To become a king and a magician

"Well then, let me explain the current situation. I've been following everything you've been through because I'm interested in you as a guest from another world. Now, I'll tell you how it all ended."

"Yes."

"The beast has been destroyed. Or rather, it has been semi-permanently destroyed. Your Demon Eye completely eroded its soul and absorbed it... no, it should be sealed away. As long as you don't release it, the beast should never appear again. Congratulations, and thank you."

"No, I didn't do anything serious. If I had to say, I was just an innocent bystander who got dragged into this. Even without me..."

"Without you, that Holy Sword Wielder would have had a long journey ahead. You helped your companion, which is something you should be proud of." Ryougi Shiki corrected Natsukawa Torato's thoughts. "The Holy Grail War has ended, and the Tohsaka family emerged victorious, but in the end, the Tohsaka family chose to destroy the Holy Grail."

Did the Tohsaka family destroy the Holy Grail?

This is truly unexpected—no, upon closer inspection, this should be the expected outcome.

Iskandar's departure, Hassan the Hundred Faces will eventually be ordered to commit suicide by Kirei Kotomine with a Command Spell, Diarmuid will not be a match for Gilgamesh, and Kiritsugu Emiya's soul has been largely corrupted, which means Morgan should also have lost the power to fight again.

In this way, Tokiomi Tohsaka naturally became the ultimate winner, with the only variable being whether Kirei Kotomine would betray him again.

However, due to the events at Mount Enzo, the Fuyuki Church was busy with the aftermath, and Kirei Kotomine had no free time. Gilgamesh was probably satisfied after the battle and wouldn't try to seduce Kirei Kotomine.

So the final result was that the Tohsaka family emerged victorious, and the Holy Grail descended. But the Holy Grail had long lost its ability to reach the Root, and its overflowing malice prompted Tokiomi Tohsaka to use Command Spells to control Gilgamesh and destroy the Holy Grail—that's roughly the process.

"That's roughly it. As for the other minor details, please go back and see for yourself."

"Go back? Can I still go back?"

Having returned after reaching the source, Natsukawa Torato could already imagine the way the clock tower magicians would look at him after this matter was exposed.

Ryougi Shiki nodded: "Of course. Look, someone's coming to pick you up behind you."

Someone is coming to pick me up?

Xia Chuanhu turned around and saw that familiar figure being pulled by a magician in white, waving in his direction.

"Ah... are you an idiot?"

Seemingly complaining about that figure, Natsukawa Tora shrugged with a wry smile, then turned around: "Well then, I'll be going out for a bit, Ms. Ryougi Shiki."

"Going out... Okay." Ryougi Shiki nodded with a smile. "Be careful on your journey, have a safe trip, and you can come back anytime you want."

"Then, goodbye."

He waved to Ryougi Shiki and then turned to walk towards the two figures that were gradually becoming clearer amidst the falling snow.

--------------------------

"Arthur, are you really sure about this?"

"Yes, thank you for your trouble, Merlin. Please take good care of your Master from now on."

Inside the park's tower.

The Flower Magician looked at the determined-looking Knight King with a slight headache.

"Aren't you afraid that if you do this, what will happen when he wakes up...?"

“My Master died because of me, but he shouldn’t have sacrificed himself here. My journey has come to an end, so let my power become the driving force for him to continue forward.”

Arthur stepped forward and gave Merlin one last hug.

Goodbye, Merlin. Thank you for everything.

"You're just causing me trouble. Well then, I won't hold back and treat him like your next target for amusement."

"Haha, then please go easy on him, after all, Tiger isn't as easy to talk to as I am."

.......

Goodbye, Tiger, may your journey be filled with light.

45. A New Beginning

Springtime, at the private Suigunhara Academy.

Sitting by the window, Natsukawa Tora rested his chin on his hand, gazing at the cherry blossoms fluttering outside. The classroom was nearly empty except for him, much quieter than usual. But it was April, so this was to be expected; every year around this time, a large number of students would leave the school.

In fact, Natsukawa Tora was also one of those who should have left.

"Tiger."

A friend's voice came from the doorway. Turning to look at the person who had entered, Natsukawa Tora smiled and said, "Zero, is there something you need?"

"I wouldn't have come looking for you if there was nothing wrong."

Liu Dongling took a cylinder out of his bag and handed it to Xia Chuanhu. He sighed and said, "Here, your graduation certificate—you actually skipped the graduation ceremony! You really are something else. Although I'm used to you skipping group activities, I really didn't expect you to skip this one. The principal was furious."

At Homura Academy, graduation certificates are awarded personally by the principal during the graduation ceremony, with students receiving them one by one on stage. The process is quite cumbersome, but the principal, a very pragmatic old man, said that he did it so that he could take one last good look at the students before they left.

Taking the graduation certificate from Ryuudou Reikan, Natsukawa Tora shrugged: "Didn't you bring it back for me? Besides, graduation ceremonies are such hypnotic rituals, if I went, I would definitely fall asleep on the spot, wouldn't that be super embarrassing?"

"You..."

Looking at his friend, Ryuudou Reikan couldn't help but sigh, then looked out the window like him: "Forget it, today is the last day of high school anyway, and I'm no longer the student council president, so I won't hold you responsible."

"Then I really thank the student council president for his magnanimity."

"Don't give me that." Ryudou Reikan sat down next to Natsukawa Tora at the table. "Speaking of which, what are you planning to do after graduation? You seemed to have just filled out the career path survey form randomly."

"Because I haven't decided yet, or rather, I'm lost on the path of life? I'm somewhat... well, let's not talk about me, what about you?"

"It's definitely going to be the family temple—by the way, speaking of my family, would you like to come over for dinner tonight? I invited Taiga and Otoko before. Although I don't think any of us will leave Fuyuki City, we'll probably get together less often in the future, so let's have a proper get-together this time."

Ryudong Temple?

Xia Chuanhu rested his chin on his hand and thought for a moment, then nodded: "Okay, but I'll be a little late, I have somewhere to go."

"Later... Ah, are we going there? Come to think of it, it is indeed time." Ryudou Reikan quickly understood what Natsukawa Tora meant. "But you are really diligent, going once a week. It's been almost a year now."

"A year...it's been so long already."

Natsukawa Tora looked out the window again.

————————————————————————

One year.

This is the time that has passed since the end of the Holy Grail War. To be honest, Natsukawa Torato did not realize how quickly time had passed.

A year ago, after returning from the Roots, Natsukawa Tora woke up in a hospital in Fuyuki City. At that time, the Ryudouji incident had ended a week earlier, and the Holy Grail War had ended three days earlier.

The truth behind the Ryudouji Incident—the Return of Sajou Ayaka—was never revealed. Even the Tohsaka family, who managed local magic in Fuyuki City, were unaware of the inside story, simply assuming it was a battle between Servants. In the end, as always, it ended with a gas explosion under the control of the Church.

Just as Ryougi Shiki had predicted, the Holy Grail War ended with Tokiomi Tohsaka's victory and his destruction of the Holy Grail. Of course, this wasn't something that Natsukawa Torara was particularly concerned about at the time.

When Natsukawa Tora woke up, he only realized one thing—there was no one around him when he woke up.

Upon closer reflection, this is perfectly reasonable.

In order to resolve the conflict between Ayaka Sajou and the Star Sword, he willingly allowed himself to be engulfed by the light of the Star Sword. After his death, he arrived at the Root. In order to allow him to return from the Root, Arthur transferred all his power to him, allowing him to be reborn. Arthur himself then returned to the Throne of Heroes.

On the other hand, he had no relatives in this world. The original owner of the body's relatives lived in the countryside, quite a distance from Fuyuki City, and could not receive news of him. He also didn't have many familiar classmates at school. Ryudou Reikon, whom he got along with, was too busy with Ryudou Temple, and everyone else had their own things to do.

Under such circumstances, it is only natural that Natsukawa Torato would revert to being a human.

"My wish has come true."

This was the idea that Natsukawa Torato immediately came up with.

His wish has been fulfilled. To survive the Holy Grail War and return to his peaceful daily life—his wish has undoubtedly been granted.

But Xia Chuanhu couldn't be happy. At least for that moment, he felt no joy whatsoever. Even after being discharged from the hospital and returning to his previous life of going back to the three points of home, school, and part-time job, Xia Chuanhu didn't feel any sense of relief.

His wish is indeed to return to normalcy, but what will happen after that? What does he plan to do after returning to his original life? Is he truly satisfied with living the kind of life that Ryudong Zero-kan describes as "the walking corpse" every day?

It was then that Natsukawa Torato realized something.

Although it has only been less than a month, or even less than a week, he may have already gotten used to it—used to that world, that world where [magic] exists.

......

Fuyuki City Cemetery, a rather remote location.

Holding a bouquet of flowers, Xia Chuanhu approached a tombstone at the far end, put down the flowers, squatted down, and prayed with his hands clasped together for a while: "Oh, I've come to see you again, Linglong Pavilion."

【Reirōkan Misaya】—This name is engraved on the tombstone.

This is the grave that Xia Chuanhu bought for her. Although they had only known each other for a day or two and their relationship was not deep, Xia Chuanhu felt it was necessary to erect a tombstone for her, perhaps out of a sense of shared experience as outsiders.

To this world, Natsukawa Torato and Reirōkan Misaya are both outsiders. They come from different worlds and are equally alone in this one. No one will remember them, and no one will know them, except for each other.

Therefore, as the only person who knew of her existence, Xia Chuanhu at least did not want her to die far from home without anyone knowing.

Looking at her tombstone, Natsukawa Tora touched his collarbone. Although it had long since disappeared, there was indeed a mark left on him by Reiryukan Misaya there.

With a smile, Natsukawa Tora said, "This may be a bit sudden, but this is probably the last time I'll come to see you for a while. After that, I might not come to see you for a long time, since the place I'm going to next is quite far away."

Regarding the route survey, although Xia Chuanhu had filled out some information casually and submitted it during the school's previous survey, he had actually already made his decision at that time.

He had become accustomed to the world of magic, and he couldn't extricate himself from it, nor did he want to.

He had to move forward because he was that guy's... Master of Arthur Pendragon.

A year ago at the Matou family, Natsukawa Torato had already said that he might not be able to become a Master who surpassed Sajō Ayaka and Sajō Ayaka, but at least he wanted to be a Master who wouldn't hold him back.

So he had to move forward, to a place where he could brag to that guy the next time they met.

Natsukawa Torama pulled a letter from his pocket—it was sent two months ago by Kenneth, who was in England. Because he failed to fulfill the contract between the two during the Holy Grail War, and in order not to let Natsukawa Torama, who had a precious Mystic Eye and outstanding talent, be buried in a small country in the Far East, he invited Natsukawa Torama to study at the Clock Tower as a monarch.

The Holy Grail War has indeed ended, but Natsukawa Tora's life, or rather, the life of a transmigrator named [Natsukawa Tora], has only just begun.

Clock Tower

1. The Demon Eye in a Foreign Land

Clock Tower.

Located on the outskirts of London, the Clock Tower is the highest institution of magic, comprised of eleven departments. Since the thirteenth century, it has been considered the central hub of the Magicians' Association, and arguably, the Association itself. Nine out of ten magicians born in Western Europe eventually choose to join the Clock Tower.

As a school, the Clock Tower has its own rules, but not the laws of human society; individuals are responsible for their own safety. Ultimately, magicians are a group of outcasts with little moral compass, and expecting them to obey the law at all times is simply wishful thinking.

To enroll in the Clock Tower, one must pay tuition and pass an exam, which is relatively easy, but it is still a considerable challenge for first-generation magicians or those with fewer generations of lineage.

However, if invited by the association, the exam can be waived, and one can bring an attendant to study for free.