The Dust Settles?

Holding the sleeping Illya, Sasuke gazed calmly at the hole in the distant sky. He said nothing to Archer.

Standing beside Sasuke, Archer looked somewhat helplessly toward Rin, who had vanished from sight, and asked:

"Uchiha, do you ever feel powerless?"

Sasuke's expression didn't change. He gazed calmly into the distance, and after a long while, finally replied to Archer:

"I used to."

"Not anymore."

Archer turned to look at Sasuke, then turned away again and shrugged helplessly:

"If we get the chance, let's meet again."

"Though you can see Shirou Emiya in this era, anyway."

Archer paused in thought.

"But even though I'm him, that doesn't mean he'll become me."

Archer had wanted to kill the Shirou Emiya of this era, but the Shirou Emiya before him had lived through circumstances completely different from his own.

Perhaps Shirou Emiya would head toward a completely different future.

By now, Saber, Shirou Emiya, and Rin Tohsaka were standing not far beneath the hole.

The black mud flowing down from the hole resembled a dark vein. It spread across the ground, releasing a strong, rotten stench that sent shivers down the spine.

The black mud gave off a foul odor. Dark patterns covered its surface, writhing like venom moving beneath a snake's skin, chilling anyone who saw it.

It was thick and viscous, like a chunk of decomposing flesh, and its very presence inspired dread.

The black mud seemed to corrode everything. Now it was consuming the surrounding area. The nearby flowers, grass, and trees rapidly warped and withered on contact, leaving behind nothing but ugly remnants.

This was something that absolutely could not be touched lightly.

When Shirou Emiya saw Saber approach them, he knew she was ready.

At the same time, he understood perfectly well that once the hole was destroyed, Saber would disappear along with it, as she was a Servant.

Shirou Emiya and Saber were less like master and servant and more like teacher and student, and friends.

No one could bear to see things end that way.

Rin Tohsaka, standing beside Shirou Emiya, understood how he felt. After all, her Archer would be leaving, too.

Sensing Shirou Emiya's feelings, Saber slowly turned around.

"Shirou, it's time for me to go."

At her words, Shirou Emiya closed his eyes and slowly raised the arm that bore his last Command Spell.

After taking a deep breath, Shirou Emiya made up his mind.

"Saber, I entrust my final Command Spell to you!"

The Command Spell on Shirou Emiya's wrist glowed crimson, and Saber was once again filled with abundant magical energy.

The golden holy sword in Saber's hands shone with all its brilliance once more!

Gazing at the hole in the sky, Saber swung her golden holy sword!

"Excalibur!"

Saber's voice rang through the heavens, determination shining in her eyes!

A beam of golden light, the embodiment of supreme glory, burst from her holy sword. Like a meteor streaking across the night sky, it shot straight toward the hole above.

Neither the evil black mud on the ground nor the hole spilling it could withstand Saber's radiant might!

A blast boomed across the sky!

Over Fuyuki, the night seemed to burst into a giant firework!

Brilliant golden light rained down, illuminating Fuyuki's night sky.

It also heralded the end of this Holy Grail War.

Perhaps from the force of the blast, Saber's golden hair, which had been tied up with a blue ribbon, now fell loose.

The breeze stirred Saber's long hair. She looked at her arm, which was glowing with golden light, then slowly turned around.

"The contract is complete."

"You've won this Holy Grail War."

"Shirou. Rin."

"I wanted to protect you until the very end, but that is no longer my duty."

"Goodbye..."

Before Shirou Emiya and Rin Tohsaka could say anything, Saber turned into a streak of golden light and vanished from this world.

With Saber gone, Rin Tohsaka knew that Archer had disappeared, too.

Though Rin Tohsaka hadn't seen Archer's final departure, he had been there all along, hadn't he?

"Let's go home."

"Rin."

Shirou Emiya's expression was calm as he looked at Rin Tohsaka beside him.

Rin smiled back and nodded slightly.

Midnight.

Miyama Town shopping district, Fuyuki City.

Fish Fresh House.

Everything had finally settled.

After saying goodbye to Shirou Emiya and Rin Tohsaka, Sasuke carried the sleeping Illya back to Fish Fresh House and laid her down beside Kaoru Sakura.

He tucked both of them in, then left the bedroom and went to sit in the dim living room.

Sasuke's expression was perfectly calm. Not a hint of emotion stirred in him, and he had no intention of turning on the lights.

After sitting on the sofa for a long while, Sasuke finally moved.

He made a pot of hot tea.

As the kettle murmured in the night, Sasuke took a packet of tea leaves, treasured by Sakura Masayoshi, from the cupboard.

He casually grabbed a handful and tossed it into the kettle of boiling water.

After a short wait, the fragrant tea filled the dim living room.

After pouring the tea into a cup, Sasuke returned to the sofa, leaned back, and slowly closed his eyes.

Getting caught up in this so-called Holy Grail War had been such a hassle.

It wasn't that dealing with what had happened was troublesome. Sasuke just felt that having such pointless things happen at all was troublesome enough.

Sasuke sipped his hot tea, his mind at ease.

He sat there like that until morning.

It was barely light out when the room where Kaoru Sakura was staying grew lively.

The girls were horsing around.

It seemed that both Kaoru Sakura and Illya had recovered without any serious problems.

Though Sasuke's genjutsu had only put Kaoru Sakura to sleep, she still remembered what had happened the day before.

Illya had clearly fainted.

But for some reason, Kaoru Sakura had passed out, too.

Had she been dreaming?

Illya's memories of the previous day were somewhat hazy, but she knew that the Holy Grail War was over and that she had survived.

She still had a few minor problems, but there would always be a way to solve them.

So Illya, who had a general idea of what had happened, lied to Kaoru Sakura.

Then she dropped a major piece of news, completely distracting Kaoru Sakura.

That was why Kaoru Sakura was jumping for joy in the bedroom.

Illya wanted to live with Kaoru Sakura from now on.

After all, the Einzbern Castle in Fuyuki had been reduced to dust.

Returning to the Einzbern family home in Germany wasn't even something Illya considered.

So Illya wanted to stay in Fuyuki.

And to Kaoru Sakura, that was simply wonderful!

Kaoru Sakura didn't hesitate for even a moment. She rushed straight out of the bedroom.

Seeing Sasuke getting ready to start another busy day, she pleaded with him:

"Big brother, you'll let Illya stay with us, won't you?"

Illya, still in her pajamas, stood at the bedroom door, waiting for Sasuke's answer as though she were awaiting a verdict.

Sasuke's expression remained calm as he answered:

"I don't mind."

"As long as Grandpa agrees."

"Besides, you've had enough fun."

"Starting today, you can go to school."