Fate: Question And Answer System of Traversing Heroic Spirits

[After the two of them finished their cigarettes, they finally got down to business.]

[Inorai: "Tell me, why are you here?"]

[Aozaki Touko: "Well, there are personal reasons."]

[Inorai: "Don't try to hide it from me, Touko."]

[Aozaki Touko: "Please don't call me by that old name."]

[Aozaki Touko smiled faintly, but her expression shifted slightly as she continued.]

[Aozaki Touko: "Besides, the 'result' here is… unusual."]

[Inorai: "You're making it sound like something's wrong."]

[Aozaki Touko: "Not exactly, but…"]

[She paused for a moment, her gaze sharpening.]

[Aozaki Touko: "If there's even the slightest chance of something unexpected happening, it wouldn't be strange for a criminal to target the Golden Princess, would it?"]

[Inorai: "You always say such disturbing things."]

[Inorai extinguished her cigarette in the ashtray Aozaki Touko handed her and gave a small sigh.]

[Inorai: "I thought you might have been eyeing that rumored secret treasure."]

Aozaki Touko: "What are you talking about?"

[Inorai: "Oh? You don't know?"]

[Inorai smirked, her tone playful.]

[Inorai: "A relic tied to the bloodline of a certain fantastic species appeared at an underground auction not long ago. It was acquired by Iselma."]

[Aozaki Touko: "…I see. That does sound like a high-quality artifact."]

[Inorai: "I figured you'd be interested."]

[Aozaki Touko: "The news must have been delayed. Now that I know, I'll figure out how to obtain it. If necessary, I'll even borrow funds from the Clock Tower in my sister's name."]

[Her tone was calm, but a flicker of calculation crossed her face.]

[As she spoke, something seemed to cross Aozaki Touko's mind.]

[Aozaki Touko: "Teacher Inorai, I noticed Lord Byron calling for you at the gathering."]

[Inorai: "Oh, you saw that?"]

[Inorai waved her hand dismissively.]

[Inorai: "It's nothing important. Besides, I had another goal at the gathering, though it's a shame I didn't meet him."]

[Aozaki Touko: "Who are you referring to?"]

[Inorai: "The Lord of the Department of Modern Magecraft."]

[Leaving those words hanging in the air, Inorai turned and walked away.]

[Her figure was soon swallowed by the thick fog and darkness. Aozaki Touko stood in silence, watching until her former teacher disappeared completely.]

[Aozaki Touko removed her glasses and rubbed her temples.]

[Aozaki Touko: "What now? I just can't seem to find the energy for this."]

[…Did I forget something?]

Tohsaka Rin: "Are they talking about Siegfried's Leaf?"

Kayneth: "It seems Aozaki Touko hasn't acquired it at this point in time."

Darnic: "Everyone here has their own agenda. This party feels more and more like a powder keg."

Waver: "Wait, Aozaki Touko has a sister?"

Chihiro: "Yes, and her sister isn't just anyone. She's one of the few True Magic users still in existence."

Gordes: "True Magic?! That's astonishing!"

Fiore: "I didn't realize True Magic still existed in the modern era."

Chihiro: "They were never truly gone. They've always existed, though they've become rarer with time."

Kayneth: "Chihiro, how do you know all this?"

Chihiro: "That's my business, isn't it?"

Semiramis: "True Magic, huh? I didn't expect there'd still be those who grasp its mysteries in this age."

Sisigou: "These sisters are unbelievable. The elder one is a Grand, and the younger one is an actual True Magic user? That's insane."

Kotomine Shirou: "It's a testament to the potential humanity still holds."

[The next morning...]

[As promised, Reines and Gray made their way to the back door of the Moon Tower.]

[True to the Golden Princess' words, the door was unlocked, allowing them to slip inside without issue.]

[They moved cautiously, the atmosphere thick with tension, until they reached the room where the Golden Princess was supposed to be.]

[Reines knocked on the door.]

[Reines: "Miss Diadra, are you there?"]

[Silence.]

[Reines frowned, her sharp senses picking up no trace of life within the room.]

[A heavy sense of foreboding settled over her. Something wasn't right.]

[Reines hesitated for only a moment before trying the door handle. It wouldn't budge—it was locked.]

[Reines: "Trimmau, break the door!"]

[Trimmau: "Understood, Master."]

[Trimmau emerged from Reines' suitcase, its right hand transforming into a war hammer. With a powerful swing, it smashed through the wooden door, splintering it into pieces.]

[Reines stepped into the room cautiously, avoiding the debris. The sight that greeted her froze her in place.]

[The Golden Princess' body was grotesquely dismembered, her head and limbs separated and arranged meticulously. The remains were displayed on the bed, forming a horrifying image resembling a blood-red rose.]

Illyas "Ah! I'm just a child! Why would anyone make me look at this?!"

Tohsaka Rin: "This is awful. I'm going to have nightmares for weeks."

Fiore: "…I…"

Chiron: "Are you alright, Master?"

Fiore: "I'm fine… just… take me to the bathroom first."

Chiron: "Understood."

The gruesome scene stunned everyone. Even those more accustomed to violence, like Emiya Kiritsugu and Sisigou, couldn't help but exclaim.

Sisigou: "What the hell?!"

Kayneth: "As expected, something happened and it's not minor."

Sola-ui: "Reines is in serious trouble now."

[As the first person to discover the crime, someone who entered the room illegally, and likely the last person to have contact with the Golden Princess, Reines now stood at the center of suspicion.]

Bluebeard: "Hahaha, what a masterpiece! Such artistry in death, filled with passion and symbolism!"

Chihiro: "Shut up, Gilles."

Bluebeard: "Oh, Chihiro, just wait. One day, I'll make you part of my collection, just like the Golden Princess!"

Chihiro: "Try it if you dare. Let's see who ends up dead."

Iskandar: "The killer must either be a deranged lunatic or harbor some deep-seated hatred to mutilate her like this."

Waver: "Yeah… this level of brutality doesn't come from nowhere. It's driven by something intense."

[The news of the Golden Princess' murder spread quickly throughout the Twin Towers.]

[Given the severity of the incident, all those still present after the previous night's gathering were summoned to the Golden Princess' room to witness the scene.]

[The sight was gut-wrenching, even for magi accustomed to death.]

["Ms. Reines…"]

[Maio was the first to arrive. His eyes widened in horror as he took in the grisly tableau.]

[Maio: "This… this is going to be a problem."]

[The second person to enter was a tall, muscular man with dark skin. Scratching his head, he muttered with a pained expression.]

[Mick Grazilier: "What a headache…"]

[Reines: "And you are?"]

[Mick Grazilier: "Ah, apologies. Mick Grazilier, affiliated with the Curse Division, under the Jigmarie faction."]

[The Jigmarie faction, like the Meluastea faction, maintained a neutral stance within the Clock Tower.]

[The third arrival was a slender man with a braid in his hair. As soon as he saw the room, he stumbled backward, collapsing to the ground.]

[Islo Sebunan: "Oh, no! My clothes…!"]

[Islo Sebunanwas a designer hired by Iselma to create dresses for both the Golden Princess and the Silver Princess. Yet, rather than the victim, his primary concern seemed to be the state of his attire.]

[These three had come early intending to invite the princesses to breakfast before departing. Unfortunately, they were met with this horrifying sight.]

[Notably, all three were neutral parties within the Clock Tower's political landscape.]

Tohsaka Rin: "So… are all the suspects here now?"

Waver: "Feels like the start of a detective novel, doesn't it?"

Chihiro: "It's the classic setup. Everything's in place."

Caules: "What are you talking about?"

Waver: "It's a reference. 'There is only one truth!' That's a detective's catchphrase."

Illya: "Oh, I've read that comic! It's pretty new. Didn't expect you'd know it too."

Chihiro: "Not only do I know it, but I've been following it for years."

["How could this happen?! Diadra…"]

["Sister!"]

[At last, Lord Byron arrived with the Silver Princess in tow. Both froze in shock upon seeing the gruesome display.]

[The Silver Princess, as always, wore a thin veil over her face. Though her features were nearly identical to her sister's, her expression remained unreadable.]

["I see… what a commotion this has caused."]

[A new voice joined the gathering as Aozaki Touko stepped into the room. Her glasses were absent, and her tone was cold and distant.]

[Aozaki Touko: "Well, this makes things simple. It looks like everyone still here is a suspect."]

[Maio: "Ms. Aozaki!"]

[Aozaki Touko: "Oh, don't mind me. I don't dislike detective stories, but I never imagined I'd be cast as a suspect. Honestly, I'd be better suited to playing the victim."]

[Her eyes swept across the room, lingering on the macabre scene. Aozaki Touko suddenly laughed—a soft, unsettling sound.]

[Aozaki Touko: "This is incredible. Truly excessive. It's almost laughable. What's the point of such theatrics in front of so many magi?"]

Tohsaka Rin: "She's laughing?! At this?!"

Kenneth: "That's why I told you, this woman is dangerous. Do you believe me now?"

Tohsaka Rin: "I believe you. You really can't judge a person by their face."

Illya: "I… I can't reconcile this. Is this really the same person from before?"

Waver: "It's like she has a split personality."

***

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