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IBHJ Chapter 396
🕑 Added 2023-08-01 04:17:53 +0000 UTCShirou cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention towards him, and suggested, "Why don't we continue this discussion inside?"
"But big brother, we still haven't found the real culprit who broke the wall!" Sakura said with a hint of displeasure.
"I know, Sakura, but we should avoid drawing attention from the neighbors."
The purple glow in her eyes softened, and she nodded, "You're right, I'll listen to you, big brother."
Ritsuka couldn't help but feel a nervous knot in her stomach as she observed her sister's gentle smile.
She suddenly realized that her big sister could be a little dangerous!
"Sis... Sis, can you... can you please let go of my hand first?" she asked, her voice tinged with unease.
"Huh?" Sakura lowered her head, still smiling, "Hmm, I didn't hear clearly just now. Could you say it again, Ritsuka?"
"N-no, it's nothing, sis," she quickly shook her head nervously, trying to brush off her previous statement.
Sakura's expression turned slightly suspicious, wondering why this child suddenly said something weird.
But for now, she didn't dwell too much on it. After all, there were more pressing matters, such as these vixens who always linger around her brother...
But that was nothing to worry about because, except for Arcueid, none of them could pose a real threat.
Her brother belonged to her, and that was an undeniable fact!
Yes, if she thought about it carefully, ever since those eight long years, everyone else had given up hope of her brother's return, except for her. She was the only one who had persistently searched for him, never giving up on the hope of his safe return.
The reason was simple, really. Her brother was Sakura's hero.
That special bond had been established from the moment she was five years old when he rescued her from the depths of that hellish pit.
In her eyes, Sakura was a princess, and her brother was a hero - a hero exclusively for her.
Ritsuka, who had been watching Sakura the whole time, felt her palms becoming clammy with nervousness.
So scary... big sis is so scary!
It wasn't until she turned five years old that Ritsuka came to realize that her usually gentle sister could also be such an intimidating and frightening person!
Inside the house, Shirou asked about Luvia's situation.
To his astonishment, he learned that last night, during his and Gil's intense battle on Mount Enzou, Luvia, Rin, and Illya had been there as well. However, neither his Noble Phantasm nor Gil's had detected their presence. It became evident that the two Noble Phantasms had somehow interfered with each other.
During the intense clash of his Holy Lance and Gil's Ea, a powerful storm swept Illya and the others away. Illya's usual magical energy proved insufficient to withstand the overwhelming collision of the two Noble Phantasms. Faced with extreme fear and desperation, Chloe was suddenly awakened.
Drawing upon the Grail Crystal that he had given her nine years ago, she activated the Grail to block the destructive force of the collision between the two Noble Phantasms.
Actually, Shirou could have easily relied on Avalon to defend against Ea and then used the Holy Lance to defeat Gil. But he felt it would be a bit too sneaky and underhanded to resort to such a tactic. Strangely enough, despite being someone who usually prioritizes efficiency, he found himself getting pumped up and thrilled when facing off against Gil.
After he emerged victorious in the battle against Gil, the class card ended up falling into Luvia's hands. With Astraea residing within her, she used her divine eyes to see through Illya's true identity.
As the benevolent goddess, she unlocked the shackles in Illya's heart, finally freeing Chloe, who had been trapped deep within her. Thanks to Gil's Card, Chloe was granted a physical body, allowing her to move freely in the real world.
However, Gil's class card had a strong sense of self, and normally, Chloe wouldn't have been able to use it. Yet, Astraea somehow separated Gil's self-awareness from the card and sent it back to the throne, leaving the records behind. This allowed Chloe to materialize in the real world using Gil's class card.
Even so, Chloe's personality seemed to be influenced by Gil, causing her to display a strong sense of self. The moment she appeared, she attacked Illya and the others.
Astraea protected Rin and Luvia, but Chloe managed to capture Illya.
However, she didn't go as far as killing Illya; instead, she confined her in a tiny house on the outskirts. She then assumed Illya's identity, pretending to be her. As a result, Rin and Luvia eventually found the real Illya, leading to the current situation.
"Being this cruel to me, you must be my dark side, huh, Chloe?"
"Chloe? Why do you keep calling me weird names? I am the real Illya!" Chloe protested, feeling unhappy.
"No, I am the real Illya!" she shot back, also feeling displeased.
Chloe smirked and taunted, "All these desperate arguments are just to hide the fact that you're a fake, aren't they?"
Illya retorted angrily, "No way!"
The two of them started arguing.
Meanwhile, Miyu calmly sipped her tea.
Rin wanted to ask Shirou something, but then she noticed Sakura's smile behind him. She decided not to say anything.
Not only her, even Luvia who had planned to invite everyone for dinner, found herself silenced by Sakura's oppressive gaze.
She was truly a frightening woman!
Even Astraea advised against speaking recklessly in her presence.
As for Gray, she had already pulled her hood over her head and was crouched in a corner, quietly observing everything.
Ritsuka was also crouching beside Gray, discreetly observing the scene.
However, Gray's focus was on the entire crowd, especially Artoria's expressions as she departed from her body.
As for Ritsuka, she was timidly staring at Sakura.
Her sister... she's so scary.
Illya and Chloe engaged in a heated argument, each claiming to be the genuine Illya.
Meanwhile, Shirou chose to remain silent, recognizing that this was someone's family matter, and she was not his child. He preferred not to get involved in the dispute.
"Come on, onii-chan. If anyone knows who the real Illya is, it's you, right?" Chloe's eyes glistened with emotion as she looked at him, pleading for his support. "I was the one who went shopping with you, the one who prayed at Ryuudou Temple by your side, and the one who wanted to watch you do pole vaulting. I am the real Illya, am I not? Tell them, onii-chan."
Shopping, praying, pole vaulting...?
Sakura narrowed her eyes, and her smile softened.
After a brief hesitation, he finally nodded, "Indeed."
The undeniable truth was evident in Chloe's teary eyes. She seemed like a desperate drowning person, clinging to the last straw, on the verge of a mental breakdown.
He wasn't intimately familiar with the details of Illya's situation, as he wasn't directly involved, but he couldn't ignore the gravity of the current situation.
Chloe's laughter sounded sweet as she turned to Illya and smiled, "See? See? I am the real Illya!"
"No way! I've lived in Fuyuki City since I was little! You're nothing but my dark side, trying to take my place!"
"It's me who's being replaced!"
Just then...
The doorbell chimed with a "Ding-ling."
"I'll go answer the door."
Miyu stood up and walked towards the entrance.
She opened the door, and standing at the entrance was Irisviel.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Irisviel showed an embarrassed smile.
"Mom... Mom..." Chloe's face turned lonely, reaching out towards Irisviel as if trying to grasp something distant and unattainable. However, in the next moment, someone else ran towards Irisviel without hesitation.
"Mom!" Illya threw herself into Irisviel's arms, like a child finding comfort in her mother's embrace.
"Oh, Illya," Irisviel gently smiled and patted her head.
Chloe lowered her head and withdrew her hand.
Then...
The doors to her treasury behind her were opened, and a weapon was suddenly shot towards Irisviel.
Illya quickly used Sapphire's spell to block the weapon, angrily saying, "You claim to be me, yet you're attacking my mom!"
Chloe paid no attention to her words. Instead, she turned around, broke the window, and ran away.
"Just this morning, everything seemed fine, and now she's attacking me. That child... she seems to harbor resentment towards me," Irisviel sighed, touching her face with a troubled expression.
She looked apologetically at him, "I've caused you trouble again, Shirou."
"If you repair the damaged wall and the broken window and compensate me according to market prices, that will be enough."
"Okay," she nodded.
Illya asked with genuine concern, "Mom, what's going on? Why is there another me inside my body, filled with murderous intent and hatred towards me, claiming to be me? Is she really me?"
Irisviel appeared troubled, trying to find the right words. "I really didn't expect something like this to happen. But now that it has, there's nothing we can do."
"Illya," she turned her attention to her daughter, gently patting her head, "Since she has emerged, neither you nor she can be regarded as the real Illyasviel anymore."
"Huh...?" Illya was puzzled, then asked anxiously, "Why?"
"Because, you two are the same person."
"The same person?" she was confused.
"Ah, I see," Shirou rubbed his chin and looked at Irisviel, "So, you're saying that both of these Illyas, when combined, form the real Illyasviel?"
"Yes," she nodded with a gentle smile, "One inherited Illya's personality and body, while the other inherited Illya's knowledge and memories."
"W-wait... wait a minute, Mom! I don't understand!" Illya's expression shifted to complete bewilderment, her unease growing. She sensed that she was on the verge of uncovering a profound secret – the truth about her own birth!
Comments
Melegant
I was always under the impression that they were two separate. Guess I was wrong
JeanMartin Freites
A truly big truth indeed.
