Rice Flower Singularity (18): The Goddess's Gaze
“Hey, this is a gift from Ritsuka and the others,” Ereshkigal said.
She recalled that when she was keeping watch for Amuro Tooru, she casually killed a Servant she had never seen before, and a letter fell from that person's hand.
Then, she belatedly realized that since it was the Holy Grail War, and she had clearly seen the other six classes of Servants, then where did this new Servant come from?
If it came from outside the manor, a bright smile immediately popped into Ereshkigal's mind. Ritsuka, Ritsuka... she couldn't help but murmur this beautiful name, then suddenly paused.
Wait a minute, didn't she kill the wrong Servant?!
Ereshkigal was on the verge of tears, but outwardly feigned composure as he picked up the letter. A familiar serpentine symbol jumped out at the top of his head. It was the secret code that Amuro Tooru and Morofushi Kagemitsu had temporarily agreed upon.
Thank goodness, she can't afford to mess up at the last minute like some guy and get laughed at!
Amuro Tooru recognized the code in the letter as well, and quickly took it and read it over and over again. His mind was buzzing, and his brows furrowed deeply.
This is incredibly passive. He watched as the disguised Shuichi Akai was chosen alongside him, and the organization actually switched candidates right from the start!
“I confess that I am the murderer in this case,” Amuro Tooru said.
In the dark, empty cellar, the damp air enveloped Amuro Tooru's cold words, which echoed repeatedly, and even the shadows cast by the oil lamp on the stone wall seemed to tremble.
After the tremor came silence, a long, unchanging silence.
"Huh? What the hell are you talking about all of a sudden?" Ereshkigal was startled. She hadn't even seen Ritsuka again yet, and this temporary Master had already started going crazy!
"No response?" Amuro Tooru sensed something was wrong and turned to look at Ereshkigal. The goddess couldn't help but take a step back under his gaze and asked him fiercely what he wanted.
"Do you have any memories of how you confessed to being the murderer?" Amuro Tooru asked.
"Does this kind of thing even need to be remembered?" Ereshkigal scoffed. "Be grateful I'm in a good mood today to remind you. You don't have any evidence, so how can you prove you're the murderer?"
"evidence?"
"evidence!"
At the same time, Conan exclaimed, "So, regardless of whether the culprit confesses or not, the detectives only win if they gather enough evidence to prove the crime?!"
Da Vinci nodded. After Ritsuka regained her ability to summon Spirit Origin Shadows, her memories also contained some new information. "Someone like BB, who thrives on chaos, definitely wouldn't want players to clear the game through normal means."
"For her, the Holy Grail War, where only one person remains, is definitely more fun."
Conan quickly understood, "So we'll split into two groups: one to find evidence of the butler and doctor's crimes, and the other to defeat the butler and his servant head-on."
“Yes.” Fujimaru Ritsuka nodded with a smile. Her partner this time was really helpful. “I’ll lead the team against the Smoke Mirror. Detective, the important task of finding evidence of the crime is entrusted to you.”
"I will definitely complete it." Conan nodded seriously.
The remaining people discussed it and decided that Matsuda Jinpei, who had regained his memory, and Conan would take Asclepius to find Amuro Tooru. The group would search for evidence together, while Fujimaru Ritsuka and Morofushi Kagemitsu would take Miyamoto Musashi and Da Vinci to hold off and defeat Gin and Smoke Mirror.
—
At the highest point of the manor, in the pavilion overlooking the entire estate, Gin still retained the face of Shuichi Akai, but his expression was completely different, and his cold and sharp gaze sent chills down one's spine.
He put his hands in his pockets, a casual smirk playing on his lips. "Assassin, when do you think that traitor and his gang of cops will walk right into our trap?"
Tescatlipoca deactivated his spirit form, leaned against the wall, and casually toyed with his gun. "Oh, you're asking me that question?"
He paused for a moment, then said nonchalantly, "I don't care. The battle for survival will come sooner or later. As a warrior, fight ruthlessly. That's all you have to do."
"Ha, as expected of a god who loves to stir up trouble. So, do you think you'll lose?"
"I just roll the dice; I don't interfere with the result."
Gin didn't want to make a fool of himself. He knew that while Smoke Mirror's attitude was mostly one of watching the show, his advisor behind him had a much clearer stance.
He will lose. These were the last words Shirley said to him, and also the assessment of him by the elegant advisor before the game began.
It seems they've all pinned their hopes on that group of hot-blooded cops and immature kids.
He didn't understand why. They were the ones being chased by Assassin and Lancer, fleeing in panic, and they were the ones foolishly pursuing the truth. Why should people who waste their time be expected to have any value?
Of course, Berserker's easy defeat did make him take those people seriously. But in any case, he wanted to win, to prove himself to the advisors, and to win the Holy Grail for the Boss—that was his purpose in participating.
As for any unexpected surprises, haha, catching a mouse or something, we'll settle the score after everything is over.
"They're here."
Suddenly, his attendant perked up, his tone becoming much more enthusiastic. Smoke Mirror's gaze swept down from his vantage point as the person he was waiting for strode confidently into the manor.
He could even picture the expression on the guy's face. "Fleeing in panic, disgusted by killing, and skeptical of justice. I don't consider such a coward a warrior." That was his assessment of the Chaldea Master.
However, she is also a human being who never gives up even when facing certain death, a human being who has survived countless battles, and a warrior worthy of respect.
Therefore, he set the switch to break through the Spirit Origin Shadow's seal to near death; therefore, she is now challenging him with the power she has reclaimed.
It really... suits him very well.
Just as Smoke Mirror was reflecting on this, a meteor-like object flashed in his eyes, and he immediately pulled Gin back. The next second, a violent bomb exploded in the attic!
"Bang--!"
Shards of glass, along with the piercing sunlight, streamed into the dim attic, the glass reflecting the light like shimmering gold, so bright it was blinding.
Smoke Mirror suddenly laughed, clapped his hands, and said excitedly, "Alright, it's our turn to take the stage. Buddy, do your best!"
Meanwhile, under the cover of a huge and eye-catching explosion, Conan quickly made his way to Amuro Tooru's room.
Fujimaru Ritsuka watched as the smoke-covered mirror jumped down from the attic, and then breathed a sigh of relief as Conan disappeared into the manor. Excellent, Plan One complete!
Next up is her battle against the Smoke Mirror!
A man emerged from the smoke and dust. He wore a black overcoat and a top hat that obscured most of his face. He spoke no words, his demeanor sharp and cold, like a sniper rifle with its safety off.
His gloomy, cold gaze fell on Fujimaru Ritsuka, and he curled his lip in disdain, clicking his tongue lightly. It was as if he were questioning why she was standing there.
Wow, it feels like I've instantly returned to the last Lostbelt. Although it's a different setting and a different Master, the same Smoke Mirror is watching her with the exact same smile.
“Danger.” Morofushi Kagemitsu frowned as he looked at the completely different butler, taking a small step forward and blocking his view of Fujimaru Ritsuka.
This person looks like someone who has killed.
"Ha, traitor." Gin was extremely annoyed by Morofushi Kagemitsu's cop-like appearance. Even though in reality this guy had already been thrown into the sea to feed the fish, it wouldn't stop him from killing the rat one more time.
He tossed out a question to Smoke Mirror, "As long as the Master is killed, the Servant will disappear, right?"
"certainly."
"Haha, that's good."
The next second, Gin raised his gun and fired a burst of bullets at Fujimaru Ritsuka and Morofushi Kagemitsu.
Da Vinci immediately raised his mechanical arm and grabbed the bullets, blocking most of them. The remaining two bullets were deflected off their trajectory by Miyamoto Musashi's twin swords and fell straight to the ground.
Fujimaru Ritsuka calmly watched this scene, even having the leisure to comment. To be fair, compared to Smoke Mirror, the Master's marksmanship was practically that of a sharpshooter.
If the bullet followed its trajectory, the probability of it hitting her was quite high.
Since he has decided to start with the Master, then—
"Assassin." As Fujimaru Ritsuka spoke, hundreds of figures emerged from the ground and rushed toward Gin.
Gin's pupils contracted slightly, and he quickly dodged. He had seen the lip movements of Fujimaru Ritsuka just now: Assassin. But clearly, the Assassin in this Holy Grail War was his Servant!
"Oh, so you're finally going to compete for survival?" Smoke Mirror raised an eyebrow, fired a few bursts of pistol, and then swung his hand axe, instantly turning a large number of Hassans into specks of light as they fell to the ground.
To translate what Smoke Mirror said, she was excited that she was finally going to suppress BB's second idea and kill until only one person was left to take back the Holy Grail.
But he was going to be disappointed. "After all, I'm a detective's assistant. I'm here for the truth."
Silent Hassan moved among the Hundred Faces, using several of them as cover to approach the enemy Master who was completely unaware of this. But the Smoke Mirror wouldn't mistake this Servant who was covered in poison.
Another hand axe swung forward, clearing away the Servants blocking the way, and smoothly beheaded Tranquility.
Fujimaru Ritsuka was waiting for this very moment, the moment when Smoke Mirror would be distracted. Her target was never her Master.
"Archer".
Under the dazzling sunlight, the girl in the black and white dress with purple pigtails shone brightly, surrounded by a colorful halo.
That was a perfect, beautiful girl who embodied flawlessness and innocence.
Euryale drew her bow, the golden arrow with a heart-shaped design aimed at the heart of the Smoke Mirror. Then, she smiled sweetly and released her left hand.
Like an arrow drawn from a whirlpool of love, it pierced the cold air and shot straight at the smoke mirror.
As one of the ancient Greek gods, she possesses eternal beauty and embodies the ideal of male desire. The Noble Phantasm derived from this legend has an irresistible effect on men.
Coincidentally, the character with the smoke mirror is male.
Before the arrow pierced his chest and heart, Smoke Mirror gripped the fletching and twisted it. Despite the allure debuff, he only staggered slightly. "Tch, if that's all, you can't defeat me."
“So,” Fujimaru Ritsuka blinked, a sly smile spreading across her face, “Saber, unleash your Noble Phantasm—!”
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