Suzuki Yuki woke up again, and it was already 3 a.m. on the following day. The sleep aid component in the medicine prepared by the doctor was properly controlled, so it didn't add to Suzuki's physical burden.

He took about ten minutes to calm his mind and temporarily avoid thinking about summoning a Saber Jeanne d'Arc to participate in the Holy Grail War.

"I'm inside Chaldea?"

The life monitoring device on the bedside didn't sound any alarms. It simply displayed an electronic clock alongside the recorded vital signs of Suzuki. The clear number "3" was easily recognizable, so he didn't need to turn on the light to look at the clock on the wall.

He wanted to take out his dead phone from his pocket to charge it, but another object fell onto the bed along with it.

A small bronze mirror with an ancient design. Suzuki remembered the origin of this bronze mirror. It was a Mystic Code called "Vulcan's Talisman" given to him by the Roman Empire's allied army commander and magus, Aetius. It could block dark magic and guide the holder to see through illusions. It was a non-combat item. With the help of this item, Suzuki had timely seen through the illusory boundary set up by Brunhilda, disrupting her plan to create a Singularity Anchor using Jeanne d'Arc.

Realizing something, he immediately put the bronze mirror back into his pocket and opened his waist pouch. However, there were no remaining six golden chess pieces inside. He used to check the condition of the chess pieces every night during his participation in the Holy Grail War. With those chess pieces, he had summoned Jeanne d'Arc in a critical situation. To summon another Servant next time, he would need to use the chess pieces.

"None?"

Suzuki turned on the bedside lamp and emptied the contents of his waist pouch, turning it inside out. Not to mention the golden chess pieces, he couldn't even find a speck of golden dust in the pouch.

"What's going on? No chess pieces?"

Suzuki couldn't believe that the chess pieces would suddenly disappear. The medical supplies in the pouch showed clear signs of being used by himself, and the bronze mirror was in his pocket. It could be concluded that he had just participated in a Holy Grail War, on the battlefield of Gaul in the 5th century, where Atilla clashed with Aetius.

"How is that possible? Could someone have taken them?"

Suzuki couldn't believe that the seemingly ordinary golden chess pieces, which could only be considered craftsmanship, had been taken away, while he still had the Mystic Code "Vulcan's Talisman" that he was carrying.

After changing out of his damaged Chaldea combat outfit, Suzuki checked the condition of his belongings. Apart from the missing six golden chess pieces, everything else was intact. He also opened the desk and saw the opened package of biscuits. That day, he had spent a long time studying the biscuits in the control room with the doctor and couldn't resist his curiosity, so he ate one. The compressed biscuit didn't taste good, but it hadn't spoiled. It seemed like it had been stored for less than a year.

Fresh bread and fruit salad were placed on the bedside table, along with a note from Dr. Roman, reminding Suzuki not to wander around after waking up and to take a rest.

After having a simple meal, Suzuki roughly organized his items in the room. There was no sign of anything being moved, and he even found the "Sherlock Holmes Collection" (1928 edition) the Captain of Team A had given him in the bedside drawer. Due to the accident of Spiritron transfer and being transferred to the past to participate in the Holy Grail War, he hadn't had a chance to read this old book yet.

Just as Suzuki was about to read the novel before dawn, he heard a knock on his door from outside.

"Who's there?"

"Apologies for disturbing you, Suzuki Yuki. I'm Beryl Gut from Team A."

The man outside the door only introduced himself by name without directly stating why he came to Suzuki in the middle of the night. It was unusual for him to come knocking on the door half an hour after Suzuki woke up. Suzuki didn't immediately realize the significance of this, as he regarded the other Master candidates as his seniors and had no sense of suspicion.

"Mr. Gut? I'll open the door right away."

Suzuki opened the door and saw a fashionable man standing in the dimly lit corridor. The man slightly bowed his back, hands in his pockets, and a smirk appeared on his face, seemingly revealing hidden fangs.

"Call me Beryl. Suzuki-kun, may I come in and sit for a while?" Beryl, also known as the "Werewolf," quickly changed his expression, instantly transforming from a vaguely malicious hunter into an amiable senior figure. His use of suggestive magecraft was swift and discreet, leaving Suzuki with no chance to resist.

"Of course. Please come in." After Beryl entered the room, Suzuki poured two glasses of water on the desk, and the door closed automatically.

"I heard from the captain that your mental condition was quite poor before. I wasn't planning to come and see you right away. I hope I didn't disturb your rest," Beryl said. He wasn't an impulsive person who would immediately pursue the optimal solution that would anger everyone. The opportunity for a big gain was right before him, and the best strategy for a hunter was to find a way to devour it all. Once he swallowed this big gain completely, he would no longer matter.

After realizing his falseness, Beryl had been searching for the truth among the falsehoods, and the only person who stood out was Suzuki.

"It's okay. I just woke up. I've had enough rest. Is there anything I can help with? My abilities are quite limited," Suzuki kindly said to Beryl, who had been subtly influencing him. Under the influence of suggestive magecraft, Suzuki's guard was completely down, unaware that he had become the fat prey in the werewolf's mouth.

"Thank you." Beryl took the glass of water and took a sip. He paused for a few seconds before slowly starting to fabricate a lie. "I've been plagued by strange nightmares after falling asleep recently. Sometimes I find myself climbing endless mountains, sometimes enduring extreme cold and hunger, and sometimes, in my desperation, I can only gnaw on whatever flesh I can find."

"That sounds terrible. I've been having the same recurring nightmare. I find myself trapped in an ever-burning sea of fire, unable to escape no matter where I run," Suzuki voluntarily revealed the haunting illusions that troubled him, unaware that besides Dr. Roman and the director, no one else within Chaldea knew about this information.

"Fire?" Beryl said softly, tapping the desk with his finger, and issuing a new suggestion to Suzuki.

The suggestive magecraft directly twisted Suzuki's thoughts, causing him to forget to inquire about what help Beryl needed. "Yes, an unquenchable fire."

"What else? Are you the only one in the fire? Recall it, it's important!" Beryl put down the water glass, stood up, and walked to Suzuki's side, supporting Suzuki's shoulder, whose gaze was now hazy. At this moment, the suggestive magecraft reaches the level of manipulating Suzuki's body, forcing him to follow the suggestion and recall the full extent of the dream.

"It's important..." Unconsciously, Suzuki found himself back in the illusion of flames all around him. He was alone, enduring the scorching heat of the fire. There was no one else. Suzuki's head began to throb with pain as the excessive recollection became a heavy torment for him.

"No, that's not right. There must be someone. A fire without anyone present has no meaning. There must be someone for it to have any value in being recorded. Remember, remember, remember, Suzuki Yuki!" Beryl's gaze became fierce, his greed and cruelty fully exposed. He was willing to watch Suzuki suffer to achieve his own goals. "Who is there? Tell me, who is it?"

Suzuki's gaze gradually lost all its vitality, and his struggling motion of covering his head came to a halt. He looked at the walls of the room and spoke. "There is someone."

"As I suspected, there is someone else. Tell me, who is it?" Beryl repeated the question, firmly gripping Suzuki's shoulder, not allowing him the slightest opportunity to break free.

"I don't know..."

Suzuki's answer disappointed Beryl, but he didn't give up. "Is that person the captain of Group A, Wodime?" Beryl couldn't find anyone else to suspect, and the captain seemed to be the most likely candidate based on his knowledge. Why did everyone within Chaldea, including himself, become false, with only Suzuki remaining as the truth? If Beryl could uncover the mystery behind it all, even if he couldn't take any further action, he could disappear with a clear understanding rather than vanishing within the daily routine.

"No, he wasn't wearing white clothes."

"He? Is it a man? Is he one of the other Master candidates?"

"No, he was wearing green clothes. He's a magecraft professor." After Suzuki finished speaking, his body slumped back, but Beryl forcefully held him up, not allowing Suzuki to stop recalling.

"Are there any magecraft professors employed by Chaldea who wear green clothes?" Beryl tried to recall himself. He was well aware of the backgrounds of most of the people in Chaldea, and he knew the consultants and magus hired by the organization very well. Excluding women, the remaining male candidates could be counted on one hand, even including those hired temporarily. And none of them regularly wore green clothes. "Are you sure that person was wearing green clothes?"

"He... resisted..."

"Resisted?" 

Suzuki's vague words further confused Beryl. It sounded like that person was protecting something and fighting against a certain force.

"Well, let me ask you. Where did the fire start?"

"Chaldea."

Beryl's speculation was partially confirmed. He suspected that a major event occurred during the failure of Spiritron Transfer, causing everyone to lose a certain memory and become illusory beings, like puppets on a stage, enacting the daily routine of the original timeline. At that time, a tremendously powerful enemy must have infiltrated Chaldea, breaking through its formidable defense system. At that time, there was one person who stood alone and engaged in the only act of resistance.

Who could that person be? The one in green clothes?

Beryl wanted to ask further, but someone suddenly grabbed his shoulder from behind. The instinctual fear of a wild beast immediately overwhelmed his curiosity. Beryl ceased his subtle magecraft and released Suzuki. While he was inquiring, he hadn't neglected to be vigilant of his surroundings, but he hadn't anticipated someone entering the room through the door. In his mind, only the captain possessed such abilities. However, before heading to Suzuki's room, Beryl had confirmed that Wodime was deeply engrossed in his rapid completion ritual for studying astrology. Once that magus genius became enthralled, not even a collapsing sky could distract him for a second. There was no difference in strength compared to an ordinary person, which made Beryl relax his tension slightly. If the captain were present here, he doubted he would even feel his shoulder being held down, and he would only be able to turn his head and see his arm being severed.

"Mr. Beryl Gut, please calm down. Yuki-san needs to rest." Dr. Roman  also released his grip.