Sherlock Holmes
Thinking of the Lost Time
Holmes:
Good day, everyone.
Holmes:
My name is Sherlock Holmes. I am the world's greatest detective, as well as its only consulting one.
Holmes:
I am both the progenitor of all detectives, and the essence of the very concept–one who reveals truth.
Holmes:
Today, I am here to guide you all towards a new mystery, and the facts that lie at its core.
Holmes:
I originally became involved with Chaldea when I began investigating the Incineration of Humanity incident in 2018, when I played a part in the Fourth and Sixth Singularities.
Holmes:
However, once Goetia, the King of Demon Gods, was defeated, and his plan to incinerate humanity foiled, the world was faced with a new crisis.
Holmes:
I speak, of course, of the bleaching of humanity–an event that has resulted in the entire earth being wiped clean save for the Lostbelts.
Holmes:
As you all surely know, this incident led to my gaining an official administrative advisor position at Chaldea.
Holmes:
And I must say, it suits me rather nicely.
Holmes:
While I continue to act as a detective, naturally, I've also found the work of supporting a larger organization to be quite stimulating.
Holmes:
Unfortunately, I'm afraid there
is little room for optimism...
Holmes:
...given the sheer scale of this case.
Holmes:
My current theory is that in a sense, this bleached Earth phenomenon pairs directly with the Incineration of Humanity.
Holmes:
When Goetia incinerated all of human history, he did so by starting in 2018 and going back in time to collect the necessary energy.
Holmes:
That is to say, the infamous king never bothered to collect energy from the future, because he knew there would be no human history from which to collect.
Holmes:
So using 2018 as a single turning point, he headed back towards the past and succeeded at destroying humanity.
Holmes:
Conversely, this great reset has left the past untouched, destroying humanity now, robbing it of its future.
Holmes:
Given these facts, one could argue that the King of Demon Gods' plan was intended to avoid this very future...
Holmes:
...as it involved incinerating humanity and remaking Earth before it was wiped clean.
Holmes:
It is a dreadful problem and a horrific mystery. Even Goetia believed it beyond his ability to resolve.
Holmes:
Bad as things are, we cannot afford to stop seeking a solution. Not if we are to regain humanity, and everything else that was lost.
Holmes:
We cannot–will not give up.
No matter what manner of hell may await us...
Holmes:
...we must continue onward. We must.
Holmes:
I, in turn, will naturally continue to provide my full support.
Holmes:
I WILL solve this case, even if I must consume every last bit of energy in my Spirit Core to do so.
Holmes:
Why, you ask? Why else?
Holmes:
Because...I am the greatest detective.I am Sherlock Holmes.
Jekyll:
...Okay, Mr. Holmes, I've finished changing the security levels on all the Lostbelt records.
Jekyll:
What would you like to do about the library's request for hard copies of them?
Holmes:
That's quite all right. I'm happy to authorize it.
Holmes:
All parties involved with those incidents already have the clearance to view those records freely, so it shouldn't pose a problem.
Holmes:
More so given that these hard copies will be for Novum Chaldea's own underground library. There is not a single person here who isn't part of Chaldea, and therefore involved in some way.
Holmes:
I'll be sure to let the director know about this.
Thank you, Mr. Jekyll, that'll be all.
Jekyll:
You're welcome.
Please let me know if there's anything else I can do.
Jekyll:
I'll be cooped up in the central computer room for
a while to assist Ms. Da Vinci and Sir Babbage...
Jekyll:
...but if you need my help with anything,
I can be here at a moment's notice.
Holmes:
Much obliged.
Fujimaru 1:
Are those two friends or something?
Fujimaru 2:
They seem like they've known each other for a long time.
Mash:
I know what you mean, Senpai!
Mash:
They seem very comfortable working together,
if not outright close with each other.
Mash:
It really is like they're old friends!
Mash:
Then again, maybe it's no surprise considering when the books based on parts of their lives came out.
Mash:
“The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” was written in the late nineteenth century, and while Sherlock Holmes novels continued to be published well into the twentieth century...
Mash:
...the first ones also came out around the end of the nineteenth! Not to mention they're both set in London!
Jekyll:
Huh?
Jekyll:
Ah, now I see. I thought I had told you two this,
but I guess I never got around to it.
Jekyll:
That's right. I knew Mr. Holmes back when I was alive. He was always very kind to me.
Jekyll:
We've only had time for brief hellos here and there since we both came to Chaldea...
Jekyll:
...but now that I finally know how to use a computer,
I thought I would help him out when I can.
Fujimaru 1:
So you knew each other when you were both alive, huh? That explains it!
Holmes:
Hahaha.
Fujimaru 1:
Wait. In your...past life, Holmes?
Holmes:
Hahahaha.
Fujimaru 1:
Come to think of it, you never did give me a straightanswer about whether you really existed or not...
Holmes:
Are you certain? That particular topic can get rather thorny quite quickly, to be honest...
Holmes:
Indeed, I'm always willing to obfuscate when necessary.
Holmes:
While the irony of me saying this as a short-lived Heroic Spirit is not lost on me, as a general rule, one mustn't try to unravel Mystics or the past.
Holmes:
Of course, that's not to say Mystics are a significant part of either Mr. Jekyll's past or my own...
Holmes:
But regardless, one's past is one's past.
Dig too deep, and–
Holmes:
...
Fujimaru 1:
Holmes?
Fujimaru 2:
You okay?
Mash:
Holmes?
Holmes:
Then again, I wouldn't want to be so coy
that you end up distrusting me, either!
Holmes:
Rest assured, at this point, I have no intentions of covering up anything that is clearly a matter of public record. Yes, Jekyll and I were indeed acquaintances in our lifetimes.
Mash:
Th-then, does that mean...
Mash:
...you and Mr. Hyde once went toe-to-toe like something straight out of a fan-fiction dream match!?
Holmes:
I do love that you're clearly such an avid reader, Ms. Kyrielight! And indeed, it's little wonder that question would be foremost in your mind.
Holmes:
But, I am sorry to say, the circumstances of how we came to meet were not nearly so exciting as that. If anything...
Holmes:
...
Holmes:
...they were one of my most embarrassing failures.
Holmes:
I only wish I had never tried to avoid facing Mr. Hyde...
Jekyll:
It's not your fault, Mr. Holmes. It's mine.
Jekyll:
I'm the one who agreed to organize those case records, and read some of the ones I was clearly told not to.
Jekyll:
Not to mention I was the one who ended up entangled in the spiderweb connected to those records...
Jekyll:
...laid by the diabolical Moriarty
Fujimaru 1:
Moriarty?
Fujimaru 2:
What???
Holmes:
...
Jekyll:
I was always fascinated by evil.
Jekyll:
So I think when I tracked down Moriarty, the wicked spider himself, my own evil side couldn't resist facing off with him.
Mash:
H-hang on, Jekyll.
Mash:
In R. L. Stevenson's novella, Dr. Jekyll drinks an experimental serum that causes him to gain a new, evil personality, the titular Mr. Hyde.
Mash:
As Mr. Hyde, his very body transforms to reflect his wicked nature, and he undertakes a series of awful deeds.
Mash:
Dr. Jekyll is so aghast by this turn of events that he ends up killing Mr. Hyde by taking his own life.
Mash:
And from what I've heard, the novella is a fairly accurate depiction of the events of your life.
Mash:
But, based on what you just said...
Mash:
It sounds as though the Professor–
or rather, James Moriarty...
Mash:
...was somehow involved in you becoming Mr. Hyde?
Fujimaru 1:
...Jekyll?
Fujimaru 2:
Could you tell us more about what happened?
Jekyll:
I-it's not a pleasant story.
In fact, it's really quite depressing...
Jekyll:
And since Moriarty wasn't directly involved,
there's really no need to go into it...
Holmes:
He may not have been directly involved, no...
Holmes:
But what about indirectly?
Holmes:
In time, the ingredients required for your serum became much harder to come by, no? That was his doing.
Holmes:
While I didn't learn this until after the case was closed, there was a time when the Clock Tower's alchemical catalysts were–
Jekyll:
A-ahem!
N-never mind that now!
Jekyll:
Since we're all here now, Mr. Holmes, this seems as good a time as any to ask you something I've been curious about!
Holmes:
O-oh? And what might that be?
Fujimaru 1:
Come on, Jekyll, don't change the subject now!
Fujimaru 2:
Hey, I wanted to hear more about what Moriarty did!
Jekyll:
(Master!)
Jekyll:
(I'm rapidly losing confidence in my ability to suppress my, um, urges...)
Jekyll:
(And I'm worried Hyde may put in an appearance if we keep this discussion going for too long!)
Jekyll:
(So please, help me change the subject!
I'm begging you!)
Fujimaru 1:
(...Well, in that case...)
Jekyll:
(Thank you, Master!)
Mash:
Senpai? Jekyll?
Jekyll:
Yes, um, you mentioned the Clock Tower, Mr. Holmes!?
Jekyll:
You know, I engaged in many different fields of study back in my day. I earned doctorates in law and medicine, a spot in the Royal Society of Scientists, and eventually even uncovered some of alchemy's greatest secrets...
Jekyll:
But in spite of all that, I never managed to set foot inside the Clock Tower. Apparently, not even my magecraft-adjacent work with alchemy was enough to gain entrance.
Jekyll:
In the end, I went to my grave knowing nothing about mages, the Mage's Association, the Clock Tower, or anything else pertaining to that world.
Jekyll:
...But the same isn't true for you, is it?
Jekyll:
The fact that you mentioned the Clock Tower at all
tells me you must have known that magecraft–
Jekyll:
–That is, incredible Mystics exist in this world, even as they're unbeknownst to almost all.
Holmes:
...
Holmes:
...Well, yes, I suppose I did.
Jekyll:
!
Mash:
Then, you knew the Clock Tower circa 1900!?
Holmes:
I knew of it, yes,
but my knowledge was strictly secondhand.
Holmes:
At the time, I'd decided to keep my distance from Mystics and other things of that sort.
Holmes:
I believed that my domain, and the cases I investigated, were solely within the human world.
Holmes:
However...there were times when I unwittingly
encroached on the world beyond.
Holmes:
For example, in The Adventure of the Speckled Band–
Mash:
The Adventure of the Speckled Band!?
Mash:
Oh, um, do you know that one, Senpai?
If you don't, I'd hate to ruin it...
Fujimaru 1:
I do, so don't worry about it.
Mash:
Understood!
Mash:
The Adventure of the Speckled Band was one of the
most popular Sherlock Holmes stories of its day.
Mash:
It begins when a woman from Surrey asks Holmes to
investigate the circumstances of her twin sister's death.
Mash:
Her sister died in a locked room, with seemingly no way for the killer to get in or out, and the last words she spoke were “The speckled band!” In the end, it's revealed that–
Jekyll:
The “speckled band” was actually a venomous snake.
Mash:
Right. The speckled band was a snake the killer had been controlling by whistling.
Mash:
It had an incredible plot twist at the end, and I have no doubt that Holmes fans at the time enjoyed it a lot.
Mash:
But, it has one big plot hole: the fact that–
Holmes:
Snakes, lacking ears, cannot distinguish between whistle tones. And that's hardly the story's only oddity.
Holmes:
There's also the fact that the killer enticed the snake with milk, the fact that the snake's venom should not kill its victims so quickly...
Holmes:
Truly, there is no end of contradictions.
Mash:
Right!
Holmes:
So if the story as written couldn't be true,
what actually happened? I'll tell you.
Fujimaru 2:
I don't, so yes, please keep the spoilers to a minimum!
Mash:
R-right! In that case, I'll do my
best to skip over the details.
Mash:
Basically, it's a locked-room murder mystery where the victim is killed under seemingly impossible circumstances.
Mash:
Holmes managed to solve it brilliantly, of course, but–
Jekyll:
Scientifically speaking, the “truth” still left a number of unanswered questions.
Mash:
Exactly.
Mash:
Of course, there's nothing wrong with that for a story, but if this case really happened as depicted–
Holmes:
It would mean there are still
greater truths yet to be told.
Mash:
Right!
Holmes:
So if the story as written couldn't be true,
what actually happened? I'll tell you.
Holmes:
I suppose this may inevitably get into spoiler territory, as they say, but rest assured that it will still be a far cry from the events of the novel!
Holmes:
...There is great evil at work in this case.
Holmes:
A man of incredible intelligence is using his unique
talents to commit crimes. I can think of no worse scenario.
Holmes:
At any rate, it won't be long now, Watson.
Holmes:
Very soon, the instrument of our villain's wicked ambitions will come to this room very in search of more prey.
Holmes:
I trust you have your pistol at the ready?
Watson:
Wh-what do you mean!? What instrument!?
Watson:
And hang on: you have ME playing Dr. Watson!?
Watson:
G-granted, you certainly help me out a lot, Administrative Advisor, so I'm not entirely unwilling to join you in retelling one of your old escapades...
Watson:
And I can't say I'm not honored that you chose me for the distinguished role of your most trusted colleague–one famously played by Edward Hardwicke, no less! Very well then, so be it!
Watson:
...What are we about to see, Sherlock!?
Holmes:
Some sort of curse. There is no more fitting term.
Holmes:
It comes from the Clock Tower's domain–the world of magecraft. It may sound fanciful, but I assure you that its wicked power is very real!
Holmes:
I expect the responsible party is most likely a Clock Tower dropout or, on the other end of the spectrum, a Seal Designated mage.
Holmes:
...Here it comes!
Watson:
Aaaaaaaaah! It's heeeeeeeeere!
Holmes:
I must say, whoever let something like this slip out of the Clock Tower ought to be ashamed. Not that any admonishment will do us much good at the moment.
Holmes:
Come, Watson, let's take care of it!
＄91-90-05-01-1-1
Watson:
I-it's over! It's finally over!
(Huff, gasp...)
Watson:
Wh-what in the world was that?
Holmes:
The sign that this case is now closed.
Holmes:
An evil Dark Arts practitioner was using curses with physical forms to murder his victims...
Holmes:
...but now that his curse has been routed,
it's going to come crashing down on his head.
Holmes:
I expect he's dying from the recoil over in the next room as we speak. As they say, violence invites violence.
Watson:
Really?
Watson:
Then, you mean when I was shooting that monster just now, I was actually shooting the dastardly villain behind this latest murder?
Watson:
I s-say, couldn't you have said something sooner?
I ended up firing every last bullet I had into it...
Watson:
...No, that doesn't sound like something Watson would
say. Let's see... Damn, this is harder than it looks.
Watson:
On a different note, I don't know how I'm ever
going to turn this incident into a book...
Watson:
Not to mention that if I write about what actually
happened, I'm liable to draw the Clock Tower's attention...
Holmes:
Hahaha.
Holmes:
Oh, it's quite all right, Watson.
I'm sure you'll come up with something!
＄91-90-05-01-2-0
Holmes:
And there you have it. In the published record of these events–Sir Conan Doyle's novel, to be precise...
Holmes:
...a different “truth” was substituted for the
actual facts of the case, as one would expect.
Holmes:
Nor was that the only case where the Clock Tower's
involvement, or magecraft, was skirted around.
Mash:
You mean there were others!?
Mash:
Wh-what about The Hound of the Baskervilles!? I've always thought there were some things that didn't add up!
Mash:
Did it actually have something to do with the black dogs that appear in British folklore!?
Holmes:
Indeed, it did. Most perceptive, Ms. Kyrielight.
Holmes:
But, I'm afraid I can't give you full
marks for that insight alone.
Mash:
!
Holmes:
It wasn't only the black dog, you see. As a matter of fact, the King of the Storm was also involved with–
Holmes:
...On second thought, I'd best not say any more.
Holmes:
I expect it will be far more entertaining once I've had a word with Mr. Edison about filming it for the big screen!
Mash:
!!!
Mash:
Oh gosh, oh gosh, oh gosh.
D-does that mean...
Mash:
...there might be a brand-new Sherlock Holmes
movie made here at Novum Chaldea!?
Fujimaru 1:
Easy, Mash! Just take it easy!
Fujimaru 2:
Your eyes are literally glittering with excitement, Mash...
Mash:
Did you hear that, Senpai!? Speaking as a huge fan of both the original books and the movie adaptations, this may be the biggest news since–
D：???:
Goodness, it's so lively in here!
Hehe, what's everyone talking about?
Helena:
Whatever it is, it certainly can't be an evil scheme
if it's got Mash so excited. Hehe, so what's up?
Mash:
Helena!
Jekyll:
Good day, Madame Blavatsky.
Holmes:
Hahahaha, don't be ridiculous, my dear Yelena. You know I would never engage in any manner of scheming.
Helena:
Hmm, I don't know, Sigerson.
You've definitely got a mischievous side to you.
Holmes:
Hahahahaha.
Mash:
Sigerson! That's one of Holmes's aliases
he used in the original stories!
Helena:
I see. So you're all reminiscing, huh?
In that case...
Helena:
Did you hear the one about the Himalayas yet?
Holmes:
...
Helena:
What about the... What did people call it again,
Siger–Mr. Holmes? The Great Hiatus?
Mash:
We haven't heard the one about the Himalayas yet,
no... But I do know about the Great Hiatus!
Fujimaru 1:
The Great Hiatus, huh...
Mash:
I'm glad to see you know about it too, Senpai!
Fujimaru 2:
You know about it, Mash?
Mash:
Of course!
Mash:
There's a roughly three-year period of time between May 4, 1891, the day Holmes goes over the Reichenbach Falls with Professor Moriarty...
Mash:
...and April 5, 1894, the day he reveals to Watson that he's still alive!
Mash:
The Sherlock Holmes fandom refers to
this period as the Great Hiatus!
Mash:
The explanation Holmes gives for his absence
during this period in the books...
Mash:
...is that he spent this time overseas
in places like Tibet and Persia.
Mash:
So then, when Holmes was off in Tibet–
Helena:
Yup! After he and I both faked our deaths in
1891–him at Reichenbach, me in London–
Helena:
We went around exploring the Himalayas together!
Helena:
Ugh, I can't believe this.
Helena:
Why would the Clock Tower youngsters be coming
after me now? Did I do something to upset them?
Helena:
They've left me alone for years, saying they don't care what I do since there's no such thing as Mahatma anyway...
Helena:
And now, out of the blue, they start sending assassins after me?
A：Sigerson:
I expect they became more wary of you by virtue
of the fact that you faked your death.
Helena:
Wary?
A：Sigerson:
Given the “genius” Madame Blavatsky's success at bringing modern occultism into mainstream Western society...
A：Sigerson:
...they must have thought you were about to make a move on the magecraft world now that your public persona is gone.
A：Sigerson:
Or something to that effect.
Helena:
You think they were paying that much attention to me?
A：Sigerson:
Hmm. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that
you lack awareness of your own importance.
A：Sigerson:
But whether you are aware of it or not, Madame Blavatsky, the fact remains that modern-day Europe is in the midst of an unprecedented occult boom.
A：Sigerson:
While it may not have reached the world of true magecraft, the group of people who believe in ghosts and supernatural phenomena is far greater than you think.
A：Sigerson:
Even the criticisms leveled by the Society for Psychical Research have done nothing to turn the tide. At this point, it is a genuine social phenomenon.
A：Sigerson:
Which is why the Clock Tower, and the Mage's Association, cannot afford to completely ignore it.
A：Sigerson:
Remember, they were supposedly forced to add a new department at the turn of the last century thanks to Count Cagliostro's influence.
A：Sigerson:
And if that is true, you can be certain they
are keeping a close eye on you as well!
Helena:
I see...
Helena:
If only they knew I just wanted to let Annie deal
with that stuff so I could be free.
A：Sigerson:
Ah yes, Annie Besant, Madame Blavatsky's successor to present-day theosophy.
Helena:
That's her.
Helena:
I just wanted to stop being Grandma Helena,
the old occultist lady who founded theosophy.
Helena:
I didn't want to deal with the British SPR and their incessant complaining, the Theosophical Society... Even my beloved Mahatma!
Helena:
I just wanted to be free of everything...
Helena:
...and live an ordinary life as a kind,
gentle girl–one full of hope and possibility.
Helena:
But I guess I never will, thanks to the Clock Tower.
A：Sigerson:
It may not be the entire Clock Tower behind this. It could simply be Policies, or perhaps one of the other departments going off on their–
Helena:
Who cares? It doesn't change my situation.
(Sigh)
Helena:
I was really looking forward to coming to the Himalayas. You were too, right?
Helena:
I was excited about seeing secret, winged Demonic Beasts in a land where no one else has ever set foot!
Helena:
But instead of some Phantasmals...
Helena:
...all we got were assassins and the Chimeras they
brought with them. Ugh. I'm sorry you have to deal with this.
A：Sigerson:
Reinforcements, hmm.
Stand back, Madam. I'll take care of them.
Helena:
Thanks, Mr. Sigerson! I'll back you up!
A：Sigerson:
Much obliged. Now, allow me to show
you once again what baritsu can do.
＄91-90-05-01-3-0
Fujimaru 1:
You threw a Chimera!?
Fujimaru 2:
And you did all this when you were still alive!?
Helena:
Yup! Just picked it up, and WHOOSH!
I have to say, it flew surprisingly well!
Mash:
So your baritsu was just as strong when you were
alive as it is now... I should have known!
Holmes:
Remember, these were not the Phantasmals of Greek myth, but mere imitations devised by late nineteenth-century mages.
Holmes:
If slamming them against a wall was enough to shatter all their bones, it is safe to say they never truly posed a threat.
Holmes:
In my estimation, they were no more
dangerous than, say, a wild lion.
Fujimaru 1:
Oh yeah, because those aren't dangerous at all.
Fujimaru 2:
And we all know how safe wild lions are.
Holmes:
Haha, a fair point. I certainly don't mean
to imply they posed no danger at all.
Fujimaru 1:
Something on your mind, Jekyll?
Fujimaru 2:
Huh? Did you just smile, Jekyll?
Jekyll:
Oh, uh, I was just...
How can I put this?
Jekyll:
...I guess I was just a little...relieved to hear all that.
Jekyll:
See, part of me thought that, now that Holmes had materialized here as a Heroic Spirit...
Jekyll:
...all the mystery surrounding him had been cleared up, leaving him with no more secrets.
Jekyll:
But clearly, I was wrong!
Jekyll:
It turns out that even when he was alive, he was breaking curses and throwing around man-made Demonic Beasts!
Jekyll:
So yes, I'm happy to find that you're still just as much a mysterious gentleman as ever, Sherlock Holmes.
Holmes:
...Is that your way of paying me a compliment, Jekyll?
Jekyll:
Of course.
Helena:
A mysterious gentleman, huh?
Helena:
Mystery, mystery... Speaking of mysteries, there's still one big one about you, isn't there, Sigerson?
Holmes:
Hm?
Helena:
We never did find out if you were originally a Rogue
Servant, or if somebody summoned you here. Which is it?
F：Screen-Edge Phantom Gentleman:
!!!
Helena:
For that matter, how did you show up in the Sixth Singularity all on your–
Helena:
Mmph.
Moriarty:
Hahahahaha! Now, now, Ms. Blavatsky, I think that's quite enough for now, don't you?
Moriarty:
(That was close! She nearly ruined all the groundwork I've been laying!)
Fujimaru 1:
Professor!
Fujimaru 2:
What do you think you're doing!?
Mash:
P-Professor?
Jekyll:
!
Jekyll:
The spider!
Moriarty:
Oh, yes, I do beg your pardon.
It's nothing, really. Nothing at all.
Moriarty:
I know how it looks, but I simply noticed some magical energy pooling right around here and thought I'd–
Holmes:
Unhand the lady at once, Professor.
Moriarty:
Ah, yes, of course.
My apologies, dear Madam.
Helena:
Don't worry about it.
Anyway, did you handle this pool or whatever it was?
Moriarty:
I did indeed.
Worry no more.
Holmes:
...James Moriarty.
Holmes:
The man by which all other evil is measured.
The once king of villainy, and Napoleon of crime.
Holmes:
The wicked spider who trampled all over society without so much as a pang of conscience.
Holmes:
Surely I need not remind you of the many lives you ruined, or of the countless people you yourself hurt or killed.
Holmes:
Now here you are, claiming to be secretly good on the inside even as you remain steadfastly evil and unapologetic for your past crimes...
Holmes:
...and the first thing you do upon setting foot in
this room is sneak up behind Madame Blavatsky's back?
I'd say this calls for a heaping helping of baritsu,
doesn't it?
Moriarty:
My, my, I could hear those knuckles cracking all the way over here! I suppose this just goes to show why one shouldn't indulge one's evil side too often!
Moriarty:
Indeed, I have piled my misdeeds mountainously high!
Am I up to something even now? But of course!
Moriarty:
Still, all that being said...let's not get ahead
of ourselves too quickly now, O Great Detective.
Moriarty:
I'm hardly some cackling vampire going about making off with beautiful maidens, after all.
Moriarty:
Or did you genuinely think a few snide remarks
would be enough to get my goat at this point?
Moriarty:
Well, Great Detective?
Moriarty:
Hmm. Great Detective.
What a positively stirring turn of phrase!
Moriarty:
However...
Moriarty:
I take extreme issue with you calling yourself that, Holmes. Frankly, you've got a lot of nerve, acting like you're some sort of hero of justice!
Moriarty:
Or is my recollection of you naming yourself the ultimate arbiter of truth mistaken?
Moriarty:
That you mediate facts in the name
of preserving human history?
Holmes:
There is no need for humanity to know the full truth.
Indeed, they must never know.
Holmes:
That is precisely why I was given this Ruler Spirit
Origin–to be both a mediator, and an arbiter.
Holmes:
It is because I'm meant to mediate facts and arbitrate all things to ensure that human history will always exist.
Holmes:
Hahaha.
Moriarty:
Hehehe.
Holmes:
Hahahahahahaha!
Moriarty:
Hehahahahahaha!
Holmes:
You created a noise block in the mainframe, caused a Valkyrie to go berserk, created a mechanical Elisabeth...
Holmes:
Indeed, it would take me days to recount your various misdeeds committed solely since coming to Chaldea.
Holmes:
You're the king spider, still scheming and plotting as much as ever, yet you act as though you are some benevolent protector of Master.
Holmes:
Where does the truth about you lie, Moriarty?
Moriarty:
You wish to know where you can find it, old boy?
Helena:
All right, that's enough!
Helena:
If you two insist on fighting, you can do it
without getting Fujimaru and me mixed up in it!
Helena:
Besides, just look at poor Jekyll.
Jekyll:
M-me...?
D-d-d-don't worry, I'm f-f-fine... Hahaha...
Jekyll:
I'm fine...
Fujimaru 1:
Yeah, no, you're definitely NOT fine!
Fujimaru 2:
Then what was Hyde doing there just now!?
Mash:
Y-you're right, Senpai!
I thought I just saw Hyde there for a split second!
Helena:
Okay, break it up! No more arguing!
Helena:
If you just can't help yourselves, then let's take
it outside the Command Room and into the simulator!
Helena:
Would you do the honors, Mash?
Mash:
Huh?
Fujimaru 1:
Go for it, Mash!
Fujimaru 2:
Good idea! Let's let them get it out of their systems in the simulator.
Mash:
R-right!
Mash:
Arranging simulator settings now!
Um, let's see, how should I split up the teams...?
Moriarty:
Why, Team Detective vs. Evil Army, of course!
Wouldn't you agree, Mr. Hyde!?
Hyde:
The hell you just say to me, gramps!?
All right, fine by me! I'mma kill you ALL dead!
Mash:
Now Jekyll–I mean, Hyde is here!
And he looks like he's very, um, motivated to fight!
Holmes:
Good grief. It would seem Moriarty has left us
with little choice but to clean up this mess!
Mash:
It looks like Holmes is raring to go too, Senpai!
Fujimaru 1:
Then let's get this combat simulation started!
＄91-90-05-01-3-1
Moriarty:
Nooo! You got meee!
Moriarty:
...Oh, drat.
Now my favorite coat's all smudged.
Moriarty:
Very well then, I think I'll be on my merry way.
Today's baritsu really did a number on my poor back!
Moriarty:
Oh, yes. That'll do, Hyde!
Hyde:
Huh!? The hell you talking about!?
I can keep this up all–
Moriarty:
I said, that'll do.
Jekyll:
...!?
Jekyll:
D-did I...turn into Hyde again?
Moriarty:
Now, as they say nowadays... Sayonara, suckers!
Hahahahaha!
Holmes:
Good grief.
Seems he threw subtlety out the window today...
Holmes:
...
Holmes:
All that aside, this vision of London permeated by Demonic Fog certainly does bring back memories.
Mash:
The Fourth Singularity is where you accepted
that request from Babbage, right, Holmes?
Holmes:
Yes, it is.
Holmes:
Unfortunately, I still have yet to fully complete it, much to my chagrin.
Mash:
...
Holmes:
Though the first murder of humanity was prevented when Goetia and his mass incineration plot were defeated...
Holmes:
...it was not long afterwards that a second plot to murder all of humanity began, in the form of the bleaching of Earth.
Holmes:
This is easily the largest murder case in all of history. As such, I must do everything I can to solve it, starting with finding out why the Foreign God did it...
Holmes:
Yes, the Foreign God–a mystery of truly unprecedented scale, and a being we still know nothing about despite having conquered numerous Lostbelts.
Holmes:
I have no doubt I was given this Ruler Spirit Origin in order to unravel this mystery, and yet...
Holmes:
...
Holmes:
At any rate, as a detective,
I am obligated to determine what true evil is.
Holmes:
And given that I no longer have a human life to take care of, I am more detective now than I ever was in life.
Holmes:
Indeed, it may be no exaggeration to say that
I am the very essence of a detective.
Holmes:
...Come to think of it...
Holmes:
I've never told you why I became a detective,
or what drives me to pursue cases.
Holmes:
I have no doubt that Ms. Kyrielight is already
intimately familiar with my backstory.
Holmes:
She has clearly read Sir Conan Doyle's novels thoroughly, as well as seen a number of their film adaptations.
Holmes:
But what about you, Fujimaru?
Fujimaru 1:
Of course I know it.
Holmes:
Well thank you. I'm pleased to hear that. In that case, I hope you'll indulge me in a quick refresher.
Fujimaru 2:
...I'd like to hear it from you.
Holmes:
As you wish.
Holmes:
Why did I become a detective?
There is one word that sums up my reasons nicely:
Holmes:
Justice.
Fujimaru 1:
...Justice.
Holmes:
Yes, justice.
Holmes:
Believe it or not, I fight for justice–
that is, what is good and right. Surprised?
Holmes:
While some famous detectives from modern stories seem concerned solely with solving mysteries for their own sake...
Holmes:
...I am not one of them.
Holmes:
Well, I do have a fair bit of aptitude for making deductions as well, as you can most likely tell from the nature of my Noble Phantasm...
Holmes:
But even so, I remain the one and only Sherlock Holmes.
Holmes:
And it is precisely because humanity is currently facing a true existential crisis that I must never completely forget where good and evil lie.
Holmes:
Murder is murder.
It cannot be overlooked, no matter what its scope.
Holmes:
So I will not turn a blind eye to one taking place before
my eyes, whether there is but one victim, or seven billion of them.
Fujimaru 1:
So we're really dealing with the murder of all of Proper Human History...
Holmes:
Indeed. We must not let it succeed, no matter the cost.
Fujimaru 2:
...What about the Lostbelts? What do you think of them?
Holmes:
What do I think of them? I think they're serial killings involving entire worlds.
Holmes:
And what's worse, the culprit has ensured that their blood is on our hands.
Holmes:
We are no longer merely fighting for our very existence.
Holmes:
In order for our world to survive, we have been forced to commit unspeakable atrocities. All the more reason that the one responsible must be held accountable.
Holmes:
...
Holmes:
...I refuse to let this stand.
Holmes:
I WILL see that the evil trampling over innocent people, sneering at the very idea of good and righteousness...
Holmes:
...and attempting to further their desires regardless of whom they hurt...is brought to justice.
Holmes:
For whose sake, you ask?
Nobody in particular.
Holmes:
No, I pursue these cases purely in the name of justice.
Holmes:
At heart, that is who I am–
Sherlock Holmes, protagonist of great adventures.
Fujimaru 1:
You mean, the protagonist of the Arthur Conan Doyle novels?
Holmes:
Hahaha.
Holmes:
True, I suppose I may have no right to call myself a protagonist any longer, now that I've shown you a wealth of evidence proving I once genuinely existed.
Holmes:
But, be that as it may,
I am still the one and only Sherlock Holmes.
Holmes:
I am a detective, the revealer of truth, and the world's first consulting private investigator.
Holmes:
I am also one of the first “great detectives” that became the archetype for many detective stories to follow...
Holmes:
...which brings its own set of responsibilities.
Holmes:
And...I have my pride as well.
Helena:
...You never did answer my question.
Helena:
You really put on a show of it, too, with all that talk about solving cases in the name of justice!
Helena:
But you're still hiding some pretty big secrets,
aren't you, Sigerson?
Holmes:
Good grief. I suppose it was a fool's errand to hope you would forget about that, Madame Blavatsky.
Holmes:
Nonetheless, I meant every word I said. I only attempt to solve cases in furtherance of justice in the world.
Holmes:
However, you are still correct.
I do indeed have secrets.
Holmes:
Furthermore, there is still a great mystery regarding me personally that I have yet to solve.
Holmes:
Who summoned me in the first–
Holmes:
...
Holmes:
............
Helena:
Sigerson?
Holmes:
...I know.
Holmes:
This is the most pressing question I face in this
materialization. I'll need to find an answer eventually.
Helena:
Even if it means turning evil?
Helena:
Are you saying you're willing to resort to evil means in pursuit of supposedly just ends?
Holmes:
...
Helena:
Let me just make sure of one thing.
Would Fujimaru consider this to be evil, too?
Holmes:
...No, [♂ he /♀️ she] would not.
Holmes:
If nothing else, Yelena, I can assure you of that.
Holmes:
I am resolutely on humanity's side,
and that very much includes Fujimaru.
Holmes:
Think of it this way: I am a detective–one who has always fought for what is right, and will continue to do so.
Helena:
Are you sure?
Holmes:
I am, Madam. But if that is not sufficient
for you...I will make you a promise as well.
Holmes:
Everything I have told you is the truth.
I swear it.
Helena:
Hehe. And what exactly are you going to swear on? God?
Holmes:
Yes, well...
Holmes:
I swear it on the sight I saw back in
that hidden cave in the Himalayas...
Narration:
On the proud, final moments of your fulfilled life.
Holmes:
...Oho.
Holmes:
(So even throwing him to the ground wasn't
enough to release his grip on the knife.)
Holmes:
(The last of the Clock Tower's assassins is proving quite formidable.)
Holmes:
(But stabbing Yelena in the moment I stepped away from her is as far as you go!)
Holmes:
(I'm going to rob you of every
last possibility you hold...)
Holmes:
(...so that you can never ever harm her again.)
N：Helena:
No...don't...
Narration:
Coughing up blood with every word,
her purple eyes pleaded with me not to kill him.
Narration:
I nod, and strike a vital point to knock the assassin unconscious, robbing him only of his current possibilities.
A：Sigerson:
Yelena...
Narration:
Why did this happen? How did it happen?
Narration:
A woman of your abilities should have been able to make short work of a lone assassin the moment he stepped into the cave...
Narration:
No. No, I won't dwell on what could have been.
This was her choice, and she made it.
Narration:
Earlier, she told me this...
Narration:
“Please don't kill them, Mr. Sigerson.
I want to send them all back home alive, if we can.”
Narration:
“You know, I'm much older than I look.
Old enough to be a grandmother.”
Narration:
“So, though I don't have any of my own, I don't think it's right for me to take the lives of people young enough to be my own children and grandchildren.”
Narration:
“After all, I'm already dead.”
Narration:
But Madam, you didn't truly die.
That was a hoax, remember?
Narration:
To which she replied,
Narration:
“I know. But the moment I cut myself off from
the world, I may as well have died for real.”
F：Helena:
Thank...you...
F：Helena:
Mr. Sigerson...
No... Sherlock...
F：Helena:
It's...an amazing...coincidence...that we ran into...
each other here... Then again...maybe it was...inevitable?
Narration:
I couldn't make sense of what she was saying...
but I knew this feeling.
Narration:
As I held her in my arms, I could feel everything radiating out from her body.
Narration:
Her life force was leaving her. After all she'd accomplished, she was going to die here.
A：Sigerson:
Yelena.
Narration:
I took her trembling hand in my own, holding it tight.
Narration:
...And there, I saw it.
Narration:
Perhaps it was the manifestation of some Mystic
that secretly dwells deep in the Himalayas.
Narration:
Or perhaps it was a fleet of silver ships able to cross the sea of stars, envoys of a great transcendent teacher that descended to Earth to be with their favorite disciple in her final moments.
F：Helena:
Are you...seeing this...Sherlock?
A：Sigerson:
I am.
Helena:
That light...it's so...bright...
Narration:
Or, perhaps...
Narration:
...it was the glitter of the last faint tears running
down her cheeks...
Helena:
...Sigerson?
Holmes:
Oh, yes?
Holmes:
What is it, Yelena?
Helena:
You tell me. Why'd you go all quiet?
Helena:
Also, I'm still waiting for a proper answer.
What are you going to swear on?
Helena:
And don't mumble this time.
I can't understand you when you mumble.
Holmes:
I swear on...
Holmes:
On second thought, that's not the sort of
thing one should ever repeat. Hahahahaha.
Helena:
Huh?
Holmes:
Hahahahahahaha.
Helena:
???
Fou:
Fou, fooou!!!
Holmes:
Hahahaha, stop that.
Hahahaha, that smarts.
Helena:
Oh, it's nice to see Fou warming
up to you for a change. Hehehe.
Fou:
Fooou.
Holmes:
Hahahahahaha...