The warmth of the miso soup slid down his esophagus into his stomach, fully banishing the drowsiness of morning.
Steve's eyes drifted across the table to Caren, slowly nibbling her "spicy-sweet hell toast." The girl wore the neat winter uniform of Homurahara Academy. Beneath the beige blazer, her already pale skin seemed almost translucent.
Her profile, bathed in morning light, looked so peaceful and graceful it set him thinking.
His thoughts wandered to the academy and the group of children whose fates he'd changed.
For nearly ten years now, he'd done a near-perfect job. As the Fourth Holy Grail War ended in unprecedented peace, the fire that was to consume hundreds and warp the heart of a boy never broke out.
The flow of history had forcibly shifted; countless destinies diverged.
Tohsaka Rin—now student council president—maintained the image of a perfect honor student, though her inner mischief remained unchanged. Yet unlike the original, she no longer bore the family's burdens; her father Tokiomi, after joining Steve's "Jewel Sword Project," saw the path to the Root open. Entrusting all to Aoi, he passed through that gateway as a true seeker, not a tragic corpse—ascending, not dying.
This honor and achievement matured Rin into a calm and proud young lady.
Her sister Sakura, in this new world, was one of the happiest. Raised by her birth mother Aoi, her big sister Rin, and their later foster father Kariya Matou, Sakura grew surrounded by sunshine and love.
Steve, using magecraft, thoroughly purged her memories of the Matou "Worm dungeon," replacing them with a happy childhood. Today, Sakura was still gentle and modest, with the occasional trace of inferiority, but her spirit was far more positive and healthy—much like Sakura from Fate/EXTRA.
The boy who should have been Emiya Shirou kept his original name, Takamiya Shirou, never adopted by Kiritsugu Emiya after a fire that never happened. He grew up bright, straightforward, and utterly unwarped—a perfectly normal high schooler. His typical worries centered on lunch choices or handling the local troublemaker girls, leading to a steady stream of campus romantic comedy episodes. He was living the happiest possible teenage life.
Most unique of all was Illya. Her parents, Kiritsugu and Irisviel, survived the war. Doing everything parents could to seal away their daughter's vast magic and Holy Grail knowledge, they politely declined Steve's offer of help, intent on handling things themselves.
As a result, Illya's physical growth was slow; now, at ten, she attended Homurahara's elementary division and, much like "Prisma Illya," was starting that path herself. Whether Miyu will arrive later to become her friend remains unknown, but for now, she has a flawless childhood with both parents alive.
Even Shinji Matou, once twisted with envy and inadequacy, was redeemed. His grandfather Zouken's ashes had long ago been scattered by Steve and his allies; the cursed workshops were accidentally destroyed. Cut off from the magical world, the Matou family began anew under strict fatherly discipline. Shinji too became a bit arrogant, but more a gifted hacker (as in Fate/EXTRA), not a petty villain.
Freed from the taint of the Holy Grail War, everyone's life returned to the arc of "ordinary days."
The scene was truly perfect.
"Hey, you're drooling. Did you have some kind of unrealistic dream? Maybe you're thirty years younger, going on blind dates with Homurahara girls?"
Caren's flat, monotonous voice brought a bucket of cold water over him, snapping him out of his reverie.
He coughed awkwardly and quickly finished breakfast.
"I was just reflecting... Today's another day Fuyuki might vanish in a nuke strike."
"Even lazy parasites like you can live comfortably here—that really is a miracle," Caren replied, finishing and tidily wiping her mouth.
She stood, grabbed her bookbag, and went to the door.
"I have student council after class today, so I'll be back later. Don't steal the pudding in the fridge—it's mine. And don't just lounge around all day watching TV. At least try to act like an adult and do something productive."
Her stream of orders sounded like a stern housekeeper berating her useless young master, but Steve could sense the hidden awkward concern in her voice.
He smiled and didn't argue. "Take care on the way."
"...I will," came her soft reply, as she opened the door and slipped out.
As the apartment door closed quietly, Steve walked to the floor-to-ceiling windows and looked down.
Caren was meeting another girl in the same uniform—flowing purple hair glimmering in the morning sun. Sakura Tohsaka, no doubt, with her usual gentle smile, handed Caren a warm bottle of milk.
Caren accepted it expressionlessly, but didn't refuse it. The two girls walked side by side, catching the morning light, and soon disappeared into the stream of students heading for school.
Steve watched until they vanished around the corner, then let out a long, relieved sigh. A warmth and satisfaction filled his chest, hard to put into words.
If Red Archer—the one who killed and fought for distant ideals and later became the Counter Guardian—could have seen this sight, seen all his dear ones living peacefully and happily... Even his long-suffering, self-mocking face might have managed a foolishly wide, genuine smile.
"This is good." Steve leaned against the window and whispered.
Sunlight shone on him, warm and comforting. It may not have been his originally expected "result"—but it was certainly the very best.
...
Bonus chapter at 500 PS