Fuyuki City.
Outside the small courtyard of Rin's home, a girl quietly stood at a distance, watching the house.
"The vessel of the underworld goddess Ereshkigal… and the earthly host of the Lady of Heaven, Ishtar?" Athena murmured with interest.
For a mere human to serve as the incarnation of so many different divinities—such a thing was nearly unheard of.
Perhaps it was the power of sisterhood, cutting even harder than steel. Two divine sisters sharing the same body…
Three Rins as one.
She wondered—when Nameless appeared, would that sisterly bond still remain so unshaken?
Athena's curiosity only deepened.
As the one who wielded the divine authority of Wisdom, she sought to obtain all knowledge.
And among all mysteries, none were more elusive than human emotions. There were no rules, no set logic—and yet, they could erupt into miracles beyond imagination.
Like that man, who when trapped in despair, summoned countless versions of himself across different timelines—becoming the mighty "Steel-Willed Savior."
A man who ended the Holy Grail War in a single night.
After observing for a while longer, Athena calmly stepped into the courtyard.
Strangely, Rin—who was watering the flowers—did not seem to notice her presence at all.
The fame of the Greek pantheon far outshone the Mesopotamian myths. Thus, the power Athena could call upon naturally eclipsed that of those two sister-goddesses.
Her reason for coming here was simple: she wished to use Rin's bond with Nameless to locate him directly.
After all, in the Unlimited Blade Works Grail War, Rin's Servant was none other than another form of Nameless—Archer.
And why not go through King Arthur instead?
Simple. The King of Knights was stronger, wielded more authority, and stood surrounded by loyal knights.
Athena, without her true body, could not contend with her.
Instead, she began the summoning:
"Let my voice proclaim!"
"Thy body under my banner, thy fate bound to my blade!"
"In the name of Athena—Wisdom's eternal flame—let all who heed reason and truth answer my summons!"
"Hear my vow:"
"I am Athena, born of Olympus, Goddess of Wisdom and War! By my oath, I stand as shield and spear for the order of mankind!"
"By divine authority, receive my blessing—hero without a name!"
At her feet, a vast magical circle shone, opening a mysterious passage of summoning.
The long-lost presence, absent for countless years, slowly began to return.
Athena reached across the threshold between the Inner World and the Outer World, summoning forth the divine realm of the Greek gods.
Her figure vanished.
Rin frowned faintly.
"I could've sworn… it felt like something was here."
"Forget it. Let's call a meeting and figure out how to deal with the Greeks." Ishtar replied sharply.
If Mesopotamian gods could manifest through her… then the Olympians certainly could as well.
The only question was when—and in what form.
Inside Rin's "head meeting room," Ereshkigal tapped her little shovel thoughtfully.
"Strange… I feel like I could dig a tunnel straight into another world with this thing…"
====
Buzz—
Within the divine realm born of Athena's power.
An endless plain stretched out before him.
Atop a small hill sat a large parasol shading a table and two chairs. A silver-haired girl in a white casual dress quietly sipped tea beneath it.
This was what Sanjiro beheld, as he descended here through projection.
"It's been a while, Nameless." Athena smiled warmly.
"Indeed, it has, Goddess of Wisdom." Sanjiro looked at her with calm eyes. "Athena… what is it you want with me?"
"Please, sit."
Athena gestured to the empty chair, pouring him a cup of tea.
"Alright."
He sat without hesitation.
After all, Alaya had already warned him of this meeting—he was prepared.
Though he couldn't help but feel a little strange, seeing the armored war goddess now dressed as a soft, delicate girl.
Perhaps… that was what people called gap moe.
He lifted the teacup, inhaling the fragrant aroma.
A sip left his whole body warm and relaxed.
"What kind of tea is this?" he asked curiously.
As a self-proclaimed "Grand Chef," he knew his way around tea as well—but this taste was unlike any he'd ever known.
"This is my divine realm," Athena replied with a smile. "Naturally, what you drink here… is my bodily essence."
Her bare feet dangled lightly, shimmering in the light.
"Pfft—!"
Sanjiro choked, spitting out his second sip, eyes wide.
"What the hell!?"
The chaste goddess Athena—military strategist of Olympus, rival to Aphrodite for the title of fairest of the gods—was acting like some depraved witch!
"These are trifles. More importantly… thanks to Alaya's revelations, we Olympians can now establish contact with the human world."
Athena casually poured him another cup. "The so-called Council of Gods who stole our power… their machines are tainted by lingering evil."
"Evil?" Sanjiro frowned, staring at the tea with suspicion.
How twisted did you have to be to drink this with a straight face?
"We once came from a foreign star. Our home was destroyed by a monstrous terror. We came to Earth to rebuild."
Athena's voice grew serious.
"But rebuilding required either eradicating or enslaving mankind. The Star's Vanguards defeated us, and so we became gods who chose instead to protect humanity. But the malice lingering in our machines—if cultivated by the Council of Gods—could evolve into Humanity's Evil."
That was why the gods sought alliance with him.
For if mankind perished, then even the gods who protected it would fall alongside them.
All prosperity shared, all ruin shared.
"…So you want me to fight?" Sanjiro sighed softly. "I'm sorry, but I've been resting for countless years. I only want peace now."
"If you were truly that cold-hearted, you could stand by while Illya and the others died. But you cannot." Athena gazed at him evenly.
"Every misfortune in this world comes from the weakness of those who suffer it. I offer you the strength to change that."
"…"
Sanjiro fell silent.
It was true.
He wanted to rest—but when his loved ones were threatened, how could he turn away?
"You carry Alaya's blessing—the power of Death Regression. It is a gift surpassing even the gods."
Athena's eyes glimmered.
"You can walk across timelines, dying and reviving again and again. Until you reach the ending you desire, you can sacrifice yourself without hesitation."
This man, blessed by Alaya, was a miracle beyond precedent.
"So what—you expect me to just keep dying?" Sanjiro's practiced smile faltered.
Because regression still hurt.
Sometimes even more than true death—because you lived through every moment of it.
"No, no. I won't ask you to sacrifice yourself. I only wish to aid you fully."
Athena's smile grew brighter. "Think of it like playing a game—I want to see every CG, every route, every ending. I want to see it all."
As she spoke, her body leaned forward, both hands pressing the table as her eager eyes closed the distance.
Within them burned the fire of desire.
"…You really are greedy." Sanjiro muttered.
"Yes," Athena admitted without shame. "As the one who rules over Wisdom, my hunger for knowledge is endless."
Her smile deepened.
"And to satisfy it—you may use me however you wish. Even my body. I want you. I crave you. This is my most sincere, honest confession! Use me however you wish—freely, recklessly—if it means you can seize the future!"
A rapid-fire confession like that left Sanjiro momentarily stunned.
No wonder she had stayed calm the whole time, never once showing any romantic interest in him—she was far more terrifying than the moon goddess or any other god he'd met.
Was this really the elegant goddess he once knew?
Why did she suddenly feel greedier than a devil?
"I… need to think about it," Sanjiro blurted, instinctively wanting to put some distance between them.
As expected of a god—truly capable of doing whatever they pleased. Human logic just didn't apply.
"Of course you may." Athena smiled, utterly unbothered.
Not the slightest trace of impatience.
Truth be told, ever since he descended into the Age of the Greek Gods, she had already regarded him as the greatest miracle she had ever encountered.
Even after he departed—
Athena remained seated gracefully, sipping her tea.
But then… she noticed the ground in front of her sink ever so slightly.
A moment later, a tiny shovel poked out from the sunken spot, followed by a startled voice:
"Ishtar! Rin! Hurry—look what I just dug up!"
"…???"
What…?
For the first time, Athena completely lost her composure.
In that instant, she suddenly understood how Gilgamesh had felt during Absolute Demonic Front—when he discovered that Ereshkigal had been digging tunnels under Uruk, and the whole city was only three days away from collapsing into the underworld.
This was her personal sub-space! A realm she herself had forged!
A domain on par with Unlimited Blade Works—and you managed to dig a tunnel into it?
What are you—Jerry the mouse's long-lost sister!?
Athena peered down at the girl's head poking up from underground.
"So. What exactly are you doing here?"
"Uh… sorry! Wrong turn!" Ereshkigal froze for a second, then instinctively apologized—and very quickly scurried away.
She had felt a special sort of connection earlier, and followed it while digging—how was she supposed to know she'd end up tunneling straight into the realm of the Greek gods?
Rin couldn't help but groan,
"Ereshkigal, are you secretly a tomb-raider or something? Did you just dig up the graves of the Olympians!?"
"Uhh… no idea." Ereshkigal shook her head.
Inside their mental "boardroom," the three of them stared at each other in stunned silence.
So the Greek gods really had descended into this world…
====
Back home.
Sanjiro sat lazily on the sofa, gazing idly out the window.
Athena's words earlier weighed heavily on his mind.
He had personally slain the Council of God's "God of War". That alone made him a nail in their eye, a thorn in their side.
There was no way such an arrogant organization would just let it slide.
"They really won't even let me rest for a moment, huh…" he muttered, letting out a soft sigh.
On top of the Lighthouse gods, there were also something dwelling on the Moon, and the giant spider still slumbering in South America… terrifying powers, one after another.
"What's wrong? Who ticked you off?" Kirina asked curiously, seeing him sighing like that.
"It's nothing," Sanjiro replied, glancing at her.
Oh right—almost forgot. She was a sealed-away doomsday demon king herself.
Talk about "the tree longs for stillness, but the wind will not cease."
Kirina casually leaned over, propping her legs across his lap.
"Tch. I wonder how the First Emperor is doing over in the Singularity. Hope he's as powerful as they say."
"Probably…" Sanjiro answered absent-mindedly.
Powerful? Try blindingly so.
If the Empire from that Lostbelt really did descend into this world, the Council of Gods wouldn't even be worth mentioning.
Unfortunately, that was clearly impossible.
He glanced over at the mighty Heracles sitting beside him, feeling even more helpless.
First it was bottomless-stomach Artoria… now another walking black hole in the form of Heracles.
At this rate, even the richest landlord would go broke feeding them!
If you're going to adopt daughters, why don't you go pick up a hammer and earn some money!?
"I really do hope the First Emperor is strong enough," Illya said seriously, "That way, we could stand up to the United States."
She had been targeted by them twice already.
First time, they sent Hassan of the Hundred Faces to abduct her and use her as a lab rat.
Second time, they outright dispatched the War God mecha.
The War God! Charging right in as if the First Emperor didn't even exist!
Just then—
Kirina suddenly gasped.
"Quick! Turn on the news!"
"What happened?"
Sanjiro looked over as she handed him her phone, finger tapping a newly posted headline.
The title read:
[The Seven Sins of the First Emperor]
And the publisher?
[The Council of Gods]
Kirina was floored.
"Oh, wow… they're really going to tear off the mask now, huh?"
Up until now, both sides had been jabbing at each other, escalating in hostility bit by bit.
But it had always stayed at the surface level—never touching the true core.
And now? They had brazenly published a list of "Seven Deadly Sins" for the First Emperor himself.
That was a direct declaration of war.
The First Emperor!
Even if he had flaws, only his own teacher had the right to judge him.
What gave them the right to slander him openly!?
Sanjiro was equally stunned.
He had just been wondering why the United States said nothing after he killed their War God… and now he knew.
They'd been waiting for this.
Just as Athena warned—they were already preparing for war.
A bunch of lunatics!
No—having achieved mechanical ascension and become machine-gods, they weren't even human anymore!
So… what exactly were these so-called "Seven Sins"?
[First Sin: Greed.
The First Emperor plundered the wealth of the world, arrogantly attempting to monopolize all riches for himself.]
"…???"
Sanjiro nearly choked.
Are you sure you're talking about Shikotei, and not Gilgamesh?
Kirina blinked.
"Wait—are they referring to that part in the Rhapsody of Epang Palace, where after unifying the Six Kingdoms, the First Emperor gathered all the treasure into the Palace? That was over two thousand years ago," she added dryly. "They're seriously trying to 'use the sword of a past to behead the current Emperor'?"
"Well… I mean, it's them," Illya shrugged, not even surprised.
With their arrogance, if they want to target you, they'll accuse you of possessing weapons of mass destruction just because you're carrying a bag of laundry detergent.
[Second Sin: Gluttony.
Every time the First Emperor eats a piece of meat, a plume of smoke rises in the forests of the United State's soil! His wanton waste of food is worsening the world's environment!]
"…?"
Sanjiro was briefly speechless.
This counts as evidence?
Without hesitation, he raised his middle finger toward the East.
You are the ones who waste more food than anyone else in the world—and now you're accusing Shikotei, who barely even eats?
After all, Shikotei had a mechanical sacred body. He didn't need to eat at all under normal circumstances.
The only times he did eat were during state banquets for foreign Heroic Spirits—or when visiting Sanjiro, who would prepare an elaborate meal… and Shikotei, lured in by the delicious aromas, would indulge a little more than usual.
Sanjiro couldn't help but feel sorry for him.
To possess everything… yet lose the simplest joys of an ordinary human life.
[Third Sin: Envy.
The First Emperor is jealous of the United States advanced black technology, jealous of their easy access to the Moon, jealous of the power of the Council of Gods—so he lashes out against them in resentment!]
"…ah… this…"
Sanjiro was now completely at a loss for words.
A Lostbelt King… jealous of your little gadgets?
This was like a dung beetle clutching its poop ball, terrified someone might try to steal its "treasure."
Kirina sighed.
"To be fair, the United States is decades ahead of the world in terms of tech."
Ever since they obtained the twelve Machine Gods, they had risen so quickly that they leave there peers in dust as they became the world's sole superpower in just a century.
One bizarre black technology after another.
They were also the first to set foot on the Moon.
Rumor had it that the United States obtained even more terrifying tech from the Moon itself—allowing them to become the undisputed global hegemon, printing money at will and harvesting the world's wealth.
"True," Illya admitted. "We still lags behind them at the very top of tech. But jealousy? That's a stretch."
She clenched her tiny fists.
"So what if they landed on the Moon? According to our schedule, we'll be there in just a few years! What's there to brag about!?"
United States tech really was number one in the world.
That was the publicly acknowledged reality—however reluctantly accepted.
After all, they'd been gifted alien Machine Gods. It was only natural their tech crushed every other nation's.
Watching the two little lolis fret like that only made Sanjiro's expression grow more and more complicated.
Alright then, looks like everyone's understanding is still stuck at the surface.
I just hope that when the next video gets released, you won't all be left slack-jawed.
[The Fourth Sin: Sloth.
Despite becoming the ruler of a vast Empire, the First Emperor dumped all the work onto others and had no intention of leading the people to a prosperous future!]
Kirina glanced at this critique and muttered:
"Why do I feel like this one is aimed at Chancellor Komei?"
"Uh… now that you mention it, it really does sound like him."
Illya blinked as well.
If you had to name the hardest worker in the Empire, it wasn't the Emperor at all—it was Chancellor Komei!
That man worked himself to the bone until his dying breath.
And even after returning as a Heroic Spirit, he kept on burning the midnight oil for the Empire.
Stories of "the Chancellor working seven days and nights straight" were practically commonplace.
So when the Absolute Demonic Front video showed that benevolent king collapsing from overwork, the very first comparison people drew was to Komei.
====
Meanwhile, inside the Palace.
The Empire's Heroic Spirits, urgently gathered, all turned their gazes toward the Chancellor.
Chin Kyu shook his head lightly.
"Komei, I told you before—you need to rest more. Now look, people are even calling His Majesty lazy because of you!"
"We must have a traitor among us! Out with it—did you give the Council of Gods this idea?"
Everyone stared at him.
Komei was utterly dumbfounded.
"I've been framed! Your Majesty, I live for overtime! Overtime is what makes me happiest!"
It was obvious—they were talking about him.
To outsiders, it would almost look like he had released that statement as a protest against Shikotei himself.
But the truth was, he genuinely loved managing things.
Watching an empire flourish under his hand—from poverty to prosperity—was so satisfying he could barely breathe.
"Chancellor Komei…"
Shikotei fixed him with an expressionless stare. Under that oppressive gaze, Komei grew nervous, until Shikotei finally said:
"You may take a vacation."
"No, no, Your Majesty! I only want to work overtime!" Komei declared without hesitation.
The other Heroic Spirits all glared daggers at him.
"What's wrong?" Komei asked in surprise. "Don't tell me you all don't want to work overtime?"
"…"
Chin Kyu and the rest suddenly felt a powerful urge to beat him to death.
This workaholic wanted to drag everyone else into endless overtime too?
Even as an undying Heroic Spirits, he insisted on working himself to death every day?!
Competing… competing to the grave!
[The Fifth Sin: Lust.
The First Emperor indulges in desire and rules with absolute dictatorship. He doesn't allow the slightest dissent—he's completely undemocratic and unfree!]
[The Sixth Sin: Wrath.
Under his dictatorship, the First Emperor arrogantly declared that anyone who dares to remonstrate would have their nine generations executed—nothing short of a tyrant!]
Chin Kyu glanced again at the Chancellor.
"Komei, this one's on you too!"
If it weren't for Komei pushing so hard for Nameless and King Arthur to marry for the sake of Britain's wealth, His Majesty would never have issued such a draconian order.
"I'm innocent!" Komei was almost crying.
They say the imperial family is the most ruthless of all.
The wrath of an Emperor can leave corpses piled by the millions.
But who could have imagined that in Shikotei's eyes, Nameless was so important that he could even share dominion over the world?
Absurd!
If Nameless were a woman, His Majesty would undoubtedly have made him Empress!
Oh, but wait—His Majesty doesn't even have a gender. Nameless wouldn't need to turn into a woman at all.
If the Emperor wished it, he could just turn the "Imperial Teacher" into the "Imperial Consort" and be the Empress instead while Nameless would be the Emperor!
Terrifying!
…Why on earth am I even thinking such strange thoughts?!
Komei trembled as he looked at the emotionless Emperor.
He had to admit—His Majesty truly did possess a transcendental charm beyond gender.
[The Seventh Sin: Pride.
The First Emperor is so arrogant that he scorns all of creation. Worse, he refuses to believe in God, making him a blasphemous sinner without faith!]
This one actually made them chuckle.
Xiang Yu(Kou) grinned.
"Tell me—just how many divisions does God have?"
As if they'd ever worship God.
The difference between East and West was obvious.
When a flood came, Yu the Great led the people to control the waters.
In the West, they built Noah's Ark to run away—using blueprints handed down by their gods.
When plagues struck, Shennong tasted every herb himself to find cures.
In the West, they called disease divine punishment and begged the gods for forgiveness.
Those who preferred praying to gods over helping the people—let them.
But in this land, split open by an axe at the dawn of time, there had always been people who refused to kneel.
Komei murmured:
"Since they ridicule us so openly, it seems the United States has already resolved to declare war. We must begin our own war preparations."
"I'll take the vanguard!" Kou declared without hesitation.
"No, I'll be the first to lead the charge!"
Lü Bu(Ryofu Hōsen) shouted even louder.
The veterans who had fought countless wars in life all volunteered instantly.
Even if their enemy were true gods themselves, none of them wavered.
In fact, their fighting spirit burned even fiercer.
With the United States issuing its proclamation of The Seven Sins of the First Emperor, the whole world erupted.
Everyone realized that a war threatening to engulf the globe might be about to begin.
====
Winterwood City Hotel.
The Dark Saint and the King of Heroes were chatting idly when the Seven Sins proclamation appeared before them.
Jalter looked at the so-called "Sin of Pride" and couldn't help but laugh.
"Those false-gods… they're panicking! They're terrified the real deal will come knocking!"
Faith was freedom, pure and simple.
Even though she believed in God, she would never force another to do the same.
And in truth, she herself had once doubted God to the point of becoming the Dark Saint.
Only after receiving God's revelation again had her faith been restored.(Soo, can she still be called Jalter or Jeanne now? Ahh fuck.)
Clearly, He had been watching over her all along.
Otherwise, why would He have guided her to search for Nameless?
The only shame was that the guidance had been so vague she still couldn't find him.
Lord, could you not simply place Nameless before me?
Gilgamesh nodded.
"Indeed. They're nothing but pretender gods."
Thieves, nothing more.
From the Gods of Olympus video, it was obvious that the Greek pantheon all favored Nameless.
Moon Goddess, the Queen of the Underworld, Medusa—all of them.
Even Zeus and Apollo themselves desperately wanted him.
A man blessed by so many gods, who slew the monster Cronus—how could he possibly be their enemy?
Yet the Council of "Gods" only wanted to seize Wei Gong and use him as a lab rat.
Clear proof of their guilty consciences.
Jalter tilted her head curiously at the King of Heroes.
"So, that accusation of greed wasn't aimed at you?"
"Heh. And if it was?" Gilgamesh sneered. "All treasures come from my Gate of Babylon. I have no need for greed!"
Collecting all the treasures of mankind wasn't just a boast—it was literal truth.
Within the Gate of Babylon lay the prototypes of most Noble Phantasms, as well as the earliest inventions and wealth of mankind.
It was nothing less than the Primordial Archive of Human Wisdom!
"A bunch of false gods, thinking themselves rulers of the world…"
His crimson eyes went cold.
"If war truly comes, perhaps I will join in."
"Oh? Then I might have to consider it too," Jalter remarked in surprise.
So even the arrogant king understood the stakes: should the United States conquer the Empire, they would truly rule the world.
"Hahaha! As if I'd pass up the chance to slaughter gods!"
Gilgamesh roared with laughter as he stood and strode away.
Of course, he didn't bother to tell her that his real reason for going was to fight alongside his damnable best friend in tearing down those false gods.
Poor Jalter. She had met Nameless before, but failed to recognize him.
No one in this world knew Sanjiro better than he did!
Switching into casual clothes, Gilgamesh once again disguised himself as a cheerful Fuyuki City local and strolled toward Sanjiro's home.
Ding dong~
The doorbell rang.
Heavy footsteps approached.
When the door swung open, Gilgamesh found himself staring up at a massive, muscular figure.
It was none other than the man he had mocked so mercilessly before—Heracles!