Did the Heroic Spirit I conquered become a reality?

Aozaki Aoko spoke again, her relaxed smile returning to her face: "If you don't mind, shall we talk somewhere else?"

Ilya hesitated for a moment, then glanced subtly at the Berserker standing not far away, a figure as silent as a mountain, yet exuding an aura of absolute security. Finally, she nodded gently.

“If you don’t mind, you can come with me to Einzbern Castle first, how about that?” she asked.

In reality, under normal circumstances, it would not be a wise decision to rashly go to a master's home during such a delicate period as the Holy Grail War.

But Aozaki Aoko nodded in agreement without even thinking about it.

"Okay, then I'll bother you for a moment?"

A clear and melodious voice rang out in the harbor, only to be quickly drowned out by the sound of the waves.

……

Einzbern Castle.

The two walked one after the other on the quiet forest path covered in snow, creating an eerie atmosphere.

Aozaki Aoko looked around with great interest the whole way. Sometimes she would look up curiously at the ancient trees that stood out so tall in the night; other times she would reach out and touch the powerful magical barriers set up by the Einzbern family in the air with great interest, and occasionally she would utter a few words of praise without any attempt to hide it.

"Wow, the Einzbern family's forest is really big! The barrier is also quite well done, although... the method is a bit old-fashioned."

Her "generous" and "casual" demeanor seemed so out of place on the battlefield of the Holy Grail War, which was filled with a solemn and heavy atmosphere.

Behind her, Ilya's ruby ​​eyes, which always held a touch of innocence, were now filled with a deep confusion and... strangeness that were incongruous with her age.

Not long ago at the port, in order to test this woman's background, she took the initiative to suggest that they go to Einzbern's castle to sit down and "have a detailed chat".

She originally thought that the other party would definitely find various reasons to refuse.

But to my surprise... she agreed without even thinking.

You must know, tonight is the day the Holy Grail War officially begins.

Meeting a mysterious and dangerous "guest" at a Master's base... no matter how you look at it, it's fraught with risk.

This woman...

Is it that she has an absolutely unreasonable level of self-confidence?

Or is she simply...naive, completely unaware of the cruelty of the Holy Grail War?

The two quickly returned to Eindzbern's castle.

When Irisviel saw Aozaki Aoko, her usually gentle red eyes were filled with undisguised surprise at the fact that her daughter had brought a stranger home.

“Ilya,” she looked at her daughter, then glanced at the strikingly beautiful black-haired woman beside her, and couldn’t help but ask softly, “And who is this…?”

“I don’t know either, Mother.” Ilya shook her head and looked at her mother, giving a brief account of her conversation with Aozaki Aoko at the port not long ago.

"She said... she was just a passing 'magician' who was very interested in the great battle that had recently taken place at the port. She also said... she came to Fuyuki to deal with something that concerned the 'safety of the entire nation'."

"The safety of humanity...?"

Upon hearing these words, for the first time, a genuine, unvarnished seriousness appeared on Irisviel's usually gentle and pretty face.

As the "saint" of the Einzbern family, she certainly knew the immense and undeniable weight that the words "human reason" truly carried.

Looking at the mysterious black-haired woman before her, her voice involuntarily carried a hint of respect: "Miss Aozaki, what exactly are you referring to? As far as I know, the Holy Grail War in Fuyuki City shouldn't be enough to... shake the very foundation of humanity."

“It wasn’t that serious to begin with.” Aozaki Aoko shrugged nonchalantly, her easygoing smile returning to her face. “However… it seems that a few ‘players’ who shouldn’t be here have infiltrated this ‘game’.”

She paused, her eyes, which always held a hint of amusement, gazing meaningfully towards the harbor outside the window.

"Take the 'fireworks' that took place at the port tonight, for example. The kind of 'concept erasure' that can be caused is not something an ordinary Servant can do."

Upon hearing this, Irisviel and Ilya exchanged a glance, both seeing an indescribable shock in each other's eyes.

"I came here to see the Einzbern family's attitude."

Aozaki Aoko looked at them, her smile unchanged, but her tone became more serious, "Faced with this 'extra-standard' existence that is capable of overturning everything, do you intend to continue this Holy Grail War, or... are you willing to cooperate with me to remove this biggest 'variable' from the chessboard first?"

A brief, suffocating silence fell over the living room.

Irisviel looked at the mysterious black-haired woman before her, then glanced at her young daughter beside her, whose eyes shone with the unwavering determination of a "Master." Finally, she sighed softly.

She knew that the course of this war had long deviated from everyone's expectations.

As a "participant" in this Holy Grail War, Illya has the right to make her own choices.

“Ilya,” Irisviel’s voice was gentle, yet carried a hint of solemnity, “you are the Master of this Holy Grail War. Your decision is the Einzbern decision.”

Upon hearing this, Ilya slowly raised her head. Her ruby ​​eyes, which always held a touch of innocence, were now unusually calm and...clear.

She looked at Aozaki Aoko, at the smile on her face that was full of "goodwill" and "composure," and after a moment, she slowly said in her clear and melodious voice, "Ms. Aozaki, I can consider your suggestion in principle."

"but--"

She paused, her tone carrying a calmness and scrutiny befitting her age and that of someone in a position of authority.

"Before that, I need to confirm whether you are actually a participant in the Holy Grail War."

Facing Ilya's scrutinizing and wary gaze, Aozaki Aoko's smile became increasingly... composed.

"Hehe, what a clever little girl." She chuckled, her tone carrying an undisguised admiration. "As expected of someone from the Einzbern family, they certainly can't treat you like an ordinary child."

As she spoke, she casually and slowly raised her right hand, displaying it to Ilya and Irisviel.

It was a fair, slender, and incredibly beautiful hand, but more importantly, there was no trace of a Command Seal on the smooth back of that hand.

“As you can see, I don’t have any Command Seals.” Aozaki Aoko shrugged indifferently. “I’m not a Master, nor have I summoned any Servants. I came to Fuyuki simply as an ‘individual’ person.”

Ilya and Irisviel were both taken aback upon hearing this.

Not Master?

This eased their initial wariness stemming from the other party's mystery and power, but it was replaced by a deeper...confusion.

“Then, Miss Aozaki…” Irisviel looked at her and couldn’t help but ask, “Could you elaborate on the ‘threat to humanity’ you mentioned?”

Aozaki Aoko's smile gradually faded, replaced by an unprecedented solemnity: "In the great battle at the port not long ago, a magician summoned a special being... You should have sensed it too, right?"

"That is the power of 'return,' one of the oldest natural disasters capable of devouring humanity and civilization."

“Once she gets completely out of control,” she said, looking at the mother and daughter, “not only Fuyuki City, but the entire planet could be reshaped into a primeval ocean. That’s what I mean by ‘threat’.”

Ilya glanced at her mother discreetly, and sure enough, she immediately noticed that Irisviel's expression seemed a little off, clearly indicating that she had thought of someone through the conversation just now.

—Yu Tohsaka.

Whether what the other person said is true or false, even for the sake of your mother, you can't just pretend you didn't see it...

After a long while, Ilya slowly raised her head. Her ruby ​​eyes, which always held a touch of innocence, were now filled with a determination that belied her age and belonged to a "Master".

"I understand."

She looked at Aozaki Aoko and said in an extremely solemn tone, "Ms. Aozaki, I am willing to cooperate with you."

As she spoke, she stood up and extended her hand to Aozaki Aoko.

The woman paused for a moment, then a bright smile appeared on her face.

Their fair hands clasped tightly together in mid-air, symbolizing the formal establishment of this "alliance" filled with unknowns and uncertainties.

"Speaking of it,"

After confirming the alliance, Aozaki Aoko suddenly seemed to have thought of something. She withdrew her hand, rested her chin on her hand, and a thoughtful look flashed in her eyes, which always held a hint of amusement. "Since we need to deal with 'monsters' of that level, relying solely on your Berserker seems a bit insufficient. Should I... summon a Servant as well?"

As she spoke, she inadvertently glanced into the shadows in the corner of the stone chamber.

There, the Berserker, as imposing as a mountain, stood silently.

His bloodshot eyes, corrupted by madness, and the terrifying aura emanating uncontrollably from his body, filled with savagery and destructive intent, were enough to break any magician with a weak will.

However, when faced with this terrifying aura, Aozaki Aoko showed no fear whatsoever; on the contrary, she seemed to be appreciating a work of art that exuded a sense of "power."

Ilya gave the woman a subtle look. Although there was a limit to the number of participants in the Holy Grail War, she had no doubt that if Aozaki Aoko wanted to, she could find a way to secure one of the spots.

Soon, Aozaki Aoko bid farewell to the mother and daughter.

After leaving Einzbern's castle, she decided to first perform a Heroic Spirit summoning.

……

On the other side, at Eindzbern Castle.

After confirming that Aozaki Aoko had completely left, Irisviel's formulaic elegance and composure, typical of an "android," was instantly replaced by an undisguised anxiety.

She immediately stood up from the sofa and said to her daughter in an unquestionable tone, "Ilya, I'm going out for a bit."

"No matter what happened tonight, we must tell Tohsaka-kun!"

Upon hearing this, Ilya immediately offered to go along, saying, "I'll go with you!"

“No,” Irisviel refused without hesitation. “You must stay here. Perhaps… that woman will come back later, and the castle cannot be left unattended.”

Ilya hesitated for a moment, but under her mother's firm gaze, she finally nodded gently and agreed.

"Okay... then please be careful."

……

Yuu Tohsaka was lying quietly on the soft, large bed in the room.

Outside the window, the pattering rain tapped against the glass, and also against his heart, which was filled with chaotic thoughts.

The room was simply furnished with a desk, wardrobe, bed, and everything else that was largely unchanged from when he left ten years ago.

Beside him, a petite figure was curled up in his arms, fast asleep.

Tiamat, now back in her Lily form, is peacefully closing her eyes. On her innocent, slightly naive face, the corners of her mouth are even slightly upturned, as if she is having a sweet dream.

Her long, smooth blue hair cascaded down the pillow like a waterfall, and the pair of small, adorable dragon horns on her head gleamed faintly in the dim light. Her whole being exuded an innocent and lovable aura that made people feel affection for her.

As Yu Tohsaka reflected on the events of the night, and the terrifying power displayed by the little "burden" beside her—a power that could be described as a "natural disaster"—a complex mix of emotions welled up within her.

Tiamat, she is... Beast II, the true "Creator Goddess" symbolizing the principle of "return".

Her very existence is the greatest threat to "human reason".

Without a doubt, she was his most powerful, even "unsolvable," trump card in this Holy Grail War filled with "extraordinary" beings.

However, this trump card is not without its drawbacks.

For example... although through his deep binding as an "anchor," Tiamat was able to find the path from the imaginary world to the present world, and when she descended into the present world, she also possessed the gentle rationality that belonged to a "mother."

But this rationality is based on... the fact that Tohsaka Yu is still alive.

If something happens to him...

Yu Tohsaka had no doubt that she would instantly transform back into the terrifying "beast" of Uruk, filled with chaos and a destructive will, attempting to completely engulf the entire history of humankind.

So, if we don't summon her, will everything be fine?

The answer is also no.

Once she senses that Tohsaka Yu is in danger through the connection of the [Anchor of Origin], she will not hesitate to tear through space and time and descend upon this place.

And once she sees that something has happened to her most cherished "child"...

Yu Tohsaka didn't even dare to think about the consequences.

This is truly a double-edged sword...

Yu Tohsaka sighed inwardly, filled with a sense of helplessness.

Just as his thoughts were in turmoil, an incomparably bright silver bird, seemingly formed from moonlight, silently flashed past his half-open window.

It was not a real life form, but a familiar created by the highest level of alchemy and magic, unique to the Einzbern family.

Yu Tohsaka's eyes narrowed instantly. He immediately sat up from the bed and quickly walked down the stairs.

Sure enough, at the gate of the Tohsaka family mansion, a familiar yet delicate, ethereal, and beautiful figure stood quietly in the cold, rainy night, holding an umbrella.

She wore an elegant pure white long dress, with a beige cashmere coat draped over it, perfectly accentuating her graceful figure.

Her long, smooth silver hair swayed gently in the night breeze, highlighting her fair and beautiful face. Her red eyes, which always carried a hint of melancholy, were now filled with undisguised anxiety and seriousness.

"Miss Irisviel?" Yu Tohsaka immediately stepped forward and asked in surprise, "What are you doing here?"

Seeing this, Irisviel immediately stepped forward, lowered her voice, and whispered in his ear in a tense tone:

"Something's happened, Tohsaka-kun."

"Tonight's Holy Grail War, someone... has their eyes on you."

"Isn't it normal for them to be eyeing me?" Tohsaka Yu smiled casually upon hearing this. "After all, this is the Holy Grail War."