The android girl will not dream of the fairy knight sister

　Although it was only for a moment, Illya still saw it.

　I saw the enemy who had taken Miyudi flying backwards like a cannonball.

　The streets collapsed in an instant, and in the distance, the shock waves caused by collapse and impact came one after another.

　The girl just stood there from beginning to end and did nothing.

　Apart from...

　Illya raised her head and looked at the sky.

　In addition to this towering tree made of golden lightning that reaches straight into the sky and seems to separate heaven and earth.

　Thunder and lightning are not exclusive to Thor.

　In a trance, these words emerged in Illya's mind.

　-

　"Is Miyu someone of yours?"

　Illya, who was sipping soup from a bowl, was stunned when she heard the girl's sudden question.

　"You kept calling out the name 'Miyu' when you were unconscious. She must be someone very important to you, right?"

　"...Yes, Miyu, she is a very important partner of mine..."

　"Is that so?"

　The girl's lips curled up into a smile, then she picked up the spoon again and served Tanaka another bowl of thick soup.

　"Since it's something so important, don't lose it again after you find it this time. It will be very troublesome to find it."

　"Why...are you helping me? We don't even know each other yet?"

　"But we know each other now, don't we? Besides, our goals are somewhat similar, so it's not impossible to help you for some reason."

　"Some...reason?"

　Illya muttered as she looked in the direction of the girl.

　A face that is so similar to my mother's and my own.

　They must be people who are more or less related by blood.

　Zig...

　She repeated the name silently in her heart.

　Dad, Mom, and Saber-sister all seem to have mentioned this name before, and given them some very valuable advice...

　The name is Zig...

　And Ruby also mentioned it... She and Sapphire had a predecessor before them, a predecessor they had never met...

　-

　Return to the Past: II. Mapo Ramen

　"Yes, for reasons I can't disclose. Even if we end up choosing different paths, that's just a matter for the future. We're companions now, aren't we?"

　507

　The girl reached out and rubbed Illya's head, then spread the map on the ground again, and at the same time, through the projection -

　Or for her now, it was the ability called fantasy materialization that created a pen out of thin air, and then drew a circle near the center of the map.

　“This circle…”

　Illya leaned her head closer, watching the girl scribbling on the map with some confusion.

　"It's probably the remains of some disaster. The exact cause is still unknown. But there's something inside this circle. While it looks like a flattened crater from the outside, it's actually filled with various kinds of detection magic."

　The slender fingers gently touched the circle, and then moved to another position on the circle.

　Illya's pupils suddenly shrank.

　This location was the one they chose, an ordinary street corner park that looked like no one had been there for a long time.

　But for Illya, this park, in her world, in her impression...

　This should have been a home full of warmth.

　"I don't know what you're thinking, but please calm down first. You have to understand that this is not your world. There are also some differences between parallel worlds. At least from my information, there is not a single house in this area that belongs to the Einzbern family."

　"That's right..."

　Only by staying calm can we find a way to save Miyu...

　but...

　What about the rest?

　Blackie, Miss Bazette, Saber-sister, everyone...

　"Illya, are you unhappy? Are you hungry? Do you want to eat something? This is delicious, isn't it?"

　Just when Illya looked a little lonely, the silly-looking Tanaka came up to Illya with a bowl in his eyes shining, like a child sharing his favorite thing.

　"Who...is this child?"

　The girl was silent for a moment.

　"I picked it up on the road..."

　"Is it... because of the cold that he fainted?"

　Illya looked up and down at Tanaka, who was only wearing a gymnastics suit, with a hint of uncertainty in her tone.

　"I fainted from hunger."

　"That's right..."

　It's a bit rude, but...

　Ms. Tanaka does look like a stupid character!

　"Don't worry about that for now. Let's go when we're ready."

　"Go? Where to go?"

　The girl chuckled and did not directly answer Illya's question.

　"Let's go gather intelligence."

　-

　"Although this town was destroyed by some disaster, and the several-kilometer-long crater remains like an unhealable scar on the surface, this town does still have a few humans living in it."

　"Humanity?"

　Illya, who was walking slowly behind the girl, exhaled a puff of white mist and subconsciously repeated these two words.

　Humanity?

　Indeed, it is of course humans who live here, and there is nothing wrong with that in itself.

　One-handed...

　Why speak such words as humans do?

　It was as if she had isolated herself from humans. Humans were humans, and she was her.

　They are two species, two kinds of existence.

　Illya's pupils slowly shrank, and the biting cold penetrated her heavy coat and reached her bone marrow.

　Can't think about it anymore...

　A voice in her heart warned Illya.

　Her eyes shifted stiffly downwards. In Illya's horrified sight, the shadow that should have been in human form had already begun to twist continuously, changing in an even more deformed and bizarre direction.

　Parts that didn't belong to a human, like wings and horns, began to extend from the figure. A crimson light slowly lit up, staring directly at Illya like an eye.

　At least that's how it seems to Illya.

　"Here we are."

　The girl's ethereal voice reached Illya's ears, and her dazed consciousness suddenly broke away as if it had been hit hard.

　The girl stopped in front of a ramen shop with a big "Ma" printed on the sign, and spoke softly to Illya and Tanaka.

　Compared to Tanaka who looked like a curious baby, constantly asking questions back and forth between the girl and the store door, Illya looked extremely frightened.

　Was everything that just happened really...an illusion?

　Just as Illya was doubting herself in her heart, the door of the shop was suddenly opened from inside the shop by a hand that was obviously well-trained and covered with strong muscles.

　It gave the impression that he had been waiting there for a long time.

　It must be an illusion, right?

　Illya looked at him uncertainly, and his face was filled with

　508

　The man who looked like the boss couldn't help but become suspicious because of his determination and perseverance.

　This look, this muscle, this aura and—

　Illya glanced at the sign that read "Warm Welcome" on the side of the store, and subconsciously began to hide behind the girl.

　Is this kind of store really a legitimate store?

　Is there no one here anymore?

　Who is this warm welcome sign for?

　Why did I subconsciously hide behind Miss Zigg?

　Weren't you still scared just now?

　The girl didn't seem to notice Illya's abnormality and looked at the tall man in front of her calmly.

　"Hello, I want to ask something."

　"A bowl of Mapo Ramen, I understand."

　"No, I just came to inquire about things..."

　"welcome."

　The owner of the ramen shop, Kotomine Kirei, nodded to the girl, his eyes revealing a hint of abnormal enthusiasm, and then he walked directly back to the kitchen counter, took out the dough that had been prepared long ago, and began to knead and stretch the noodles.

　"Um...I'm not here to eat noodles..."

　"Of course I know that, but I also have my own principles, just like the store I opened."

　"Just a simple bowl of noodles?"

　"Of course, I opened this shop for a purpose."

　The noodles made bursts of air-breaking sounds as the flour was thrown into the air.

　"I will drag the guests who deserve to come in even if my legs are broken. I will not waver in the slightest if the unworthy guests starve to death outside."

　"This is a shady shop! This is definitely a shady shop! This is a typical shady shop! Miss Zig, let's go to another place to get information!"

　Illya grabbed the girl's sleeve tightly and shook her continuously.

　"No, no problem."

　With a slight smile, the girl patted the back of Illya's hand to let her release her palm, then she slowly walked to the counter and sat down.

　"If I eat it, in return you must tell me everything you know. How about that?"

　"Of course, this is the day I've been longing for. Aside from that legendary, once-in-a-lifetime carnival, you're the only one who could make me make such a profound decision. Come and try this Mapo Ramen that I've poured so much effort into!"

　Golden noodles were poured into the bowl, and the fiery red mapo tofu, like magma, exuding a pungent smell, was poured directly onto the noodles.

　“Gurgle…Gurgle…”

　A few bubbles were surging, as if some obscene music was crawling out from the depths of hell.

　Illya and Tanaka's eyes were already closed due to the spiciness, and tears mixed with coughs covered their cheeks.

　"Special edition of Mapo Ramen, please try it."