Sorry for not updating yesterday. Got dragged for a late night mixer.
==============
"That nameless man… was actually my teacher?"
Shikotei furrowed his brows as he watched the video.
He originally planned to demonstrate his imperial majesty to the people of Britain so he could intimidate and take advantage of them more easily.
But now, as Shikotei continued to watch, the smile on his face gradually vanished.
It was meant to be a display of authority—so why did it turn into a compilation of embarrassing history?
Especially that scene before the dialogue began, when Nameless reached out his hand above Shikotei's head, and the boy instinctively nuzzled into it like a kitten.
That moment—a true black mark in history.
The boundless dignity of the First Emperor had, in an instant, turned into shameless cuteness!
With the release of this "The Eternal Emperor" video by Alaya, Shikotei also began to recover the memories that had previously vanished.
What exactly had happened before? How could he—he, the mighty First Emperor—have forgotten?
Feeling conflicted, Shikotei stared at the video, then glanced sideways at Komei, who sat beside him with a perfectly serious expression, seemingly engrossed in the footage.
In that moment, Shikotei suddenly thought… maybe he should've listened to his Prime Minister earlier...
On the other side, Tamamo-no-Mae's fox eyes sparkled with delight.
Tsk… Your Majesty, you've really messed this one up.
Today's truly a wonderful day—everything is going just as I wished!
With her eyes curved in a cheerful smile, Tamamo silently cheered in her heart:
"Nice job, Alaya! Keep it up! Crank it up a notch!"
The video continued.
Lü Buwei was momentarily stunned, realizing that things were taking a turn for the worse.
Even Lao Ai knows?
He glanced at the silent Nameless standing beside him.
Was it you who tattled everything to Shikotei?
"Your Majesty, this old subject helped the late king escape and ascend to the throne, and was promised to share the Qin with him."
Seeing that his deeds were exposed, Lü Buwei immediately played the emotional card:
"After the late king passed away, I cared for his wife and children. I rendered service to him, shed blood for him—Your Majesty, you can't just kill me like this!"
"Very well. Since you are so loyal, I'll send you to meet my father!" Shikotei stared at him, his gaze growing colder.
Even daring to lay hands on the queen mother—this man must die!
"Wait! Stop! Shikotei, my brilliant investment mind must not be erased from this world!"
Lü Buwei became increasingly panicked.
This guy wasn't leaving him a shred of leeway.
He was indignant!
Back then, using the phrase "a rare commodity to be hoarded," he had taken the exiled hostage Ying Yiren from Zhao and painstakingly cultivated him into the King of Qin.
He had bankrupted himself to invest in this, rising from the most despised merchant to become the chancellor of Qin.
It was arguably the greatest investment in history.
How could I just die like this?
"If I don't kill you, how can I assert royal authority? How can I vent royal wrath? How can I seize royal power?"
Shikotei raised the Heavenly Sword, which emitted a dazzling glow.
The soul essence of the previously slain scaled dragon gathered into the sword, instantly transforming it into the emperor's divine weapon.
"Stop! You've forced me to submit under pressure—that's not yet a great upheaval. But if you go any further, the heavens and earth shall be overturned!"
Lü Buwei's expression of terror suddenly vanished, and he shouted angrily.
"Oh? I'd like to see what you still rely on."
Shikotei remained indifferent to the threat. "As King of Qin, I act in Heaven's stead to carry out divine punishment!"
Boom!
The Sword unleashed its full power.
One side bore the realm, the other the state—gathering the might of the entire Qin to utterly suppress the opponent.
Under this terrifying force, Lü Buwei suddenly roared, "Immortal, save me!"
A crisp, bell-like laugh echoed ethereally.
A white-robed woman of otherworldly beauty silently appeared.
With a delicate, pale hand, she gently blocked the Heavenly Sword.
The sword that could slay a flood dragon could not even budge her slender finger!
The woman smiled and said, "King of Qin, would you consider sparing him?"
"Who are you?" Shikotei frowned at her.
"I am the Celestial Lady of the Clouds."
Her robe billowed like drifting clouds, and she exuded a transcendent aura.
Tens of thousands of soldiers stared at her, mesmerized.
Even Lü Buwei, who had nearly been slain, stared at her in a daze.
A woman who could charm nations!
Just then—
Nameless stepped forward with a calm smile. "You move with such grace and confidence. Blocking the Heavenly Sword without breaking a sweat—your skills are clearly honed to perfection. How long have you trained?"
The woman gave a light chuckle. "Time slips by. Before I knew it, it's been over two centuries. And you, young man?"
In that moment—
Nameless' expression sharpened. He suddenly shouted, "You deceitful fox! I knew from the start you weren't human—drop the act!"
Gasps rippled through the crowd—
He thrust out his hand. Golden chains burst forth, writhing through the air like divine serpents, aimed directly at her.
[Chains of Heaven!]
The woman calling herself the Celestial Lady of the Clouds, caught off guard, was struck by the Chains of Heaven.
Upon contact, her appearance changed dramatically.
Her black hair turned pink, fox ears emerged on her head, and her pupils turned golden—divine and cold.
Behind her, five massive, fluffy fox tails unfurled!
A genuine fox spirit!
She stared at him in surprise. "How did you see through me?"
"The reek of fox stench on you is overwhelming."
Nameless coldly revealed her identity. "From Xia Dynasty's Mei Xi, to Shang's Daji, to Zhou's Bao Si, to India's Huayangtian… and the future's Tamamo-no-Mae!"
(T/N: Can't bother checking that shit but all I can say is that after some digging is it seems like Tamamo in Fate lore is loosely inspired by the mythological idea of a shape shifting fox spirit who caused chaos across multiple kingdoms or dynasties but there's no hard evidence in Fate canon that she actually was all that Mei, Shang, and whoever the fuck they all are.
Just take it for a grain of salt really.
Just assume its just another shit that the author pull out his ass, as the premise might have been taken from real world folklores and myth stories, not from official Fate material.)
…
In the meeting hall—
Everyone turned to look at the nine-tailed fox sitting to the side.
Tamamo-no-Mae spread her hands.
"What are you looking at me for? Watch the video!"
Even she looked bewildered.
In her memory, she was just a harmless little fox, only causing trouble in Japan.
How did this video expose her as having wrecked three dynasties in the neighboring country—and even India across the Himalayas?!
Abe no Seimei saw this and felt strangely relieved.
So this fox didn't just wreck Japan—it's no wonder the First Emperor took her so seriously.
Seeing how she ruined Xia, Shang, and Zhou, Seimei's resentment eased slightly.
Well, those dynasties had it even worse—they got annihilated!
Facing everyone's hostile glares, Tamamo-no-Mae ground her teeth. "Damn Alaya, why did you leak this video?!"
She had been so excited to watch the First Emperor be humiliated—only to have her own secrets exposed.
Damn it! You were supposed to expose him, not me!
And that bastard Nameless dared say I stink like fox?! Just wait till I find you!
…
On screen—
The nine-tailed fox Tamamo-no-Mae swayed her tails. "Nameless, you truly are extraordinary, even knowing the future me. Could it be you're madly in love with me?"
Nameless snorted, drawing his Nameless Sword, which seemed capable of ripping through all.
Faced with such terrifying power—
Tamamo-no-Mae's expression shifted slightly, though still smiling. "Nameless, don't be in such a hurry. We seem to share the same goal. Why not fight together?"
"Heh. I and Shikotei plan to rebel against the immortals. If you wish to join us, sever your divinity first!"
"Only gods can defeat gods. Mortals will always be ants."
Tamamo-no-Mae looked at him pitifully.
As a fox spirit, born with endless desire, she absorbed human wickedness to grow more tails.
From Xia, Shang, and Zhou to India—four nations gave her five tails.
Each new tail increased her power ninefold.
Now, she was no weaker than an average deity.
But she wouldn't stop there.
Tamamo-no-Mae would head to Japan to seize the solar power atop the Sacred Tree and become the true Sun Goddess!
Then she would be invincible!
"Then let this fox spirit witness—how a mere mortal slays a god."
"Oh, I shall be watching with bated breath."
Tamamo-no-Mae bowed slightly.
She was about to leave with Lü Buwei, when—
Shikotei suddenly struck with his sword.
"Immortal, save me!" cried Lü Buwei in despair.
Too late.
The Sword fell.
He was obliterated on the spot.
"Very well. Then I shall wait for you to be crushed by the immortals," Tamamo-no-Mae said coldly before vanishing.
After her departure—
With Lü Buwei slain, Shikotei stood unrivaled.
All previously uncertain soldiers and generals knelt and cried—
"Long live!"
"Long live!"
"Long live!"
…
At last, Shikotei was free of all shackles and held true power over Qin.
He commanded the entire kingdom—none dared oppose him!
He gave a direct order: "From this day forth, establish a new Black Scales Army under the command of Sir Nameless!"
...
Under everyone's expectant gaze, the great unification campaign officially began.
The Nameless Commander led the most elite legion of Qin and launched a full-scale attack on the State of Zhao.
Clad in black armor and riding a white horse—not a prince in shining armor, but a black-clad god of death.
At the same time, hundreds of thousands of Zhao soldiers assembled, preparing to fight to the death.
The Zhao army roared, their murderous aura surged into the sky, forming the totem of a fierce black wolf.
Back in the day, Zhao Wuling King's reform—adopting Hu-style cavalry tactics—had drastically increased the Zhao army's strength, birthing the mighty Black Wolf Totem.
It was once regarded as unstoppable and invincible, so powerful it plunged enemies into despair.
The Black Wolf Totem, carrying boundless killing intent, charged toward the Qin army formation.
"A wolf totem, is it?"
Nameless's hand surged with magical power, shaping into a bow and arrow. He abruptly drew the bow and released the arrow.
Whoosh!
A spiral sword traced a dazzling path through the air and struck the Black Wolf Totem squarely—
Boom!
An explosion shook the earth, a mushroom cloud rose above the hundreds of thousands of troops.
The terrifying Black Wolf Totem was shattered on the spot by a single arrow.
The imposing momentum of the Zhao army was instantly thrown into disarray.
In a confrontation between two armies, morale is everything.
Once morale falters, combat power plummets.
"Forward!"
Nameless swung his longsword and gave the command.
The Black Scales Army, brimming with overwhelming might, launched its assault.
They crushed the Zhao forces, stormed Handan, and captured the King of Zhao alive.
At the same time, Shikotei personally led troops into Handan and beheaded the King of Zhao and many enemies with his own hands.
With a single battle—Zhao was destroyed.
...
"So the revenge is complete…"
The First Emperor stared at the video, his mind overwhelmed by memories.
When he was young, he suffered immense humiliation in Zhao, the darkest time of his life.
But it didn't matter anymore. He returned everything—tenfold.
Nameless… sensei… Why did I forget about you?
Shikotei gazed at the screen, dazed.
This man taught him hand-in-hand in the past.
He personally led the army to fight for him and conquer the land. He performed incredible feats—so why is he unknown and forgotten?
In the video—
The war raged on.
Nameless led the Qin army like an unstoppable tidal wave, devouring all resistance.
The State of Han, already suppressed and weakened by Qin, was swiftly crushed. Its king captured.
The second state fell, without even causing a ripple.
Qin's army pressed forward toward the State of Yan.
As Nameless and Wang Jian's son, Wang Ben, attacked the Wei capital Daliang—
The Crown Prince of Yan, Dan, sent Jing Ke and Qin Wuyang with the head of the Qin traitor Fan Yuqi and a map of the Yan state to "seek peace" with King Qin.
A historic scene played out.
By the Yi River, Prince Dan saw them off.
"The wind howls cold by the River Yi, the hero goes—never to return," sighed Jing Ke.
He never looked back and walked the path of no return—assassinating the King of Qin to repay Prince Dan's kindness.
As he traveled, he witnessed Qin's terrifying strength—despair-inducing.
Inside the Xianyang Palace—
Jing Ke wore an extravagant dress, as a symbol of submission.
Next to him, Qin Wuyang was already trembling, unable to withstand the terrifying presence of the King of Qin.
Useless!
Jing Ke personally delivered the map and laid it on the desk.
As he slowly opened the map—
"The map ends, the dagger appears!"
Hidden within the scroll was the dagger named No Return.
This dagger existed for one purpose: assassination.
Its name, "No Return," meant either the target or the assassin must die!
In the blink of an eye, Jing Ke gripped the dagger and dashed forward like a shadow, stabbing toward Shikotei.
"Yan truly harbored ill intent."
Shikotei swiftly dodged, circling around the pillars.
His attacker was so fast that he didn't even have time to draw his sword.
Clang!
At that critical moment—a piercing clash rang out.
Nameless, wielding a shield, blocked the deadly strike at the last possible instant!
"I thought you went to attack Daliang in Wei?" Jing Ke was struck with despair.
This assassination was planned precisely because Nameless had left to attack Wei, leaving Shikotei vulnerable.
But he never imagined it was all a trap!
"Sorry—I lied to you," Nameless smiled gently, then turned, shouting behind him: "Shikotei!"
Now that he had blocked the surprise attack, Shikotei had time to draw his weapon.
"Jing Ke, I have chosen the Emperor's Sword. You chose the Hero's Sword."
Shikotei looked at him calmly.
When he was a child, Nameless had him choose between three swords.
From that moment on, he vowed to wield the people as his blade—to bring unity to the land.
Shikotei swung his sword: "A mere assassin… take your so-called heroism and die! I shall become a ruler for the ages!"
The Heavenly Sword roared as it struck, grievously wounding Jing Ke.
Jing Ke was stunned—he wasn't dead.
But that wasn't a good thing.
Before his eyes, the Prince of Yan, Dan—who had shown him kindness—was beheaded by the King of Yan himself and offered to Shikotei.
But it was useless. The State of Yan was still destroyed.
Of the Seven Warring States, only Qin, Chu, and Qi remained.
…
Before the audience could fully absorb what just happened—
The screen flashed.
Another campaign to destroy a state began.
The people of Chu worshipped fire and the color red.
They revered the Fire God with fanaticism.
Their totem had a beast's head and a human's body, covered in crimson scales.
Flaming serpents hung from its ears, it tread upon two fire dragons, and blazed with divine fire.
It was the Fire God—Zhurong!
At that moment, a projection of an ancient god long lost to time was summoned by the Chu army.
The projection of Zhurong bellowed, "Mortals—bow before me at once!"
His divine pressure spread in all directions.
Even the mighty, undefeated Qin army stepped back several paces in unison.
Nameless showed no fear.
Behind him, golden chains appeared once again—
Chains of Heaven—a perfect counter to beings with divinity.
"Impudence! Foolish mortal, how dare you defy a god?!"
Zhurong's projection roared.
Flames exploded from his body, transforming into massive fire dragons that clashed directly with the Chains of Heaven.
Not only did they hold them off—
The blazing fire surged along the chains, heading straight for Nameless.
Clearly, this was no ordinary godly projection—
This was a genuine trace of a god descending. Only such power could resist the Chains of Heaven.
As countless viewers watched with bated breath—
Nameless once again summoned a Noble Phantasm. Its name was—
"God-Striking Whip!"
In the Investiture of the Gods, Jiang Ziya(Taikōbō) wielded the God-Striking Whip to control divine appointments.
The Chains of Heaven can bind gods. But this whip?
It can hurt them.
Of course, this was a top-tier god-forged Noble Phantasm, and even Nameless could only project its hollow shell.
But that was enough.
Crack!
Nameless lashed out with the whip, and the massive body of the God of Fire trembled violently.
"No! How can you possess such a divine weapon?!"
The Fire God roared, trying to resist, but it was completely useless.
"Die!"
Nameless spared no effort, unleashing all the energy within his body in a reckless assault.
Boom!
The once-mighty Fire God collapsed and dissipated on the spot.
That single strike struck fear into the hearts of the Chu soldiers.
Their faith… had crumbled.
"Kill them all."
With Nameless's command, the army of Qin launched another attack.
The State of Chu—was destroyed.
...
Under the excited gazes of countless viewers—
Alaya, worthy of the title "top-tier editing master," presented flawless scene transitions and cinematography.
The final battle of state destruction erupted.
The State of Qi—descended from the legendary Taikōbō, who had rendered great service during the great battle of the Investiture of the Gods.
Back then, Taikōbō had been granted a fief and established the State of Qi.
However—
As time passed, the Jiang lineage's Qi was replaced by the Tian lineage.
Before the battle began—
The previously vanished nine-tailed fox, Tamamo-no-Mae, suddenly appeared before Nameless and Shikotei.
With a cold snort, she said, "Nameless, you've angered the gods. A catastrophe is coming."
The so-called Six States all had divine figures behind them.
With Qin destroying the Six States, it was equivalent to plucking out the "eyes" the gods had left in the mortal realm—rendering them unable to control humanity, which drove them into a furious rage.
"Fox spirit, times have changed. The Age of Gods is over," Nameless replied calmly.
"No, it hasn't changed! The gods who once left have already constructed pathways and are about to return."
Tamamo-no-Mae sighed softly, gazing up at the sky.
The end of the Age of Gods varies depending on the location—it ended earlier in some regions and later in others.
It was already pushing it that the end of the Age of Gods in this country hasn't ended yet, but now the end is coming.
This region is one of the last major region to fall, with Britain being the last major region where the Age of Gods lingered before it was fully replaced by the Age of Man.
"That battle during the Investiture of the Gods… they chose the Child of the Era, Taikōbō, as the key to determine who could remain in the mortal realm."
Nameless then smiled and revealed a hidden truth: "The losers would be banished forever from the world. Only the victors were allowed to remain."
That—was the true story behind it all.
The battle back then was unimaginably brutal. Countless gods fell.
And as the Age of Gods continued to fade, even those who had stayed began to struggle to manifest themselves.
"If you know gods remain, why would you oppose them?" Tamamo-no-Mae asked in surprise.
Nameless replied, "Because—I am human. Naturally, I must fight for humanity's freedom."
His answer was firm and resolute.
This was precisely the mission he carried as he walked alongside the history of mankind.
At the same time—
Shikotei also held his Heavenly Sword high and declared in a deep voice,
"I shall set my heart on heaven, establish destiny for the people, pass on the knowledge of the sages, and bring peace to all ages! Mere gods—I shall slay them!"
"Then… I wish you good luck."
Tamamo-no-Mae looked at them with genuine surprise.
As a nine-tailed fox who absorbed human evil, she had always longed to wipe out the gods.
To have the power to become a god, and yet deliberately choose not to—heh, just for the fun of it!
BOOM!
The gods truly descended.
As the descendants of Taikōbō, the State of Qi summoned none other than the ruler of Mount Tai—
The Great Emperor of the Eastern Peak!
A god of immense power, whose pressure fell upon the land like the weight of million elephant,
"Mortal, do you realize your sin?"
And yet—
Faced with divine judgment, Shikotei was even more arrogant than the gods.
He raised his Sword and pointed it toward the heavens and all its deities,
"You who steal the authority of heaven and earth, you who seek to enslave all life—gods, do you realize your sin?"
From high above, the Great Emperor of the Eastern Peak sneered,
"Mortal, if you dare defy the gods—then die!"
BOOM!
Behind him appeared an enormous illusory image of Mount Tai itself—he intended to forge a mountain to crush everything beneath it!
Under such terrifying divine pressure—
Nameless raised his sword and pointed it at the gods,
"Come then. Let us raise our rebellious blades toward the gods, and end this stubborn, unwilling-to-retreat Age of Gods once and for all."
=========================
Ahh fuck, my brain is being fry right now. The revisions took like a lot of my time. Like, lotta fucking time and I still did not think I did some shit.
I thought those guys were kidding when they said that I'm in a world full of shit tryna translate this.
The only desirable factor I can see is Shikotei is the only one major chinese heroic spirit introduced from what I could see.
And now I realized that reading cultivation novels, I can enjoy all the glazings, courting death and idioms, because it fits. That's the territory where it all makes sense.
But once you start mixing it with Japan's ACG or Western books and movies, it becomes a mess.
These dudes ego and arrogance can't let someone piss farther from em.
Anyway, this comes from wiki.
---
God-Striking Whip
is a baobei and Noble Phantasm given to Taikōbō as the one carrying out the Investiture of the Gods. It is a Conceptual Weapon that expresses unrivaled power against extraordinary supernatural existence, especially those whose lifespans are absent of end. It is a rod-shaped weapon meant to deal blunt force damage.
The Noble Phantasm is thought to be the source of his Enforcing the Investiture of the Gods Skill. Originally it had a limited number of uses, however when Taikōbō is manifested as a Heroic Spirit, this restriction is apparently gone.