WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Episode 5 of Our Last Crusade or the Rise of a New World, "Intersection: Awakening of the Vortex," now streaming on Funimation and Hulu.
While the fourth episode of Our Last Crusade set the stage for the upcoming battle over the vortex, the fifth episode brings both sides into conflict with each other. On the side of the Empire, Nameless has been intentionally ambiguous with certain elements of his plan. While he has absolutely loyal to the Empire, he also only says what is necessary to fulfill his objectives; always making his orders relatively brief and his full scheme hard to understand. The anime's latest episode, however, finally reveals what this famed assassin was planning all along.
As the previous episodes set up, Nameless's goal is to carry out the will of the Empire. Despite not issuing orders in regards to rescuing missing units, Nameless still wants the Empire soldiers to continue their search for the vortex. Iska and his group end up encountering the vortex after noticing its light from a distance. Finding the vortex should be a cause of celebration for Iska's group since they can now prepare for Sovereignty forces. However, they aren't the only ones in the vicinity.
Moments after identifying the vortex's location, another Empire vehicle approaches them from its direction. This unit feels suspicious from the onset due to the fact that they also probably found the vortex, too, but didn't report anything. While Iska's unsuspecting Captain Mismis rushes to who she first thinks are friends, only for the meeting to ultimately reveal that they are, in fact, spies for the Sovereignty. Mismis is surprised at their betrayal, though becomes painfully clear that the spies don't care.
It's because of the spies' presence that Nameless was secretive as to the full extent of his plans. Nameless has known for some time that there were enemies at the base. The fact that he didn't deal with them at an earlier point implies that either he didn't know all of their identities or that he didn't want to bring about unrest among the Empire forces. If others knew that there were spies, it is plausible that the soldiers could panic and fail to perform to the best of their ability.
With this hostage at their mercy, the Sovereignty spies would normally hold an advantage over Iska's group. However, it is revealed that Nameless planned for this moment all along. This Saint Disciple easily disposes of most of the spies, with the last one saved thanks to Iska's intervention. Of course, Iska was protecting them in this scenario due to the fact that the hostage could have been caught in the crossfire. By using Iska's unit as a lure, Nameless's trap succeeds in drawing out enemy spies.
Nameless is equipped with a suit that grants him optical camouflage, rendering himself invisible to enemies that he faces. It's thanks to this that he can easily pull off stealth kills on unsuspecting enemies. However, his invisibility isn't a perfect defense. The suit can't hide movements that are generated as a result of his movement, for instance, something which spares Alice from getting killed when Nameless confronts Alice and Rin.
Considering the fact that invisibility seems to be Nameless' only special ability, he performs extraordinarily well against Alice... at first, that is. Fitting for a Saint Disciple, Nameless has mastery over fighting techniques that he uses in conjunction with his suit. His skill allows him to even reflect Alice's initial attack, but it doesn't stop all of her magic powers. With his invisibility, he escapes from Alice before he can be frozen.
With the conclusion of the fifth episode, Our Last Crusade demonstrates Nameless's proficiency and ruthlessness in tough situations, as well as the power of holding one's cards close to one's chest. He was willing to use Iska's unit as bait to draw out Sovereignty spies, carrying out what he perceives as just executions for enemy forces. While he doesn't like it when others step in the way of his plans, he is willing to adapt to his situation.
