The contract had fully taken effect.
Witnessed by Alaya, an entity that surpasses all Heroic Spirits and embodies unfathomable mystery, Merlin had lost all ability to resist.
"Stay away from me, don't touch me!"
Merlin looked at the other person in panic.
The dignified candidate for the Grand Caster seat standing above countless magi, was actually forced into such a state by someone else!
His mind screamed in resistance.
He even tried to breathe through his gills and encase his body with mana to resist the gender transformation potion being forced into him.
But it was all in vain.
His entire body was bound, and he couldn't even muster a single wisp of mana.
The overwhelmingly mysterious and transcendent Alaya had unhesitatingly activated the power of the contract, cutting off all resistance.
"Damn it all, go ahead and spoil him all you like!"
At that moment, Merlin felt an unbearable, suffocating despair.
It made one question whether the supposedly impartial judge responsible for the contract had also become biased toward the other side.
With Alaya acting as judge, and King of Heroes as the witness, both of whom clearly stood with this bastard—how was he supposed to fight that?
A mysterious force enveloped the entire subspace.
Gilgamesh's crimson eyes sparkled with interest.
"How amusing, truly amusing."
This force was unmistakably from Alaya.
As a collective consciousness of humanity itself, Alaya existed solely to ensure the survival and continuity of mankind.
It selected Guardians from humanity, elevating them into Heroic Spirits to safeguard the timeline of human history.
Even ordinary Heroic Spirits were somewhat linked to Alaya—after all, they all originated from myths or historical records.
As for the Nameless Heroic Spirit—Sanjiro—he was one of Alaya's most effective tools—
No, the strongest Counter Guardian!
Having walked through all of human history, completing countless salvation missions, he was Alaya's most cherished favorite.
In contrast, a mere troublemaking Nightmare, who held the position of Grand Caster candidate but never actually protected humanity—
No, not only did he do nothing good, but he constantly stirred up trouble and acted like a total menace.
Then again, this guy wasn't even human to begin with.
So it was obvious who Alaya would side with.
The power still lingered in the space.
Gilgamesh's interest only grew: "Could it be, Alaya… that you too were waiting to see this?"
This unfathomable collective consciousness of mankind… suddenly felt kind of like a kindred spirit?
Under the joint watch of both him and Alaya—
Sanjiro's gentle smile grew even more dazzling.
"Merlin, since you fooled so many people online, let me act on behalf of justice and turn you into the real 'Merry'!"
Yes, this guy online was none other than [Magical☆Merry]—a white-haired con artist masquerading as a cute girl, while actually being the infamous Flower Magus.
The best part?
After the world reset, Dr. Romani once again encountered Merry… and became her biggest fan!
Poor doctor, manipulated once more by the filthy Nightmare.
He emptied his wallet just to shower her with gifts and donations, becoming her number one supporter.
If he ever found out that "Merry" was actually Merlin, his psyche would explode and he'd probably grab a train and flee on the spot!
But that's fine.
Back during the final battle, Sanjiro had promised that if they met again, he'd treat the doctor to some strawberry cake.
Now, it was time to fulfill that promise.
"I'm not a devil, y'know. Merlin—hurry up and transform, dammit!"
Sanjiro forcibly poured the genderbending potion down Merlin's throat.
He had originally intended to spare him… but Merlin just had to stir up trouble. So now? No mercy.
Let's give the doctor some proper strawberry cake from a transformed Merry!
"No… mmph… gurgle gurgle…"
Merlin struggled desperately to resist, but he was completely immobilized.
All he could do was helplessly feel the strange liquid slide down his throat and into his body.
Hummmm~
Then, a burst of mysterious and overwhelming mana erupted within, spreading wildly through his body.
Under this torrent of magical power, he felt like his whole body was catching fire.
"Too much… I can't handle it… stop…!"
Merlin wanted to vomit the horrible potion back up, but he couldn't.
He could only swallow it, and let the mysterious mana explode within him.
Hummmm~
The magic began to take full effect.
Sanjiro quickly retreated, hiding behind Gilgamesh—just one step behind.
That stuff was dangerously transformative, and if it affected him too… that'd be a problem.
"What are you afraid of?" Gilgamesh gave him a sideways glance.
This fearless bastard who once took on Ea head-on, was now hiding behind him?
Could this guy be planning to transform him too!?
"It's nothing, just enjoying the show," Sanjiro said with a straight face, watching intently as the magic surged around the flower magus.
Amidst the strange magical energy—
The tall, handsome Flower Magus who had once stood at 180 cm began to undergo a complete transformation.
In the blink of an eye, his body shrank to a petite 150 cm.
"Terrifying…"
Sanjiro's eyes widened, bearing witness to an unbelievable miracle.
The full effect of the potion exploded within him, completely reconstructing Merlin's entire body.
When it was all over—
Standing there was a girl about 150 cm tall, with long silver hair.
Her beautiful, delicate face slowly opened her crimson eyes, looking dazedly at the sky.
Due to her earlier struggle and the intense transformation process, drops of crystalline sweat beaded on her skin, her snowy-white hair sticking to her body.
Her chest had modest curves, and her waist was cinched like an hourglass.
Her once-fitted qipao now hung loosely, barely clinging to her petite frame.
As she sat up from the ground, her snow-white shoulder was exposed.
A strange floral fragrance spread from her body, like that of a mesmerizing fairy.
"Huh… Isn't that Magical☆Merry?" Gilgamesh's astonishment deepened.
The potion's only function was to transform a man into a woman via magic; it didn't specify appearance.
And yet now, Merlin had become identical to the virtual streamer "Magical☆Merry."
Gilgamesh tilted his head upward, a smirk forming at the corner of his lips.
Alaya… was this your doing too?
As he thought—this being was like him… both living only for peak entertainment!
Merlin slowly opened her eyes, filled with confusion. "What… is this…"
She felt her entire body drained of energy, like she had just run a marathon—completely exhausted.
Even the narration changed from man to a woman!
"You're awake! The surgery was a great success — you're now a cute little girl!"
Sanjiro stepped forward, smiling as he offered the most sincere, radiant, and joyful congratulations.
Gotta admit, now that this guy turned into Merry, she's actually pretty good-looking. No wonder that doctor was so obsessed.
But still… way too shameless!
…???
Merlin froze for a second, then suddenly realized what had happened.
The flower magus, once chased by countless ladies, had actually become the virtual idol Merry!
The magical power that had once been sealed by Alaya had finally returned to normal.
Merry wasted no time and tried using magic to turn back.
But — it was completely useless!
No matter how hard he—
No, now it should be —
She!
No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't change her body back.
"Ahhh, Alaya, I hate you!"
Merry looked utterly devastated.
With this look, how was she supposed to flirt with all those ladies and young mistresses anymore?
"Don't be so sad. You're a girl now. If you're too serious, it'll make people feel bad for you," Sanjiro grinned even more happily.
It was arguably the happiest day he'd had since Alaya started wildly exposing him.
Today's a good day — everything's going my way!
"Not only did you destroy me, but you're also breaking my spirit... You—you're a terrifying devil!"
Merry trembled as she pointed a shaky finger at him.
In all those expose videos, this guy had silently protected humanity throughout human history.
And now he was doing this to her… Was there no justice left in the world?!
Gilgamesh suddenly waved the camera in his hand and smiled even more gleefully.
"Don't worry. This king was kind enough to record it all for you. No need to thank me."
"..."
Merry was trembling all over.
At that moment, she finally understood — these two absolute jerks had clearly planned to mess with her from the start!
She quickly wrapped her body, shouting, "Don't look! Don't look! If you keep looking, I'll—"
Buzz~
Countless flowers suddenly burst forth, turning the area into a fantastical garden.
By the time the petals gently settled, her figure had already vanished.
The flower magus… had fled.
Sanjiro didn't care in the slightest.
She was a Grand Caster candidate, after all. If truly forced into a corner, even in her current state, she would be a huge pain to suppress.
He glanced suspiciously at the golden flashy guy beside him. "By the way, you did shut off the livestream earlier, right?"
"Of course. This king would never casually expose your presence," Gilgamesh replied nonchalantly.
He had turned it off… but not entirely.
The video had indeed cut, but the audio—specifically Merlin's anguished screams—had been "accidentally" broadcast.
In the now-black stream, countless viewers who hadn't left suddenly heard screams of agony—
Blorbo-[Wait, what was that? The Flower Magus was dancing just now, then suddenly collapsed?]
SinMommy-[Uhh… kinda sounded like someone was being tortured?]
GigglesThenShit-[That scream at the end felt like someone had their little Pedro chopped off. What the hell happened?]
AlmightyMiddleFinger-[Hey, am I dreaming or did I just hear a cute loli voice?!]
AspiringPedo-[You're not dreaming guy from above! Let's just say my little 'Pedro' had awoken!]
InterdimensionalFBI-[MASS REPORT @AspiringPedo!!! This world must be rid of degenerates like him!!]
AspiringPedo-[Wait guys, N—]
—[AspiringPedo has been banned.]—
…
Chaldea.
Mash, watching the doctor obsessed with the magical girl idol, couldn't help but advise,
"Doctor, you know that online idols aren't real people—they're characters controlled by someone. What if it's actually a guy behind that voice?"
"Impossible! Merry is just Merry — the perfect idol!"
Dr. Romani didn't even hesitate in his reply.
But in the back of his mind, he vaguely remembered making some sort of promise about Merry… with someone.
What was that promise?
Could he also be connected to Nameless?
Romani fell into deep thought.
He felt like he had lost so many memories.
He couldn't even recall his childhood.
But he always had a strong sense that the world was facing an apocalyptic crisis, driving him to study and work harder than anyone.
He pushed himself every single day.
But he was just an ordinary human — someone who couldn't use any magic at all.
To make up for that, Roman used every ounce of his time and energy to handle a massive workload, hoping to make his own contributions to the world.
He even resorted to using stimulants to stay alert and hide his extreme exhaustion.
And watching Magical☆Merry's livestreams… was his only form of rest.
Just seeing her made him feel like he was dreaming — completely relaxed.
She was his angel of solace.
"Mash dear, don't bother trying to stop him. If Magical Merry turns out to be that shameless flower magus, let him have a total mental breakdown," Da Vinci sighed softly. "Honestly, from the way Merlin screamed, it sounded like his little Juan got chopped off!"
"…How do you know that sound so well?"
Dr. Romani eyed her suspiciously.
"Want me to show you?"
Da Vinci suddenly pulled out an entire set of surgical tools, smiling sweetly. "I'm the so-called universal genius, remember? Performing a little operation is nothing to me."
"N-No thanks! I've got work to do!"
Dr. Romani bolted in panic.
Too scary!
After he left—
Da Vinci stared at the black screen, lost in thought. "So… Nameless and the King of Heroes forced Merlin to dance? Then something else happened…"
Considering the bond between the King of Heroes and Nameless, they'd definitely be willing to gang up on Merlin for messing with Nameless.
After that [Unlimited Blade Works] video, there was even a side story called [Chaldea] that said Nameless eventually joined Chaldea… What exactly was he planning?
So much remained shrouded in mystery.
But no worries — that gossip-loving Alaya would surely reveal everything in due time!
The next morning.
Kirina groggily opened her eyes.
Huh? An unfamiliar ceiling?
Her little brain lagged for a moment, then she suddenly sat up, scanning the room warily.
What happened last night?
She vaguely remembered someone telling her that Sanjiro and Mr. Gold wanted to give her a gift?
Damn it, why couldn't she remember anything?!
Just then—
Sanjiro walked over in loose pajamas, smiling. "You're up? The surgery—nah, forget it. You were always a girl."
"Eh? What surgery?"
Kirina froze, her cheeks instantly blushing as she glared furiously at him.
"Don't tell me the little gift you mentioned last night… was about making a life?! You perv! Loli freak! I'm calling the cops!"
She had specifically planned to wait a few more years — at least until she was an adult.
And he couldn't even hold back?!
And the worst part—
She didn't feel anything at all!
Not one bit of enjoyment!!!
"Huh? What nonsense are you spouting???"
Sanjiro's mouth twitched.
What the heck was going on inside this brat's head every day?!
Did she really think that just holding hands and lying down together could get someone pregnant and have a baby overnight?!
He had simply used her body for a bit to extract the magic power he'd previously injected, all in order to deal with that shameless nightmare.
Sanjiro threw her a phone box, annoyed. "You fell asleep here last night. The gift was just the latest model of a Chrysanthemum-brand phone. You want it or not?"
"One night… one phone…"
Kirina's golden twin ponytails swayed behind her as she gnawed on her little fangs.
This scene felt weirdly familiar — like something she'd seen on the news.
Still, no way this nerd had the guts to actually do anything to her.
She snorted, then happily opened the phone box. Finally — she could replace that junky old phone.
After changing clothes and getting ready to head out—
Sanjiro handed her Hades' Cap of Invisibility. "Here. Put on this beautiful hat full of nature's colors."
"Tch!"
Kirina clicked her tongue, then raised her white-stockinged foot and kicked at him.
Unfortunately, he dodged it smoothly, clearly very used to her antics.
The two of them left the hotel room together.
As they passed by, the cleaning staff gave Sanjiro odd looks.
It made him feel just a little awkward.
Yeah… the age gap between him and the brat was way too small. No one was going to believe there was nothing going on.
Still, that wasn't the main concern.
Artoria, Gilgamesh, and Jeanne — three top-tier Heroic Spirits — would remain for a couple more days.
As the representative of normal human students, his job wasn't done yet.
On the way out—
Julian approached casually and whispered, "I heard the First Emperor is going to show up. Do you know when?"
"The First Emperor, huh? I'm actually a bit looking forward to it."
Sanjiro replied casually.
But deep down, he felt a faint trace of unease.
As Alaya revealed more and more, trying to perfectly conceal his identity was becoming increasingly difficult.
The man named Sanjiro just want to live a peaceful life!
Damn it all!
"With the three top-tier Heroic Spirits gathered in Fuyuki City, it's only natural for the First Emperor to come as well." Julian adjusted his black-framed glasses and glanced at him from the corner of his eye.
In the video "Vow Beneath the Snow", on another timeline, he and the Steel-Willed Savior had become close friends.
And now, he had become friends with this guy as well.
Isn't this what you'd call destiny?
"True, after all, he's the host." Sanjiro nodded.
Memories from the past began to resurface in his mind.
Before he knew it, that boy who had once been left as a hostage in an enemy nation had now become a top-tier Heroic Spirit.
Fortunately, the other party had probably forgotten him completely by now.
All he could hope for was that damn Alaya wouldn't expose everything!
As he was lost in thought, Julian suddenly asked, "Aren't you at all curious why I was like that in another timeline?"
"Even if I am curious, what's the point? I'm just a guy without any magic. I wouldn't be of any help."
Sanjiro shrugged with a carefree expression. "As the saying goes, 'The more you know, the sooner you die!'"
"Hah, that's just like you."
Julian shook his head.
His earlier vague suspicions had now been completely shaken off.
This guy he knew was just a hopeless slacker lying flat in life, with no ambition whatsoever.
Completely different from the Steel-Willed Savior from another timeline, who aspired to be a hero of justice!
The two parted ways after that.
As Sanjiro walked toward the designated meeting spot set by the academy, he suddenly felt his phone vibrate slightly.
Ding-dong~
He took it out and looked at the screen, only to sigh in exasperation—just as expected, Alaya had updated another video.
Luckily, this time it was just a side story, not the kind of reveal he dreaded.
The title was incredibly straightforward—
[Special Side Story — "How Many Peepers Were Charmed by Emiya's High Jump?"]
[This side story was carefully curated by yours truly, featuring those who secretly watched Emiya's high jumps and ended up completely enchanted.]