"Would Magical Girls even count as a type of tokusatsu?"
Ruby genuinely pondered the question. Could Kamen Rider be considered the male equivalent of Magical Girls? Many elements are strikingly similar: transformation sequences, forming teams, acquiring new forms and combination techniques, the classic redemption of villainous Knights (dark Magical Girls), or the emergence of traitorous Knights (evil/fallen Magical Girls).
"Is now really the time for this?!" Prisma Illya rolled her eyes. Even if it was just combat training, it was still incredibly dangerous—she had nearly been turned to stone moments ago.
Despite the peril, Prisma Illya couldn't help but feel a surge of exhilaration deep down. She had never imagined she would have the chance to encounter legendary beings. The thought of the adventures to come felt like a massive door had suddenly swung open before her eyes, revealing a dazzling, vibrant world where mythical tales and figures slowly materialized. She had never felt so thrilled to be a Magical Girl—if only it didn't involve so much fighting...
"What's this 'Install' thing?"
Miyu cut straight to the heart of the matter, ignoring any irrelevant tangents.
"Simply put, Install is a method of connecting to the Throne of Heroes, allowing you to channel the power of a Heroic Spirit and manifest it upon yourself for combat."
Unlike Ruby, Sapphire never let her thoughts wander and immediately provided Miyu with a clear explanation.
"However, this ability requires a Class Card as a medium. You can only activate it using the corresponding Class Card. Remember? Jiang You gave you a Card—that's what we mean by Class Card. Now's the time to use it!"
Miyu retrieved the Card Jiang You had given her. It depicted Shirou Emiya. Among all the Cards Jiang You had given her, this one was the most precious. She had always kept it close to her heart. When Sapphire mentioned a Class Card, this was the first one that came to her mind.
"Yes, exactly... No, wait, no!"
Sapphire could indeed sense the magical power emanating from the Card, its threads reaching across countless timelines, but this thing had absolutely nothing to do with a Class Card.
"What in the world is this?!"
"It's a Card Mr. Jiang You gave me..."
Miyu explained that after obtaining their Deck, everyone seemed to possess their own King's Treasury, able to summon cards from anywhere at will—essentially allowing them to draw cards from thin air. This ability worked exclusively for the Deck, while also preventing the cards from being physically stolen.
"There are many other benefits, but this one is the most crucial."
Sapphire had never witnessed Jiang You's dueling prowess (it wasn't present during his Duel with Minamoto no Raikou), so it completely failed to grasp the nature of this "thing." Yet it instinctively sensed that this artifact transcended the Class Cards, embodying a power simpler than even Kaleidoscope's ability to freely traverse Parallel Worlds. Sapphire suspected it might be a product of the Second Magic. "Looks like you've encountered a remarkable benefactor, Miyu... Perhaps we should give it a try?"
Cards are cards, aren't they? Both are powerful magical artifacts, so they're probably similar enough. Sapphire was so bewildered that it forgot to ask Miyu to produce the actual Class Card. Originally, all it needed to do was remind Miyu about the card Jiang You had brought yesterday.
"Seriously, you're taking too long explaining! Enemies don't wait for you to finish talking!"
Seeing her opponents casually chatting in front of her, Medusa immediately launched an attack. Though she didn't understand what an Install was, disrupting her opponents' plans was always the wisest course of action. The two ends of her chain-sword locked onto Prisma Illya and Miyu, striking at them like twin silver serpents.
"Since you're ready to unleash your trump card, I'll ramp up the intensity!"
The pair dodged the attack with a mutual shove. Medusa darted forward, wielding her chain-sword like a ribbon in rhythmic gymnastics. But this "ribbon" whistled through the air with bone-shattering force—a single brush could snap bones clean.
"Aren't we on a tight schedule here?!"
Ruby immediately yanked Prisma Illya aside, while Sapphire mirrored the move. They tacitly created distance; with only one Medusa and a limited attack range, she could only focus on one target at a time. If both fled at full speed, Medusa wouldn't be able to catch them immediately. If even one of them could break free, they could complete the Install.
"Besides, once you've explained it once, you won't need to do it again. In this situation, giving a heads-up beforehand is probably a good thing."
Watching the two flee in opposite directions, Medusa made her choice without hesitation, opting to pursue Prisma Illya.
"Why is she chasing me?! Miyu's in worse shape!" Prisma Illya cried, her footsteps quickening as Medusa closed in.
"Maybe it's because of Jiang You?" Ruby speculated. "Or maybe she just picked at random. Who knows what Medusa's thinking?"
"Could it be some conflict with Illya?"
"But that still doesn't explain why I'm the target!" Prisma Illya protested, feeling unjustly targeted. "What does this have to do with me?"
"Honestly, most people can't tell you two apart anyway," Ruby remarked.
Ruby suspected that misunderstandings were inevitable with the two together, but finding the situation amusing, it decided to keep quiet.
"Magical Girls always have to pay a price. Run for your life, Illya!"
Meanwhile, Sapphire was preparing for the Install.
"To be honest, I'm not sure if this thing will even work," Sapphire muttered, looking at the Oath Emiya Card in Miyu's hand with evident doubt.
"But Illya is still covering for us, so we have plenty of time to try."
"I'm ready. Let's begin."
Miyu nodded, her eyes gleaming with anticipation at the prospect of becoming one with her brother. She placed her hand on the Card.
"Install!"
Sapphire activated the Install, fusing Miyu with Oath Emiya. A blinding light erupted, instantly illuminating the night sky.
Watching from above, Jiang You finally noticed Miyu was using a Yu-Gi-Oh! version of the Servant Card. He nearly choked on his drink. "No way... What's going on here? But before that, Hundred Faces, head to the Church and have them prepare for a clean-up."
"Yes, Master. But what excuse should we use?"
Hundred Faces slowly materialized behind Jiang You. In almost every Parallel World, Jiang You would summon a few Hundred Faces servants—not for combat, but because their utility skills were top-tier.
"Isn't it obvious? A gas explosion, of course."
This excuse was foolproof and perfectly aligned with the luminous display. After all, a natural gas explosion could genuinely resemble the Hammer of Dawn's devastating attacks.