"Aren't you afraid the Old Man of the Jewels will jump out and beat you up for talking like that?"
Jiang You could understand Ruby's reasoning; it seemed the Clock Tower shared a similar interpretation. After all, Kaleidoscope was a livestream-loving busybody who would undoubtedly be watching this situation unfold. Wouldn't he settle the score later for being mocked like this?
"This... this can't be happening," Ruby stammered, visibly intimidated. "Lord Kaleidoscope is a man of great magnanimity; he wouldn't stoop to my level. Besides, you called him that too!"
"True... I used to cower a bit, but not anymore. He's not leaving without leaving something behind!"
Jiang You felt Kaleidoscope had missed his best chance to manipulate him. The Jiang You of today was terrifyingly powerful. In a standard Holy Grail War, even one like the chaos of Fate/Strange Fake, he could walk all over everyone. He even had the audacity to challenge the Buddha from Fate Extra. With this confidence, Jiang You figured he could finally accept Sesshouin's invitation.
"Damn it... I can't shake the feeling he's not just bluffing," Ruby muttered.
As a creation born from Kaleidoscope's whims, Ruby understood just how formidable the old man truly was. Even a playful Mystic Code like her possessed immense power. Yet Jiang You spoke with utter disrespect. Considering his ability to control World Jump, his Noble Phantasms that could seal Kaleidoscope's movements and directly attack his true form, it wasn't entirely impossible.
"Why does it feel like we've stumbled upon the Demon Lord the moment we stepped outside? Shouldn't servants of this caliber only appear near the grand finale?"
"Alright... so, our mission here is to kill Shirou Emiya over there, right?"
Ruby's ruby-red wings twisted into a tight knot, as if she were deeply conflicted.
"This feels a bit wrong... Even if he's not Illya's real brother, the psychological impact would be devastating. Doing this might drive Illya to go dark, transforming into a purple-themed Dark Magical Girl... Though, I must admit, that would have a certain allure..."
"Can't you be a bit more composed, like your sister Sapphire?"
Jiang You was completely exasperated with this magical wand. Its sentience was better left dormant. "This isn't some Shadow Game. I had Miyu bring you here because I need your help... Illya, you promised you'd do anything I asked, right?"
"Hey, hey, hey! You're not dead after all!"
Sensing the shift in atmosphere, Ruby quickly shielded Prisma Illya. "No lewd business allowed!"
"That's not what I'm asking for!"
Jiang You was flustered. The more this topic came up, the more his mind wandered down the wrong path. If he were capable of such things, none of the Three Fairies would escape his clutches.
"I need to go to your world. For Miyu's sake."
Of course, this noble-sounding reason was a lie. Jiang You's true motive was to obtain the cards from Prisma Illya and Miyu's world. Given the current situation, directly admitting he wanted Prisma Illya would undoubtedly mark him as a pervert. After all, unlike the Illya here who had some emotional connection to him, and unlike the love-starved, easily embarrassed Eresh, Prisma Illya was a good girl. She wouldn't stand idly by while Miyu suffered.
"No problem! I'll help her!"
As expected, Prisma Illya agreed without hesitation after Jiang You explained the situation in Miyu's world.
"Wait a minute. Your ability to jump between parallel worlds should let you go directly there, right? Why do you need to come to our world first?"
Ruby had spotted the flaw. Besides, Jiang You's power was terrifyingly strong. Even Kaleidoscope might struggle to restrain him if he truly wanted to act.
"Because of the medium."
Truthfully, Jiang You didn't know the exact reason himself. He was simply following Kaleidoscope's method.
"Kaleidoscope needs jewels as a medium for World Jumps, and so do I. I originally planned to use Oath Emiya as a direct conduit, but the world rejected me, leaving me no choice but to resort to a fallback plan: summoning myself here first. Your world is the third contingency because the Class Cards that appeared here originated from Miyu's world. Eventually, they'll have to be returned to their rightful owner, and we can use them as a stepping stone to reach Miyu's world."
After seeing Miyu, Jiang You had already sent the Hassans to scout the area. They found no traces of a Mirror World, indicating that the Class Cards hadn't come here. Considering how Ruby sought out Illya, it's clear the Class Card collection has already begun, meaning they must have fallen into the Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya world.
"I see," Prisma Illya said, readily believing Jiang You's fabricated explanation. "I'll definitely help! Miyu, you'll definitely find happiness!"
Faced with Prisma Illya's sudden burst of enthusiasm, Miyu turned away, slightly embarrassed. She wasn't good at handling such exuberant personalities, murmuring a barely audible "Thank you."
"Since we've reached an agreement, let's finish this quickly."
If conditions allowed, Jiang You planned a swift push. Darius's lineup paled in comparison to his own, with only Pandora being a noteworthy opponent, but even she couldn't hold a candle to Tiamat. However, after their attempt to rescue Oath Emiya directly was thwarted, Jiang You had little faith in Plan B. More likely than not, they would have to follow the Prisma Illya method of opening a temporal rift.
"Oath Emiya, please don't get your hopes up too high. We might not be able to rescue you directly," Jiang You delivered this preemptive warning to avoid losing face.
"But don't worry. You'll be safe until they capture Miyu. As the Divine Child, her abilities can't afford any missteps."
"So you already knew..." Oath Emiya said with a bitter smile. But it seemed his opponent didn't even need Miyu's abilities.
"It's alright. Miyu has already escaped, so I can afford to wait. In fact, thank you all!"
"Brother... I'll set two cards face-down in my Backrow and end my turn..."
Miyu concluded her turn. The main reason was that she lacked Illya's Fusion Servant. She had plenty of her own cards, but hadn't drawn any yet.
"Alright, my turn. Draw."
Shirou Emiya began his turn. "Miyu, this might sting a little, but don't worry, you won't be harmed. You'll just feel a bit weak. I'll finish this quickly."
"Good grief, anyone would think you're planning something sinister!" Jiang You's thoughts were already being twisted by Ruby.
"No..." Miyu shook her head. Just when everyone thought she meant she wasn't worried, her gaze suddenly sharpened. "I won't let you hurt my brother! I activate my Trap Card..."
Caught completely off guard, Shirou Emiya lost the Duel spectacularly. Since it was ending anyway, a weakened Shirou was as good an outcome as any.