Fate: Nameless Hero

The newcomer wore a skull mask that radiated an aura of death.

Around his waist hung a golden, unusual belt.

In his hand was a rather ordinary-looking bow, like something casually bought from a roadside shop for practice.

But it was with this very bow that he had just pinned one of Hundred-Faced Hassan's clones to the wall.

"Who are you?"

All of Hundred-Faced Hassan's many clones turned to face him.

Just the skull mask alone gave them an eerie sense of death—almost as if they were staring at the King of the Underworld himself.

A mysterious and powerful foe.

At the same time—

In the Academy Director's office of Fuyuki Academy City.

Using clairvoyance combined with the power of dreams to observe the scene, Merry was surprised,

"I was thinking of playing the hero saving the damsel, but I didn't expect Nameless to show up so impatiently."

Nameless had appeared much earlier than she had predicted.

Hundred-Faced Hassan, commissioned by America, intended to secretly abduct Illya, handing her over to the Council of Gods.

Those lunatics were fanatical in their pursuit of truth and power.

Even gods were nothing more than research subjects to them.

After watching the Unlimited Blade Works footage and learning of the Holy Grail summoning system, they sought to obtain the summoning qualification for Heracles through Illya.

Following the Einzbern method, they planned to berserk Heracles and strip him of his power.

Thus creating a demi-god of their own!

"Haha, you're really pathetic, Merlin. Soon your mind's going to be warped into 'Magical Merry'!"

Tamamo-no-Mae turned and laughed heartily at her.

"Then why don't you go face Nameless yourself, if you're so brave!"

Merry couldn't help but roll her eyes. What a gloating fox spirit!

Unfortunately, she was now in her Magical Merry form.

If her fans saw her rolling her eyes, they'd flood the comments with perverted messages like "I want to lick," "So cute," and "Please give me that disgusted look while lifting your skirt."

"Haha, I am super brave, okay? Just watch—I'll have Nameless kneeling before me in no time!"

Tamamo-no-Mae's many golden fox tails swayed, radiating absolute confidence.

After watching the latest video, not only had she regained her lost memories, but her power was rapidly recovering as well.

At her six-tail form, she could utterly crush Nameless.

Of course, if Nameless invoked the full power of the Human Order and sacrificed himself to unleash Heaven-splitting Slash, it could still severely wound—or even kill—her.

But at the moment, Nameless could no longer draw upon the Qin legion's power.

Merry had also revealed that he had suffered serious injuries and his Saint Graph was fractured.

Tamamo-no-Mae was already picturing Nameless completely enchanted by her and utterly devoted.

The thought made her thighs cross and tremble slightly.

"Vixen…"

Merry glanced at her, sensing an overwhelming aura of seduction spreading like a storm.

Even just looking made Merry feel strangely affected.

Terrifying! As expected of the Nine-Tailed Fox!

——

Under everyone's watchful eyes:

"I'm someone here to kill you."

Wearing the skull mask, Sanjiro walked toward Hundred-Faced Hassan step by step.

Originally, he simply wanted to live a peaceful life.

He thought that with Shikotei gone, no one would dare stir up trouble in Fuyuki City. But in the end, it was like that old general on stage—this was nothing but raising a flag.

This bastard actually dared to come!

The skull mask Sanjiro now wore was the god-forged Noble Phantasm that Gilgamesh had previously gifted to Roya to conceal her aura—

[Hades' Cap of Invisibility]

It possessed powerful concealment abilities.

As long as it wasn't removed, even top-tier Heroic Spirits like Artoria couldn't see through it.

Since they dared to disturb his peaceful daily life and threaten those he cared for—

Then they could go die!

"Haha, the only one dying is you!"

Hundred-Faced Hassan's clones all burst out laughing, surrounding him completely.

Then, one by one, the figures dissolved into mist.

As assassins, they naturally aimed to keep their true position hidden.

Stealth.

Backstab.

Kidney strike.

One black phantom after another flickered and leapt through the night, launching deadly strikes from all angles.

Each attack was as fast as lightning, leaving Illya, who was watching from the sidelines, almost unable to keep up.

"Is it really Nameless?"

She leaned against the wall, her pale little face watching the battle unfold.

Her attempt to summon Heracles had been forcefully interrupted by the assassins earlier.

The backlash had caused her mana to surge uncontrollably, nearly tearing her magical circuits apart!

The man before her was far too mysterious for Illya to see through.

But in such a desperate moment, the one who would suddenly descend to rescue her could only be that man.

Under her anxious gaze—

One shadow after another attacked from above, below, and all around.

Yet strangely, this mysterious man seemed to possess foresight; every swing of his weapon struck precisely at the assassins emerging from the void!

"Who are you?" Hundred-Faced Hassan grew more and more alarmed as the fight continued.

Why did he sense a trace of the First Hassan's aura from this man?

"For a lunatic like you, just being alive must be painful. Let me set you free."

Sanjiro had no intention of answering.

Hundred-Faced Hassan? In his prime, he could have crushed such a Heroic Spirit with one hand.

Even your founder, the First Hassan, is a personal friend of mine.

"Bastard! A cripple who doesn't even qualify as a proper Heroic Spirit dares to mock me like this? I'll tear you to pieces!"

At his scorn, every single one of Hundred-Faced Hassan's clones exploded in fury.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Dozens of his clones began rapidly converging.

[Delusional Illusion]—

A Noble Phantasm formed from his multiple personalities in life, allowing him to split into up to 80 personas!

While his total power remains constant, the more he splits, the weaker each clone becomes.

However, the death of a clone doesn't equate to the death of the main body.

That was precisely his confidence for accepting the one-billion-dollar bounty and attempted to abduct Illya from Fuyuki City.

Dozens of clones quickly merged into four.

Finally, Hundred-Faced Hassan revealed the full might of a Heroic Spirit, his figure flickering as he launched fatal strikes from three directions at once.

Simultaneously—

The fourth clone, a tall woman, forcibly grabbed Illya and tried to escape.

It was all part of his plan.

Whether or not he defeated the mysterious man, the mission would be a success.

As long as Illya was taken away, the one-billion bounty would be secured. Huge profits either way!

"Let go of me!"

Illya struggled to cast a spell.

Unfortunately, against a true Heroic Spirit, she was far too weak. Unless she could summon her ultimate trump card—Heracles.

"Stay quiet, or I'll rip your mouth apart," growled the tall woman, carrying her without turning back, retreating swiftly.

Then—

Illya saw the mysterious man sigh softly. "The title of Grand is not something I need. The strongest..."

Just one simple sentence, yet the woman carrying Illya nearly stumbled and collapsed.

She abruptly halted and turned her head to look at him, her eyes filled with utter dread.

Impossible!

How could a crippled wreck of a man possibly know him?

"I'm not him—but I learned a trick or two."

As Sanjiro spoke, magical energy surged in his hand, forming a bloodstained, icy greatsword.

As the Lord of All Swords, he could project any kind of bladed weapon.

And this sword?

It was just a low C-rank one—not even in the same league as top-tier Noble Phantasms.

However—

The moment Sanjiro projected this sword, golden light erupted behind him, forming a radiant halo like an angel's. Countless golden feathers fluttered within the brilliance, appearing divine—yet brimming with boundless killing intent.

Its name:

[Azrael: The Angel That Announces Death]

The perfect counter to the clone-loving Hundred-Faced Hassan.

As soon as he grasped the sword, Sanjiro instantly understood how to wield it.

Gripping the hilt with both hands, he poured all his mana into one mighty slash at one of the clones.

Buzz~

The power of death spread silently, aiming right for the neck.

"No! Stop! You bastard, STOP!!"

All the clones screamed in horror.

In that instant, genuine fear crept across his face. As though the Grim Reaper himself had arrived!

Yet—

Sanjiro's expression remained cold. Though he was cloaked in divine light, he radiated only murderous intent.

This simple, ordinary greatsword—

Under the fearful gaze of the target—

Sliced through the neck of one clone in a clean stroke.

Shing—

Sword light flashed. A head rolled to the ground.

Normally, magical clones would dissipate into black smoke.

But this time—

The body remained, solid and intact.

"How is this possible?!"

The remaining two clones stared in shock, their eyes filled with endless regret.

If they could redo this, they'd absolutely refuse the bounty job!

But too late—no medicine for regret!

Their bodies crumbled and vanished, utterly erased.

Even the clone trying to escape with Illya disintegrated.

"You poor bastard. You're really lucky."

Sanjiro looked at him mockingly.

Azrael: The Angel That Announces Death had an instant-kill effect, directly targeting the soul's origin.

But—it was probabilistic.

Like a ten-pull gacha roll. All luck-based.

If the original Grand Assassin himself wielded it, the chance would be maxed out.

But with Sanjiro using it, the odds were far lower.

And yet, Hundred-Faced Hassan had the misfortune—or fortune—to trigger the instant death effect.

Sanjiro lifted his head slightly, as though sensing a capitalist tyrant watching him from above.

Was this within your calculations too, Alaya...?

...

Academy Principal's Office.

"Hundred-Faced Hassan... was killed in one slash?"

Merry furrowed her brow, struggling to accept it.

A Heroic Spirit, slain so easily by a cripple like 'Nameless.'

She'd thought, at the very least, Hassan could force him to remove his mask—show his true face.

But this? Too weak.

Still, that's just how Nameless always was around her. He always looked like he could drop dead at any moment—

Then one slash would shatter her entire illusion.

Now again, one slash to kill a Heroic Spirit assassin.

Was this guy really crippled, or just faking it?

Merlin suddenly felt a pain in her gut.

She recalled the scene of him grinning madly, forcing her in their duel...

"Don't worry. He's running on fumes now."

Tamamo-no-Mae remained unfazed.

She'd clearly seen that despite the impressive display of summoning Angel of Death and slaying Hassan, Sanjiro had exposed his inner weakness.

That single strike had drained all his mana. He was almost unable to fight.

"Running on fumes…"

Merry repeated the words, tempted to give a few warnings.

That guy could never be judged with common sense.

Still—

Last time she tied her own hands, only using illusions without any Noble Phantasms, and ended up taking a loss.

Tamamo-no-Mae, however, was undoubtedly strong in direct combat. She could handle it at full strength.

"Then allow me to greet him personally."

Tamamo-no-Mae's mana surged.

As a fox spirit, she could change her appearance at will.

To avoid being traced by the Emperor, she deliberately transformed into a pale-skinned, blue-eyed woman from America.

That way, when she met 'Nameless,' he'd definitely assume she was the enemy—and not recognize her true identity.

Everything was in place.

Tamamo-no-Mae showed her trademark fox smile.

That drained little Nameless? He'd soon kneel at her feet!

...

Heroic Spirit Assassin [Hundred-Faced Hassan] is dead!

Illya got up from the ground, ignoring the dirt on her white pajamas, and stared blankly at the man before her.

That was the famed Hassan.

A Heroic Spirit-level killer!

And yet—no matter how many clones he had, they were all slain by this mysterious man.

Illya didn't hesitate. She stepped forward.

"May I ask… are you Shirou Emiya?"

"I'm just a projection from the future."

Sanjiro's voice was calm and flat.

Internally, he apologized.

Rescuing her—despite the risk of exposing himself—was already the most he could do. If he were to be fully revealed, every Heroic Spirit would come hunting for him.

And then, Kirina's true identity would be exposed too.

That would mean Alaya dragging him back into eternal overtime work again—007-style!

"…Thank you for saving me."

Illya, her ruby-like eyes shimmering, stared directly at him.

Aside from that person, no one else would have come to save her so precisely at that moment.

In other words, she had been protected by him all along!

Realizing this made Illya feel warm all over, even as she stood in the snow.

Even though he had descended from the future, he still came to protect her.

How wonderful!

At that moment—

A figure suddenly appeared out of thin air, staring coldly at the two of them, "Illya, I'm taking you with me. Even the First Emperor can't stop me!"

The newcomer was tall, dressed in a black leather outfit that boldly showed off her perfect figure.

Every movement exuded feminine charm.

Illya watched with envy.

If only she could be that alluring.

No, no — she should be worrying right now whether the projection from the future, Nameless, could win this fight.

"You're all so annoying, like flies!" Sanjiro frowned slightly.

"Flies???"

Tamamo-no-Mae nearly lost her composure.

The dignified and enchanting nine-tailed fox, being called a fly?

An uncle might endure it, but an aunt certainly wouldn't!

No—this guy clearly hadn't seen through her disguise, mistaking her for someone from the enemies side!

Tamamo-no-Mae silently vowed in her heart:

Once she defeated him, she would tie him up and make him kneel to lick her feet!

"Are you stupid?"

Sanjiro gave her a look full of pity, as if staring at an incurable fool.

Did she really think he was so easy to bully?

Buzz~

A heavy, mountain-like pressure suddenly descended.

Sanjiro could clearly feel his magic circuits being forcefully suppressed, making it extremely difficult to even move his mana.

And not only that—

The woman's eyes burst forth with dazzling light.

Under this terrifying assault, it felt as though a massive hammer was smashing into Sanjiro's mind.

He froze slightly for a brief moment.

"Heh, you're already crippled with a shattered Saint Graph. You're far too weak before me!"

Tamamo-no-Mae smiled confidently.

Two abilities: one suppressed his magic, the other forcefully attacked his mind.

This made it impossible for him to freely project Noble Phantasms — even standing was a luxury,

Both abilities originated from the First Emperor, named:

[All Books Must Be Burned]

[All Scholars Must Be Buried]

These powerful abilities were obtained by Tamamo-no-Mae after watching certain videos.

She could already sense that once her nine tails were fully gathered, she would be completely invincible!

Tamamo-no-Mae's smile grew increasingly hostile, "Come on now, kneel and lick my feet. Maybe I'll spare you!"

"Bastard, you're taking advantage of his weakness!" Illya gritted her teeth.

A mere blue-haired, blue-eyed woman daring to covet Nameless!

"Haha, little girl, battle is cruel. Of course you strike while your enemy's down!"

Tamamo-no-Mae laughed heartily, feeling no shame, but rather taking pride in it.

However—

Even under this terrifying attack that could easily defeat Heroic Spirits—

Sanjiro revealed a nostalgic expression and sighed lightly, "My magic suppressed, my mind attacked... Quite nice, actually."

"You're unharmed?!"

Tamamo-no-Mae couldn't believe it.

Wasn't this guy already completely crippled and drained of magic after slaying Hundred-Faced Hassan earlier?

"There's still some effect."

Sanjiro casually moved his body.

Having walked across six thousand years of human history, battling countless Heroic Spirits, gods, and evils of humanity, he had long since forged an iron will that transcended humanity itself.

Mere mental attacks were completely negligible.

However, with his magic suppressed, he couldn't use mana.

Weapon projection and Unlimited Blade Works were completely sealed.

At this moment, he was at his most weakened.

"Hmph! Then kneel and lick my feet!"

Tamamo-no-Mae couldn't help but smile widely at the thought of Nameless completely submitting at her feet.

Finally, she could avenge the humiliation from being toyed with by him before.

Once she played with him, she would record it and post it online.

To publicly declare to everyone:

[Look! The first to conquer Nameless was me, Tamamo-no-Mae!]

Just thinking about it made her entire body tremble with excitement.

Worried about revenge?

What a joke.

Once she regained her six-tailed form, she would fear no one.

"If I had a choice, I really wouldn't want to use this."

Sanjiro sighed softly.

"Use what?"

Tamamo-no-Mae instinctively sensed something was wrong.

Could this guy have another trump card?

No, he must be bluffing!

Tamamo-no-Mae raised her guard to the maximum, determined to defeat him.

Yes, she was different from those other women who made excuses and played games—she simply lusted after his body!

She wanted to completely conquer him—

So he would never be able to leave her again!

Buzz~

Under Tamamo-no-Mae's tense gaze, his eyes instantly turned brilliant gold.

Behind him, golden light once again appeared.

But this time—

It wasn't the golden radiance of the Azrael: The Angel That Announces Death, but—

A dragon.

A platinum dragon.

The dragon coiled behind him, radiating a terrifying majesty that crushed all.

You're a Stand user too?!

Tamamo-no-Mae was dumbfounded, unable to believe her eyes—why did he have this move as well?

"Platinum Dragon!"

Sanjiro softly spoke its name and pointed at her,

"The world."

(T/N: Should've fucking known it was a Jojo reference XD)

Buzz~

The brilliant dragon behind him erupted with unimaginable power, slowing everything around them into near-stillness.

The shocked expression on Tamamo-no-Mae's face froze completely.

"Only 0.5 seconds—but that's enough!"

Without hesitation, Sanjiro slammed a heavy punch that sent her crashing into the ground.

Boom!

By the time Tamamo-no-Mae came to her senses, she found herself embedded dozens of meters deep into the ground, curled up like a shrimp, her face filled with disbelief.

What just happened?

Why hadn't she seen him make a move?

Who erased that moment of time?

Under this barrage—

Tamamo-no-Mae felt like her organs were being shattered, yet under the effects of [Eternal Imperial Throne], her injuries rapidly healed at a visible speed.

"Ahhhh! Nooo!"

The rapid cycle of injury and instant healing brought her an experience she had never encountered before.

Her entire body felt simultaneously chilled and exhilarated.

So good it was suffocating!

As soon as she crawled out of the ground, she saw him charging at her again.

His fists turned into afterimages, and the dragon behind him roared.

"Ora! Ora! Ora! Oraaaaaa!"

Sanjiro unleashed a wild storm of punches.

"Bastard, let me go!"

Tamamo-no-Mae struggled desperately, but it was futile.

Sanjiro didn't stop.

"Muda! Muda! Muda! Mudaaaa!"

"Do you know who I am? I am Tamamo-no-Mae!"

As Sanjiro ruthlessly pummeled her, Tamamo-no-Mae bizarrely found herself wanting more.

Always the dominant queen who toyed with others—this nine-tailed fox was now experiencing a strange new sensation under his fierce onslaught.

No!

She mustn't end up like Merlin—she had to resist.

But… it feels so good...

"This beating is for you, vixen!"

Sanjiro slammed another punch into her — since she couldn't be broken anyway, he might as well hit a few more times.

Did this vixen really think he was easy to mess with?

She forced him to use [Platinum Dragon], how could he possibly let her off easily?

He had to completely subdue her in one go, make sure she wouldn't dare target him again!

But as he kept punching, he suddenly noticed that besides the three fox tails already behind her, a fourth tail quietly emerged.

Tamamo-no-Mae's aura surged crazily, her combat power instantly multiplying by nine!

Good grief, the more she gets beaten, the stronger she gets?

Sanjiro dared not waste any more time — without hesitation, he punched her skyward.

Get out of here!

"Bastard, I'll be back…!"

Tamamo-no-Mae let out a shrill scream.

Her entire body turned into a shooting star, rocketing into the starry sky.

——

At the same time.

Thousands of kilometers away from Fuyuki City, — 

Inside a massive Palace suspended high in the sky.

All the Heroic Spirits were gathering for a meeting, to discuss how to handle Britain next.

Seated on the throne, Shikotei suddenly revealed a faint smile at the corner of his lips,

"Teacher, are you inviting Us to come meet you?"