A violent blizzard raged outside, the icy wind swirling snowflakes that beat fiercely against the glass windows of Einzbern Castle, howling like a demon.
[You rode Pegasus all the way, guiding Irisviel back to the castle. Gradually, she began to awaken a frightening side of herself, her breathing quickening with excitement.]
"Caster, hurry, hurry…"
[She seemed genuinely passionate about riding, especially the exhilarating experience of flying through the sky. This side of her surprised even you—a stark contrast to the frail beauty you usually saw.]
[Following her directions, you carried her through the winter night sky over Fuyuki, then circled back and returned to Einzbern Castle. The silver-haired beauty's cheeks were flushed with rapture, completely unaware of how tightly she hugged your waist. Your bodies were pressed closely together.
But as you pushed open the castle gates, you saw a white-haired old man standing there, gazing at you with a grave expression.]
[It seemed this "Father of Homunculi" already knew you'd secretly taken Irisviel out of the castle tonight.]
[At the sight of her nominal "great-grandfather," Irisviel's earlier excitement and enthusiasm vanished instantly, as if doused in cold water—her entire presence seemed to fade away.]
[With his usual stern and serious look, Jubstacheit asked where you'd taken Irisviel. You answered honestly: you took her out to help her relax.]
[Even the artificial human's father hadn't expected such candor. He frowned, his old brows furrowing, which only deepened Irisviel's anxiety.]
[But, to your surprise, he didn't scold you. After a brief silence, he simply sighed.]
"Caster, you already know Irisviel's true nature, don't you? During the Holy Grail War, it's best not to push her too far."
[With those words, Jubstacheit turned and left.]
[Irisviel stared after him, disbelief on her face. You voiced your own suspicions].
[Unfortunately, by now all the masters of the various factions knew about your relationship with her, and the coming clash with the King of Heroes. Jubstacheit, too, saw hope in defeating other Servants and seizing the final victory of the Holy Grail War from you.]
[Hearing your words, Irisviel's face took on a pensive, almost somber look.]
"What are you thinking about, Master?"
"Are you worried about the Holy Grail, as the war draws to a close?"
Irisviel snapped out of her trance, smiled faintly, and shook her head.
"Caster, to me, carrying the souls of Servants and becoming the Holy Grail in the end… that is my reason for existing."
"So, I don't feel any anxiety."
"After all… I'm just a puppet created by the Einzbern family."
[It was clear she was only pretending to be relaxed, hiding her inner turmoil and fear. Yes, she'd been raised as a tool—a "Lesser Holy Grail" destined for tragedy. When the Servants are defeated, she, as the Lesser Grail, would absorb all their souls. Ultimately, she would lose herself—her own personality—as the vessel for the Grail.]
[Irisviel, like a marionette, had her script written from the very start… she'd never even thought about the rest of her life. To her, meaning was being a machine that granted omnipotent wishes.]
"So… is the greatest meaning of your life to become the Grail?"
Izaya only smiled, not trying to persuade her further.
[That night, you saw Irisviel safely inside to rest, while you remained alone by the door. As a Servant, you didn't need sleep. Though it was only the night before the Holy Grail War, there was no guarantee the enemy wouldn't attack. If you wanted to survive to the end, you had to protect your Master.]
[For this reason, it was best to have someone guarding Irisviel in the castle while you were away… Summoning Tiamat might be a bit of a cheat, but what's wrong with a Caster summoning a familiar?!]
[…Besides, it wasn't even her main body!]
Thinking this, Sajyou Izaya stepped onto the terrace, reaching out lightly toward the deep darkness ahead. It felt as if pulling open a curtain. Space trembled like a plucked string, and a crack quietly opened.
That crack was a "door" connecting to the [Cradle of Distant Beasts].
"It's been a long wait, Tia."
"You can come out now."
As if sensing Sajyou Izaya's anticipation, a beautiful, melodious song echoed from beyond the door.
Tiamat separated a thread of her divine essence from her main body. Beautiful rays of light exploded forth, and gradually, her figure became visible.
But what appeared before Sajyou Izaya's eyes was not the mature Tiamat he had expected, but a lily version, not even ten years old.
Her long, blue hair, as soft as the Milky Way, trailed behind her nearly to her ankles. Her skin was pale and translucent, like fine porcelain. Most striking were the pair of small horns on her head—not hideous or terrifying like her true form, but rather like beautiful hair ornaments, adding an innocent cuteness to her appearance.
Izaya was stunned by the sight and sighed inwardly.
She looked up, first gazing around curiously, then raising her nose to sniff, as if smelling the chill of the snowy air. Soon, she spotted Sajyou Izaya staring at her in surprise. Barefoot, with her hands clasped behind her, she staggered over to the black-haired man's arm like a little dragon.
Looking up at him with bright red eyes, she declared:
"Yes… Do you want a hug?"
…
The Next Morning
It was early dawn. Outside, the world was blanketed in silent snow; the blizzard had ceased, and thick snow covered the forests beyond the castle, dyeing the world in pure white. The first rays of morning sunlight began to shine, their cold air drifting in.
Inside, the flames in the fireplace burned brightly, casting a soft halo over Irisviel's peaceful, sleeping face. Her long, curled lashes quivered, and she slowly opened her eyes, a hint of confusion in their depths. She unconsciously tried to sit up, but in that instant, she sensed something beside her.
…It was a pair of eyes. Clear, unclouded, like the purest water.
Tiamat Lily lay at the edge of the bed, her small head tilted, watching Irisviel with intense curiosity.
"Master, are you awake?"
A little farther away, Izaya sat quietly on a chair by the fireplace, a grimoire in his hands, his smile radiant.
"Caster, this is…?"
Irisviel instinctively looked again at Tiamat Lily, hesitantly asking.
"As I said yesterday, she's a very reliable little helper. She'll be responsible for protecting you while I'm away," Sajyou Izaya explained.
Irisviel blinked, and so did Tiamat Lily.
"So this is the little one's master?"
Sajyou Izaya smiled and nodded.
"Will you protect her for me while I'm gone?"
Tiamat Lily pecked at her head like a little chick.
"Leave it to Mama!"
A little girl calling herself "Mama"…?
Irisviel looked bewildered, but upon reflection, felt Caster would not joke about such things. There must be something special about this little girl…
…[You didn't tell Irisviel Tiamat's true identity. You only said this little girl was the most trustworthy helper in the world.]
[Today was the first day of the Holy Grail War. The night belonged to magi, but you'd already made detailed plans for the day.]
[You knew since last night that many eyes were watching you… perhaps even Sajyou Manaka, but you never intended to avoid your fiancée. In fact, you'd come to Fuyuki for her.]
[During the day, you and Irisviel read and chatted together in the castle.]
[By evening, you went out together. As a homunculus, Irisviel had never left Einzbern Castle, so even a walk in the nearby forest felt like a rare luxury.]
[But compared to simply walking, she couldn't forget the joy of flying through the sky since last night, and tonight you'd promised to take her again.]
"—Wow, ahh! Caster, this is so exciting, can we go even faster?!"
[The delicate silver-haired beauty spread her arms wide, feeling the sharp, cold wind brush her cheeks, her voice brighter than ever before.]
[Riding the legendary Pegasus, you watched the silver-haired beauty in the night. The wind pressed her pure white, elegant winter dress against her slender form, the thick fabric accentuating her graceful and dignified figure perfectly—her proud, upright chest, the exquisite lines like that of a swan, and the slender waist wrapped in a sandy sash, all presenting the posture of a true work of art.]
[She seemed oblivious to your gaze, but in her excitement, she turned to look at you. By chance, she caught you watching her profile. On the way, she admired the night view, while you admired her.]
"Caster, what are you looking at…?"
The delicate cheeks of the silver-haired beauty flushed slightly, a hint of unease flickering in her red eyes as she hurriedly looked away.
He noticed her body was a bit cold from the high-altitude wind. So, Sajyou Izaya gently covered her hands from behind, fastening the "seatbelt."
"You may be a puppet, but your body temperature is just like a human's."
"Do you feel cold?"
"—!"
The man's subtle gesture and gentle words at her ear made Irisviel's body tremble slightly.
"Caster, you—"
"You say you're just a puppet, but you have a human's warmth and a human's feelings… why do you think your only purpose is to become the Greater Grail?"
"Isn't there anything else you 'want' besides being the Greater Grail?"
"…"
"Will you look at me, Master?"
At his earnest words, Irisviel lost herself for a moment. She looked up at the man in a daze. They were so close now, she could almost feel his breath, his expression gentle, his dark eyes shining brightly in the hazy moonlight.
Though flying so high in winter brought a bone-chilling cold, for some reason, an inexplicable warmth welled up within her. The warmth of his palm made her hesitate—she didn't want to let go. She wanted to feel more of his warmth… a warmth she'd never known, as if overflowing from her heart.
Even in the midst of the Holy Grail War… no, even after it ended, she wanted to stay with him. Not just flying, but doing so many things together—shopping, chatting, reading books…
Under his persistent gaze, Irisviel's expression grew dazed. New emotions she'd never felt before arose in her heart—a desire to live.
…She didn't want to die.
Rather than die as a puppet, she wanted to experience more with him.
"Have you made some decision, Irisviel?"
His dark eyes still gazed at her with gentle encouragement.
"…"
She opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say. She was created by the Einzbern family, destined from the start to be a "sacrifice"—did she really have the right to choose?
The hazy night reflected on Irisviel's face as Izaya gently brushed aside her stray bangs.
"Tell me the truth."
"…"
With the same hesitation, when she saw the reassurance in his eyes, the woman finally lowered her head and bit her lip lightly.
"I want to live…"
The black-haired man finally smiled in satisfaction.
"Then believe in me."
"I'll definitely save you… Irisviel."
…
[That night, you returned Irisviel to the castle, telling her you needed to go out to gather information. Before leaving, you instructed Tiamat Lily to protect Irisviel.]
[After leaving Einzbern Castle, you didn't go anywhere specific for intelligence gathering, instead walking alone along the same snow-covered streets as last night.]
[The mist shrouded the streetlights like gray ghosts, their dim halos tinged with an unreal glow.]
[Suddenly, the shadow behind you twisted. Soon, a petite, slender figure appeared silently. A soft, small hand gently wrapped around your waist from behind—a golden-haired girl.]
[You didn't need to turn around; her crisp, clear voice naturally reached your ears.]
"This time, no one will get in the way, big brother~"