Chapter 17: Gilgamesh's Revenge

"What, missing?"

At the Fujimura household, because the scar-faced man hadn't picked up the boy at school, things had already become somewhat noisy.

"Big Sister, when I went to the school side, the school side told me exactly this: they checked the school gate surveillance, and Broly left the school on his own."

The scar-faced man said somewhat innocently.

In Japan, elementary students go home on their own, so when letting children leave school to return home, the First Elementary School of Shin-Far Town also wouldn't deliberately stop a certain child from leaving.

This led to the scar-faced man receiving the school's early dismissal notice, but when he went to pick up Broly at the normal time point, he instead learned that the other party was already no longer at school.

The scar-faced man couldn't pick up the person, the boy went missing, and with a kidnapping murderer still prowling in Fuyuki City, this directly caused Fujimura Taiga, who had returned home after school, to explode.

"Didn't the school call and tell you to go earlier to pick him up?"

Fujimura Taiga grabbed the scar-faced man by the collar, her eyes looking like they wanted to tear this bastard apart.

"I..."

The scar-faced man didn't know how to reply; at the time he just felt that letting that child stay in school and picking him up when the time came wasn't a big deal.

"Taiga, let go of him; this afternoon there's a bit of business in the group, I had him run an errand for me in my place."

Just as Fujimura Taiga was preparing to hit someone, Fujimura Raiga spoke up for the scar-faced man.

"Grandpa..."

"I know you're anxious, but don't panic first; when a problem appears, panicking is of no use, blaming others is also useless; right now the most important thing is the method to solve the problem."

Fujimura Raiga said very calmly to his granddaughter.

"Then what to do now?"

Fujimura Taiga asked.

"The road sections around the school have some surveillance installed; with our Fujimura Group's connections, we have the capability to obtain that portion of surveillance information, so we need to first find people to retrieve the surrounding road sections' surveillance and find that child's traces after leaving school."

"Then hurry up and do it."

"I've already had people go do it, and according to the surveillance traces, that child escaped the fare and boarded a train headed for Fuyuki City West Station."

"Eh?"

Fujimura Taiga was somewhat surprised; Fujimura Raiga wore an expression of 【This is your grandpa's capability】, he was teaching his granddaughter the posture of not panicking when encountering matters.

"What after that?"

"If you were me, Taiga, what would you do?"

"I would find that child Broly."

"But what if there's no surveillance?"

"I'd personally go find him."

"Wrong, a single person's power is limited; you must mobilize the Fujimura Group's power to search, and moreover, it's not just as simple as finding the child; right now the biggest danger to children in Fuyuki City is that serial kidnapping murderer; we must also search for that serial kidnapping murderer's traces at the same time, and simultaneously use connections to contact the police, have the police help search together."

Fujimura Raiga's description of handling this sudden event left Fujimura Taiga listening in a daze.

And seeing his own granddaughter's dazed expression, the old man was very satisfied, only then continuing: "These are things ordinary people cannot do; when an ordinary person goes missing, a case can only be filed after 48 hours, and often it's still difficult to have results.

But the Fujimura Group is different; we can not only mobilize subordinates to search, but also through some connections contact the police and have the police help.

So, Taiga, do you now know the importance of having a faction?"

Fujimura Taiga: "..."

"Grandpa, what you say makes a lot of sense; I now also somewhat acknowledge that having a faction is a not bad thing, but the important thing right now doesn't seem to be this; I only want to ask, has that child Broly been found or not?"

"Not found temporarily, but there should be news very soon."

"That means not found; no good, I also have to go out and find him..."

"Fujimura Sister, can we eat now?"

While Fujimura Taiga was inquiring about the last place the boy's traces appeared, Broly fell from the sky; he landed in the backyard, saw some people inside the house, others hadn't noticed him, so he walked over and asked Sister Wife.

"Where's the time to eat now, right now... Eh?!"

Fujimura Taiga reacted and stopped her words, turned her head and together with everyone else looked at Broly who had suddenly appeared outside the courtyard.

"Eh, you're back?"

The scar-faced man asked.

"Mm, I'm back."

Broly nodded.

"You little brat, where did you go? Hearing you suddenly went missing, I was worried sick."

Fujimura Taiga pounced over, hugged him and asked.

"My classmate wife from school and I went to find her other classmate friend; midway she treated me to takoyaki.

And in the end, she even gave me her share of takoyaki to eat; that thing called takoyaki is very delicious..."

Broly thought of his after-school experience and answered Fujimura Taiga's question, but in his answer, the takoyaki's taste and seasoning eating method seemed to be the only elements worth describing in detail; as for unimportant matters, they were directly ignored past by him.

"Going out to play with friends, you have to tell an adult, you know? Otherwise, it'll make others worry about you."

Seeing Broly return safely, Fujimura Taiga also felt at ease, but still lectured the boy a bit.

"Mm, I know."

Broly remembered, nodded very obediently.

"Remembering is fine; Sister will take you to eat."

Rubbing the boy's head, Fujimura Taiga took him to the big cafeteria side.

"Old Master, this..."

"Tell people no need to be busy, all return."

Fujimura Raiga waved his hand; Broly's disappearance counted as an unexpected event, but at least it let his granddaughter know the benefits of having subordinates and a faction, and the boy's safe return was even more a good thing; at least no need to waste effort on searching for the other party's traces.

"This guy, was he hit by a heavy truck?"

The missing children were found and brought back, but the police still needed to stay here to deal with the suspected criminal's corpse; the investigative personnel at the crime scene, looking at the youth's corpse embedded in the broken wooden crate, with his abdominal cavity almost showing no intact parts, couldn't help but frown.

They had witnessed many death scenes, but this one alone was somewhat absurd; they fundamentally could not deduce what kind of thing had caused the other party to end up in this state.

"Regardless, this should be the major suspect who recently broke into homes to kill, abduct children, and massacre children in Fuyuki City.

You all carefully photograph this person's appearance; after returning, you still need to investigate this guy's identity, see if you can find some substantive evidence."

After the Inspector in charge of on-site command finished speaking, he discovered there was no response from his subordinates behind him.

"Why aren't you all speaking?" Turning back, he saw his subordinates being entwined by the necks by some tentacle monsters.

Hanging in mid-air, looking like they were struggling desperately yet unable to break free no matter what.

"Mon-, monster?"

The Inspector widened his eyes, retreated two steps, but had nowhere to retreat; behind him was that miserably dead corpse.

"Let go of my people."

He could only draw his handgun, attempting to threaten those monsters entwining his subordinates' necks, to make them release their tentacles.

"How could this be?"

But before he could fire, a voice carrying surprise mixed with disbelief rang out from behind the Sea Demon.

"It's dangerous here."

A strange man wearing a blue robe, ignoring the Inspector's warning inside, walked quickly into the bar.

This man had a pair of very protruding eyes, making one easily think of a telescope goldfish, yet he passed by the Sea Demon's side without suffering any obstruction.

"Ryuunosuke Uryuu, my Master, didn't expect you to actually die in front of me."

Bluebeard Gilles de Rais's eyes contained sorrow; a Master with whom he shared a common language and common hobbies, just like that, in the form of a corpse, appeared before him.

"However, you died very artistically; one would think you sacrificed yourself for art!"

Because the Sea Demon didn't block him, this guy came over and spoke to the already dead corpse, making the Inspector realize something.

"You're in cahoots with this kidnapping and murder suspect, and these monsters are also manipulated by you?"

The Inspector pointed his muzzle at the man.

"Quickly let those monsters release my colleagues, otherwise, I'll shoot."

The Inspector threatened; some people had already rolled their eyes, he had to take action.

"Hm?"

Bluebeard lowered his head, looking at the policeman only as tall as his own chest, and retorted: "Don't you know that when people are sorrowing and mourning the dead, you shouldn't disturb them?"

He raised his hand toward the man's head, but didn't grab, just placed it in front of the other's face: "But you look like you don't have any artistic cells; I'll forgive you then."

Bluebeard chanted a spell in a low voice; the Inspector didn't understand what he was doing, but roared: "I told you to call those monsters to put my colleagues down, did you hear me?"

"Dark Sacrifice, Sea Demon Summoning."

The Magic Circle formed, the casting material, was the Inspector right before his eyes.

"What is this, what exactly did you do?"

Sudden severe pain came from within his body; the Inspector man's face changed color.

"Rip—"

Before he could pull the trigger, a Sea Demon burst out from his body.

He died, his flesh and blood also devoured by the monster emerging from within his body.

"Ryuunosuke Uryuu, God is so unfair, letting you, this great human artist, exit the stage early, but it doesn't matter, you still have me.

I, Gilles de Rais, swear here that I will definitely make that Agent of God's Will who made you exit early, in the same way, exit from this stage called the World."

Raising his hand to pierce into the body of a police officer hanging beside the Sea Demon, a fresh, living heart was dug out by Bluebeard Gilles de Rais.

The chanting sounded again; as the heart exploded as casting material, heart blood carrying the dead person's resentment, under the function of Magecraft, guided toward a direction.

"Fog? No, this is a phenomenon caused by Magecraft!"

Through Assassin's vision, Kirei Kotomine, standing by in Fuyuki Church, discovered Caster leading a group of Sea Demons into action.

That guy still had absolutely no intention of concealing Mystery, even escalating it by marching on the streets with a group of Familiars.

Along the way, any ordinary people encountered would be killed indiscriminately by the other party, then used as materials for summoning Familiars.

"Truly a madman!"

While notifying Tohsaka Tokiomi of Caster's new movements, Kirei Kotomine also had his Assassin knock unconscious and throw aside the innocent pedestrians on the other party's route.

This wasn't out of any kindness to save people, just didn't want Caster's Familiar troupe to continue expanding.

"What, Caster summoned a group of large Familiars on the street, and now they're parading?"

Upon receiving the news, Tohsaka Tokiomi only felt his blood pressure had a tendency to explode at this moment; as the largest Magecraft family in Fuyuki City, the Tohsaka Family, he as the head had the obligation and responsibility to protect the local Mystery.

And Caster's behavior of parading unscrupulously on the streets with a large group of Familiars was simply riding in his face and outputting, challenging his bottom line as a Magecraft practitioner.

With the Holy Grail Ritual having proceeded to this point, could it still be called a Mystery Ritual? Might as well hang a loudspeaker on the other party and announce it widely? "Is Caster's Master crazy, letting his own Servant do this, isn't he afraid of being surrounded and killed by numerous Servants?"

"Lord Tokiomi, pardon my bluntness, that pair of combination was originally madmen, from the start of the Holy Grail Ritual until now."

"Oh, right, almost forgot, then what is their objective? Making such a big commotion, could it be they just want to become the target of everyone's arrows?"

"According to Caster's advancing route, he and his Familiar regiment are heading toward Saber's combination's relocated base; unknown for what reason, Caster has been targeting Saber. Hmm, Teacher, do we need to snipe Caster's behavior now?"

After Kirei Kotomine finished reporting Caster's objective intent, he inquired.

"Going to deal with Saber? Then no need to snipe him; just let that madman Caster combination serve as a stepping stone to probe Saber's power.

Of course, you must continue having Assassin clean up ordinary people on the other party's advancing route; if too many ordinary people die, this matter won't be too easy to cover up."

Tohsaka Tokiomi did not stop Caster's actions, just had his Disciple do a slightly better job of wrapping up the follow-up work, reducing ordinary people's deaths.

Gilles de Rais was guided by the blood of resentment, and under the silent efforts of Kotomine Kirei's Servant clearing away innocent bystanders, he made his way unobstructed to the Fuyuki Old City District.

"Kiritsugu!"

In the mansion of the new base, Artoria sensed a strangeness in the air, rushed into the house, and discovered that her Master Kiritsugu Emiya had also already detected the strange Magic Power in the air.

At this moment, a submachine gun had already been assembled by him; Kiritsugu Emiya looked at the intruding Saber and instructed Maiya Hisau, who still had some injuries on her body beside him: "Protect Irisviel von Einzbern well; Saber and I will go out to meet the enemy."

Under the moonlit night, the street was filled with mist; dark clouds obscured the moonlight, and at the moment the moonlight reappeared, Caster and his Sea Demon Legion appeared at the end of the street — a Familiar quantity far greater than when they attacked Einzbern Castle before.

"Heretic, how many innocent people have you slaughtered again?!"

Looking at that massive Sea Demon regiment, Artoria felt only Anger; although she was not a person of this era, nor of this country, the Chivalry she upheld made her feel Anger toward those who committed heretical acts.

"Oh my, what a coincidence, to actually let me reunite with the beautiful Holy Maiden here; one would think Fate is arranging for you to return to my side, but, Holy Maiden, I, Gilles de Rais, have not come to find you tonight — I have come for Revenge!"

"Eh?!"

Whether it was Artoria who came out onto the street to meet the enemy, or Kiritsugu Emiya who had already set up his gun on the roof, both let out voices of surprise and doubt.

"My Master, Ryuunosuke Uryuu, a great human Artist, was yet slaughtered in a nameless bar; my Magecraft guides the arrival of the Revenge Legion — step aside, Holy Maiden, tonight's stage has no role for you."

(Chapter End)