Fate: Nameless Hero

The conferment had succeeded.

Shikotei utilized his [Imperial Privilege], borrowed the power of the Guardian Dragon of Human Order, and, through the infusion of the Empire's destiny, directly bypassed Sanjiro's layers of defenses and forcibly established a connection.

Rejecting it would actually be quite simple—

Just give up the bloodline that connect him to the Empire.

The problem was: how could Sanjiro possibly give that up?

That dragon-shaped phantom earlier was precisely the projection of the Guardian Dragon of Human Order, granting him a powerful ability, named—

[Platinum Dragon]

The effect was rather simple:

By channeling the power of the Guardian Dragon, it would manifest a phantom avatar behind him to strike down any enemies.

This was the new ability Shikotei had conferred upon his [Imperial Teacher].

Kirina turned her head, looking at him curiously.

"Uh… who were you flipping off just now?"

She had seen him seemingly doze off while watching the live broadcast, and then wake up only to flip off the ceiling.

It was like he was possessed.

"Just someone very annoying," Sanjiro casually replied.

Obviously, the little troublemaker he had sealed up too tightly hadn't noticed anything special.

"Oh? You can actually hate people?"

Kirina was even more surprised.

This shut-in was always a lazy bum who would never sit when he could lie down, and at school, he was known as a true nice guy.

For someone to make him hate them was quite an achievement.

But that wasn't important.

Kirina gritted her teeth and said, "Why didn't the First Emperor let us watch? Sharing Nameless a little wouldn't hurt him!"

After all, during the conferment ceremony, Nameless had been summoned.

A conversation spanning 2,200 years between the two—it could pick anyone's curiosity! But then they went inside the Palace, not letting anyone see!

"Of course he wouldn't let anyone watch. The First Emperor wants to act spoiled toward Nameless—you think you get to watch that for free?" Sanjiro replied lazily from the sofa.

"S-spoiled???"

Kirina froze for a moment.

That was a prideful Emperor! How could he possibly act spoiled?

Well… maybe not entirely impossible.

After all, Nameless was his teacher who raised him.

Kirina hadn't forgotten that scene from the video, where the young Emperor sat on his throne, gently rubbing his head against Nameless like a kitten.

Just like how Fou was nuzzling Sanjiro right now!

Damn it! The more she thought about it, the more she wanted to see it—practically drooling!

Sanjiro sighed heavily and glanced at the little troublemaker beside him.

In his heart, he silently thought:

Why would Shikotei still want me to guide him when he's already the First Emperor?

It was even more exhausting than taking care of this brat.

He was already a grown man and still wanted to stay by his side!

At that moment—

The cat-like Fou jumped onto his lap, looking up at him:

"Fou… Fou? (What just happened?)"

Sanjiro smiled.

"Nothing."

Don't be fooled by its cuteness—its true form was the Primate Murder, the Beast IV. Naturally, it could sense the Guardian Dragon of Human Order just now.

Sanjiro gently petted Fou in his lap while pondering the future.

Since Shikotei was determined to find him, he definitely couldn't casually use the [Platinum Dragon] ability.

That thing was almost certainly linked to him.

A perfect bait trap.

Once he used it, it would be easy for Shikotei to locate him. If that happened, he'd be dragged off to his Palace with no escape.

"Good thing Fuyuki City is peaceful, so there's no need to use it."

Sanjiro felt very relieved.

As an ordinary high school student, in this peaceful Fuyuki City, there was absolutely no need for battle.

Oh right, Gilgamesh had previously warned him that the faction's of false gods planned to seize Illya to gain qualification to summon the demigod Heracles.

But that wasn't much of a problem.

Shikotei had just visited Fuyuki City. Unless they were crazy, those people wouldn't dare come here now.

Sanjiro turned to the little troublemaker beside him and warned,

"Winter break's started. Recently a lot of Heroic Spirits have gathered in Fuyuki, it's getting chaotic—don't go out at night."

"Ugh, fine."

Kirina pouted.

This shut-in was like a nagging mom, constantly giving her warnings and advice.

"It's for your own good."

Sanjiro reached out and ruffled her hair.

Even though she was technically humanity's enemy, under his guidance, she'd come to love humans deeply.

Perhaps… this was love~

Academy City.

In the dean's office.

Tamamo-no-Mae sat lazily in a wide chair, her golden eyes fixed on the huge screen.

"Tch. Shikotei, you're nothing special."

Her foxy eyes were full of disdain.

Even as the ruler of billions, he still desperately fought for Nameless.

And he dared call himself the supreme ruler surpassing the others?

But…

Why does this feel so sour?!

Damn it! Why does that bastard completely ignore me, yet respond to the First Emperor's summons?!

Tamamo-no-Mae felt deeply humiliated.

In the video, there was even a scene where she tried her hardest to seduce him, only to be repeatedly toyed with by him.

As the Nine-Tailed Fox who could charm all beings, she had actually failed to conquer one mere human.

Alaya's videos had been broadcast to the entire world.

What a global disgrace!

No—she had to take revenge!

Buzz~

At that moment, Tamamo-no-Mae suddenly felt an itch at her tailbone. When she reached back and touched it, she was pleasantly surprised to find that her lost tails were slowly reforming.

Recovering her lost memories was allowing her to reclaim her lost power.

In other words, she was gradually restoring herself to the Six-Tailed form from the video, standing at the pinnacle of Heroic Spirits!

Soon, she'd be able to solo any Heroic Spirit—not even Shikotei would be able to suppress her!

And that guy, Nameless—

"I will make you submit beneath my skirts! Even if the gods themselves allow your harem, I never will!" Tamamo-no-Mae snorted coldly, "When the time comes—break his eggs! Break them again! Let him repent before me! I will make you experience my monogamy-castration punch!"

As a fox spirit who had wreaked havoc across five dynasties, how could she possibly fail to conquer a mere human?

She would make him fall hopelessly in love with her, willingly abandoning all other Heroic Spirits for her!

And then, she would ruthlessly humiliate him!

A fox's revenge may come even after two thousand years!

"Looks like my biggest rival is actually the First Emperor now."

Tamamo-no-Mae's golden eyes revealed a hint of worry.

Don't forget—she had been personally suppressed by Shikotei and ordered to guard Academy City.

Trying to snatch Nameless in front of him would be like doing a face-slap taunt.

Thus, she had to make Nameless fall hopelessly for her, willing to forsake everyone else.

That way, even the First Emperor would have nothing to say!

Buzz~

In the enormous private office, flower petals began to quietly fall.

Countless pink petals swirled together, forming a figure:

"So—want to work together?"

The visitor wore a white robe, with an unbelievably handsome face, and held a large magic staff.

"Oh? Flower Magus, Merlin?"

Tamamo-no-Mae looked at him, then suddenly burst into laughter:

"You're killing me! You've turned into Magical☆Merry?!"

As a seductive nine-tailed fox, she naturally possessed powerful illusion-breaking abilities.

Even the child of nightmares couldn't disguise himself before her.

Now, in her eyes that pierced illusions, the great Flower Magus's soul form was exactly the same as the wildly popular Magical☆Merry from the internet!

"A slight… mishap."

Merlin's originally relaxed and elegant expression grew quite awkward.

He inwardly cursed those two bastards even more.

If it hadn't been for Nameless and Gilgamesh joining forces, how could he—

No, now it should be called her.

If it weren't for those two teaming up, how could she have been forcefully drank that loathful potion and ended up like this?

She had to get revenge.

Tamamo-no-Mae spoke mockingly: "You can't even control yourself, and you still want to team up with me?"

"I have information on Nameless—he's still in contact with the King of Heroes." Merlin immediately spilled the secret.

"King of Heroes?"

Tamamo-no-Mae withdrew her smile and fell into thought.

In The Oldest King, it was revealed that the two were ancient best friends.

But later in Unlimited Blade Works, the two who were supposed to be close friends ended up in a love-hate relationship.

Yet now these two could still collaborate?

"Yes. I… was set up by both of them!"

Merlin almost lapsed into her virtual idol speech mode and hurriedly corrected herself.

As a child of nightmares who feeds on human dreams, the more human dreams she devours, the more she's influenced by them.

If people firmly remember her as Magical☆Merry, she might forcibly be twisted into a cute virtual idol!

Terrifying!

Bit by bit she was being trained into Magical☆Merry by Nameless and the others—she had to stay vigilant!

"Hahaha, to think you were screwed over this badly by Nameless — how weak." Tamamo-no-Mae laughed even more joyfully.

The royal court magician of Britain, a Grand candidate—so many titles, placing her among the top of magi.

Her standing was not inferior to the King of Heroes.

Yet now, this person had been toyed with by Nameless into such a state—truly shameful!

Suppressing her anger, Merlin seriously asked: "So, will you cooperate with me to deal with Nameless?"

"Oh? First let me hear your plan. Otherwise, there's no way I'll cooperate with a failure like you!" Tamamo-no-Mae looked at her with disdain.

"Nameless should be hiding somewhere in Fuyuki City right now." Merlin smiled. "Endless battles have worn him out to the extreme—he only wants to live as a normal person."

Only your enemy knows you best.

After countless analyses, Merlin had deduced Nameless's current state and some of his thoughts.

"A normal person?" Tamamo-no-Mae frowned.

That man was more arrogant than even Shikotei; he dared challenge the gods themselves—how could he possibly be content with an ordinary life?

"The Alaya exposure video was precisely to rekindle his power and push him to continue protecting humanity."

Merlin's smile grew even brighter. "What we need to do is find his real identity and expose his location..."

"The proud Heroic Spirits will want him all to themselves — they won't share."

Tamamo-no-Mae suddenly recalled her own previous thoughts and her eyes lit up.

"Yes, once exposed, Nameless will inevitably be drawn into new conflicts, leaving him no chance to hide peacefully! In a way, we're even helping Alaya!"

Merlin's adorable little face now looked exceptionally… scummy.

"You truly are scum — worthy of being called Shameless!" Tamamo-no-Mae praised sincerely.

"Same to you. Neither of us are human; that makes us perfect partners."

Merlin performed a gentleman-like bow.

The two of them exchanged knowing smiles.

Having reached an agreement, Tamamo-no-Mae frowned and asked: "So, the question is, how do we find him?"

"We simply sit back and watch, letting others search for us."

Merlin smiled even more brightly.

As a child of nightmares, how could she possibly move personally?

Buzz~

With a soft surge of magical energy, a projection appeared before them, showing a seaside location.

One by one, black figures were gathering, their silhouettes flickering like ghosts.

Tamamo-no-Mae's eyes narrowed in surprise,

"Assassins?"

Yes—these shadows were none other than the mysterious Assassin killers!

Their founder, Hassan-i-Sabbah, had created the Assassin Order in Persia during the late 11th century—a terrifying organization of killers that had lasted a thousand years.

Now, with the era of Heroic Spirits upon them, these infamous assassins had begun to appear as full Heroic Spirit entities.

"America paid heavily to hire these Assassins—they plan to abduct Illya and secure the right to summon Heracles." Merlin explained simply.

Tamamo-no-Mae's frown deepened, "Let me make it clear— as the Academy Director of Fuyuki Academy City, I won't allow anyone to be forcefully taken away!"

It was a matter of her dignity.

If she couldn't even protect her own students, how could she hold her head up as director?

"Of course. Our goal is simply to force Nameless to show himself." Merlin added with a smile.

Letting these lunatics provoke Nameless was far safer than going herself.

And if Nameless didn't show up, she could appear as a righteous hero, saving the little girl from the Assassins and earning massive public favor.

Everything was within her plan!

Tamamo-no-Mae immediately understood,

"As expected of Scummy Merlin."

"Same to you. We're partners!" Merlin bowed again.

"Now then, let's enjoy the show."

Tamamo-no-Mae's fluffy golden tails swayed gently as she lifted her teacup.

In her mind, she was already picturing Nameless kneeling before her, completely devoted, begging for her love.

She could hardly wait!

Meanwhile—

The soft and adorable Illya was wearing pure white pajamas, leaning against the window, gazing at the starry night sky.

Snow was falling outside, painting the world in a silvery white.

"New Year's is coming soon… Should I visit Sanjiro's house?"

Illya bit her finger, lost in thought.

She had accidentally seen how close Miyu was with him earlier, and how Miyu, like a perfect housewife, had prepared a lavish dinner.

She even took care of Kirina with great affection, like caring for her own child!

This made Illya feel like a third wheel.

I was here first... but if I say that, won't I sound like a desperate loser?

The more she thought, the more she suspected her dear friend had tricked her.

That shut-in might not be Shirou, but he was very likely his alternate self from another world.

Just like how she once forgot her memories!

The thought made Illya even more melancholic.

Damn it, why didn't I seriously learn how to cook?!

If she could cook…

She would open the door in an apron when he came home and sweetly ask:

"Welcome back! Do you want to eat first? Take a bath first? Or... eat.me.first?"

Just imagining it made her cheeks flush bright red; she buried her face between her knees, her whole face burning with heat.

So embarrassing!

But at that moment—

Illya suddenly looked up.

Huh? Why did it suddenly feel like a cold, sinister presence was approaching?

In the courtyard—

Several figures stood silently.

These people came in all shapes and sizes—tall, short, fat, thin, young, old.

Their appearances varied, yet they all emitted the exact same aura.

It felt like—

They were all one person.

Silently, they surrounded the villa.

The magical defensive barriers were erased one after another with ease. Even the network signal had long been jammed.

Not only that—

They had brought America's newly developed weapons, capable of disrupting even magical communications.

No chance for help.

For Heroic Spirits, no matter how talented a mortal was, a mortal was still just a mortal.

These Assassins weren't mere pseudo-servants with partial Heroic Spirit power like in Unlimited Blade Works—they were full Heroic Spirit bodies!

Inside the room—

Illya sensed the magical barriers vanishing silently, her face turning serious: "Is it America's Counsel of Gods?"

The Academy Director Tamamo-no-Mae had warned her about this before.

Those lunatics seeking godhood would definitely covet her qualification to summon Heracles.

But she never expected them to strike right after the First Emperor left.

"No, I have to hold out until the Academy Director arrives!"

Illya took a deep breath, forcing herself to stay calm.

Right now, she hadn't summoned Heracles yet. Not because she didn't want to—but because she couldn't.

The enormous magical energy required would instantly drain her dry and kill her!

That means she could only rely on herself to fight the enemy and escape this villa where all magic and electronic communications had been severed!

Magical energy flowed, quickly forming a small glowing bird.

[Stork Knight (StorcheRitter)]

This was a special Noble Phantasm Illya had created after watching Unlimited Blade Works, capable of attacking automatically.

As soon as Illya summoned it, she already saw shadowy figures closing in.

The bird-shaped familiar suddenly unleashed bursts of light projectiles.

However—

These figures, like ghosts, easily dodged them.

"Give up resisting!"

A raspy voice taunted from one of the shadows.

More figures approached from all directions, completely surrounding her, leaving no way out.

Whoosh!

A black shadow flashed past, instantly cutting down Illya's summoned familiar.

"Damn it, I didn't have enough time!"

Illya's heart grew colder.

Right now, she wasn't the Lesser Grail—just a talented magus, but still fundamentally different from Heroic Spirits!

"Haha, give up! No one's coming to save you!"

The Assassins grew increasingly arrogant.

They shamelessly mocked her.

There was no helping it—after all, they were mentally deranged split personalities to begin with.

"Damn you bastards!"

Illya gritted her teeth, staring at the Command Seals on her wrist.

In this desperate moment, she was preparing to forcibly summon Heracles.

Even if she died, she would take them down with her!

If she were taken to America, she would undoubtedly suffer endless pain. Better to fight to the death now.

"Goodbye…"

Illya closed her eyes and silently whispered a farewell to the figure that appeared in her mind, tears quietly streaming down her cheeks.

She had only just regained her memories and hadn't even fully reunited with him — and now, she was facing a final parting under these circumstances.

"Haha, it's useless. With your magic capacity, you don't have the qualifications to summon Heracles. The moment you attempt it, you'll die!"

The Assassins ridiculed her mercilessly, completely unconcerned about her resistance.

One of them ghosted behind Illya, raising a dagger to sever her wrist in a single strike.

After all, the contractors only requested she be captured alive — they never said she had to be intact!

At this critical moment—

Whoosh!

An arrow trailed a dazzling tail of flames and instantly pinned the assassin to the wall.

All the Assassins turned to look at the figure approaching through the heavy snow, hearing his voice, suppressed with fury and ice-cold:

"What the fuck are you doing, Hassan of the Hundred Faces!"

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Well, its.....improving?