It's been nearly two years since my last update, but I'm back. Hopefully I can update sooner rather than later.

Chapter 9

Saber was not amused by the situation. After all of the turmoil, struggle, and unjust treatment she had to endure from this world, her reward for doing so was the news that all of that suffering was for nothing. The Grail was a false prize and even if she won war at this point, it was unlikely it would work now that it has been tainted. Worst yet, it was close to giving birth to some abomination unintentionally created by the foolish magi who made it. And to make matters worse, the strongest Servant in the war was in the way of destroying it. Needless to say, Saber was in a stressful situation, and it was getting worst by the moment.

Saber ran through the storm of Noble Phantasms, dodging left and right. Swords, spears, axes, Saber successfully evaded most of them and deflected those she could not with Excalibur. Standing in the far distance was Archer, watching the scene play out with an arrogant sneer on his face.

"I am actually glad the mad dog did not have his way with you." The golden servant declared. "It's much more entertaining seeing you frolic about. But I must ask, how long will it take until you finally tire of our little game? I know you can do more than dodge, so why do you not try?"

Saber swore under her breath as she began to worry that Archer would catch on to what she was doing. Not for the first time, she considered simply telling him the truth, that the Grail was tainted, and its powers were of no use to him or his Master. She proposed this to Kiritsugu before leaving, but he shot down the idea, correctly pointing out that not only did they have no proof apart from the abnormal events that was transpiring, there was also the fact that it would be unlikely the remaining Servants would listen or care even if they did believe them. Considering one was a practically mindless Berserker and the other was an egomaniac whose only stake in this war was to relieve boredom, he was most likely right. The fact that they were pressed for time was also a matter to take into account. So here she was, dodging the Noble Phantasms of Archer and seeking the right opportunity to contact Irisviel and have her use the Command Seal and force her to destroy the Grail.

Still, part of her hoped the Servant would see reason. Especially when he took brief glances up at the whole in the sky occasionally leaking black liquid. He was clearly curious as to what was going on, but those glances were just that, brief glances of curiosity and nothing more as he returned his attention to her. Still, Saber occasionally wondered if she should tell him the truth, if not to convince him to end this duel then to buy more time. But she knew it would be pointless. She came close to telling him the truth earlier in their confrontation, but before she could, Archer made and extremely infuriating proposal.

"Throw away your sword and become my wife!"

Those were the words Archer declared. The whole damned reason he was fighting this battle was to have her submit to him. There was no further reason for any of it.

"Your pointless ideals and vows will only restrict you and bring you misfortune. You need only desire me and live under my protection. In that case I vow, on my honor as King of everything, that I will grant you all the happiness in the world."

And that was what infuriated her the most. He did not even see her as an opponent, just another prize to be won… no, as a possession that was already his. It was at that point Saber realized Archer would not listen to her. This man who cares so little of the life of others will probably find amusement in the idea that everyone who fought in this war sought a wish and would only claim destruction. After all, from what she knew of the Servant so far, entertainment was all he craved.

"You seem frustrated." Archer stated bringing her attention back to the dangerous Servant. "If you simply submit, that would make the process much simpler and whatever troubles you have would go away in an instant. I am a fair king to those who acknowledge my rule. I will allow you time to consider the benefits more carefully, though do not hurry." Archer brought out more of his Noble Phantasms front the mysterious portals. "I am enjoying the game for the moment." He fired another valley of Noble Phantasms.

Saber quickly dodged, grateful once more to Kiritsugu for getting her out of that fight with Lancelot. Ironically enough, she was also grateful of Archer's inability to take her seriously, otherwise she would not be able to plan and find the right opportunity. She was in the right position to launch her attack. The issue now was that she needed to act in a way that did not let Archer know what she was doing. Unfortunately, Archer would not give her that time. She needed to think of something and think quickly, other wise Archer will stall her long enough for the Grail to break apart and give birth to Angra Mainyu. She could only hope that Irisviel and Kiritsugu were safe in their current location.

From within the theater, Kiritsugu and Kirei were engaging in their own duel. With Irisviel watching from the balcony, she saw as Kiritsugu continue to fire his Calico sub-machine gun at the priest who dodged easily despite the obstacles in his way. Both combatants were at a disadvantage due to the chairs and the debris their battle was creating, but as much as the theater and its rows of chairs hindered their mobility, it also allowed for more opportunities to take cover, more to get out of their opponent's line of sight than the meager defense offered by the aisle of chairs. Kirei in his part kept on ducking and weaving through the aisle, taking care not to stay in one for longer than necessary while Kiritsugu kept his distance, using the seats, as covers, knowing that close-range combat was the priests' specialty.

In one confrontation, he found himself dodging a blow from the priest by hiding behind a pillar. He managed to throw a grenade at the man who retreated back just in time to avoid the deadliest of the blast. Within the smoke, Kiritsugu fired a burst of bullets. The bullets were deflected with the Black Keys and Kirei charged forward seeing the black clad figure of Kiritsugu.

From within the smoke, he noticed a dark silhouette and charged at it. Stabbing the Black Keys forward, he was surprised to see what he stabbed was just a floating coat, Kiritsugu's trench coat. Realizing his mistake, Kirei threw the coat aside and took a step back, already on guard.

"Time Alter: Double Accel!" Kiritsugu uttered the spell. Dagger in hand, he launched forward at a stunned Kirei. Innate Time Control. The Emiya family's research was spent mainly in the practice of time control, and through his own understanding and research, Kiritsugu managed to create his spell thanks owning part of the Emiya family Magic Crest. The result, the ability to create a Bounded Field to alter time around him.

In one fluid motion, he managed to inflict a deep cut into the priest's flank. The blow could have been fatal had the priest not twisted his torso out of the way in the last possible second causing the knife to slip between his ribs and just miss his vital organs. Bringing the Black Keys down again, he attempted to slash at Kiritsugu who managed to dodge thanks to his enhance speed and pulling the knife out of the priest. Pressing his assault, Kiritsugu slashed at his enemy, aiming for his neck. This time Kirei was ready for the attack. In one quick flick of the wrist, he sent the Black Keys upward towards the blade, forcing Kiritsugu to let go. While kicking the dagger away, Kirei sent the keys in his other hand down towards Kiritsugu's head.

Fortunately, Kiritsugu managed to rollaway then kick up a piece of a chair that was broken in their scuffle right into Kirei's face, distracting his enemy long enough to make some distance between them. Rather than try to go for the knife, the mercenary countered his foe with another burst of gun fire forcing the priest to jump to the side and retreated to a manageable distance. Kiritsugu took the time to do the same, jumping between aisle and taking cover behind another pillar. Kirei also decided to take cover behind a shattered pillar in an attempt to catch his breath and assess the damage to his body.

The worst damage the priest suffered was from his side. He also had a few grazed gunshot wounds to his right arm, but those were more minor annoyances than lethal wounds. He applied pressure to the wound at the side and used his magecraft to close it up. The job was rushed and did little to alleviate the pain, but he had not time. Kiritsugu was a man who would take any opportunity he would, and he needed to be on his guard every moment of this duel.

Kiritsugu was also in a tough situation. While he was less hurt than the priest, he would not lower his guard and sought the right opportunity. It was clear the priest was not wasting any of his movement or making any hasty decisions and neither should he. He still had some ammunition in his Calico and he had his secret weapon, but that was a last resort. His dagger is now across the room, and he used one of his grenades earlier, leaving him with only one more.

Worst yet, he was beginning to feel the affect of the Double Accel. As useful as the spell was, it had its drawbacks. Humans were never meant to move at the speeds he was moving, so it took a toll on his body every time he activated it. He needed to find a way to end this battle fast. Not just for his survival, but for the survival of so many, including...

He allowed himself a brief moment to glance up at the balcony where he could see his wife looking down at the battle. He did not look long enough to read her expression, but he could tell she was worried. He supposed he should have felt some sense of satisfaction that she did not have to die from this ritual, but for the moment, he could not spare that sentimentality. For the moment, he needed to focus, and finish off his sworn enemy since the beginning of the war. Then, and only then would he consider sentimentality. Until then, he needed to find a way to put Kotomine Kirei down for good.

For the longest time, Irisviel knew nothing but the small girl in her arms. Everything she worked hard to accomplish, everything she strived for was now within her grasp. She did not know how much times passed, but it did not matter, all that did at that moment was her daughter. Illyasviel was in her arms once again, and she dd not plan on letting her go any time soon, and neither was the little girl herself.

"Illya," Irisviel said in a comforting voice. "I'm here now. Mama's here."

For a while the girl did not say anything. She could only sob in her mother's embrace until she could no longer hold onto what was on her mind. "They said you weren't coming back! They all said you left the family… and that…" She couldn't finish the sentence, but Irisviel knew what she was going to say, so she didn't let her. Instead, she embraced the child tighter.

"There now, Illya. It's going to be fine now. You don't have to worry anymore." Irisviel stayed like that for moments longer, embracing the child, comforting her, letting her calm down before saying more. Part of her was tempted to take the child at that moment and run away from that place, but she held her hand. She waited nearly five months for this moment, a few more minutes would do no harm.

Illya then let go of her mother and took a better look at her, clearing the tears from her eyes. "This is Kiritsugu's coat." Illya said noting the trench coat her mother was wearing. Illya looked up at her mother with pleading eyes. A knot formed in Irisviel's throat as she realized what was coming. "Where is he? Where's Kiritsugu?"

Irisviel was silent. How could she answer? How could she tell a child what happened on that day? There was only one way she could… and yet, she could not stay silent.

"I'm sorry, Illya."

New tears began to form in the girl's eyes. "No," the little girl pleaded. "Kiritsugu's not really dead… is he?" Irisviel bit her lip in anguish. So she already knew. She wondered just how much tact if any was used to tell her. Knowing her family she did not believe anything of the sort was used for the poor child. "Kiritsugu's alive! He has to be!" Illya pleaded in denial. "They said you would not come back and you did! So… so Papa has to be alive! Papa can't be dead"

Again, her heart broke as she traded the first name for Papa. It was how she was raised, encouraged by her family to address Kiritsugu in such a way. He was an outsider and was to be spoken to as such, even by his own daughter. But now here she was, a hopeful child abandoning all her elders taught her in the hope that she would see her Papa again. And yet…

"Papa wanted to come back to you." Irisviel explained. "He really did."

No further explanation had to be given. The little girl crumbled in her arms and began to sob once more. "No!" she called crying to will the bad news away. "Papa can't be dead! He can't… he promised he'd come back… he…"

While futilely trying to hold back her own tears, Irisviel held the young girl tighter and attempted to do her best to comfort her the way only a mother could. What came out however was just a line of apologies. "I'm sorry." She declared between sobs of her own. "I'm so sorry." It was all she could do until the child calmed down. "It…" she stopped herself from continuing. Chastising herself, she bit down the excuse that was about to pass her lips without her realizing it, not just for the child's sake, but for her own. For both of their sakes, she would not reveal what she had been thinking all these months since the Holy Grail War ended.

"It should have been me…"

No, she would not go down that road again. Not when she was so close to her goal. Irisviel looked at the child once more and remembered herself. She knew the little girl before her was still a prisoner in this castle and that her task was not yet completed, not until they were both out of this accursed castle and back to Fuyuki. Rubbing the tears from her eyes, she steeled herself for what was to come next.

"Illya, listen to me." Irisviel said, her voice now firm and authoritative. Illya, who still wore the face of a crying child obediently looked up at her mother. "I'm going to take you away."

The girl's eyes widened at that. "A-way…?"

"That's right. I found a lovely place where we can be together. You no longer have to live within these walls. You can live with me in a land faraway."

"Faraway?" Illya questioned. "I can leave?

"Yes you can." Assured Irisviel. "I have the loveliest home. You can live there with me and live a normal life. No more experiments, no more test. Nothing like that anymore."

Illya seemed puzzled by the idea. Since she was little all she knew was the Einzbern ideals and now Irisviel was presenting her with a different way of life. The idea that her current one was 'normal' might not have occurred to her until now.

"I can leave?" She asked. "I can really leave with Mama?"

"Of course. We can be a family again Illya. You don't even have to be an Einzbern anymore. You can be an Emiya. Emiya Illyasviel will be your name for now on."

"Emiya." Illya repeated. "That's Papa's name. I can have Papa's name?"

"Of course. I am already Emiya Irisviel, and your brother is Emiya Shirou."

Illya's eyes opened wider at that. "Illya… has a brother?"

"That's right." Irisviel confirmed. "He's such a sweetie. You're going to be a great big sister. I'll tell you all about him when we leave. And I'll tell you about the house we have and the many friends we made. It's going to be great."

Irisviel could see the little girl light up, just a small fraction and saw the hope light up in her eyes. But the girl's eyes went down cast once again. "But… Papa won't be there."

"Illya." Irisviel said in an attempt to get the child away from the subjects. "Papa really did want to come back to you. He tried his best all for your sake." She patted the child on the head. "I promise you he would not want you to be sad. Do you think he wants to see you sad?" Illya wiped a tear from her eyes and shook her head. "That's right. Things will be hard for now on, but it will all be okay. Soon we can leave this wretched castle and you can have more family."

"More family." Illya repeated. "You mean… Shirou?"

"That's right." Irisviel agreed. "Shirou, Tee-chan, Uncle Raiga, Neko-chan, everyone at Ryuudou Temple, and so many others. There are so many wonderful people I will introduce you to once we leave."

For her part, Illya had looked the happiest she had been since the reunion. She was still clearly confused by the sudden change to her life, but Irisviel could see the glimmer of joy on the child's face. Finally, there would be no more tests. Finally, there can be a chance at a family, and a life outside the castle walls. This was it. That bright innocent expression was the one Irisviel wanted to see since the end of the war, and now here it was before her. Now was the time that her labors would come to an end. First, she would take away her daughter, then she would have the Grail dismantled. Now was…

"The girl cannot leave."

Upon hearing the authoritative voice of Jubstacheit von Einzbern, she turned and glared at him. The elder Einzbern stood a distance away, looking at neither of the two, his eyes focusing straight ahead, his expression showing no signs of interest in the mother/daughter reunion. He had been so quiet all this time she had forgotten that he was in the room. Now that she remembered, she reminded herself that the talk with him was not yet done. The reunion was a pleasant and not unwelcomed distraction, but she had business to finish. Standing up straight with a hand still on Illya's head, she glared at her creator, returning to her negotiations.

"She will leave." Irisviel said with determination. "I will…"

"I was not saying you cannot take it away." Jubstacheit continued in a flat monotone. "You could, but it will not survive."

The 'it' comment made the blood in Irisviel's veins turned cold. She muscled through that however and focused on what the old master of the castle was conveying. What could this mean? What was he saying? It was in that moment

"If you're threatening me…"

"It is not a threat," Jubstacheit explained, interrupting her. "I mean if the child leaves the castle, it will truly be the death of her." Jubstacheit finally turned his attention towards Irisviel, his eyes empty and emotionless as ever. "The child is now bound to the castle."

"What?" Irisviel asked not comprehending his words. "W-What do you mean bound?"

"I mean the child cannot leave the castle if it is to live." The family head turned away, his gaze looking out in the distance. "After I heard of your approach, I decided to make sure you did not do anything foolish. A failure you may be, you are still a capable magus. I have no doubts I would have stopped you should you prove to be less than cooperative, but I chose an option that would deter any destructive tendencies. We are still recovering from our earlier shames and the last thing we needed was a rogue running loose in the castle. I did not expect it but I learned enough of your state of mind from our last interaction to believe you would become… desperate. Knowing the folly of desperation and your own flawed personality I came to the conclusion that the combination of the two would produce illogical actions. Needless to say I was not expecting… this." He rubbed the bridge of his nose in irritation. "It seems as though my own countermeasures have put us both in an… unsettling situation."

Irisviel stared at him, hanging on his every word as anxiety gradually began to build up within her. "What are you saying?" She asked in a low voice. She then asked a question Jubstacheit himself asked not to long away, though her tone was more worry than in anger. "What have you done!?"

"It's as I said. She's bound to the castle." He recalled putting the child in the magic circle and how the ritual functioned. "Specifically, I bounded her magic circuits to the castle so that if she leaves the castle, the mana in her body would eventually drain away, and her own magic circuits would be rendered useless should she try to leave."

"That's…" Irisviel began to say only to stop herself. What Jubstacheit was describing was more or less a process similar to plucking a plant from the ground. Its roots no longer buried in the earth, it would not get the nutrients it needed to continue living, and if he was right, Illyasviel was in a similar position. Homunculi themselves are described by most magi as "magic circuits in human form" and need a steady stream of mana in order to function. Supposing this was indeed the case, the Einzberns made it so that Illya's own magic circuits could only function properly as long as she is within the confines of the castle. Should the girl leave, they would stop working, and she would gradually shut down, the mana in her body slowly being used up and due to the lack of the use of her magic circuits she would have no way to replenish it. And should she run out completely, she would cease functioning… in other words, she would die. By binding Illya's magic circuits to the castle, they affectively made this palace not only her prison, but also an environment she needs in order to function.

There are precious few ways such a task could be performed. One such way was to alter the magic circuit. While it would give such a result, to problem is the risk involved. If he truly did such a thing it would risk harming Illya. She was about to yell at the man but cooled her head upon realizing the obvious. Among all other things Jubstacheit was, he was not a fool. He would not risk damaging the Einzbern's most valued homunculus just to chase away Irisviel. Calming herself, she remained silent, opting to hear out the old man.

Irisviel could feel her daughter trembling as she sensed her mother's mood suddenly shift to that of apprehension. Upon noticing, Irisviel picked herself back up and glared at the man, still patting her daughter on the head to assure her. "If that is the case you could simply separate the connection." Irisviel stated calmly, albeit with a touch of hope in her voice. "You don't want her in the castle permanently." She concluded knowing full well they would have to release her to participate in the next Holy Grail War eventually. "So all you have to do is disconnect her from however you connected her."

"I cannot do that." The elder Einzbern stated flatly. Irisviel's heart dropped once again upon hearing that. "In order to assure the connection was as safe as it could be, I had to connect the circuits through a ritual as well as the minor alterations"

Again, Irisviel felt her mind going through various scenarios. She could think of various rituals that could do exactly that, but could not think of one that was used.

"The ritual I used was more contractual than anything else." Jubstacheit explained. "I did not simply bound her to the castle through physical methods. I bound her by her will. She is by all means obligated to stay in the castle or suffer."

Realization hit Irisviel hard. She stood there, looking back at the older homunculus with a mixture of horror and disbelief. Her next words were spoken in a tone devoid of the happiness she displayed before.

"You put a Geis on her." Irisviel concluded. She could feel Illya squirm next to her confused and anxious.

"Mama…" Illyasviel questioned looking up at her mother. "What's wrong… Mama?

Irisviel turned her attention back to the little girl. Kneeling down, she looking into her daughters' eyes. "Illya, did Grandfather ask you to do anything before I came home?"

Illya looked scared and unsure. She thought about how to answer. On one hand, her mother seemed upset, and she did not want to give any answer that would upset her. The problem was she did not want to give an answer that would further upset her, especially after coming back home.

"Please Illya," Irisviel said upon seeing the uncertainty in her eyes. "I need to know what Grandfather asked you to do."

Upon seeing the pleading look in her mother's eyes, the girl relented and decided it was indeed best to tell the truth. "Grandfather wanted me to make a promise." She began. "He said I have to stay in the castle until the next… Holy Grail War begins. If I do I can leave."

At those words, Irisviel's very core shattered. The Geis was a contract between magi which would induce a powerful curse should the contract in any way were to be violated. Worst part is that nothing could destroy the contract. Once it's been established only breaking or fulfilling the contract would end it. This particular Geis was straight forward. Illya would be penalized should she step out of the castle. And if Irisviel tried to take her away, she would kill her own daughter.

Irisviel furiously got up, startling the child, and turned her glare at Jubstacheit. "How could you!?" she demanded. "She's just a child! She had no way of knowing what she was agreeing to do!"

"It is a tool." Jubstacheit coldly stated without a hint of concern for his degrading words. "Whatever the case, a Geis can be established regardless of whether or not either party is fully aware of or understands the terms."

"You can end the contract!" Irisviel stated with some desperation leaking in her voice. "A Geis can end so long as both parties agree."

"I can't." Jubstacheit stated again with an air of finality. "We established no terms to end the contract. This contract was specifically established so that neither party could terminated it."

Irisviel gnashed her teeth together, her frustration growing with her desperation. "Why would you create such a contract!?"

"As I said. I had no way of knowing this ultimatum of yours would be this troublesome. That aside, my intentions for the girl would not have changed regardless of whether or not you appeared. She would have stayed in that castle until the next war began. I saw no need to create an escape clause when the Geis was made."

Irisviel's eyes began to water as the realization sank in. Jubstacheit had essentially doomed Illyasviel to a life inside these walls for no other reason but a whim. Now she understood the Elder's apprehension. He could not let the child go, but if he didn't, Irisviel would expose the secrets of the Einzberns and ruin their standing in the Magus community. He had essentially created a no-win situation for all parties involved.

"There has to be a way!"

"There is none." Jubstacheit explained. Irisviel stood there once again dumbstruck by the cold disinterest in the man's voice. "The contract was established. The only time she can leave is when the next Holy Grail War begins." Irisviel stood once again still as her Elder looked back at her devoid of any empathy. "Your demands cannot be fulfilled. Not so long as you wish to have the child alive. There is nothing more for you here."

With those final words, Irisviel felt all around her come crumbling away. All her months of planning blown away by the will of a man whom she once called her father. Everything leading up to that points ended in nothing, partly by her underestimating the lengths the Einzberns were willing to go to in order to get what they wanted, partly because of their own paranoia and lack of empathy. It was all coming down around her, because of because Irisviel foolishly thought she could rebel against the family she knew for a fact would have the experience to put down individuals like her, whether intentional, or accidental.

"End the contract." Irisviel demanded in a low cold voice.

Jubstacheit sighed in annoyance. "I already told you I…"

"End it NOW!" a furious roar reverberated throughout the castle as the gems on her bracelets began to glow. Both Jubstacheit and Illya jumped in surprise as Irisviel showed indignation in front of both of them for the first time, the glowing blue light in the bracelet seemed to enhance the intimidation her lovely but furious face displayed.

"Stop this now!" commanded Jubstacheit remembering the mysteries of the Einzberns were now in the hands of a desperate madwoman.

"Secret potions, homunculi design, mysteries behind transmutation… and so many more." Irisviel listed off as she plucked on jewel after another in a calm, chilling tone that gave Jubstacheit a sense of… something. From his perspective, he saw a malfunctioning unit acting in an unpredictable and irrational way, and it was making him uneasy. He did not understand this feeling, but he did find it… unpleasant.

The head of the Einzbern family looked on in distress trying to figure out a way to calm her. He needed to choose his next words carefully, or incur her wrath. In desperation, he looked to the child wondering if she somehow held the answers to the dilemma. From the looks of things even the child homunculus was feeling something akin to the uneasiness he was feeling earlier. The child was beginning to back away from her carrier with the same eyes a feeble dog would give an angry master.

"Mama…" Illyasviel begin in a timid tone. The mother either did not hear her or ignored her child focusing all her attention on Jubstacheit, staring at him with eyes devoid of any of the friendly innocence she once possessed.

Jubstacheit had seen eyes like that once before. They were the eyes of one drowned in hatred. These were the eyes of Avenger, the servant from so long ago that had pure, relentless, hatred oozing from them, penetrating his very being. Those were the eyes of a being that wished nothing more than to make their enemy suffer, and upon closer examination, he could have sworn that the red eyes of the woman were getting redder and actually glowing like just like the vengeful servant. He thought it to be a trick of the light, though part of him wondered…

"There is no way to end the Geis!" Jubstacheit exclaimed once more with more assurance and confidence in his voice than he truly felt. "All this will accomplish nothing. You can expose all of our secrets and the results would be the same! I am powerless to do anything for her!"

Irisviel glare began to soften as the golem before spoke. The anger was still there, but now there was something else the elder Einzbern noticed. The irrationality that was in her eyes was slowly being replaced by logic. He could see he was finally getting through to her so he continued his explanation while that hint of a comprehensive mind was still there.

"Come to your senses Irisviel!" Jubstacheit demanded while he caught her attention. "The contract is absolute! Until the next war, the child cannot leave!"

A silence hung in the air as Irisviel looked down at the utter hopelessness of the situation. The glow from the bracelet began to dim as reason slowly began to affect her. Jubstacheit relaxed slightly as he managed to avert another potential crisis and stared at her, patiently waiting to see what she would do next.

"Until the next war…" she repeated in defeat. "Until… the next war…" Irisviel repeated once again, taking in the words that sounded mocking to her ears. She stared for some time at the bracelet with uncertainty. "Until the next war…" she repeated once more. Jubstacheit began to grimace at the denial the homunculus before him was displaying. He was prepared to reprimand her once again for her foolishness… until he took a good look at her eyes once again.

He expected to see her resigned to the inevitable, but on the contrary, there was something more in her eyes. The mad determination she displayed before had returned, and again Jubstacheit felt that… unpleasant feeling once again. "Until… the next… war…" She once more repeated with more steel in her voice. Now Jubstacheit felt a chill as she once more repeated the sentence, putting more emphasis in every word. "… the… next war."

Jubstacheit liked the way Irisviel said those words less and less. He was unsure if it was the tone she used or the way she looked at the bracelet that sealed away the Einzbern family secrets, but he knew she was planning something. Before he worked up the nerve to finally demand an explanation, Irisviel looked up, her eyes devoid of any of the rage from earlier.

"Were those the words you used when you established the contract, the next Holy Grail War?" Irisviel asked in an oddly calm and conversational tone. Jubstacheit did not answer, opting to silently appraise this sudden change of attitude. The unpleasant feeling was slowly creeping up on him as he noticed Irisviel finger some of those gems. "Next war… next war… next war…" She kept repeating those words, evidently more to herself than to Jubstacheit. Now the feeling was getting more potent. What was the point she was trying to lead to?

Finally, Irisviel plucked a pure white gem from the bracelet and examined in a way so casual, it began brought up a new feeling of discomfort. When Jubstacheit could take no more, he dared to ask. "What is that gem?"

"It's a another key to a ritual site." Irisviel stated in a detached tone that disturbed him more than her erratic behavior a few moments prior. "Particularly, the ritual site holds special information about our family's greatest accomplishment."

"Our greatest…" Jubstacheit began only to stop when he realized what it was that gave him this feeling of apprehension. "Heaven's Feel…"

Irisviel turned to him once more, her eyes returning to a cool and furious glare. "You said that Illyasviel cannot leave until the next Holy Grail War, correct?" The cool glare became harder and more piercing with each word. "Did you specify which Holy Grail War?"

The unpleasant feeling was returning in drove. Irisviel held the white gem between her fingers. His eyes gazed upon that gem once more. He knew which gem that was without Irisviel needing to explain. That gem was the key to the ritual site that held the secret to the Heaven's Feel.

"A bit of mana is all this gem needs to break, and the secret to creating a Holy Grail was will be exposed to the community."

Jubstacheit stood straight as realization came to him. He wanted to challenge her, to scream how she 'wouldn't dare' to do such a thing. But he realized the futility of it immediately. She would do it. He knew this was not empty threat or bluff. She would expose the greatest secret of the Einzberns to all the magus of the world without batting an eyelid, and all for the sake of a child homunculus.

"It will never work!" Jubstacheit exclaimed in desperation. "Even with the information no one could recreate the ritual on the same scale! And the time and resources to create a new one…"

"It doesn't need to be so grandiose." Irisviel explained. "If all we need is a war, then it does not have to be one the same scale as the Heaven's Feel. It just needs to be a Holy Grail War. As for time, I can wait, I might even assist some of the more… resourceful magi."

Again, Jubstacheit felt anger at this blatant betrayal. "Not only would you expose our greatest work, you would assist outsiders to recreate it?"

"Yes." She spat with venom. There were no explanation or justifications of her actions. Just that simply one word spoken out of malice. And that was all she needed to say. For emphasis, she formed a small, but noticeable crack to appear on the gem, shamelessly showing it to him without remorse.

This blatant act of treachery was far beyond anything the elder golem could have thought possible for a homunculus of the Einzbern to do, and all for another product. He would have partially understood if it was for a research project like a proper magus, but this failure wanted the other as offspring as though it was anything other than a valued research item. He wanted to yell at her, to demand she stop, but to what ends? The homunculus was malfunctioning… no she was mad. She gained her own will, far from the Einzberns' influence and became mad as a result. He tried to think of a way to placate her, but how?

"Mama…" the younger homunculus said in a timid voice causing Jubstacheit's attention to turn to her. From the look in her eyes she was clearly getting uncomfortable with the scene, her joy upon seeing the one who birthed her replaced with what was clearly fear. Irisviel however just stood there ready to break the gem, oblivious to the child's presence. Upon witnessing the worried child, an idea sprung to the elder Einzbern.

"Even if you expose the secret, even if other magi recreate the ritual, we still have the Grail!" Irisviel caused another crack to appear in the gem. Jubstacheit hurried along his explanation. "Taking the child back is not the only motivation behind your actions! You wish to end the war, but the Grail exists! The Heaven's Feel will continue regardless of whether or not we possess the child." Irisviel's eyes began to soften once again. The implication Jubstacheit was making was reaching whatever little rationality was deep within all that madness. Jubstacheit continued his explanation, calmer now that some order was restore. "And suppose you do expose how to recreate the ritual and we do release the child earlier than anticipated, would it truly be for the best? You know how those foolish magi both in and outside the Clock Tower behave. I do not doubt you know it is unwise to let them all know how to recreate such a delicate ritual. Even I could not tell you the consequences. Surely you can see that the information is safer with the Einzberns than with those greedy, foolish outsiders."

As much as she hated to admit it, he was right. The more she thought about it, the more sense the elder Einzbern made. As irresponsible the Einzberns have been thus far, it really was better that they keep a handle on the ritual. At least this way the results were far more predictable. The only good that would come from it was Illya's early liberation, and that would take into account that they would be willing to after she deliberately released their most vital information. Afterall, the results would not be instantaneous. It would probably take years recreate even a smaller scale war, and that was being extremely generous and provided they were not censured by the Clock Tower or the Church.

Not only that, Irisviel was unsure what other countermeasures the Einzberns could come up with at during that time. Following through would give them less incentive to cooperate. True she managed to put the Einzberns in a position of weakness this time around, but that was due to their lack of knowledge of Irisviel's actions up to this point. Now, as soon as she leaves the castle, they will be on guard and use all the resources at their disposal to resist her. Not only that, they would use counteractive measures to assure Irisviel would not attempt anything more in the future. They would not underestimate her a second time now that she established herself as a genuine threat.

Now Irisviel was at a crossroads. At one point, she could break the key and expose the secret of the Grail and hopefully get a war sooner than the ten-year deadline, but again, there are too many risk factors with that plan, including and not limited to the lack of certainty of the consequences of such an action. The current plan was just too dangerous to try.

Dejectedly, she lowered her hand and looked at the jewel. The worst part of it all was that ultimately, this would harm her more pressing goal. What part of this hasty plan would stop the Einzberns from continuing their own war in Fuyuki and completing the Heaven's Feel? The answer was nothing. The only purpose of this plan was to free Illya. Ultimately this plan would not prevent the birth of the Angra Mainyu. What kind of future would Illya have if that world came to past? And all that was assuming the Einzbern would release her in the first place. Irisviel could not risk it. It would do far more harm than good with very little, if any gain.

"Irisviel." Jubstacheit began once more realizing the woman before him was seeing logic. "End this farce. There is no way for you to succeed in your goal. Surrender those keys, call your contact, and face the punishment you so rightly deserve." His last sentence held none of the animosity he felt. He was simply stating a solution now that he was back in control and getting her to see logic. "There is no success for you."

Was it true? Was there no way to succeed? Had she waited, planned, and acted all on a fool's errand? Had everything been wasted on the whim of the Einzberns. "How did this happen? Why would Elder Acht choose now of all times to perform such a ritual?"

Wait… why had he chosen now to bind Illya with a Geis? He claims to have done the act just as she arrived at the castle. Why perform such an act now of all times? It's not like he had any foresight of what she would do when she arrived. He was always cautious, but this action was overreaction to the supposed minor annoyance he was expecting her to be. From his attitude in the beginning, he clearly did not expect much from her when she arrived, so why did he react in a way that affectively countered her plan? And why would he go to such extremes and not even create a fail safe to get out of this contract? He's far more logical than that. It was almost as if… a chill ran through her as she realized what was happening.

"It's already too late." Irisviel stated in a flat tone. Jubstacheit looked at her puzzled. "It's Angra Mainyu…" she questioned. "It's already influenced your way of thinking hasn't it?"

Jubstacheit's eyes narrowed taking offense to Irisviel's claim. "Nothing influences me!"

"Then why did you react in such a way?" Irisviel questioned. "There was no logical reason for you to put Illya in that Geis… not when you thought of me as just a nuisance. So why did you?" Jubstacheit looked confused. Irisviel could tell he was taking her words into consideration. "Are you sure you weren't being… influenced… like there was something, whispering in your ear, something telling you to act in such a way? Are you absolutely sure this was your intention?"

Now it was Jubstacheit's turn to be silent. From the look in his eyes, she was making progress. He was beginning to see the lack of logic in his most recent actions, and it was affecting his thinking process.

A sudden tug on her hand reminded her of Illya. Turning to he, she noticed the small child trembling, looking at something in the corner of the room with eyes filled with fear. Irisviel turned to where the child was staring and saw… a shadow.

It was barley visible. Irisviel herself would have missed it had she not looked hard enough. An unknown figure in the corner, sometimes humanoid, sometimes… something else. The form Irisviel could make out was in most case, female. It's hair long, its face obscured, but she knew that if she looked closely, she could make out a face very similar to her own, and she knew under the darkness concealing her, it was smirking.

She glanced over at Jubstacheit who had also turned his eyes to the being and frowned in a way that suggested he realized what was happening. She did not know if he could see the being fully, not having the same connection to it as Irisviel and Illyasviel had, but she knew he was aware of its presence, and he was clearly not happy.

"You were always here." Irisviel thought knowing the shadow could hear her. "Always haunting the Einzbern line, influencing us from the darkness." Of course it was. The legacy of the Einzbern had come back to haunt them without them being the wiser. She did not think it had enough power influence them completely, but it was still there. The power to sway the darkness the Einzberns deny having was there and even Jubstacheit could not deny that truth.

Irisviel cursed herself for not realizing it sooner. The shadow was still weak, but it had just enough power to push the Einzberns into a rash action. It had enough power to completely put down Irisviel and all of her actions. So desperate was it to be reborn and spread its evil. Desperate was it to escape the Grail and become a living being of chaos and destruction. Desperate was it to destroy its loneliness and be born again anew. But that was the issue. It could not be born. It could not be allowed to escape… or rather, it could not be allowed to be born through the Grail.

"This is our world." Irisviel thought to the former Servant. Irisviel squeezed the child's hand lightly, her resolve stronger than before. "There is no place for you here." At those words, Irisviel felt the shadow's imagined smirk drop as it once more faded away into obscurity. "Not anymore."

Irisviel turned her attention back to Jubstacheit. "There is something that can be done." Irisviel began as calmly as before. Jubstacheit stiffened with anticipation. "It's in the core… the corruption."

"What are you saying?" Jubstacheit demanded.

"Here is my new demand." Irisviel proposed. She looked at her daughter once more. She mentally apologized to Illyasviel for what she was about to do.

"You will go to the Grail and replace the core."

"Excuse me?" Jubstacheit questioned unsure if he heard right.

"It is as I said. I will give you these keys, but in exchange, you must replace the core of the Grail. That is the price of my silence." Irisviel began her explanation. "You want to start the Grail War, you can, but not with the Grail as it is now. There is only one way for us to settle the matter. As I said, the corruption is within the core. Replace the core, get rid of the greater threat. You get your war, and I'll give you the keys. I'll even inform you where at least one of the sites are. That is my offer."

Jubstacheit stared at her, pondering the proposal. After a moment he gave a response shaking his head. "It will never work. The Grail core is the body of Justeaze herself. There never was, nor ever has been a suitable replacement for her." He looked at both Irisviel and Illya who was still grabbing her mother's hand. "You would not make a suitable replacement, and the child… maybe after years of modification, but for now. No… the mysteries in the child would be too weak even after the modifications."

"There is one being the Einzberns created that could come close." Irisviel stated plainly. Her stare fixed pointedly at the prideful old man.

"What being?" Jubstacheit questioned.

"Is it not obvious?" Irisviel questioned. "You."

Jubstacheit stared at the woman before him. Did she really suggest… him? Leader of the Einzberns, the oldest living being in the family and the ultimate caretaker of the castle. That was what she suggests?

"You were made during the time of Justeaze and possess the oldest of mysteries of all of the Einzberns. There is none more suited than you to take the place of the core."

"I am the head of the Einzberns!" Jubstacheit replied denying the idea. "I can't just…"

"I am not giving you another option." Irisviel stated calmly, the confidence back in her voice.

"You dare…" Jubstacheit began before getting cut off again.

"Yes, I dare!" Irisviel challenged. "For decades you were aware of the risks but paid them no heed! You had every opportunity to make changes to the Grail, but brushed it off because the fate of the world did not concern you. You choose the reclamation of a lost magic as a reward worth the risk without regards of whether others would be willing to risk it. Well now those consequences are here! Consider this your payment for your negligence. Your body to replace the core, or I reveal the truth to the entire community! Ask them if it is a risk they are willing to take!"

"You..." Jubstacheit growled, his own fury once again raising. "This is the family's greatest achievement, and you…"

"I don't give a damn about any of that!" Irisviel exclaimed in a rather unlady like tone, her voice echoing throughout the large hall. "What will it take for you to realize that none of that matters to me! Not the Einzberns, not the Third Magic, none of it! This war took away my husband. You took away my daughter. I will not have you take this world away from me, not for your own desire for a magic you may never claim! Call me a traitor if you wish, your opinion means nothing to me! All that matters to me is that you do not destroy the world because you could not be bothered to clean up your own mess!"

Silence once again fell upon the group as both Jubstacheit and Illyasviel stared at the woman before them in silent awe and bafflement. Irisviel took the moment of silence to take a deep breath, calm herself, and continue.

"You want the war to happen for the Einzbern's sake, I need it to happen for my family's sake. This is my last offer. Replace the core and you get these keys. Don't and my contacts will reveal everything. You will lose your life, but the family has both a chance to save face and has a chance to achieve their goal." Irisviel dared to step forward just in arm's length of the elderly golem and look him straight in the eye. "The question at this point is not whether or not you accept, but do you value your own existence over the Einzbern's ambition?" Jubstacheit bristled at that challenge. "Now is the time for you to prove how devoted you are to the Einzberns obtaining Third Magic. Jubstacheit von Einzbern! Become the core for the Grail, save the Einzberns from the shame of this defective traitor leaking valuable information."

Now she was right before him, inches away and looking up at his withered face with a glare that would frighten a man with emotions. With one final act of defiance, she made her challenge one more time.

"Show the whole family what it means to be an Einzbern."

A/N

That was intense. Again, sorry it took me so long to update. Hopefully it was worth it. Things are definitely changing. The question is, is it all for the best?