Era of Heroic Spirits: I Was Exposed by Alaya

But now, this woman had been shaped into such a state by Nameless—how pathetic!

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

"Oh? First, let me hear your plan. Otherwise, there's no way I'm joining forces with a failure like you!" Tamamo-no-Mae's golden eyes brimmed with disdain.

"Nameless is probably hiding in some corner of Fuyuki City right now."

Merlin smiled. "Endless battles have exhausted him to the point where he just wants to live as an ordinary person."

Only your enemies truly understand you!

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

"Live as an ordinary person?" Tamamo-no-Mae frowned slightly.

That guy was even more domineering than Qin Shi Huang—he could challenge the gods themselves. How could he possibly settle for mediocrity?

"Alaya released that exposé video precisely to reignite his fighting spirit and make him continue protecting humanity."

Merlin's smile grew brighter. "And all we need to do is uncover his true identity and location, then expose him..."

"Proud Heroic Spirits will surely want to monopolize him—they'd never share."

Tamamo-no-Mae recalled her earlier thoughts, her eyes lighting up.

"Right! Once that happens, Nameless will inevitably trigger new conflicts, making it impossible for him to hide peacefully! In a way, we'd even be helping Alaya!"

Merlin's adorable little face now bore an expression that could only be described as—

Utterly shameless!

"You're truly despicable—no wonder they call you 'Merlin the Unscrupulous'!" Tamamo-no-Mae praised.

"Likewise. Neither of us is human, so we're perfect partners."

Merlin clasped her hands in a Japanese-style salute.

The two exchanged knowing smiles.

Having reached an agreement,

Tamamo-no-Mae frowned and asked, "So here's the question—how do we find him?"

"We just need to wait quietly and let others do the searching for us!"

Merlin's smile grew even brighter.

As the child of nightmares, how could she possibly take action herself?

Buzz~

Tiny ripples of magical energy projected a screen before the two, clearly showing a certain seaside location.

Dark figures were gathering one by one, shadowy and indistinct like specters.

Tamamo-no-Mae froze momentarily in surprise. "Assassin's killers dare to set foot on Fuyuki soil?"

Indeed, these shadowy figures were none other than the mysterious Assassin Order!

Their founder, Hassan-i Sabbah, was a notorious Persian assassin in the late 11th century who established the Assassin Order.

It had endured for a full millennium.

With the advent of the Heroic Spirit era, these infamous killers had begun to manifest as Heroic Spirits.

"The guys from the United States spent a fortune to hire the Assassins, wanting to forcibly take Illya. At that point, Nameless will definitely appear," Merlin explained simply.

Tamamo-no-Mae's frown deepened. "Let me make this clear—as the academy director of Fuyuki Magecraft Academy, I won't allow anyone to be taken by force!"

This was a matter of her dignity.

If she couldn't even protect her own student, what right did she have to be academy director?

"Of course, our only goal is to force Nameless to show himself," Merlin added with a smile.

Letting these madmen provoke Nameless was far safer than doing it herself.

If Nameless truly didn't appear, she could still step in as the righteous ally, saving the little loli from the Assassins and boosting her public image.

Everything was going according to her plan!

Tamamo-no-Mae instantly understood everything. "Truly worthy of the scumbag Merlin!"

"Likewise, we're partners after all!" Merlin smiled and cupped her hands in greeting.

"Then, let's enjoy the show!"

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

She could already envision the wonderful scene of Nameless kneeling before her, utterly devoted.

How exciting!

Meanwhile...

The adorable Illya, dressed in pure white pajamas, was leaning against the windowsill, gazing at the sparkling stars in the night sky.

Snowflakes drifted outside, painting everything in silver.

"The New Year is coming soon. Should I visit Souma's house then?"

Illya nibbled her finger, deep in thought.

She had recently seen Miyu being extremely intimate with him, and witnessed Miyu preparing a lavish dinner like a perfect housewife.

Miyu had even enthusiastically cared for Roya, treating her like her own child!

It made Illya feel like the third wheel.

I was here first... Never mind, I shouldn't say that—it would really make me sound like the loser.

The more Illya thought about it, the more she suspected her best friend had deceived her.

That otaku might not be Shirou, but he was probably his alternate-dimensional counterpart.

Just like how she had once forgotten about Shirou!

This realization made Illya even more melancholy.

Damn it, why didn't I learn to cook properly?

If I knew how to cook,

I could greet him at the door in an apron when he returns, looking up cutely to ask:

"Welcome home! Would you like dinner, a bath, or... me?"

Just imagining it made her face flush crimson. She buried her head between her knees, feeling her cheeks burn with embarrassment.

So mortifying!

At that moment,

Illya suddenly looked up.

Huh? Why do I suddenly feel a chilling presence approaching?

In the courtyard.

One after another, figures stood there in utter silence.

The group was still whispering among themselves—

"This is Fuyuki, known as the assassin's hell. We must act quickly while Qin Shi Huang has just left!"

"We didn't want to come originally, but the pay from the United States was too good!"

"It's just a talented little girl. Is the United States really this concerned about her?"

"It's not about her—it's about her qualification to summon Heracles. That's worth billions!"

...

The group consisted of tall and short, fat and thin, old and young individuals.

Each had different expressions, yet strangely emitted identical energy waves.

The impression they gave was as if—

They were one person!

Silently, the group surrounded the villa.

One magical defense barrier after another was effortlessly erased.

The network signal had long been jammed.

Not only that.

They had even brought new weapons developed by the United States, capable of interrupting magical communication!

Leaving no chance for their target.

To Heroic Spirits, even the most talented mortal was still just a mortal.

They were not Servants with only partial power like in Unlimited Blade Works—they were the true Heroic Spirits themselves!

Inside the room.

Illya had already noticed the magical barriers disappearing one by one without a sound. Her small face immediately turned serious: "Could it be people from the United States?"

Back then, the Academy Director Tamamo-no-Mae had warned her to be careful of the United States.

Those godhood-obsessed individuals would surely covet her qualification to summon Heracles.

But she never expected they would dare to come the moment Qin Shi Huang left.

This was beyond audacious!

"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 that she didn't want to—she simply couldn't.

The massive amount of magical energy required would drain her dry and kill her instantly!

In other words, she could only rely on herself to fight against the enemies and escape from this villa where all magic and electronic communications had been cut off!

Mana flowed rapidly, forming a small glowing bird.

[Shape ist Laben!]

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

The moment Illya summoned it, she could already see shadowy figures emerging.

The familiar in bird form suddenly released a barrage of light projectiles.

However.

These figures dodged them effortlessly, like phantoms.

"Give up already!"

A figure let out a hoarse, mocking laugh.

More closed in from all directions, surrounding her completely—there was no escape.

Whoosh!

A black shadow flashed past, instantly destroying the familiar Illya had summoned.

"Damn it, there's not enough time!"

Illya's heart grew colder by the second.

Right now, she wasn't the Lesser Grail—just a genius magus, fundamentally inferior to a Servant!

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

The assassins grew increasingly arrogant.

They mocked her without restraint.

But then again, they were all mentally ill with split personalities to begin with!

"Damn you! You bastards!"

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

In this desperate situation, she was prepared to forcibly summon Heracles.

Even if she died, she'd drag them down with her!

If they took her to the United States, she'd suffer endless humiliation—better to fight to the death now.

"Goodbye..."

Illya closed her eyes, silently bidding farewell to the figure that surfaced in her mind. Tears slid quietly down her cheeks.

She'd only just regained her memories, hadn't even properly reunited with them, and now she had to part like this.

How unfair!

"Hah, useless! With your mana, you don't even qualify to summon Heracles—you'll die the moment you try!"

The assassins sneered, utterly unconcerned about her resistance.

One of them appeared like a ghost behind Illya, raising a dagger to sever her wrist in one strike!

After all, the U.S. only demanded she be brought over—they never specified in one piece!

At this critical moment—

Whoosh!

An arrow trailing a dazzling streak of light suddenly pinned the assassin to the wall!

All the assassins turned to stare at the figure emerging from the heavy snowfall, who spoke in a voice icy with suppressed fury:

"You're dead, Hundred-Faced Hassan!"

***

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