The grudge between the two dated back to the end of the Age of Gods in Britain.
Sanjiro originally thought the other was just a simple joy-seeker.
Back when he traveled the world with Artoria, Merlin was constantly stirring up trouble, turning everything into a spectacle.
To him, all people were merely clowns performing for his amusement.
As a nightmare, Merlin couldn't dream himself, so he manipulated and influenced others' dreams to feed off them.
Yes—human dreams were more delicious the more interesting they were.
That guy wreaked havoc all over Britain just for fun.
In the end, he pissed off the fairies so badly he was nearly captured and turned into a fluffball for re-education!
Since then, he hid in the Tower at the End and never came out.
Sanjiro had thought Merlin was simply hiding from the fairies.
But it wasn't until Alaya released the Perfect King side story The Flower Magus that he finally understood—this guy was, at his core, a true "joy-seeker".
A joy-seeker—someone who only seeks fun, completely indifferent to life or death.
Ordinary people could only spectate as bystanders.
But for a Grand Caster candidate like him, the kind of "fun" Merlin sought was to have Heroic Spirits perform on stage for him.
So—
After the Oldest King video was exposed, this bastard specifically contacted the King of Heroes, hoping to use his power to mess with Sanjiro.
One wasn't enough. Merlin brought Artoria, Mordred, and even Jeanne.
Three women on one stage.
Now, besides those three women, there was also the King of Heroes.
A full four Heroic Spirits had been gathered in Fuyuki under his instigation.
Sanjiro felt like he was in a game of Werewolf—if his true identity was discovered, he'd be instantly killed.
At that point, all his battles across human history, all the peace he brought to mankind just to have Alaya dissolve his contract so he could enjoy retirement peacefully, would be completely shattered.
Just thinking about it brought tears to his eyes.
He finally got some rest—and now he was being hunted down by a bunch of Heroic Spirits.
Give the man a break!
Under his gaze—
Merlin stared at the shimmering genderbending Spring water, a tinge of unease in his eyes.
"With your broken Saint Graph, do you really think you can fight me?"
Sanjiro's body, patched together forcefully, had almost no remaining power.
Even after watching the Vow Beneath the Snow video, nothing changed.
He had been strong.
So strong that even Merlin couldn't contend with him.
But that was before!
Who knew what terrifying battle Nameless had gone through, for his once godlike, invincible body to be shattered like this?
"You plan to use the move from Vow Beneath the Snow to summon your versions from across timelines? Are you trying to die?" Merlin looked at him in shock.
That was a sure-death move.
It required sacrificing oneself to activate.
Wound the enemy by a thousand, injure yourself by a thousand—it was truly a mutually assured destruction move.
"No, you're not even worth me using that," Sanjiro looked at him with disdain.
Mutually assured destruction?
This insignificant Merlin wanted to die with him?
That's like destroying your million dollar mansion in exchange for an apartment!
"Oh? You're confident, I see."
Merlin stared at him with growing caution.
But no matter how he looked, Sanjiro didn't seem to have regained any power.
What was this guy so confident about?
Buzz~
Countless pink petals floated in the air, making the place dreamlike.
The Flower Magus fully unleashed his power, smiling gleefully. "Then come at me, Nameless. I'm waiting!"
Just then—
Gilgamesh suddenly stood between them. "Hold it!"
"What, King of Heroes, are you trying to interfere in our battle? Did you forget the contract witnessed by Alaya?" Merlin frowned.
Previously, to prevent his interference, they had signed a contract with Alaya as witness.
That being had the strongest binding force on human Heroic Spirits—once signed, the contract couldn't be broken.
"Heh. Merlin, have you forgotten our bet?" Gilgamesh's crimson eyes stared coldly at him. "Let this king remind you—"
"Ugh…"
Merlin froze.
He had planned to bluff his way out but realized there was no way to change the topic.
This King of Heroes… just wanted to protect his own blackmail material!
"If Nameless defeats the Holy Grail War in one night without borrowing power from other Heroic Spirits, I win!"
Gilgamesh's tone turned even colder. "If I win, you have to wear a qipao and livestream yourself dancing Gokuraku Jodo—that's your own bet. What, planning to back out?"
Buzz buzz buzz~
A blood-red glow burst forth in his hand.
The entire subspace shook violently, as if it was about to be torn apart.
It was the Noble Phantasm capable of "cutting the world"—Ea, the Sword of Rupture!
He looked like he would swing it down if Merlin dared refuse.
"King of Heroes, let's talk this out!"
Even as a nightmare, Merlin felt a soul-ripping threat from this world-splitting weapon.
That thing—unless you had the strongest defensive Noble Phantasm Avalon, there was no resisting it.
Oh no, wait—there was that freakish Shirou, who chose to attack during Ea's strike, defeating its wielder with one slash!
Oh yeah, he also hand-crafted Divine Constructs!
Though only the outer shell, once infinitely enhanced, they could even break through actual Divine Constructs.
But that didn't matter.
Activating at full power required self-sacrifice.
And with Nameless's pride, there was no way he'd stoop to that.
Merlin didn't fear a half-broken Nameless—only Gilgamesh.
Because that bastard would charge into the Tower at the End of the World and cut down his entire base in one swing!
Gilgamesh gave him no chance to argue. Holding Ea, he coldly said, "This king will count to three. One—"
"W-Wait! Give me time to prepare!"
Merlin panicked.
Buzz buzz buzz~
Ea spun faster and faster, as if ready to release all its might.
Under such a terrifying threat—
Merlin immediately caved. "A bet is a bet!"
"Then begin," Gilgamesh still pointed Ea at him.
"Wait, not until after my fight with the Nameless?"
Merlin tried to negotiate.
Too bad he soon realized negotiating with this tyrannical King of Heroes was asking for misery.
Buzz~
Blood-red light spread from Ea, and Merlin instantly felt a lethal threat.
Without hesitation, he gave in. "I'll dance now!"
Damn you, King of Heroes! You just wait—one day I'll expose all your blackmail material!
He had once considered Gilgamesh a fellow joy-seeker, but who knew he'd be betrayed time and again!
"Then, please begin your performance."
Gilgamesh still didn't put Ea away.
Seeing Merlin's utterly defeated expression made him feel very satisfied.
Ah, that face full of restrained fury—wanting to hit him but completely unable to—that's the good stuff!
Come hit me if you can!
"These two guys…"
Sanjiro's mouth twitched uncontrollably.
They were both joy-seekers—always digging up people's dark secrets for laughs.
Good thing he and Golden Boy had become close friends in The Oldest King, or he'd definitely be next.
Wait… could it be Gilgamesh was forcing Merlin into public execution just to shatter his composure and give Sanjiro a better shot at winning?
After all, in battle, morale was everything.
Strike while the iron's hot, lose momentum after the second, and exhaust it after the third.
Merlin's morale had been crushed by Gilgamesh, while Sanjiro was riding high.
He's weak, I'm strong—thus I win!
…Could it be, Gilgamesh was actually this thoughtful?
If only you'd looked like Angelica instead…
The stage was quickly assembled.
With the Gate of Babylon, said to house every treasure of mankind, that was no big deal.
It didn't just store ancient relics—even modern weapons like missiles and nukes were in there.
Of course, full streaming equipment like speakers and cameras were trivial to summon too.
Under the wary gazes of the two spectators—
Merlin changed into a qipao and high heels, standing lifelessly in front of the camera.
Damn you, Nameless—stop watching!!
Back then, he had been the one treating Nameless like a clown on stage, tormenting him for fun…
Never in a million years did he expect the tables to turn—now he was the one being forced to perform in front of the person who used to be the laughingstock!
Just wait for the fight later—I will make you kneel and sing "Let it Go"!
Gritting his teeth in fury, Merlin had no choice but to start dancing in rhythm under the threat of Ea.
Well… it's just dancing, after all.
Back when he was playing the role of "Magical☆Merry," he always wore motion capture gear to perform cute little idol dances as a lovely little girl on stage.
He even used voice-changing magic to match a sweet, loli-style voice.
"Hey big bro, wanna game together? I've got a loli voice~"
With a deep breath and clenched teeth, he shut his eyes and resolved—fine! I'll just pretend I'm playing Merry again!
After mentally preparing himself, Merlin instantly slipped into character.
The tall, dashing Flower Magus, standing a full 180cm tall, was now wearing a qipao and high heels, dancing to the beat right in front of the camera.
"Gokuraku Jodo" (Elysium).
Sanjiro could barely bear to look.
The qipao had been provided by Golden Boy himself, and every slightly exaggerated move would flash a glimpse of Merlin's thigh.
If it were a cute girl, sure, it'd be one thing.
But you're a 180cm man, damn it!
This song and dance combo once dominated Bilibili, endlessly looped by countless fans.
Its addictive power was off the charts!
Later, when crossdressing dares became a trend among content creators, this dance became the standard go-to for male-to-female transformations.
Who would've thought? The esteemed Flower Magus… had now become one of those crossdressing dancers?!
Is this the distortion of human nature or the fall of morality?
…Nice job, Goldy!
Sanjiro gave him a silent thumbs-up. Beautifully executed!
This is how you torment someone, body and soul.
Once Merlin fully transforms into Merry, the dance won't have nearly the same psychological impact!
And then—
Just as Merlin entered full character mode, dancing with rising passion toward a spectacular climax…
The King of Heroes delighted laughter rang out, louder than ever:
"Merlin, for your magnificent performance, this king spent a hundred million on global promotion!"
"You spent a hundred million… to promote this dance all over the world?????"
Merlin looked at him with utter disbelief.
It was already humiliating enough to dance in front of just Gilgamesh and Sanjiro.
Now you're telling me you actually spent a hundred million to globally live-stream this?!
"King of Heroes, you're ruthless!"
Merlin almost coughed up blood, stumbling and tripping over his qipao in disbelief.
He never imagined the King of Heroes would go this far.
Killing someone is one thing—but attacking the soul?!
"Impressive!"
Sanjiro instantly gave a thumbs-up, staring in awe. Then gritted his teeth: "You damn spendthrift! That was a hundred million! Why didn't you just give it to me instead, damn it!"
A hundred million! That money could've lasted him years!
"HAHAHA! This king lacks nothing! If you want money, then get on your knees and beg!"
Gilgamesh laughed even louder, thoroughly enjoying himself.
Sure, smashing people with Ea is fun.
But after entering the 21st century, he discovered an even more exhilarating method of domination—
Smashing people with money!
As the richest King of Heroes in all existence, his money powers—his "cashbending"—had become even more awe-inspiring than superpowers to the modern masses!
Why?
Because 99% of people are just normal folk—they don't really understand how powerful heroic spirits are.
In their eyes, all heroic spirits are monsters anyway, beyond human comprehension.
But they do understand one thing very clearly: money is powerful.
One bet, two kinds of pleasure.
As Gilgamesh looked at the devastated Flower Magus and the heartbroken Sanjiro, his smile grew even brighter.
He even massaged his temple with one hand—
"This king is riding so high right now!"
…
With the simultaneous power of "cash" and "supernatural skill," what would've normally taken months of promotion was instantly catapulted to the top of every major platform.
Each listing featured an eye-catching headline:
[The Flower Magus Dancing to Gokuraku Jodo]
Under that banner, a tidal wave of curious viewers swarmed the stream—
AlmightyMiddleFinger-[Holy crap! The Flower Magus is really that infamous troll Merlin! He can actually dance?]
Blorbo-[WTF?! No way—he's really wearing a qipao and high heels?!]
NotSunKnight-[What the hell is this nightmare bastard doing?!]
YaoiBreed-["I seek a worthy rival ⚔️—sharp blade, sharper eyes—many have shat themselves, but only I prevailed."]
RebelliousExecutive-[@Nameless, @Artoria—y'all seeing this?!]
…
"Merlin's really dancing Gokuraku Jodo on livestream?!"
Mordred, casually browsing her phone, froze in total disbelief.
Unreal.
That bastard troll nightmare… was voluntarily subjecting himself to public humiliation?!
"Wait, is something wrong?" Kirina was just as shocked.
That high-and-mighty Flower Magus, the so-called Observer of Humanity?
There's no way he'd willingly do something like this.
Did someone literally put a sword to his throat?
"I'm asking Father right now!"
Mordred bolted out of the room, phone in hand.
"Should I come wi—"
Kirina was about to ask to tag along, but Mordred was already gone.
A true heroic spirit—too fast for her eyes to follow.
Just as she was about to chase after her, she suddenly got a text from Mr. Gold.
Apparently, he and Sanjiro were preparing a little surprise for her.
"A little gift?"
Kirina's eyes sparkled with anticipation.
Last time, he gave her a ticket to come see the heroic spirits up close—Artoria and the French Emperor practically fought over who got to adopt her.
He even gave her a hat so stunning that even Artoria herself complimented it.
Artoria even told her to wear it properly like a good girl.
That whole day had felt like a dream—still completely surreal.
"Hehe, I wonder what the gift is this time~?"
Kirina rubbed her hands together in excitement.
She headed toward the location he'd mentioned, muttering to herself as she walked:
"Okay, okay—remember to be polite! Say no once or twice before accepting it!"
Meanwhile—
Mordred had already barged into the presidential suite where her father was staying.
And then—
She froze.
Inside the room was another person—none other than Jeanne d'Arc!
The two were seated across from each other on the sofa, having what looked like a deep candlelit conversation.
What the hell is this?!
Everyone knows—
France and Britain have been mortal enemies for centuries.
The fact that they weren't actively fighting was already shocking. And now they're having a civil conversation late at night?!
If word got out, the world would lose its mind.
People would flood the net with questions—what the hell is going on?!
"What's the matter, Mordred?" Artoria asked calmly.
"Um, um… Merlin's livestreaming Gokuraku Jodo right now!"
Mordred blurted out the equally mind-blowing news.
Which was more outrageous? Hard to say, honestly…
Jeanne looked suspicious, "Merlin's… dancing? What kind of joke is he pulling now?"
She'd come to Fuyuki specifically because Merlin manipulated her into it, hoping she'd help locate Nameless.
But not only did she fail to find him, she got roasted by Artoria instead.
Total loss!
Then, on the massive screen, the livestream started playing.
The Flower Magus, wearing a qipao, was dancing wildly in front of the camera.
???
Artoria instantly cracked.
"What is that man doing?!"
She had been born thanks to a collaboration between Uther Pendragon and Merlin. And she'd learned everything from him in dreams—he was practically her foster father.
Now, this "father figure" was live-streaming the most seductive dance imaginable?!
That sight was more emotionally shattering than when Merlin abandoned her to die at Camlann!
"HAHAHA! So that's your royal court magician, huh? No wonder people joke about 'Eng-LAND'—this started fifteen hundred years ago!"
(T/N: Anyone who understood it? No? Okay.)
Jeanne burst into uncontrollable laughter.
Too funny.
The dignified official court magician of Britain, half a father and teacher to Artoria, actually danced such a femininely charming routine.
And it was a public livestream, showing off that 'seductive' figure to countless viewers!
"..."
Artoria and Mordred simultaneously looked up at the sky, not knowing how to respond.
Damn Merlin, he's really embarrassed himself on a global scale this time.
…
Chaldea.
Dr. Romani, who was watching the [Magical☆Merry] livestream, suddenly had an advertisement forcibly pop up on his screen.
"Go away, don't block my Merry!"
Dr. Romani clicked the × without hesitation—only to find he was redirected into the video anyway.
The video was titled—
[The Flower Magus Dancing to 'Gokuraku Jodo']
"Huh? The Flower Magus dancing Gokuraku Jodo?"
Romani stared at the video, dumbfounded.
That's a candidate for Grand Caster, a being so powerful it's hard for him to even imagine—and he's doing this?
This had to be a scam!
No, wait. The Heroic Spirit Laws had long since been enacted. A major platform wouldn't dare pull something fake like this.
Da Vinci, the so-called "Universal Genius," also appeared puzzled. "Relax, it's really the Flower Magus dancing."
That nightmare—could it be he wants to become a cute girl like her?
As a genius in all things, Da Vinci had been a powerful mage in life.
She had accomplishments in music, mathematics, architecture, sculpture, painting, and countless other disciplines.
Praised across time and space by many as—
[The Universal Genius]
Because she was too perfect, upon incarnating as a heroic spirit, Da Vinci obtained a powerful ability—
[Golden Rule (Body)]
This ability granted her a perfect body comparable to that of a goddess, one that eternally maintained its beauty.
Thus,
Da Vinci intentionally redesigned her body into the appearance of her proudest masterpiece in life—Mona Lisa!
Just her smile alone was enough to enchant the world.
Yet to this shut-in otaku doctor, it was utterly useless. He preferred 2D girls and wouldn't spare her a glance.
"He probably just snapped. Whatever. I'm going back to my Merry videos!"
Dr. Romani pouted, utterly unconcerned about that trashy nightmare.
Then—
He saw Merlin in the livestream suddenly collapse to the ground for some unknown reason, his face completely lifeless.
As he fell, the qipao completely split apart, revealing a mysterious bulge below.
???
Roman froze for a moment, then covered his eyes in horror. "Aaaaah, my eyes! Damn crossdressing freak, why would you do this to me?!"
"Here, dear Roman, let me help you cleanse your eyes."
Da Vinci smiled sweetly at him.
With her Golden Rule (Body), her appearance was the epitome of human golden ratio, exuding incredible charm.
Countless people, even knowing she had been a man in life, still fell under her allure without hesitation.
Her fame even surpassed that of many real female Heroic Spirits!
However—
Dr. Romani didn't glance at her once. "Why would I look at you? You're a crossdresser too! My Merry is still the cutest!"
"…Careful, your Merry might be a stinky old man behind the screen too," Da Vinci snapped.
"No way! Absolutely impossible!"
Dr. Romani rejected the idea without hesitation.
Merry was so cute—there's no way she could be a man!
As countless people online boiled over from the [Gokuraku Jodo Dancing Flower Magus] livestream—
In subspace, Sanjiro looked pitifully at the other. "Congrats, Merlin. You're once again world-famous. Your popularity is sure to skyrocket!"
"..."
Merlin crawled up from the ground, his face lifeless.
Who the hell wants to be famous like this?
By now, a bunch of people were probably already spamming "Sorry, this is how I came to know you."
Then, without hesitation, saving his video and making all sorts of edited memes!
"Heh, a bet's a bet. This king does as he pleases!" Gilgamesh grinned brightly.
He didn't care about the other's resistance.
The bet had been entirely Merlin's idea—it had nothing to do with him.
The only reason he accepted was because he believed in Nameless.
That guy could even guard something as dangerous as the Embodiment of Human Evil. Tearing through a Holy Grail War would be easy for him.
Oh, right. The world-ending little girl they summoned earlier should be arriving soon…
Merlin, having been mocked, had to admit his luck was just plain awful.
He'd dug his own grave!
He shouldn't have made a bet with the King of Heroes to begin with!
Now, the only way to regain dignity was to use illusion magic to make Nameless look like a total fool.
Buzz~
Countless pink petals drifted down, forming a shower of flowers that engulfed the space.
Merlin looked at his opponent and calmly declared, "Come, Nameless. Let me bestow upon you a most terrifying illusionary hell."
"You go ahead and do that. This king's going to continue enjoying people's reactions online."
Gilgamesh casually pulled out a laptop, snacking on watermelon as he watched the endless stream of comments.
"..."
Merlin's briefly ignited fighting spirit was instantly extinguished.
Damn that King of Heroes!
"Very well. As you wish—bring it on!"
Sanjiro smiled.
Nice work, Golden Boy!
This is how you kill not with swords but with shame—demolish his pride!
Originally he'd expected to pay a heavy price to take down this mastermind. But now? It didn't seem necessary at all.
At that moment—
Sanjiro suddenly sensed a presence approaching from outside the subspace.
Huh, the brat's coming too? Was this Golden Boy's doing?
Gilgamesh didn't spare it a glance. He was too engrossed in the comments and enjoying himself.
Alright then, you tsundere golden man… why couldn't you be a cute girl?
Sanjiro instantly understood what Gilgamesh meant.
Alright—finish this in three minutes.
Buzz~
Outside the subspace, Kirina was searching for Sanjiro and "Mr. Gold" when her head suddenly felt dizzy.
She staggered and collapsed onto the sofa, fast asleep.
A vast energy was drawn from her body and channeled into Sanjiro.
Three-Minute Hero!
This was one of Sanjiro's trump cards—temporarily drawing on the sealed energy within Kirina to unleash three minutes of overwhelming power.
Buzz~
Countless flower petals bloomed, transforming the space into a sea of blossoms.
"Prepare to taste true fear!"
Merlin's voice echoed from nowhere.
Then, he completely disappeared.
All the flowers vanished too.
ROAR!
A massive beast suddenly appeared above Sanjiro.
This enormous dragon raised its head to the sky and bellowed: "I am the Vile King Vortigern, the fated destroyer of worlds, the ender of all things! Unstoppable, unchallenged—I am the doomsday calamity!"
"I killed you once. I can kill you again!" Sanjiro pointed his sword at the beast.
The dragon unleashed a torrent of flames, consuming everything around them in an inferno.
The endless flames engulfed the sky, emanating a power like hell itself had descended.
Yet—
Amid the suffocating despair, Sanjiro suddenly closed his eyes.
Clutching the void, an ancient-looking sword appeared in his hand—one forged from countless other blades.
Since it's all an illusion… then everything is possible.
Let me show you my ultimate move.
Having walked through 6,000 years of human history, Sanjiro forged an unbreakable will that transcended all limits, allowing him to completely ignore the constraints of Merlin's illusion world.
In that moment, he seized absolute control of Merlin's illusion.
The nameless weapon forged by fusing countless swords from "The Vow Beneath the Snow" appeared once more.
It had no name.
It needed none.
It was forged from a thousand shattered vows, bound beneath the snow where no prayer could reach.
And yet—
It stood above all that bore a name.
"No self. No thought. No desire. No delusion."
Sanjiro opened his eyes and looked at the enormous dragon before him.
"Erase the root of all things!"
Boom!
With a single slash, the vile king Vortigern, who spewed endless flames and lit up the sky, was cleaved in two.
No—
It wasn't just that.
The sword's light continued along his body, bursting toward the heavens.
One slash tore apart the false sky itself!
Merlin, hiding behind the illusion, was forced out by this very sword.
He suddenly realized—his body was trembling.
This man, whose saint graph was broken, whose entire body was covered in wounds—
And yet...
He carried within him a terrifying will that no illusion—no matter how exquisite—could ever touch.
A man who had truly crawled out from hell.
In that moment, Merlin realized he had been utterly defeated.
Even using the illusions he prided himself most on, and striking when the other was at his weakest—he still lost!
"Merlin, you've lost!"
Sanjiro held his nameless sword, its edge overflowing with a brilliance that could tear the sky apart.
"Time for you to honor our wager!"
"No, I haven't fully lost yet!"
Merlin looked at the potion bottle in his hand, attempting one last act of resistance.
But—
A vast, unfathomable power suddenly descended from the void, rendering him completely immobile.
The contract had taken effect!
The most inconceivable collective human will—Alaya—had arrived!
Under its overwhelming pressure, Merlin could only stare helplessly as Sanjiro walked toward him, completely unable to resist.
(W assist XD)
Damn it!
Why is Alaya so eager to make me fulfill the contract?
I haven't lost yet! I haven't even gone all out! Let me go!
But it was all useless.
With such a mystic force intervening, the moment his illusion world was destroyed by that sword—it was as good as defeat.
Sanjiro stood before him, revealing a gentle smile as he poured the potion into his mouth.
"After all, I'm not a devil. So, for the love of god—transform already!"