Reclaiming Five (Illya's Question)

The bond between father and daughter was one of the most special and intense emotions in the world.

A father would dote on his daughter in every way he could think of and accomplish. This feeling was nearly perfect; as long as it existed, even time could not affect it.

Kiritsugu Emiya, though his methods had given him a reputation in the trade as foul as gutter oil,

was undeniably an almost flawless father. Though he had once personally shot his own daughter for the sake of the world... that was all in the past now. Just like the saying went, it was over!

Since the past was past, they should properly face the present. And now, this good father had run into a rather troubling problem.

"Kiritsugu is mine! Don't even think about taking him away!" Illya stood in front of Kiritsugu, glaring at Shirou with hostility as she shouted at him.

"Huh? What?" Shirou's expression turned ugly. What the hell was this supposed to be?!

"Kiritsugu belongs to Illya alone. Illya won't let you fight me for him!" Illya said, puffing out her cheeks.

Seeing things seemingly develop in an unbelievable direction, Ahad tactfully stepped back twice, keeping a distance from Shirou that was neither too close nor too far.

Ahad was helpless too. He did not dare get close, fearing Shirou would lose his temper and wipe him out along the way; but he did not dare run either, afraid Shirou would come to his senses and erase him outright in a fit of displeasure.

There was no need to doubt it. In the world of magi, anyone with a bit of skill was generally somewhat unhinged. Who knew whether this fellow might suddenly take a notion to blast him into scraps?

Shirou slapped a hand against his forehead. Right, he got it now! Now he understood why so many families did not want a second child. They were simply afraid the older one would make a fuss. The adults stuck in the middle were screwed either way.

Compared to this, even a love triangle was laughably weak!

Shirou had not had any siblings in his previous life, and even his parents had died long ago. Though he was a tech nerd who could fix anything and was practically proficient at everything, a tech nerd was still a shut-in. Until his death, Shirou had not even held a girl's hand. So he truly had no idea what to do in a situation like this.

So Shirou cast a pleading look at Kiritsugu, only to see an expression on his face like his father had died. Then Shirou looked out the window... From so far away, what the hell could he even see?!

So—

"Uh... well, Dad, you and Illya haven't seen each other for so long, so I won't get in the way. Mr. Ahad, come with me. I have something to discuss with you."

With that, Shirou grabbed Ahad and bolted toward the castle's top floor, where the Einzbern Magic Workshop had remained to this day.

"Shirou..." Watching his young adoptive son hurriedly flee while dragging Ahad along, Kiritsugu could not help feeling bitter.

He understood how unusual his adopted son was: an existence similar to a Servant, with strength scarcely inferior to one. He was also mature enough to waste that adorable appearance, and somewhat possessed of a split personality.

When he was with Kiritsugu and people he knew, he always smiled brightly, and his train of thought could leap about wildly. A sudden whim might lead him to do anything. Yet when he acted, his tone became mechanically cold.

Kiritsugu Emiya did not want to interfere too much in Shirou's life. In his view, sons were meant to be raised free-range. Kiritsugu might remind Shirou when he went down the wrong path, but he would not excessively influence Shirou's lifestyle or values.

"Hey, old man. Illya only has nineteen years to live, right?" Shirou asked Ahad inside the Einzbern Magic Workshop.

"...You are correct, Mr. Emiya." Although he did not know how Shirou knew, Ahad remained silent for a moment before answering truthfully.

"As expected..." Shirou pondered for a moment. "Then you should have a way to solve this problem, right?"

"..."

Ahad wanted to say no, and that was indeed the truth. But Shirou's power had him completely under control. He was not sure whether telling the truth would result in Shirou humanely destroying him.

"Tell me the truth. There is no point in lying," Shirou added when he saw Ahad hesitate.

"Yes, Mr. Emiya." Ahad let out a breath of relief. At least he no longer had to worry about being humanely destroyed for speaking honestly.

"Though the Einzberns are a family of homunculi, Ilyasviel is special."

"Go on." Shirou's tone did not waver.

"Ilyasviel is the accidental product of a union between a human and a homunculus. She is not entirely human, nor entirely a homunculus. We are helpless in the face of such a condition," Ahad said.

Every member of the Einzbern family was a homunculus; there had never been such a thing as "treating illness." If an arm or leg was damaged, they simply replaced it with a new one, just as one would replace a damaged car tire.

Illya's mother, Irisviel, was Ahad's generation's most perfect creation. Her capabilities as the Lesser Grail nearly rivaled Justeaze's. If Ahad had not wanted to research something useful from Illya, he probably would have disposed of her already. Do not be surprised; this was how magi were. For most magi, reason outweighed emotion.

"...Is that so?"

Shirou really wanted to grab Ahad by the collar and ask him what use they were, but after thinking about it, he realized there was no point, so he dismissed the thought.

The distant sky was frighteningly overcast. Though it was calm, anyone could tell it was an illusion. The calm before a storm was always only an illusion. But this was the Alps; the temperature below ensured this place was insulated from rainstorms.

Shirou looked at Kiritsugu and Illya playing beneath the castle, then at the dark clouds in the distance. "Those clouds are black as coal, and the atmospheric pressure is ridiculously low... Is it a blizzard?"

"Sigh! I still can't feel at ease leaving the house to Fujimura-sensei." After some thought, Shirou called to Kiritsugu, "Hey, Dad! I thought about it, and I'm still not comfortable leaving the house to Fujimura-sensei, so I'm heading back to Fuyuki first. You should bring Illya back soon too!"

With that, Shirou used Hierro to take off from the spot. In terms of flight speed alone, he could reach the speed of sound. Combined with Sonido, he could circle the Earth along the equator in just fifteen hours.

A Vasto Lorde-class Arrancar's stamina was his to squander. Traveling like this, he could fly for an entire day.

Shirou left behind only the lingering sound of a sonic boom, unsettled air currents, and Ahad's stunned expression.

That was right, Shirou had done it deliberately, intending to intimidate that old fox Ahad. After all, in Shirou's eyes, most magi could not be trusted.