C394

Shirou furrowed his brows, unsure of how to respond to this complex situation. 

Chloe... No, to be more precise, the mental state of the Illya standing before him seemed off, like that of a drowning person grasping at the last straw.

But, then again, wouldn't that be normal?

After all, she was the true, original Illya, trapped inside her own body due to the effects of the reincarnation ritual, which resulted in the nine-year gap.

During those long years, another personality had taken over her identity and everything she once had.

How did it feel to be replaced by someone else?

Just by seeing how the originally gentle and kind Illya quickly turned into Chloe, a girl filled with anger and murderous intent, it was easy to understand what she must be experiencing.

Nobody wants to be replaced, and it's evident that both Illya and Chloe are grappling with these feelings. Shirou, or anyone else, would probably react similarly if put in their shoes.

So, how should he approach this situation?

Or rather, considering that the world line has already undergone substantial changes, how did Chloe manage to separate from Illya's body?

Just then, two more individuals rushed up from behind Illya.

"Is Illya here?" came a familiar female voice.

"Why did she end up here?" followed an unfamiliar but somewhat recognizable female voice.

Shirou looked up to see two women rushing up behind Illya. One had golden hair that he knew well, and the other sported black twin tails.

Rin and Luvia?

Does this have something to do with them?

"It's all your fault, Tohsaka!" Luvia's discontent was evident as she glared at her twin.

"Huh? It's clear as day that you're the one at fault here!" Rin retorted, looking equally displeased.

"Oh my!"

And out of Luvia emerged Astraea, who suddenly covered her face and hid in the corner, clutching her cheeks and not daring to show her face.

"What's wrong, Lady Astraea?" Rin asked curiously.

"I am a virgin goddess, I am a virgin goddess..." she murmured softly, still keeping her face hidden.

Rin looked puzzled and then turned her gaze to Luvia, causing her lips to twitch.

The aggressive and nagging Luvia suddenly transformed into a lady, shining all over with an elegant aura, exuding the grace of a noblewoman.

"What... what are you doing, Luvia?" Rin said with disgust. "So gross!"

"Oh, Miss Rin, whatever do you mean?" she responded softly, wearing an elegant smile. "I've always been like this. And, if you wouldn't mind, please refrain from using such vulgar language; it will reflect poorly on me as your twin."

Rin felt like she was about to vomit.

Meanwhile, Luvia shifted her gaze towards him, now shining with an aristocratic air and said, "Sherou. It's quite unexpected to meet you here; this must be a romantic encounter arranged by the goddess of fate."

Artoria: "..."

Shirou: "..."

Gray covered her own antenna-like hair with trembling hands.

She felt her ahoge stiffening further, almost resembling sharp swords that could pierce through her hood.

As Rin gazed at the sparkling Luvia, her stomach churned with acidic discomfort, intensifying her nausea.

Yet, when she glanced up at Shirou, she couldn't help but pause. He looked strangely familiar, especially his eyes that seemed to emit flames.

Those fiery eyes seemed like something she had seen before.

Could it be...

"Ah, ah, ah, ah—!!!"

Chloe gritted her teeth and said, "You all came here to ruin my fun! I won't forgive any of you!"

Her eyes emitted a faint red light, and in the next moment, her snowy white long hair turned into golden hair, and she was clad in golden armor.

Golden ripples materialized around her, as though a treasure trove had been unlocked. Several weapons adorned with sparkling light floated out and swiftly shot toward Illya and the others.

"Ah~!"

Illya and the others panicked and hurriedly ran away, while Chloe chased after them with gritted teeth.

Miyu understood the situation but didn't attempt to intervene; she simply stood aside, aware that she lacked the power to stop this situation.

"No wonder we couldn't find the class card; it turns out Chloe took it," he sighed, rubbing his temples. There was no doubt that the attack style belonged to Gilgamesh.

And last night, after half a day of digging on Mt. Enzou, he and Gil couldn't locate the Class Card. It turned out that Chloe had taken the class card and used it to manifest in the real world!

If Gilgamesh were to find out about this, it would undoubtedly result in a thorough heart extraction operation; that fate was inevitable. Even Gil would react in the same way.

After all, whether it's Gil, Archer Gilgamesh, or Caster Gilgamesh, they are fundamentally the same person. When it comes to his treasures, aside from Enkidu, he wouldn't let anyone else use them.

And now, the situation was descending into chaos. Upon his return to Fuyuki City, Shirou realized that everything around him had become messy. Troublemaker Kaleidosticks and Class Cards were scattered everywhere, and unexpected situations seemed to be unfolding at every turn.

Couldn't he simply absorb "Evil" in peace and prepare for the upcoming battle?

With a sigh, he followed them outside.

...

On Mt. Enzou.

"Achoo!"

Gil sneezed, feeling a bit uncomfortable. "What's this highly unpleasant sensation? It's like someone has stolen something from me."

"Ugh... this interference on Sha Naqba Imuru is really annoying. Where on earth did my class card disappear to?"

He gripped the shovel and started digging a pit, sighing with a hint of distress.