Artoria (Saber) knelt halfway, her presence steady as a rock, bolstered by the overwhelming power radiating from Gaio.
But the other Servants weren't so fortunate.
Hum—!
In the air, countless tiny golden specks materialized out of nowhere, like fireflies on a summer night, yet tinged with a melancholic sense of fading.
They emerged from every corner of the city, silently coalescing from the void, forming delicate streams of golden light that spiraled upward toward Fuyuki City's shattered sky.
These were the spiritual particles of the other Servants. With the Holy Grail system completely collapsed, their souls, no longer anchored by magical energy, were being forcibly recalled by the world's rules, returning to the Throne of Heroes beyond time and space.
Shirou Emiya snapped his head up, watching the golden dust scatter across the sky. At first, he was bewildered, but then his gaze locked onto the figure still kneeling before Gaio—his Saber, vivid and real.
Shock gave way to a surge of loss and anger.
He'd watched the Servant he summoned, the one he fought alongside, be "taken" by this mysterious man with an untouchable air of dominance!
"You…!" Shirou's throat let out a low growl, his chest heaving as a rush of hot blood surged to his head. He instinctively lunged toward Gaio, ready to demand answers.
Smack!
A cold but firm hand clamped down on his shoulder, stopping his charge dead in its tracks.
Shirou whipped his head around, furious, only to meet Rin Tohsaka's complex expression.
Rin wasn't looking at him. Her eyes followed the golden dust drifting skyward, one particular stream faintly glinting with fragments of red, like pieces of a spiritual garb, slowly fading away—that was Archer (Heroic Spirit Emiya).
Her lips trembled slightly, a heavy reluctance flashing in her eyes.
But she bit her lower lip, refusing to voice any plea or turn to Gaio with a request.
She knew full well that Gaio's decision to keep Saber wasn't born of mercy or adherence to the Holy Grail War's rules.
It was only because of a fleeting connection forged twelve years ago between Saber and Gaio—a bond so faint that even Saber herself might not fully recognize it.
Archer (Heroic Spirit Emiya), on the other hand… had no such tie to Gaio.
Gaio had no reason, nor any inclination, to save an "irrelevant" Heroic Spirit.
As the last specks of Archer's golden dust dissolved into the cold air, Rin finally tore her gaze away, as if it took every ounce of her strength. Her hand tightened slightly on Shirou's shoulder, her voice heavy with suppressed exhaustion and clarity as she looked at him.
"He managed to keep Saber…" Rin's voice was hoarse. "Shirou, this is… the best outcome we could've hoped for."
Amid the ruins, only the silent drift of golden dust and Saber's upright figure standing before Gaio marked the end of this absurd war.
Gaio raised a hand in a gentle gesture, and Artoria immediately stood, the crisp clink of her armor ringing out.
She took half a step back to stand respectfully at his side.
"Miss Tohsaka," Gaio turned to Rin, his coat unmoving in the magic-depleted air. "I've fulfilled every promise I made to you."
He pointed to the scorched ground beneath his feet. "Fuyuki City is now a wasteland devoid of magical energy."
Rin's pupils contracted sharply.
A magical desert—this meant all magical foundations were nullified, the traces of the Holy Grail War completely erased.
"So," Gaio's voice softened, losing its earlier edge, "you're free."
Free? The word exploded in Rin's mind.
She suddenly realized she no longer had to bear the weight of being the Tohsaka family head, no longer had to scheme for victory in the Holy Grail War, or even maintain her poised, elegant facade.
For the first time in years, she could just be Rin Tohsaka.
Gaio looked at the stunned girl and gave her a gentle smile. "Go get your sister."
He paused, then added, "I've already taken care of the filth inside her."
Those words struck Rin like lightning, cutting through her chaotic thoughts.
Sakura! Her sister, stolen by the Matou family, tormented in that worm-filled hell.
She could finally come back to her side? Rin's throat tightened, her vision blurring.
She quickly lowered her head, letting her hair hide the tears welling in her eyes.
A warm touch suddenly spread across her shoulder.
Rin snapped her head up, tears clouding her view, and saw Gaio's face close to hers.
The man who once dominated Fuyuki now wore a warm smile, the same one he shared with her cousin Marin when they were together.
"Rin," his voice was soft, the warmth from his hand grounding and real. "Go get Sakura."
Those words broke the dam, and Rin's tears spilled over.
Behind Gaio, Saber stood quietly amid the ruins, sunlight filtering through the clouds, casting flecks of gold across her armor.
"Marin and I will be waiting for you in Higashitsu."
That's right—she wasn't alone. She had her sister, and she had Marin, her vibrant cousin who'd declared herself Rin's guardian back in Higashitsu. She had family.
At that thought, Rin's face lit up with a radiant smile, like the sun breaking through the gloom.
Her eyes sparkled as she nodded firmly, her voice lighter than ever.
"Got it!"
Gaio's smile grew warmer.
He reached out, gently ruffling her silky black hair with a casual, brotherly gesture.
"I'll have rooms ready for you and Sakura. Don't keep your cousin Marin waiting too long."
His gaze then shifted to Shirou, who stood nearby, fists clenched, his face a mix of frustration and defiance. Gaio let out a soft chuckle, tinged with a hint of pitying distance.
"Heh, kid, live your peaceful life well."
It was both a blessing and a farewell.
For Shirou, an ordinary life was what lay ahead.
With that, Gaio turned sharply, his hand flashing to the Enma blade at his waist.
Clang—!
A streak of azure light slashed through the air, carving a sharp cross.
Rip!
Space itself tore like fragile cloth under the strike. A cross-shaped portal, shimmering with azure light and fringed with faint spatial shards, silently opened before him.
Beyond the portal, faint glimmers of otherworldly light flickered.
Without looking back, Gaio spoke two words to the knight standing silently behind him:
"Let's go."
He stepped forward, his coat vanishing into the azure portal.
Artoria's gaze lingered on Shirou for a moment.
Her clear emerald eyes held a mix of apology, relief, and determination for her new mission.
Silently, she bowed slightly to the boy who'd fought by her side, who'd given her a fleeting taste of "normalcy," offering a formal knight's salute.
Then, she straightened, her resolve unshaken, and followed Gaio into the azure portal with steady steps.
Hum…
The portal's light collapsed inward like a receding tide, the cross-shaped rift sealing shut, shrinking to a thin line before vanishing completely amid the silent ruins.
The azure cross faded entirely, as if it had never existed. The stillness of Fuyuki's outskirts, heavy with the absence of magic, pressed down.
Rin lifted her hand, wiping the last tears from her cheeks.
Her hand left a cool sensation on her skin.
She took a deep breath, the air free of the thick magical particles, now just pure and crisp, tinged with the scent of smoke and dust but cleaner than ever.
She turned to Shirou, still standing there, lost and broken, his shoulders slumped like a wounded, stubborn beast with nowhere to vent.
"Shirou," Rin's voice was calmer now, carrying a clarity born of settled dust. "My 'brother-in-law' was right. This nightmare is over—completely over."
Shirou's head snapped up, his eyes burning with lingering resentment and confusion.
"Whether it's you," Rin met his gaze, her tone firm, "or me, or my sister Sakura, who's about to come back to me… from now on, a peaceful life is what we're meant to live. That's what's worth fighting for, worth holding onto."
"I know…" Shirou's voice was dry and hoarse. He squeezed his eyes shut in pain, and when they opened, the resentment burned brighter. "I just… I can't accept it! I can't accept that he just took Saber like that!"
His voice rose to a shout, echoing across the empty ruins, raw with a teenager's unfiltered frustration.
Rin looked at his stubborn, pained face and felt a mix of amusement and sympathy.
She stepped forward and clapped him hard on the shoulder.
Whack!
The force nearly knocked Shirou off balance, and he stumbled, staring at her in shock.
"Alright!" Rin's voice rose, carrying a brisk, wake-up-call energy. "The Holy Grail War is done! The magic's gone! Look around you!"
She gestured broadly at the scorched earth and crumbled ruins. "Even if Saber stayed with you, what then?"
"Your pitiful magic reserves—how would they sustain her in a world stripped of all its mystical foundations? What would hold the summoning contract together? Your stubbornness?"
Rin's words hit like a cold, hard hammer of reality, striking Shirou's heart.
"She'd just linger like a ghost, fading away right in front of you! Better she goes with someone who can keep her anchored than that! This ending—it's the best for her, and for us." Rin's words were resolute, sharp with clarity.
Shirou opened his mouth to argue but found her words heavy, undeniable, choking him.
He knew she was right. The powerlessness hurt more than the loss itself.
Seeing him silenced, Rin's expression softened, a light smile returning. Without another word, she turned and started walking away from the ruins.
"Hey! Rin!" Shirou called after her, a trace of panic in his voice. "Where are you going?"
The red figure paused.
Rin turned back, her smile brighter than ever, radiant as sunlight.
The sun broke through the fractured clouds, bathing her in light, her twin tails swinging in a vibrant, golden arc as she turned.
"Me?" Her lips curved upward, her smile as brilliant as the first ray of light piercing the gloom.
Her voice was clear and bright, brimming with hope for the future. "I'm going to get my sister Sakura, of course! And then—"
She paused, her eyes sparkling. "I'm going to embrace our new life!"
With that, Rin turned and strode away.
Her red silhouette stood vivid against the scorched earth, her steps light and resolute, as if she'd shed a thousand-pound weight, moving unhesitatingly toward a hopeful future.
Shirou stood alone, staring after her, then glancing back at where Saber had vanished.
Finally, his gaze fell to his empty hand—where a scarlet Command Seal once glowed.
The wind stirred the dust, brushing across his dazed face, carrying the echo of "new life" faintly across the desolate ruins.