Chirp chirp...
Cicada—cicada—!
The first thing to return was his hearing—the birds and cicadas weaving together the melody of summer.
The world reflected in his eyes was initially a blur of white, but gradually sharpened into focus as if adjusting a lens.
Vision restored, the scorching heat of the midday air registered through both smell and touch.
Thus, existence was confirmed. Sakatsuki was once again present in this world.
After gazing at this peaceful scene for a long moment, the boy spread his hands.
Projection in his left, Imaginary Numbers in his right.
Steel light condensed in his left palm, shaping into sharp spears and swords; violet radiance gathered in his right, tracing the outline of a door in the void.
The "reality" known to ordinary people intertwined with the arcane, as thrilling and novel as Sakatsuki's journey between two worlds.
Suppressing the excitement in his heart, Sakatsuki stepped out of the church.
Katou Danzou did not respond immediately, indicating she was faithfully carrying out his orders, accompanying Caren outside.
Sakatsuki wasn't in a hurry to recall his capable subordinate. Having just returned from the battlefield, he took his time adjusting his mood, humming a little tune as he strolled leisurely toward Illya's house.
'I wonder how far the magical girl's happy journey has progressed now?'
Without using any transportation, he simply walked down the afternoon streets at his own pace, even stopping by a roadside grocery store to buy some drinks and popsicles. Unwrapping unfamiliar packaging, he savored the novel flavors as he slowly made his way to his nominal "home."
"I'm home~"
"Welcome back—oh! It's Sakatsuki!" Sella, the maid with her hair tied in a matronly style and a gentle (most of the time) demeanor, emerged from the living room, pleasantly surprised to see the young boy who hadn't returned for a day. "The nun from the church called earlier. You stayed overnight there, right? I didn't expect church work to be so busy."
Thanks to Rosy-cheeked Youth and subtle magecraft, Sella never questioned how a child Sakatsuki's age could possibly be a priest or whether the church was employing underage labor. She simply expressed natural concern for someone who appeared to be around Illya's age. "How are you feeling? Tired? Do you need to rest? I just finished cleaning your room..."
"No need, thank you, Sella." Sakatsuki smiled and lifted the bag in his hand. "Where's Illya? I brought some snacks on the way."
"Ah, what bad timing. Illya just went out a little while ago, saying something about going to play. She was being quite secretive about it."
"Is that so?" Sakatsuki mused before handing the bag to Sella with a smile. "There's something for you and Liz in here. As for Illya and Shirou's portions, just put them in the fridge for when they get back. Oh, and let me borrow the kitchen for a bit."
"Ah, oh, sure..." Sella took the plastic bag in a daze, immediately torn between her diet and the temptation of treats. Meanwhile, Sakatsuki ducked into the kitchen and emerged moments later, calling out, "I'm heading out again," as he left the house with another bag in hand.
"Wait, huh?!" Sella hurriedly abandoned Liz, who was happily eating ice cream, and rushed to the entryway—only to hear the soft click of the door. Sakatsuki, who had just returned, had already slipped away again.
***
Once again carrying a bag, Sakatsuki wandered the streets.
"Rider has been defeated, and Sella said I was away for a day. That means the timeline should be right after the brutal lesson from Caster. The magical girls are probably practicing flying to prepare for their rematch with Caster. No wonder Illya went out in the afternoon—she must be training in the outskirts."
"Let's use the tracking magecraft attached to the Ruby to find her." In matters like this, Sakatsuki never cut corners.
Activating the spell, Sakatsuki followed the directional cues, his steps light as phantom flickers thanks to the Imaginary Numbers energy flowing underfoot. As he walked, he mentally reviewed the upcoming plot.
"Assuming nothing changes, Illya and the others will challenge Caster again tonight and win, only to be ambushed by Saber in the mirror world."
"The key points are the Caster and Saber Class Cards, and most importantly—the emergence of Kuro."
During the battle with Saber, Illya, unable to withstand the pressure, awakened her sealed persona—Kuro—and used the Class Card's Install to defeat Saber.
Sakatsuki had little reason to interfere with Illya and Miyu's journey to collect the Class Cards. This arc had a rare happy ending, marking the beautiful beginning of the two magical girls' friendship.
All he needed to do was ensure the story remained controlled while they gathered the cards—preventing any disastrous deviations caused by his butterfly effect.
Lost in thought, Sakatsuki soon arrived at the outskirts, following the trail until he spotted a figure in a pink magical dress practicing flight.
"Hey, Illya—"
The moment he took that step, his rationality sounded an alarm, urging the overly relaxed boy to snap back to attention. But it was too late.
The instant he called her name, Illya instinctively turned toward him.
A silver-haired girl in a magical girl outfit—looking like a suspicious cosplayer but genuinely floating in midair—locked eyes with a boyish priest staring up at her without a hint of surprise. The scene instantly froze into a non-moving picture.
"...This feels oddly familiar." Sakatsuki couldn't help but recall that moonlit night and the soft, unclothed figure.
For Illya, the shame of having her secret exposed probably felt no different from streaking naked through the streets.
So—
"AAAAAAAAHHHHHH—!!!"
Illya's flustered scream pierced the sky. Had Sakatsuki not covered his ears and cast a soundproofing barrier in advance, police from miles around would have come running, offering him complimentary accommodations at the local station—meals included.
Moments later, Illya—having reverted to her civilian form—was still hiding behind a tree, her face flushed red like an angry frog as she glared at the helplessly smiling Sakatsuki.
"...You saw."
"What if I said I didn't???"
"Haaa..." Like a deflating balloon, Illya's puffed-up cheeks instantly collapsed. She let out a tiny whimper and instinctively tried to flee the scene, only for Sakatsuki to teleport behind her and gently grab her wrist.
"Don't rush off. Let me show you something cool."
"Huh? ...Ah!"
Before she could react, Sakatsuki flicked his wrist, producing four sword hilts as if by magic. With a flash of cold light, the blades materialized from mana, gleaming brilliantly.
"These are..."
"Black Keys. Standard armaments of the Church's Executors." The Ruby Rod interjected solemnly. "I see. So you're also part of the reverse side. Illya, this person is dangerous. Stay on guard."
For the Ruby, a supreme mystic code tied to the Second Magic—a miracle akin to divine mystery—the Church's highest sacraments were inherently blasphemous. The tension between the two was inevitable.
"Eh? But Sakatsuki-nii is..."
"Don't worry, Illya. I'm not a bad guy." Sakatsuki tossed the Black Keys aside casually. "Just as the Mage's Association detected the leyline anomalies, the Holy Church naturally investigated the issue. If you're the ones resolving the disturbances, then consider me your supervisor."
"As long as you don't do anything harmful, I won't interfere unnecessarily."
'Yeah, right.'
Looking at the boyish priest with his utterly harmless smile and Pretty Boy charm maxed out, who could possibly imagine he was the mysterious figure who had disguised himself as Rin Tohsaka and stolen the Rider Class Card?
***
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