Well, let's get into our final aftermath chapter. This one is the final cooldown let everyone how things are going and to set up for the finale. There's a number of off-screen events, but honestly, if you want some details for read Just an Unorthodox Thief, their more or less the same. Disclaimer: I don't own Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, the Fate series, Lupin III, Ni No Kuni, or My Hero Academia.
Chapter 41: Denouement
Zenigata sighed as he finished the paperwork. Unfortunately Lupin had managed to escape again, the empty grail in hand. 'It took longer than his early heists, but once again Lupin did as he promised.' The destruction of the entity corrupting the Holy Grail had caused a fire to erupt that burned down the Ryudou Temple and the surrounding area. Luckily with most of the city evacuated only a handful of fatalities occurred, all of them mages who stubbornly refused to leave and hypnotized the officers just trying to spare their lives.
Eventually the fire died down and firefighters were able to quell what was left of the blaze. "This could have been so much worse…," Zenigata muttered, "I wonder if Lupin knew it would end like this." "Probably not," Risei said as he entered the office, "He was expecting massive collateral damage. This was to be a war between legendary heroes after all. But happened with the Grail was something none of us could have predicted. Not even the Einzberns, and they're ultimately the cause of all this." "Any chance we can hold them accountable?," Zenigata asked.
"I'm sure the Association will want them severely reprimanded," Risei admitted, "But getting to them might be difficult. They've placed a Bounded Field over their entire estate. And considering how old their family is…" Zenigata snorted. "I'm sure by now Lupin will have caught on and penetrated the field. He may be fully resurrected now, but he still has all his powers as a Servant. I confirmed it when trying to chase him down after the incident. Besides, they still have Iris' daughter." A quick medical examination proved that Iris was no longer a homunculus, but a real human woman. Since Kiritsugu's wish would have been for both her and Illya to become human, it was likely Illya was the same.
"You know keeping this quiet isn't going to be easy," Zenigata noted, "Even with Interpol's help." "I'm well aware Inspector," Risei admitted, "Humans cannot ignorant of their own ignorance for long. Eventually humans came to realize that the sun does not revolve around the Earth, that the world is not flat, that we were crafted through evolution rather than being created as is. Even we in the Church accept what has become common knowledge. And eventually civilization will start to become aware of the existence of true magic, rather than the stage illusions that entertain millions across the globe."
"At least they'll get a head start," Zenigata said with a grin, "There's also the fact that the growing internet will eventually become so vast that secrets will be harder than ever to keep. Are you aware that Time Warner Cable is developing a new provider that can access the internet through a cable modem instead of the phone lines? Such a hookup would allow people to access online faster than ever before." Risei nodded. "Yes, I've heard of that. They should have it completed by next year. And that's only the first step. Already we have wireless phones starting to become mainstream. Once the internet reaches that point…"
"There's still one thing I don't understand in all this," Zenigata said, "Kiritsugu said the strange corrupted mud came from Angra Mainyu, who was a Servant in the Third Holy Grail War. But how could the Idea of Evil become a Servant?" Risei stroked his chin. "I've no real idea. But if I had to guess, I'd say it was belief. That's how all the Servants are summoned. After all, these people all became legends in their own time, though not always for the right reasons. After all, this War saw Gilles de Rais get summoned, and he was hardly heroic. And of course, there's Lupin to consider."
"Let's just hope the Fifth Holy Grail War doesn't see anymore villains get summoned as so-called 'Heroic Spirits'," Zenigata said with a sigh. "That reminds me… We found Jigen's body in a bar late last night, a few hours after losing Lupin's trail. Autopsy reveals he had been shot through the liver. Guy was able to live for a few hours afterward, and the bartender revealed he had one last visitor before he breathed his last." Risei closed his eyes. "Lupin." Zenigata nodded. Akimi burst into the office. "Inspector! There's been a murder in the holding cells! The new suspect that was brought in has been found dead!"
Zenigata's eyes widened as he stood up. "Oscar… God damn…" He looked over to Rise. "Sorry for that Father." "You'd be amazed how often I hear that Commandment broken in my presence," Risei said with a chuckle, "But there's a reason Jesus of Nazareth argued against seeing them followed so strictly. Still, how could someone have slipped into the holding cells to silence Oscar so easily." Zenigata scoffed. "Seems he had some powerful backers who knew he'd be taken out. This isn't over by a long shot." Risei nodded. It seemed that the Association wasn't the only group that needed to clean house.
When Goemon had heard that Jigen was dead, he immediately returned to Fuyuki for the funeral. He was surprised to see Lupin still around, but Lupin had explained everything. The tombstone on top of Jigen's grave was a simple one. "Here lies Daisuke Jigen. A beloved and loyal friend." "I doubt he would have wanted much more than that," Lupin noted. "He was always sure he would die be the time he hit thirty," Fujiko noted, "And then you came along." Lupin chuckled. "Well, I've got so much luck I always feel like spreading it around, y'know."
"Perhaps that explains why Fujiko got pregnant after only one session of you sleeping with her," Goemon quipped. Lupin and Fujiko were shocked. "You actually have a sense of humor?," Lupin asked. Goemon smirked. "It comes with age. Like many others things. So what now?" Lupin looked up. "Well, for starters I think it's about time Riko got to know her father better." Fujiko smiled. "I'll have her pack her things." Lupin chuckled. "And then I'm off to Germany. There's one little detail Jojo forgot when he decided to give us all our happy ending."
A few days later, Kiritsugu was sitting with Iris in her hospital room. "I don't know how many more tests those doctors need to perform," he noted, "It's not like you're a science experiment." Iris giggled. "I actually wanted to make sure everything was working. Because… By now Father's learned of what happened. I mean, by all rights we won thanks to Jojo, but without the Grail in hand…" Kiritsugu nodded. He was prepared for this. He knew Acht would put up a Bounded Field, but he was confidant he could find a way through. In the meantime he'd be teaching the new protege the Church had picked up, a young boy named Shiro.
Just then, there was a knock on the door. "Must be Maiya," Kiritsugu said. It was, but there was someone else with them. Kiritsugu gasped as the tiny form slammed into his legs, wrapping them up in a big hug. "Daddy!" Iris jolted up from her bed. "Illya!" Sure enough, it was their daughter Illyasviel. And she was smiling brightly. "Mommy!" She dislodged from her father and went to hug her mother as well. "Mister Thief said you'd be here! So he dropped me off with Miss Maiya and had her bring me here!" Kiritsugu was surprised. "Lupin did this?"
"Are you really so surprised?," Maiya asked, a smile on her face, "He was able to bypass the security of both the Tohsaka and the Matous. Why should the Einzberns be any different. Oh yes, he left this card." She handed Kiritsugu a card. "I realized that there was still one treasure left in the Einzberns possession. And where perishables are concerned, I prefer to leave them in the hands of those who can take care of them. No need to thank me. Lupin the Third." Kiritsugu couldn't help but laugh. Even though they had been enemies since they first met, it seemed Lupin was not one to hold a grudge against a man trying to do his best for his family.
Waver didn't know what to expect talking to his old teacher. But what he heard wasn't it. "I'm sorry, say that again." Kayneth chuckled. "I said I intend to retire after my marriage and pass my title on to you. I was able to look through a copy of your thesis, you see. Truth is… I never really read it the first time and simply dismissed it as utter nonsense. But having read it properly, I can see that was a mistake. You'll need some training to realize your potential. But given your magical knowledge exceeds some of the oldest families, I'd say the potential is there."
And so the Fourth Holy Grail War ended on a satisfying note. Aoi was soon walking down the aisle for her new husband Kariya. While and Sakura never had their hair return to their original color, the rest of the damage had been corrected. The Archibald family's debt were all cleared, due in no small part to a mysterious transfer of money from an unknown benefactor. And while the future could not be seen, eventually it would come to pass that Evan and All Might had their wishes come true as well. One might wonder whether or not that would cause a paradox, since they had been brought back in time for these changes to be made.
But one thing to consider is that the wishes had already been granted prior to them being summoned. While Evan certainly would not have noticed, in All Might's case it's possible the Grail altered his memories to make him think this wish needed to be done. But rest assured the Grail agreed to grant all of Jonathan's wishes. As for Jonathan's wish, his would eventually come to pass. Lupin was especially looking forward to it, since they never really settled their earlier fight. In the meantime, the Fifth Holy Grail War would come fifty years early due to the Grail's reset. But that is for another story.
And if you wanna read that story, let me know. But in the meantime we have one final chapter for this story. A nice epilogue to bridge generations. Read and review.
