"So basically, if we go back and save Sakura, the current Sakura would cease to exist, right?"
Rin's expression grew bitter upon hearing Souta's explanation.
She had thought about this issue before—but subconsciously avoided facing it.
Now that Souta had brought it up, she could no longer ignore it.
No matter how tragic Sakura's life had been, erasing her existence wasn't something they could take lightly.
The three of them debated the dilemma for a while but couldn't find a solution, so they turned to the group chat for ideas.
Souta shared the core of the problem, and soon the chat was buzzing.
Kurumi: "Yeah, this is a real headache. I never really considered this kind of problem before."
Chelsea: "Looks like time travel should only be used to save those who died in the past. Messing with the lives of the living... better not."
Altair: "You're overthinking it."
Souta: "Huh? What do you mean?"
Altair: "Even if the timeline changes, the soul remains the same. Only the memories are different. It's still the same person. If it really bothers you, why not just ask Sakura herself if she wants her past changed? You could even preserve her current memories."
Kurumi: "So... you're suggesting we merge the two sets of memories?"
Altair: "Exactly. Preserve the current Sakura's memories. Once the timeline shifts, if the new Sakura agrees, you merge them. If not, let her live on as her new self. The past would be behind her."
Rin: "But would merging memories cause conflict? Like, two personalities fighting for control?"
Altair: "No. We create new memories every day. You don't wake up thinking you're a different person just because you remember yesterday, right? Last year's you and today's you are still you. The soul never changed. It's just one more set of memories."
Rin: "Alright. Then let Sakura choose. One soul, two sets of memories—or a new life without the past—or keep things as they are. It's up to her."
That was the best they could do: offer Sakura three options and let her decide.
After the discussion, they set their phones aside.
"So, it's settled," Souta said. "We ask Sakura. Whether she wants her past changed or not, and whether she'll accept her current memories in a new timeline—that's up to her."
"I'll take care of it," Rin agreed.
Then Souta added, "I have another suggestion about the Fourth War."
"What?" Rin looked intrigued.
"Since we're going back in time anyway, why not just take the Holy Grail and complete the Third Magic?"
"If Illya can achieve the Third Magic, not only will she become stronger, but she can also fix her health issues."
Due to the unnatural magical alterations made to her before birth, Illya's body had severe flaws.
In the original story, Zouken Matou estimated that even if she survived the Fifth Holy Grail War, she wouldn't live more than a year.
"..." Rin was visibly stunned. "Take the Holy Grail? We can't even beat the Servants. And we're not Masters either."
"Leave the Servants to me. I'm half a god now, I can handle a fight. As for becoming a Master, we just steal Ryuunosuke's Command Seals."
Souta had it all thought out.
He wasn't sure if someone not a Master could use the Grail, so stealing a Seal was the backup.
"But isn't the Grail corrupted?" Rin asked. "It can't grant wishes, right?"
"The corruption is caused by humanity's evil—basically twisted faith. I can't absorb that as it's not linked to me, but..."
Souta gave a confident grin.
"I am a god now. I think I can burn the evil away with divine fire and restore the Grail."
"That's just your guess, right? What if it doesn't work?"
"Then it doesn't work. No big deal."
He had plenty of other ways to help Illya.
"Alright, if you say so, I don't mind."
Rin stretched. "I'm going to find Sakura."
"Let's go together." Souta stood up. "If she agrees, I'll need to use divine power to preserve her memories. Oh—and one more thing!"
He turned sharply toward Rin.
"Shinji Matou... he didn't actually get castrated, right?"
"..." Rin glanced out the window. "Who knows?"
Whether Shinji really got castrated or not remained an unsolved mystery.
Souta chose not to investigate further.
After leaving, Rin went straight to the school and found Sakura.
She'd skipped class today to host Souta, but now it was mid-afternoon and school was still in session.
Souta and Illya waited at a nearby café.
"Is it good?" Souta asked, watching Illya delicately nibble a dessert.
"Mm." She nodded sweetly, visibly content.
"About your father... I've figured out a solution."
Souta brought up Kiritsugu.
"I don't want to hear it."
Illya kept her head down, focused on her dessert.
Souta knew she was sulking, so he kept his voice calm.
"He's a stubborn idealist. Even with my negotiation skills, convincing him to give up his save-the-world fantasy isn't easy. So..."
After a pause, Illya glanced up. "So... what's the plan?"
"Didn't you say you didn't want to hear it?" Souta smirked.
Illya pouted and went back to her dessert, but under the table, her feet started playfully kicking his knee.
Thanks to his divine shield, Souta didn't feel a thing.
"Alright, alright." He chuckled. "Five years after the Fourth War, Kiritsugu started to let go of his ideals. We can go back five years and save his memories from that time, then return to the Fourth War and merge them into the younger Kiritsugu. That should do the trick."
He gently patted Illya's head.
"Then you can all live together—like a real family."