"Both of your wishes have been granted!"
"Farewell!"
The colossal dragon raised its head and spoke, its voice echoing across the heavens. Then it dispersed into seven points of light, scattering to the far corners of the world.
The sky cleared. Normality returned.
"Finally... it's over."
Kariya exhaled with relief, then turned to see Berserker -- and Rider -- both beginning to dissolve into particles of light. But Sakura was safe. That was all that mattered.
"Uwaah..."
"Don't go!"
Tiny hands clung to black armor with desperate strength. Tears streaked the small face.
"..."
With his usual warm smile, Berserker offered comfort. Then he conveyed his final words to his little Master.
[Parting doesn't mean the end.]
[Sakura, this world is vast. So many things are waiting for you to discover. So don't be sad about my leaving.]
[Besides... smiling suits a girl much better.]
The words, formed from crystallized mana, hung in the air. That gentle, reassuring smile etched itself permanently into the child's memory.
As her cry rang out, the steadfast figure she'd depended on dissolved into light and vanished.
"NOOO!"
"Rider, you're leaving?"
"Yeah."
"Mmh."
Watching Lelouch's legs dissolve upward into golden motes, Waver felt a spike of something he couldn't name.
"Um, so--!"
"Having you here was really... I mean it really was the best!!"
"If it weren't for you... I'd probably be dead..."
Hesitant at first, then summoning all his courage, Waver's voice started high and trailed off low.
He was genuinely grateful for the hand he'd been dealt.
Without Rider's constant guidance and machinations, someone as green as Waver wouldn't have survived to the midway point, let alone won the whole thing.
"Don't sell yourself short."
"You contributed more than you think."
"After everything we've been through, you're not the person you were before."
The familiar encouragement hit differently now. Waver's eyes stung.
"Oh! I've figured out what I want to do going forward!"
Remembering something crucial, Waver blurted it out.
He had to tell Rider!
He had to let him leave with peace of mind!
"I'm going to become an outstanding mage!"
"I don't know if I can actually do it, but... it's not something to be wished for!"
"I'll do it like you! Change things with my own two hands!"
Earnest, determined, unwavering. He meant every word.
"Heh heh heh."
"What's so funny?!"
The low chuckle from Lelouch sounded like he'd heard a joke.
Feeling mocked, Waver protested -- this had taken every ounce of courage he had!
"!"
But the next instant, something white draped across his shoulders.
"This--?"
"In the name of Lelouch Vi Britannia, I command you--"
"Waver Velvet!"
"You will survive, and you will--"
"Become an outstanding mage! Become the foremost mage of the Holy Britannian Empire!"
Recognizing the imperial pose, hearing the "command," Waver went still.
"Well? Where's the answer?"
The Emperor's tone brooked no delay.
"Ugh--"
"By your command."
"Your Majesty!"
One hand clutching the white imperial cloak now draped over his shoulders, Waver finally lost the battle against the tears he'd been holding back. His voice broke as he answered.
Not Geass. Not compulsion.
This was their promise.
That day, a young man bid farewell to an Emperor.
"Alright! Time for us to go too!"
Seeing the conclusion unfold, Jonouchi declared with characteristic bravado.
"Hehe. It was kind of like a vacation, in a weird way."
Kyoko glanced at him, then closed her eyes and laughed freely.
The people she'd killed had been revived. That was enough to let her go home in peace.
"Sakura, you don't need to be so pessimistic. As long as you're alive, good things will happen eventually. Right?"
"Yeah. Thanks for everything, Jonouchi."
Both were beginning to fade. They exchanged their final words.
"Oh! Assassin!"
"?"
"I never did learn your name."
"But if we ever meet again -- Sakura and I won't lose next time!"
Jonouchi turned abruptly toward the silent Kenshin.
"Is that so?"
"Next time... I won't be this immature either."
Remembering his final bout with Saber, a faint smile crossed Kenshin's lips.
"Seconds, please!"
"Yes, yes, don't rush. There's plenty."
Irisviel watched Saber devour another bowl with a warm, contented smile.
"Maiya, where's Kiritsugu?"
"He took Illya to the park again. Should be on his way home."
"Honestly. Always dragging his feet."
It was well past mealtime, but this kind of tardiness didn't fit the man she'd known.
But Irisviel understood.
This was Kiritsugu's first step in abandoning his "ideal."
No longer chasing "world peace" as an abstraction. Simply being a father. Standing beside Illya.
After the war's end, when he'd embraced her with tears streaming down his face, she'd felt the emotions he'd been burying for years.
The joy and disbelief of having something thought lost returned to him.
Afterward, they'd found Saber and asked for her help retrieving Illya from the Einzbern castle.
Eventually, the family settled in Fuyuki City -- the place where fate had bound them together.
Ordinary days. But full days.
"I never expected it, though. Saber, a Heroic Spirit, was also resurrected."
"An error in the wish?"
"Not quite. I was in a 'half-alive, half-dead' state at the time. Waver's wish apparently classified me as eligible."
Between bites, Artoria offered her explanation.
A bizarre twist, to be sure. Her "resurrection" had been purely accidental.
"Will there be consequences?"
Irisviel worried, considering a Heroic Spirit's nature.
"Nothing serious. The worst that could happen is that the 'Saber' version of me can never be summoned again."
Unconcerned, Artoria decided the rice was truly excellent.
"Thank you for the meal!"
Hands pressed together in polite gratitude, she departed the Emiya household.
"Hmm?"
Back at the villa she now called home, she found a boy in the courtyard, swinging a practice sword.
"You've already eaten?"
"Shirou?"
"Oh! Sensei! Yes, we eat early at my house, so I came ahead."
The red-haired boy paused his bamboo sword and answered.
"It's not just me. Sakura and Rin are already inside studying."
The boy named "Shirou" pointed toward the villa.
"Sakura and Rin?"
Artoria glanced at the window. Their diligence bordered on excessive.
But thinking about where it all led, she smiled.
"Well... it's not a bad thing."
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika_Kagura]
PS: The next chapter will provide more detail on Sakura, Rin, Shirou, and their arrangements.