[During the week-long blockade of the entire town, the fifth team joined forces with the border guards and local police to conduct a comprehensive physical examination of all school-age children in the town.]

[As expected by Himeko, the fifth team that sealed off Vostok didn't find any traces of the unidentified Houkai event from seven years ago in the town, except for some children's bodies. Apart from a few common childhood illnesses, the fifth team found nothing. They compensated the local families who underwent the inspection and lifted the blockade according to the original plan.]

[The town's residents had returned to a peaceful and comfortable life once again.]

[After the blockade was lifted, Vostok's commercial street reopened for business. You and Elysia went to the commercial street and bought a large amount of tourist supplies and many small gifts.]

[The next day, you and Elysia took these small gifts and visited the neighbors who had taken care of you all this time, bidding them a final farewell.]

[Perhaps because your parents in the fake background had made the same decision as you, the residents of the town were surprised by your departure but didn't discourage you much.]

[They accepted your gifts with great care and expressed encouragement for your journey and dreams.]

[In the evening, after delivering all the presents, you returned to your own home. The empty house was illuminated with a dazzling orange-red glow from the late sunset.]

It was the beginning of June, and the temperature inside the house had already reached uncomfortably high levels. Before nightfall, the residual heat on the surfaces made Elysia, who was in the room, sweat uncontrollably, drenching her clothes.

[For the time being, the water and electricity in the house hadn't been cut off. Although this vacant house had been entrusted to a local intermediary company for a two-year lease, judging by the limited number of outsiders in the town, it would likely remain unoccupied until the day you returned.]

Shirou Emiya glanced at Elysia, whose clothes were soaked in sweat, and put down a large bag of items. He slipped on his slippers and quickly made his way to the bathroom.

"I'll help you heat up the water. You sit on the sofa and wait for a while. Then take a shower before dinner," Shirou Emiya's voice came from the bathroom after clicking on the water heater switch. "After dinner, rest for a bit and go to bed early. Tonight is probably our last night here. Starting tomorrow, we may have to find a new place to live."

After helping Elysia heat up the bathwater, Shirou Emiya returned to the doorway, picked up the shopping bag, and suddenly paused, looking at Elysia with a puzzled expression.

" What's wrong? Your expression is very strange. Why are you looking at me like that? Is there something on my face?"

"It's amazing. You don't look tired, and are not sweating or anything," Elysia squatted down and removed her sandals. Then she walked up the steps of the entrance with her white and tender feet and leaned her upper body against Shirou Emiya's chest without warning, rubbing her nose against him. "I can't smell any sweat at all. I was already so uncomfortable with this sticky sweat, but Emiya isn't sweating at all... Is this what they call a guardian spirit? It's truly an enviable constitution. Emiya, can you tell me how I can become a guardian spirit myself? I really want to be one."

Shirou Emiya suddenly had a bewildered expression and raised his index and middle fingers to Elysia's forehead, gently pushing her head away. He said with annoyance, "Give it up. This is a talent that ordinary people can't learn."

"Eh... Emiya, you're so mean," Elysia pouted.

"Hey, go take a shower! I can smell your stinky smell," Shirou Emiya's face darkened.

"I don't stink!" Elysia instinctively retorted at first, then hesitated for a moment. She hesitantly raised her arm and smelled herself, her expression suddenly turning sour. "Just... even a little... odor... It's not that bad! Using the word 'stinky' to describe a beautiful girl... Emiya, you're really too much!"

"Hehe, no matter how much it stinks, at least there's hot water for you to take a bath," Shirou Emiya sneered. "If we don't make it to the next town tomorrow, we might not find a place to bathe." Elysia's small face froze for a moment, still a little angry. Under Shirou Emiya's merciless sneer, she suddenly became panicked.

"No... No way! In this weather if I can't take a then... Please!"

"E... Emiya! How can you bear to see me, who is so cute, not being able to take a shower? You must have figured out a solution, right?"

Facing Elysia's gaze, a mix of panic, pleading, and anticipation, Shirou Emiya embraced her with both arms and had a stern expression. "Well, it depends on how you behave next. After all, if you're a child who doesn't like cleanliness, it doesn't matter even if you don't take a bath for a week, don't you think?"

"Wh... a... a week!?" Hearing Shirou Emiya mention such a long duration with a flat expression, Elysia's little face became even more frightened."How can you call yourself my guardian spirit and just stand by and let me get dirty because I can't take a bath..."

"Okay, stop complaining." Shirou Emiya picked up the plastic bag and walked toward the kitchen without looking back. "The neighbors next door are almost done preparing dinner."

Entering the kitchen, Shirou Emiya took out a pan, bowls, and chopsticks, and opened the refrigerator.

"Since it's our last meal here, let's use up all the ingredients in the refrigerator tonight."

It was the last warm night that would never come again.

To avoid any regrets before embarking on the journey, tonight was the only night where a little extravagance wouldn't be condemned.

[You prepared a dazzling and luxurious dinner for Elysia.]

[After dinner, you packed the bags you needed to take with you for the journey and started to pass the time with idle activities.]

[You didn't have your usual daily homework to do. Before embarking on the journey, you prepared to get a good night's sleep to replenish your energy, just like a certain servant in another world would.]

[In the middle of the night, you were awakened by a strange movement and discovered that Elysia had sneaked into your bedroom.]

[Instead of stopping Elysia, you pretended to shift your body to create a little space, providing her with a relatively free area.]

[However, Elysia didn't choose the spacious area behind you. Instead, she squeezed into the narrower space directly opposite you.]

[Curling up her hands and feet, she found a comfortable position on your chest, which was smaller than her, and fell into a deep sleep with a smile on her face.]

[You couldn't help but silently sigh. Since Elysia didn't feel crowded or uncomfortable, you allowed her to be willful and coquettish.]

[Feeling Elysia's breath and looking at her peacefully sleeping face, you closed your eyes and senses, allowing yourself to be enveloped by deep darkness.]

[As a Servant, you didn't need to sleep. To restore your physical strength and magic power, transforming into a spiritual body directly was more efficient than sleeping, which was a biological physiological mechanism.]

[Because you didn't need sleep, theoretically speaking, as a spirit body, you shouldn't be able to dream.]

[However, as your consciousness sank into deep darkness, you still witnessed scenes that should only appear in dreams.]

[It was an incredibly pure world. Above you, the night sky was covered in a galaxy, and the rotating and flowing galaxy created ring-shaped star trails. The ocean, as clear as a mirror, reflected the sky.]

[The endless sea divided this dreamy starry sky into two.]

"Dream?" Shirou Emiya scratched his hair, realizing that this dreamlike and surreal scene couldn't be a natural occurrence. Compared to reality, this strange scene resembled abstract paintings created by artists.

As he stood in this dreamlike scene, he couldn't think of any other explanation except that he was dreaming. However, even before becoming a Servant, he had a physique that couldn't dream. Logically, as a Servant and a spiritual body, it should be even more impossible for him to dream.

Just as he was pondering this, the clear sea level suddenly trembled, and rapid ripples disrupted the starry sky reflected in the water.

Shirou Emiya instinctively followed the ripples and suddenly his pupils shrank.

From afar, a blue-white figure emerged from the surging waves. It rapidly approached, transforming from a blurry silhouette to a crystal-like giant manta ray at an astonishing speed. With a resounding sound, it broke through the clear waves with a vigorous posture.

Magnificent waves soared, leaving behind beautiful star trails before settling back into the tranquil sea.

The giant ray came and disappeared swiftly. Before he could react, it plunged back into the turbulent water, unleashing another massive wave.

Then, the waves gradually subsided, leaving only a few ripples and lingering mist in the air. This confirmed that the previous scene wasn't an illusion; the enormous ray had truly appeared.

Shirou Emiya swallowed nervously, lowering his arms instinctively to protect your chest, and breathed heavily, still feeling the lingering fear.

Although the scene was filled with a strong sense of unreality, he sensed a tangible reality and pressure emanating from the ray.

In the same moment, you contemplated the reality of dreams, a voice interrupted your thoughts.

"I didn't expect someone to reach this place."

The voice was elegant and clear. Suddenly, a burst of brilliance emanated from behind him.

'Hey, that voice...'

He turned around and froze for a moment.

"Moreover, he's a cute-looking boy."

Suspended in mid-air was a beautiful and innocent figure, barefoot. Her skin was as white and flawless as jade, her attire was magnificent like a royal gown, and her voice was holy and elegant, akin to an angel's. However, beneath the sweetness of her voice, a mischievous and lively emotion could be detected. This human touch only heightened the girl's beauty, making her feel real and tangible.

Her gem-like eyes stared straight at his young face, a hint of interest flickering in them.

"Why are you staring at me blankly without saying a word? Do you expect me to introduce myself first? Even though you are a boy, you seem shyer than I imagined."

She spoke with a laughter-filled voice, addressing you:

"It's alright, I know I'm an attractive girl, and it's only natural for a boy like you to be captivated by my beauty. Relax, take a deep breath. Let's take it step by step. Do you remember how you came to this space?"

Shirou Emiya opened his mouth, unable to deny the pure beauty and stunning appearance before him. Yet, as soon as he realized her identity, your initial shock turned into a thick and inexpressible feeling.

"What are you doing in a place like this?"

He couldn't help but feel speechless. No matter how beautiful and refined she became, his mind still remembered her as a tearful and snotty child from the past. Diapers had been changed for this girl since she was little, and no matter how attractive she looked now, his emotions will remain unaffected.

The beautiful girl tilted her head, her flawless face that was previously filled with a smile now showing a hint of confusion.

"Let me make sure. If I'm wrong, I apologize in advance." Shirou Emiya rubbed his eyebrows, displaying a slightly pained expression. "Although it seems like you've grown up a lot, you are Elysia, right?"

At that moment, the girl was truly stunned.

She wasn't surprised that someone visiting this place would know her and her name. There was likely only one possibility for someone to awaken her in this place of origin.

What puzzled her was the boy's strange description.

'I look a lot older... What does he mean?'

And he wore an expression as if an elder were observing a mischievous junior... Shouldn't a boy like him, who didn't seem very old, blush or have his heart race upon seeing such a beautiful and lovely girl?

Just as she was about to ask this question, Emiya Shirou's figure suddenly started becoming translucent.

"Huh?" he frowned slightly but quickly assessed his state.

'Am I about to wake up...?'

"Huh??" Seeing Emiya Shirou's figure fade from her vision, the girl, unable to calm down, reached out her hands to him. "Wait! Don't go yet! You haven't..." However, her efforts were futile.

In a gust of wind, his translucent figure vanished as if swallowed by light.

Only the perplexed expression of the girl remained, standing disheveled in the dreamlike place of origin.

Was the boy here to inherit the power of origin? Why did he suddenly disappear on his own?

Just as the girl's thoughts were in disarray, the 'ashes' left after Emiya Shirou's disappearance floated toward her.

The girl, overwhelmed with emotions, was shocked. Countless images and memories surged in as if the reservoir had burst open, flooding her mind all at once.

Those warm memories and scenes left the girl stunned. Her pupils quivered, and her trembling voice expressed disbelief and a sense of loss:

"That boy... he... he... he..."

"He is... my mother????????"