Fate: Nameless Hero

In the campus of Academy City—

Sanjiro was standing at the foot of a slope lined with cherry blossom trees.

As the representative student responsible for receiving Heroic Spirits, even if there wasn't much going on, he still had to stay nearby.

This was considered a break period.

He was casually browsing the bonus clip.

Thousands of comments were guessing whether Alaya had a crush on him.

Sanjiro couldn't help but curl his lips. "Hah, she likes me, yet makes me work 24/7 nonstop like a madman?"

The vampiric capitalist Alaya's 'love'—you think this is some cute yandere anime thing? Only a lunatic would want that kind of deranged affection!

Ever since he had saved humanity years ago—sacrificing everything to reboot the world—he had made a silent vow:

"Blessings shall come, for I now lie flat until death."

"I will not marry, not buy a house, not have children."

"I am the slacker on the job, a wanderer in the city, the ray of resistance against capitalist vampires, the horn awakening laborers from their trap, the unbreakable shield against toxic productivity."

"I offer my life and honor to the League of Slackers, now and forevermore."

He had worked 24/7 for countless years, and they still wanted to drag him back into being a corporate cog?

Dream on!

Sanjiro stood under the cherry blossom tree.

Unfortunately, it was winter now—no cherry blossoms, only withered leaves drifting down.

Just then, a colorful ball rolled down the slope. He casually used his foot to stop it and bent down to pick it up.

A petite, adorable figure came running down from above, cheeks flushed red and looking especially cute.

She was wearing a white down jacket, a red scarf, and those amber eyes of hers locked onto him.

It was Miyu, the little loli herself.

Sanjiro blinked in surprise. He didn't expect to meet her like this.

She probably won't recognize me... right?

A tinge of uncertainty rose in his heart.

Back in the timeline of "Vow Beneath the Snow," he had saved Miyu and sent her to a peaceful timeline with no Holy Grail War, no calamity.

She had even wished to become his real sister.

But during the final battle, countless timelines were burned away.

Sanjiro had sacrificed his very existence, vanishing from the memories of everyone, completely forgotten by the world.

Even Fou, the Beast IV, had forgotten everything about him, following only pure instinct.

His kouhai, Mash, who had once formed an unbreakable bond with him, likewise forgot him entirely.

Let alone Miyu, who had lost her Holy Grail powers and was now just an ordinary girl.

And yet—

In those beautiful amber eyes, mist suddenly welled up as she timidly whispered:

"B-Bro...ther?"

Such a strange... yet deeply familiar way of calling him.

Sanjiro froze in place.

That title—it belonged to her alone.

Back then, when he had brought her home from the ruins, he had grown used to her soft, sweet voice calling him "onii-chan."

But alas.

After defeating seven in one night and ending the Holy Grail War, he gave her a happy life—but was never able to watch her grow up.

In her world, he no longer existed.

She moved toward a bright future while his name was buried beneath the earth, returning to endless 24/7 battles for the sake of humanity.

Years must have passed by now…

Sanjiro's feelings were an overwhelming swirl.

When his kouhai had seen him again, she too had blurted something out unconsciously.

But—

"My kouhai saw me and didn't recognize me. She smiled and asked where her senpai came from…"

All these were invisible ties of fate pulling them together again.

Perhaps it was the same with Miyu.

Sanjiro smiled and handed the ball over. "Here, your ball."

The greatest sorrow in this world... is standing before the one you love, and they no longer recognize you.

"Mm, thank you."

Miyu hesitated a moment, hugging the ball close to her chest.

She was just about to say something when someone called out from the distance.

A voice waved him over from afar: "Sanjiro, hurry up!"

"Sorry, I've got to go," Sanjiro waved at her in a friendly gesture, then turned and left her sight.

The little girl gave him a sweet smile. "Okay, onii-chan, you go ahead."

"Mm…"

Sanjiro paused in his steps briefly, then walked away.

That title… it really brought back memories.

It was the bond called family...

Behind him—

Miyu quietly watched him go, and tears welled up in her amber eyes, falling like broken pearls.

Yet her little face was filled with a radiant smile, a smile of pure happiness and sunlight.

It was so good… to see onii-chan again.

Back then, despite being just a weak boy, he had chosen to fight the entire world for her sake alone.

Faced with the world and her, he chose her without hesitation.

In a nightmarish, unimaginable war, he had sacrificed everything—just to shatter the Holy Grail War.

And in the end, to save the world, he made a pact with Alaya and went on to wage endless battles.

Now, he looked like just a plain, ordinary high schooler.

No need to fight anymore. That's wonderful.

Miyu wiped her tears and felt her heart ache more and more for him. She couldn't even imagine how long he had been fighting.

Back then, she—once a Holy Grail vessel—had wished to become his little sister, but their bond had been severed by the brutal war.

That war… was likely why he disappeared from everyone's memories, disappeared from the entire world.

Miyu turned back, her steps light and cheerful.

She felt so weightless, as if there was nothing left to fear—because she was no longer alone.

This time, she would be the one to protect him!

Miyu returned to the top of the slope.

Looking across the street at the juice shop, there were still a few customers waiting in line.

After a short while, Illya finally cheered as she got her orange juice.

But to get back, she had to climb a tall flight of stairs.

Illya slowly extended a foot down while holding the juice—it wasn't too difficult.

Once she made it up again, she placed the juice on the high platform.

Her petite body tilted slightly to the left as she tried hard to climb up with her short legs.

Miyu quickly took out a tissue to wipe her tears, afraid Illya might notice, or worse, that someone else might.

"Look, Miyu, I got it!" Illya beamed with a victorious smile, handing over a cup of steaming juice, a bit surprised. "Huh? Why are you crying?"

"Just got some dust in my eye."

Miyu took the juice, lowering her head to sip it silently.

"Oh, then let's go."

Illya didn't think too much of it.

The wind really was quite strong today.

She took a sip of her juice, her face full of excitement. "The First Emperor will arrive in Fuyuki City this evening. I wonder how he'll appear. I'm really looking forward to it!"

"I don't know," Miyu replied.

She didn't care much about the arrival of the First Emperor.

What mattered more was how she would approach the boy she met earlier.

Back then, he had saved her and given up everything for her.

Now, it was her turn to protect him.

Miyu secretly made up her mind: "Mm, I can't tell anyone!"

In the extra episode previously released by [Alaya], "How Many Peepers Were Charmed by Emiya's High Jump?", it was clearly shown how many people were watching him.

Some admired and adored him; others were his enemies.

If those people discovered that the boy from the video was currently living peacefully in Fuyuki City, they would pounce like sharks smelling blood.

And when that happened, her brother's peaceful life would be utterly torn apart by those people.

Miyu could not accept that.

After all he had done for humanity, it was time for him to retire and enjoy a quiet, peaceful life.

Unfortunately...

Her brother didn't recognize her anymore and even asked with a smile where this "little sister" had come from.

"When the First Emperor arrives, I'll be in close contact. I'm a little nervous," Illya said uneasily.

But since there was still time before his arrival, there was no need to be nervous just yet.

She turned to her best friend. "Where do you want to go? I'll take you."

"How about we find Kirina? She's been hanging out with the Heroic Spirits these past few days. Maybe we can get a chance to meet them too," Miyu suggested after thinking for a moment.

"Kirina, huh... Sure," Illya nodded.

She was probably overthinking it. Miyu had never seen Sanjiro before and naturally wouldn't know about his connection to Kirina.

Sorry, my dear best friend. I can't let you meet that person just yet.

Illya decided to wait until she confirmed things before telling her.

But given the incredible charm shown by Emiya in that side story, how could he possibly go unnoticed?

Could I have mistaken him for someone else?

Illya was torn.

Maybe... I should bring Miyu along to check it out?

The upcoming arrival of the First Emperor caused another wave of excitement to sweep through the entire Academy City.

After all, the First Emperor was the guardian deity in everyone's hearts, powerful enough to put people at ease.

By comparison—

Even though the King of Heroes, King Artoria, and the Dark Saint were all strong, they were foreign Heroic Spirits, and couldn't possibly protect this place.

"Another powerful Heroic Spirit is about to descend..." Sanjiro felt increasingly helpless.

This has to be your doing again, Alaya!

The once peaceful Fuyuki City had ceased to be peaceful with all these Heroic Spirits gathering.

Don't tell me... Alaya's going to use this opportunity to expose my relationship with the First Emperor…

A terrifying thought popped into Sanjiro's head.

Knowing how shameless Alaya could be, this was absolutely possible!

Looks like I need to pack up and leave. I can't stay in Fuyuki City anymore!

During lunch break.

Sanjiro returned to his hotel suite.

As soon as he opened the door, a delicious aroma greeted him.

"What the...?"

Sanjiro looked puzzled.

That little brat was known for her cursed culinary skills. Her cooking truly lived up to her title of world-ending demon lord.

But this smell... why did it seem so familiar?

He stepped inside—and saw a little girl in the kitchen, standing on a stool with an apron on, busy cooking.

"What the—Fou turned into a little girl to repay kindness?"

Sanjiro was stunned, suddenly overjoyed.

But wait—if Fou transformed into a catgirl, she should be a white-haired loli, right?

The little girl turned at the sound of the door and smiled. "Welcome home, Onii-chan."

"...Miyu?"

Sanjiro stared at her, dumbfounded.

What the hell?

Why was this girl—whom I'd just met once—suddenly here, cooking in my house?

Didn't she not recognize me at all?

BAM!

He turned and slammed the door shut, took a deep breath in the hallway, then opened it again.

Nothing had changed.

Sanjiro couldn't help but ask, "What are you doing?"

"I'm making braised beef with potatoes, and stir-fried eggs with tomato. It'll be ready soon," Miyu answered while busily working.

Even though she was barely 140 cm tall, she moved like a wife who had done this a thousand times.

"..."

Sanjiro fell silent.

That was the exact meal she used to cook when they relied on each other in that timeline.

Back then, though not related by blood, they were closer than any family.

He looked at her with mixed emotions. "Why are you doing this for me?"

"Kirina and Illya went out. I didn't have anything to do, so I started prepping dinner." Miyu stepped down from the stool, wiped her hands on her apron, and walked over.

She slightly tilted her head up, took his coat, and hung it on the rack.

Every movement looked like something she'd done countless times.

Like a wife waiting for her husband to come home.

"Um... Didn't anyone ever tell you not to get too close to strange men?" Sanjiro sighed softly.

Especially now—times had changed. Even a five-year age gap could land you in prison.

Such a gentle, domestic little wife—

are you trying to get me arrested?

Miyu tilted her head and looked at him, then sat on the couch, sipping a cup of hot water.

The water was clearly too hot—her little pink tongue quickly retracted.

"Don't do this again."

Sanjiro instinctively wanted to pat her head but stopped himself.

After fighting through all of human history, scarred and worn down, he found it hard to resist this kind of warmth.

This girl... could she be like Fou? Even if she doesn't recognize me, she still has feelings for me?

But sadly, you're not a cat.

Cooking and cleaning for a single guy like me... If anyone saw this, they'd call the cops for sure!

"I think my cooking is pretty good," Miyu insisted.

In this happy world, she had grown up surrounded by loving family.

She'd learned to cook from her mother to prepare herself to become an ideal wife in the future.

"But you're still too little. You should wait until you grow up before doing this," Sanjiro gestured.

At less than 1.4 meters tall, she looked incredibly tiny and cute.

"Mm."

Miyu nodded obediently.

She stood up from the sofa, walked over, and stood on her tiptoes to help tidy up his slightly messy collar.

Sanjiro reached out to stop her, but hesitated—unsure whether he should actually touch her.

Click—

Just then, the door suddenly opened.

"I'm back~!"

Illya stepped inside with a few snacks in hand, entering the room in a rush.

Then she froze in place, staring blankly at the two inside, as if she couldn't believe her eyes.

From her perspective—

Sanjiro had his hand out as if he were about to pull Miyu into his arms.

And the little girl was looking up, on her tiptoes, seemingly about to—

KISS???