Opportunity!
Wayland released his left hand and pulled back sharply. His spear condensed into a solid form instantly. Using the tension of the Shroud of Magdalene as a springboard, he launched the weapon like a harpoon, driving it straight toward Caren.
But... it was blocked again.
Caren hadn't been affected by the Illusion Array.
Her unique constitution meant she was in a state of constant, physical suffering; a common illusion was simply too weak to distract her mind from the persistent pain racketing through her body.
Wayland frowned as he realized this, preparing for another offensive.
But Caren took several steps back, a small, unsettling smile touching her lips for the first time. "It seems we've lost."
Wayland looked past her to the other sectors of the battlefield. Perhaps due to the effects of the Illusion Array, seven or eight Executors were lying on the asphalt. The survivors were all visibly injured, but Momchil, the leader, was in the worst state. His long blonde hair was a charred, tangled mess, looking as though he'd been struck repeatedly by lightning. His vestments were covered in deep, bruising fist-prints. He'd clearly suffered a brutal beating at the hands of the Enforcer.
Momchil let out a low, pained command to retreat.
"It seems we underestimated Bazett after all."
Caren's tone held no trace of surprise. If Wayland remembered his lore correctly, Caren and Bazett were acquaintances,or would be. Bazett had a deep, misplaced trust in Caren's father, Kirei Kotomine, which would eventually lead to him betraying her in the Fifth Holy Grail War, severing her left arm and stealing her Command Spells. After that, it was Caren who would eventually find and save her.
Wayland's eyes narrowed.
He was beginning to suspect something.
'The Church is hunting Bazett... but is it possible Caren is the one pulling the strings behind the scenes?'
"Goodbye for now, Big Brother. I look forward to our next meeting."
'No, thank you.'
Wayland had enough on his plate with the upcoming Fifth Holy Grail War. He had no desire to get tangled up in the weirdness of the Hollow Ataraxia timeline. That was the four-day cycle of a 'dream' Grail War born from Bazett's contract with Angra Mainyu while she hovered on the brink of death.
The only reason Caren would even be heading to Fuyuki was because of the events of that 'Night' Grail War.
Wayland watched as the Executors vanished into the distance.
Bazett showed no intention of pursuing them.
"How's the situation over here?"
Wayland snapped out of his thoughts and walked toward Pascal. He scanned the area; several of the field agents were slumped on the ground, wounded.
"Everyone's taken some hits, but luckily, no one's died," Pascal said, busily casting healing magic on one of the agents.
"Let me help."
Wayland had learned some basic first-aid magecraft, which was enough to stabilize the minor external wounds.
Half an hour later, all but the three most severely injured agents were back on their feet.
In the distance, the wail of an ambulance grew louder.
"We don't have a high-level healing magus with us," Pascal said, wiping the sweat from his face. "We'll have to send them to the local hospital for now."
"Will that be safe?" Wayland asked.
"The hospital has a standing agreement with the Association. They won't leak anything about the patient's identities."
Pascal cast a quick illusion to mask the signs of combat on the highway. Once the paramedics arrived, he gestured to the remaining agents. "Help me get these three onto the stretchers."
He assigned three agents to accompany the wounded to the hospital.
"The Executors shouldn't be back anytime soon," Wayland said. "We should use this window to get Eliza back to the Clock Tower. Once we're inside the Association's headquarters, the Church won't dare move against her."
"Eliza's still in the car."
Pascal walked toward the luxury limousine parked behind the gas station.
He pulled the door open.
The interior was empty.
Pascal's face went rigid.
Wayland scanned the surroundings. The ground was solid concrete and showed no signs of footprints. The car was a deep, shimmering blue, and since Pascal had just touched the handle, they would need a forensic check to see if anyone else had left prints.
"Do you think... she woke up and ran away on her own?" Pascal asked, his voice sounding exhausted.
"No," Bazett said, shaking her head. "She was the one who contacted the Sealing Designation Division in the first place. She wouldn't run."
"She contacted you?" Wayland's brow furrowed. "Why would she do that? A Sealing Designation is essentially a life sentence of imprisonment. Almost no magus would ever volunteer for that."
***
"I don't know the reason," Bazett said, her expression grim.
Wayland leaned against the car, his chin in his hand as he fell into deep contemplation.
"Wayland, this isn't the time for daydreaming," Pascal said, his voice sharp with worry. "We need to find Eliza."
"Every piece of this puzzle feels wrong," Wayland said, his mind beginning to piece the fragments together. "Eliza is gone, and finding her in a city this size will take far too much time. We need to understand the 'why' before we can find the 'where.' Bazett, tell me exactly how Eliza contacted the Sealing Designation Division."
"How?"
Bazett blinked, surprised by the question. "I suppose there's no harm in telling you. At the heart of the Bureau of Secret Remains, there is a gargantuan clock. Whenever a new Sealing Designation is issued, the bell rings. We're then notified of the target's identity and given our orders."
"In other words, the designation is actually issued by the administrators of the Bureau."
It was the first time Wayland had heard the specifics of the process. "And these administrators... Bazett, do you have a way of contacting them directly?"
"No," Bazett said, her voice dropping. She clearly saw where Wayland was going with this.
"Exactly. Even as their most powerful Enforcer, you have no direct line to them. So how did a magus who was previously unknown to the Clock Tower manage to contact the administrators, and then prove that she possessed the 'talent' required for a Sealing Designation?
"The Bureau doesn't just take people's word for it. Even if she reached them, they wouldn't just believe her. They're selective to the point of obsession. Unless... she was an old acquaintance."
Wayland paused. "And that brings up the real question: if they were acquaintances, why issue the designation at all? I mean no offense, but a Sealing Designation is the ultimate nightmare for a magus. People spend decades on the run just to avoid it."
"Have you figured it out yet?" Pascal asked, his brain struggling to keep up with the deduction.
"It's simple: protection."
Wayland snapped his fingers. "Eliza was in danger. To protect her, someone issued the Sealing Designation. Outside of the 'Brand' rank, a designation is the most powerful shield the Association can provide. It also means that Eliza didn't vanish by choice. Since she volunteered for the designation, it means she trusted Bazett to keep her safe."
"Well, that's a nice theory, but it doesn't actually give us a lead," Pascal grumbled.
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika_Kagura]