Chapter 62: An Ever Lasting Love
The capsule's interior hummed with faint mechanical life, soft blue light pulsing from the seams of the walls like a heartbeat.
Riya sat cross-legged on the metallic bench, gazing at the large circular window.
Through it, the ruined remains of the fifth floor began to vanish beneath them, replaced by a vertical tunnel of light, streaking like stars during warp speed.
"Feels like we're inside a washing machine," Richard muttered, leaning back with his arms folded behind his head.
"Except more dramatic and less spin cycle."
Rin sat across from Riya, legs tucked beneath her, arms crossed, lips pressed into a scowl that didn't quite reach her eyes.
"You'd think the Moon Cell would have come up with something a bit more luxurious."
"Maybe a massage chair?"
"Or at least a vending machine."
Cu snorted, twirling his spear lazily between two fingers.
"What, no room service either?"
"Shameful."
"Guys, we're literally going to fight godlike enemies," Riya deadpanned.
"Do we really need snacks right now?"
"Yes," all three of them replied at once.
He rolled his eyes, but a small smile tugged at his lips.
The tension that had gripped them during the brutal battle with Julius and Li Shuwen seemed to ease for a moment, laughter softening the sharp edges of exhaustion.
They deserved this brief peace—even if it was just a few minutes before the next storm.
"Still…" Richard's voice dipped slightly.
"We've come pretty far, haven't we?"
Rin nodded. "Too far to back out now."
"Too close to the top," Cu added, tapping the floor with the end of his spear.
"Whatever's waiting for us up there… it won't go easy."
Riya stared out the window again. "Let it try."
The capsule had ascended for over an hour when Riya finally peeled himself away from the others and wandered into the private chamber tucked into the rear.
The moment the door hissed shut behind him, the atmosphere changed—warm, almost reverent.
Red and gold wallpaper lined the curved walls, the hue rich and velvet-like under the soft golden lighting.
A large, plush bed sat in the center, its covers made of an ornate fabric that shimmered faintly like molten embroidery.
Riya sighed and sank into the velvet-soft sheets of the capsule's bedroom, tension bleeding from his muscles as his breath slowed.
The red and gold decor, ornate yet somehow comforting, made the room feel like the inside of a sun-drenched cathedral.
Even the hum of the machinery outside faded into silence.
Sleep took him gently.
When he opened his eyes, he was no longer in the capsule.
The room he now stood in felt familiar, yet uncanny.
The same red and gold palette stretched across the walls and floor, but everything shimmered softly as if painted by light instead of matter.
The ceiling curved in an endless arch, and the large bed from before sat in the center like a throne—unchanged.
He took a breath.
The air here didn't fill lungs; it filled the soul.
A presence stirred behind him.
She stood in the center of the room, facing away, her long, wavy brown hair cascading like a waterfall.
She was dressed in a school uniform—an older design, modest and formal—but her posture made it seem like a queen's robe.
She turned at the sound of his breath, eyes already locked with his, calm and unreadable.
"...You're here," she said softly.
Her tone was quiet, but not fragile—more like a match held steady before it's struck.
Riya blinked, slowly sitting on the edge of the dream-bed.
"Yeah, I guess I am."
"You're one of the girls in my soul, right?"
"Yes," she answered plainly, her voice calm yet firm.
"You've met so many of us already... but now—now it's my turn."
He gave her a quick once-over—intelligent eyes, elegant bearing, chest modestly hidden behind the fabric of her uniform.
But there was nothing meek about her.
Even standing still, she radiated a sense of judgment—not cruel, but precise.
"I'm Hakuno Kishinami," she said.
"Or at least… what's left of her."
"The Moon Cell remembers me, and now so do you."
"Never heard of you," Riya said, folding his arms.
"Which probably means you're important."
Hakuno gave a ghost of a smile.
"I fought in this war before you."
"In another timeline."
"Another life."
"I made it to the final floor."
She sat down beside him, her hands folded neatly on her lap, her voice steady.
"My servant was Nero Claudius."
"We fought our way through every floor."
"Won battle after battle."
"But in the end… it wasn't enough."
She turned to look at him fully now, eyes sharp.
"I died."
"At the hands of Twice H. Pieceman."
"The Floor Master, And his servant…"
She paused—not out of fear, but weight.
"A being beyond heroes."
"The Buddha himself."
Riya's breath hitched just a little.
"You won't win by charging in."
"He is simply too powerful."
Her eyes glinted.
Riya frowned, something between confusion and understanding dawning on him.
"You… became a Heroic Spirit?"
"Yes," she said simply.
"My failure, my will, my desire to continue forward—it was strong enough."
"Now, I exist inside you as a heroic spirit."
"Just like the others."
She looked down for a moment, her bangs shadowing her eyes.
"I didn't get to live."
"Or love."
"Or feel what it was like to win."
Then she met his gaze again—more direct, more intimate.
"But you can."
"And if you want me—my power, my essence—then do what I couldn't."
"Defeat them both."
Her hand reached out and touched his chest, right where his heart was.
It wasn't seductive.
It was symbolic.
A warrior giving their sword to another.
She leaned in slightly, the warmth of her shoulder brushing against his, her eyes never leaving his.
"If you want to claim me," she whispered, "you'll have to carry my regrets."
"My hopes."
"My everything."
Then her tone shifted—playful, just for a moment.
"And yes… if you really want to lay your hands on me, I won't stop you."
She leaned in close enough that he could see the golden flecks in her eyes.
"But only after you defeat Twice."
"That's the price."
"Until then, I'm watching."
"Waiting."
"And hoping."
"But do know that when that time comes."
"I would like for you to truly Connect with me."
"Body, soul, and whatever else."
"Teach me how to make love."
"Make me yours, and I'll be with you."
Riya inhaled sharply.
Her fingers were warm, real, electric in the stillness of the dream.
Her lips hovered near his cheek—not kissing, but close.
A promise.
"You're much stronger than I was," she whispered.
"Don't waste that."
Then she was gone—melted into the light, leaving only the faint scent of cherry blossoms and moonlight.
Riya exhaled.
The dream slowly faded.
Riya's eyes fluttered open, and the soft light of the capsule's room greeted him.
His body ached from the battle, but the comfort of the bed below him was enough to keep his mind from drifting back to the chaos of the war.
But there was something different in the air—a warmth.
A presence that wasn't there before.
It didn't take him long to realize what it was.
Rin was lying on top of him.
Her chest rose and fell gently with each breath, her dark hair spilling like silk over her face, and her arms were draped around him, as if she were trying to keep him close.
Riya could feel the warmth of her skin through the thin fabric of his shirt.
Her small, steady breaths brushed across his neck in a way that made his heart tighten, and for a brief moment, he could almost forget the war.
Forget the weight of everything that had led him to this point.
Rin mumbled softly in her sleep, her voice barely a whisper.
"...I love you... so much, Riya..."
His heart skipped a beat, and he couldn't help but smile.
Here she was, clinging to him as if she was certain that no matter the storm, they would weather it together.
But as her words echoed in his mind, a sense of peace washed over him.
He let his fingers trail through her hair gently, savoring the quiet moment.
Rin... Rin was different.
She always had been.
From the very beginning, when she had pulled him into this world of endless chaos, he'd found himself relying on her in ways he never thought possible.
"I love you too, Rin," he whispered under his breath, the words heavy with emotion, even though he knew she couldn't hear him.
He said them more for himself than anything else.
But as much as he loved her, he also hated what came with that love.
The Holy Grail Wars.
The promise of what lay ahead.
The fact that after all of this—after all the battles, all the sacrifices—he'd have to move on.
She'd return to her own world, and he'd continue his journey, moving from this Grail War to another Grail War.
He brushed a hand over her cheek, his touch tender but filled with the weight of that reality.
Could he really do this? Could he really keep going, knowing that every battle brought him one step closer to losing her forever?
No.
He couldn't.
He would find a way to have her in his life, even if it meant breaking the very rules of the Grail Wars.
He would win, and take Rin with him—to Chaldea.
To his family.
He could already picture it:
Rin sitting beside him on the porch of his old home, his sister peeking out from behind a door.
"I bet you and my sister would get along," he murmured softly.
"You're both scary when you're mad."
He'd already shattered his own sense of control when he allowed himself to fall in love with her.
He couldn't turn back now.
Not when she was so deeply embedded in his heart.
"I'll find a way, Rin," he murmured, as if making a vow to her sleeping form.
"Even if I have to win all three Holy Grail Wars," Riya whispered, brushing a strand of Rin's hair from her face.
"Even if I have to rebuild Chaldea with my own hands… even if I have to fix the entire timeline alone—I'll do it."
"But you're staying with me, Rin."
"Always."
"No matter what comes next… I want you by my side."
The thought of her smiling at him again, of holding her close in a world where they didn't have to fight, made the weight on his chest feel a little less heavy.
For a moment, he allowed himself to believe in that future.
A future where Rin was always there, by his side.
A future where they could live together.
But that would have to wait.
For now, he had to continue forward, because as much as he wanted to stay in this moment, he knew the battles weren't over.
The war was far from won.
And even if it broke him, he would keep going—for her, for his family, for the future they could build together.
His hand found hers, still resting against his chest, and he intertwined his fingers with hers gently.
"I'll never leave you behind," he whispered softly, his voice laced with quiet determination.
For now, it was just the two of them, in this room, in this moment.
No wars.
No enemies.
Just Rin and Riya.
And Riya knew, as long as she was with him, he could face anything.