The night breeze blew, and in this season, the weather remained chilly, with occasional light snow falling.
Letting the wind brush against her cheeks, Rin Tohsaka silently pondered the words she had just heard.
She didn't know what to say or how to react. Only after a long while did she let out a deep sigh.
"Feeling better?" A voice came from behind. Rin knew it was Morpheus.
She had expected someone to comfort her, perhaps Morpheus, but she had hoped it would be Sakura Matou.
Yet she also knew that was a selfish thought. For someone who had been abandoned, mourning the one who abandoned them was asking too much.
"Yeah, a bit…" Rin said quietly. After ten years, learning the truth so suddenly brought a surge of resentment and anger, but after calming down for a moment, those feelings settled.
This made Rin give a bitter smile. "I'm really a cold person, calming down so quickly."
"Time is the most powerful balm; it heals all wounds. No need to feel embarrassed about it," Morpheus said, stepping to Rin's side. Feeling the sudden warmth beside her, Rin instinctively leaned closer.
"Don't think you can take advantage of me!" Morpheus teased with an exaggerated yelp, prompting Rin to glare at him. "Who's taking advantage of you?!"
Seeing Rin perk up, Morpheus chuckled and held out a cup filled with a thick, cocoa-colored liquid.
The sweet aroma told Rin it was hot chocolate, likely mixed with plenty of milk and sugar.
Taking the cup and feeling the warmth from its sides, Rin fell silent again.
"So, any thoughts now? Like revenge or something?"
"I…"
Rin hesitated. She wanted to angrily declare, "I'll take revenge, I'll kill him!" but found she couldn't say it.
"Whether you choose to forgive or not is up to you. I respect your decision," Morpheus continued. "He's your senpai, and he has been looking after you these years."
"Him? He practically squandered my family's fortune!" Rin retorted sharply.
Morpheus shrugged. "I don't go out of my way to badmouth people I dislike, but as for Kirei Kotomine ruining your family's wealth, that was more of a blunder on his part."
"A blunder?"
"He didn't know how to manage businesses. He genuinely tried to handle things well and didn't intend to claim it all for himself, but his terrible decisions ended up tanking your family's assets," Morpheus said with a shrug. "You can rest easy on that point."
"Then why did he harm my father…"
If he had no designs on the Tohsaka fortune, why target her father?
"For the Holy Grail?!"
"No," Morpheus answered without hesitation.
Things had reached this point, and Morpheus felt it was time to tell her what he knew.
"Want to hear about the past? The story of the Fourth Holy Grail War, in more detail than Artoria's account?"
"Just say it!" Rin said, touching the cup and leaning closer. This time, Morpheus didn't react dramatically, letting her rest against him.
And so, under the night sky, Morpheus began recounting the tale of the Fourth Holy Grail War.
…
"Do you know the purpose of the Holy Grail War?"
"To grant wishes?"
"In a way, yes, but you need to understand why the families who created the Grail did so in the first place," Morpheus said, meeting Rin's puzzled gaze with an explanation.
"First, the Third Magic User died. To recreate their magic, their disciples began crafting homunculi, hoping to replicate the Third Magic User exactly to manifest the Third Magic again.
"Of course, you could say the Third Magic User failed. If they had succeeded, they wouldn't have died.
"On that basis, the head of the Einzbern family during the First Holy Grail War was born: Justeaze Lizrich von Einzbern."
Secrets from centuries ago, unknown to Rin, were now casually revealed by Morpheus.
"To truly achieve the Third Magic, a tremendous price is required... like reaching the Root to gain the necessary knowledge or drawing mana directly from it.
"To that end, Justeaze Lizrich von Einzbern sacrificed herself to form the foundation of the Greater Grail. In other words, she is the Greater Grail.
"At the same time, to keep the Holy Grail War going, a Lesser Grail is needed as an external vessel. This war's Illya, and the previous war's Illya's mother, were created for this purpose.
"So, you could say the Einzbern family is a group of homunculi driven by hate, not love.
"Or rather, their hatred surpasses their love. Isn't it ironic that emotionless dolls end up like this?"
"Then Illya…"
"Half-human, born from a homunculus and a human," Morpheus said, shaking his head. "That's her tragedy. Her emotions are richer, but the pain she feels is greater."
At this, Morpheus's urge to dismantle the Einzbern family intensified, but knowing they'd spiral into self-destruction after this war, he let the thought go.
"The Matou family's old geezer, the first head, was a naive dreamer back then, thinking he could save the world. He joined the Holy Grail War to use the Grail's power to eradicate Evil of Humanity.
"Of course, to me, that's foolish. History shows time and again that when someone with great power tries to create paradise, they end up making hell."
Morpheus's face was full of mockery. "Who did he think he was? A god? Or did he think he could make all humans instantly enlightened?"
Already aware that the Matou family's first head was the current old man, Rin wasn't too shocked, though she was surprised by his original goal.
"Wait, wasn't it about staying alive?!"
"Oh, that came later. At first, it was, 'Damn, I failed. I have to keep living to achieve my wish.' But as he kept living, his brain aged... dementia, stubbornness, and all that... until it boiled down to, 'No, I'm going to die. I need to live. I need immortality.'"
Morpheus let out a derisive snort. "Many tyrants in history follow a similar path."
Seeing Morpheus mock Zouken Matou, Rin's mood lightened a bit.
Then, Morpheus casually outlined key battles of the Fourth Holy Grail War, focusing on the most critical point for Rin.
"Kirei Kotomine was always mentally unstable, but no one noticed.
"The one who saw it and exploited it was your father's Servant, Gilgamesh. I've said he's a tyrant. After noticing Kirei's issues, he used words to goad him into killing his own teacher.
"After that, having killed his teacher, Kirei discovered how to find joy. From then on, he pursued things that brought him pleasure. Raising you was part of that joy, since your discovery of the truth would thrill him.
"Oh, and finding out Shirou Emiya is Kiritsugu's adopted son, full of justice, also delighted him. The last time he felt such joy, aside from killing your father, was with Kiritsugu."
Rin opened her mouth, at a loss for how to judge him.
But Morpheus wasn't done.
"Oh, and your mother's death is tied to him too."
"My mother?!"
"For Kariya Matou, protecting Sakura was tough. His only option was to activate the Grail and take her away. Knowing his days were numbered, he planned to sacrifice himself. But to save Sakura and your mother, he had to oppose your father, since Tokiomi caused the tragedy."
Rin wanted to argue but couldn't.
It was indeed her father's fault.
"And your mother was problematic too. She blindly endorsed your father's actions for the sake of her love."
Rin remained silent.
"Under Kirei's manipulation, Kariya went to confront Tokiomi at the church, only to find Tokiomi already killed by Kirei. This was a massive shock for Kariya, tormented by Crest Worms.
"Because of Kirei, your mother happened to be there too. Kariya was framed as Tokiomi's killer, which drove him, who loved your mother, into madness.
"By the time he came to his senses, he had killed your mother. Under such circumstances, he fought almost suicidally and, predictably, died.
"Of course, Zouken Matou was thrilled by this death. He despised Kariya's heroism. When he agreed to let Kariya join the Grail War, he never intended to free Sakura... just wanted to see him suffer."
Rin stayed silent, her mind in chaos.
She had thought her father's death was simply Kirei's doing.
But now, hearing all this, she realized it wasn't that simple. Her parents' deaths weren't the fault of one person but a tangled web where nearly everyone, including her parents, played a part.
And the root of it all was that damned Holy Grail!
Granting wishes with the Grail?
Everyone, including Servants, was led by this promise, becoming puppets manipulated by the Grail!
Rin had never imagined that after preparing for the Grail for years, she'd come to loathe it. Now, she had only one thought.
"Destroy the Holy Grail!"
Forget the Third Magic or reaching the Root... she didn't care about any of it!
"Destroy this thing that only brings tragedy!"
Morpheus smiled. "Of course. Rest assured, I'll give everyone a satisfying resolution!
"Though that won't include a few less-than-human folks."
…
Near the wall, Sakura Matou listened to their conversation. She let out a soft sigh, then continued leaning against the wall, her head slightly raised.
After a long silence, she finally lifted her feet and walked back inside.
Medea, watching from the side, said nothing, quietly following her.
…
Inside, Shirou Emiya listened as Artoria spoke about his adoptive father. Many details clashed with the Kiritsugu he knew, as if she described a completely different person.
But Shirou didn't argue. He listened quietly, accepting it all.
That was his adoptive father... not a symbol, but a real person with different facets.
He could understand, agree, or disagree, but he didn't think Artoria was lying.
"So, Shirou, what do you plan to do next?"
"We can't rush. We need to stay calm. Since Morpheus said he can save them, he'll need time to prepare. If we act too hastily, we might end up killing them," Shirou said, forcing himself to stay composed.
For years, the shadow of being the sole survivor had weighed on him, the pain and guilt of it. Now, the day to resolve it had finally come!
"Wait, just a little longer. Soon, I'll definitely save you all, even if it costs my life!" The boy, prone to self-sacrifice, swore in his heart.
***
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