"Ah?"
People all over the world were stunned.
This change had come far too suddenly, leaving their minds blank for an instant before they could react.
Just moments ago, he had been a sunny, cheerful young man, getting along with his Servant with a smile and constantly striving for his dream of saving the world's people—selling them a grand vision.
Yet in the blink of an eye, he had turned into an incomparably brutal, gloomy bastard.
Like a superior who occupied a position without doing any real work, he radiated an aura of cruelty.
But that was far from all.
As scene after scene of memories played out, Tatsuya Ando's source of funding was completely exposed.
—The small nation of Siam had low prices and was full of cheap labor.
Gambling, prostitution, and drugs were all legal there, giving rise to countless underground criminal industries.
And Akihito Tomoya's private property was an old compound that had been around for many years.
Inside stood a high-rise residential building.
It was roughly seven stories tall...
Each floor had twelve rooms.
A single cramped room could shackle sixteen people.
There were over a thousand people in one building, with roughly tens of thousands imprisoned inside.
The place was surrounded by rivers on three sides, with all kinds of walls, sentries, and guard dogs. The "compound" covered an astonishingly large area; even running north would not get you back home.
Some had been tricked into coming here to conduct telecom scams, while others were trained into slave enforcers.
Some Indians believed they could get rich here and foolishly boarded the pirate ship.
Some girls believed Siam had warlord princes who would dote on them as concubines, so they came here to travel. Instead, they were sold into the compound and subjected to every kind of abuse.
Once someone was tricked into this place, it was almost impossible for their family to ransom them out!
They would usually demand tens of thousands in ransom first. After receiving it, they would demand a hundred thousand, then two hundred thousand, then eight hundred thousand. It was a bottomless pit. By the time their parents had sold their homes and cars and emptied their savings, the victim would never come back.
Once they had completely lost their value, they would be dismantled for organs—one person for a hundred thousand.
What, you said a kidney cost three or four hundred thousand?
What a joke!
Cases listed on the online court judgment database generally put the price at only around forty thousand.
The human world was hell, and human lives were equally cheap.
But no matter how cheap they were, hollowing out a few more young people would always bring in a profit.
There were so many tourists anyway, and Indians were easy to trick. It was practically a business with no capital required.
The "magician" Tatsuya Ando had made his fortune this way, amassing a net worth of tens of billions and filling his coffers in no time.
He could buy whatever he wanted, even obtaining many resources from the magecraft world.
Though his hands were stained with blood and he bore enormous sins, he still lived a rich and comfortable life.
He loved selling grand visions in front of others. His twisted soul reeked with a nauseating stench.
This was...
The man named Tatsuya Ando.
In an instant.
The entire world erupted!
Many people on Earth clenched their fists in fury as they stared at that ugly figure on the Heavenly Curtain.
"Is Tatsuya Ando that bastard even human?!"
"My blood pressure just shot through the roof...!!"
"Medea, I'm sorry, I misunderstood you. Please kill that thing already!"
"Kill him! Kill him! Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!!"
The entire world now understood Tatsuya Ando's crimes.
People remembered how they had praised him before, and were so disgusted that they nearly vomited.
Others trembled in terror as they recalled how they had almost been scammed into going to Siam.
He had once joined a company where the work was easy, he could slack off whenever he wanted, and the boss had even promised to take all employees to the Akkameli Nation in autumn.
But he had resigned early due to poor health and had felt deeply regretful about it.
Not long afterward, the boss bought tickets to Europe and took the employees on a trip... only to transfer through Siam in the end.
Everyone had vanished.
Only he was still alive.
He had nearly fallen into a living hell.
Chiba Prefecture Council.
The lights were as bright as day, yet the atmosphere was deathly silent.
At the center of the crowd, a suited man had gone pale. He knew he had caused trouble.
Although promoting this world's Akihito Tomoya had been an order from above...
But... the one taking the blame would definitely be the person who carried it out.
This "temporary worker" of theirs was about to be fired.
Nearby, Tatsuya Ando had also broken down, his legs trembling.
The greater his joy had been moments ago, the deeper his despair was now.
The crimes committed by his Parallel World counterpart had been exposed, and he would definitely be implicated.
If he went back to Private Toyosaki Academy, he would surely suffer campus bullying...
Not only would he be isolated now.
It would be hard for him to find work in the future too.
"My life... is over..."
His face turned deathly pale. Unable to catch his breath, he collapsed straight onto the floor.
The scenes on the Heavenly Curtain continued...
The Eighth Heroic Spirit, King of Heroes Gilgamesh!
"Akihito Tomoya, you truly are a man drenched in bloody sins..."
As she watched scene after scene unfold—from Tatsuya Ando's hypocritical smile, to the countless grand visions he casually spun, to the final exposure of his crimes...
Utaha Kasumigaoka frowned as well, a wordless anger rising in her heart.
Along with it came an intense disgust toward Akihito Tomoya of the real world, so thick it could not be dissolved.
She had seen this classmate at Private Toyosaki Academy. He had seemed like a sunny, cheerful, harmless "two-dimensional otaku," and she had even considered talking to him and asking for suggestions for her new novel.
But then...
"Ugh~"
She retched, her stomach churning at the thought of that "vision-selling man."
Perhaps Akihito Tomoya of this world might be a good person, but Utaha Kasumigaoka no longer intended to have any contact with him.
"...So disgusting."
Eriri nearly threw up as well. Her face was pale, and she trembled all over.
After witnessing Tatsuya Ando's atrocities in the Parallel World, she decided never to have anything to do with him again.
What if he stole her kidney?
Then, under the expectant gaze of everyone, Betrayal Witch Medea's betrayal arrived.
The scenes flashed past like fleeting light and shadows, clearly laying out the development of events.
Before he was certain he could replace his Servant, Tatsuya Ando continued to make full use of his hypocrite's talent. He spoke gently with Medea, as though he were an outstanding Master who respected and valued his subordinate.
Yet behind her back, he went to the local Holy Church in Fuyuki City.
There was the impartial and fair host of the Holy Grail War—Junko Enoshima.
Very soon, Akihito Tomoya received an answer that satisfied him.
As long as he severed his contract with the Caster-class Servant, he could obtain an even stronger Heroic Spirit.
It was an ancient being of unmatched power!
He possessed a sword that could tear apart the world, as well as endless treasures that made others drool with envy.
Summoned during the previous Holy Grail War, he had forcibly persisted for ten years.
His name was Gilgamesh. Originating from the tale recorded in cuneiform upon Mesopotamian clay tablets—the Epic of Gilgamesh—he was the fifth king of ancient Uruk, the oldest "King of Heroes" in the world!
He possessed a divinity of "two-thirds god, one-third human." Arrogant by nature, he had once considered himself an invincible tyrant.
If he could form a contract with him as his Servant, victory in this Holy Grail War would be guaranteed!
"Holy crap, King of Heroes Gilgamesh?!"
The people of the European nations were dumbfounded. They had never expected to witness the descent of such an ancient king.
"Gasp, something's wrong with this Holy Grail War... This is already the eighth Heroic Spirit, isn't it?"
Someone trembled as he spoke in panic.
He remembered that the rules called for seven Servants to battle, with the final victor raising the Holy Grail.
This time...
This time, the organizers themselves had taken the lead in breaking the rules and stirring things up.
"It should be a special exception..."
Someone muttered thoughtfully.
It could not be that every Holy Grail War had someone jumping out to break the rules, right?
"Honored King of Heroes, I shall take my leave for now. When I return, I will surely bring good news."
Inside the Holy Church, Akihito Tomoya was respectful and humble. He knelt before the king clad in golden armor, observing every courtesy before departing calmly.
As they watched the hypocrite's back gradually disappear.
Not far away, a girl with fluffy pink twin-tails narrowed her eyes and suddenly revealed a mischievous smile. In a teasing tone, she said,
"Great King of Heroes, are you really going to choose him as your Master?"
"Heh~ He is nothing more than a clown."
Gilgamesh said disdainfully, "If he can bring some amusement to this king, then perhaps this king will allow his rotten, foul-smelling soul to be adorned with a few streaks of brilliance."
The ancient king laughed mockingly, every word dripping with ridicule.
At a glance, he had seen through Akihito Tomoya's true nature.
"Though this may displease you, Akihito will not be coming back..."
Junko Enoshima smiled with narrowed eyes. "That is Betrayal Witch Medea, renowned even in Ancient Greek mythology. If a Master betrays her, he will certainly be betrayed by her in return. So-called Command Spells are useless as well."
"So this king will have a little less amusement."
Gilgamesh raised a brow in interest, then laughed heartily without a care.
Before you continue