Just as Morgan had predicted, Sakura, Ritsuka, Gray, and Mash traveled north through the Ozymandias territory in a sand buggy. Using the coordinates Chaldea had on the Atlas Institute, they searched the desert and, after a skirmish with monsters, suddenly fell into a massive pit.
Beneath the pit was an underground facility. They were now in a corridor.
They had reached the Atlas Institute—only to find someone had arrived before them.
His name was Sherlock Holmes.
He claimed to be the embodiment of the concept of a detective, the incarnation of "one who uncovers the truth," and the final key that would guide them to it.
According to Holmes, he had already made contact with Sakura through information.
The documents neatly arranged in the underground archive of the Mage's Association during the London Singularity were his doing, intended to help those who came later quickly find what they needed.
But more than that, it was Gray and Mash, both avid fans of Conan Doyle, who were caught off guard as readers.
They never expected a legendary literary figure to appear in a Singularity as a Servant—and to offer his cooperation.
"But given the current circumstances, this is truly an unprecedented murder case, ladies," Holmes said, leading the way and speaking as he walked. "To think of it as an incident of 'wiping out primates through the incineration of human history'—an event of this scale, naturally I would be here."
"Then why did you come to this Singularity, Mr. Holmes?" Sakura asked, puzzled.
Was the ability to travel across Singularities something a masterless Servant could truly possess?
Or was this a deliberate arrangement by the Counter Force—summoning Holmes to various Singularities and preserving all his memories?
"Same as you—I'm here to acquire knowledge," Holmes replied. "However... it seems the one who should've come personally did not accompany you."
"You mean my father?" Sakura asked. "He's currently being held prisoner in Camelot by the Lion King."
"Captured, not executed?" Holmes raised an eyebrow. "If someone qualifies to enter Camelot, yet was taken instead of killed, there must be another reason."
Ritsuka quickly asked, "Then do you know why Professor Shiomi was taken?"
"That answer likely lies at the heart of this institute," Holmes said with a warm smile. "And I have business there as well. A perfectly aligned collaboration with no detours—so, ladies, let's pick up the pace. The endless knowledge of the Atlas Institute awaits us."
Though he spoke with polished courtesy, his passion for knowledge and the unknown, hallmarks of a detective, still shone through. It made him feel just slightly different from the Holmes they had read about in books.
Still, they followed him through the long underground corridors of the Atlas Institute, heading toward its center.
Along the way, they exchanged information with Holmes about this Singularity and others.
When Ritsuka briefly explained their purpose, Holmes asked to examine the Add that Gray was carrying. With her permission, he carefully inspected the cage.
"I see. So this is a replica of one of the Atlas Institute's seven great weapons. There's a rumor that the Atlas Institute once assisted Morgan in her plan to resurrect King Arthur. It seems that rumor is true," Holmes said as he returned the cage to Gray, then looked at her. "But I'm surprised to hear you've met the last director of the Atlas Institute, Zepia Eltnam Atlasia."
"No… we only met briefly. The only one who had any deep conversation with him was Professor Shiomi," Gray shook her head.
She hadn't fully understood Zepia's actions in Blackmore Village.
All she knew was what Shiomi had said later—that Zepia had intended to reclaim the weapons the Atlas Institute had lent out under a contract. He used them to destroy the resurrection ritual, bringing that contract to an end.
"Again, that person?" Holmes raised an eyebrow, as if he'd just caught a critical clue.
"Is there something wrong with my dad?" Sakura sounded a little displeased.
She knew this was likely Holmes's instinct as a detective—to question anything or anyone cloaked in mystery. But for Sakura, who had never once doubted her father, it came off as a bit offensive.
Anyone else might betray her, and she wouldn't be surprised. But her father? Never. Sakura was more certain of that than anyone else.
"No, I just remembered something. Miss Sakura, back at the London Singularity, you encountered the King of Magecraft. Thinking back on it now—was there anything unusual about the way he appeared to you and your father?" Holmes asked.
Sakura furrowed her brow slightly. "If you're asking whether something felt off... then yes, it did. Strictly speaking, that was the first time I saw the King of Magecraft—but it wasn't the first time I had encountered him."
"Oh?" Holmes leaned in, clearly interested.
The other three girls looked surprised.
"In 2004, I was sixteen. For certain reasons, I returned alone to my hometown, Fuyuki City, and participated in the Fifth Holy Grail War," Sakura said. "I didn't win the Grail, but I know that the final Servant was Caster—who was the King of Magecraft."
"To survive a Grail War where the enemy Servant was the King of Magecraft... that must have been quite the battle," Holmes remarked. "Miss Sakura, would you be willing to tell us how you survived such a war?"
At that moment, Gray spoke up. "Because... Professor Shiomi returned to Fuyuki."
As a fan of detective novels, she had quickly grasped the heart of the conversation.
Tenkei Shiomi.
The person Gray respected most, who treated her like family.
Sakura and Caren's father.
Now, one of the key pillars of Chaldea's Human Order Restoration efforts.
But from the moment he first arrived in Gray's village, it was undeniable—he had always carried secrets.
Even so, he had earned the trust of someone as shy as Gray.
And now, he suddenly felt like a mysterious figure whose identity needed unraveling.
"That's right," Sakura said. "In the end, it wasn't me who confronted the King of Magecraft—it was my father and Lady Mother."
Holmes didn't immediately ask who "Lady Mother" was. Instead, he prompted Sakura to think:
"If that's the case, then your father has faced the King of Magecraft more than once. Looking back—was there any subtle mistake or reaction from either of them that struck you as odd? Even something that just made you go, 'Hmm?'"
Sakura froze for a moment, then spoke slowly.
"He had encountered the King of Magecraft before... and yet, that time, the way he braced himself—it was like he was facing him for the first time."
...
(100 Chapters Ahead)
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