A dimensional journey starting from the Dragon Clan

The letter in which Tokiomi entrusted his funeral affairs to the association is simply perfect and can be regarded as a true portrayal of the author himself. The transfer of the body and the removal of the seal were all carried out accurately by Rin's protector, Kirei Kotomine, at the association headquarters in London. The engraving was given to Tokiomi's friends for safekeeping to ensure that it could be transferred to Rin's body without any mistakes in the future.

Imprinted transplantation will cause a great burden on the human body, so it is best to transplant step by step before the successor's secondary sexual characteristics fully appear. And if the previous clan leader dies suddenly, many unexpected difficulties will often arise. But Tokiomi overcame all this and was fully prepared. He taught Rin the essence of magic accumulated by the Tohsaka family for generations without missing a beat.

However, due to various procedures such as the transportation of the body and the surgery to remove the seal, more than half a year had passed before Tokiomi's body returned to his hometown. Therefore, the people attending today's belated funeral have nothing to do with their family's reputation and achievements in their hometown. They are only a handful of people who know some inside information. Such a deserted funeral must be the karma of a magician.

Kirei looked at the cemetery that had suddenly become deserted and turned around to greet the taxi waiting at the back door.

"It's time to let Mother come out, right?"

"——Well, that's almost it."

The widow Tohsaka Aoi, who was supposed to host the funeral, did not appear in front of everyone because she was ill in bed. Although she was unwilling to let her have contact with outsiders, Rin still hoped that her mother could see her father one last time before the coffin was buried.

Rin had been waiting for her mother's arrival while there were other mourners present. She walked to the car, helped her mother into the wheelchair, and pushed her towards Tokiomi's grave. There was no expression on the face of the beautiful widow who still looked young in the wheelchair. She just stared into the void with hazy eyes as if in a dream.

"Mom, come and say your final goodbyes to your father."

Amid Rin's urging, Aoi's dreamy gaze finally slowly focused on a point on the ground.

Her eyes slowly scanned the surrounding tombstones, and her eyes widened in hindsight.

"Ah - um, Rin? Whose funeral is it today?"

"Yes, because my father passed away."

"Oh, that's too bad! We can't help but take out Tokiomi's mourning clothes quickly - Rin, you should go help Sakura change her clothes first. Ah, what should I do? I haven't prepared anything..."

Aoi, who was sitting in a wheelchair, fell into a brief panic, and then she suddenly bent down like a doll with its strings cut off. And when she raised her head again, she smiled gently at the empty air in front of her and stretched out her finger forward.

"Look, my dear, the tie is crooked again. There are threads on the shoulders. Haha, why don't you cheer up? You are the proud father of Rin and Sakura..."

Aoi was talking nonchalantly to her husband, whom only she could see. But Rin just guarded her mother silently.

Due to the sequelae of hypoxia that damaged her brain, Tohsaka Aoi is no longer able to communicate normally with Kirei and Rin. For Rin, there is no doubt that Aoi, like her father, became an innocent victim involved in the Fourth Holy Grail War.

For Aoi, who can no longer perceive reality correctly, perhaps this is actually happier. Her heart stayed in the time when Sakura was still at home and Tokiomi was still alive. Wandering in the empty Tosaka mansion, talking and laughing with the husband and second daughter in my memory, living forever in the dream of a happy family.

Only Rin was left alone in the real world. She took care of such a mother, but could only watch her silently, unable to take a step into this happy scene. She hid the sadness that no one could understand, shouldered the important responsibility of the head of the Demonic Family at a young age, and endured the pain of the mark. For a girl who is still an elementary school student, this is really a cruel fate.

But for Kotomine Kirei, it was a great blessing to be the protector of such a tragic girl.

He can only feel joy in the pain and sorrow of others. For Kotomine Kirei, who has long been aware of her deformed nature, Rin's current situation is undoubtedly the best environment for her to grow into a sentimental girl. And Kirei can appreciate everything from the closest distance, which is undoubtedly as enjoyable as tasting the best wine.

However - to his annoyance, he actually had no such reward at all.

Although she was burdened with such a tragic fate, the young girl never shed a tear. Not even a weak word was uttered.

Even now, in front of his poor mother who cannot understand that his father is dead, Rin still looks calm, suppressing the sadness in his heart and waiting for his mother to calm down. This was a situation that a child of her age who was doted on by her parents would not be able to endure.

Rin has acknowledged and accepted his fate and has the courage to face it resolutely. Such rare self-esteem and self-control are the greatest virtues possessed by a girl named Tohsaka Rin, but for Kirei, this is what annoys him the most.

After tasting all the bitterness, the gem named Rin began to gradually take shape from the original stone. She thought that seeing the ugly state of the mother she loved would leave a scar on her heart, but she did not expect that she accepted her mother's weakness of being addicted to dreams with a tolerant and compassionate heart.

This girl is walking step by step towards the path of outsiders called magic. Perhaps in the end, like her father, she will abandon all the distortions and evils of a magician and form the most upright and balanced personality. Of course this is the most boring development for Kirei. He was so looking forward to what kind of twisted flowers that Tokiomi's daughter would bloom.

Hiding his inner secret, Kirei put his hand on Rin's shoulder encouragingly.

"I will stay in Japan for a while... Do you have anything to worry about in the future?"

"...There's nothing more. I've troubled you too much, and it's okay now."

The girl answered in a strong tone without even looking at Kirei.

Rin obeyed his father's last words and did not raise any objections to Kotomine Kirei becoming his protector. But even so she could not hide her dislike for him. As Tokiomi's assistant, he went to the same battlefield, but failed to protect Tokiomi in the end. Rin is still full of anger and suspicion towards Kirei like this.

Kirei just found Rin's blunt hatred ridiculous. What will this girl's face be like when she learns the truth one day? He had been looking forward to it.

"The next time we meet will be in half a year. At that time, the second imprinting transplant will be performed. Please take care of yourself."

"...I know even if you don't say it."

"I think I will be working outside most of the time from now on. I'm sorry but I don't think I can settle down in Japan. I am really not qualified as a protector——"

"It doesn't matter if you are busy. If you are not here, I will naturally take good care of my mother and the Tohsaka family. As for you going to crusade heretics or do other things, as long as it doesn't cause us any trouble, that's fine."

??????55.??????

Hey, can Rin be so bluffing? Her tone today was sharper than usual. Sure enough, today will be even more painful for the girl.

A slightly evil thought suddenly flashed into Kirei's mind.

"——Rin, from now on you will be the true leader of the Tohsaka clan. To celebrate this special day today, I will give you a gift."

Saying that, Kirei took out a sheathed dagger from his arms.

This is the sword of Azoth that Tokiomi gave to him before his death, which represents friendship. Today's funeral also reminded Kirei of his old friend, so he brought this sword. This is also a little compensation for the person who died in his own hands.

"This is what I got when my magic training achievements were recognized by Master Tokiomi - I think it's better for you to hold it from now on."

Rin took the dagger, pulled it out of its sheath and examined it carefully. She touched the leather of the sword hilt and the magic lines on the blade almost respectfully, as if she could feel the warmth of her father's fingers.

"……Father……"

Small ripples suddenly appeared on the dagger in the girl's hand - a teardrop suddenly rolled down on the flawless blade.

This was the first time Rin cried in front of Kirei.

As if tasting the long-awaited fine wine, Kirei's heart was shaking with joy.

Rin doesn't know. The dagger in her hand, which had received her tears, was once stained with the blood that flowed from Tokiomi's heart. Perhaps she will keep this sword as a relic in memory of her father in the future and store it with great caution. She didn't know that this was the murder weapon that killed her father.

This extreme irony and the pleasure of trampling on a pure heart gave Kotomine Kirei ultimate satisfaction.

Rin, who lowered his head and shed tears, did not notice the silent smile of the priest next to him. He just tightly held the sword of destiny in his hand.

Five years later.

Beautiful moonlit night. Emiya Kiritsugu stood quietly by the window and looked at the moonlight.

Although it is winter, the temperature is not very low, it just makes the skin feel slightly chilly. This is the perfect weather for watching the moon.

Next to him sat a young man. He also looked at the moon quietly with Kiritsugu.

His name is Shirou.

He was the only one who saved Kiritsugu from the flames that caused him to lose everything.

Five years have passed since then. Shirou, who was still a child at the time, is now growing up.

Kiritsugu adopted Shirou, who was left helpless due to the fire, as his adopted son, tidied up the abandoned house with a warehouse that Irisviel bought, and managed to survive.

As for why he did this, even he himself didn't know. There is no other place to go. Is there no reason to live anymore?

The purpose and belief that the man named Emiya Kiritsugu once had were reduced to ashes with that fire. What came back from that wasteland was just a wreck with only a beating heart.

In fact, if Shirou had not been rescued, Kiritsugu might have truly died long ago.

But he met Shirou. He met this child who had narrowly escaped a fire that killed countless people.

It was this miracle that allowed him to be reborn from the body he once was called Emiya Kiritsugu.

Even now, it's a wonderful life.

The man who lost his wife and daughter became a father again——

The child who lost his parents became a son again——

Looking back, I repeat this same routine every day.

Shirou now calls Kiritsugu, who is not even forty years old, "Dad". Maybe it feels more natural.

But in fact, the energy remaining in Kiritsugu's body has almost reached the point where it has been exhausted. In this respect, he is no different from the old man.

After that, the years he spent peacefully felt like he was in someone else's dream.

In a life that had already lost everything, that day five years ago was used as a dividing line. After that, no one disappeared in front of Kiritsugu.

No matter it is Shirou, Yamato, the old man Raiga or the young people of the Fujimura group, they have never left after meeting and are still together today.

The previous encounters were just the beginning of parting.

But this kind of happiness is not without reason.

Because what he lost before can never come back.

Kiritsugu had used "traveling" as an excuse several times to trick Shirou into staying at home and go to where Einzbern was. He wanted to rescue his daughter who was left alone in the winter city.

But no matter how persistently Kiritsugu went, Yubusta Kuhayid refused to open the barrier of the forest. This is also a matter of course. Due to Kiritsugu's betrayal at the last moment, Einzbern fell short in the Fourth Holy Grail War. Even if he is sanctioned, he can only remain silent. But Ahad didn't. Does he want to banish the traitors like wild dogs and live in shame for the rest of their lives? Or should Kiritsugu never see his daughter for the rest of his life as the harshest punishment? Anyway, this has become a fact.

If it were Kiritsugu, who was once known as the "Magic Killer", he might be able to forcefully break through this extremely cold barrier and rush to his daughter's side. But now Kiritsugu, who has been exposed to "all the evil in the world", has been eroded by the curse, and his body is weakening step by step. His hands and feet have shrunk, his vision has begun to blur, and he has completely lost the ability to perform magic. He is almost no different from a seriously ill patient. There was nothing he could do to find the starting point of the barrier. He could only wander in the wind and snow until he died.

He understood that all his efforts were in vain - Kiritsugu had been vaguely feeling that his death was approaching recently. It should be said that from the moment he was cursed by the black mud, there was not much time left.

So lately he has been staying at home, lost in memories.

What exactly is your life?——

He thought like this as he and Shirou quietly looked at the shadow of the moon.

"...When I was very young, I longed for the embodiment of justice."

Suddenly, he whispered unconsciously.

Like a ship that sank at the bottom of the water a long time ago, the language that had been forgotten because no one cared about it suddenly blurted out - yes. I don't know when, I seemed to have said this to someone. Although it didn't happen in the end. But when exactly did it happen? ()