001 - What Makes it Hard to Go Home ?

More time passed inside the Zero Dimension.

It had been a year since they arrived in this dimension and started having fun.

Even though a year had passed here, only a week had gone by in the outside world, as Rei had altered the time difference between this place and the outside.

Irisviel also seemed to be having fun in this dimension. She had rarely left the Einzbern castle in Germany, even after marrying Kiritsugu. She had spent most of her life in the snow-filled castle, surrounded by a boundary field that protected it.

But here, she could wish for anything, and the world would change to whatever she desired.

She tried racing cars, swimming, and walking for hours with beautiful scenery around her.

She also got to spend time with her daughter and her son-in-law.

Liz and Sella stayed by her side, as well as her ancestor, Justeaze.

Speaking of Justeaze, at first, she kept asking Rei about the Holy Grail. However, after seeing the extent of Rei's power, she realized it was far greater than the Grail.

He could use his power to change the world and create a utopia where no one would harm another. But when she suggested it, he refused, saying that such an action would strip people of their free will.

Instead, Rei told her to stop chasing such a pointless wish and focus on fixing her family, and especially dealing with Zouken.

Ever since Acht took over the Einzbern family, they had changed for the worst, becoming a shadow of their former glory.

Rei even admitted that he had thought about destroying the Einzbern family for making Illya suffer. However, now that Justeaze was here, she had the chance to fix things herself—or he would do it himself.

Today was their last day in the Zero Dimension.

Tomorrow, they would return to Fuyuki. So, Rei and Illya decided to use this last day for a date, just the two of them.

Normally, Irisviel, Liz, or Sella would follow them, as Rei and Illya liked sharing their fun with everyone. But today, the others decided to let the two of them have their time together and stayed inside the house.

Rei and Illya strolled side by side through the expansive field of vibrant flowers. The air was filled with a gentle fragrance, a mix of familiar Earthly scents and the unique, exotic aroma of flowers from the Sky Realm. These foreign blooms shimmered faintly in the sunlight, their petals displaying colors that seemed almost impossible—hues of radiant teal and glowing gold.

Illya reached out to touch one of these blossoms, her fingers brushing its silky surface. "These flowers... they're incredible. They don't even feel real." she said softly, her crimson eyes reflecting the ethereal beauty surrounding them.

Rei chuckled, watching her fascination. "They're real, alright. These are Sky Lilies. They only bloom under specific skies, where the stars are so close you can almost touch them. I thought they'd fit perfectly here."

She smiled, turning to him. "You really went all out for this place, didn't you?"

"For you, always." he admitted, his voice calm yet sincere.

Illya's cheeks flushed slightly, but she didn't look away. Instead, she clasped her hands behind her back and leaned a little closer. "You always say things that make my heart race, you know that?"

Rei smiled but said nothing, instead extending a hand toward her. "Come on. There's a spot I want to show you."

She took his hand without hesitation, and together they walked further into the field until they reached a large tree standing tall in the middle of the meadow. Its leaves were a mix of green and gold, shimmering faintly as though they were alive with magic.

Rei led her to the shade beneath the tree, where the grass was soft, almost like a natural carpet. They sat down together, their shoulders brushing slightly.

"It's peaceful here..." Illya said after a moment, her voice quiet.

Illya turned to face him, her expression serious now. "Rei... you've done so much for me. More than I ever thought anyone would. But..." Her voice trembled slightly. "Sometimes, I wonder if I've given anything back to you."

"You've given me more than you know." he said, reaching out to tuck a strand of her white hair behind her ear. "Your smile, your strength—even your stubbornness. All of it makes me want to be better."

She blinked, surprised by the depth in his words. "Rei..."

Without thinking, she leaned closer, her eyes searching his for any hesitation. Finding none, she closed the gap, resting her forehead gently against his.

"Thank you." she whispered, her voice filled with emotion.

Rei's hand moved to cradle her face, his touch warm and reassuring. "You don't have to thank me, Illya. Just being with you is enough."

For a moment, neither of them moved, the world around them silent except for the soft rustle of the tree's golden leaves. Then, Illya tilted her head slightly and pressed her lips to his.

The kiss was soft at first, a simple expression of the feelings they had held for so long. But as the seconds passed, it deepened, Illya's hands finding their way to his chest, clutching at his shirt as if afraid to let him go.

When they finally parted, her cheeks were flushed, and her crimson eyes glowed with a mix of embarrassment and joy. She placed her hand over her lips, a small, shy smile spreading across her face.

"I... I've wanted to do that for a while." she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

Rei chuckled softly, his own face tinged with a faint blush. "I figured."

She playfully nudged his shoulder but then leaned into him, resting her head against his. "Rei... promise me, that no matter what happens, we'll always have moments like this."

"I promise." he said firmly, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her closer as they sat under the golden tree, the world around them fading into a serene silence.

-----

"I see everyone still hasn't managed to find Shinki even after a week?" Rei said to Shirou and the others.

After returning to Fuyuki and arriving at the Tohsaka mansion, Rei immediately wanted to know what had happened during his disappearance. He was surprised they hadn't managed to handle Shinki yet.

After hearing about it from Rin and Sakura, he summoned Shirou, Saber, Ayaka, and Archer. But because it was the middle of the night, everyone appeared while still half-asleep, so Rei immediately transformed them into their school uniforms and made their sleepiness disappear.

"We can't find any clues about Shinki's location. She just disappeared after that fight." Shirou said, feeling really down.

"What about the Matou place? You didn't try there?" Rei asked.

"We did. We also hid while waiting for anyone to come in or out, but we didn't see anyone." Shirou replied. "And that place is full of traps, so we can't just casually go there without a plan."

Rei nodded, acknowledging that Shirou was right. "I see. Well, tomorrow it's time to finish this Holy Grail War. If the corrupted Greater Grail is left too long, it's going to be annoying to fix later."

Ayaka and Archer, hearing this, felt relieved, as Ayaka didn't want to be involved in the war with magus stuff anymore, and Archer was glad to be done with her job of making sure Rei didn't threaten humanity.

"Can you move, you stupid Gaia's pawn!" Illya's voice could be heard from behind Rei.

"I cannot. I've been too lenient before, and he keeps getting away. This time, I'm not letting him get away." Echidna said, uncaring about Illya's complaint.

Illya, wanting to act like she did in the Zero Dimension, tried to sit on Rei's lap, but Echidna kept hindering her. Echidna wanted to stay close to Rei so he wouldn't disappear again, making her work even harder.

"My, my, so you're the boy Kiritsugu adopted, right? You're so cute~" Irisviel said happily to Shirou. She had never had a boy as a child, so this was amusing for her.

"Here, everyone, the drinks." Sella said, bringing tea, cola, and other beverages for everyone.

"This is a TV. You use it to watch entertainment with this remote." Liz explained to Justeaze, showing her how normal people use a TV.

The room was chaotic with so many people: Rei, Rin, Sakura, Illya, Echidna, Shirou, Saber, Ayaka, Archer, Liz, Sella, Justeaze, Irisviel, and Berserker. They were in the Tohsaka mansion basement, where Rei had expanded the space to accommodate everyone.

"You know, Rei..." Rin suddenly said.

"What is it, my dear Rin?"

"I'm going to ignore you calling me dear, but why the hell are there so many people here?!" Rin exclaimed, ending with a scream. "Last time there were like five people, but now it's suddenly over ten! What the hell did you do when you disappeared for a week with Illyasviel von Einzbern?"

She also noticed that Irisviel, who was supposed to be dead from the previous Holy Grail War, was here, along with Justeaze von Einzbern, a woman who was supposed to be from 200 years ago. How could she be here?

"Don't think too much about it, Rin. Just consider it a miracle. You know, like the True Magic stuff you magi like." Rei said nonchalantly.

Rin could only sigh in response. At this point, she should be used to Rei's overwhelming power, but it still bothered her. Sakura gently patted Rin's back to calm her down.

"Alright, then. Tomorrow we deal with Caster and then Zouken. After that, we'll go after Shinki." Rei said to everyone.

"...And Saber." he added.

"Hmm?" Saber replied, putting down the giant bowl she had been eating from.

She had been eating ever since she arrived, devouring everything Rei made, as she really enjoyed his cooking.

"Tomorrow you will fight the one guarding Ryuudou Temple. Will you fight or not?"

Saber swallowed the food in her mouth and immediately responded, "Yes, I'm ready. You can use my sword however you like."

"Alright, I'll let you fight him while I go after Caster. I'm sure we won't need to fight with her, as she's not really looking for trouble."

The others seemed confused, but Rei didn't explain further, as they would understand tomorrow.

"And then Zouken, I can erase him myself. So, everyone can wait at Ryuudou Temple."

"Can I follow along?" Justeaze suddenly asked.

Rei turned to her and saw the determined look on her face, knowing she wasn't going to take no for an answer.

In the end, Rei agreed to bring her along when he dealt with Zouken.