[In the forest east of the Sun Tower.]

  [Inorai: "What should we do? You heard what El-Melloi said. Half of the truth has already been exposed. At this rate, who knows how tomorrow will turn out?"]

  ["What's the point of knowing who the murderer is?"]

  [A voice echoed from a shadowy corner.]

  ["Neither you nor I are here to solve the murder. In this pce, uncovering the truth is merely a card to py in the rger game of factional struggles."]

  ["Even the cards themselves may have their own motives."]

  [Inorai chuckled quietly and said, "So, should we call that person over?"]

  ["Yes, the cooperation with you has already been finalized."]

  [The man who had spoken stepped out of the shadows, running a hand over his buzz cut, and said, "After all, that person is my client."]

  [It was Mick.]

  ---

  [Meanwhile, in a hotel suite near Wintermere Station.]

  ["Then, there's no issue, right, Lord Valualeta?"]

  [A brown-skinned young man spoke zily, exuding the air of a wealthy aristocrat. A scantily dressed maid held his phone for him.]

  [This man was Atrum, a known participant in the Fifth Holy Grail War.]

  ["Yes, that's correct. You should avoid any interference in this matter."]

  [Atrum ended the call and quietly clenched his fist.]

  ["Now, let's reap the rewards. After all, victory requires methods. Let the Iselma family regret rejecting my offer."]

  Kayneth: "Atrum? I didn't expect him to get involved in this mess."

  Darnic: "So that spy Mick turns out to be working for him."

  Waver: "This must be around the time when Atrum encountered my future self in the previous video."

  Tohsaka Rin: "Looks like Atrum has a grudge against the Iselma family."

  Tohsaka Tokiomi: "Perhaps El-Melloi II can ally with him to deal with Iselma together."

  Waver: "That's unlikely. Atrum is clearly a self-serving individual. Besides, what reason would he have to cooperate with my future self?"

  Tohsaka Tokiomi: "True enough."

  ---

  [The scene shifts back to the Second and his companions.]

  [As the sky darkened, El-Melloi II sat outside, observing the changing shadows of the Twin Towers and taking notes in his notebook.]

  ["No, the sun and the moon really cannot coexist... Could it really have nothing to do with that hidden treasure?"]

  [Reines frowned: "Onii-chan, are you still obsessing over that? If you keep this up, do you really think you can meet Byron's deadline?"]

  [El-Melloi II sighed, "I'll think about it while I wait."]

  ["Wait?"]

  [Reines raised an eyebrow.]

  ["Um..."]

  [El-Melloi II avoided answering directly, clearly preoccupied.]

  [Suddenly, Reines noticed something unusual in the shadows not far away.]

  ["..."]

  [Without a word, El-Melloi II picked up his cigar, muttered an incantation, and released a small fme toward the shadow.]

  ["Ow, that's hot!"]

  [A yelp rang out as a blond, blue-eyed boy jumped up, filing to put out the fire on his backside. It was Ft Escardos.]

  ["Oops, looks like I've been found out!"]

  [Ft spped at the small fire on his clothes, looking more like a mischievous prankster than someone caught sneaking around.]

  [El-Melloi II's face darkened: "What are you doing here, Ft?"]

  [Ft grinned: "I'm here, sensei. Or as they say in Japan, yoroshiku! That Japanese greeting is so Buddhist—it's profound, really deep!"]

  ["Ft!"]

  [From the nearby road, another young man came running, his expression thunderous.]

  [Of course, it was Svin Gscheit.]

  [Svin: "I told you to come ahead and inform the teacher that I'd be te!"]

  [Ft: "Wow, doggie!"]

  ["I told you not to call me a dog!"]

  [Svin greeted El-Melloi II without any shame, saying: "Ah, teacher, sorry for the dey!"]

  ["You..."]

  [El-Melloi II covered his face with one hand, letting out the deepest sigh he had since arriving here.]

  Illya: "Haha, these two clowns again!"

  Darnic: "El-Melloi II, your students seem to trust you a lot."

  Tohsaka Rin: "Yeah, it's completely different from Director Ken."

  Kayneth: "…"

  [El-Melloi II: "I just wish they would behave. If anything goes wrong, I'll have to clean up the mess."]

  [Reines: "Onii-chan, didn't you say you weren't going to involve students?"]

  ["This is what happens when you give them autonomy."]

  [El-Melloi II said, exasperated: "I only told them to send the investigation results."]

  [Ft: "But teacher, little Reines is in trouble, right? How could I miss such an interesting event?"]

  [Reines: "…"]

  [Kill him. I'll kill him when this is all over.]

  [Svin: "I'm here to keep an eye on Ft."]

  [El-Melloi II: "Fine. What's the result of the investigation I asked for?"]

  ["Here it is."]

  [Svin handed over a piece of paper immediately.]

  ["...I see."]

  [El-Melloi II read the paper's contents and nodded thoughtfully.]

  Tohsaka Rin: "We can't see what's written on it!"

  Caules: "Damn it, maybe it holds some vital clue!"

  Tohsaka Tokiomi: "It's a cssic storytelling trick—leaving the audience in suspense. I've gotten used to it."

  [Reines: "What's the pn? Do you have a secret move to turn the tables?"]

  ["Yes, although there are still missing pieces, we have to act quickly."]

  [El-Melloi II said seriously: "Alright, let's prepare for the battle first!"]

  [Afterward, El-Melloi II confirmed details of the events with Reines while Ft and Svin started bickering again.]

  [The argument revolved around whether El-Melloi II was a detective and whether he could use the Baroque technique.]

  [Ft: "Sherlock Holmes is romantic! And Jack the Ripper, too! Although he's scary and cruel to his victims, he's a superstar who's enriched London's history!"]

  [Svin: "Don't compare teacher to a murderer. And Sherlock Holmes or Napoleon—they're people with literary and historical achievements. Teacher is incomparable!"]

  Reika: "Hey Jack, it seems you've got a lot of fans."

  Jack: "I don't care about fans. I just need my mom."

  Reika: "Yes, my dear daughter."

  Atanta: "..."

  ["Quiet."]

  [El-Melloi II, who was still analyzing data, interrupted them: "Someone's coming."]

  ["Did you discover anything?"]

  [A pleasant voice echoed nearby.]

  [The Silver Princess approached, with her maid Regina following closely behind.]

  [Silver Princess: "Nice to meet you, Lord El-Melloi II. I've heard rumors about you."]

  [El-Melloi II: "I doubt there are any good ones."]

  [Silver Princess: "What do you know about the deaths of my sisters, Diadra and Carina?"]

  ["I offer my heartfelt condolences to the deceased," El-Melloi II seriously. "But it's because of their deaths that finding the true culprit is essential."]

  [Silver Princess: "Do you believe your adopted sister isn't the murderer?"]

  [The Second: "Yes."]

  [Silver Princess: "...You're a good brother."]

  [Reines: "Yes, I think so too."]

  ["Is this your sister's personal belonging?"]

  [El-Melloi II took out the amulet he'd found earlier and showed it to Regina.]

  [Regina: "...Yes, this is indeed my sister's."]

  [El-Melloi II: "The design looks Celtic."]

  [Regina: "Yes, our grandmother gave it to her when she was born."]

  [Suddenly, a chilling sensation enveloped everyone—a clear indication that a barrier had been activated.]

  [Reines asked sharply: "Silver Princess, is this Iselma barrier?"]

  ["Goodbye."]

  [The Silver Princess hastily bowed and retreated.]

  Tohsaka Rin: "Interrupted at the critical moment again!"

  Illya: "It's so frustrating to keep being left in suspense!"

  Kayneth: "The barrier's been activated—someone is attacking."

  Darnic: "It must be Atrum."

  Caules: "Yes, there doesn't seem to be anyone else it could be."

  Waver: "But my future self and the others are outside—it's very dangerous."

  Emiya Kiritsugu: "Indeed, if they're not careful, they'll get caught up in it."

  Kayneth: "Humph, Galliasta—an upstart family from the Middle East that funts its wealth and ignores rules."

  Chihiro: "Haven't you heard the saying, Kayneth? 'If you have money, you can do anything.'"

  Gilgamesh: "Hahaha! I didn't expect such words from you, but they do resonate with my heart."

  Tohsaka Rin: "For some reason, I want to agree with that statement too."