Chapter 4: The Logic of MiraclesThe medical bay of Chaldea was less a hospital and more a cathedral of high-concept science.
Rows of "Coffins" and mana-stabilisation pods hummed with a low, rhythmic thrum that matched the beating of Julian's two hearts—one biological, one a spiritual engine.Julian awoke not to the frantic beeping of monitors, but to the scent of high-grade tobacco and the sight of a man leaning over a stack of holographic case files.
"Ah, the anomaly is conscious," the man said. He didn't look up.
He wore a deerstalker-style cap pushed back on his head and a magnifying lens that seemed to float independently in front of his right eye.
"Precisely three hours and twelve minutes ahead of Dr. Archaman's most optimistic projection.
Your cellular regeneration isn't just fast, Julian; it's proactive."Julian sat up, the sterile white sheets sliding off a body that felt oddly light.
"You're Sherlock Holmes.""I am a Ruler-class Servant tasked with the preservation of truth," Holmes said, finally turning to face him.
His eyes were steely and unblinking.
"And you, my young friend, are the greatest 'unsolved' case currently occupying this facility.
Shall we skip the pleasantries? I have approximately seventeen questions, three of which involve the structural integrity of the multiverse.
"The Interrogation of RealityHolmes tapped a holographic screen, bringing up a playback of the battle in Singularity F.
The footage was grainy, distorted by the sheer mana density of the burning city.
"In this frame," Holmes pointed to the moment Julian faced Saber Alter, "the temperature of the black flames dropped from four thousand degrees Celsius to a comfortable twenty-two in 0.003 seconds.
You didn't use a protection spell. You didn't use an Ice-affinity rune."
"I just... chose the reality where it didn't burn," Julian whispered, his voice still a bit hoarse.
"Fascinating," Holmes paced the small room, his coat swishing.
"In the Mage's Association, we would call that a Reality Marble—the ability to overwrite the world with one's inner landscape.
But yours is different. You aren't imposing a new world; you are 'filtering' the existing one. You are a Mutant, a biological evolution from a world where the 'Mystery' of magic was replaced by the 'Probability' of science."Julian looked at his hands.
"They called it the X-Gene.""A delightful name for a chaotic variable," Holmes chuckled.
"But here is the 'Elementary' part: Your healing factor isn't just about physical tissue. It is a temporal anchor.
Because your body constantly restores itself to a 'perfect' state, you act as a fixed point in time.
That is why you can Rayshift without the soul-attrition that plagues Ritsuka.
"A Warning from the DetectiveHolmes leaned in, his expression turning sharp.
"But be warned.
The more you 'pull' on the threads of probability to save your friends, the more the world notices you.
You are a 'Winner' who is cheating the House. Eventually, the House—be it the Counter Force of this world or the 'Order' of your old one—will try to balance the scales."
"I've already felt it," Julian admitted, thinking of the dark presence he'd sensed during the collapse of Fuyuki.
"Something is looking for me.""Indeed," Holmes said, his eyes darkening.
"Your old world, the one with the 'Avengers' and the 'Shield,' does not like losing its assets.
And the Throne of Heroes? It has noticed a vacancy for a 'Saviour of the Impossible.'
You are becoming a beacon, Julian."The New MissionThe door hissed open, and Leonardo da Vinci—the youthful, feminine incarnation of the genius—sauntered in, carrying a small, glowing device.
"Enough scaring the patient, Sherlock! He needs cookies and mana, not a lecture on quantum causality."
She winked at Julian. "Good news, kiddo. We've stabilized your signature. You're officially registered as a 'Special Guest Combatant' of Chaldea."
"Does that mean I have to go back out there?" Julian asked."Orleans is crying out," Da Vinci said, her face momentarily serious. "
A 'Dragon Witch' is burning France to the ground. We need someone who can make the 'impossible' shot.
We need our Lucky Charm."Julian stood up, his legs steady. His healing factor had already cleared the last of the mental fog. He looked at Holmes, then at Da Vinci."I'm not a charm," Julian repeated.
"But if you need the dice to roll a six... I'm your guy."Holmes offered a rare, thin smile.
"Then let us see if you can out-calculate a Dragon, Julian.
The game is afoot.