"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
The Sun God councilor shook his head without hesitation.
"Even if all eleven of us Machine Gods worked together with full strength, we could never accomplish such an enormous project!"
A Great Wall encircling the entire Earth? That had to be a joke!
The circumference of Earth alone was forty thousand kilometers, suspended in space—at the very least, we're talking about a structure stretching a hundred thousand kilometers.
The Great Wall of China, despite being called the "Ten-Thousand Mile Wall," was only about five thousand kilometers long.
It took centuries, dynasties upon dynasties of work, endless maintenance, and countless laborers perishing.
That alone was enough to drain a nation of its lifeblood, becoming one of the chief causes of the Second Emperor's downfall.
But now, to build a Space Great Wall? How could you possibly transport all that material into orbit? How could you construct and fix such a colossal structure along Earth's trajectory?
Clearly, such a thing was impossible. Not even if all the Machine Gods joined forces—it was beyond any miracle.
"Indeed, it's impossible." The Goddess of Wisdom chuckled at her own bold speculation.
With just a little calculation, it was obvious: such an endeavor would require infinite resources, infinite manpower, and god-defying technology—a mythical project bordering on the impossible.
To achieve something of this magnitude? Only a God out of legend itself could intervene!
The Goddess of Wisdom smiled lightly.
"Most likely, it's a massive projection-type magecraft—a grand-scale illusion—meant to display the First Emperor's supposed immortality and his awe-inspiring majesty."
With that emperor's arrogance and absolute will, this was exactly the kind of act he would commit.
At her words, the other councilors broke into relaxed smiles.
"Just a clown's performance, nothing more."
Once the broadcast ended, no matter if he had unified the entire Lostbelt under his dominion, even the First Emperor would have no choice but to bow beneath their feet.
For mortals, in the end, are still only mortals!
—Inside the footage.
The Chaldeans were deep in discussion.
"It's hovering about two thousand kilometers above Earth, completely enclosing the planet."
Da Vinci's eyes widened in awe.
"Perhaps that's why we couldn't detect this Lostbelt before—it's been hidden behind that massive construct?"
"The coordinates check out. That fortress… it overlaps exactly with the site of Xianyang—the ancient capital of the First Emperor." answered Dr. Roman from Chaldea.
Mash gasped in shock.
"Xianyang…!? That was long before even the Three Kingdoms period… Then does that mean—he's been alive for over two thousand years?"
The Chaldeans were utterly stunned.
Looking up at the sky, Nameless murmured softly:
"…Could it be? That barrier above us… perhaps it's none other than the Great Wall itself, reborn to shield the skies."
"Of course, it's just a hypothesis."
But that quiet remark made the Chaldeans—and all the watching audience—stare wide-eyed in disbelief.
The Great Wall?
A Great Wall floating in the sky, wrapping around the entire Earth?
How could such a thing ever be constructed? And even if it were, what enemy was it meant to repel?
Not only that vast, planet-encompassing structure, but also that floating fortress-city in the sky…
Together, they wrapped this Lostbelt in layer upon layer of unfathomable mystery—
——
In the living room.
Watching the footage, Kirina couldn't help but exclaim:
"Could this be the true form of the Palace? Not a 'king-bearing sword'—but a 'king-bearing ship'?"
The Epang Palace seen in reality had only been a mobile palace.
But what the video showed was no palace at all—it was a weapon of war, a cosmic fortress on par with the Council of Gods starship!
"'Until you reach the Great Wall, you're no hero'… I think I finally understand the meaning of that phrase." Illya muttered with a twitching smile.
It was terrifying beyond imagination.
High above the Earth, at an altitude of two thousand kilometers, floated the Great Wall.
Who in the world could possibly climb up there?
"Uh… before, they always said it was just a myth—that you couldn't see the Great Wall from space with the naked eye. But now… well, it looks like you really can see it!"
Kirina's expression twisted into something even stranger.
In actual space, the Great Wall would be nothing more than a thin thread. No way a human eye could ever pick it out.
But in the footage before them—
The damn thing was floating in orbit! Who wouldn't be able to see that?
Kirina frowned slightly.
"This so-called 'structure'… its shape resembles a vast feather, stretching endlessly across the horizon. And when you set it alongside that colossal citadel above Xianyang… it almost gives the impression of wings—wings large enough to embrace the entire world."
And indeed, according to the Chaldea-provided satellite images, it did faintly resemble a gigantic feather.
Combined with the colossal fortress-city, it really did form a set of wings.
"…Yeah, it really does."
Sanjiro nodded in agreement.
Even back in the previous timeline, countless Masters had thought the same thing.
It was too uncanny a resemblance.
And yet—it was also so awe-inspiring it made one's head spin.
No one could have guessed that Kinoko Nasu and Gen Urobuchi would go this hard on Shikōtei.
Hard enough to leave fans sitting slack-jawed, wondering if the writers had finally lost their minds—or achieved galaxy-brain genius.
Taking a historical dynasty and just casually launching it into space as a full-blown interstellar empire?
Reimagining the Great Wall as the Great Orbital Wall encircling Earth?
Nobody had that on their bingo card.
Masters everywhere were floored. What was meant to be another Lostbelt reveal turned into a community-wide festival of "holy crap, they really did that."
Countless doujin writers who had been speculating about Lostbelt No. 3 could only laugh helplessly. Nothing they had come up with came close to the wild spectacle the official story delivered.
Compared to this, their own drafts suddenly felt like scribbles. Why keep writing when the creators themselves were out here setting the bar in orbit?
The other Lostbelts still played by familiar rules—clashes with gods, giants, mythical beasts, echoes of folklore.
But this? This was straight-up sci-fi empire-building in the skin of ancient history.
Who could have seen it coming? No wonder so many fan creators just threw up their hands, bowed to canon, and admitted defeat with a grin.
Kirina couldn't help but whisper:
"If the First Emperor is truly that powerful… then surely his people must be living in peace and happiness, forever secure, right?"
After all, in reality Shikotei had been a ruler of considerable talent—meritocratic, ambitious, driven to unify.
And a hundred years ago, when their nation faced endless invasions and stood on the brink of annihilation, he had even manifested as a Heroic Spirit.
With a single sweep, he crushed every foreign invader.
He then founded a vast dominion that spanned continents and held a population of over two billion.
He forged the Dragon of Human Order, a counterweight to the "Council of Gods of the United States," and defended his empire against them.
Like a wise king from legend, he became an eternal symbol of pride and devotion for his people.
"…Probably," Sanjiro said at last, though his tone carried hesitation.
Because after all, the Lostbelt No. 3 had another, far less flattering name:
[The Unified Empire of Human Reason].
And with a name like that… it was obvious the Emperor's "glory" came with a darker side.
"I can't wait to see what kind of spectacle the First Emperor puts on next!" Kirina said, her eyes shining with excitement.
The video rolled onward.
Chaldea's party pressed forward, only to be confronted by swarms of grotesque monsters.
They looked like massive lizards, clad in white, scale-like armor.
"Prepare for battle!" Nameless ordered sharply.
The fight broke out instantly.
There were too many enemies; the team was overwhelmed.
Nameless swiftly raised a summoning circle:
"Thy body shall be under my command; my fate shall be with thy sword. Answer the call of destiny and my will—
He who embodies all good of the world, he who embodies all evil of the world. Bound by the words of the seven heavens—
Come forth from the Wheel of Suppression, Guardian of the Scales!"
Whooom!
The summoning circle blazed with light.
And from it stepped a familiar figure, helm-clad and sword in hand—none other than Mordred.
"Responding to the summon. So—you are my Master?" she asked calmly, not recognizing Nameless at all.
Which was natural. Servants are drawn from different points in their own histories; memory gaps were inevitable.
But Mordred wasn't alone.
Another Servant appeared—a petite, adorable Assassin: Jing Ke(Keika)!
Once, she had been the assassin sent by Crown Prince Dan to kill Shikotei. She might have succeeded, if not for Nameless's intervention. Shikotei had spared her life, condemning her instead to witness the destruction of her homeland.
Meanwhile, Mordred herself was watching the broadcast in confusion: "Wait, I get summoned over there?!"
Damn it! Why didn't she recognize Nameless at all?
This wasn't the first time. Back in the "Sacred Round Table" incident, Nameless had hidden their identity and toyed with her, too.
But this time it was even worse—the summoning had pulled her from a point in her life with no special memories.
The cruelest tragedy in the world: to stand before the one you love, and not even know them.
"You're rather mediocre," Artoria commented coolly.
Of course she wasn't jealous. No, not at all.
As if!
"Hmph. I'll show you how awesome I am later," Mordred grumbled.
Damn that Nameless . Always pulling this "pretend you don't know me" stunt…
With the new Servants, the tide of battle quickly turned.
Nameless projected Kanshou and Bakuta, slashing through the white-scaled monsters with ruthless precision.
Mashu planted her shield firmly, protecting the villagers.
The fight grew fierce—but orderly.
Then the scene shifted.
The battlefield vanished, replaced by the dazzling grandeur of a Palace.
But the First Emperor himself was nowhere in sight.
Only Tamamo Vitch Koyanskaya and Yu Mei-ren remained present.
From the shadows, Shikotei's voice echoed: "Hm. So those are the Chaldeans?"
"Yes, Your Majesty," Yu Mei-ren replied gravely. "They are here to restore Human History… a threat to your eternal reign!"
"A band of scattered vagrants thinks they can overturn my rule? Absurd."
"Do not underestimate Heroic Spirits! They are mighty guardians of human history, called forth by Alaya itself!" Yu Mei-ren warned.
But the Emperor only scoffed.
"Alaya, you say? The collective will of mankind, forged to safeguard their survival? Hmph. I protect humanity. I safeguard every subject of my empire. Does that not make me Alaya itself?"
Yu Mei-ren froze, stunned.
"W-what? That's… impossible!"
Was this arrogant monarch seriously trying to declare himself the very will of humanity?
The Emperor chuckled.
"No, you're right. I am no mere Alaya." Contempt laced his voice. "Dragging back dead men as 'Heroic Spirits' to fight on your behalf—how laughable. A humanity so full of holes it cannot stand on its own… what worth is there in preserving such a thing?"
Just a few words, but his pride and majesty radiated unmistakably.
To him, the heroes sung by history were nothing but a farce.
Yu Mei-ren scowled.
"The collapse of Human History was caused by the Demon King, Goetia! Without him, nothing would have happened!"
"Demon King Goetia? Let him come before me if he dares!" The First Emperor's laughter shook the palace.
An eternal sovereign, ruler of all—why would he ever fear a so-called Demon King?
At that moment, Koyanskaya smiled slyly.
"Regardless, Your Majesty, those Chaldeans will surely bare their fangs against you. They must be destroyed."
"Yes, they are dangerous to your eternal dominion!" Yu Mei-ren added.
"Is that so? Very well, then—Yu Mei-ren, you shall go personally."
Thus the Emperor gave his command.
For the so-called outsiders from Chaldea, to him they were nothing of importance.
The audience, however, was left utterly baffled—
LegallyRetarded-[So… why exactly is the First Emperor fighting with Nameless?]
GigglesThenShit-[Yeah, what did the Emperor even do to make Nameless want to defeat him personally?]
ProfoundCultivator-[This is bad! I was expecting the Emperor to outshine even the King of Heroes, but why does it feel like he's turning into the final boss instead?!]
JewJitsu-[Not gonna lie, the Emperor's insane—calling himself Alaya itself, and saying even the Demon God King isn't worth his attention?]
…
Sitting on the throne, Shikotei suddenly felt uneasy:
"Why does this feel like some kind of black history being exposed to the world?"
Earlier, Sanjiro had deliberately sent him this projection, insisting that after watching it he would gain the confidence to stand against the Council of Gods.
Now Shikotei's mood was complicated.
After hearing Sanjiro's words, he had unhesitatingly declared to the entire citizen of the empire—terrified by the enemy fleets—should all watch this vision.
That was his absolute trust in "the teacher."
Back then, in Absolute Demonic Front, the King of Heroes, Nameless, and the others joined forces against the Beast Goddess and of Humanity's Evils, Tiamat—creating a legend worthy of song.
But now—
The him shown in this vision was nothing like the King of Heroes of that era.
He stood directly opposed to Chaldea.
He even deliberately sent retainers to attack them!
That was nothing less than the definition of a final boss.
"...Teacher? You there? Care to explain?"
Was this to be another public execution of his black history?
Then Shikotei noticed a detail.
In the vision, he kept speaking—yet his body never appeared.
Even his voice was mechanical, hollow, echoing throughout the vast hall—as if the entire Palace itself was his body.
That bizarre realization struck him as he looked down at his own moving palace.
All at once, it was like layer after layer of seals had been undone, and he touched its true core again.
In that moment, he understood.
The Palace—was his true body.
At last, Shikotei realized why, upon manifesting as a Heroic Spirit, he had no fixed gender.
Because he himself was his own sex.
Such a colossal, overwhelming structure as Epang Palace was his true form. How could something like that be bound by notions like "male" or "female"?
"…Your Majesty?" Komei asked softly.
Anyone who saw this would know it instantly—the Emperor of this Lostbelt was fated to stand as Chaldea's enemy.
He had just urged the entire empire to witness his glorious majesty…
And now, in only a short while, he appeared as the enemy's villainous final boss.
Once he was defeated, his dignity would be utterly destroyed.
Forget uniting the people against the Council of Gods—countless citizens would surely fall into despair.
"Quiet. Just keep watching."
Shikorei answered calmly.
If Sanjiro said to watch until the end, then he would see why he stood opposed to Chaldea.
There had to be some twist.
Inside the great hall, countless Heroic Spirits looked on anxiously, fearing the moment the Emperor would be struck down by Nameless.
After all, Nameless was once his teacher. Would he really not hesitate?
But one could not forget—in Unlimited Blade Works, Nameless had mercilessly cut off even the King of Heroes' arm, and driven the blade straight through his heart.
The vision continued.
On the First Emperor's command within the Lostbelt—
Koyanskaya led her summoned Servants to intercept.
She still wore the guise of a bespectacled literary maiden, yet her aura brimmed with volatility.
Koyanskaya sneered:
"Hmph. Such a serious face, Mash Kyrielight. I thought for sure you'd show me a vile, servile smile instead."
She too had once been a candidate Master of Chaldea—until the day Nameless first arrived. A sudden catastrophic explosion destroyed the base, leaving her and the other 47 candidates in cold-storage stasis.
"This is friend against friend. How could I possibly laugh at you?" Mash answered gravely.
"That only makes it more hopeless—beasts like you who feel no shame in your own stench!"
Koyanskaya declared mercilessly:
"I don't hate you, nor do I scorn you. You're simply not worth such feelings. You are pests, nothing more. And I will drive you out."
Despite her gentle, literary appearance, her words overflowed with rage.
In Chaldea—
Mash turned, wide-eyed, toward the real Koyanskaya sitting beside her.
"…Is that really you?"
What happened to the quiet bookish maiden?
The reserved gentlewoman?
How did she become this volatile spitfire, hurling insults without pause?
"I…"
Koyanskaya lowered her book, nearly in tears.
She had spent so long carefully maintaining that facade at Chaldea—and now Alaya had exposed her!
Damn you, Alaya!
Beside her, Da Vinci and Dr. Roman stared at her with strange looks.
Koyanskaya coughed lightly.
"…Keep watching."
At least if it was just her temper exposed, she could claim it was the Lostbelt's influence.
As long as her true identity wasn't revealed, she'd be safe.
Onscreen—
Nameless frowned.
"Are you sure you want to fight us?"
"Of course. I've said all I need to. I will crush you here." Koyanskaya retorted.
"Ha! You, a salty, no-skill gamer Yaskaya, think you can threaten us?" Nameless shot back.
"Saber, get him!"
Furious, Koyanskaya snapped an order.
Her Servant was none other than Prince of Lanling—Ranryō-Ō—a general famed in the Northern and Southern Dynasties.
A paragon of both beauty and valor, he was praised as the Beautiful General.
So kind to his soldiers that even a piece of fruit would be shared with his men.
Wearing his mask, he spoke with graceful composure:
"My apologies, everyone."
At that moment, Nameless suddenly raised a hand.
"Wait! Ranryō-Ō—your mask hides your beauty, doesn't it? How about we compare?"
"…Compare beauty?" Ranryō-Ō froze.
He was renowned for his unparalleled appearance.
To keep his troops from faltering under the spell of his looks, he wore the Mask of Concealment.
And yet his charm was such that, once revealed, it bewitched all around him.
Ranryō-Ō's expression was peculiar.
"…Are you certain?"
This was the first time anyone had ever challenged him to such a contest.
The comment section erupted—
Blackman&Robbing-[God, Nameless's shameless—challenging Ranryō-Ō of all people to a beauty contest?!]
AlayaRiggedThisShit-[Damn it, being a Grand Beauty really does let you do whatever you want… Alaya really rigged this shit.]
[Sorry, but yeah—that's exactly it. Defeat someone at the very thing they pride themselves most on!]
SirFucksAlot-[Remember, in the last Singularity, Nameless was blessed by Aphrodite herself—his charm transcends even gods!]
"Of course!"
Nameless turned to Koyanskaya, Mash, and the others.
"Well? Between me and Ranryō-Ō, who's more charming?"
In that instant, his Facial Obscuration vanished.
His true form was revealed—the unrivaled face of an EX-rank crimson-eyed youth, tempered by a will that walked hand in hand with human history itself.
All the onlookers froze in awe.
The ever-gentle boy now appeared as the unattainable white moonlight in countless hearts.
"Your beauty outshines him. Ranryō-Ō cannot compare." Da Vinci smiled.
Mash's cheeks flushed red.
"Of course, Senpai is far beyond him!"
To her, there was no contest.
Even Koyanskaya found herself momentarily stunned.
And Ranryō-Ō himself looked upon Nameless with astonishment.
The victor was clear.
Koyanskaya snapped back quickly, huffing:
"That doesn't count! Competing in beauty is unmanly—battle alone decides!"
"Oh? You really want to keep fighting, Yu Mei-ren?" Nameless said casually, revealing her true name.
"…How do you know that?"
Koyanskaya—no, Yu Mei-ren—stared at him in shock.
When had she been exposed?
She had never let anyone inspect her body in Chaldea. There should have been no way to know.
Nameless only smiled, extending his hand.
"My blood… did it taste good?"
"…So it really was you!"
Yu Mei-ren glared coldly, baring two sharp little fangs.
That man—back in their final battle, he hadn't even brought her along. Instead, he had sacrificed himself outright, vanishing without a trace.
She had searched endlessly, yet never once found him.
And now—he had appeared before her again, through the accursed method of Impure World Reincarnation, standing there as Chaldea's Master.
What stung the most was…
She had already seen him many times before, but never once recognized him.
Without hesitation, she leapt forward:
"You damn bastard—I'll bite you to death!"
Her fangs sank into him—though, almost instinctively, her grip softened.
"…Sorry. The final battle is between me and Shikotei. You shouldn't be dragged into it."
Nameless gently stroked the top of her head.
Yu Mei-ren huffed coldly.
"Hmph. Don't think I'll forgive you just because you let me drink your blood!"
But even as she spoke, she was drinking deeply—her face flushed, her eyes glistening, wearing an expression of blissful satisfaction.
At her side, Mordred's eyes widened.
"Wait… this chick's a vampire?!"
Why else would she be drinking blood?
"Shut it! I'm no vampire—I'm a sage, an immortal!" Yu Mei-ren snapped back furiously.
She would not allow such slander.
She was a proud spirit of the Inner Sea of the World—her nature surpassing even that of gods and immortals.
Nameless continued quietly:
"Shikotei walked the wrong path. It's my duty to set him straight."
Yu Mei-ren snorted.
"What—you want me to be a mole for you?"
At last, she reluctantly let go of his hand.
"Back then, when I set you and Tamamo-no-Mae aside as hidden cards… this was part of my plan too."
Nameless sighed softly.
Originally, he had intended those two to be trump cards against the gods.
Fortunately, the gods had been defeated, and freedom restored to the world.
Unfortunately, in defeating the gods, the dragonslayer had become the dragon.
Shikotei, who imposed his will on human history, was no different from those high and mighty deities.
"…I'll do it."
Yu Mei-ren nodded without hesitation—terrified he might change his mind.
Last time, she had hesitated—and never saw him again.
It had been thousands of years since that farewell.
Nameless nodded, patting her head once more.
"Alright. But don't force yourself. If he discovers you, expose yourself right away."
"Hmph. Even after thousands of years apart, you're still the same annoyingly kind fool."
Yu Mei-ren turned with a cold snort—but her small face betrayed an unhidden smile as she left.
——
The scene shifted.
She returned to the Palace, feigning injury.
"Forgive me… I couldn't beat them. But that Chaldean Master was wounded too (bitten by me). He's losing blood badly (drained by me). He's a serious threat!"
"Defeated you, and you call that a threat? To me, it is nothing more than a game."
Shikotei's voice was calm, cold.
"Battle exists for victory. You weren't dismembered. You weren't disemboweled. And yet you call this retreat anything but desertion?"
"…Fine. Next time, I'll make sure to bring back an arm for you!" Yu Mei-ren snapped, gritting her teeth.
The audience burst into laughter.
YoMamaBeenSlobbin-[LMAO, this is exactly like the Three Goddess Alliance in Babylonia—Nameless is gonna charm her too, huh?]
ICastFart-[Three Goddess Alliance? More like Double-Agent Alliance!]
HairyBalls-[Yu Mei-ren folded instantly… is the fox next on the chopping block?]
MonaLigmaBalls-[Nameless seriously trying to seduce the Emperor's inner circle to overthrow him?]
====
Tōsaka household.
Rin folded her arms, glaring at the two goddesses in front of her.
"See? I told you this was familiar."
"What's that got to do with me? I was never part of that dumb Goddess Alliance," Ishtar scoffed, rolling her eyes.
She was, after all, a free spirit—never bound to any group.
"…It… it had to do with me." Ereshkigal spoke softly. "I only wanted to save those people… to gather their souls… so I could return them once the disaster was over."
Her reason for joining the Alliance had been mercy itself.
Without Nameless, everyone would have cursed her as the villain. No one would have ever believed her true intent.
Rin stared hard at the figure on the screen.
"Just how many girls has this guy bewitched?"
"Do you remember every slice of bread you've ever eaten?" Ishtar shot back.
He walked through human history, saving countless lives. To be worshiped and adored was only natural.
But why—why did she have to be mocked as "the Monkey King," when Yu Mei-ren was treated with such tenderness?
That bastard Nameless… when she saw him again, she'd definitely—
No, she'd eat him alive.
——
On-screen.
Koyanskaya smirked mockingly.
"As expected—you really can't do anything, can you?"
"None of your business," Yu Mei-ren shot back, sneering.
"Haha—just wait and watch my performance." Koyanskaya only grew more delighted.
As a pseudo-Beast aligned with Beast IV—Pleasure—Koyanskaya delighted in toying with mankind and its history.
To her, everything was just a game.
Shikotei's voice cut in, calm and disdainful.
"Korgi-skaya, stand aside."
"…What!?"
Koyanskaya froze, anger flashing in her eyes. "Your Majesty! After all this time, can't you at least remember my name!? It's Koyanskaya!"
"Oh, Growling Chihuahua. As I said before—Chaldea has never once been a true enemy of mine."
Shikotei's indifference was absolute.
Koyanskaya tried to fan the flames harder.
"Your Majesty, Chaldea's entire mission is to summon Heroic Spirits and destroy your empire!"
"Why revive the dead, and disgrace them so? In my Eternal Peace, there is no need for Heroic Spirits. The living may dwell in peace forever."
His words carried unshakable conviction.
Koyanskaya nodded slyly.
"Indeed… in this world, it does seem that Alaya doesn't exist at all."
"But watching them command the dead only disgusts me further," Shikotei said coldly.
He turned his gaze to the side.
"Captain of the Guards. Your thoughts?"
"Your Majesty, it's possible they are dogs of the Vanguard."
For the Great Wall of Space, which they had built with immense effort, was never meant to stop mere nomadic raiders.
Those barbarians had long since been crushed beneath their might.
The true enemy… came from the stars.
It was from Nameless that Shikotei had learned of them—an enemy that sought nothing but the annihilation of all civilizations.
The Alien Vanguards.
Those creatures came from beyond the stars, with only one purpose: to destroy.
Shikotei's voice was iron.
"Very well. You shall unseal one of my slumbering heroes."
"…As you command, Your Majesty!"
The Guard Captain bowed, accepting the burden.
The frozen heroes sealed deep beneath the earth… once awakened, they risked succumbing to madness and unleashing chaos.
But that was precisely his duty—he was chosen as the Guard Captain to oversee them.
Rumble…
The colossal gates of the Hero Repository creaked open.
Row upon row of cryogenic chambers stretched out before him—each one preserving a figure out of legend, names etched into the collective memory of humankind.