001 - What Makes it Hard to Go Home ?

"What the hell is this place?!" Illya's voice echoed in frustration as she took in the sight of where Rei had brought her.

Before her stretched a vast, empty landscape. There was nothing but fog in the distance and a massive, blue cube floating high in the air.

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"There's basically nothing here," she muttered, glaring at Rei, who was still carrying her.

Not long after, Liz and Sella appeared, each carrying two bags stuffed with Illya's necessities and clothes. They, too, began to examine the area.

"This place is completely barren. How are we supposed to serve Ojou-sama here if there's nothing at all?" Sella complained sharply, her eyes darting around.

Liz said nothing but nodded, silently agreeing with Sella's assessment.

Without a word, Rei stomped his foot on the ground. From the point of impact, a glowing circle expanded outward, spreading across the barren land.

Wherever the circle passed, grass began to sprout, followed by trees, flowers, and other natural features. The fog dissipated, revealing a clear blue sky with a shining sun overhead. Small animals appeared, and a river began to flow through the now-transformed terrain.

Illya's eyes widened in amazement as she took in the vibrant, living world that had sprung up before her.

"It was empty because I hadn't done anything to it yet. What about now? Do you like this view, or would you prefer something else?" Rei asked with a smug smile, clearly proud of his work.

"What about a house?" Liz asked, her tone as calm as ever.

In response, the trees in front of them began to vanish, and in their place, a medium-sized house appeared. The house had a distinctly Japanese design, inspired by the ones Rei had seen during his time with Rin and Sakura. It was sized just right for four people, with a basement that Rei had created for his experiments and to analyze Illya's body.

"This should do," he said, walking toward the house with Illya still in his arms.

"Is this like a Reality Marble?" Illya asked, her eyes scanning the surroundings in awe.

"A Reality Marble? No, this is a separate dimension entirely. We're no longer in your world; this place is called the Zero Dimension."

Hearing this, Illya instinctively glanced at her right shoulder. Her eyes widened in alarm as she noticed that her Command Spells had turned transparent, indicating her connection to Berserker had been severed.

"My connection with Berserker is gone! We need to go back before he disappears!" Illya shouted in panic.

"Haha, don't worry. Berserker is fine. Just focus on what's in front of you right now," Rei replied, chuckling at her concern as he stepped through the door.

Liz and Sella silently followed, carrying the bags and keeping a watchful eye on their surroundings.

After exploring the house and familiarizing themselves with the various rooms, they all gathered in the main living area.

"Yes, this house should be good enough," Liz said after inspecting the entire property. She had also discovered a garden behind the house filled with the same flowers that grew at the Einzbern castle.

"So… when are you going to start… examining my body?" Illya asked hesitantly, her cheeks flushing red as she spoke.

"Maybe later. For now, you and your maids can just relax, explore the surroundings, or do whatever you like. If you get bored of the scenery outside, I can change it." Rei gently stroked Illya's long white hair as he spoke.

After letting her down from his arms, he smiled. And so, their life together in the Zero Dimension began.

---

Time moved faster in the Zero Dimension than outside world, so Rei didn't feel rushed to grow closer to Illya.

Each day, he spent time with them, getting to know Illya better while also trying to build a reputation with Liz and Sella—especially Sella, who remained suspicious of him.

At first, Illya seemed hesitant to engage with her new surroundings, but Rei didn't give her much choice. He dragged her outside to explore the scenery, taking her to the river, fishing, and just having fun. Liz and Sella accompanied them wherever they went, observing Rei carefully while trying to ensure Illya's safety.

One night, after Illya and Sella had gone to bed, Rei lingered outside near the river, gazing at the moon reflected on the water's surface.

"So, everyone's visiting the school?" Rei asked, using his link to speak telepathically with Lyria.

"Yeah, it's been pretty fun! We roamed around the school and chatted with everyone. We even met Rias's childhood friend, Sona. She was kind of scared of us at first—I don't know why—but once we got to know her, she wasn't that bad," Lyria's cheerful voice echoed in his mind.

"I see. I'm glad everyone's having a good time. I won't be gone much longer; I'll be back soon," Rei replied, still gazing at the moonlit water.

"How many women did you bring with you this time?" Lyria teased, knowing Rei's habit of returning with new woman everytime he disappear.

"Well… I'm not sure, but there are definitely two who might want to follow me."

"Hmm, so we'll need to do the interviews again," Lyria muttered. She seemed to forget that Rei could hear her thoughts due to their mental link.

"What about Rias, Ingvild, and Shirone's progress? I assume Rias is improving quickly since she has the potential, even if she's so lazy," Rei asked.

"Oh, you're right. Rias is progressing really fast; she can wield the Bahamut Sword now without passing out. Shirone's still stuck at three tails, though, and she's trying to get used to fighting with her folded fan. And Ingvild…" Lyria trailed off, her voice hesitant.

"Hmm? What about Ingvild?"

"She wants to change her race to a dragon using Wamdus's power."

"Huh?" Rei frowned, but before he could dwell on it, he sensed someone approaching.

Turning his head, he recognized the aura immediately.

"Leysritt? What are you doing here?" He cut off his link with Lyria and turned to face her.

Emerging from the shadows, Leysritt stood there in casual clothes—something Rei had insisted she and Sella wear instead of their maid uniforms. Her short, pale hair framed her expressionless red eyes as she stared at him with her usual unreadable demeanor.

"I'm sorry for interrupting your time," she said with a slight bow.

"No, it's fine. So, what can I do for you, Leysritt?" Rei asked, making two chairs appear for them to sit on.

"Just call me Liz," she replied as she took a seat.

"Alright then, Liz. What can I do for you?" Rei responded with a smile.

At first, Liz didn't say anything. She just stared at him with her emotionless red eyes.

"What are you planning to do with Ojou-sama?" she finally asked.

"What I'm planning?"

"For the past few days, Sella and I have noticed how you've been trying to get close to Ojou-sama," she continued. "Pampering her, telling her stories about your world, and even with your promise to bring her parents back."

"with the power you possess, I'm sure you could take whatever you want from her, even if she doesn't want to give it," Liz added.

Rei listened without interrupting. He understood why Liz and Sella were suspicious of him, and he didn't mind. In fact, it reassured him, as it showed how much they cared about Illya—just like he'd read back in his original world.

Illyasviel von Einzbern had always been his favorite character in the entire Fate franchise when he played the Fate/stay night visual novel. Even in the spin-off where she was a magical girl, her fate often ended tragically.

In Unlimited Blade Works, she died at the hands of Gilgamesh. In Heaven's Feel, she sacrificed herself to save Shirou Emiya. And in her own series, Prisma Illya, she gave up her entire existence to save Miyu's timeline.

Her endless sacrifices had deeply moved Rei, solidifying her as his favorite character. That was why, when he finally met her, he wanted to do something for her, even though their first encounter was interrupted by his Astral side surfacing and the fight with Gilgamesh.

"Yes, what you said is true," Rei finally replied, leaning back in his chair. "I don't need to do any of this to get what I want."

"Then why?" Liz pressed.

"Because I like her," he answered simply.

Liz tilted her head slightly, looking confused by his response. It was an unexpectedly cute expression for someone so emotionless.

"I see you lack emotional expression as a homunculus, but that's not a problem—I can fix that later," Rei remarked with a gentle smile. "The important thing is that, like you, I have my own reasons for liking her."

"...You like her, even though this is the first time you've really met, apart from that other encounter?"

"Yes," he replied firmly. "All you need to know is that I will never hurt your Ojou-sama. In fact, I can ensure that you three live together, growing old side by side."

Liz's expression didn't change, but Rei's words had an impact. For a homunculus like her, growing old together was an impossibility. She and Sella were created with a limited lifespan, destined to live only about 18 years.

"And with me, you won't need to worry about your Ojou-sama sacrificing herself to become the Grail," Rei continued as he stood up.

His chair vanished, leaving him standing as he looked down at her.

"Or about you sacrificing yourself to become the Dress of Heaven."

Hearing that made Liz unconsciously smile a little before she stood up as well, her chair disappearing into thin air. Now, the two of them stood face to face.

"As long as you don't plan to hurt Ojou-sama, I won't do anything to you. I can also see how much fun she's been having since she's been here," Liz said.

"Having fun? From her reactions, I'm not so sure about that," Rei replied with a small laugh.

Except for the times when she was engrossed in his stories, Illya had mostly been complaining about being dragged outside and constantly asking when he was finally going to start his experiments.

"She is having fun; you don't need to worry. She's probably still mad that you ruined her perfect entrance with Berserker before," Liz explained.

"I see... She really knows how to hold a grudge," Rei said with a smirk.

"Then good night, Rei. I'm going to return to Sella to rest. Don't stay out too long; you need sleep too," Liz said, bowing slightly deeper than before.

With that, Liz turned and left, leaving Rei alone once more.

"At least I'm getting closer to Liz now," he muttered to himself before resuming his walk along the riverbank.

His mind returned to the matter of reviving Kiritsugu without causing unnecessary complications. Bringing back Irisviel wasn't an issue for him—her situation was different, as she wasn't truly dead. Instead, she had been transformed into the Holy Grail, like her ancestors before her.

Kiritsugu, however, posed a significant problem. In the world of the Nasuverse, those who died either went to the underworld during the age of gods or returned to the Root itself. Since the age of gods had long ended by the time of Fate/stay night, Kiritsugu's soul had undoubtedly returned to the Root.

Retrieving it would be no small task. While Rei could theoretically recreate Kiritsugu's soul or even fabricate a new one, such a creation wouldn't truly be him—just a replica.

The Root, however, was heavily protected by Counter Guardians and even the Guardian of the Root itself. Confronting them to retrieve Kiritsugu's soul would be really annoying and took forever.

"Using The End again?" Rei murmured to himself.

The End was Rei's ultimate trump card—an ability that could erase anything, regardless of its nature. Immortals, resurrecting entities, higher beings, eldritch weird creatures—none could escape its absolute annihilation.

But using that power is too annoying because It was difficult for him to control it, and every time he used it, he had to ensure it was absolutely necessary.

"Well, I'll cross that bridge when I get to it," he said with a sigh, deciding to set the problem aside for now.

He began walking back to the house to rest. Tomorrow, after all, he had promised to go skiing with them.