A perfect figure, combined with internal circuits crafted from soil and discarded Einzbern homunculus parts, paired with an exquisitely sculpted appearance... looking at what was essentially a 1:1 statue of Irisviel before him, Morpheus let out a faint smile.
He began chanting an incantation, using it to channel the power within the magic circle. This extraordinary knowledge transformed into a world-altering magical force, guiding it into the homunculus before him.
This was the power of life... not a soul, but life itself, akin to how a car requires fuel to move. A body of flesh and blood similarly needs a specific energy to function.
Under the shaping of his magic, the homunculus, constructed from various materials including soil, gradually began transforming into flesh and blood.
The transformation was painstakingly slow. Even with Morpheus's power, he had to constantly monitor the process to ensure no errors occurred during the shift.
Fortunately, Morpheus's focus was commendable, and there were no disturbances around him. After roughly a few hours, the homunculus before him finally completed its transformation.
Skin so delicate it seemed it could break with a touch, with visible veins beneath... it was a body driven by instinct, its chest rising and falling slightly.
It was breathing, drawing in air and expelling waste gases, just like a true living person.
"This… it's like a real person, so different from a homunculus," Leysritt remarked, astonished by the sight. As a homunculus herself, she could clearly discern the changes in this entity, which had been assembled mostly from discarded homunculus materials.
It had transformed from a homunculus into something human!
"At least sixty percent of it has converted into a human structure…" she murmured.
"My skills aren't up to par yet. This is the best I can do for now... it's like creating a cybernetic body…" Morpheus sighed, shaking his head with some disappointment. While he had achieved his goal, he hadn't truly created a pure human, which left him unsatisfied.
"Alright, now for the final step!"
Morpheus rallied his spirits and began injecting Irisviel's memories into the body before him. This process was equally slow. The connection between body and soul was intricate, as was the link between body and memories, further complicated by the brain's structure... an area Morpheus hadn't studied extensively.
His only method was to manipulate external environmental changes to influence the brain's internal structure, thereby facilitating the injection of memories.
"If it were that starry-eyed, busty girl from Academy City, she could probably pull this off with ease…" he muttered under his breath, drawing a puzzled look from Leysritt.
It was clearly an impressive feat of magical technology, so why did Morpheus seem somewhat dissatisfied?
Leysritt pondered quietly, unable to fully comprehend.
She watched as Morpheus poured a glowing orb... representing the memories... into Irisviel's body, then began another peculiar operation.
"In the name of Sariel, guide the soul to its sanctuary. The sanctuary is this body, named Irisviel, the entity before me. O lost soul, return to your rightful place!"
Once again, he invoked the power of an angel. Under the guidance of Sariel, the guardian of souls, Irisviel's fragmented soul... rendered blank by the Holy Grail's power... was drawn forth. The empty soul slowly flowed into the blank body.
This step didn't take long... almost instantaneous. As the soul entered the body, Irisviel slowly opened her eyes.
She first looked around in confusion, her eyes filled with bewilderment, like a child encountering a new world for the first time.
But soon, a flood of memories began to surface in her mind, rapidly overwhelming her neural pathways.
Irisviel let out a pained wail, startling Leysritt, who moved to help but was stopped by Morpheus.
"No need to rush. She's just processing her memories. Her brain was in an unread state until now, and accessing all those memories at once is naturally painful. It's like loading decades of memories in an instant... it'll take some time."
"Is this really okay?" Leysritt asked, growing increasingly worried as she watched Irisviel clutch her head, continuing to wail in agony.
"Don't worry, there won't be any issues. The biggest hurdle has been cleared. Even if she faints from the pain or sustains minor injuries, those are small problems easily healed. No need to fret."
Reassured by Morpheus, Leysritt steadied herself, though she continued to watch the beautiful woman before her with concern.
Finally, after about five minutes, Irisviel's wails subsided. She slowly raised her head, looking at the two before her, a gentle smile appearing in her eyes.
Yet, that smile carried a trace of confusion.
"I… wasn't I turned into the Holy Grail?"
Irisviel felt as though she had been in a long dream. She saw her own birth, her life from creation until she lost her ability to act, watching Kiritsugu Emiya fight desperately, even destroying the Holy Grail with his own hands.
After that, there was nothing.
When she came to again, she found herself standing in an open space, the cold wind making her shiver.
She was on Einzbern territory, standing before a human and an Einzbern homunculus.
"Put some clothes on first," Morpheus said, glancing at Leysritt. "Take her to get dressed." Then he looked at Irisviel, his gaze lingering on her face, not once glancing at her bare body below. "We'll talk about your questions once you're dressed."
Only then did Irisviel realize she was naked. Feeling a bit embarrassed, she followed Leysritt. Though a homunculus, her past experiences had taught her emotions like shame.
So, she had no objections to putting on clothes.
However, the fact that the man didn't look at her body, focusing instead on her face, left Irisviel slightly puzzled.
"Am I not attractive?"
"It's not like that, Lady Irisviel," Leysritt immediately responded as she led the way. "Your body was meticulously sculpted by Mr. Morpheus, so he's far too familiar with it."
Leysritt didn't hear a response. Puzzled, she turned around. "Lady Irisviel?"
She saw Irisviel frozen in place, eyes wide, mouth agape, as if in a daze.
"Lady Irisviel?" Leysritt called again.
"I'm here, Leysritt," Irisviel hurriedly replied, catching up.
After walking a bit and entering the castle, she asked in a low voice, "My… my body was sculpted by that man, Morpheus, right?"
"Yes. He first sculpted it, but failed in fully reshaping it into a human body. Later, he combined his magic with the Einzbern family's homunculus technology, and that's how he managed to revive you, Lady Irisviel."
"Revived…" Irisviel found it utterly miraculous. She should have been consumed by the Holy Grail, becoming the foundation of the Greater Grail, yet here she was, standing again. Even…
Irisviel raised her hand, feeling the blood flowing through her arm, sensing the life pulsing in her body. She took a deep breath.
"Most of my body's tissues are human?"
"It's magic I can't comprehend. Mr. Morpheus said it's magic that imbues a clay creation with the concept of humanity, turning it into flesh and blood, tied to myths of gods creating humans," Leysritt explained as she led Irisviel to the dressing room.
The clothes here were as they always had been. The garments Irisviel used to wear were still preserved... not out of sentiment, but because, for homunculi, moving things unnecessarily was pointless.
Irisviel donned her old clothes and followed Leysritt toward the living room where Morpheus waited. Along the way, Leysritt added, "Miss Illya is currently learning magic from Mr. Morpheus."
"Illya?" Irisviel was surprised. "Is… is she doing okay?"
Irisviel remembered Kiritsugu's final choice, which left Illya without parents... a fact she was well aware of. Her tone was cautious, as if afraid of hearing something she didn't want to know.
"Miss Illya is very strong. With Mr. Morpheus's help, she successfully escaped her fate as the Lesser Grail," Leysritt said, turning to Irisviel before entering the living room. "Please treat Miss Illya well from now on. She's suffered so much…"
"I…" Irisviel began.
The door was pushed open, revealing Morpheus sipping tea elegantly, sitting as if he were the master of the place rather than a guest.
Irisviel took a deep breath and walked in.
She felt as if she were meeting her child's guardian or a teacher.
"No need to be so nervous, Miss Irisviel. I'm as familiar with you as you are with yourself, so there's nothing to worry about. I don't think you have any issues to be concerned about right now."
"Thank you for saving Illya, Mr. Morpheus," Irisviel said, bowing slightly before taking a seat.
Leysritt stood to the side, fulfilling her role as a maid.
"I just happened to come to this place, happened to encounter this situation, and happened to have the ability to resolve it, so I did," Morpheus said, shaking his head. "No need to thank me so much. If you have any questions or things you don't understand, I'll answer what I can."
"My revival… are there any risks?" Irisviel asked immediately. "If there's a chance I might die in a year or two, I think… I shouldn't see that child. A sudden reunion followed by another parting would be too painful."
"No need to worry. Whether from the perspective of a homunculus or a human, your lifespan is long... enough to live for decades. You'll experience the human cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death, much like a homunculus that can't be maintained eventually breaks down."
Morpheus smiled, spreading his hands.
"In some ways, living beings and homunculus machinery are quite similar, aren't they? Besides, since you now have your own consciousness and soul, that's the approval of the divine... a life granted by the gods. I don't think you need to worry too much about these things."
Irisviel was taken aback by his words. Not only did he address her concerns, but he also spoke of things she hadn't considered.
She quickly realized the latter part wasn't meant for her but for Leysritt.
With the corner of her eye, she saw Leysritt's expression soften, a hint of warmth breaking through her usually cold demeanor.
What a gentle person, so considerate of others' feelings, Irisviel thought.
She then asked, "Will the Holy Grail War continue in the future?"
"No, it won't. I've destroyed the entire Holy Grail ritual. Plus, there are two Servants in Fuyuki City now... Medusa and Heracles. Their presence serves as protection. If anyone tries to reconstruct the Holy Grail ritual, they'll be stopped."
No more Holy Grail!
This was the best news possible. Without the Holy Grail War, she could be with her daughter!
"Actually, it's not just Illya as your daughter. You'll also have a son," Morpheus said after a moment's hesitation.
Irisviel, who had been overjoyed, froze.
She blinked, as if doubting what she'd heard. "You said… there's a son too?!"
Before Morpheus could explain, she added, "Did Kiritsugu remarry?!"
"No, no!" Morpheus quickly denied on Kiritsugu's behalf, then explained Shirou Emiya's origins.
"So, an adopted son? He's like Illya's older brother but actually younger, good at cooking, attentive in daily life, and caring…" Irisviel carefully repeated what Morpheus had said about Shirou Emiya, nodding gently. "Sounds like he'll be a fine son!"
Morpheus quietly sighed in relief. Irisviel seemed quite pleased with her newfound son, though he couldn't shake the feeling that she was particularly impressed by Shirou's housekeeping skills.
***
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