Chapter 78: The "Stranger" at the Tohsaka Funeral
After Hisau Maiya and Sakura departed, Shirou walked the streets alone, taking in the 1994 cityscape and the ceaseless flow of people.
"1994 is still backward, after all. But the next time I return, it will likely be years from now... When that time comes, I'll take Sakura out to have some real fun."
With a faint smile playing on his lips, Shirou returned home, went to the desk in his room, and sat down. Looking at a sheet of stationery before him, he picked up a fountain pen.
He was going to forge a letter.
Kotomine Kirei had a daughter named Caren Ortensia. Caren's mother had died a year after her birth; officially recorded as being killed by a robber, it was actually suicide. Because her mother's suicide violated Church doctrine, Caren's birth was considered a sin, and she was denied a proper baptism.
Afterward, she was raised by a strict priest for eight years. Though the priest held her child support funds, he kept her out of school to save money and prevent her from becoming "too clever," using her instead as a church assistant. The priest claimed she could not receive God's blessing before her childhood baptism.
When she was nine, Stigmata appeared on her body. The priest, acknowledging his failure, transferred her to the Cistercian Abbey—a place in the deep forest that served as both castle and prison. Recognizing her value due to the Stigmata, the Holy Church treated her as a weapon and entrusted her to the Abbey. Yet, despite her rare value, the Church still refused to let her share in God's blessing, never granting her that baptism.
If things proceeded normally, Caren would eventually be trained as a exorcist nun. That girl, currently ignorant of magecraft, couldn't handle such duties without systematic training, so during these eight years, Caren's life would be arduous at most, but not in immediate danger. However, Shirou couldn't simply leave her be; he knew well the filthiness of the Church.
"..."
Shirou set pen to paper and began to write. He perfectly imitated Kotomine Kirei's handwriting, ensuring even the choice of words felt seamless.
Having pieced together memories of countless deaths, Shirou had experienced numerous "Grails." Among them were memories involving Kirei; the impressions and data he possessed were sufficient to draft a "personal letter" that fit Kirei's persona perfectly.
Even Kirei's biological father, Kotomine Risei, would be unable to spot the forgery. After all, Risei had failed to see through Kirei's "personality" for years.
Compared to a "pleasure-seeker" and mental deviant like Kirei, Kotomine Risei was much better.
Though the old man had his flaws, his human emotions were sound; he wasn't cold to his family like Kirei.
This was evident in the original timeline when, after being killed by Kayneth, he used his dying moments to leave behind Command Spells to help his son. Entrusting Caren to this father, who had just lost his son, was a safe bet.
Soon, Shirou signed Kotomine Kirei 's name at the bottom of the letter, sealed it in an envelope, and left to send the international mail.
"Before I leave... perhaps I should go there."
Shirou was worried about Rin, who had just lost her father. However, visiting her in his current identity seemed inappropriate; though they were friends, Tohsaka Aoi and other concerned parties wouldn't see it that way.
After some thought, Shirou used magical energy to alter his appearance, heading to the Zenjou residence in the form of a youth. Upon arrival, he saw the young girl presiding over the funeral— Tohsaka Rin.
The face of the seven-year-old showed no trace of grief or fear; she simply moved through the funeral rites with a hollow expression. Her stoicism made every mourner marvel at her strength, yet none offered her true pity. Everyone assumed that a child raised under the Tohsaka family motto should be able to endure anything. No one cared if the young girl was grieving her father's sudden death, nor how she would sustain the family.
Ultimately, it was none of their business; they were there for symbolic mourning and to assert their presence.
As people left one by one, the silhouette of the girl standing alone in the rain appeared infinitely lonely. Even now, her face showed no sorrow—a mental fortitude entirely inconsistent with her age.
But in Shirou's eyes, this was precisely her charm. To endure this without breaking, to hold onto her original convictions and face the life ahead with determination—this girl would surely become the finest of magi.
Thinking this, Shirou walked toward the solitary young girl. Perhaps sensing someone approaching, the girl's shoulders trembled slightly. Though dejected, she forced herself to brace up and turned around.
What she saw was a face both strange and familiar.
'She felt she had seen him somewhere... yet perhaps not.'
Rin would never have guessed that the person standing before her was a student from her own school. Just as she was agonizing over the identity of this red-haired youth, he reached out his hand. In his open palm lay a red gemstone.
"I found this at the Tohsaka estate at the very end. It should be something your father carried," Shirou said calmly.
"I am returning it to you now."
Rin stared at the gem, feeling a sharp pang in her chest. Her hands trembled as she cupped the stone, examining it minutely and touching its smooth surface with near-reverence, as if she could still feel the warmth of her father's fingers.
"..."
A teardrop suddenly fell onto the gemstone. This was the first time Rin had cried since learning of her father's death.
Shirou looked at the girl mourning her father, said nothing more, and turned to leave. After a few steps, the girl's voice, suppressed with a sob, came from behind him.
"Can you tell me... your name?"
"...We will meet again sooner or later. You'll know then."
Leaving those words behind, Shirou walked straight away.
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