"For the upcoming Holy Grail War, we need your strength." Jubstacheit von Einzbern, the patriarch of the Einzbern family, explained the reason to Emiya Kiritsugu.
"As long as that 'wish' can be achieved and world peace can be realized, I will spare no effort." Emiya Kiritsugu's answer was resolute.
Hayde nodded slightly and gestured toward the coffin that looked like a work of art. "This child, Irisviel, is the vessel for this Holy Grail. She is a 'Homunculus' created for this mission. You can spend more time with her; it will be beneficial for the future Holy Grail War."
Emiya Kiritsugu stepped forward as instructed, his gaze falling on the face of the girl sleeping in the coffin.
It was truly a face so perfect it didn't seem human, as if carved from ice and snow.
When his rough fingers unconsciously brushed against her delicate cheek, the girl's long eyelashes trembled, and those ruby-like eyes, carrying the purity and bewilderment of a newborn baby, slowly opened.
The first thing she saw was Emiya Kiritsugu.
That gaze was full of total ignorance and curiosity, like a chick seeing the first figure after breaking its shell, naturally showing dependence and closeness. The corners of her mouth curled up, blooming into a carefree, worry-free smile that was enough to melt ice and snow.
However, in the deep shadows of this ancient castle, another pair of eyes was greedily peering at this "newborn" scene.
That gaze was full of possessiveness and a distorted excitement; just imagining the scene of staining this pure, snow-like beauty with his own color made him almost unable to suppress a low, pleasant shudder.
In the days that followed, the interaction between Emiya Kiritsugu and Irisviel might have been called "the arrangement of fate" by outsiders.
But Emiya Kiritsugu himself seemed to harbor a deep-seated distance and awkwardness toward women.
He always deliberately kept his distance, silently fulfilling his duty as a protector like an emotionless black shadow.
The innocent and cheerful Irisviel, however, did not notice.
She was like a canary protected in an ivory tower, living an ignorant and happy life in this beautiful snow castle.
She wore expensive and comfortable sheepskin coats, yet knew nothing of their value;
She liked to run into the forest outside the castle to play, accompanied by squirrels and fawns, never realizing the potential danger—because there was always a figure in a corner she couldn't see, clearing away all threats for her. That was Emiya Kiritsugu.
"Irisviel must become pregnant. She is the vessel for the Holy Grail; this is the fate of every generation's vessel. You need to unite with her and produce offspring to complete the preparations for the ritual."
Hayde's admonition rang in Emiya Kiritsugu's ears more than once.
Every time, Emiya Kiritsugu would nod in silence.
For that goal—"world peace"—he was willing to pay any price, including sacrificing himself, and including... utilizing others.
Late at night.
Emiya Kiritsugu was looking down, intently cleaning and maintaining his firearms and knives, the cold metal reflecting his equally cold gaze.
"Kiritsugu~" Irisviel ran to his side, pouting coquettishly. "Can you spend some time with me today? Don't always hide in the shadows to protect me; I want you by my side."
"Sorry," Emiya Kiritsugu said without looking up, "I have some 'matters' to handle tonight."
"Honestly... ignoring me again." Irisviel let out a disappointed hum and turned to walk toward the door. "Then I'll go for a walk in the forest alone!"
Emiya Kiritsugu watched her back but did not immediately follow her as he usually did.
He thought that just for a short while, nothing should happen.
After all, this forest was already under his surveillance.
But he didn't expect that a long-lurking pervert, a man with an antisocial personality, had been spying on them for a whole month, waiting for such a moment of relaxation.
Irisviel strolled through the familiar woods, humming a tuneless melody, enjoying the tranquility of the snowy forest at night.
Suddenly, a viscous and slippery sensation came from beneath her feet.
She looked down and saw that at some point, a dark brown, blood-like sludge had seeped out from the ground all around her, emitting a nauseating, fishy stench.
A strong sense of crisis made her scalp tingle, and she instinctively turned to run back toward the castle.
However, after just two steps, her ankle was suddenly grabbed by something cold and slimy!
She screamed as she lost her balance and fell heavily onto the snow. Immediately after, more pitch-black tentacles, like living things, lunged out from the shadows, quickly wrapping around her limbs and roughly hoisting her up, suspending her from a tree branch in mid-air.
"Ah! Let me go! Kiritsugu!!" she struggled in terror, but the strength of those tentacles was astonishing.
A piece of coarse black cloth was tied over her eyes, taking away her last bit of light.
Then, a cold, slimy sensation, like a snake's tongue, licked across her cheek.
"Is... is it Kiritsugu? Don't... don't do this..." Her voice trembled and was hoarse with fear.
Responding to her was the "rip" of clothing being torn.
Those tentacles mercilessly tore off her elegant dress, and the cold air instantly assailed her exposed skin.
The foul blood on the ground and the wriggling tentacles began to converge and twist, eventually condensing into the silhouette of a man—Kanjuro revealed himself.
Kanjuro admired the bound, flawless body before him with a playful and greedy gaze.
He had tracked and waited for so long, and finally caught this perfect opportunity. He intentionally said in a wicked voice, completely different from Emiya Kiritsugu's: "Oh my, what a pitiable beauty. That Emiya Kiritsugu, leaving such a treasure without knowing how to enjoy it, really isn't much of a man."
"Who... who are you? What are you saying?!" Irisviel's voice was filled with helplessness and fear.
Kanjuro sighed with mock regret, but his words were like a poisonous snake: "I said, doesn't your Einzbern family need you to reproduce and continue the mission of the Holy Grail vessel? But that useless Emiya Kiritsugu doesn't even dare to touch you."
As he spoke, he reached out and caressed her delicate body, which was trembling slightly from cold and fear. "In that case, let me... satisfy you, and incidentally help your family complete this 'heavy responsibility'."
"No... don't! I beg you! Let me go!" Irisviel shook her head desperately, tears soaking the black blindfold.
"Don't?" Kanjuro gave a low laugh, his voice full of malicious mockery. "You haven't even tried it, how do you know you don't want it? Hmm?"
Irisviel pleaded in a crying tone, with the purest and most helpless voice: "I beg you... please let me go..."
"Let you go?" Kanjuro sneered, his movements unceasing. "But your body's reaction seems much more honest than your mouth... you duplicitous little thing."
"No... don't—!" As her last desperate cry, filled with sobs, was swallowed by the wind and snow, no response came to save her.
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