[Regent of the Faerie Realm (Pseudo)]
Illya knew Jiang You couldn't possibly be a servant of the Faerie Realm. The guy was clearly human, and the Cards always showed historical events, either past or future. Considering the sudden appearance of new forms for Hundred Faces in Jiang You's Deck, she knew his actions could influence his Cards. So, while she was unaware, he'd secretly slipped off to become a Regent somewhere else. Given that Melusine's full title was Fairy Knight Lancelot, Illya suspected Jiang You had been chasing forbidden pleasures.
Still, in her good mood, Illya decided not to confront Jiang You just yet. She'd save her interrogation for a critical moment, aiming to make him feel ashamed.
Though she doubted Jiang You would actually feel any shame.
"Let's begin."
Without further ado, Illya instructed Sapphire to initiate the Install. The Bond between Jiang You and Illya was undeniable, ensuring the Install would succeed. Soon, Illya completed the Install. A pillar of light, bright enough to pierce the stars, erupted from the earth, bathing half the globe in daylight. From space, it would have appeared as a slender, luminous lance shot from the unfathomable depths of the cosmos, piercing the Earth.
The phenomenon was observed by people across almost the entire Eastern Hemisphere, instantly setting the world ablaze. Photos and videos flooded the internet, spreading like wildfire. Overwhelmed by the sheer number of eyewitnesses, the relevant organizations abandoned any attempt to suppress the information and collectively gave up.
An event of this magnitude couldn't be suppressed unless the entire population of the Eastern Hemisphere were wiped out. Not that the Magi of the Magic World cared about celestial harmony; the sheer effort and resources required for such an operation were unimaginable, draining their very foundations.
A clergyman of the Fuyuki Church watched the pillar of light pierce the night sky for dozens of seconds before finally deciding to pour himself a glass of expensive red wine and savor it.
His initial thought had been to calculate the equivalent gas explosion needed to explain the phenomenon. But as the event intensified, he abandoned the calculations. This was beyond his comprehension. Better to simply observe the reactions of those in power; it promised to be quite interesting.
"..."*7.
When the light dissipated, everyone stared at each other in stunned silence. They knew this spectacle couldn't be concealed; before long, this place would be swarming with people.
"It's come to this. Let's move to another location."
Jiang You wasn't particularly bothered by the situation. After all, he had already been through five Holy Grail Wars in Fuyuki City. The Three Great Mage Associations couldn't touch him anyway; he simply found their relentless harassment too troublesome.
The two little ones nodded vigorously, and the seven (or technically eight) of them, reeking of stealth, fled into the night.
They were currently in the forest halfway up Mount Enzou, within the Matou Family's spiritual grounds (the same place Sakura Matou ambushed Old Man Worm during the Fifth Holy Grail War). At night, virtually no one came here, and a barrier that repelled intruders ensured their privacy.
"Seriously, this was way too intense!" Illya exclaimed, panting heavily as she leaned against a tree. Her curiosity couldn't wait, and she pressed Jiang You, breathless, "Jiang You, are you some kind of Super Heroic Spirit to cause such a spectacle?"
The others, being either Servants or individuals with considerable magical power, showed no signs of fatigue.
"I am... somewhat special," Jiang You said, deflecting the question. "I'll explain when the time is right."
"Fine... So secretive, not even telling your secret identity? Honestly!"
Prisma Illya huffed, convinced Jiang You was deliberately avoiding the topic.
"But did this Install fail? Why hasn't anything changed?"
Normally, after an Install, one would be wearing the corresponding Servant's battle attire, like a miniature cosplayer. But Illya's clothes remained her Magical Girl outfit, completely unchanged. Yet the Install's visual effects had undeniably manifested, so dazzling that the entire world witnessed them.
"No... it succeeded."
Illya focused on sensing her body. Her overall Parameters had roughly risen to C-rank, matching Jiang You's. Given their bond, she could now wield her full potential. To prove her point, Illya summoned Minamoto no Raikou.
The purple-haired Servant, who had been hiding in a tree, suddenly found herself standing before Illya. She recognized this sensation all too well—Jiang You had summoned her this way countless times. But this time, the summoner was Illya.
"Raiko, since you're here, there's no need to hide."
Illya, seeing Minamoto no Raikou's teary eyes, knew she was upset for not being called "Mommy." She took Raikou's hand to comfort her, feeling that sometimes Raikou was the one who needed emotional support.
After setting Raikou aside, Illya examined her Deck. She had initially wanted to summon her mother, Irisviel, but ultimately decided against it. It was time for her to graduate from this phase of her life. She had found a new family and needed to start her own life. She would only summon Irisviel when she couldn't bear it any longer. With that, she drew a card.
"And Kiritsugu Emiya..."
Illya summoned her father. Technically, Jiang You could have done this too, but Kiritsugu was too troublesome and his combat abilities were mediocre, so he had never considered it.
Kiritsugu Emiya was maintaining his firearms when he suddenly found himself in a nighttime forest, surrounded by a group of people. Instinctively, he rolled to break free, only to be kicked back by Illya.
"Illya?"
Kiritsugu Emiya finally recognized the newcomer and was about to speak when Illya punched him, knocking him flat.
Though her resentment had faded somewhat, learning about Kiritsugu Emiya from the Prisma Illya World had made his actions even more contemptible. A man who abandons his family doesn't deserve love—let this be the price he pays for the kindness her Mother showed her in that world. So Illya punched him and sent him back.
"..."
Prisma Illya shrank back, wondering if she was truly this violent. But she understood Illya's experiences—she couldn't bring herself to acknowledge such a man as her father.
"This is Jiang You's ability," Illya explained, flipping through her Deck. "It allows us to directly summon Servant Cards with strong connections to us. But I can't summon Kintoki or those others. The Bond exists, but it's too weak."
"However, only the summoner's own Deck can be used. Jiang You's cards won't appear. So the effectiveness of Jiang You's card actually depends on the summoner's strength."
Illya leaned in close to Jiang You, her eyes practically touching his face.
"So, my Servant, tell me, why aren't you in my Deck? I can't summon you otherwise."