of their Machine Gods.

Each Machine God's true body was a cosmic warship, radiating boundless intimidation.

With such an undisguised declaration of war, the entire world erupted into chaos.

Even the countless Chinese citizens who had been fervently clamoring for war were instantly gripped by terror—

"What the hell? Why does the United States have cosmic warships?"

"Damn it, this has to be a dream, right? Even we haven't managed to build them—how can they already be conquering the stars?"

"Holy sh*t, I must still be asleep! How can this tech appear a century ahead of time?"

"We're doomed. If they attack from the sky, can we even defend ourselves?"

"Are we really supposed to hand over Nameless?"

"No, no—we must trust Qin Shi Huang! We can still win!"

...

The warships hovered in the void of space, casting an oppressive weight that suffocated all beneath them.

After all, throughout history, every war had been fought on Earth's surface.

But now, the United States Council of Gods had unveiled cosmic warships—something straight out of science fiction.

It was an era-defying, dimensional strike against China!

"What do we do?"

Roya, too, was seized by panic.

A mere declaration of war was one thing—but what the hell were those cosmic warships?

It felt like modern soldiers crushing primitive tribes with sheer technological might!

"They're all lunatics!"

Souma let out a heavy sigh.

He realized his peaceful daily life was about to be shattered by those bastards.

It seemed the only way to preserve his tranquility was to eliminate those false gods!

Ding-dong~

Just then, a new notification popped up on his phone—

[The UP you follow has uploaded a new video! Click to watch!]

Reading the title, he couldn't help but smile.

Because—

This new video was titled—

[The Lostbelt of Qin!]

***

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