Day Two of the SUNSHINE60 Anime Expo
An otaku with a camera scanned the crowd, clearly searching for the perfect target. Suddenly, his eyes widened in excitement and he nudged his friend.
"Hey, hey! Look over there! That's an amazing elementary school cosplayer! Whose kid is that?! That cosplay is perfect!"
Following his gaze, a girl with orange hair walked by, holding hands with a petite girl dressed in a red-and-white school uniform, heading toward the observation deck.
"White hair, red eyes... Is that natural? It doesn't look dyed. Foreign, maybe? That's super rare."
The little girl wore a brown satchel and a school uniform with alternating red and white tones that gave her an oddly captivating aura. She clung tightly to the orange-haired girl's arm and nervously waved a very cute magic wand.
(That so-called "very cute magic wand" is actually a filthy old man-don't be fooled!)
"Are you okay, Illya? If this is too overwhelming, we can head back," Ritsuka asked gently.
Illya seemed to sense no real danger and loosened her grip on Ritsuka's arm-though she still clutched her wand, Ruby, tightly.
"I'm fine! This is nothing! I'm not the type to run away over something like this!" Illya shook her head with a smile. "If I got scared now, Kuro (Chloe von Einzbern) would never let me live it down!"
As if she hasn't mocked you enough already... Ritsuka sighed inwardly. Seeing that Illya was okay, she didn't worry further and led the way toward the observation deck.
They were there today because Chaldea had reported another unusual energy reading in the area, prompting them to investigate.
Why Illya and Not Monte Cristo?
"Edmond said he doesn't really do crowds. Apparently, anywhere more packed than Yveburg is a no-go for him," Ritsuka recalled Edmond's immediate rejection earlier that day. The moment he heard how many people would be at the anime expo, he refused flat-out.
So instead, Ritsuka summoned Illya-who'd never attended an anime event before-to accompany her. Plus, it'd be a good learning experience for the girl.
Earlier, when they passed by the performance stage, Illya had looked longingly at the pink-haired mahou shoujo performing there. Ruby had also been stirring things up via their mental link, trying to convince Illya to jump on stage and perform "Quintett Feuer."
As if you can just hop up there and perform like that! Ritsuka had thought.
"Aah, we're here now, Illya." The venue was pretty large, but the two of them had made good time. Soon, they arrived at the observation deck.
"Let's take a break here and see if anything strange happens," Ritsuka said.
"Okay~!" Illya beamed, flashing a devastatingly cute smile that struck Ritsuka right in the heart. Then, she dashed off to buy a cup of ice cream.
---
- Mahou Shoujo Scene Transition -
Elsewhere, Mizushino Souta and the others had successfully met Selesia's creator. But now, they were facing a new problem-a mahou shoujo named Kirameki Mamika from the G-rated anime Magical Slayer Mamika.
Despite her sweet appearance, Mizushino Souta quickly realized through their conversations that Mamika had been summoned by the Military Uniform Princess and was now aligned with her-making her an enemy.
Suddenly-
BOOM!
An explosion rocked the SUNSHINE60 observation deck. A giant hole was blasted into the wall, and Selesia flew out, pursued closely by Kirameki Mamika-now fully transformed into her magical girl form.
As Selesia struggled to stay in the air, Mamika shouted:
"Magical Splash Flare!"
A heart-shaped energy blast appeared beside Selesia. Caught off guard, she was struck and knocked down.
Naturally, the commotion caught Ritsuka and Illya's attention-they were right there on the scene. In fact, they had witnessed the entire sequence, from Mamika's transformation to the wall's destruction, completely dumbfounded.
"So... magical girl transformations really do involve being totally naked," Ritsuka murmured in shock. Her gaze slowly drifted toward Illya with increasing suspicion.
"Eeep!" Illya squeaked like a frightened bunny and crossed her arms over her chest, nearly in tears. "I-Is this really the time to bring that up, Master?!"
"Hmph."
"Hmph what, Master?!"
"Oho~ Magical girl transformations being fully naked is an international standard!"
"Ruby, SHUT UP!!"
Today was really testing Illya's patience.
"You know what? Whatever. I'm going to stop them," she muttered, grabbing Ruby and marching toward the battle.
---
- Physical Intervention Scene Transition -
"So beating someone into the ground and then forcing them to beg for forgiveness, is that your idea of justice?" Selesia wiped blood from the corner of her mouth, sneering at Mamika.
"If that's how your story goes, then by all means, continue. Though I doubt a G-rated anime ever had a plot like this."
It was a strange sight-Selesia, the one clearly injured and at a disadvantage, was the one taunting; Mamika, who had the upper hand, looked like she was on the verge of tears.
"In a G-rated magical girl world, there's no blood or destruction allowed, huh?" muttered Ritsuka, who had slipped into the shadows nearby, analyzing the situation.
"You-" Mamika started, but was cut off by a loud voice from above:
"STOP RIGHT THERE!"
Selesia, Mamika, and even Meteora, who was lingering at the edge of the scene, looked up to see a new magical girl flying overhead.
Wearing a pink frilly "skirt" and wielding a cutesy magic wand, her sharp red eyes locked onto them.
"From now on, all fighting is banned! If anyone breaks the rule, I won't hold back!"
It was Illya, shouting with fierce determination. Even the badly injured Selesia could hear the irritation in her voice.
"That's it, Illya! Ohoho~! Beat them all up and show them what a real mahou shoujo looks like!" Ruby cheered gleefully-probably hoping to snap some great photos of Illya in action.
Selesia bit her lip. "Another one? An enemy?!"
Given her injuries and the fact that Meteora wasn't a combat type, they might not stand a chance if Illya joined the fray.
"Another... magical girl?" Mamika looked stunned. Her opponent also had pink and frilly features-it felt like a setup for a direct rivalry.
"To repeat-NO fighting from now on! If you try anything, I'll knock each of you out with Ruby!"
Illya's voice rang out with exaggerated authority, as she tried to sound more reliable.
Selesia: "..."
Mamika: "..."
Meteora: "..."
Ruby: "...Illya, what the heck are you even saying?!"
Ritsuka: "...Merlin, you old bastard, how many girls have you corrupted this time?!"