Fate/Infinity Shuffle

Chapter 273 – Epilogue:

The sound of simmering meat filled the entire room of the restaurant, and the steam carried with it the smell of delicious food.

"This meat is amazing." Ibuki admitted, having taken a piece off the grill and eaten it. It wasn't her first, and it wouldn't be her last.

"You lot have come quite far, haven't you?" Sub-member Arihiko pointed out, snatching a few pieces for himself. "Three A Rank Teams beaten. That means you guys can face off against an EX Team, right?"

"Yup! And just in time. We can't stay too behind from the Conquerors of Deva." Hoshizume pointed out, as Yuuki the alien softly blew at the steaming meat to cool it before she could eat it.

"Can't?" Satoshi tilted his head. If Rocket hadn't been obligated to stay outside alongside Icarus, the dog would've done the same thing.

"Course we can't!" Ibuki barked immediately. Due to being right next to Satoshi, the boy shivered up, not expecting the loud sound all of a sudden. "I refuse to stay behind those 'Conquerors of Deva' for too long. Bastards got to skip all the way to fighting the EX Team…"

Shimakaze waved it off. "Boss, you don't need to hold a grudge. After all, pretty sure they can skip a couple challenges if you save the world."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever."

Diana couldn't help but chuckle. "It's funny to see Ibuki act like this."

Arihiko raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"She says these things, but she was the one warning everybody to Transport away before that woman used her Noble Phantasm."

"What, you didn't want me to warn you guys?" Ibuki brushed off the giggle Diana gave and ate another piece of meat. "I'll admit I thought that they would always be one step ahead of us, but they were three this time around."

Naoto wondered for a moment. "I can see why you're bothered then. It's like being on a losing streak for three rounds in the poker game."

"Then," Shiki spoke up. "I'm going to take a wild guess and say the EX Team you want to challenge is the 'Conquerors of Deva' then."

"Actually, no." Ibuki crossed her arms. "I want to beat those 'Worldly Argonauts'."

Hoshizume and Yuuki both raised eyebrows. "Why?" The Assassin asked.

Ibuki's eyes narrowed to nothing in particular. "I want to beat that woman."

"Who?"

"That blonde bimbo that lifted up the Demon Pillar!"

"Ohhhhh?" Ibuki's ears immediately recognized that voice. "Is that the nickname you've given me?"

The entirety of the Melty Blood turned to the grilling table next to them. Ibuki's eyes met with Luvia's.

"So we meet again."

"Cut the courtesy." Ibuki pointed out. "Eavesdropping? Really?"

"This coming from the person speaking about the Game out in the open." Luvia teased. Granted, in such a crowded restaurant, full of parties, and the sound of frying food in practically every table, it wasn't that risky to talk about it, as long as they were vague enough to make sure people could confuse it for a random sport. "I'm not eavesdropping. I would never due such a thing. I just happened to catch a few words that alerted me that people are talking about the Game. It is quite hard- no, it's impossible to not hear the rest!"

The Argonaut Archer, Ayako, raised her cup and smirked at the party next to them. "Since we're here, wanna join in? It's been a while since we could speak about that sort of things with anyone."

"You got that right!" Makidera, the Argonaut Lancer, was snatching the fattiest pieces of meat from the grill that were already done. "Almost three years of pretending that we knew nothing!"

Atrum, Argonaut Caster, chuckled to himself. "An odd approach, in my opinion. I understand the logic, but didn't find it the best idea."

"At least you went along with it." Angelica responded, eating a piece herself. "Some of us were rather close to breaking."

Everybody turned to the Panther of Fuyuki. "…Hey!" She barked right away. "I kept my silence!"

"And now you don't stop yelling." Kanata chuckled, as Tsukumo stole a piece from his plate. "Hey, what was that for?!"

"Makidera is going to eat everything at this pace."

"You can eat as much as you wish!" Luvia assured, with her signature 'rich lady' laughter. "I'll take care of the bill. As the leader of my team, I should cover all expenses."

Ibuki's eyebrow twitched. "…Oi."

"Hm?"

Ibuki stood up and placed her hands in her pockets. "You, me, back alley, match."

Luvia snickered. "Oh? And why should I?"

"Hey, you do you. Just don't be surprised once everybody knows the EX Ranker cowardly hid from an A Ranker."

"E-Excuse me?!" Luvia's question was followed with Ibuki leaving the full restaurant. With a popping vein, Luvia stoo up, stomping hard with her heels. "That little…!" And she followed the Leader of the Melty Blood.

The two teams were somewhat taken aback by the sudden event. Eventually, the multiple members crossed gazes and let out awkward chuckles.

"Wanna join us?" Ayako wondered. "Apparently our leader is covering for us. Pretty sure she won't mind if you guys join."

"Well, it would be rude to refuse." Satoshi pointed out, chuckling awkwardly.

"If it really is no problem." Shiki started moving his seat.

"Shiiiiikiiiii!" And he froze. His skin turned blue in fear as Arihiko started laughing.

"Run Shiki, run."

"Arihiko, is this your doing?!"

"Would I really sell you out?"

Shiki didn't even wait for an answer, instead fleeing from Akiha, his adoptive sister, that had spotted him at a distance and started a chase. Everybody could see the hearts coming out of her.

"Is that a common occurrence?" Angelica was stunned.

Hoshizume couldn't help but giggle alongside Yuuki. "More than it should."


A rather silent evening in Sieg's house. It was bound to happen. He simply lied on his couch in the living room while reading a book. Even if now that he didn't have the risk of suddenly fainting during a physical activity, he'd still spend quite some time dedicated to reading.

Light footsteps approached from behind. He wasn't startled by them. He knew perfectly well who it was that approached him and what her intentions were. That is, in theory. He wasn't expecting for something so cold to suddenly touch the back of his head.

"Ah!" He jolted up, sitting up, a hand immediately going to the cold spot on his skin. "W-What was that for?"

"I just wanted to see your reaction." Joana giggled, offering him the bottle of apple iced tea. "Here."

"Thanks…" His eyes narrowed as he took the drink and opened it to take a sip. Joana sat on a nearby armchair and opened a drink of her own, a refreshing bottle of water.

"What are you reading?"

"Utopia. I've been meaning to read it for a while now."

"Is it being interesting?"

"I just started, so, I can't really tell." He admitted. "Doesn't help that a certain someone pulled a prank on me."

"Sorry, sorry." Joana kept on giggling. "But I actually wanted your attention. I want to ask you something."

"Hm?" Sieg was curious. Her tone had shifted from joyful to lightly serious.

"Ah, but before that, how's your health?"

"Pretty great, actually." He put on a grin and placed a fist over his chest. "Compared to before, I barely get fainting spells."

"I'm glad." Joana admitted. Of course she would be. "But I actually wanted to ask something that's a bit more serious."

"S-Sure…" He grew nervous. Her smile didn't cease, but it was somewhat stiff.

"This might sound a bit weird, taking into account how I reacted to your surgery, but… would you like to do another if it meant you would improve your body overall?"

Sieg's main strand of hair could've formed an interrogation mark there and then if he had the ability to move it. "What do you mean?"

"There's an admin in the north part of the country. Her name is Touko. And she studies the Cards very thoroughly. And just a moment ago, I thought… what if you fused with your Card permanently?"

"E-Eh?!" Sieg almost jumped. "T-That's possible?"

"I'm not sure myself… But there are a lot of Heroic Spirits whose main function is to heal. Maybe with her talent we could make you fused with the Card. Installing only makes your physically better, right? I thought… maybe it would be a good way to make sure everything with you would be alright." Joana stared at the water bottle, her expression reflected back to her as a result. "You're not one hundred percent healed, right? So… maybe…"

Sieg absorbed the information and pondered about it. But the answer came rather fast. Mainly because it was an obvious answer.

"No."

"W-what?!" Joana was somewhat shocked. Not by the answer, but by the speed of it. "W-Why not? Isn't it the best thing to do?"

"Maybe, but…" Sieg's face turned pink and a finger started scratching his temple. "Then this heart would've been for nothing." Sieg looked away, slightly embarrassed. "It's true I don't know who the donor is and it was quite a coincidence that they happened to be of my age and blood type. According to the doctor, they suffered an accident and died almost immediately… Since they were an organ donor, it was a perfect fit. I don't know much else, but I don't think I should throw away this gift and take a shortcut. I… don't think it would be right."

Joana was somewhat taken aback by the answer, but afterwards her face turned pink and she smiled. She stood from the armchair and sat next to the boy, placing her arms around his shoulders.

"W-What?"

"You're right. I don't think that heart should be disregarded. I'm sorry."

"Y-You don't have to apologize. You were just thinking about what was best for me." He admitted. "…Although,"

"Hm?"

Joana's questioning eyes were met by narrow ones. "I can't help but think you wanted me to be fit right away, like I am when Installed."

"W-What?! No!" Her face became bright red. "I-I wasn't thinking that! I m-may like how you look Installed, but I prefer this cute you!"

A blue aura of depression surrounded Sieg. "I was planning on working out to be more fit like my Installed self…"

"I-I mean…" Joana's red couldn't get brighter! "Gahhh! Sieg, I like you regardless of how you look!"

"…Promise?"

"Promise!"

Sieg's aura vanished. "…Alright." Sieg turned to her and suddenly knocked her down into the couch, remaining on top.

"S-Sieg?!"

"Since you interrupted my reading, you can make things up to me."

"S-Since when are you so assertive?"

"I'm not. I think my heart is about to explode." Sieg chuckled. That made Joana's eyes shine. She took the opportunity to wrap her arms around him again, locking her hands behind his neck. "E-Eh?"

A mischievous smirk appeared. "Now you can't back out."

"H-Hey…" His face turned red as well.

"You don't need to be shy. We're technically married."

"I-I thought we agreed we wouldn't mention that again!"

Joana stuck out her tongue, teasing Sieg a little bit more. He let out a sigh and smiled at the girl he loved before lowering his body and the two locking lips.


A clear day with a nice enough weather. The shut in couple decided that that day was the day. Hakuno and Jinako asked Mary to get properly ready so they could go out on a stroll together.

"Can we get ice cream?"

"Hmmm…" Hakuno turned to Jinako. Ho would plead as well. "Alright, I don't see why not!"

"Yay!"

The three got an ice cream cone each on the way to their destination. Mary played around with Teddy while eating her treat, while Hakuno and Jinako sat on a bunch while appreciating their own.

"…Are you sure you want to do this now?"

"I think we have to." Hakuno let out a sigh. "We shouldn't keep this from her forever. And… we shouldn't let her grow up without that in mind."

Jinako looked over at the cheerful girl and took a quick bite out of her ice cream. "Do you think she'll understand it?"

"Maybe. She's smart for an eight-year-old."

"And what do you think she'll react like?"

"I… honestly don't know." Hakuno placed a hand over his forehead. His worries were more than clear.

Taking notice of this, Jinako put her secret skills to the use. "A-um!"

"Huh? Hey!" She took a bite out of his ice cream. "You have your own!"

"Ehhhh? But yours looked yummier." She stuck out her tongue and winked, making the boy suddenly chuckle, which evolved into laughter. "Better?"

"A little bit." Hakuno pointed out. "Thanks."

"You're welcome."

"…For everything."

"Hm?" She raised her eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

"I don't think I would ever be able to handle this year if it hadn't been for you. You even left your room to join me. I don't think I'll ever be able to repay that."

"Hakuno, you don't need to repay me for anything." Her legs began to wobble back and forth. "You were the first person to offer as much kindness as one could. And you didn't give up on me either."

"Give up?"

"Yeah, remember? At the beginning? I was pretty cold."

"I guess. Honestly, you seemed really interesting. I didn't want to have a relationship where we didn't get along."

"I see." She couldn't help but smile like a little kid. She looked over at Mary. "Thinking about it, it's because of her that we're no longer just looking at each other through a screen."

"Maybe. You're still the one who made the choice though."

"Hmmm." Jinako tilted her head, pondering. "I wonder if things were different, would we be living together in my room like two proper shut ins? Pigging out every day, away from the outside world, playing all sorts of games?"

"Hm? I thought we already did that."

"But it's different!" Jinako giggled a bit. "We have proper daily lives. And even though I'm still a bit afraid of the outside world, I no longer fear stepping outside."

Hakuno's hand was suddenly placed on hers. Jinako's face turned pink.

"With the Game calming down after the reveal of the EX Rankers, I'm thinking about learning game development. Wanna work together with me on a video game?"

Jinako's lips curled, mischievous as a kitten, as she figured out what her proposal entailed. "Hmm? You know it takes a long time to study and make a game, right?"

"Oh, really?" He grinned back at her. "We have the rest of our lives ahead of us anyway. I think we'll be able to make it."

Jinako's blush became a bit stronger. She refrained from answering, simply deciding to eat the rest of the ice cream. Hakuno laughed lightly.

The three finished their sweet treats and resumed the journey.

"Umm… Onii-chan, onee-chan? You still haven't told me where we're going. T-Teddy is very curious, you know?!"

The two teenagers giggled lightly before becoming slightly more solemn.

"We're going to a place where we have something very serious to talk with you about."

"A-Am I in trouble?"

"Of course not." Jinako assured. "It's just that anywhere else would feel… out of place."

Mary and Teddy both tilted their heads.

The little girl was offered the hands of her caretakers from either side. This was new. She usually always carried her partner in one arm, so this was a new experience. Teddy was placed on top of her head, and she gladly took the hands of Hakuno and Jinako as they approached the graveyard.

Hakuno and Jinako looked at each other and nodded before proceeding.

"After we come here and talk, we can do whatever you want."

"Really?! Anything?!"

"Anything. Even eating ice cream until you explode."

"Yay! I want to go to the theme park with Teddy, Mama and Papa!" The girl realized what she said and turned bright red. "I-I mean Onee-chan and Onii-chan! T-That's what I meant."

The two teenagers let out a bittersweet laugh. And thus proceeded to the place where they would most likely have the hardest conversation of their lives. For better or for worse, they would have it.


It was a very important moment for Mash. It would be an important moment for just about anyone, really!

"Wow. Your room really matches you." Gudao Fujimaru had been invited to her house so she could help him study for an upcoming exam. Despite his observant gaze, Fujimaru was somewhat oblivious to Mash's nervousness.

"He's coming to your house?! Your room?! Mash, it's now or never! You have to confess! This is the best chance!"

Gudako assured her of this. And at the time, it sounded like a genuinely good idea. But the more the moment approached, the harder it would be to speak up properly.

Perhaps that nervousness was a sort of blessing, because it made her ignore the small whispers coming from her closet.

"Come on…!" Aiko cheered for her Leader.

"Leader, you can do it!" Taiga was of the same opinion.

Ogami was doing his best to feel comfortable. "Why did we stuff ourselves in here to begin with?"

"We panicked." Futaba pointed out, in a rather matter-of-fact way.

"We couldn't miss such an event!" Natsumi affirmed, just as excited as Aiko and Taiga.

"Maybe, but whose brilliant idea was it to sneak into her room?!" Akiko wasn't exactly happy with the situation.

All six members turned to her. "You did."

The Saber blushed bright red. "D-Doesn't matter, let's just watch. You think those others can keep their hideouts for long?"

More specifically, she was referring to the members of 'Fragments of Blue and Silver' that had come. Basically, everyone except for Sisigo. Gudako, Kane, Seo, Yukika and Flat. Instead of hiding in the large closet, they had snuck under the bed. Somehow.

"This is so exciting…!" Gudako couldn't help it.

"K-Kane, you think this was a good idea?"

"As a love detective, it would be irresponsible not to assist to this moment, Yukika."

Seo would write down notes if she had a notebook handy. "This is it! This is just what I need to see for the love confession of a girl to an oblivious boy!"

Flat simply smirk out of amusement. He didn't speak, but if someone were to ask him why he was there, the answer would've been 'because it is fun!'.

"Senpai!" Mash realized that maybe she spoke a bit too loud.

"Hm? What is it Mash?"

"Be-Before we start… Th-There's something I'd like to ask of you."

She calmed down her heart. Took a deep breath and gathered all of her courage. "I-I…!"

"Here it comes!" Aiko got a bit too excited though, as her sudden movement forward to peek through the gap of the closet's door started a chain reaction that would make everyone else hidden inside slid forward.

CRASH!

Mash and Fujimaru, shocked, turned to the mountain of people that had suddenly fallen in from the closet. Mash's pink blush suddenly turned into a red coat of pain.

"W-W-W-What are you all doing here?!"

"S-Sorry, Leader, but we wanted to see it…"

Gudako appeared from underneath the bed. "Awww, you guys ruined the moment!"

"EEK!" Mash jumped in sheer surprise.

"Hm?" Fujimaru blinked twice. "Gudako?"

"Come on guys, you can come out now."

"…" Mash took a deep breath. And suddenly, her emotions burst. "JUST HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE IN MY ROOM?! GET OUT!"


After ringing the doorbell, Sekai was surprised to see someone other than Akane open the door. A tall, admittedly bulky man, with the mane of a lion for hair. The sunglasses were unmistakable though: Kairi Sisigo.

"H-Hello, Mister Sisigo. Is Akane in? We were supposed to go out with the rest of our friends."

"She's just about ready. Please, come in."

"T-Thank you." She felt a bit nervous. She had never met Akane's parents. Well, in this case, parent. On top of that, he was an EX Ranker. Even if the revelation of their identities had diminished some of the excitement, most of it was intact.

Sekai took a seat, as proposed by Sisigo.

"Akane, your friend is here!" He roared like a lion, but with the warmth of a caring parent, as one would expect.

"Coming!" She probably wasn't expecting Sekai to arrive. She shouldn't be that that late, right? Or did Sekai arrive a bit earlier than she expected. Regardless of the case, Akane didn't take long to climb down the stairs. "I'm here, I'm here!"

"Whoa there, kiddo, nobody is going to kill you." Sisigo pointed out, chuckling at the seemingly annoyed teen. A hand of his was about to be placed on her head to ruffle her up, but she dodged just in time.

"I just brushed it!"

"Hm?" This was a surprise. "I thought you didn't care about your appearance."

"I-I don't, but…" Akane glanced at the cheerful Sekai and suddenly blushed.

Sisigo raised an eyebrow. Following his daughter's eyes guided him to the teen waiting for Akane. "Huh. I was wondering why the one to come pick you up wasn't one of your teammates."

"W-Wait, you know all of my teammates?" This was news. Maybe out of a weird sense of embarrassment, despite the reveal that he was an EX Ranker, Akane never brought up the topic of the Game into a conversation.

"Course I know them, kiddo. I've watched all of your matches. At some point you memorize names and faces."

"W-Wait, you watched all of my matches?!"

"Why wouldn't I?" He grinned at the blushing daughter. "Also enough to know that that young lady over there is from that Team you butt heads with all the time."

"…" Akane, for the first time to Sisigo, hid her face behind hands. This was surprising to him, to say the least.

"Akane, you don't need to be embarrassed." Sekai pointed out, approaching the Saber of Red and removing her hands from the bright red face. And not letting one of them go.

Sisigo glanced at the hand holding and immediately put the pieces together. "Oh? I didn't expect you to be dating an opponent. Doesn't that raise the tension?"

"A-Are you mocking me?!"

His grin increased. "Little bit."

"…You're not surprised I'm dating a girl?" He was from an older generation.

"Hmmm… I guess I'm more surprised you're dating at all."

"What?!" The lion cub barked back at her parent, making him laugh. Sekai couldn't help but giggle.

"Go on have fun with your friends."

"This isn't over!"

The members of the Black Yggdrassil, the Red Oaths, Sieg, and the two Rulers, Joana and Kotomine Shirou, all went out together to a video game arcade to hang out together.

And it immediately started with two certain people butting heads.

"Don't think I'll lose to you on this!"

"Only on your dreams will you beat me!"

Akane and Hibiki were already antagonizing each other through an Arcade Fighting Game.

"Those two never change…" Ringo was slightly disappointed, showed in her sigh. She was suddenly tapped on the shoulder. "Hm?"

Upon turning around, Haruto, the Archer of the opposite team, offered her a plastic gun with a smirk. "Would you like to help me reach a high score?"

Ringo looked over his shoulder, spotting the game he was referring to. A co-op shooter focused on gunning down zombies. She chuckled a little. "Well, we are Archers after all. I guess we'll be able to do it easily."

"Confident in your abilities, I see."

Kazan and Sekai competed against each other in a dancing game. Sieg, Yuri and Daisuke were amazed by their performance.

"Heh, think you can beat me, Sekai?"

"Don't underestimate my strength! During Middle School, I was the Insane Queen of this game."

"I-Insane." That made him miss one of the arrows of the screen. "H-Huh?!"

"Beh." Sekai stuck out her tongue.

"You tricked me!"

"Everything's fair in love and war."

Taiyou and Hachirou had gone to a small mini-basketball machine, where scoring points could potentially earn them prizes. Taiyou kept getting the ball through the hoop thanks to his skill in the game, while Hachirou kept scoring thanks to his luck.

"No wonder Ringo finds you annoying."

"Hey, don't hate the player." The two ended up chuckling.

Rikuko and Aimi were both focused on a crane game, trying to score a couple of prizes. Rikuko would be the one controlling the claw, while Aimi gave indications.

"Oh, that one! The lizard!"

"Lizard? You have weird tastes…"

"They're a majestic creature, don't you mock them."

"Sure, sure…"

Kuroko and Momoka were in front of a Strength Tester Machine. The Saber of Black put in a couple of coins to buy two tries. The punching bag descended. The Berserker of Red carefully observed him. He took a stance, wound up his muscles, and BAM! The machine gave him the score of 567 out 999.

"Hm. Better than last time." He was slightly proud of the achievement. "Momoka, wanna give it a try?"

"?!" She immediately waved her hands and shook her head no, too nervous about the proposal.

"Come on, no need to be shy. There's an extra try anyway. It's on me."

"…" The tall girl blushed a bit as she approached the punching bag. "I-I just need to punch it, right?"

"As hard as you can, yeah."

"Alright…" The nervous girl swallowed dry air and copied the boy that had done before. Her shaking fist made contact and BAM!

Kuroko's black eyes widened at the flashing score of 999. And it looked like the machine wasn't recovering properly to begin with. He blinked twice at the shaking girl.

"D-Did I do it right?" She wasn't even aware of what happened.

There was really only one thing he could say. "…Thank god you're a docile creature."

Joana and Shirou simply observed the scenes slightly from afar. It was fun observing all of these people that grew to be their friends in the past couple of years enjoying themselves and having fun together.

"…It's been quite a while, hasn't it?"

Joana was confused. "What do you mean?"

"That this odd bunch competed." Shirou chuckled. "It's funny to think they fought against each other for so long that they've become friends as a result."

"Hmmm. A little, yeah." Joana looked over at the crowd again. "They're a big group of friends. I wonder what they'll do after high school. And if they'll keep hanging out together."

"Nowadays, I'm sure that's easy to do." Shirou assured, placing his hands behind his back. "So, how are you and your husband."

A shiver went up her spine. "Do not remind me of that. What about you and Aimi?"

"We're getting along. Though it's abit hard to go out on dates when the restaurant keeps hogging me."

That reminded her. "Weren't you supposed to have shift now?"

"Someone's covering for me."


"Caren, for the last time, please do your job."

"Hm…" The white haired woman would ignore the pleas of her father. But since it came from Bazett, she decided to oblige. "Fine, fine, I'll help. It's not like there are a lot of people here tonight."

There were eight clients at the counter. The most surprising one of all was the owner of the restaurant himself, Kotomine Kirei.

"Here's the Mapo Tofu. I hope it meets your standards."

"Thank you. I doubt it won't be."

Caren served the rest of the members of the Zero Accel Team the dishes they asked for. Kiritsugu and Irisviel shared a two-person meal, the mildest of the dishes in the menu.

"So, Leader," Beatrice Flowerchild didn't start right away. "You knew all along the identity of EX Rankers, hmmm?"

"Of course I did." Kiritsugu remained stoic as always. "Responsible children come to their parents for help."

"Hmmm. That's why you were so adamant about not involving EX Rankers in all those weird incidents, huh?"

"My son and daughter deserve privacy. Even if they outclass me, I only wish for them to have a proper young life."

"Aww, Kiritsugu…!" Irisviel couldn't contain herself. She grasped his arm lovingly.

Beatrice stuck out her tongue a bit in disgust.

Sola and Maiya giggled. "Lovebirds should save it for later."

Ciel was the most unaware of what was happening, as she was gawking at her extremely spicy curry dish just resting in front of her.

"Here you go." Bazett handed the last dish as Caren retreated back to slacking of.

"Thank you." Waver Velvet bowed slightly as he was served the same sort of dish as Kirei. "I'm curious as to why he is so fond of it." With a spoon full of its contents, Waver took a bite out of the dish. After a loud gulp with shut eyes, everybody seemed curious for his reaction. He put down the spoon and opened his serious eyes. "I'd like to refund this item."

"You can't!"


Leo stretched his arms up to unwind his body from being so long in front of the laptop. "And done…"

"How was the exam?" Rani wondered. She was visiting her team leader as he had asked for her help in revising the material for the online test.

"I think it went well." Leo admitted, leaning back on his chair. "I don't know why a test on the computer feels so much different from one in paper."

"It's lack of habit."

"Maybe, maybe…" Leo adjusted her composure and stood up from the chair. "Well, since you're here, would you like a cup of tea and a match of chess? I'm sure Dan is about to prepare a kettle."

"Thank you. Maybe next time you can make that offer to that Ciel girl."

His head whipped. "H-How do you know…?"

"Julius told the entire team."

Leo sighed. "What a troublesome older brother."

"It's natural to like someone at your age."

"You say that as if you were some sort of old timer." Leo chuckled. "What about you? Don't you have someone you like?"

"Perhaps. But even so, that's none of your business." Rani pointed out, lightly laughing to herself. "Well, would you like help with your adventure for a relationship? I'm not experienced or anything of the sort, but a second perspective is always useful, no?"

"Hmmm. Alright. I accept the proposal." Leo admitted as the two moved to the living room. "We'll discuss this further over tea and chess."

"Very well."


"And… done!" Tetsu put down the last box of Akemi's room. A forearm cleaned the sweat on his forehead. "Why do you keep roping me into helping you out with this sort of thing?"

"You're my partner, aren't you? We need to help each other out."

"But why is it always physical labour?!" The frustration was present. He sat down on the clean floor and sighed. "…Moving for college, huh?"

"I can't commute every day if it takes me three hours to get there."

"Guess that's true." Tetsu stood back up and stretched his body. "Well, partner, how much is the rent?"

"You can pay?"

"I'm not one to owe favours." Tetsu pointed out. "Well, I can always pay you back once we start working."

"You're a bit chained to me at this point." Akemi sighed, chuckling a little to herself. "How can you pay me back if you're probably going to work with me?"

"Hm?" He raised an eyebrow. "I'm pretty sure I can't join the police force as a detective's assistant taking into account my background."

"Actually, I was thinking of opening a detective agency once I got my degree."

"Hm? So a Private Investigator?"

"And someone has to take care of the mail."

"Oh, hell no!" He flared up. "I'm gonna tackle all the criminals we chase, but I'm not taking care of desk work!"

Akemi's eyes narrowed. "You know your pay depends on me, right?"

"Fine, fine…" He sighed, scratching the side of his head. "Well, guess it's better than stealing banks for a living."

"I'd just arrest you anyway."

"Hmph. You were lucky the first time."

"Oh? Is that a challenge?"

"Yes. Stop me from robbing a bank and you win."

"Don't you dare actually do that!"


"It was quite nice of Hakuno to give us so many extra helping hands." A girl that had gone off the radar for a while now alongside her two partners in crime, Miriam, was surprised when the Ranker contacted her with the news that there were people that could help in her mission to better the world.

"Finally, I won't have to do most of the work around here." Axel's comment earned him a pull of the ear. "Ow, ow, ow!"

"Most?!" Miriam wasn't happy by the implications. She had always been fair amongst the three of them.

"F-Fine, fine, I take it back!"

"Guys, the curry is ready!" Louise's call made the many members turn to her. She had prepared the largest pot of curry they had ever seen in their lives. "Already made a side portion for our dinner and everything. So, guys, gather round and be ready to distribute! There's a lot of hungry people to feed here."

The trio was currently in the western part of Indonesia, setting up to offer food to those in need.

"That was faster than usual."

"Well, with so many extra hands, including a Saber fast at chopping up things, it's only natural."

Without anywhere to go, the seven that followed Kiara and attempted to help her were given a chance at redemption.

"Using the Cards to better the world. That's quite the idea." Hugo admitted, ready to pick up and carry the heavy pot.

"I think this might be better than destroying it, in retrospect." Anna admitted, ready to follow Miriam and the others in their journey.

"You think it's a good idea to simply waltz in and offer food though?" Henry wondered.

"Well, think of it this way," Phoenix had the answer. "we should help if they need it, but if they can get out of the gutter themselves, that's up to them."

"Well said." Miriam didn't disagree one bit with Phoenix's statement.

Match pulled on Louise's sleeve, asking for her ear. "Hm?"

"You know if Phoenix is a dude or a girl?"

"…I-I'm not sure…"


The moon rose to the sky.

Emiya residence, the big Japanese-style house as opposed to the cozy house Shirou and Illya lived in with their parents. The house where the bonds of the Fuyuki Defenders strengthened.

Rin and Sakura changed into nightwear in the bedroom they were going to share later.

"Sis, you can share the room with Shirou. I don't mind it, really!"

"Hmm. I still feel guilty though. At least for a while, I'll focus on you, Sakura."

"But that's going to make me feel guilty." Sakura giggled awkwardly. "…But thank you. I know you're trying."

"I think it's the least I should do after everything that happened." Rin poked Sakura's cheek.

"W-What was that for?"

"You're looking a bit chubby, Sakura."

"E-Eh?!" The younger sister panicked for a moment.

Rin could do one of two things: either treat Sakura like the most delicate of flowers, or help her feel comfortable amongst her friends so she could grow stronger. She decided to pick the latter. While the truth about her past was still unknown to the rest of her friends, the idea that something bad had happened came across. That was, in part, why this gathering was happening in the first place. Regardless if they won or lost the match, they would have a star gazing night at house that gave her so many good memories.

The two emerged from the room and almost immediately came across a fight.

"Shirou, you stuck up bastard!"

"Shinji…! How many times have I won against you in this?"

The two seemed to be doing some sort of wrestling, each holding brush with black ink. Shirou already had an X and an O on each cheek, while Shinji had cat whiskers drawn on his face.

Illya and Miyu tried to plit them apart, but to no avail.

"Eh! Shirou, brother, why are you two fighting?"

"Hmmm! Shirou here insinuated he was better than me at problem solving! Of course, I had to teach him a lesson or two."

"Shinji… You're just as competitive as when I was in the archery club." Shirou couldn't help but let out a nostalgic laugh.

Boys be boys, in a way. Shinji was invited as he too wanted to mend for his past actions, even if not truly his.

"Now now, you two go wash your face." Rin pointed out. "We only have so much time to look at the moon and the stars."

Shinji raised an eyebrow. "We literally have the entire night."

"Doesn't matter."

The two obliged. All of the futons were set by the exterior portion of the house. Luvia, Ayaka and Issei had been setting them up.

Shortly after, everybody began to stare at the sky above, talking about random things. Sakura was the most silent out of the bunch, but that was because she was so focused on the image. Her eyes were the first to spot it, and they widened at the start of the event.

"Guys! A shooting star! And another! And another! A meteor shower!"

"W-What?! There was one supposed to happen tonight?"

"Ahhh! Perfect! I need to wish for perfect scores!"

"Illya, if you studied, you wouldn't need to wish for those."

The teenagers started asking for whatever wishes they in mind. They were aware it was mostly a superstition, so speaking them out loud and joking about it didn't mind them so much.

But Sakura kept a wish silent to herself.

'I wish that everybody's future becomes a bright one.'


Isemi, Shoutarou and Karen looked over the construction vehicles in front of the rebuilding school.

"Just a little more and we can go back to school." Isemi pointed out, hands in pocket. "I hope this weird break didn't affect my grades."

"You got to live the dropout live for a while, huh?" Shoutarou asked with a big and nice grin.

"Shoutarou, you shouldn't be proud of that!"

"I know, I know…"

Isemi turned to the small adult. "Oh yeah, Karen."

"Hm?"

"Would you like to teach here?"

"Eh? Teach at your school?" She looked at the building with the suggestion in mind.

"This school is probably much better than our previous one." Shoutarou pointed out. "Maybe you'd fit in just fine."

"I'm… I'm not sure."

"Why not?"

"Maybe it would work on your class, but there are multiple classes in one year, and multiple years from then on. I don't want to be disrespected like that again. I didn't become a teacher for that." Karen pressed index fingers together, slightly embarrassed to admit it.

"You think it's doomed for failure?" Isemi wondered.

"Maybe. But I'll think about it. I'll figure something out with mister dunderhead here."

"Hey, I have perfect scores in math exams."

"I wonder why!"

As the two began to playfully bicker, Isemi chuckled.


While Isemi went to take a stroll, the twins rested in his bedroom. It was the day of the week where they essentially slept over in his house. Mimi was sat against his bed, simply staring at the ceiling, while Rumi lied down on the futon they would sleep in that night, reading a volume of a Light Novel she was fond of.

"…Hey, Rumi?"

"What is it, sis?"

"How do you feel about going back to school?"

"I'm a little excited."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I haven't been to school for a while now. I miss it."

Mimi's eyes moved to focus on her sister. "How long have you felt like that?"

"Hmmmm." She thought for a moment. "A little while ago, I guess."

Mimi let out a sigh. "You regret following me when I left the house?"

"What?" She suddenly turned around. "Where did that come from?"

"I was just thinking." Mimi scratched behind her ear. "I left home because of dumb reasons and you tagged along. But I can't help it but feel I dragged you with me, even though you came along because you asked."

Rumi was surprised to hear this. "Why do you say that?"

"Cuz you never had any problems."

"…" Rumi let out a sigh. "I followed you because you're my twin. But I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world!" Rumi assured, rather excitedly. "Thanks to do this, we made so many things, and met so many friends. How could I ever be mad at you for it?"

"W-Well…" Mimi looked away, making Rumi smirk.

"Sis, don't tell me you're nervous about school."

"Sh-Shut up and go back to reading."

"You're the one that interrupted me though." Rumi let out a giggle.


Tap tap tap.

Mizuki's foot couldn't stay still. Her eyes narrowed and a cheek puffed out.

"…She's late!" Even if spoken to herself, Lizzie was definitely running late. They had agreed to go out on a date to the shopping centre, but it had been over quarter past the set time, nearing the twenty minutes. She wasn't particularly picky about the time, but last time she ran late, Lizzie started teasing her about it. "I'm going to take my revenge!"

"Mizuki!" The Lancer approached the entrance of the shopping centre, where they agreed to meet up.

"Someone's late."

"I-I know, I'm sorry, but you'll never guess what happened!"

"Hm?" Mizuki noticed Lizzie was especially happy in a way she wasn't used to seeing her. The usually cheerful girl seemed have something extra in her smile. "What happened?" Mizuki was curious, to say the least.

"I came across someone that watched the stream of the our match with the EX Rankers, and his uncle is an idol scouter! He told me He showed a few images of me to his uncle and that he wanted me to go to auditions! He even gave me his card and everything."

Mizuki's eyes widened and so did her smile. "That's amazing! Congratulations Lizzie!"

"Thanks! I-I'm a little nervous though. But it's nothing I can't surpass!"

The two of them had happiness flourish. Mizuki for seeing Lizzie achieving her objectives and Lizzie for seeing her dreams close to a possible realization.


Mongami and Sayuri were walking down the streets, making their way to a certain destination. But while they were far from it, Mongami decided to strike up a conversation.

"So, what is Kabeyama and those other two up to."

"Same old, really. They're pretty tight friends. Kabeyama says the three of them might share a flat in college."

"Hmmmmm. What about you and Kabeyama."

"T-That's a private matter."

"Oh?" A mischievous smirk came onto her. "Still avoiding the matter, huh?"

"H-Hey, I'm not avoiding anything."

"You're playing it slower than what I thought Edward would play, make a proper move already"

"Listen, you!"

Before an argument could break out, a small creature performed a tackle hug!

"Auntie!"

"AUGH!" Mongami almost fell backwards. And Sayuri was simply confused by the call.

"Auntie?"

"I'm not… wait." A memory echoed through. "Nana?!"

"Heheh!" The young teen grinned and placed her hands on hips. "I haven't been able to see you since the floating island thing!"

"I was wondering where you had buggered off to." Mongami grinned and ruffled the girl's hair up.

"Auntie, I never managed to ask you!"

"Hm? Ask me what?"

"Will you-" Nana then finally noticed Sayuri's presence. "…Ah! You're the Saber from the Conquerors of Deva! I'm a big fan! I love it when you become tanned with big boobs and super cool!"

"P-Please control your voice…" Sayuri, while flattered, didn't want to have that said about her in such a loud way.

"Then I'll ask you too!"

"Hm?"

"Can you two be the Leaders of my Team?"

Sayuri and Mongami both blinked twice and then looked at each other. "Leaders?"

"Yeah! M-My Team is very low level, and we really want to improve! So… could you become our Leaders? No, wait, something about that doesn't sound right… Mentors! Yes, mentors!"

Sayuri and Mongami looked at each other, somewhat at a loss for words.

Sayuri began to think about what they didn't know. They didn't know this girl all that well to begin with, and not a single member of her Team "Well… that sounds like quite the request… I don't know if-"

"We'll do it."

"Really?!"

"Mongami, the heck!"

"What?" She shrugged her shoulders, like it was such an obvious answer. "This poor girl is asking us for help. As EX Rankers, we need to help her, don't you think?"

"Yay! My friends won't believe it!" Nana was overly excited.

"We'll meet your friends next time around. We need to take care of things for dinner."

"…Dinner?" Nana tilted her head. "But… it's two in the afternoon."

Mongami was caught off guard. A slip of the taongue. Embarrassed, she looked away. "W-Well…"

Sayuri grinned. "She wants to make sure tonight's dinner isn't ruined. Isn't that right, Mongami?"

The Archer stayed silent, refusing to poke back at the teasing.


"…Are you nervous?"

"N-No." Mongami lied.

"Great. … Because I'm about to die over here." Edward admitted, grasping his chest.

The girlfriend glared. "They're YOUR parents, why are YOU nervous?!"

"Same reason as you! Well, more or less…" Edward let out a sigh and rang the doorbell to the vacation house his parents would use whenever they visited Japan. They had come over to visit their son, and his tiny flat close to school didn't sound like the most appealing place for a cosy dinner. And since they didn't want to spend the money for a hotel room, the vacation house was the best solution.

Mongami was rather nervous. Naturally. But maybe it wouldn't be that bad. Edward was a nervous wreck, maybe his parents would be as well.

The door opened.

"Edward, son!" Well, that was an unexpected greeting. "And you must be Mongami! We've heard so much! Please, come in!"

…Mongami almost cursed Edward on the spot through a magic circle of blood. Why didn't he tell her his parents were… normal!

His mother possessed the same blonde hair and green eyes, probably what he inherited from her. His father on the other hand had brown hair and darker eyes. But unlike their son, they seemed rather outgoing and easy to speak with.

"This feels so weird…" Mongami admittedly to herself. "On top of this adult situation happening while I'm a teenager, you two are completely different from Edward."

"Y-You say that like that's a bad thing…" Edward retorted, as his parents chuckled amidst the dinner.

"We can tell." His mother admitted, giggling. "Edward has always been shy despite our efforts. It's just a part of him."

"Well…" Mongami turned to the embarrassed teen and smiled. "I don't think I would've fallen for him otherwise."

His face burst steam, turning all red at the comment.

"Awwww! Dear, get the camera!"

"On it!"

"Dad, please, don't!"

Mongami couldn't help but laugh at the familial scene.

"Our son is so cute!" His mother couldn't contain it.

Edward's father turned to the young girl. "I guess this means he really likes you, hm?"

"I hope so." Mongami admitted. "After all, I love him very much."

An even brighter red and a stronger cloud of steam. "You're doing it on purpose, a-aren't you?!" Mongami simply giggled as Edward's mother pulled out her cellphone to take a picture. "Mom, please, come on!"

Edward's father continued chuckling until he turned to Mongami again. "Those are strong words. And you sound like you mean them."

"I-I can't say I was lying, no…" It was Mongami's turn to become bright red.

"Well, if that's the case, we should know a little bit more about you." Edward's mother pointed out, giggling a little.

"Well, ask me anything then." Mongami was prepared for everything. She asked Sayuri for help for everything for the night: outfit, rehearsing, even applying make up for once.

And yet, one little detail escaped her.

"Tell us about your family then."

"…!" Mongami froze. Her expression shifted to sheer shock, and her posture stiffened. Edward turned to her, just as surprised. His parents were taken aback by the reactiong. Edward's mother even noticed her hand shaking. "…I'm an idiot."

"M-Mongami-"

"Why didn't I think they'd ask me this…?" She put the chopsticks aside and excused herself. "S-Sorry, I need to go to the bathroom."

Before anyone could say anything, the girl had fled, leaving Edward rather saddened.

His father was confused. "Did we say something wrong?"

Her mother took a guess. "Is her family situation harsh? I know she's living with you at the moment, but you said it was out of convenience."

"…" Edward sighed. "That… was a lie."

"Hm?"

"L-Look, I really can't explain it. It's not up to me to tell you or not. But…" Edward tried his best to fight back tears. "Mongami doesn't have anyone."

This came a bit as a shock. "Doesn't have anyone? Does she mean she doesn't have parents?"

"What about grandparents? Family? No one?"

"…Absolutely no one." Edward admitted, feeling the surge of emotions rush through his body. "I'm going to check on her."

"No, wait." His mother stopped him, standing up from the table herself. "I'll go."

"But mom-!"

"Let me give it a shot." His mother flashed a smile before making her way to the bathroom.

In the meantime, his father smirked. "You really care for her, don't you?"

"…Yeah."

Mongami was over the sink, trying her best to hold back tears. Sayuri hammered in too many times that crying would ruin the makeup.

"Such a stupid mistake…"

Knock knock. "Mongami? Can I come in?"

And she kicked herself in her mind again. She made them worry. "I-I'm sorry for my behaviour. I'll be out in a moment."

Edward's mother giggled to herself. "That's not what I asked. Sweetie, you don't have to worry, nobody's mad. Can you open the door?"

"…" Mongami's reached for the doorknob. It had a second of hesitation, but even so, she twisted it. The door cracked open and she could see that Edward's mother presented no hostility whatsoever. "…I'm sorry."

"You don't need to be sorry for anything. We didn't know. We still don't. That Edward really knows how to keep secrets." She joked, attempting to make Mongami laugh. And it was successful. "Come on. Dinner isn't over yet. Do you need a hug?"

"A-A hug?"

"I have the best hugs from this side of the hemisphere. That you can be sure of!" The grown woman already had her arms spread wide open.

Mongami was hesitant again, but decided to step forward with a smile. A tight hug ensued, much to her surprise. But it was oddly comfortable. It even made her worries go away, even if it were a temporary measure.

"Better?"

"Yes. Thank you."

The two separated to the Dinning Room.

"Mongami, are you okay?!"

"Edward, I think you're panicking a bit much." She giggled awkwardly, trying to play off the event as something they shouldn't worry about.

"…!" Edward suddenly turned to his parents. "Mom, dad! I have something very important to ask you!" It was a surprise to see him raise his voice. "I-I know this is very strange to ask, but…" He bowed almost 90 degrees. "No matter what happens, please help Mongami!"

"H-Huh?!" His girlfriend almost stepped away, staggered.

"What do you mean?"

"I… I don't care if this is my first relationship and that I'm still a teenager! I know that no matter what, I'll always like Mongami! And… no matter what happens between us, be it good or bad, I want you to help her! She doesn't have any adults to truly rely on. So… no matter what, from here on out, please help her like you'd help me! I don't care what that would cost me, I just want Mongami to have someone to rely on."

"Edward…"

"Hmmm…" Edward's father crossed his arms. "That's quite the request son. However… I can see where you're coming from. You're a kind person, after all. That is a costly wish… Then again, if she lived with you all the time, I don't think it would make much of a difference."

Edward's eyes brightened. "So…?!"

"Usually, you have to wait nine months to gain a daughter." Edward's mother joked, sending shivers up Edward and Mongami's spines. They knew what she meant, but it just sounded so weird.

"M-Mom, please don't say something like that again…"

"Why not? What you asked is essentially to take in Mongami as our daughter, right?"

"Oh god, Edward, what have you done?!"

"I didn't mean it like that!"

"Too late, son." His father laughed. "I think your mother already has it set that Mongami is our new daughter now."

"Give mommy a hug!"

"Gahhh!" Mongami was caught in strong arms. But it wasn't unpleasant. None of the situation was, really. While she played along, she couldn't help but smile and feel like she had a family once again.

An unknown wish came true.


(BGM: 【KYO】Ai Kotoba Ⅱ)

It was merely a week after the third year of high school started. One year prior, Mizuki and Sayuri were on that very same rooftop, where Mizuki came across her first Class Card. Now, all of her teammates had gathered to eat lunch together, the exception being the missing Lizzie.

"They never replaced the locks?"

"They did. I opened it again."

"Again?! Mizuki, why?!"

"I like this place!"

"But it's locked for a reason…"

"Did you kick it again?"

"I used Shiki's Mystic Eyes to cut the lock."

"W-What?!"

"Hahahah! You make me laugh to this day, Mizuki!"

"Mongami, don't encourage her!"

"Mimi, Rumi, are you fitting in just fine?"

"Rumi keeps getting love letters from a bunch of dudes. It's been one week, for heaven's sake!"

"M-Mimi, don't be mad."

"I know, I know."

"Shoutarou, you really don't want to join the class? I'm sure you can still apply."

"Nah. I don't think I'm made for school. I'll look around for a job. I want to make proper money fast."

"And you, Karen? Teaching here isn't an option?"

"I thought about it. I don't think it would work out that well. But I came across an interesting offer."

"Oh? You have to tell us how it goes afterwards."

"Of course."

"So, Mizuki. One year ago, you had no idea what you wanted to do with your life. What about now?"

"Now? Hmm… I think I'll pursue Early Childhood Education."

"Eh? G-Guys, I'm worried. We shouldn't let a kid look after kids. That's a recipe for disaster."

"HEY!"

"But speaking about looking after younger people,"

"Isemi, please don't interrupt me…"

"What about that Team you were asked to look after with Mongami?"

"They're good kids."

"Some of them are just the most adorable thing!"

"Guys!" Everybody turned to the door that led to the rooftop, where a gasping Lizzie tried to catch for air.

Mizuki stood up. "Lizzie? What happened?"

Sayuri raised an eyebrow. "Did she run non-stop all the way here?"

"Did nobody stop her?!" Edward became worried.

"I don't think Lizzie is suspicious enough for people to stop."

"G-Guys!" The idol recovered her composure and excitement. "I'm having my first official concert next week!"

Mongami was genuinely surprised. "Wait, for real? You passed the auditions?"

"Yup! With flying colours!" She struck a pose as usual.

"Congratulations!" Karen wished, as the twins clapped.

A bunch of congratulatory cheers were wished.

"We've gotta celebrate this!"

"How about dinner this weekend? We'll go to one of those places you can eat as much as you want!"

"You guys have to come to the concert too! I won't allow any one of you to miss it!"

"I don't think we were planning to."

And amongst the loud voices, suddenly came a knock on the door. Everybody turned once again. But this wasn't a familiar face. A new first year of their high school, a young girl that appeared to be rather shy.

"Ummm, excuse me?"

"Yeah?" Mizuki asked.

"A-Are you the Conquerors of Deva? I was told I could find you here…"

Mizuki stepped forward. "We are. I'm Mizuki, the Leader of the team. Do you need help?"

"N-Not exactly help! I'm not in any sort of difficulty or anything like that." The girl blushed bright red. She was so nervous about the request. It was funny, because that was how any of them would probably react when face to face with an EX Ranker just a year prior. "C-Can… C-Can we have a quick match?!" She requested, bowing far forward.

Mizuki blinked twice. "D-Do you have a team?"

"N-No, it's just me." She raised her body again. "I-I joined the Game recently, and I was told about the EX Rankers. S-So I was curious… I-I'm very sorry to bother you!"

"You don't need to be sorry!" Mizuki was now starting to feel guilty. "You guys keep eating, I'll have a match with her."

Lizzie puffed out her cheeks. "We're going on a date after school, you hear?! No excuses about being too tired!"

"I will, I will." Mizuki giggled before turning to the younger challenger. "Ready?"

"Y-Yes! Thank you for your time!"

"You don't need to thank me. Let's just have fun." The two drew a Class Card.

And in near perfect unison, the two spoke the keywords to start a battle.

Mizuki couldn't be more thankfully that her day to day life had become this exciting, even after becoming an EX Ranker.

"Transport! Install!"


Final Note:

It looks like a lot of authors do a 'Afterword' sort of deal, so, I guess I'll try my hand at it.

Man, it's been just bit over 2 years. To think this all started just as a way to relieve stress and show my love for the Fate franchise as I got to explore it more and more. The journey was long, with enthusiasm, some stress, love, hate, friendship, and so much more than I actually expected this Fanfic to accomplish. I want to thank all of the readers, past, present and future ones that follow this long as hell story all the way through. What started with just a fun concept to play around with turned into a 273-chapter story, holy hell. Needless to say, I take this as one hell of an achievement! Both as a writer and as a fan of a franchise.

It's come to an end though. Somewhat bittersweet, I'll say that much. But is this truly the end?

Well, no, actually.

Granted, I won't write fanfiction properly for a very long while, that's for sure, it doesn't mean I'm done. And Infinity Shuffle even less.

The first project I'll tackle is 'Project: Reshuffle'. Even though I'm proud of this accomplishment, due to many, MANY circumstances, Infinity Shuffle has many flaws. Most of which due on me not double-checking things properly, but that's not the point. So, while I don't write anything specific, I'll be working on 'Project: Reshuffle' whenever I want to revisit Infinity Shuffle and feel like writing. But what is 'Project: Reshuffle' exactly? It's essentially Infinity Shuffle, but better. Through typo and phrasing correction, chapter compiling, and some chapters that I believe for them to be for the better, I will improve Infinity Shuffle for those that want to revisit it as well. Does it have any major differences? A few, but the story would overall stay the same. So, if you ever want to revisit Infinity Shuffle in the future, you can follow the Reshuffle once it starts coming out (it will be uploaded in batches of chapters).

The second one, which I don't plan on starting until finishing the Reshuffle, is, well, the sequel to Infinity Shuffle. Yes, there is a sequel in the works! I don't want to make it as long as this one, that's for sure, but I don't have many details set in stone. If you're curious, I hope you'll have the patience to wait for it.

I have other projects in mind, of course, but I don't think I'll be writing in general for a while now. It is my main hobby, but there are so many other things I have to catch up on. So I really thank you for following the story all the way through, it really means a lot to me, and if you're willing to wait for more, that's what I've already promised.

As usual, in case you are interested, Discord Server Link: discord .gg /e7Qznvb (remove the spaces)

So, for now, goodbye…

Until next time!