8. In the End, a Star Becomes a Wish

Are you all ready to go? Everyone have everything? Good.

Because in about thirty minutes, this Singularity will disappear, and it'll be back to the regular Kumano Hot Springs.

When that happens, Fujimaru, Mash, Servant Soujyuro, and I will all return to our respective time periods.

Anyone who was already here will stay here, although their memories of the Singularity will be a little fuzzy.

Yes, we know. We finished cleaning our room, so we're ready to leave at any time.

？！

I'm glad to hear that. If you enjoyed your stay here, I hope you'll come visit us again.

You said you were both from 2019, yes? Then I'll do my best to keep the inn in business until then, hehehe.

Why're you wearing your disguise again? You look shadier than ever dressed like that.

Well, you know, since this is goodbye and all, I thought I'd make extra sure the newcomers remember me!

Bye, Fujimaru and Mash! I'll have twice as many hot springs here when you visit in eighteen years!

Hm? Hang on. Am I going to disappear when the Singularity does?

No. I'm still not sure why, but you're registered as a Heroic Spirit in the Throne now...

...so you'll be summoned independently from the original Soujyuro. Although, that might only apply to Chaldea.

Right. Your Servant self and your original self from this time are different people.

Come to think of it, where DID the original Soujyuro go?

Well, it would've been confusing having two of the same person in one place, right?

So my guess is, Aoko One spotted him walking around the inn and hurled him back to Tokyo.

Oh. So that's why you went off with that scary look on your face on the first afternoon!

Heya. I just wanted to stop by, since it looks like this is it.

Thanks for helping me out on that misty day. It ain't often you get to experience something like that.

It sucks that I won't remember you guys, but at least you'll remember me, right? I can live with that.

And hey, if someone you know ever buys some haunted property and gets cursed, give me a call.

If you tell me you know my secret, I'll probably panic and give you a discount!

HellO. Allow ME to once aGAin apologiZE for the trOuble I caused You.

Now THAT the oX GOd is gone, I no LONger have aNy reason to staY on this mounTAin...

...but fortuNATEly, Lord SUgitani has AGReed to help ME search for my masTEr.

It is gooD to hAVe a goal. It SOUnds like yoUR trip still has A long way TO go...

...so plEAse take CAre, and let mE know if yOu ever need my HElp.

You know, you really had us fooled, Kuonji. You knew what was happening here the whole time.

This isn't a mystery novel, where the least suspicious person is the culprit. Why didn't you speak up sooner?

I didn't know about the connection between Wanwan and Shiny Star. Or rather, I didn't think there was one.

I was planning to find Shiny Star on my own once we'd dealt with Wanwan and solved Aoko's serial murder mystery.

Hm? So then, you didn't invite Aozaki to your room on the first night so you could cover up evidence. Instead

I just wanted to talk with her for the first time in a while.

I've seen you and Sizuki a few times since we graduated, but I hadn't heard from Aoko.

...Oh. That explains it. I thought that was weird.

The Alice I knew would never go in an outdoor bath with a girl she had only just met.

Now I see. You pushed yourself to keep us company because it had been so long since we'd seen each other.

...It wasn't THAT big a deal.

Our time together was just so short. We've never had a chance to go on a trip together.

Thank you all again for all your help. Are you leaving already?

The air surrounding this inn is so much lighter now. I'm sure it won't be long before it becomes popular again.

...What am I going to do now? Well...

There aren't any evil spirits that need exorcising anymore, but Mr. Kumanoin begged me to stay here anyway.

He said there would be debt collectors coming that are scarier than any evil spirit, so he was hoping I could twist them just a little to scare them away.

What a rascal that innkeeper is.

So it looks like I'll be staying here for a while longer. I guess that makes me this inn's new guardian.

Looks like this is goodbye for me, too. I've gotta make my regular check-in with the wife in the old building.

Anything you want me to pass on to her, Aozaki? I know she'd love to hear from you.

Tell her "I'm doing well, and I hope you are, too. Also, I'm officially calling our CD vs. cassette debate a draw."

Haha, are you serious? Well, I guess that does sound like something you'd say. And at least it'll be easy to remember.

Goodbye, Fujimaru, Mash. I wish I could've heard more about the future, but you gave me a good sense of it anyway.

It sounds like things might be a little bleak, but at least I've learned there will be good people like you to rise to the challenge.

Oh, perfect timing. I was hoping I might catch you before you left.

I have no idea what happened or what changed after that incident...

...but I can tell from the looks on your faces that you accomplished something big.

I'm sorry I couldn't be there with you. I'm sure it must have been quite a spectacle.

...Oh, it looks like our taxi is here. Hey, not that way! Oh, dear.

I'm sorry for leaving so suddenly, but I'm afraid we must be on our way now. Still, I do hope you'll invite me the next time something like this happens.

Um, excuse me. Are you the Kumano Inn's detectives?

It's a pleasure to finally meet you. My wife's told me all about you. It sounds like you helped her out a lot.

Maybe I shouldn't be saying this, but she's always been something of a sucker for ghost stories, so...

Oh, right. I still haven't introduced myself, have I? I'm Ryougi Mikiya.

Please forgive me for not paying my respects sooner. Our daughter hasn't been feeling well lately, so I've been busy taking care of her.

Go on, Mana. Can you say hello to your mother's friends?

...

I'm sorry, she's still dealing with a fever. Anyway, I'm sorry to chat and run, but we'd better be on our way now. Thank you again for everything.

...Bye-bye.

You know, it might be kind of late to be asking this, but...

...what's Chaldea like, anyway, Fujimaru?

...Huh, I see. Sometimes busy, sometimes chaotic, sometimes relaxing, sometimes nostalgic, huh.

That sounds like a great workplace. It might even be a good fit for Sizuki.

You probably know this by now, but he really just moves at his own pace.

That's not fair. I prefer to think of it as "Doing what I can, where I can."

Fujimaru's the same way. We might take risks, but we don't go overboard.

Oh!

Sorry to interrupt your admiration, Mash, but I hope you know you're going to need to rein him in so he doesn't get too out of hand.

Anyway, since you two are so alike, I have a question for you.

Why did you believe me and agree to help? Aoko One was acting super suspicious the whole time, right?

That's true. It was clear from the start that something wasn't right.

But that doesn't mean I didn't trust her. Knowing you, it was pretty much a given that you were just trying to help.

...

Fujimaru said something similar. Well, maybe not with words, but with your spirit, the way you expressed yourself. Right?

Okay, we're here! Time to start erasing this Singularity!

When this is over, I'll be back where I belong, and you guys will go back to Chaldea.

That includes you too, Soujyuro. You're going to keep working for humanity as a Servant.

？！

I'm originally from this time, so I'm just going to see you all off.

Aoko might have come here from the far futurethat is, your present...

...but from your perspective, I'm just a stranger from the distant past.

Still...the bond we developed here may be enough that I end up dropping by Chaldea myself.

It does sound like you can use all the help you can get, after all. So if that happens, I won't be too upset.

Me neither. I would love to see you again if we can.

That's really nice of you, Mash. So, because you and Fujimaru are so nice...

...and you didn't give up on me even after I'd been murdered several times...I have a present for you!

But first, answer me this: Were you two looking for the left Holy Grail, or the right one?

？！

Wh-what should we do, Master!? I think those might be synthetic Holy Grails!

That's right! These aren't your ordinary Holy Grails! But don't worry, you can still use them just like any other!

I embedded the magical energy I used to send the Singularity through time and hold it in place into a couple pieces of the Shiny Star...

...then I had Alice make them look like proper Holy Grails.

You helped both a Magician and a Witch set things right after they messed up, after all. This was the least we could do to thank you.

？！

Oh. Looks like it's time.

Goodbye, Fujimaru, Mash, Alice, and Soujyuro.

It wasn't always easy, but I still had a blast. I can already tell this is gonna be another fond memory for me.

And hey, unlike Alice, I always show up right away when I'm called on, so I'll definitely see you again if the world's ever in serious trouble!

She just had to go out with another foreboding statement, didn't she? But, that's just the way Aozaki is.

Anyway, this is it for us. We're counting on you to take it from here, Alice.

I'm sure my present-day self will show up soon after I'm gone, so will you fill him in on everything that happened?

...Okay. It'll be a little hassle, but I'll make sure I remember.

In exchange...can I touch your right hand?

Sure. Here you go.

...I'm sorry.

Alice?

It's nothing. ...Thank you for staying well.

It looks like the Singularity's time is up.

These last six days have been a lot of fun. I guess human mages aren't all bad after all.

But now, this miracle's about to end. May everyone get back to their proper time.

Farewell, summoner of Chaldea.

I'm sure your nights won't all be peaceful...but I pray you'll be suitably rewarded when they're over.

Goodbye. May we meet again, beneath the stars.

？！

Oh, man. I can't believe I messed up that bad. I mean, I don't want to believe it.

Well, this situation is what I find hard to believe. What're you doing at Chaldea before me?

Aren't you usually supposed to let a little more time pass before you just show up?

Hey, I took plenty of time to get here. You were just slow to Rayshift, that's all.

Although, it did help that Fujimaru and Mash's signals were so easy to recognize.

That helped me jump here in no time! And my head feels great too, thanks to all that information you shared!

That's great to hear.

Since you and Soujyuro both just got here, would you like us to show you around?

Uh... Maybe later?

(I'd hate to spoil the mood by admitting that I came here on my own power, so I need to leave soon...)

Ahem. Excuse me, Fujimaru?

Could you come see me right away? I have a question or three for you about the Holy Grails you just submitted.

S-Senpai! I think this means the engineering team is conducting an official investigation!

You should explain what happened, or you'll be stuck taking a remedial study course for a whole day!

？！

Okay, now that I got to see them doing well, I'd better be on my way.

Give them my regards, okay?

Don't be ridiculous. No matter how you put it, that's just leaving them high and dry. It's rude.

You make it sound like I'm dining and dashing.

Oh, fine. I'm really pushing my luck, but I guess I can stay a little longer.

There you go. You wouldn't be you if you always took the easy way out. Our recklessness is nothing compared to yours.

I don't know whether to be flattered or offended by that. All right then, tell me this.

There's still one thing about what Fujimaru told me I don't get.

Way back when this all started in 1999...I'd already lost.

There was nothing I could do to turn things around.

Apparently, I told you that I sent the Singularity into the future because I couldn't win.

But how could I pull off a big move like that when I didn't even have time to run away?

And yet, somehow, I did. Some impossible miracle happened that gave me the chance I needed.

Be honest, Soujyuro. What'd you do?

...

Well, I can't think of what it could be, but...

...I probably did whatever I could. Anyone else would do the same, right?

"It's no use! I can't get any closer! This endless emission is just insane!"

"This disaster was supposed to be a simple job, dammit! Not an actual apocalypse!"

"Shooting it doesn't work, hitting it doesn't work, kicking it doesn't work... It's like this thing doesn't obey the laws of the universe at all!"

, ,

, ,

"Yikes, that was too close! Good thing I managed to shift at the last moment!"

"What the hell IS that thing!? It doesn't obey the laws of physics, you can never tell when it's about to do something..."

"It attacks constantly, and I have no idea what it even is!"

, ,

"Still, it's gotta run out of steam eventually, right!? Are you seriously telling me it's a star from outer space here to destroy the world!?"

...All right.

"Unknown coordinates."

"The wraith falls to the evil spirit slayer."

Now! Tour Plan, Horizon!

I'm forfeiting this game and putting this whole Singularity on time-out!