Era of Heroic Spirits: I Was Exposed by Alaya

-[High energy ahead!]

-[Finally, you're here! So glad I waited!]

-[Damn it, these bastards deserve to die! Nameless, you'd better slaughter them all!]

-[Classic England—Nameless and the cross-dressing King Arthur standing together is peak British!]

-[Ahhh, I'm so jealous! Nameless is about to charm another one of my favorite heroic spirits!!]

-[Friendly reminder: Not "about to"—he already has. This is a documentary!]

...

"Nameless has appeared!"

Seeing the crimson cloak, both Roya and Illya let out a long sigh of relief.

The barrage mirrored their reactions.

Countless people had been angrily denouncing, wishing they could travel back fifteen hundred years to Britain.

But after the [Nameless Heroic Spirit] appeared, everyone immediately calmed down.

There was no helping it.

His performance in the first video had been far too impeccable.

Though many were jealous of Jeanne d'Arc's public confession to him, they could only grudgingly admit—

He truly deserved her!

Upholding justice, embracing anonymity, willing to sacrifice…

Every virtue a knight should possess was perfectly embodied in him!

If such an outstanding knight didn't deserve Jeanne d'Arc, who did?

In just a single day, countless edgy teenagers had become fervent fans of the Nameless Heroic Spirit.

Now, this perfect knight stood before the perfect King of Knights, their compatibility once again making countless people ship them hard.

The black-armored knight snorted coldly, drawing his sword and pointing it at him. "You dare call us weaklings?"

"Humility, honor, sacrifice, valor, compassion, spirit, honesty, justice… These are the eight knightly virtues. Do you even qualify?"

Under the furious gazes of the knights, the Nameless Heroic Spirit remained as relaxed as if he were taking a leisurely stroll.

Behind him, the young Artoria's eyes lit up as if she had heard the ultimate truth.

She engraved it deep into her DNA, never to forget it.

The eight virtues—the perfect knight!

"Heh, human ability has its limits. The more you try to follow the rules, the more powerless you realize you are," the black-armored knight suddenly said in a low voice.

"Oh? And what do you mean by that?"

The Nameless one watched him with interest.

"To surpass those limits, one must cease being a knight! I see, I plunder, I take everything—that is what one should do in this fleeting life!"

The black-armored knight issued his arrogant declaration.

The other knights all gazed at him with fervent admiration.

Though they were fallen knights, they too longed for a leader to follow!

"Then I shall grant you death."

The Nameless one's hands, previously empty, suddenly shimmered with an intangible force, forming two swords—

Kanshou and Bakuya.

"He's alone—our odds are good! Attack, kill him!" the black-armored knight commanded without hesitation.

If they could eliminate this mysterious obstacle, he could return home with his spoils and enjoy a peaceful retirement!

The battle erupted instantly.

But the black-armored knight soon realized—

This was no battle.

It was—a slaughter!

"The hunt begins."

The Nameless Heroic Spirit's voice echoed eerily as his figure vanished.

"Where? Where?!"

The fallen knights panicked, frantically scanning their surroundings.

Whoosh!

A flash of steel—a knight's throat was slit, his body collapsing to the ground with a look of utter disbelief.

Like a phantom, the Nameless one moved freely, reappearing only to effortlessly cut down another knight.

Now, even the black-armored knight panicked, screaming, "Stay away from me—AAAAH!"

Like the Grim Reaper, he reaped lives one after another.

None could stop him.

At this moment, everyone realized—

Before this mysterious figure, they too were weaklings!

The black-armored knight lunged at the young girl in desperation, roaring, "Come any closer, and I'll kill her!"

A ghostly whisper sounded in his ear.

The next instant—

A brilliant sword flash—

His sword-wielding right arm was severed clean off!

The black-armored knight let out a wretched scream, only to see a pair of pitch-black eyes gazing down at him like the gaze of death.

Swoosh!

A flash of sword light, and the black-armored knight collapsed heavily to the ground!

The entire battle lasted less than ten seconds.

All the fallen knights had been slain!

-[Dammit, he's showing off!]

-[Ten steps to kill one man, a thousand miles without leaving a trace! After the deed, brushing off his clothes and departing, hiding his merit and fame—so freaking cool!]

-[Cutting down fallen knights one by one with each swing, seriously dashing as hell!]

-[Hahaha, this is so satisfying! Those who help tyrants deserve to die!]

-[Mom asked why I'm kneeling while watching my phone—I'm kneeling before the Nameless One!]

...

"So cool!" Roya couldn't help but exclaim.

The way he strolled through enemy ranks with effortless grace was like the perfect swordsman from a movie.

Standing to the side, Souma silently looked up at the sky.

That had been during his most chuunibyou phase, when he loved role-playing the most.

Now that [Alaya] had edited and released it, it was nothing but cringe-worthy black history!

In the "Perfect King" video, after slaying the fallen knights...

The young Knight King gazed at him with sparkling eyes: "May I ask your name? Can I train in swordsmanship under you?"

"Just a nameless knight passing by."

Far from boasting about his achievements, he remained remarkably humble.

What followed...

The nameless heroic spirit began personally instructing Artoria in swordsmanship, helping her improve at an unbelievable pace.

And it wasn't just swordsmanship training.

The young King Arthur was still in her dreams, being instilled with the knowledge of kingship by that child of nightmares.

Countless fragments edited by [Alaya] flashed before her eyes.

Sword training, dream studies... Not a single moment of rest, putting even countless high school seniors to shame.

In the blink of an eye, the girl turned fifteen.

A pivotal moment arrived—

Pulling the Sword from the Stone!

The nameless heroic spirit gently touched the girl's ahoge and sighed softly, "Lia, you can give all this up and live the life that belongs to you."

"My father and Merlin both said—some are born to be kings, some are destined to be outlaws. I am the one fated to be king!"

Artoria slightly raised her head, her gaze unwavering as she looked at the man who was both her mentor and friend.

"But what they didn't tell you is—if the path beneath your feet isn't your own choice, then no one knows where the journey will end."

The nameless heroic spirit's voice grew even gentler. "Lily, you're not a puppet on strings. You don't have to listen to that bastard's words!"

Hum~

Suddenly, countless petals surged around them, transforming the desolate wasteland into a sea of flowers.

So beautiful it seemed like a dream.

A stunningly handsome man, clad in robes as resplendent as the blossoms and wielding a staff, stepped gracefully from the void, treading upon countless flowers.

"Nameless, each has their own fate, decreed by heaven. All your efforts are ultimately in vain."

The peerlessly beautiful Magus of Flowers spoke in a lyrical tone, "Draw the Sword from the Stone, Artoria. This is your destiny—you are destined to be king!"

"Then what is the price, Merlin?"

The nameless heroic spirit drew his sword and pointed it at him, his stance radiating a bloodthirsty readiness to strike at the slightest provocation.

The Magus of Flowers held nothing back: "Once you take up that sword, you will no longer be human. You will be hated by all mankind and ultimately meet a tragic death!"

Even he felt a pang of sympathy for the child, laying out all the costs plainly and leaving the choice to her.

"Merlin, there are two kinds of birds in this world. One kind struggles with all its might to fly."

The nameless heroic spirit suddenly looked at him with mocking disdain. "The other kind can't fly itself, so it casually lays an egg and frantically pushes its offspring to fly in its place!"

***

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