Chapter 49. Yukino's Affection Greatly Increases, Kaguya's Younger Sister, Celestial Curtain Temporarily Draws to a Close!
[Fuyuki City, night falls.]
[All is silent, the silver moonlight gently weaves across the earth like silk.]
[A sanctuary belonging to the Enoshima family, solemn and sacred.]
[The sound of an ancient bell echoes, and this place of divine offering once again welcomes new guests—a group of handsome young men and beautiful women, led by a young man in a pure white coat, bearing a gentle smile and elegant speech.]
[Beside him stands a stern-looking blonde female knight, and a black-haired girl who appears tense.]
[Meanwhile, Raku Sou's Servant, the white-haired female Archer, has chosen "Spiritual Form," hiding in the void, ready to appear at any sign of danger.]
[As though sensing the group's arrival, the grand doors slowly creak open.]
[A onee-san with fluffy twin tails steps out gracefully, smiling softly.]
[She wears an exquisite nun outfit, but radiates none of the sacred solemnity—her tall, ripe-peach-like figure, curvy hips, and flowing lines exude a charm more akin to a succubus than a holy sister.]
[The moment she lays eyes on the young man in white, Enoshima Junko smiles warmly and sincerely.]
["Raku-kun, long time no see."]
["Senpai, it's been a while."]
[Raku Sou also smiles calmly, naturally taking Yukino's hand and stepping inside.]
[His gaze carries a hint of nostalgia—he once spent time here in his youth. Perhaps it wasn't entirely pleasant, but the passage of time softens memories into something one longs for.]
["Is there a reason you called me here…?"]
["To come all the way here and even bring along such a cute girl—don't tell me she's your wife?"]
[Enoshima Junko raises an eyebrow, teasing as she looks at Yukinoshita Yukino.]
["N-no… she's not…"]
[Yukino flusters, hurriedly waving her hands.]
[Raku Sou rests his thumb under his chin, thinking for a moment: "For now, let's say she's an ally."]
["Ally?!"]
[Enoshima Junko is surprised, and her eyes shift to Yukino's fair wrist, only then noticing the three bright red Command Seals, immediately revealing her identity as a participant in the Holy Grail War.]
[Unbelievable…]
[Who would have thought the genius once fiercely contested over by even the Clock Tower would ally with such an obscure, unknown girl.]
["What's so surprising about that?"]
[The white-coated young master smiles serenely, appearing even more pure and handsome under the moonlight.]
[Enoshima Junko arches a brow: "So what do you want from me? Even if I'm the Judge for this Holy Grail War, favoritism is out of the question—I've always been a person of integrity."]
["It's not that complicated. I just want you to explain the Holy Grail War rules to Yukinoshita-san."]
[Raku Sou speaks casually, lips curling into a warm smile.]
["Tch, and here I thought something more exciting was going to happen."]
[Enoshima Junko pouts, full of complaints.]
[Though she grumbles, her body obediently moves toward the flustered Yukino.]
[Soon after, the twin-tailed woman begins to hum softly, explaining the rules.]
["First of all, we need to make one thing clear: the so-called 'Holy Grail War' is a battle to seize the 'Holy Grail,' which can grant the wish of its possessor…"]
The background BGM of Celestial Curtain becomes soft and melodious, as if truly delivering a divine sermon.
All over the world, countless eyes are fixed on this harmonious scene, their expressions shifting from shock to bewilderment.
Ordinarily, the『Holy Church』—which previously harbored the King of Heroes, Gilgamesh, in the last Holy Grail War—should be considered a high-risk area. If Enoshima Junko were deliberately concealing something, she would surely harbor grand ambitions.
With an ambush setup, it might even be possible to one-shot-kill both Masters, who possess fragile human bodies.
Yet why, then, is Enoshima Junko truly explaining the rules to Yukinoshita Yukino?
Are they crazy, or is this world crazy?
"Maybe… Gilgamesh isn't confident he can take on the other Servants?"
A random A scratches his head and speculates.
Also, a silver-haired professor with sharp eyes voiced his dissent.
"It's also possible that Enoshima Junko is wary of Raku Sou. After all, according to her own description, Raku Sou is a genius so exceptional that even the most authoritative magical organization in the world, the『Clock Tower』, fought to recruit him..."
"A genius of this caliber usually carries trump cards beyond common understanding."
"Makes sense."
General MacArthur nodded in agreement, a look of emotion appearing on his face.
Up until now, no genius representing their America had appeared in Celestial Curtain.
Though seven Heroic Spirits had already been revealed, they all hailed from Celtic mythology, Greek mythology, Japanese mythology, etc.
A sigh of helpless sorrow and lingering pain.
Amid the grand stage of Celestial Curtain.
Scene after scene passed swiftly, time flew by.
[Sanctuary, about half an hour later.]
[Under Junko's playful smile, the rules of the Holy Grail War had been fully explained.]
["So this is the Holy Grail War..."]
[On a dim seat, Yukinoshita Yukino took a deep breath.]
[Her hands trembled slightly, clearly realizing the terrifying maelstrom she had been swept into.]
[This was a catastrophe engulfing the entire city. Every choice she made would set the gears of fate in motion, affecting the predetermined trajectory of Fuyuki City's future.]
[The great fire that consumed all of Fuyuki ten years ago was merely an aftershock of the Fourth Holy Grail War—the Servants fought without restraint, and the seven magi Masters only fueled the flames further...]
[The result was the complete destruction of Fuyuki City and a reconstruction after disaster!]
[A prosperous area spanning approximately 557.1 km² reduced to ash, over a million lives lost...]
[According to Junko, the Fifth Holy Grail War would be no less severe than the Fourth.]
[Even a slight misstep could spark a massacre, costing millions of lives!]
[And for that reason…]
[She must save those innocent lives!]
["Thank you very much, Enoshima-san."]
[The girl's eyes flickered gently. She stood up and offered her heartfelt gratitude.]
[Enoshima Junko lazily waved a hand: "No need to be so polite. As the Judge of the Holy Grail War, it's only natural that I clarify the pros and cons for every participant."]
["After talking for so long, I can finally send you off. My mouth's all dry now."]
[Junko's voice echoed through the air.]
[Everyone seated understood—this was the cue to leave.]
[Seeing this, Raku Sou smiled politely: "Thank you for your time, senpai."]
["No worries. Raku-kun, do your best and win this Holy Grail War~!"]
[The fluffy-haired onee-san gave a lazy snort, casting a meaningful glance at Raku Sou.]
["Piece of cake~"]
[The white-coated young master calmly raised a hand with a thumbs-up gesture, then took Yukino's hand and stepped out.]
[Before long, their figures disappeared into the distance, and the holy church returned to its deathly silence.]
Many were lost in thought.
The massive amount of information exchanged in their conversation was enough to reconstruct countless connections.
"It's almost certain now—the one who destroyed Fuyuki City during the last Holy Grail War was Yukinoshita Haruno."
Someone murmured.
From the words once revealed by Saber Ahoge—Artoria—it had been Haruno who used a Command Spell to order the destruction of the Holy Grail.
This meant that the ending of the Holy Grail War was very likely the direct cause of the city's destruction.
"No… my sister is kind. She would never do something like that."
Yukinoshita Yukino shook her head, her eyes betraying a flicker of shock and confusion.
Of course she understood her sister better than anyone.
But what kind of person Haruno was in a parallel world—if one hadn't seen it with their own eyes… who could say for sure…?
For now, all she could do was bet.
And hope that her sister in the other world… was a good person too.
...
[In a corner of the holy church, golden light suddenly flashed, the Oldest King – Gilgamesh – calmly spoke.]
["This king did not expect that you would enjoy such childish games."]
["Isn't some great hero also hiding his head and covering his tail?"]
[Enoshima Junko covered her mouth and giggled, licking her lips, her aura carrying a chilling madness.]
["Hmph~ such disrespectful words—if they had come from someone else's mouth, their head would have already rolled."]
[Gilgamesh showed displeasure, snorted coldly: "I didn't expect that after the last Holy Grail War, when I saw that mongrel again, the splendid flames, the dazzling light in his eyes... had completely disappeared."]
["Truly disappointing. I originally thought that no matter how filthy this era may be, there would still be a noble human worthy of existing..."]
[The expression of the King of Heroes turned cold, then faded away within Junko's strange laughter.]
"The key point goes back to ten years ago…"
The famous detective Hattori Heiji furrowed his brow, eyes glued to the Celestial Curtain, not missing a single detail.
There was too little information from the last Holy Grail War. No matter how sharp his mind was, he couldn't deduce anything.
Damn it,
If only there were a few more clues...
"Hattori Detective, there's been a murder!"
Suddenly, someone outside shouted in panic, cutting through the thoughts of the tanned young man.
"Coming right away."
Hattori Heiji sighed, having no choice but to return to his real-life crime-solving career.
...
[Under the hazy moonlight, a small path flooded in the neon glow of Fuyuki City, two people walked side by side.]
["Raku-kun, why… do you want to help me…?!"]
[The black-haired beauty hesitated for a moment, then finally took a deep breath and spoke.]
[Though Yukinoshita Yukino had the aspiration to become an "Ally of Justice," she was still the ice-cold flower atop Homurahara Academy's peak—she disliked owing others, and disliked receiving unprovoked help.]
[Though this debt might never be repaid in her lifetime, she still wanted to know the answer.]
[Hearing this, the corners of Raku Sou's mouth slightly curled, revealing a carefree smile.]
[He raised his head to look at the moonlight and chuckled softly: "Hmm? Why, huh? Maybe it's because I already like you~"]
[The young man's voice was gentle, carrying a teasing tone—half playful, half sincere.]
[He recalled the moment Yukino established the club to help others, that proud aura like a plum blossom blooming amidst snowy mountains… truly stirred the heart a little.]
["Raku-kun, stop joking already..."]
[Yukino couldn't bear the seriousness anymore, stomped her foot, face flushed red.]
[The figures of the two slowly faded into the moonlight, the carefree laughter of the young man echoing into the distance.]
"Huh?!"
In the real world, Yukinoshita Haruno stared wide-eyed, frozen in place.
She had never seen her little sister looking so shy before—Yukino was always cold, or kept a calm face, often using that "royal scornful smile" toward other girls. Saying Yukino was in love was no different than trying to stuff an elephant into a refrigerator.
And yet… goddamn, this really happened?!
Just the thought of the "fresh, tender napa cabbage" she had raised for 16 years being eaten by someone else shattered Haruno completely.
She clutched her chest, feeling breathless.
For a crazy siscon, this was a fatal blow!!
In contrast, Mrs. Yukinoshita remained much calmer, her experienced gaze sinking into contemplation.
So what if Yukino had someone she liked?
If the Raku Sou of this world was truly that outstanding, what's wrong with marrying Yukino to him?
"Raku-kun… likes me?!"
Yukinoshita Yukino was shocked, shyly lowering her head.
If only the Raku-kun of this world confessed to her like that…
...
The scene in the movie continued, the young man smiling as he led Yukino and the Servants back home.
The lights in the mansion were bright as day, and in the grand hall, a silhouette was pacing back and forth.
[Because Homurahara Academy had a "gas leak," Shinomiya Kaguya temporarily stopped attending school, handing over the management of the Shinomiya family's worldly finances to Hayasaka Ai. As for herself, she rushed back to the mansion to find her older brother.]
[However, when the door opened, her eyes full of anticipation were met with several figures.]
[Her familiar older brother stood at the front, but surrounding him were three beauties, each with their own charm.]
[A black-haired JK with a bright red face. A foreign blonde girl with a ahoge. And finally, a white-haired onee-san smirking with mocking laughter…]
["Onii-chan~ you're not allowed to be a playboy~"]
[Kaguya instantly showed a dangerous smile, a faint black aura emanating from her whole body.]
[She looked as if she was about to "go darkside."]
[Still keeping the smile on her face, she turned and headed to the kitchen, preparing to bring her brother something delicious.]
The Celestial Curtain suddenly stopped.
The vivid image instantly turned black, as if the television had been water-damaged.
The story titled Fate/staynight paused for the moment, giving way to reflection.
...
The real world.
At the Shinomiya residence—one of the "Four Great Conglomerates of Japan"—fell into a terrifying silence.
Everyone was dumbfounded, staring at the blackened screen, wondering if they had seen it wrong.
"That… was that the airheaded big lady?!"
The blonde maid Hayasaka Ai tilted her head in confusion, her eyes flashing with a glimmer of unexpected joy.
It was a completely new version of Kaguya that she had never seen before!