A Perfect Finale, Each Their Own Dream, Afterword

There was no explosion as I had expected, not even a shockwave. It was as if nothing had happened. Turning back, I watched the black hole slowly close. It had really worked. Tears could not help but fall from my eyes, and at the same time, Avenger's presence vanished.

After returning to the ground, I entered the theater. Since no black mud had poured in, Kiritsugu Emiya was still sitting where he had been, smoking.

Saber and Archer had not continued their battle. It was as though time had stopped.

Gilgamesh saw me and said, "Avenger's Master, you came too late. The Holy Grail was destroyed by Saber and her Master. What a boring game." As he spoke, he took out some wine and drank.

When he asked whether I wanted a drink, I refused. "I'm not an adult yet. Drinking isn't legal for me." Saber was still sobbing on the floor, completely unmoved by my arrival. Kiritsugu Emiya merely raised his head before lowering it again.

The Lesser Grail had been destroyed, the black mud had not fallen, Kirei Kotomine was dead, and Gilgamesh and the Spiky-Haired King would soon disappear as well. Aside from gas explosions in a few places, Fuyuki City was largely unharmed. That counted as a perfect finale, didn't it?

I just did not know whether the Counter Force was satisfied with such an outcome.

The atmosphere was a little too quiet, so I took the initiative to speak. "Kiritsugu Emiya, at least you protected the majority of people, didn't you?"

Some light seemed to return to Kiritsugu Emiya's eyes. I continued, "There's no need to wallow in despair. There's still plenty to do after the war. Some ordinary civilians might be buried under the ruins somewhere. Come help out." With that, I extended my hand.

Kiritsugu Emiya neither took my hand nor spoke, but he stood and walked outside. The rescue teams I had arranged in advance were already carrying out the rescue effort.

With the Holy Grail gone, Saber and Archer also began to slowly fade away. Even if Saber spoke to him now, she might not receive a reply. Turning to Gilgamesh, I said, "Next time we fight, remember to open with Ea. Don't get beaten so badly that you never get the chance to use it."

Gilgamesh, still stubbornly keeping up appearances, said, "Mind your own business. I know how to fight. Here, take this as a gift." He pulled out a Golden Apple and tossed it to me. "Next time we meet, I will definitely beat you up." With that, he disappeared along with Saber.

He wanted to beat me up, yet he gave me a gift? If I had known, I would have beaten him up a few more times. Looks like I should keep beating him up if I get the chance. Maybe I could empty out his treasury.

A Golden Apple? The culprit that had sparked the Trojan War.

A system notification popped up: A recyclable item, Golden Apple, has been discovered. Recycling it will grant 20 lottery draws. Recycle?

It was worth twenty draws? Of course I would not recycle it. I would see whether it had some other use. In the game, it could fully restore stamina. Who knew what it would do in the real world? Could it increase one's lifespan, or preserve one's youth forever?

After returning to the Fuyuki City base, Fujino ran over and hugged me. The Tohsaka mother and daughters stood behind her. Smiling at them, I said, "The murderer who killed your husband and father has been dealt with."

All three collapsed to the floor, embracing one another as they wept. That evening, the five of us sat around the dining table and ate dinner together. It was warm and harmonious, like a family. Though we could already be considered family, some invisible barrier had been broken.

Everyone thanked me for what I had done for the Tohsaka Household. Rin Tohsaka was the first to speak. With her straightforward personality, she said, "Thank you for avenging Dad."

I smiled. "Then how are you planning to thank me?"

She said, "Say it. If it's something I can do, I'll definitely do it." Then she crossed her arms over her chest and arrogantly lifted her chin.

Jokingly, I said, "Then how about marrying me?"

Rin Tohsaka jumped to her feet in surprise. "You lolicon! Isn't Sakura enough for you? Don't even think about making me give in!"

I jokingly added, "Then how about having a child for me?"

Rin Tohsaka stammered, "Y-you, you, you..." Unable to say another word.

I said, "Sigh, this won't do, and that won't do either. Fine, pretend I never said anything."

But what I did not know was that while I had said it without thinking, the listeners took it to heart. The three Tohsaka women took it seriously. Of course, that was a story for later.

That night, the three Tohsaka women shared one room, while Fujino and I shared another. I was exhausted, so we fell asleep in each other's arms.

In another world: "King, are you awake?" It was Siduri. "What is it?" "It seems you had a wonderful dream, King." "A wonderful dream?" As she spoke, she touched her face. "It was an interesting dream, I suppose. I truly hope I get the chance to dream it again."

In another world: "King, please wake up quickly." It was Sir Bedivere. "I think I had a dream. I dreamed of many things, both good and bad. Sir Bedivere, do you think I understand the human heart?"

In another world: The awakened Minamoto no Raikou, Ushi Gozen, said to her mother, "I dreamed of my elder brother. Elder Brother will definitely come to take me away."

At this moment, the sleeping Yuan Shikai did not wake up. Or perhaps he sank into an even deeper sleep. He arrived in a certain space, where a voice claiming to be Alaya appeared in his mind.

It thanked him for what he had done for the world and asked whether he wished to become the world's guardian. Yuan Shikai, who had been groggy moments before, immediately became alert. He tactfully expressed that he did not want to for the time being, though he would still step forward when the world faced hardship. You want me to work for free? Dream on.

The next day, after waking up, I brought the other four women to the cemetery and held a funeral for my bargain father-in-law. The Holy Church had arranged for a new priest. Money was no object, so the funeral was held in grand fashion.

Once everything was over, I asked, "Mother-in-law, Rin, why don't you come to Tokyo with me too? It'll be easier for me to take care of you, and Sakura won't be lonely either." It was perfectly reasonable, so Aoi Tohsaka agreed. We then returned to the Tohsaka residence to pack the things that needed to be taken away.

Looking up at the sky, I was finally going back.

Just as in the original story, Kiritsugu Emiya rescued a boy from the ruins, adopted him as his son, and named him Shirou Emiya. It seemed there would be one more ally of justice.

I arranged for Kenneth and Sola to be sent together to a hospital in Tokyo. To them, it did not matter where they went, so long as they could stay farther away from Kiritsugu Emiya.

Waver returned to the Clock Tower. Using the one million US dollars I had lent him and the clear information Kenneth had given over the phone, he inherited that classroom and prepared to make a name for himself.

He still kept Iskandar's Holy Relic, hoping they could reunite in the next Holy Grail War.

Before long, the Tohsaka family had finished packing their bags and was ready to leave. We took a photo together at the front gate. After all, the next time we returned might be during the Fifth Holy Grail War.