Chapter 711

【After comforting Gray, Reines continued: "There is another visitor, the one my brother met last time."】

【Reines signaled a direction, Touko Aozaki appeared there at some point, leaning against the half-collapsed wall.】

Kayneth: "Phew... look, I said it would be fine."】

Rin Tohsaka: "Then why did you breathe a sigh of relief."】

【El-Melloi II was stunned for a moment, then saluted: "It seems I must thank you."】

【"Things naturally turned out like this. Although I didn't expect to meet the Boundary Record Belt."】

【Touko Aozaki shrugged and said: "I owe you one at Izulma, so this makes us even. Then, I hope you return what I lent you."】

【"Are you talking about this?"】

【El-Melloi II took out a cigarette case; this was what Touko Aozaki handed to him for safekeeping at the Twin Towers.】

【Touko Aozaki lit a cigarette, El-Melloi II waited quietly for her to finish, then asked: "What happened?"】

【"Hmm, in the basement of the old school building."】

【Touko Aozaki immediately told what happened before.】

【"What do you intend to do?"】

【"I..."】

【El-Melloi II shook his head helplessly and said: "I don't know. I don't know what I should do anymore..."】

Fiore: "It seems that a series of major messages has made El-Melloi II a bit at a loss."】

Kayneth: "Maybe this is also Heartless's intention."】

Kairi Sisigou: "Very likely, calculating everything to be exposed in one day, making El-Melloi II unable to bear so many shocks at once and collapse, thereby defeating this greatest enemy."】

Tokiomi Tohsaka: "If so, then this man is too terrifying, completely calculating El-Melloi II's action time."】

El-Melloi II: "Sigh..."】

【Touko Aozaki: "What a disappointing answer. What did you see?"】

【El-Melloi II told the other party what he discovered.】

【Touko Aozaki: "I see, there are some places that are a bit beyond my expectations. The technique of Emiya who was sealed? Hmm, I've heard of it."】

【"Then, the answer you deduced has shortcomings. That is, what does Dr. Heartless intend to do with the summoned Iskandar──that answer is missing from the inference."】

【El-Melloi II: "Yes..."】

【Touko Aozaki: "Do you no longer intend to track Heartless?"】

【El-Melloi II: "..."】

【Touko Aozaki: "I'll tell you one thing too, you'd better pay more attention to the corpse that appeared in the Department of Sealing Designation."】

【El-Melloi II: "..."】

【Touko Aozaki: "Goodbye, Lord."】

Rin Tohsaka: "No way, El-Melloi II really collapsed!"】

Waver: "Should... not yet, he can recover after a little rest."】

Kairi Sisigou: "After all, that is Lord El-Melloi II, a man who is very strong."】

【Time passed quickly for a day, Sla had already started reconstruction, but El-Melloi II locked himself in his office and wouldn't come out.】

【Tomorrow is the time for the Grand Resolution to begin.】

【The students came to express their condolences when they saw El-Melloi II like this, but were blocked by Reines and the others.】

【Gray went in to see him and found El-Melloi II sitting on the sofa, as if he had suddenly aged dozens of years.】

【"... Before arriving at that workshop, I found the initial Whydunit."】

【El-Melloi II murmured: "That is the fact that Heartless wanted to carry out this case secretly."】

【Gray: "Eh? But, even if you say you want to keep it secret──"】

【El-Melloi II: "This means keeping it secret until the death case of his student and the attack on Sla occurred. Although they acted high-profile on the Rail Zeppelin, that was probably the only exception. Ah, at that time he should have really intended to kill us."】

【"Except for that case, whether it was the disappearance cases of other students, participating in the underground auction at Izulma before, or the fact that he monitored the Fourth Holy Grail War as he revealed on the Rail Zeppelin, Dr. Heartless's actions were extremely quiet."】

【"I once thought it was the instinct of a mage who believes that mystery should be hidden, even so, after summoning such a powerful Heroic Spirit, he was too quiet."】

【Gray: "What's going on with that?"】

【El-Melloi II: "This means that what he intends to do will have such a significant impact on the magic world. Significant enough that once it is known, all factions of the Zhong Ta will take action to stop it. If not, most things can be solved by the Heroic Spirit who obeys him. Because in modern times, almost no one is a match for a Heroic Spirit."】

【Gray: "Conversely, if it is the Zhong Ta, is there a way to stop the Heroic Spirit?"】

【El-Melloi II: "Then the situation will change, lady."】

【"For example, Faker is a mage of the Age of Gods, she uses her method to control the chariot Noble Phantasm that Iskandar rode. If you add the condition that Noble Phantasms can be used infinitely, even if many mages of the Zhong Ta join forces, it would be difficult to stop her."】

【Gray: "Add conditions?"】

【El-Melloi II: "Because the magical energy sufficient to activate a Noble Phantasm cannot gush out infinitely."】

【"Plus, if you follow the rules of the Holy Grail War, the Heroic Spirit also has the weakness of a Master. Fighting the Zhong Ta while protecting the Master should be extremely difficult."】

【"A surprise attack might succeed once or twice, but that's all."】

【"As a mage of the Age of Gods, she may be superior in mystery, but as long as she is forced into a defensive position once, there are many means available. The means mentioned here might be phrased differently, called human malice."】

【"However, Heartless played his cards here."】

【"He may have judged that even if a situation occurs in the Modern Magic Department, the Zhong Ta will not take action. In fact, other departments should have been probing this matter long ago, but there is no sign of peeking for the time being. However, since the Noble Phantasm has been used, the matter has more significant meaning."】

【"In short, the Spirit Tomb Albion is their final destination. Even if they play their trump card, it doesn't matter if they attract the attention of the Zhong Ta. As long as they cross the mining city, even the Zhong Ta will be out of reach."】

Kayneth: "To think it would cause the entire Zhong Ta to oppose... Heartless, what exactly does this guy want to do?"】

Caules: "Said it was a secret operation, but before—"】

Fiore: "This means the plan has reached its end, he doesn't need to hide anymore."】

Waver: "The answer to all questions, I'm afraid, is at the Grand Resolution the next day."】

【Just then, a knock on the door sounded.】

【The visitor was the old Mr. Chaldean, who came to report the situation.】

【Sla's reconstruction is going well, Lord Norwich accepted and is willing to provide assistance, and a barrier has been set up in the underground cave, and trusted aides have been found to guard it.】

【At the same time, Chaldean also brought a letter, which was received this morning and designated to be sent to El-Melloi II.】

【Gray was startled when she saw the sender's name on the envelope.】

【It was actually Atrum Galliasta!】

Rin Tohsaka: "What? Atrum's letter! Isn't he dead?"】

Caules: "I'm afraid he asked someone to send it before he died."】

Kairi Sisigou: "Appearing suddenly with such a letter at this time, could it be that the other party discovered some clues and didn't have time to tell El-Melloi II."】

Fiore: "Should not be, Atrum doesn't seem to have participated in Heartless's incident."】

Waver: "Then, I'm afraid it has something to do with the Fifth Holy Grail War."】

【After Chaldean left, El-Melloi II opened the envelope, and inside was a recording disc.】

【Fortunately, El-Melloi II has a computer here, otherwise he really wouldn't know how to watch it.】

【Inside the disc was the last influence left by Atrum.】