"Uh... are you No Name?"
Kiritsugu was no fool. The moment he saw Archer's confused expression, he sensed that something was off.
So, while questioning the newly summoned Servant, he also sent a message to No Name in the Q&A group.
"Servant Archer, responding to the summons," Archer finally spoke, regaining his composure and forcing a calm demeanor. "Sorry, but I'm not No Name."
Kiritsugu: "I see. My mistake."
By then, No Name had already replied in the group chat, confirming that the person before Kiritsugu was indeed not him.
It seemed this Archer was a version of Shirou Emiya who had become a Heroic Spirit in this world.
Kiritsugu: "Why won't you tell me your name?"
"...I am just a nameless nobody. If you wish, you may call me Nobody. Or simply Archer."
"You..."
Seeing Archer act this way, Kiritsugu wasn't sure what to say.
The Moon Cell Holy Grail War and their own world were completely different, so logically, this Archer's past should also be different from No Name's.
Yet, strangely enough, he seemed even more detached than No Name.
Kiritsugu: "Well, don't you have any questions?"
Archer: "..."
Of course, he had countless questions, but he didn't even know where to begin.
"Hey, what are you two doing?"
Taiga, unable to hold back any longer, stepped forward and scolded Archer.
"Shirou! Why are you acting so distant? You're meeting your long-lost father, and instead of running up and hugging him, you're standing there like a statue?!"
"???"
Hearing his real name spoken so casually, Archer was completely stunned.
His appearance was nothing like his younger self. Anyone who had known him in the past would never have recognized him at first glance.
"Alright, stop just standing there. Sit down already."
Irisviel laughed and called toward the second floor. "Shirou, take your sister back to bed."
"Hey, I'm not even sleepy!"
Seeing that she had been discovered, Illya no longer bothered to hide. Instead, she ran downstairs, throwing herself into Irisviel's arms and acting spoiled.
Naturally, Emiya Shirou followed along.
The moment Red Archer laid eyes on his younger self, his gaze sharpened, and he instinctively suppressed the urge to attack.
But how could his actions escape Kiritsugu's keen perception?
A veteran of battle, Kiritsugu immediately noticed Red Archer's hostility. The thought of using a Command Seal flashed through his mind, ready to restrain his Servant before anything happened. But at the same time, doubt crept in—was he wrong?
Was this man really Shirou Emiya?
Why would his future self want to kill his past self?
Kiritsugu exchanged glances with Irisviel, silently signaling her. She nodded and quickly took Illya and Shirou away, dragging Fujimura Taiga along as well.
Now, only the two of them remained.
"Now that it's just us," Kiritsugu said, his voice firm, "let's have a proper conversation."
Red Archer remained silent for a moment before finally speaking. "...Tell me, how did you figure out my identity?"
"You'll find out soon enough," Kiritsugu replied, keeping his guard up.
The one certainty in all this was that Red Archer was his summoned Servant. That meant that when the next Q&A session began, he would undoubtedly be pulled into the group.
And once that happened, he would learn everything.
Kiritsugu's expression hardened. "Archer, tell me the truth. Were you about to attack Shirou just now?"
"...Yes."
Kiritsugu narrowed his eyes. "Why?"
"...I just want to break this damn cycle."
A long silence followed.
Kiritsugu could hear the weariness in his voice—the weight of countless burdens.
He exhaled lightly. "Tell me what you've been through. If you want to."
"...I can."
Perhaps it was because he had held it in for too long, but now that he had finally found someone willing to listen, the words spilled out.
He spoke of how he was dragged into the Fifth Holy Grail War and, together with Artoria, destroyed the Grail. He spoke of how he had gone to the Clock Tower, studied under Tohsaka Rin, and later became a wandering magus in the Middle East, acting as a vigilante.
Ten years later, he failed to stop the meltdown of a power plant's core, and in desperation, he signed a contract with the Counter Force, becoming its enforcer—just as Emiya Kiritsugu once had.
In the end, he was betrayed and died.
And even in death, there was no peace. He became a Heroic Spirit, trapped in an endless cycle of killing—slaughtering as he had in life, over and over again.
By the time Red Archer finished his story, Kiritsugu was stunned.
Except for the first half of his life, wasn't everything else exactly the same as No Name's story?
The similarity was too great. It made Kiritsugu wonder if the Counter Force had deliberately orchestrated this.
Now, it was Red Archer who broke the silence. "Now you understand why I wanted to kill my past self."
"If that's the case," Kiritsugu said, "then you can give up now. Your future in this world has already changed."
Red Archer finally snapped out of his daze.
Everything had happened so fast that he hadn't fully processed it. But now, he finally noticed the most important detail.
"Wait… Father, what year is it?"
"2004."
"!!!"
Red Archer's expression froze. "That's impossible! You should be—"
"Dead?" Kiritsugu smiled faintly. "I should have been. But everything changed after the Fourth Holy Grail War."
"You don't have to worry about Shirou following your path anymore," he continued. "At least in this world… he won't."
—
A few days later, at the Tohsaka residence…
"Sakura!"
Rin's eyes lit up as she rushed forward to embrace her long-lost sister.
"It's been a while, Sister," Sakura smiled. "Even though we talk every day in the group."
"Yeah, but it's been years since we've actually seen each other." Rin took a step back, giving Sakura's arm a firm squeeze. "You've gotten so strong!"
"Luvia-neesan trains me every day," Sakura said with a chuckle.
Not long after the second Q&A session, Tohsaka Tokiomi had arranged for Sakura to be adopted by the Edelfelt family.
After reading about the Case Files timeline, Tokiomi had come to believe that Luvia was a far more suitable guardian than the old worm ever could be.
Sakura squeezed Rin's arm in return. "You're not bad yourself, Sister. You're in great shape."
Rin grinned proudly. "That's because I train in Bajiquan every day!"
When she saw Luvia's wrestling skills in the Q&A videos, Rin had felt an overwhelming sense of competitiveness. For some reason, she wanted to surpass her.
So, she pestered Tokiomi until he let Kotomine Risei teach her Bajiquan.
After Young Li Shuwen joined the Q&A group, Rin frequently consulted him for advice. Thanks to that, her strength steadily improved.
Unfortunately, Kotomine Risei had already passed away last year due to old age.
"Enough about that," Rin said, dismissing the thought. "You're sleeping with me tonight! We have to make up for lost time as sisters."
"Ahem."
A deliberate cough interrupted them.
Tohsaka Tokiomi stood nearby, subtly reminding his daughter that they had guests.
A girl with golden twin-drills and a refined air stood at the entrance, looking around. Luvia Edelfelt.
That's right—Sakura hadn't returned alone.
Her current sister, Luvia, had accompanied her.
Luvia silently observed Rin's attitude toward Sakura. Internally, she was quite satisfied.
But for some reason… she still didn't like her.
And so, fate brought Tohsaka Rin and Luvia Edelfelt together at last.
"So, this is where Sakura used to live?" Luvia glanced around. "What a small, rustic little home in the countryside."
The second she spoke, Rin's temper flared.
"What the hell did you just say?! No one even invited you here!"
"Hmph. You really are a country girl—so uncouth." Luvia crossed her arms. "And what do you mean no one invited me? I graciously agreed to come because my sister asked me to see her former home."
She emphasized the word "sister."
The meaning was obvious.
Rin immediately erupted. "Sakura is my sister, not yours!"
"Oh? Sorry, but she's my sister now. She has nothing to do with you anymore."
"You little—!"
The distance between them closed as the tension rose, their glares sparking like fire.
"Alright, enough," Sakura said, stepping between them with a smile.
She wasn't angry.
She knew Luvia meant no harm. It was just her personality.
"You're both my sisters," Sakura said firmly. "But if you can't settle this peacefully, how about we just have a duel?"
Rin blinked. "...What?"
Luvia sighed, rubbing her temple. "...Of course."
Rin was confused. Luvia, however, knew her sister all too well.
Sakura may seem sweet, but deep down… she was terrifying.
(To be continued.)
***
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