Era of Heroic Spirits: I Was Exposed by Alaya

Qin Shi Huang stood silently upon the altar.

Nameless, who had once wielded the Heaven-Questioning Sword to challenge the gods on behalf of humanity, had long since vanished without a trace.

Under the gaze of all,

The formerly ordinary emperor underwent a heaven-shaking transformation.

His features grew increasingly refined, as if evolving from mortal to divine.

No—this clearly surpassed divinity, reaching unprecedented heights!

Then,

Flashes of imagery flickered past in the blink of an eye.

All the weapons of the realm that Nameless had once utilized fused together, transforming into twelve terrifying golden colossi.

[Gathering the weapons of the realm at Xianyang, melting blades and arrowheads to cast twelve golden statues!]

The Great Wall began construction along Qin's northern frontier, exuding an indescribably terrifying mechanical presence—as if it might come alive at any moment.

[Building the Great Wall to stabilize the dragon veins of the nine provinces, protecting our Qin, protecting our realm!]

The massive Epang Palace rose at frenzied speed, radiating equally unimaginable mystical power.

[With six kings vanquished and the four seas unified; Mount Shu deforested, Epang erected. Covering three hundred li, blotting out the sun!]

From Epang Palace, Qin Shi Huang issued his ultimate proclamation: "We are the first and ultimate emperor. The eternal, absolute, and indomitable ruler who pacifies heaven and earth—Qin Shi Huang!"

Just as countless viewers yearned to see more,

The scene froze abruptly.

Familiar caption text appeared—

[This video ends here!]

[This was the Nameless Heroic Spirit's most cherished memory!]

[To learn what happens next, await the next video!]

...

As the screen cut to black,

The audience momentarily froze before erupting with comments—

-[Dammit! This cliffhanger! What exactly happened to Qin afterwards? What became of Qin Shi Huang?!]

-[Nameless has once again sacrificed himself—what a Grand Order beauty, clearly a Grand Order badass!]

-[No, this is a Grand Order wolf-slaying beast, three points fiercer than a Grand Order badass!]

-[Nameless sacrificed himself to ignite the flame of civilization, then passed the torch to Qin Shi Huang—truly passing on the flame!]

-[Ah, got dust in my eyes. Nameless and our ancestors, all of them swore to protect us to the death...]

...

Roya, who had been watching the video, froze for a moment before snapping out of it. "Damn cliffhanger Alaya! What happens next???"

Just when things were getting insanely hype, it suddenly cut off.

She still wanted to see what had become of the Qin Dynasty, but it ended abruptly.

Still, what she had seen so far was absolutely thrilling.

Especially when the ancestral gods all answered the call, descending together to lend Nameless their strength.

Only then could he sever the connection between gods and men with a single sword strike, ending the Age of Gods and granting humanity eternal freedom.

"If the world lacks a torch, then I shall ignite myself and become the flame..." He truly doesn't care about himself at all!

Miyu repeated a line he had once spoken, her heart heavy with an indescribable ache.

Even after saving the world, saving countless lives, he kept giving himself away.

Using himself as fuel to become the light that illuminates others!

"Indeed, the long night is endless, but there will always be those who light themselves on fire to brighten the way for others," Illya murmured with a sigh.

The more she learned about him, the more she felt the weight of his greatness.

Just what kind of resolve did it take to do such things?

"Can't deny it—the ancestral gods of China are truly incredible. No wonder our civilization has endured for five thousand years!" Roya exclaimed, filled with awe.

A certain iconic phrase flashed through her mind—

[Five thousand years ago, we faced floods alongside the ancient Egyptians.]

[Four thousand years ago, we crafted bronze artifacts like the Babylonians.]

[Three thousand years ago, we pondered philosophy with the Greeks.]

[Two thousand years ago, we waged wars across the land like the Romans.]

[One thousand years ago, we prospered as richly as the Arabs.]

[Now, we stand toe-to-toe with the world's leading power.]

[For five millennia, we have remained on the world's chessboard, while our opponents have come and gone!]

Just thinking about it sends chills down one's spine.

Among all civilizations, ours alone has endured unbroken for five thousand years!

It is the great men and women who lit themselves as torches to guide others that have kept the flame of Yan-Huang civilization burning through the ages!

After her excitement subsided, Roya suddenly exclaimed, "So, Qin Shi Huang has also joined the battle for Nameless!"

Her small face was alight with glee, the very picture of a gleeful spectator reveling in the chaos.

How would Qin Shi Huang—more domineering than even the King of Heroes—compete for Nameless?

"Uh…"

Miyu's heart clenched at her words.

If Qin Shi Huang found her brother, he would undoubtedly take him away, making it impossible for her to see him again.

This was bad—really bad!

Beside her, Illya was equally worried.

This was Qin Shi Huang, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the King of Heroes at the very pinnacle of the Heroic Spirit hierarchy.

And unlike the solitary King of Heroes, he commanded over a hundred Heroic Spirits under his banner. Who could possibly compete with that?

Now the question was: What was Qin Shi Huang's reaction after watching the video?

Meanwhile—

Gilgamesh, having just finished a hotpot meal, looked at Souma—who was wearing an apron and cleaning the dishes—in astonishment. "This was actually your favorite memory?"

Despite being just as grueling as the rest, why did he cherish it so much?

"Something like that," Souma nodded.

His time safeguarding human order during the Qin Dynasty had turned the history he'd learned from textbooks into something he'd witnessed firsthand.

Compared to his experiences abroad, this resonated far more deeply with him.

The ancestral gods who had willingly sacrificed everything for China filled him with endless emotion whenever he recalled them.

When the heavens cracked, our ancestors mended them.

When floods ravaged the land, our ancestors tamed the waters.

When mountains blocked their path, our ancestors moved them.

They drilled wood to make fire, invented writing, tasted countless herbs… They relied on no gods—only themselves!

This was China!

Souma had no particular attachment to faith.

If it was free, he might dabble a little.

But if it cost money?

Scram! Get the hell away from me!

His ultimate mythic form was no weaker than any god's!

And they still expected him to offer them tributes?

Gilgamesh studied him with amusement. "So, will Qin Shi Huang be able to find you?"

"…"

Souma felt a vein throb violently at his temple.

China had a saying—

Once a teacher, forever a father.

Back then, he had refused to officially become Qin Shi Huang's teacher, yet he had done everything a teacher would.

Now, Alaya had released the First Emperor of the Ages exposé video, which would restore Ying Zheng's lost memories.

Once that happened, the emperor would undoubtedly seek to repay his kindness—and Souma's peaceful life would be over.

He was doomed!

Fuyuki City—

No, the entirety of China would become uninhabitable. He had to grab the troublemaker and flee overnight!

Why take Roya with him?

Wasn't it obvious? The only reason he could retire and enjoy a quiet life was because he was keeping this apocalyptic demon in check!

If you dare let that brat escape, do you believe Alaya would drag him back in an instant to continue working 007 overtime?

"After the video gets exposed, I wonder how Qin Shi Huang will deal with you."

Gilgamesh suddenly laughed, "My dear best friend, how many treasures do you think I could exchange if I sold your whereabouts to Qin Shi Huang?"

That man possessed the wealth of five thousand years of Chinese history—no one knew exactly how rich he was.

If this information were truly sold, it would definitely fetch several powerful Noble Phantasms.

Perhaps even a Divine Construct!

"...Get lost!"

Souma wanted to chop off the golden bastard's elbow again.

Damn Gilgamesh was such a sadistic freak who loved watching the show!

If Qin Shi Huang found out, he would undoubtedly force him into a high-ranking position, and then he'd end up like the overworked Wise King or Zhuge Liang—just thinking about it was terrifying.

For him, working was absolutely out of the question—never, not even if he died!

Wait, no—if he died, Alaya would just drag him back to be a miserable 007 laborer!

Damn you, Alaya!

"Hahaha, your room already has two existences on the level of Evils of Humanity—what's one more Qin Shi Huang?" Gilgamesh laughed even harder.

The guy claimed he just wanted to live an ordinary life.

Yet, the cat he kept and the brat he adopted were both Evils of Humanity.

Is this what they call a normal high schooler's daily life?

Fou let out a soft cry: "Fou... fou~ (I'm just a cute little kitten, don't mind me~)"

With elegant steps, it walked over to where Souma had been sitting earlier, curled up, and went back to sleep.

"What a strange fellow."

Gilgamesh's crimson eyes fixed on the creature.

Even with [Sha Naqba Imuru], he couldn't see through its disguise.

A true Evil of Humanity, on the same level as the Primordial Goddess Tiamat.

Yet, such an existence...

Could lazily live as a pet.

Truly, his best friend's charm was absurdly overwhelming—even Evils of Humanity couldn't resist it!

"What should I do now?"

Souma slumped onto the sofa helplessly.

All he wanted was to be a lazy shut-in—why did heroic spirits keep seeking him out?

Now, it all depended on how Qin Shi Huang would react.

Please, please don't come looking for me!

Fuyuki City already had Gilgamesh, King Arthur, the Dark Saintess—if Qin Shi Huang, Mordred, Astolfo, Tamamo-no-Mae, and the others showed up too...

You guys could practically hold a Holy Grail War!

A terrifying thought suddenly struck Souma—

Wait, would the prize of the Holy Grail War... be me?

***

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