Hachiyo Tohya's Author notes: You see, I've noticed that Fate/Grand Order set the date of their Halloween Re-Run in a way that it overlapped with the fateful timespan between October the Fourth and October the Sixth in which Umineko When they Cry takes place. I know that the plotbunny springing up from that coincidal fact will find rarely a reader, but I had hoped to get the crowd at the FGO Wiki involved in a little game of mine own...
Thing is, the following story is supposed to be a mystery story using the same narrative devices Umineko uses. The Chaldea crowd of the Halloween event stumbles into a miniature verson of the Rokkenjima guest house, impossible murder happen, Truth Battles ensue! To celebrate Umineko and these fateful October days I invite you to fight me, to tackle this short little mystery and prove that you can unravel the truth once again!
The sixth and last chapter will then be a conclusion in which the true culprit will be revealed. So before you read that one, sit back and think for yourself to get the most out of the experience!
Therefore I present you a little tale that happens today... long after Mashu, our blank protagonist and their ragtag bunch of adventurers managed to defeat the Egyptians and retook the castle of Elizabeth Bathory. But instead of returning to Chaldea to await their next adventure, they did what every RPG party worth they mettle does... they rounded up the remaining mobs and farmed the hell out of them! Again... and again... and again... and again... and again...
"Good thing I'm too drunk to care," Shuten Douji declared unsteadily, shortly before getting mauled by the Noble Phantasm of Nitocris.
"That seemed to be the last one", the queen observed. "For now at least."
"... and my old partner died once more for nothing. No CE drop", Ibaraki muttered.
A sighing Elizabeth handed Robin Hood a 1000-Yen bill.
"Anyone else willing to join in?" The bowman gave a mischievous grin. "With every miss the payout goes more into your favor!"
"Fouuu!", the small critter went mischievously.
"Wait, you guys are betting on our loot?" Mashu seemed incredulous.
Robin shrugged nonchalantly.
"It gets boring stuck in the back row, folks need something to make it worth their time. How about it?"
"No thanks, I pass..."
"Your loss...," he then fetched a cigarette out of his pocket and was just about to vanish for a quick smoke when he hesitated and looked up into the pitch black sky with an annoyed frown. "Guys, it looks like its going to pour in a bit."
A groan went through the group, especially Ibaraki and Elizabeth seemed down.
"May I chime in?" The voice of Doctor Roman announced his presence. "I have taken the liberty to look at the meteorological data of your current singularity. And... the weather forecast speaks indeed of a heavy storm. I'm serious here, we are talking about typhoon level magnitude. More than that, it's going to be a real monster!"
"Such a storm so far away from the sea?" Mashu was still doubtful, even though she looked at the dark horizon with dread.
"I suppose the singularity is messing with the weather. Given how unstable this one is..."
"... admittedly, this one was one of the wackier ones, no wonder it is on the bring of collapse."
"Hey, you are talking about my home here!" Mail-bikini Elizabeth complained, as if to drive the point home with only her ill-fitting presence.
"Fine then. It is already late anyway, we should retire to the castle for now," Mashu declared. "What's your opinion on it, Sempai?"
Ritsuka, the faceless protagonist, seemed taken aback for being included in the conversation. After thinking a little consideration, he replied:
[ I am neutral on the matter. ]
[ I trust your judgment, Mashu. ]
[ Lead the way, Mashu. ]
"Then let's retire for today, Sempai."
Thus the party made its way back to Elizabeth's estates, but it appeared that by plowing their way through challenge quests and farming encounters they strayed quite a bit from their initial path. Long before they came even close to the castle grounds, a cold downpour started to drench human and Servants alike.
"I severely dislike traveling like this..." Elizabeth's eye was twitching.
"Pull yourself together, we need to reach the castle before it gets even worse," Shielder stated, though she herself was struggling against the heavy breeze and her shield kept dragging through the mud as it was swaying in the wind.
"Can you still hear me?" Roman called out, sounding alarmed.
"We can, what is the matter?" Ibaraki shouted back impatiently, being drenched from head to toe like everyone else, but looking doubly ticked off about it.
"Have you found shelter yet?" The doctor was dead serious for once.
"We are about to," Mash replied. "How far is it, Elizabeth? You said this mountain path is a shortcut?"
"It used to be...", the countess was twitching nervously. "Remember that muddy waterfall we encountered a while ago? That was the mountain road leading to the eastern gate. I was forced to take us around it, looking for different path."
"Different path to where? Back to the main road?" Mashu's face darkened as she realized that they had left that very same road and were now heading straight through the forest. Even the werewolves and other critters had fled when facing this thunderstorm.
Elizabeth's only reply was even more nervous twitching.
"Oh marvelous!" Ibaraki exclaimed with a hiss.
"It's not my fault! Everything looks so different to how it used to be... What with the whole singularity messing things up," Elizabeth defended herself weakly.
Ibaraki however looked to Robin for help:
"Come on, forest boy, can't you do something to get us back on track?"
"Sorry, but these woods are just as unfamiliar to me as they are to you."
"Not good... not good at all!" Roman interjected. "The real storm is going to hit you soon. I'm not very concerned about you Servants, you can weather it regardless of your, uh, choice of garments, but Ritsuka is just human. A magically empowered thunderstorm like this will kill him."
He sneezed just then in acknowledgement, as he had been shivering the whole time as even more sprays of water washed over him with every gust of wind. He was concentrating on carrying Fou in his arms to prevent the small creature from being swept away, but he himself had now trouble staying on his feet.
"You need to hurry for shelter! Now!" Roman urged once again.
"You heard the doctor," Mashu was grimacing as she was looking back at her Master. "Please endure it, Sempai, we will find shelter soon enough. Robin? Sorry, but we have to rely on your tracking skills."
"Fine, but don't expect any wonders...", with a sigh he wandered onwards, pulling his hood over his head in a feeble attempt to brace himself against the storm.
"Uh, guys...," Nitocris was calling out meekly. "I didn't want to interrupt you, but how about following these lights!"
Everyone was startled about her interjection, but they followed her pointing finger regardless and indeed there were some distant lights coming from afar.
"Well... how about trying that?" Robin gave a chuckle. "Worst that can happen is running into a ghost, huh?"
"Already had enough of those, though" Ibaraki grunted.
"Fine, let's make a dash for it," Mashu raised her shield as a makeshift umbrella over herself and Ritsuka (even though at this point it was already pointless anyway) and thus dragged him along with the group as they closed in to the strange lights.
After passing the dense forest, the first sign of having entered artificial grounds were the golden rose-petals scattering in the wind. The group found itself in a small rose garden that would have looked magical and beaming under a different light, but right now was just being mauled by the heavy storm just like them. Behind the rose garden the source of the lights became apparent: A single western-style manor had been erected in this remote place and the lights came out of several windows.
"How convenient...," Robin muttered, barely audible to the rest of the group.
"No reason to complain...," Ibaraki growled back.
They arrived in front of the large wooden front doors. There was a small roof above it, so at least there was a minimal amount of shelter for while they were waiting for someone to appear. Mashu was eyeing her surroundings warily, the whole thing seemed oddly modern for this supposed era, but the sound of Ritsuka's teeth clattering drove all hesitation out of her and she knocked regardless. Before someone appeared, Elizabeth took the front stage, shoving her aside.
"Stand back, peasants, and let me do the talking! These are my lands and these are my subjects after all!"
"Sure...," Mashu grimaced, but watched how things would unfold.
After a few seconds the clicking of someone unlocking the door was audible and finally the door opened wide enough for a single head to look out. It belonged to a middle-aged man with long black hair, a small goatee and who was wearing both a classy suit and a monocle.
"Huh? Travelers? Can I help you?" He asked with raised eyebrows.
Elizabeth presented herself proudly in front of him.
"I am Countess Elizabeth Bathory, Lady of these domains! I order you to offer us your hospitality!"
Everyone except Nitocris and Ritsuka buried their head in their palm.
"So much for diplomacy," Robin wheezed.
"We are all going to drown out here," Ibaraki groaned.
However, the stranger seemed more amused than anything else as he was taking a skeptical look at the scantily clad Elizabeth.
"Pukuku, what a spirited child! But a Countess? Surely you jest."
In spite of the freezing storm, Mashu was sure to feel a wave of heat emitted by the slighted aristocrat, who balled her fists.
"I am clad for adventuring! Nothing more, nothing less. It doesn't change my noble heritage. Now stand aside, servant!"
The man gave another chuckle.
"No need to get all demanding. I would have allowed you to enter regardless, as my mistress is always fond of more guests. The more the merrier, pukuku."
He ushered them in and everyone sighed in relief as they finally got a solid roof above their heads.
"Sorry to trouble you...," Mashu spoke up, glossing over Elizabeth's lacking first impression. "We were lost out there if not for you. I cannot thank you enough for having us."
"It is quite a nasty weather for hiking indeed, young Miss," the stranger replied. "I will better prepare the baths and a few spare clothes."
"Only for me and Sempai here, thanks. The rest of us should be quite fine."
To drive the point home, the other Servants changed into Spirit Form and back again, allowing the water clinging to them to rain down to the ground and for them to reemerge perfectly dry. Only Fou was shaking itself like a drenched dog.
"Don't be afraid, we are-"
"- special guests of course,", the butler gave a knowing grin. "My mistress is well acquainted with the world of magic, so there is no need to explain your nature. Though your Master seems quite weathered to be sure. I will hurry to prepare the rooms, please follow me."
He lead them to the stairs opposing the entrance, but on their way to them Mashu ended up staring at a massive portrait of a blonde woman in a billowing dress of black and gold, who seemed to observe anyone entering rather thoughtfully.
"Is that...?" She asked in wonder.
"Indeed, pukukuku. This is the revered Lady of this mansion. She has many names. The Mistress of the night, the Archmaster of Alchemy, the Endless... but right now she goes just by Beatrice. Beatrice, the Golden Witch..."
Mashu ended up staring at her portrait in wonder. She seemed beautiful, but also somewhat sad. The sound of thunder from outside wasn't helping in regards to that impression.
"I'm sorry, we have never properly introduced ourselves. I am Mashu Kyrielight and this is my Master Ritsuka Fujimaru. Our... lively companions here are... Elizabeth Bathory, Queen Nitocris, Robin Hood, Ibaraki Douji of the Oni and the little one here is Fou."
"Fouuuuuu!", the small critter said.
"An illustrious group to be sure," he was still chuckling as he was eyeing everyone.
"May we also get your name, since you saved us so graciously from the storm?"
His smile gained an edge as he took a step backwards and made a deep bow.
"Surely, I am an uninteresting fellow. I am just a humble servant of my mistress. But if it is your wish to know my name, I will oblige: It is Ronove, twenty-seventh of the seventy-two demon gods. At your service!"
Another flash of lightning was striking somewhere close.
Right now everyone was sure that this was about to become...
A Rondo of Fate and Mystery