Capítulo 472: C472
"Hateful... hateful... hateful..."
"Vessel... vessel... vessel..."
"My vessel..."
"That thing seems ready to unleash something nasty," Gilgamesh remarked, narrowing his eyes. Turning to Shirou, he said, "Without magical energy, you're pretty much dead weight. Step back."
Shirou shook his head. "I have a plan..."
Almost reflexively, Gilgamesh took a step back and exclaimed, "I'd rather not hear your plan!"
Shirou stared at him, incredulous. "Seriously? You're being overdramatic."
Gilgamesh shot back, "Just take a look at our predicament!"
"So, what? Now it's my fault?" Shirou threw his hands up in exasperation. "Do you honestly believe that the moment I start planning, the tides will miraculously turn against us? That's some next-level superstition. And to think the great King of Heroes falls for such things."
Gilgamesh paused before replying, "I didn't hold such beliefs before, but after spending enough time around you, I believe it's better to be safe than sorry."
Shirou: "..."
He couldn't help but be taken aback. Is this actually Gilgamesh? It's pretty unexpected, to say the least.
Shaking his head slightly, he said, "Relax, this can't be called as plans. It's just a way to restore magical energy."
He paused and then shouted, "Ruby, Sapphire! It's time!"
Ruby flew out from behind King Solomon's throne, clearly thrilled. "Is it finally our turn to shine?" she said, buzzing with excitement.
After being confined in the temple, Ruby and Sapphire had taken up a discreet position behind King Solomon, awaiting his cue.
And now, that moment had come.
"Hold on, sis!" Sapphire followed closely behind.
Arriving at his side, Ruby eagerly announced, "Time to transform into adorable magical—no, wait, I mean noble Kamen Rider!"
Sapphire interjected, "Sis, remember who we really are. We should transform into magical girls!"
And that was exactly why he had been hesitant to call on them.
Ruby and Sapphire were both Mystic Codes with the incredible capability to harness magical energy from a limitless array of parallel worlds. However, the downside was they'd turn their users into some, well, rather unconventional forms.
For example, magical girls, Kamen Riders, or even... Pretty Cure?
The whole concept was a hard pill to swallow for him, especially as a guy who wasn't keen on cross-dressing.
Sure, he might not have the cleanest mind in the world, but he did have some standards when it came to preserving his own dignity.
But now, he was out of magical energy!
Shirou was in a bind. On one hand, he was desperate for magical energy; on the other, he had his own limits. Dressing up as a magical girl was a bridge too far for him.
In fact, he should have replenished his magical energy with Artoria just now, but he felt a bit embarrassed to do that.
So here he was, clutching Ruby and Sapphire in his hands, applying just enough pressure to make his point.
Crack, Crack, Crack...
The bizarre sounds emanated from the two Mystic Codes.
"Ow, ow, ow!!! What are you doing?!" Ruby wailed. "I've always been your loyal supporter! Why are you hurting me?!"
Sapphire also wailed, "It hurts, please stop, Eternal King, please let go."
His face was dead serious. "Listen up, both of you. If you even think about transforming me into some wacky magical girl, I'm not just going to give you a hard time; I'll lock you in a black box and forget about you. Got it?"
Ruby was quick to get the message, nodding furiously as she tried to win back his favor. "I get it, I get it! I'm your loyal lackey, Your Majesty. Can you ease up on the grip now?"
But Sapphire stuck to her principle and said, "I am a Kaleidostick, and I absolutely won't..."
Before she could finish her thought, Ruby smacked her sister, "Zip it! His Majesty's orders are absolute!"
Turning her attention back to him, Ruby made another attempt to win him over. "Please, Your Majesty...?"
Sapphire let out a resigned sigh. "Alright then, what do you want to transform into?"
"It doesn't matter what it is, just as long as it isn't a magical girl outfit."
His requirements were straightforward; he simply wished to maintain his dignity. He cared about the opinions of his subordinates, friends, and the women for whom he was responsible. However, the most pressing issue was to not provide Gilgamesh, the chuunibyou idiot, with material to mock him.
Indeed, the primary reason he so adamantly refused transforming into a magical girl or wearing female clothing was precisely because Gilgamesh was here.
Being somewhat embarrassed in front of his subordinates, friends, and women was tolerable. However, giving Gilgamesh the opportunity to ridicule him was completely unacceptable.
That's right, the true reason he wouldn't entertain the idea of becoming a magical girl or donning women's attire was Gilgamesh's presence.
If he allowed Gilgamesh even the smallest opening to discover his weak point, he knew that Gilgamesh would take immense pleasure in taunting him at every opportunity. That was a situation he simply couldn't afford to let happen.
So, taking action, he picked up Ruby with one hand and Sapphire with the other, placing them against his waist.
He stayed silent, and neither Ruby nor Sapphire made a move to transform. The scene fell into an awkward silence for a couple of seconds, with only the sounds of the rampaging dragon being heard.
It was a somewhat uncomfortable moment, and Ruby decided to voice her opinion. 'Your Majesty, you should have said henxin! That's the trigger!'
A mental sigh washed over him. "This can't be happening..."
He took a breath, "Henxin!" he voiced aloud.
Ruby's voice brimmed with excitement, "Yes, my master! Preparation complete! Cross over, fate! Kamen Rider Ruby!"
A burst of red light emanated from Ruby, filling the space. Sapphire spoke hesitantly, "This is a first for me, so I'm not really sure what I should say, sis."
Ruby let out a chuckle, "That's alright."
The two gems started glowing in a harmonious blend of red and blue, their light swirling together like a miniature galaxy, casting their luminous sheen over his entire frame.
With a final burst of enthusiasm, Ruby exclaimed, "Infusion complete! Shatter the limits! Beyond the boundaries of the world, Kamen Rider Stars!"
As the blended starlight flickered and dissipated, a brand-new Kamen Rider appeared in his place.
He wore thick azure-silver armor that seemed to shimmer with a subtle, star-like glow. His face was obscured by an azure-silver mask, punctuated by two large, crimson, compound eyes.
The combined starlight had given him an almost ethereal appearance.
"This... this is...!" Gilgamesh's eyes sparkled, fully captivated by the transformation.
Just as he had been taken by the Kamen Rider Ruby suit, Gilgamesh found himself equally entranced by the starry effects of the Kamen Rider Stars armor.
"This isn't the time to play around; stay focused, Gil."
Gilgamesh huffed, crossing his arms and cocking his head with a touch of haughtiness. "My focus has always been impeccable."
Yet, despite his claim, his eyes kept drifting back to the new Kamen Rider Stars suit. There was something about its aesthetic that piqued his interest.
Solomon, the King of Magecraft, also regarded Shirou's transformed state with a hint of curiosity, his listless eyes studying the changes with interest.
Enhanced by both Ruby and Sapphire, and augmented by his own power, his current form was nothing short of eye-catching—it was like he had become a human lightbulb. Going unnoticed was simply out of the question.
The crowd outside the temple had their eyes glued to the sky projections. Suddenly, they erupted into cheers and shouts. The sudden explosion of special effects signaled a game-changing moment, and they could practically feel the atmosphere shift. To them, it seemed like the odds of getting out of this mess had just increased.
The fusion of Red Ruby and Blue Sapphire bestowed impressive abilities upon its bearer, elevating them to a force to be reckoned with. However, it's essential to note that such an elevated status was relative. Take Illya, for example; when she assumed this form, she could easily turn the tides of a typical Holy Grail War in a single night. With the magical energy from her own Grail and the added power from the parallel world, she could even overcome Gilgamesh, Ea, and all.
But this is where the nuances come into play. Pitting Illya in this mode against the monstrosity in the sky or against Crimson Moon would yield a painfully predictable outcome.
For him, this transformed state didn't significantly enhance his combat abilities. While the mode had the potential to greatly exceed a user's normal capabilities, in his case, its primary function was to replenish his magical energy. More specifically, it enabled him to draw magical energy from parallel worlds through the second magic.
So in essence, this state served as more of a mana-replenishing tool than a dramatic power boost. If it hadn't been for that entity obstructing his use of the Evil Flower, he might not have even considered using these embarrassing toys.
...
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