Chapter 219: Making Money is Just Too Easy
"Sakura."
Rin called out her sister's name and threw out her most important weapon—the Jeweled Sword!
The crystallization of the Second Magic was tossed like a grenade by Rin.
And its effect was just like that of a grenade.
"Welt Ende."
With Rin's incantation, the place was engulfed in a vast light.
The collapsing Jeweled Sword shattered, wiping out all the shadows.
Then, Rin started running.
She ran straight toward her sister.
No matter how much power she had obtained, Sakura was a complete novice in combat.
In such a dangerous situation, she didn't even think of evading. Even after losing sight of the battlefield, she still foolishly stood in place.
But this didn't surprise Rin at all.
Sakura was just a vessel prepared by Zouken for himself.
Why would a mere puppet need combat instincts?! Once he boarded the "vessel" successfully, wouldn't he have everything he needed?!
And precisely because of Zouken's way of thinking, Rin was given a chance—a chance to kill her own sister.
As Rin ran, she gripped the short sword in her hand even tighter.
The previous fight had made her realize that fists were useless against her sister.
On the other side, Sakura remained unresponsive.
Although she knew she was about to be killed, she still couldn't make any decisions. She could only stand there blankly as her sister approached, while the shadows on her body acted defensively on their own.
"It's finally over."
Sakura slowly closed her eyes. Her suffering and her life were about to end.
However, the painful ending she had expected never came.
"Sis...ter?"
The blinding light finally faded, and Sakura's blurred vision began to recover.
Instead of the dazzling brilliance of the sun, she was met with the sight of crimson blood.
It was the blood of her sister, Rin!
"Sister!?"
Sakura instinctively caught the collapsing body.
This was the sister she had always admired—though sharp-tongued and merciless with her words, she was warm and kind.
She was the sister Sakura loved the most—Rin Tohsaka.
"Ah..."
Rin let out a self-deprecating sigh.
"I guess I don't have the right to scold Shirou all the time. In the end, I couldn't do it either."
"Sister... Thank you."
Sakura pressed her face against Rin's cheek, and the two sisters embraced each other.
"I'm sorry, Sakura. Please forgive your selfish sister."
Using the last of her strength, Rin whispered into Sakura's ear.
"And... thank you. You've kept wearing that ribbon all this time..."
Like a red flower scattered in the wind, Rin's body collapsed onto the altar.
"I—"
At the moment Rin fell, intense emotions surged in Sakura's heart.
All this time, she had believed she was an existence despised by the world, someone unwanted by anyone.
But now, her sister had proven through her actions that even someone like her was still loved.
This made Sakura, who had long given up on herself, begin to question everything she had discarded.
"Why... Why am I... broken?"
The thing she had always longed for had been within reach all along.
Yet she had shattered it with her own hands.
"Ah! Ahh!! Ahhhhhhh——————!!!!!!"
Her arms, unable to return the embrace, trembled in place.
Drenched in the blood of the sister she loved, Sakura began to curse herself with all her being.
◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆
"Another one of those deliberately tear-jerking scenes, huh?"
In a luxury theater in an affluent neighborhood in North America, renowned film critic Milo Johnson sat in the last row of the screening room, stifling a yawn.
As a "renowned" professional film critic closely associated with the Times Group, Milo Johnson was invited to attend the HF marathon screening, which was also being held in North America.
However, unlike the Fate fans who crowded into the central theater area—some even fighting over the best seats—Milo Johnson casually picked a seat toward the back of the cinema, ensuring he could leave at any time once the film started.
In fact, aside from the premiere of the final installment, he had barely spent a quarter of the runtime in his seat for the previous screenings.
After all, sitting through an entire day of films he had already seen was pure torture for Milo Johnson.
For him, spending time in the smoking area was far more interesting than watching HF.
If it weren't for the fact that the final HF film was only available as part of the full marathon ticket package—if it weren't for the Times Group's PR payment—there was no way Milo Johnson would have spent an entire day in the cinema.
As a seasoned critic who had seen countless films, Milo Johnson was all too familiar with these formulaic emotional moments on the big screen.
Sakura had accidentally injured her sister, Rin, and was now spiraling into madness out of guilt.
Based on Milo Johnson's predictions, the next step would be the protagonist, Shirou Emiya, helping her regain herself, ultimately redeeming the girl in the process.
This kind of plot was so predictable that Milo Johnson could guess it with his eyes closed.
"Oh no, does this mean Sakura is beyond saving?"
In the row ahead of Milo, two regular fans were staring at the screen intently, worried about Sakura's fate.
Seeing this, Milo Johnson pulled out his notebook and jotted down their expressions and dialogue.
"The final HF installment maintains the series' signature excitement, with a gripping storyline that left me on the edge of my seat. Unexpected twists kept me thoroughly entertained."
The two fans in front were quite chatty. Even as Milo put pen to paper, they continued their discussion without pause.
"I really hope Sakura gets a happy ending. She's suffered so much."
Milo Johnson was more than happy to record the audience's thoughts—it saved him a great deal of effort.
Moreover, the insights of dedicated fans were precisely the kind of commentary his readership wanted to see.
"Shinji Matou's character development was masterfully handled. Over six episodes, he brought Sakura to life as a deeply compelling character."
"I sympathize with her tragic fate and find myself hoping she'll find happiness in the end."
"I believe this is the magic of director Shinji Matou's storytelling—he makes us laugh, cry, and experience the emotions of his characters together."
The large screen flickered suddenly, and then Shirou Emiya's desperate cry rang out through the theater's speakers.
"Sakura————!"
The two fans in front immediately fell silent.
Milo Johnson shrugged. After confirming that the plot was progressing exactly as he expected, he closed his notebook and left the theater.
He planned to head to the theater's lounge, find an electric massage chair, and relax for a bit.
Once the movie was nearing its conclusion, he'd return to watch the ending and then write a column review on the HF finale.
It might seem irresponsible, but Milo Johnson had no choice.
If he could, he would much rather be like his European peers—analyzing films as an art form and commenting on the winners of prestigious awards.
Unfortunately, ever since he accepted the Times Group's "gifts," he had long parted ways with those "art critics."
Of course, as a professional critic with some integrity, Milo Johnson would at least return to watch the ending.
After all, many of his fellow critics who had also accepted the Times Group's "gifts" wouldn't even bother watching the movie.
Instead, they would copy reviews from the internet, ask people around them for "research," or reference official press materials—all to churn out a professional-looking film review.
"Damn, making money is just too easy."
Lying in the massage chair, Milo Johnson muttered enviously.
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