"At your command, my princess!"
Kiritsugu Emiya held his daughter in his arms, and a sudden pang of pain stabbed at his heart.
He had never had a daughter before, never raised a child—but his daughter was about to turn eight years old, and yet she weighed less than fifteen kilograms. Anyone could see that wasn't normal.
Illyasviel had undergone magical modifications not long after birth, slowing her growth drastically.
Kiritsugu loved his daughter deeply—perhaps more than anything else in the world. But Illyasviel's fate… had already been sealed.
He had no power to choose, no power to change it.
All he could do for now… was give her a happy and peaceful life, even for just a little longer.
The Fourth Holy Grail War was approaching fast.
He would devote himself completely to it. He already knew all too well how brutal the rules of the Holy Grail War were.
Failure was not an option. To save everyone, he would stop at nothing. Whatever it took—he had to obtain the Holy Grail.
---
"So this is the Far East, huh? Cold as hell!"
Shirou Emiya stepped out of the car and looked around at the snow-covered world. Thankfully, he had come prepared, wrapped in thick layers of warm clothing. A map in his hands, he stood on the last paved road accessible by vehicle—this was the closest he could get by car to the Einzbern Castle.
The castle was still some distance away—not too far, but not close either.
"Noka, stay here and watch the car," Shirou said calmly. He had no intention of bringing Noka along.
Noka was a capable mage from the Animusphere family, but against someone like Kiritsugu Emiya?
There was no contest.
Kiritsugu, known as the Mage Killer, had far too many tricks up his sleeve. Cold, calculating, ruthless—he would do anything to achieve his goals.
He was a hunter in every sense. Noka was no match for someone like that.
Even Luvia's father, Lord Rufleus Nazele Yorifes, might not walk away unscathed if he crossed Kiritsugu.
Shirou cradled a warm taiyaki in his arms, having wrapped it up carefully to preserve the heat.
Noka, still completely clueless, stood by—utterly baffled as to what his master was planning.
Visiting the Einzbern Castle… with a taiyaki? And going alone?
If this was a mission to cause trouble, why bring a taiyaki? And why go alone?
If it wasn't trouble, then what was the goal?
Noka couldn't figure it out—he couldn't even begin to guess what his master was thinking.
But of course, how could someone like him hope to grasp the mind of someone like Shirou Emiya?
What Noka would never guess, even in his wildest dreams, was this:
Shirou had come all this way to the Far East… just to see Illyasviel.
Seeing her was one thing—but more importantly, he needed to check her physical condition.
No matter how fast he studied, Shirou knew… he was already running out of time.
Illyasviel was a year older than him. And she had been magically modified while still in her mother's womb.
Shirou had been pushing himself relentlessly to master every kind of magecraft. He knew the only way to change Illyasviel's fate… was to surpass a certain threshold in magical ability.
Because of the alterations to her body, her growth had slowed dramatically. By the time of the Fifth Holy Grail War, even if she didn't participate, Illyasviel would not live much longer.
"I will change this. I have to change all of it."
Shirou muttered to himself, firm in his resolve.
He had to gain Illyasviel's trust. And then… take her away.
Because once Kiritsugu left the Einzbern Castle, those people—the Einzbern magi—would continue to experiment on her body.
They would cut her open. Stitch her back up.
Again. And again.
The only way to ensure Illyasviel's survival… was to steal her away from all of it.
"A bounded field, huh?"
Shirou narrowed his eyes at the faint energy in front of him. He could feel it—it was just as he expected.
The castle was protected by a magical barrier. The moment he stepped into a certain range, he would be detected.
"Looks like this is going to take a bit of time…"
He had studied a vast number of texts on bounded fields back at the Clock Tower.
It would be troublesome, but with the right methods, he could suppress his presence and avoid being noticed by the field. Most importantly, he had learned how to completely control his body—keeping his magical aura as low as possible.
That was the key.
However, the moment he actively used any magic, he would be discovered instantly.
"So damn complicated… such a pain."
To his trained eyes, the barrier now revealed its intricate patterns—lines of magical circuitry woven in complex formations.
This one was far more advanced than he had imagined. It couldn't be deciphered quickly. Only by fully analyzing the barrier could he disguise himself as part of it—trick it into accepting him as "one of its own."
Otherwise, even with his magical signature suppressed, he might still be detected the instant he stepped inside.
Shirou pulled the taiyaki from his coat, biting into it as he scribbled notes about the barrier onto a piece of paper.
The taiyaki wasn't actually for himself.
It was a gift—a way to lure the little girl.
Unfortunately, he wouldn't get to see her today. So, he'd just have to eat the taiyaki himself.
---
Night slowly fell.
Noka waited patiently in the car.
Thankfully, there had been no major bursts of magical energy—otherwise it would've meant his master had started a fight with the Einzberns.
Click!
The car door suddenly opened.
Shirou slid into the back seat.
"Let's go. Head back for now," he said casually.
After a moment's thought, he handed Noka a piece of paper. "Have someone retrieve these books from the Clock Tower. I want materials on bounded fields and related spell theories—get them to me however you can."
---
The plane touched down.
Night had already fallen over Fuyuki City.
Back at the villa, the lights were still on. Sakura was sitting on the sofa, watching TV.
Over the past few days, another mage from the Yorifis family had been looking after her.
Shirou glanced at the TV and grimaced—it was some overly dramatic romance soap. He never liked those. Sakura, on the other hand, looked thoroughly engrossed.
Empty bento boxes sat on the table.
"You're back, senpai?"
Sakura got up and walked over.
Noka had begun teaching her the basic theories of magecraft. In a few days, she would be sent to the Clock Tower to begin formal magical training.
Since Shirou had gone there ahead of her, he'd now officially become her "senpai."
"Did you behave while I was gone, Sakura?"
Shirou gently ruffled her hair, speaking in a warm tone.
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