["Who are you?"]
[Gray looked at the approaching figure warily.]
["Heh..."]
[Sisigou grinned, then swiftly fired his gun, eliminating several approaching wraiths.]
["These undead are the tomb's guardians. It seems they mistook you ladies for grave robbers."]
[Sisigou explained with a smirk: "But this is not good. They're getting more and more agitated."]
["Fortunately, I know a shortcut out of here. However, I'm not exactly a gentle escort. Ladies, will you follow me?"]
["Alright," Gray nodded decisively.]
[With Sisigou leading the way, the group departed the crypt and returned to the mansion amidst the heavy rain.]
[On the way back, Reines, overwhelmed by the effects of her Mystic Eye, fainted and was carried back by the mercury maid.]
[Hearing the commotion, El-Melloi II and Wills quickly arrived.]
["She's fine," Sisigou reassured them. "She just passed out."]
["Who are you?" El-Melloi II demanded, narrowing his eyes.]
["This gentleman just saved us," Gray interjected politely.]
["Sisigou Kairi, correct?"]
[At that moment, Hishiri Adashino entered the room and directly revealed his identity.]
["So, what brings you here?" El-Melloi II pressed further.]
["Ah, forgive me," Wills interjected, looking slightly apologetic. "Mr. Sisigou is a friend of my father's."]
["Yes," Sisigou replied calmly. "I came to pay my respects."]
["And yet, as a mourner, you didn't come to the mansion first, but instead headed to the grave?" Hishiri Adashino said sharply, her expression unreadable.]
["Well, the tomb leads directly to the foot of the mountain," Sisigou chuckled lightly. "To avoid the thunderstorm on my way here, it was simply safer to take that route."]
[After a brief exchange, the group dispersed to rest for the night.]
[Reines and El-Melloi II were assigned to the same room, tasked with taking care of each other.]
["Really? Why do we have to share a room?" El-Melloi II complained, clearly uncomfortable.]
[I think now is the perfect time for us to bond and have a baby," Reines, who had just woken up, teased with a sly grin.]
["...Why is this happening to me?!" El-Melloi II groaned, exasperated.]
Waver: "…"
El-Melloi II: "…"
Looking at this scene, one felt a headache, and the other felt a stomachache.
Kayneth: "I see you and Reines had a closer relationship in the original timeline."
Waver: "...What makes you say that?"
Chihiro: "Stop pretending. You're already in the same room. Sharing a bed seems like the logical next step."
Tohsaka Rin: "Exactly. It feels like you're both flirting."
Iskandar: "Hahaha Boy, this girl seems like quite the catch. You're lucky."
Astolfo: "That's right! If you like her, just say so directly. There's no need to be shy."
Waver: "What nonsense are you all spouting?! In the video, isn't she clearly still a minor?"
["This land is connected to the Fairy Eye," El-Melloi II murmured, recalling the events of the day. "The land, the lightning, the Fairy Eye—they're all intertwined… I see now."]
[Suddenly alert, El-Melloi II stood up. "I need to confirm something. Reines, follow Gray's instructions and get some rest."]
[With that, he hurried to Trevor's study and began his investigation.]
["As I thought," El-Melloi II muttered under his breath. Though his suspicions were confirmed, some uncertainties remained. Deciding to investigate further tomorrow, he returned to the room he shared with Reines.]
["Master! Master!"]
[Gray's urgent voice and rapid knocking shattered the stillness of the night.]
["What's wrong?" El-Melloi II groggily asked as he rubbed his eyes.]
[Gray, her face pale with distress, said, "It's terrible, Master! Miss Walletta was struck by lightning!"]
["Another death at this hour?!" Waver exclaimed, his tone grim.]
[Clearly, this development was beyond his expectations.]
Iskandar: "Your nightcap is rather cute. I'll buy one for you next time I visit."
Waver: "Is this really what you're focusing on right now?!"
Kayneth: "Another death, and this time it's someone from the Codrington Main family. This spells trouble for the boy named Wills."
Tohsaka Tokiomi: "Indeed. The timing is too convenient to be natural."
Emiya Kiritsugu: "But how was Walletta struck by lightning while indoors?"
Tohsaka Tokiomi: "That's a significant mystery. It must be resolved."
Tohsaka Rin: "And what did Waver discover earlier?"
Kayneth: "Speculating won't help. Let's watch further."
[Walletta's sudden death alarmed everyone in the mansion.]
[Wills attempted to perform a séance on Walletta's body, but his efforts proved fruitless.]
["Something is interfering with the spirit's descent," Sisigou remarked grimly.]
["In other words, this is deliberate," Hishiri Adashino concluded.]
["That's correct," Sisigou confirmed.]
["Then, by criminal investigation principles, the person who benefits most from her death…" Hishiri Adashino trailed off.]
[All eyes turned to Wills, suspicion falling squarely on him once more.]
["Hold on," Sisigou interrupted. "If the young master were the murderer, there would be no need to summon the monarch."]
["Or it could be a ploy to create an alibi by involving the monarch," Hishiri countered.]
["No, the true culprit is someone else," El-Melloi II interjected, his voice calm but firm. "In the world of magi, the focus isn't on who the murderer is or how the crime was committed."]
["Then you mean to focus on why it was done?" Hishiri asked, her tone neutral. "So, the motive… is the key, isn't it?"]
["Ms. Adashino," El-Melloi II replied, "the motives you mentioned are merely conjectures."]
[He proposed continuing the investigation until the storm abated, and Hishiri agreed, though she placed Wills under house arrest to demonstrate her responsibility in light of the death.]
Kayneth: "The ritual interference is quite advanced." "This is no amateur's work."
Sisigou: "Indeed, setting up something like this is no simple task."
[No one was in the mood to sleep after such an event. El-Melloi II enlisted Sisigou's assistance, and in exchange for a cigar, Sisigou agreed.]
[Sisigou and Gray headed to the study to gather the information Waver needed.]
[As they worked, the two began conversing. Gray spoke briefly about her past.]
["I've never left my village before," Gray admitted quietly. "When I first arrived in London, everything seemed so new to me."]
["I see," Sisigou replied. "Being his disciple must be tough."]
["No," Gray said, shaking her head. "Master is very kind to me."]
[After collecting the necessary materials, the two began heading back.]
["Bang!!!"]
[Out of nowhere, a shadowy creature burst through the corridor's window, lunging toward Sisigou. His quick reflexes allowed him to dodge just in time.]
[The creature revealed itself—a black, dog-like figure. Its inky body shimmered as though it wasn't truly flesh but rather a manifestation of pure elemental energy.]
["A Black Dog," Sisigou muttered, narrowing his eyes. "A fae or malevolent spirit born at crossroads."]
Kayneth: "Ah, I see. It's a Black Dog."
Tohsaka Rin: "What's that?"
Tohsaka Tokiomi: "As Sisigou explained, it's a type of fae—a physical embodiment of lightning."
Tohsaka Rin: "A manifestation of lightning?"
Tohsaka Tokiomi: "Precisely. This explains how Walletta was struck by lightning indoors. She must have been attacked by this entity."
Waver: "But why is something like this here?"
Kayneth: "Clearly, this is the work of the mastermind behind all of this."
["Step back," Sisigou warned Gray. "This isn't something a young girl should handle."]
[Before he could finish, Gray rushed forward, determination in her eyes.]
["Add, Phase One—Restrictions Released!"]
[The cube-like Artifact she carried transformed into a gleaming scythe in her hands.]
[With a single decisive slash, the Black Dog was bisected and dissipated into nothingness.]
["Impressive," Sisigou said, clearly taken aback. "Your Mystic Code is extraordinary."]
Artoria:"That's it!"
Seeing Gray's transformed sickle, her sense of familiarity grew stronger.
It seems I've almost figured it out.
["After dispatching the Black Dog, Gray and Sisigou hurriedly reported back to El-Melloi II.]
["A Black Dog in the mansion?" Sisigou said seriously. "With the wards placed here, there's no way this could've occurred naturally."]
[El-Melloi II's expression turned grim. "Then the lightning that killed Walletta and the others—it was the Black Dog."]
["This workshop is far more dangerous than we anticipated," Hishiri Adashino said as she joined them, her expression heavy.]
***
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