Chapter 405: Continuation 2

Lin blurted out, and a clear reluctance showed on her small face.

Although they had only a short time together, this mysterious and powerful older sister (and the pink‑haired, somewhat clumsy but very kind San Yue Qi sister) left a deep impression on her, especially when they rescued Ying from the terrifying Jian Tong Family.

Ying also lifted her head, a veil of moisture instantly clouding her violet eyes, and her small hand unconsciously clenched the hem of her clothes.

Chang Ye Yue watched them, and the fingertips holding the umbrella twitched slightly.

She was not a sentimental person, but these two children—especially Ying—...

"Hmm, we have to go."

Her voice softened a bit, "The matters here... are temporarily concluded."

"Holy Grail War... really ended?" Yuanban Shichen couldn't help asking; it was the question he cared about most.

"It's over."

Chang Ye Yue affirmed, a subtle curve lifting the corner of her mouth, "In a... hmm, very thorough way. Winterwood probably won't have such a ceremony again, at least the original version won't."

She omitted the details of Aha blowing up the Holy Grail; that would have been too shocking to a Magus's cognition.

Yuanban Shichen truly let out a sigh of relief, his whole body seeming to go limp a few degrees.

The pain in his backside seemed to ease.

Without the Holy Grail, without the ensuing slaughter, the Yuanban Family was preserved, and its two daughters were safe...

What could be a better ending?

As for why the Holy Grail vanished...

Given his current level and condition, he lacked the capacity to investigate further for now.

"Sister Chang Ye Yue..."

Lin stepped forward, tilting her small face upward, "Will you come back? Can we... see you again, and San Yue Qi sister?"

Ying also nodded timidly, her violet eyes full of hope.

Chang Ye Yue was silent for a moment.

A farewell across worlds?

For her it was not difficult, but for these two children living in the ordinary timeline of the Xingyue World, it was almost an impossible luxury.

Yet looking into their eyes, she did not wish to give a cold denial.

"Perhaps."

She said ambiguously, and at the same time extended her hand, where two translucent, as if carved from red crystal, blossoms materialized in her palm.

The blossoms were vivid, with a faint glow swirling inside. "This, for you."

She handed the two Crystal Flowers to Lin and Ying respectively.

The flowers felt slightly cool to the touch, yet carried a comforting warmth.

"If you encounter a trouble you cannot solve, or... just want someone to talk to,"

A rare gentleness flashed in Chang Ye Yue's crimson eyes, "Just speak to it. I may not be able to answer right away, but... it might bring a bit of luck."

It was no empty promise.

The Crystal Flower contained a trace of the fate of "Memory" and her personal imprint.

Under certain circumstances, it might take effect.

The Crystal Flower's touch was warm; the two girls held it curiously, the reluctance in their eyes diluted by novelty and a hint of hope.

"Really?" Ying whispered, pressing the Crystal Flower tightly against her chest.

"Of course."

Chang Ye Yue stood, ruffling the two children's hair, "Grow up well, Lin, Ying. Remember, what you possess is far more than you imagine."

She then looked at the barely upright Yuanban Shichen, "To the Tohsaka Patriarch, take good care of yourself."

Having spoken, she opened the Black Umbrella again, her silhouette like ink dropped into water, slowly fading into the tent's shadows.

Lin and Ying stared at the warm Crystal Flowers in their palms, then gazed toward where Chang Ye Yue had vanished, silent for a long while.

Yuanban Shichen fell into contemplation.

His power, his words, and the bizarre trajectory of the Holy Grail War...

Perhaps the Yuanban Family's future truly requires some new considerations.

A Xing had both hands in her pockets, tapping her boots as she sauntered down the near‑dead silent street.

When the battle ended and the clamor faded, Dongmu City seemed to have been drained of its last breath, leaving only ruins and broken walls.

Most survivors had gathered at a few temporary aid points; this place was empty.

But she didn't feel bored.

Her gaze swept the street corners, alley mouths, the entrances of collapsed shops like a radar...

Searching for those cylindrical outlines.

Trash cans.

Although most of the city was destroyed, some tenacious—or cleverly positioned—trash cans survived.

To A Xing, the temptation to explore these was hardly less than exploring the starry sky.

Hard work pays off.

At the end of a relatively intact alley, she saw a green trash can half‑concealed behind a collapsed billboard.

More importantly, the rim of that trash can faintly emitted an… unusual glow.

A Xing's golden eyes, lacking a highlight, seemed to focus slightly.

She quickened her steps toward the glowing trash can.

Just as she reached out, her fingertip about to touch the suspicious gap at the lid's edge—

Another hand, from the other side of the trash can, also reached out.

Both hands almost simultaneously stopped a few centimeters above the trash‑can lid.

A Xing: "…"

She turned her head slowly.

The other party obviously froze as well, their movement stiffened, and they also looked over.

Their gazes met.

The wind lifted dust and paper scraps from the ground, swirling between the two of them.

Standing on the other side of the trash can was Yan Feng Qili.

He still wore that slightly tattered black cleric robe, his face expressionless, but his eyes were no longer as hollow as before, seeming to contain a bit… of settled something.

The two of them, separated by a trash can emitting a dubious faint glow, stared at each other for several seconds.

"Teacher."

Yan Feng Qili spoke first, his voice steady, breaking the eerie silence.

A Xing withdrew her hand, stood upright, and nodded, as a response.

She looked at Yan Feng Qili, then glanced at the trash can that still stubbornly emitted a faint glow.

Yan Feng Qili also stood straight, his gaze falling on A Xing, as if observing and weighing his words.

"Are you… about to leave?"

He asked, his tone revealing little emotion.

A Xing paused briefly, then nodded.

"Where are you going?" Yan Feng Qili pressed.

A Xing fell silent for a moment, seeming to consider how to describe.

"Very far."

She finally uttered two words, then added, "Another world."

This phrasing might be somewhat abstract to Yan Feng Qili, but it was factual.

Yan Feng Qili nodded, showing little surprise.

After experiencing so much, even the strangest events seemed tolerable.

"I see." He said softly.

The atmosphere fell silent again.

Only the wind rustling in the alley and the faint sounds faintly emanating from within the trash can.

"Pleasure," A Xing suddenly spoke, her golden eyes looking at Yan Feng Qili, "Did you find it?"

Yan Feng Qili's body trembled slightly.