The Two Rites

In the living room, Wang Xiaoming asked Kiritsugu he hadn't seen for some time, about his recent situation.

"It's great, Iris and Illya really like the environment here now."

Kiritsugu's lips curled into a faint smile. No one would believe that this seemingly peaceful man was actually the infamous Magus Killer.

"That's good."

Upon hearing Kiritsugu's words, Wang Xiaoming nodded in agreement, a smile also appearing on his face.

As for the Emiya family in the "original work," whether it's Kiritsugu, Irisviel, Illya, or Shirou ten years later, Wang Xiaoming, as a "time traveler," harbors a desire to "save" them.

Although he had jokingly called himself a "meddlesome person" before, Wang Xiaoming couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment every time he saw the Emiya family of three living happily together, and Shirou, who had become his "stepson".

"Speaking of which, Iris to Miss Aozaki, Alice's health has almost recovered."

When Kiritsugu mentioned his wife, a hint of gratitude lingered in his eyes as he looked at Wang Xiaoming.

Wang Xiaoming subconsciously pushed up his glasses. "All I did was suggest a feasibility; I couldn't offer any other help."

"But if it weren't for your suggestion, our family probably wouldn't be reunited now."

As Kiritsugu said, if he hadn't met Touko Aozaki through Wang Xiaoming's introduction, Irisviel might still be sleeping in the scabbard of the Holy Sword. He, busy caring for Iris, would likely have had no time to look after Illya in the "Castle of Winter"...

The thought of seeing his daughter in the "Castle of Winter" filled Kiritsugu with an overwhelming sense of regret.

"Alright, since you've put it that way..."

Seeing Kiritsugu's determined gaze, Wang Xiaoming felt somewhat helpless. If he refused again, he would seem a bit pretentious, so he shrugged as if he had agreed.

The two tacitly agreed not to mention the previous Holy Grail War anymore. As for the next Holy Grail War... Wang Xiaoming decided to postpone telling Kiritsugu about it for a while.

The main reason was to allow Kiritsugu, a man who had experienced so much hardship, to have his heart soothed by the company of his family. Moreover, there were still nine years before the start of the Fifth Holy Grail War, and according to the normal plot development, there was no need to worry about the time issue.

So the conversation naturally turned to Wang Xiaoming.

"But what have you been up to all this time?"

Since Wang Xiaoming and Kiritsugu brought Illya back from the "Castle of Winter", Kiritsugu has rarely seen Wang Xiaoming again.

If Shirou and Sakura hadn't visited Illya from time to time, Kiritsugu might have started to suspect that something had happened to him.

"Don't even mention it..."

Upon hearing Kiritsugu's question, Wang Xiaoming slumped onto the sofa, looking as if he were reminiscing about a past he found unbearable.

"Ever since my mother found out I adopted two children, she's been constantly trying to set me up on blind dates, and it only stopped recently at the end of the year..."

No one would feel good if they found out that two unfamiliar names had suddenly appeared under their household registration.

After learning over the phone that her son had suddenly adopted two "unclear" children, the mother, wondering if her son had lost his mind, immediately hung up and rushed to his home from her rural hometown.

However, after seeing Shirou and Sakura call out "Grandma" in a very sensible way, the mother's attitude softened. Then, after hearing about the two children's tragic (embellished) experiences from Wang Xiaoming, the mother immediately acknowledged the two children's identities.

Although the mother no longer dwells on the children's parentage, it doesn't mean she approves of Wang Xiaoming's decision to privately adopt them.

After calming the two children down, the mother grabbed Wang Xiaoming by the ear and took him to the balcony for a "loving lecture."

However, my mother nagged a lot, but it all boils down to one sentence:

Now that you have a child, what about a partner?

Thus, under the guidance of his mother, Wang Xiaoming embarked on his arduous journey of blind dating.

Although Wang Xiaoming had considered asking Touko Aozaki to help him avoid this ordeal, could you really expect a Grand Caster to "condescend" to handle something like this for you?

So this idea just flashed through my mind.

Just as Wang Xiaoming Kiritsugu his tearful experiences with blind dates, his right hand unconsciously pushed up his glasses again, indicating that he was still not quite used to the new glasses.

What happened to your eye?

Kiritsugu frowned and asked. Although he was no longer an assassin, it didn't mean that Kiritsugu's observation skills had deteriorated. Kiritsugu could tell at a glance that the glasses on Wang Xiaoming's nose were just a pair of non-prescription glasses.

The reason why Wang Xiaoming wore those glasses is worth investigating further...

You mean this?

Upon hearing Kiritsugu's question, Wang Xiaoming was taken aback at first, but after realizing what he meant, he replied, "It's a sealing tool that I asked Touko Aozaki to make for me."

"Sealed props?"

Upon hearing Wang Xiaoming's answer, Kiritsugu frowned even more deeply.

Seeing Kiritsugu's furrowed brows, Wang Xiaoming felt a warmth in his heart, knowing he was worried about him. He waved his hand, gave him a thumbs up, and said, "Don't worry, it's nothing serious. The purpose of wearing this is just to suppress the power of my eyes. Just treat it as an accessory. You can ask Touko Aozaki later if you don't believe me."

Seeing Wang Xiaoming's confident demeanor, Kiritsugu decided not to press further, but he secretly resolved to ask Touko Aozaki for more details in private.

Wanting to change the subject, Wang Xiaoming glanced at the living room clock. During their conversation, the hour hand had unknowingly pointed to the lower half of the night.

"Speaking of which, Illya and the others should be back soon."

Little did they know that Illya and the others, while playing outside, also encountered some minor incidents.

I'm so sorry! QwQ!

Ilya, who had been excited about going out, was now standing obediently in place with her head down, her index fingers twitching incessantly with guilt. Her delicate face showed a hint of panic due to nervousness, and a soft, apologetic murmur drifted towards the girl in front of Illya.

The latter's outfit—a pale yellow kimono paired with a bright red leather jacket—was particularly eye-catching.

At this moment, the girl was looking at Illya with a scrutinizing expression.

By the way, I wish all the readers good luck in pulling Lily!

Chapter 154. Shiki Ryougi

As the year draws to a close, even the tightly wound city of Tokyo occasionally relaxes. Residents of this fast-paced metropolis temporarily set aside their work to welcome the new year, taking their families and loved ones out into the streets to share the year's joys and sorrows and wish each other well for the coming year.

"Shirou, Sakura-chan, Illya's here~"

A cheerful, childlike voice reached the ears of passersby. Those drawn by the sound instinctively looked over and discovered—

The long silver hair and delicate, doll-like face made one subconsciously wonder if the child was a moving doll, but those two bright red eyes made one dispel that notion.

At this moment, the little girl, dressed in an inappropriate kimono, was waving excitedly behind her. Passersby, infected by her joy, laughed and made way for her, ensuring the "reckless" child wouldn't bump into anything. Perhaps it was this indulgence from the surrounding pedestrians that emboldened Illya's "arrogant" attitude, making it considerably more difficult for Sakura and Shirou, who were trying to "catch" Illya.

"Is this alright? Should we call the three children back?"

Irisviel had been following behind the three children, asked Touko Aozaki beside her with some concern. Although as an android she was somewhat lacking in social skills, Irisviel still understood that indulging the children like this was wrong.

Touko Aozaki, who was always by Irisviel's side, remained listless, seemingly unaffected by the New Year's atmosphere.

However, seeing Irisviel's worried expression, Touko Aozaki slowly said, "Illya has just not been out for a long time, and given the atmosphere around her, it's normal for her to be a little excited."

"Hmm..."

Upon hearing Touko Aozaki's explanation, Irisviel unconsciously showed a look of guilt. It was all because she needed to recuperate that Illya had to stay at home all this time.

"Don't worry, Illya is a sensible child."

Seeing Irisviel's expression, Touko Aozaki took out a cigarette from her pocket, lit it, and said to her, "You know, your recovery is much more important to this child than her playing."

Irisviel certainly understood that Illya couldn't go out. Obviously not. Both Kiritsugu and Wang Xiaoming had tried to take Illya out for a walk, but the child had always refused, saying she wanted to be the first to hug her mother.

Speaking of the time spent with the children, whether it was Illya, Sakura, or Shirou, they all behaved very well and were very sensible, which gave Touko Aozaki the illusion that children are actually very easy to take care of.

Before this, the only "child" Touko Aozaki had ever met was her troublesome younger sister.

After comparing the behavior of the three children with that of the younger sister who was always causing trouble for her older sister, Touko Aozaki came to what she considered a very reliable "answer".

My "silly little sister" must have gone through her rebellious phase.

However, her thoughts were quickly interrupted by Illya's exclamation. Looking up through the crowd, Touko Aozaki realized that it seemed Illya had accidentally bumped into someone.

At this moment, the girl standing in front of Illya was scrutinizing the little girl who had been accidentally bumped into and was now sitting on the ground due to the recoil.

Not only the girl, but Illya, who had fallen to the ground, also looked up at the girl in front of her.

The girl was filled with an awe-inspiring aura; her figure was slender yet possessed an indescribable power... Her eyes, as dark as ink, reflected Illya's image while also seeming to gaze at something far away.

(Mommy, where are you? This older sister looks so scary QVQ)

"Illya- chan, are you alright?"

At this moment, Shirou and Sakura, who had been chasing after Illya, arrived at Illya side and reached out to help her up. However, the first thing Illya did after standing up was to bow her head respectfully to the girl in front of her.

I'm very sorry.

"No, it's okay."

At this moment, a black-haired boy wearing glasses standing next to the girl asked for her opinion with his eyes before stepping forward to respond to Illya.

"But you, you didn't fall anywhere, did you?"

Illya gently shook her head.

At the same time, Irisviel and the others who were following behind also arrived at Illya's side. After seeing Illya apologizing, a gentle smile appeared on Irisviel's lips.

Seeing that the girl beside him still didn't react when her family arrived, the black-haired boy had no choice but to step forward again:

"I'm very sorry, my friend is not very good with words. I hope your daughter wasn't frightened."

Based on the resemblance between Illya and Irisviel, the black-haired boy quickly determined the relationship between the two.

"We're the ones who should apologize. It was Illya who accidentally bumped into you."

Irisviel smiled and gently shook her head; she had seen what had just happened very clearly.

Seeing that the other party did not pursue the matter unreasonably, the black-haired boy breathed a sigh of relief. Irisviel's aura still put considerable pressure on him.

Just as he was about to say something, the black-haired boy suddenly felt a tugging sensation on the back of his clothes.

"Since your daughter is alright, then we'll take our leave."

The boy, who instantly understood what his friend meant, bid farewell to Irisviel and the others.

"Two very interesting kids."

Watching the boy's departing figure, Irisviel smiled and said to Touko Aozaki shrugged indifferently, clearly unimpressed by the little incident.

"Mother..."

Illya's voice was a little timid, and when I looked down, I saw that she looked a little aggrieved.

"Illya did the right thing!"

Irisviel, understanding her daughter's thoughts, knelt down and hugged her to comfort her.

"That older sister is just a little quiet, she doesn't dislike Illya."

At the same time--

"Kokutou, those people are dangerous. Don't get close to them in the future."

After saying goodbye to Irisviel and the others, the boy and girl walked for a while until they were completely out of sight Irisviel. Then, the girl suddenly spoke to the boy.

"Okay, sure."

Although he didn't understand why the girl said that, the boy still nodded in agreement. As for the reason...

Because for her, Shiki Ryougi is enough.

Volume 2, Empty Realm, will resume normal updates.

June Summary: I've been pretty much a novice, I've been slacking off for a whole month, I'm sorry.

(Everyone get up and watch the game, lol. It's really unfair that both Spain and Spain were eliminated.)

At the end of the 20th century, the bubble economy that swept across Japan finally burst. Stocks, currency, and land all experienced a precipitous decline, plunging the entire Japan into an unprecedented period of depression.

At the same time, as land prices across Japan plummeted, companies that had invested in building projects in preparation for the "bubble" to make a fortune were unable to bear the subsequent financial pressure, and all the newly constructed buildings were forced to halt construction.