Shinji stood in silence for a long time before finally moving. He ran his hand through his hair, showing a slightly exasperated expression as he muttered softly to himself.
"Seriously, all this talk about legacy sounds so grand, but it's really just a mess."
He sighed gently and then turned to Sakura, who, though not fully understanding the situation, had been quietly listening the whole time. He let out an awkward laugh.
"Sakura, I know this might be a bit late, but you should know that heroes tend to arrive fashionably late."
Seeing Shinji's awkward smile, Sakura remembered what Zouken had said earlier—"Your jealousy towards Sakura, your obsession with magecraft, and your twisted pride were all a facade!"—and her brother's own words: "This is power accumulated over ten years, fundamentally different from magecraft." She also recalled what Shirou had once said about her brother snatching his pudding.
The deliberate acts of throwing away barely touched meals and desserts like garbage to a girl who had to eat poisonous food three times a day, the nighttime snacks they shared, and the gifts on birthdays and holidays that never ceased... What she had always thought was distance, jealousy, and hatred turned out to be a disguise. Her brother had been protecting her in his own way all along.
As these thoughts ran through her mind, Sakura pictured the proud, cool boy standing before her.
"Sakura, just listen to me. If you stay obedient, once I learn all these amazing things, I'll definitely protect you!"
Although she still couldn't fully grasp the situation, it became clear that this brother had always cared for her. That statement she had once dismissed as childish banter turned out to be true.
Watching the dazed Sakura, Shinji scratched his cheek with his index finger, his smile a bit awkward.
"Even though it's pretty late, at least now you have a future where you can breathe and live freely, right? So..."
Before he could finish, Sakura, with tears silently streaming down her face, lunged at him, clinging to him tightly.
Shinji mentally recited a mantra to clear his mind, which proved very effective.
"Brother—!"
This was the loudest Sakura had ever called out to her brother in Shinji's memory, her voice filled with a mixture of sorrow, grievance, gratitude, and pain.
"There, there," Shinji's expression softened, and he gently patted Sakura's head. "You don't need to suppress your emotions anymore, Sakura."
Feeling the warmth of her brother's hand on her head and his strong, warm chest, and seeing the gentle, pained look in his eyes, Sakura finally let go of all the emotions she had been holding back for so long.
She burst into tears.
I wasn't as alone as I thought...
Rider, who had gleaned some understanding from the earlier conversation, stood quietly by, making no sound, waiting for her Master to release the emotions she had been suppressing for who knew how long.
In the sitting room.
On the sofa, Sakura, her face streaked with tears, clung tightly to Shinji's arm, her head resting on his shoulder as if afraid of losing something precious.
After about half an hour of reading through documents, Shinji finally spoke up.
"Um, Sakura, maybe you should go wash up and get dressed first?"
Sakura shook her head, still clutching Shinji's arm tightly, even more so than before.
Sighing lightly, Shinji put down the documents and pinched Sakura's cheek. "Does that hurt?"
Sakura shook her head again, holding on to Shinji's arm with all her strength.
Seeing this, Shinji silently broke into a sweat. I just wanted to tell you that this isn't a dream. But you shaking your head makes it hard to follow up. Should I force it? That would be awkward!
"Listen, there are still many things we need to handle," Shinji said gently. "With Grandfather gone, the management of the spiritual land is vacant. We also need to deal with the investigation from the Mage's Association. A lot of trouble is coming our way, and we need to deal with it quickly."
Sakura still showed no reaction, only shaking her head.
"Master, there's also the upcoming Holy Grail War that we need to prepare for," Rider said, having stood quietly to the side.
Sakura responded to Rider the same way she had to Shinji, shaking her head.
After a long silence, Rider asked again, "Master, don't you have a wish you want the Holy Grail to grant?"
Finally, Sakura spoke.
"My wish..." Sakura glanced at Shinji, her voice soft, "If this isn't a dream, it's already been granted."
Rider thought: So, should I go back?
Seeing Rider's silence, Shinji chuckled softly and gently patted Sakura's head.
"This isn't a dream. You should know, Sakura, that I never dream. The nightmare that lasted eleven years is over. Also, you should rest. Although the crest worms have been removed, your body needs time to fully recover from the damage they've done over the years. Since Rider has been summoned, the Holy Grail War is inevitable. But I will do my best to keep you out of it."
"What did you mean earlier by Master's Holy Grail function?" Rider asked.
"I can't tell you the answer to that right now, but rest assured, it's no longer an issue," Shinji replied.
"Will you participate in the Holy Grail War?" Rider asked the crucial question.
Shinji shook his head slightly. "Like Sakura, I don't have a wish for the Holy Grail."
"You don't deny the possibility of participating, do you?"
"Yes, that's right. Since many of the participants are people I know, I might get dragged into it, so it's not entirely impossible."
From Rider's perspective, Shinji's eyes were clear and sincere, not like someone who was lying. Except for his eyes constantly glancing at her chest, there wasn't much of a problem.
"Don't get the wrong idea. I have a habit of observing people's breathing from the rise and fall of their chests to predict their next move. I have no strange intentions."
Rider fell silent again. Though she felt that Shinji's words sounded impressive and dignified, something seemed off.
"As long as you pose no threat to my Master, I won't attack you. Besides, I don't think I'm your match."
"Hahaha," Shinji suddenly laughed. "You misunderstand, Rider. I'm not as strong as you think. I just borrowed a bit of power from the future."
"Future power?"
"Yes," Shinji clenched his fist. "I borrowed the strength I will eventually attain in the future, but it was only temporary. I've already returned it."
"Borrowing power from the future, even for a moment, comes with unimaginable costs. What price did you pay?"
Shinji didn't answer, instead smiling and glancing at Rider, changing the subject. "You know, Rider, when a woman becomes increasingly curious about a man, it's often a sign of a growing crisis for her..."