"Achoo!"
While walking, the agile, green-haired Achilles suddenly sneezed. Rubbing his nose, he muttered in confusion, "...What's going on?"
"Did you catch a chill at night, Red Rider?" Beside him, Karna in his flame-like red robe spoke with a pale face. Though his words were concerned, his tone remained calm.
"Ha, didn't expect you to crack cold jokes. We're Servants, after all." Achilles chuckled dismissively, shaking his head as he looked around.
"Honestly, I'm surprised we didn't encounter any resistance getting up here."
The view was breathtaking. They stood atop a towering structure, above the clouds, where the air was crisp and fresh. Following the intricately carved wooden path into the garden, they were met with cascading waterfalls on one side and lush greenery filled with birdsong and floral fragrance on the other. Sunlight filtered through the fluffy leaves, casting dappled patterns on the ground, while dewdrops glistened on the grass and flowers.
Compared to the somber Fortress of Millennia, scarred by calamity, the Hanging Gardens felt like an otherworldly paradise—hard to imagine the Holy Grail, the root of all disaster, was hidden within.
Indeed, Achilles and Karna had reached the Hanging Gardens—not because they'd "switched sides," but to investigate.
"Didn't expect you to come to me just to borrow my chariot to chase the gardens. If the distance wasn't too far, were you planning to go alone?"
"Yes. Regardless, we've already left the Red Faction. Venturing deep into the gardens carries risks, and I didn't intend to involve others."
Unfortunately, though Karna was a top-tier Servant, he hadn't brought his beloved steed when manifesting, and his armor had been melted. Armed only with his divine spear, he could fight well but couldn't keep up with Amakusa and Semiramis' escape route.
To verify his suspicions, he had no choice but to seek out Achilles and ask to borrow his chariot. Thus, what was meant to be a solo mission turned into a duo.
"Ha! That makes it sound like you don't trust me as a comrade. At the very least, I can provide firepower, right?"
"Is that so... My apologies. That wasn't my intention."
"No worries, I forgive you." Achilles waved it off cheerfully. "But since you took the initiative to come back, you must have suspicions, right? Who killed those useless Masters? I'll make them pay!"
"...Just speculation for now. But if it's true, this Holy Grail War will become extremely dangerous."
As they chatted (though Achilles was doing most of the talking), they stepped through the open gates into the throne room. The vast chamber felt eerily empty, with only two figures—one seated, one standing—present.
Artoria and Reika had long since slipped away, promising to return before the final battle. Shakespeare and Avicebron, the two recluses, were holed up elsewhere, leaving Amakusa and Semiramis with ample space to themselves—without fear of interruption.
—The fact that these two never sparked a romance was entirely Amakusa's fault for being as dense as a log.
"Hey, Priest!" Achilles waved at the smiling boy, then raised his eyes to the Empress seated high on her throne, his tone turning sour. "And you... still lording it over everyone from up there, I see..."
"You insolent..." The Empress narrowed her eyes and waved a hand irritably. "Enough of your nonsense. The fact that I haven't shot down your chariot is the height of my tolerance. If you're just here to provoke, get lost."
"Hah?!" Achilles' eyes widened, but before he could retort, Karna stepped forward, his voice as calm as ever.
"I came to investigate the cause of my Master's death. Has there been any abnormality in the Hanging Gardens since then?"
No one could ignore this noble hero, and both the Empress and Amakusa were eager to clear themselves of false accusations. Ignoring the noisy heel, they pondered for a moment. Amakusa shook his head silently, but the Empress hesitated.
"Well... the speed of the Hanging Gardens has decreased?"
Before Karna could press further, Semiramis continued, "But that proves nothing. My Noble Phantasm fluctuates based on materials and leylines. The current discrepancy is to be expected."
"Then let me ask again, Priest." Karna lifted his gaze, his serene eyes fixed on Amakusa. "Even now, do you still insist this matter has nothing to do with you?"
"I did imprison the Masters, but I had no intention of killing them," Amakusa repeated with a bitter smile. Karna nodded.
It was the truth.
"But that doesn't prove anything," Achilles cut in, his dislike for the Empress as strong as Atalanta's. Now that he was no longer part of the Red Faction, he was even more unrestrained, openly taunting her. The Empress, wary of provoking him into actually pointing his spear at them, bit back her anger, stewing silently until her chest ached.
Honestly, deep down, even she wondered if she might have accidentally overdosed the poison, wiping out those insignificant bugs in passing. Capriciousness, life and death at her whim—such was the Empress's nature.
With the infamous title of the Oldest Poisoner, no one would believe her innocence, not even the noblest of heroes.
"Yes, we cannot rule out that possibility," Karna said, turning his gaze to her. But before he could speak, Amakusa subtly stepped in front of Semiramis, smiling as he interjected.
"It's alright. I believe Assassin had nothing to do with this."
"Hey, Priest?" Achilles was taken aback. "You're not even a little suspicious?"
"Trust me, and trust her, Rider."
"Hmm..."
"It seems there's no need for further questions." Karna shook his head lightly, abandoning his role as a human lie detector. "Please take us to where the Masters perished."
"Of course. We preserved the scene precisely for this purpose." Amakusa relaxed slightly and smiled. "Let's go together, Assassin... Assassin?"
"Ah... oh." Semiramis, unusually distracted, only snapped out of her daze after Amakusa called her twice. The dark aura she had been harboring dissipated unconsciously, and as her expression softened, her imperial charm became even more striking.
"Are you alright?"
"It's fine... Hah, you're really overthinking things. Let's go."
Under the Empress's lead, the group arrived at the room where Masters Tver Berzinsky, Kim Ram, the Pentel brothers, and Find Vor Sumbelen had been resting. Thanks to the magecraft of the Age of Gods, the deceased magi and the room itself remained exactly as they had been when first discovered.
"Please verify this, Lancer. I assure you, neither Assassin nor I interfered with this room after the Masters' deaths."
"The same goes for me."
"—It's the truth."
With Karna's confirmation, Achilles withdrew his spear and strode confidently into the room, joining the others in their search for evidence.
And yet, they found nothing.
They were up against Sakatsuki, who was intimately familiar with both the scientific and magical sides of the world. Any ordinary flaws one might think of had long been erased by him, and the ancient demigod heroes had no knowledge of Locard's exchange principle. The meaningless search rapidly drained their patience.
"I mean, how are we supposed to find anything?"
After combing through the room for the thirtieth time, Achilles was the first to lose his composure: "This kind of thing is more suited for Big Sis and Teacher—they're both archers. This delicate work is way too much for me!"
"I couldn't find Atalanta, and Black Archer Chiron can't enter the garden," Karna replied. "Time is pressing. We don't have the luxury of taking it slow. Forgive my bluntness, but I'll just say it—can any of you use your Noble Phantasms? For the record, I cannot."
"You wanna blow this place up?" Achilles thought of his spear, chariot, and shield, then sighed.
"Rider, what Lancer likely means are functional Noble Phantasms—like a Caster's tome or my poison," Semiramis said, arms crossed, fingers tapping impatiently. "Unfortunately, I already tried earlier and detected no traces—meaning, aside from the poison I laid down, no one else interfered."
"Surprisingly straightforward, Empress. Did you have a change of heart?"
"Silence, or I'll poison you mute."
As Achilles and the Empress teetered on the edge of another argument, Amakusa sighed and raised his hand. "Then let me try. My Noble Phantasms, Right Hand - Evil Eater and Left Hand - Xanadu Matrix, might yield some results—but don't get your hopes up."
"Then we leave it to you, Priest." Karna stepped aside, and the other two retreated to the doorway, watching quietly as the priest spread his hands like an agent of divine will, summoning twin radiances.
By this point, after such a prolonged search, the group had nearly given up hope. But when Amakusa Shirou Tokisada's light touched the Masters, his expression shifted slightly.
"This is..."