It had been thousands of years since the parting in the Age of the Gods.
Gilgamesh never expected that Nameless was still alive!
He had used himself as the ultimate fuel to unleash the full power of the Sword of Rupture, severing the bond between man and god, and creating a future for humanity.
As brilliant and fleeting as a shooting star.
Two of his closest friends died right before his eyes, plunging Gilgamesh into endless sorrow.
However—
He was a king.
Shouldering the future of countless people in Uruk, he couldn't afford to show even a trace of grief.
He could only endure all the pain and continue to manage the entire kingdom.
And now, you're telling him that Nameless didn't die at all?
Gilgamesh felt deeply betrayed.
Only now did he finally understand what Nameless meant when he said those final words before disappearing:
"Golden Shiny, I will never stop. As long as you don't stop, you'll see me again up ahead. So, don't stop..."
Those weren't just words of hope for leading humanity into a bright future.
They were a hint—that the other party hadn't died at all.
As long as he manifested as a Heroic Spirit in the same era, they could meet again.
Gilgamesh had been eagerly waiting for that reunion.
A gathering after several thousand years definitely called for going all out for a friend—solving any crisis they faced.
And then—
Stab the friend twice in return!
"You bastard!"
Gilgamesh laughed heartily.
When they met, he would return all those past words to Nameless verbatim.
"You want my help? Beg for it on your knees!"
When that time came, Nameless's expression would definitely be glorious—just thinking about it made Gilgamesh feel even more delighted.
The finance minister cautiously asked, "Your Majesty, should we hold a press conference?"
Previously, Emperor Jeanne of France and King Artoria of Britain had both held press conferences.
They verified the footage and confirmed that [Nameless] truly existed, calling out to him from afar, even expressing their desire to summon him before them.
Now, it was the turn of the most arrogant and powerful Heroic King.
Everyone stared at him, eager to know how he would respond.
"No need!"
Gilgamesh waved his hand casually.
A mere press conference? Someone he acknowledged didn't need that kind of thing.
That guy never even wanted to govern a nation, preferring to be a lone wanderer.
Seeing his confused subordinates, Gilgamesh spoke calmly: "Announce it. This king will also head to Japan, one of the country of The Empire."
His words were light and casual, but they sent shockwaves through everyone present.
They all stood stunned, staring at him in disbelief.
The Empire—one of the two great powers of the world, rivaling the nation that attempted to build a mechanical god, the USA.
Even Britain, with its Round Table Knights, was clearly inferior.
All because of that mysterious, mighty, and terrifying figure—
The First Emperor.
(T/N: Lostbelt Qin Shi Huang?)
No one knew just how powerful he truly was.
Even after delegating power and fully retreating into the background, no Heroic Spirit had dared to challenge him directly.
There were even rumors online:
"At the summit of Heroic Spirits, all fall before the First Emperor."
Because of his existence, even proud kings like the King of Heroes and the King of Conqueror had never dared step foot into The Empire, due to the trouble it will cause.
This seemed to confirm the rumor.
And now, the proud Heroic King was going to Japan—one of the nations under the rule of The Empire?
Together with King Artoria?
Could they really find [Nameless]?
Gilgamesh didn't answer.
He casually poured fine wine into a golden goblet, the smile on his face never fading.
It could be said that since arriving in the modern world, this was the happiest he'd ever been.
"Nameless, do you want to catch Merlin and punish that bastard hard? If you do, beg me!"
That despicable and shameless Flower Magus thinks he can make demands of him?
Trying to make Artoria and Mordred rekindle their parent-child drama for the sake of Nameless? Ha!
You sure like to play dirty.
If you really dare show your face in front of me, I'll definitely dunk you in the Spring of Drowned Girl and turn you into the real "Magical☆Merry!"
A fitting gift for my reunion with my best friend.
Of course, all this is based on one condition—
Nameless must kneel and beg!
==============
Tower at the End
The impossibly handsome Flower Magus cheerfully greeted his audience: "Thank you, Doctor-oniichan, for the donation! Merry loves you so much~!"
To enhance his livestream performance, Merlin specially enchanted a motion capture suit and became the perfect performer behind "Magical☆Merry."
If MiHoYo's Big Wei could do motion capture and charm countless fans while being called "waifu," why couldn't he?
With the internet full of fiction and deception, who'd take it seriously?
Just as Merlin was teasing a shut-in doctor, a breaking news headline flashed by—
[King of Heroes to visit Fuyuki City, in Japan with King Artoria for a three-day stay!]
"Huh? Gilgamesh going public with his visit? Is he afraid of being noticed by him?"
Merlin raised an eyebrow.
He had previously tried to rope Gilgamesh into a plan to humiliate Nameless publicly.
Watching Artoria and Mordred replay their twisted family drama over Nameless was pure entertainment for him.
As a Nightmare born from humanity's dreams, he loved nothing more than grand spectacles like this!
Still, that wasn't the real climax.
Nameless had ruthlessly mocked the King of Heroes back in the day—and even lied to him about dying.
There was no way Gilgamesh wouldn't want revenge.
This plan? Absolutely foolproof.
Now, all that was left was for Artoria to locate Nameless's true whereabouts.
The stage was built.
The cast was nearly ready.
And VIPs would begin arriving one by one.
The show was about to begin!
Merlin smiled even sweeter:
"Doctor-oniichan, Merry can't do a face reveal yet! Not until we reach 10 million subs! I don't want to be a looks-based streamer, I want everyone to recognize me for my talent!"
Whoosh~
Another donation alert popped up, along with a message:
[Wishing Merry eternal beauty and cuteness. I'll always support you!]
"Thank you, top supporter Doctor-oniichan!"
Merlin smiled even brighter.
Tch. Otaku money is so easy to make!
Just a virtual idol with a cute skin, and you're totally smitten?
Aren't you worried the person behind it is a hairy-legged guy?
Although... this Doctor Roman seems to have a slightly unusual identity...
==================
[King of Heroes to visit Fuyuki City, in Japan with King Artoria for a three-day stay!]
Sanjiro stared blankly at the headline. "That guy actually used clairvoyance to find me?"
It made sense that Artoria wanted to come—after all, the long-lost scabbard was beginning to reappear, slowly recovering thanks to repeated exposure by Alaya.
This was a big problem.
With his current strength, he'd definitely be mocked by that bastard to no end.
So... time to lay low.
As an ordinary, nameless student, no one would pay attention to him anyway.
Sanjiro began preparing a sumptuous dinner to welcome his regular little guest—the adorable angel Illya.
Recently, she had been coming over frequently for meals.
Who could resist a soft, sweet little loli?
"Sanjiro-oniichan, your cooking is so yummy!"
After dinner, Illya wiped a bit of white sauce from the corner of her mouth in satisfaction. Then, acting all mysterious, she said,
"To thank you for the delicious food, I've prepared a special surprise for you~"