Lev Lainur.
An aide to Marisbury Animusphere, and a terminal of Flauros, one of Solomon's seventy-two Demon God Pillars...
The fact that he has initiated such a provocation means he has already awakened as a Demon God Pillar, likely spurred by pity upon seeing Mash—the result of Marisbury's Demi-Servant experiments. It also signals that the Near-Future Observation Lens, SHEBA, is complete.
If that weren't the case, he would have no reason to attack me, a man ostensibly assisting in the completion of CHALDEAS.
"So, he's going to pull this kind of bullshit, is he?"
It was an incredibly clever maneuver.
By remaining merely a well-intentioned assistant or an anonymous tipster, he shifts the entire burden of responsibility and consequence onto human shoulders. Naturally, the Clock Tower would never share information with me, considering me an enemy, allowing him to operate in the shadows, questioned by neither myself nor the Association.
It would be a simple matter for Aoko-nee, whose power could flip the Department of Policies upside down, to storm into the Department of Archaeology and tear that bastard apart. However, doing so would expose the connection between myself and a True Magician—a secret the Clock Tower has yet to uncover.
Yet, if I don't go... that damn 'Reiff Leito Flubber' might continue leaking my information through backchannels. On the other hand, if I leave things as they are, the news that I've neutralized their dispatched Enforcers will inevitably reach them.
"Caught between a rock and a hard place, truly."
Just then, the phone in the inner pocket of my loosely worn jacket began to ring.
"Signal security: Pho."
[Signal security: Soup. What's the status on your end?]
"Kiritsugu, as expected, five Enforcers attacked. I've neutralized all of them."
[…I thought so.]
"How is the situation over there?"
[Some pests looking for your parents showed up.]
Exactly as I anticipated.
"And? How did you handle it?"
[Lugh Beowulf was about to tear them apart, but Alice Kuonji managed to stop him. Right now, they're bound by Ploy Kickshaws and locked in the basement of the Kuonji Mansion.]
"Sigh… If it's come to this, it really is a total war with the Clock Tower."
If they were all Sealing Designation Enforcers, we've effectively declared war on the Clock Tower's primary combat force. Technically, they were the ones who struck first… but to them, does that even matter?
Logic doesn't work on narcissists who spend their lives believing they are the center of the world and that only they are right.
[So, what's the plan? Now that they've uncovered your identity and your parents', a war of attrition against the Clock Tower would be foolish. They'll unify over the subject of 'The Root' at the very least… and the Association's hidden depths are beyond imagination.]
"I know that. Even if they were second-tier, we've essentially decimated an Enforcer squad; they'll stop at nothing to crush us now."
Had I followed the Association's directives, they would have likely 'erased' me or found some way to research the Rinnegan until I was reduced to a specimen preserved in formalin.
And now that they've sacrificed Enforcers to gain 'confirmation,' they won't hold anything back.
"Should I just blow the Department of Policies off the map…?"
There was the option of asking Zelretch for help, but my case was different from Rin Tohsaka's.
If Rin was simply a case of closing off a path that *could* have led to the Root, I possessed a physical body that was *connected* to the Root. Considering that Zelretch's pupils usually ended up as husks or never returned, the Clock Tower would prefer to seize my body over engaging in such dangerous gambles.
Kiritsugu Emiya told me to think carefully and hung up. I immediately dialed a second number.
The call was answered after the first ring. I spoke the countersign.
"Signal security: Lancer."
However, the voice that replied wasn't the bright, cheerful young voice I knew, but a middle-aged voice burdened with exhaustion.
[I heard the countersign from Waver, though I'm not sure I'm doing this right. 'Die,' was it?]
"…Lord El-Melloi? Why are you answering this phone?"
[I might be under surveillance, so I'll keep this brief. Don't answer, just listen. The Department of Policies has summoned Waver to a trial at the Adjudication Bureau on the grounds of leaking Mystery.]
…What?
[Leaking Mystery is just the pretext; they are clearly targeting the connection Waver had with you. If the Department of Policies begins an investigation, it might come to light that Waver has been providing me with competent personnel. Currently, Barthomeloi, Euryphe, Chimera, and Astrea have dispatched their own agents to investigate the Knowledge department. The justification is the leakage of Mystery to civilians.]
"…"
[The Department of Evocation and the House of Euryphe—to which Sola-Ui is blood-related—have also requested support from our El-Melloi department, which handles Mineralogy. By the looks of it, they intend to put on a show where I must prove my innocence regarding your connection with Waver. After all, the El-Melloi family's stake in the Clock Tower is quite substantial.]
"…"
[That's as much as I've discovered. You should be exceptionally careful as well. There are rumors that Lorelei Barthomeloi herself has taken the field. If she moves, even El-Melloi will have no choice but to bow quietly. I understand it is difficult to reach the Marshal of Magic, even if you are his proxy, but in this situation... if the Wizard of Parallelism himself doesn't intervene, there may be no way to break this deadlock...]
Kayneth started the call with the composure of a noble, but his voice grew faster and louder with every word.
I asked calmly.
"Has something happened to Sola-Ui's safety?"
[…]
"The reason Kayneth-san would get this frantic is quite obvious."
[…The Department of Policies has arrested Sola-Ui on the charge of defending Waver's past 'eccentricities.' She is currently being held in their internal detention wing. I apologize to you and Waver, but for me, she comes first.]
"I understand. Professor Kayneth, you should prioritize protecting those precious to you. As for this side, I've already taken care of all the Enforcers."
[You got all of them…! No, considering your power, I suppose that's only natural. Thank you for understanding. As a Lord of the Aristocratic Faction, I won't be able to use this mobile device much longer. If there is something to report, I ask that you use a formal Magecraft communication device, as tedious as it may be.]
"Understood."
[Keep up the good work. And good luck.]
Ending the call with Kayneth, I headed to the workshop Touko had designated.
Inside her workshop, Shiki Ryougi was busy maintaining a katana, and Touko Aozaki was working on a puppet that looked exactly like herself. She welcomed me with a look of amusement.
"I felt the battle. Did you catch all those Enforcers?"
"For now. But a bigger problem has arisen."
"…A problem? What kind?"
When Shiki Ryougi asked, I gave her a simple answer.
"Well… those bastards invaded Misaki City and tried to kidnap my parents."
"…Oh."
* * * * *
Moving from Mifune City to Misaki City didn't take long.
After picking up Godword Mayday with a summon from the Animal Path, we flew to Misaki City all at once on the back of a Giant Bird. Before long, I could see the powerful Bounded Field designed to repel intruders connected to Mystery.
"…I don't think I can enter. You know, don't you? The curse Aoko placed on me…"
"We both know that curse is meaningless now, so just get in here."
"Damn it…"
With Shiki Ryougi and Godword Mayday, passing through the Bounded Field was trivial. Once across the threshold, I was met by Alice's Blue Bird familiar and Yuika-nee, who looked like she had dark circles hanging down to her chin from exhaustion.
"Karma-kun! Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?! I heard you fought Enforcers. Those living weapons didn't do anything strange to you, did they?"
"Calm down, Yuika-nee. I'm not hurt at all."
"See? If anything, he's the one who wrecked them. They broke in here too—how's the situation?"
"…What magus could possibly defeat a True Magician and a three-thousand-year-old Phantasmal Beast? They were crushed instantly."
While the two bickered, I quickly summoned the Giant Bird again and headed for the Kuonji Mansion. There, I saw familiar faces.
"Alice-san! Soujuurou-san!"
"You're finally here."
She watched me leap from the Giant Bird and spoke with a smile.
"I've locked those fellows in the basement. What about your end?"
"They're inside the Naraka Path. Is anyone hurt?"
"The intruders got it the worst. The fools tried to take the Einzbern girl hostage…"
Oh, hell no.
"…I'm surprised Kiritsugu Emiya didn't just end them right there."
"They won't be living peaceful lives after this is over. Regardless, do you have a plan?"
A plan.
Yes, I suppose this could be called a plan in its own way.
"Alice-san. Your Ploy Kickshaws are quite famous even within the Clock Tower, aren't they?"
"? In a sense, yes. The Three Great Ploys belong to the Department of Yumina."
"Then, can you connect a pipeline to the Asharot branch? I have something I need to inform the Clock Tower about."
"…I think I can handle that part."
Just then, Touko-san chimed in, stepping between us.
"My teacher is currently the Head of the Department of Creation, after all."
"Lord Valualeta… I suppose that makes sense. She was the one who placed a Sealing Designation on you despite your mastery of Puppet Magecraft. But do you have a way to contact her?"
Alice asked, nodding slowly.
Touko Aozaki shook her head dismissively.
"The woman is surprisingly progressive. She even has a cell phone number. She told me to call her whenever I felt like getting slapped with a Sealing Designation."
I certainly remembered Lord Valualeta.
A bizarrely high-tension grandmother who continuously approached the El-Melloi school—which had been devastated by the aftermath of the Fourth Holy Grail War—trying to pull the Aristocratic faction toward the Democratic side.
She was progressive enough to listen to music on AirPods and use an iPhone, but still...
"She was your teacher?"
"Supposedly. For the record, Araya and Cornelius studied under her with me. Araya was excommunicated because of his sick hobby of collecting deaths, and I bolted because the Professor personally issued my Sealing Designation."
…Right. At the very least, I now understood just how messed up the Clock Tower was.
"I've ended up properly entangled with you anyway, so I'd appreciate it if you could get my Sealing Designation lifted while you're at it. But what exactly do you plan to say to a Lord of the Clock Tower?"
"I'm curious about that myself."
Before I knew it, everyone—save for Tokiomi Tohsaka back in Fuyuki—was gathered around me. Touko Aozaki handed me a telephone receiver with a look of intense curiosity. Alice quickly applied an amplification spell to the phone so everyone could hear, and even Beowulf, Yuika-nee, and Ritsuka-nee huddled close, waiting for the call to connect.
A moment later, the call connected, and a woman with a slightly aged but cheerful voice answered.
[Yes~ This is Inora Valualeta Atroholm. Who is this?]
Alice's expression twitched. Even if Kayneth El-Melloi had picked up because it was Waver calling, she clearly hadn't expected a high-ranking Lord to answer a standard phone so casually.
[Hmm? How strange… is this a prank call? Hello~?]
"…Good afternoon."
[Oh? I beg your pardon, but who are you? Not even the other Democrats know this number…]
"Am I speaking with Professor Inora Valualeta?"
[I am indeed Inora Valualeta, but who might you be? And could you tell me the reason for your call?]
"Ah, my apologies for the late introduction. I am Madara Uchiha, currently investigating the recent cases of doll suicides in Japan. We've had a string of incidents in Mifune City, Fuyuki City, and Tokyo's Akihabara district where over a dozen highly human-like dolls have leaped from buildings. I was hoping to obtain investigative materials and perhaps some assistance regarding this matter."
[Serial doll suicides…? Well, I do oversee that field. However, the Clock Tower generally takes a hands-off approach to matters in Japan, don't we?]
"Yes, yes. Originally, there was little connection between the Far East and the Clock Tower. However, recently, some Sealing Designation Enforcers have turned Mifune City into a disaster zone. It appears that Touko Aozaki, a former pupil of yours, has joined forces with Souren Araya."
She paused for a beat, her voice turning sharp.
[Touko Aozaki and Souren Araya were indeed my pupils, but one has left and the other was excommunicated. They have nothing to do with me.]
"That may be true, but the situation here is critical. The building where Touko Aozaki was staying has become so cursed that we are barely keeping it under control, and the local government is beginning to take notice. We've even heard reports of a Grand-ranked puppeteer's familiars running rampant. One would think it's about time the Clock Tower took responsibility for this mess~ is what they're saying."
[I hear your point, but that is out of my jurisdiction. Ordering the Enforcement Division is the business of the Adjudication Bureau and the Department of Policies. All I can do is excommunicate problematic students.]
"And *that* is exactly why… it's impossible to talk to the Department of Policies!"
[Aha? So you want me to serve as a bridge to the Department of Policies, is that it?]
"Precisely. Honestly… who in their right mind would want to provoke the Clock Tower, a thousand-year-old bastion of Magecraft? I'm simply reaching out because I want this commotion resolved as quickly as possible."
[Hmm, I see, Madara Uchiha-kun. I did hear the Aristocratic Faction was up to something lately. Would connecting you to Barthomeloi be sufficient?]
"Yes, that's exactly what I meant."
Professor Inora, clearly of the opinion that it would be for the best if Touko Aozaki were properly designated, walked while keeping the line open, conversing with me. I lied through my teeth without blinking, fabrications of the chaos in Mifune, the Bounded Field around Misaki, and a fictional rampage by Lugh Beowulf flowing effortlessly from my lips.
[It's true that such information can't be found on the internet yet. Has the Japanese government initiated an information blackout?]
"Something like that. We have quite a bit of influence over the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, if nothing else."
[Fascinating. Just a moment...]
Immediately after, a clatter sounded from the receiver, followed by a faint but amplified high-pitched woman's voice.
[Lord Valualeta, we are currently in the middle of an important meeting. Have you become so intoxicated with your faction games that you've forgotten the rules and your station?]
[Mmm~ My apologies, but I know the rules quite well, Lord Barthomeloi.]
'Lorelei Barthomeloi… I didn't think this is how I'd first hear her voice.'
Inora explained the details I had provided with an air of sophisticated amusement. Barthomeloi listened in silence before finally speaking.
[I take your point, Lord Valualeta. Since our only current witness is temporarily absent, we shall listen to what your informant has to say.]
She then cast an amplification spell similar to Alice's and spoke in a calm tone.
[I've applied an amplification spell, so feel free to speak. Be aware that the Aristocratic Lords are all gathered here besides Barthomeloi, but don't let that bother you.]
I could have retorted with 'How could I not let that bother me!', but I decided to ignore the pressure.
After all, considering what I was about to say, their gathered presence would soon seem like a very minor detail indeed.
"A pleasure to meet you, Lord Barthomeloi. I am Madara Uchiha, a freelance magus operating in Japan."
[State your business.]
A response befitting the head of the House of Barthomeloi—a woman whose philosophy dictated that everyone outside her family was nothing more than a common rabble.
She clearly had no interest in an insignificant information broker from the Far East.
"Since you've asked for the point, I'll be brief. I've been investigating the anomalies in Fuyuki City years ago, the unidentified flying object incident over Misaki City, and the recent serial disappearances and doll suicides in Mifune City. During this investigation, I confirmed a rendezvous between Touko Aozaki, a puppeteer wanted by the Japanese Magecraft Association, and Godword Mayday, also wanted by the same organization."
[Godword… the user of that Unified Language?]
[To think he was hiding in the Far East...]
Exclamations of surprise erupted from the background; it seemed Inora hadn't been lying about the other Aristocratic Lords being present.
"A battle took place between Touko Aozaki and several individuals suspected of being Enforcers. Touko Aozaki emerged victorious. After retrieving the fallen, the two headed for Misaki City."
[Touko Aozaki should be barred from Misaki City. How could she possibly enter?]
"The reason is unknown to me, but I suspect she reached some sort of agreement with the head of the Kuonji family, who owns the land in Misaki. Currently, Misaki City is under a state of martial law, with Touko Aozaki's familiars and the Ploys of the Witch of Fairy Tales monitoring the area for any intruding magi."
[Hmph...]
Suddenly, a thin but authoritative voice, belonging to someone of considerable age, came through the receiver.
[But tell me, how did you obtain this information?]
"I can prove the reliability of this intel easily enough. However, I have one more thing to say before that."
[What is it?]
The receiver fell silent, and I spoke.
"Because right now, I'm in Misaki City."
[...?]
"Listen up, you miserable pieces of shit! Stay right where you are! I'm going to lead a Magician right to your doorstep and blow every single one of your heads off!!!"