"It actually worked!?"
Illya lifted her blindfold and stared at her outfit, shyly covering her chest. For her, Medusa's attire was still a bit too daring.
"So, whether the Install succeeds truly depends on friendship and bonds?"
Sapphire examined Illya's pupils. "...Indeed, they are Mystic Eyes of Petrification, though slightly weaker than Medusa's own. It actually worked."
"Seems so," Jiang You remarked, glancing at his deck. These Cards were unusable for Prisma Illya and Miyu, but Illya could wield quite a few of them.
"Does that mean we have to get along with them to perform Install?"
Prisma Illya removed her eye patch and stared intently at Jiang You.
"So we have to befriend these Servants?"
"Stop looking at me with those Mystic Eyes of Petrification! Are you trying to kill me?"
Jiang You immediately slapped the blindfold back onto Prisma Illya's face. He'd been receiving Duel requests since earlier. This girl was probably black on the inside, her classic pink exterior hiding a twisted core.
"And why do you look so excited? Don't tell me you actually like girls?"
"Absolutely not!"
Prisma Illya felt fiercely loyal to her brother. How could she possibly be swayed by mere beauty? "After knowing me for so long, you still don't understand my true feelings? I, Illya, would never be interested in that kind of relationship!"
"You never know."
Jiang You thought, Later on, you'll stray so far off course, you won't even recognize yourself. And in truth, your love will be for all humanity, sacrificing yourself to save the entire world. It's hard to imagine such a grand tale starting from something as lighthearted as yuri.
"Eeeek!!!"
Prisma Illya couldn't tell if Jiang You was serious or just teasing her. If he was serious, it was downright terrifying. Ever since she and Miyu had blocked Medusa's Noble Phantasm together, she'd been hesitant to make any physical contact with Miyu. Could it actually be true?
"Stop teasing her already."
Illya could vaguely sense whether Jiang You was telling the truth. The stories he knew were all so grim, as if tragedy were the core of the entire world. Jiang You's expression had been serious, but beyond describing Prisma Illya's orientation, there seemed to be something more. So, even the version of me from this world faced a terrible end? But at least Jiang You, who shouldn't even exist, had arrived. Otherwise, win or lose, finding a Lesser Grail would never have led to a happy ending.
"Now that you're here, is it even possible to keep things from spiraling into chaos?"
"Ha ha ha, you're right."
Jiang You agreed with Illya's assessment. As for Darius, he'd better stay hidden, or he'd soon be treated to Jiang You's version of the Heavenly Meteor Shower.
"But we haven't finished testing everything yet. Let's move on to the next phase. Miyu, give me Sapphire."
"Okay."
Miyu handed Sapphire directly to Jiang You.
"You want to become a Magical Girl too?"
Ruby thought Jiang You wanted to try transforming himself. Although they only formed contracts with girls, Kaleidoscope had imposed no such restrictions. If Jiang You truly didn't care about his reputation, he could actually pull it off. The mental image was enough to make her cringe. She definitely needed to snap a few photos to blackmail him with later.
"So, if I understand correctly, a man could also transform, right?"
Jiang You would never entertain such an idea. If he could become a Kamen Rider, he wouldn't refuse—no boy could resist the allure of shouting "Henshin!" "Next time, I'll show you Magical Girl Kiritsugu Emiya. Medea, you can create a transformation device that enhances physical abilities, right?"
"You truly have a twisted sense of humor," Medea replied. "I excel at body enhancement spells. Securing a magical power source won't be a problem either, and I've already referenced magical transformation techniques. Give me some time, and I can make it happen."
Medea carefully analyzed the feasibility and found no insurmountable technical hurdles. She nodded in agreement.
"Perfect. Illya, catch!"
Jiang You tossed Sapphire to Illya.
"I'm going to use it?"
Illya was indeed intrigued by Ruby and Sapphire, but her interest lay in their power, not the somewhat embarrassing Magical Girl outfit.
"What's your angle here? Are you trying to gauge Minamoto no Raikou's strength?"
A thud echoed from a dark corner.
"?"
Everyone tensed, Medea even unfurling her cloak to reveal the magical array etched within.
"Don't worry too much," Jiang You reassured them, steering the conversation back on track. "Someone's just been struck by the shock of Illya not calling Raiko 'Mommy.' You know how it is—there are all sorts of eccentric Servants with peculiar quirks."
"Now, think back," Jiang You continued. "What did you say earlier? Besides Minamoto no Raikou, which other Servant have you formed a Bond with?"
"Who else? Theoretically, I'm quite familiar with most of the Servants in Fuyuki. Medusa and Medea should be no problem. Which one do you want me to transform into?"
Illya didn't understand Jiang You's point. "Could it be Hundred Faces? Or Serenity?"
"Think harder?"
Jiang You drew a card from his Extra Deck, held it face down in his palm, and spoke mysteriously.
Since Jiang You wanted to play along, Illya didn't refuse. She pondered carefully. The card in his hand displayed no obvious special effects, and powerful Servants typically exuded an aura of pressure even without revealing their abilities. This suggested it was an ordinary Servant, yet Jiang You's insistence on her guessing, combined with his reminder of her earlier statement, clearly pointed to a card with a hidden twist.
Illya pondered for a long moment, her thoughts flashing like lightning. A slow smile crept across her face. Jiang You had always kept her casual remarks close to his heart.
"This card is you, right?"
Illya held the card but didn't flip it over, waiting for Jiang You's confirmation.
"Bingo."
Mutual attraction confirmed, Jiang You solemnly placed the card in Illya's hand.
"Please treat me well, Master."
"As if I'd do anything to you," Illya retorted. "Jiang You, your abilities... they're truly intriguing. Let me experience the world through your eyes."
Illya nodded and transformed using Sapphire. Unlike Prisma Illya, her Magical Girl outfit didn't restrict her movements; instead, it boldly accentuated her figure. If she kept silent, Illya would look exactly like Prisma Illya, except with a blue color scheme.
Prisma Illya felt like she'd been force-fed a mouthful of dog food—bittersweet, cloying, and nauseating. So this is what being a couple feels like?
But when Illya flipped the card over and read the text, her expression darkened considerably.