Illyasviel von Einzbern

At seven-thirty in the morning, Shinji finally got his emotions under control. He changed into the solemn black Japanese mourning clothes he had prepared in advance, then unhurriedly walked out of his room.

Today's main matter was the funeral.

Yesterday, Shinji had arranged all the funeral details by email. In simple terms, everyone who needed to be notified had been notified. The cemetery, coffin, tombstone, and funeral hall had all been arranged overnight through the efficient operations of the company Shinji controlled... no, it should be called a conglomerate now.

The monk responsible for chanting sutras had also just arrived outside the Matou Residence.

There was a reason Shinji had invited a monk to chant sutras for the dead instead of having a priest conduct a Western-style funeral. It was also meant to declare that the Matou Family had completely withdrawn from the world of Magecraft. That was Shinji's consideration.

When Shinji arrived at the reception room, the first thing he saw was Sakura, dressed in dark mourning clothes, entertaining the monk he knew well—Isshin's older brother, Ryudo Goken.

Though he was somewhat surprised that Sakura had changed into mourning clothes, Shinji did not ask about it. Instead, he took the opportunity to discuss matters concerning the funeral venue with the monk he knew.

By evening, the deliberately streamlined funeral had ended.

The coffin, containing only two sets of clothing, had also been buried.

Within the gloomy, solemn cemetery,

Shinji saw an unexpected guest.

The Magical Girl Il... no, Illyasviel von Einzbern.

The silver-haired, red-eyed girl had a petite figure and delicate features. Dressed in a purple Western-style dress, she had stood silently at a distance and watched the entire funeral from beginning to end.

By the time the funeral ended, the sky had completely darkened, and the setting sun had nearly vanished.

Just as Shinji, who had remained until the end, and Sakura, who had volunteered to attend the funeral, were preparing to leave, Illyasviel von Einzbern stepped forward.

"Once, a grand aspiration had also dwelled within this man... Does that mean Makiri remembered his former aspiration at the very end?"

Shinji did not answer as he looked at the petite girl before him. The words, "Once, a grand aspiration had also dwelled within this man," were part of Zouken's epitaph.

"Ah, I almost forgot. At a time like this, I should introduce myself first." As she spoke, Illya lifted the hem of her long skirt, crossed her feet, rose onto her toes, and gave a standard German aristocratic bow. "My name is Illyasviel von Einzbern. You can call me Illya. Big brother, you've heard the name Einzbern before, right? And if you haven't, then this big sister should have heard of it, shouldn't she?"

Shinji still did not answer. He merely frowned and looked at Illya, while Sakura, seeing Shinji's silence, chose to remain silent as well.

Seeing their reactions, Illya suddenly laughed.

"How interesting. The eldest son without aptitude for magecraft seems to know everything, while this big sister with aptitude for magecraft seems to know only a little about such matters. How fascinating. Grandfather Makiri's education is just too fascinating."

"No, your name was too long. I didn't remember it all at once. Can you say it again?"

The moment Shinji spoke, Illya's expression froze.

"You can just call me Illya, big brother. Your songs and novels are famous overseas too. I like them very much."

"Thanks for the compliment, but I copied all of them."

"Hahaha, big brother, you really are interesting. Anyway, I understand what Makiri... no, Matou meant. Holding the funeral in an ordinary Japanese manner while bypassing the Holy Church was meant to announce the Matou Family's official withdrawal from the world of Magecraft, right? But don't you think it's a pity? This big sister's latent talent for magecraft is quite good."

"Perhaps." Shinji shrugged. "But my little sister said she doesn't want to become a magus, so as her older brother, I can only do my best to fulfill her wish."

"Big sister, you have a good older brother." Illya looked at Sakura, her eyes curving into a smile as she spoke meaningfully. "That really makes me jealous."

"Illyasviel, you came here because of that war, didn't you? Now that Matou is no longer involved..." Shinji trailed off with a furrowed brow.

"Don't misunderstand, big brother." Illya interrupted him. "Since Matou has completely withdrawn, we are no longer enemies. I merely came to bid farewell to Grandfather Makiri, who once had ties with Einzbern. I just didn't expect an unexpected gain..."

As she spoke, Illya looked toward the other side of the nearby tombstone, where another concise epitaph had been engraved.

"Once forgot the light... What a simple epitaph, but it suits him very well. Grandfather Makiri did remember his old aspiration in the end..."

"Isn't that just what dementia is like? You always end up forgetting things and such." Shinji looked utterly unconcerned.

Illya giggled. "Hehehehe, big brother, you're really interesting."

Then Shinji changed the subject. "But things carved into the soul aren't so easily forgotten. At most, they're merely overlooked. Being able to remember them at the end probably proves that. It's just that they were overlooked for a slightly long time."

Illya's expression became a little more serious. "Big brother, it's fortunate you have no talent for magecraft. Otherwise, you would probably have been an enemy in this war who would give me quite a headache."

Just a few simple sentences had made Illya feel that Shinji was not an ordinary person. If he were an opponent, he would certainly be extremely troublesome.

Shinji smiled faintly and said nothing more.

This little girl, who appeared so innocent and lively, was actually intelligent to the extreme. One wrong word might make her wary of him. Shinji knew exactly what he could and could not say.

To be honest, Shinji had never expected to encounter Illya at such a critical moment, but it also served as a reminder that he absolutely could not let down his guard.

Fortunately, before leaving the house, Sakura's Command Spells had been hidden and isolated using a special potion Shinji had concocted after studying the Matou Family's records. He had also told Sakura to leave Rider safely at home. Otherwise, they might have been facing the first battle of the Holy Grail War.

Though Sakura could not see it, Shinji could see the rough, hidden figure behind Illya, filled with violent energy.

With an innocent smile on her face, Illya continued, "One last question. I'm very curious, big brother. How exactly was this big sister's function as a vessel stopped and reversed?"

"What?" Shinji looked puzzled, as though he truly could not understand her.

Seeing Shinji's expression, Illya began to wonder: Could it really be that Makiri had awakened at the final moment, realized the twisted evil he had committed, and spent his final moments saving this girl who had been forcibly transformed into the Matou Family's Holy Grail?

"Don't speak. Just stay silent."

Without showing any change in expression, Shinji transmitted his words directly to Sakura's ears. After hearing her brother's words, Sakura wisely chose to obey.

"Well, forget it." Unable to find an answer on either Shinji's or Sakura's face, Illya once again revealed an innocent smile. "No matter what, we're no longer enemies. Goodbye, Makiri's big sister and big brother."