On the outskirts of Fuyuki, Einzbern Castle lay hidden within the dense forest.
The moment she returned, Illya shut herself in her room. Refusing Sella and Lieslotte's care, saying she wanted some time alone, she curled up on her princess bed, hugging her knees as she thought.
Without any clues, it was indeed difficult to see through the fog and uncover the truth. But once a clue appeared, things became different.
Illya was far too clever. She quickly realized that Kiritsugu had not failed to go to Germany to see her. As for why she had not known, it must have been the deliberate doing of the eighth head of the Einzbern family—Jubstacheit von Einzbern, Ahlad.
From Shirou's casual remarks, she had learned that Kiritsugu's physical condition had steadily worsened. Yet even so, he had never given up. Again and again, he had dragged his gravely ill body to Germany, begging for the chance to see her, only to be turned away by Ahlad time and time again—because he had rejected the Holy Grail and failed to fulfill Einzbern's long-cherished wish.
Kiritsugu...
Even until the very end, he had hoped to see her.
The truth that had tormented and agonized her for so many years turned out to be this. For a moment, Illya did not know how she should react.
And there was another doubt that came with it. Who exactly was that "mother" only she could see, the one who was always by her side? And why had she joined Ahlad in deceiving her?
The girl's heart was in turmoil. She did not know what to believe, nor who to trust. There was also Einzbern's long-cherished wish—to use the Holy Grail to attain the Third Magic, the Cup of Heaven, Materialization of the Soul, turning every human in