Finally, under the persistent gaze of a woman harboring deep resentment toward Shinji, he nonchalantly asked Bazett to return Rider.
Bazett readily agreed, not only because the Holy Grail War had ended but also because a certain "dog" beside her (looking quite annoyed) was eagerly waiting.
As Shinji swiftly completed the contract, with three bright red Command Seals appearing on his left wrist, Rin cursed him as a pervert in her mind and then spoke with displeasure.
"Why do you still have Command Seals? All of ours disappeared!"
"Why? Because they originally belong to my family."
"Ugh... Tch!"
Unable to retort, Rin could only turn away, clenching her fists in frustration.
"Let's go home..."
Ignoring Rin, Shinji waved his hand and started to leave, but then he remembered something and turned back to Shirou, who was still contemplating the future of humanity.
"Oh, right. Almost forgot, Emiya, take the bomb in the great cavern with you when you go home. It's your old man's relic."
"What?! Kiritsugu's relic?!"
"Yeah, it's just an origin bomb, nothing major, so no need to thank me."
"Uh..."
His clever mind quickly understanding why Kiritsugu would plant a bomb in the great cavern, Shirou thought it through.
"But I estimate that even if it's fully charged with mana, its power won't be too great, maybe just enough to blow up a mountain. If you want to flatten Fuyuki City... cough cough, an entire city, I can modify it for you for free. Satisfaction guaranteed."
"Don't worry, Shinji, I'd never ask you to help with something that dangerous."
"Suit yourself. See you."
Before leaving, Shinji subtly glanced at Red Archer.
Seeing Shinji walk away with Rider, Red Archer felt a chill. From Shinji's glance, he could only interpret one message:
Why haven't you made your move yet? I'm waiting for the show.
At that moment, Red Archer's internal alarms went off.
He realized that Shinji had seen through him long ago!
Both his identity and his intentions were completely exposed!
Next to leave was Gilgamesh. Before departing, he also glanced at Red Archer, his gaze carrying a similar message to Shinji's.
Roughly translated: The king is ready to watch the performance at any time. Don't disappoint the king; a sloppy performance won't satisfy me!
Monsters, all of them!
Red Archer cursed inwardly, deciding to delay his plans. Acting now might provoke an unpredictable reaction from Shinji, so he had to ensure everything was flawless.
Of course, Red Archer couldn't imagine that Shinji had no real desire to kill his past self.
At most, if the two fought, Shinji might just set the perfect background music for their duel, like "LAST STARDUST," enhancing the spectacle exponentially!
Shinji wasn't worried that Red Archer would kill Shirou.
In fact, if they fought, Red Archer would likely rediscover what he had lost through Shirou.
However, if Red Archer simply intended to kill Shirou, he might succeed.
But the truth was, Red Archer didn't just want to kill Shirou; he wanted to crush his spirit first.
With that condition, Red Archer was bound to fail.
After all, never giving up is the eternal quality of a true protagonist.
Walking beside an aloof Gilgamesh, Shinji knew that despite his outward demeanor, Gilgamesh was still waiting for him to report something.
What a troublesome personality...
Shinji grumbled inwardly.
"Shinji, the king's leniency doesn't mean you can be reckless!"
"Uh..." Shinji touched his face, wondering aloud, "Did I forget to control my expression again?"
"Hmph!"
"By the way, Gilgamesh, have you ever read shonen manga?"
"This world itself belongs to the king!"
Understanding that Gilgamesh had probably read a lot, Shinji continued lightly, "Then you should know, a true shonen protagonist never hesitates or stops because of the trolley problem."
"Hmm?"
Gilgamesh raised an eyebrow, then glanced at Shirou in the distance, still discussing with Illya whether to have dinner at her place now that the Holy Grail War was over.
"So, some things are destined. My friend's determination, no matter how straightforward, isn't something a fragmented memory can defeat."
Shonen protagonists, like Naruto, may seem childish at times, but their unyielding will is unchanging.
That's the essence of shonen manga.
A shonen protagonist never gives up when faced with the trolley problem, always striving with all their might, no matter how uncertain the solution!
Just like how Naruto persuaded Nagato, despite seeming like a bug, it showed Nagato saw his past self in Naruto's unwavering determination and gave him a chance for a different future.
But only a pure-hearted youth could do this. If it were Naruto as Hokage, constrained by responsibilities, Nagato wouldn't hesitate to strike without a word.
Shonen manga are about pure, unwavering youths.
Understanding this, Gilgamesh didn't argue further. He knew Shinji would step in when needed.
"You wouldn't deny helping a friend in need, would you?"
"Are you underestimating the king's magnanimity, Shinji?"
"Shall we drink tomorrow?"
After a brief thought, Gilgamesh nodded, "Agreed."
...
"Big brother Matou~"
Illya, catching up to Shinji at the last moment, grabbed his arm and started acting cute.
Glancing at Shirou, who was scratching his head and looking away, Shinji guessed Illya had learned something about him and hoped to get more by acting cute.
"Sorry, Illya, there's no Matou anymore. My name is Shinji Matou."
"Big brother Shinji~" Illya tugged at his tattered sleeve, looking adorably pitiful.
"Illya, do you want to study the real Third Magic?"
"Mm-hmm!" Illya nodded vigorously, looking hopefully at Shinji's gentle smile.
"Then go home and study on your own. Big brother will cheer you on! Go for it!"
As Shinji pulled his sleeve free and gave her a thumbs-up, Illya's smile froze.
"Rider, let's go home."
Without wasting time, Rider wrapped her arm around Shinji's waist and disappeared with him, leaving Illya no chance to respond.
Fu—
Illya took a deep breath.
"Thief—!!"
Unlike Illya, Rin was fiddling with the ring on her chest, planning to study it at home and see if she could improve her basement's gem sword with it.
Shirou was still worried about the world's future. Saber, though still downcast, had found two plump rabbits affected by the battle on the way back, preventing her from being completely despondent.
One with honey glaze, one with cumin seasoning.
Saber had already decided their fate—dinner.
As for Bazett, she was content, leading... cough, bringing along her sullen and reluctant "dog."
...
"Brother~"
As soon as Shinji opened the door and stepped inside, he was tackled by something heavy.
Seeing Sakura, tears in her eyes and worry on her face, Shinji felt like she had been lying in wait just to give him this "greeting."
"Why are your clothes like this? Covered in blood, are you okay?"
"No worries, no worries. It's not... well, it's my blood, but I'm fine. Don't you trust your brother's skills?"
"Brother! Let me check you thoroughly!"
"Don't pull, I'm fine, Sakura, don't pull..."
Before Shinji could finish, Sakura suddenly stopped, staring blankly at Rider standing nearby.
"R-Rider..."
"Sakura," Rider acknowledged softly with a nod.
"Brother? Why is Rider here..."
"Didn't our house need a servant? With the Holy Grail War over, it's useful to keep around these leftover Servants. They're good maids and can protect you."
"Brother, we're ordinary people now, so we don't need... wait, what did you say about the Holy Grail War?"
"It's over."
Taking off his dirty, bloodstained coat, Shinji walked inside.
Sakura turned back, looking incredulously at her brother's back, a terrifying thought forming.
"Brother, Rin, Miss Bazett, and Senpai... does that mean..."
"Don't overthink it. Is your brother that cold-hearted? They're all fine."
Sakura sighed in relief, then hurried to catch up and naturally clung to Shinji's arm, "So, the Holy Grail War is over? Did you win, Brother?"