The epic that had once existed more than two thousand years ago was about to be reenacted once more in this Lostbelt.
Nameless looked at the solemn assassin and frowned, asking:
"Are you truly certain you want to assassinate… that person?"
He raised his hand, pointing toward the colossal mechanical divine body—struggling to even admit that such a thing could still be called "a person."
It was simply too vast. How could anyone even begin to approach it?
Before such an invincible giant of steel, how could a frail assassin ever hope to succeed?
"Yes. I am certain!"
Keika nodded with utter seriousness.
She had already failed once long ago. This time, she would not fail again!
Keika smiled faintly:
"Master, I know you don't want me to throw away my life. But this is my destiny… and also what I desire most to do!"
Back then, she had once been summoned to Chaldea.
Music, films, novels… she had learned so very much under them.
Those were the crystallizations of human wisdom.
The expression of countless lives, experiences, and selfhood.
But here—
Under the First Emperor's absolute dictatorship, human civilization itself had been utterly extinguished.
Cultural inheritance was severed without mercy.
Elegant and beautiful poetry was treated as a plague.
Once discovered, it was annihilated root and branch!
Keika could not forgive this.
This Lostbelt's First Emperor was far more deserving of assassination than the one of proper history.
"You—"
Nameless was about to press his persuasion further, when—
The assassin's form suddenly flickered, shifting into stealth, vanishing completely from all sight.
It was clear she had been prepared from the very beginning.
The onlookers froze in shock, just as he did—
Because not a single person had faith in Keika.
The First Emperor of this Lostbelt possessed strength overwhelming enough to crush gods—none dared take him lightly.
Even Nameless, who had opened a Servant Summoning at all costs, found it difficult to imagine defeating such a foe.
Rameses II's eyes widened:
"Again, an assassin!"
He had not forgotten. Back during the Sacred Round Table, that detestable King Hassan had taken his head in a single stroke.
Could it be—
This assassin also intended to sever the First Emperor's head?
Ridiculous!
After completing his mechanical divine body, the Emperor didn't even have a head left for you to cut.
Rameses II scoffed coldly:
"With just this assassin? Forget killing that Emperor, she can't even threaten him!"
"Oh? Do you look down upon an assassin who carries the weight of destiny?"
A deep, aged voice rang out beside him.
"???"
Rameses was struck speechless.
Because the one speaking was none other than King Hassan once again!
There he stood, greatsword in hand, calm and serene as ever, a placid expression on his face.
Why was he here again?
Rameses had already repaired his temple again and again, sealing every crack and breach.
And yet it still couldn't keep this wraith of a man out.
His temple had been reduced to someone else's backyard—come and go as you please!
Rameses steadied himself:
"It's not contempt. I merely state—she cannot harm the First Emperor!"
"Then let us watch closely and see."
King Hassan offered no further words.
"In that case, how about a wager? If Keika cannot so much as threaten the First Emperor, then you shall never appear before me again!"
Rameses said flatly:
"And if I lose, I shall openly invite you into my Grand Temple!"
A sure-win bet—for as long as it rid him of this ghostly old man.
Come and go as you please, is my temple your home?
"Very well."
King Hassan nodded calmly.
Ah, Sun King—you are still too young!
The video continued.
Nameless watched the departing assassin and sighed lightly:
"Everyone, we too cannot stop here. Let us cut our way forward—straight to the First Emperor himself!"
That was her destiny to fulfill.
And as for him, the only thing he could do was bring this Lostbelt to an end.
When the group finally stormed the city, they were greeted by a most bizarre sight.
Just beyond a single wall—
The thunder of cannons raged on, yet not a single citizen seemed afraid.
A painter exclaimed:
"Oi, don't disturb me while I finish this painting! This is to praise His Majesty's glorious deeds—my entire life exists for this!"
"I shall sculpt the finest Terracotta Soldier in honor of His Majesty!"
…
Outside, flames of war raged. Inside, revelry and prosperity.
Countless puppet soldiers rushed out—but not to attack the Chaldeans. Instead, they were protecting the common people.
Mordred blinked in surprise:
"Uh… why do I feel like we're the invaders, storming into a peaceful land?"
"What in the world are these guys trying to do?"
Da Vinci grew increasingly perplexed as well.
Tat-tat-tat!
An endless tide of puppet troops surged forth, methodically evacuating civilians.
Shin Ryougyoku snorted coldly:
"Every citizen is His Majesty's treasure—they must not be harmed!"
Mordred retorted without hesitation:
"Treasure? More like the Emperor's prized pets!"
"I refuse to call this art!" As a universal genius, Da Vinci too gazed upon the scene of peace and revelry with growing fury.
It looked harmonious, it looked happy.
But all the painting, the sculpting, the poetry, the music—every last act of creation had only a single purpose—
To praise and glorify the First Emperor.
To Da Vinci, this could never be called art at all. It was nothing less than an insult to the very word.
"That First Emperor chose to shoulder all responsibility and all sin… and in doing so, he also bore supreme arrogance." Nameless looked at the grand, majestic spectacles before them.
"In his eyes, only he counts as human. All others are nothing more than extensions of his body."
In other words—
Shikotei had made himself into the empire itself.
His mind was its will.
His vision was its destiny.
His life was its span.
His being was its entirety.
As for everyone else—they were merely pieces sheltered beneath him, freed from all thought of the future.
All they had to do was live, generation after generation, in this eternal peace that would never know tomorrow.
This was the true meaning of an Eternal Empire.
"Even Gil's claim of 'acknowledging all, bearing all' pales by contrast—not because it was hollow, but because Shikotei twisted that creed into something far more absolute. For over two thousand years, he has made himself the sole axis upon which his empire turns."
Nameless's expression grew even more complicated.
That once frail boy—now shouldering more than two thousand years.
A miracle without precedent.
Even Bedivere's 1,500-year journey to return the sword paled into insignificance before him.
At that moment—
Shin Ryougyoku, while commanding puppet soldiers to evacuate civilians, exclaimed in surprise:
"I thought you people would take this chance to attack!"
"We are not invaders," Nameless replied calmly.
"Even if a Lostbelt is a mistake, to destroy it while standing atop a pedestal of moral superiority without burden—that, too, is extreme arrogance."
A Lostbelt was simply a parallel world, a path diverged from Proper Human History.
No one could say with certainty that their path was the absolutely correct one. Thus, no one had the right to morally condemn the other.
To Shikotei, to Shin Ryougyoku, to all the citizens—Chaldea were the invaders!
"If I could, I wouldn't want to step onto the battlefield at all. I'd much rather go home and grow sweet potatoes."
Shin Ryougyoku gripped her spear tightly, her voice burning with anger:
"Only by lulling the evil within humanity to sleep can the world know peace. That is His Majesty's great work—and no one is permitted to destroy it!"
"You are not wrong. The one at fault is this world itself. We are fated to be enemies." Nameless sighed.
The audience, who had been looking forward to Nameless's heroics, now found their hearts weighed down—
BoobVenerate-[So this is what they mean by 'ignorance is bliss.' Honestly, I'd almost prefer it.]
HistorianWithWifi-[Living with no knowledge, existing only to breed and sing praises of the First Emperor? I could never bear that!]
BabySlaneesh-[There's no right or wrong, only victory and defeat. Whoever stands at the end is the true winner!]
AlayaRiggedThisShit-[But no matter what, even if Nameless fails, this Lostbelt is doomed to destruction.]
MonaLigmaBalls-[Maybe… maybe that's exactly why the First Emperor has never struck to kill them… because he already knows this fate.]
…
At this point—
Mordred spoke up in surprise:
"Come to think of it, Father—you're kind of similar to the First Emperor, aren't you?"
"Hm?"
Artoria turned her gaze toward her.
"Tch. You're the so-called Perfect King. You too wanted to shoulder all of Britain's burdens alone!"
Mordred swept her eyes up and down at her "father."
"Too bad you didn't have a mechanical divine body. In the end you walked the path of the Lion King. But still—you tried to cage all of humanity!"
In the Sacred Round Table, it had been laid bare.
The Lion King gathered the purest, most virtuous people from among the masses, placing them within the world of the Holy Lance, crafting a paradise of merely five hundred souls.
No war.
Eternal peace.
Those few would exist alongside the Lion King forever.
But in this Lostbelt—
The First Emperor had turned the entire land into a paradise.
Forever ending war. Forever suppressing human wisdom. Eternally caging mankind!
"Perhaps so…"
Artoria's expression grew distant, pensive.
Had she possessed a mechanical divine body, perhaps she truly would have walked that same road.
Shouldering all of Britain alone, ruling the future of all its people by her own hand.
"Hmph. The throne really is a poison!"
Mordred couldn't help but curl her lip.
More than hating her father, she hated Merlin and the people of Britain who had forced her father to be king.
That was why she raised her rebellion—to destroy Britain and return true freedom to her father!
See? She was a most filial child.
Not a rebel knight at all!
Nearby, Gawain glanced at the crown that had been set aside:
"Mm. You're right."
The throne truly was poison.
Neither of them even wanted it now!
Was this thing a green hat? Whoever wore it got cuckolded?
The video pressed on.
Even Kou had fallen. Shin Ryougyoku could not possibly stand against Nameless.
In the blink of an eye, she too was utterly defeated.
At that moment, the screen shifted to the Palace.
A rotund Kan Shin, as plump as a certain famous singer, spoke with deep regret:
"My apologies, Your Majesty. As expected, I have failed. I can only repay my guilt with death."
"It matters not. So long as Chaldea has not defeated Us, Great Qin cannot be ended."
The First Emperor's voice resounded through the great hall:
"Kan Shin, Guard Captain, Shin Ryougyoku—you have already fulfilled your duty as loyal subjects. Now, I strip you of your offices—not as punishment, but as reward for your devotion."
"Your Majesty, why not punish your servant?" Kan Shin stared in confusion.
The First Emperor replied:
"It was not failure in war. Had the task fallen solely to you, you would have had a hundred ways to defeat Chaldea. It was I who failed to let you fight at your best. If victory demanded the destruction of my empire itself, then you would never know defeat. Is that not so, Kan Shin?"
"..."
For a long moment, Kan Shin could not speak.
As always, His Majesty was the only one who truly understood him.
He bowed one last time:
"Then, forgive me as I take my leave."
"Go then, Kan Shin. You are free."
The First Emperor watched him depart from the hall. His voice sounded once more: "Guard Captain, I ask of you one final task—may you witness his conclusion."
"Your Majesty…"
The Captain sighed heavily and bowed:
"As you command. Please take care of yourself."
It was clear. His Majesty meant for all his retainers to depart, leaving only himself to confront Chaldea.
Why?
Could it be… His Majesty had already foreseen their destined destruction?
Once his two loyal retainers had departed—
The First Emperor's voice echoed through the empty hall:
"All irrelevant parties have left. Should you not show yourself?"
Buzz—
A small, slender figure suddenly appeared within the hall.
Keika, dagger in hand.
"If you knew I was here, why send them away?"
"Because you pose no threat to Us. Surely you don't believe that tiny dagger could endanger Us? You have already prepared yourself for death, have you not?"
The First Emperor's voice was calm, matter-of-fact.
"An assassin cannot exist without the resolve to die. Without such resolve, one cannot be called an assassin at all!" Keika retorted.
"An assassin? That sounds strangely familiar."
Keika frowned.
"Have you forgotten? Back when you were still human, you were nearly assassinated once!"
"Heh. In 2,603 years of ruling this world, We have been targeted countless times." The First Emperor chuckled lightly.
"Would you remember how many grains of rice you have eaten?"
"..."
Keika fell silent.
"Though We do recall—when you approached Us then, Our teacher stood in your way. At the time, We were still obsessed with how to attain immortality."
"..."
Keika's face twisted in exasperation.
So much for not remembering. Why did he recall it all so clearly?
"Proper Human History—what an arrogant self-styled title. As if only you were the rightful flow of history, and all else a mistake. More arrogant even than Us!" the First Emperor sneered.
"Heh. More arrogant than you? You, who monopolize everything, snuff out budding wisdom, slaughter innocents at a whim—and yet call us arrogant?"
Keika's face hardened in fury.
"To you, only yourself counts as human. Everyone else is but livestock!"
"Correct! We—who hover above in Our mechanical divine body, who forged this Eternal Empire—are the only human worthy of the name. The one and only True Man!"
The First Emperor did not deny it in the slightest. On the contrary, he admitted it openly.
His voice full of scorn, he demanded:
"Within so-called Proper Human History, has there ever existed a perfected human such as Us?"
Without waiting for Keika's answer, he unleashed a torrent of condemnation:
"You humans, forever attacking and opposing one another, gathering in masses yet achieving nothing. Therefore, there is no need for the word species after 'man'! There need only be the ultimate, supreme True Man—to shoulder the sky, to master the land, to rule all mankind by his hand! Hmph. And you dare claim that so-called Proper Human History is the rightful way? Utterly laughable!"
The First Emperor's words laid bare his philosophy.
In his eyes, all other humans were mere lowly creatures, unfit to think—destined only to be cared for by him.
Confidence taken to the extreme.
Arrogance taken to the extreme.
This was the Eternal Emperor.
Keika's fury blazed:
"With arrogance like yours, do you really believe you can lead the world into the future?"
"Of course! Can your Proper Human History prevent species from going extinct? Can you fix atmospheric pollution? Can you stop the glaciers from melting? Can you erase racial discrimination? Can you abolish war itself?"
The First Emperor sneered:
"See? You can't do a single one of these things. But I can."
"..."
At that barrage of questions, Keika fell silent on the spot.
Even the audience was dumbstruck—
JewJitsu-[Nameless, hurry up! I'm about to get convinced by the First Emperor!]
YoMamaBeenSlobbin-[Damn, from a certain point of view… he's not wrong!]
…
Countless people had expected to watch a good show of Keika assassinating the Emperor.
Never did they think the First Emperor's counterarguments would be this sharp.
Humanity, with its infinite desires, could never cooperate wholeheartedly. Otherwise, the world would already be at peace, already flying among the stars.
After a long silence—
Keika suddenly retorted:
"If that's the case, then surely you consider Qin to be the completed, perfect utopia?"
"Of course!" the First Emperor answered with unshakable confidence.
And yet—
Keika began to laugh.
"Heh, caught yourself, didn't you? Completion is the same as termination! That so-called perfect world of yours has already been ended by your own hand. There is no future in it at all!"
"..."
For a moment, the First Emperor fell silent.
"We Heroic Spirits, together with our Masters, fight to protect Human History—to witness and pursue a future without end!"
Keika's smile grew ever brighter.
"You want me to look up at the Great Wall in the sky? Fine. That wall reveals the very limit of your Eternal Empire. It is because you fear the world beyond the planet that you built such walls, locking humanity down on the ground. Truly, nothing could be more ridiculous!
Our journey lies among the stars and the seas!"
However—
In the face of her passionate declaration, the First Emperor merely snorted coldly:
"Just empty bluster from one unwilling to lose. Very well—when We conquer the universe, We shall prove it to you."
"In that case… take a look at this little trinket."
Keika suddenly tossed something over.
In her hand was—
A smartphone.
The very same kind that every person in Proper Human History carried.
It was the last aid Nameless had given her before she left.
A mere dagger could never assassinate the Emperor.
But this little device could!
"Hm? One of your so-called technological toys?"
The First Emperor scanned and analyzed it in an instant, then scoffed with pride: "This thing doesn't even have one-millionth of Our computational power!"
"And yet, in Proper Human History, there are over four billion of them!" Keika fired back.
"—What???"
The First Emperor blinked in surprise.
"This thing seems to allow communication! You mean to say you allow every last human such rights and freedom? Wouldn't that plunge the world into chaos?"
"Better to die than live without freedom! You gather all rights unto yourself—but in our world, all rights belong to the people. Every person can freely learn, freely spread culture!"
Keika raised her head proudly.
"You are only one man. Which means you can't defend against the viruses hidden inside a smartphone!"
"Viru—＃%＃...￥%...%"
The First Emperor's voice faltered.
Moments later, his figure flickered, breaking apart into scrambled static!
+
====
Back in the living room—
Kirina was stunned.
"A smartphone… as a dagger???"
So it could be used like that?
The invincible Emperor, threatened by a mere smartphone virus?
"It's possible! Because the First Emperor rules alone, he'd never have encountered a virus before." Illya reasoned.
Yes—the First Emperor's mind rivaled a supercomputer. But he had devoted all that power to simulating the people's future.
He had no exposure to malware whatsoever.
Like a brand-new computer with no protection at all—one random virus could topple it.
Kirina clicked her tongue.
"Come to think of it… eat, sleep, repeat, no school, no work… that doesn't sound half bad!"
Living in that world, with the future entrusted entirely to the Emperor—
No need for desperate jobs.
No 996 overtime.
"But you wouldn't be able to play games. The net would be cut." Sanjiro reminded her calmly.
"Then this world deserves to be destroyed!" Kirina declared without hesitation.
A world without internet? Forget living—even a single day offline felt like being severed from reality.
Sanjiro stared solemnly at the Palace on the screen.
"How did it come to this?"
Back then, he had taught and protected the boy, wanting only for him to fulfill his ambition as a peerless emperor.
But clearly, Shikotei had not been satisfied.
After Sanjiro left, he walked a road that would inevitably set them against each other.
"Tei… I should have stayed longer to teach you…"
Kirina, watching intently, suddenly asked with a straight face:
"So… does the First Emperor actually have lewd pics or not?"
"???"
Sanjiro froze.
Child, are you filled with nothing but question marks?
"Ahem. He has a mechanical divine body. 'He' doesn't even have a gender."
Kirina smacked her lips, eyeing the Emperor's poster.
"So… in a doujin, would His Majesty be on top, or would Nameless?"
The Emperor's beauty was overwhelming.
A perfect being—so flawless he surpassed countless female Heroic Spirits in charm.
Just imagining such a supreme existence being pinned down—
Ahem. Kirina nearly burst out a nosebleed.
"???"
Illya and Miyu both gawked at her.
This girl clearly liked Sanjiro. So why was she shipping him with the First Emperor?
Terrifying! She was a self-cuckold enthusiast!
The two lolis exchanged a glance, at a loss for words.
"..."
Sanjiro was speechless too.
This brat really would tear the roof down if left unchecked!
He yanked her onto his lap and smacked her butt.
Smack!
A sharp, clean sound.
While maintaining a stern face, he scolded:
"You're just a grade-schooler! What filth are you filling your head with? Tell me, who let you read those books?"
This kid—wanting to see him and Shikotei in a doujin!
He was the boy's teacher! How could that be possible?
And knowing the Emperor's respect for his teacher, there was no way he'd harbor such thoughts.
"I didn't, I wasn't, don't accuse me!" Kirina yelped, begging for mercy.
Getting spanked in front of her two friends was mortifying beyond belief.
Beside them, Fou tilted his head.
"Fou… Fou (Good hit! Truly disgraceful!)"
Yes, they were equals as manifestations of Human Evil—
But unlike Kirina, Fou was cuddled and pampered by Sanjiro every day.
See? Its Authority of [Comparison] made it forever superior!
After the punishment, Kirina pouted:
"Hmph! Always bullying me… baka hentai urusai!"
Just then—
On the screen, a familiar figure appeared.
Tall, androgynous, with an air of calm majesty.
It was none other than the Shikotei's human form.
Kirina gasped:
"Eh? He turned human?!"
"Of course. How else would he look like the person we saw in real life?" Illya rolled her eyes.
This brat really needed to be babysat constantly.
Under everyone's gaze,
The First Emperor, now in human guise, spoke with serene dignity:
"Indeed. Twice you have brought peril to Us. That alone is enough for Us to remember your name—Keika."
The first time was when the First Emperor unified the Six States, and Crown Prince sent him forth to assassinate.
If not for Nameless's timely arrival, she might truly have succeeded.
The second time was now.
With nothing more than a small device, she nearly brought the mighty mechanical divine body of the First Emperor to a complete halt.
For a mere assassin, to threaten Shikotei twice was an accomplishment worthy of pride.
The First Emperor raised his hand and pointed at her:
"This time, I shall erase you completely, leaving no trace behind!"
Buzz—
A vast and overwhelming power suddenly poured down upon her.
Keika instantly felt every magical circuit in her body spiral into chaos, her organs shredded within, until she could no longer hold back a mouthful of blood.
Clutching her chest, she sighed,
"I spoke so boldly to my Master… and yet, I still failed…"
"You may take pride in yourself. But before I, the Ultimate Being, it is meaningless!"
Yet even as he declared this, the First Emperor's face showed faint approval.
Had Keika not hated him to the marrow, perhaps she might have been sealed within the Hero Repository, becoming one of the Emperor's retainers.
But that could never be.
Boom!
He gathered endless magical energy, shaping it into a spear of light to end Keika's life painlessly.
At that very instant—
Layers of violet petals unfurled, intercepting the blow.
Within the great hall, another figure appeared.
Wiping the blood from her lips, Keika lifted her gaze:
"Master…"
Yes, it was Nameless who had arrived in haste!
He steadied the staggering assassin with one arm, smiling softly:
"You've done more than enough. Leave the rest to me."
"Oh? You would face Me personally?"
The First Emperor frowned slightly. There was something in this man's presence… something strangely familiar.
"Yes."
Setting Keika aside, Nameless met his gaze squarely.
Softly, he said:
"Tei, do you know who I am?"
"That voice… that name… that aura— You're… Teacher?"
The First Emperor's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Why? If you are Teacher, why do you oppose Me?"
He could not comprehend it.
Had this not been the very one who spoke to him of a future where all could live in peace, fed and clothed?
He, the Emperor, had created a world far beyond that vision—a land of eternal harmony and prosperity—yet Teacher now stood as an intruder seeking its ruin!
…
The greatest tragedy between people is not hatred, but when those who once loved most dearly are forced to stand opposed.
Nameless had guided Shikotei since youth, had guarded him time and again, and was perhaps the one most important to him.
And yet now—
The one who sought to destroy the Eternal Empire was none other than that very Teacher.
This was Shikotei's most merciless punishment.
Nothing could surpass it.
Within the real Palace—
The gathered Heroic Spirits cast sidelong glances at the Emperor.
This was bad.
Truly bad.
What should have been a display of imperial grandeur had instead become the exposure of a stained history!
Even his own mentor stood against him with sword in hand!
Could this really be allowed to broadcast?
Komei's mind grew darker by the moment.
If His Majesty's "black history" was aired uncut, countless people across the empire would lose faith.
How then could they remain united against the Council of Gods?
But the video had been uploaded by Alaya itself. No one could delete it.
It could be watched without internet, without data—unless, perhaps, the entire nation were plunged into a sudden blackout.
Dozens of countermeasures already ran through Komei's mind.
Once the broadcast ended, the very first step must be a massive public relations effort to defend His Majesty's reputation.
Kan Shin too frowned deeply:
"Could it be… they intend to take the path of mutual destruction? To risk annihilating the empire itself in order to strike down the Council of Gods?"
As a strategist, he desired only victory.
Even if it meant a thousand enemies slain at the cost of eight hundred of their own.
While all others were lost in anxious speculation—
Shikotei sat watching, unblinking, expressionless.
Teacher… No wonder you never came to see Me again. So much happened afterwards…
—Inside the video.
"To secure the destiny of the people, to carry on the wisdom of the ancients, to bring peace to all ages—this was what I once taught you."
Nameless sighed.
"But… did you truly achieve it?"
His gaze was filled with weary disappointment, like a father chastising a willful child—not as though facing the King who had unified the world and caged all of humanity.
"I have achieved it! Heaven is heartless, but Man has a heart—thus I act as Heaven's executor!"
The First Emperor did not hesitate:
"Culture is the source of all evil, so I sealed away human wisdom—cutting conflict off at the root. Where war was endless, I built the Eternal Empire—peace everlasting!"
These words… were once his Teacher's counsel, when he had asked what it meant to be a ruler.
Yet now—
Nameless's eyes flared with anger.
"Peace? You call this peace?! You've reduced mankind to mere cattle! Not equals, not kin!"
"I alone am eternal! I alone am the True Human! To Me, the masses cannot be considered the same kind."
The First Emperor's face remained calm.
"I acknowledge all. I bear all. Let the infinite burden and sin fall upon Me. They need only enjoy peace—that is enough. Tell Me, is such protection wrong?"
Just a few words revealed everything:
In the Emperor's eyes, humanity was not kin—but specimens in a vast zoological garden.
Fed and sheltered, spared the cruelties of nature—but from birth to death, their lives planned, their futures caged, freedom denied forever.
"Protection? This is nothing but selfish captivity!"
Nameless's voice thundered with fury.
"By what right do you claim the will of all mankind? By what right do you dictate their life, death, and future? What have you truly protected?"
"Humanity is bound by endless flaws, consumed by endless desire. Thus only I, of perfect reason, can rule."
The First Emperor answered with unshakable confidence.
Only by erasing the root of evil itself could peace be made eternal. Therefore he chose to shoulder everything, to govern every detail, to seize the reins of all existence.
"Our paths diverge," Nameless said coldly.
"Shikotei, you and I now stand opposed."
He abandoned all hope of persuasion.
"Then I shall defeat you with my own hands—and teach you once more!"
"Oh? You are certain?"
For a moment, Shikotei seemed almost amused.
Spinning in place like a child showing off new clothes, he declared proudly:
"Teacher, behold! This body of mine is no mere vessel—it is a man-made immortal, the culmination of two thousand years of Our technology!"
He gestured to himself.
"This form is the very apex of human existence! I have overcome death, transcended yin and yang, attained true immortality! The one and only True Human! The ultimate being—eternal sovereign of all humanity!"
Yes—this body was his proudest masterpiece.
A perfection wrought by centuries upon centuries of labor.
Even before this mysterious and mighty Teacher, Sgikotei could claim without hesitation:
He would never lose.
For truly—he was invincible beneath the sky!
"Teacher," he smiled, "abandon this struggle. I can grant you the same transcendence—let us rule the world together, forever!"
"…But I refuse!"
Nameless's rejection was immediate, absolute.
Immortality, dominion eternal—the greatest temptation to any man.
But not to him.
He had walked the path of human history for longer than he could count.
He needed no false eternity.
What he longed for instead… was the fleeting life of an ordinary man.
He sneered coldly:
"Even if your body bears the power of a Grand Servant's vessel—I will defeat you with my own hand!"
Grand!
A single, heavy word left the entire audience stunned—
ProfoundCultivator-[Wait, so you're saying the Emperor just casually crafted a Grand-class Servant?]
LegallyRetarded-[Holy crap, if he can make something Grand-tier out of thin air, then how terrifying is his true mechanical divine body?]
SirFucksAlot-[And if it's an artificial vessel, doesn't that mean every stat could be maxed out at EX?]
AlayaRiggedThisShit-[Strength of Heracles, attack power of the King of Heroes, magical energy on the level of a Holy Grail—yeah, forget it, no one's beating that!]
…
At the marketplace.
Gilgamesh frowned slightly.
"An artificially created Grand-class vessel?"
Even he couldn't achieve that.
It wasn't that "Grand" made one strong—it was that only those with overwhelming strength could be called "Grand."
The Grand Seven—each class could hold only one Grand.
And yet—
There were many Heroic Spirits who possessed Grand qualification.
For instance, himself and Merl— Merry, both candidates for Grand Caster.
And now, the body of the First Emperor was exactly that: a genuine vessel on par with Grand-level, in the Ruler class.
Not one of the official Grand Seven—but equivalent in power nonetheless.
And it was a vessel he had personally built!
"Ridiculous. Absolutely absurd!" Cu Chulainn's eyes went wide.
Crafting a Grand-level body out of nothing—so this was the terror of a Lostbelt King?
Before this, such a claim would've been dismissed as pure fantasy.
Even his own master couldn't do such a thing.
After all, his master wasn't even a Grand.
Let alone capable of creating one.
This was Grand we were talking about!
Back in the "Absolute Demonic Front" Singularity, that Grand Assassin had imposed the very Concept of Death onto Tiamat herself—a power beyond comprehension.
"…He truly is strong." Heracles's eyes blazed with warlust.
The opponent's strength made his blood boil.
A rule-breaking enemy of overwhelming might.
He wanted nothing more than to throw everything aside and fight him head-on.
But now—he was just a simple laborer, hauling bricks to feed his daughter. Battle would have to be left to Sanjiro.
Gilgamesh folded his arms, lips curling into an amused grin.
"This king is curious. Let's see how you plan to defeat that."
Yes, come then.
Since you dared cut into this king's meat, don't hold back now.
Hack him apart, rip his heart out—serve the First Emperor the full course of humiliation, right in front of the whole world!
The video pressed on.
"Hahahaha! Teacher, it seems I must defeat you with My own hand—only then will you see who is truly right!"
The First Emperor's laughter echoed grandly.
"The future and hope of your so-called Proper Human History crumbles before Me like dust!"
"You disappoint me! Once, we fought side by side against gods—yet now you yourself have become one!"
Nameless raised his blade, pointing it squarely at him.
"Boy, let me give you one final lesson—to return your human heart!"