Germany — Ainsbell Castle.At this moment, several uninvited guests had crossed thousands of kilometers from Fuyuki City and arrived here.
"This is the Ainsbell main estate," Yuto said as he looked up at the enormous castle before them, unable to help but sigh in admiration. "From what I know about them, homunculus creation is the core of the Ainsbell family's magecraft. Getting them to hand over that technology won't be easy.Sure, they're just as obsessed with winning the Holy Grail War, and Iriya can barely be counted as part of their bloodline… but when it comes down to it, to the upper echelon of the family, she's nothing more than a disposable homunculus, isn't she?"
Staring at the massive fortress-like structure, Yuto couldn't help but reflect on the so-called "Three Great Families." If you were talking about wealth, the Ainsbells were on an entirely different level.The so-called "temporary villa" they'd built on the outskirts of Fuyuki City was already absurdly extravagant. Compared to that, the scale of their true headquarters was downright insane.
"Iriya was one of their sacrifices to begin with," Kiritsugu Emiya said coldly. "So asking them to help now is only natural.And if they dare refuse to hand over that so-called homunculus technology, we'll just smash the entire family to pieces.The Grail War rules say we're not supposed to involve non-participants—but the Fuyuki Church is already gone. Who's left to care about rules anymore?"
Hearing Kiritsugu's concerns, the girl beside him thumped her chest confidently.
"If they don't know what's good for them, we just take it by force," Modred declared with a grin. "I've been treated like a delinquent brat my whole life anyway. What's a little more chaos, right?"
To be fair, as one of the three families who created the Holy Grail, the Ainsbells undoubtedly possessed terrifying depth and resources.But so what? No matter how strong humans were, could they really defeat Servants?
Leaving Modred aside for a moment, Assassin alone was already monstrously powerful—practically an anomaly among anomalies.
Just as Yuto, Kiritsugu, and the others were about to approach the castle gates, the people inside emerged first.
Calling it a "welcome" would be inaccurate. A large number of figures poured out, all armed, faces tense with vigilance.
As the Ainsbell main house, it naturally possessed layers of defensive spells and surveillance magecraft. The moment two magical signatures vastly exceeding human limits—Yuto's and Modred's—appeared nearby, the family had already detected them and mobilized.
"Several of you have chosen not to remain in Fuyuki to participate in the Holy Grail War," said an elderly man stepping forward, his voice calm but sharp. "May I ask why you've traveled such a great distance to suddenly visit the Ainsbell main estate?If you require assistance, the Ainsbell family is generally willing to help."
The speaker was an old man with graying hair, dressed in pristine white Western-style magus robes. Though advanced in years, the magical energy radiating from him was anything but weak. Even if he wasn't the family head, he was clearly someone with authority.
With a single glance, the Ainsbell patriarch could tell that Yuto and Modred were anything but ordinary humans.Their magical energy was overwhelming—far beyond what anyone of this era could achieve through training alone.
As for Kiritsugu Emiya, though ten years had passed, the patriarch showed no surprise at his youthful appearance.Even from thousands of kilometers away, the two homunculus maids stationed in Fuyuki to care for Iriya regularly reported back. As such, despite not being present in Fuyuki, the Ainsbell head was well aware of the current state of the Holy Grail War.
Though their purpose remained unclear, he judged that since they had come knocking directly, it would be prudent to hear them out—provided their request wasn't excessive.
After all, with the Fuyuki Church—the so-called "overseer"—already destroyed, the Servants were running rampant.Even with centuries of accumulated power, the Ainsbell main estate wouldn't fall easily… but suffering heavy losses was all but guaranteed.
After weighing the costs, the patriarch decided to listen.
"Huh. This old guy's more reasonable than you made him sound, Kiritsugu," Modred said cheerfully. "Alright, let's skip the pleasantries. We need your family's homunculus technology."
She strode forward and casually slapped the old man on the shoulder as she spoke.
The moment those words left her mouth, the Ainsbell patriarch's expression froze. The awkward politeness vanished, replaced by cold hostility.
"I'm afraid that is impossible," he said flatly. "Homunculus creation is the core secret of the Ainsbell family. We cannot help you with that. I must ask you to leave."
The moment he heard their true goal, he turned on them without hesitation.
There was no choice. Other matters might be negotiable—but homunculus technology was different. Even within the Ainsbell family, only a select few were allowed access to its true core.
Why had the Ainsbells endured for centuries, gradually pulling ahead of the other two Grail-creating families, the Matō and the Tōsaka?The answer was simple: their homunculus research.
By now, their techniques could even create artificial magic circuits. This was the very foundation of their existence. Handing it over to outsiders was unthinkable.
"Don't make it sound so grand. It's basically artificial intelligence, isn't it?" Yuto said calmly."And honestly, the Ainsbell family has been hollow for a long time now. Leaving aside the first-generation Winter Saint and the second head… starting with the third head, Jubstacheit von Ainsbell, the family heads have effectively been nothing more than 'magical dolls'—autonomous constructs, right?"
The old man's eyes widened.
"And besides," Yuto continued evenly, "we have zero interest in the so-called Third Magic. We're just trying to save a little girl crushed by fate.The world is vast. You should get out more. What you call the Third Magic—materialization of the soul—might be an unattainable miracle to you, but in some places, it's old news. Something people stopped being impressed by long ago."
Until now, Yuto had remained silent. But the moment he spoke, the impact was devastating.
From his very first sentence, the Ainsbell patriarch stood there with his mouth hanging open, staring at Yuto in disbelief.
He couldn't understand it.
How could this man know such things?
Even if Yuto was a Servant, these were secrets known only to successive Ainsbell heads.The origin of homunculus creation—its purpose as a means to research the Third Magic—was the result of centuries of painstaking work. Yet coming from this young man's mouth, it sounded utterly worthless.
"Kiritsugu," Modred whispered, leaning over. "What's this 'Third Magic' thing? Why does that old guy look like he just got struck by lightning?"
Kiritsugu paused, then explained.
"This world has countless forms of magecraft, and those who use it are called magi.Even the most powerful techniques—like Reality Marbles, which are said to be closest to true magic—still fall within the category of magecraft. They're powerful, but not beyond human comprehension."
"Throughout history, however, there have been individuals who crossed that line. Magecraft that transcends its limits and enters the realm of true Magic—there are six such Magics in total.Those who wield them are called Magicians. Some even refer to Magic as reaching the Root."
"And the Third Magic that Assassin mentioned… is the materialization of the soul. In theory, it grants true immortality.I had no idea the Ainsbell homunculi were originally created to research it…"
Kiritsugu was just as stunned by this revelation. He didn't know how Yuto knew so much—but that didn't matter.If anything, the more Yuto knew about the Ainsbells, the more confident Kiritsugu became that he could save Iriya.
"Our homunculus technology is the Ainsbell family's greatest secret," the patriarch said coldly. "And since you know this much, we have even more reason not to hand it over.To prevent these secrets from spreading… I'm afraid we must ask you to stay as our guests."
The kindly old man vanished, replaced by ruthless authority.
At his signal, combat-type homunculi poured out from every corner of the castle, swiftly surrounding Yuto and the others.
"So after all that talking, we're fighting anyway?" Modred laughed. "See? I told you we should've just taken it from the start."
She showed not the slightest hint of fear. With a roar of laughter, silver-and-crimson armor materialized around her body, encasing her head to toe.
"I'm well aware that heroic spirits like yourselves may not think much of ordinary humans," the Ainsbell patriarch said calmly."But don't forget—this is the Ainsbell main estate. One of the creators of the Holy Grail. Our centuries of accumulated power are beyond your imagination."
As Modred entered her battle stance and overwhelming magical pressure poured from both her and Yuto, the patriarch remained composed.He raised the staff he'd been using as a cane and struck it against the ground.
Boom.
In an instant, an enormous magic circle unfolded—vast enough to cover the entirety of Ainsbell Castle.