Era of Heroic Spirits: I Was Exposed by Alaya

A shocking change erupted.

It left the Hegemon of Western Chu dumbfounded.

He never expected that Hinako and Prince of Lanling, who should have assisted him in battle, would suddenly launch a backstab from both sides.

However.

Prince of Lanling's exceptionally crafty backstab didn't even break through his defenses.

Like Mordred, it was completely unable to penetrate!

Xiang Yu was surging with violent magical power, roaring loudly: "Foreigners, you truly cannot be trusted—"

[Strength that can lift mountains, a spirit that dominates the world!]

Boom!

His unparalleled brute strength erupted suddenly, sending Prince of Lanling flying.

Not to mention just one person; he could even blow apart a mountain with a direct hit!

Xiang Yu grinned, revealing an unabashedly mocking smile: "I am the strongest war weapon crafted by His Majesty, truly invincible in the world!"

"You are indeed impressive!"

Nameless frowned slightly as he looked at him.

Then, a heroic spirit summoning card quietly appeared in his hand, radiating brilliant light, beginning a new round of summoning.

This summoning was inspired by the Phantasm Summoning Card, allowing for more convenient summoning of heroic spirits.

In simple terms.

It was like drawing cards in a game and directly summoning the corresponding character!

Of course, the stronger the heroic spirit, the harder it was to summon.

Buzz~

A petite and adorable girl in a sailor uniform, dressed in a pink magical girl outfit, appeared.

She smiled brightly: "I'm the magical girl Illya, currently in fifth grade at elementary school in Fuyuki City. Although I'm very weak, I will do my best to help you!"

"Illya, let's fight together." Nameless smiled.

At this moment, all the viewers were instantly dumbfounded—

-[What the hell, Nameless, you've gone too far, even summoning an elementary school student!]

-[Ahhh, Illya, my little angel Illya!]

-[Damn you, Nameless, you're not actually thinking of sending Illya into battle, are you?]

-[Hey, hey, it feels like you all are ignoring the fact that Yu Ji liked Xiang Yu in history, but her true love interest is actually Nameless?]

In the living room.

Illya, seeing this scene, instantly widened her eyes: "Eh, eh, eh, I'm on stage too?"

She was just an ordinary elementary school girl; what could she possibly do on stage?

What's more, she had appeared in her magical girl form!

This outfit was just too embarrassing.

She was being publicly humiliated all over the world!

"Illya, you're actually the legendary magical girl? Did you sign a contract with Cupid?" Roya looked at her in astonishment.

A magical girl, after all, symbolized love and beauty.

"Um…"

Illya didn't want to say much.

She really did sign a contract with the Ruby Cupid!

That troublesome Cupid had made her expose herself to Nameless, and she had even accidentally sat on him.

It was utterly humiliating.

Just thinking about it made her face burn with shame.

But the rewards were substantial; she had obtained the Red Archer Phantasm Summoning Card, allowing her to transform into a heroic spirit.

Finally, she had gained the ability to protect herself.

Could it be that in this strange narrative, she was summoned because she possessed the combat power of Red Archer and would become infinitely strong in the future?

Illya fell into deep anticipation.

How wonderful.

She could see her stunning performance in the future and learn from it.

Come on, let me see how strong I can become in the future!

After she was summoned, the battle erupted once more.

In the video.

Magical girl Illya waved her ruby staff, releasing a dazzling beam of light.

Unfortunately—

It had no effect whatsoever!

It completely failed to penetrate defenses.

Instead, it thoroughly enraged the killing machine, which rushed toward her at high speed.

In this critical situation, the command seal on Illya's hand glowed: "Berserker, save me!"

Buzz~

The command seal radiated brilliant light, an incredible wave of magical power piercing through the sealed space-time.

A massive magical array appeared beneath everyone's feet, and a towering figure over two meters tall thundered into existence.

It was the mighty Hercules!

Without hesitation, he stood in front of Illya, ready to confront the Hegemon of Western Chu head-on.

His roar was louder than Xiang Yu's: "I dare anyone to harm Illya!"

After two thousand years of forging, the ultimate war machine destined to conquer the cosmos—Xiang Yu, the Overlord of Western Chu, progenitor of the Great Qin puppet army.

And descending from the age of Greek mythology, bearing the bloodline of Zeus, trained by the centaur Chiron, and having completed the Twelve Labors—the great hero Heracles.

One hailed as the mightiest under heaven, capable of uprooting mountains.

The other destined to become the God of Strength.

The two pinnacles of power now stood face to face!

Illya fell silent for a moment. "Uh… this…"

She had thought she could shine brilliantly after being summoned, but in the end, it still came down to relying on her father.

Damn it!

Why am I so weak?!

Nameless, however, couldn't help but smile at the sight.

In the Lostbelt of Great Qin, Alaya did not exist. Summoning top-tier Heroic Spirits was as difficult as reaching the heavens.

The Great Wall in the sky wasn't just a barrier against foreign enemies—it was also like a firewall, sealing off all Heroic Spirit summoning within the Lostbelt.

All the Heroic Spirits that should have existed in China had been sealed away by Qin Shi Huang in the Lishan Hero Vault.

In essence, Qin Shi Huang himself was Alaya!

This was the most terrifying aspect of the Lostbelt.

But there was a loophole.

By summoning Illya—who wasn't a Heroic Spirit but had a connection to Nameless—they could use her to summon the top-tier Heroic Spirit Heracles.

And not just any Heracles, but the ultimate, fully realized version—one who hadn't lost his sanity!

The barrage of comments exploded in an instant—

-[Holy shit, a clash of titans!]

-[Heracles is worshipped as the God of Strength in the West, while Xiang Yu is our China's own legendary powerhouse. Who's gonna win?]

-[Berserker really dotes on Illya—just one call and he crosses time and space to get here!]

-[Yue—cough Never mind, wrong name, I don't dare say it!]

-[Facing this ultimate doting dad, Nameless is in danger if Illya likes him!]

...

The video continued.

The two supreme forces of power clashed head-on.

Heracles swung his massive axe-sword, meeting the frenzied Xiang Yu in direct combat.

Every collision between them erupted with thunderous force.

The earth itself seemed to suffer a missile bombardment, riddled with craters and fissures.

The ground was torn apart, split open, and sank under the sheer force of their blows.

"Incredible. Both of them possess strength surpassing even that of dragons!" Da Vinci watched in awe.

These two had already surpassed the scale of ordinary Spirit Origins, reaching the level of divine spirits.

If they had been present during the battle against the Lion King, the fight wouldn't have been so grueling.

Da Vinci tilted her head slightly. "Nameless, aren't you going to join him in defeating Xiang Yu?"

"No. My goal isn't to kill Xiang Yu—it's to meet that Emperor," Nameless replied calmly.

Summoning Heracles was merely a demonstration to Qin Shi Huang—proof of Chaldea's power.

A display of just one of their trump cards.

Everything happening now was under the Emperor's watchful gaze.

Qin Shi Huang could unseal the Lishan Hero Vault, while Nameless could summon Heroic Spirits.

The vast gap between them had narrowed ever so slightly, enough to make the Emperor take Chaldea seriously.

Only then would he grant Nameless the chance for a direct audience.

Zhen'er, let me guide you back to the right path!

Back then, it was he who had protected the young emperor, standing by his side to defeat all enemies and forge the unified empire of Great Qin.

Now, it was his turn to rectify the Lostbelt destined for destruction!

Just as Heracles and Xiang Yu were locked in combat.

Another reinforcement arrived.

It was none other than Qin Liangyu, freshly released from her seal!

She glared at the Chaldea group: "By the order of His Majesty, I'm here to eliminate you outsiders!"

"We haven't harmed any innocents. On the contrary, we've helped the people defeat their enemies. Can we talk this through?"

Nameless spread his hands to show he meant no harm, "Have you been deceived by that fox into attacking us?"

"That's irrelevant to me. The Emperor's command is clear—wait, Hinako, weren't you the one who vowed to eradicate Chaldea?"

Qin Liangyu, ready for battle, was stunned to discover.

The very same Hinako who had sworn to drive out every last member of Chaldea was now clinging affectionately to Nameless' side.

What the hell!

The Emperor's true order to her was to assist whichever side was losing when Chaldea and Hinako fought.

Yes, the Emperor never truly trusted anyone.

From the very beginning, he intended to use both sides.

This was true imperial stratagem!

"I'm happy where I am!" Hinako replied with a beaming smile.

Joining Chaldea, fighting Chaldea—it was all just to find Nameless.

Now that she had, why keep fighting?

The scene suddenly shifted.

From the intense battlefield to the opulent halls of the Epang Palace.

"Your Majesty, we mustn't underestimate Chaldea. They possess the ability to summon Heroic Spirits from human history!"

Koyanskaya warned: "Hinako has dared to betray you—this cannot be forgiven!"

As the fifth Beast of Humanity, the true Evil of Man, her sole purpose was to stir chaos.

To wreak havoc across every Lostbelt and utterly destroy Chaldea.

This was the true mission of the Evils of Humanity.

Yet now, with Hinako defecting to Chaldea, the Emperor showed no intention of going all out.

Suppressing her fury, Koyanskaya pressed: "Your Majesty, they are barbarians who will ultimately destroy your empire. Why not fully unseal the Lishan Hero Vault?"

Within Lishan slept countless legendary heroes.

Unsealing them could effortlessly annihilate Chaldea countless times over!

But instead, the Emperor had only released Qin Liangyu and Han Xin—holding back immensely!

Holding back?

This wasn't holding back—this was draining the ocean!

"Oh? We previously stated that in Our eyes, you are all barbarians."

Qin Shi Huang's voice remained calm as ever. "Moreover, Hinako's conflict or cooperation with Chaldea holds no relation to Our Great Qin."

"You are merely staging your battles upon Our territory. We simply wish to observe who proves truly useful to Our empire!"

A few simple words laid bare his imperial machinations!

Countless spectators erupted in amusement—

-[Haha, Qin Shi Huang FTW! Fox bitch, you're a barbarian too!]

-[Damn, confirmed! The Emperor's been going easy on them all along!]

-[No wonder he's letting Nameless roam freely despite having the Great Wall enveloping Earth and the Lishan Hero Vault sealing China's 2000-year history of heroes.]

-[So what's the Emperor watching for? He's stronger than gods in this Lostbelt—what else does he need to see? Does he care about humanity's future like Tiamat?]

Tohsaka Residence.

During a strategy meeting.

The three Rins seated around the round table were deep in discussion.

Rin couldn't help but exclaim, "As expected, that Qin Shi Huang is just like Tiamat—he never truly intended to wipe out humanity. What exactly does he want to see?"

The Great Wall that enveloped the entire Earth had been utterly breathtaking when it first appeared.

Even now, Rin found it hard to believe, as if she were witnessing a myth.

Truly befitting of a Lostbelt!

Truly befitting of an eternal emperor who had ruled for two thousand years without death!

Just as Koyanskaya of Light had provocatively claimed in the video, if he had truly wanted to destroy Chaldea, all he needed to do was unseal the Heroic Spirit Vault at Mount Li to accomplish it effortlessly.

Yet Qin Shi Huang had never done so.

Even when unfreezing the sealed heroes, he had specifically instructed his captain of the guard to select only those who were loyal, virtuous, and devoted to the people—heroes whose names would be remembered for generations.

He had even excluded figures like Liu Bei and Guan Yu from the Oath of the Peach Garden, deeming them potential rebels who could threaten stability.

In the end, only Qin Liangyu and Han Xin were unsealed!

"Perhaps... he wants to see the potential of humanity?" Ereshkigal answered uncertainly.

Recalling the Clairvoyance that could peer into the future, she continued, "Could the Qin Shi Huang of this Lostbelt have glimpsed visions of the future?"

"Impossible! That Qin Shi Huang treats humans like livestock—he couldn't care less about ordinary people!" Ishtar declared bluntly.

The common folk didn't even have cultural heritage—they were nothing more than enslaved livestock.

Born as humans, yet unaware of their own parents, devoid of families or any such bonds.

Each one ignorant and foolish—what meaning did their lives even hold?

"If Qin Shi Huang could see the future, why would he allow nameless individuals to destroy his eternal empire?" Ishtar said with absolute confidence. "Surely you don't think he's like Tiamat—someone who would willingly sacrifice himself to protect humanity?"

"I stake my honor as the goddess Ishtar—Qin Shi Huang, having attained immortality, would never abandon his life or glory!"

What a joke. Qin Shi Huang had pursued eternal life from the very beginning—how could he possibly choose to let go?

Surely no one actually believed that an exalted emperor would willingly embrace death like Tiamat, right?

Right? Right? Right?

"Uh... you have honor?" Rin shot her a sidelong glance.

You disgraceful, useless goddess—your reputation was ruined long ago.

Even she, who shared a body with her, had been subjected to scorn by association.

How utterly humiliating!

Meanwhile.

Sitting quietly beside them while watching the video, Sakura gazed at her sister with mixed emotions.

Why did it feel like, with each new exposé video, her sister's condition was worsening?

Just look at her—even though she was right there, she was still shaking her head and muttering to herself.

Her facial expressions shifted rapidly—anger, confusion, surprise...

Her eyes displayed a pie chart of emotions: three parts mockery, three parts disdain, and four parts shock.

As expected, under the influence of those two goddesses, Big Sister was becoming more and more mentally unhinged!

Could it be... she was really turning into the so-called "Monkey King" that Nameless had mentioned?

If that were the case—

That would be—

Amazing!

Wait, no—that would be absolutely unacceptable! I must find a way to help Big Sister!

After all, sisterly bonds run deep, as close as hands and feet.

What ill intentions could a soft, adorable little sister like me possibly have?

Under Sakura's complicated gaze—

In the video—

Koyanskaya, suppressing her impatience, forced a smile and said, "Your Majesty, I've traveled all this way to help resolve the crisis facing the Qin Empire. Surely, I must be of some use?"

"Speaking of which, what exactly is the threat to Qin?"

The voice of Qin Shi Huang echoed through the vast hall. "Answer me, Han Xin!"

"Your Majesty, the only crisis currently facing Qin is the arrival of the Umbral Star's vanguard from space! And... those lands shrouded in storms!" Han Xin reported with a bow.

Back when Nameless was still around, he had mentioned the existence of the Umbral Star's vanguard—a terrifying entity that roamed the universe, harvesting and annihilating civilizations.

The Great Wall of Qin in space was built precisely to defend against it.

Aside from the potential threat of the Umbral Star's vanguard—

After extensive investigations, he and his soldiers had discovered that regions like Greece, the northern lands of the Bear, and the southern lands of the Peacock Dynasty were all enveloped in endless storms.

Even Xiang Yu, Qin's mightiest general, couldn't breach the storms.

It was as if these places had been cut off from the world, forming isolated realms similar to Qin.

Han Xin continued, stammering slightly, "Your Majesty, th-those isolated lands... according to Chaldea's terminology, they should all be... be... be Lostbelts, just like Qin."

"Oh? Then what is the most urgent objective at hand?" Qin Shi Huang asked calmly.

"N-naturally, it is to utilize Chaldea's time-traveling vehicle to cross the boundaries of space and time, reach those lands, and investigate the situation firsthand!"

Han Xin straightened his back and declared loudly, "All under heaven is the sovereign's land; all within the borders are the sovereign's subjects! Wherever the sun and moon shine, wherever the rivers flow—all shall be Qin's territory!"

A declaration brimming with absolute dominance—a testament to the Qin Empire's confidence.

The Qin Empire, having endured for over two thousand years, stood unrivaled in the world.

"Hahaha! Well said! My Qin is the absolute ruler of this world. No land shall exist beyond my dominion!"

Qin Shi Huang's laughter reverberated through the hall.

Then, a massive map unfurled before him, displaying the current territorial expanse of Qin.

On the projected world map—

At a glance, apart from the Lostbelts encased in barriers, most of Asia, Europe, the Americas, Antarctica, and beyond—all belonged to Qin.

The Pacific and Arctic Oceans had become Qin's inland seas!

The moment the map was revealed, it sent shockwaves through the global audience—

-[Now this is the true empire where the sun never sets—even the British Empire pales in comparison!]

-[Hey, why is it that among all the Lostbelt Kings, our is the only one cooped up in its own territory?]

-[Wherever the sun and moon shine, wherever the rivers flow—all shall be Qin's territory! The ultimate, invincible, unified empire!]

-[Damn, could Han Xin's suggestion be to use Chaldea's time-travel vehicle to conquer other Lostbelts?]

-[This isn't just NB—this is something you wouldn't even dare to dream of! Qin Shi Huang is way too OP!]