The Wedge - The Final Calm

Kurumi strolled leisurely back to Fuyuki, a smile playing on her charming lips.

Though there was still one more Servant left to be dealt with, the Holy Grail War had, for all intents and purposes, come to an end.

Miyama Town, compared to the bustling Fuyuki, held a lingering sense of history, with a few remaining wooden Japanese-style buildings.

It was only 9 PM, and the cobblestone streets were lined with vendors calling out to sell all kinds of snacks.

Kurumi held a box of takoyaki, eating as she walked, with another portion in hand intended for Sakura.

Then, she noticed a slender, fair hand holding a skewer, trying to stealthily swipe one of her takoyaki balls—caught in the act.

To onlookers, they appeared like a pair of equally stunning sisters, playfully laughing and teasing each other.

Kurumi smacked her clone's hand, giving her a sideways glance.

All the while, the clone kept grumbling about labor exploitation, heartless bosses, and other complaints, murmuring nonstop.

Amused and a little speechless, Kurumi shoved a few yen bills into her clone's hand.

With the Holy Grail War nearing its end, letting the clones enjoy some time off didn't seem like a bad idea.

Suddenly, the shopping street, along with several adjacent blocks, was filled with a crowd of nearly identical-looking girls.

Each clone had different interests, as Kurumi herself had varied hobbies at different points in time.

For instance, there was one loudly declaring, "I am the ruler of all time! Everything in existence flows through my left eye!"

Kurumi really wished she could drag that one back into the shadows right on the spot.

Thankfully, the other clones seemed to understand her unspoken wish.

"Wuu—" the overly dramatic clone was promptly dragged away.

For a moment, it was like a scene out of legend, and rumors quickly spread through the streets. People spoke of a fairy born from the sea, and how when she appeared, the entire river glowed with countless rays of golden light.

···

Golden light over the river? Kurumi chuckled to herself, silently thanking Gilgamesh for his treasure-filled display.

Priest Risei had already been sent back, and Kurumi mused that the old priest must be having quite the emotional ride right now.

···

"This morning, a certain organization claimed responsibility for the meteor strike on the Hyatt Hotel, stating it was the deployment of their orbital kinetic weapon…"

···

"This afternoon, another gas explosion occurred along the riverside near Miyama Town…"

···

"To celebrate the completion of the Fuyuki Central Tower, a fireworks display will be held tonight at Seaside Park…"

···

The television continued its incessant coverage of the latest events.

Risei Kotomine scratched his head, troubled by the mountain of chaos needing to be sorted out.

Half-heartedly reviewing the reports, Risei slumped in resignation. Most of the cases involved incidents left behind by Caster or Kiritsugu Emiya.

The underground monsters?—Gas leak.

The Miyama sewer incident?—Gas explosion.

The destroyed mansion?—Gas explosion.

The Matou mansion?—Gas explosion.

···

The many ways to explain a "gas explosion."

Phew. Risei's mood lightened considerably.

Just as he considered stepping out for a walk, he remembered the friendly warning from Alice's bodyguard—that there still might be undetonated explosives left in Fuyuki Church.

Sighing, he reluctantly abandoned the idea.

Returning to his office, Risei felt the stress thinning his hair further. He hadn't even warmed his seat before his "loyal protector" of a son arrived. The old priest felt some relief—until he saw the apron.

A sense of foreboding crept into Risei's heart.

"Father, I wish to learn Sichuan cuisine," Kirei said, his face completely serious. The words froze Risei in place, leaving him utterly speechless.

"Sichuan... cuisine?" The old priest could hardly believe what he was hearing. Was this truly coming from his ascetic, devout son? For a moment, he wondered if he had misheard—hadn't he meant "demon-slaying" or something similar?

"Yes, Sichuan cuisine," Kirei confirmed.

The old priest deflated like a punctured balloon, slumping back into his chair, utterly at a loss. Who on earth was responsible for this?

But seeing the serious expression on his son's face, Risei recalled their time in Italy and finally gave in.

He would have to contact the Eighth Sacrament to sort things out again.

"You want to go… then go," Risei muttered.

···

Kurumi returned to the hideout near the Civic Center.

Kiritsugu and Maiya weren't there; they had likely taken the Holy Grail Vessel to begin preparing for its descent.

With Gilgamesh defeated, the souls collected in her clone were now sufficient to summon the Grail.

After hearing that the main body had allowed them some time off, the particular clone had promptly shot herself and, upon rematerializing, gleefully rushed off to the night market.

"Slacking off is pure joy!" she exclaimed.

The clone waved around extra money she had earned, clearly delighted.

Kurumi's mouth twitched—was this supposed to be hazard pay?

···

Returning to her small quarters, Kurumi found Sakura asleep at the desk, likely having waited for her return all night.

The small girl's body gently rose and fell with each breath, her sleeping face utterly adorable.

Kurumi gently cradled the little girl, slipping her arms beneath Sakura's armpits and knees to lift her up. Sakura's frail, light body stirred a twinge of pain in Kurumi's heart.

"Sis... sister?" Sakura murmured drowsily, her eyes fluttering open in confusion.

Her tiny hands, like little cat paws, brushed Kurumi's bangs aside as if confirming something.

"Sister!" Sakura exclaimed softly.

Kurumi couldn't help but smile, carefully placing Sakura on the bed before wrapping her arms around the small, soft figure.

"Sleep," Kurumi whispered.

At that moment, Kurumi remembered the once-stubborn Sakura.

"It's Rin, not 'sister.'"

She held the little girl even closer.

···

For the first time in a long while, Kurumi herself drifted into a peaceful dream.

A dream both beautiful and deep.

···

The sky was like nothing she had ever seen before, pure and clear, with flowing clouds swirling like gentle currents in a crystalline lake.

White clouds layered upon one another, delicately curling.

Barefoot, Kurumi stepped across an ethereal lake, each step sending gentle ripples outward, tiny specks of light rising like stars in a dream.

The lake stretched infinitely, a mirror reflecting the same azure sky above.

Tranquil and serene.

A small girl lay curled up, floating atop the water, as though drifting in the sky itself.

She wore a short, wide-sleeved pink silk robe, adorned with large cherry blossoms. Her collar was shyly open, exposing her delicate collarbones.

The loose hem barely reached her thighs, her snow-white, slender legs crossed and half-submerged in the water.

The closer Kurumi tried to get, the farther away the girl seemed. The more Kurumi tried to see the girl's face, the more blurred it became.

In the end, all Kurumi could make out was the girl's flowing black hair and her eyes—reflecting the light of a distant torch.

Burning fiercely, yet devoid of life.

The girl spoke.

"I want to eat until I'm full."

...

The northern wind, which had howled through the night, vanished like a fleeting dream.

The blazing sun rose, sweeping away the chill of the frost as if it had never existed.

From Ryuudou Temple atop Mount Enzou, one could see the entire city of Fuyuki, stretching from the quiet streets of Miyama Town to the shimmering coastline. The sunlight bathed the ocean in vibrant colors.

Due to the strange vortex that had stirred the waters the previous night, Fuyuki Port was temporarily closed today.

None of this, however, mattered to Kiritsugu Emiya.

He and Maiya Hisau were busy at the southwestern edge of Fuyuki, at Ryuudou Temple, preparing the ritual for the Holy Grail's descent, waiting for nightfall.

With the choice now in his hands, there was no need to hold the descent at Fuyuki Civic Center. The nightmarish vision of the black mud from the Grail's aperture, like hellish flames, weighed heavily on Kiritsugu's mind.

He had already made plans for Kurumi to use a Spacequake to annihilate both Ryuudou Temple and the Greater Grail beneath Mount Enzou if necessary.

——

The Holy Grail War was nearing its end, which also meant that Kurumi's time with Sakura was running out.

Since breakfast, the little girl had been quiet, her face clouded with unease, as if she wanted to say something but couldn't bring herself to.

"Well then—how about we go to the city?" Kurumi suggested, crouching in front of Sakura, gently squeezing her cheeks.

"Hm…"

Kurumi hugged Sakura close. The girl's small body was delicate, and she gently ruffled the neatly combed hair that Irisviel had styled for her.

Kurumi leaned in, her lips brushing Sakura's ear as if to say something, but she stopped herself.

Yet even this small gesture—the warmth of Kurumi's breath on her ear—made Sakura tremble, her eyes welling up with tears.

Kurumi attempted to stand, but the little girl had already wrapped her arms tightly around her, her frail body trembling. Kurumi could only keep gently stroking Sakura's back, over and over.

···

Out-of-season sunlight blazed down, hot and bright like midsummer.

It was a phenomenon that even experts couldn't explain, and it only occurred within the region centered around Fuyuki.

More precisely, it only appeared over the leylines of Fuyuki.

The citizens, already on edge from recent strange events, were filled with a growing sense of dread.

With a string of bizarre murders, missing children, industrial waste polluting the Mion River, and the constant reports of gas explosions, the people of Fuyuki were mentally exhausted.

This unusual climate seemed to foreshadow an even greater disaster.

But none of this had anything to do with Kurumi and Sakura. Thanks to the strange weather, the girls' silhouettes appeared even more strikingly graceful.

Ever since Irisviel discovered Kurumi's identity as a "traveler" spirit, she had been picking out various outfits for her.

For some reason, Kurumi was reminded of the strange dream she had last night.

She chose a crimson kimono, just long enough to cover her thighs, and for once, she wore smooth and thin, silky white thigh-high, which left a tantalizing glimpse of skin in the "absolute territory" between the top of the stockings and the hem of her skirt.

Her delicate wrists were exposed as she held Sakura's hand, leading her toward Miyama Town.

As for Sakura...

She wore a pure white chiffon dress, her slim, legs peeking out beneath the hem, and a pair of adorable white sandals. She carefully adjusted the bonnet atop her head, a large bouquet of cherry blossoms in her arms.

The sight of them together, a pair of beautiful sisters, stirred a certain desire in Kurumi's heart—the kind of thought only a deviant might have.

Sakura and Kurumi were both stunning.

Despite it being morning, the commercial street was already bustling, filled with people.

Sakura was clearly uncomfortable with the crowds, clinging tightly to Kurumi's hand. Her small palm was damp with nervous sweat.

"They're all… staring…" Sakura whispered anxiously.

"Of course they are. My Sakura is just too cute," Kurumi teased gently, gazing at Sakura's sweet smile.

"My... Sakura…!" the little girl stammered, embarrassed, pulling her bonnet down lower to hide the blush spreading across her ears.

"Oh my, Sakura, are you having second thoughts?" Kurumi smiled playfully. "Didn't you say you'd be my little kitten?"

"I-I didn't!" Sakura protested, gripping Kurumi's hand tighter. "I won't change my mind."

A fragrant breeze swept past, and Kurumi's mischievous face was suddenly very close to Sakura's, her soft breath brushing against her skin as she playfully tapped Sakura's nose.

"Then how about a little 'meow' for me?"

"M-Mew!" In the middle of the crowded street, Sakura was so embarrassed that tears almost welled up in her eyes. Still, she lifted her right hand and shyly mimicked a cat.

Kurumi let out a long breath. "Ah, lolis and kittens are the treasures of this world."

"From now on, you have to listen to Irisviel, okay?" Kurumi reminded her softly.

"Mm," Sakura whispered in reply.

As they walked down the busy streets of Fuyuki, the sight of the two girls, one tall and one small, captivated the passing crowds. They seemed like beings from another world.

But at the end of the day, Sakura was still just a child.

Her gaze was soon caught by the many colorful items displayed in the shop windows. Miyama Town, with its nostalgic, old-fashioned charm, stood in stark contrast to the rapidly modernizing Fuyuki Shinto.

Yet, unlike other children, Sakura never pointed out what she liked.

She would simply stare at something for a moment, her steps slowing slightly. The moment she noticed Kurumi looking at her, she would quickly turn her head away and pretend to be interested in something else.

Her shy, timid demeanor made Kurumi's heart ache.

Kurumi tilted her head thoughtfully, realizing that what had caught Sakura's eye was a small, glass-like charm. A delicate string hung from it, with a prayer slip attached—likely something on which to write a wish.

Feigning ignorance, Kurumi led Sakura away. She secretly watched as the little girl's expression grew more forlorn, her hand tightening as she refused to speak.

Amused, Kurumi smiled to herself.

The one clone who had stayed up partying the latest last night—the one who had insisted on sneaking out even if it meant self-termination—was now begrudgingly approaching the stall, yawning as she went. Her blood-red eyes were ringed with dark circles.

"Slacking off is pure joy..."

"Staying up all night... double the joy..."

"Waking up early… Ah, I died…"

"Uh, yeah, I'll take that one. Thanks," she muttered, pointing to the charm that Sakura had been eyeing.

···

"Here's the money. Keep the change."

···

Sakura, lost in thought, walked straight into something soft and warm. She quickly prepared to apologize, but the scent and feeling were familiar.

"Sis... sister?" she mumbled.

She had come to understand Kurumi's clones well by now.

But this one—this disheveled, weary-looking clone—was certainly... unexpected.

"Here, for you."

A small gift box was placed in Sakura's hands, wrapped in the familiar paper from the shop.

Sakura's eyes widened in surprise. Sister... had been watching her all along!

She held the box tightly, unwilling to let go.

"Well then, I'm off," the sleepy clone yawned, waving lazily.

Kurumi's smile didn't quite reach her eyes. "Oh, don't be in such a rush. We still have plenty to do, don't we?"

"Huh...?"

···

That day belonged to Kurumi and Sakura.

They spent their time playing in Miyama Town, taking Sakura to the largest children's theme restaurant.

At one point, Kurumi even noticed a "Big Eater" competition happening at a nearby buffet.

The grand prize was a beautiful silk ribbon, but something about it carried an odd aura, giving Kurumi the distinct feeling that it was… a relic of some kind.

I must have it.

But the restaurant owner, ever so prideful, sneered as he turned down Kurumi's offer of yen.

"Sorry, the prize isn't for sale."

"Heh…" Kurumi let out a low chuckle, not even bothering to use hypnotic suggestion. "You'll regret that."

"Hey, Artoria."

"Yes?" Saber responded.

"I'm treating you to a meal. Eat to your heart's content."

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