Magician in Type-Moon

Page 511

After the light faded, the streets returned to their original quiet and bustle, as if the changes had never happened.

.........

Matou Ike and Yvette walked into the anatomy bureau again. The metal doors of the elevator slowly closed, and the two stood there in tacit understanding.

Compared to yesterday, the atmosphere today was much more somber. The elevator descended rapidly, finally stopping on the 45th basement floor.

As soon as the door opened, the pungent smell of disinfectant and the stench of blood that had not been cleaned up hit you.

In the cold underground space, a figure was already waiting.

“Miss Lingli,” Yvette called softly, her voice tinged with curiosity.

She blinked, and seeing the other person's furisode kimono, which was as dark as night, she felt a unique solemnity.

Despite being in the dark underground environment, Ryori Adashino remained dignified and elegant, like a bright pearl in the night.

Her long, black hair fell smoothly down her back, as if freezing the surrounding air.

She pushed up her glasses, a faint smile appearing on her lips. Despite the rather unsuitable environment, her composure remained unshaken.

Her gaze first fell on Matou Ike, then she nodded and greeted him and Yvette.

The two responded politely, after all, Matou Ike was no stranger to her identity, as she was the one who received Matou Zouken as a receptionist nine years ago.

"Because a murder has occurred here, I will be here as the representative of the Law and Politics Department," Hirori Adashino explained to the two in a calm and rational voice.

The Legal Affairs Department, as an agency responsible for monitoring and enforcing criminal functions within the magic world, exists in a gray area and bears the responsibility of maintaining order.

This world does not allow for too many mistakes or slackness.

“Mm.” Matou Ike nodded slightly, responding briefly and precisely.

Ryori Hideno gestured to the two of them and then led them into the research room at the crime scene.

Guided by several staff members, the three walked through the corridor and entered a spacious area.

“…Hmm!” Yvette frowned and covered her nose. The unpleasant smell made her stomach churn.

Matou Ike also covered her mouth, a complex emotion flashing across her eyes.

Perhaps because she had done her research beforehand, Ryori Adashino's attitude remained unchanged, as if she were completely unaffected by these factors.

The scene inside the research room was unusual. It was spacious, almost like a hall.

All around were various strange devices, some unidentified instruments and pipes intertwined, and huge cables snaked across the ground, stretching into unknown places.

Some of the devices look like hospital equipment, while others are quite different from common magic props.

But these devices, which were not part of "reality," no longer attracted Matou Ike's attention. Matou Ike's gaze instantly turned to the monsters lying on the ground.

The corpses of several monsters lay scattered on the metal floor, each with a different shape.

Matouchi recognized some of them.

That Albion Chimera was almost identical to the one I had seen yesterday.

However, some monsters are entirely different species—giant beetles with curved tentacles like iron hooks; and giant lizards covered in scales as hard as steel, emitting a pungent, putrid stench.

The monsters' corpses were twisted and mangled, as if they had fought a fierce battle before they died.

Scattered around each corpse were bodily fluids of different colors. Blue and green blood were somewhat understandable, but what was most shocking was the white blood flowing from some of the monsters.

The white blood, that unusual color, makes it hard to associate with common sense. In fact, it could be said that the existence of this creature itself cannot be explained by conventional scientific knowledge.

The monster's body and various parts of the research lab were covered with claw marks and traces that appeared to have been dissolved by strong acid.

It looks like a battle took place here.

Yvette looked at the scene before her with some discomfort.

She wasn't disgusted by the blood and dismembered limbs before her eyes.

Rather, the monsters here are almost all formidable enemies she might encounter when facing them alone.

The number of people killed here is more than seven at a glance.

The reason why Matou Ike and Yvette came was located at the very back of this research room.

The splashed blood was, of course, crimson. The walls and floor behind it were stained with blood over an astonishingly large area.

Karl died there.

No.

Would it be more appropriate to call it something that was once a Kalgar?

Karl's body was in a terrible state, with its parts torn apart.

That was not just simple dismemberment, but an extreme form of mutilation—as if treating a body as a rag doll, allowing a bewildered child to cut and destroy it at will with scissors.

Although an object that looks like a head can be found with difficulty, it would be very difficult to sew the body parts together.

If a formal police autopsy were to be performed, that would be a different story, but Matouchi doesn't believe that the regular judicial system has jurisdiction over the autopsy bureau.

Whether it's bones, flesh, internal organs, fat, or muscle, they all mix together in this blood-red swamp, weaving together into an extremely chaotic and terrifying whole.

Everything was mixed together.

It reminded Matou Ike of his own eyes, those twisted demonic eyes.

Chapter 568 Investigation (4k)

"Why... kill someone in this way..."

Yvette muttered to herself, her gaze still fixed on the mangled corpse.

Matou Ike shrugged, seemingly unmoved: "Who knows? Some people like to leave 'souvenirs'."

For him, the sights of blood and corpses were nothing new; it was the motives behind these brutal scenes that truly piqued his interest.

Rather than reacting to outward appearances, he focused more on subtle signs, details, and hints.

Hana no Ryori, standing to the side, was unheard by the staff waiting at the door, but her whispers reached the ears of Matou Ike and Yvette:

Who do you think did it?

Matou Ike raised her eyes, her gaze lingering on the twisted limbs and dripping blood, and softly replied:

"It's not hard to guess, is it? Apart from those monsters, no matter how powerful a magician is, it would be incredibly difficult to deal with so many Albion monsters without large-scale destruction. Only a Servant could do something with this level of brutality."

Hana no Ryori nodded slightly, a hint of coldness flashing in her eyes:

"Yes. If it's a Heroic Spirit, they can do it without even using a Noble Phantasm."

Her voice turned cold, as if she were already used to this scene.

Matou Ike hesitated for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Have you kept records of the Heroic Spirits summoned by Heartless?"

Hana no Ryori's eyes sharpened, and she tilted her head slightly to stare at Matou Ike: "You think it's him?"

There was a hint of surprise in her voice, "So, you think Dr. Hartrace would kill his own disciple?"

Matou Ike did not respond immediately; instead, his gaze became deep, as if he were deep in thought.

Then, he said in a low voice:

“I know that for the vast majority of magicians, killing their disciples is a taboo.”

He paused, looking at the bloody scene in the room, and continued, "But that doesn't mean it will never happen."

He couldn't help but think of the information he had gleaned from the corpse yesterday—Hartres's character.

In the portrayal of Matouchi, the man is far from the kind of passionate teacher or loving mentor that people often describe.

Hartles was always indifferent and critical of his students; his love was selective, and his affection was more of a exploitation than a devotion.

This cold-blooded personality is also his fatal flaw.

“The killing of disciples is not entirely absent in practice; on the contrary, there are several cases of teachers being killed.”

Matou Ike's words revealed a calm rationality, as if she was no longer surprised by such taboos.

"However, compared to killing a teacher, killing a disciple is considered a more serious taboo, because it is an act that goes against a magician's instincts."

Magicians will protect their disciples to the death because they place their hopes on the next generation.

Goals that cannot be achieved by one's own strength are entrusted to them, so that their legacy can be completed.

Hana no Ryori's eyes flashed, as if she understood Matou Ike's thoughts. She was silent for a moment, then nodded.

Matou Ike paused, then began softly, "And..."

He looked at the corpse submerged in blood, his eyes gradually turning cold.

"Why did Hartres choose this method to kill Karg this time? The other disciples are missing. Although no one dares to say it out loud, even if Hartres killed them in secret, it shows that he will try his best to avoid exposing his crimes."

He slightly bent his knuckles, his brow furrowed:

"But did he really need to do it here, in such a high-profile manner? To kill someone so brutally and openly seems so careless, even deliberately leaving traces. Why would he do that?"

Matou Ike and Hana no Hisahi waited in silence, as if the blood-stained research lab was issuing a silent challenge to them.

Time ticked by, and finally, Matou Ike broke the silence, calmly speaking:

"However, I've come to understand a few things."

His voice stood out clearly in the oppressive atmosphere. Yvette tilted her head slightly to look at him, her eyes filled with curiosity and doubt.

“It was no accident that the monsters of Albion escaped here and attacked us yesterday.”

Matou Ike continued, her voice carrying a firm depth.

The topic suddenly shifted to yesterday's battle, and Yvette seemed surprised: "...What happened?"

Matou Ike did not respond immediately, but lowered her head slightly, her eyes sweeping over the research room covered in blood:

"Regardless of how he obtained the information, Karl should already know that I have fought against Servants. As for the details of the battle—he may have heard that I was able to defeat Servants."

He paused, then shifted the focus of his words to the messy bloodstains on the floor:

"So he used that monster as a standard for fighting Servants. If that monster could fight against me, who had fought and resisted Servants before, then it should also be able to compete with Servants."

Matou Ike chuckled with a hint of helplessness, "However, it's clear that this standard didn't work, since I didn't even lift a finger yesterday."

Yvette frowned: "...But, so, Karlger, he..." Her voice was hesitant.