Era of Heroic Spirits: I Was Exposed by Alaya

-[Instant-killing the great hero Heracles???]

-[Holy crap! Even though this King of Heroes is kind of a scumbag, a bit corrupted, and a tad chuunibyou, he's seriously OP!]

-[I'm starting to panic! What exactly does the King of Heroes intend to do?]

-[We're doomed… Is he really going to kill Illya?]

-[Ahhh, King of Heroes, stop! Your image in my heart is about to shatter!]

...

In a luxurious estate.

A woman with a doll-like, flawlessly beautiful face, dressed in an elegant white fur-trimmed gown, stared in shock with ruby-red eyes identical to her daughter's.

She was Irisviel—Illya's mother.

A young lady.

Now, she was utterly dumbfounded to discover that in Alaya's newly released video, [Unlimited Blade Works], Illya and their castle were featured!

Behind her, the head maid, Sella, muttered blankly, "Did I just die?"

In the video, she had been beheaded by the King of Heroes with a single slash!

"Don't panic! This must be another timeline, events from a parallel world—it has nothing to do with us!"

Irisviel hurriedly reassured her.

Even so, the sight remained utterly staggering and horrifying.

That was the King of Heroes!

Even the great hero Heracles from Greek mythology couldn't stand against him—his strength was despair-inducing!

How could such a terrifying existence possibly be defeated?

Under the stunned gazes of Irisviel, Sella, and the others…

In the video, thick crimson mist suddenly surged from Heracles' fallen body.

He did not stay down—he rose once more!

"Oh? The legend of your Twelve Labors in life has sublimated into your strongest Noble Phantasm, granting you twelve revivals?"

Gilgamesh observed him with keen interest. "Even this king does not possess such a treasure. A pity—useless, useless!"

"You are the ultimate embodiment of mankind's unyielding will. But this king is the opposite—an infinite hoarder, with countless weapons to end you!"

"Enough coddling, Heracles!"

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Another barrage of terrifying Noble Phantasms erupted, unrestrained in their devastation.

Under this onslaught, the mighty hero of myth could only endure helplessly—not even granted the chance to lay a finger on the King of Heroes!

Illya roared in fury, "Berserker won't lose to anyone because he's the strongest in the world!"

Yet.

The mad warrior who carried all her hopes still couldn't close the distance to the King of Heroes.

Like a moth drawn to flames, his fate was sealed!

But this great hero, stripped of reason, didn't retreat an inch. He charged forward, enduring an endless barrage of Noble Phantasms.

Pierced again and again, slain again and again, resurrected again and again—only to charge once more!

The sheer brutality of the scene left countless souls deeply shaken, even the barrage comments grew sparse.

Everyone silently cheered him on.

At this moment, Heracles was not alone—he was not alone!

A flashback unfolded.

It showed the moment Illya first met Heracles.

A tiny Illya, barely a few years old, watched as homunculi were discarded like trash.

This was the Einzbern family's [Absolute Magical Puppet Evolution Project].

They mass-produced twenty thousand puppets, seeking to cultivate the perfect Holy Grail vessel.

In the end, they succeeded.

Illya, the final creation, was their masterpiece.

She became the Lesser Grail.

A girl born to be a tool.

A miracle born from a thousand years of history.

Her sole purpose was to help her family reclaim the Third Magic [Heaven's Feel], realizing their grand dream of reaching the Root.

No one cared for her.

The only one who could protect her was the Berserker she summoned.

A terrifyingly powerful yet infinitely gentle giant.

A mad warrior who, despite losing his reason, still swore to protect her with his life.

The flashback ended.

Tears streamed down Illya's face as she cried out, "Berserker can't lose—he can't lose to someone like this! Because, Berserker, you're the strongest!"

The brutal battle raged on, and despair slowly engulfed everyone.

Then, the scene suddenly shifted.

It showed another room.

There stood a young man resembling Shirou Emiya, accompanied by a twin-tailed girl!

"Wait—isn't that me?"

Rin Tohsaka stared in disbelief.

What the hell?!

First, in [The Oldest King], the goddess Ishtar looked exactly like her.

Now, in this [Unlimited Blade Works] video, she was outright appearing!

What was going on?

As she watched intently, the "her" in the video tried to dissuade the boy from intervening.

"I'm sorry, but I can't just stand by and watch Illya die in front of me!"

The young man shook his head with a sigh. "Gilgamesh wants to tear out her heart to use as the Holy Grail's [core]. I have to save her!"

"But you're just a normal person! A normal person can't defeat a Servant!"

Rin grabbed his arm in desperation.

That was the ancient King of Heroes—even a legendary hero from the Age of Gods couldn't oppose him.

How could an ordinary human possibly win?

"Rin, in my short life, I've learned one thing. The more you try to scheme, the more you realize human limitations."

The boy's expression grew wistful, as if recalling his past.

"What are you trying to say?" Rin asked, confused.

"Rin, I'm done being human. I want to become a hero of justice!"

The boy laughed heartily, as if shedding all shackles at once, even flashing a V-sign with his fingers.

"You're such an idiot!"

Rin couldn't help but grit her teeth.

Only a fool could crack jokes so casually in such a perilous moment.

A fool who claimed he didn't want to be a hero of justice yet threw his life away to uphold it!

She would rather he abandon that conviction and survive with her, no matter how ignoble.

Yet—

Rin couldn't bring herself to say it!

All she could do was watch helplessly as he charged forward!

The battle had reached its climax.

Gilgamesh sneered mercilessly, "Heracles, you are about to die. Why cling to that burden? Only by discarding it will you stand the slightest chance of victory!"

Despite the relentless onslaught, the giant stubbornly shielded Illya with his body.

How utterly foolish!

[Gate of Babylon] unleashed its full might, an endless barrage of Noble Phantasms bombarding the titan.

Under such an assault, even his multiple revivals were erased one after another.

Gilgamesh looked utterly at ease. "Finally, no more resurrections. Truly, you are nothing but a beast! All you know is savage brutality. A pity—I had hoped for slightly more."

Just then, Heracles—who should have been dead—rose once more!

The Berserker roared in fury, charging madly toward the King of Heroes.

He had one last life remaining—one final desperate counterattack!

Clang—!

Golden chains abruptly shot forth from the golden ripples behind Gilgamesh, coiling around the giant in layers. It was none other than [Enkidu].

Heracles, possessing divine attributes, was utterly restrained by this Noble Phantasm!

"False puppet, obediently offer your heart—become the core of the Holy Grail!" Gilgamesh strode leisurely toward the little girl.

Illya sobbed, her voice choked with despair. "Berserker… you're the strongest! You can't lose!"

Then—Heracles, who should have been dead, moved again! Shattering the chains of Enkidu, his massive hand swung down with crushing force!

Gilgamesh's face twisted in shock. "What?! Astounding… To surpass your own myth at the very end!"

A mindless beast, tearing apart the divine-binding Enkidu—what indomitable will could achieve such a feat?

Alas, it was futile. Having surpassed his Twelve Labors and shattered Enkidu, he had exhausted everything. His palm stopped just inches away—before another Noble Phantasm pierced his heart, reducing him to scattered fragments!

Gilgamesh wiped the cold sweat from his brow, his smirk returning. "A shame. You were just one step short."

The great hero of myth had fallen. Now, nothing stood in his way!

At that moment, a young boy suddenly rushed out from the side, firmly shielding Illya behind him.

Despite being extremely weak, there wasn't a trace of fear in him.

Gilgamesh's crimson eyes were filled with mockery, as if looking at an insect:

"Mongrel, how dare you stand before me? Who gave you such courage?"

How dare a mere ordinary human block his path?

***

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