!IMPORTANT NOTE!

Before you start reading this fic, I must warn you that it contains spoilers for the "Ray of Light" ending in Fate/Samurai Remnant. If you have not finished at least that route, then don't read this fic just yet. This fic can be mostly enjoyed if you've finished all the endings, but it's not required. Please enjoy this hypothetical ending/epilogue to the Ray of Light ending!


"Destroy…the Waxing Moon—Takeru!" Miyamoto Iori ordered with the final stroke of his Command Spell.

Saber acknowledged his command and did not resist in the slightest. The green sword was revealed from its water sheathe and they raised it above their head in preparation to strike the False God down. "Gather here, forces of heaven and earth."

Caster began pouring everything he had into reviving the mighty demigod before the Noble Phantasm could release. Blue light surrounded his, and the dragon's body, but it was far too late for any of that. Even so, the dragon got up once more, ready to attack for another round.

"Sword of Heaven—Amenomurakumo-no-Tsurugi!" A torrent of water rocketed out of the blade and into the red sky. Yamato Takeru faced down Yasomagatsuhi, ready to end this battle, along with the Waxing Moon ritual. And with the true name released, all the power Takeru had was shot at the demigod, vaporizing it into nothing. But it didn't stop there, the Noble Phantasm caught Caster, Hieda-no-Are, in its blast too, causing him to fly back with no hope of resisting the beam.

"…Damn. From the moment I etched your legend into history—my defeat was inevitable." And with that, Caster shut his eyes and vanished from the world and the Waxing Moon vessel along with him. The Reality Marble, "Puppet Playground" erupted into bright light and vanished with its caster.

Before Iori was blinded, he saw his Servant give him a grateful smile as if saying "thank you for everything," and vanished from Edo. Then Iori and Yui's vision went white.

Yui's eyes fluttered open to see Iori standing in front of her watching the beautiful sunrise that could be seen off in the distance while gold particles fell like snow. Saber and Caster's remains.

"…ah…" was the only noise Yui Shousetsu made as she regained her senses. Her head rose as she made eye contact with a now turned-around Iori, dual swords in his grip. Her body felt like it had just been hit by a carriage. If she wasn't leaning against a rock, she wouldn't have been able to see him or the sunrise, and instead have to look straight into the air with nothing but clouds to stare at.

"Ahhh— The light…" and her eyes shut once more into a long slumber. With all her energy used up, she could no longer keep herself awake.

Iori stepped forward and sheathed his swords into their green and red scabbards. Inspecting Shousetsu's body, he could see that she was weakly breathing. So as anyone would do, he picked her up and carried her back home with him just as he's done twice now.


Yui's eyes slowly opened, then closed, then opened once more, and adjusted to the light. She was in Miyamoto Iori's house. Yet, the owner was nowhere to be seen in the small wooden abode.

She sat up and found her body to still be weak and hard to move. Except nothing hurt anymore, not her cheek where Chiemon had landed a magecraft-enhanced punch, nor did her side hurt.

She looked down and saw she was sitting on a white, plain Japanese futon. And in looking down, she realized the kimono and haori she normally wore were gone, and replaced by a greenish blue kimono which must've been one of Iori's. She once more looked around her surroundings and saw her white swords on a rack, and her clothing, earrings, hair tie, and sandals neatly placed next to it.

With a sigh of relief, Yui Shousetsu laid back down and stared at the ceiling for what seemed like an eternity. She wasn't really tired, but also would rather sleep than just waste time staring at a dull ceiling.

The door slid open, and a man stepped in. Yui quickly looked over while moving to grab her twin swords, only to realize it was just Miyamoto Iori.

The man had a surprised look, but that quickly faded into his normal monotonous expression. "Shousetsu…"

"Iori… how long has it been?" She asked while she began to relax.

Iori shut the door and set his swords down in the corner. "It's only been a day. You weren't out for very long. I was just buying some extra supplies at Babyloni-ya. I'm surprised Boss is still around even after the Waxing Moon's end. He said…"

"Hahaha! As if the destruction of a fake could bring down my business! Soon enough, the whole world will know the name of Babaloni-ya, the textile wholesaler! Humanity if the current age shall be allowed to witness my endless treasures; and maybe they will be able to convince me to sell a few of the lesser items I possess!"

Iori's face turned to a look of confusion. "I don't understand that man. But I wish him the best anyway."

"Anyway, Shousetsu. How are you feeling?" Iori made his way over to her and sat down.

"I feel tired. I cannot believe I am saying this but I would like to rest for a week straight."

Iori smiled slightly at that remark. "Do that if you wish, I have nothing else going on for a while now that the ritual is complete, but Kaya might get the wrong idea. Besides, don't you have a school to get back to?"

Yui smiled to herself. "Yes, I do. But please allow me to reside here for a while longer. I don't wish for them to see me like this. They look up to me as a strong teacher, so I don't want them to see me as a weak person."

"I understand. Stay as long as you need to." Iori responded, fully understanding what she was thinking.

"Thank you, Iori." Yui's hand gripped the futon with a slight redness to it. "By the way, where did you sleep last night?"

Iori pointed over to the workshop. "I have a futon just over there. You can continue to use the one you're on now."

Her grip only got tighter. "Okay then. Thank you."

"Are you hungry, Shousetsu? I was going to buy lunch for myself, but I'll buy some for you too."

Yui sat on her legs and placed her hands on her thighs. "Homunculi do not need to eat normally, but food could help me gain some of my energy back, so I'll have some if you don't mind."

Iori stood up and went to the door. "I'll buy some for us at that food stand down the street, I'll be right back." And Iori left the house, leaving Yui alone for a brief time.


As the two finished their meal, Iori had his gaze on a spot to the side of the two.

"Iori? Is something wrong?" Yui asked with her head tilted.

Iori smiled slightly. "Nothing. It's just that Saber used to sit there just a few days ago. Saber loved my rice for some reason, so I made it every day. It was nice having someone to eat with. Well, I guess nothing has changed."

"The two of you seemed close from the little I saw of you together. Must've been nice…"

Iori went to speak, but a knock at the door made him pause. "Shousetsu, go hide over there! Gramps, can you cloak her? We can't let anyone see her."

The red book on the shelf came to life and an old man's voice came from it. "Of course, Iori." Yui moved as fast as she could, and her body vanished from sight with a simple bounded field.

Iori opened the sliding door and was greeted by Dorothea Coyett. She wore the same outfit she'd worn the whole time the two knew each other. A big black hat with black and orange clothing and a cape that went over the dress.

"Lady Dorothea…" Iori said in surprise.

"Good day, Miyamoto Iori. Let us cut to the chase, I know Yui Shousetsu is in there."

"…" The jig is already up, huh?

"Yes, I am, Lady Coyett." Yui emerged from the corner and supported her body on the doorframe.

"Shousetsu?!" Iori said in confusion.

"I believe you already know why I came back?" Dorothea asked Iori while raising her hand in front of her. "You said you would let her go since she escaped on her own," Iori responded.

"And I changed my mind, no?" Dorothea quickly retorted. Her eyes scanned Yui's body, and then shut. She let out a sigh and then opened her eyes once more. "But…with the state she's in, Yui Shousetsu doesn't have much time left. Shousetsu, would you rather come with me? Or stay here?"

Iori was surprised by Dorothea's change of mind, but Yui seemed like she understood what the woman was trying to say.

"I wish to remain here with Iori, and then when I can move like before, I shall return to my academy and train my students. That is what I want, Lady Coyett."

Dorothea lightly smiled and looked back at Iori. "Take good care of her, Miyamoto Iori. Don't let her get into any trouble or I'll come back and take her with me."

Iori nervously smiled at the threat. "Yeah, I'll do my best."

Dorothea gave one more smile, and then turned around and left the premises. Iori shut the door and looked at the white-haired woman who was now sitting next to the door seemingly out of breath.

"I forgot about your lifespan," Iori said while he crouched down beside her.

Yui looked Iori in the eyes. "Yeah. Before the final battle, I said I had little time left, right? I estimate I will live two more years at most at this rate, maybe more if I am lucky."

Iori didn't know what to say, he only averted his eyes and waited for something to break the silence.

"Don't worry, Iori. That is more than enough time to train my students into strong warriors. I've lived a long enough life as it is. It's unfortunate, but all things come to an end, right? I've already spent a little over 30 years alive, I've done more than many dream of, so I don't mind cutting it short if I can die with no regrets."

"Shousetsu…"

Yui smiled and unsteady stood back up. "Iori, shall we try and make the most of our time together while I am still here?"

Iori stood up and lightly grabbed Yui's shoulder. "I don't mind, but you have to get better first. As you are now, I don't want you passing out from exhaustion."

Yui nodded her head in agreement and looked around the room. "Iori, do you have a bath? Or some way to wash my body? It's been a while since I've been able to."

"Seeing as you can't go to a bathhouse since everyone thinks you're a man, and the mere sight of you using a commoner bathhouse might scare people, there are not many options for you. I could grab you a bucket of water, along with some towels though."

Yui gritted her teeth but then calmed herself down. Someone like Iori wouldn't be able to have more luxurious things like Yui, so there was nothing that could be done. And he brought up a good point with the bathhouse. In defeat, she accepted his proposal and sat back down while Iori ran out to grab fresh water for her.

A bit later, he returned and placed a large bucket of water on the ground along with a few towels. "You can just do all that in here. Me and Gramps will be outside until you finish."

"Okay, I will try to not make a mess of your house. And I will be as quick as I can." She assured him as she inspected the white rags.

Iori smirked to himself trying to not let Shousetsu notice. You've already made a mess of my house when you sent Rider after me. He thought before giving a nod to Yui and heading into the backyard, closing the door behind him.

"So, Iori. What will you do now? No spying I hope?" The crimson book said while floating at his side.

"Of course not. I'm just going to train." Iori picked up the two wooden swords and moved his body to be in the water stance, one of the five stances handed down by Miyamoto Musashi's guidance.

His body swayed like the waves in the ocean. Each swing was as graceful as water. One could never perfect the blade, but he wanted to get as close as possible. Training is always something one should do no matter how talented or old, so that is what Iori did. And truthfully Iori did want to master his blade just like his adoptive father was able to do. He wanted to be stronger than others, he wanted to win. So he trained every day, sometimes multiple times a day, all in the far-off hope that he could be like Miyamoto Musashi.

His mind flashed back to his fight against the female Musashi. How she used the blade was similar, yet worlds different than the male counterpart, literally. He had fought and overcome her with the technique he learned from Miyamoto Musashi's greatest foe, Sasaki Kojirou. That technique was called Hidden Sword, Swallow Reversal. A blade work that could cut multiple spaces simultaneously to ensure a kill on even the trickiest of opponents.

That fight was valuable to him, but not enough. Sure he had beaten his master's female counterpart, but had yet to even scratch the surface of what his master could do. Not once did he win against his master, even in his old age. And now with his passing, there was nothing he could do anymore.

As Iori trained, his mind became more focused. Fighting Saber in a serious, no-holding-back fight could've been a challenging experience, but they're gone now. No point in regretting the past. I can find another way to grow stronger, to learn more, to fight more, to win…

Miyamoto Musashi's voice came to his mind. "Iori, you were born in the wrong age."

The sound of the door opening and Yui's voice filling the air snapped Iori out of his trance. "Iori, I've finished, you can come back inside now."

"Ah, right. I hope it was at least decent?" Iori stood there with the wooden swords still in hand at his side.

"Yes, it will suffice for now. It seems like my physical injuries are fully healed too." She said while looking at herself.

Iori smiled at that. "Good to hear. Is there anything you want to do for the rest of the day, Shousetsu?"

"Hmm. Could you tell me your side of the ritual? We met several times during it, but I wish to hear what happened on your end, and I will tell you my experiences."

Iori stepped closer and agreed to that. An easy, yet entertaining way to pass the time.


"Iori, before I leave, I would like to ask you something."

"What is it? Shousetsu?"

It had been two weeks since they started living together, and this was the day Yui Shousetsu decided to go back to her academy as she was in much better health than weeks ago.

Iori and Yui sat across from each other near the doorway on the floor. They both sat and stared into each other's eyes while talking and eating their breakfast like they had every morning.

"I would like to offer you a position at my academy. I'm sure you would make an excellent instructor for my students alongside me. Naturally, you would be paid for your work, and have a nice place to live." Yui calmly offered the ronin. It was a tempting offer. Ronin's don't make very much money normally as they rely on commissions rather than a stable job like most. And as much as he liked his house. He had to admit it was a bit small.

"And abandon Asakusa? What about Kaya?" Iori responded to her offer.

"Of course, you wouldn't be forced to stay there at all times, you can return home whenever you feel like it. And your sister seems mostly independent these days anyway, so it should be fine in that regard."

"That's true…" Iori pondered the offer for a moment. There were no downsides, if anything, it was beneficial. He could fight and train strong opponents to challenge himself. None would be able to equal the power of a Servant, but it could help sate his blade, or more so, his bloodthirst.

And Shousetsu could be a challenge too. She has skill, perhaps more than myself. And staying alongside her wouldn't be so bad either. The company is nice.

Iori looked back up into Yui's eyes. "Shousetsu, I have one request. If you can accept it, then I will take up your offer."

"What is it, Miyamoto Iori? I will hear you out."

"I would like to teach your students Niten Ichiryu, assuming any of them are willing. I don't want my Father's, no, Miyamoto Musashi's art to vanish in time. If I can pass it on, then I hope it can continue to be passed on throughout history."

Yui pondered the idea for a moment, then looked back at Iori. "That's fine with me. I'm not sure how many, if any, would be willing to try a new style, but if that's all you ask, then I will accommodate you."

Iori kindly smiled at Yui. "Thank you, Shousetsu. Then I accept your offer. I will join you in Kanda."

Yui smiled back at Iori, truly grateful that he accepted. "Then, let us embark when you are ready."

"Let me pack up some things first. A carriage won't be needed. Besides, on our way, I'll ask Kaya to look after the place once a week. So it's not like I'll take everything I own."

Yui nods in agreement. "I'll help you pack what's important. As for leaving the city. I will put on a cloak to hide myself. We can do so at night to avoid attention. I'm sure we can handle any sort of monster attacks, right?" Yui says while already knowing the answer to that last question.

"Fighting monsters is child's play compared to fighting against Servants. We'll be fine."


"This is Miyamoto Iori, he will be joining me as an instructor here starting today," Yui informed the sizable room full of students.

Iori took a bow toward the students. "It's a pleasure."

One student immediately began to speak. "Grandmaster Shousetsu, if I may, you are already more than enough to teach us, why add him?"

Yui looked over to the one who said that. "He has been a valuable accomplice of mine lately. He is stronger than I am, so I'm sure he can be of value to all of your swordsmanship."

The room burst into soft, but audible chatter. "This man is stronger than the Grandmaster? I don't believe it." One said, and the rest were saying similar things like that.

"You don't believe his words?" Iori spoke in a harsh, but understanding voice.

Of course, Iori had to restrain himself when referring to Yui. She is supposed to be a man to all these students, most in Edo actually; so he had to make sure he didn't slip up.

"Ah…well…" the students said.

"Lord Iori. Let us have a duel to show them an example. Seeing is believing after all." Yui instructed Iori in a formal tone. "Alright. Wooden swords though, not real." Iori responded.

"Of course, we use wooden swords when we spar here, so we have plenty to spare." Yui made her way over to a closet and removed two wooden swords from their holders, one for each of them.

The two made sure they had plenty of space and got into the proper position. Both bowed to each other and showed the proper respect between users of the katana.

"Miyamoto Iori, in duels like this, we tend to do the first clean hit on the opponent wins. If I land a shot that would normally draw blood if we used real blades, then it would be my victory. Same for you to me.

"Understood, Grandmaster Shousetsu. I accept those conditions."

"I am Miyamoto Iori Sadatsugu, adopted son of Miyamoto Musashi and best pupil of Niten Ichiryu. I hereby request a friendly duel with you, Yui Shousetsu."

"I am Yui Shousetsu, grandmaster of Choukou Hall. I hereby request a friendly duel with you, Miyamoto Iori."

And with that, the duel was off!

One sword, eh? It's not like I need two, especially in a friendly match with Shousetsu. But, I can't just let myself be beaten. Sorry, Shousetsu, but I will win this!

Yui gripped her blade with both hands in front of her, and Iori did the same, taking up the earth stance for the time.

The grandmaster immediately raised her katana above her head and charged head-on toward Iori.

The earth stance of Niten Ichiryu was all about defense and counter-attacking, so that is what he would do!

He raised his blade and held it in front of his head horizontally to catch her blade. The two wooden swords clashed and the attack was successfully blocked. Iori immediately counterattacked when she jumped back to reposition. He ran in and slashed his sword through the air, aiming for her torso, but the blade was easily blocked by Shousetsu and parried accordingly. Yui then stabbed her blade toward Iori's center like a rapier.

"Now the Grandmaster's got him!" One of the students yelled out loud.

Iori only smiled at that remark. There's no way he would be put down by such a basic parry followed by an attack like that.

Iori positioned his blade straight in front of his body to allow her blade to slide off his and veer off to the side. And what he wanted, happened. With this, Iori brought down his sword aiming for her head. He wouldn't go full force to avoid splitting her head open but would tap her head instead.

Instead of the hit landing however, Yui spun her body around 360 degrees and slashed her sword once to move the sword's trajectory, then slashed two more times attempting to land a hit, both of which missed Iori by a hair.

That move was un-mistakingly Rider's three-hit combo attack that, at least when Rider used it, was extremely hard to dodge. But with Shousetsu using it it's much slower. Did Rider teach her, or did she learn from watching Rider? That doesn't matter now, I need to move faster! Iori thought as he shifted his balance along with his blade and entered the wind stance.

Four rapid thrusts followed by a fifth more study thrust, all landed on Yui's wooden sword. All they managed to do was knock her back slightly, but that's all he needed. Iori spun his body quickly in a circle and landed another slash to the sword to throw her off guard one more time, and then he made his final move.

Onefold Path of Light!

Like the wind, he thrust himself forward with a powerful advance and all his power focused on driving the blade into his target. The tip of his sword impacted the blunt side of Yui's katana and drove straight through, shattering the wooden sword and sending pieces all around the area. After the blade was destroyed, Iori's blade landed a hit on Yui's chest, driving her back but still on her feet.

Iori recovered from the thrusting position and placed the wooden blade at his hip. Yui also recovered herself and stood up straight. As a Homunculus, her wounds healed much faster than any normal human. By the time she straightened up, the bruise was already gone and the pain vanished.

"It's your win, Miyamoto Iori. I never thought the blade would break like that though." The crowd was stunned into silence, but after a few moments, they began cheering and clapping for both Iori and Yui.

The two bowed to each other once more and walked back to the front of the dojo. "Feel free to start training now; both myself and Miyamoto Iori will supervise and help.

As everyone began their normal sparing, a few came up to Iori and bowed their heads. "Lord Iori, would it be okay if we learned from your Niten…uh."

"Niten Ichiryu? Yes, I will train you, assuming the Grandmaster is okay with it." Iori looked over to Yui and she nodded her head, giving him full permission to train these students.

See, Iori? They like you already.


"Hah!"

A sword closed the distance between the two.

"Tah!"

A wooden wakizashi blocked the wooden katana, stopping it in its path. The woman seeing an opening thrust her katana forward straight toward the man's center.

The man's wakizashi parried the attack, and then the ronin spun his body 360 degrees and struck the Grandmaster on her side with both blades, causing her to stumble, and the match to result in her loss.

The two placed their swords at the sides and bowed. "You've improved, Shousetsu."

"Please. Compared to you, I might as well be an infant compared to your use of Niten Ichiryu, Iori."

"You've only been training like this for a year. You learn fast, much faster than I did. In that time you've practically mastered the wind, earth, and water styles." Iori complimented.

"The other two are far too advanced for me," Yui said while shaking her head.

"Yeah, it's good that you can fight on your own very well already. Adding on that you're a Homunculus, all means you learn very fast."

"I suppose so," Yui responded. "So, Iori, I wanted to ask you something."

"What is it, Shousetsu?" Iori tilted his head slightly. "Tonight, Okachimachi is having a festival, I was wondering if you would want to go with me?"

"Okachimachi…that place with all those tents with the animals?" Iori asked, remembering the time he and Saber went there, and all those attractions, well, attracted Saber's attention.

"Yes. They were going to set off fireworks and stuff. Kanda is right by Okachimachi, and we haven't had much time to just relax, so it's just an idea."

Iori thought for a moment, then nodded. "Sure, I'll join you. New scenery would be nice."

Yui blushed with Iori's agreement, then walked past him toward the temple. "Then we should get moving as soon as possible. Class is over, so no one will miss us if we leave for the day. "

"Yeah." Iori followed Yui's lead, and they both gathered supplies to bring for the journey.


The sun began to set as Yui and Iori found a spot to watch the fireworks in Okachimachi. The streets were crowded even more than usual tonight due to the festivities.

"Yui, just out of curiosity, what's with the straw hat?" Iori asked the woman.

Yui Shousetsu wore a white kimono along with a big hat. She still had her swords on her, but no haori. Her hair rather than in her normal ponytail was in a bun instead.

"I can't have my students recognizing me if any are around. They'll think I'm slacking off, and they cannot see me like that. So this disguise should hide me well enough."

"That makes sense. We have some time before the fireworks, so what do you want to do?" Iori asked while looking around at all the stands.

"Would you like to try some of the food, Iori? It all looks really good!" Yui said while eyeing several food stalls such as one with fried fish, and another with various fruits.

"Yeah, sure. Why not?" Iori said, thinking about a certain black-haired companion of his from before.

The two sat at a food stand that sold various noodles. Yui ate some hot soba while Iori was eating udon. It's unusual for Shousetsu to slurp her food. She must enjoy it. Iori thought to himself as he watched Yui from the side.

"Is something wrong, Iori?" Yui asked as she set down her chopsticks.

"No, it's nothing," Iori says with a smile. "The way you're eating those noodles is kind of cute though. Reminds me of Kaya."

"Please don't tease me like that. I'm not used to eating this sort of food. Whenever I eat with others who don't know what I am, I usually eat higher-class stuff."

"Fair enough. I assume you don't eat otherwise?" Iori asked.

"You would be correct. I don't need to, so I don't usually waste time eating. But if it's with you then I'll eat. It's not as if I hate the taste of most foods."

"That makes sense I suppose. I would do the same as you if we swapped spots. Iori replied.

The two finished up their food and left, continuing on their way through the streets. Many adults and children alike wandered around, watching various carnival attractions and looking at uncommon animals in Japan. Iori and Yui were the same of course. They had seen strange things in the Waxing Moon, but these weren't so bad either. Yui seemed to enjoy it at least, and Iori thought it was entertaining enough.

"Iori, it seems like the fireworks will start soon." The woman in the white kimono pointed out.

"You're right, Shousetsu. Thanks for reminding me. I know a spot we can go to to be alone. That's what you want, right?" Iori asked his companion.

Yui's pale skin flushed red, and she shyly nodded her head. "Got it." Iori grabbed her hand and pulled her along. This way they would not get separated in the crowd.

Yui's artificial heart once again began to stir just like the last time he took her hand. That warm feeling that flowed throughout her body was replicated once more in that very moment. If only this feeling could go on forever… She thought to herself while her smile never faded.

The two reached a large clearing with higher elevated hills all around. "Shousetsu, go over there and run toward me, just when you are about a meter away."

Yui looked at him with a very strange expression. "Huh? Why?"

"Just do it. It's an old trick me and Saber used to do." Iori reassured her.

Yui reluctantly trusted him and ran toward him, jumping as he instructed. Iori caught her feet and boosted her up so she could get up to higher ground and have a better view.

"That's what you wanted to do, Iori? What about you?" She asked while looking down at him.

Iori stepped back as much as he was able to, then ran as fast as he could, running up the side of the mound and reaching the top just barely. "There, we have a much better view now, while also being alone."

"Yeah," Yui said. "Iori, why do you want to be alone together anyway?"

"Hm? You don't want anyone to recognize you, right? There's no chance of that if we are this far away from anyone." He said while looking around the area.

Ah, of course, it's not for the obvious reason. Yui thought to herself while looking dumbfounded at the ronin sitting by her side.

"Shousetsu, look." Iori was pointing toward the night sky and a colorful explosion went off.

Yui immediately looked at the display in wonder. It's not every day you could see such an event (except in a ritual like the Waxing Moon).

Iori watched it as well, and even he had to admit it was impressive. Not as impressive as Saber's "Eight-Current Raging Storm," but it was nice to look at nonetheless.

How long had it been since Iori, or Yui were able to enjoy something like this? For the past year, they've been training and teaching students, and before that, both were busy with their jobs and even further back, they were always training under others. To be able to just relax for once was almost more important than the fireworks display in front of them.

Iori felt a warmth on his right hand. He looked over and saw that Shousetsu had placed her left onto his. She wasn't making a big deal out of it or didn't even realize she did it, but it was there. Yui's gaze was still fixed on the sky and the fireworks, while Iori's was trained on Yui's smiling face.

It's not often that she smiles like this… Iori slightly smiled to himself and watched the remainder of the event without moving his hand even a little bit.

After the display was finished, the two separated their hands and stood up. "So, what now, Shousetsu?"

"We should head back so we can get enough sleep for tomorrow," Yui said with a sweet smile still on her face.

"Yeah. Sounds good. I'm a bit tired anyway." Iori said while stretching his arms.

The two began their walk home through the night. The streets were less crowded than before as many had retired for the night or were on their way home as well. Through the town and into an open road, the two continued on their way, no one else in sight. "What did you think, Iori? The fireworks I mean."

"They sure were something. Kaya would've loved them. She's always liked these sorts of things."

"Then maybe next time we could invite her? I have little experience with your sister, but she seems nice."

Yui then seemed to remember something and let out a slight laugh "When she was bandaging me a year ago after Rider 'attacked' me. She forced me to undress even after I said I was fine, and when she saw that I was a woman, rather than a man, she didn't seem to care at all. All she said was 'Nii-Chan has a way of saving beautiful women, huh? In the past few days, many have shown up around him. I wonder if he's decided that he wants to get married all of a sudden?"

"Kaya said that? That girl…" Iori looked toward the ground slightly amused yet annoyed.

Yui walked in front of Iori and turned to face him, stopping him in his tracks. "Well? Have you thought about getting married?"

Iori stopped walking and stood still just as Yui had. "Shousetsu, what kind of question is that?"

"I'm just curious. You never really talk about that sort of thing."

Iori scratched his brown, scruffy hair. "I haven't thought about that sort of thing. My father never married, and as far as I know, neither has the female version. As for me personally, I was too concerned with being a ronin to consider settling down someday. Especially with the ritual threatening all of Edo. But now that my life is more peaceful, maybe it would be beneficial to start looking."

Yui had no idea how to respond to that. "Not even one woman has taken your liking?"

"I never said that. But, it's still tough with this teaching job to search, you know?"

Yui turned around and faced away from Iori. "Maybe there's someone in the academy who likes you?"

Iori walked ahead of her as her gaze was on his back. "No, there's not." Iori then turned and looked at her over his shoulder. "But there is one person right here, right?"

"Wha—" Yui sputtered out in shock.

"Shousetsu, do you not remember? Right before we fought Caster and Zheng for the final time, you confessed. I didn't respond then because there were more important things to take care of, but with Edo entering a peaceful age once again, maybe your feelings could properly reach me. Unless of course, I am misjudging that, along with what happened during the firework display."

Thousands of thoughts ran through Yui's head. Her body temperature reached a new high, and she felt like a teenager when standing in front of the one she liked, despite being in her thirties.

"Miyamoto Iori…I…" Without warning, Yui began violently coughing. Her body fell into a kneel and she couldn't stop herself from coughing. It felt like her organs were trying to force their way out of her throat and her vision was filled with tears welling up.

"Shousetsu!" Iori ran up and crouched down, grabbing her shoulders and getting a good look at her.

Iori didn't even need to ask. Homunculi don't get sick, so having a fit like this could only mean one thing…

Yui stopped her coughing and just focused on taking deep breaths. "I'm fine…Iori… let's just get back home. I'm tired and would like to rest, that'll help me, I'm sure of it." Her eyes however didn't reflect that statement. They were only filled with worry and fear.

Yui got onto his shoulders for a piggyback ride and Iori began to sprint back home. Even with the extra weight, he made it without issue.


Back at the academy…

"What? Grandmaster Shousetsu has a fever?" One of the students asked.

"Yeah. He's doing fine otherwise. Just be patient, Shousetsu doesn't go down easily, I know that from experience." Iori reassured the worried student.

"If you say so, Grandmaster Iori. Please wish him our best regards. Everyone wants him to get better."

"I'll do that. But before that, he gave me instructions to train you just as you normally would be, so let us get started."

"Understood!" The crowd said in unison.

One day before…

"Miyamoto Iori." One of Yui's attendants said. "I'm sure you know, but her lifespan is almost spent." Iori only looked at Yui who lay in a futon with her eyes open. A blank expression was on her face.

"How much longer does she have?" Iori asked bluntly.

A doctor began to speak now. "At most, a year, but Shousetsu won't be able to be very active unless she wishes for her condition to worsen. I'm not saying she must remain in this bed for the remainder, but there will be no more fighting or sparing for her."

Iori grits his teeth at this. "That's…"

"Iori…it's okay," Yui said, spooking the room with her calm tone of voice. "I knew this would come someday. I knew my life would be cut early, so I did all I could to make my life mean something. I wanted to leave some sort of mark on others. I wished to make the world equal, but that is impossible on my own. Iori, you said you would make my wish happen, and that made me happy. When I pass, I know I can entrust that dream to you. I can entrust my everything solely to you, Iori. My dream, my students, my hopes, everything."

"But Shousetsu, you can't just give up like this. You still have at most a year, right? Then let's make the world a better place in that time! You need to be alive when you accomplish your goal, isn't that all you ever wanted!?" Iori raised his voice to an unnatural tone for him.

"Haha. Iori… You're too kind. Trying to see the positive side of things. I haven't been able to accomplish my goal in my entire time alive, but I'm sure you will be able to. You still have so much more of your story left, so I can entrust it to you, right?"

Iori tenderly grabbed Yui's hand and gently held onto it, just like that day before. "You can leave it to me, Yui Shousetsu, I will see it done."

Yui smiled and blushed, then relaxed her head and shut her eyes. "Thank you…" and with those words, Yui fell asleep with her mind at ease.


Time passed by like the wind after that. Yui had to take things easier after that, so she was unable to spar or do much training, but every day, she sat in the hall and watched Iori and the second in command train the academy. She always found it relaxing to do this, watching all she'd done come to fruition day by day.

She made no excuses to the class. She simply told them that she was ill and her body had become weak because of it, so she was unable to physically train them any longer. Luckily, they were all very understanding, even if they didn't know everything about the situation.

One day on a perfect spring afternoon, Iori walked outside to be greeted by Yui meditating under a tree. The weather wasn't too warm nor too cold, and the wind was perfect on their skin.

"There you are, Shousetsu. I was wondering where you ran off to." Iori said as he approached Yui. Her body had become more frail than before. But she still seemed perfectly happy. She raised her head and smiled at Iori once she saw him.

"Sorry, the weather was too good to pass up. Did you need something?" Yui asked without standing up to greet him.

"No, I didn't, here." Iori handed her a rice ball that was made in a shop nearby. "These are pretty good, try one."

Yui grabbed it from his hand and took a bite. "…"

"Shousetsu?" Iori noticed she had a strange look on her face.

"Ah, I'm sorry, Iori. But it seems I can no longer taste food. I'm sure this rice ball is good, but I can't taste anything…"

The ronin looked down at the ground with a look of sadness. "Right…"

The two stayed silent for a few minutes as they both finished their food.

"Alright!" Iori cut the silence.

Yui looked at him surprised and thought he might be mad about something. But of course, that wasn't it. "Shousetsu, how about we just stay out here all day?"

"Eh? What would we do out here?" Yui looked around for things to do.

"I'm not saying we do anything physical. How about we just talk?"

"Talk…" Yui nodded her head. "That sounds nice, let's do that then."

Yui adjusted herself on the large blanket she sat on, and patted the ground near her signaling Iori to come over and not sit on the dirt. He did as instructed and now faced Yui.

"Shousetsu, what were you and Rider like?" Iori asked since he didn't know too much about their relationship.

"Rider and I? Before Saber broke her armor and her true nature was revealed, Rider was very loyal. Never disobeyed, always saw orders through to the end, and protected me every time I needed it. Had she not been Ushi Gozen, then perhaps things could have been different. She looked down on my students which I didn't like, but for someone so strong, no wonder she would if it was distracting me from the ritual."

"Yeah, you're Rider sure was something. I remember the day we first met. I was sleeping and I woke up for some reason. I felt something was odd so I grabbed my swords and rolled. Next thing I knew my roof was gone and a warrior in black stood in my house."

Yui bowed her head profusely. "I'm so sorry about that. I had spies see that you were a Master candidate so I sent her to kill you, along with all those ninjas."

Iori waved his hand at her apologies. "No, I don't blame you. You did the right thing, strategically anyway. What wasn't the right thing for strategy was to announce yourself before Rider killed me. Or you not killing me right away, that was a mistake too. Because of that, I was able to summon Saber and have my life spared."

Yui scratched the back of her head. "I have a code of honor, okay? I felt like I needed to introduce myself first."

"Nothing wrong with that I suppose. I'm just used to my master ignoring all those types of things."

"Miyamoto Musashi…he normally used shrewd tactics to win, right? Like showing up late or hiding?"

Iori awkwardly smiled and touched his hair. "Yeah… he was very strong, but his methods weren't exactly fair. Sasaki Kojirou was much more honorable. His techniques were very well made too. I still preferred training under my father, but Kojirou was fun in his own way."

Yui put her hand to her chin, cupping it. "Sasaki Kojirou, and Miyamoto Musashi… no wonder you're so strong if you were trained by both of them."

"You flatter me, Shousetsu. I'm not all that impressive. Compared to Servants, I'm not strong."

Yui chuckled a little. "You seemed to do just fine against a demigod, yet you complain about being weak against Servants?"

"I guess you have a point… What about you? You did well for yourself too, you know."

"All I did was put up shields to protect us."

"Saved our lives twice though. We would've lost without your support. Thank you."

Yui blushed and looked down at her lap. "It's no issue at all, I probably couldn't replicate a shield like that now though."

"It's not like we'll need it anyway. Edo is peaceful nowadays. We most likely will never have to seriously fight again."

"Yeah, I hope you're right, Iori. That'll be one step closer to my wish."

"For world equality? Yeah, I hope that can be accomplished too. I did say I would do it for you back then, and I still intend to. But maybe I won't have to do anything; it would be nice if humanity could get along like you say."

"Right?" Yui agreed.

Yui's head pops up after a moment. "Iori, what was your wish?"

"My wish? To destroy the Waxing Moon." He asked her confused as she should've already known that.

Yui shakes her head. "But what if the Waxing Moon wasn't corrupted? What if it was a genuine all-powerful wish granter? What would you want?"

What would I want? Iori thought to himself.

"Nothing I want needs a wish, I can do all of that myself. Mastering the blade, Kaya's happiness, a high-ranking position, all that will happen on its own. And as for the high-ranking position, I assume Grandmaster is high enough."

Yui tilted her head in response. "I didn't expect that from you. I thought that you surely had one of your own."

"I can't even ask for a larger house since I live here now, and my room is bigger than my house was. And a bathhouse is included. Along with that, your attendants make good food. And I have a constant company with you around."

Shousetsu blushed slightly. "Well, thank you. I'm glad I was able to help you so much."

"No, thank you, Shousetsu. If not for you, I would be dying from boredom back home. In these peaceful times, not much happens to warrant much of my skill."

If there was one thing I would want from the Waxing Moon, it would probably be—

Yui's face flushed a little in the sunlight. "Iori, this may be a strange request, but could you come to my room tonight? At lights out I would like you to come over."

"Eh, Shousetsu? Is there a reason?"

Yui put her finger to her lips. "That's a secret~"

That gesture is unlike her… "Very well if that's what you wish."

For the rest of the day, Iori and Yui chatted their hearts away as the sun slowly set. Various subjects were brought up and talked about, some serious, some casual. Time slipped by in moments, and before they knew it, the sun had fully gone down.

They both returned to their respective rooms and Iori rested for a bit until lights out. His room was quite simple. A futon lay in the middle of the room, and across from that were two sliding doors that opened up to the outside like windows. His room had plenty of cabinets and drawers, along with a sword mount and a place to set up a small workshop which is where the Crimson Codex remained.

He took this brief time to carve a Buddha statue like he used to do often. Those would be sold to Boss's store, but he was nowhere near it anymore, so selling them wasn't much of an option, but it was a nice way to pass the time.

Just as he finished carving, he could see the lights in the hallway being put out and realized that time had gone by quite fast while he was working.

Time to head over to Shousestu's room and see what she wanted. Iori made his way over to her room as quietly as possible and knocked on her door gently.

"It's open." A voice said from the inside. So Iori opened the door and was met with Yui sitting in seiza facing away from him. Her hair was down as it had been as of late instead of in her usual ponytail, and she wore a simple white dress and nothing else.

The room was dim, only a few candles were lit, but it was enough to see Yui and their surroundings. Her room was very plain with only a few decorations in it, along with her swords on the side and some artwork displayed on the walls. One of the notable pieces was Rider's helmet which she threw aside after she was revealed to be Ushi Gozen. It must've remained in this world even after her death.

Her futon was laid in the middle of the room and the area around it was barren of anything else but the tatami flooring. As described, the room was bigger than any other in this building, and far bigger than Iori's own house back in Asakusa.

He slid the door shut behind him, then walked up to her and sat behind her. She turned her body around and their eyes met. "Shousetsu, did you need something?" Iori asked.

"Yui." The woman calmly said.

"Huh?" Iori didn't quite understand what she was saying.

"Call me Yui, not Shousetsu, but instead, Yui." It was a simple request, but to those in Japan, it was a request that meant a lot to them.

Iori was taken aback, but easily accepted her request considering she had been calling him by his first all this time. "Of course, Yui."

Yui blushed and smiled. "Say it again."

"Yui?"

"Again."

"Yui."

"I'm glad…"

Iori looked at her with a strange look on his face. "Is it that big of a deal, Yui?"

"Of course it is. First names are important after all. Now it's like we are in a completely nonformal relationship. Everyone calls me 'Shousetsu,' but never Yui. Rider didn't even call me that. But you… I'm happy you are."

Iori scratches his cheek, slightly embarrassed. "I'm glad that I could make you happy then." Yui scooted her frail body over to Iori and rested her head on his shoulder. "You're so warm, Iori."

Iori wrapped his hand around Yui's shoulder and pulled her body in closer without a word. For a few minutes after that, the two simply enjoyed each other's company in the moment. The atmosphere wasn't completely silent as the room creaked, and dogs were barking outside, but it was hard to hear all that over their heartbeats. No matter how long they cuddled, neither seemed to want to separate.

"Iori…"

"Yui…"

The two looked into each others' eyes, not breaking contact for even a moment, and without thinking, the two swordsmen kissed, slowly shutting their eyes as their lips gently touched.

The brief kiss seemed to last forever. Neither of which wanted to separate from the others' warmth. But of course, all good things ended and they were forced to part. "Yui…you…"

Yui placed her head on Iori's chest and seemed to be trembling in embarrassment. He could feel heat radiating off of her body, and Iori had no idea how to react either.

"You're warm, so very warm… Iori, my heart has begun to stir again. It's never raced so much before; it feels like it's about to burst… What should I do…?"

"Yui…" Iori placed his hands on Yui's shoulders and pushed her back. She tried desperately to hide her face, now as red as one of Iori's gems, but it was futile and she knew it.

After getting a good look at her, Iori once more moved closer to her face, and there was no way she could resist him at this point, she didn't want to either. It was a selfish act, especially for the 'Selfless Liberator,' but she wanted him all to herself. She wanted no one else to have him but her.

Iori pulled her into another kiss, her body stirred around the white sheets, and the fabric rubbed around the floor. Yui simply couldn't contain herself and didn't know what to do with all this new energy in her body, so she couldn't sit still.

Iori was the same. He constantly, yet subtly moved his body, slowly feeling around Yui's frail arms and shoulders. Even with the fabric covering her arms, he could easily tell by the feel that she didn't have much mass in her arms like she hadn't eaten in a long time.

But none of that mattered in that moment. As far as they both knew, Yui was just a normal human who had an average lifespan. The two of them just wanted the other and nothing else. All of their issues were thrown to the wind and forgotten about for just one night.

Iori moved his arm and placed his hand on her back, slowly lowering her and himself onto the white futon. She seemed surprised when she found herself now lying down and Iori on top of her, but she was happy.

Iori broke their lip contact and stared into Yui's deep blue eyes. "Iori, I've never done this sort of thing before. I know how to, but I'm still a bit nervous…"

"Don't worry, I'm in the same boat as you." Iori calmly affirmed her. "Really?" Yui said with a bit of surprise in her voice, but just as fast she smiled once more. "This'll be a new experience for both of us then."

"Yeah. Just making sure, no one will check up on you, Yui?" Iori gestured to the closed door behind them.

"No, they won't unless I ring that bell over there, that'll get them to come over right away. They should be asleep by now, but we should keep it down regardless. It would be embarrassing if we were overheard."

"Alright, there's no need for us to worry then. Yui, may I?" Iori lightly grasped the bottom of her dress and slightly pulled it up.

Yui couldn't find the strength to respond, so she only nodded at his question. Allowing him to do as he wished.

Iori removed her white dress and placed it to the side. Yui's pale body was on full display now in the dimly lit room. She was still lying down on the futon, and her body was beet red from the embarrassment. Her body was frail from how much her lifespan had gone by. Her rib cage had become visible and her arms were very slender. Her waist and thighs were unusually skinny for a woman of her age. Yui's small breasts bobbed up and down as she breathed.

"I-Iori, this is embarrassing…you too, you s…strip too." Iori's face flushed, but he complied with her request and removed his kimono and hakama skirt.

Yui stared at all of him without thinking about any professionalism. They both were far past that point by now.

"That's a ronin all right…" Yui said when she saw his body. Of course, someone like Iori would have a muscular body being both an adult man and since he trains all the time with the sword. Yui's body even before her lifespan was running out was fairly small due to her being a Homunculus who couldn't grow much mass.

Yui shyly smiled to no one in particular and without thinking she sat up a bit and placed her hand on Iori's chest. "So warm…"

Yui's hand jolted away and she waved her hands all over the place. "I'm sorry, I couldn't help it!"

"It's fine. I'm glad actually that I'm good enough for your tastes." Iori said while scratching his cheek.

"Of course you are. I like you for who you are after all, not just what you look like."

Iori smiled at that and Yui's face flushed even more than it was before. "Hey, Iori?" She placed her arm under her breasts, pushing them up slightly and drawing Iori's gaze. "Are you going to keep me waiting forever? We don't have all night…"

Iori caressed Yui's cheek and gave her one more kiss. "Yeah, I'll start now. If you want me to stop then don't hesitate to ask, okay?"

Yui nodded her head. "Okay, Iori. Please be gentle."


After a long night of activity and rest, Yui woke up to find herself resting on Iori's chest. His arm was wrapped around her bare body and held securely to his own. Along with the blanket on top of both of them, their body heat turned their little sleepover into an oven, an oven Yui quite enjoyed the feel of.

Come to think of it, I've never seen Iori asleep. Even back when we lived together temporarily, he was always up earlier than me. Yui thought as she closely inspected his sleeping face. It was very calm-looking, not the face one would expect from a seasoned warrior like himself.

"Mmmmhhmmmm." Is the noise Iori made as he began to wake, sensing Yui's movement on himself. He opened his eyes and sat up, yawning as he did so. "Good morning, Yui."

Yui blushed as she saw him awaken. "Yes, good morning, Iori. How did you sleep? I wasn't heavy, was I?"

Iori reached out and patted her head. "I slept great with you here, and no, you were not too heavy. You asked that last night too, didn't you?"

Yui covered her blushing face with her hand while also averting her gaze in embarrassment. "I did, didn't I? Um, Iori? How did I…perform?"

Iori smiled at her red face. "You did great. You were also really cute when you tried to take over."

"I didn't want you to do all the work, that's all. As the Grandmaster, I couldn't let you have all the fun. But…I wasn't able to do much, was I? This body has its limits I suppose, especially at this age."

"No, I'm sorry if I was a bit overbearing on you. It's just…I didn't want to let you go. I wanted to hold onto you forever. I felt like if I stopped, you would disappear from my life."

Yui smiled and placed her hand on his face. She then leaned it to kiss him on the lips. "It's okay, Iori. I didn't dislike how you did it. It felt nice to see you like that."

Iori's mind flashed to a certain fox girl he had met during the Waxing Moon and said sight sent shivers down his spine. "Anyway, Yui. We should probably get dressed and take a bath; we are pretty sticky from all that sweat."

Yui then placed her hand near her stomach and crotch. "I'm especially sticky here since a certain someone didn't want to risk anything. I can't even get pregnant, my body can't support a child."

Iori looked away in embarrassment. "It's not like I knew that, okay? I was worried that you would get pregnant and have to reveal yourself to the world as a woman."

Yui then looked surprised. "I wouldn't mind that, I guess. If it was your child, I could've revealed myself as a woman, especially since it's not like it matters anymore."

Iori got up from the futon leaving Yui all alone and naked in bed. "Get dressed, Yui. We should take a bath and eat before anyone else could discover what we did."

Yui stood up and grabbed her white dress that was now crumpled on the floor next to the futon and put it on. "There's no need to put on anything else for the time. Let's get going!"

She grabbed clothes she'd need for the rest of the day and waited for Iori to finish putting his clothing back on, after that, they both headed toward the bathhouse and enjoyed separate warm baths in private with their heads only filled with thoughts of the night before.


Summer passed, and fall had arrived. The leaves from the trees began to fall and the weather grew colder.

Yui hasn't been able to leave her bed very much as of late. Her body was constantly drained of energy, so she couldn't move around too much. Yui hadn't even been able to watch the students train for a while.

"Lord Iori?" One of Shousetsu's attendants asked him one day. "Would you be able to give this to the Grandmaster?" In her hands was some paper and some ink along with a brush.

"I'll give this to her right away, thank you." Iori bowed and walked off to Yui's room.

Iori slid open the door and walked inside. "Yui? Are you awake?"

"…Iori?" Shousetsu slowly sat up, struggling to do such a simple task, and looked his way. A soft smile formed on her face once she saw her beloved. Her body looked as if someone could easily snap her in two. She was like a frail old woman now that her time was almost up. But even after everything she had endured, her eyes still had the same glow to them as they always did.

She wore a simple light blue kimono with her hair undone and it went down to her knees if she were standing.

"How are you feeling, Yui?" Iori walked up and quickly pecked her cheek.

"I'm fine, Iori. You brought me…oh, thank you." She took the items out of Iori's hands and placed them on the ground next to her.

"Would you be able to leave? I would like some privacy for a while, the rest of the day. Inform the attendants the same."

"As you wish, Yui," Iori said as he opened the sliding door and took one more look back before finally leaving.

He informed the attendants of her wish, and then he returned to his room for the remainder of the day.

"Hey, Gramps?" He called out into the dark room. A red book began to levitate and flew over to him. "Yes, Iori? Do you need something?" The Crimson Codex asked.

"Is there no way you could extend her life? Yui Shousestu's life I mean." Iori asked despite hearing the answer a thousand times before.

"Unfortunately not, Iori. If a Servant was still around and would sacrifice their core, then maybe. But no Servants remain now that the Ritual has concluded and the Waxing Moon destroyed."

"Maybe Boss? He should still be around."

"Iori, he has most likely left Japan by now. You wouldn't be able to track him down in time. And that's if he's still in this world. Besides, I doubt he would sacrifice himself like that, it's just not like him. Maybe he has something in his collection, but as I said, you wouldn't be able to find him. Shousetsu has only a few months left, you know, what if she passed while you were gone?"

Iori punched the wall next to him and a statue of Buddha left on a dresser fell to the ground.

"Iori…"

"Sorry, Gramps. I lost my cool for a second there." Iori put on a fake smile to make everything seem okay. "I'm going to just get some rest. Thank you."

Without another word, Iori lay on his futon and shut his eyes to the world.

If only the Waxing Moon was never destroyed. I could've used it right now to save her, no matter the cost to myself, or Edo.

When he woke up the next morning, he did his usual training and helped teach the academy as normal.

After that, he went straight to Yui's room to be with her for a while and keep her company. He tidied up what he could and then sat by her side.

"How are you feeling today, Yui?" Iori asked. She smiled and held out her hand for Iori to hold onto, and of course, he did just that. "I'm okay. Thank you for worrying about me, Iori."

"Do you need or want anything? I'll get it for you right away." Iori looked around the room but saw nothing she might want at the moment. "I'm fine. I only want you to stay here for a while. Is that okay?"

"Of course it is. As long as you want, I'll be here." Iori reassured her and tightened his grip on her hand.

A little pitter-patter could be heard outside. "It's raining, huh?" Iori said out loud.

Yui looked over at the source of the sound through the sliding door that led outside. "Yeah, it is," Iori said, as he stood up and closed the door so no rain got in. A dreary day for a dreary setting and mood. Just perfect.

"Iori, won't you join me in bed? It seems like the perfect time to take a nap." Yui said while lifting the covers of the white futon.

"Are you sure, Yui? Your body…" But Yui only nodded in response, and Iori joined her in bed as instructed. Not much time remained so he did as much as he could to make her happy.

Immediately as he climbed in, Yui rested her head on his chest and held his hand once more. "You like this position, don't you?" Iori remarked to the resting Shousetsu. "Mmmmm so warm…" and that answered that question.

"What if someone walks in?" Iori asked the almost-asleep Yui. "Who cares? They probably already know about us by now. I just want this one thing today. It's okay, right?"

"Yeah, get some rest, Yui. You've earned it."

It was like a dream for the woman. Her life started with her being all alone, spending all her time training and becoming a leader, she could never even think of doing this sort of thing, especially with a man, but here she was taking a nap next to the one she loved.

"Miyamoto Iori, it is with the utmost regret…" Yui raised her blade in the air to behead the man. "…that I shall take your life."

Heh, to think that was how we first met, looking back it's unbelievable that I would even attempt such a thing to him. I wonder how everything would've played out had he perished that very night. But Yui sent those thoughts away immediately, not wanting to even consider what might've occurred in that path of life.

Yui gently gave Iori a peck on the cheek and discovered that Iori had fallen asleep while she was thinking to herself. She couldn't help but smile at this as she was always the first to sleep, but here he was dozing off without a care in the world.

Yui snuggled into position and fell fast asleep, content in enjoying her remaining time with him as much as possible. She would savor every moment of this until the end.


And in the blink of an eye, winter came to Kanda. Iori rested in his bed as he had turned in for the night.

*knock knock knock* "Lord Iori! LORD IORI!"

Iori immediately shot up and ran to the door, throwing it open to see one of Yui's attendants, the head one. "What's wrong, Mizuki?"

The woman began to panic and fumble for words. "It's Grandmaster Shousetsu. We can't find her!"

"What?" Thousands of thoughts ran through his head at the moment. It didn't seem like she passed as he originally thought, but this was equally bad. What if someone took her?

Iori picked up his dual swords and put them on his hip. "I'll search the outside, you all continue to search the inside."

"Yes sir!"

Iori took off out the doors and outside into the snowy night. A full moon hung in the sky and its light reflected off the snow underfoot. He ran all around but couldn't find where she could've gone assuming this was her own doing.

Did someone take her? Who would… Just like that time with Kaya… Who the hell takes a woman who's so close to death!? And that's when it hit him. No one would have taken her anywhere. There's no point in this time of her life. She's no longer the acting Grandmaster, she can't move very much either. The only reason would be to get quick money by ransom, but even then, I would just kill them.

The murderous gaze vanished from his eyes and he thought of one more place she may be. Iori ran to the spot where the two had chatted an entire day away, under those trees in that courtyard.

He ran without stopping, not even acknowledging the cold snow on his bare feet in the sandals. Ignoring the snowfall from the sky. Ignoring the freezing temperatures he was not nearly dressed for.

And there she stood. Yui Shousestu looked up at the full moon, not even noticing Iori's arrival.

"YUI!" Iori yelled at the woman standing in the snow, her hair was tied up and she wore the same outfit she wore during the Waxing Moon Ritual.

She slowly turned her head, then her whole body toward the man. "You found me…"

"Of course I did. What are you doing out here? It's far too cold for you—" That's when Iori took notice of the two wooden swords lying in the snow between them.

"I was hoping you would find me, just for this. Iori, I refuse to waste away in that bed. I cannot accept passing away doing nothing."

"What are you saying?" Iori said while sounding desperate.

"Miyamoto Iori, fight me. One final duel between us with these wooden swords." She solemnly said to the ronin.

"But your body—"

"Iori, please. This is the last thing I want from you." Yui pleaded.

Iori slowly walked over to the katanas and picked them both up, giving them a look over. He handed one to Yui and backed up not far away.

"Iori, do not go easy on me. I'll be disappointed if you do. Despite my life being over, this body of mine should be able to take some hits. You won't be able to kill me if you don't try to, so just focus on defeating me instead." Yui raised the sword in front of her slowly. There was no chance of her backing out now.

Her white hair swayed in the wind, and the snow landed on her head and her shoulders, but she didn't care, and neither did Iori at that moment. He was just challenged to a duel, and he was not going to reject her wishes, despite how risky this would be.

Yui…no, I would do the same as her. I would refuse to die wasting away in a bed. Master didn't do that either. So why should she? A slight grin appeared on his face, the same grin that he had as he dealt the final blow to the woman Miyamoto Musashi.

Yui raised her blade over her head, looking like it took her everything to just do that, yet, her look of determination never faded.

Iori turned his body and put the blade next to his face horizontally so the tip was facing the opponent. They've done this hundreds of times before over the past two years. Yui's foot twitched, and the duel began without a single exchange.

"Hah!" Yui used all the strength remaining in her frail body and launched forward to perform an overhead swing onto Iori.

"Hidden Sword: Swallow Reversal."

As soon as it began, the fight ended with three simultaneous hits on Yui's body and she fell to the ground defeated. The snow crunched under her weight as she hit the ground.

"Heh, it's your win, Miyamoto Iori."

Iori dropped the wooden blade and ran over to Shousetsu, placing her head on his lap. The earth around them was silent aside from their breathing and a calm breeze. She faced up and looked at Iori's face. "Thank you for this…I used all that I had left and still fell short. My sword can no longer go any further…"

"Yui…" A single teardrop landed on her face. "Iori…please don't cry. I don't want you to be sad for me. Please, Iori, be happy." Yui smiled at him. "If you cry, I won't be able to move on peacefully."

Iori wiped his face and looked back down at her. He had seen so much death in his life, but this one was different. Iori forced a happy smile onto his face all for Yui Shousestu's sake.

"My life has been good. I have no complaints. I loved how I saw fit and died how I wanted to die. All my life I wanted the world to be equal... I wasn't able to see that wish pass, but, I know you'll be able to make steps toward it. Miyamoto Iori… will you hold my hand?"

"Of course, I will, Yui Shousetsu." Iori grabbed her freezing hand and held it tight. "I promise you that I will do all I can to complete your wish. You can leave everything to me. Your wish, your academy, your students, your will. I will accept all of it! I swear on my blade that I will see it all done!"

Yui's eyes shut, then opened back up. Her body began to relax in his lap. "I'm so happy, Iori. I'm happy that I met you. You taught me how to be a true human, and how to feel like a normal person. You showed me that even someone as artificial as me could feel such emotions as love and compassion. I will never forget our time together…"

Yui squeezed his hand as hard as she could. "So warm… You're so warm, Iori. I wish this warmth could last forever, but nothing ever does, not me, not you, not even gods."

"You're wrong, Yui. This warmth will last forever. You will carry it with you even after you pass. No matter what, I will be there for you. And you will be here for me. Saber… Heroic Spirits are proof of this. Did we not witness a miracle during the Waxing Moon? Warriors from the past proved that memories, feelings, bonds, and everything are all still retained. So this warmth you feel now, along with everything else in your life won't go away, they will be with you always."

Yui's eyes widened at his rebuttal, and she realized he was completely right. She had no reason to prove him wrong, nor did she have the strength to speak any longer. Her body grew heavy, and her eyes began to close. Her last view was that of the full moon up above, shining down its light onto the two of them in the snow. Ahhh—the light… Yui thought at the sight of its white glow.

The warmth remained as her body lost feeling. Her eyes finally closed and with that, her spirit left the Earth forever. Over thirty years of life and experiences all flickered out in an instant as she was held by her ray of light.


Dear Miyamoto Iori,

For you to be reading this letter, it must mean that I have passed and that one of my attendants has given you this letter as instructed.

Along with this letter should be my wakizashi. I know your katana is important to you because Kaya gave it to you as a gift, as well as that charm, but I figured I should pass on my wakizashi to you as an heirloom I suppose. You may use it in battle if you wish, I don't mind.

Miyamoto Iori, I want you to take over my academy. Minato can teach my style while you continue to teach your own. I hope that you can eventually pass on Niten Ichiryu and maybe find a star pupil. I'm sure you will be able to, I just know it.

Unfortunately, I won't be able to give you ownership of the academy and building, since we probably never married, and if we did that would be a different story. But, you may remain here as long as you wish.

Iori, I am glad I met you. Never in my life did I think I would ever meet someone like you. The light that radiated from you was pure and beautiful, unlike any other. I want you to keep that light and stay as you are, but most importantly, I want you to be happy. Do not feel sad over my death, I want you to keep living proudly. I want you to be able to look back and be happy about the time we spent together because I had a lot of fun with you too.

Oh how wonderful would it have been to live a normal life, have a long lifespan? But of course that is not what happened. Even so, I was still happy with what I got, and I know I can peacefully entrust my dreams all to you. I died with no regrets in life, the only thing I wish I could have done was to make the world equal, but who knows if I could've done that even with a full lifespan.

Iori, perhaps we can meet again in the next life. We would be two new people, but if fate allows it, I hope we can meet again. Thank you for everything, Iori. I love you, always.

Yui Shousetsu.