Until We Meet Again, Heroes

"Is this the miracle of the Holy Grail? As expected, you are the true victor of the Holy Grail War... Master."

The immense magical power is rapidly dissipating. The level reached by the desire to reverse life and death is undoubtedly magic, and even the magical power accumulated over hundreds of years will soon be squandered because of this desire.

The world is being repaired at an alarming rate, kind people are being reborn, and the traces of destruction are rapidly fading away.

The previously broken boundary between mystery and science is now being repaired.

From now on, mystery will remain mystery, and science will remain science.

"The right choice, the one who foretells the Evening Bell of death, the outsider who has strayed into this world, it seems that your destiny has not yet reached its end, and the bell that belongs to you has not yet rung."

Not far from Rovey, or rather, just a few meters away from everyone, a rising blue flame illuminated the skull mask, and an aged voice began to mutter to itself from the darkness.

The greatsword, black as ink, was driven into the ground, leaving a deep sword mark. He looked at the wish that Rovey had made and the choice he had made, and nodded slightly. A hint of satisfaction appeared on his pale white skull mask.

Even though they were so close, and his figure was so tall and conspicuous, no one present noticed his presence, not even Scáthach. No one even realized that someone had been standing there since the beginning, watching everything that was happening.

"Um?"

Seemingly having heard a sound, the intuitive Scáthach looked suspiciously in a certain direction in the darkness and assumed a fighting stance. From the moment she had spoken, an ominous premonition had suddenly arisen in her heart, as if something imperceptible was lurking in the shadows, spying on her.

But no matter how she searched and detected with Rune, the final conclusion was always that there was nothing in the darkness except air, which surprised her.

However, after several fruitless attempts, she dismissed it as a misperception. Perhaps the battle with Gilgamesh had made her too nervous, to the point of being overly paranoid.

And so, unnoticed by anyone, the pitch-black blue flames, carrying the pale skull, vanished into a shadow and then departed from this era without hesitation.

Quietly wait for the next opportune moment when you need to take action.

Not long after, on the streets of Fuyuki City.

"It's over..."

Kirei Kotomine walked thoughtfully along the street that had been restored to its original state.

As he watched the shattered city return to its former glory, his expression and eyes became somewhat complicated.

He reached out and touched the spot on his heart.

At this moment, he could clearly sense something pulsating within him, and he felt as if he had truly come back to life.

Having gone through so much, Kirei Kotomine has become independent enough to figure out the correct answers to the questions that once puzzled him.

What is redemption?

What is the true self?

What does it mean to be alive?

Well, he's found them all, and he can say he's never felt better.

With that thought in mind, Kirei Kotomine clenched his hands tightly and began to consider what he should do next.

First, go to the TV station to check if any ordinary people still remember this incident, and then try to appease and resolve the issue.

Then he went to the hospital to express his remorse to his father and made a vow to atone for his sins.

Finally, go to your teacher's house to see if he has also been resurrected. If he has, he will kneel down to confess his sins and accept any punishment.

Even if Tokiomi Tohsaka is not resurrected, he will still fulfill his duty to support his teacher's daughter and wife, wait until Rin Tohsaka grows up in the future to tell her the truth, and then calmly face his own end.

As for anything else...

Oh, right, Karen.

He also wants to bring his daughter over; they haven't seen each other for a long time. He used to not know how to get along with his daughter or how to love her, but now he probably understands.

He might be killed by Rin soon, but before that, he wanted to fulfill his fatherly duties, which he had never done before, by accompanying Karen through her childhood, telling her the truth, and having her take over his position in the Eighth Sacrament. He would consider it a passing of the torch between father and daughter.

Thinking about it this way, my previously aimless life seems to have a clear goal and a correct meaning at this moment.

Thinking of this, a smile involuntarily appeared on Kirei Kotomine's lips, and he even quickened his pace.

By the way, don't just be happy. You need to get the Origin Bullet removed from your body as soon as possible. He's been fighting with the Origin Bullet for so long, and his body is starting to feel the strain.

However, just as Kirei Kotomine was seriously thinking about his future plans...

"Pfft!!" Kirei Kotomine, who was contemplating his future, suddenly felt a sharp pain in his abdomen. Looking down, he saw a mercury dagger piercing his abdomen from behind. The cold touch and the excruciating pain made his eyes widen.

"How about that? Kirei, you didn't expect that, did you?"

A familiar male voice suddenly came from behind.

Kirei Kotomine turned around and saw that the other person was Tokiomi Tohsaka, who had a cold expression on his face.

Having committed sins and betrayed his mentor, he now reaps the bitter fruits of his actions.

However, unlike when he stabbed Tokiomi Tohsaka, this time Kirei Kotomine did not feel much pain, anger, struggle, or hatred.

He looked at the familiar face behind him, a relieved expression on his face.

Facing Tokiomi Tohsaka's hateful questioning, Kirei Kotomine's mouth continued to bleed, yet a relaxed smile appeared on his lips.

"I'm sorry, Tohsaka- sensei, I'm very sorry about what happened in the past. But seeing that you're alright is really... great..."

He then did not resist, but let his body fall downwards, lying quietly on the side of an alley in Fuyuki City, and gently closed his eyes.

As life begins to slip away, Kirei Kotomine's mind begins to reflect on his life.

Confusion, bewilderment, pain, depravity, pleasure, awakening, redemption, liberation...

What a turbulent life!

However, this is for the best. He has finally atoneed for his sins and can finally get a good night's sleep.

To be redeemed in the final moments of his life was enough for him to die without regrets.

Tokiomi Tohsaka: "..."

Looking at Kirei Kotomine lying on the ground bleeding profusely, Tokiomi Tohsaka's expression was complicated, and his hands began to tremble involuntarily.

He gritted his teeth, his face contorted with rage, wanting to deliver the final blow to Kirei Kotomine and make him pay for what the other had done.

However, recalling the words Kirei Kotomine had spoken to Emiya Kiritsugu in the gymnasium using his familiar, and the resolve Kirei had shown, Tokiomi Tohsaka's feelings were extremely complex. Recalling his experience of being saved by Matou Kariya that night, Tokiomi Tohsaka still couldn't bring himself to do it.

'It's all over...'

"Hmph, let's end it here. From now on, we're even, Kirei."

He tossed the blood-stained short sword in his hand to the roadside, then left his last words to the Tokiomi Tohsaka man before coldly turning away, ignoring Kirei Kotomine, who lay on the ground barely clinging to life.

Having gone through so much, it wasn't just Kirei Kotomine who changed; Tokiomi Tohsaka also gained some insights and made a choice.

Having experienced life and death, and the betrayal of his disciple, he no longer has such a strong desire for the Holy Grail or to reach the Root. Especially after witnessing Kirei Kotomine's change, repentance, and sense of relief, the past bond between master and disciple involuntarily resonated in his mind.

"It's all over now."

In that instant, Tokiomi Tohsaka understood many things. In a daze, he also thought of his beautiful wife and two lovely daughters, and...

Matou Kariya's hateful, sour face.

You wretched bastard, who asked you to save me? Don't think that just because you saved my life I'll acknowledge you!!

Even if you want to beat me, or even kill me, I won't care, because you gave me this life, but...

'Hmph, you're still a long way from trying to take advantage of Aoi!' Tokiomi Tohsaka scoffed inwardly.

This time, I will not neglect my family again, nor will I forget my past promises. Only I can give Aoi happiness!

"The Holy Grail has already served its purpose to a more suitable person, and now I have nothing left to hold onto... Ancestors, please understand..."

Tokiomi Tohsaka shook his head, fumbled for a family photo of the four of them on his pocket watch, and couldn't help but laugh as he looked at it. "Looking at it this way, it seems that my long-cherished wish isn't... in such a hurry after all."

Having witnessed so much, he could rest assured that Sakura was now in the hands of the mysterious Crowley Patriarch. He was very glad that, at least in choosing Sakura's adoptive family, he hadn't made a mistake.

It's already daylight...

Having been lost for so long, it seems it's time for him to go home.

I'm starting to vaguely miss the black tea my wife used to brew... I'll go back and savor it properly, and then have a good night's sleep.

With a smile on his lips and his confusion gone, Tokiomi Tohsaka sun.

And right there in the alley after he left.

Not long after...

"Hey!! How are you? Uncle, hang in there! I've already called an ambulance, and they're carrying you to the hospital right now."

Kirei Kotomine had lost too much blood, slowly opened his blurry eyes at the urgent calls of the red-haired boy.

"... Am I... not dead yet?" he asked himself.

"You're not dead yet, don't worry! Just don't give up, you must hold on, uncle. You've lost a lot of blood, I'll take you to the hospital for treatment right away."

"... Hmm? Who are you...?"

In his dazed state, he saw a boy's face full of concern.

"My name is Fujimaru Shirou. I'm a student who just happened to be passing by. I came to help you because I saw you bleeding and unconscious. Anyway, you'd better not say anything carelessly, old man, and save your strength."

The boy named Fujimaru Shirou offered a concerned reminder.

However, Kirei Kotomine didn't care, because he realized that it would be difficult for the boy's frail body to carry him to the hospital.

"Why... why did you save me?" he continued to ask.

"Huh? Do you need a reason to save someone? It's because you need help, uncle. What kind of strange question is that? Of course you should lend a helping hand when someone needs help."

"Haha... I see... That's right, you don't need a reason to save someone..."

"Because... that's the right thing to do..."

Upon hearing the boy's answer, Kirei Kotomine smiled with relief, finally understanding everything. He then gently closed his eyes and leaned against the boy's back. Before completely losing consciousness, he vaguely heard the sound of an ambulance siren.

On this day, he finally understood the meaning of his life, and...

I've met a true champion of justice.

This is really great...

At the end of the age of gods.

Riverbanks on the Mesopotamia Plateau.

The Blond Man stepped out of the river after his bath.

His scarlet eyes looked at the piece of snakeskin that had just been shed and left on the shore.

"Hahahahahahahahahahaha—!!"

The man covered his face and let out a hearty laugh, then put on his clothes and embarked on his journey back to Uruk without a second thought.

"What an interesting lad, and a memorable one for me. But don't die too soon, you mongrel, or your soul will become my collection."

"We will meet again soon."

Chapter Ninety-Eight: Reunion in the Future, Heroes

It draws upon the immense magical power drawn from other parallel worlds by the Second Magic, as well as the miracles bestowed by the Holy Grail itself.

The wish that Rovey Wei made is still in effect, and the boundaries between life and death are constantly being reversed.

Soon, the rays of dawn pierced straight through the gloom, scattering golden light across the dark earth.

As his wishes were fulfilled, the golden Holy Grail in Rovey's hand, which originally radiated immense magical power, still contained a considerable amount of magic power, but it was no longer as exaggerated as it had been before.

The magical power accumulated over hundreds of years, surpassing Fuyuki City, is now reduced to about one-fifth of its original value after the wish is fulfilled.

If the initial magical energy within the Holy Grail was an endless ocean, symbolizing infinity, then what remains now is a vast, boundless lake, merely symbolizing immensity.

So much so that when his wish came true, the Holy Grail in his hand dimmed considerably.

However, Rovey had nothing to regret about this. Although it felt a little regretful, he had already extracted most of his magical energy to create the Mystic Code in his hand, and the remaining magical energy was provided by the Jewel Magician. The wish he wanted to fulfill could not be achieved with the Holy Grail anyway, and Scáthach did not have such a deep desire for the Holy Grail. Therefore, it was not a big deal to return the magical energy that he had taken from the Jewel Magician. After all, repairing this world was also helping himself.