TYPE-MOON Universe, Earth, Japan, Fuyuki City.
While Tatsuo and Zelretch were working on the new Lesser Grail, Elicia, Saber, Illyasviel, Sella, and Leysritt were sitting in the living room of the Emiya Residence. And to Shirou's surprise, Illyasviel was talking to him like a normal person. Much different from the only time he had the chance to speak to her before he summoned Saber.
"So, he rescued you after that big fire I've heard about ten years ago?" Illyasviel asked with apparent interest in her tone. "Well, I guess Daddy was that kind of person. He always wanted to make the world a better place."
"Yea…" Shirou replied with a complicated expression on his face. "He was a real hero. At least, he was to me."
Nodding in response, the conversation continued. However, Shirou still felt uneasy thanks to Illyasviel's huge change in attitude. However, wen eh heard her story, how she was Kiritsugu's daughter and how he disappeared from her life ten years ago, he could understand why she showed such hostility in the beginning.
And when Shirou heard that she had accepted the truth about her father, rather than what her family told her, he finally understood her change in attitude.
'So, she has no reason to hate me so much anymore, huh?' Shirou thought to himself, his apprehensive expression disappearing to be replaced by a caring smile. 'I guess she's kinda like a sister to me now, isn't she? I always wanted a little sister.'
'I can tell he's thinking something like, "I always wanted a little sister".' Elicia thought to herself while examining Shirou's expression. 'I wonder what his face will look like when he finds out that Illya is two years older than him?'
["It will probably be pretty funny."] Scylla replied from Elicia's inner world.
Unfortunately, they would never get the opportunity to see it. Because at that moment, Elicia received the message from Tatsuo stating that the Lesser Grail replacement was finished.
"Well, I know you guys wanna chat more, after finding new members of your family and all." Elicia said with a smile. "But Assassin just contacted me. And he said it's ready."
"Really?" Illyasviel asked enthusiastically. A moment later, however, she turned to Shirou with reluctance in her eyes. "I'll come visit again, okay, big Brother.?"
"Sure, you're welcome to stop by any time you want, Illya." Shirou replied with a smile.
In return, Illyasviel's smile widened even further than usual. And when Sella saw that, she smiled as well. However, Leysritt glared at Shirou, feeling a threat that she could not quite explain from the boy.
"Don't worry, Leysritt." Elicia said quietly wile tapping Leysritt on her shoulder and pulling the stoic maid's attention to herself. "He won't try to take her away from you. He means that you can come with her whenever she visits."
Instead of replying, Leysritt only stared at Elicia for a while. Then, she eventually turned attention back to Illyasviel and Shirou, who were smiling while exchanging goodbyes. A moment later, she nodded at Elicia's words in understanding.
After that, it did not take too long for the goodbyes to end. Then, the group of five, Elicia, Saber, Illyasviel, Leysritt, and Sella climbed into the Phantom, with Saber behind the wheel, and made their way back to the Grand Hyatt Hotel.
About twenty minutes later, the Phantom pulled into the hotel's underground parking garage. And not long after that, the five ladies were back in the suite.
"So, did you boys have fun?" Elicia asked as she led the other four into the room.
"Oh, I enjoyed myself quite immensely." Zelretch replied with a smile while stroking his beard. "I was able to see Alchemy used in a way I've never seen before. And I must say, I found it quite intriguing."
"That's good.' Elicia said cheerfully.
Hearing about a new use of Alchemy, Illyasviel's eyes lit up, as well. Then, she rushed over to Tatsuo, who was sitting on the couch in a cross-legged position with his eyes closed and grabbed him by his arm.
"Hey, Assassin, let me see your Magecraft." Illyasviel said, her tone sweet as sugar and twice as addictive. "You know, I use Alchemy, too. And I would love to compare notes."
Despite her sweet tone and cutesy demeanor, Tatsuo reacted calmly. Slowly opening his eyes, Tatsuo calmly pulled his arm out of Illyasviel's grasp before he replied with a single word.
"No." Tatsuo said in an even tone.
Illyasviel could only pout in response. However, she had no intention of badgering him into doing what she asked. Especially after she saw that he was getting up from the couch and heading towards the kitchen.
"Oh, I thought you would want to transfer the Lesser Grail into its new vessel right away." Zelretch said after also noticing that Tatsuo was headed to the kitchen.
"Nah, it can wait for a couple of hours." Tatsuo replied without turning around. "Besides, the way that Saber has been looking at me since everyone came back is starting to make me uncomfortable."
Hearing that, everyone's eyes shifted towards the blonde King of Knights. And when they did, they saw her staring at Tatsuo with great fervor.
"You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd think she fell in love." Elicia giggled.
"I think she did," Illyasviel said while she placed a finger against her chin and raised her eyes towards the ceiling in a thinking pose. "It's just she fell in love with his cooking and not him specifically."
"Ah! That makes sense." Elicia replied with an understanding nod. "Anyway, I'm gonna get back to making your clothes until dinner is ready. Call me when it's time to eat."
With that, Elicia disappeared into her bedroom and got to working on the clothing designs for Illyasviel, Sella, Leysritt, and Zelretch. Meanwhile, Illyasviel chatted with Zelretch with great interest.
"So, they told me that you could help with the Lesser Grail, which you did and I'm thankful for." Illyasviel said with a smile while sitting across from Zelretch. "But is there anything you can do about my limited lifespan?"
"Hmm… That's a much tougher problem to solve than the Lesser Grail issue." Zelretch said while once again stroking his beard. "That's not to say it's impossible, though. In fact, I can think of a few ways off the top of my head. Though, I'm not sure you would like to go down any of those avenues."
"Like what?" Illyasviel asked curiously.
"Well, the first is to become a Dead Apostle." Zelretch replied. And when he saw the expression on Illyasviel's face that said she would rather not, he could not help chuckling before continuing. "Then, there's the method I, myself, used. But I don't think that's such a good idea. I'm not sure your body could handle the strain."
{A/N: I'm not sure how Zelretch gained immortality in the Fate worlds, as a human. But I figured I'd mention something here. If anyone knows how he did it, let me know. I'm really curious.}
"Yeah, those don't sound too safe." Illyasviel replied while shaking her head. "If I became a Dead Apostle, that crazy woman from the Barthomeloi family will hunt me down."
"Ah! You mean Lorelai." Zelretch said while nodding his head. "Yes, she definitely would."
"And if my body wouldn't survive the process you used, then that's a no, too." Illyasviel added. "I'd rather not end up as bits of mushy flesh, bone fragments, and splattered blood."
"That's probably a good choice." Zelretch said with another nod. "Though, I doubt it would end as gruesomely as you imagine. Even so, that only leaves one other option."
"What's that?" Illyasviel asked, not much hope for the answer.
"The Holy Grail." Zelretch replied nonchalantly. "It should definitely have enough mana to fix that little problem of yours."
In response, Illyasviel's eyes lit up. However, she then remembered that she was no longer eligible to win the Grail without Berserker and her eyes lost their excited light. Then, she pouted at Zelretch… hard, to show him just how discontented she was feeling.
"Don't look at me like that." Zelretch said with a smile. "There will be two wishes to be used at the end of this Holy Grail War. And I'm pretty sure Elicia will have one of them when it's all said and done. Her surviving Servant will also have one. So, if you're lucky, you might be able to get one of them to use their wish to save you."
The hope immediately returned to Illyasviel's eyes when she heard that. Then, she stood up from the couch and ran towards Elicia's bedroom. However, only a short while later, she came out wearing a disappointed expression.
"I guess that didn't work out so well." Zelretch said, somewhat expecting that outcome.
"No, she's already using her wish to help someone." Illyasviel replied in a downcast tone. "She also said that Saber already has a wish in mind."
"Well then, you still have Assassin, right?" Zelretch asked.
"*Sigh* Like an Assassin could defeat a Saber head on." Illyasviel said as she flopped down on the couch she stood up from not long ago. "That basically means that I'm screwed."
"Huh? Did I just hear that you don't want dinner, Illya?" Tatsuo asked from the kitchen.
As soon as Tatsuo's words ended, Zelretch saw in real time as Illyasviel's expression turned from downcast to panicked. Then, he could not hold in his laughter as she shot up to her feet and ran into the kitchen to frantically apologize to Tatsuo.
At the same time, Sella also had to hold in a laugh while Leysritt only stared in the direction Illyasviel ran off in. As for Saber, she looked at Illyasviel with pity. As a big eater, just the thought of missing out on dinner, one made by Tatsuo, no less, made her feel a pain in her heart… and her stomach.
"So, um… Assassin…" Illyasviel stammered after convincing Tatsuo not to take away her dinner for tonight. "What do you plan to use your wish for if you win the Holy Grail?"
While continuing to cook, Tatsuo glance to his side at Illyasviel briefly. Then, he returned his attention to the stove.
'I heard the conversation you had with the old man, you know.?' Tatsuo thought to himself. 'So, it's obvious wat you really want to ask.'
After having that thought, Tatsuo smiled internally. Since he did not have an actual wish for the Grail, he had no problem wishing for Illyasviel to have her lifespan returned to that of a normal Magus. Though, he was sure it would be much longer than the usual one hundred twenty-five to two hundred twenty-five years of a Magus thanks to all the magic circuits Illyasviel had in her body.
"Well, the only wish I had for this Grail War was to find a master who wouldn't betray me." Tatsuo said quietly. "And I believe I found that in Lici. So, I actually don't have a need for the Grail."
"Really?" Illyasviel asked excitedly while starting to wonder what Tatsuo's identity might actually be. "Then, do you think you could…"
"Sure." Tatsuo replied, cutting off Illyasviel before she could ask her question. "I don't mind using my wish for you."
Hearing that, Illyasviel's eyes opened wide in surprise. Then, her face blossomed into a wide smile before she lunged at Tatsuo to wrap him in a hug. However, before she could even touch him, Tatsuo stuck out his arm and placed a finger on Illyasviel's forehead.
"Not while I'm cooking." Tatsuo said sternly.
"Oh… Right… Illyasviel said bashfully. Though, the smile on her face remained as wide as ever.
After that, Tatsuo turned away from both Illyasviel and the stove and made his way to the phone in the room. Then, he called room service.
'Hmph! This will teach you to take away my chance to drive a Phantom.' Tatsuo thought to himself, completely forgetting how rich his mother, Sumire, was, and that she could get him as many Phantoms as he wanted when he got back to his world.
Meanwhile, Illyasviel, Sella, Leysritt, Saber, and Zelretch looked at Tatsuo strangely when he started calling room service. However, no one questioned him about it, the threat to not get dinner fresh in their minds.
Eventually, Tatsuo finished ordering room service for Elicia. As he did, he glared at her bedroom door before snorting once again. Then, he returned to the kitchen to finish cooking. After that, it did not take long for dinner to be ready. Everyone was then called to the table to eat.
However, wen Elicia saw that there was no dinner for her, she looked at Tatsuo' questioningly. But once again, he only snorted at her.
'What did I do this time?' Elicia thought to herself.
["This time, I can't think of anything, either."] Scylla, just as confused as Elicia, replied.
A moment later, there was a knock on the suite's door and Tatsuo went to answer it. When he returned, he had a plate of food from room service in his hands. Then, he placed it on the table in front of the still confused, and now mortified, Elicia.
"Ta--- Assassin, what's this for?" Elicia asked, not liking what she saw.
"A punishment for ruining my fun." Tatsuo replied coldly.
Still confused, Elicia could feel tears welling up in her eyes. And what made it even worse, she still had no idea what she had done. She was not the only one who was confused, however, as most of the people at the table had no idea what could have made Tatsuo punish Elicia.
Yet, there was one person who had an idea. But in fear of having her food taken away, she decided to keep her mouth shut.
'Maybe I shouldn't have asked Elicia if Assassin had the Riding Skill last night.' Saber thought to herself while looking at Elicia over the mountain of food in front of her with pity. 'If I hadn't, she would have never known that Assassin wanted to drive, and this would have never happened.'
As it turned out, last night, when Saber mentioned that Elicia told her that Tatsuo did not have the Riding Skill, it was Saber who asked about it, thinking about everyone's well-being. And when she heard that Tatsuo, in fact, did not have the Riding Skill, she took it upon herself to not let him drive. It actually had nothing to do with Elicia. So, it was no wonder why Elicia was so confused.
'I promise you, Elicia.' Saber thought to herself resolutely. She then started digging into her food ravenously as she continued her thought. 'I'll make it up to you in the future. But for now, hunger is the enemy. And it must be defeated.'
A while later, the meal ended, and Elicia was still a bit teary as she looked at Tatsuo with confusion. Even so, that did not stop what was about to happen next. Instead, the group relocated into the room where Tatsuo and Zelretch worked earlier. And when they did, they saw the exquisite chalice Tatsuo [Transmuted] with the materials that Zelretch provided.
"Wow! It's so pretty." Illyasviel said with wonder in her eyes.
"Yeah, you have good taste, Assassin." Elicia said, momentarily forgetting the feeling of betrayal and confusion she was feeling.
Feeling better after having his perceived revenge, Tatsuo smiled proudly at the compliments. Then, he gestured towards the lesser Grail and spoke to Illyasviel.
"Illya, stand over there with the Lesser Grail." Tatsuo said. "I'll use the same kind of Magecraft I used to transfer Emiya's [Command Seal] to Lici on you and the cup. Then, you'll be free from the fate of being the Lesser Grail's vessel."
Nodding in response, Illyasviel walked over to the Lesser Grail replacement with resolute steps. Then, when she arrived next to it, she turned around and looked at Tatsuo with a steely gaze.
"Relax." Tatsuo said as he approached Illyasviel with a magic circle floating above each of his palms. "Though it might feel uncomfortable, I promise you shouldn't feel any pain."
Illyasviel, hearing Tatsuo's words, took a deep breath to relax her nerves.
"*Sigh* I believe you." Illyasviel said while exhaling the deep breath. "Okay, I'm ready when you are."
Nodding in response, Tatsuo held his right hand out towards Illyasviel, the magic circle floating between his palm and her heart. Then, he flowed some of his [Energy] into the circle and it started to glow.
With the activation of Tatsuo's magic circle, two things happened. First, the essences of Lancer, Berserker, and Caster were drawn out of Illyasviel's chest and into the magic circle. And second, the Magecraft laid onto Illyasviel's heart was destroyed. As a result, she would no longer be the Lesser Grail vessel from that moment forward.
And when Illyasviel felt the Magecraft on her heart dissipate, she could not help but shudder in pure comfort. The pressure her body had always been under ever since she became the Lesser Grail was immense. But now, her body felt lighter… much lighter than it had in years.
However, Tatsuo's job was not done just yet. He then activated the magic circle in his left hand. And when he did, another two things happened in short order.
First, the magic circle engraved into the new Lesser Grail was activated. And second, the essences that were stored in the other magic circle in Tatsuo's other hand were sucked into the new vessel, where they would stay until the Greater Grail appeared. Then, the two vessels would combine to form the Holy Grail.
"Alright, all done." Tatsuo said with a little sweat dripping down his forehead.
Just as Tatsuo's words ended, and before he could wipe the sweat from his forehead, Illyasviel flung herself at him, wrapped her arms and legs around his neck and torso, and planted a kiss on his cheek.
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Illyasviel said while smiling brightly and crying simultaneously.
"You should actually be thanking Lici and the old man." Tatsuo replied while patting Illyasviel on her back. "Without the old man's materials and magic circle all of this would have been impossible. And if Lici weren't my Master, I don't know if I would have actually been able to pull that off. But she's just got so much mana that it feels like anything I try is possible."
"That's right." Elicia said proudly as she puffed out her chest in pride. "I'm kind of a big deal."
Hearing that, Tatsuo could not help but chuckle before he put Illyasviel down and move close to Elicia to whisper in her ear.
"Anchorman won't be out for at least five more months in this world, you know?" Tatsuo said while suppressing a chuckle. "So, no one's gonna get that reference other than me. O, and maybe Zelretch. But that might not be such a good thing."
Luckily, Zelretch did not seem to understand the reference either. Instead, he looked at Elicia just as weirdly as the others. Otherwise, their cover as world travelers might have been blown.