Jiang You easily subdued Sella. His full-C stats made handling a homunculus a breeze. He'd briefly considered a Duel, but direct combat proved far more efficient—and Sella's card was already in Illya's Deck, eliminating the need to farm for it.
"Calm down," Jiang You said, restraining Sella. "If you actually stab me, you're the one going to the tower."
After securely binding Sella and tossing her back into her seat, Jiang You settled back into his own.
"You... you and that other me... are you really... are you really... like that?"
Illya was at the age where she was both curious and embarrassed about romantic relationships, her heart a mix of shyness and fascination.
Jiang You genuinely didn't know how to answer that question. He had originally meant to refer to servants and Masters, but the reality was far more complex. During their earlier playful interactions, he had indeed responded in a way that could be interpreted as an engagement. "Hmm... How do I explain? It's not as chaotic as you might think. 'Master and servant' refers to the relationship between a Master and their servant, kind of like a Magus and their familiar. But... we do have feelings for each other. We're not exactly boyfriend and girlfriend, but if things continue to develop, we'd probably end up there. After all, I'm not in the habit of sharing what's mine with others."
Unconsciously, Jiang You's thoughts were drifting toward real-world implications. But the disconnect between reality and this virtual world left him conflicted. In the real world, he'd never have the chance to play the "player" role. Yet here, he still hadn't given Fairy Tristan a proper response. If pressed, he'd practically be engaging in Eight-boat jumping. Moreover, admitting these feelings to an NPC made him feel somewhat embarrassed. In short, things were starting to feel chaotic.
"But... that other me is still so young."
Illya's mind began to whirl. Though that other Illya wasn't her, the shared name and identical appearance made it impossible for her not to imagine herself in that role. She felt a forbidden thrill, akin to her secret affection for her older brother.
"Mr. Jiang You, won't you wait a few more years?"
"Oh, actually, that Illya over there is already an adult."
That Illya even had her own car. If it weren't for Minamoto no Raikou's stubbornness, she would have been attending high school.
"But due to certain circumstances, she'll never grow any older. By the way, in a way, you're already an adult too. Strictly speaking, you're actually Shirou Emiya's older sister."
"Sister? Me?"
Having only just glimpsed the Reverse Side of the World, Illya felt her peaceful daily life already hurtling recklessly toward an unpredictable future. Was this still the world she knew?
"Hmm... we can talk about the story slowly later."
Seeing that Illya had nearly finished her dessert, Jiang You decided it was time to get down to business. He couldn't keep Miyu waiting any longer. "Let's talk about Miyu's situation first. The plan remains the same as your original goal. You've already met Rin Tohsaka, and Ruby and Sapphire were created to retrieve Class Cards. We still need to retrieve those cards to find a way to send Miyu back to her original world. Right now, Sapphire hasn't found a suitable Master yet... Miyu also needs a way to protect herself, so I plan to have her form a contract with Sapphire."
"Sapphire?" Illya asked.
She remembered Ruby mentioning having a sister. If Miyu became a Magical Girl too, wouldn't that mean she could have a companion as well? Besides that, having someone to share the embarrassment of wearing such frilly clothes would make it less awkward for her. The thought made her excited.
"But Fuyuki is so big. Where should we even start looking?"
Because Miyu had fallen into a strange alternate Worldline, Jiang You couldn't be certain of Sapphire's current location. It was possible she had already found another girl to contract with.
"If nothing unexpected has happened, she should still be with the Edelfelt family. Speaking of which, they've actually moved to Fuyuki as well. This city is getting crowded! Oh, and Ruby should still be around too, right?"
Jiang You glanced at Illya's backpack. She had brought it along under the pretense of carrying an umbrella in case of rain, but its true purpose was to conceal a certain indecent magic wand.
"I'm here," Ruby chimed in, peeking out from Illya's backpack. "It's best not to call me out in public—I could be easily discovered. You wouldn't want Illya's Magical Girl identity to be exposed, would you?"
"No one will find out. We're leaving immediately. Can you locate Sapphire's whereabouts?"
"I could, but are you sure that little girl has the potential to become a Magical Girl?" Ruby questioned, its voice tinged with skepticism. It hadn't thoroughly examined Miyu's physical condition.
"You know as well as I do," Ruby continued, "that despite the title 'Magical Girl,' its essence remains magic. Without exceptional magical aptitude, transformation is impossible. Let's be clear: our standards are rigorous. Only girls with extraordinary talent like Illya qualify."
Have you forgotten how you were summoned to my world? Jiang You retorted inwardly. This perverted wand's assessment criteria probably aren't limited to magical aptitude.
"It's because Miyu has a future where she forms bonds with you that she possesses your cards. Besides, Miyu is essentially a parallel world version of Illya, both born as machines to fulfill others' wishes. There's no need to doubt her magical aptitude."
"Why is the conversation suddenly getting so heavy again?" Illya asked, already accustomed to Jiang You's sudden bombshell revelations. She had always thought she was just an ordinary elementary school student, but now she couldn't think that way anymore. The idea of being born as a tool was terrifying, and she instinctively wanted to change the subject. She resolved to ask Jiang You for details later, when she was better prepared.
"Since Miyu's all right, let's start looking for Sapphire!"
"Alright... after all, Miyu is pretty cute. Sapphire is currently... hmm, still at that Golden Drill's place. Weren't we supposed to find a purer maiden together? What's worth clinging to about that past-her-prime hag?! This world only needs fragrant, soft-skinned loli—"
Just as Ruby was about to launch into her XP proselytization, Illya abruptly zipped up her backpack.
"...By the way, Mr. Jiang You, can wands like these be imprisoned?"
Ruby's personality was a constant source of irritation for Illya.
"Theoretically, the law has no jurisdiction over such things."
Jiang You wasn't very familiar with the laws, but he knew that no matter what, they couldn't possibly apply to something that wasn't even a living being.
Just as Illya's expression began to fall in disappointment, Jiang You added, "But conversely, this thing isn't protected by any laws either. You can do whatever you want to it."