Chapter 690

Fate/Stay Night: Emiya Family's Meals

"M-Mikhail!! Someone actually managed to summon him!"

He's practically a legend among legends in Pinoconny; thanks to the home‑field advantage that boosts the attributes of local heroic spirits, Greta's and Asna's Noble Phantasms become incredibly troublesome. But with his reputation… if he were to join the fight, the Holy Grail War would probably be over in no time.

"His Noble Phantasm—could it be summoning the Astral Express?" Rin Tohsaka mused, chin in hand.

"Probably so; good thing we didn't run into that guy back then."

A familiar, irritating voice suddenly sounded from behind her, making Rin Tohsaka jump; that familiar feeling sent a shiver through her whole body.

"A-Archer??" Rin Tohsaka whipped her head around, seeing a red figure who had appeared sometime earlier, arms crossed behind him, so shocked she couldn't even close her mouth.

Archer raised an eyebrow, still wearing his usual mocking, irritating smirk: "What? This Holy Grail War doesn't seem to have lasted very long, does it? You can't even speak properly."

Rin Tohsaka's face flushed with anger: "You jerk… you just came back and already you're pissing me off?! When did you get back?"

"About… ten minutes ago, though the details should be explained by Saber."

"I'm back."

A clear, familiar voice sounded from outside the door, accompanied by the faint rustle of shoes being set down.

As the door was pulled open, the light and shadow at the junction of the living room and entrance flickered slightly; the knight king who had just unleashed her Noble Phantasm in the sky had changed into her familiar casual attire, giving off a strange sense of relaxation.

「Saber？！」

The moment the voice reached him, Shirou Emiya almost instinctively thrust half his body out of the kitchen; the strings of his apron came loose from the sudden motion and fell to his feet, but he didn't notice.

The air seemed to freeze for a moment—

His eyes widened, clearly reflecting the utterly real figure at the entrance. It seemed as if Saber had just been fighting in the sky a moment ago, and in the blink of an eye she was back by his side… after crossing some intangible distance, whether it was the joy of regaining what was lost or some other emotion, his brain short‑circuited for a brief instant.

The living room fell silent for a moment, save for the sizzle of the frying pan cooking meat in the kitchen.

"Saber… welcome, welcome back."

After a long while, Shirou managed to stammer out a sentence.

"Hmm." Saber gave a small smile, her voice softer and gentler than before: "I'm back, Shirou."

"Alright, save the sentimental talk for later—basically, welcome home!"

Illya raised both hands, welcoming the three Servants who had just finished their battle… but then she realized something was missing—there should be one more person.

"What about… Lancer? Didn't he come back with you guys?"

——

"Is the tea from Grigory's hometown still bitter?" Misha asked gently.

"It's a hundred times worse, Pam!"

Misha couldn't help but chuckle: "Pfft, hahaha. I really want to take a sip!"

"And besides, Star keeps dragging the March 7th passengers into mischief; now even Pam's favorite Dan Heng passenger is about to be corrupted."

"Mm‑hmm." Misha nodded with a smile.

"Hey, you passengers are all the same—Mikhail passenger, what are you spacing out about again? What are you thinking?"

Misha looked up at the Daydream Hotel outside the train window, her eyes slightly lowered, then turned to Pam: "Conductor, it looks like it's time to say goodbye again."

"'Will you… will you come back to the train?' Pam approached, reluctant to let go."

"'Probably. hearing Pam talk about how many people like me have boarded the train over the years… it's wonderful.' Misha gazed out at the vast starry river beyond the window, 'Nameless passengers come and go; some find their destination, others keep moving forward, just as the silver rails stretch forever ahead… this is the Astral Express. I believe the conductor's future will never be lonely.'"

Pam slumped her shoulders, saying nothing.

"'The Holy Grail War is ending, and the wandering souls should return to rest. Misha… you're going back to Pinoconny.'"

Finally, Pam lifted her head and emphasized solemnly: 'Mikhail passenger, remember this—whether you leave or not, the Astral Express is the eternal home of the nameless passengers. Pam… will always stay here, welcoming you back.'

Misha smiled and nodded: 'All right, it's a deal, Conductor. The next time the train stops at Pinoconny, please blow the whistle for me, for Lazulina, for Dan Heng… for us. If we can hear it, we'll definitely come back to see you.'

"'Then it's settled, Pam!'"

——

Demon Slayer

"Ugh… I suddenly wish the Holy Grail War would last a little longer! I really want to see Pam and Mikhail talk more… ugh…"

The Love Pillar wiped away tears and snot, crying so hard she could barely breathe, choking nonstop.

"I never expected Mikhail to be summoned by Pam, but upon reflection it makes sense… aside from the Old Emperor, the bond between those two must be the deepest, right?" said Iguro Obanai, the Serpent Pillar.

"Hmm, I'm wondering if there's a possibility… if another Holy Grail War were to happen, instead of fighting each other, the factions could simply resurrect the dead, giving them a second life to live in Pinoconny… or perhaps let Mikhail and Dan Heng return to the train—could that be done?"

Shinobu Kocho thought seriously; the Holy Grail War never explicitly mentioned a time limit for this slaughter, and if we could convince everyone to abandon the wish, it would mean the killing was never necessary from the start.

"The Servants' bodies are anchored in reality by the Holy Grail's power—if we maintain the Grail's stability, could Mikhail be resurrected and live long in the world?"

"Probably… though the Old Emperor would surely not allow it." said the Serpent Pillar calmly.

"Why wouldn't he allow it?! Doesn't the Old Emperor want to see Mikhail?" the Love Pillar snapped, wiping away tears; thinking of the Old Emperor's deeds made her furious.

"He probably still wants to see him… but that guy would likely prefer to see money flowing into his own pocket. Without the 'war' in 'Holy Grail War,' that certainly wouldn't be his wish."

——

"'If you had a chance to make a wish come true, Star, what would you wish for?'"

"Star shook her head, feigning mystery: 'Wishes like that lose their power if you speak them aloud.'"

"'That's so like you. In any case, the Old Emperor's first Holy Grail War, which he mobilized masses for, also turned out to be the last.'"

"However, Reiko and Dr. Edward still made a fortune for the Old Emperor with their dream‑bubble film based on the Holy Grail War; although dragging the head of the household and shareholders into it meant he'd face huge compensation, the Old Emperor thought paying money was too vulgar, so he decided to give them the most valuable thing from the Holy Grail War instead."

"As she spoke, the robin pointed to a golden Holy Grail floating nearby in midair."

"'And according to him… "Heh heh heh heh, when it comes to decorating the Glory Stone, what could be more impressive than a cup that claims to grant any wish?"'

The robin's tone, almost identical to his, startled Star, leaving the robin a bit embarrassed for a moment.

"'In short, Mr. Screw Gum was entrusted with rendering the Holy Grail harmless. Now it's just an ordinary dream‑bubble, with no extraordinary properties left.'"

Suddenly, the keen-eyed Zhigengniao seemed to have discovered something.

Huh? What's in the Holy Grail—Zhi Xing, this note seems to be for you.

The signature on the note is 'Han Tui Shu Shu'.

Sisters, I see you're all busy, so I'll take Hu Ke and leave first. I still need to thank old Mr. Ao Di—he's willing to buy this rare item I got hold of, so we can finally have money for a spontaneous trip.

Speaking of which, aren't you curious what wish Old Sang Bo wants to make on the Holy Grail?

(Not curious.)

Xing secretly said in her heart.

However, when she flipped the note over, there, conspicuously written, was: 'I guess your answer is definitely 【Not curious】. Hey, sisters, you're not curious—what else are the audience expecting? Everyone, the show's already over, but if there's anything that could make my wish come true—'

"I hope everyone in the world is happy, joyful, and free, and gets what they wish for."