At a glance, it was a logic no different from a reckless tirade.
Sherlock Holmes, the greatest detective in human history with the Origin of 'Elucidation'; the observers of Chaldea with their omnipotent analytical capabilities... and my Rinnegan, which could read the very flow of pure magical energy.
"A liar who can evade all three of those, you say..."
"It is the only single possibility that can explain every circumstance."
[...So to summarize, you're saying there is a 'worm in our hearts' hiding among us—one who bypassed Sherlock Holmes's analysis, which you've praised to high heaven, deceived even your Rinnegan, and neutralized Chaldea's detection systems?]
"That's exactly it."
[Is that even possible?]
It was a valid point.
In fact, even Manaka and Aoko—who were watching this Singularity while avoiding 'direct observation' to evade the Singularity's influence and the King of Demon Gods' counter-offensive—had failed to notice any dissonance or the Singularity's true nature.
"However, there exists one exception."
"An exception?"
"Heroic Spirits are bound by their Lore. For instance, Mordred is subordinate to Rhongomyniad, the spear that killed her. Tristan has a legend of dying by poison, making him naturally vulnerable to toxins."
"...That puppetmaster is right. That is why I cannot fight Father when she appears as the leader of the Wild Hunt."
Mordred nodded as she spoke.
"The reason Assassins—specifically Jack the Ripper—possess a Presence Concealment that can evade our eyes is that she was a master assassin by nature, but also because she is a figure who achieved the 'perfect crime' by never being caught. To put it another way..."
"...The person hidden among us is an Assassin?"
However, there was a decisive problem.
"...There is no Assassin among us, is there?"
"Correct."
"Then that doesn't solve the case, does it, young man?"
Makiri clicked his tongue as if finding the claim absurd.
"I had no intention of solving the case immediately. This is like a full-course meal... It would be meaningless to fill your stomach with just the appetizer, Zolgen."
"...Then explain it quickly. Tell us of this truth you have discovered."
"The first doubt arose when I fought the Mafia."
By forcing the malice of humanity to run rampant and turning the 'Mafia' vocation into something like a distinct race, a massive thaumaturgical ritual known as the 'Mafia Game' was conducted within the metropolis of London.
The individuals who became Mafia members here turned into a different type of lifeform, akin to demi-humans, attacking others while in a state of partial insanity.
"What matters is that even my Preta Path's Seal Absorption could not dispel this spell."
"Is that not... only natural? Absorbing magical energy to reduce a spell to nothingness is certainly impressive, but it is common in magecraft for a body that has already undergone mutation to fail to return to its original state."
"It's exactly as you say, Paracelsus. It's not rare at all. No, in fact, it's quite mundane. My Seal Absorption is not omnipotent; that's why my compatibility with Nikola Tesla is the worst. However, it wasn't just the Seal Absorption that failed to work."
"...?"
"My eyes are special. They don't just read magical energy; I can grasp the general structural information of the magecraft and the formula itself... allowing me to actually replicate them. Think of it as something similar to how that fellow Waver analyzes and dismantles the magecraft of other departments."
[It's likely a far superior version. I merely elucidate through inductive reasoning, but you possess eyes that perceive the pure essence.]
Because my Rinnegan was obtained directly through the Root, I could not use the Ocular Powers of the standard Sharingan or the Susanoo of the Mangekyou Sharingan. However, the ability to sense and visualize Chakra was retained and evolved into an ability to elucidate magecraft itself.
Of course, it isn't perfect. I cannot elucidate cases that are closer to primitive incantations—so crude they're embarrassing to call magecraft, like those used by Atrum Galliasta—or magecraft that is so complex and high-level that I cannot comprehend it...
"This time, I failed to elucidate the formula of this 'Mafia Game.' And the instances where I've failed to elucidate magecraft thus far have been truly rare..."
In the past, there were the primitive spells used by the son of an oil tycoon whom I lightly crushed while expanding my influence; the transcendental formulae that exceed the domain of magecraft, known as True Magic, used by Zelretch or Aoko-neesan; the Ocular Powers of the other Rinnegan I use... specifically, techniques directly connected to the Root; and the contract spell placed by the Black Princess, Altrouge, with the Night of Wallachia—Zephia Eltnam Oberon...
"And the capabilities of the Evils of Humanity fall into that category."
[...Are you talking about Angra Mainyu?]
"Exactly."
Angra Mainyu—who still remains vividly in my memory and occasionally appears in my nightmares.
Even though I brought a luxury Servant party of King Gilgamesh, Iskandar, Artoria Pendragon, Tristan, and Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, along with battle-hardened Masters and a user of the Fifth Magic, he was one of the most difficult opponents in my life. He used bizarre means like sealing Noble Phantasms, using copies, escaping through ley lines, and even resorting to suicidal explosions after summoning Servants.
"Interference from other Evils of Humanity can be viewed the same way."
The prime example being Master Fou.
I've only encountered him by chance about three times in Chaldea, but during those times, I was never once able to perceive Fou's essence with my Rinnegan.
The Curse of the Tetragrammaton sent by the King of Demon Gods was another case; I saw the sea dyed blood-red, but I couldn't immediately read the essence of the curse. I could only vaguely confirm that it was a terribly powerful hex. The one who actually identified and elucidated it was Romani Archaman, the former King of Magic, who knew of the Tetragrammaton's existence better than anyone.
[...Hey Karma, you're not trying to tell me that another Evil of Humanity has interfered in this 4th Singularity, are you?]
"No, it's hard to see this as a full Evil of Humanity."
"And why is that?"
Zolgen asked.
"Because it's too weak."
"...You call this weak? No, I suppose for a Magician, that might be true. Certainly, compared to the Angra Mainyu in my memories... it falls quite short."
"Makiri, exactly what kind of hellish battlefield have you seen?"
"It was a war as horrific as the state of this Singularity. But that isn't the point... If it's not a Beast, and it's too complex to be primitive incantation, then what exactly is this?"
"The answer is simple. It means it is 'something' that isn't an Evil of Humanity yet, but harbors the potential to become one."
Merlin, who has yet to show himself, or Akuta Hinako, who is close to a True Demon or a pure elemental, fall into that category.
Of course, True Demons have long since perished in this world-line due to the greater strength of the Human Order, and Akuta Hinako has neither the reason nor the power to do this. As for Merlin... he's trash, a huckster, and a filthy bastard, but he isn't the type to pull something like this. Besides, he should be dying in the Babylonia Singularity right about now...
"Think about it, Waver. How did the King of Demon Gods attack us using Angra Mainyu?"
[...According to your explanation, he provoked a village youth who had resolved to forgive all people, awakening 'All the World's Evil.' He established the Principle of Retribution and turned that world-line into a Foundation of the Human Order. Because that world-line became a divergence point, the dregs inside the Holy Grail became a true Evil of Humanity, and we fought it while it was in a sort of larval state.]
"To be precise, it was a remnant of an Evil of Humanity that was less than even a larva due to an unreasonable forced reality alteration, but an Evil of Humanity is still an Evil of Humanity."
It was a stroke of luck that it ended at the scale of total destruction for a single city. If it had even reached the level of a 'larva,' I wonder if we could have claimed victory even by sinking the entirety of Japan. Or perhaps, since it would have provoked Manaka's malice, a true monster war would have broken out...
"Anyway, no... The King of Demon Gods showed one of his hands back then. He proved he could attack by provoking candidates for the Evils of Humanity that exist in each era and creating a Foundation of the Human Order."
[I know. That's why we're keeping those two quietly confined within Chaldea.]
"Confined? What do you mean by that?"
[It roughly means that individuals with an aptitude for becoming an Evil of Humanity are currently in Chaldea. As stated, the King of Demon Gods has the ability to provoke the malice of others using the Independent Manifestation skill. Even if we resolve all the Singularities, if he calls forth another Evil, we—who are already lacking in resources—would be forced to suffer a great loss.]
"I see."
"Wait! Then are you saying there's someone with an aptitude for being a Beast right here in this room?!"
Mordred asked urgently.
At those words, everyone turned their gaze toward me simultaneously. Even the Chaldea briefing team, who had been talking with Holmes until now.
[Hold on, hold on! According to your data, the candidates for the Evils of Humanity were...]
"Zephia, forget those memories for a moment. Have we ever had a good experience by being bound by memory? The damn Angra Mainyu erupted, the Rail Zeppelin was almost dragged into the ritual site for The Dark Six, and Crimson Moon threw a meteor at me."
[...Fair point.]
"In the first place, it's nothing more than arrogance to assume I know every candidate for the Evils of Humanity. It's possible that the suspect I'm thinking of and the culprit who let Jack the Ripper in are two entirely separate individuals."
"No, if your hypothesis is correct, those two culprits must be the same person."
"...The evidence?"
"The problem is that there is too much of it. From simple issues of efficiency to the resource problem you mentioned—decisively, I do not believe there are two capable individuals who can evade the eyes of myself, you, and Chaldea... especially not one that is a Beast and another with the Assassin class."
"That's an unlike-you kind of guess, Holmes."
"Is it?"
"...Or perhaps, you've already identified the culprit."
"Haha! It seems you are having thoughts similar to mine. I hope you will provide an answer that gives me the certainty to confirm my flimsy conjecture."
"You're the detective, aren't you?"
"But you are the Master. And I find great joy not only in stating my deductions but in hearing those of others."
Holmes had set the stage completely, and everyone else began to listen intently to my words.
"The singularity of the Evils of Humanity... it fundamentally originates from love for humanity."
"...Indeed, Angra Mainyu also fundamentally began with the mindset of deciding to forgive all humans."
"It's the same for other Beasts. Pity, Regression, Lust... they are beings that began from fundamentally twisted forms of philanthropy. If so, what is there in this Singularity that possesses both a twisted love for humanity and the aptitude of an Evil of Humanity?"
I slowly began to gather magical energy in my hand.
"He was righteous, with a kind personality. He volunteered for arduous tasks and conducted repeated experiments to separate the malice that inevitably dwells within humanity for the sake of others. However, those experiments ended in failure due to a certain villainous professor, and the man became a victim of a dual personality."
"...A kind individual falling to the side of evil is nothing more than a common cliché. It's a trope so worn out you couldn't even use it in the worst of third-rate works."
"But that is exactly why it can be called a dramatic development... and it's also consistent with the abilities the Mafia possess. Reason is paralyzed, and they focus only on killing the enemy before them; their physical abilities are enhanced... and decisively, they harbor malice and vanish upon being caught."
In addition, while in his current state he is technically a 'living human'—that is to say, a Magus—his Class in a Servant state would be...
"Berserker, or the Assassin class."
"W-Wait a minute. Are you saying I'm the culprit?"
"That's right. Considering all the circumstances and circumstantial evidence, the one with the highest probability is you, Henry Jekyll."
"...I don't understand. In the first place, even if I were a Heroic Spirit, the medicine I possess is limited in quantity. It's a byproduct created by chance by Professor Moriarty, so there's no way to make more than this!"
"That's also true. But that only applies if the crime were your individual act. If a Holy Grail is with you, there wouldn't be a problem."
A Holy Grail cannot grant abstract or impossible wishes, but it can grant material wishes instantly.
Ask to be rich, and it gives massive amounts of gold and money. Ask for supernatural powers, and it gives Mystic Eyes or a corresponding psychic ability...
"If you ask for a medicine that you don't remember how to make, it could produce an abundance of that elixir."
"B-But if that were the case, I couldn't go around feeding that medicine to people one by one! Besides, I have an alibi! I ran straight to my friend's workshop after the Mafia incident broke out and haven't moved a single step!"
"...He's right. Furthermore, if such a large amount of medicine was created, there should be traces left somewhere, but the fact that not even a trace remains means..."
"There is exactly one place where no trace would be left."
Chaldea scanned the Mages' Association, workshops, and all of London, yet they failed to find the source of the Mafia.
No, perhaps that was only to be expected.
"I should have realized it the moment I heard there were no traces of those low-lifes from the Association coming outside. No, come to think of it, it was obvious. They are people who 'voluntarily' chose the Mafia faction. To put it another way, they have a goal they must achieve even if they have to become the Mafia."
"...The Swirl of the Origin, presumably."
"Exactly. Then what, in this era, is closest to the Swirl of the Origin?"
Holmes asked.
Then Makiri immediately looked at me.
"But is he not a person from a different time?"
"If we're being picky... Marshal of Magic comes to mind. Otherwise, Lord Brishisan, said to have been the direct disciple of the King of Magic, and the Spirit Grave located at the Clock Tower..."
!!!
"I see. We haven't entered the Spirit Grave... Or rather, we couldn't. Nikola Tesla appeared before we could enter."
"On top of that, there were supposed to be three more Servants summoned in this Singularity."
Even if we set aside Frankenstein as a modern figure, there were Tamamo-no-Mae and Sakata Kintoki...
"Charles Babbage, the King of Steam, was nowhere to be seen. But London is entirely covered in fog. And not just ordinary fog, but a fog laden with something thaumaturgical... Of course, the toxin didn't work on us. I'm immune, Ritsuka is immune... and the other Servants are, well, Servants."
[...But if it's fog, one possibility comes to mind. Are you saying the drugs were mixed into the fog and released?]
"That's impossible! If that were the case, everyone here should have become Mafia too!"
He shouted excitedly.
"Haha, that's why I said it on the first day. This thaumaturgical formula is ultimately operating under the grand premise of a 'Mafia Game.' If the number of Mafia exceeds the number of citizens, how could it be a 'game'?"
Dr. Jekyll's drug was merely the trigger for designating the Mafia.
Since it's unlikely that ordinary citizens would voluntarily say they want to become Mafia and slaughter their neighbors, it's reasonable to assume the Mafia were created through some coercive means.
"Furthermore, based on the time they were summoned into the Singularity, the Mafia Game had already begun."
"And decisively... even the name of the magecraft is the same."
The Secret Game of Sin—Dangerous Game.
The Thaumaturgical Formula—Mafia Game.
"No, no, it's not me! This is a trap! It's absurd to call me the culprit when I have no reason to do such a thing in the first place!"
"Knock it off, Jekyll. Or should I say, Hyde? You are already enjoying this situation. As proof, right now..."
You're smiling, aren't you?
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