[205] Episode 5 · Paradox Spiral! (3)

Chapter 205: Episode 5 · Paradox Spiral! (3)

The plot of Paradox Spiral opens with a massive mystery: a family of parents who were just murdered suddenly come back to life in the eyes of both a vagrant and the police.

This shocking twist is completely unexpected for everyone involved.

The first to be stunned are the nobles in the Southern Duke estate.

Among them, those who had watched earlier installments of The Garden of Sinners were relatively calm.

Already familiar with the supernatural elements often present in the series, they accepted the film's premise with composure and eagerly anticipated the unraveling of the mystery to come.

In contrast, the nobles who had never seen the show—let alone any of the films—were completely baffled.

They had not expected the story to be so bizarre and confounding.

"Is this what they call a movie? Seems rather unimpressive to me."

"Exactly, it's completely pointless!"

"This plot is utterly illogical. I can't accept it."

"I understand that movies are quite popular in the South, but at the end of the day, isn't this just common entertainment for the masses? Did it really need to be shown to all of us here?"

"Honestly, any stage play I've seen had a script far superior to this!"

"One word: boring!"

"Exactly, so dull!"

"…"

The nobles' voices rose one after another, their disdain evident.

While their statements were riddled with inaccuracies—such as referring to The Garden of Sinners as a movie instead of a TV series, or dismissing movies as mere entertainment for commoners, when in fact, many influential figures eagerly awaited each new installment—

Even so, these nobles maintained their scornful demeanor, their expressions full of disdain for what they perceived as "lowbrow entertainment."

After all, only by convincing themselves that movies were uninteresting, vulgar, and beneath them could they confidently voice their selfish objections.

Durin, however, noticed all of this but chose not to comment. Instead, he patiently watched as the film continued to play.

At the same time, he discreetly observed the figure of the True Ancestor seated nearby, only to discover that she was completely engrossed in the movie.

Her gaze never once wavered from the screen, captivated by every moment unfolding before her.

...

Meanwhile, in the television taverns across the Southern regions, the audiences were equally puzzled by the strange opening scene. However, they were in no rush to voice their opinions.

Having watched the previous installments of The Garden of Sinners and Steins;Gate, they had learned to trust in the process of unraveling mysteries as part of the viewing experience.

Of course, that didn't stop them from discussing the bizarre turn of events.

"This is so strange. That couple was clearly dead—how are they suddenly alive again?"

"Could it be some kind of magical spell?"

"Come on, The Garden of Sinners doesn't have the kind of magic we know from our world. Did you forget that again?"

"True, but while it doesn't have magic, it does have sorcery. Sure, sorcery isn't as powerful as magic, but it can still accomplish things ordinary people can't."

"Still, the question remains—who did it? It's obvious the couple themselves don't know any sorcery."

"By the way, the building in the scene is incredible. It looks even bigger than the one in Fate/Zero!"

"Yeah, and it's definitely newly constructed. I didn't see anything like this last time I visited the Eastern regions."

"Judging by its intricate design, I'd say it involved a lot of craftsmanship from dwarven artisans. No wonder the Eastern regions, being the Empire's primary port, attract so many races from across the continent and beyond."

"Speaking of such a massive structure, how much money must it have cost to build? And Durin, the director, used it just for filming a movie? That's way too extravagant."

"It's absolutely stunning."

"…"

The voices of the audience rose and fell as they marveled at the production. Learning about the enormous budget poured into this installment of The Garden of Sinners only heightened their excitement. They were now more eager than ever to see what spectacular developments the story had in store.

...

At the same time, at the Imperial Mage Academy, the mages were grappling with their own confusion over the scene, but their discussions were far more analytical and professional.

"Did you notice? When the red-haired boy killed his parents, there wasn't a single drop of blood on them."

"Yeah, while that could be attributed to camera techniques or angles, most films in the past haven't shied away from showing blood. There's no reason this one would neglect such a detail."

"Exactly. If the film deliberately included this kind of detail and repeatedly emphasized similar moments, it must be trying to hint at something."

"In other words, this couple might not be ordinary people?"

"Not just ordinary people—I'm starting to wonder if they're even human…"

"Wait, you're saying—"

At this point, even the mages had no answers. They all fell silent, realizing that solving the mystery would require more clues from the story.

...

In the movie, the scene shifted to the police headquarters late at night.

Akimi Daisuke, the uncle of Kokutou Mikiya and a police officer himself, was shown discussing the strange case with his colleagues.

The case in question was undoubtedly the one where a thief, intending to break into a house, stumbled upon a scene of carnage—a room filled with corpses.

Terrified, he fled to the police station to report it.

However, by the time he returned with the officers, they found the family alive and well, happily enjoying dinner together.

In his panic, the thief inadvertently exposed his own burglary attempt and was promptly arrested.

"What a ridiculous situation," Akimi Daisuke muttered, clearly intrigued by the bizarre case.

He even called the officer who had been on the scene to get more details.

But, in the end, the call yielded no new information.

Just then, another officer nearby called out, "Daisuke, what are you doing? Hurry up—looks like the second victim's body has turned up."

"Another one already…"

Realizing the gravity of the situation, Akimi Daisuke sighed deeply.

Recently, a series of incidents eerily similar to a case from three years ago had been occurring.

People were disappearing one after another, and when found, they were already victims.

Without time to dwell on the connections between these incidents, Akimi Daisuke headed straight to the new crime scene.

At the same time, in the case file left by Akimi Daisuke, detailed information about the family of three allegedly murdered, as reported by the vagrant, appeared on the screen.

At the top of the file, the camera lingered on a clear image of the red-haired boy, along with his name—Tomoe Enjou!

In that instant, the scene shifted once more.

The tranquil atmosphere of the police headquarters abruptly transitioned to a frigid winter street, where a chaotic chase was unfolding. Several youths could be seen in hot pursuit of a single boy.

The boy being chased was none other than the red-haired youth from the case—Tomoe Enjou!

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