"Shirou." Rin's voice had grown much calmer, carrying the clarity of dust finally settling. "My 'brother-in-law' was right. This nightmare is over—completely over."
Shirou abruptly raised his head, lingering resentment and confusion in his eyes.
"Whether it's you," Rin said firmly, looking straight into his eyes, "me, or my sister Sakura, who will soon be returning to my side... From now on, a peaceful life should be the main theme of our future. That's what we truly deserve to strive for and possess."
"I know..." Shirou's voice was dry and hoarse. He squeezed his eyes shut in pain, but when he opened them again, the resentment had only grown stronger. "I just... I just can't accept it! I can't accept that he took Saber away just like that!"
He practically roared the words, his voice echoing across the empty ruins with the pure indignation of a young man.
Rin looked at his stubborn face and suddenly found it both amusing and heartbreaking.
She stepped forward and gave Shirou's shoulder a hard slap!
The blow was no joke. Shirou staggered and nearly lost his balance.
He stared at Rin in astonishment.
"All right!" Rin raised her voice, her tone brisk, as if trying to knock some sense into him. "The Holy Grail War really is over! The magic is gone! Look around you!"
She raised her hand and gestured around at the scorched earth and collapsed ruins. "What do you think Saber could do even if she stayed by your side?"
"How could your pitiful amount of magical energy support her existence in a world that has lost all its mystical foundation? What would maintain the summoning contract? Your stubbornness?"
Rin's words were a hammer of cold reality, striking Shirou's heart.
"If she stayed, she'd only end up like a ghost, eventually vanishing before your eyes! Rather than that, it's better to let her follow a new Master capable of sustaining her existence! This ending is the best release for her and for all of us!" Rin spoke decisively, with exceptional clarity.
Shirou opened and closed his mouth, wanting to argue, but every word Rin had said felt like a heavy stone, blocking his breath.
He understood that she was right. That helplessness suffocated him even more than simple loss.
Seeing Shirou left speechless, Rin's expression softened, and a trace of her usual easy smile returned. She said nothing more, simply turned around, and walked away from the ruins.
"Hey! Rin!" Shirou called after her instinctively, a hint of panic in his voice. "Where are you going?"
The red figure ahead stopped at the sound of his voice.
Rin turned around lightly, wearing a brighter smile than ever before.
Sunlight happened to break through the shattered clouds and fall upon her. As she turned, her twin tails drew a dazzling golden arc through the air, brimming with vitality.
"Me?" The corners of her lips lifted, her brilliant smile like the first ray of sunlight tearing through the gloom.
Her voice was clear and bright, filled with boundless anticipation for the future. "I'm going to pick up my sister Sakura, of course! And then—"
She paused, the light in her eyes shining brilliantly. "I'm going to welcome our new life!"
As soon as she finished speaking, Rin turned and strode away without lingering.
Her red silhouette stood out sharply against the scorched earth. Her steps were light yet firm, as if she had cast off a thousand-pound burden and was marching toward hope without hesitation.
Only Emiya Shirou remained, standing blankly in place. He watched Rin's retreating back, then turned to look at the place where Saber had vanished.
At last, his gaze fell upon his empty hand—the hand that had once borne a crimson Command Seal.
The wind swept up the dust from the ground and blew across his bewildered face, gently scattering the lingering echo of "a new life" across the empty ruins.
Now, Please Call Marin "First Wife"
The morning sunlight carried Tokyo's distinctive warmth as it streamed softly into the spacious bedroom.
Chen Tian slowly opened his eyes, his consciousness still hazy. His hand instinctively reached toward the warm spot beside him—but found nothing.
His fingertips touched only the cool bedsheet. That was when he remembered that his Little Sun—Kitagawa Marin—had risen unusually early today to pick up her father, Kitagawa Saburo, who had spent years traveling for work at the airport. (The name is purely fictional, since I couldn't find Marin's father's actual name.)
Chen Tian had just pushed himself upright when, before he could fully shake off his drowsiness—
The bedroom door was suddenly shoved open with considerable force!
Tohsaka Rin stood in the doorway, wearing an apron that was unmistakably Marin's style, covered in cute cartoon designs. In her hand, she held a spatula that looked completely out of place with her Young Miss demeanor.
"Chen Tian!" The girl's crisp voice carried a mixture of impatience and irritation. "Are you still not getting up?! Didn't Marin specifically tell you today to take me and Sakura to school?!"
Rin's eyebrows were raised high, and her twin tails seemed to sway slightly with her agitation. Sunlight danced across those dazzling strands.
Chen Tian turned his head. Seeing Rin dressed like a down-to-earth "housewife," his muddled mind seemed to reboot. Marin's endless reminders before bed rushed back to him.
"Ah..." He slapped his forehead and gave a short, helpless laugh. "Right, right. I remember now. I'm coming."
As he spoke, he threw off the covers and stood up just like that. He was wearing nothing but dark athletic shorts, leaving his muscular upper body bare.
The solid lines of his muscles were clearly visible in the morning light. Broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and a powerful physique.
"Waaah—!!"
Rin had clearly not expected this. Her expression instantly changed from "coming to demand an explanation" to "caught completely off guard." Her fair cheeks flushed red in an instant, and even her ears were no exception.
"Idiot! You idiot!!" she shrieked, her voice cracking as she instinctively pointed the spatula at Chen Tian. "Put some clothes on, you exhibitionist!!!"
Still yelling, she spun around as though scalded, nearly tripping over her slippers. Then she fled the bedroom in a panic, leaving behind only a string of hurried footsteps.
Watching Rin flee in disarray, Chen Tian couldn't help letting out a low laugh.
He was about to walk toward the dressing room when his gaze casually swept over the doorway.
A small head with smooth blue hair peeked out from beside the half-open bedroom door.
It was Sakura Matou—or rather, Sakura Tohsaka now—and she was blinking her bright eyes curiously into the room.
Unlike her sister Rin's exaggerated embarrassment, she wore an utterly pure, slightly mischievous smile when she saw Chen Tian look over.
Sunlight happened to pass through the hallway window, falling gently on the tips of her blue hair and illuminating the smile on her face, now entirely free of gloom.
She simply watched him, her eyes full of trust and affection for the "brother-in-law" who had rescued her from hell.
Chen Tian looked at Sakura and smiled warmly. "Good morning, Sakura."
Sakura's smile grew even brighter, the corners of her lips curving slyly. "Good morning, perverted brother-in-law."
Chen Tian's smile froze, and the corner of his mouth twitched almost imperceptibly.
This... sigh... He silently sighed inwardly.
Three days after the incident in Fuyuki City ended, Rin and Sakura had arrived in Tokyo.
With Chen Tian's help in finding Satoru Gojo, the guardianship agreement was signed soon afterward. From then on, two more people joined Chen Tian's household—tohsaka Rin and Tohsaka Sakura. Oh, and Artoria too.
Artoria's arrival had nearly caused a "family crisis."
Kitagawa Marin looked at Chen Tian with the eyes of an abandoned puppy, tears filling her eyes as her voice trembled. "Tian Jun... are you... are you abandoning Marin...?"
It took him a long time to explain, with Tohsaka Rin helping him testify from the side, before Marin finally believed that Artoria was merely "a close companion of Rin's," rather than some "new lover."
(New lover? Well... who knows? Heh heh.)
Kitagawa finally broke into a smile. She immediately regained her usual vitality, enthusiastically helped Artoria arrange her room, and even prepared an elaborate welcome feast.
Nearly half a month had passed since the three of them first came to Chen Tian's home.
During that time, Sakura's transformation had been the most obvious.
She was no longer as timid and insecure as before, and the knot in her heart—her intense admiration for and jealousy of Rin—had also been undone.
But what Chen Tian hadn't expected was that, somehow, the girl had become so... sharp-tongued.
"Perverted brother-in-law~" Sakura tilted her head, her short blue hair swaying softly with the movement. Her smile was as pure as an angel's, but the words from her mouth were demonic. "Marin's voice was really loud last night."
"Hey!" Chen Tian nearly choked on his own saliva. "That, that was because..."
"Because of what?" Sakura blinked her large eyes, her face completely innocent. "You don't have to explain, Brother-in-law. I know everything."
Chen Tian felt a headache coming on.
When did this girl become a little devil?!
"Sakura—!!" Rin's furious roar suddenly came from the kitchen. "Stop bothering that pervert and come help set the tableware!"
"Coming~" Sakura answered cheerfully, stuck her tongue out at Chen Tian, and hopped away.
Chen Tian stood where he was and rubbed his temples.
He suddenly noticed Artoria standing at the end of the hallway. He had no idea when she had arrived.
The King of Knights was wearing the home clothes Marin had bought for her—a T-shirt printed with a teddy bear and a pair of loose sweatpants. They formed a stark contrast with her usual majestic image.
"Good morning, Master." Artoria gave a slight nod, her voice as steady as ever.
But Chen Tian clearly saw the suspicious twitch at the corner of her mouth.
"...You heard that just now?"
Artoria did not answer directly. She merely said calmly, "I hope Master will keep the noise down at night in the future."
It was over. Even Artoria had been corrupted.
Chen Tian stood in the room, feeling his temples throb again.
He finally understood why Japan's birth rate kept declining. The slightest noise, and everyone in the entire house knew about it! Was the soundproofing in this lousy house made of paper?!
(Are you sure it was only a little noise????)
While complaining furiously inwardly, he wondered whether he really ought to move into a larger house.
At the very least, the bedroom walls had to be thick enough!
He hurriedly pulled on a T-shirt and trousers, washed up, and pushed open the dining-room door.
An invisible pressure immediately hit him in the face.
Sitting on one side of the dining table was Shinomiya Kaguya.
Her posture was impeccable. Her hands were folded over her knees, and she wore a flawless, formulaic smile.
Standing slightly behind her was Hayasaka Ai, whom Chen Tian had not seen for some time. Her maid uniform was immaculate, her expression calm, but her sharp gaze swept across the entire room.
Opposite them, Tohsaka Rin looked like a cat with its fur standing on end. Arms folded across her chest and chin raised, she glared sharply at Shinomiya Kaguya.
Beside her, Sakura wore a sweet, harmless smile. Yet with her eyes narrowed slightly, she looked unmistakably like she was cheering her sister on.
The most relaxed person was Artoria, seated in the middle.
The King of Knights sat upright, holding a cup of black tea with a small slice of strawberry cake in front of her.
She was eating the cake in tiny bites with devout concentration, as though the tense atmosphere around her had nothing whatsoever to do with her.
Chen Tian raised an eyebrow and walked into the dining room.
Hearing the sound, Kaguya immediately turned toward the door.
When she saw Chen Tian, she and Hayasaka Ai behind her moved almost reflexively in perfect synchrony. Their movements were as precise as if they had rehearsed them hundreds of times, and they bowed deeply together.
"Good day, Tian Jun." Kaguya's voice was clear and pleasant, yet carried a perfectly emotionless, formulaic tone.
Hearing that familiar greeting, which seemed separated from him by thick glass, Chen Tian silently sighed.
There it was. The little bit of disguise he had finally managed to peel away during their trip to the amusement park had now been put back on seamlessly.
The Young Miss of the Shinomiya Family had locked her heart back inside that exquisite prison called the "perfect heir."
He walked several steps to Kaguya and naturally reached out to pat the neatly combed black hair atop her head.
"Young Miss," Chen Tian said with a helpless smile, though his movements were gentle. "I told you, when you're with me, just be yourself. Don't use all that official-sounding nonsense."
Kaguya's lowered face instantly stiffened. Feeling the warmth of his hand on her head, a rush of warmth and embarrassment surged through her!
The perfect composure she had worked so hard to maintain collapsed in an instant. A visible blush spread across her fair cheeks, all the way to her ears and neck.
She subconsciously raised her eyes to meet Chen Tian's smiling gaze. Her heart pounded so hard it seemed abnormal, and even breathing became difficult.
"I... I..." Kaguya opened her mouth, only to discover that the eloquence and logic she was so proud of had completely abandoned her. Her mind went blank, leaving only helpless stammering.
She could even feel Hayasaka Ai's gaze from behind her, which made her even more embarrassed.
However, just as this moment grew somewhat warm—for Kaguya, extremely chaotic—
"Brother-in-law!!!!!"
A shrill cry filled with fury exploded through the dining room like thunder from a clear sky!
Tohsaka Rin abruptly stood up. With both hands slamming onto the table, she leaned forward slightly, her beautiful eyes blazing as she glared at Chen Tian's hand, which was still resting on Kaguya's head.
"That's incredibly rude!!!"
Rin's voice was loud and piercing, filled with anger and reproach. She bit down especially hard on the words "brother-in-law," raising her volume several notches, as if she intended to nail Chen Tian firmly to Marin's side through that title alone.
She did not even know where this surging anger had come from.
Before you continue