Era of Heroic Spirits: I Was Exposed by Alaya

His smile was far too conspicuous, drawing everyone's attention.

Zhuge Liang cautiously asked, "Your Majesty, has something gone wrong with our plans?"

"Nothing. I was just thinking of something amusing."

Qin Shi Huang replied with a smile.

"Something amusing?"

Dozens of possibilities instantly flashed through Zhuge Liang's mind.

Had His Majesty regained lost memories, becoming even stronger than before?

Or had he figured out how to deal with the gods of the United States?

Or perhaps he wanted King Arthur to marry into the empire, bringing all of Britain as dowry?

"Don't bother guessing. Continue with your discussions."

Qin Shi Huang glanced at him and instantly understood that this eternal genius was overthinking again.

But it didn't matter.

Today, his mood was excellent.

Master, I never expected you to actually use Platinum Dragon. What exactly did you encounter?

Qin Shi Huang gazed into the distance toward the east.

With his power, Nameless shouldn't have needed the authority of a title.

And yet, he used it!

That meant Nameless had likely suffered severe injuries, his strength reduced to less than a fraction.

And now, he had encountered a powerful enemy, forcing him to resort to it!

"Back then, I was just a child who needed your protection. Now, it's my turn to protect you."

Qin Shi Huang's crimson eyes burned with killing intent.

Whoever dared provoke Master—he would eliminate them all.

In the grand hall, everyone stared at him in shock, completely clueless about what had happened.

What was going on? Why had His Majesty suddenly erupted in fury?

Did he truly intend to oppose Britain and confront King Arthur to the end?

...

Meanwhile.

In the open seas east of Fuyuki City.

A submarine lay quietly beneath the ocean's surface.

Major General Smith smiled. "This operation's success is all thanks to you, Lord Hassan."

"A mere ordinary magus is nothing to worry about."

Hundred-Faced Hassan replied with a grin.

Indeed, inside the submarine, he still had one more body!

Even if all his clones in Fuyuki City were destroyed, he wouldn't die!

After retrieving Illya, they could directly board the submarine and leave silently.

By then, no matter how furious China became, it would be impossible to reclaim Illya.

"Haha, indeed, compared to Heroic Spirits, magi are far too weak!" Major General Smith laughed.

Heroic Spirits were, after all, formidable beings forged from the legends of humanity.

No matter how strong a magician was, they could never—

Wait, in Unlimited Blade Works, that Shirou kid defeated the King of Heroes as an ordinary magus!

Major General Smith's heart suddenly skipped a beat.

"Relax. Even after repeated summonings by King Arthur and Qin Shi Huang, he still hasn't appeared. That proves Nameless is still walking through human history—he can't manifest here."

Hassan of the Hundred Faces spoke with a hint of mockery.

These guys were way too cowardly, actually afraid of someone who wasn't even present.

Look at how fearless he was!

"Haha, right, that guy would never... You! You!!"

Just as Major General Smith was about to agree, his face twisted in horror as he stared at the other man.

"Why am I... dying?"

Hassan of the Hundred Faces looked dazed.

He and his clones didn't share a mental link—meaning they couldn't directly exchange information.

Earlier, to perfectly block all of Illya's escape routes, they had cut off both electromagnetic and magical communications.

Even Hassan himself couldn't contact his clones now.

Whoosh—

Before he could think further, his entire body crumbled and dissipated!

Smith hastily took several steps back, shaking his head. "No matter how high the bounty is, you've got to live to collect it!"

What an idiot.

Why didn't the U.S. act directly?

Because they were afraid of China's overwhelming retaliation, of course!

Compared to that, anything that could be solved with money was nothing.

"Thank God we hired the Assassins first—otherwise, I'd be the one in trouble now. Divine protection indeed!"

Major General Smith shook his head and calmly ordered the submarine to turn back.

"May God bless America's continued might... Wait, no, we have the Pantheon now. No need to pray to God!"

Smith grew even more smug.

The relics of the Greek gods, obtained over a century ago, were the foundation of America's glory and dominance over the planet.

My America is invincible!

Just then, a piercing alarm blared through the submarine.

"Alert! Alert! High-energy attack incoming! No countermeasures possible! Recommend awaiting death on the spot!"

Awaiting... death on the spot?

Major General Smith was utterly baffled—he'd never heard such a death warning before.

They were over a thousand meters underwater! How could they possibly be found?

Before he could react, a beam of light descended from the heavens.

BOOM!

The radiance was so dazzling, violently vaporizing the seawater ahead.

Even the countless magical runes on the submarine were instantly melted away!

"Dear God, what kind of enemy are we fighting?!"

In that moment, Major General Smith saw God beckoning to him.

BOOM!

Amidst his awestruck expression, the entire submarine was obliterated by the brilliant light.

No survivors.

"The Celestial Court System?"

Nameless gazed at the radiant beam in the east, sensing an unimaginable force crashing into the ocean.

In this era of gathered Heroic Spirits,

China's [Celestial Court] and America's [Pantheon] stood as the two greatest weapons in the world.

Both of these defense and combat systems were stationed in geosynchronous orbit.

It can unleash attacks comparable to those of Heroic Spirits, thereby intimidating all nations without them.

Even those possessing Heroic Spirits would have to carefully consider whether they could defend against it.

Nameless sighed softly, "Zheng'er, once you gain the memories of the Lostbelt, you'll probably really start building a Great Wall in space..."

That naive little child from back then had now grown so powerful that he commanded the awe and reverence of the masses.

So, he probably didn't notice, right?

After unleashing Platinum Dragon, Nameless immediately erased all traces of his presence to prevent being tracked.

Damn it, that damned fox spirit—just wait until I regain my strength. You'll be the first one I come for!

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He could have just dealt with Hundred-Faced Hassan and been done with it, but that fox had to jump out and interfere.

Forcing him to resort to using Platinum Dragon!

"Qin Shi Huang must have detected the invasion from the United States, which is why he struck so decisively, right?"

Nameless let out a slight sigh of relief.

Since he hadn't come knocking directly, there was still a chance.

***

Hey readers!

Want to read ahead? 📖 Join my Patreon for early access to 30+ advance chapters! Your support helps me write more and bring the story to you faster.

🔹patreon.com/aarvan🔹