Per his master's orders, Noka had previously gathered a wealth of information on the Einzbern family.
Thanks to that research, Noka knew quite a bit about them—and more importantly, the traits of a homunculus.
Whether it was the youngest Tohsaka daughter or this Einzbern homunculus, his master had invested an extraordinary amount of time and energy on both. That alone made it clear how important these two girls were to him.
So important, in fact, that he hadn't hesitated to reveal his power to take them by force.
> "A little girl with a magus bloodline… and a homunculus?"
Noka's expression stiffened. A flash of terror appeared in his eyes.
He didn't know exactly what his master was planning—but it was undoubtedly something enormous.
Could it be… because his master's current state was incomplete, and he needed these girls—those with magical bloodlines—as sacrifices to restore himself?
While Noka's imagination ran wild, Shirou Emiya was chatting away with Illya, completely unaware of the storm brewing in his subordinate's mind.
If Shirou knew what Noka was thinking, he'd probably be utterly speechless.
> This guy's clearly been eating too well.
Starve for a week, and you'd stop thinking up such nonsense.
---
On the Plane
Illya was seated next to the window, staring out at the breathtaking view beyond.
Sunlight pierced through thick clouds in golden rays, while puffy white clouds drifted like fog through the sky.
It was a beautiful, ethereal scene—the pristine white world people dreamed about.
Illya had never seen anything like this before. She found herself quietly enchanted.
By the time they landed in Fuyuki City, it was already nighttime.
Just like Irisviel when she first visited, Illya had gotten so excited earlier that she eventually fell fast asleep on the plane.
Looking at the sleeping girl beside him—so peaceful, so adorable—Shirou's heart felt like it was melting. He even hesitated to wake her.
> "We're here."
He gently pinched her soft cheek.
Illya stirred, rubbing her sleepy eyes and mumbling:
> "We're here already…?"
> "Illya sleeps like a little pig. Time to wake up, little piggy!"
> "What's a piggy? I'm not a piggy! I'm Illya!"
---
After leaving the airport, they got into a car.
> "The sun's already set, so you won't see the sunlit beach," Shirou said as he drove. "But the sea at night has its own kind of beauty."
> "The sea? Big brother, are you taking me to see the ocean!?"
Illya instantly perked up.
She had been looking forward to seeing the ocean ever since Shirou first mentioned it.
> "Of course!" Shirou grinned, then told Norka, "Take us to the seaside park."
---
At this hour, the seaside park was lively and full of people.
There were elderly couples out for a stroll with their grandchildren, and young couples sitting close together on benches, watching the ocean and whispering sweet nothings.
The sound of crashing waves and the whistling sea breeze filled the air.
Above them, a bright full moon hung high in the sky, casting silver light across the ocean's surface. As the tide rose and fell, the moonlight shimmered like rippling silver.
> "The ocean at night really is beautiful," Shirou said softly.
> "Woooow! So this is the ocean!? It's so big! So pretty!"
Illya was practically dancing with joy.
Back in the Einzbern castle, all she ever saw was endless white snow. Besides the castle and the surrounding forest, her world had been a cold, monotonous white. She'd never experienced a scene like this before.
This day… was the most vivid, most exciting day of her eight-year-old life.
Looking at Illya's radiant smile, Shirou's long-exhausted and tense heart finally began to relax.
> "I did it," Shirou whispered, a line only he could understand.
Because of him, their fate had changed.
He had saved Sakura and Illya.
Now they could be free from the chains of tragedy, free from the grasp of darkness.
> This… was truly worth it.
---
Guuuuu~
A strange sound echoed—Illya's cheeks turned slightly red.
Shirou blinked in realization, then chuckled apologetically.
> "Sorry, Illya. Looks like you're hungry."
Caught up in the joy of rescuing Sakura and Illya, he had completely forgotten about eating.
Now that he thought about it… he was pretty hungry too.
> "Illya wants taiyaki!"
Her big, sparkling eyes looked up at him in anticipation.
> "Then let's go! Tonight, you can eat as much as you want!"
Shirou gently took her soft little hand in his.
There were plenty of convenience stores around the seaside park. It didn't take long to find one selling taiyaki.
> "Is this your little sister? She's adorable!"
The friendly store clerk smiled, handing over two fresh taiyaki—one for Shirou and one for Illya.
A big brother bringing his little sister to buy taiyaki—that kind of sight was rare. And this little girl… she was so adorably delicate it was almost unreal.
Their behavior looked just like siblings, but anyone who looked closely would realize they weren't related.
Illya had silver hair and ruby-red eyes, while Shirou had short red hair and black eyes. There was no way they were blood relatives.
But the way they acted around each other really did feel like siblings.
> "Of course. Illya's the cutest!" Shirou said with a grin.
---
They sat on a park bench.
Noka, understanding the moment, wisely kept his distance and didn't disturb them.
But that didn't mean his brain had stopped—he was still caught in a mental storm of theories and speculation.
So deep in thought, he even forgot he was hungry.
> "Taiyaki tastes best when it's fresh out of the oven."
As Shirou said that, Illya was already taking a big bite.
> "Ahh! Hot! Hot!"
She spoke with her mouth full, puffing air to cool the hot taiyaki. It was burning her tongue, but she didn't stop—because it tasted amazing.
Illya loved taiyaki more than anything!
> "Careful, Illya. Don't burn yourself!"
Shirou laughed. "You really are a little piggy, aren't you?"
---
After eating, Shirou took Illya to a nearby convenience store.
Illya's eyes sparkled as she looked at the endless rows of colorful snacks.
> "What's this? What's that? This one looks super tasty!"
She pointed at a creamy white bar of soap on the shelf.
> "Illya, that's soap," Shirou said, chuckling. "It's for washing, not eating."
He couldn't help but laugh.
And of course, everything Illya pointed at, Shirou bought.
Poor Noka, the pack mule, was now holding two huge bags filled with snacks.
> "Big brother… did I buy too much?" Illya asked shyly, tugging on his sleeve as she glanced at Noka's hands.
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