Fate: Question And Answer System of Traversing Heroic Spirits

Tohsaka Rin: "This thing can actually learn and imitate!"

Tohsaka Tokiomi: "What kind of monster is this..."

[The thorn tentacles spreading everywhere began twisting together into similar shapes, seemingly preparing to produce new familiars.]

[The tide of battle was becoming increasingly unfavorable for them.]

["Add, release the first phase."]

[Gray rolled on the ground to avoid the attack as she muttered under her breath.]

[Add: "Hahaha! Are you really going to use that? That's rare!"]

[In an instant, Add's scythe transformed into a large shield.]

[Gray could only endure the onslaught as the thorn demon swung its sword down on her. Forced into a fully defensive stance, she raised the shield to block the attack.]

[The Death Scythe, one of the forms Gray had mastered, was known for having the second-highest offensive power among all her weapon transformations. However, the Great Shield had another hidden characteristic apart from its superior defensive ability.]

[Though it required some time to activate, the shield's defenses were durable enough to withstand any attack during that delay.]

["Reverse!"]

[Finally, when the shield absorbed the sixth strike from the thorn demon's sword, countless flames erupted from its surface.]

[Though not as powerful as the Holy Spear itself, this was a concentrated burst of high-density magical radiation, devastating to the thorn demon, which existed purely due to some form of magical construct.]

[The intricate network of thorns immediately disintegrated, falling apart as they lost their shape.]

Sisigou: "I didn't expect the Holy Spear had this many tricks up its sleeve."

Mordred: "Don't look at me. I wouldn't know."

When the Holy Spear was in her father's hands, she had never seen him use it this way. It might have had something to do with the fact that her king preferred Excalibur and rarely relied on the spear.

["Analysis complete!"]

[Flat's triumphant voice echoed at that moment: "Teacher, you can act at any time!"]

[El-Melloi II held a cigar between his fingers, speaking with a serious tone. "Alright, Atrum. There might be a backlash later, so activate your defensive spell."]

[Atrum: "What? You're asking me? I have no obligation to comply with your request."]

[El-Melloi II replied calmly, "We've already shown plenty of cards. Don't even think about refusing."]

["Hmph, your negotiation skills are decent."]

[Atrum tilted his chin upward but ultimately signaled for his attackers on standby to take action.]

[Meanwhile, Flat began chanting his spell.]

["Starting intervention. Selecting target."]

[The boy hummed a whimsical tune while his fingers tapped out a rhythm, almost as though playing an invisible piano.]

[With each tap, magical waves rippled across the floor like a carefully orchestrated signal.]

[Gradually, Flat's consciousness began taking control of the space. The field of his awareness expanded steadily, swallowing the entire area into the palm of his hand.]

[The "box" at the center of the disturbance began to shrink, and the movements of the thorn tentacles slowed noticeably in an instant.]

Kayneth: "That boy may look like a fool, but his talent is undeniable."

He couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy. Why had Waver managed to gather such talented disciples in the future?

["Hmm..."]

[Inside the "box," the monster stirred, its grotesque eyes beginning to move closer together. The jaws dripping with sticky saliva became fully visible, revealing its true menace.]

[Svin: "This is bad—it's going too smoothly."]

[Indeed, their actions had gone too smoothly, drawing the interest of the creature within the "box."]

[At this moment, the only thing capable of repelling it was the Holy Spear Rhongomyniad. However, Gray lacked the magical energy and the time needed to activate her Noble Phantasm.]

[Despite her dire situation, Gray decided to give it one more shot.]

[The shield reverted into the grim, deadly form of the scythe. Dodging the retreating tentacles, Gray charged forward and swung the weapon with all her strength toward the "box" at point-blank range.]

[A tremendous surge of magical energy erupted, slamming into the protective layer around the "box" with a ferocious impact.]

[The immense pressure caused the Moon Spirit Marrow fluid in Gray's body to recede automatically.]

[Add's voice echoed in her mind, complaining loudly: "Hey, Gray! You can't hold up like this!"]

[But Gray had no time to respond to Add's complaints.]

[Absorbing more magical energy than she was accustomed to put immense strain on her nerves and magic circuits. Though her body hadn't been torn apart, the searing pain hammered her brain relentlessly.]

[However, the magical loop could not be stopped, and it continued operating according to its original program, automatically attempting to crush the box.]

["Ahhh..."]

[Gray's consciousness began to blur, but she continued murmuring to herself.]

[Because her master and friends were still behind her.]

Lancelot: "This child is a true knight."

Mordred: "Hmmn, at least she didn't disgrace my father's name."

Artoria: "She has truly worked hard, carrying a burden she never should have had to bear at her age."

[Gray tried to force the enemy back, but her willpower and magical energy were woefully mismatched.]

[The pressure inside the box began to build, and the lights, which were originally just two, started lighting up one by one. A monstrous roar erupted from within, impossible to distinguish whether it came from hunger or rage.]

[Had the monster changed its form, or was there more than one?]

["That's enough."]

[At that moment, a calm voice broke through the chaos.]

[It was El-Melloi II. He placed something next to Gray—the bag that had belonged to Aozaki Touko.]

[He had found this bag while Gray and the others were fighting the monster.]

[Because Aozaki Touko's "death" had caused her magic to dissipate, the enchantments concealing the bag were lifted.]

Illya: "Oh, I almost forgot about this bag."

Emiya Kiritsugu: "To deal with this monster, that bag is the key. After all, Aozaki Touko had been using it to keep the creature restrained."

["I conducted a quick inspection. This bag appears to be a magical artifact with limited functionality, it can only connect 'this side' and 'the other side' when supplied with magical energy. Once the magician is unable to maintain it, the bag will automatically close."]

[El-Melloi II looked toward the monster in the box and muttered, "I see. It's perfectly designed for containing a creature like you, one prone to losing control. It's exactly the kind of technique she would come up with."]

["So, what would happen if we powered up the bag while it's inside the box?"]

["Would this be like a Möbius loop? Would you appear twice, or would the paradox rip you apart?"]

["I'm quite curious about the outcome. Care to give me the answer?"]

[With his "reinforced" arm, El-Melloi II hurled the bag into the box. A cigar, his favorite, was tied to the bag as a magical power source.]

Tohsaka Tokiomi: "Are you seriously using a cigar as a power source?"

Iskandar: "Haha! That's exactly his style."

Roche: "I didn't expect such a small package to use this level of advanced magical technology."

Kayneth: "Well, it is the creation of a Grand Magician."

[Thorny tentacles surged forward, desperate to intercept the bag.]

[Gray pushed herself to continue fighting, slicing through every tentacle that came her way.]

[Then, Add transformed the scythe in her hands into a massive hammer. Magical energy burst from the back of the weapon like a jet engine, propelling her into the air as she spun, building momentum for a devastating attack.]

[The hammer struck the bag with incredible force, giving the tentacles no chance to catch it. The bag plunged into the box like a meteor.]

[El-Melloi II snapped his fingers. "Now go eat each other, you nameless monsters."]

[The bag opened instantly. No one could see what was happening inside the box, it was obscured from view.]

[All they could see was the space around the box turning into nothingness, devouring everything in its vicinity.]

[And then, the screen went black.]

[When the screen lit up again, it returned to the beginning, showing Reines and Gray talking to each other.]

Caules: "Ah! Is that the end? What happens next?"

Fiore: "Do we really need to ask? They must have escaped, obviously."

Gordes: "The video isn't over yet. Just be patient and watch."

[After the flashback, Gray and Reines discussed the aftermath of the Twin Towers incident.]

[Maio had been left completely disabled, and his actions were deemed to be purely personal acts of violence, unconnected to the Brishisan family.]

[Iselma was finished. Due to scandals involving fraud and murder, their territory was frozen by the Clock Tower.]

[Subsequently, Byron, the Silver Princess, Regina, and Islo were all thoroughly investigated by the Clock Tower. Among the matters scrutinized was the source of the funds Byron had used to purchase the blood linden leaf at the auction.]

[However, Byron's memory had been tampered with, making it impossible to trace anything further.]

Kayneth: "Hmph. That Heartless does things flawlessly."

Sola-ui: "But it was exposed in the end."

Kayneth: "Only because the fool revealed himself. Otherwise, who knows how long he could've stayed hidden?"

[After the Twin Towers incident, Atrum and El-Melloi II somehow struck up an odd friendship, frequently debating the Holy Grail War.]

[As for Aozaki Touko, this wasn't the first time she had attached a monster to a puppet's body.]

[During her time as a Sealing Designation fugitive, she had escaped countless times using similar methods.]

[It was said that the sheer number of victims caused the Mage's Association's Executors to temporarily halt their pursuit of her.]

[It truly fit her character.]

[An additional side note revealed that Carina and Regina weren't twins—they were actually triplets.]

[They had a younger sister back in their hometown. Initially, only Carina and Regina had been hired by Iselma.]

[El-Melloi II sent Carina's relic—a Celtic amulet—back to her family.]