Fate: Nameless Hero

Good grief, she can recognize her like this?

Sanjiro was honestly surprised.

With the Beast of Humanity's disguise, there shouldn't have been anyone who could see through it so easily.

Could it be… that it was an instinctive fear carved into her very bones that made her recognize her on the spot?

The key problem was—he himself was also wearing Hades' Cap of Invisibility, layered over with a disguise.

That made this just a little awkward.

I mean—when you happen to go out, and you just happen to see your mom out with another man, what kind of expression would you make?

Just as Sanjiro was wondering what excuse he should come up with—

Tiamat reached out, gently stroked the top of Rin's head, and wore a smile full of motherly warmth.

Like a caring mother doting on her daughter.

Under that tender caress, the stunned Rin instinctively leaned into her touch—

—like a kitten being petted just the right way.

Then, noticing Sanjiro's startled expression beside them, Rin finally snapped out of it.

"Eh—eh—"

Her cheeks flushed red instantly, the shyness hitting her like a truck.

Why on earth had she suddenly called some random stranger "Mom"? And worse, the woman didn't even look old—she was nearly her own age!

A young and beautiful mother?

Face still burning, Rin bowed her head and hurriedly apologized.

"Sorry, sorry—I must've mistaken you for someone else!"

"It's fine."

Sanjiro looked at her with great interest.

Tiamat's "mother aura" was terrifying.

Even with full disguise, she'd managed to make Rin drop her guard entirely and run up to call her "Mom."

Scary. Terrifying.

It was the first time Sanjiro had seen the usually proud and prickly Rin look so much like a shy little girl.

Come to think of it… given her "three-in-one Rin" situation, calling Tiamat "Mom" wasn't exactly wrong.

Tsk. Standing side-by-side, the two of them actually looked like sisters—both equally young and beautiful.

"Um, um, I'm really sorry."

Rin apologized again.

Calling someone "Mom" the first time you meet them—that was the kind of embarrassing incident you could never explain to anyone.

She was supposed to be the elegant and dignified daughter of the Tohsaka family—so why had she been slipping up more and more lately?

Ugh—it had to be those two goddesses' bad influence!

After the Absolute Demonic Front video was released, countless people had @-mentioned her.

Some even went out of their way to send her that photo of Ishtar holding the "I Am a Useless Goddess" tablet.

No Photoshop required—honestly, it was basically just her.

Rin had originally planned to just hide at home until the heat died down—but couldn't resist when the two goddesses requested a "brain-meeting."

She went out specifically to let them see the human world for a change.

And then… managed to pull this stunt in public.

As she was thinking this—

Inside her mind—

The two goddesses were staring at the illusory screen projection in front of them.

Ishtar hunched her shoulders. "I don't know if it's my imagination, but… does she look like she's smiling at us?"

"I… I'm sure it's just your imagination…"

Ereshkigal was trembling slightly too.

The gentle, blue-haired woman had almost made them both call her "Mom" on instinct—and made them want to bolt immediately!

Only Rin was bold enough to ignore the danger and just feel warm and close to her.

Under their watch—

The blue-haired woman's eyes were locked on them, her smile growing even softer: "Aaaaa~ (Why don't you come out and meet me face to face?)"

The two goddesses exchanged a look—and instantly snapped backward, toppling right out of their chairs!

"Mommy! It is the Mother Goddess!"

Ishtar summoned her mount without a second thought and bolted straight back to the Inner World.

"This can't be happening!"

Ereshkigal was just as shocked to the point of suffocation.

The Mother Goddess could descend into the human world—and casually stroll down the street!

She quickly pulled out her little shovel—which, thanks to her legend, had now become a top-tier divine tool—dug a hole on the spot, and slipped straight back into the Underworld.

After fleeing—

They suddenly realized they might have overlooked something.

Who was that person standing next to the Mother Goddess?

"…You two sure ran fast."

Sanjiro couldn't help twitching his lips when he felt the faint trace of divine presence vanish.

Sure enough, these Mesopotamian goddesses had recognized Tiamat's true identity. Good thing he hadn't counted on them for help in battle.

With their "drop everything and run" reflexes, they'd absolutely get him killed.

From this perspective—Gilgamesh and Enkidu were much braver—they'd stayed right there without fleeing!

"W-well then, I won't disturb your—uh—date!" Rin bowed again.

After her earlier embarrassment, she just wanted to crawl into a hole and vanish.

"???"

Sanjiro stared after her, looking conflicted.

Good grief—Miss Rin, you just called her "Mom" and now you think this is a date?

What, you planning to be my daughter or something?

Tiamat tilted her head toward him.

"What does 'date' mean?"

"Cough—it's when two people go out to walk around and have fun together," Sanjiro explained.

This was the Mother of Creation—naturally, as a great and upright hero, he couldn't possibly have any strange thoughts.

"Oh. Then let's continue… dating."

Tiamat held his hand and continued walking down the street.

"…Alright."

Sanjiro decided to spend this time with her properly.

After all, he'd stood her up for four and a half thousand years—if it were Ishtar, she'd have killed him already!

On another street—

A silver-haired woman was walking shoulder-to-shoulder with a "pink-haired girl."

It was none other than the incognito Dark Saint and her knightly attendant.

Jalter frowned at the crowded street.

Especially at the couples holding hands everywhere—it was only souring her mood further.

"Your Majesty, are you sure it's here?" Astolfo asked quietly.

She'd originally planned to stay in the hotel watching anime—but Lancelot had chased her out.

He said that to avoid any "incidents" that could hurt relations between Japan and France, Astolfo should accompany the Dark Saint.

"It should be around here!"

Jalter was certain.

Earlier, just as she was thinking about going back to France, she had suddenly received a divine revelation from the Lord.

It said she would meet "the most important person" here.

And for Jalter, the most important person could only be… Nameless.

She'd even disguised herself as an ordinary girl to try her luck.

Just then—

A man and woman stopped beside her.

The ordinary-looking man said, "Boss, one takoyaki, salad flavor."

The blue-haired woman beside him stood quietly.

Sensing Jalter's gaze, the woman turned to look at her—her face full of gentle warmth.

Astolfo couldn't help blurting out,

"Wow, she's so… motherly, I almost wanna call her Mom!"

"…I really shouldn't have brought you with me." Jalter gave her a withering look.

"But she's seriously special—she's giving me Creator Goddess vibes!" Astolfo muttered under her breath.

"How could an Evil of Humanity be walking around pretending to be a normal person?" Jalter's expression grew even more disdainful.

Not long ago, fireworks had lit up the sky.

With her top-tier senses, she'd known immediately they were the explosions of the Machine Gods being obliterated.

Even the First Emperor and the King of Heroes couldn't do that—otherwise, they would've destroyed the Council of Gods long ago.

The one who had acted then had clearly been Tiamat, the Mother of Creation herself!

For her to descend quietly into the world and stroll the streets—that was enough to make Jalter feel deeply unsettled.

The cherry-blossom-viewing crowds of Fuyuki had no idea they'd almost gone to meet God in an instant.

The Council of Gods had taken a huge loss—they wouldn't let this go easily.

The battle between the First Emperor and the Council could break out at any time.

Jalter was weighing whether to get involved.

If she didn't want to, she'd have to leave Fuyuki quickly—

Unless that bastard who kept avoiding her asked her for help.

Nameless—where are you?

For you, I might even defeat those Machine Gods!

Jalter's gaze swept past the seemingly ordinary couple and scanned the throngs of people.

The Lord's revelation was still too vague for her to be sure.

Was it a mistake?

In the end, Lord, you never cared about what he does!

Buzz—

Jalter suddenly felt like she'd heard a cold "hmph" and immediately clasped her hands together.

"Lord, I will always have faith in You!"

Even in mid-winter, cold sweat was beading on her forehead.

The Lord was actually watching her right now!

Why did it feel like He was just sitting there, munching popcorn and watching the show?

No, impossible—must be her imagination! The Lord was supreme and exalted, powerful enough to stand as an equal to Alaya itself.

How could He possibly be "watching like a gossiping bystander"?

She asked silently in her heart: "Lord, why did Alaya release those exposure videos?"

It was the question she—and everyone—wanted answered.

Alaya had released video after video, revealing Nameless' past bit by bit to the whole world.

Was it a sign that another disaster was coming?

Just when Jalter thought there would be no reply—she finally received a revelation from the Lord:

[Fuyuki City Traffic Advisory: Of the thousand roads before you, intuition is the first rule. Miss the one before you, and you'll live in regret.]

???

Jalter froze, question marks exploding in her mind.

The supreme and exalted Lord, who could speak with Alaya as an equal, had just said… that?!

In that instant, she felt like the Lord was sitting at a computer, acting like a random gossiping netizen!

So weird!

No—she was definitely imagining it.

If the Lord were like this, did that mean Alaya was actually a scheming little loli?!

Astolfo piped up beside her: "Your Majesty, those two just left!"

"Let them! Don't bother me!"

Jalter snapped.

As long as she could figure out the meaning of the Lord's revelation, finding Nameless wouldn't be a problem.

Not far away—

Sanjiro glanced at her, originally intending to greet her.

Right now he was in his "main account"—exposure didn't matter.

He'd be switching back to his "alt" soon anyway.

But she was frowning deeply, as if thinking about some great matter of saving nations and peoples, not sparing him a glance.

Solemn to the extreme. Devout to the extreme.

For a moment, Sanjiro almost felt like he was seeing the pure white, devout saint he had first met—

Not the strong, willful Dark Saint she had become.

"Alright, forget it then."

Sanjiro shook his head and walked calmly past her.

Beside him, Tiamat looked up toward a certain someone who was covering their eyes, unable to bear watching. Then she tilted her head slightly toward the man next to her. Her hand, which had been relaxed, once again tightened its grip on him.

====

In Academy City—

Tamamo-no-Mae was becoming increasingly uneasy.

First, the War God arrived, and together with Nameless, entered the True God Domain—which actually lured Tiamat to descend!

That was a true, bona fide terror, more than enough to wipe the floor with any Heroic Spirit.

Only the Demon King was qualified to fight her one-on-one.

After defeating the War God—

The Council of Gods then descended in force, projecting their figures down and demanding the First Emperor hand over Nameless.

Too bad for them—they picked the wrong fight!

Trying to snatch someone that a Beast herself had her eyes on… wasn't that just asking to die?

One after another, dazzling fireworks exploded over Fuyuki City to the point it feels like New Year's Eve!

…Actually, yes, they did reach it.

That reckless War God who came in person and got torn apart by Nameless counted as one of those shots.

Tamamo looked at the two little lolis before her and smiled.

"Alright, it's over. Not a single casualty, and the Council of Gods side suffered a total defeat!"

Earlier, the First Emperor had ordered her to protect these two little cuties.

Tch—no denying it, they really were adorable. Even she felt the urge to adopt them as her own daughters.

No wonder the Council of Gods used them as bait to lure Nameless out.

"Thank you, Headmistress!"

The two quickly bowed in gratitude.

Illya let out a breath of relief.

"Good, as long as you're safe!"

She'd been worried the whole time about Nameless, who had once saved them.

Fortunately, everything had turned out alright.

"I hope… he's okay…"

Miyu, however, looked even more anxious.

She was certain the one who struck earlier had been Human Evil—Tiamat herself. Could she be planning to take her brother away?

"Alright, you two stay here. I'll go check." Tamamo put on her responsible "school head" act.

Now that everything was over, she still needed to maintain her image in front of the students—as the one who protects them.

If she got treated like that useless goddess who always flopped when it matters, it'd be a huge disgrace.

She first scanned the whole of Fuyuki, confirming that the machine gods had completely vanished and the aura of a Beast had faded.

You could never be too careful.

Without her nine tails reunited, she couldn't act too arrogantly.

Look at those machine gods—they tried to ambush crippled Nameless right at the newbie village gate, but the moment they got there, they ran into the final boss!

How do you even argue after a total party wipe like that?

Tamamo, curious, contacted Merry:

"In Greek mythology, there's a creator god—Chaos. Could they also be a Beast of Humanity like Tiamat?"

"Not sure," Merry replied uncertainly. "That being has long since vanished… might never have existed at all."

In original Greek myth, Chaos created the world and the Greek gods.

But in reality—

The "true" Olympian gods were actually twelve machine gods from outer space.

After being defeated by an enemy, they abandoned their mecha bodies and took on the forms of local Greek deities.

And the Americans? They found the abandoned machine bodies—

That's why they called themselves the Council of Gods.

So, following that logic… could that creator-god-level Chaos also be an immensely powerful machine god?

If you're going to travel the universe, you'd need massive energy.

The Demon King could incinerate human history and reverse Earth's time back to 4.6 billion years ago—

So that mysterious mech-god could probably do something similar.

Merry just couldn't figure out why they were all drooling over the little bit of energy humans could provide. If they were so capable, why not use the Sun as a power source?

"Eh, whatever, nothing to do with me."

Tamamo stopped thinking about it.

Just in case, she grabbed Mordred to go for a walk with her.

If anything dangerous popped up, this rebellious knight would definitely charge to the front!

Perfect!

She really was a genius.

This way, nothing could possibly threaten her.

Mordred looked puzzled.

"So why exactly did a Beast attack those gods?"

"Probably to snatch Nameless," Tamamo answered with a straight face.

"Eh? She wants to steal him too?"

Mordred instantly felt a headache coming on.

It was already near-impossible competing with Father over Nameless. Now a stronger force had joined the race—

Difficulty: Super Ultra Plus Mode.

The two Heroic Spirits walked down the street, deep in thought.

Then—

Tamamo suddenly realized she'd almost bumped into someone!

As a powerful nine-tailed fox, she should've sensed it instantly. Yet here was someone right in front of her.

A woman with long blue hair and an incredibly gentle smile.

Tamamo politely apologized:

"Sorry, I was lost in thought and didn't see you."

The fact she'd failed to notice them meant they were definitely no ordinary person.

The young man beside the woman smiled.

"It's fine."

At that moment—

The blue-haired woman reached out, as if to pat Tamamo's head.

She looked so young, yet radiated an aura of pure motherly warmth—enough to make Mordred beside her dazed.

But—

The moment Tamamo saw that slender hand reaching for her, an indescribable fear gripped her.

This woman's slim frame felt like the endless ocean—like the entire world pressing down on her.

Unbeatable.

Unblockable.

Inescapable.

No matter how she resisted, she felt she'd be crushed like a bug in that delicate-looking hand.

In that instant—

All of her tails, normally hidden, flared out in full view.

She even instinctively took a step back and let out a humiliating little yelp—

"Me…ow!"

Her huge, fluffy tails instantly drew the attention of everyone nearby.

No one expected the famous nine-tailed fox to be out casually shopping like this.

Mordred looked equally stunned.

"Huh? What's wrong with you?"

The proud fox spirit was actually fluffing up like a scared cat—as if facing certain death.

But no matter how she looked at it, the two people before them seemed like ordinary humans.

Was this just for show?

The young man asked curiously:

"Why did your fox tails suddenly come out?"

"I… I…"

Tamamo was on the verge of tears.

She'd been extra cautious, even bringing Mordred along as a shield—

But why did she have to run into the final boss the moment she stepped outside?!

With Tiamat's status, no Heroic Spirit was worth her notice—

Except for the one who'd cleared her in that singularity.

Which meant… the guy beside her had to be Nameless!

So, this was them deliberately bringing Tiamat here to mess with her!

She was doomed!

Tamamo quickly cast an illusion, hiding them from the stares of the surrounding crowd.

The onlookers blinked in confusion, then turned away, going about their business.

Then—

Faced with this terrifying Human Evil, Tamamo gave up resisting entirely.

She watched helplessly as that slender hand descended toward her head.

Crack!

Her skull was about to pop like a ripe melon—

Except… it didn't.

The woman's hand simply brushed gently over her head and came to rest on Mordred's instead.

Mordred, for some reason, felt a little nervous.

"Uh… what is it?"

Something about this gentle woman almost made her blurt out "Mom."

This motherly aura was too strong.

Compared to her Father who didn't have a single ounce of "mom" in her!

Weird… so weird!

She couldn't help but look again—

Weirder still!

Just as she was about to actually say "Mom," the woman withdrew her hand and walked calmly past them.

The man beside her smiled as well.

"Enjoy yourselves."

"Huh? That's it?"

Mordred sounded reluctant.

She couldn't shake the feeling she'd just missed something important.

She turned to the fox next to her, who was still standing frozen like she was playing a game of red-light-green-light.

"Hey… what's with you?"

No matter how much maternal aura that woman had, it couldn't possibly outdo this fox's natural charm, right?

"I… I'm fine…"

Tamamo-no-Mae finally snapped out of it.

The rebellious knight had no idea—just seconds ago, Tamamo had been doing a frantic back-and-forth dance right at Death's door!

She'd nearly gone to meet the King of the Underworld.

No—if that woman had decided to kill her, she wouldn't even make it to the afterlife; her soul would've been obliterated.

Buzz~

Just then, Tamamo suddenly felt a twitch at her rear. Her aura began skyrocketing.

The five tails behind her had become six!

Her power instantly multiplied ninefold, placing her firmly among the absolute top-tier Heroic Spirits—on par with the likes of Gilgamesh and Artoria, perhaps even surpassing them!

"Damn it, six tails isn't enough. I need to turtle my way to seven… no, eight!"

Tamamo took a deep breath.

Even if that Beast of Humanity was currently restricted, she could still mop the floor with Tamamo at six tails.

But now that she'd reached this stage, Tamamo could clearly sense that her remaining three tails would naturally condense in due time.

All she had to do was survive—and she'd just keep growing stronger.

Eight tails would be her limit in the human world.

At nine, she would ascend completely, becoming a being of equal rank, inheriting the full authority of the Sun God.

With the sun's power at her command, a single tail strike could sink the entirety of Japan.

When that day came, she would truly be invincible!

Tamamo silently swore to herself:

"Just you wait—when I've gathered all nine tails, I'll steal Nameless right in front of your face!"

Meanwhile—

Sanjiro strolled past without a care, already grinning inside.

Perfect. He'd managed to rattle the fox spirit good—enough to keep her behaving for a while.

Scaring a fox spirit by using another as cover… that had to be a first.

Yes, he'd deliberately brought Tiamat to stroll past that fox, and it had almost scared her into wetting herself.

Truly—one beast to tame another.

After all, this was the same fox who'd once tried to snatch him away as her "village bridegroom." Yet in front of Tiamat, she'd been completely cowed.

Still, judging by the time, Tiamat would probably be leaving soon.

That thought let Sanjiro finally relax.

In the span of barely an hour, he'd…

First—paid a heavy price to defeat the War God.

Then—faced the joint descent of the Council of Gods' projections.

All that in under sixty minutes.

Good thing he was used to overtime—anyone else would've keeled over by now.

Thankfully, the mission was finally complete. No more fighting today.

Once he saw Tiamat off, he was going straight back to get some proper sleep.

Tiamat glanced around.

"I should go."

"Eh? You don't want to look around a bit more?" Sanjiro replied without thinking.

The walk they'd taken had only been, what, a few dozen minutes? Nothing at all for his stamina.

"Humanity has already parted ways with the gods. My very existence is a disaster for mankind."

Tiamat shook her head.

This time, she'd only been able to descend quietly because Alaya had given her special leeway and covered her movements.

"In the future, perhaps I will fight at your side."

Sanjiro chose his words carefully as they parted.

After all, Alaya had said that "the brat" would one day be unsealed—and that he would gain even stronger allies.

Only beings like Tiamat, a Beast, or a Grand-class like King Hassan could qualify as teammates at that level.

If it ever came down to war, whether the Earth would survive was another question entirely.

He just hoped that brat might show some mercy, considering how many years he'd looked after them—

Sanjiro turned his head and froze.

Standing not far away, staring right at them… was the brat.

The hell?! How did you get here?!