Lin Luo sat on the sofa beside the bed, his hands pressed against the glowing screen floating before him, his expression intensely focused. Beside him, on the **, Ayaka Sajou lay with her eyes closed, her serene face appearing peaceful and soft, like a sleeping beauty from a fairy tale.

It was unclear how much time had passed before the girl finally stirred from her slumber and slowly opened her eyes. Lin Luo spoke without turning his head, "You're awake?"

Hearing the unfamiliar voice, the girl, whose consciousness had been hazy, instantly snapped awake. She bolted upright from the ** to find herself in a strange room, with a strange man sitting next to her. A spark of panic flared instinctively. She snatched the sheet and pulled it over her neatly clothed body, her face filled with vigilance and unease. "You are...?"

"Don't worry, I haven't done anything to you. You don't need to be so tense." Lin Luo turned his head and spoke calmly.

Ayaka Sajou instinctively glanced down at herself and noticed that her clothes were exactly what she had been wearing when she left. There were no abnormalities with her body, and she finally relaxed. However, the fact that a strange man was sitting in the room where she slept was still something that couldn't be ignored.

But that question was quickly dismissed, as she suddenly remembered everything that had happened before... Shortly after she and Saber had left, they were attacked by the enemy. Although Saber’s fierce fighting allowed them a brief escape from danger, they were soon cornered. Then Saber fought her way out of the encirclement while fiercely protecting her, eventually bringing her to a safe place. But...

Only she had survived in the end. When Saber vanished, she had lost consciousness from the immense blow. When she awoke again, she was in this place.

Who was this man?

The return of her thoughts finally brought Ayaka Sajou back to the events that had transpired. Yet, new questions arose in her heart. Her silent and reclusive nature prevented her from gathering the courage to ask a stranger. She simply sat there, hugging her knees, mourning the one who was gone.

Or perhaps, right now, besides mourning, she didn't know what else she was supposed to do.

Lin Luo stood up and walked to the massive floor-to-ceiling window, gazing out at the dark environment. He spoke as if to himself, "This place is very safe. At least those clones absolutely cannot break in, because, to them, this area doesn't exist. But that doesn't mean their power can't reach here. In fact, this place poses no hindrance to their actions. Of course, the same applies to us; only here are the powers of the strong unrestricted. If the clones really charged in, it would only be suicide... Do you know what I'm talking about?"

Lin Luo turned back and asked Ayaka Sajou.

Ayaka Sajou shook her head blankly. Of course, she understood the literal meaning, but what she didn't grasp was the significance of him saying all this? To her now, nothing mattered.

Lin Luo seemed to know what she was thinking and chuckled, "It doesn't carry much meaning, really. I just want to tell you that this place is absolutely secure. Unless I die, or someone stronger than me appears, no one can threaten anything here. And you, of course, can wait worry-free until everything is over—perhaps return to that quiet life you had, or perhaps be destroyed along with us. But... will that satisfy you?"

"..." Ayaka Sajou fell silent.

Lin Luo didn't mind and continued, "Heroic Spirits have no life. Even if killed, they merely return to the Throne of Heroes. But that doesn't mean they don't lose anything upon death, as they exist outside the timeline. At least when they return to the Throne, all experiences they had as Heroic Spirits will vanish from their memories, except for the life they lived before. So... although your Servant hasn't died, for you, he has truly perished. Even if he reappears, he won't be the person who lived and fought alongside you; he won't know you. The one who died protecting you is gone forever."

Hearing this, Ayaka Sajou's body trembled violently. She gripped the sheet tightly, tears threatening to spill again... She knew these things well; even if she was useless, she understood this basic knowledge.

"However, there are always exceptions."

"Eh?" Ayaka Sajou looked up suddenly, staring at Lin Luo in disbelief.

"It’s actually quite simple," Lin Luo walked closer and held a finger up before her eyes, smiling. "Stripped down, the loss of memory is just a rule of the world. Because the world actively rejects anything that might cause chaos, we can view this rule as data deletion. So, if we modify the world's laws before the data is completely deleted or overwritten, the lost memories can return. Don't you think so?"

"..." What could she say? Ayaka Sajou was even more bewildered. Although she understood the literal meaning of his words, the world's laws—was that something she could just change?

"Of course. You don't need to do this; you don't have that ability. Even if you do nothing, I will revise the world's laws again. While this might increase my workload a bit, isn't something earned through your own effort far more beautiful than something received as charity?"

Hearing these words, Ayaka Sajou finally understood what Lin Luo was trying to tell her.

"You mean... I can still strive for something?"

Lin Luo smiled faintly. "Even the useless have the value and right to exist in this world. Even if someone can strip away the lives and property of others, effort is the one thing no one can take away. It only depends on whether the person chooses to make the effort."

"But... how should I do it?" Ayaka Sajou asked.

Lin Luo shook his head. "Before considering how to do something, you should first think about what you want to do, what your goal is. Once you know the objective you wish to strive for, the path toward that goal will become clearly visible before your eyes, without anyone needing to tell you."

"What I want to do... my goal..."

Ayaka Sajou murmured the words. She had never considered such things. In the sixteen years she had been alive, she had never actively fought for anything. Even the Magecraft and this Holy Grail War—she had been passively drawn into them. But what did she truly want?

If it were before, Ayaka Sajou wouldn't have understood or bothered to think about it. But now, she clearly knew what she desired.

"Why are you helping me?" Once she understood everything, Ayaka Sajou instinctively asked Lin Luo. She knew that without these words from him, she might have remained perpetually listless.

"Isn't helping a young person lost on the path of life exactly what an elder should do?" Lin Luo stated as a matter of course.

Elder?

Looking at Lin Luo, who seemed about her own age, Ayaka Sajou’s head was filled with question marks.

"Alright, everything that needed saying has been said. I should leave now too. You should rest well next. If you get hungry, there is food in the kitchen. Whatever you do, you must adjust your mental and physical state first. So then..." As he spoke, Lin Luo's figure suddenly flickered, as if a power source had been cut, vanishing instantly from the spot.

Eh?!

Ayaka Sajou was immediately astonished, but a moment later, she felt a pang of regret. After saying so much, she didn't even know this person's name. Just like Saber, she never knew the other's true identity until the very end. If there was no chance to retrieve it now, this would become her eternal regret.

However, just as that person said, she could still strive. Regardless of success or failure, as long as she had tried her best for this goal, she would have no more regrets.

This, this was all she could do now, and it was the best repayment to Saber.

"It should be like that, right... Hey..." Ayaka Sajou looked out at the night sky, as if gazing at someone, murmuring softly.

The Bright Realm, City in the Sky.

"That is everything I know about the situation." Just as Lin Luo had predicted, Remilia did return to the Bright Realm after her death. She was now sitting upright in her seat, recounting the "fate" she witnessed to the person across from her.

And the one listening to her words was none other than Youyou.

"I see. It seems things are indeed a bit troublesome," Youyou frowned slightly, closing her eyes in deep thought.

No matter how imposing a person was, they lost all dignity before Youyou. So, during her contemplation, Remilia dared not utter a word, resembling a well-behaved child.

A moment later, Youyou opened her eyes and murmured to herself, "But fortunately, I had already anticipated this situation. Although that world has been completely sealed off—even my power cannot penetrate it—there is someone within that world whom the enemy doesn't expect. As long as she and I coordinate from the inside and out, at least... getting one or two people in should be possible... Yes, regardless, it's time for them to test the results of their training. After all, the ** time has been long enough."

With that, Youyou immediately rose.

"Um..." Remilia looked at her, with an expression as if she wanted to speak but hesitated.

"Is there something you want to say?"

Remilia hesitated for a moment, then finally spoke, "I want to ask you, how can one possess such dignity?"

Even Youyou was momentarily stunned by the question, before straightening her back and replying seriously, "If you could just look like me, you would naturally be full of dignity... Keep trying, little bat..." Watching Youyou's retreating back, and then looking at her own childlike figure, Remilia was left speechless... Growing to look like that person—that was probably harder than becoming the strongest. RQ