Epilogue I: After the Fall
P.O.V.: A Certain Silver Sorcerer and King of Heroes
"So? How about it, Crowley-kun?"
Through the orange-hued liquid and the rising bubbles, Aleister stares quietly at a certain King of Heroes as he points at a holographic monitor of Academy City. "Seems like it all worked out for them in the end, did it not?"
The destruction that the Holy Grail War had wrought had all been reversed. While the lives lost could not be brought back, what Illyasviel von Einzbern had managed to do was completely heal all of the City's physical scars.
It saved Aleister the headache of having to deal with the cleanup. Even for him, destruction on that high of a scale, especially in an incredibly volatile area like District 7 would have made quite the dent in his proverbial wallet.
And for those that had fought in the War, they wouldn't have to be reminded daily of their strife by having to walk by the rubble every morning for the next several months. Considering what Aleister had in store for them— especially a certain Level 0— he supposed that giving the Einzbern girl some props was necessary.
'I even got to see the Third Magic be used…even if she didn't use its full, true nature.'
Even for someone as powerful as him, he hasn't been able to obtain any of the Five True Magics, nor acquire his own.
He blinks at Gilgamesh again, finally deciding to answer his question. "It appears so…for the most part, at least. The Einzbern girl's dilemma…it will certainly leave one of the parties there dissatisfied."
"Mhm." Gil nods. "Such is life, however. Losing those who you once shared great kinship with…it will not go well for her."
His eyes twitch as he remembers a shade of green, formed from the earth to be his anchor.
"…But they'll find a way to move on. Humans always do…at least," the King of Heroes glances up at the wired, tube-filled ceiling, as if he was trying to gaze at the stars, "I like to have faith that they do."
Aleister silently agreed. It was a situation that almost got out of hand; and an argument could be made that it did get out of hand, for a moment there.
But his key players did their part. And combatants that he didn't even expect to fill their shoes, filled them brilliantly.
"Although I have to say," Gilgamesh continues, "their victory over Angra Mainyu…it was quite lucky."
"Is that so?" Aleister asks. While he did know his fair share about Heroic Spirits and Servants, as well as the Throne of Heroes, there was arguably no one more qualified to talk about Heroes than the King of them; especially one who held the power to See the Deep.
"Yep yep." Gil replies. "This World hasn't encountered a Beast before…let's just say in a long story short, that Beasts of Humanity are usually much more powerful than what we just witnessed. If allowed to gain their Beast Crown…they are nearly unstoppable. Only Grand Servants or the Archetypes called forth from the Counter Force would be able to deal with them at that point...or I guess the Magic Gods and Transcendents if they try hard enough."
"I suppose it would have to do with Angra Mainyu's infancy." Aleister surmises. "He had little chance to gain maturity…therefore, his defeat was much easier to grasp."
"Yeah. I think that Matou girl played a role, too. Maybe her torn mentality of wanting to be a part of him or not made the Beast as a whole, weaker…"
Gil snickers. "Guess that's why a faker Reality Marble like that was able to cut it down."
'Though,' he muses inwardly, 'That sword he created…that, I can respect. I will grant you honor upon your rest, Shirou Emiya. Creating an original Divine Construct while only being a mere human…'
"Hm?"
Gil's train of thought is cut off, as a piercing slash of white light cuts through the air a few meters from him. A curved arc, about two or more meters vertical, which slowly expands to the point of being capable of containing a human.
Or rather…to allow a human through.
Gil narrows his eyes as he sees a brown, lacquered shoe step through, accompanied by a pair of black dress pants.
He and Aleister watch as a head of gray, elderly hair emerges, matched by an identically colored beard and a wrinkled, yet sharply-defined face.
The man wore a black overcoat, hiding his collared dark blazer underneath. On his gloved hands were a cane and a strange, rainbow-colored crystalline dagger attached to a handle.
Upon seeing that object in his hands, Gilgamesh knew exactly who it was. Upon his exploration of the world between the 4th and 5th Holy Grail Wars, he had become greatly acquainted with the current world of Mystery.
That man right there stood at the top as one of the strongest, yet most mysterious, existing for over two millennia.
And the small sword he carried in his hand…
"Well…" As the three men stood in a triangle, Aleister Crowley was the first to break the ice of silence. "…I wasn't expecting to see two True Magics today…Wizard Marshal."
"I believe I've told you this before, Silver Star," the bearded man muses back, "But I'd much rather be called Zelretch. I've been addressed formally at the Clock Tower one too many times for my liking."
"Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg." Gilgamesh speaks out, causing the man to turn and acknowledge his presence. "The wielder of the Second True Magic, Kaleidoscope. One of the two Wizard Marshals of the Clock Tower…
…and slayer of the Crimson Moon."
"I didn't have to have my entire resumé spoken back to me, King of Heroes, but I appreciate your respect." Zelretch chuckles.
"Of course. It's only fitting that mankind's greatest Hero acknowledges when a human obtains great power that even I cannot wield. Although…"
He steps a little closer, and tilts his head at the bearded man, smirking just a tad.
'You're not entirely human, are you, Zelretch-kun?'
The old man appears to understand his glance and gives him a stern glare of a disciplinary father, as if telling Gilgamesh to knock it off.
That conversation was apparently for another day. Shrugging his shoulders, he turns back to Aleister to listen in on their conversation.
"Zelretch…so why have you left your observatory to meet with me, exactly?" Crowley asks. "I suppose, considering your timing, it has to do with the just-ended Holy Grail War?"
"That is part of it, yes." Zelretch responds. "I was the one who sanctioned the War in the first place…and the three who began the ritual were my students, so I suppose you could say I have arrived to see it off. Seeing the true, untarnished Third Magic was quite the sight to behold.
Yet also…"
The old man looks between the two of them. "…I come with a personal warning. King of Heroes, I suppose your ability to view the endless futures means you already are aware of what I may say?"
Gilgamesh nods. "Of course. What do you take me for, Zelretch-kun?"
The Magician scoffs, and continues on. "…Angra Mainyu was just the beginning. This strange, alternate Worldline, where the one named Aleister Crowley has become more than just a niche, irrelevant occultist…"
Zelretch stares the Silver Star Sorcerer directly in the eyes as he explains, "…has begun to show signs of qualifying for the Pruning Theoretical Phenomenon. Angra Mainyu was Gaia's first attempt to cause a mass extinction and justify its pruning. I'm sure you're aware of the growing, other threats."
"I am." Aleister responds. "And I have failsafes for all of them if need be."
"Hm…" Gil blinks. He, of course, was also aware of what both of them were talking about. "…okay, that conniving little Snake in Europe I can understand, maybe even Gaia's Dog in the British Isles, but what about that Spider in South America?"
Aleister hesitates to speak for an awkward second. Honestly, it was a little unbefitting of him.
"…That's a work-in-progress."
"I don't believe you." Gil deadpans.
"Well gentlemen, I apologize for my very brief appearance…" Zelretch turns on his heels, and slashes another white portal into existence with his rainbow-shaded dagger. "…but I must maintain my role as an observer."
Of course, Gil and Aleister knew why. The more Zelretch directly stayed in one Worldline for too long, the more that Worldline became confirmed.
And the truth was, if this current reality was at risk of being destroyed in the near future, the man who operates and traverses Parallel Worlds would rather not make this reality the one, true Proper Human History.
It was mainly why he remained so mysterious and within the shadows throughout history, despite existing for millennia. Aleister himself has only made contact with him a handful of times.
"…I have one more question for you, Zelretch." Crowley speaks out, causing the man to stop before he could take one step into his self-made portal.
The air became quiet once again, implying Zelretch was waiting for him to give his inquiry. "…Over a week ago…there was a Heroic Spirit Summoning Circle created in Academy City's cemetery…it ended up summoning that Assassin named Shiki Ryougi…even though a living version of her already resides in Mifune.
That was you that placed that circle there, was it not?"
Zelretch smirks. "…If I have to nudge events slightly to fit humanity's favor, then so be it. To defeat a Beast of Humanity, I figured that someone with the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception would be able to do the job…though I didn't expect the female one to be summoned…"
The old man shakes off his musings, and raises his cane as a goodbye. "I will continue to watch your World from afar, Aleister Crowley…miniature King of Heroes."
"Oi." Gil crosses his arms, which ironically probably made him seem more immature than he looked already.
"Don't feel too offended. It wouldn't be the first World I visited where you decided to take the form of a child."
"E-Eh?"
And with that strangely unserious note, the wielder of the Kaleidoscope steps through his portal, and vanishes from this reality once again.
"…Well." Gilgamesh sighs. "I guess if he took his leave, I should probably, too…"
He raises his arm, summoning a golden Gate behind him— rather than being used to release a weapon, it would instead carry him out of the inner chambers of the Windowless Building.
"Until next time, Crowley-kun. Still gotta continue that thing that we agreed upon."
"Indeed. If you find anything regarding her, then report it back to me."
"Hmph. Is that an order, Sorcerer?"
"Just a request."
Gil shrugs, his veracity quickly dissipating. "Alrighty. I'll do that…though,"
He steps through the portal with one leg, but suddenly remembers he was going to ask Aleister something before that old man decided to intervene. "…Touma Kamijou. Your supposed lynchpin…have you known what's been inside of him, all this time?"
They both witnessed his great transformation, after all. It even took Gilgamesh aback; he hadn't encountered anything like Imagine Breaker before, especially its unique ability to release something within it upon his right arm being cleaved from his body.
"…Who can say?" Aleister curtly responds, as usual. "…My only goal is to draw power out of it. And in the end…it appears my efforts have been successful."
"I'll say. Jaw of the Dragon King, huh?" Gil breathes, recalling a legend from thousands of years ago. "…So he really is the other remnant. I'm curious how the first will react upon seeing that boy."
"It's quite ironic, seeing you call other people boy." Aleister muses.
"Quiet, mongrel." Gilgamesh huffs. "I'll make like old man Zel and continue to watch their escapades, as well."
'Though for now…'
Just before he fully enters his Gate, he takes a small glance at a holographic monitor, viewing a small group of young men and women beginning to gather their bearings and walk out of the street. That nigh-immortal Burial Agent was carrying the person of his interest.
Gilgamesh narrows his eyes at the one titled Purifier of God and Slayer of Demons. Within his mind, he runs through all of the boy's possible futures, and chuckles solemnly to himself.
'…Your journey of hardship and tragedy has just begun. Take this time to rest and recover, Touma Kamijou…everyone else, too.'
P.O.V.: A Certain Scientific Accelerator
Accelerator woke up to the sound of clacking on a keyboard. Feeling that he was laying on some sort of bed, with some bandages patched on his face and limbs, as well as smelling the sterile air, he quickly figured that he was in a hospital room— likely the one with that frog-faced doctor that he somehow always finds himself in.
His mind was hazy, as is normal when waking up in the morning, but the memories of last night were still pretty clear to him. Before he addressed whatever doctor or nurse was doing rounds with him in the morning, he quickly ran through what the hell had just happened earlier that night.
'Holy Grail War…Amata…Rider…
That weird-ass black dog…those people that that damn hero is friends with…used Rider's shield, to…'
It was, quite frankly, a lot to try and comprehend. For any normal person, it would be virtually unbelievable. Even for him, he had a hard time grasping that reality.
And now, it is all over. The supposed Holy Grail War that Rider was talking about had ended…at least, he thought so.
That night, a voice spoke to him when he was at the edge of unconsciousness.
"I know you're likely asleep, but…Accelerator. That was a brilliant show you put on, back there. Those wings you made…they were flickering white, weren't they? I know your destiny isn't just to destroy, like what I've been told about you…so keep going."
He had no idea where it came from, but her gentle voice was what had finally soothed him to sleep.
Her calming words are why he assumed the War had ended.
Though just to confirm, he opens his eyes and looks at the person in scrubs typing away at a computer by his bed.
The man notices him first, and gives a kind smile. Accelerator's eyes soften a bit as he notices the doctor's frog-shaped face, and leans back in his pillow.
"Good morning, Accelerator. Quite the night you had last night, didn't ya?"
"Yeah. I'll say." The First-Ranked huffs, staring back up at the ceiling. "So where's the kid?"
The doctor glances down, prompting him to do the same.
She had been so silent and still that Accelerator hadn't even noticed her. Sleeping at his bedside was a certain petite Misaka Sister, her head facing his direction and folded in her arms. Over her blue polka-dot dress was an oversized lab coat; her hair messy and her cheeks stricken with dry tears.
'Damn. Musta been stressed.' Accelerator inwardly thought.
"That Index girl dropped her off safely." The Doctor explains. "She woke up at some point last night, asking where you and this Rider fellow were. I told her not to worry, but she kept stressing herself out waiting for you to return to her.
When you finally were admitted, she tried staying awake until you woke up, but as you can see, she tired herself out too much."
The doctor chuckles. Accelerator rolls his eyes, but keeps his attention fixated on the small girl at his side.
The one, most important thing that he and Rider had prioritized was safe. At the very least, he could take solace in that.
"Oh by the way…" The doctor continues, finally pushing his computer aside and giving his full attention to him. "…you didn't have a lot of physical injuries. You were mostly passed out from exhaustion, so I'll be able to let you go today, most likely. I also replaced your choker, so you're good to go for that for the next few days, too."
Accelerator feels at his choker. Attached to the side was what was likely the brand-new batteries that frog-face was talking about.
"…Thanks."
"Oh? Usually you don't give much verbal gratitude, Accelerator. Did the Holy Grail War make you realize something?"
The First-Ranked sighs. "…In a way. Speaking of…"
He reaches up to the nearby blinds, and pushes them aside to see the morning city view.
More specifically, to see the destruction that the Holy Grail War had left in its wake. They were in District 7, so much of the decimation of the city would be easy to see even from their locatio—
"…What?"
Accelerator blinks.
The sun hovers warmly overhead, paired with a clear blue sky.
Academy City stands tall, all of its buildings untouched and clean.
Crowds of people walked along the sidewalks, and cars drove through the streets. For the most part, it was business as usual.
There were no emergency services searching for the lost. No destroyed buildings.
It was all picture-perfect.
He turns to frog-face for an explanation, and the doctor in question only gives a small shrug. "I don't know how it happened exactly, either…though, the Holy Grail War is magical in nature, right? And the end result is the winner gets to grant their wish, if I recall correctly.
Maybe their wish was to undo all of the damage done. That's just my two cents, though."
Flashes of a certain white-haired, red-eyed young girl pass through his head. Now that he thought about it, her voice and the voice he heard before he passed out completely sounded very similar.
'…Was it you that granted the wish?'
They had only just met, but something told him that that girl must have been the one to claim the Grail, for whatever reason.
"Well, seeing that you're awake now, I'll leave you to your own thoughts. Got some other patients to take a look at." The frog-faced doctor aligns some papers into a folder, placing it onto his clipboard and stepping away from his desk. "There's a remote on your bedside if you want to watch television, and the nurses should be coming around with breakfast soon."
The white-haired Esper nods at him in acknowledgment. Without another word, the doctor takes his leave.
…
After turning on the television and passively scrolling through some channels, he pauses as he hears a certain girl at his bedside begin to groan and shift.
Putting down his remote, he watches as a small strand on her head suddenly juts up as she leans off the bed and stretches her arms and yawns loudly. "'Ahhhh…that was a good sleep,' Misaka Misaka mutters, trying to regather herself as she remembers what happened before she fell aslee—'"
After rubbing the sleep from her face, they suddenly lock eyes.
"Mornin'." Accelerator says.
"…YOU—!"
"Ow, ow, what the hell—?! Stop hitting me, ya brat—!"
"You made me worried sick, you jerk!" The girl relents from smacking him again, puffing her cheeks in absolute, unabashed anger as she crosses her arms in defiance.
The worst part was that she stopped doing her usual verbal tic of speaking in the third person. This is how he knew that she was really pissed.
"Stop ending up in the hospital! One of these days you're gonna kick the bucket, then I'm gonna have to pay for your bills!"
"What the hell kind of concern is that?! And you look like you're barely out of primary school, how are you supposed to pay for my—?!"
Accelerator pinches the bridge of his nose, realizing he was getting angry at a child; which typically, was not something any person their senior was supposed to do.
"…Listen, kid. We're both safe, so just take a damn chill pill."
"You just said a bad language word."
"Get used to it, you're getting older anyway." The First-Ranked sits up and back in his bed, leaning his body against its frame.
After returning to the TV and stopping at a show that he didn't mind having on in the background, he hears the chestnut-haired kid finally sigh in regret.
"'Sorry…' Misaka Misaka mutters, apologizing for hitting you…"
"Not the yelling part?"
"'No, that's still one-hundred percent justified.' Misaka Misaka retorts, defending her actions."
They both turn to the TV, watching some highly-rated mecha anime. Upon seeing the characters on-screen, Accelerator blinks in surprise as one of the characters looks like the one he had read in a book last night.
'Had no idea they made a second season. Huh.'
"'Hey, um…do you know where Rider is?' Misaka Misaka asks, curious about where that big green-haired guy had gone."
Accelerator inwardly sighs. After everything, Last Order was still ignorant about the whole Holy Grail War. Miraculously, he and Rider had kept it a secret from her as well as their caretakers, Yomikawa and Yoshikawa.
Although he couldn't tell her the truth, he did have a reasonable alibi for Rider that he knew she'd buy.
"Remember Esther Rosenthal?" Accelerator asks.
"'Oh, that suspicious blonde girl that got strangely too close to you but then suddenly left to do her own thing?' Misaka Misaka recalls."
"Yeah, he was pretty much the same deal."
"Hmm…alright then. Hope he's okay, whatever he's doing…oh!"
Last Order reaches into her coat pocket. "'The Doctor saw that you were holding this in your hand…he gave it to Misaka to hold onto while he was giving you a check-up…"
She produces a small clear baggie, with some metallic-looking object inside of it. She places it into his hands, and Accelerator breaks it open and reaches inside to inspect it himself.
"'Do you know what it is?' Misaka Misaka asks, curious about what it could be, herself."
It was a triangular-ish piece of silvery metal. From its curvature, it looked like it was a part of something roundish.
He turns it over, and—
'…Huh?'
A Greek letter was inscribed on its front: the symbol for Alpha.
The first letter of the True Name of his late Servant comes to his mind.
With that realization, the First-Ranked Esper closes his palm around the fragment of a certain silver shield, and gives a slight, grateful smile.
P.O.V.: A Certain City's Guardian
Over twenty-thousand lives were lost in a single night.
Ranging from children to seniors, they all seemingly indiscriminately, and mysteriously vanished. Getting the general public to believe that their loved ones, classmates, coworkers, teachers, et cetera, had just disappeared was a virtually impossible task.
There was certainly going to be mass backlash. Certainly, they wouldn't simply accept such an obviously tragic and heinous event. Academy City could try to cover it up as much as it could, but the truth would come out eventually.
Tachie lay in her bed, listening passively to the television in her hospital room playing the emergency news covering last night. Due to most of the massive events happening past midnight, it seemed like the media was calling it the 09/30 Incident— paralleling it with a similar event that happened about ten years ago called the 10/13 Incident, in which a similar tragedy befell Academy City, and in the same area as well.
There was something positive, yet equally mysterious to come out of this incident, however. Outside of her window, there was no burned down city; no smouldering rubble, and no emergency authorities trying to search for people that may be trapped underground.
Instead, it was the perfectly undamaged, pristinely sterile skyline of Academy City, complete with its white buildings and windmill turbines.
No physical damage to the City had remained, and only a few people with the City knew why; Tachie being one of them.
'Their wish must have been to undo the damage…'
She didn't know why they didn't ask for the lives lost to be revived; but she had a sliver of hope that they tried, but had found out it wasn't possible. Any good-natured person would want to bring back who was lost.
'And I'd like to think…'
She remembered the heart and drive of the boy she faced last night, with that strange right arm. Despite them having their differences, she knew from their brief combat that he meant well. He definitely wasn't a villain by any means.
'…I'd like to think that they would have made that decision if they could. Undoing the City's damages is the second or third best wish they could have made, if reviving everyone was possible.'
She hears the knob to her hospital room turn. "Hey there, Tachie. How's your morning going?"
She smiles upon hearing the gentle doctor's voice, and turns to meet him. Indeed, he had quite the unique facial structure; and she could understand why people called him the Frog-Faced Doctor.
To her, though, he was just The Doctor. After nursing her back to health a decade ago, and taking care of her since then, it was the least she could refer to him as.
"It's been going alright, Doctor." She replies. "The nurse came by and gave me breakfast…I've just been listening to what the media's been having to say about last night."
"Ah. The 09/30 Incident is what they're calling it, right?" The doctor sighs. "That's a Holy Grail War for you. I've seen the aftermath that they can leave in their wake…all things considered, while it was still a horrible outcome…"
"…It definitely could have been worse." Tachie finishes.
She and the Doctor had both watched that evil black beast be annihilated high in the stratosphere just over eight hours ago.
'If that thing hadn't been defeated…then who knows how things could have turned out?'
After a quick patch job by the Doctor, she was told to just stay the night and continue to be monitored…although considering Tachie's Demi-Servant status, she likely wouldn't have to stay for much longer, if at all.
Now in the morning, she was expecting news of her release, so she could soon return to her duties. Though, something certainly still nagged at her in the back of her head.
"Doctor, I have a question."
He was in the middle of checking her vitals as she asked. "Yes?"
"…Last night, when I was guarding Last Order…I noticed there weren't any people around. In fact, I don't really think much of District 7 was occupied by anyone yesterday…like Academy City had gotten them all to evacuate.
But…how? Code Red was called, but that's only an order to stay indoors. The destruction caused by the War…it definitely should have claimed more lives aside from the ones who disappeared, but according to the news, it only ever mentioned twenty-thousand or so."
The Doctor blinks, then smiles as she understands what she's talking about. "Oh. I understand; you're asking how this entire District was mostly cleared of people?"
"Y-Yeah…"
"Well," the Doctor known as Heaven Canceller stands up straight and gives a grin, "Let's just say there was someone who made a last-second decision to cooperate despite her usually selfish interests. She called me earlier…should be coming by to visit you any second, now…"
Tachie blinks in confusion. "…E-Eh…?"
Suddenly, and almost right on cue, the door to the hospital room swings open again. Just past the Doctor's body, Tachie could hear the exhausted panting of a feminine voice, like she was forced to run a marathon.
As soon as the Doctor moved aside…Tachie realized that the girl in question likely just had to lightly jog down the hall.
Because in front of her, was…
"…Oh for…why did you call me…so early in the morning…? I could have…visited Tacchin…later…!"
A girl in a Tokiwadai uniform, complete with a pleated skirt, tan blazer and white socks up to the middle of her thighs. Her golden eyes matched her long blonde hair, which was neatly and perfectly combed. She was leaning against the doorframe, trying to catch her breath and desperately reaching for a cup of water at a nearby counter.
The doctor chuckles, and steps over to hand it to her herself.
"Wha—?!" Tachie exclaims. "M-Misaki…-san…?"
Before her was the Fifth-Ranked Level 5 of Academy City: Misaki Shokuhou. Known as the Queen of Tokiwadai, wielder of the power Mental Out…
…and someone Tachie's known for as long as she can remember.
Misaki gives a winking smirk at her, trying to look confident; which betrays her heavy breaths and the blonde bangs sticking to her sweaty forehead. Honestly, it was kind of amusing, if Tachie were to have an opinion.
"Hey…there…!" The blonde took a quick swig of her water to satiate her throat, before sighing in relief and straightening herself out. "Phew…how've you been? You weren't hurt much, were you?"
Shokuhou steps to her bedside, putting her gloved hand on Tachie's forehead like an older sister trying to take their sibling's temperature. It was quite ironic, considering Tachie was a year or two her senior.
"I'm fine. The injuries I sustained were minor, all things considered…" Tachie mutters. "Really, the concern should be more for the other patients in this hospital. They've definitely been through worse."
"Oh, don't worry too much about them." The Doctor nods. "You know me. They'll be all good to go within a few days, trust me."
With that note of reassurance, Tachie turns back to the still-prodding Misaki, who was now checking the bandages wrapped and patched on her limbs. Usually Tachie didn't like people touching all over her body unless it was some sort of medical emergency, but she simply let Misaki do her thing.
"Wait, don't touch there."
"But I wanna see if they've grown at all! I can't let you pass me up!"
"But we saw each other last week; how much can they really grow in seven days…?"
Sighing, Tachie gently moves Misaki's hand away from her chest and asks the elephant in the room. "So you were the one that evacuated the District?"
Misaki shrugs. "Wasn't my call, but I got a request from frog-face over there—"
"—I know people call me that when I'm not in the room, but that's a little hurtfu—"
"—to do so some time in the early evening yesterday…" Misaki continues. "…After learning that something as bad as ten years ago was about to happen again…I couldn't just sit around, y'know?
So I may or may not have used my Ability to mentally manipulate some local Anti-Skill in the District to get the civilians to up and go. And as it turns out, that probably saved hundreds of thousands of lives, if not more."
Tachie raises a brow at Misaki's rather blasé attitude at the whole situation, especially since she was the one who ultimately executed the plan. "M-Misaki-san…you do realize what you did was really heroic of you, right…?"
"Mm…I guess. I was never in danger, though. You, however—"
Misaki lightly chops her on the forehead as a small reprimand. "—You need to stop getting injured. You're a Pseudo-Servant, for crying out loud, how do you keep ending up in the hospital—?"
"I'm a Demi-Servant, actually."
"Oh. There's a difference?"
"I know, it's sort of confusing to me, too." Tachie sighs. "…But thank you for being worried for me. We both got out of it okay though, so…"
The two of them share a mutual smile. "Yeah. That…incident from ten years ago…" Misaki mutters, "this one wasn't nearly as bad. I'm…"
Misaki turns around swiftly, which was a sign that Tachie didn't want her to see her face. "…I'm glad."
"Junko-san would be proud of you." Tachie says.
"…Yeah. She probably is for you, too." Shokuhou agrees.
A wave of silence grew between the two of them, as they both recall a certain purple-haired young girl that they both used to play with in their youth.
…that had been ripped away, on that fateful, fiery night.
After clearing her throat, Misaki Shokuhou starts toward the door. "I don't mean to be brief, but I have to go. I've already skipped one too many classes, and I'd rather not be late again."
Tachie tilts her head, suspicious at Misaki's words. "…Don't you…not care if you skip classes or not? Can't you just use your powers to force them to give you a pass?"
Misaki shrugs as she begins to exit the room. "Someone's goody-two-shoes nature is rubbing off of me, I guess.
I'll see you around, Tacchin."
With that, the long-haired blonde takes her leave.
After a few more moments of quiet, Tachie decides to glean her attention over to the man who had respectfully stayed silent as the two girls temporarily reunited. "…Doctor, if you don't mind me asking…are there any more assignments for me?"
Heaven Canceller shakes his head. "Not that I know of. Aleister told me to let you rest for now…although I wouldn't put it past him to put you through the wringer in the near future."
Tachie nods. "I understand. There are probably many threats in the future that I'll have to face…
…but whatever they may be, my shield will serve as this City's guardian. No matter what."
P.O.V.: A Certain Gemstone of Misaki
"So lemme get this freakin' straight."
The Eighth-Ranked Esper of Academy City, one of the most powerful Gemstones ever discovered by Academy City, winces and braces himself as an extraordinarily plain-clothed woman slams her shoe on the white tiled hospital room floor.
Aoko Aozaki glares at him like a disappointed mother seeing their kid's sub-par report card, her arms crossed tightly. Behind her, greatly contrasting the long-haired redhead, sat a fancier-clothed Alice Kuonji, sitting at a chair and passively listening.
"You saw some big explosions and chaos you didn't understand, called Alice about it, then once you learned slightly of what it was your first instinct was to fight it?!"
"Not gonna lie, Aoko-neesan, that is something I would do." Gunha replies.
They both hear Alice hum in agreement. "That does sound like him, yes."
"Quiet, you!" Aoko points to her fellow mage with an angry digit. "You sanctioned all this! Why did you let him get into danger, exactly?!"
Alice shrugs, closing her book and looking at Aoko directly. "To be fair, he likely would have acted whether or not I let him. It's not like I was physically in the area to stop him."
"That also is something I would do."
Aoko's long, waving scarlet hair looked like it was about to burst into flames. Taking a deep breath and pinching her nose, Gunha silently waited for her to soothe her boiling rage.
"Okay…well," The Fifth Magician steadies her posture, opening one eye at Gunha and flourishing her hair, "you're not that hurt, are ya? I heard the doctor here works miracles."
"Yep yep!" Gunha gives a wide grin and a thumbs-up, flexing his muscled arm. "Nearly good as new! Just need a few more days of monitorin', and I should be getting back to classes."
"Classes." Alice blinks, her eyes narrowing. "You mean the classes that you keep missing?"
"…"
Gunha feels the sweat start to form on his forehead, as the redheaded Magician suddenly turns back to Kuonji.
"Alice, are you on his side or not? First you were ambivalent to him fighting a Servant, and now you're mad about his grades?"
"That was that, and this is this." Alice responds flatly. "If he wants to fight a Servant, then I can't stop him. He's strong enough at this point, in any case. But where he does fall flat…"
The doll-like mage pulls a folded paper from her skirt pocket, and hands it to Aoko.
With a slight twitch of her eye, the Mage scans through what Gunha could only dreadfully assume to be a report card.
Aoko gives a close-eyed smile at the Eighth-Ranked. "…Gunha."
"Y-Yes?"
"Do I have to drag you to school myself?"
"…Um…n-no?"
"Oh really? Because according tO THIS—!"
She shoves the paper in his face. "—Maybe I really do have to!"
Every single grade— except physical education, funnily enough— was far below par. The teacher's notes read that it was "uncertain if he will be able to move on to the next grade if he keeps on skipping classes and missing assignments".
Aoko rubs her head in frustration, frizzing her neatly combed hair. "ARGH! I don't know what I'm gonna do with you, sometimes! Listen, I was a reckless idiot when I was your age—"
"I can attest to that." Alice mutters in the back.
"—but I also made sure to maintain my grades! What's next, you're gonna tell me you have a crush on someone, or something?!"
Gunha blinks.
He recalls a certain blue-eyed brunette he met last night.
"…I mean there was someone I met recently who I thought had some guts—"
"IT WAS A RHETORICAL QUESTION!"
XXXXX
After the double-eruption of the Witch of Destruction, the three of them were now sat in a small triangle, partaking in the meals that the nurses had brought up for them. Now that they all had something in their stomach, the tension in the air was slowly fading off.
After Aoko stopped making side-eyes at him between bites, Gunha chooses to test his bravery by breaking the ice with a question.
Taking in a bracing breath, he asks, "So…um…wanna know the Servant that I fought?"
Alice shrugs. Aoko opens one eye at him.
"Only if you tell me what you do when you're not at school."
"Oh come on! The guy was super ultra gutsy! Had a giant spear, think that Tohsaka called him Cu Chulainn…
Dude stabbed me in the gut, but I managed to kick his ass back! Cool, huh?"
The air was quiet for a moment. Then two.
Gunha blinks as he looks between the two mages, whose eyes read that they were trying to process what he just said.
Aoko's fork drops to the plate as her mouth gawks open. "…Cu…Chulainn? Y'mean that Irish Hero that's basically Hercules? And wait, who's this Tohsaka person—?"
"Yes. To the first part." Gunha nods.
"Cu Chulainn…do you mean the hero with the spear that can curse the victim with death with a single stab?" Alice continues. "And he stabbed you, Gunha?"
"Also yes."
The two witches of Misaki Town give each other a glance that communicated something between them that Gunha couldn't read.
Setting down her knife, Aoko turns back to Gunha with, for the first time since she's arrived, a look of concern. "…Gunha…you could have died. In fact, I'm pretty sure you should be dead, right now. The Gae Bolg's barbs spread throughout the entire body upon stabbing the victim…so…"
She gestures for him to lift his shirt, so they could check the wound. Gunha does as he's asked, but his entire lower torso was wrapped in white bandages.
"…How did you…?" Aoko murmurs.
The Gemstone of Misaki shrugs ambivalently. "Honestly? No idea. I know what you're talking about though, Aoko-neesan; when he stabbed me, I felt something prickly trying to spread through my body…it's also one of the only things that I felt genuine pain from…
…but all I did was force it to stop spreading, and it slowed to a crawl. Enough for me to get to the hospital."
They both give him a bewildered expression as a response, as if everything he said was completely insane. Considering he lived in a world of supernatural Espers and Mages, that was saying something.
"…I'm going to assume it has to do with your powers." Alice concludes. "Your powers…that we still don't know much about."
Aoko nods in agreement, her face coming back to neutral. "Yeah. Like we've told you before, Gunha— there's something about you that we just can't place yet. That mystery is probably what kept you alive."
"I just attribute it to my guts."
"Your guts got stabbed, though." Aoko says.
"But they didn't die, and neither did I!" Gunha smirks. "I should fight Servants more often. How strong can they get to?"
"Oh for the love of…you really are just a fighter at heart, aren't you?" Aoko sighs. "Listen, Gunha. Since you got yourself involved in a pretty big magical conflict, I think it's time we tell you more about the side that we deal with. So, when you do get yourself stuck in the world of Magic again, you won't be as clueless or reckless. Sound good?"
The Gemstone nods his head with vigor. "Yeah. I'll be sure to listen to everything you and Alice have to say."
"Oh, you are not simply going to just listen," Alice interjects, "I'll be forcing you to take notes during my multi-hour lectures. There's a lot of topics that you need to keep track of on paper."
"Aw, man! But I hate studying!" Gunha protests.
The two mages sigh, and deadpan simultaneously.
"We're aware."
P.O.V.: A Certain Assassin's Master
Ruiko Saten was absolutely, unequivocally exhausted.
Dabbing what must have been the fiftieth or sixtieth tissue on her eyes, she sets it on the short table in front of her, along with a large pile of its crumpled peers.
She hadn't slept much last night. Her racing mind wouldn't let her. The only reason why she got any modicum of rest was because her body forced her to after several hours of tossing and turning.
Now, the day after, the pain was still ever-present. Not just the pain, but the anxiety.
She had learned, just this morning, what had happened after the Holy Grail War.
Kirei Kotomine turned out to be evil. Misaka had lost her left arm.
Something called a Beast of Humanity appeared, after swallowing Sakura.
Shirou Emiya died to save her. Sakura died after being freed by Kamijou.
…and Illyasviel von Einzbern, the girl who Saten realized was pretty close to Shirou on their helicopter ride back to Academy City, traded her life for one person who had passed.
Apparently, according to Rin Tohsaka, there were two people that she could have saved.
Sakura Matou.
Or, who Saten hoped it would be, Kuroko Shirai.
She couldn't take the anxiety. She didn't even know how they did it; as well as miraculously healing the city's damages, but she knew that there was a flip-of-the-coin chance that Shirai could be back.
It was better than zero. And yet…
"I…hate…this…"
She pulls out another tissue from the box. Frustratingly, it was the last one left.
"Oh don't worry, I have another one."
Saten hears a feminine voice in front of her speak out, as she sees her lean under the table and produce another package of tissues. "Don't worry about using them all, you're fine, Saten.
Whenever you're ready to continue, I'm here. We still have lots of time."
The young student peers up to the woman assigned to be her temporary therapist. After the turmoil of last night, Azaka Kokutou-sensei— the doctor that had taken Misaka in for rehabilitation— had decided to give both of them some personal one-on-one counseling as well.
Apparently, Misaka and Kokutou-sensei were in another area of the building, likely having to evaluate her Esper Power as well, while Saten sat in a much more modest room: just two soft sofa-style chairs with a coffee table in the middle, complete with some decorations and small necessities.
The woman accompanying her looked to be in college, with long, silver-colored hair and identically-colored eyes. She had removed her lab coat to look more approachable, showing her casually buttoned shirt and high-waisted blue skirt.
"W-Well…" Saten mutters. "…I think I told you most of everything that happened, Milizé-san…"
"Just Lena is fine, Saten. You don't need to be so formal with me." The woman replies. "So…would you like me to put in my two cents?"
Saten nods hesitantly. What she went through…she was almost certain that no one else in the city; hell, maybe even the entire world could relate to it.
"I'd be lying if I said that I knew everything you went through. I'd be lying if I said that I could fully understand your story. The Holy Grail War…it does sound crazy.
But it's your reality. And I respect that…and I believe it."
Lena leans in a little closer. "Want me to let you in on a little secret, Saten?"
"S-Sure?"
"…Before I decided to be Azaka's assistant, I used to be a tactician for Academy City's military. My father was a high-ranking Anti-Skill official…pulled some strings to let me join when I was around your age. Three years later, I got promoted to Lieutanant because of my good advisory skills in combat."
Saten raises a brow at her, trying to figure out what this had to do with anything, but Lena waves her hand to assure her that she had a point.
"I used to lead a certain special Anti-Skill squadron meant to subdue powerful rogue Espers, organized terrorists, and the like…" Lena mutters, "…every mission I sent them on, something went wrong. Every so often, I'd lose one of them despite my best efforts to make sure no one died. As you can imagine…"
She gives a small, sad smile. "…It really didn't bode well on my conscience. Especially when I was still so young."
Finally, Ruiko understood. Deep in Lena's eyes, she could tell that they had the same sea of thoughts; Lena just had more time, and more maturity, to be able to overcome it.
She was still very far away from reaching that point, however.
"…There was one guy on that squad that had it even worse than me," Lena continues, "while I always stayed back and advised from a distance, he was the field commander, and the most skilled. Therefore, he always survived…but his comrades weren't as lucky.
…one day, he couldn't take it anymore, and broke down and nearly ended his own life from being around so much…so much death.
That day, I broke protocol and ran onto the field directly so I could help him before the unthinkable happened. I think…I think what I said to him… will resonate for you, too. Wanna know what I said?"
The young student nods her head. With a gentle smile, Lena answers.
"You fought to the end. You survived. That's why you're here now. I think…"
Lena stands to her feet, and extends her hand for Saten to meet. "…I think that's something you should be more proud of."
Despite her hesitance, she takes her hand, and finds the strength to stand as well.
Lena's words weren't anything that could fix her problems, or undo her past.
But she was right.
She was alive.
She should keep moving, no matter what the future holds in store for her.
"Thank you, Lena-san."
The assistant nods kindly. "Sure. Now, let's go check in on your friend, shall we?"
XXXXX
Fortunately, they didn't have to wait long. Or at all, actually.
As soon as Lena lets Saten exit the room, they spot Misaka and Kokutou-sensei walking down the halls toward them.
If Saten was mentally beat down, Misaka was that, and physically drained, as well.
The most glaringly obvious indicator…the white wrappings that held tightly around the stub that was now her left shoulder. Her bangs covered her eyes, to the point where Saten wasn't even sure if she was looking at her.
They had washed up and changed into clean hospital gowns well before this, but the wounds on Misaka's body were still very prevalent, only patched up by white and tan colored bandages. Once they were removed, they would likely leave scars— scars that would last for years as a reminder of what they had been through.
The four of them meet in the middle. Kokutou and Lena don't say a word, as Saten steps closer to Misaka…
…and pulls her into an embrace.
Neither of them said a word. She didn't even hear a stifled sob come out of either of them.
Saten had already done her crying. For Misaka…she knew there was more than just being tired of weeping.
'She just wants to go away for a while.
I…I can understand that.'
Saten feels Misaka's arm return the hug, and that's all the reassurance she needed to make sure she was still in there.
It was like the Holy Grail War had nearly drained all of her soul. When Saten pulled back and looked into her eyes, she couldn't see a lot of life behind her dullen eyes.
"…Misaka…"
"…I'm…I'm fine, Saten." She replies. "Well…you know how I am. But…I'll just…take it day by day, I guess."
Saten nods weakly. "Y-Yeah. I…I'll do the same."
So much had happened, that neither of them really knew what to say. There were a hundred topics they could bring up, yet neither wanted to choose one.
Instead, both of them turn as Saten feels someone tap her on the shoulder. Kokutou-sensei gives a quizzical look; not at her, but at the jacket she's wearing.
"…Saten-san," Kokutou starts, "I don't mean to intrude on your moment, but…I need you to answer a question for me."
"O-Okay." Saten breaks from her embrace with Misaka and hugs the red motorcycle jacket around her shoulders tighter. "What…what is it?"
"Your Servant…she didn't happen to have the name of Shiki Ryougi, did she?" Kokutou muses, her face growing into a small smile. "That red jacket only ever belonged to one girl I knew, after all."
Saten takes a step back, perhaps out of surprise, or even defense, as her eyes widen in confusion. "H-How do you…know her…?"
Suddenly, she recalls something that her late Servant had said, a few days ago when they had visited that strange café.
"His family name is Kokutou…I'm pretty positive he's still out there in the world, somewhere."
"Wha—?"
Kokutou grins widely, recognizing the realization on Saten's face, and extends her hand as if they were meeting for the first time. "Knew you'd figure it out sooner or later. Hi, my name is Azaka Kokutou. Younger sister of Mikiya Kokutou…and Shiki Ryougi's sister-in-law. Nice to meetcha."
Both Misaka and Saten glance at each other, again unsure of what to say but for entirely different reasons as before.
"Y-You're…?" Misaka mutters. "B-But aren't Servants…heroes from the past…?"
Azaka shrugs. "Rules are made to be broken, I guess. After I admitted you out last time, Misaka-san, I ran into Saten-san's Servant. She looked exactly how I remembered her about five or six years ago…so for some reason, you two had summoned a Servant from the present."
"Pretty cool, how Shiki was able to be recognized as some legendary hero…" Azaka muses. Clearing her throat, she reaches into her skirt pocket. "Here, I have something for you two. I was going to give you both this after the War ended…and I figure now is a better time than any to show it."
The young doctor produces a pair of small papers, handing it to the two students.
They were train tickets…to Mifune City.
"E-Eh…?" Saten blinks between the ticket, and the chipper-looking doctor. Even Lena, who remained respectfully silent, was starting to smile, too.
"You both need time away from Academy City. Desperately." Azaka explains. "Fortunately, I know just the person you two need to meet. She's expecting you guys tomorrow, so…"
The black-haired doctor gives a friendly grin, lifting their moods as best she can. "…pack your bags!"
P.O.V.: A Certain Imagine Breaker
"Thank you for the food!"
Touma Kamijou gingerly picks up his bowl of ramen, personally made by Rin Tohsaka after they had all returned from the hospital.
"I never got to challenge Archer to a cook-off…this is the recipe I would have used. Hope you enjoy it."
He takes a small whiff of the shoyu broth, then slurps up a few noodles. He inwardly sighs, content with its savory flavor. Like usual, Tohsaka had made a very good meal— even while still having to take it easy from her hospital recovery.
Around the kotatsu, one per each side was the aforementioned Tohsaka, Index, and Ciel. The former two still had bandages wrapped on their bodies, still not being at one-hundred percent.
But they were alive. For that, Touma was grateful.
'…Most of us are.'
As he slurps up another noodle silently, he takes a look at his kitchen counter, imagining a certain redhead and white-haired girl bickering with each other as they make a dessert for the rest of them.
'…If there was another way…I…'
He bites his lip, not wanting the other three to worry as he continues on with his meal. "This is pretty good, Tohsaka."
"Thanks." She smiles tiredly. "Put my all into it. We…we all did."
Of course, he knew she wasn't just referring to the ramen-making.
"Yeah." He agrees.
As the four continue to eat in silence, Touma remembers the conversation they all had before they had prepared dinner for the night.
Glancing over Ciel's shoulder, he looked at a certain birdcage, covered with a small blanket. Ciel had put the container of the soul of…
'Whoever it is…'
…into the cage, just so the container that Illyasviel had created would be even more protected.
Though, one thing was bothering both him, and the rest of them:
No one knew whose soul it was. Illya had made the decision to save them herself: but as to who it was…
'Sakura or Shirai…'
Touma sighs inwardly. For now, it was a mystery, but…
"I…know someone who might be able to help." Tohsaka had said. "They're a famous dollmaker; specifically, they can make dolls that are anatomically near-identical to a human body. If there is anyone who has a vessel for this soul, it's them.
They live in Mifune City, not too far from here. I can contact them."
The phone call had happened just before dinner, and apparently went smoothly. Ciel had bought them all tickets to Mifune City for tomorrow around noon, as well.
Coincidentally, Index had told them that Misaka and Saten had gotten tickets to the same city, and at the same time.
'Guess we're all heading there tomorrow.' Touma thought.
For now, though, they earned a much-needed rest. The warm, homestyle ramen certainly helped a ton with that, and helped Touma gain back a lot of calories he had lost the past few days.
"Seriously, this is actually really good." Kamijou repeats.
"…Y-You don't have to keep complimenting me, y'know…"
XXXXX
Dinner cleanup had gone by smoothly. Ciel had volunteered to do most of the work and heavy-lifting, since the rest of them were injured in some way.
With the kotatsu cleared and cleaned, and the dishes washed, Touma clicks open the door for a certain blue-haired Executor to take her leave for the night.
"I'll see you all in the morning. Ten-thirty? Don't wanna miss the train, so we should get there way ahead of time." Ciel says.
"Yeah, sounds good to me." Touma nods. "Have a good night, Ciel.
And thanks."
The blue-haired student fixes her glasses, and gives a confident grin.
…
Touma notices her usual smile fade by a degree or two, as her eyes glance between him and Tohsaka, who was standing a little behind him and Index.
"…Yeah. It's no problem. Stay safe, Kamijou-kun."
Her smile comes back, and she leaves without another word.
As he shuts the door, he hears Index ask, "Huh. Wonder what that was about?"
"I wouldn't read into it. Probably just tired." Touma sighs. "We all are, really…"
"…Yeah." Index face nods solemnly. "Let's watch a TV show or movie to take our minds off things. I'll let you or Rin pick, I'm gonna go and shower…"
Touma and Tohsaka had already washed up before dinner, leaving Index the last one to use the shower.
The three of them split off and did their duties: Touma was inevitably tasked with picking the film, since apparently, Tohsaka wasn't really keen with technology.
"Really? You don't even know how to record a show?" Touma asks.
"N-No…my house in Fuyuki doesn't have a…" She huffs. "Is this really important? J-Just pick a movie…please."
The spiky-haired teen decides to lay off of her. He tried to do some light teasing to lift up the mood, but it was clear she wasn't at that stage yet.
After making his choice, he sets the DVD into the player, and joins Tohsaka on his bed as they both settle in, sitting next to each other and leaning against the wall.
"You into mecha?" Touma asks. The movie was going through the obligatory liability warnings, so they had a minute or two to chat. "Or…any anime, for that matter? I'm mostly a manga reader myself, but…"
Rin shakes her head. "Been too buried in books to really think about entertainment. Both for school and for my Magecraft and language studies."
"Language?" Touma blinks. "Trying to become bilingual?"
"Mhm." The twintailed mage nods. "Been practicing English for the past few years. Visited Britain a few times during the summer, too."
"Oh, that's pretty cool. I…yeah, it's been pretty hard for me to keep up with school myself. I couldn't imagine trying to juggle two other studies on top of that."
Touma glances over to her, and notices that Tohsaka was silently twirling her hair between her fingers, staring at the television as the opening scene started. "Well…it's not too bad. Being a lone wolf for the past ten years gave me a lot of free time, I suppose."
"I…I see…"
He didn't know how to answer that, and instead let the two of them enjoy, hopefully, a few hours of respite.
…
It was then, maybe a few scenes into the film, that he felt a sensation on his left shoulder. Luckily, thanks to the frog-faced doctor, as well as Tohsaka's healing spell that had brought him back to life, his arm and shoulder had completely healed.
Speaking of Tohsaka…
"U-Uh…"
He stiffens like a board as he feels a head of smooth, brunette hair lay on him. Out of the corner of his eyes, he can spot the slow rise and fall of her pajama-adorned chest.
Her shampoo didn't smell half-bad, either. Upon realizing that he had unintentionally sniffed her hair, he immediately shoves down that thought.
'Little weird.'
"…Don't think too much into this." Tohsaka mutters. Her voice was as shaky as his posture was still. "…I just…need someone to lean on.
I'm…nervous, Kamijou. About whose soul is in there. I feel like…"
He sees her hand fall into a frustrated fist. "…I feel like whoever it is…while it'll make one of us happy…it'll alienate the other. You know? I want Sakura back…I finally have a chance to regain the eleven years we spent separated, but at the same time…Misaka-san and Saten-san worked so hard to bring their friend back, that…"
She sighs, turning her face toward his shoulder and shifting her whole body weight to face him. "…I don't know."
"I…" Kamijou leans his head back to the wall. He'd been trying his best to avoid the reality of the dilemma Tohsaka was talking about, but the elephant was hard to hide in a room this small.
If he were Illya…he wouldn't know who to pick. He had to commend her bravery and her strength to not only come up with, and commit to a decision— but to also give up her life to do it.
"…I don't know either, Tohsaka. Really." He sighs as well. "I've never…had to face anything like this, before.
…Emiya wanted her back, too, didn't he?"
Tohsaka nods. "Remember what he said?"
"Time to set your spirit free, Sakura."
Apparently, that redheaded hero's final words were audible for all to hear.
"…Yeah. He wanted Sakura to be free more than anyone else…" Touma mutters. "Dammit…this is…"
He starts to feel his own hand clench. Not only did they not know whose soul was contained within that cage, but even once they did find out tomorrow…
Before his mind can race any further, he feels a soft hand pat his own, goading it to loosen. "…Let's…just not think about it for tonight. You put on a movie for us to watch, so…"
The two of them turn back toward the television. "Yeah. You're right."
…
After a little while, Touma expected Tohsaka to raise her head once they changed subjects and stopped talking, but quickly realized that she really wasn't intent on leaving his shoulder.
A part of him wanted to ask why. For a teenage boy like himself, it was hard to really not think into what she was doing.
Since his shoulder was starting to burn from a head leaning on it for what must have been twenty minutes or more, he decides to finally break the ice and gently taps her head. "Hey, uh…"
No response. The rise and fall of her chest was perfectly even. Upon leaning his head a little forward to view her own, he sighs in exasperation as he notices her eyes are fastened closed.
'Guess it's just gonna be like this…'
He turns back to the TV, trying his best to ignore the presence leaning on him.
And at some point, he doesn't fight the weights pulling down his eyelids and lets himself doze off.
XXXXX
"Hey, Kamijou."
Touma blinks his eyes open, as he hears the voice of someone he didn't think he'd ever hear again.
He was currently sitting inside of a taxi of some kind, which was stopped in some city traffic. Across from the driver, in the passenger seat, was a certain brunette mage, her body leaning slightly and her head drooped close to the window. Presumably, she was sleeping.
Yet her voice wasn't who he heard, but rather…
"Kamijou, you with me?"
"Ah, er— yeah. Sorry, just tired from all the walking we did from Illya's place."
His head turns, and Shirou Emiya's golden-eyed gaze nods back at him. "I get that. I just…need to tell you something."
"Sure." Kamijou says. "I'm all ears."
"We both…" Shirou turns his head to the back of Tohsaka's headrest. "…We both seem like we want the same thing."
"To see people happy, right?"
"Yeah. That's exactly it. As long as everyone around me is smiling…as long as they're safe, then I'm content with that. Sakura especially…she's been through so much. Going through so much. And this Grail War is putting her, and countless others in danger."
"That's an understatement." Touma agrees. "Angra Mainyu…if we defeat him, then we can put an end to it all, though. Hopefully wherever Tohsaka's directing us to go will help with that."
"Yeah." Emiya replies. "Hope the others are okay in the other taxi."
"Ah, I'm sure they're fine."
The light turns green, allowing the taxi to continue on. As they start to exit Fuyuki's downtown and to the less urbanized areas of the city, Kamijou turns to Emiya again.
"…So…about Tohsaka."
Shirou raises a brow. "What about her? You also realize she's right there, right?"
Touma glances at the front passenger seat, and the aforementioned girl still hadn't moved a muscle in a while. "Ah, she's sleeping. It's not that big of a question, anyway…
…whose pancake do you think she chose?"
Shirou blinks, as if taken aback by the casualness of the question. "Erm…dunno. Don't really know Tohsaka's taste very well…plus we're both pretty equal in cooking."
"Are we?"
"I'd say we are."
"Well, our last competition sorta got interrupted by Gil, so…" Kamijou hums. "…Maybe we'll hold another competition afterward. See who's really better?"
Shirou laughs lightly. "Sure. Sounds like fun…if we get the chance."
"If?" Touma protests. "When. When we get the chance. I'm…"
He feels his face harden, and his brows tighten. "…I'm not going to let anyone else be lost to us. The only thing that's going to go is that Angra Mainyu guy…you hear me, Emiya?"
The redheaded Mage-slash-Esper smiles. "Yeah. I hear you. We'll all do our best to make sure it happens.
But,"
The sudden change in his tone causes Touma to look at him again.
"…But if, for whatever reason, one of us doesn't make it out of here…then let's make a promise."
Kamijou nods at him to continue. "…Tohsaka told me, a little while back…that she was grateful that I took care of Sakura in her stead. So…if I can't go on, then take care of Sakura in my stead, then. Sakura…and by extension, Tohsaka as well."
Touma glances at the brunette mage in question, who appeared to be shuffling a little in her sleep. "…Yeah. As a trade…if anything happens to me, look out for Index and Misaka. I…I made a promise to some people I know to protect their worlds, too. And…even if I haven't been perfect at it, I've tried my hardest."
Emiya nods. "I'll try my hardest, too. This Angra Mainyu…he sounds powerful. I hope we can beat him without losing any more…
…but in case that can't happen…I'm glad we made this promise."
The redheaded Hero of Justice raises his arm for Kamijou to shake.
The wielder of Imagine Breaker returns the gesture.
"Look out for them." Shirou Emiya says. "And let's win."
Touma Kamijou smiles, and tightens his grip.
"You got it, Emiya. We'll win— no matter what."
XXXXX
The morning came by peacefully.
Touma Kamijou's brow twitches, as his mind recalls the fleeting dream that was quickly fading from his memory.
'That was…yeah, we had that talk in the taxi on the way to Fuyuki…'
It was a promise.
A promise that he intended to keep for as long as he could. For now, though, he had to worry about waking up.
The first thing Touma sensed upon cracking open his eyes was the scent of sweet lavender. Shifting groggily and straightening his head, he realized that his cheek was just laying on something too soft to be a bathtub.
'…Wait—'
He glances down again, and inwardly sighs.
The beaming morning sun from the window clearly showed a sleeping brunette magus. Her long, loose hair and closed eyes were still pressed against his shoulder.
'She really isn't a morning person, huh?'
Even with the hardships of last night— and really, the past few days— this was the only real time they could get genuine, peaceful sleep.
It seemed as if Tohsaka took advantage of every second of it.
Touma takes a glance at the clock. The agreed-upon time with Ciel was still a little while away, giving him some time to get a small snack and wash up.
'Although…'
To not disturb the sleeping princess too much, he carefully moves down and away from her head, gently cupping her face and slowly lying her on his bed directly.
After setting his pillow under her head, and confirming that she was, in fact, still asleep, he breathes in relief as he finally stretches his arms and makes his way toward the bathroom.
Upon walking over there, a thought just dawned in his head.
Index's cat, Sphynx, was sleeping quietly in the corner on their cat bad, but—
'Where the heck is Index?'
In fact, he just realized this was the first time he's been able to sleep in his own bed in ages.
Not finding her in the small living room nor the kitchen, there was really only one place she'd be. After grabbing a set of clothes from his dresser to change into, Touma steps up to his bathroom, and gives a small knock.
No answer. Upon pressing his ear against the door, he made out the small, but notable sound of…
'Snoring? Is she…?'
"I-I'm coming in…"
He finds the door unlocked, and slowly pulls it open.
Before he can see anything, he covers his eyes just in case he was about to commit some horrible ethical crime.
But instead, all he heard was the now unmuffled snoring, coming from his right— where the bathtub was.
It stopped as soon as the noisy bathroom door opened, replaced with a miniature yawn. Touma peeks his eye through a gap in his fingers, and inwardly thanks whatever universal force was out there that the silver-haired nun was decently dressed.
Index stretches her limbs and turns over to him, rubbing her eyes. "…oh…morning…Touma…"
"I— Uh…g'morning…" He mutters quietly. "Index, why did you…?"
Sleeping in the bathtub was wholly out of character for her. She wouldn't give up Touma's bed even if it cost her her life.
She seemed to know what he was talking about even in her half-asleep state, and answered, "Well…I saw you and Rin having a moment and…didn't want to disturb it…"
She pulls herself to her feet and steps out of the tub. "Everyone went through a lot…you especially so…decided to….give you the bed…"
The young nun stumbles a little, tripping forward onto Touma's chest.
The unexpected exchange ends up transforming into a semi-hug. "…This was a one-time thing so…you better have enjoyed it…" Index mutters.
"…Thanks, Index."
He gives her a small, but noteworthy pat on the head. After exchanging smiles, Index separates and continues onto the kitchen. "I'll put together something to nom on…you get ready…"
"Right."
XXXXX
After splashing his face with cold water, brushing his teeth, redoing the gel in his hair and changing into a fresh set of clothes, Touma Kamijou was now ready to face the day.
Upon opening the door, both Index and Tohsaka had woken up fully. The former was putting a few sandwiches together, while the latter was leaning over her suitcase, folding up her clothes and stashing away other items.
'Oh, so…'
Tohsaka was packing up everything aside from her toiletries, likely because she still had to use them for the morning, which meant that…
"Yo." He walks up to her. "So…you're leaving after this, huh?"
Tohsaka looks up to him and nods. "Y-Yeah…I should have told you guys sooner, but tomorrow's the last day off I have from school. I can't afford to miss more of it."
After the conversation they had about Tohsaka being pretty studious, Touma immediately understood.
"…So regardless of who's in that cage, you'll be heading back to Fuyuki?" Touma asks. Upon her nod of affirmation, he continues. "Well…doesn't mean we don't gotta keep in touch, right?"
The brunette mage smiles. "Of course. Doesn't need to be said.
…Alright, I'm not exactly leaving you guys yet, so you don't need to get all sentimental. For now, I need to wash up."
Upon grabbing a set of clothes, Tohsaka excuses herself to the bathroom, leaving Touma alone at the kotatsu. With nothing much else to do but wait for the girls to get ready, he leans over the short table and starts scrolling through channels.
"So what was the movie you two watched last night about?" Index asks, still in the kitchen.
"Uh…something about evil robots and…separating races based on hair color…we didn't really get through all of it…" Touma replies. Recalling their conversations, he decides on saying, "…we sort of got distracted…"
An uncomfortable number of seconds pass. He glances over to the kitchen counter, and sees Index giving him an unknowable grin as she picks up the knife from the granite top.
"Touma? What do you mean by distracted?"
He suddenly realized his blunder. "I— Uh, I mean…sleeping. We were sleeping."
It wasn't exactly a lie.
"Riiiiight." Index huffs, setting the sandwiches onto a plate and walking toward the living room. "Jeez, the one time I decide to be nice and give you the bed, you decide to turn into a little delinquent."
Touma watches her scowl slowly vanish as she approaches him, and politely sets the food on the table. The smile she gave next was, unexpectedly, genuine, instead of a smirk of absolute terror.
"I'm kidding, by the way. I know you two were sleeping. You deserved a good rest, after the Holy Grail War…"
They both place their hands together and give a quick thanks, before partaking in Index's quick fix of a meal.
While he didn't appreciate Index's teasing…at the same time, he didn't mind it either. It was clearly her attempts to try and return things to some sort of normalcy; acting downer all the time wasn't healthy, and it was mature of her to realize that.
Just before he can take a bite, he hears the silver-haired nun snicker.
"…Did you have to sleep on each other, though—?"
"Index, c'mon. Cut me some slack, will ya?"
Index places her hand over her mouth, giving a coy smirk. "You were slacking plenty, leaning against her~"
'Okay, maybe it was too soon to call her mature…'
Before he could give an overexaggerated sigh of despondency, they both hear the door to the bathroom click open.
"Oh! You guys are already eating? Sorry…"
Rin Tohsaka steps into view, her face devoid of sleepiness and her azure eyes filled back with life. Instead of her classic twintails, she apparently decided to tie it into a half ponytail, with some of her onyx hair let loose past her shoulders.
Since her combat and mage outfits were destroyed, she instead dressed in a red button-up, her sleeves folded back to show her slender forearms. Underneath her shirt was her usual pleated black skirt hemmed at half-thigh, this time accompanied by sheer tights that accentuated her legs.
Just as he realizes he had internally described her entire appearance, he feels the stare of a certain silver-haired nun, her twitching eyes giving a whole sentence with just a look.
"You really are a boy."
He looks back to the suddenly much less appetizing sandwich, as the three of them take part in their light breakfast.
The clock read five until ten. Pretty soon, they'd head out to Mifune— and figure out just whose soul Illya decided to revive.
This was the first time in a while he was exiting Academy City for a non-emergency, now that he thought about it. Instead of risking his life, he was now going to witness someone else's being brought back into the world.
He glances to the blanket-covered cage, still sitting in the corner of the room, beating softly with a warm, golden light within.
'…This is it, I guess.' Touma thought to himself.
'Whoever's in there…I hope they can accept you.'
P.O.V.: A Certain Crimson Mage
Rin Tohsaka leans back against the bench of the train station, staring up at the clear blue skies of Academy City. Just next to her, Kamijou and Index were quietly conversing, with the former complaining that the latter had bought too many snacks for the road.
"I thought the sandwich was enough to hold you off! Why did you make me buy three bags of chips and drinks…?"
"You never know! It'll be a long ride there, right?"
"It's like, an hour, tops…"
Laughing quietly at their antics, Rin glances to her right, where a certain blue-haired Executor was carrying the blanketed bird cage. Despite them all sitting, Ciel chose to stand.
"You can have a seat next to me if you want, Ciel-san. There's space."
The glasses-donning girl gives a gentle shake of her head. "N-No, it's okay. The train should be coming in the next few minutes, anyway…I wonder where the others are…?"
Rin shrugs, unsure herself. Misaka and Saten also had tickets for the same train— but since they had been bought earlier, the two of them were seated somewhere further up the carts with more luxuries.
Despite going to the same place, they were still separated.
'What am I going to say to them when I see them…?'
Fortunately, she wouldn't have to wait long.
"Oiiii!"
A vaguely familiar female voice yells out from down the station. Tohsaka tilts her head forward, and catches the sight of a certain Academy City doctor. While she didn't look familiar at a glance, upon analyzing her brunette hair, striking blue eyes and white lab coat, Rin's memory began to jog.
'Oh, she's—'
The girl who had bailed them out of trouble with Anti-Skill after the whole debacle with Shinji, and had helped recuperate both Sakura and Misaka after they both spiraled out of control.
"Kokutou-sensei?"
She grabs her suitcase and stands to go and meet her, and the bickering duo behind her quickly follows suit. Flanked at Kokutou's sides were the two that she was expecting to be here…but their eyes betrayed their somewhat smiling faces.
While Saten gives her a nod of acknowledgment, Misaka entirely ignores eye contact with her as the two groups meet in the middle.
"Yo," Kokutou grins, "I know it was just supposed to be them two, but it's been a while since I got to go back and visit family. I hope you all don't mind me tagging along with them. "
Rin didn't know all of the details, but judging from how closely Misaka and Saten were standing next to her, they probably had some rapport that she was ignorant about. Plus, any reason for the two of them to leave the City, even for a little while, was probably healthy for them.
"Thanks for looking out for them, Kokutou-sensei." Rin gives a small bow of gratitude. "We'll…deliver you all the news in-person, at the address you sent us."
"Sure thing. We'll be waiting." Kokutou nods. "Right, you two?"
Saten hums a Mhm in affirmation…but Misaka remains still, holding her arm across her torso as she refuses to look at anywhere but the ground.
Ciel takes a step forward, and holds up the rather large birdcage in her hands for everyone to see. She takes a breath, then scans her eyes across everyone, announcing with a neutral, yet firm tone:
"…Whoever is in here…whoever Illyasviel chose to save…no hard feelings between anyone. Okay?"
Rin inwardly compartmentalizes her nerves. "…Okay."
Touma, Index and Kokutou easily agreed as well.
Saten takes a moment to gaze at the pulsing yellow light underneath the thin blanket…but ultimately gives a sigh of resignation. "…Yeah. No hard feelings."
Kokutou taps Misaka on the side with her elbow, and the Esper finally opens her mouth. "…Sure."
Just as everyone reaches the same page, they all hear the screech of a slowing, oncoming train. Right on time and without missing a second, the white-painted bullet train pulls into Academy City's station. With the crowd beginning to build, they didn't have any time left to converse.
"Alright." Ciel finally lowers the contained soul. "Then let's go. One final trip to Mifune City…we'll see you there, everyone."
And with that, the two groups turn on their heels, and go their separate ways.
Next Chapter:
Heaven's Fall Epilogue: Second Half
(21 June 2023)
