C402

"Please, give Ruby to me Fujimaru-niisan," Miyu stared at him with a determined gaze.

Shirou took a moment before responding, "Have you really considered this? Are you absolutely sure about stepping into the world of magi?"

"Yes, I've thought it through," she nodded, her expression serious. "Ever since I learned about Illya's situation, I've been questioning whether it's right to always depend on others for my destiny. Now, I've come to realize that even though I'm still seeking your help, I want to fight for my own fate! I don't want to burden others forever!"

He fell into silence.

In the end, did he even change anything?

"You won't regret this?"

She nodded resolutely.

"I can give you Ruby, but whether she chooses you or not depends on how compatible you are with her."

Together, they walked to the entrance hall.

The night was tranquil, with the full moon hanging high in the sky. Silver moonlight gently filtered through the thin window curtains, painting their faces with silvery ripples.

He reached for the black box.

"Six hundred, four thousand, eight hundred, seventy-two seconds... Six hundred, four thousand, eight hundred, and seventy-three seconds..." Ruby's voice sobbed, a faint, crumbling sound escaping from within the dark container.

With the black box open, the silver moonlight bathed Ruby in its glow.

"Six hundred... Huh? What's... happening? Why is there light..."

As it continued to crumble within the box, Ruby, which had been meticulously counting the seconds, became captivated by the enchanting moonlight cascading upon it.

Ah... Such a beautiful and precious light! Ruby couldn't help but shed tears of emotion.

Trapped in infinite darkness, with no one to respond or converse with, it felt as though its very intelligence would fade away if it weren't for diligently counting the seconds.

In a way, its treatment was strikingly similar to what Altrouge had experienced over fifteen hundred years ago.

The only difference was that Altrouge had still been tormented by him, whereas Ruby was completely sealed within the black box, experiencing an endless void of darkness. And now, as it sensed the touch of light, tears flowed uncontrollably.

The worth of light becomes even more prominent in the vast expanse of darkness.

"Ruby, you are free now."

"Really... really? My adorable... no, no, no, my respected Eternal King?" Ruby asked cautiously.

"You must promise not to tempt my sister or any other ordinary girls into becoming magical girls or engage in any dangerous activities, understood?"

"Understood, understood! I, Ruby, am the most obedient one. I'm completely different from those troublemakers who entice girls into becoming magical girls! Especially that vile and wicked Sapphire, who abandons her sister, constantly seeks new pleasures, is utterly despicable and hideous, and just downright evil!" Ruby spoke through gritted teeth.

To have left her all alone in that black box... that sister... that sister still needs proper training, she needs to be trained properly!

Miyu reached out and held the kaleidostick, "Ruby, I want to make a contract with you and become a magical girl."

"Huh? Such a high-quality girl power, of course, this is extrem— " Ruby was on the verge of agreeing, but it glanced at him and hastily shook its head, saying, "Of course, this is extremely bad! I refuse!"

"Please don't worry. This is my own decision, and Fujimaru-niisan won't stop me."

He replied, "I won't stop you. Go ahead and do as you wish."

"Really?" Ruby looked at him with skepticism.

He nodded.

Ruby didn't believe it.

The outside world was filled with deceptive tricks, especially when it came to this Eternal King standing before her. His scheming nature ran even deeper than the abyss itself.

After pondering for a moment, Ruby couldn't help but wonder if this could be some kind of test from the king.

If she answered incorrectly, he might press her to the ground and rub her face on the floor again, followed by another exile into endless darkness.

Although Ruby found being pressed and rubbed on the ground oddly comfortable, being exiled to such darkness was absolutely unacceptable. Especially for a vibrant, adorable, and innocent kaleidostick like herself.

However, as a kaleidostick without a wielder, she wouldn't even have a purpose to exist.

After careful consideration, Ruby finally said, "We can make a contract."

Miyu smiled.

"But—" Ruby added, "I refuse to make a contract with another magical girl or be a kaleidostick for anyone else!"

She was taken aback, "Then what should we do?"

Ruby grinned, "Let's become Kamen Rider instead!"

"Kamen Rider?" she looked dumbfounded, and a puzzled expression appeared above her head: "?"

...

The following day, Shirou gathered Illya, Chloe, and Miyu together.

He had no intention of letting these three little ones enter the parallel world, but to address his worries, he decided to teach them some combat techniques while he gathered magical energy.

After school, Illya said her goodbyes to her friends and, along with Miyu, headed home to pick up Chloe before heading to the training location designated by Shirou.

As they walked, Illya clapped her hands happily and said, "This is going to be amazing, Chloe. Onii-san is going to teach us combat techniques!"

"I know, I know. You've mentioned it several times already," Chloe replied impatiently. She preferred being trained by Shirou alone rather than all three of them together.

Miyu asked curiously, "Is Chloe the official name now?"

"Yeah," Illya hugged Chloe affectionately and smiled, "Chloe, my little sister."

"Don't hug me!" she pushed Illya's face away.

"What's the problem with hugging your sister?" Illya responded, looking displeased.

"Who said you're my sister? I inherited Illya's memories and knowledge, so I should be the older sister, right?"

"No, you're my little sister," Illya said earnestly, not willing to budge on this matter.

Chloe felt a bit troubled.

She didn't like the name "Chloe." As someone who inherited their memories and knowledge, she wanted to reclaim the name "Illya." However, her 'sister' refused to back down on this point.

With no other choice, Chloe compromised and acknowledged herself as Illya's sister. However, she remained unwilling to use the name "Chloe." And despite Illya and Irisviel suggesting various names, none felt right, so she reluctantly settled for it.

The real issue was that Chloe and Illya looked exactly alike. If they both remained silent, it would be impossible to tell them apart. So Chloe decided to change her hairstyle to create some distinction. She tied her hair into a ponytail, which she let rest on her right shoulder.

Nowadays, the only way to differentiate between Illya and Chloe, besides their transformed appearances, was their hairstyles.

"By the way..." Illya's gaze shifted to the sulking Ruby floating beside Miyu, and she remarked, "I never expected onii-san to entrust Ruby to you, Miyu."

Chloe chimed in, "Onii-chan must have his reasons for doing that."

Miyu nodded and added, "I asked nii-san for it. I've learned from all of you that I have to fight for my own destiny."

"I see." Illya smiled, not finding anything odd about it, but Chloe's eyes suddenly narrowed.

She stared at the side of Miyu's face, but after thinking about it, she didn't say anything.

Meanwhile, Sapphire floated over to Ruby's side and called out, "Sister."

"Don't call me sister! I don't have a sister like you who abandons family, breaks promises, and acts so despicably! Hmph!" Ruby turned away.

Sapphire tried to reason with her, saying, "There was nothing else Irisviel could do. She could only bring me back."

"I'm not listening, I'm not listening! Sapphire abandoned Ruby!" she shook her head vehemently, then pointed at Sapphire and boldly proclaimed, "Sapphire, you foolish kaleidostick! The end of magical girls is near! Miyu and I will surely defeat you and Illya!"

Sapphire shouted, "Snap out of it, sister! You're also a kaleidostick!"

Chloe: "..."

Miyu: "..."

Illya giggled, "You know, whenever we all get together, it just becomes so lively and fun. Hehehe..."

The trio finally reached their destination, a forest on the outskirts as planned.

Waiting for them was Shirou, and to their surprise, Gil was also there.

The moment she saw Gil, Illya couldn't help but tremble and hide behind Miyu, while Chloe clicked her tongue in annoyance.

Gil wore a troubled expression and spoke up, "I was the one who lost, so why does it feel like all of you are the ones who suffered?"

Shirou decided to brush off the topic and said, "Let's put that aside for now. You should transform first."

Illya eagerly nodded and called out, "Sapphire!"

"Yes, Illya!"

Sapphire flew into Illya's hand, and after a 0.01-second transformation, Magical Girl Illya appeared, dressed in purple outfit, smiling like a representation of love and justice, looking incredibly adorable.

Meanwhile, Chloe transformed into female Gilgamesh.

"Well, it does feel strange..." Gil scratched his face and said with resignation, "But since I lost, there's nothing I can do about it."

Illya looked at Miyu with curiosity, "Miyu, why haven't you transformed yet?"

A blush suddenly appeared on Miyu's fair and pretty face.

Ruby looked down at Sapphire and taunted, "Oh, my naive little sister, the era of magical girls is over. Your transformation is outdated!"

"Sister, what are you saying?" Sapphire said in distress.

Ruby sneered, "I have sworn my loyalty to the Eternal King. From now on, my mission is to bring about the downfall of magical girls!"

"Miyu, let them see what real power is!" Ruby commanded, transforming into a different form, leaving behind only a pink jewel.

"I understand, Ruby."

Miyu's expression turned serious, and she grabbed Ruby, holding it against her waist. "Henshin (Transformation)!"

Everyone watched in astonishment as Ruby rapidly expanded, forming a belt that fastened around Miyu's slender waist. The jewel emitted a dazzling pink light, enveloping Miyu in its radiance.

In a robotic voice, Ruby announced, "Transformation begins... Red, red, red, red ruby! Beauty, beauty, beauty, beauty Miyu! Transformation complete, Kamen Rider Ruby!"

Now, Miyu was clad in a thick and sleek pink armor, complete with a mask that featured two large pink eyes, resembling the compound eyes of an insect.

Shirou: "..."

Chloe: "..."

Sapphire: "..."

"What... What is this?" Illya was stunned.

Is this what a magical girl transformation looks like?

Do modern magical girls really take on this steel humanoid form?

Why is the art style so different?

All of a sudden, things got super awkward for everyone. 

Meanwhile, Miyu couldn't bear the embarrassment and covered her face, crouching to the side. Beneath the pink mask, her pretty face turned bright red with embarrassment.

It was just too...

Too embarrassing!

Ruby's tone was filled with triumph as she proclaimed, "Did you see that, Sapphire? This is the new power I obtained after swearing loyalty to the Eternal King! Kamen Rider Ruby!"

"Sister..." Sapphire was at a loss for words, her voice laden with sorrow and regret.

Her very own sister, who was originally a kaleidostick, had now turned against the cause of magical girls and aligned herself with the Kamen Riders!

She was a... 

Traitor!