[Right Hand - Evil Eater]
[Left Hand - Xanadu Matrix]
These were the Noble Phantasms possessed by Amakusa in his role as Ruler. Though they sounded grand, their rank was only D—far from possessing the divine might to shatter castles in a single strike. In fact, their effects were limited to himself alone. While they could interfere with all manner of magical foundations, they were utterly useless against first-rate magi like Medea or Semiramis.
Fully aware that his Noble Phantasms were nothing to boast about, Amakusa had never intended to rely on them from the start. After all, if even Semiramis—a great magus from the Age of Gods—could detect no anomalies, then he, a modern-day false saint, would be even more powerless. Moreover, he had to avoid suspicion, so from the incident's onset until now, he truly hadn't used his Noble Phantasms to investigate.
Even now, stepping forward was merely a last-ditch effort to cooperate with Karna. Yet, to his utter surprise, the moment he activated his Noble Phantasm to begin searching, Amakusa Shirou Tokisada noticed something peculiar.
"What's wrong?"
"Did you find something?"
"Art thou well?"
At his startled exclamation, the three Servants immediately assumed defensive stances. Ignoring their questions, Amakusa raised both arms like satellite dishes receiving signals and walked toward a certain figure seated at the table.
"There are traces of magecraft left here..."
Hearing this, Semiramis pressed her lips together but still replied, "That doesn't prove anything. Every Master present was struck by an unknown magecraft—their internal organs were completely eradicated. What we see now are merely hollow shells, with no evidence left behind."
Achilles shuddered involuntarily. "You're saying my Master is... empty inside?"
"Indeed. There's nothing within, yet the body retains its human shape. Logically, it should have collapsed like a deflated balloon." As she spoke, even Semiramis couldn't help but show a hint of disgust.
Sakatsuki had done this to prevent any counter-curses from being planted in the magi's bodies after death. During his brief studies at the Clock Tower, he had heard plenty of such cases.
As for Jack the Ripper, the perpetrator, she was no saint either. Though she cheerfully called out "Mama, Mama!" in her usual demeanor, the act of corroding the insides of human bodies posed no psychological burden for little Jack.
The thought that the Masters at the table were now nothing more than empty skins would make most people keep their distance. Moreover, as Semiramis had pointed out, detecting magecraft didn't necessarily indicate a problem—after all, every Master had been subjected to magical treatment.
Yet Amakusa remained unfazed. Kneeling beside one of the limp Masters, he lifted the arm with a grave expression.
"That's not what I meant. It's about him."
"Him? What about this Master?" Achilles asked, baffled. But when Amakusa brushed his hand over the Master's hand, something unexpected happened—
The Command Spell on the magus's hand had completely vanished!
Perhaps due to anomalies in the current Holy Grail War system, when Masters were eliminated, their Command Spells were not absorbed by the Greater Grail. Instead, they remained on the backs of the Masters' hands in the form of 'reserved Command Spells.'
The so-called 'reserved Command Spells' were pure magical energy sources, similar to those stripped by the old priest Risei Kotomine using church secrets during the Fourth Holy Grail War. They could also be used to replenish the three Command Spells of Masters, highlighting their significance.
But now, the Command Spells had disappeared...?!
"Other Masters show no similar signs," Amakusa shook his head after checking around, his voice hoarse as he looked at the only magi showing anomalies. "Only his Command Spells have vanished from the back of his hand."
"I see... The traces of erosion were so strong that they masked the magical signature of the stolen Command Spells," the Empress realized. "No wonder I failed to notice. What bold camouflage."
Had Karna not decided on a whim to visit the Hanging Gardens, they might have remained in the dark.
"Now is not the time for this," Karna, who had been silent until now, spoke up. "Priest, who is the Servant corresponding to this Master?"
For a Servant, Command Spells represented ownership and control. Any transfer would surely be noticed.
In other words, by finding that Servant, they could uncover the true identity of the culprit!
Amakusa understood this key point. He quickly recalled the church's records, and as the image settled in his mind, his expression gradually turned incredulous. Under the anxious gazes of the others, he slowly turned his head and uttered hoarsely:
"It's... Caster."
The Red Caster—the great literary figure still residing in the Hanging Gardens.
Shakespeare, whose presence in this Holy Grail War had been notably low.
The self-proclaimed court jester, seemingly harmless and cooperative.
—Such a man had secretly formed an alliance with an unknown party.
The group exchanged glances, feeling as though they had stumbled upon some terrifying conspiracy, and shuddered in unison.
———
Hanging Gardens, Corridor.
"Let's go over the events again," Amakusa's voice rang out amid hurried footsteps. "At this point, it's clear that Assassin and I are innocent. The real culprit is still hidden within this Holy Grail War, yet to surface."
"While the Red and Black factions were locked in battle, that person—or the Servant under their command—infiltrated the Hanging Gardens, killed all the Masters, turned us against each other, and seized Caster's Command Spells," Karna continued.
"Even more terrifying is that if we hadn't investigated today, we'd still be in the dark," Achilles said grimly. "But the question is, among the current Masters—the priest, the Fiore siblings, the homunculus Sieg, and Reika Rikudou, who defected to the Red faction—which of these five could have done this?"
"You're overlooking something, Rider," the Empress interjected coldly, evidently recalling certain doubts. "Reika Rikudou... the Master of King Arthur. How did she control Caster Avicebron so effortlessly, and how did she bring back Black Saber Siegfried with such ease?"
This question had been weighing on the Empress's mind for a long time. If she had previously held back due to valuing Reika's combat prowess, now that it was proven another faction still existed in the Holy Grail War, how could Semiramis tolerate such a variable?
"Speaking of which... I also heard Miss Fiore mention something," Achilles mused. "When Avicebron betrayed them, the Command Spells in Roche's hand also disappeared."
"The same happened with Gordes. Also, do you remember that mist that troubled us?" Karna added. "That was likely an unidentified Servant."
"An irregular summoning..." Amakusa gasped, instantly connecting it to his own origins.
It all fit. Every suspicious point aligned perfectly.
If it was Reika Rikudou—or rather, the Osarei family—who had irregularly summoned a Servant and used that Servant or some special ability to steal the Masters' Command Spells, then all these mysteries would have their answers.
"But there's still one question: where did all nine Command Spells from the three Servants go?" Amakusa raised another issue. "I'm certain Reika Rikudou still only has three Command Spells on the back of her hand."
"Who cares! Caster Shakespeare and his Master Reika Rikudou are definitely up to no good!" Achilles declared. "Let's just charge in and tie up that Caster. I've had enough of that guy anyway!"
Sometimes, all it takes is one opportunity to clear the fog. When renowned heroes gather together, their combined wisdom far surpasses that of three average men. Through questions, answers, and exchanging information, many puzzles had already been solved. But to verify their theories, they needed answers from someone who truly knew the truth—
At the study's door, the four halted. The Empress raised her hand, Amakusa gripped several Black Keys, while Achilles and Karna summoned their Noble Phantasms at the forefront, ready to charge. All four tensely peered inside. Even knowing Shakespeare posed little threat, barging into a magi's workshop required utmost caution.
Red Caster, Shakespeare.
What answers could this self-proclaimed chronicler provide?