Catch black illya

[Shirou POV]

"Ohhhhh! Why did it turn out like this?!"

"Perfect, isn't it?"

"Um... Hey, Tohsaka, what is this?"

I had no choice but to say that in response to the scene unfolding before me. In front of our eyes, Illya was suspended from a tree branch, tightly bound and crying. Tohsaka murmured with satisfaction.

We had come to the forest for a certain purpose. That purpose was none other than capturing Dark Illya. But somehow, Ilya ended up in this state. And that's because...

I recalled how it had come to this. Yes, it happened a few hours ago--

.........

"Well, thank you for coming, Shero. Now, please come in quickly."

"Well, yeah. I'll do that, but..."

Ilya and I visited the mansion in front of my house for a strategy meeting to deal with Dark Ilya. Luvia, who welcomed us, had a big smile on her face as she said that. It was appreciated, but... I looked behind Luvia.

"What's up?"

"Well, um... Tohsaka, what are you doing? Isn't that Luvia's maid uniform?"

"Kuh..."

Yes, behind Luvia were Tohsaka and Miyu, both dressed in maid uniforms. I knew about Miyu, but why Tohsaka too? Tohsaka had a frustrated expression on her face, as if she couldn't bear it.

"Ohohoho! Please don't mind it. As you can see, she's our maid."

"...Please, don't ask for the details, Emiya-kun..."

"Well... yeah, sorry."

It seemed better not to ask. Tohsaka had a triumphant laugh, and Tohsaka and Miyu, who didn't argue back, stood there. Well, Tohsaka seemed pitiful, so I decided to stop prying.

Ruby:『Pukukuku, Rin-san, I'll show you that interesting episode of yours later. On video.』

"Stop it!"

Just as I thought that, Ruby tried to spread Tohsaka's embarrassment. Are you a demon? It seemed like Ilya knew about it too, but she just smiled wryly and didn't say anything.

Well, let's forget about that. We decided to get to the main topic, and we entered Luvia's mansion. Tohsaka, in her maid uniform, stood in front of the whiteboard and started writing down the current situation.

"So, let's start the strategy meeting."

The whiteboard had "Appearance of Dark Ilya" and "Lancer's Class Card Disappeared?" written on it. There was also an arrow drawn from Dark Ilya's face (drawing) to Ilya's face, with the words "Targeting her life?" written next to it.

While Tohsaka was writing those things, everyone else became idle, chatting and drinking tea, passing the time as they pleased. I kept an eye on Tohsaka's movements. Well, she's surprisingly good at drawing.

"...You guys, listen properly!"

Seeing everyone like that, Tohsaka exploded in anger. Oh no, that's bad. Apparently, she was a control freak, and now Tohsaka exploded, so we straightened up and looked at Tohsaka... at Tohsaka in a maid uniform... pfft, this is bad...

"Ohohoho! It's always amusing! Especially when you're angry with that serious face!"

"That's right! When you're angry, it's even more entertaining!"

"Hehehe..."

"...You guys... listen properly! And you're laughing too much!"

With knives and forks shining in her hand, blood started to flow from Tohsaka's brow. Wha-! Tohsaka, that's something a butler does, not a maid! She threw them, and the knives and forks stuck in Luvia's forehead. Oh, that looks painful...

"What are you doing, in the guise of a maid!"

Ruby:『Oh, oh... Rin-san's anger is reaching its climax...』

Ruby also stuck in a large number of knives and forks and pinned them to the wall. By the way, a fork stuck between Ilya's and my faces, swaying our hair in the wind. Th-this is scary! We held back our laughter, didn't we?

Luvia, with knives and forks sticking out of her forehead, ran around in a panic. While looking down at her with a cold gaze, Tohsaka apologized in a brazen voice and pulled them out.

"Geez. Luvia, you should understand how serious this situation is. We haven't even reported involving Emiya-kun and the others to the Association, and now it has turned into such an abnormal situation. If it gets exposed, it won't end well."

"...Hmph, there's no need for you to tell me that."

"If you understand, then listen seriously."

While blood flowed from the knives and forks stuck in her forehead, Luvia finally put on a serious face. She seemed to have understood Tohsaka's words. That's good, but do something about the blood flowing from your forehead.

"Here, put on a band-aid. And sorry, Tohsaka. Continue with the discussion."

"T-Thank you, Shero."

"Yes, just understand."

Handing Luvia a large band-aid, I apologized to Tohsaka and urged her to continue the conversation. Then the two of them returned to their original positions, their faces slightly red, embarrassed. If it's embarrassing, I want them to stop fighting like children.

"...Onii-chan, since when did you become so friendly with Rin-san?"

"...And why does Luvia-san call Shirou-san 'Shero'?"

"Huh? What's wrong, Ilya, Miyu? Your gaze is scary... but it's not a big deal, is it?"

Ruby:『That's not good.』

However, just when Tohsaka and Luvia's quarrel seemed to settle, for some reason, my sisters who had been watching them became upset. Why? Because the past two weeks were unrelated to Ilya and the others, they were curious?

"Yes, yes, let's continue the discussion. It seems Dark Illya's goal is Illya's life..."

After we finished explaining, Tohsaka stopped us with a clap of her hands and resumed the explanation. The most concerning issue, the purpose of that black Illya, was revealed yesterday. Illya's life. Tohsaka confirmed that and looked at Illya's face.

"That Illya is somehow weakened..."

"Yes..."

While saying that, Tohsaka looked at the whiteboard. On the whiteboard, it was written that Ilya is weakened? Why? Ilya, upon hearing that, slumped down.

The magus group began to ponder. According to Ruby, the current Ilya is physically fine, but her magical capacity and output have significantly decreased. What on earth could it mean?

"Illya's magical power right now is about one-third of her maximum."

"So, according to Dark Illya, there seems to be a connection between that and her appearance, right?"

"That's what she said. It seemed like she had some idea about Ilya's current state."

"Well... if that's the case, then our course of action is decided."

After hearing our discussion, Tohsaka said that. Indeed, there's only one way to solve all of this. The identity of Dark Illya. Illya's abnormality. And the fact that her life is in danger. The solution to these problems is...

"Our goal is clear. We will capture Dark Illya!"

......…

Right, that's the conclusion we reached. It was all fine until Tohsaka made her declaration, and everyone nodded in agreement. But how did it end up like this? When we were deciding on a concrete strategy, it wasn't supposed to be like this.

"Well, how would you lure out an opponent whose whereabouts are unknown?"

"Well... I guess that's indeed a problem. So?"

"The answer to that is this!"

"Take it oooofff!"

Confidently, Tohsaka explains the strategy in response to my question. And in the direction she points, there is my sister, still bound and hanging from a tree branch. Um, even if she says that, how should I interpret it? What does she mean?

"Don't you get it? Bait, it's bait."

"Bait... huh."

"Dark Illya's goal is the real Illya's life, right? So we can't ignore this! Even if we know it's a trap. As insurance, we've even prepared such a lavish feast!"

Well, I understand what she's trying to say. But will this really work? I look at the so-called insurance that Tohsaka confidently speaks of. Underneath where Ilya is hanging, there is a luxurious feast.

Sapphire『A perfect plan.』

"I agree."

Sapphire's opinion aligns with mine. Why is Tohsaka so confident about this plan? I really want to know the basis for her confidence. It seems that Miyu shares the same thoughts as me, as she breaks out in a cold sweat.

I look over to Luvia, hoping she would say something. But Luvia is smiling. Seeing that, I thought, ah, here comes the usual mockery of Tohsaka's plan, and another one of their fights.

But...

"Hmph, I despise agreeing with your suggestion, but it's a perfect plan."

For some reason, Luvia praises Tohsaka's plan. Why? Miyu and I slump our shoulders upon hearing Luvia's words. Could it be that these two magi have quite unfortunate ways of thinking?

"...I was a fool to trust you, Rin-san."

I hear Illya mutter those words. It's the voice of Illya's soul, which has given up struggling and become docile. Her appearance is now filled with melancholy. As her brother, maybe I should help her.

Just as I thought that, I hear the sound of someone stepping on a branch, and we all turn our faces in that direction. There, gazing up at Illya, who is hanging with a blank expression, is the figure we were expecting. Yes, our target for this mission.

"They've actually come...!"

"As expected (desu wa)."

I, Illya, and Miyu (from their expressions), along with Tohsaka and Luvia, who smirk confidently, simultaneously mutter those words in our minds. The real Dark Illya has appeared and looks up at the hanging Ilya with a suspicious gaze.

And as she circles around below her, she observes her from various angles. Meanwhile, the Illya being observed can't escape that gaze, as she's bound and unable to move. It's really pitiful...

"Hey, Illya...! Struggle and entice her more like bait...!"

Tohsaka gives quiet instructions to the motionless Ilya. Well, she won't hear such a quiet voice.

"Mmm... It's so obvious that it's a trap, it's hard to react naturally..."

"We've been found out...!"

Of course, they have. To the words of Dark Illya, Tohsaka and Luvia simultaneously express their regret in hushed voices. I really want to ask them seriously, why did they think they wouldn't be discovered? Tohsaka's planned strategy certainly seems to have failed...

"Well, it doesn't matter. Since you've come up with such an adorable script, I'll play along!"

It's undoubtedly the perfect opportunity to kill Illya. Dark Illya, having made that judgment, jumps up with her spear aimed at the hanging Illya. I didn't expect things to go so smoothly. Surprised, I also prepare myself.

"Here I coooommmmme, Fiiiissshhhh! Switching capture targets!"

Tohsaka shouts as she pulls on the restraining band. The binding spell is activated, freeing Illya and restraining Dark Ilya. At the same time, Illya transforms using Ruby concealed within the restraints.

I transform using Archer's card, and Miyu transforms into her magical girl form. However, Dark Illya isn't caught easily. She easily cuts through the restraining band with the tip of her spear and breaks free. But we're not done yet!

"Zeichen Sign! [Invisible Iron Chain Wedge Faostr Dea Schwarzkraft]!"

Luvia activates the binding magic she had prepared. A magic circle appears beneath Dark Illya's feet, crushing her body and stitching her to the ground. It seems to be a gravity-based magic that renders the target immobile.

"Hmm... Quite a troublesome binding magic. But..."

Dark Illya, despite being immobilized by the gravity magic, remains composed. Sweat trickles down her forehead, but she quickly focuses her magical energy on her right hand and draws something on the ground. Some kind of writing? It looks like the letter 'F.'

"It's a far cry from when we captured Berserker! But [ANSZ Anzus]!"

"W-What, could this be... rune magic!?"

The moment Dark Illya shouts, the magic circle at her feet explodes, canceling out the gravity magic. Tohsaka is surprised by that, and she analyzes Dark Illya's power. Can she use both Lancer's card power and magic!?

"Is it over now? In a magic battle, I can hold my own to some extent."

"Heh, that's right. Cu Chulainn is also skilled in rune magic. I didn't expect her to have such powerful abilities in the Lancer class. Heroic Spirits sure are troublesome..."

"Well, it's all thanks to my own knowledge of magic."

Tohsaka gnashes her teeth in frustration. Luvia too. Perhaps it's their pride as magi. But what does Dark Illya's words mean? Does she possess knowledge of magic herself?

"We're at a disadvantage in magic. Illya, Emiya-kun!"

"For now, let's go all out with Scatter Shot!"

"Can't be helped..."

If only we had caught her with that attack just now. Following Tohsaka's instructions, Ilya and I launch distracting attacks to blind Dark Illya. We don't intend to hit her directly with these attacks.

We unleash a barrage of arrows, shooting as many as possible at the ground surrounding Dark Illya. Combined with Ilya's scattered shots, a cloud of dust swirls up dramatically. We've successfully obscured Dark Illya's vision. Now, we place all our hopes on our main attack.

"So that's how it is. A smoke screen created by scattered shots and arrow barrages. In that case, the next step is naturally..."

However, I shudder upon hearing Dark Illya's mutter. Has she predicted our attack!? The decisive strike approaching from behind. Miyu, hidden in the smoke screen, leaps with something in her hand. But she's been anticipated.

"All symbols that should be broken... Rule Breaker. Impressive, Miyu. Attacking the weak point straight away."

"Damn it...!"

Twisting her body to evade Miyu's surprise attack, Dark Illya grabs her hand. What Miyu held was a short sword. It's a Noble Phantasm exclusive to Caster's card, with a blade that bends like lightning. Its effect allows it to destroy and nullify anything composed of magical energy, contracts included. Miyu must have judged that it would be effective against Dark Illya, but she couldn't land the blow.

"This adaptability is abnormal."

"Yeah. It's like she can read all our moves."

We grit our teeth in frustration. Even though it's five against one, we can't restrain Dark Ilya. She instantly adapts to our attacks. Tohsaka and the others have their magic sealed, and Ilya and Miyu evade the magical blasts.

And I... I find it difficult to attack Dark Ilya, who shares my sister's face. I can't help but hesitate.

"What should I do..."

That's all I can mutter.

.........

[Illya POV]

"Uuuh..."

I groan as I look at the enemy with my own face. The enemy seems to be enjoying the situation. In this scenario, I sense something like discomfort. An enemy with the same appearance as me. It's an indescribable sensation.

It feels as if I'm fighting my mirror image. In response to this situation, I finally manage to put it into words within myself. Fighting the merciless assaults of my mirrored self. Yeah, this is incredibly...

"Super creepy! Eek!"

"What did you say about being creepy?!"

"Eeek!"

If I were to give my honest impression, the enemy thrusts a spear at me. I somehow manage to dodge it and escape. Then, the enemy chases after me. At an incredible speed. With an incredibly ferocious expression! I desperately run away.

"You're really annoying! Just die here!"

"Eeek! Don't tell me to die so politely! You're not supposed to say such things!"

"Who cares! Just die obediently!"

"Waaaah, it's so unfair!"

I have no shame or dignity. From an outside perspective, this exchange might seem quite amusing, but as the person involved, I'm desperate. I keep evading the successive spear attacks from behind. And finally, help arrives...

"Hold it right there!"

"Wait!"

"Rin-san, Luvia-san!"

They appear as saviors. They don't seem like the ones who used me as bait in the beginning. Rin-san and Luvia-san intervene, blocking the path between me and the enemy. On the enemy's heels, my brother and Miyu chase after us. Alright, we have them surrounded.

"Oh, how annoying. You're in the way. I did say I'm reasonably proficient in magecraft!"

"What!?"

Just as I thought that, the enemy somehow utilizes the restraining bands I had sliced through earlier by channeling magical energy. Rin-san and the others are easily caught in them. Oh no, they're useless! The reliability they showed just a moment ago is nowhere to be found.

"This...!"

Ruby:『Ugh, our own restraining bands are being turned against us!』

"They're useless, aren't they?"

"They certainly are."

Ruby showers Rin-san and the others who withdraw from the frontlines with harsh words. I agree with her this time.

"In that case, I'll..."

"Miyu, that's a last resort. Didn't I show you that it won't work against me yesterday?"

"Kuh, but if it can slow you down!"

"I see. I suppose that's one way to think about it. Then..."

Having seen that, Miyu continuously fires magical blasts, but the enemy evades them just like yesterday. Miyu continues to fire the magical blasts in order to hinder the enemy. Then, the enemy reverses course and closes in on Miyu.

"What!?"

Dodging every magical blast fired directly at her, the enemy approaches Miyu. Witnessing this, Miyu lets out a surprised voice. Of course. Evading attacks while closing in like that. Moreover, she evades attacks at close range too.

"Miyu!"

"You're too slow, Onii-chan. The battle is already over. The first weakness of a Kaleid Magical Girl is close combat."

Onii-chan tries to help Miyu, but it's too late. The arrows are dodged, so Onii-chan can't attack without getting close. The enemy approaches Miyu and snatches Sapphire away. This is bad.

"And the second weakness: if the staff is released for 30 seconds or if the Master is 50 meters away, the transformation is canceled. You need to keep holding onto it, Miyu. So, goodbye, Sapphire!"

Sapphire:『Miyu-samaaaaa!』

"Sapphireeeee!"

The enemy swings the stolen Sapphire with a full swing of their spear, sending it flying far away. With Sapphire gone, Miyu's transformation is canceled. Even Miyu... it happened so easily...

"Wait, stop!"

"Hehe. Don't get in the way, Onii-chan. You can't catch up with Archer's speed."

Onii-chan tries to catch them, but they easily evade with Lancer's speed. It seems this enemy has no intention of attacking Onii-chan. Such behavior only irritates me further.

The fact that Onii-chan doesn't intend to harm this person either. The enemy gracefully leaps into the air. Escaping from Onii-chan's grasp, they land right in front of me. Huh?! I panic and try to escape, turning around.

"I can't let Illya be harmed, after all!"

"Don't interfere, Onii-chan. Quad-wing Shallow-Water Atgoura!"

Onii-chan approaches, gripping the twin swords tightly. The enemy sees this and draws something on the ground with their foot. Suddenly, magic circles appear around me and the enemy, hindering Onii-chan's approach. They can do something like this!?

"I can't move forward..."

"It's a dueling rune. Now, you can't escape anymore. No interference either."

"Ugh..."

"There's truly no way to go now..."

Onii-chan's movements are also predicted. He can't keep up with Lancer's speed. Truly, we have no options left. I just sit down, accepting the enemy's approach. I can hear Rin-san and the others shouting. But...

"This is the end..."

"Goodbye, Ilya♪"

"...What?!"

As the enemy aims their spear at me and tries to thrust it, they can't attack. The enemy's body sinks halfway into the ground. I never thought we would resort to this...

"Yes! Victory!"

Seeing this, Rin-san and the others tear apart their restraints while shouting in triumph. By the way, their shouts weren't particularly feminine. The four magic circles around us have disappeared without us realizing.

Yes, I lured the enemy here by running away. What was here...

"A... bottomless swamp!?"

As the enemy exclaims, it turns out to be a bottomless swamp. Yes, the same bottomless swamp that Rin-san and the others fell into before. This was our last trap for when we truly ran out of options. But I wasn't sure if it would work.

"They disguised it as the ground! But still, this won't last long..."

The enemy doesn't give up. They probably think they can handle a bottomless swamp. The enemy concentrates magic in their right hand, attempting to draw something on the ground outside the swamp. They're planning to use magic. The spear is lying on the ground.

"...What?! Why...?"

However, the characters drawn on the ground don't cause anything to happen. For the first time, the enemy starts to panic. Rin-san and the others approach.

"Hehe. Even if you try to use magic, it's useless."

"Because this swamp is a perfect Order Cosmos infused with all five great elements in an inert state! No magic, including yours, can activate in this 'does not become anything' mud! Of course, your magic too!"

"Ugh?!"

Upon hearing this, the enemy grits their teeth. They don't know what it means, but this child does. The enemy, unable to escape or resist, glares at Rin-san and the others. Seeing this, Rin-san and the others seem genuinely delighted.

"You must think it's a silly trap, but the moment you fell into it, your defeat was sealed."

"Yes, silly... Haha... Hahahaha!"

They burst into laughter. With tears in their eyes, they laugh uproariously. Apparently, they completely forgot that they themselves had been in a similar situation not long ago. I thought to myself how convenient their forgetfulness is.

"Come on, what will you do? You're sinking more and more while we're like this!"

"Uuuuuuh!"

"Oh my, this child is crying. How pitiful."

These people... their words to a child who can no longer do anything and is sinking into the swamp. These people are truly hopeless. Onii-chan and Miyu are also thoroughly astonished by their behavior.

"Waaaaaaah!"

Finally, the enemy bursts into tears. And as promised, they don't lay a hand on me and are rescued from the swamp. They've finally succeeded in capturing the dark version of myself. In the end, it seemed like they were the bad guys...

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Explaination :

Kuro actively uses the runes that Archer didn't use. However, she doesn't use her ultimate technique, Gaebolg, very often. It consumes a bit too much magical energy, and she doesn't have the skill for solo actions.

Also, let's say that Kuro has reflected the possibility of Lancer Alter. FGO's Lancer Alter is not a straightforward existence to begin with. I won't go into details since it would be a spoiler for FGO. Kuro has reflected the potential of Alter Cu Chulainn, which is a possibility of Archer Alter. It has a similar appearance to FGO's Lancer Alter but with a tanned complexion. Kuro's dark emotions have reflected the possibility of its existence, hence the tanned skin. The stats are the same as regular Lancer Alter, and the Rank of the Protection Against Arrows skill remains at B.

章 23: Catch black illya

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章 23: Catch black illya

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