CHAPTER 3.1 - SNOW PRINCESS RESCUE

In a house not far from a snow-covered forest in Germany, Kiritsugu was preparing his weapons. Before him lay a table adorned with an array of firearms, ranging from a simple handgun to a formidable rocket launcher. Scattered among the weapons were various types of grenades, ready for use.

Today was the day. He was determined to save Illya, no matter the cost.

As he meticulously readied his arsenal, a knock at the door interrupted his concentration. He walked over, peered through the peephole, and then opened the door. There stood Irisviel, her face slightly annoyed and covered in snow.

"I never realized how treacherous the snow was until today. It was a struggle to even find a taxi willing to bring me here," Irisviel grumbled.

She opened her arms and looked at him with demanding eyes. "Hug," she commanded.

He chuckled, appreciating these small moments. He wrapped his arms around his wife. "I've missed you," she whispered.

"...me too," he replied softly.

Reluctantly, they broke their embrace. Irisviel huffed, her frustration evident. "It was your idea to go separately, you and your paranoid mind."

He teased her, "But you said you loved me just the way I am."

Irisviel pinched his nose, her face flushed. "Don't try to act clever with me, mister," she scolded.

Indeed, it had been Kiritsugu's idea to go to such great lengths and travel separately, all in an effort to avoid possible detection. Prior to Irisviel's departure, he equipped with false identification had flown to France days in advance. From there, he utilized various means of inland transportation, carefully hopping from one mode to another, leaving minimal traces behind.

This particular house served as one of his many safe houses scattered across the world. This one, in particular, was the closest to the Einzbern Castle, a mere one-hour drive away. Its strategic proximity would help him in his mission to save Illya.

Irisviel brushed off the snowflakes from her attire before gracefully sinking onto a nearby couch. he offered her a cup of hot chocolate, which she gratefully accepted.

After sipping her hot chocolate slowly, Irisviel proceeded to share with Kiritsugu the reports she received from their servants in Fuyuki. They described a series of murders characterized by the draining of victims' blood, committed by formless and beast-like shadows. One humanoid shadow had the ability to mimic the appearance and abilities of servant. Additionally, an Assassin servant had provided a report on two children from the Matou family, a very concerning report.

Apart from the last one, it was clear that the corrupted Grail was behind these atrocities. The shadows exuded a reek of corruption.

"Normally, I would suspect a Dead Apostle to be responsible for the murders," Kiritsugu murmured. "But given our current situation, the corrupted Grail is the clear suspect."

Irisviel bit her lower lip, a sign of worry. "The situation has worsened too quickly. Some servants have even reported sightings of the shadow entities in the neighboring city. This problem is no longer contained within Fuyuki alone."

"What's your plan, Iri?" Kiritsugu asked, his gaze fixed on his wife.

"I have already ordered the servants to watch and patrol the city. They are instructed to engage the shadow entities on sight," Irisviel stated.

She continued, "Some servants have also been tasked with locating and destroying the greater Grail. Given its weakened state, it's best if we can destroy it as soon as possible."

"...Locating? What happened to the greater Grail, Iri? Wasn't it placed in the cave beneath Ryuudou Temple?" Kiritsugu inquired, concerned.

Irisviel shook her head. "It's gone from there. We are currently searching the entire city for its whereabouts." Her expression turned grim. "And then there's the matter of Matou—no, Makiri Zouken."

Pure rage, anger, and disgust emanated from Irisviel. Kiritsugu was familiar with this feeling, having dealt with individuals like Zouken in the past. Those who had committed unforgivable acts against children. He fervently hoped they would receive their just punishment in the depths of hell.

He grasped his wife's shoulder firmly. "Let's set aside the shadow, the missing greater Grail, and Zouken for now. Our focus must be solely on Illya. After all, we've crossed the world for her. We need to concentrate on this rescue mission."

Irisviel lowered her gaze. "You're right, Kiri. We'll deal with them after we secure Illya's safety."

Kiritsugu nodded decisively. "We'll leave in one hour."

Irisviel laughed softly. "Ah, I sat down for just a moment, and you're already switching gears."

He paused for a moment. "Do you need some time to rest first, Iri?" he asked, showing concern.

"Nope, my body is essentially like a servant now. It would take more than this to tire me out," Irisviel reassured him.

"Then we'll stick to the plan," Kiritsugu affirmed, resuming his preparations. He packed his equipment and carried it to the garage. With nothing else to do, Irisviel followed him and her eyes widened in awe. There stood a large 4x4 off-road Land Rover SUV.

With a hopeful look, she turned to her husband. "Can I drive that?"

Kiritsugu loves his wife, he truly does. He would give her anything she wanted as long as he could do it.

"No, Iri."

But letting Irisviel drive a car was a mistake he wouldn't want to make again.

...

The Einzbern Castle was constructed with the possibility of sieges in mind. The building boasted formidable sturdiness, and its location posed a significant challenge for any assault. Not to mention the numerous layers of bounded fields that shielded the castle, making it practically impenetrable without alerting its inhabitants.

Stealth was not an option; a direct assault with overwhelming firepower was the only approach.

Kiritsugu took a deep breath, steadying his aim.

Through his earpiece, Irisviel's voice echoed, "3...2...1, Now!"

He pulled the trigger.

BOOOOMMM!

The front gate exploded, sending a massive chunk of steel flying several meters away from its original position. Without wasting a moment, Kiritsugu tossed the rocket launcher to the back of the SUV. He hurriedly moved to the driver's seat and slammed his foot down on the gas pedal. The engine roared to life, accompanied by the screeching of tires as the car accelerated at a high speed.

Kiritsugu drove the car past the now-destroyed front gate, immediately encountering Einzbern homunculi attempting to stop him. Without a hint of hesitation, Kiritsugu maintained his speed and plowed through them, refusing to let anything slow him down. With skillful application of the brakes, he executed a sharp turn, causing the car to skid until it came to a halt a few meters away from the front door, with the driver's side facing it.

Stepping out of the car, Kiritsugu was fully equipped with an array of firearms he brought. In his hands, he wielded two handguns, their barrels pointed with deadly precision. With lightning-fast reflexes, he swiftly spun around, sensing the presence of a homunculus attempting to leap upon him. His fingers tightened on the triggers, and in a split second, bullets erupted from the handguns, finding their mark in the homunculus mid-air. The threat neutralized, he advanced toward the imposing front door, his mind focused and determined.

As he rushed through the dimly lit halls of the castle, an ominous chorus of monotone voices filled the air. "Intruder! Intruder! Intruder! Intruder! Intruder! Intruder!"

The haunting sound reverberated, magnified by the echoes that bounced off the walls. Unfazed by the cacophony, Kiritsugu pressed on, his resolve unyielding.

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

The gunfire punctuated the air as Kiritsugu unleashed a relentless barrage of shots. Homunculi emerged from everywhere, their lifeless eyes fixed upon him, driven by their programmed mind to protect the castle. But Kiritsugu's hands moved with unwavering coordination, firing his handguns with unparalleled efficiency. Each bullet found its mark, dispatching the homunculi with lethal precision.

Amid the chaos, a lone homunculus managed to close the distance, reaching out with grasping hands in an attempt to seize Kiritsugu. Swiftly, Kiritsugu's right hand swatted away the homunculus's grasp, diverting its momentum. With a fluid motion, he swiftly swept their legs out from under them. The homunculus crashed to the ground, their body writhing with the intent to rise once more.

BANG!

A single, well-placed shot pierced through the homunculus's head, bringing an abrupt end to their struggle. Kiritsugu hummed, deep in thought. So far, all the homunculi he had encountered were of the non-combatant type. That could only mean the combat homunculi were likely stationed elsewhere, most likely at the upper floors. He needed to exercise caution.

Not long after, Kiritsugu found himself in the main hall, the central hub of the castle. The grand staircase leading to the second floor loomed before him. Just as he was about to approach the stairway, a surge of instinct urged him to halt. Reacting swiftly, he leaped back as a homunculus crashed their warhammer down where he had stood moments before.

The warhammer-wielding homunculus stared silently at Kiritsugu. From the second floor, two more homunculi appeared—one brandishing a rapier, the other wielding a two-handed bastard sword. A single glance was all it took for Kiritsugu to deduce that these three homunculi were of a different breed—the combat type.

With lightning-fast speed, the warhammer homunculus lunged forward, their hammer raised high. Kiritsugu swiftly evaded the attack, leaping backward and unleashing a barrage of bullets. However, the warhammer-wielding homunculus effortlessly swirled their hammer, expertly deflecting every bullet with ease.

Meanwhile, the rapier and sword-wielding homunculi rushed in, one attacking from the right, the other from the left. The sword-wielding homunculus aimed for a downward slash, but Kiritsugu deftly spun his body, narrowly avoiding the strike. Seizing the opportunity, he aimed his right handgun at the sword-wielding homunculus, firing at almost point-blank range.

BANG!

The shot grazed the sword-wielding homunculus's head as they managed to move it slightly to the side. Without missing a beat, the rapier-wielding homunculus swiftly thrust their weapon toward Kiritsugu. His reflexes honed, Kiritsugu sidestepped the thrust, narrowly evading the attack. However, the warhammer-wielding homunculus swung their massive hammer at him with immense force.

Gritting his teeth, Kiritsugu activated his magecraft.

"Time Alter: Double Accel!"

Instantly, everything seemed to slow down in Kiritsugu's perspective, and he felt a surge of heightened speed. Taking advantage of this, he leaped backward, maintaining distance from the three homunculi. With his handguns trained on them, he pulled the triggers.

CLICK! CLICK!

To his dismay, he had run out of bullets. Sensing the opportunity, the homunculi swiftly closed in on him. Thinking quickly, he promptly hurled both handguns at the approaching homunculi. The sword and rapier-wielding homunculi slashed at the thrown weapons, momentarily distracted.

Capitalizing on the distraction, Kiritsugu reached for a stun grenade and tossed it into their midst. A blinding flash of light and a deafening blast ensued. In one swift motion, he reached behind him, retrieving the shotgun he had stowed, and pumped it.

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

The shotgun roared to life as Kiritsugu unleashed a hail of bullets upon the homunculi. The rapier and sword-wielding homunculi were immediately riddled with bullets, their bodies dropping to the floor. However, the warhammer-wielding homunculus, though injured, continued to press forward.

Undeterred by the shotgun's depletion, Kiritsugu decided to employ it as a makeshift bat. Hastily reinforcing the shotgun with a rush job of reinforcement magecraft, he skillfully parried the incoming hammer strike, he didn't care that the weapon was now irreparably damaged. Seizing the opportunity, he closed the distance between them, swiftly disarming the homunculus of their hammer.

With precision and speed, Kiritsugu launched an open-palm strike to their jaw, followed by a knee to their solar plexus. The homunculus attempted to defend against Kiritsugu's close-quarters assault, but it was evident that Kiritsugu held the advantage. Their every attempt to break free from his relentless flurry of attacks failed, rendering them nothing more than a mere punching bag.

With the homunculus momentarily disoriented, Kiritsugu swiftly drew his combat knife and plunged it deep into their chest before twisting it. The sound of gurgling blood filled the air as the homunculus expelled a final gasp before collapsing lifelessly to the ground.

Kiritsugu paused for a moment, his gaze fixed on the looming staircase ahead.

He reached behind his back to retrieve his final firearm, a reliable M16 assault rifle. From this point onward, he knew that the second floor would be teeming with more stronger combatant homunculi. Taking a deep, steadying breath, he steeled himself for what lay ahead.

"Emiya..."

A cold voice sliced through the air, halting Kiritsugu in his tracks. He looked up, meeting the piercing gaze of a red-eyed old man. He knew all too well who stood before him. After all, he was technically his in-law.

"Acht..."

Jubstacheit von Einzbern, also known as Old Man Acht, had personally come to greet him. Kiritsugu's grip on the M16 tightened.