"Seriously? You knew they were there the whole time, so why bother with this ridiculous disguise? What's the point?!" Jiang You couldn't hold back his exasperation as he watched Sella and Leysritt awkwardly squeeze into ill-fitting coats, complete with wigs and sunglasses. Is this world too lax? Is this really the atmosphere of the Type-Moon World?
"Ha ha ha..." Illya could only offer a polite laugh, though she desperately wanted to join in the complaining.
They were currently in a café, most of which served drinks similar to bubble tea—a type Jiang You often frequented.
Illya's eyes lit up at the sight of the desserts and beverages before her. Though the Einzbern family lacked for nothing, living in a regular house meant Illya had only a small allowance, barely more than an average elementary school student. Faced with these expensive treats, she could only salivate at them through the glass display.
You get what you pay for. After Illya took a bite of the specially made tiramisu, she felt like she was melting. Her eyes, gazing at Jiang You, filled with longing. She wanted to grow up quickly so she could order such delicacies as freely as he did.
"Speaking of which, Mr. Jiang You, do you really know my father?"
"Of course I do, though not the Kiritsugu Emiya from this world. The one from my world wasn't nearly as responsible."
I wonder how Kiritsugu won the Holy Grail War in this world? Jiang You thought. Life's choices are crucial. The Kiritsugu from the Fourth Holy Grail War was doomed to never achieve a perfect ending because what he sought never existed—it was a delusion.
"Actually, you're the luckiest Illya of them all. Well... at least so far."
"What do you mean, 'so far'? It sounds like I'll become unhappy later."
Illya felt uneasy under Jiang You's gaze, sensing a hint of pity in his eyes. She lost all interest in continuing to savor the outrageously expensive tiramisu before her.
"Hmm... Creating a world where Illya can also find happiness... If there's no Illya in the world, she won't suffer anymore. If Illya doesn't suffer, wouldn't that mean she's found happiness?"
Although they had come to discuss Miyu's situation, mentioning Illya's future in passing seemed appropriate. Especially since this Illya was so soft and vulnerable, making him want to tease her relentlessly.
"W-wait, hold on!"
Illya was already trembling. Something similar had happened to Miyu, and she couldn't help but wonder if her brother had made a similar wish. After all, in her eyes, Jiang You was someone with special abilities, just like her, so his words carried immense weight. This was too terrifying. "Stop saying such scary things! I'll start believing them."
"Hmm, maybe they're true?"
Seeing he'd teased her enough, Jiang You suppressed his grin.
"Don't worry, I won't let you become the sole ruler of all time. Just enjoy being a Magical Girl to your heart's content."
"...Is it really safe to discuss this here?"
Illya warily scanned her surroundings. The cafe was never crowded, and their corner was particularly secluded, but "few people" didn't mean "no one." Besides, Sella and her companion were right there. Illya tried to lean in and whisper to Jiang You, but he gently pushed her back.
"Don't worry," he assured her. "I have plenty of soundproof barriers like this."
Jiang You might be a Spell idiot, but Medea certainly wasn't. Creating such barriers was child's play for her—far simpler than Jiang You's eccentric requests.
"That's good," Illya said. "Actually, I've been wondering about something. Things were so chaotic earlier that I didn't get a chance to ask. If Miyu's world is in trouble, why did she come to my world first? Shouldn't it have been you and me going to her world?"
Illya had no objections to helping, but she wanted to understand the situation better. As a newcomer to the Magic World, she was curious about everything.
"I'm not entirely sure myself," Jiang You admitted. "Perhaps her world is on the verge of collapse, making it impossible to actively pinpoint."
Jiang You thought to himself that the developers must have intentionally stalled the plot progression to artificially extend the game's content. Otherwise, with the players' accumulated experience from so many Scripts, they could have easily steamrolled through the story.
"Miyu was originally supposed to come to your world. Remember the Class Cards? Those artifacts are products of Miyu's world. Once you gather them all, they'll find a way to reach Miyu's world, defeat the enemies, and save the world! What do you think? Isn't it a classic hero's journey?"
"It sounds simple, but I bet it's not that easy, right?"
Illya wasn't stupid. Jiang You's earlier words seemed to align with their current situation. She suspected she might have to sacrifice herself here.
"It would be tough if you were alone. But I'm here now. Leave the DPS to me. I'll carry you all."
If it came down to it, we'll clash mythologies head-on—Norse mythology against Mesopotamian mythology. Then we'll see which one reigns supreme.
The answer is obvious even without pondering. How could a mere impostor stand against a certain loli(?) Mommy?
"Stop talking like you're playing a video game!"
Having a reliable adult (perhaps) by her side did bring Illya some peace of mind. Jiang You's ability to actively traverse Worldlines was already extraordinary, and Illya believed he wasn't exaggerating. Relaxing slightly, she focused on demolishing the desserts in front of her.
"You little glutton, you've got frosting all over your face."
Watching Illya take a retaliatory bite out of a large piece of cake, getting frosting smeared across her face, Jiang You instinctively reached out to wipe it off.
This intimate gesture made Illya's face flush crimson. Realizing what had happened, she belatedly recoiled.
"Ah, sorry. You look exactly like Illya from the Fifth Holy Grail War, so I've gotten used to it."
Jiang You remained unfazed. The Fifth Holy Grail War version of Illya often acted coquettishly around him; such interactions had become commonplace. As long as he didn't cross any boundaries, the System (if it truly was the System) remained indifferent.
"Mr. Jiang You... what, what kind of relationship do you have with the me over there?"
Perhaps feeling obliged for the treat, Illya showed no anger. Instead, she inquired about her counterpart in the other Worldline.
By the way, Jiang You hadn't erected a barrier to conceal them from passersby, so they were clearly visible through the glass. It happened to be the weekend, which was why Illya was free to go out with Jiang You. As fate would have it, three elementary school students from Homurahara Elementary School happened to pass by and witness the scene.
"Hey, doesn't that person look like Illya?"
"Not just 'look like'—that is Illya, idiot! And who's that guy across from her? I've never seen him before. He's not her brother... What's going on? Is this a date?"
"Wow, how bold! Doing that in public!"
"No, he might be an older relative. The guy looks like he's already working. The age gap is pretty big."
"Working? He looks about as old as a high schooler... Wait, isn't that Sella-nee? What's she holding?!"
-
"Relationship... or rather, Master-Servant relationship?"
Jiang You pondered briefly before answering. Though Illya had already confessed her feelings to him when they encountered Eresh, the Fairy Tristan incident had made him hesitant to reciprocate directly.
"Eh? Eh, eh, eh!"
Illya had clearly misunderstood something. Just as Jiang You was about to explain in detail, Sella charged forward, brandishing a knife and fork. Seeing the cutlery aimed at him, Jiang You slapped himself in the face, resolving to articulate every word precisely from now on.