Mephistopheles truly didn't care about the outcome of the Holy Grail War.
After all, for this demon who had been dead for a long time, he had no burning desire that absolutely had to be fulfilled.
But if one were to forcefully shackle him with an obsession because of it—
Only the act of leaving behind a masterpiece could satisfy that condition.
Burning, exploding, and then smoke rising.
Describing the most vibrant flames through suffering, allowing everything to be consumed by this red substance until the sounds of lamentation vanished.
Only then could he fulfill the words spoken by the man named "Faust."
"Outward appearance fades swiftly; true beauty endures for a hundred generations." That's what Faust said.
Yes—!
If he could leave behind something called "Beauty,"
Faust would surely be able to see it, he thought.
Therefore—
Until that moment, he absolutely would not be defeated by any Servant.
Beauty, he declared, would never lose.
[This is the truth hidden within the great fire.]
[You and Tohsaka Sakura are completely unaware of this.]
[But this doesn't prevent you from speculating about the events of that period—because there is actually no standard answer.]
"If based on the information currently available—"
"The Servant who defeated Caster should have been Lancer," the phantom's voice echoed in Tohsaka Sakura's ears.
"After all, she was the first Servant to arrive at the scene—it's only natural that she would be the one to complete the subjugation," the phantom explained.
Hearing these words, a hint of sadness appeared in Tohsaka Sakura's eyes.
The phantom noticed this and gently asked, "Sakura, what's wrong?"
"It's nothing," Tohsaka Sakura replied, her tone tinged with worry.
"I just feel that even though Lancer was the first to arrive... she doesn't seem to have done anything to stop it," she mused.
"It's as if she didn't care about the lives of others at all," she added.
"..."
The phantom realized that the grown-up Tohsaka Sakura was still as kind as she was as a child.
He pondered for a moment before answering Tohsaka Sakura's question.
"Actually, whether she stopped it or not, we don't know," he said.
"After all, this was ten years ago," he reminded her.
"But—"
"I think at least one thing can be confirmed," he stated.
"Eh?" Hearing this, Tohsaka Sakura seemed to brighten slightly.
"What is it?" she asked.
"That Lancer at least prevented the situation from escalating further—after all, that was the last arson case, wasn't it?" he pointed out.
"From this perspective, perhaps she didn't do nothing, but rather encountered a situation we cannot imagine," the phantom suggested.
"But that's also normal," the phantom continued to explain.
"After all—"
"A Caster capable of causing such a disaster must be quite troublesome, right?" he mused.
[You do not know if your guess is accurate.]
[But one thing you can be 100% sure of is this:]
[The Caster in the Fourth Holy Grail War was an incredibly difficult opponent.]
Each Servant in the Holy Grail War possesses a unique class.
For example, Scáthach is Lancer;
While Artoria is Saber. Sir Ian is Saber.
Different classes dictate the different combat styles of each Servant.
And as a Caster, Mephistopheles was naturally no exception.
However—
He also possessed an extremely strong peculiarity.
According to class divisions, typical Casters, lacking sufficient combat attributes themselves, often resort to constructing a magical workshop to achieve victory.
But Mephistopheles was completely different from these traditional Casters.
As an artificial life form created by Faust, he was not skilled at constructing magical workshops.
As a substitute, the ability Mephistopheles gained was the creation of a magical space called a "laboratory."
This was a creation that was much faster to construct than a magical workshop, but its range and effects were consequently significantly limited.
Of course.
The term "laboratory" was already a beautified name.
Its actual manifestation was more like a series of individually created prisons.
Mephistopheles himself held the "keys" to open these prisons.
Without his permission, absolutely no one could leave these places.
The photographs of the victims struggling in the fire that Ryunosuke Uryuu had previously obtained were completed within these individual "laboratories."
Mephistopheles referred to them as prototypes.
He himself knew that openly setting up these "laboratories" would absolutely not be ignored by other Servants.
Therefore—
To ensure that the process of creating his works was not interrupted.
When committing the seventh arson case, Mephistopheles began meticulously arranging a higher-level "laboratory."
He was indeed the target of the Church's encirclement and the prey in the eyes of other Servants.
But conversely—
He was also a hunter, waiting in ambush for the Servants who would come because of the "Command Spells."
The most swift to act among them was Scáthach, who stood before him now.
"Lancer—!"
Mephistopheles widened his eyes, making them look as if they could pop out at any moment.
Standing amidst the blazing fire, he raised his hands high, his movements and expression akin to participating in a sacred opening ceremony.
The towering flames from the window behind him were like a stimulant for this demon.
His voice therefore grew even more impassioned: "Welcome to be the laboratory's first guest!" he declared loudly.
However—
Facing Mephistopheles's almost疯狂 behavior, Scáthach remained completely unmoved.
On the contrary, she was even calmer at this moment, and she quickly analyzed the current situation.
Mana density would not increase without reason.
If it changed, it meant that the area beneath her feet had definitely been tampered with.
Combined with the fact that the Servant before her was Caster, it was highly likely that she had entered the magical workshop he had set up.
This was tantamount to invading his territory, and whatever happened would not be surprising.
Scáthach was not speculating wildly.
As the Queen and Gatekeeper of the Land of Shadows.
Like a genius, in addition to being able to perfectly wield every Gae Bolg Alternative that pierced through death, she actually possessed a considerable amount of magical knowledge.
In a sense, Scáthach could even have answered Kirei's summons as a Caster.
Of course, she had no need to do so, nor did she deign to.
The Queen of the Land of Shadows did not currently believe anyone was worthy of being her Master.
"So—"
Scáthach, who saw through everything, looked towards Ryunosuke Uryuu standing beside Mephistopheles.
"You set up such a dangerous thing right beneath your Master's feet?" she questioned.
"Are you... not afraid that he will die because of this?" she asked directly.
"..."
Hearing this, Ryunosuke Uryuu, also within the sea of fire, finally realized that his Servant Mephistopheles seemed to have done something incredible behind his back.
He angrily questioned, "Caster, what have you done?!" his voice filled with rage.
Facing his Master's question, Mephistopheles still maintained a calm demeanor.
He removed his hat and bowed to him.
"Master," he began.
"I had intended to tell you the truth after the masterpiece was completed," he explained.
"That's right, I did set the stage for the performance beneath your feet," he admitted.
"But—"
Mephistopheles's expression became incredibly joyful.
"All of this is so you can appreciate the most dazzling death at the center of the stage!" he exclaimed with delight.
"Master, imagine it!" he urged.
"As the land beneath our feet explodes... everything nearby will be engulfed in flames," he painted a grim picture.
"Countless people, crying out and screaming in agony around us, yet no one has any way to leave this place that causes them such intense suffering," he described the horrifying scene.
"Isn't this the most perfect work?" he asked, his eyes wide with maniacal glee.
"..."
Hearing Mephistopheles's description, Ryunosuke Uryuu felt his breathing quicken significantly.
"So that's it! So that's it!!!" he shouted with fervor.
"That's right, absolutely right!" he declared.
"Caster, you've done well!" he praised, completely lost in the depravity.
Ryunosuke Uryuu, utterly captivated by death, no longer cared about his own situation.
The insane laughter of the two men within the fire seemed to dissolve everything around them, as if they were the two people in the world who understood each other best.
Boom—!
Boom—!
More and more explosions sounded from outside the house.
Mephistopheles's traps had begun to take effect.
Flames, centered around the building beneath Scáthach's feet, spread outwards in all directions, following the will of the deranged Caster.
It was a scene like a hell on earth.
Even though everyone was running, not a single person could reach the street outside.
Mephistopheles and Ryunosuke Uryuu's final "performance" was so horrific.
This was the most perfect work in their minds, and it was destined to declare through their own deaths that no one could ever surpass it.
In such an environment, Mephistopheles looked at Scáthach again, a triumphant expression on his face that was neither a smile nor a sneer.
"Good," he said.
"Next, is the execution of Lancer," he announced chillingly.
"Ticktock Bomb—!" he shouted the incantation.
As Mephistopheles uttered the spell, countless buried bombs appeared beneath Scáthach's feet.
Of course.
They were not physical entities, but rather simulated objects formed from magical energy.
Mephistopheles had already used this to create many tragedies.
"Lancer!" he called out.
"The moment you entered, these bombs were already bound to you!" he claimed with confidence.
"No matter how you struggle, you absolutely cannot break free!" he declared.
"You will be the first person to die here! And then there will be a second, a third, a fourth!" he threatened.
"Fear, worry, hehe... you will become a part of the ultimate masterpiece!" he cackled.
"..."
"Then detonate them," Scáthach replied coldly, her voice devoid of fear.
"What?"
Mephistopheles could hardly believe what he had heard.
The Lancer before him was actually asking for the bombs to be detonated?
Was this a provocation?
"What's wrong?" Scáthach pointed her Gae Bolg Alternative towards Mephistopheles.
"Are you afraid?" she challenged him.
"You will regret this!" Mephistopheles activated his Ticktock Bomb in a fit of rage.
However—
The imagined scene of explosions did not occur.
Instead, the bombs all vanished.
And Scáthach, having analyzed everything, revealed a disdainful smile.
"Just as I thought," she said.
"Your so-called explosion is merely the materialization of fear," she explained calmly.
"As long as you encounter someone who does not feel fear towards it, it will lose its effect in an instant," she continued.
"And conveniently, I am just such a person," she stated simply.
"How much you resemble a clown, Caster," Scáthach remarked with contempt.
"Your so-called work is no different from a circus," she added dismissively.
"What?!"
Mephistopheles, completely negated, shook his head violently.
"No! You're talking nonsense! I am a demon! A true demon who makes the entire Fuyuki City fear!" he shrieked.
"Everyone remembers my figure, they are afraid to see me, and they tremble as soon as they see my work!" he insisted frantically.
"But the people in this city clearly only refer to you as 'perverts,' don't they?" Scáthach retorted.
Scáthach withdrew her spear.
"How dare you equate that with a demon?" she challenged him further.
"Great fires! Explosions! I did so much!" Mephistopheles roared hysterically.
At this moment, Scáthach's gaze sharpened.
"But the great fires have long been extinguished, and the explosions will always cease," she stated plainly.
"Your actions have left no trace whatsoever," she pointed out.
"No one is willing to remember that you did such things, and no one wants to know your names," she said, her voice cold.
"Even so, do you still claim your actions are a masterpiece?" she questioned.
"I take back what I just said—you are not like a clown, you are a true clown," she declared definitively.
"What?!"
Completely denied, Mephistopheles stumbled backward.
"No! You're talking nonsense! I am a demon! A true demon!" he wailed.
The access restrictions to the laboratory were lifted due to Mephistopheles's mental instability.
Scáthach glanced at the people escaping from inside the building, her expression complex.
"Never mind," she said softly.
"You can continue to hold onto your fantasy and wait for others' recognition there," she told him.
"Anyway... everyone has escaped," she finished, turning away.
"..."
Mephistopheles turned his head, looking from the fire towards the surging crowd outside the window, and slowly sank to his knees on the ground.
He knew he had failed—this was a shoddy work!
Scáthach completely lost interest in subjugating him; she turned and walked into the sea of fire.
Meanwhile, Ryunosuke Uryuu held onto Mephistopheles, shouting loudly.
"Caster! Caster!" he cried out.
With a boom.
Wind fanned the flames, and the house was swallowed by tongues of fire.
The terrifying arsonists ultimately died within the scope of their own wicked deeds.
[This was a scene never recorded in the data.]
[Because the person who told the story did not know the outcome of this subjugation.]
[Or rather, by the time he arrived, everything had already ended.]
"He was indeed a very troublesome opponent," Tohsaka Sakura sighed, sitting in the waiting area.
"But thankfully, he was successfully dealt with in the end," she added with relief.
"Speaking of which—"
Tohsaka Sakura looked towards the man in the distance, holding a cup of water with a serious expression.
"Should we go ask Teacher Waver again?" she suggested.
"After all, he was the one who gave Teacher Vivian the investigation report," she reasoned.
"Perhaps, he might know something else!" she thought aloud.