The difficult issue Reines and Melvin brought up with Lord El-Melloi II was a case involving a former student of his, Mary Lil Fargo. Mary is the only daughter of the Fargo family, a branch of the Animusphere family that rules over the Astromancy division. Responding to Mary who felt she needed her former mentor's assistance, Lord El-Melloi II and Gray visit the Fargo estate to witness the dismantled corpse of Mary's father, Ernest Fargo. Disjoined from traditions of Astromancy, the crime scene is representative of Modern Magecraft. Lord El-Melloi II dives in to elucidate the matter.

The rowdiness of the classroom seems like how it usually is in Modern Magecraft Theories, but there is something wrong with Lord El-Melloi II's behavior. Luvia, who had come to visit and attend one of his lectures, asks Gray the reason why, and it turns out it's because his favorite tearoom has basically closed shop. Lord El-Melloi II heads to the tearoom to inquire on their circumstances as he realizes work just can't progress at this rate, but when he goes down into the sewer system to investigate, an ominous shadow attacks him. Gray, worried that he hasn't shown any signs of returning from the investigation, seeks help from Flat and Svin.

Primary Lecturer Wills is an authority in the Spiritual Evocation division. His father, Sir Trevor, owned the Marburry Workshop that utilizes an entire wasteland to operate as a Magical Workshop. However, the Workshop went out of control, causing many casualties including that of Sir Trevor himself. Lord El-Melloi II, seeking assistance from Spiritual Evocation in order to participate in the Holy Grail War, begrudgingly accepts the request to solve this case. However, what awaited the entourage who arrived at the mansion was Hishiri Adashino, a member of the Policies Department that investigates and enforces rules within the Clock Tower.

As the investigation in Marburry Workshop continues, lightning strikes yet again to create a new victim. Lord El-Melloi II and Hishiri Adashino once again are on opposing grounds concerning the perpetrator of this case. Lord El-Melloi II seeks the help of the Necromancer Kairi Shishigou to reinvestigate. Gray and Shishigou are assaulted by a fierce beast, the Black Dog, that suddenly appeared before them. Based on the fact that the Black Dog reacted to Gray's Mystic Code, Lord El-Melloi II elicits a certain conclusion. He then starts preparing for a ritual with the assistance of all Mages who were gathered at Marburry Workshop.