Chapter 185: Laughing

["Teacher, it's probably over there."]

[Flat pointed toward the forest visible from the hill and said, "I see more than ten people. No, now it's twenty. Wait, more than thirty?"]

[Reines: "So many people attacking Iselma at this time—isn't that too much of a coincidence?"]

["Of course, it's not a coincidence," El-Melloi II replied seriously. "Svin, this is the person you investigated."]

[Svin: "But, teacher, if that's the case, we..."]

[Suddenly, a large dark cloud spread unnaturally over Iselma, rapidly moving to cover the land and everyone's heads.]

["Danger!"]

[Everyone scattered, narrowly avoiding the lightning that struck where they had just been standing.]

[Gray: "Master, what was that lightning strike?"]

["It's a polite greeting," El-Melloi II quipped before analyzing: "Dusk weather magic—classic. The goal must be to deprive Iselma of its land protection."]

[The Moon Tower's magic began to activate, seemingly preparing to counterattack.]

["I think we need to take shelter to avoid getting caught in the crossfire," El-Melloi II said, looking around. Then, with a sigh, he added, "Although I doubt that's possible."]

["Wait, where's Flat?"]

[Everyone suddenly realized Flat was missing. He had disappeared without a sound, clearly having run off on his own.]

[Svin: "I'll go after him!"]

["Wait, Svin!"]

[Before Gray could stop him, Svin had already darted into the forest.]

["I told them not to come, but they just won't listen," El-Melloi II muttered, rubbing his temples as more wrinkles seemed to form on his forehead.]

Sisigou: "Haha, these students are a handful."

Waver: "I'm starting to get a headache just watching this."

Iskandar: "But they're reliable, aren't they?"

Caules: "Still, I didn't expect the enemy to launch such a large-scale attack."

[Meanwhile, in the forest:]

[Atrum was the mastermind behind the attack. Standing halfway up the mountain, he peered at the Twin Towers through a telescope, satisfied with his handiwork. He leaned back on a recliner, draped an arm around his maid, and began teasing her.]

["This is much better than the witch's fire that burned down her rival and the city," he sneered, referencing the legend of Medea burning her rival and children to death.]

Chihiro: "Karma's coming for that mouth of yours, Atrum."

[Inside the Moon Tower, Byron stared at the water basin with a stormy expression.]

[He had heard of Atrum Galliasta—a brash and wealthy upstart family from the Middle East with a reputation for overbearing behavior. Byron also recalled offending them at the recent auction.]

["But why attack now?"]

["Maio, Islo."]

[Byron left his workshop and instructed the two standing outside, "Go keep Estella company."]

[Islo: "What about the battle?"]

["Your magic isn't suited for this," Byron replied curtly before hurrying off. Along the way, he stopped another servant.]

["Where is Lord Inorai?"]

["Lord Valualeta locked herself in her room and said she didn't need dinner tonight."]

["I see..."]

[Byron immediately understood that Inorai intended to stay uninvolved.]

["Did Valualeta conspire with Galliasta? Knowing him, he'd certainly consider allying with upstarts," Byron grumbled, his teeth clenched. Listening to the thunder outside, he let out a roar of frustration.]

["Fine. Then I'll personally show them Iselma's strength."]

Darnic: "Quite confident, aren't you?"

Sisigou: "But he's sharp enough to recognize the situation."

Fiore: "Realistic, if nothing else."

Kayneth: "Humph, I'm curious to see what he's capable of."

[Atrum's attackers soon reached the foot of the Twin Towers. Byron was ready, his cane stamping against the ground as dense, shimmering soap bubbles floated into the air, surrounding the intruders.]

[The attackers hesitated, not daring to break the bubbles. As magicians, they knew better than to underestimate unknown spells.]

["What do you think of Iselma's Rainbow Spheres?" Byron taunted as the bubbles began to burst one by one.]

[Several attackers collapsed, clutching their throats in agony. The magic had destroyed the oxygen around them, causing suffocation.]

"..."

The Group members watching the video couldn't help but laugh at Byron's technique.

Tohsaka Rin: "…That's it?"

Fiore: "Is this supposed to intimidate anyone?"

Gordes: "Destroying oxygen? And he calls that impressive?"

Sisigou: "With all his earlier bravado, I expected more."

Kayneth: "Hah! Iselma trying to make us laugh to death now?"

[The remaining attackers quickly regrouped, launching lightning spells that rained down on Byron. Although he used his bubbles to defend, some broke through, striking his shoulder.]

[The fallen attackers also recovered quickly, joining their companions to launch a coordinated assault.]

[Byron, wincing from his injuries, summoned more bubbles to retaliate.]

[Just then, Flat and Svin burst onto the scene.]

[Earlier, Svin had caught up to Flat and tried to drag him back. But Flat, stubborn as ever, managed to convince him to stay and join the fight instead.]

[If El-Melloi II knew this, he'd probably keel over from sheer exasperation.]

[Despite their recklessness, the duo proved formidable. Flat's interference magic and Svin's beast transformation magic complemented each other perfectly, leaving the attackers in shambles.]

[However, the battle came to an abrupt halt when Atrum himself arrived.]

[Svin recognized Atrum immediately. After all, this was the very person El-Melloi II had tasked him with investigating earlier.]

[A tough battle was about to begin.]

Tohsaka Tokiomi: "I didn't expect the boss to step in himself so quickly."

Kayneth: "Hmph, although I detest Atrum Galliasta's methods, being chosen as a Master means he must be quite capable."

Sisigou: "Heh, looks like those two students of El-Melloi II are about to get trampled."

[Meanwhile, El-Melloi II, who was taking shelter from the rain, explained Atrum's involvement to Reines and Gray.]

[He had already pieced together information about the auction, and Reines now understood Mick's role as a spy.]

[As they talked, the topic shifted to the peculiar appearance of the Golden Princess and the Silver Princess. This prompted Gray to share her own story, visibly moved.]

[Gray revealed that her family had been tasked with preserving the holy spear, Rhongomyniad, for generations. Along with this duty came a deeply rooted belief:]

[If they could recreate someone identical to the previous wielder of the holy spear, they could unlock the treasure hidden within the box.]

[This belief didn't just mean recreating the external appearance. Every detail—limbs, muscle structure, internal organs, and even blood vessels—had to be a perfect replica.]

[Over thousands of years, countless attempts had been made, but every single one ended in failure.]

[It was said that the original wielder possessed unique traits—mystical genetic elements long lost to the modern era making perfect imitation impossible. However, the family believed that even a partial replication might uncover some divine insight.]

[Finally, ten years ago, the family's efforts bore fruit.]

[Why it succeeded then, no one knew.]

Waver: "Wait, ten years ago? Could it be...?"

Emiya Kiritsugu: "During the Fourth Holy Grail War."

Artoria: "Could it have something to do with my summoning?"

[When Gray was born, she had been deemed another failure. But ten years ago, something inexplicable happened. Her appearance began to change dramatically.]

[At first, it was subtle—small shifts that still resembled her original features. But over time, her face became unrecognizable as her own.]

[The changes weren't limited to her face. Her body underwent a painful transformation. Bones and muscles groaned and creaked, reshaping themselves into something new. Even her internal structure shifted. It was not the pain of natural growth but something far more agonizing.]

[Gray remembered curling up in bed, clutching her pillow, writhing in pain. Those nights felt endless.]

[When the transformation finally stabilized, her tribespeople regarded her with reverence. They surrounded her with tears of joy, treating her as something sacred.]

[Gray, however, had no idea how to respond. Her reflection was foreign, and the reverence felt suffocating.]

[It was around this time that Gray began to hear Add's voice.]

[In many ways, her story bore an eerie resemblance to the circumstances of the Golden Princess.]