C375

Inside Ritsuka's room, Ruby hovered playfully in front of her, flashing a mischievous grin as she said, "Ritsuka, it's time for you to transform into a magical girl and go out to save the world!"

Ritsuka flashed a sweet smile. "Okay! Today, I'm definitely going to take down Rider!"

"Wait just a sec, Ritsuka. Let me reach out to Illya and Sapphire."

"Mhm." she nodded eagerly, her eyes wide with anticipation.

With a shimmering transformation, Ruby morphed into a sleek Communicator device.

"Buzz, buzz, buzz—" It emitted an electromagnetic-like sound.

A mature female voice, belonging to Sapphire, emerged from the Ruby Communicator. "Sapphire speaking. What can I do for you, sis?"

"Sapphire, Ritsuka said that the target for today is still Rider!"

"I understand, Illya was just about to contact you, but it seems you beat her to it."

"Oh, how coincidental! It seems like this is the bond between magical girls, right?☆" Ruby spun around in the air and laughed. "I can hardly contain my excitement!"

Ritsuka blinked, "Illya, are you planning to take down Rider as well today?"

"Ritsuka... wait...wait a moment, Sapphire! I'm not dressed yet!" A flustered female voice echoed from the Ruby Communicator.

Ritsuka tilted her head. 

After a moment of panicked voices, a lively female voice came through the Ruby Communicator, "Ritsuka, um...I'll go to school first."

"Mhm, I'll wait. Illya, please wait for me too, okay?"

"Mhm, mhm!"

A brief reply came from the other end of the Ruby Communicator, and then the line fell silent.

Ruby transformed back into the form of a floating stick, hovering in the air, "Ready to embrace your destiny as the messenger of love and justice, Magical Girl☆Fujimaru Ritsuka?"

"Wait... wait a moment, Ruby," she shook her head and whispered, "My brother isn't as easily fooled as my sister. Let me go and check the situation first."

"But why be afraid? What's there to fear? Magical girls symbolize love and justice. And there's nothing more unstoppable than a cute girl transforming into a magical girl~! Trust me, once your brother realizes this, he'll understand~☆" Ruby chuckled.

"You have no idea how absolutely terrifying my brother can be when he gets angry. He's super, super scary! If you're not scared, I definitely am! But don't worry, Ruby, just hide for now, and I'll be back really quick."

"Okay, okay~! I don't know what to do with you, Ritsuka~! I guess it's all because Ruby always dotes on you~!" Ruby sighed dramatically, almost like a human, before disappearing into the safety of the blankets.

"Do you need any help?"

A sudden cold and eerie voice echoed from behind, causing Ritsuka to jump in surprise. A shiver ran down her spine, sending goosebumps rippling across her body.

Swiftly spinning around, she came face to face with Miyu, the black-haired girl, who stood there composed and unruffled, clutching a blanket. Her gaze remained steady as she calmly observed Ritsuka.

"Um... it's... it's nothing," she stammered, hastily waving her hand. She couldn't afford to draw her brother's attention.

"I see." Miyu nodded and then said, "If there's anything you need help with, feel free to let me know."

"Thanks, but I'm okay, really." she waved one more time and discreetly distanced herself from Miyu, quietly making her way downstairs.

Miyu watched as Ritsuka quietly descended the stairs. Carrying the blanket, she made her way to the room Shirou had arranged for her.

Ritsuka reached the bottom of the stairs and hid behind it, discreetly peering into the living room.

In the living room, her brother and sister were doing household chores.

Her brother, Shirou, instantly noticed her. He turned his head and looked at Ritsuka, who was hiding behind the stairs, and asked, "Ritsuka, what's wrong?"

"Ah... um... I was thirsty, so I came down to get a bottle of milk," she scratched the back of her head and walked towards the refrigerator.

Sakura chimed in, "Remember, you need to let it sit for a while after taking it out of the fridge before you can drink it."

"Mhm, I know," she opened the refrigerator, retrieved a bottle of milk, and began making her way back to the stairs.

Sakura gently reminded her, "Remember to get enough rest and go to bed early."

"Mhm, I will," she nodded. "I've already set my alarm clock, so please try not to knock on my door at night or you'll wake me up."

Shirou and Sakura both nodded in understanding. Ritsuka gave them a warm smile before making her way back to her bedroom.

With a soft "click," she locked the door behind her and carefully set the bottle of milk on the nearby table. A mischievous smile danced across her face as she said, "Ruby, it's time. Let's transform!"

"Alright~☆!" Ruby chirped with excitement, bursting out of the cozy blankets and landing gently in her hand.

"Transform!"

After a burst of radiance and a transformation time that lasted for a whopping 0.01 seconds, a magical girl with orange hair and a pink magical robe appeared!

"The long-awaited Magical Girl☆Fujimaru Ritsuka is here!" Ruby exclaimed.

"What do you mean 'long-awaited'? I just transformed yesterday."

Ruby laughed and said, "Don't worry about small details! Let's go! Love, justice, and the world are waiting for us to save them!"

"Yes!" she smiled, opening the window and quietly making her way out. With a graceful leap, she took flight into the sky.

...

In the living room, Shirou glanced at Sakura and asked, "Sakura, have you noticed anything weird happening around the house recently?"

"Weird...?"

"Yeah," he confirmed with a nod. "You know, like that time when those Heroic Spirits came out of the Class Cards inside the Mirror World."

"Class Cards and Heroic Spirits? Oh, wait... you mean those strange people who transformed into cards after you killed them?"

He nodded.

Sakura pondered for a moment and replied, "I haven't come across anything quite like that. However, there have been a few odd things happening. Lately, Ritsuka has been locking her door all the time, and I can't go in to make sure she's tucked in properly."

"Well, that's normal. Ritsuka is growing up and needs her own personal space."

Pausing briefly, he added, "You were the same way when you were younger."

At the mention of her childhood, Sakura huffed, puffing her cheeks in annoyance. She grumbled unhappily, "Even though you were gone for eight whole years, how would you know anything about my childhood?"

"Don't forget, we did live together for half a year."

"Half a year just isn't enough..." she muttered softly.

Shaking her head, she asked, "Although I shouldn't pry, brother, those two children you brought back seem a bit special."

"Yes," he nodded and said, "Let's put Miyu aside for now, but Gray's situation is indeed more complicated. She carries the spirit of my former subordinate."

"Former subordinate? Is it someone from your time as the Eternal King? Who is it?" Sakura asked with curiosity.

"In the context of this era, it would be the King of Knights."

The King of Knights... Sakura's mind raced as she processed the information. The legendary stories of the Eternal King and the King of Knights were widely known.

Sakura couldn't help but find it odd. She had always imagined the one who inherited the dynasty and defeated Attila, the Whip of God, to be a tall and mighty knight. But now, she was faced with the reality that he had taken over the body of a little girl. It was truly unexpected, to say the least.

"I need to step out for a bit with Gray. You can go ahead and get some rest."

"Yes, brother."