Era of Heroic Spirits: I Was Exposed by Alaya

Then he'd given her an incredibly rare ticket to the Fuyuki Grand Hotel—something so exclusive it was practically unheard of—allowing her to meet Heroic Spirits directly.

A ticket like that could probably fetch tens of thousands online without breaking a sweat.

That meet-and-greet had led Roya to befriend Mordred as her bestie, while King Arthur and Jeanne d'Arc had fought over her like she was their daughter. It was enough to die happy.

And now, yet another person had come bearing gifts. Did I really save the world in my past life?

Alaya has been way too good to me—it's practically handing out blessings like they're free!

Speaking of which, Mr. Gold was a friend of Souma. Could this person also be one of his friends?

But the thing is, the two of them seem a little unfamiliar with each other.

The bigger question is—is Nameless some kind of young master from a powerful family?

Waiting for the three-year deadline to pass so he can reclaim his rightful place as the Dragon King?

At that moment.

Fou also trotted over, eyeing the stranger with slight confusion: "Fou... fou? (Why is there another one?)"

All it wanted was to be a normal little cat, but the number of Heroic Spirits visiting the house kept growing.

And each one seemed to have some ulterior motive, as if they wanted to take Souma away.

No, it had to show off the terrifying power befitting a Beast of Humanity.

It scampered onto Souma's lap, nestled against his chest, and raised its tiny paws in an exaggeratedly fierce pose—

[Evil Dragon's Roar!]

Roya couldn't help but burst out laughing: "Haha, Fou, are you trying to be cute on purpose?"

This little cat was just too funny.

So tiny and adorable, yet putting on such a fierce act to scare people.

If this got posted online, wouldn't it just slay a whole army of "A-Weis" with its cuteness?

However.

Qin Shi Huang frowned slightly, sensing an immense and terrifying power.

This power surpassed even that of the gods, overwhelming to the point of being unstoppable!

It was clearly on the same level as the fearsome Primordial Mother Goddess who had appeared in the side story Flower of the Underworld from The Oldest King series.

A Beast of Humanity capable of destroying mankind?

What was even more peculiar.

Qin Shi Huang distinctly sensed that this creature wielded an incredibly unique, almost causality-defying concept—

[Comparison]

No matter how strong you were, it could always be stronger!

"Fou... the little white beast from the side story The Flower Magus, the one Merlin tossed off the Tower of the End?" Qin Shi Huang remarked, eyeing it with surprise.

Just watching that side story, one would never have guessed how powerful it truly was.

It had seemed like nothing more than a soft, cuddly pet.

But now, seeing it in person, it was clear this creature was many times stronger than Merlin himself!

Earlier, when Qin Shi Huang had gone to find Tamamo-no-Mae, he'd sensed a peculiar magical disturbance.

That scoundrel of a dream demon had clearly teamed up with the fox spirit to plot against Nameless!

You better run far away, you trashy incubus.

Once I catch you, I'll hand both of you over to the Master to deal with!

Hearing that name, Fou instantly grew even more furious—

"Fou... fou! (Merlin must die!)"

That bastard had thrown it off the Tower of the End, leaving it in free fall for fifteen hundred years!

Fifteen hundred years—falling nonstop! Do you have any idea what that was like?

Roya pouted, "This is just some stray kitten you brought from outside. How could it possibly be that little cutie?"

The two were completely different.

The real Fou was countless times cuter than this one.

What was most infuriating was that the cat they had at home wouldn't even let her pet it—not even once!

At that moment.

Qin Shi Huang stood up to take his leave. "Now that the gift has been delivered, I should be going."

"Eh? You're leaving already?"

Roya grew even more astonished.

This man was too good—bringing over an extravagant, priceless fur and then leaving without hesitation.

Just who was he?

Roya tentatively asked, "Um, do you know Mr. Gold?"

"Mr. Gold? No, I don't."

Qin Shi Huang smiled in reply, rising naturally to leave. As he did, he casually pointed to the side and said, "That one—could you come out and see me off?"

Familiar words, a familiar scene.

It made Souma instantly feel as if a giant, blood-red character had appeared above his head—

[DIE!]

Roya happily hugged the fox tail. "Souma, go see Mr. Qin off for me."

Just touching it was enough to make her reluctant to let go.

There seemed to be some special fox scent lingering on it, making her cheeks flush slightly as she breathed it in. Her head felt dizzy, as if she had drunk wine.

A strange warmth also stirred inside her.

She was starting to feel... odd...

Souma was speechless.

This brat really had no loyalty—a single fox tail was enough to buy her over?

How about I give you the other eight tails of that fox spirit, huh?

Souma put on his coat and followed the man out of the house.

In the distance, a song echoed—

"Snowflakes drift, the north wind howls, the world is vast and desolate..."

In truth, the entire neighborhood was already blanketed in silver.

Many children were having the time of their lives, having snowball fights and building snowmen.

As he walked, Qin Shi Huang sighed softly. "Back then, when I was still a child, I too wanted to play with them. But I was always excluded."

Born in the hostile state of Zhao from infancy.

Qin Shi Huang had been shrouded in endless shadows since childhood, leaving him perpetually anxious and insecure.

When he finally escaped the state of Zhao, he was fortunate enough to meet his teacher, finally granting him the precious sense of security he had longed for.

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

Souma feigned confusion in his questioning.

He had to be careful—he couldn't let himself be tricked!

"Teacher, must you still pretend in front of me?"

Qin Shi Huang stared fixedly at him.

There was no overwhelming pressure, yet Souma felt as though countless eyes were upon him—as if billions of souls were watching.

His presence was no weaker than that of a god, yet carried an even stronger aura of human reason.

This was the emperor who commanded two billion people of China, standing at the pinnacle of the entire world!

Faced with such a familiar scene,

Souma simply gave up pretending and sighed helplessly, "Uh… did you find me through the Platinum Dragon?"

He never should have used the ability the other had given him!

Of course it would cause problems!

"Indeed. Since you clearly knew, Teacher, was this not an invitation for me to see you?"

Qin Shi Huang gazed at the young man before him.

For a fleeting moment, it was as if he had returned to over two thousand two hundred years ago.

Back then, had his teacher looked at his younger self the same way?

Had he grown up to become him?

"I didn't, I wasn't, don't spout nonsense!"

Nameless instantly denied it three times in a row.

If he hadn't exhausted his mana fighting Hundred-Faced Hassan and then been tracked down by Tamamo-no-Mae, why would he have ever activated the Platinum Dragon—this obvious trap?

Damn fox spirit—he'd definitely make her pay for this later!

"Teacher, are you happy to see me?"

Qin Shi Huang smiled warmly.

During the coronation ceremony in Xianyang, he had summoned only the Nameless from the past.

But now, he had finally met the true Nameless!

"Very happy…"

Souma grew even more exasperated.

He was practically scared to death—what kind of happiness was this?!

The mighty Qin Shi Huang showing up at his doorstep—wasn't this just asking for his life?

"Teacher, what exactly were you fighting? Why are you in such a wretched state?"

Qin Shi Huang frowned as he studied him.

The Souma who had once stood before him with unshakable strength now looked utterly shattered, like a ragdoll forcibly stitched back together.

What had happened?

How could a heroic spirit who walked through human history, saving countless lives, now resemble a stray dog, silently hiding in a corner just to survive?

"Just… a little too much…"

Souma didn't want to talk about the battles he had fought.

There were too many—so many that even he couldn't remember them all.

Oh, right—one of those fights had even involved this guy!

Did being the Lostbelt King make you special?

Damn it—it really did. He was freakishly strong, not just in the ordinary sense!

***

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