Xingyue, is Xiaokai also considered Kai?

“…Sapphire, once upon a time, I had a relative.”

At that moment, Sapphire, who had fallen into deep thought as Ivia dispelled her divine aura as one of the Greek gods and walked in another direction, heard the voice of the black-haired girl.

At this moment, the girl's expression became very difficult, as if she were chewing on bitterness, as if she were letting that bitterness roll on the tip of her tongue and feeling a sense of longing, which was very incredible.

"That must be a very close relative of yours, Miyu-sama."

"Of course, as family, there is no one better than him, Mom, and Mr. Emiya, but only he truly deserves that title... even though he no longer exists."

The girl's calm and lonely expression made Sapphire hold his breath.

Lady Ivia, the beloved of Lady Ilya, might very well be... the relative that Lady Miyu was talking about.

But why have the two of them become like this? No matter how she thought about it, Sapphire didn't believe Ivia was the kind of person who would do something to betray someone, but Miyu's reaction didn't seem like a misunderstanding either, especially considering the way the girl looked that night she first met Miyu...

"Ugh……"

I really wish Miyu-sama and Ivia-sama could reconcile and live happily as family, just like that.

The thought suddenly popped into Sapphire's mind.

After all, as the closest of relatives, there is no stronger bond in the world, that's what she thought.

Chapter 397 Please Be My Brother.

Ten minutes ago, it was still raining in the mirror world.

A hurricane began to sweep across the land out of nowhere, and then a chilling coldness enveloped Illya's heart as she separated from Miyu.

The two chased each other and unknowingly arrived at the top of the tall building.

“Ilya, Kuro’s magic power is clearly far greater than yours and Miyu’s combined. Right now, if we rely solely on you…”

"I'll do my best!"

"It's not a matter of giving it your all, it's just that this immense magical power is so strange—"

The next instant, countless throwing knives shot out from the shadows, as if a volley of arrows had been fired in a confined space.

Ilya immediately swung the ruby, then, maintaining her stance, stomped the floor with all her might, unleashing a magic cannon to meet the flying knife head-on.

Amidst the clash of magic cannons and throwing knives, sounds that would normally be impossible to produce were extremely noticeable on this rainy night.

As Ilya fired her magic cannon while observing the moment the throwing knives were launched, she caught a glimpse of familiar clothing through the gaps between the incoming knives.

The moment she realized that this was the outfit Xiao Hei was wearing, she deliberately used her left arm to block the flying knife and tilted her head back, causing Chloe, who wanted to cut off her head, to lose her composure. Then, the next moment, Ilya's slashed left hand struck Chloe's stomach.

At the moment of contact, Chloe leaped further, seemingly dodging the attack.

Then, the two of them frantically scattered the magic power needed for the magic cannon and throwing knives as if they were courting death, while Chloe, hidden in the darkness, would suddenly appear from time to time to attack the nervous Ilya.

The difference in quality between the two sides is meaningless in the face of such astonishing speed.

Like two shooting stars colliding fiercely, drawing a Möbius strip across the night sky, each violent tremor unleashed a powerful magic that exploded like two fighter jets in aerial combat.

"How pathetic, in this life-or-death moment, is this the only method you can think of?"

Faced with Chloe's provocative question, Ilya, after several rounds of fierce combat with her, answered breathlessly:

"Yes, that's the only method I could think of."

The reason Ilya deliberately cut her left arm was simply to drip her blood onto Chloe, because Chloe, with her immense magical power, was practically beyond Ilya's senses. Therefore, this was the only way for her to observe Chloe's general direction.

Chloe should have known about this immediately, but she didn't clean it out, leaving it on her stomach.

"Yeah."

Chloe touched the remaining blood of Ilya in her stomach, and then, using some kind of magic or ability, she revitalized the dried blood. Her hands suddenly groped on her stomach, and while closing her eyes, she quickly pressed the two small knives in her hands against her stomach, ignoring the cold feeling.

Then, she suddenly opened her eyes, which seemed to be filled with blue flames, and her figure disappeared with pure, instantaneous explosive force.

In less than a fraction of a second, she appeared behind Ilya from tens of meters away in the air. If that speed isn't called disappearing, what is?

A shadowy figure danced, wielding twin swords.

Therefore, the heads of all those who stand before Chloe will be cut off.

The next moment, reality betrayed her prediction, due to Ilya's unexpected counterattack.

With a clang, a mechanical sound shook Chloe's eardrums.

The reason stems from Illya's transformation at this moment; her magical girl attire has changed into a pristine white knight's outfit—

Dream Summoning: Artoria Pendragon (Saber)

This is a card that Miyu secretly gave to Illya before the war started, without Luvia's knowledge.

Having acquired the abilities of the Knight King who drove the four to the brink of despair, Ilya is the most outstanding Servant among the class cards, excelling in offense, defense, mechanical, magical, and Noble Phantasm aspects. Now, Ilya transforms into the one who, even without turning her head, uses her sword to block Chloe's attack.

"……Well!"

Chloe took a big step back and glared at Ilya, who slowly turned around and looked at her with her sword in hand.

Then, she saw it.

The plastic magic wand strapped to the girl's left leg emitted magic of the same nature as that within her.

In this sense, Chloe felt that Ilya was far stronger than her, because in her view, the magic she had now was based on Ivy believing that she was 'Ilya' and that's why she kissed her.

For Chloe, who relies on magic to survive, that was a fundamental sense of dread.

At the same time, the joy of being able to manipulate extraordinary power, even if it is outdated, is an irreplaceable pleasure as a way to elevate life to a higher level. Even the intense pain endured during learning can easily be overcome by this feeling of pleasure.

"Although you, Xiao Hei, have always wanted to kill me and never held back, and I almost died... to be honest, I don't hold a grudge because of it."

Ilya reached out her hand.

No matter what kind of person you are, no one should be able to refuse that hand.

"Can we have a proper talk?"

Chloe looked at her smile, remained silent for a moment, and then refused without a word.

She seemed no different from usual, yet she appeared overly melancholic, as if burdened by an unbearable weight.

“I mean nothing to me.”

It sounds like having your heart pierced by a sharp blade.

At that moment, Ilya felt as if she were smiling at Blackie like a demon.

"Then, I..."

"There can only be one 'Ilya' between you and me."

Chloe's words seemed to seep from the bottom of her stomach.

"And, 'I cannot forgive you, even if the sky falls.'"

This is an ancient European proverb, mostly used when making vows of 'Geis' in the Celtic and Nordic regions. However, when Ilya heard it from the little black man, she felt as if she were in a scene from a myth.

As Chloe, who had been following her like a shadow in the dark rainy night, bent down again, Ilya saw six small knives, gleaming red and blue, rushing towards her.

"And a bow..."

The mysterious image is precisely the switch.

The methods vary from magician to magician, and there are all sorts of variations.

Some wield the hammer of imagination, while others plunge a knife into the heart. In any case, magicians use these imagery switches to change the nerves and magic circuits within their bodies. By activating the magic circuits, magicians connect with the grand magic formulas that form the basis of their magic, and are reshaped into a 'system for executing mysticism'.

As for Chloe, she ran wildly, unleashing all the magic within her.

The girl focused on accelerating at full speed.

So focused was the scenery that it lost its color; all the energy was compressed into those few seconds.

She only used one strike before the outcome was decided.

So, the choice should be—

"Pseudo-spiral sword".

That whispered reshaped the world, including Chloe herself.

The six daggers that were thrown out were like piercing butter on a table, easily hovering around Ilya and forming a magical circle.

However, Ilya was not going to back down, and she further burned the magic power within her body, striking the floor with her holy sword.

The sounds of Chloe and Ilya mingling together also seemed very distant.

"Holy Sword, unfold."

That was the beginning of the story.

A divinely crafted weapon that beautifully sets the stage for the Arthurian legend, a treasure standing at the pinnacle of holy swords.

Unable to completely suppress the swirling magic, even the mirror world trembled in fear. The 'thirteen restraints' set in the sword were not released. Now, it was only revealing a portion of its original 'power' with the help of the magic power from the magic wand. However, even that was enough to be called a violent integration of divine magic.

Extremely concentrated magic, cognitively similar to heat.

Ilya felt as if she were holding a tangible volcano in her hands.

However, the next moment, thunder roared, sounding like the drums of heaven.

As boundless divine energy surged forth, the vast divine energy shook the rain, the buildings, and the sky.

Chloe and Illya were both stunned. When they looked up, they saw dark clouds crackling with ominous lightning. At the same time, they each had their own feelings. Chloe felt her magic power increase further, while Illya felt it weaken, her magic power was exhausted, and she was almost collapsing.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Chloe, who had no time to spare, swiftly used her power in an attempt to eliminate Ilya.

But even faster than lightning came the thunder that followed closely behind. The divine lightning, concentrated to its limit, severed the two's Noble Phantasms that were about to be unleashed, leaving them as smooth as glass that had been cut straight through.

Everything in the physical sense was easily severed. Whether it was essentially a wave or a particle, or the essence of magic, it was undoubtedly divided into two parts. Then, rainbow light and a desolate world emerged from the lightning.

There were no clouds in the sky, no wind on the ground; only the transformation that signified annihilation was everything.

It is the end of the 'future', far removed from any primate.

The lingering influence of human principles will one day reach its proper place.

From among them emerged a figure familiar to both of them—Ivia, who had arrived after dealing with Hercules.

"Ilya, please excuse us for now. Chloe and I will take our leave first."

Ivia suddenly took Chloe's hand and walked past Ilya.

The unexpectedly strong hand startled the bewildered Chloe, who staggered a few steps before hearing Ilya's confused voice from behind—

"...Huh? Wait! Ivia, where are you going with Blackie? I want to come too—"

The cracks in the mirrored world before her eyes were closed, and for some reason, this made Ilya feel a sense of sadness, as if she had been abandoned.

"What, what's going on..."

Ilya, her eyes vacant, squatted down and couldn't help but feel a lump in her throat.

Seeing Ilya looking like she was about to cry, Ruby was startled and her face changed. After a full five seconds of silence, she cautiously said:

"The reason it turned out this way is probably because... it's because Ivia wanted to help you, Ilya!"

These words made Ilya, who was on the verge of tears, suddenly realize something, and her face immediately lit up with a happy smile.

Although Ruby's words and actions have always been quite improper, she still feels that this is how it should be.

Although Xiao Hei looks just like her, aside from slight differences in personality and skin color, she doesn't dislike Xiao Hei at all. In fact, she feels a bit like she's looking at a younger sister. If they can get along well, she will definitely treat her well as an older sister...

In any case, Ivia should understand her own feelings, which is why she did that!

Finally, Ilya, belatedly realizing something, blinked and remembered a question:

"Wait, Ruby, how could Ivia be in the Mirror World?"

"You can find out the little secret about your childhood friend yourself. If you don't work hard, she'll be taken away sooner or later. Besides, it's impossible for her not to be able to beat 'herself,' right? After all, Ilya, you're recognized by Ivia as the cutest person in the universe!"

"what?"

This unexpected statement made Ilya blink again.

"Wha, what?"

"Ilya's mom told Ivia, 'My Ilya is already the cutest girl in the galaxy,' and he didn't deny it at the time~"

"what?!"

……