Chapter 205: The Garden of Sinners Episode 5: Paradox Spiral! (Part 3)
The Paradox Spiral opened with a mystery of staggering proportions—
The parents who were just shown being brutally murdered were suddenly alive again when seen by the police and the homeless man.
It was the kind of whiplash reveal that no one could have predicted.
And among those most shocked by this were the nobles gathered in the ducal estate of southern territory.
Those nobles who had seen the previous Garden of Sinners episodes managed to maintain a semblance of composure.
They had grown accustomed to the franchise's signature use of the supernatural and the eerie, and so accepted this new mystery with measured patience—eager to see how the narrative would unravel.
But the nobles who had never seen a movie—or even a television show—were completely stunned.
They hadn't expected the story to be so strange, so illogical, and so utterly unlike anything they'd encountered.
"So this is a movie? Hmph. Doesn't seem like much."
"Indeed. I fail to see the appeal."
"This plot is absurd! It makes no logical sense. Utterly unacceptable."
"Yes, the movie craze may be sweeping through southern territory, but let's be honest—this is just a vulgar form of commoners' entertainment. Is it really appropriate for us to be shown this?"
"Frankly, even the worst-written operetta I've attended was better scripted than this!"
"In a word—boring."
"Agreed! Hear, hear!"
"..."
Their complaints came one after another.
They spoke as if they knew what they were talking about—never mind the fact that The Garden of Sinners was technically a television show, not a film; or that it wasn't just "commoner entertainment," but a phenomenon avidly followed by nobles, royals, and even mages of considerable prestige.
But of course, none of that mattered to them.
They had to believe that this was tasteless, vulgar, and beneath them—because only by doing so could they justify their own disdain and preserve their fragile pride.
Edward watched them all in silence. He noted every sneer, every scoff, every dismissive remark—but said nothing.
Instead, he turned his attention to someone far more interesting: the True Ancestor seated beside him.
To his surprise, she was utterly enraptured by the screen.
Her eyes never once left the television.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Meanwhile, across southern territory, every TV tavern was packed wall to wall with ordinary citizens—workers, tradespeople, drunks, and fans—utterly glued to the unfolding drama.
The opening had left them just as confused as the nobles—but unlike the nobles, they weren't in any hurry to judge it.
After all, anyone who'd watched the previous Garden of Sinners entries—or Steins;Gate, for that matter—had long since learned the golden rule: wait for the explanation.
That didn't stop speculation, of course.
"Okay, seriously, what just happened? Those two were dead! Now they're alive again?"
"Maybe someone used some kind of powerful spell?"
"There's no magic in the Garden of Sinners universe. Remember?"
"Yeah, but they do have magecraft, don't they? It's not as strong as real magic, but it still lets you pull off some pretty crazy stuff."
"True, but who would've used it? That couple didn't seem like sorcerers."
"Also, can we talk about that building? It's massive! I think it's even bigger than the one from Fate/Zero."
"No kidding. That's definitely new. I went to the Eastern Territories before—no buildings like that back then."
"Judging by the detailing, a lot of the craftsmanship seems to be from dwarf artisans. Figures—it's the East. Port cities draw in all kinds of races from across the continent and beyond."
And so the crowd kept chattering—Not to criticize or condemn, but to connect. To share theories, jokes, and that universal, electrifying feeling of "what the hell is going on?"
The mystery had only just begun, and already, it had everyone—noble and commoner alike—hooked.
"Hey, just how much would it cost to build a skyscraper like that? And Director Durin made it just for a movie? That's insane!"
"Seriously… what a ridiculous budget."
"..."
Voices of amazement rippled through the crowd.
The sheer production scale of this new Garden of Sinners entry had completely reset everyone's expectations.
Knowing the kind of money and manpower invested into this single episode only made them more eager—desperate, even—to see how it would all unfold.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Meanwhile, at the Imperial Mage Academy...
The mages watching the episode were no less bewildered by what they saw—but their discussions were far more technical.
"Did any of you notice? When the red-haired boy killed his parents, there wasn't a drop of blood from either of them."
"Yeah, that struck me too. Sure, it could be a matter of cinematography—angles, censorship—but past episodes didn't shy away from gore at all. Why change that now?"
"Exactly. The fact that they deliberately lingered on it—multiple times, mind you—suggests this was intentional. A clue."
"So what, those parents weren't… normal humans?"
"Not just abnormal. I'm starting to think they weren't even human at all."
"..."
That suggestion hit like a cold wind.
Even among these top-tier scholars of the arcane, none could say with certainty what was going on.
Eventually, their conversation fizzled into silence.
The truth was still beyond reach—more clues were needed before any real deductions could be made.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Back in the film—
The camera cut to a new scene: the cold, quiet halls of the Metropolitan Police Department, late at night.
Inside the station, Daisuke Akimi—the uncle of Kokutou Mikiya, who was also a detective—was deep in conversation with fellow officers regarding the bizarre incident.
The case was simple in premise, but maddening in detail:
A homeless man, intent on robbing a random apartment, had opened the door to find a massacre—bodies everywhere.
Terrified, he fled straight to the police to report it.
But by the time they arrived at the scene…
That same "dead" family was alive and well, enjoying dinner as if nothing had ever happened.
Panicked and disoriented, the homeless man accidentally confessed to his attempted burglary and was arrested on the spot.
"What kind of nonsense case is this…"
Daisuke furrowed his brow in disbelief.
Still curious, he phoned the officer who had originally responded to the call.
But it was no use. The other officer had nothing to add—no insight, no explanation.
Just then, another officer rushed into the room.
"Daisuke! Hurry up—another body's been found. Looks like our second victim."
"Again…?"
Daisuke sighed heavily.
A string of killings had been unfolding, uncannily similar to an infamous case from three years ago.
People were going missing, and when they were found—they were already victims.
There was no time to ponder connections.
Daisuke quickly stood and left for the scene.
As he departed, the case file he had just closed fell open.
The contents were briefly displayed on screen for the audience:
Details of the murdered family that the homeless man had reported seeing.
At the top of the file was a photo of the red-haired boy—and his name:
Enjou Tomoe
In the next instant, the scene changed once more.
From the dim, sterile calm of a police station, the screen cut sharply to a frigid winter street—A flurry of motion, as a chase unfolded across the icy roads.
A group of teenagers were sprinting through the snow.
The one being chased—was none other than Enjou Tomoe, the same red-haired boy from the case.
<+>
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[1] https://www.patreon.com/collection/162522?view=condensed
[2] https://www.patreon.com/posts/creating-anime-140083067
[3] https://www.patreon.com/posts/138667623?collection=162522
[4] https://www.patreon.com/collection/162522?view=condensed