Medea's Age of Gods Reinforcement Magic once allowed a certain teacher to kill Medusa in a direct confrontation. While Medusa's overconfidence played a part, the feat still spoke volumes about the spell's potency. Now, with a massive reserve of magical power, the spell's output had been amplified several times over. Even this replica provided a boost that was far from negligible.
Kiritsugu Emiya's base abilities now rivaled his Time Alter: Triple Accel state. A flicker of excitement ignited within him. Jiang You hadn't lied—this item truly granted him a substantial power-up. If not for the utterly mortifying outfit, he would have considered it nearly perfect.
But Kiritsugu wasn't one to dwell on such matters. Power was far more alluring than pride. For now, he pushed his shame aside and launched his attack on the enemy Magus.
The enemy magus's pupils contracted violently—not just from the immense magical power emanating from Kiritsugu's Mystic Code, but from his utterly eye-searing outfit.
The shock of seeing a middle-aged man in his forties wearing a pink miniskirt was simply overwhelming, especially since he'd been forced to watch the entire transformation sequence. The thought of fighting this cross-dressing, perverted, middle-aged Mage Killer filled him with dread. If he won, he'd merely suffer severe psychological trauma. But if he lost... it would be no different from being slain by a weapon named "Fluffy Pink Bunny." He would die with his eyes wide open in eternal regret.
Kiritsugu Emiya fired a pink magic bullet from his wand. Medea, in a fit of wicked humor, had even shaped the projectiles into random stars and hearts. (In truth, it wasn't wicked humor; the weapon simply hadn't been designed for Kiritsugu in the first place.) The enemy magus immediately conjured a gust of wind to deflect the bullet's trajectory. Those glowing pink hearts looked suspiciously like they carried a succubus's charm effect, and he had absolutely no intention of letting one hit him.
The wand also had a beam cannon function, but it required a short charge time. Since the wind-controlling magus specialized in speed, Kiritsugu Emiya abandoned the idea of ranged attacks. Instead, he chose to press forward, relying on the Noble Phantasm-level defense provided by his magical girl outfit to close the distance for melee combat.
"Stay away from me!!!"
As the large, pink-clad magical middle-aged man charged toward him, the enemy magus felt the pressure skyrocket. He unleashed a torrent of magical power that did affect Kiritsugu, but the Mystic Code absorbed the vast majority of the damage. The outfit functioned like a protective barrier woven from magical power; until it was completely destroyed, it would bear over ninety percent of all incoming damage. This was why magical girls could tank beam cannons with their faces.
As a result, Kiritsugu's outfit was now tattered and torn. If he were a beautiful young girl, the sight might have been alluring. But when the subject was a middle-aged man in shredded white stockings...
In short, the enemy magus had a powerful urge to gouge out his own eyes.
In that fleeting moment of distraction, Kiritsugu closed the distance. He swung his magic wand in a wide arc, smashing it against the magus's temple. The enemy barely had time to conjure a cushion of air at the point of impact before the blow landed squarely.
Kiritsugu's physical abilities were already excellent. Boosted by Reinforcement Magic, the enemy magus's head exploded like a watermelon. This wand shouldn't be a round staff, Jiang You thought. It should have a bird's beak design.
From Jiang You's perspective, Kiritsugu had simply used Magic Bullets to restrict the enemy's movement, then ended the fight by smashing the staff over his head. This just went to show that in Kiritsugu's hands, with this level of physical enhancement, his melee DPS was far higher than his ranged DPS.
"This thing has so many functions," Jiang You said, slightly disappointed. "Couldn't you have just cast a few proper spells? There were barely any pink light effects. I hardly got any good photos."
Kiritsugu now looked less like a magical girl and more like a pink-clad, cross-dressing serial killer. It wasn't magical enough, nor was it shameful enough.
"This was sufficient," Kiritsugu replied. "It's best to reveal as few trump cards as possible."
He reached down to his pants pocket, intending to light a cigarette to calm his frayed nerves, but his airy lower half consisted only of a small skirt. His cigarettes and lighter were gone.
"...How do I take this thing off?"
"Are you sure you want to deactivate it here?"
Jiang You gestured around the abandoned building in the remote suburb. "This place isn't completely deserted. There are still occasional cars passing by outside. The principle behind this transformation is that it replaces your clothes with magical power. When you deactivate it, this outfit will just vanish."
"?"
Kiritsugu didn't immediately grasp the implication. "Isn't that exactly what I want?"
"Just pull off the butterfly bow on your head," Jiang You instructed. "Don't worry about it getting knocked off; it's just a command gesture. It only works if you do it yourself."
Jiang You had originally wanted Medea to make the trigger a jewel, as a nod to a certain magical zombie, but Medea had refused, saying it would be too conspicuous.
"By the way," Jiang You added, "did you bring a change of clothes?"
"Of course I did. I didn't enter this country legally..."
Disguises were second nature to Kiritsugu. If he had to wait for a visa every time he went after a target, the opportunity would be long gone. As he spoke, Kiritsugu placed his hand on the butterfly bow.
"Why do you ask?"
"Haven't you realized yet? Your original clothes were replaced by magical power."
Jiang You deliberately paused for dramatic effect. This was the difference between the replica and the genuine article. The original's activation spell used Parallel World Magecraft, theoretically swapping clothes with a parallel world counterpart. When deactivated, the original outfit would return. Medea's version, however, was simple and brutal: it just coated the wearer in magical power, effectively washing away the original clothes.
And so, a naked (?) man appeared before Jiang You.
"..."
Seeing Jiang You raise his phone, Kiritsugu silently transformed back into his magical girl outfit. He then turned to the dead Magus's corpse. Since he had no change of clothes, he'd have to make do with what was available. The kind soul wouldn't have any objections, after all.
"How boring. Can't you at least act a little ashamed?"
Jiang You knew Kiritsugu was deeply mortified, but his expression remained utterly calm. Is this the poise of a mature, middle-aged man? he wondered. The ability to wear a frilly skirt in front of someone without batting an eye.
"You obviously knew this would happen, didn't you?" Kiritsugu's voice was flat.
Kiritsugu's expression seemed to say, Do you think I can't guess what you're planning, kid?
"Since this is the outcome you wanted, and I've accepted sacrificing my dignity for power, this is a fair trade," he said aloud. "Therefore, I have no reason to feel ashamed in front of you."
"However," he continued, "being seen like this by others would damage my reputation, so..."
The dead Magus's clothes didn't fit Kiritsugu, so he simply stripped the cloak from the body and draped it over himself. Then, pulling a can of gasoline from somewhere, he doused the corpse and lit it with a single match, thoroughly destroying the evidence.
"As long as they can't talk, it's fine. I can accept this outfit as a trump card."
"Setting that aside for a moment," Jiang You interjected, "have you considered that this 'trump card' will appear in the form of a card? Everyone will see it during the tournament."
Jiang You offered this "kind" reminder, making it clear that Kiritsugu couldn't escape displaying his Magical Girl form to the world.
"..."
Kiritsugu's hand trembled slightly. No matter how calm he appeared on the surface, he still cared deeply about this.
With a trembling hand, he lit a cigarette (pulled from the Magus's cloak) and said, trying to sound nonchalant, "It doesn't matter. This Duel Tournament is held in another world, right? As long as... as long as no one here finds out, it'll be fine."
"Isn't your wish to turn this world into a Duel City too?"
Jiang You laughed. Kiritsugu Emiya thought he could escape? Not a chance. "How long do you think you can keep that trump card hidden then?"
"...Worst case, I'll just wash my hands of this and retire!"
Kiritsugu had made up his mind. Once the world's rules were rewritten, he would retire. If he didn't fight anyone, he wouldn't have to play cards, and no one would ever find out.
"Let's hope you can manage that. In the meantime, welcome to the Duel Tournament. Take this."
Jiang You handed Kiritsugu a Blank Card. He had plenty of them, and he planned to help Kiritsugu refine his Magical Girl Kiritsugu Emiya Deck in advance so he wouldn't be eliminated too early.
The moment Kiritsugu grasped the card, it responded. A set of cards related to his current form materialized in his hand.
Magical Girl Kiritsugu Emiya5-Star Synchro Card / Caster / ATK 2500[Emiya] Servant + Prototype Joyful Mystic Code
1. Once per turn: You can target 1 card on the field; destroy it.
2. Once per turn: You can pay 500 Life Points; Set 1 "Origin Bullet" from your Deck or Graveyard to your Backrow. You can also activate this effect when your opponent Summons a Servant.
3. You take no battle damage from battles involving this card. When this card declares an attack, your opponent cannot activate Spell or Trap Cards.
4. If this card leaves the field: Special Summon 1 "Emiya" Servant from your Graveyard.
-
To be honest, in this chaotic era of power creep, this card's effects were rather mediocre. Still, it was a decent upgrade for Kiritsugu Emiya, and it came with other enhancements not detailed here.
However, Kiritsugu hadn't experienced many other battles, so his game sense hadn't caught up with the latest meta. He was quite satisfied with the upgrade, as the power boost was obvious. The "Prototype Joyful Mystic Code" also had a search function, making his Deck far stronger than the bare-bones version he'd been using before.
"With this, my competitive edge has increased significantly."
Kiritsugu Emiya nodded. Jiang You had already given him a personal upgrade; what more could he complain about? He'd tried all sorts of methods before and didn't mind trying another, especially since Jiang You's tone made the whole thing sound remarkably casual.
"My work here is almost done. When do we leave?"
"You're in too much of a hurry. You're about to go have fun in another world, and you're not even going to say goodbye to your wife?"
Jiang You's expression seemed to say, You big oaf, running around with your mistress while leaving poor Irisviel all alone. Aren't you worried she'll cheat on you?
"...Irisviel... she's probably used to it by now. Besides, my lifestyle isn't suitable for her."
Kiritsugu's gaze flickered away. Before leaving last time, Jiang You had specifically told him to take better care of his wife. Having an outsider remind him about his own marital relationship was more than a little embarrassing.
"Her life has only just begun; it can't end so soon. Living on the edge of a blade... that's a job for Maiya and me."
"Could you please stop talking like this is something you have to do?"
Even Jiang You couldn't hold back his frustration. This guy was completely stubborn.
"Cut the crap. This time, bring Irisviel along for the fun. You need someone to cheer you on during your Duels!"
"Then I'll go back and get her."
If Jiang You could guarantee her safety, Kiritsugu was willing to trust him. After all, Jiang You's performance back then was undeniable—he seemed more like a Hero of Justice than Kiritsugu himself.
"If I book a flight now, it'll take two days... Even through special channels, it'll be tomorrow morning at the earliest..."
"It's not that complicated."
Jiang You grabbed Kiritsugu by the collar. "Come with me."
Then he yanked him into the Transit World.
-
In the Library.
"Welcome back. Do you have any instructions?"
After Jiang You had taken the three lolis to the Duel Tournament, the Library had fallen silent, leaving only Bubble at a desk, diligently writing something.
Kiritsugu surveyed the antique-style library. The windows and bookshelves floated impossibly in the air, clearly indicating this was no ordinary place.
"Help me open a channel to Einzbern Castle during the Fourth Holy Grail War timeline," Jiang You instructed. "The place where Irisviel is."
Bubble possessed a partial concept of "Gate." As long as Jiang You had visited a world, she could establish a one-way passage to it, which was extremely convenient. This was also how Jiang You had been able to find Kiritsugu so quickly.
"Understood. Have a pleasant journey."
Bubble raised her hand and pulled at the empty air, sliding a door into place before Jiang You.
"Let's go. We're picking up your wife."
Kiritsugu had wanted to gather more intelligence about this place, but Jiang You dragged him through the door. The moment it closed, Jiang You suddenly felt like he'd forgotten something. He scratched his head, but couldn't recall what it was, so he gave up trying.
-
"Kiritsugu, Jiang You should have arrived to support you by now. He just contacted me..."
Seeing that the area had gone quiet, Maiya approached to investigate. All she found was a black, humanoid scorch mark on the ground. From the half-burnt decorations still visible, she could tell it was the enemy Magus. She tried calling Kiritsugu on the radio, but there was no response.
Where did he go?
Given the appearance of that particular servant, Maiya didn't think Kiritsugu would be in any real danger. But why had he vanished?
After cleaning up the scene, Maiya called Irisviel. As Kiritsugu's wife, Irisviel had the right to know about such matters.
But no one answered.