Kuoh Junior High.
Within the first grade of the Junior High's A class, Illyasviel von Einzbern dreamed of magic girls, magic, scary twin-tailed girls, perverted magical sticks, and apocalyptic tarot cards.
However, her dreams were rudely interrupted when a rolled-up book smashed into her small head, shocking her awake with the sheer impact.
"OW!"
Flinching with pain, Illya blearily looked up to find the source of the impact, where a certain Tiger glared down at her.
"Don't sleep so brazenly in class."
Illya pitifully looked at her homeroom teacher, who also worked in the High School division as the English teacher for her brother.
"I'm sorry...."
Her fellow students and friends laughed at her, not out of a mean spirit but simply because they found it funny.
It was only when class was over and lunch break arrived that her friends finally showed her their concern.
"It's unusual for you to sleep in class, Illya-chan. Did you not get enough sleep?"
The girl with brown hair and eyes, Mimi Katsura, asked worriedly. Her soft personality makes her feel worried for her friend.
Illya leaned back into her chair with a heavy sigh.
"Last night, I was up thinking about things..."
What was left unsaid was that her entire world had undergone an upheaval after the Kaleidostick called Ruby literally barged into her life, which was followed shortly by a scary twin-tailed girl called Tohsaka Rin.
What followed that was revelations that sent her mind spiraling in excitement and dread.
Granted, she could tell somehow that Rin had not told her everything and only told her about the Class Cards being dangerous and needing her to use Ruby to retrieve them unless she wanted Kuoh to be destroyed, but still, the very thought of becoming a real magical girl was so exciting for the 13 year old girl that she spent the entire night fantasizing about it, which led to the situation in class where she dozed off, earning the wrath of Taiga.
The pink-haired girl with narrow eyes and a laid-back personality, Nanaki Moriyama, tilted her head at Illya's answer.
"Thinking? About what?"
Mimi held a worried look as well.
"Is something troubling you? Do you need help? Should we tell the teachers?"
Before Illya could answer the questions, however, the childish girl with blond hair and brown eyes, Tatsuko Gakumazawa, leaned forward with a grin.
"Forget about that! More importantly, let's play dodgeball!!"
The girl was so engrossed in hyping up her friends that she did not notice how crumbs from her mouth flew across the table and landed on her friend, the girl with black hair, black eyes, and wearing glasses, Suzuka Kurihara, whose temper flared at the act.
She gave a glat look to Tatsuko as she gritted out her words.
"I doubt you, of all people, would have any worries, unlike Illya. Must be really nice, eh?"
Tatsuko realized the danger she was in, but it was too late to avoid as Suzuka closed the distance instantly and forcefully stuffed a full loaf of bread into Tatsuko's mouth as the smaller girl struggled under the punishment while flailing her arms helplessly.
Illya smiled wryly as cold sweat poured down her back at the blatant display of violence in front of her.
Turning to Mimi, she finally answered the earlier questions.
"It's not that I am worried about anything. It's just, my mind can't keep up with reality, or rather, truth is stranger than anime right now."
The girls gave their friend a confused look as their young minds tried to comprehend the suddenly deep words packed with meaning beyond their comprehension.
".....I don't get it, but it sounds rough."
"I guess so."
Soon, classes began again, and the day went by. As the day came to a close, Illya packed up and headed straight out the door, catching the attention of her friends who were fooling around with brooms, pretending that they were swords.
"Eh? Illya-chan? Heading home already?"
Illya flinched at those words before smiling awkwardly.
"Yeah. I have something to do, so...."
Nanaki's narrow eyes lit up at those words.
"Heading towards your brother? Why not wait for a bit, and I'll come with you to get my sister as well?"
"H-Haha! No need. I'll see you all tomorrow!"
The white haired girl did not give her friends the time to respond before dashing out, once again catching the attention of Taiga, who roared at her to not run in the corridor, only to scare the other little girls and boys in the area thanks to her tiger-like roar.
As she headed out and down the stairs, the Kaleidostick within her bag finally revealed itself and spoke to her through their telepathic link.
"Finally! School's over? It was really boring staying inside your bag and listening to knowledge that means nothing to beings like me."
"Beings like you? There are other magical girls out there?"
"Well, there is one...."
If Ruby could sweatdrop, it would have done so right now, as she remembered a certain childish but ridiculously powerful Devil woman who loves to pretend to be a magical girl.
"...But it's better if you don't know anything about her, if only to preserve your innocence."
Illy only had a confused look at those words.
As Illya jumped down the stairs recklessly in a manner that would no doubt give her brother a heart attack or make Sella give her a stern talking to, Illya grinned and spoke to her magic stick.
"Hey, Ruby! Can you teach me how to use magic?"
"Sure thing! But we will have to wait until you get into some advanced mathematical stuff in school and see how you fare in those before that."
Illya nearly fell on her face at that answer as her face went pale.
"A-Are you saying magic is related to my grades?! Will I have tests? Will it be like school all over again?!"
"AHAHAHA! Y-You really are funny! But no. To answer your question, let's just say, your ability to calculate and remember formulae plays a huge role in how you use magic and how far you can go as a human mage."
Illya picked up on the words' meaning.
"There are non-human mages?"
"Well, yes. Or rather, I think it is better to say that magic is generally used by non-humans and was derived for human use by a certain flowery bastard. But that is some advanced knowledge that you don't have the context to understand just yet. So wait until Rin-san gives you the proper knowledge on that."
Illya's shoulders drooped at those words as she sulked and walked slowly towards her shoebox.
"Will Rin-san even teach me? She seems very cranky all the time and prone to violence rather quickly."
The little girl shuddered as she remembered the murderous look on the teenager's face when she first ran into her.
"Don't worry, she will teach you. If she won't-"
Somehow, the stick managed to make an evil face despite not having a face to begin with.
"Let's just say, I have some leverage against her, so she won't dare go against my words unless she wants her social life to be destroyed, especially in front of the boy she has a crush on."
Once again, Illya paled.
"Who is the unfortunate guy that she is crushing on!? It can't be good to have such a dangerous lady after them, right?"
"...You poor, sweet, dense child. I guess you will have your answers when the time comes."
"Hey, what do you mean by that? Ruby? Ruby-san? Don't leave me hanging!"
Ruby just giggled mischievously, sending shudders down Illya's spine continuously until she opened her shoebox, and a beautifully crafted letter fell to the floor.
"Oh! It's one of those! Right?!"
"' Those'? W-Wait! You don't mean....?"
"Yes! That's exactly what I mean! A letter found in your locker after school, it has to be a love letter!!"
Instantly, blood rushed to Illya's face as she turned as red as a tomato, while Ruby giddily floated around the girl, ready for some drama.
Although a part of the stick did pity whichever boy wrote this letter, knowing that he would have a steep hill to climb in the form of Illya's overprotective older brother, based on Illya's, Rin's, and Luvia's words, as well as the famed Supernatural Killer, Kiritsugu Emiya, as the girl's father.
"Now, Illya, hurry up and read it already!! I am dying of excitement here!!"
With shaky hands and a thumping heart, Illya slowly took out the letter from the beautifully crafted envelope.
Only for her to feel like someone poured cold water on her head, while Ruby nearly fell to the floor in shock and disappointment.
[Come to the High School Courtyard at midnight tonight. I have made a few arrangements with the owners for our first task. If you don't come, I'll kill- come get you.]
Tohsaka Rin.
Illya could not help but feel dead inside as her budding youth was curtailed by the extremely cold and utilitarian message wrapped in a beautiful exterior, just like the person who wrote the letter.
Her dead gaze held on the letter for a few minutes before she calmly tore up the thing and threw it into the nearby trash can.
"....Let's go home, Illya."
"....Yeah."
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Author Notes: Read 5 chapters ahead on Patreon: patreon.com/Ruijard1