At 7:30 in the morning, Shinji finally composed himself and changed into the solemn and dignified black traditional mourning attire he had prepared in advance. He then walked out of his room unhurriedly.
Today, the main event was the funeral.
Shinji had already arranged all the funeral details via email yesterday. In short, everyone who needed to be notified was informed, and the cemetery, coffin, tombstone, and funeral hall were all efficiently arranged overnight by the company Shinji controlled—now a conglomerate.
The monk responsible for chanting sutras had just arrived outside the Matou residence.
Shinji chose a monk for the chanting instead of a priest for a Western-style funeral to announce the Matou family's complete withdrawal from the world of magic, a deliberate decision on his part.
When Shinji entered the reception room, the first thing he saw was Sakura, dressed in a dark mourning dress, entertaining the monk who was familiar with him—Reikan, the elder brother of Issei.
Although Shinji was somewhat surprised to see Sakura in mourning attire, he didn't question it and instead took the time to discuss some funeral arrangements with the familiar monk.
...
By the time evening arrived, the deliberately simplified funeral had concluded.
The coffin, which contained only two sets of clothes, had been buried.
In the somber and solemn cemetery, Shinji encountered an unexpected guest.
It was not a magical girl, but Illyasviel von Einzbern.
The petite, silver-haired, red-eyed girl in a purple dress quietly observed the entire funeral from a distance.
As the funeral ended and night fully descended, with the sunset almost completely gone, Illyasviel von Einzbern approached just as Shinji and Sakura, who had volunteered to attend, were about to leave.
"Once, the grand wish was with the man. So, at the end, did Makiri remember his grand wish?" Illya's voice broke the silence.
Looking at the petite girl before him, Shinji remained silent. The phrase "once, the grand wish was with the man" was an epitaph on Zouken's tombstone.
"Ah, I almost forgot. At times like this, one should start with introductions," Illya said, lifting her skirt and crossing her feet to perform a proper German noble's curtsy. "My name is Illyasviel von Einzbern. You can call me Illya. Big brother should have heard of the Einzbern name, right? If not, the elder sister here should have."
Shinji still didn't respond, merely frowning and watching Illya. Sakura, seeing Shinji's silence, also chose to remain silent.
Illya laughed suddenly at their reactions. "Interesting. The eldest son without magic aptitude seems to know everything, while the elder sister with magical talent seems to know just a bit. Makiri's education is truly fascinating."
"No, your name is too long. I didn't catch it. Can you say it again?" Shinji's reply caused Illya's expression to stiffen.
"Just call me Illya, big brother. Your songs and novels are quite famous abroad. I also enjoy them."
"Thanks for the compliment, but they were all plagiarized."
"Hahaha, big brother, you are indeed amusing. In any case, Makiri, or rather, the Matou's intention, I understand. Holding the funeral in a traditional Japanese manner instead of a Western one indicates the Matou family's official withdrawal from the magical world, correct? But isn't that a pity? This elder sister has quite the potential for magic."
"Perhaps," Shinji shrugged, "but my sister said she didn't want to become a magician, so as her brother, I can only try my best to fulfill her wish."
"Elder sister, you have a good brother," Illya said, looking at Sakura with a knowing smile. "It's enviable."
"Illyasviel, your reason for coming here is to participate in that war, right? Now that the Matou family is out of the picture..." Shinji started but was interrupted by Illya.
"Don't misunderstand, big brother. Since the Matou family is completely out, we are no longer enemies. I came to say goodbye to the Makiri grandfather who had ties with the Einzbern. I didn't expect an unexpected gain," Illya said, glancing at the other side of the tombstone, where there was a simple epitaph.
"Once forgotten the light. Such a simple epitaph, but very fitting. At the end, Makiri remembered his old wish."
"Dementia works that way, doesn't it? Always forgetting things," Shinji said dismissively.
Illya chuckled. "Big brother is truly amusing."
Shinji then changed his tone. "But what's engraved in the soul isn't so easily forgotten, just perhaps overlooked. Remembering it at the end might just show that. Just that it was overlooked for a bit too long."
Illya's expression grew serious. "Big brother, it's fortunate you don't have the talent of a magician, or you'd be a formidable enemy in this war."
Just a few simple words made Illya realize that Shinji wasn't an ordinary person, and if he were an opponent, he'd be very troublesome.
Shinji smiled slightly and said nothing more.
This seemingly innocent girl was actually incredibly intelligent. A single misstep in words could raise her suspicion. What to say and what not to say, Shinji was well aware.
Honestly, Shinji hadn't expected to meet Illya at such a critical moment, but it served as a reminder to never lower his guard.
Fortunately, he had hidden Sakura's Command Spells with a special concoction he prepared from Matou family documents before they left and kept Rider at home. Otherwise, they might have faced the first battle of the Holy Grail War right there.
Although Sakura couldn't see it, Shinji could: the fierce, burly figure hidden behind Illya.
Illya, still looking innocent, continued, "One last thing, big brother. I'm curious, how did this elder sister's function as a vessel stop and reverse?"
"What?" Shinji feigned ignorance, looking genuinely puzzled.
Seeing Shinji's expression, Illya began to doubt: Could it be that at the last moment, Makiri had an epiphany, realizing his twisted evil, and saved the girl forcibly turned into the Matou family's Holy Grail?
"Don't speak, just remain silent," Shinji subtly transmitted his thoughts to Sakura, who wisely followed her brother's advice.
"Well, never mind," Illya said, not finding the answer in their faces, and smiled innocently again. "Anyway, we're no longer enemies. Goodbye, Makiri's elder sister and big brother."