Era of Heroic Spirits: I Was Exposed by Alaya

A very ordinary, very literary title.

But Souma knew full well—this was one of his most glorious, most unforgettable timelines across all possibilities.

"Vow in the Snow" could also be called—

"The Legend of Emiya the Great!"

Souma suppressed a smile. Once the video finished playing, it should unlock that incredibly powerful ability.

After the video was exposed and seen by countless people—

Merlin, whether you want to or not, you're gonna change!

He smiled at the other and said, "Before that, how about we all watch a video together?"

"Watch a video?"

Merlin frowned, unsure what trick he was pulling.

Was this just a stalling tactic?

But would it even work?

Earlier, the other's aura had been terrifying, as if condensed from six thousand years of human hope, forging a mythic form capable of slaying gods.

Yet from his Clairvoyance observations, the wounds on Nameless' body were unmistakably signs of an unbelievable, shattered Spirit Origin.

The entire being resembled a ceramic doll forcibly pieced together, ready to shatter again with the slightest force!

What kind of terrifying battle could have brought him to such a state?

Could it be an attempt to destroy humanity and rebuild the world?

But those matters were hardly his concern.

Incubus, by nature, cannot dream—they can only feed on human dreams.

They are essentially parasites of the human race.

Devoid of consciousness, they merely replicate the personality of the human they parasitize.

Yet he was a hybrid, half-human and half-nightmare, much like the King of Heroes in this regard.

Strictly speaking, he was nothing more than an alien disguised in human form, utterly incapable of comprehending human emotions.

He understood that humans experienced pain, but not the depths of their suffering.

That was why, during his travels with Nameless and Artoria, he had acted so recklessly, escalating matters without restraint.

"Of course, you can."

Merlin pondered for a moment before nodding in agreement.

He was curious to see just how Nameless planned to buy time.

Nameless whose spiritual foundation was shattered, with less than a ten-thousandth of his power remaining—what made him think he could defeat Merlin?

It was precisely because Merlin was absolutely confident that he dared to make this bet.

Did watching a video really make you think you could defeat me?

For an immortal like him, time was the one thing he had in abundance.

He could afford to wait!

To be safe, Merlin added, "First, swear by Alaya and establish the contract!"

He could indeed escape, but it would require burning his origin.

If he really burned out, he'd probably end up worse off than the current Nameless.

At that point, he'd absolutely be at the other party's mercy!

"In the name of Alaya? Fine."

Souma couldn't help but wonder if this guy was deliberately picking a fight.

Back then, in his naive days, he had made a contract with Alaya and became a 24/7 worker, rushing across timelines to protect human history.

After the final battle, Souma finally broke free from that black-hearted capitalist, only for Alaya to start exposing him left and right.

And now, you want to use Alaya as a witness to sign another contract?

Buzz~

The two began channeling their magical energy, drafting a pact—

"Hereby, let Alaya bear witness to our contract!"

"I, Merlin, swear to forgo the use of Noble Phantasms, relying solely on ordinary illusions. Should I fail, I willingly submit to being doused in the Girl-Drowning Spring and accept any punishment!"

"I, Nameless, vow to face Merlin alone, prohibiting the King of Heroes from assisting in battle. Should I fail, I will allow the other party to leave freely and issue a public apology!"

A complex, arcane magic circle appeared—then vanished just as swiftly.

The contract was sealed!

Alaya, as the collective consciousness of humanity transcending even the Grand Servants, naturally ensured the fairness and impartiality of the pact.

Or at least, that was the idea.

Souma couldn't shake the feeling that he sensed a pair of eyes watching him—almost as if they wanted to reach out and touch him.

Seriously? You already squeezed me dry for labor, and now you're after my body too?

Gilgamesh leapt down from the lamppost, eyeing him suspiciously. "You're certain that I won't be making an appearance in this Holy Grail War?"

"King of Heroes, he's definitely tricking you! Remember how he killed you on the spot in Unlimited Blade Works? You should team up with me instead!" Merlin wasted no time sowing discord.

If he could sway the King of Heroes, his chances of victory would skyrocket.

"Of course, I guarantee you won't be making an appearance!"

Souma answered without hesitation, then cautiously added, "Though someone might borrow your power."

"Hmph. Borrow my power?"

Gilgamesh snorted, brimming with boundless confidence. "With my strength, even a mere fraction of it would be enough to effortlessly dominate this entire Holy Grail War!"

"..."

Souma decided not to say anything more.

He just hoped the King would still be this confident after watching the video.

The playback began.

A familiar narrator's voice rang out—

[I think I can finally say it—this is the story of me and Miyu up till now.]

This line was none other than the preview for the Unlimited Blade Works side story, Chaldea.

"You really do know a lot of people," Gilgamesh remarked, side-eyeing him.

Just how many timelines had this guy traversed? How many bonds had he forged?

"Ahem, just a few, just a few."

Souma felt a twinge of awkwardness.

Every time he watched these videos, it felt like a public execution.

The worst part?

Both of these guys knew his true identity.

It was like playing your personal videos in front of your entire dorm room!

Suppressing the embarrassment, he kept watching—

[The world was heading toward ruin. To save it, the only option was to sacrifice the girl who was the Holy Grail.]

[Would you choose the world, or the girl?]

[One man chose to protect the world.]

[One man chose to preserve the race.]

[And I… only wished for the happiness of that one person…]

...

"Hey, who would you choose?"

Roya turned to the girl beside her as she listened to the narration.

At this moment, Mordred, who originally shared a room with King Arthur, deliberately went to where she was staying.

The two hit it off immediately, chatting more and more congenially, as if bound by some inexplicable predestined connection from a past life.

"Obviously, I would choose Miyu!"

Mordred answered without hesitation.

If it were King Arthur, she would undoubtedly choose to sacrifice the girl to save the world.

For that perfect king who understood not the human heart, sacrificing one to save the many was an absolute, unshakable decision.

"Right, I would choose Miyu too!"

Roya grew more and more pleased with her as she looked at her, adding, "As a hero of justice, the moment you choose to abandon someone, you cease to be just!"

"Yes, they would bear the sin of the sacrificed, chilling the hearts of others!"

Mordred nodded in agreement.

During the Battle of Camlann, did anyone really think her strength alone rallied countless followers to her rebellion?

In truth.

Her dear father, to secure victory in war, would not hesitate to sacrifice anyone!

Including herself!

That was why the more people followed her, the more fear took hold, terrified of becoming the next sacrifice.

Reality is not some cold calculation of gains and losses!

As the video began, comments flooded the screen instantly—

-[Here we go, Alaya is amazing, releasing twice in one week!]

-[First glance—"The Oath of Yukinoshita"—my wifeu Yukinoshita actually got a video from Alaya?]

-[Scram, she's my wifeu! Get your eyes checked!]

-[Wow, Nameless's sister is the Holy Grail? Doesn't that mean he could solo the Holy Grail War?]

-[Got it, this is the origin of Emiya's siscon tendencies! Fight for your sister, Emiya!]

***

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