Era of Heroic Spirits: I Was Exposed by Alaya

Chaldea.

Doctor Roman, who was watching the livestream of [Magi☆Mari], suddenly saw an advertisement video forcibly pop up on the screen.

"Get lost, don't block my view of Mari!"

Without hesitation, Doctor Roman clicked the ×, only to find himself unwittingly drawn into it.

The video was titled――

[The Magus of Flowers Dancing in Gokuraku Jodo]

"Ha, the Magus of Flowers is dancing in Gokuraku Jodo?"

Roman stared blankly at the video.

That was a prestigious candidate for the throne, a being so powerful he could hardly imagine, and he was doing this?

Absolutely a fraud!

Wait, no, the regulations regarding Heroic Spirits had already been established; such a major site wouldn't dare to pull this kind of stunt.

As the omnipotent Da Vinci, she also expressed her confusion: "Don't worry, it's really the Flower Magus dancing!"

That nightmare, does she want to become a cute girl like her?

As a genius of all trades.

Da Vinci had been a powerful magus in her lifetime.

She had made contributions in countless fields including music, mathematics, architecture, sculpture, and painting.

Countless people throughout history had praised her as――

[The Omnipotent One]

Because she was too perfect.

When she descended to the world in the form of a Heroic Spirit, Da Vinci gained a powerful ability――

[Golden Rule (Body)]

This ability allowed her to possess a perfect body that rivaled that of a goddess, maintaining her beauty eternally.

Thus, Da Vinci intentionally "redesigned" her body, transforming it into the form of her most proud work, the [Mona Lisa]!

Just her smile alone could captivate countless people around the world.

However, for this shut-in doctor, it was utterly useless; he wouldn't even glance at her!

"Maybe he's gone mad, but it's none of my business; I'm going back to watch my Mari video!"

Doctor Roman pouted, completely indifferent to this pathetic nightmare.

Then.

He saw Merlin in the livestream suddenly collapse to the ground for some unknown reason, his face ashen.

As he fell, her cheongsam tore completely, revealing a mysterious bulge beneath.

???

Roman froze for a moment, then suddenly covered his eyes: "Ah, ah, ah, my eyes! Why is that damn cross-dressing guy hurting my eyes?"

"Come on, dear Roman, let me help you wash your eyes."

Da Vinci smiled sweetly at him.

With the [Golden Rule (Body)], her appearance was practically the epitome of the human golden ratio, radiating unbelievable charm.

Countless people, knowing she had been a man in her lifetime, still unhesitatingly succumbed to her allure.

Her fame even surpassed that of many true female Heroic Spirits!

However, Doctor Roman wouldn't even spare her a glance: "What are you looking at? You're also a cross-dresser! Mari is the cutest!"

"...Watch out, your Mari might also be a man behind your back!" Da Vinci shot back.

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

Doctor Roman resolutely denied it.

Mari is so cute, how could she possibly be a man?

While countless people online were buzzing due to the livestream of [The Flower Magus Dancing in Gokuraku Jodo].

In the subspace.

Souma looked at him with pity: "Merlin, congratulations on becoming famous worldwide again; your popularity is bound to skyrocket!"

"..."

Merlin got up from the ground, his face devoid of any expression.

Who would want this kind of fame?

Now, there's probably a bunch of people posting comments like "Sorry to meet you this way."

Then, without hesitation, they'd save his video and create all sorts of meme edits!

"Hehe, a bet is a bet; this king will do whatever he wants!" Gilgamesh said with a smile.

He didn't care about Merlin's resistance.

The bet had been set up by Merlin, and it had nothing to do with him.

The reason he bet with him was merely out of trust in Nameless.

That guy could guard against even the worst of humanity; the Holy Grail War was nothing he couldn't handle!

Oh right, that little girl he summoned who could destroy the world should be coming soon…

Merlin was choked by a comment and had to admit that his luck was truly terrible.

He dug her own pit and jumped in!

He shouldn't have bet with the King of Heroes!

Now, the only way to wash away this shame was to use illusions to make Nameless look foolish.

Buzz~

Countless pink petals floated down, enveloping the area in a rain of flowers.

Merlin looked at him calmly and said, "Come on, Nameless, let me grant you the most terrifying illusion hell!"

"Take your time; I'm going to continue enjoying the online comments about you," Gilgamesh casually pulled out a computer, eating watermelon while watching the countless comments online.

"..."

Merlin's previously rising fighting spirit was instantly shattered by him.

That damn King of Heroes!

"Well then, as you wish, bring it on!"

Souma said with a smile.

Well done, gold flash!

It's all about killing the heart and making Merlin furious!

Originally calculating what price he would have to pay to defeat this mastermind.

Now, it seemed he wouldn't need to pay much at all.

Your heart is in disarray!

At that moment.

Souma suddenly sensed a figure quietly approaching from outside the subspace.

Oh, the little troublemaker is here too, did Gilgamesh summon her?

The King of Heroes beside him didn't even glance at her, thoroughly enjoying the barrage of comments on the video.

Alright, you proud gold flash, why aren't you a cute girl?

Souma instantly understood her meaning.

Then, let's settle this in three minutes.

Buzz~

Outside the subspace, Roya, who was thinking of finding Souma and Mr. Gold, suddenly felt a slight dizziness.

Then, she staggered and fell asleep on the sofa.

A massive amount of energy was drawn from her body, merging into Souma.

Three Minutes of Heroism!

This was one of Souma's trump cards, allowing him to temporarily draw on the energy sealing Roya, unleashing three minutes of formidable combat power!

Buzz~

Countless petals bloomed, transforming the area into a sea of flowers.

"Enjoy the taste of fear!"

Merlin's voice echoed from the ethereal void.

Then, he completely vanished.

Countless flowers also dissipated.

Roar!

A colossal creature suddenly appeared above Souma.

The dragon let out a roar: "I am the Vine King, Votigen, the destined destroyer of worlds, the ender of all things! Unstoppable, unyielding, I am the calamity that brings destruction!"

"I can kill you once, so I can certainly kill you a second time!" Souma drew his sword and pointed it at him.

The dragon unleashed flames, engulfing everything around it.

Endless flames covered the sky, filling the air with the power of hell's descent.

However,

Under this suffocating despair.

Souma suddenly closed his eyes.

He held the void in his hand, and an ancient weapon, seemingly forged from countless swords, appeared out of thin air.

Since everything is an illusion, then everything can be manifested.

Let me show you my strongest move.

Walking through six thousand years of human history, he forged an indomitable will that transcended everything, allowing him to completely disregard the limitations of the illusionary world created by Merlin.

At that moment.

Merlin's illusionary world was instantly occupied by him!

The weapon he had forged from melting a thousand swords in the earlier Vow in the Snow reappeared.

Its namelessness, however, was stronger than any name.

"Thoughtless, selfless, mindless, imageless!"

Souma opened his eyes, gazing at the colossal dragon before him. "With one sword strike, all things perish!"

BOOM!

A single slash descended, cleaving the Vile King Vortigern—who spewed endless flames and scorched the heavens—clean in half.

No—

It was more than that.

The sword's radiance erupted from the dragon's body, tearing through the false sky itself!

Merlin, hiding behind the scenes, was forcibly dragged out by this single strike.

He suddenly realized his body was trembling ever so slightly.

This man—his Spirit Origin shattered, his body riddled with countless wounds—

Yet,

He possessed a terrifying willpower that no illusion, no matter how masterfully crafted, could ever hope to influence.

A man who had truly fought his way out of hell itself!

At this moment, Merlin understood—he had been utterly defeated.

Even using his most prideful illusions, even striking when his opponent was at his weakest—he had still lost!

"Merlin, you've lost!"

Souma gripped the nameless sword, its edge brimming with the power to rend the heavens. "Time to fulfill your end of the bet!"

"No! I haven't conceded yet!"

Merlin stared at the potion bottle in Souma's hand, desperate for one last act of defiance.

But then—

An overwhelming, unfathomable force abruptly descended, rendering him completely powerless to resist.

The contract was enforced!

The most inconceivable collective consciousness of humanity—[Alaya]—had descended!

Under its oppressive might, Merlin could only watch helplessly as Souma approached, utterly unable to fight back.

Damn it, why is [Alaya] so eager to force me to uphold the contract?!

I haven't lost yet! I haven't even gone all out! Let me go!

But it was futile.

With such a mysterious entity interfering, Souma's single sword strike shattering his illusion world was equivalent to total defeat!

Standing before him, Souma smiled gently and poured the potion into Merlin's mouth. "After all, I'm not some demon. So—change, damn it!"

***

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