(Sasaku's Room, Chaldea)
"Hey Sasaku, do you love us?'' Matthew asked Chaldea's latest Ruler innocently one day while the room's three occupants were sipping drinks.
*cough*
"Of course,'' the woman replied casually without hesitation at the same time as nearby Iri narrowly avoided inhaling her beverage. There was nothing special about what was in her cup, the standard 'cool water' preferred by all the homunculi who had to conscientiously avoid purchasing supplies or drawing too much water from the grid utilities - other than the fact that she was drinking it in a Servant's room.
"Are you alright?'' Sasaku asked as her first priority, waiting for the girl's vigorous nodding before continuing, "But where is this coming from?''
"Uh, what place?'' Matthew responded in confusion. The trio were seated around a low table with conspicuously unmarked vessels that lacked the usual bronze or copper features that marked out things used for the Servants' food to avoid accidental poisoning by means of their magically-charged contents that had been 'cooked from' various mystical materials.
"Did you mean who? As in 'who asked to ask that' perhaps?'' Iri ventured.
"Hmm, I hadn't even thought of that,'' Sasaku shrugged. "Er, I might be mixing up my colloquial terms. Let's see, if we're speaking in Japanese right now maybe the meaning didn't carry over? What's causing you to worry?''
"Oh not that. I was wondering because before Sieg said that you didn't love humanity, and after Dad got summoned you congratulated him on it.''
"Mat, that's a bit...'' Iri mumbled before trailing off nervously.
"I see. Actually, huh, that comment was inappropriate, for all that no one from home is actually around to call me out on it,'' the Servant mused to herself. "But anyway 'Congratulations on joining the community of immortals' is actually a formulaic welcome to the admittedly few people to actually receive the resurrection up to about six centuries after the Return. Which of course is meaningless history to you. Heh, come to think of it, Chloe, the original one that is, didn't think he'd get back without becoming a Counter Guardian.''
"But we're still humans,'' Matthew insisted.
"That you are,'' Sasaku said cheerfully. "You're not humanity though, and if you're wondering what the difference is, the homunculi, like well Siegfried, don't love humanity either. But they do love you.''
"They do?'' Iri questioned this statement in an unassuming manner.
"In their way. They love you more than they love one another, I'm pretty sure.''
"Ah,'' added Matthew suddenly. "That's because of something you said to Aunt Illyasviel about our parents' Houses, wasn't it?''
The Ruler simply chuckled at this before realizing that it needed explaining. "I said what I said, but it was them who decided how to act.''
"Is that the same for you?'' Iri asked.
"Well, I am constrained by the particular Class Container I was summoned in, but the Grail's mandates don't extend to this. So yes, I love you.''
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(Event Tower exterior, ?m to the ground)
I HATE YOU screamed the Avenger's soul. But who?
That Nursery Rhyme had immediately identified the paradox in being a seeker of vengeance with no real target. But now he could see a bit more clearly that there was someone who needed retribution. Someone who wouldn't let him rest, trying to manipulate his wrath, to catch him in a cage not physical but subtle and more effectively so. It had dawned on him just a moment ago, and perhaps the whole setup of this Singularity was, ironically enough, him leading himself up to this moment of freedom, even while not being able to conceive of the manner in which he had been trapped by the King of Mages' servant.
That's right, for an Avenger to be drained of their grudges obviously weakens their Spirit Origin, but it allows other possibilities: to escape from the curse of the Class. Jeanne Alter proved that, though as a harder case there had simply not been enough time to see the full effects develop on Boudica. But the Count of Monte Cristo would not be able to thus free himself because of the nature of his summoning, an element deliberate not accidental.
Unless someone else could do this from the outside. And that someone was closing in on him from above as the two of them hurtled down towards concrete below. But she was a mystery as well.
"Why?'' he asked pointlessly as they made contact. Rather than waste time answering, Shiki simply raised her knife. "Hold still.'' With only her one hand, there was no way to steady her target, and he suspected that even a small twist would throw off her aim. But no, this was the critical moment.
The knife pierced downwards, nowhere near his Spirit Core, but all the way down his side. Moments later, the Assassin was seized by some invisible force and yanked upwards all the way up the face of the tower.
At last, the Count thought as he was about to smash into the ground. No one can cage me.
*splatter*
What is that light... it isn't the Throne...
NO
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(Tower Roof)
"I see,'' Nursery Rhyme commented, busily taking notes as an Assassin reappeared several seconds after presumably jumping to her death following the enemy Avenger. "So responsibility for landing can also be on the Master.''
"I waited as long as I dared,'' Gudao remarked to Shiki. "Did you get it done?''
"I hope so,'' she replied before collapsing from fatigue.
"Careful !'' Chloe warned suddenly, stepping in between the two of them. "Who are you ?!''
The Master warily peeked above the head of the shorter Archer to see that another woman had apparently replaced the fallen Assassin, armed but not showing hostility; thankfully, as she radiated an immense aura.
"Take this,'' she directed Chloe, elegantly kicking over Shiki's knife where it had fallen onto the ground. The Servant stopped the sliding weapon with a foot before gingerly picking it up.
"Where did she go?'' Gudao asked, having blinked at some point to find that neither the surprise visitor nor Shiki were in evidence any more.
"The story is now ending,'' Nursery Rhyme proclaimed from behind them. "Good work, Chaldeans. I'll have to try again on Jack's case, but it wasn't your fault.''
"You could join us, you know,'' Gudako offered.
"I'm pretty sure I will, that's how this sort of story goes. But I don't think it'll be this time. But here...'' she stuck a hand into the pocket of her skirt and felt around for a bit before producing an old-style pocket watch, complete with a wind-up key. It completely didn't match the schoolgirl, but would fit a nursery rhyme character. "No guarantee it will work, though.''
"We'll give it a try, thank you.'' Gudako accepted the watch as Chloe used the knife to cut off a bit of her garment, wrapping the weapon's blade in it before handing it to Gudao.
l
Notes:
By the way, pre-Incineration, the population at Einzbern Estate + Chaldea was about 5000. Which is the main reason why their culture is somewhat based off self-sufficiency, it would be impossible to explain where all these people came from, and obviously any basic testing (like DNA) would show they aren't human.
l
The words between Sasaku and Illyasviel that Matthew was referring to are actually in the "Epilogue" (Another Aria- last chapter) - essentially a will of sorts. I'll just put an extract here, since it contains most of the necessary context:
Carry out in full your duty to revenge the injury done to the name of your father and mother; as you have spoken it, pass it down so that they do not forget what the high-handed have done to your house along the way. When you or your successors reach those heights, then remember in turn these words of mine; deal honorably with my students in your strength as they dealt with you in their strength. Do not repay good with evil, as is the way of the magi you detest.
Note that Sasaku definitely got a ton of things wrong, which is what it is.