1994, Fuyuki City.
The Fourth, and perhaps the final, Holy Grail War.
It had drawn to a close in a way no one could have anticipated.
Although the ordeal was harrowing and the city suffered significant damage, leaving behind a landscape of devastation.
But compared to the original worldline, this was already the best possible ending.
As one of the causes of the subsequent turmoil, Kirei Kotomine was arrested by the Holy Church, and Risei Kotomine, as the derelict Overseer, also faced judgment.
The two were tried by the Church on charges of colluding with a Magus, violating the neutral oversight agreement, and blasphemy.
Not only were they excommunicated, but they were also imprisoned in the Church's grand dungeon.
Whether endless imprisonment or a far crueler punishment awaited them remained unknown.
The Tohsaka Family, having repented and intervened in time to prevent the situation from worsening, was pardoned by the Mage's Association.
The disasters caused by this Holy Grail War had severely compromised the secrecy of Magecraft.
Such a massive blunder forced the Mage's Association and the Holy Church, despite their mutual disdain, to cooperate as much as possible to cover everything up as accidental explosions and natural disasters.
The city hall bustled about, cooperating with them to suppress the news, and Fuyuki City's Spiritual Leylines gradually returned to normal.
The survivors began their new lives.
Germany, Einzbern Castle.
The blizzard still howled outside, but the castle was exceptionally warm, thanks to the roaring fireplace and the cozy atmosphere indoors.
"Papa! Higher! Higher!"
The silver-haired, red-eyed little girl, Illya, was riding on Kiritsugu Emiya's shoulders, shouting excitedly.
Kiritsugu Emiya, the man once known as the Magus Killer, was now spinning around the living room like an ordinary father, making his daughter giggle with joy.
Irisviel sat on the sofa by the fireplace, a blanket draped over her lap, watching the scene with a smile.
Her body was growing increasingly frail after losing her connection to the Greater Grail, and her remaining lifespan was likely very short.
But she had survived.
She survived as Irisviel von Einzbern, not as a vessel.
"Kiritsugu,"
she called out softly.
Kiritsugu stopped, set Illya down, walked over to his wife, and took her hand.
"What is it, Iri?"
"Let's... just live here from now on." Irisviel leaned into his embrace, watching the swirling snow outside. "Let's stop worrying about saving the world... Let's just keep living like this, okay?"
Kiritsugu fell silent for a moment before nodding firmly.
"Yeah... right here."
He kissed his wife's forehead, his eyes full of tenderness.
"Protecting you both—that is also my justice."
London, by the River Thames.
Inside a dimly lit clinic room, Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald stared blankly out the window.
A heavy blanket covered his legs, yet even in the well-heated room, he felt a bone-chilling cold.
"Professor, here is your medicine for today,"
Waver said softly as he pushed a cart into the room.
Kayneth did not look back.
His once golden and dazzling figure was now confined to a wheelchair.
Because of that Origin Bullet, the majority of his Magic Circuits had been burned away, leaving him unable to even maintain a Mystic Code.
The pathways that once flowed with noble Magical Energy were now nothing but a shriveled mass of useless slag inside his body.
But what brought him even greater despair was the ring finger of his left hand, which bore his wedding band.
"Has she... still not been found?" Kayneth asked hoarsely.
Waver remained silent for a long time before whispering, "Professor... Lady Sola-Ui's remains have already been transported back to the family cemetery in London."
"After all, it was the King of Heroes' frenzied attack. The entire Fuyuki Bridge was destroyed..."
"The Mage's Association's cleanup crew... was only able to recover a few fragments."
"Fragments..."
Kayneth muttered, tears silently sliding down his face.
He suddenly slapped his numb legs, laughing and crying in self-mockery.
"...I thought I was the chosen one... I took her to Fuyuki to claim that damn cup as a wedding gift!"
"But look at the result!"
"My body is crippled, my reputation is ruined, and even my beloved died at the hands of another!"
"That damn Archer didn't even leave her a complete corpse!"
Waver stood there, letting Kayneth's spittle fly onto his face without flinching.
He had stolen his professor's Sacred Relic out of anger and impulse, so he always felt deeply guilty about Kayneth's injuries and came to care for him every day.
'If it were Rider, what would he say...'
"Professor, please pull yourself together."
The eyes that were once cowardly now shone with a resilient light. "The El-Melloi Classroom has fallen into chaos, and the other families are waiting to pounce, eager to carve up your achievements! If you fall, the Archibald Family is truly finished."
"What do you know! You third-rate thief!" Kayneth furiously swiped his hand, knocking the medicine bottles to the floor. The sound of shattering glass was exceptionally piercing.
Waver silently crouched down, picking up the shards piece by piece, his tone surprisingly calm.
"I don't know... but I have met him... the King of Conquerors, Iskandar."
"He told me that since we are born as humans, we must live our lives to the fullest."
"Even if it all amounts to nothing in the end, we must puff out our chests and face destruction head-on!"
"Professor, you are a Lord. Even though your Magic Circuits are broken... if you just rot away in this wheelchair, perhaps that would be the greatest insult to the Archibald Family."
Kayneth froze.
He looked at the student he had once looked down upon, as if seeing the phantom of an indomitable giant standing tall behind him.
After a long time, Kayneth closed his eyes, tears soaking his eyelashes.
"...Go fetch that copy of 'Introduction to Magical Foundations'. Since I am crippled, you will transcribe my dictation."
"Yes, Professor."
Waver smiled and bowed deeply.
He knew that the proud Lord had not died; he was just struggling to move on for the moment.
And he, Waver Velvet, would become this disabled Lord's sturdiest walking stick, until the day he could stand up once again.
"Rin, haven't I told you? The circulation of your Magic Circuits needs to be more precise. Don't act like a brute..."
Tokiomi Tohsaka's slightly stern voice drifted out from the study.
After experiencing that nightmare, his state of mind had undergone a massive shift.
He was no longer obsessed with the illusory Root, but instead began to cherish the family beside him more.
"I know! You're too nagging, Father!"
Rin Tohsaka grumbled in dissatisfaction, fiddling with a few red rubies in her hands. Despite her verbal complaints, her eyes were exceptionally serious.
Ever since that night, when she witnessed her father's heroic figure, even willing to sacrifice his own life to dismantle the Greater Grail...
Rin's admiration for her father had reached the absolute peak of her life.
She finally understood that the elegance her father always spoke of was not just superficial decency, but a noble spirit that refused to abandon responsibility even in the most desperate situations.
"Sigh..."
Tokiomi looked at his daughter's unyielding expression and shook his head helplessly, though his eyes were filled with gratification.
"This afternoon, let's go to the amusement park," Tokiomi suddenly said.
"Eh?" Rin froze, the rubies in her hand dropping onto the table. "The amusement park? Are you serious, Father?"
"Yes."
Tokiomi coughed somewhat unnaturally.
That afternoon, a peculiar scene unfolded at the amusement park in Fuyuki City.
Two middle-aged men dressed in formal suits, looking entirely out of place, stood awkwardly next to the carousel, holding ice cream and balloons in their hands.