[133] Tamamo-no-Mae, I Want to Use You as a Fox-Fur Scarf to Gift Master for New Year's! [2]

Since he hadn't come knocking directly, there was still a chance.

If he were found, this so-called peaceful life would be over.

Stay calm!

This round can still—

Forget it, this time I absolutely can't plant any flags!

Countless figures were rapidly approaching, and Nameless's body silently vanished into thin air.

This was a divine-class Noble Phantasm—

[Hades' Cap of Invisibility]

Once activated, it was the genuine "invisible man" effect—standing right in front of someone without being detected!

"Did he disappear?"

Illya stared blankly at the empty space.

That person had appeared abruptly and vanished just as suddenly.

Could he truly have come from the future to save her?

Illya watched the numerous belated police officers arriving, along with the craters of varying sizes nearby.

Why was she encountering such danger in peaceful Fuyuki City?

"Berserker, I wish you could be by my side..."

Illya sighed softly.

Even if Nameless was Shirou, he had likely lost all his power and memories, becoming an ordinary person.

To protect them both, she still needed the strength of a great hero.

Hum~

A strange ripple gently pulsed, making Illya's eyes suddenly brighten.

Berserker had actually responded!

Following the mysterious connection, she faintly glimpsed an all-too-familiar figure.

No—unlike the maddened form from the previous Unlimited Blade Works timeline, this was a complete Heracles!

A demigod hero in ultimate form, retaining full power without losing his mind to madness!

Most crucially, Illya clearly sensed that she only needed to expend half her magical energy to summon him to reality.

The vast majority of the cost would be borne by him!

He smiled warmly at her, as if saying: "Don't worry, I'll protect you and the one you love."

The towering, muscular man radiated the gentle warmth of a kind father.

"Fierce as a tiger, yet tender as a rose!"

"Mmm!"

Illya felt a sense of security only a father could provide.

Speaking of which—why would any father willingly give his daughter to another man?

A bold speculation popped into her little head—

Had Berserker fought alongside Nameless?

Meanwhile,

After parting with Illya, Souma returned home.

The moment he entered, Fou came scampering over, climbing up his leg.

Pat-pat~

Roya shuffled over in slippers, eyeing him suspiciously: "You wouldn't let me go out—what were you doing tonight? Out saving some poor damsel in distress?"

"Don't be ridiculous. I was being a hero!" Souma casually cradled Fou, lounging on the sofa.

"Pfft. If you're a hero, I could destroy the world!" Roya didn't believe a word of it.

"Don't you dare! I'd take you out before you got the chance!" Souma retorted irritably.

If not for babysitting this apocalyptic brat, would he need to be so cautious?

What a pain!

Worse, even Alaya couldn't erase her existence.

After the final battle, she had transcended the Evils of Humanity, nearly reaching Alaya's level!

If she fully regained her memories, humanity would be doomed!

Was Alaya's endless exposure campaign just a scheme to force him back into battle?

Give it up!

Souma silently raised a middle finger.

Work? Not happening. They could forget about him ever returning to the battlefield!

Roya asked curiously, "Earlier, there seemed to be an explosion or something outside. What exactly happened?"

"Probably a gas leak explosion. It is quite cold these days, after all." Souma blatantly lied with his eyes wide open.

"Oh, a gas leak? That makes sense."

Roya didn't dwell on it and instead stared at him. "New Year's is coming up—what gift are you planning to give me?"

"How about a fox fur scarf? What are you going to give me in return?" Souma replied casually, thinking back to the earlier battle.

That fox spirit was as shameless as Merlin.

Had the two non-humans teamed up?

From what Nameless knew of Merlin, that sleazy incubus would stop at nothing to get revenge after the humiliation of being force-fed the Nyannīzumi spring.

Tamamo-no-Mae's sudden attack was likely orchestrated by her.

Otherwise, how could Tamamo-no-Mae have known he would show up?

"A fox fur scarf…? Well, it is winter, so it would be warmer."

Roya nodded, then grinned mischievously. "How about I give you… myself?"

"You're actually quite well-off for your age—owning an entire airport already."

Souma looked at her with exaggerated pity, deliberately letting his gaze sweep over her chest.

"You jerk!"

Roya immediately lunged at him, trying to bite him.

Hitting below the belt was one thing, but mocking her lack of growth was another.

Her unchanging figure over the past two years had become her greatest sore spot.

Especially when she saw the overwhelming "assets" of King Arthur, Tamamo-no-Mae, and other Heroic Spirits—it made her burn with envy.

Just then.

The little kitten abruptly jumped in front of her, fur bristling as it glared—

"Fou… Fou! (Don't you dare hurt him!)"

???

Roya felt a sharp pain in her chest.

Even the kitten was taking his side!

Why was a beautiful girl like her suffering like this? Was she actually the Beast of Humanity?

"Alright, alright, time for bed."

Souma calmly ended the battle between the two Beasts of Humanity.

What seemed like a cute, harmless squabble could genuinely end the world.

Damn you, Alaya!

...

Fuyuki Magecraft Academy, the Dean's Office.

The two non-humans Nameless had suspected were indeed together!

Merlin cautiously asked, "Are you… okay?"

The other had suffered a brutal beating earlier—completely outmatched by Nameless.

Far worse than her own experience.

Back then, she had merely been bound by Alaya's contract, unable to resist as Nameless forced the Nyannīzumi spring down her throat.

The process hadn't been painful—in fact, it had been slightly… pleasant.

In comparison, Tamamo-no-Mae had been utterly thrashed.

"I'm fine!"

Tamamo-no-Mae's face was still flushed, her ample chest heaving slightly as she glared out the window, teeth clenched.

That damned Nameless had humiliated her yet again.

The only consolation was that this time, it hadn't been broadcast to the entire world.

Well, except for one witness.

Her gaze shifted to the half-incubus beside her.

Should she silence her?

"We're allies!"

Merlin quickly raised her hands in surrender.

This fox was clearly looking for someone to vent on!

Fortunately, Tamamo-no-Mae still had some sense left.

She sighed softly. "I underestimated Nameless. I'll need to grow my sixth tail before I can guarantee victory!"

During their battle (or rather, her beating), she had unexpectedly grown her fourth tail, drastically increasing her power.

Just as she was about to flip him over and pin him down, she was sent flying with a single punch, completely losing sight of him.

Could it be that she needed to be bullied by Nameless to condense her tail?

Tamamo-no-Mae felt like she was becoming strange—an inexplicable sense of excitement was spreading through her.

No, no!

She was the queen of sadists—how could she possibly be a masochist?

"Indeed, when you condense your sixth tail… Sorry, I have urgent matters to attend to!"

Merlin's figure flickered and vanished in an instant.

He disappeared without a trace, slipping away through the dream link.

"Uh… Why run so fast?"

Tamamo-no-Mae was utterly baffled.

One moment they were chatting, and the next, he bolted as if fleeing from some formidable enemy.

An enemy???

She turned around in a daze and instantly laid eyes on a figure she absolutely did not want to see.

It was none other than the supreme ruler of the nation, Qin Shi Huang.

His eyes burned with flames as he coldly stared at her: "Tamamo-no-Mae, I intend to turn you into a fox-fur scarf and gift it to my teacher as a New Year's present!"

***

Hey readers!

Want to read ahead? 📖 Join my Patreon for early access to 30+ advance chapters! Your support helps me write more and bring the story to you faster.

🔹patreon.com/aarvan🔹