In the end, Sella agreed to Jiang You's terms. The other Illya was simply too pitiful compared to Prisma Illya, and Sella's maternal instincts ultimately overcame her wariness of Jiang You.
Everyone present seemed satisfied, except for a certain black-haired, curvaceous woman. She hadn't even had a chance to speak, despite being an outsider just like Jiang You.
Miyu, on the other hand, quietly ate her snacks. After confirming through a Duel that her brother wasn't in immediate danger, her tense nerves had relaxed slightly. Still, she couldn't help but worry about Oath Shirou. Jiang You noticed her concern and temporarily led her to the balcony. While their upcoming conversation could have been overheard without issue, explaining it later would have been troublesome—it was better to avoid unnecessary complications.
"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting so long," Jiang You said, crouching down to apologize to Miyu, even though she was the one who had sought his help.
"It's no problem at all," Miyu replied. "Without you, Mr. Jiang You, I'd still be running around like a headless fly. I'm already so grateful to have a clear direction to work towards. You don't need to worry so much about my feelings; I'm the one who should be thanking you."
Miyu's docility made Jiang You feel even more awkward.
"You're such a good girl. I won't keep you waiting much longer. My main reason for coming here was to deal with the situation in your world. As long as we collect the Class Cards methodically, you'll find your way back home."
Although Jiang You knew the order in which the Class Cards would appear and their corresponding servants, he had no idea where they would specifically manifest. He needed someone to provide that intelligence. As the local leader, Rin Tohsaka should be well-informed about her territory. He'd consult her later.
"I'll wait... I'm sorry, Mr. Jiang You. I'm still a bit anxious. Illya told me you can see the future, right?"
During Jiang You's absence, Miyu had learned a bit about him.
"Before we proceed, could you reveal something about the future? Just tell me if we'll be able to safely rescue my brother. After all you've done for me, asking this... am I being too greedy?"
"Not at all. Don't worry about that. You and Illya will safely rescue your brother."
Jiang You decided to keep things simple. The Prisma Illya storyline had been dragging on for ages, progressing at a glacial pace, and it still hadn't concluded. Some things remained uncertain. "For now, we'll focus on gathering Class Cards in this world and improving your abilities. That way, you won't have to hide behind your brother anymore and can truly help him. We'll likely face real combat soon—this is a matter of life and death, so don't take it lightly."
"I'll do my best!" Miyu nodded firmly. "You've done so much for me, Mr. Jiang You. I won't let you down!"
"I've never doubted your and Illya's abilities. Speaking of which, I can provide intelligence on the next Class Card you'll face."
Illya and Miyu's first opponent will be the Rider Class Card, whose corresponding servant is Medusa. Jiang You also has the authority to summon Medusa, so they could even run a practice simulation.
"...I've just thought of a good idea. Tonight, bring Illya to the nearby clearing to meet me."
"Alright... but which Illya?"
This wasn't Miyu's only concern. She wasn't familiar with either of the Illyas and couldn't tell them apart.
"The one with the slightly vacant gaze is Prisma Illya, the Magical Girl Illya, or 'Prisma Illya' for short. The other one is Illya from the previous world. Since she's the original model, we'll just call her 'Illya.'"
Jiang You explained how to tell the two Illyas apart. Though his description was subtly phrased, it was remarkably intuitive. Miyu recalled her impressions of the two Illyas and nodded in agreement.
"The other me..."
After asking a few trivial questions, Prisma Illya finally brought up the matter that truly concerned her. Although she had already asked Jiang You directly, hearing it from someone else's lips felt far more satisfying than getting the answer directly. At her age, she was naturally curious about such matters. As for Illya, having spent her entire life alone in the Castle of Snow, she had never even had the chance to entertain such thoughts.
"Mr. Jiang You said you two have a master-servant relationship, and that he plans to become your lover... Is that true?"
"A master-servant relationship?" Illya instantly understood the implication. "In a way, yes, that's accurate. As for lovers... Would that guy actually say something like that unprompted?"
"He really did say it! Let me think... He put it like this: 'But if things continue to develop, we'll inevitably reach that point. After all, I'm not in the habit of letting others have what's mine.'" Prisma Illya's eyes lit up instantly, sensing something intriguing. Moreover, parallel worlds often share striking similarities; even with different experiences, corresponding individuals tend to form connections. Just as every Wish-Granting Vessel across the worlds inevitably encounters Shirou Emiya and, for various reasons, becomes his sibling.
"What's 'his'?" Illya suddenly chuckled. Part of her was amused that Jiang You secretly harbored such thoughts, but another part felt strongly that he was the one who belonged to her.
(Spy-...)
"He actually dared to say that! But when I tried to respond, he couldn't bring himself to do it."
Illya could tell that Jiang You was joking when he said that to Eresh during their meeting. He always showered others with unnecessary kindness, fulfilling their wishes in various ways, as if he were trying to earn brownie points. Despite his immense strength, he carried himself without any airs—foolish, yet undeniably charming. This unwittingly influenced Illya's own approach to others, causing her to subtly soften her edges. "It seems I'll have to invoke the right I won in the Shadow Game after all."
"So, who exactly is Mr. Jiang You?"
Prisma Illya believed that if she could uncover Jiang You's identity, she might also find his counterpart in her own world. She wanted to see what qualities this man, who had become her lover, possessed that surpassed her own brother.
"In this world, he's the only one without a counterpart. I want to see what he's like here, what kind of life he's lived."
"You're likely to be disappointed. He's not even human."
Illya had always been curious about Jiang You's past, but he himself seemed unable to recall it clearly. At first, she thought he was concealing his true identity like Archer, but after multiple confirmations, she was certain he wasn't lying. Jiang You seemed to lack a defined history, as if he were still in the process of writing his own story.