Interlude 32: Miracles
"…Ah!" I gasped as I opened my eyes and found myself back in the garden! I'm ok! Not only that, I did it…
… I solved the truth!
"Ayaka! What happened?!" Bernkastel asked.
"Misaya wasn't trying to impersonate Manaka on purpose. It was all Merlin's doing." I replied.
"W-What?! Merlin, did it?! But how?!" Bernkastel asked.
"It's as she says. Misaya wished for me to save her. That was such a vague wish. So, I did what I thought would be best for her. I brought her to the alleyway, cut her hair, and finally materialized a school uniform." Merlin admitted.
"B-But how did you materialize an exact replica of the one Manaka wears?!" Bernkastel asked.
"That should be obvious. Manaka and Ayaka weren't the only two kids walking to school. I based it off of some girls that passed by a bit earlier." Merlin explained.
"And what about the hair?!" Bernkastel asked.
"Actually, there were already a pair of scissors in the garbage, so I just used those to cut Misaya's hair to make it look exactly like Manaka's haircut." Merlin admitted with a smile.
"Gross." I muttered.
"But why did you make her look exactly like Manaka Sajyou of all people?" Bernkastel asked.
"That's because Misaya was jealous of her. She was jealous of the bond me and Onee-chan shared. She wanted to become her. But even though she could have easily done so by wishing for it? I think? She still didn't because she knew it was wrong…" I explained but paused for a second until-
"… But Merlin didn't understand Misaya's wishes. So, she made her look exactly like Onee-chan. But by the time the disguise was complete, the sun had already risen and Misaya woke up. The result was a tragedy but also a coincidence. Both Misaya and Merlin didn't do anything wrong." I finished though I still wasn't sure about Merlin. I don't trust her after what she tried to pull.
"… And that's how I got away with it." Merlin admitted.
"So, what now? Manaka still-I mean Misaya, damnit! Can we just go back to how we called them in the first place?! This is confusing!" Bernkastel shouted.
"To be honest, I agree." I agreed. It still feels a bit unreal to me. But by now it's been over twelve years since they switched places. Whether I like it or not Misaya has been Manaka for a really long time and vice versa. So, just to keep things simple it should be ok to refer to them as we did before this.
"Either way, Manaka Sajyou is the culprit. She summoned the Beast that destroyed the world. That is undeniable." Bernkastel spoke.
"I disagree. We still haven't seen the rest of the Grail War so let's continue already." I replied.
"Tch. Continue." Bernkastel replied as she snapped her fingers and Manaka's dream finally continued once more…
That's right. I met Merlin three times before this. The first time was when I passed out and hit my head. The second time was when she told me to wish to become Manaka. And the third time, she tried to save me by making me look exactly like Manaka…
… And now this is the fourth time.
"Merlin, you've helped me once before. I want to ask you a question." Manaka asked.
"Go on." Merlin replied.
"Is it possible… to create a miracle?" I asked.
"That is impossible." Merlin replied.
"But… why?" I asked.
"I can't even create a miracle. So, a mere human wouldn't be able to do so. Only the Holy Grail can create miracles through wishes. You once held a similar power, but you've already used it. That means it's gone forever." Merlin explained.
"I-I understand." I replied. No. That was a lie. I wanted to create a miracle. A miracle that would allow me to become useful to Father. A miracle that would allow me to save someone killed as a result of the Grail War. A miracle that can save the other Masters. But I guess it's impossible-
"Actually, there is one other way." Merlin spoke.
"Huh. What do you mean?" I asked.
"Exactly what I just said. The only way for a human to create a miracle…" Merlin spoke but she paused for a second for dramatic effect until-
"… Is for them to become a Saint." Merlin finished with a smirk.
"A-A Saint? You mean like Jesus Christ?!" I asked.
"The very same. Saints have appeared once every few centuries. However, one does not just become a Saint. They must accomplish three things before they are granted the title of Saint. First, they must be a child of God. Though you have already fulfilled this condition." Merlin explained. That's right. I'm a descendant of the Sakatsuki family who are children of God.
"Second, they must NOT kill a single person. You may believe you are responsible for Manaka Sajyou's death, but you didn't kill her. In fact, you brought her back to life! And even though you used your gift on her, you still hold the qualifications to become a Saint." Merlin continued.
"And finally last but not least, they must die." Merlin explained with a smirk.
"D-Die?!" I spoke as Merlin nodded her head up and down to indicate a 'yes.'
"That's correct. Think back to Jesus Christ for a moment. He was the son of God himself. He also never killed a single human being or anything for that matter. And finally, he was crucified. He died. However, he didn't just die. Christ sacrificed himself in order to save other people…" Merlin spoke but paused once more for dramatic effect.
"… Only then did he become a Saint. So, the only way to become a Saint and bestow a Miracle onto another is to sacrifice yourself. That's the only way." Merlin finished. Since I don't want to die anytime soon, I guess becoming a Saint is out of the question.
"Well, it was worth a shot." I replied.
"Is that all you wanted to ask?" Merlin asked.
"Yeah. I guess I'll just have to claim the Grail for Father." I replied. Hopefully, too many people won't be killed in the process. And if I can just get my hands on the Grail then I can-no. I will bring them back. Every. Last. One.
"Ah." I gasped as my field of vision started to become blurry. This meant I will wake up soon.
"Looks like time's up. May we meet again another time, Misaya Reiroukan. Or do you prefer Manaka Sajyou?" Merlin spoke but before I could answer my real eyes opened and I returned to the real world.
'BAM!' A loud noise was unleashed as everything turned grey and time stopped. And then…
"M-Manaka. You shouldn't have to push yourself that hard." I muttered.
"Next." Bernkastel replied as she snapped her fingers. And before I knew it…
… time skipped forward to another event.
