"Everything's connected? What are you talking about, Yugo?"
"I’ve figured out who the true mastermind is—the person manufacturing the Demonic Swords."
"Wh-What?! Who the hell is it!?"
"...Let's move. I'll explain on the way."
Yugo pulled open the infirmary door and gestured for his companions to follow.
Though shaken by the revelation, Jinba and the others hurried after him. They followed blindly, listening to Yugo’s explanation as they moved through the halls.
"The first thing I questioned was why the mastermind would scatter Demonic Swords among the general public," Yugo began. "Thinking about it now, the whole thing felt off."
"Off? How? Weren't they just trying to sow chaos? Spreading those swords so no one would know when or where the next incident might strike?"
"If that were the goal, it wouldn't make sense. If you just want to cause a massacre, you hand the swords to known criminals and set them loose. That's how you'd get the most vicious, powerful users possible."
"Now that you mention it, you're right," Fee agreed. "Even with Batz, why didn't the hooded figure choose Sanga instead? Comparing the two, Sanga is clearly the more formidable fighter, and they both harbored a similar Darkness of the Heart."
"The owner of the sword I recovered yesterday was the same," Jinba added. "He was just an ordinary man. The only reason we caught him was that his wife noticed his strange behavior and called us. If they’d targeted a loner or someone living on the streets, they could have kept it hidden much longer. Why take the risk?"
If the objective was to spread fear throughout the city, the execution was remarkably inconsistent. As the group puzzled over a culprit who wasn't prioritizing strength or secrecy, Yugo laid out his theory.
"My guess is that the culprit was satisfied as long as someone met a specific set of criteria. Their primary goal wasn't destruction—it was data collection."
"Data collection? Like seeing how much stronger someone gets?"
"That, and more. They wanted to know how long it takes for a heart to be consumed, the upper limits of the weapon's output... They scattered the swords at random specifically to test those variables. And the reason they needed that data is simple."
"Because the Demonic Swords... were prototypes...!" Fee gasped.
Yugo pointed at his brother, confirming the realization.
"Exactly. The swords appearing in this city were prototypes created by the True Culprit—byproducts of their practice sessions. The hooded figure distributed them to gather data on the weapons' performance and to see how much the manufacturer’s skill was improving. The fact that the swords were made so recently is the final proof."
"The performance was lower than historical records because the creator is still an amateur... That explains everything!"
"...If they can distribute this many swords, it means the True Culprit is mass-producing them. I know of one place and one role where someone could work day and night without ever drawing suspicion."
"Brother, are we...?"
Yugo came to a halt as they reached their destination.
Fee stood stunned, while Melt stared at the building before them and whispered, "The Industrial Department's workshop...! You mean the culprit is a student here!?"
"Yeah. It's the perfect cover. No one thinks twice about an Industrial Department student being cooped up in a workshop. And remember what Ann said? Most of the students are out of commission from exhaustion, so the workshops are practically empty. That lack of oversight allowed the culprit to work in total peace."
"But that also means we can narrow down the list of suspects!" Jinba shouted. "Let's get inside! We might find evidence!"
The guard captain sprinted into the deserted workshop. Melt followed close behind, but Fee hesitated, looking at Yugo.
"Brother, you already know who it is, don't you? You said you'd figured out their identity..."
"...The True Culprit needs more than just time to forge these swords; they need materials. It's possible the hooded figure was supplying them, but it’s a massive risk to keep meeting and investing in someone whose potential is still unknown. It's more likely that the culprit is someone who already has access to a vast supply of materials. If that's the case... the person who fits the bill is—"
"Yugo! Get in here!"
Jinba’s voice thundered from inside the building. Startled, Yugo cut his explanation short and rushed into the workshop.
Jinba was standing over a workbench. Yugo gasped as he saw the object lying there.
"You recognize this, don't you?" Jinba said grimly. "This is the Demonic Sword Batz used. We found several more just like it nearby. Your theory was spot on, Yugo. This place is a factory for Demonic Sword production."
Evidence of the crime was everywhere—the stolen blade and several replicas sat as silent witnesses. While Jinba looked on with a grave expression, Melt’s voice suddenly pierced the air.
"Yugo, look! This... this is...!"
"Melt? What's wrong!?"
Yugo sprinted to the corner of the workshop where Melt was kneeling. His eyes went wide as he saw what she was holding.
Fee and Jinba arrived a moment later. Melt’s voice was trembling. "This is... this is Ann's magic item, isn't it? Why is it just lying here like trash!?"
She held Anhel’s hammer—a tool that was as much a weapon as it was a part of her soul as an engineer. To see it discarded so carelessly in a corner of the workshop sent a chill through them all. Realization struck Fee like a physical blow.
"Ann came here yesterday...! She must have seen something she wasn't supposed to. She was attacked—!!"
"Damn it! This is an emergency!" Jinba shouted, already turning to leave. "I'm calling for an Emergency Deployment! I need teams for a search, for the preservation of the scene, and for the capture of the suspect!"
The captain sprinted out of the workshop to gather his men.
Melt and Fee stood frozen, overcome with dread.
"What are we going to do? Is Ann safe? What if the culprit... what if they killed her?"
"If only I’d come with her yesterday...!"
Despair began to take hold, but then Yugo's voice cut through the panic, firm and steady.
"...Don't worry, Fee, Melt. She's in a tight spot, clearly... but it looks like Ann is still alive."
They turned to him, startled. Yugo met their eyes with a confident smile.
"Let's go get her. The culprit will be there too. It's time to end this incident once and for all!"