A/N: (September 7th)

I love writing these stories.

Hey everyone, I'm back…way sooner than I planned to be, actually.

I was originally going to save this chapter for October 13th— the one-year anniversary of this story's predecessor, The Grail War of Retribution: Heaven's Fall (hereafter Heaven's Fall). If you haven't checked that out, please do. Not just because I think it's some of the best work I've done, and growth I've had as a person writing it, but because you'll…likely need context.

Indeed, this is a sequel story to my previous entry, Heaven's Fall, and takes place in the same universe with a similar cast of characters. Just like before, this is a full Type-Moon and Index crossover: meaning that it takes elements from every single Index story (e.g. Railgun, Index, Accelerator, etc) and from Type-Moon (Fate/, Tsukihime, Kara no Kyoukai, Mahoutsukai no Yoru), and blends them together into one, complex, fused world.

Indeed, histories from both franchises are combined, and lore is fused together as much as I could to make it make sense. Said combined lores will be revealed in the story (and much already has in the previous one) so I recommend reading that before getting to this one.

That being said…if you haven't read Heaven's Fall, and for some reason don't feel like getting through 475k words, then don't fret at all: this story will be pretty self-contained and separate from the previous one, with the only things you need to know being the main character's current statuses, which will be explained in this chapter.

That also being said, this Prologue for the new tale will have heavy, and I mean heavy spoilers for Heaven's Fall. You've been warned.

But, if you're down for that, then go ahead and read on my friend!

If the previous story was mostly Fate-centered…then this will be taking a whole new, different route.

The world of a Blood Red Moon, of voracious Vampires, and of the Divine and the Dead.

Without any further ado, I give you:

The Second French Incident

Chapter I: Prologue

"I kill. I let live.

I wound. I heal.

None shall escape me. Neither will they leave my sight."

She remembered saying those words to a mage who was now just ashes in the wind. They were a dark wraith who consumed the living to continue on his decrepit journey for immortality.

"Shatter.

I welcome the old. I welcome the lost.

Devote thyself to me, learn from me, obey me."

However, she had no mercy for those who sought immortality. She had no compunction about eliminating those who desired to control others for their own gain.

To take over one's body, to use it as a vessel to torture others…

…Perhaps that was the reason why, on that day, she chose to neutralize Zouken Matou so completely and mercilessly.

She remembered what he told her, in those Fuyuki woods, during the darkness of the Fifth Holy Grail War.

"Why would you stick your nose in a Mage-only ritual such as this?!"

It was simple. He was a heretic. A heretic that must learn what it means to be crushed completely.

And yet…

"Rest. Do not forget song or prayer.

Do not forget me.

For I am the light that will relieve thee of thy burdens."

Of course, as she watched that monster shred away into her holy light, she knew it was because he reminded her of something that she'd rather not recall.

Yet at the same time, it was always in the forefront of her mind: a night that she would never, never, ever forget.

That night, where she herself was in Zouken Matou's shoes.

"Do not pretend.

Retribution for forgiveness, betrayal for trust, despair for hope, darkness for light, dark death for the living.

Relief is in my hands. I will anoint thee, and leave a mark.

Eternal life is given through death."

The final words he said before he parted…even now, after the Holy Grail War had all but ended, had stuck with her.

Even now, as she stood on the cliffside overlooking the English Channel from the French shores, the Burial Agent known as Ciel felt herself reminiscing.

"Ah…death will come one day…to you, Burial Agent…"

Her lips trembled as she stabbed her Crimson Black Key into a guttural piece of rotting flesh. Pinned under her boot was a reddish-pink corpse, bubbling and spurting weakly as her blessings burned at its skin with the blue flames of heaven.

Below her foot was, in her eyes, mankind's greatest enemy. Even if they didn't possess the raw and immense strength of something like a Beast of Humanity, their sheer numbers and their predatory nature toward humans made them a force that could easily destroy civilization.

A Dead Apostle. It reached out weakly toward her, even as she seared it alive with divine fire. Because of its oddly high resistance to a single Black Key, Ciel deduced it must have been anywhere between Rank II or III.

Still not anywhere close to her strength.

"Ask for forgiveness here. I, the incarnation, will swear."

The flames burst forth. The Dead Apostle finally stopped moving as its charred body began to ash away into the night ocean winds.

Ciel took in a shallow breath, and finally released her blade. What was left was nothing but soot, and the scent of something horrific.

Even so, she would not fail to complete her prayer.

"Kyrie Eleison."

She sighed.

The last time she performed a prayer that large, it was for a human that had fallen from their own magecraft— not from an inhuman whose soul had become humanity's predator.

'Death will come for me. That's what you said, Zouken Matou.

My answer hasn't changed from before. I do hope that its scythe reaches me. Because…'

She bit her lip as flashes of that night came back to her.

Crushing walls. Burning flames.

Screaming innocents…men, women, and children alike.

Inhumans that stood upon towers, watching and feasting as an entire village became unrecognizable overnight.

And she…

…she…

'…Breathe.'

She inhaled, deeply and determined.

She forced her mind to the years after…the years after she woke up, and after she started her training.

The years she chose to atone. The years she ran alongside that adorably gluttonous Anglican nun.

…the days she had with that boy in the far East, and the day she let the Heavens fall against the Beast of Retribution.

Ever since that incident, she had performed her penance. She put herself through trial after trial. She had put down two Ancestors, and used their strength for herself.

"Is it enough?"

Those were the words that she finally chose to say. She was alone, so it wasn't addressed to any one person in particular, but…

"…Is it enough?"

She asked again. Staring off into the English Channel, she saw the sight that the whole world had seen for days, now:

A massive wall of fog, completely blocking the United Kingdom from the rest of the world. While she was aware it was a crisis that had to be dealt with in time, she knew that mysterious fog wouldn't answer her question, so she instead opted to stare up at the sky.

Toward a bright, shining moon.

The wind brushed past her hair and through her Executor dress. It must have been hours since she had begun her hunt through the northern French coastline…at some point, she needed shut-eye, too.

After all, once daybreak hit, her new task was to head down south.

"…Phew. Yeah…I guess resting wouldn't hurt."

She spun on her heels, turning her back to the wall of fog and the blue-white moon. Her steps caused the bloodied grass at her feet to crunch lightly.

Indeed, corpses upon corpses, bodies upon bodies were strewn about around her, much of them impaled by Black Keys that stuck from their gullets and limbs like grave markers.

She had ended every single one, without a modicum of assistance. That's just the monster that Executor Ciel was.

That was the reason why the Burial Agency had chosen her.

And that was the reason why they trusted her to return to her home country, and go to Avignon.

The protests of Roman Catholics around the world were too widespread, and too sudden for it to be natural.

On top of that, there was one artifact that she was sure was the cause…and one organization that she heavily theorized to be the transgressors.

"Shut-eye, then back to work." Ciel muttered. "Taking down Terra won't be much of an issue…though if it's Acqua, then it could be more than just a pain in my…"

She turned her eyes to the corpses around her. 'No. No, maybe it won't be that simple. There's a reason why there's been a lot more Dead Apostles in France recently…

…I can't treat Avignon like a cake walk. I have a feeling…something will be there that none of us will be expecting.'

She took out her phone, and scrolled through her contacts. Even if she was a powerful Burial Agent, there were only so many problems that her two hands could handle at once.

'…So maybe…maybe I should ask for help. Luckily…I think I know exactly who to ask.'

xXx

Put lightly, it had been a long, long week for Touma Kamijou. Not just because of the overtly long school days which were topped with nigh-unbearable remedial classes— that, in all honesty, had become the norm for him.

Instead, it was everything else around it. Being yelled at in class, tripping over his shoelaces, and missing homework or whole textbooks he was completely fine with…

…but the protests? The funeral services for the departed, all across Academy City?

Those were a whole different beast that he could barely find himself to manage, both physically and mentally.

He closed the door to his apartment, sighing in relief as he heard the light meowing of Sphynx and the gentle steps of his silver-haired roommate.

"Touma."

He and Index looked at each other with knowing faces. A single glance of each other's expressions read about a thousand words between them.

"Come on," Index grabbed his wrist gently and guided him toward the kotatsu, "I made us a late lunch. Let's do that before talking about anything else."

Before he even saw, he could catch the smell of freshly-made soup. It was a bit chilly outside, so it was the perfect time to have a hearty, warm meal such as that.

The two sat across from each other, and gave thanks before picking up their bowls.

"Thank you, Index." He said.

"No problem. Now take a bite…er, a slurp, I guess. I can hear your stomach growling from here."

He gladly accepted her offer. As he took in the vegetable green broth, he gratefully wished for just an hour of peace and quiet.

Since practically everywhere else in Academy City…was all but that.

Due to much, much protest and outcry, Academy City had to open its gates to the public so that parents and loved ones could mourn the losses of over twenty-thousand lives.

Children as young as grade school, and men and women as old as the elderly. The taking of lives was nearly indiscriminate…and there weren't even any bodies to identify the remains.

It was like they had practically vanished, though not from people's minds. Even now, as Touma was drinking from his bowl, he could hear the shouts and the wailing and the crying from outside.

The public simply didn't understand why so many people had just…disappeared. No explanation from Academy City would ever be sufficient enough, either.

Of course, he knew why. Index knew…as well as a select handful of people that were there on that day.

The day that the heavens fell, the Beast opened its eyes, the sword burned the Beast down, and the Grail closed the gate.

He found himself replacing his lost friends with other nouns. It was probably his mind trying to deny the fact that they were really gone…

…but alas, there wasn't any avoiding the truth.

Shirou Emiya's seat in class was vacant. Komoe-sensei announced that he was one of the twenty-thousand missing, and that they would hold a school-wide, silent funeral for him and the couple other students that the attack had claimed.

For Tokiwadai, the annoucement that Mikoto Misaka and Kuroko Shirai were missing shook the whole of Academy City— it appeared not even high-level Espers, and not even a Level 5, was immune to the attack.

Just because Kamijou knew one of them was safe, as well as Saten…doesn't mean the court of public opinion did.

All-in-all, it was a total, utter nightmare to handle. He pitied the ones who had to handle that P.R. mess as he downed the last of his soup and sighed quietly.

"So…" he started. He could tell neither he nor Index wanted to talk about what was going on outside, so he opted to try and stay as normal as possible. "…How's Sakura been doing?"

Index wiped her mouth clean with a napkin and gave a reassured grin. "As well as she can be. I gave her a list of TV shows to watch…also told her that they should probably get a TV in the first place, hehe. Seriously, I don't know how Rin survived the past ten-something years without one."

Touma shrugged, leaning back with his arms. "What can I say? I guess she's always been pretty studious, huh?"

Index's nose twitched. "Yeah, guess you've always been into studious girls, huh? Not surprised you know that about her."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Touma resisted, grabbing his glass of water and sipping it in protest. "And for the record, I prefer the older, Senpai-esq types."

"Uh-huh. And what grade is she in, again?"

"That isn't important."

Index pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. "At this point, I don't know if you're actually that oblivious, or you're just messing with me, but…"

She seemed to drop the subject, at least for now, before taking Touma's bowl as well as her own and hefting them to the kitchen to wash. With a few moments of silence, he was about to pick up the remote to scroll through some channels, before—

Rrrrrring.

'Huh.' Touma thought as he reached into his pocket and flipped his phone open. "Wonder if it's…oh, speak of the devil."

"Don't do that, actually!" Index said from the kitchen. "That's bad!"

"It's just a turn of phra— y'know what, whatever, I'm just saying that Tohsaka's calling."

Indeed, her name and the picture he set as her contact photo appeared on his screen. It was a picture that the two of them took during their outing at the arcade with Sakura and Index.

He glanced at the stuffed prizes that Index had won, which were still settled at the foot of Kamijou's bed, before answering the call and pressing the phone to his ear.

"…H-Hey."

"Yo," Kamijou said, casually yet politely, "seems like you figured out how the phone call system works, eh?"

"H-Hey! I'm not THAT inept at technology…although if I ever do buy a television, I might need your help to install it…"

"I don't really think you should trust me handling a hundred-thousand-yen piece of tech, but I can try my best." He replied with a smirk, but it quickly faded as he realized Tohsaka must have contacted him for a reason. "Anyway…you called?"

"…Yeah." The older Tohsaka replied on the other end. "I do have something a bit urgent to tell you, but first, I need to know…

…How've you been?"

Touma's breath hitched as he felt those words wrench into his heart. Every time someone asked him that question, he was always taken back to those nights.

The night that the girl he was talking to now, and a certain redheaded classmate that was no longer with him, were both unconscious as he tried to take them to safety in a forest he didn't know, with enemies possibly anywhere he went.

The night that that redheaded classmate ran ahead of him, telling him to take care of their friends as he faced down a nightmare of decades past.

The day that he watched a certain White Grail close the gate. The days that he attended his classmates' services.

He was a fighter, for sure. He didn't let his heart go weary just for any reason…but there was only so much one person could take.

Honestly, it was a miracle he was still upright now. Perhaps it was because the person asking the question was someone he trusted, that he could remain strong.

"…Full honesty? I could be way better."

"Heh. Same. I didn't expect you to say that you were okay. I don't think any of us truly are, right now."

"…Yeah." Kamijou sighed in relief, feeling his heartbeat steady. "Thanks."

"Sure. If you need to catch up more with that stuff, we can in person, but for right now…"

Touma heard Tohsaka's voice switch gears into a more professional mode. Tightening his gaze, and gesturing for Index to join him at the table, the two of them sat at the kotatsu as he set his phone to speaker mode so they could hear her loud and clear.

"What's going on, Rin?" Index asked.

"Tsuchimikado-kun came by. He's actually still here, talking to Sakura in the dining room…he came asking for help. Both from me, and from you."

Touma blinked. "Us two, specifically?"

"Yeah. Well, you more than me. I know that Academy City's pretty hectic right now, but…I'm assuming you know of the other crisis going on in Britain?"

"Yeah. Of course." Touma nodded. "It's all over the news just as much as Academy City is…that fog wall, right?"

To put icing on the cake of what was already confusing times, the entire United Kingdom: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland— had been encased in a dome of impenetrable, grey, stormcloud-like fog.

Any and all communications were deemed impossible by all world governments, from both inside and out. Physical vessels, like military aircraft, became undetectable upon entering. The pilots were lost as well, adding fuel to the fires of the countless tragedies the past week.

"I'm assuming you know why we need your help, Kamijou-kun."

Both he and Index took a glance at his right palm, which he tensed into a fist. "Of course. You think it can break through that storm wall? I've thought about it when I first heard of it, but I never got the opportunity to ask with all the chaos going around…"

"It's the best shot we have. It's either your right hand, or the Superweapons in Atlas. And I don't think they'd open their doors even for stuff like this."

"Superweapons in what, now?" Kamijou asked.

"Don't worry about it, Mage stuff. Anyway, Tsuchimikado-kun said we'd leave tomorrow morning, so pack your things. We'll be arriving at Academy City to take one of their superjets; it'll get us there thrice as fast as a commercial airliner."

Touma blinked. "Really? Tomorrow morning? Was expecting tonight, honestly."

"Oh. He drags you around pretty last-minute, huh?"

"Tell me about it. Ah, I need to ask, though…

…are you bringing Sakura?"

The line became quiet for a short moment. Index looked at him in worry, but Kamijou shook his head— Sakura was Rin's sister, so she knew what was best for her more than them.

"I…left it up to her. I told her no pressure either way, but to let me know before I leave in the early morning.

…I don't want to see her overexert herself, or put herself in danger. At the same time…I can understand she wants to prove herself. So the choice to go is her's. No matter what, I'll support her decision. It's the least I can do."

"Yeah." Touma and Index agreed wholeheartedly. It was good, in any case, that Sakura was making decisions for herself, and that Rin was mature enough to know that she needed to have her agency.

If Rin restricted her to their home, then…

'She wouldn't be much different from the Matou, right?' Touma thought. Luckily, that possibility wasn't even on the table. Tohsaka was one of the kind-hearted people he's met; even if she did mess up a few times, all she wanted was the best for those around her.

"A-Anyway…we'll be heading out to Academy City first thing in the morning. Tsuchimikado-kun is going to go on ahead and get the paperwork for the jet set up, and we should be good to go. We're aiming to leave at least by nine or ten in the morning."

"Sounds like a plan. See you later, Tohsaka."

"Mm. Good night, Kamijou."

The phone hung up right after. Stretching his arms, Kamijou slowly got to his feet and yawned.

The afternoon had long since ended, no thanks to his remedial lessons, but night still had yet to fully fall. After cleaning up his apartment a bit and getting a light bag ready for the trip, he decided he would wash up and turn in a bit early.

Weirdly— or rather, probably fortunately enough, Index decided to lend a hand in cleaning, offering to sweep the floors. It was a trait that Touma hadn't noticed about her before, but now that it was here…

'I shouldn't bring it up. It might mess with my luck that she's more helpful…though…'

It was definitely just because they've been through so much. Helping out around the apartment, calling Sakura every day to cheer her up…it was her way of keeping him from bending and breaking.

The days were beyond stressful for him. He was happy he could come home to a place that was relatively much calmer.

Though now…

'Guess it's gonna pick up again, huh? Britain…damn, that's all the way across the world. Wonder what it has in store for us.'

After setting his apartment straight, wrapping up any remedial work he had as best he could, and seeing the clock read a bit past nine, Touma headed to the bathroom where he'd call it a night. Seems even with her changing demeanor, the bed was still something Index wouldn't quite give up, yet.

"Oh hey…Index?"

He stopped just at the doorway to the bathroom, and turned his head to see the silver-hair was already tucked in herself. "Yeah, Touma?"

"Are you coming with us? Like with Sakura, no pressure if you aren't."

Index puffed her cheeks, almost as if she was insulted by such a question. "Of course I am, stoopid. You do the punchy-punchy. I'll do the talky-talky."

Touma snickered at her rudimentary, but ironically extremely effective method of explaining their roles, before waving his hand and heading in the bathroom.

"Night, Index."

"Niiiiight. I wanna get up early, so don't make me drag you outta there!"

"Yeah, yeah."

xXx

Sakura Matou was tired. Yet, she didn't sleep.

Holding a pillow tightly, she rolled over to look outward at her room, only illuminated by a dim nightlight that was programmed to shut off any time now. Her bedroom was originally a guest room— as was most of the house's rooms really, since for the longest time it only had one resident— but Rin and her were working hard to make it more personalized to Sakura.

A studying desk they brought from downstairs now sat in the corner of the room, coupled with a stand mirror for her to check her outfits. Her closet still only had a modest wardrobe for now, but the two of them planned on going shopping more often. The question came up if Sakura wanted to return to the Matou mansions in either Fuyuki or Academy City to pick up any of her clothes, but they both agreed that the past should just remain in the past.

Instead, the room would be decorated with Rin's hand-me-downs, and things she would collect herself, starting now. The plush beret she won at the arcade was sitting at the foot of her bed, as an example.

Slowly but surely, she was building a place she could call her own. And with Rin just down the hall, she really didn't have much to worry about.

Right?

'Right?'

She tightened the grip on her pillow, recalling the events that transpired earlier that day.

Shortly after returning from school, that Tsuchimikado person visited unannounced, informing them that he might need Tohsaka's help in Britain— the older sister, not the younger. When the topic came up of Sakura joining them, she herself didn't know what answer to say.

'If I stay then…I'm being left behind again. Right?

But if I go…then I'm endangering myself. Or…maybe I'll endanger others again.'

Sighing, she lifted her finger. Something in the darkness of the room followed her orders, and emerged from the shadows.

A small, almost delicate-looking humanoid shadow creature trudged over to her, with six or seven beady white dots that were probably its eyes, coupled with a pair of thin appendages resembling arms. It was small enough to fit into the palm of her hand, and sentient enough that Sakura considered it its own being, even if it was connected to her.

After the War ended and she was given this new puppet body, a fragment of her power still remained. After informing her sister about it, Rin theorized it must be because her manipulation of the Imaginary Element had to do with her soul, and not necessarily her body.

Thus, even with no Holy Grail fragments or Crest Worms left in her, a shard of her strength still remained.

One might think she found it as a curse, but…

"What should I do, you think?" She asked the Shadow, with curious eyes. "Lift your right hand for go. Left hand for no."

The Shadow lifted both hands. Sakura puffed her cheeks.

"You're no help at all." She protested. After a moment, she realized that of course the Shadow would respond that way— it was a part of her energy, some sort of extension of herself even if it had its own will. So of course, it would be just as torn about the dilemma as she was.

"Maybe I should ask a different question…" Sakura muttered. "Do you think I have enough strength to help Neesan?"

The Shadow lifted its right arm. At the very least, it managed to answer objective questions such as that.

As she pondered for another inquiry, a thought crossed her mind. She bit her lip, but her mouth eked it out before her brain could stop her.

"…Do you think that strength…is dangerous?"

…The Shadow lifted its right arm once more. The younger Tohsaka sighed.

"Do you think I could hurt people again if I do use it?"

Right.

"Do you think I could hurt Neesan, Kamijou-san, or Index if I use it?"

Right.

"…So…I shouldn't go, then?"

The Shadow paused, as if stewing on its own thoughts itself, before pulling up both of its arms.

Sakura wanted to reprimand it for not helping her again, but she supposed that doing so would just make the two of them go in circles.

It tilted its head. Even though it couldn't talk, Sakura could tell it was saying "You're asking the wrong kinda questions, lady."

"…Did I word them wrong?"

Right hand. This time, it raised it the fastest it ever had before.

"U-Um…" the lavender-haired Tohsaka stroked her chin. "…Would I hurt them?"

Finally, the Shadow raised its left arm. Sakura felt her heartbeat finally lessen. "So I guess the lesson here is…I have power, but I have to use it correctly?"

Right arm. Sakura giggled. "Yeah, I guess you are right. See what I did there?"

The Shadow slumped its nonexistent shoulders. "That was absolutely horrible. Never make that pun ever again." It said without saying.

Content with her resolve, Sakura rolled back over to face the wall. Perhaps at the perfect timing, the night light shut off, leaving her entire room dark. Now, it was finally time to sleep.

"…One more question." She said.

Her giggling self from before was gone. The tone of her voice fell flat.

"…Do I deserve any of this?"

…

She didn't turn around to see what her shadow had answered, and instead closed her eyes and let sleep take her.

xXx

Rin Tohsaka flicked the lights on in her room, groaning as she rubbed the sleep as best she could from her eyes. She hated waking up for school— let alone getting up even earlier than that, but she fought against her discomfort and forced herself to move.

Her first order of business before washing up herself was to wake up all the residents of the house, so she exited her room and rapped the adjacent bedroom door a few times.

"Sakura, it's five."

After knocking again and hearing the bed stir on the other end, she figured that was good enough. She'd find out if her sister was coming or not after she got ready.

Almost trudging back into her master-sized bedroom and into her personal bathroom, she didn't actually start feeling awake until she filled her hands with water and splashed it into her face.

"Ahh. There we go."

She blinked her eyes open wider, and took a deep breath. For the first time since the Holy Grail War over a week ago, her life was again about to be thrusted into the world of the arcane and magical.

After dealing with a conflict that large, however, anything in comparison seemed like a walk in the park. Some mystery, magic fog over Britain? No problem compared to an actual, world-ending Beast of Humanity.

She was confident she would get out of it alive, along with Kamijou-kun and the others. That wasn't an excuse to be complacent, though.

After completing her bathroom duties, she pondered on what her wardrobe was going to be, which in hindsight she probably should have figured out the night before.

'Oh well, too late. I'll keep it simple.'

Tsuchimikado told her to pack light, since they were probably going to be doing a lot of walking and moving about, so all of her clothes she resolved to fit in a small backpack. 'Two or three days' worth should be fine, right? Guess it'll have to be thinner stuff, then. Hopefully Britain's not too cold…oh who am I kidding, of course it'll be.'

She's been there before, and the amount of sun she saw was unnaturally low for always visiting during the height of summer.

She packed in a portable amount of clothes, before dressing herself: a red zipper hoodie, black shorts, and socks that reached up her thighs, with of course her signature twintails tied with bows. It was a warmer variation of what she normally donned as a mage.

"Alright, I should be good to go. Now to just check in on Saku…"

This time, it was the younger sister's turn to knock. "Come in."

The door gently opened, revealing a travel-dressed, lilac magus.

"Sakura…" Rin muttered. The younger Tohsaka was wearing a pair of dark jeans and a tucked-in white blouse. Her hair was also combed, and the ribbon Rin gave her as children was freshly tied in her hair.

A bag similar to her own was also strapped across her shoulder, which told Rin all she needed to know of Sakura's decision.

"Alright." Rin smiled. "I'm glad to have you with me, Sakura."

"…Yes." Sakura responded, and gave a small, yet unnecessary bow. "I'm going, Neesan. I'm sure the people that wanted me to live…and even the ones that don't…"

The girl bit her lip slightly. Thoughts of a certain, scorned electric Esper crossed both of their minds.

That Esper wasn't wrong in the slightest. Yet at the same time…

'At the same time…'

"…I'm sure they wouldn't want me to just stay in one place." Sakura resolved. "So I'm coming with you. I'll fight alongside you."

Rin nodded, and grabbed her hand. "Then let's go, Sakura.

…We should probably eat first, though."

"Yeah. I'm hungry."

xXx

The time reached half past five. The two Tohsaka sisters had just completed a light but effective breakfast, and were officially getting ready to leave. Rin had gotten train tickets for a 6:15 departure, so they didn't have much time to waste, especially considering the time it would take for a bus ride.

Rin swung open the creaky door to the Tohsaka mansion's basement, coughing a little as the dust from decades of mostly stagnancy rushed to her face. The last time she was here, she had summoned Archer, and began her journey through the Fifth Holy Grail War.

Now, she was here for something comparatively much more complacent: simply to pick up a few items.

Stepping down the stairs, she speed-walked past a few collapsed books and strewn papers that she had promised to clean up herself weeks ago, before coming to the main studying table and sliding open a mahogany drawer.

Inside was a set of keys, set in velvet with indents that were perfectly meant for their shape. "Erm…oh yeah, it's this one."

She grabbed one of the brass keys and quickly shoved it into a locked, tall wooden cabinet. "Moment of truth. Hopefully they're still there and I didn't use them all up already…"

She twisted the key, and swung open the door. "Ah. Yes!"

Sitting in a glass, sealed box, were glinting, glimmering mana gems. They were assorted in both color and shape, ranging from emerald to aquamarine to ruby, each containing a high amount of magical energy; enough to qualify as their own miniature Noble Phantasm.

Thanks to her trips to Britain, her proficiency in Gem-based Magecraft was much higher. And due to a certain El-Melloi's…sister?

'He and Reines have a weird relationship. She's nice, though…to me, at least.'

Due to her main instructor's sister, she's gotten the funds needed to produce more of her gems. The ones she used in the Fifth Holy Grail War were her oldest and most powerful, made since she was a child; but these new ones she mostly curated in Britain, and brought home for further refining.

Now, she was going to pull from more of her reserves. A part of her hoped she wouldn't have to use them— each one cost a small fortune, after all— but in mage-related battles, anything went.

She packed a few in her pockets, and a few in her bag, leaving only a handful remaining.

Before she closed the cabinet, she took a small glance at a closed, rectangular box sitting beside her gems.

'What Father left me.'

She remembered what was inside: a broken catalyst for some ancient hero, probably what he used to summon his Servant in the Fourth War, and a red pendant.

She had stored a decade's worth of mana within it before she blew it to smithereens against Cu Chulainn…which was a good use of its energy, but the fact stood that she still ended up destroying it.

"Heh. Sorry, Father." She muttered. As a sign of forgiveness, so decided to click open the box one more time, as a way of saying penanc—

"…Eh?"

She blinked.

There was no way.

'There's no way!'

Sitting right next to the shattered catalyst, with silver chains that enclosed into a lace…

…was a certain, ruby red pendant.

xXx

Over the past week, the activity around Academy City's graveyard became much, much higher. It almost went without saying that because of the amount of tragedies, the one place in the City where one could mourn the dead became such a populous area.

Even though over twenty-thousand lives were lost, however, Academy City had neither the space to fit any of those bodies…nor were there any bodies in the first place.

Each of the twenty thousand lives were missing, not strictly dead. However, since many people reported the missing to have "vanished" after a strange flicker in lights, they weren't exactly bodies that could be searched.

So, the compromise was to make a memorial. Twenty giant stone slabs within Academy City's graveyard, with roughly one-thousand names each were ordered to be made, and would be displayed within the following weeks.

In the meantime, families of the deceased chose to mourn outside of the city, in their hometowns. Since some families were faithful, this allowed for religious funeral services to take place.

For Touma Kamijou and Index, however, their place of mourning was quite different from everyone else's.

It was early in the morning, just before seven. Since the plan was to take off around nine o'clock, it left quite a bit of time for the two of them to reminisce a little.

And there wasn't really much of a better place to go, than…

"Hey there, Shirai-san." Kamijou muttered. He knelt down as Index placed a bouquet of flowers at the foot of her gravestone. She also produced a woven flower headband from her sleeve, as a gift to one of Shirai's closest friends.

After the Grail War, Tsuchimikado pulled some strings to give Kuroko Shirai a proper gravestone, since she never had the chance to get one after her death. It also inadvertently revealed Shirai as one of the many casualties of the past week or so; but her family was persuaded that she was one of the twenty thousand who peacefully vanished, not…

'Not…killed…like that.'

Kamijou bit his lip as he remembered how much blood there was. He hated every time he thought about it, but it just wouldn't leave his mind. How could something like that ever leave, after all?

It wasn't just about Shirai, though. Both him and Index had silently agreed that this grave was for everyone that they had personally lost on those days.

"Index, just curious." Kamijou said. "What do you usually say to them?"

"…Usually just prayers." Index admitted. "I…don't really know any of them exceptionally well. But I always pray for their safe travel to Heaven, and that they'll be let through Its gates."

"Yeah." Kamijou agreed. He wasn't a religious person himself, but…

'If it means that they can be somewhere happy…then sure. I'll have faith in it, too.'

Index suddenly grabbed his hand, and lifted it into the air, gesturing for him to do the same with his other arm. "Here. Do a quick prayer with me. For them."

"Won't my hand negate all of the energy and stuff?"

Index sighed. "This isn't about bad luck, or good luck, or even magical energy, Touma. This is about faith. It's about belief. And you and I both know that your right hand can't negate those."

She really was making too much sense. Nodding his head, he closed his eyes and let her lead in the prayer.

"Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be Your name.

Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven…"

In the middle of Index's chants, he felt a delicate hand grasp his left hand and lift it up. Opening his eyes from the surprise, he's immediately met with a serene smile from a certain crimson mage.

Rin Tohsaka winked at him quietly, before they both nodded and closed their eyes once more.

'Guess they had the same idea to go here as us.' Kamijou thought.

Index continued speaking without missing a beat. To his further surprise, he heard Tohsaka recite the prayer in unison.

"Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses…

…as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Amen."

They all opened their eyes, and Index immediately turned to see who that new voice was.

"Ah— Rin! Sakura!" She exclaimed. "You guys made it. Thank you."

The two Tohsaka sisters gave a slight bow, before stepping up to the modest gravestone.

"It feels like so long ago, but…" Rin muttered. "It really was just two weeks ago, huh?"

She knelt down, and gestured for Sakura to join her. The lilac-haired girl was hesitant, but finally gave in as she lifted her cardigan to reveal the gift the two of them had brought, as well.

Sakura gently set down two twin roses: one with snow white petals, and one the color of passionate red flame.

'I'm glad she's at least here.' Kamijou thought. '…Out of all of us…Sakura probably feels the least worthy to be here…'

Tohsaka placed her fingers upon the two flowers, and mouthed something Kamijou could barely make out.

"Thank you."

He closed his eyes, and resolved to say the same. The two that those roses represented gave their everything so everyone here could still go on.

Two heroes who fought with all their heart and soul. Two victims of horrible circumstances, yet earnest souls nonetheless.

And four survivors who wouldn't ever forget them, nor the twenty-thousand lost souls behind them.

Such was their reality. Such was the cost of something as heinous as the Holy Grail War.

Yet even so, the day would only go on. With the War over, there was still much to be done.

Touma found the four of them standing at the site for much longer than he had thought they would— though not that he was complaining. In the corners of his eyes, he could see others enter the graveyard to say hello to their own departed.

Feeling that everyone was about to wrap up, Touma squatted down, and placed his hand upon the sibling flowers. He closed his eyes, and reached out with his heart.

'Emiya.

…It feels weird talking to someone who's gone already. I…never really experienced anything like that, unless you count the Sisters. Do you even know who they are? Ah, I'm sure you do now, at least.

Listen. I…never truly got to thank you for what you did, back then. I'm not sure if you heard me or saw me…but I could tell that the last look you gave me was one of contentment. So let me find my own contentment, too.

Thank you for fighting with me. You wanted everyone in front of you to be safe and happy. You wanted Sakura to be happy. Maybe…maybe that wish hasn't fully come true yet. But…with my right hand, I won't shatter your wish. I'll use it to make it come true.

We'll be going to Europe soon. Me, Index, Rin and Sakura. Oh, Tsuchimikado, too. There's still more for us to do even though you're gone.

You defeated Angra Mainyu. I'll defeat whatever comes next in your place. That's a promise, from a normal kid to a true hero of justice like you.

I'll be back to tell you that we won. I'll catch up with ya soon. See ya.'

He opened his eyes to blink a few times. He chalked up the blurriness in his vision to just the air being cold as he shifted his focus to Emiya's sister.

'Illya.

I need to say thank you to you, too. You gave Sakura another chance to repent and redeem herself. I heard from Emiya that you were…a bit more than aggressive when you first met, but you're a kind, honest soul. I'm sure Emiya's proud of you. And I'm sure you two are together right now.

And…I'm sure Shirai understands. I hope she does. I hope that somehow, somehow, she's protecting Misaka as we speak. I haven't heard from her in a little while…so if you can, protect her for me, too. I…really couldn't keep up that promise.

…Thanks for saying my pancakes were good. I'll make them for Tohsaka, for Sakura, for everyone else, for your sake.'

He released his fingers, and took a deep, long breath. For some reason, he felt the back of his throat become a little scratchy.

Clearing that uneasiness, he took to his feet. The three girls around him seemed to follow his example, touching their hands upon the person they wanted to talk to, and saying what they needed to.

It was a conversation between the living and the departed, so Kamijou felt it was wrong to interrupt it and kept his silence.

…that is, until he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket.

As quietly as he could, he pulled out his flip-phone and, lo and behold, it seemed their ride was ready. Right about on-time, too; it was a bit past eight, and the airport was just a short bus ride away.

He stepped away from the graves, and pressed Answer.

"Tsuchimikado?"

"Yo. Superjet's ready, just waiting on you guys. You all at the graveyard?"

"…Yeah." Kamijou admitted. "Just saying some final words before we head out."

He heard the normally jovial young man chuckle— but more in solemnity than humor. "…Yeah, I get ya. I swung by there earlier, myself.

They're gone now, Kami-yan. But it's up to us to pick up their pieces. So let's solve this goddamn mystery in France."

Kamijou's gaze tightened. Empowered by his words to Emiya and the others, he felt a fiery determination begin to burn in his heart.

They had to keep going. There was always a tomorrow. They could grieve, but they had to move in the meanwhile.

'…Wait.'

"Hey, Tsuchimikado…" Touma started. His eccentric classmate had said something he thought was erroneous just now. "Aren't we going to…Britain? Not France?"

"…Ohhhh yeah. I didn't tell you guys, yet. Yeah, we're eventually going to find out about that weird-ass fog and use your Right Hand on it. That plan hasn't changed…but we're pushing it back a bit. Say, by, about two or three days?"

"Eh?" Touma raised a brow. "So we're taking a detour in France? Why?"

"I'll brief you guys about everything when you get to the airport." Tsuchimikado responded. "But all you need to know for now is…

…Ciel called an hour or two ago. She said she may need a bit of assistance…in a little French town named Avignon."

xXx

As the heroes across the world prepared for their jet ride overseas, a certain town in France had shut off its proverbial lamp.

Night had fallen hours ago. The warm, southern French town had long since closed its eyes.

Yet within the walls of a towering Palace, a green-clad mage stepped with a purpose, his shoes echoing through the empty, candlelit hallways.

Avignon was known as the City of Popes. Due to its history of harboring Papal power, it was a sacredly important place in the eyes of the Catholic Church. Within its borders was the Palais des Papes, a fortress and palace where many Papal conclaves were held in the 14th century.

It was because of this connection that Avignon was used for a worldwide conspiracy.

The green mage opened a large set of double doors, which creaked aside to reveal an inner chamber, in the heart of the Palais des Papes.

'Safe and sound. As usual.'

The man wore green, religious robes, and a large hood that seemed to stretch out around his head and neck. His wild green hair and wrinkly skin implied an older age, and his oddly sharp teeth was an indication of his partial inhumanity.

Indeed, he, like the other members of his organization…were not merely human.

They were aligned with the Four Archangels of God.

They were known as—

"God's Right Seat will declare its victory. With this artifact…"

The man known as Terra of the Left stepped toward the glass box in the center of the circular chamber. A lit magic circle rotated around it, prolonging the spell that had been going on for days, now.

Within, remained a single document, wrapped in a tubular shape and held with a red seal.

He smirked. "…with the Pope's word…all of our enemies, and all of Academy City will come crashing down."

Terra of the Left announced his regaled, holy triumph.

…And yet, in the corner of his lips, he felt his mouth twitch.

Now that it was night, and the warmth of the sun's divine rays no longer served any protection…Terra grit his shark-like teeth as he felt something stirring about, ready to burst right under his nose.

xXx

Rip. Tear. Rip. Tear. Rip. Tear.

The sounds of shattered bones, pouring red liquid, and rotting, torn flesh echoed through Avignon's sewers.

Naught was there the normal stench that came from such a place. Instead, a different kind of horrid smell had settled, enough to cause a human to tear their nose and eyes out in agony.

Blood. Blood. Blood.

So much of that delicious, darkened liquid messed about on the floor, coating the bodies that she so ravenously drank from. Her eyes glowed as her body filled, filled, filled with power.

"Hehehe…heh."

She crawled over to a hunk of meat that was moving on its own. The meat with four limbs spotted her, and kicked with its legs.

"N-No…get away…get…away…!" It stammered. "W-Where am I? Where's my wife? Where's my—?"

"Shhhhh. Shhh, shhh, shh." In just a blink of an eye, she straddled on top of him and pressed her thin finger on his lips. "…Food isn't supposed to talk."

She licked her lips, and crunched her mouth onto its neck. Her meal squirmed and wretched out cried pains, but ultimately fell limp to her insatiable appetite.

"Ahhh…ghhhh…rrr…" The meal started to shake. Shake, shake and shake, until—

"There it is! Now you're one of us!" The girl smiled. "I'm so happy I was able to give you the same gift I was given. Don't worry about your wife anymore, okay? I probably ate her, anyway."

The corpse opened its lifeless eyes. Its pale flesh somehow stood up to its feet, as it began haplessly trudging around. The only signs that it was ever human was its civilian clothes, caked in blood and viscera from its once-living neighbors.

The girl rolled about, and giggled to herself. Her auburn-colored hair stayed pure despite her literally swimming in the remains of countless corpses— walking or otherwise.

"Ahhh." She sighed. The corpses around her, unlike her, didn't retain an iota of her sanity. None of them held the potential she was gifted. "Too bad. Guess all I have to talk to is that loner for right now." She puffed her cheeks. "I know you're watching me, somewhere around here! Pervert."

No one, and nothing responded.

She shook her head, and focused her soul-bent mind on her task at hand. Once she realized why she was underneath this specific city, she broke out into her giggle once again.

"Elesiaaaa. Elesiaaaaa…"

She reached her youthful, bloodied, clawed hand up to the bloodstained ceiling. "I know you're coming heeere. There's nothing you'd want more than to put out that little green bug.

…So come. Come, come, come Elesia. I've wanted so badly to say hi again since that day…"

…

As the girl laughed in her own mess, a man cloaked in black narrowed his eyes and immediately turned away.

'…Disgusting. Filthy. Unprofessional, in all senses of the word.'

He continued further down the sewers. Their alliance was tenuous at best, and only a tolerance at worst. They had similar goals, but he had no compunction for her messiness. Even if he was a newer Dead Apostle, he could tell that the treatment of the Dead around her proved her to be far younger than even he.

'Practically an infant of our kind. Oh well.

…if she really wants to help me out…then I suppose I'll entertain her. We start tonight, anyway.'

He gripped his coat and breathed quietly. Despite the warmth of the sewers, ice-cold breath came out of his fanged mouth.

'…Too cold…ah, no matter. God's Right Seat, correct?

…I, as one of the Twenty-Seven Dead Apostle Ancestors, will topple their false Throne myself.'

A/N:

If I had to describe this chapter in a sentence…it would be a goodbye, and a hello.

A farewell to a story, and its departed characters, that I've held dear for over a year at this point…and a hello to a new one.

It's good timing too, since at this point in my life, I'm also entering a new stage. Writing Heaven's Fall really managed to give me a second chance— made me realize that I can make people feel good (or at least feel emotions lol) with the words I make.

So this is what this chapter means. Yes, our heroes have toppled a great foe…but there's still more to await them.

I can't wait to show you all what I have in store. Everything's planned out, just need to put it on paper.

In any case, the next chapter won't be out for a bit. This is called a Prologue for a reason— kind of like with the recent Fate/strange fake anime special, it'll be a bit before I get the new chapter out.

By a bit, I mean next month, lol. I really want to get this story's ball rolling on Heaven's Fall's 1st Anniversary.

So I'll see you then. Mid-October. That's a promise (I hope!)

Next Chapter: "A Certain Palace of Popes" (October 13th)