The back garden of the Emiya residence was the venue for this gathering.
Compared to the previous one, this gathering was much quieter and had fewer participants. It included Shinji, Rin, Illya, Miyu, Saber, the three versions of Shirou, the friendly neighbor Taiga Fujimura, and a hiding Ruby.
For some unknown reason, Luvia, who had become familiar with everyone, returned to her home in Finland with her attendant the day after her arrival. Bazett was urgently summoned back to the Mage's Association, not even having time to check on Shinji's condition.
Though Lancer had gained a human body, he still considered himself Bazett's servant. After Shinji resolved the issue of his identity, Lancer went to the Mage's Association with Bazett, likely to assist her with any difficult situations she might face. As for Gilgamesh, since returning, he had given Shinji the cold shoulder, not showing his face for two whole days.
And then there were Sakura and Rider. Thinking about them made Shinji inexplicably angry. His sister and his servant had gone on a trip, leaving him behind! Even after learning of his return, they insisted on enjoying their trip before coming back.
But that wasn't the worst of it.
Every night, Sakura would send photos of herself having fun, often scantily clad, just to torment him.
I'll get you for this, Sakura! This time, your brother will teach you a lesson about a brother's authority. Leaving me behind to have fun—this won't be forgiven easily!
Of course, Shinji understood that this was Sakura's little scheme or perhaps a small punishment to make him feel her importance and to reprimand him for being out of contact for months.
As for why Rider went along, it was probably due to Sakura's instilled master-servant dynamics during Shinji's absence.
Under the eaves, Taiga, who had already had quite a bit to drink, curiously bombarded Shirou from Miyu's world with questions.
"Shirou? Shirou Emiya? Your name is similar to Shirou's, no wonder Miyu always said her brother resembled Shirou. The hairstyle and the overall feeling are quite similar. I heard you used to live in Fuyuki City? Will you leave again after coming back from abroad this time?"
Holding a tea cup, Shirou from Miyu's world chuckled softly, then glanced at Miyu chatting with Illya in the garden.
"No, I probably won't leave."
"Really? So, where do you live?"
"Just a street away..."
Sitting at the table in the garden, Rin, who had overheard their conversation, put down her drink and whispered in Shinji's ear.
"Can't they really tell? Besides us, no one notices that Miyu's brother looks exactly like Emiya-kun?"
Shinji, grilling skewers nearby, nodded and casually replied, "Don't underestimate the world's corrective force. When two identical people from parallel worlds appear in the same world, the world's rules will make some corrections. You can still feel they look identical now, but over time, you'll notice subtle differences."
"The world's corrective force? That's the first time I've heard that term. You really are an enigma."
"Well, it's something anyone with a bit of brains would figure out. Here."
"Hmm?"
Taking the skewer from Shinji, it took Rin a moment to realize the insult. Her face darkened, and a large red vein appeared on her forehead.
"Who are you calling brainless, you jerk?!"
"Amazing progress~"
Shinji spread his hands, looking pleased with himself. But before he finished, Rin's furious punch came flying, which Shinji easily dodged by tilting his head.
"You...!"
Rin suppressed her anger, glanced at Miyu whispering with Illya, and then leaned closer to Shinji, lowering her voice to ask her real question.
"Shinji, tell me. In the end, was Miyu's wish really just to live happily with her brother and the friends she made in this world?"
Hearing this, Shinji gave Rin a peculiar look.
"Didn't you already ask the girl herself? Why are you asking me?"
"Don't be evasive! So, the Holy Grail's response was to bring Emiya-kun and Miyu, along with those who went to that world, back to this one, right?"
"Yes."
Shinji nodded, continuing to grill the freshly flown-in lamb skewers from China.
"And what about that world?"
"What about it? It's frozen as is."
"Really? I feel like something is off, but I can't pinpoint what. It seems fine on the surface, but I feel like I'm missing something..."
Hearing this, Shinji chuckled softly without lifting his head. "Isn't that how perfect happy endings usually feel? In movies and anime, when you see a perfect ending, it often feels like something's missing."
"Maybe..."
Rin murmured, still somewhat suspicious but deciding not to press further. After all, as Shinji said, it was a perfect happy ending. That world had reached the irreversible state of Steel Earth, and no matter how much they tried, they couldn't reverse it. It was up to the people of that world to continue their efforts.
Whether through evolution or technology, humanity would find a way to continue.
Thinking this, Rin felt relieved. She grabbed a skewer with almost no fat and started eating.
Compared to Rin, Shinji quietly focused on grilling his skewers, though his mind was elsewhere.
Shinji recalled the scene—because of the pure and innocent wish of a child, they had created a situation known only to him, Gilgamesh, and Kid Gil.
A wish for everyone's happiness, the purest kind of wish.
Of course, the Holy Grail couldn't fulfill such a wish. So, in that moment, the Holy Grail chose to...
Freeze all possibilities of that world!
Steel Earth couldn't be reversed, but the Holy Grail froze all possibilities of that world!
At that moment, the entire world was frozen!
Time, the world itself, in a sense, was completely sealed, waiting for a hopeless hope.
In reality, Shinji and the others escaped from that world at the last moment, but only three of them knew this!