章 5: Where Can I Collect Loli?
In a desolate, snow-covered ancient city—Einzbern.
A land of eternal winter, where snow and wind endlessly reign, devoid of greenery, with no birds in flight. All that meets the eye is an expanse of endless white.
"I'm going to destroy the Holy Grail," Emiya Kiritsugu declared decisively, dropping a bombshell among those present.
"Kiritsugu..." Irisviel looked at her husband with concern. She understood better than anyone the significance the Holy Grail held for this man, but... but why?
Bang—
Saber suddenly stood up, her armor clanking. Surprisingly, it was Saber who had the strongest reaction.
Her emerald eyes stared intently at Kiritsugu, with a hint of anger. Even someone as cold as Emiya Kiritsugu could feel the icy chill spreading through the room. "No matter what you think of me, there's one thing..."
"You must explain, Master." Saber emphasized the word 'Master' heavily.
From the moment she was summoned, Kiritsugu's nearly indifferent attitude towards her had deeply displeased her. Whether it was his doubts about her worth or his doubts about the heavy fate she bore, it felt to her as if this man, Emiya Kiritsugu, had been rejecting her all along.
And now, he was talking about destroying the Holy Grail.
She had made a contract with the World, Alaya, willing to pay the price of eternal damnation just to have the Grail grant her wish of "returning to the day of the selection of the king."
But now, Emiya Kiritsugu was openly talking about destroying the Grail. This was something she could never accept.
Yet a king must be humble, must be loyal. Even in her anger, she suppressed herself.
She was like a lion, Kiritsugu thought as he watched Saber.
She could indeed be a sharp sword, but it would depend on how she was wielded.
This time, no matter what, the Holy Grail must be destroyed.
He glanced around at the others: Irisviel, who was concerned; Saber, who was angry; and Kurumi, who watched with a face full of mischievous delight.
Some things still needed to be explained.
"Master... are you participating in the Holy Grail War for the second time?" Saber was stunned, then suddenly seemed to realize something, her gaze heating up as she looked at Kurumi.
If... if Kurumi could send Master back to a few days ago to restart the Holy Grail War, then surely, she could also fulfill her own wish.
"Returning to the day of the selection of the king."
Sitting quietly, lost in thought, Kurumi suddenly froze. Which timeline of herself was this that had come to start a second round? The three people in front of her were either calm, curious, or fervent as they looked at her.
"Huh?" She pretended to shyly cover her face. "Why are you all looking at me?"
Kurumi could not fulfill Saber's wish, at least not in her current state.
If she used the Sixth Bullet, she could indeed send Emiya Kiritsugu's consciousness back a few days, but that would be the limit.
To go back further, she would need to use the Twelfth Bullet.
But the former Kurumi Tokisaki, even after stealing the lifespans of tens of thousands of people, had not gathered enough power to go back thirty years.
If she remembered correctly, the "day of the selection of the king" was 1,500 years ago in Britain.
Receiving a completely negative response, Saber almost collapsed back into her chair.
The tainted Holy Grail could not be claimed, and Kurumi could not fulfill her wish.
"Saber," Irisviel said, holding Saber's hand in concern. "There must be another way, right?" She didn't understand what Saber was so fixated on, but that didn't stop her from offering comfort.
Emiya Kiritsugu turned his back on the others, watching the snowflakes dance outside the Einzbern castle, and began to plan his next move.
...
The snow had stopped.
The sky wasn't exactly clear, a milky white, but much brighter.
Emiya Kiritsugu lowered his head and started to clear his mind.
No matter how busy or important the day was, he had to take Illyasviel for a walk in the forest outside the castle.
This was a promise that must be kept between a father and his daughter.
He was also grateful to still have this opportunity.
"Illya..." Kiritsugu gritted his teeth. This was the one treasure he had to take back from Einzbern.
"Daddy!"
"Daddy!"
A young girl's voice came from outside the door, along with the sound of maids trying to dissuade her.
Emiya Kiritsugu turned to leave, and the cold mask on his face seemed to crack instantly.
...
"Today, I'm definitely not going to lose!" The girl wasn't even as tall as Kiritsugu's waist, her soft silver hair flowing, and her ruby-red eyes full of excitement.
Only on days like this did her father have time to accompany her.
Wrapped in thick winter clothes, the girl's movements were a bit clumsy as she struggled to walk through the deep snow with her small boots, all the while scanning the surrounding forest for winter buds on the hazel branches.
This was a game she and her father had played repeatedly, searching for the hidden winter buds in the winter forest.
The little girl waddled along, but the heavy expression on Emiya Kiritsugu's face was hard to shake.
The vision of the Holy Grail's consciousness speaking to him had left his heart in turmoil.
"I found it! I found it!" Illya twirled around and ran back, tugging at the hem of Kiritsugu's coat. "Daddy, I found one."
She looked up at Kiritsugu with her small face. "Daddy..."
Even someone as young as she was could sense the heaviness in Kiritsugu's heart.
"Hmph!" The girl pouted her cheeks and began to pound Kiritsugu's leg in protest. "Mean Daddy! Mean Daddy! Mean Daddy!"
"Kiritsugu is supposed to play with me properly."
"Ah, I'm sorry." The man knelt down and gently stroked Illya's head, forcing a smile. "That was Daddy's mistake."
"Hmph! If you keep this up, I won't play with Kiritsugu anymore." Illya turned her head away, crossing her arms, her small head held high like a swan, though her bright eyes kept glancing at Kiritsugu.
To her surprise, Kiritsugu suddenly embraced her, holding her tightly. "I'm sorry, my little princess."
"Daddy..." The girl froze.
Emiya Kiritsugu rarely hugged her. In his mind, his hands were stained with sin, and he was destined to push Illya's mother into the abyss of death.
He felt he had no right to hold Illya.
But in this moment, he held her close. Illya was so light, even lighter than his Mystic Code handgun, yet she felt so heavy, her purity something he could never hope to possess.
Hot tears welled up in his eyes.
"Illya," he whispered, lifting the girl onto his shoulders, playing the role of her steed as they walked through the eternally silent winter forest.
"The next time will be after Kiritsugu returns from Japan." Illya's voice was tinged with sadness.
"Yes." Kiritsugu's voice trembled; he couldn't bear to meet Illya's gem-like eyes.
"Daddy will be back in about two weeks. But... Mommy..." Kiritsugu's voice quivered, his body weighed down by an invisible burden.
"I know," the girl said innocently, her words completely shattering Kiritsugu's heart. "It's like saying goodbye forever."
The distant Einzbern castle looked like a dreamy fairy tale in the mist, and the endless white snowflakes once again tore Emiya Kiritsugu apart.
Just like last time.
Illya would never again be held by her mother.
With that thought, the hot tears finally began to fall.
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