That smile was too conspicuous, drawing everyone's attention.
Shokatsu Kōmei cautiously asked, "Your Majesty, has something gone wrong with our plan?"
"Nothing at all, I just thought of something that makes me happy."
Shikotei replied with a smile.
"Something that makes you happy?"
Dozens of scenarios instantly flashed through Shokatsu Kōmei'a mind.
Could His Majesty have recovered lost memories and become even stronger than before?
Or perhaps he's figured out how to deal with the western gods?
Or maybe he plans to expand the Empire more?
"No need to guess. Carry on."
Shikotei glanced at him, instantly seeing through the thoughts of this timeless strategist.
But it didn't matter.
He was in a very good mood today.
Teacher, I didn't expect you would actually use [Platinum Dragon]. Just what kind of situation forced you to do so?
Shikotei gazed eastward.
With Nameless' strength, he didn't even need the power of the guardian dragon of human order.
And yet, Nameless still used it.
Which meant that Nameless was likely heavily wounded, with only a fraction of his strength remaining.
He must have faced a powerful enemy and was forced to unleash it.
"Back then, I was just a child who needed your protection. Now, it is my turn to protect you!"
Murderous intent surged within Shikotei's crimson eyes.
Since someone dared to provoke Teacher, then let them all be dealt with.
In the grand hall, everyone stared at him in shock, completely unaware of what had happened.
What was going on? Why was His Majesty suddenly enraged?
——
At the same time.
In international waters east of Fuyuki City.
A submarine lay quietly beneath the surface.
Major General Smith smiled,
"This entire operation depends on Lord Hassan."
"A mere ordinary magus. Capturing him is as easy as lifting a hand,"
Hundred-Faced Hassan said with a smile.
Yes — even here on the submarine, one of his avatars was present. Even if his avatars in Fuyuki City were completely wiped out, he himself would not die.
Once they retrieved Illya, they could simply ride the submarine away in complete secrecy.
By then, no matter how furious the heroic spirits of this region became, they would not be able to reclaim Illya.
"Haha, indeed. Against a Heroic Spirit, magi are simply too weak!" Smith laughed.
After all, Heroic Spirits were beings born from humanity's legends — existences of overwhelming power.
No magus could possibly—
Wait, didn't that Emiya in Unlimited Blade Works defeat Gilgamesh as an ordinary magus?
Smith's heart suddenly skipped a beat.
"Don't worry. Even after countless summoning attempts by King Artoria and the First Emperor, that man has never appeared. It proves that Nameless still walks within the flow of human history and cannot manifest here."
Hundred-Faced Hassan said with a hint of mockery.
These people were far too timid, afraid of an enemy who didn't even exist.
Look how bold he was!
"Haha, yes, that guy would never… you— you!!"
Just as Smith was about to agree, his face twisted in horror as he stared at him.
"Why am I… about to die?"
Hundred-Faced Hassan froze.
His avatars didn't share a mental link, so information couldn't be transmitted directly.
And to fully block Illya's escape routes earlier, they had sealed both electromagnetic and magical transmissions.
Even Hundred-Faced Hassan himself had no way to contact his other selves.
Whoosh—
Before he could think any further, his body completely collapsed and disintegrated.
Smith staggered backward, shaking his head, "No matter how big the bounty, you've still got to live to collect it."
What a fool.
Why hadn't America acted directly?
Because they feared mutual destruction of both superpowers. The Asia isn't the previous continent before the descent of heroic spirits they can mess with. Now, it is teeming with strong heroes of old—a walking nuclear bomb!
Compared to risking war, spending money to hire mercenaries was nothing.
"Good thing we hired an Assassin first. Otherwise, it might have been me in danger. Truly, God bless us."
Smith shook his head and calmly ordered the crew to return home.
"God bless America's continued greatness— no, wait, we now have the Council of the Gods. We don't need God anymore!"
Smith felt increasingly smug.
The Greek gods' relics they acquired over a century ago had become the foundation of America's global supremacy.
America stands undefeated across the world!
Just then, an ear-piercing alarm suddenly rang out across the submarine.
"Alert! Alert! High-energy attack incoming! Resistance impossible! Recommend remaining in place and await death!"
Remain in place and await death?
Smith was completely dumbfounded — it was the first time he'd heard an alert like this.
They were over a thousand meters underwater — how could they possibly be found?
Before he could react, a beam of light descended from the sky.
BOOM!
The beam was so brilliant that it instantly vaporized the seawater in front of it.
The countless magical runes covering the submarine were obliterated in an instant!
"Oh God, just what kind of enemy are we fighting?"
In that moment, Smith saw God beckoning him.
BOOM!
As that divine light reflected in his wide, astonished eyes, the entire submarine was erased from existence.
No one survived.
——
"The Heavenly Court System, is it?"
Sanjiro gazed eastward at the brilliant pillar of light, sensing an incomprehensibly vast power crashing down upon the ocean.
In this era of Heroic Spirits—
The Empire's Heavenly Court, and the America's Council of the Gods, stood as humanity's two greatest strategic weapons.
Both defensive strike systems were positioned in geosynchronous orbit above the Earth.
Each could unleash attacks rivaling the might of Heroic Spirits, serving as deterrence against nations without Heroic Spirits of their own.
Even those with Heroic Spirits would have to think twice before challenging them.
Sanjiro sighed softly,
"Shikotei… when you recover your Lostbelt memories, you'll probably build a Great Wall in space…"
The once-timid child had now grown into a figure revered and feared by all.
That's why, perhaps, he hadn't noticed—
After using [Platinum Dragon], Sanjiro immediately erased all traces of his aura to prevent being tracked.
Damn that vixen — once I recover my strength, she's the first I'm coming after!
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became.
Defeating Hundred-Faced Hassan should have been the end of it, yet that fox insisted on interfering.
She forced him to unleash [Platinum Dragon]!
"Shikotei probably detected America's intrusion and launched this strike, right?"
Sanjiro finally relaxed a little.
Since he didn't come find him directly, it meant he still had some leeway.
If discovered, his peaceful life would be over.
Stay calm.
I can still—
Forget it, I absolutely cannot tempt Murphy this time!
Countless figures were already quickly approaching, and Sanjiro's body vanished without a sound.
It was a god-forged Noble Phantasm—
[Hades' Cap of Invisibility].
Once activated, it rendered him essentially an invisible man — even if standing directly in front of someone, he would remain undetectable.
"Disappeared?"
Illya stared blankly at the now-empty space.
That person had appeared so suddenly, and now vanished just as abruptly.
Was he truly someone sent from the future to save her?
Illya looked at the approaching police officers, who had finally arrived late, and at the many large and small craters nearby.
Why was she encountering such danger here in the peaceful city of Fuyuki?
"Berserker, if only you were by my side…"
Illya sighed softly.
Even if Sanjiro was actually Shirou, he likely had lost all his power and memories, becoming just an ordinary person.
To protect both of them, she still needed the strength of a great hero.
Buzz~
A strange fluctuation rippled through the air, making Illya's eyes suddenly light up.
Berserker had actually responded!
Through the mysterious link, she vaguely glimpsed an extremely familiar figure.
No — unlike the berserk form from the Unlimited Blade Works timeline, this was a complete form of Heracles!
A demigod hero in his ultimate state, possessing his full power without losing reason to madness!
Most importantly—
Illya clearly sensed that she only needed to consume half her magical energy to summon him into reality.
The vast majority of the magical cost would be borne by him!
The strong, burly man gazed at her with a gentle smile, as if saying: "Don't worry. I will protect you and the one you love."
Though physically powerful, he exuded the warmth of a kind father.
A lion at heart, yet tender before the rose.
"Mhm!"
Illya felt a sense of security only a father figure could give.
But wait— why would a father so willingly hand his daughter over to someone else?
A bold guess emerged in her little head—
Could it be that Berserker had once fought side-by-side with Shirou?
——
On the other side.
After parting ways with Illya, Sanjiro returned home.
As soon as he arrived, Fou came running over, climbing up his leg.
Patta~ patta~
Kirina, wearing slippers, looked at him curiously, "You wouldn't let me go out earlier. What were you doing? Don't tell me you went out to save some poor girl?"
"What are you thinking? I went to save a damsel in distress!" Sanjiro casually hugged Fou and lay back on the sofa.
"Tch. If you could actually save a damsel in distress, I could probably destroy the world myself!"
Kirina didn't believe a word.
"Don't you dare! Before you destroy the world, I'll take you out first!"
Sanjiro replied irritably.
If not for guarding this little world-ending brat, would he have to be this cautious?
Seriously, such a hassle!
Even Alaya couldn't erase her.
After the final battle, she had surpassed even the concept of "Human Evil" and reached a level nearly equal to Alaya!
If she were to fully recover her memories, humanity would be doomed for sure!
Could it be that black-hearted capitalist Alaya wanted to keep exposing him endlessly, forcing him to keep fighting?
Give it up already!
Sanjiro silently flipped the bird.
There's no way I'm going back to fight. Not in this lifetime!
Kirina asked curiously, "I heard explosions outside earlier. What happened?"
"Probably a gas leak explosion. It's cold out these days," Sanjiro lied through his teeth.
"Oh, a gas leak? Makes sense." Kirina didn't pursue it, instead asking, "New Year's is coming up — what gift are you getting me?"
"I'll get you a fox-fur scarf. What gift are you getting me?" Sanjiro casually answered, recalling the earlier fight.
That vixen was as vile as Merry.
Could it be that two non-humans had teamed up?
Based on his understanding of Merry—
That damned Dream Demon, after suffering the humiliation of being force-fed the genderbending spring water, would surely take revenge at all costs.
Tamamo-no-Mae's sudden appearance was likely Merry's doing. Otherwise, how would Tamamo-no-Mae know he would show up?
"A fox-fur scarf… well, it's winter. That would be warm."
Kirina nodded, then smiled mischievously,
"Or maybe I'll just give myself to you?"
"You're actually quite rich — at your age, you've already got an entire airfield."
Sanjiro looked at her pitifully, deliberately glancing at her chest.
"You jerk!"
Kirina instantly lunged, trying to bite him.
You don't hit someone in the face, and you don't mock their… shortcomings.
Her figure hadn't changed at all these past two years — it was her greatest source of frustration.
Especially seeing King Artoria, Tamamo-no-Mae, and other Heroic Spirits with their huge assets, she couldn't help but feel jealous.
At that moment—
The little kitten suddenly blocked her, fur bristling as it glared:
"Fou… Fou! (You're not allowed to hurt him!)"
???
Kirina clutched her chest in pain.
Even the kitten was siding with him!
Why is it that a beautiful girl have to suffer such grievances? Am I the real Human Evil here?
"Alright, alright. Time for bed."
Sanjiro calmly ended the two Human Evils' skirmish.
Their seemingly cute and warm daily squabbles could actually destroy the world.
Damn you, Alaya!
——
Academy City, Headmaster's Office.
The two non-humans that Sanjiro suspected — they really were together!
Merry asked cautiously:
"Are you alright?"
The poor thing had just been utterly beaten by Nameless.
Far worse than what Merry herself had suffered.
Back then, she had only been bound by Alaya's contract, completely unable to resist, and could only watch as Nameless forced the genderbending potion down her throat.
The whole process hadn't been painful — in fact, it was… slightly pleasant.
By comparison, Tamamo-no-Mae had been strung up and beaten senseless.
"I'm fine!"
Tamamo-no-Mae's face still blushed unnaturally. Her ample chest swayed slightly as she clenched her teeth, glaring out the window.
That damned bastard — he humiliated her again.
Her only comfort was that this time, it wasn't broadcast to the entire world.
…No — there was still one witness!
She turned her gaze toward the Dream Demon.
Should she silence the witness?
"We're comrades!"
Merry quickly raised both hands in a French military salute.
This vixen clearly wanted to take her anger out on her!
Thankfully, Tamamo-no-Mae still had some sense. She sighed softly, "We really can't underestimate Nameless. I'll need to grow my sixth tail before I have absolute victory."
During the battle (the beatdown), she had unexpectedly grown a fourth tail, greatly increasing her power.
She had even tried to reverse the situation and pin him down — but was punched flying and lost track of him entirely.
Could it be that being beaten by Nameless helps me grow my tails?
Tamamo-no-Mae felt something strange welling up inside her — an inexplicable thrill.
No, no! I'm a proud Queen of Sadists, not some masochist!
"Indeed, once you grow your sixth tail— actually, sorry, urgent business, I must go!"
Before Merry finished, she instantly vanished.
She had slipped away through the dream realm connection, disappearing without a trace.
"Huh? Why run so fast?"
Tamamo-no-Mae was a little stunned.
They were just chatting — why did Merry suddenly run away, as if fleeing a powerful enemy?
Enemy???
She turned slowly — and immediately saw a figure she absolutely didn't want to face.
The First Emperor!
His eyes seemed to burn with flames as he coldly stared at her,
"Tamamo-no-Mae, I intend to turn you into a fox-fur scarf as a New Year's gift for Teacher!"