Chapter 204: The Garden of Sinners Episode 5: Paradox Spiral! (Part 2)
At that moment, the nobility gathered in Duke Konstantin's estate were collectively overwhelmed with confusion.
Whether or not they'd seen a movie or television show before, every single aristocrat now found themselves more or less forcibly seated before the newly updated screening of The Garden of Sinners Episode 5: Paradox Spiral.
Among them, a few nobles with some prior exposure to cinema couldn't help the subtle flicker of anticipation in their eyes. But—conscious of the need to protect their reputations—they straightened their backs and wore the stiffest expressions they could manage, pretending as if they were only watching out of obligation.
Their posture screamed, "Hmph, this kind of lowbrow entertainment holds no value for the people of our station."
Of course, a large number of them had never seen a movie before.
Sure, they'd heard about this "motion picture phenomenon" sweeping across the South—this new form of entertainment that anyone, even commoners, could afford to enjoy. That very accessibility, however, had turned many nobles away.
Why sully their dignity by partaking in something so… pedestrian?
As a result, most of them only knew about movies in name, having never actually experienced the medium for themselves.
And ironically, it was precisely this unfamiliarity that had fueled their rejection.
After all, human beings often instinctively despise what they don't understand.
But the only way to break that kind of narrow-minded prejudice… was to force them to confront the very thing they'd scorned.
And so now, as they sat there—helplessly compelled to watch the vibrant images unfold across the magically-enhanced screen—they were hit by a strange cocktail of emotions: a creeping unease… and an even stronger sense of anticipation.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
While the nobles were reluctantly diving into The Garden of Sinners, the taverns of the South were already packed to the brim with people fresh off work.
These taverns, equipped with television screens, had long become sacred spaces for the common folk.
Forget wedding anniversaries—even the date of your first child's birth—most Southern citizens could absolutely tell you the exact release day of a new episode.
Some had even begun showing withdrawal symptoms days in advance. The chaos was legendary—demonstrating just how low human sanity could sink in the face of prolonged boredom.
There were, of course, many cases:
Artsy types took to the streets, graffiting walls with character portraits and cryptic quotes from the show.
Passionate fans debated plot points so heatedly that fists flew, both sides landing in jail.
Drunken romantics mistook random strangers for Saber, Shiki Ryougi, or Kurisu Makise—declaring them their "waifu" with tearful embraces and slurred devotion.
It was pure madness. And the city management corps had their hands full trying to maintain order.
That said, it wasn't all bad. In some ways, the rise of film and television has reduced the number of violent crimes. With most people pacified by regular emotional catharsis through fiction, public disturbances had… dropped.
From a city enforcement standpoint, it was a mixed blessing.
Even officers of the law couldn't resist. On days like this—when a new episode dropped—they discarded their uniforms, headed straight for the nearest tavern, and joined the crowd. They sipped drinks, swapped theories with complete strangers, and eagerly awaited the broadcast like the rest of the kingdom.
In ways both loud and quiet, cinema had already changed the South forever.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
And as the commoners celebrated their beloved show's return, the students of the Imperial Mage Academy weren't far behind.
The moment word got out, they rushed to the first floor of the Alchemy Tower, where the only available television had been set up. A massive crowd had formed, the room buzzing with conversation.
"Finally! Episode 5 is out. I swear I was about to die from the wait."
"Wait? Bro, my soul left my body."
"If they'd delayed it a few more days, I would've died of insomnia."
A skeptical voice chimed in from the side:
"Tch. You guys are such babies. It's just a TV episode. What are you, children?"
The speaker's poker face was decent.
But his foot was already tapping in excitement.
"Can you at least use an illusion spell to cover up those awful dark circles before running your mouth?"
"..."
Various voices echoed through the hall.
Every student here had been anticipating this film to an almost unbearable degree—especially since the previews had already hinted that this episode would be especially intense.
In the days leading up to the premiere, symptoms of insomnia, anxiety, and even irritability had swept through the student body like a plague.
But now, with the premiere of the fifth episode of The Garden of Sinners moments away, all of that unrest had miraculously vanished.
All eyes were locked on the modest screen at the front of the hall. No one moved. No one blinked. They were ready—ready for a story that would shake them to their core.
Even the Arch Mages stationed atop the Alchemy Tower had long since tuned in to the signal—some of them directly intercepting the broadcast with specialized magical lenses.
Ska, for his part, barely reacted. He was used to their behavior by now.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The movie began with a sequence of disturbing imagery—
A brooding, sinister atmosphere filled the screen, pushing tension to its limit before cutting to a shot of a red-haired youth lying motionless on a bed.
Suddenly, his eyes snapped open.
The screen shifted—to the living room of the same apartment.
There, the boy's father was dragging his mother by the hair in what looked like a clear case of domestic abuse.
Without warning, the middle-aged woman grabbed a kitchen knife.
In one swift, decisive movement, she stabbed the man clean through, blood spraying across the floor.
A flurry of jump cuts followed—distorted, disjointed.
Now the woman was outside the boy's room, still holding the bloodied kitchen knife, her movements jerky and unnatural.
"Tomoe... Please die."
She whispered the words with bone-chilling softness.
Then she raised the knife and thrust it downward—only to be met by a sudden reversal of fate.
In the next frame, she was the one collapsed on the floor.
And Tomoe—the red-haired youth—was atop her, stabbing over and over again with cold, robotic precision.
Oddly enough, there was no visible blood.
It might have been obscured by Tomoe's body… or perhaps something more sinister was at play.
After the act was done, realization struck him.
Panting in horror, trembling with fear, Tomoe stumbled out of the room and fled the apartment.
The scene cut to the exterior—a towering residential complex that far exceeded the architectural standards of the empire.
Moments later, a vagrant—likely a petty thief—was seen wandering from door to door, searching for something valuable.
He stumbled across Tomoe's unit, pushed the door open, and was greeted by a grotesque scene of carnage and chaos.
"AAAHHHH!!"
Screaming in terror, he fled the apartment.
Hours passed.
Eventually, the vagrant returned—this time bringing the city guards with him.
Still trembling, pale as a ghost, he pointed toward the door.
And then, as the officers opened the door, they were greeted by an intact, uninjured, and eerily calm middle-aged man.
Tomoe's father.
The same man who was supposed to be dead.
With a serene smile, he asked:
"May I help you, gentlemen?"
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