Fate: Question And Answer System of Traversing Heroic Spirits

[Inorai: "Interesting. I am indeed one of the suspects. Oh, is that so? If you interpret things this way, then my presence during the autopsy of the Golden Princess becomes suspicious as well. What you see as my goodwill might be misconstrued as an attempt to destroy evidence."]

[Silver Princess: "Mick, you've been helping her from the start, haven't you?"]

[Mick: "No, no, while I may have some connections with the outside world, it would be a stretch to call me a murderer or an accomplice. I've never done anything so exaggerated."]

[Silver Princess: "Stop pretending. You must have been the one who invited these attackers, right?"]

["That's not correct."]

[Inorai calmly replied: "Regarding the Galliasta family, they merely noticed my presence at the debut party and decided to pay their respects."]

["While they did suggest that Valualeta should refrain from getting involved, they treated me with great courtesy. Mick here was merely the matchmaker who facilitated my introduction to Atrum Galiasta."]

[Silver Princess: "You must have known that by attending a social gathering, Atrum would react like this, didn't you?"]

[Inorai: "Ah, how powerful you must think I am to secretly manipulate all these deeds. Such speculation should stay confined to the realm of conspiracy theories."]

["Then again, isn't the secretive world of Magus the very home of conspiracy theories? Apologies for my rudeness."]

Kayneth: "Hmph, that hit the mark. Magus do love their conspiracy theories."

Sisigou: "As expected of a Lord, she speaks without holding back."

[Inorai: "So let's assume I am the murderer. What would you do?"]

["Take it to the Clock Tower and request a trial? That's unlikely to work. If the normal judicial system fails to deliver justice, the world of magicians is far worse."]

["If what Lord El-Melloi II claims is true and the Golden Princess planned to escape, I, as head of the department of creation, would have had every right to act against her. No matter how much effort you expend, the most you'll achieve is providing ammunition for factional struggles."]

Tohsaka Rin: "That's so realistic. Even if she were guilty, nothing would happen to her."

Danic: "That's the privilege of power and status."

[Silver Princess: "Then please, kill me here as well."]

["..."]

[For a moment, silence fell upon the scene.]

[Inorai pressed her temple, sighing: "I see. So that's your trump card?"]

[Silver Princess: "Yes. Killing me would be simple for you, but the consequences would be impossible to escape."]

["Your reputation would be ruined. Inviting Atrum's attack, killing the Golden Princess and the Silver Princess of the Iselma family—whom you nurtured—would make you the target of disdain and suspicion."]

["Furthermore, Maio and Islo are witnesses. They're closely tied to Iselma but are aligned with the neutralist faction."]

["Lord Valualeta, I don't think you'd be able to cover this up quietly."]

Caules: "That's a life-or-death gamble. This Silver Princess really doesn't hold back."

Waver: "She's risking everything to force Valualeta to take responsibility."

Sisigou: "She's trying to coerce the Lord into cleaning up this mess."

Fiore: "She's far more decisive than that sly old man Byron."

["Ah, what a fight for survival. Princesses these days are truly troublesome."]

[Inorai spoke calmly: "If it weren't for the circumstances, I might have found this situation rather charming."]

[Silver Princess: "If you don't want to see this escalate, then stop the attackers."]

[Inorai: "Didn't you hear me earlier? Atrum and his associates merely suggested I stay uninvolved. They came all the way from a distant land; I doubt they'd listen to the authority of a monarch or the three noble families."]

[Silver Princess: "If that's the case, then I—"]

["Wait!"]

[A breathless voice called out. It was El-Melloi II.]

Illya: "Finally, the protagonist shows up! What's his plan this time?"

Iskandar: "Boy, you're out of shape. Running just a bit and you're already gasping for air."

Waver: "Did you not see how long I was running around in this video?"

["If I may, could both of you wait for a moment?"]

[El-Melloi II paused to catch his breath and then asked, "Lady Valualeta, are you planning to flee?"]

["Hey now, that's quite rude."]

[Inorai smiled faintly: "While Iselma is a branch of Valualeta, that doesn't mean it warrants unconditional protection. Atrum Galliasta has caused such a scene that it must have some legitimacy. It would be far more practical to assess the situation once the dust settles."]

["Exactly as you say, and I expected you'd think that way."]

[El-Melloi II turned to the Silver Princess and said, "Similarly, you're trying to stop her from leaving because, if she does, there will be no way to halt Atrum's rampage."]

["Moreover, you're accusing Lady Valualeta of being the murderer and questioning her actions, correct?"]

[Silver Princess: "You overheard?"]

[El-Melloi II: "No, I've used all my strength just to get here. I've only pieced this together based on the essence of the case."]

["Besides, I did say that I would take responsibility for solving this matter."]

[Mick: "Hah! Even now, you're still playing detective?"]

[Inorai: "You've brought this up again specifically. There must be some deeper meaning, correct, Lord El-Melloi II?"]

[El-Melloi II: "Yes, much like the Silver Princess, I would be in quite a predicament if you were to run away."]

[Inorai: "Even if you say so, as I've already mentioned, I have no reason to remain here."]

[El-Melloi II: "Then let's strike a deal."]

[Inorai: "A deal?"]

Tohsaka Rin: "Waver looks so confident, does this mean he's solved the case?"

Caules: "But looking at the current situation, I doubt anyone would care to listen to his reasoning."

Sisigou: "He'll still have to stop this war first, one way or another."

---

[Returning to the Battlefield]

[The battle was becoming more intense.]

[Earlier, Svin had attempted to attack Atrum from above but was intercepted by an electric net. When he tried to force his way through, he was struck by a sudden attack from the side.]

[The one who intervened was none other than Aozaki Touko.]

["Apologies, kid from El-Melloi's classroom,"]

[Aozaki Touko removed her glasses, her expression calm and sharp. "I've taken a commission, and so I've decided to become your enemy."]

[In less than a moment, the tide of battle had turned.]

[Flat used his shadow puppet magic to create an opening and managed to escape, but the stubborn Svin refused to back down, fighting until he was rendered unconscious.]

[Flat's escape was not without its dangers. He was relentlessly pursued by one of Aozaki Touko's puppets and ended up gravely injured. Fortunately, Gray arrived in time to rescue him.]

[However, the cat-shaped puppet that chased them proved relentless. It took Gray considerable effort to fight it off before discovering that it was merely a decoy. The real puppet was hidden nearby, and Gray managed to destroy it.]

[But this delay allowed Aozaki Touko herself to catch up.]

---

["Ah, Miss Aozaki, you truly live up to your reputation," Atrum remarked with a sly grin. "Even against a beautiful young girl, you're utterly ruthless.]

["Hey, hey, don't be so harsh. Lovely girls shouldn't be wasted like that," Aozaki Touko replied, her tone casual. "I didn't harm her physically. I just... hijacked her inspiration for a little while."]

[Gray, now seemingly frozen, was dragged back by Aozaki Touko.]

["This girl is unusually sensitive to spirits, a trait often seen in psychics. Because she's so extraordinary, she reveals fatal flaws in specific situations. It's a common pattern among the students of that classroom," Aozaki Touko said with an air of analysis.]

Waver: "This is exactly what I feared most..."

Sisigou: "As expected of a Grand, she easily defeated all three of El-Melloi II's disciples."

Kayneth: "What kind of monstrosity does Aozaki Touko have up her sleeve to incapacitate Gray with just her presence?"

---

["What you should destroy is…"]

["You are a child to be proud of."]

["Because, you are more of a hero than anyone else."]

[These words echoed faintly in Gray's mind.]

[Is that so? If all I have to do is devote myself...]

[Then it's fine. I was created for this lance, so all I need to do is use my power as it requires.]

[From the very beginning, there was no point in resisting. There was no escape from this fate, so I'll simply accept it.]

[All I need to do is change.]

[Not into who I am now, but into the ancient hero.]

["Gray, Rave, Crave, Deprave, Grave, me…"]

[Gray's lips moved involuntarily, her consciousness fading as the words slipped out.]

[This sudden change caught the attention of both Aozaki Touko and Atrum.]

["I see now. So that's the secret you've been hiding," Aozaki Touko murmured, her expression unreadable.]

[She placed her hand on the purse at her side, which had begun to stir ominously. "Well, this isn't ideal. I suspect this thing here might take an interest."]

[The purse opened on its own, releasing a strange 'chichi' sound from within.]

Waver: "Is it out of control?!"

Artoria: "Yes. Her consciousness is being consumed by the Holy Lance."

Mordred: "What nonsense about devoting yourself. It's all lies!"

Mordred felt a wave of anger. Gray's words in the video reminded her too much of Morgan's manipulative teachings. It struck a deep nerve.