Souta turned toward the sound of dry leaves being crushed underfoot. A small figure appeared within his field of vision.
It was a young girl with delicate, doll-like features, as if she had stepped out of a painting. She wore a purple dress, and her long silver hair cascaded down naturally. A deep violet hat rested atop her head, adding a sense of dignity to her youthful face.
As Souta looked at this childlike figure, he immediately recognized her—Illyasviel von Einzbern.
Her appearance was deceptive. No one would ever guess that this little girl was actually 18 years old.
Due to numerous unnatural magical modifications made while she was still in the womb, her growth had been severely stunted. In fact, she had completely stopped developing before reaching puberty. As a result, despite being a young woman, her body and appearance had remained frozen at around nine years old.
"Is that you, Big Brother?"
Illya asked in a sweet, childlike voice.
"Yeah." Souta nodded, holding up his system phone. "Just call me Souta. By the way, why aren't you at the castle?"
"I was planning to go into town today," Illya replied casually.
Hearing this, Souta suddenly remembered—Illya did have a habit of wandering around Fuyuki City.
"Besides," Illya continued, "Leysritt and Sella are back at the castle. If you showed up there, they would definitely attack you."
After explaining this, she lifted her skirt slightly with both hands and performed a graceful curtsy, exuding an air of elegance and nobility.
Her fair, delicate legs were momentarily exposed, drawing Souta's gaze for a few seconds.
The young girl then spoke in a refined tone:
"Nice to meet you, Big Brother. My name is Illyasviel von Einzbern. Since you already know about me, just call me Illya."
Souta nodded, then glanced behind the little girl—but saw nothing.
"Illya, did you bring your Servant?"
"Berserker is always with me. Why?"
Illya instinctively turned to her left—
In that instant, a towering two-meter-tall muscular giant suddenly materialized.
His dark-toned skin was stretched over a body of chiseled muscle, each section radiating raw, explosive strength.
His fierce expression and wildly flowing long hair gave him the aura of a rampaging beast.
He was like a feral titan!
Souta swallowed hard.
This reminded him of the hulking vampire hunter, Dramaturgy, whom he had encountered in the Monogatari world.
Both were massive, but this guy was in an entirely different league.
"Big Brother, are you scared?"
Illya took a step closer, studying Souta carefully.
Ever since she confirmed the system was real, she had been curious about Souta as the group's leader.
She wanted to learn more about her future from him.
"I wouldn't say scared—just a little surprised by his size."
Souta quickly calmed down and began examining Berserker curiously.
For some reason, a few names suddenly popped into his mind—Accelerator, Kenpachi Zaraki, Gojo Satoru...
"Hey, can I ask you a question?"
Illya suddenly leaned in and asked seriously.
Souta nodded. "What is it?"
"You already know my wish for participating in the Holy Grail War, right?"
"Yeah. You want revenge on your father."
Souta recalled what he knew and continued:
"But since Kiritsugu Emiya is already dead, you've shifted that hatred toward his adopted son—Emiya Shirou. You want to kill him instead, right?"
As he spoke, he couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
The girl standing before him had a tragic past.
The Fourth Holy Grail War had taken her mother's life. At the time, Illya had waited at home for her parents to return, only to learn that her father had betrayed their family, abandoned her, and taken in a different child.
Over time, her longing for her father turned into hatred.
And when she finally learned that Kiritsugu was dead, she redirected all that resentment and grief toward his adopted son, Emiya Shirou.
"Wow... You really do know everything."
Illya's delicate features showed a hint of surprise.
Even though she had mentally prepared herself, seeing Souta casually reveal her secrets still left her a little shaken.
At this point, she had already dematerialized Berserker, and she now asked in a hopeful tone:
"Then, Big Brother... do you know my fate? Did I fulfill my wish in the end?"
Souta's expression turned awkward.
"Once we reach the real world, you can see for yourself."
"I see... So, I failed."
Illya's expression went blank as she made that deduction.
"Actually," Souta said, "you've been misunderstanding something."
"Your father, Kiritsugu Emiya, never abandoned you."
Souta took a moment to gather his thoughts before explaining:
"He actually tried to return multiple times to take you away. But because his body had been severely weakened by the curse's erosion, he couldn't break through the Einzbern family's barriers.
Your grandfather refused to let him see you, and in the end, Kiritsugu passed away with that regret in his heart."
A shadow passed through Illya's eyes.
"What's the point of telling me this now?"
"I just wanted to let you know that things aren't always as simple as they seem. You don't have to see everything in such an extreme light."
"I don't want to hear it!"
Illya suddenly raised her voice, her attitude turning a bit hostile.
But Souta wasn't bothered.
He had read about her personality before—
She hated showing weakness and often used insults and harsh words to cover up her pain, pretending to be strong.
"Alright then." Souta chuckled, dropping the subject. "Let's head to the real world first."
"Yeah." Souta tilted his head. "Or do you not want to go anymore?"
Illya shook her head and explained:
"Let's find Rin first. We're really close to town. Once we meet up with her, we can all go together."
Souta glanced into the distance.
He could already see the outline of the city.
"Alright then. Let's go."
Blocking Rin's Way After School
Eventually, the two of them arrived in front of the high school gates, waiting for Rin Tohsaka to finish school.
Both Souta and Illya were very familiar with her—
One had learned about her through media and fan discussions, while the other had gained knowledge from the Holy Grail itself.
Wearing a red jacket, Rin Tohsaka was walking out of the school building.
Even among the crowd, she stood out with her striking beauty.
As the reigning "Number One Beauty" of Homurahara Academy, Rin possessed graceful, well-proportioned features.
Her slim yet curvy figure, coupled with her long, elegant legs wrapped in over-the-knee socks, exuded a charming and mature allure.
Her outfit looked exactly like how Souta remembered it.
Feeling a bit nostalgic, he turned to Illya.
Taking the little girl's hand, he walked toward Rin.