Chapter Seventy-Six: The Advantage Is Mine

Roland gazed at Illya in a daze, his eyes locked with hers. Unlike the faint trace of fiery energy he’d bestowed upon Kariya Matou, the magical aura within Illya had already taken on a distinct form. Amidst the dark violet glow, he sensed longing and attachment. She bore the same snow-white hair and crimson eyes as her mother, delicate and adorable hands, and a face that seemed sculpted from the same mold.

“Father, I missed you so much…”

Roland gently stroked her little head, examining her physical state. Unlike the demonic little dragon from the original tale, Illya’s condition was quite intriguing. The Holy Lord was the last of the dragons and the only demon of fire. Though the little dragon claimed to be his child, even the righteous had their doubts. After its fire demon aura was extracted, its battle prowess plummeted.

From Roland’s current perspective, the little demon dragon was not a complete success, but just barely acceptable. After all, its body, inherited through bloodline, was innately compatible with the fire demon’s aura, just as silver naturally conducts electricity.

But Illya was different. She was created using artificial human technology as a foundation, with magical energy as her source, and brought into the world by natural birth through a special vessel. In this way, she retained her outward form yet enjoyed the blessings of the fire demon’s power, making her incredibly malleable.

Even the greatest flaw of artificial humans—their limited lifespan—had been resolved. The only drawback was that her appearance would stop aging at a certain point.

“While Father wasn’t here, I was very well-behaved,” Illya said earnestly. “Every day, I waited for you to come and take me away. Mother wouldn’t bring me here, but Grandpa finally agreed, and only then did she say yes.”

“If not for that, I would have seen you days ago!” Remembering Irisviel’s actions, Illya puffed out her cheeks, her tone brimming with indignation.

Roland couldn’t help but smile, stroking her head. “It’s not too late now. We have plenty of time ahead of us. For now, let’s begin by getting to know each other.”

Thanks to Rin and Sakura, Roland was now quite adept at handling little girls. The magical energy he released carried an innate sense of belonging for demons, and the obedience coded into Illya’s artificial nature made it even clearer.

“What does Illya like?” he asked.

“Fire!” she replied instantly.

“Why is that?” Roland was surprised. As a fire demon, he hardly dwelled in molten lava; he much preferred opulent palaces to sweltering environments. There was no reason for Illya to have a problem here.

Illya lifted her chin proudly, her confidence unwavering. “Because it’s so versatile! If you want to get warm, just use fire. If you’re tired, eating a bit of fire makes you energetic. If something gets dirty, fire can burn it clean.”

“If you toss someone you don’t like into the flames, they might make a fuss at first, but soon they’ll quiet down.”

Roland chuckled. “It seems I’ll need to teach you a few more things. The Einzberns really do have issues with education.”

Witnessing the warmth between father and daughter, Irisviel parted her lips, wanting to speak but unable to find words. How strange—she’d always regarded the man Illya called father as the demon who would end their happiness. Yet now, all she felt was a sweet contentment.

Almost as if guided by some unseen force, Irisviel reached out and gently took Roland’s hand, her voice soft and tender.

“That’s enough for today, Illya. Talk with your father more tomorrow,” she said, taking a deep breath and pushing everything else aside, leaving only a mother’s love. “Soon, Mama will have to leave for a while, to help Father with his plan. It may be a long separation, but you must be a good girl and stay at home. Father will come to take care of you.”

Where Illya couldn’t see, the hand Irisviel held trembled. Her words carried the weight of a final entrustment. She was prepared—if the fate of becoming the Lesser Grail ended with her, Roland would have no reason to seek the next one. That way, Illya’s destiny could be avoided, and with such a powerful father, she could live a normal, happy life.

Illya nodded, half understanding. “Father and Mother are going to fight, right? It might take a while, but Mama will come back, won’t you? Otherwise, I’ll be so lonely.”

Irisviel stared at her daughter with unblinking crimson eyes, trying to maintain her flawless, gentle smile, but sorrow welled up inside her. She instinctively covered her eyes with her hand, turning away so Illya wouldn’t see the tears slipping through her fingers.

But another voice answered in her stead.

“Of course. Mama will return to your side.”

“Father, do you promise?”

“In this world, there are few whose promises I must keep. But for you, Illya, I think even the former wielder of that power would allow me this kindness.”

Roland’s eyes narrowed, his words carrying unshakable conviction. He set Illya down, waving as he watched her retreating figure disappear through the doorway.

“Huh?” Irisviel hadn’t quite processed Roland’s words. “But if you don’t sacrifice me, you can’t obtain the Grail!”

“That’s only true if the Greater Grail must be preserved. Unfortunately,” Roland said, rising to his feet, “I’ve said for a long time that I would blow that wretched cup to pieces sooner or later.”

“And besides, who said you could make decisions on your own? You don’t belong to the Einzberns—you belong to me, Roland.”

“Now, do you understand what you must do?”

At last, Irisviel lifted her head, meeting Roland’s eyes. Slowly, she replied,

“Yes, Lord Roland.”

He laughed warmly, embracing her. “When the battle is over, transfer Saber’s contract to me. Until then, let me deal with the fools who have come knocking.”

Unbeknownst to her, Roland now held the search device adorned with the four-headed dragon, one direction blazing with a fiery glow.

—

“Are they still fighting?”

“Yes, Master.”

Darnic exchanged a calm glance with Lancer, no longer hesitating.

“Though I’m not sure why Berserker’s master is targeting Saber, it’s undoubtedly a golden opportunity.”

Enkidu’s superior aura-sensing always gave Darnic an edge, and the forest battlefield suited them perfectly. With Enkidu’s power, the trees around them responded to his will, swaying and growing, their leaves thickening, completely evading the boundary’s detection and hiding their presence.

“Attacking now, the Einzberns won’t react in time. Not only could we eliminate Saber, but perhaps even Berserker’s master as well.”

Darnic instinctively gripped the cold command seal on his chest, a glimmer of anticipation in his eyes.

“Having just taken on a new body, the bond with the seal is still unstable. Devouring the souls of two Masters should be enough.”

Brimming with ambition, Darnic strode toward the silhouette of the Einzbern castle now visible in the distance.

With a Servant’s power for a surprise attack—and an underhanded two-on-one, no less—there was no question: the advantage was his!

“Lancer, let’s go!”