Xingyue, is Xiaokai also considered Kai?

Because there was a person standing by the window, and judging from their appearance, it was undoubtedly 'her', that is, Ilya.

The girl blinked at the incredible unknown without question, and then that 'she' reached out and took Ilya's hand.

"that's all--"

then.

"Ilya, what are you daydreaming about!"

Awakened by Ruby's cry, Ilya finally realized that there was nothing in front of her.

In other words, was the self you just saw just an illusion?

Ilya couldn't help but think this.

"Ah, no, I'm sorry... By the way, Ruby, in order to collect cards smoothly tonight, please continue to teach me the abilities after transformation."

"Oh dear, since this cute girl has made such a request, I can't possibly keep my secret skills to myself! After all, Illya and I are a perfect, adorable magical girl duo!"

Chapter 392 Little Black: I'm about to be filled with magic.

A dazzling light was reflected in the pitch-black mirror world.

The so-called reality of the present world is far removed from the 'fantasy' that Ilya behind me is talking about.

Even if she is a 'magical girl', she should not do things that are 'unreasonable' and detached from all material foundations of reality. Despite being called a 'magical girl', she can only do so by relying on mysterious powers.

However, for Miyu at this moment, from the recent retrieval of Caster's job card, she felt that compared to herself, this Ilya had a kind of vitality. This was not in a derogatory sense, but rather that she had the liveliness and imagination that were appropriate for her age, and she was living vividly at all times.

Previously, in order to defeat Medea, the magical girl from the Age of Gods, one had to be able to fly. However, unlike Illya, who could fly easily, Miyu could not do it no matter what she did. She could only fix her magic in the air as a foothold.

Then, unlike Ilya, she wouldn't come up with a way to use magic bullets as landing points to increase her speed.

Although the final blow that defeated Medea was Miyu's Piercing Thorn Spear, she would have had no chance of succeeding without Illya's assistance.

Miyu glanced at Illya, who was with Luvia and Rin Tohsaka, and immediately the image of a small, swaying, and thriving blade of grass flashed into her mind. She thought that even in the future, Illya would still be able to maintain this mindset.

Not like myself.

I know that fairytale-like concepts really exist, but they are simply unimaginable. I can't even imagine the ocean and sky on the wall, let alone imitate them.

“Miyu-sama, considering the comprehensive use of magic, this is a very efficient way to fly, comparable to Illya-sama’s method.”

The voice rang out.

Of course, there's only one person who would say something like that at this time.

That was the sapphire that Miyu had noticed was not in good condition and that she had taken it into her hand.

“Previously, Miyu-sama, you told Illya-sama, ‘I will collect all the cards.’ I didn’t understand what you meant at the time, but this battle was won by the two of you working together. Kaleidoscope Magical Girl is two in one, and in my opinion, Illya-sama is someone you can trust.”

"……Ok, I know."

Miyu nodded because Sapphire was right, but she felt something stuck in her chest that she couldn't quite put her finger on.

Miyu gazed at Illya flying towards her, shimmering like a dream, just as Sapphire had said, 'A trustworthy person...?'

It's impossible, unimaginable.

Ah, so the reason she was being taken care of was because she seemed more like a real 'person' than I am?

The sound of the bamboo forest swaying echoed in my mind again and again, as if mocking me.

Sometimes near, sometimes far; sometimes near, sometimes far.

Then--

"Also, the name that was crossed out on the back of the jade stone that Miyu-sama was holding that night—"

"Let's not talk about this anymore, it's all in the past, Sapphire."

The black-haired girl dismissed the suggestion indifferently.

Then, following my train of thought, I looked up.

The Milky Way, shimmering in the veil-like night sky, seemed to shimmer ethereally, yet its light appeared not to shine upon this place.

"……Yes."

On the night Miyu arrived from another world, Sapphire found the girl drinking water at a fountain in a small park.

Wearing ill-fitting clothes she'd picked up from who-knows-where, and ignoring her dirty body and disheveled hair, she didn't lower her head. Instead, she stared directly at the sapphire, then signed a contract with it, using it to make a deal with Luvia, whom she was meeting for the first time:

She was responsible for collecting all the cards, but in exchange, she was given a place to live, food to eat, clothes to wear, a household registration, and shelter.

But was it really just me, Luvia, and Miyu-sama in that small park at the time?

Sapphire always felt a subtle sense of disharmony in the environment at the time, but she couldn't put it into words and could only keep it to herself.

In the silent, mirror-like night, the neon lights under the bridge were shrouded in shadow, barely visible from a hundred paces away. Only a faint black mist could be seen drifting leisurely beneath the bridge, like a giant python emerging from its nest.

At the same time, Luvia, who was standing on the ground, suddenly sighed.

"I didn't expect to get into such a tough fight in the second match. It really looks like the road ahead is going to be difficult."

"So, it turns out they actually took the card back..."

Rin Tohsaka looked up at the night sky, "Isn't the collapse of space a little slow?"

"Indeed, generally speaking, the space should immediately collapse once the job card is reclaimed—"

boom!

In that instant, a sudden roar drew the attention of the two magical girls. Then, they saw terrifying flames soar into the sky, and terrifying air pressure surged and spread violently in the silent night. The scorching flames danced with the rain of fire falling from the sky, scattering the firelight of purgatory.

"It seems there's a second enemy!"

Ruby and sapphire subconsciously explained.

In the midst of this sudden explosion, all the magic contained within was transformed into burning heat, which spread outwards and instantly engulfed Rin Tohsaka and Luvia. The viscous, flowing flames continued to spread rapidly, as if they were about to devour everything.

And so, from Illya and Miyu's perspective, Rin Tohsaka and Luvia fell in the raging fire, and behind them, a figure slowly emerged.

Emerging from the darkness, passing through the raging flames and terrifying heat, from the inferno of purgatory, he revealed himself clad in armor and sporting his signature golden hair—

Job Card: Saber, Artoria.

The Knight King, devoid of willpower, reached out and drew his holy sword, charging towards Ilya and Miyu in the next second.

The holy sword could shatter the mirror space like a mirror with just a sweep, and the buildings on both sides collapsed continuously amidst the roar. The powerful impact forced the two to flee.

Rationally speaking, the priority now is to retreat immediately, but since Rin Tohsaka and Luvia have both fallen into a coma, Illya and Miyu cannot abandon them. Therefore, they decide to take the two unconscious people with them if they are to retreat, and thus they quickly make a plan.

Miyu went to attract the Knight King's attention, while Ilya went to take the two unconscious people away.

Therefore, after escaping, Miyu, who had come into the air, waved the sapphire and launched an attack on the Knight King on the ground. However, for the Knight King, who had his own defensive magic, this was as insignificant as a breeze hitting his face.

She merely shook the holy sword against the ground, and the dust that swept across the world instantly obscured Miyu and Illya's vision.

Miyu subconsciously waved the dust away, only to see the Knight King's holy sword fall towards her the next second. Even with the help of the sapphire to defend herself, she was suppressed by the powerful force.

The clash between the two was accompanied by a violent roar like the sound of a bell the size of a truck being struck, or perhaps it was not a physical sound but a spiritual phenomenon. Soon, Miyu was slammed to the ground, and the area around her exploded like a crater.

Then, the Knight King shifted his gaze over there.

She had already anticipated what they were thinking, so she casually swung her holy sword in that direction, and the blade of light cut a wound on Ilya's arm before she could dodge.

"My arm... is bleeding..."

The moment Ilya saw the blood flowing from her body, she felt terrified, and her whole body trembled uncontrollably.

I'm afraid I'll just die like this.

"It's just a minor injury; you'll recover quickly."

Ruby, who understood her fear, offered words of comfort, but from her demeanor, she also knew that Ilya, having lost her will to fight, was now incapable of even running away, let alone fighting.

"But, but—"

"Alright, alright, as long as we get through this, I'll play Ivy's confession for you every night. I've already recorded it. And you're supposed to deliver the milk, right? I've already put it on my person. Anyway, I have to deliver it! Be confident in yourself! I haven't even seen you two date yet! I can't just die like this!"

Despite Ruby's gloomy and absurd remarks, Ilya still managed to force a smile.

However, before Ilya could even get up, encouraged, the magical reaction on the King of Knights intensified dramatically. The magical particles were no longer light, but became darkness that devoured light—the Noble Phantasm Excalibur.

"what……"

Under this extraordinary pressure, Ilya thought desperately, gritting her teeth.

Ugh, ugh, ugh! This is like a rollercoaster ride through lava! How did it turn out like this? I just mustered up the courage to do things I hadn't even done yet, and now it's all over again... It's so painful, Mom...

The oppressive feeling of the Noble Phantasm even gave Illya the sensation that she was about to be completely crushed.

The wound that had just been plugged with ruby ​​began to bleed uncontrollably, staining the magical girl's clothes, her hands, her thighs, and even the plastic magic wand hanging at her waist.

In a state of extreme terror and numbness, Ilya tasted the raging fire that threatened to burn her bones and nerves to ashes, much like a meteor that had entered the atmosphere and lost its heat source, then compressed and burned out, ravaging her blood vessels and nerves.

The silver-haired girl felt her own existence being replaced; the overly dazzling 'power' was oppressing the concept of 'I'.

So slowly, slowly, a certain constraint inside the body began to loosen, more things were stripped away, or rather, the 'present self' was abandoned, and the 'past self' rose toward the surface of the body.

At that moment, the blood-stained magic wand at the girl's waist shone with a golden light amidst the vast, dark light.

In a daze, Ilya felt as if she were on her deathbed in a story, seeing the past—

Ivia descended from the sky, yet seemed to have always been there.

There were faint human shadows around them, and the indistinct figures of people lined up in long queues, waiting endlessly.

Just then, the sound of the tides from the sea could be heard from under the bridge.

Then, on the other side, Miyu saw that on the burning earth, the modern scene seemed to have been torn apart, revealing an endless desert, which seemed to show the desolation and loneliness that stretched to the ends of the earth. The sky was full of cracks, and even revealed illusory gaps.

The brilliance of the Noble Phantasm unleashed by the Knight King was absorbed and melted by the inexplicable power wielded by the indifferent 'Ilya's' hands.

Yes, in Miyu's view, there were two Illyas on the scene. One was Illya lying on the ground, pale-faced and holding a ruby. The other was 'Illya' standing up with an indifferent expression, waving a small knife in her hands, but with a magic wand shining with golden light at her waist.

Under the cover of night, apart from slight differences in their clothing, the two looked exactly like clones.

And the name on that magic wand...

Although she could barely move her body, Miyu was completely stiff, probably because she was unwilling to accept that the magic wand was a 'gift'.

Then, Miyu's gaze was drawn to the light.

The intense and fierce white light, which was unbelievable to have come from that lively and cheerful girl named 'Ilya', made the Knight King, who seemed capable of destroying the world, appear as powerless as a child in the face of the light that tore the sky apart from the earth like lightning.

The current Knight King was unable to react in a way that surpassed 'Ilya', and couldn't even figure out what kind of magic she had used. By the time he realized it on instinct, his restrained left hand had easily disappeared.

Shockingly, the holy sword in the Knight King's hand emitted a mournful cry, but it was not out of fear, but rather of acceptance.

With every move she makes, 'Ilya' can twist and madden the laws of nature. With the spatial gaps created by her waving hands, she easily tears the Knight King apart and turns him into a class card.

Immediately afterwards, Miyu saw this 'Illya' expressionlessly brandish a small knife, walk towards Illya lying on the ground, and then plunge it into her neck—

She was unable to bestow the gift because the magic wand at her waist was floating on Illya's body, creating an inexplicable resistance that prevented her from doing so.

Then, 'Ilya' tried to pick up the magic wand, but for some reason, she couldn't, so she could only place her hand on her abdomen, her eyes seemingly wandering in the distance.

Then, she glanced at Miyu, who was still conscious.

"Tsk."

'Ilya' disappeared into the mirror world, and all that remains here is the constant sound of the waves.

……

On spring nights, the stars in the night sky are sharper than usual.

"Ugh, ugh, I'm so tired..."

Dragging her heavy body, Ilya walked through the quiet Fuyuki City, looking at the dimly lit asphalt road. She was heading towards Homurahara Elementary School.

"...Where should we go now?"

Thinking about the map of Fuyuki in her mind, 'Ilya' sighed. Her heavy steps were not due to being too tired from fighting the Knight King, but because she had run out of magic power.

'Illya' is the personality that Chloe has materialized after years of accumulating the magic, memories, and knowledge that were sealed away by Illya when she was an infant. However, she has not yet given herself a name and stubbornly believes that she is Illya.

If Ilya had never come into contact with the ruby ​​and sapphire, she would probably have remained asleep forever. However, after coming into contact with them and experiencing this ordeal tonight, Ilya, in a state of extreme fear, had her body taken over by the ruby ​​under those circumstances... That was how it should have been.

However, due to that magic wand, she had a mysterious reaction with the class card Archer, which resulted in her having a body.

The reason why she could beat the unconscious Knight King was simple: she had plenty of magic power, and everything in the space was working in her favor, so it would be strange if she couldn't be defeated easily.

Ilya was thinking of defeating the Knight Queen and then eliminating Ilya so she could return, but the magic wand stopped her. Even when she reached for it, there was no response, which made her, who was already in a bad mood, furious.