Chapter 829

"It's not Merlin the Magecraft! It's Magical Girl True Magic ☆ Meli!"

Wow!

"Illya! Watch out!"

Illya assumed that True Magic ☆ Meli would fire Magic Bullet randomly as before, so she instinctively activated her magic barrier.

Instead, she charged over herself, jumping to a higher position and delivering a flying kick.

"Flying Merlin Attack!"

"Gurgle... Waaah!"

Although Illya managed to block it with her wand, she was kicked more than ten meters away and crashed heavily to the ground.

"It hurts... the heel of my high heel... it hurts so much...!"

Illya covered her head and got up from the ground.

"Not only is he skilled in Magecraft combat, but he's also adept at close-quarters combat... He can even penetrate physical defenses."

Oh dear, Miss Illya, you have a huge bump on your head.

Hehehe... he even cried. That's so funny!

"Ruby, shut up! Ugh, they're attacking again!"

As Illya and Ruby were having their usual comedic exchange, the rival Magical Girl launched a ranged attack.

"Don't even think about it!"

Chloe appeared from the side and fired an arrow to hinder Merlin.

But even a sneak attack from the side turned into Azaka just before it was about to hit her.

"Damn it, this guy is even more troublesome than I thought."

"In that case, Illya! Use your Install Noble Phantasm!"

We'll buy you some time!

Rin and Luvia issued new instructions.

Illya nodded in response, then reached for the cardholder strapped to her leg.

"Gandr!"

Rin and Luvia unleashed a barrage of cursed bullets, which, while unable to damage the enemy, were enough to slow her down.

On the other side, Chloe Projection Kanshou and Bakuya, rushing forward to attempt close combat with the enemy, drawing all of her attention.

Illya then took this opportunity to fly behind the enemy.

In this situation, there are indeed Noble Phantasm that can deliver a fatal blow to the enemy.

Illya chose the card that Miyu had used before.

"Class Card - Lancer, Install... 'The Spear That Pierces with Death Thorns (Gae Bolg)'!!!"

The Kaleidoscope Wand transformed into the cursed spear from Celtic mythology.

The Noble Phantasm of the Heroic Spirit Cú Chulainn, the Crimson Spear that reverses cause and effect, traces a trajectory that defies the Physical Laws, piercing the enemy's heart from behind.

"That's it... wait?"

Illya let out a stunned sound.

Although the cursed spear did pierce through True Magic ☆ Meli's body, the feel of it was very strange.

It was as if it had pierced through nothing; what exactly happened...?

"This line... I've wanted to try saying it for a long time."

The Flower Magical Girl looked at the stunned girl and revealed an innocent and cheerful smile.

"When did you start to have the illusion that I've been stabbed by you?"

"Illya! Watch out!"

"Eh... Ouch!"

True Magic ☆ Meli delivered a spinning kick, sending Illya flying.

As she fell, the girl pondered what had happened.

The spear strike, which should have been an absolute kill, somehow missed her...?

"Waaah..."

Illya lay on the ground, dizzy and unable to get up.

Having already wasted a lot of magic power when facing the Lion King, and with the added drain from the Install of her Noble Phantasm, the girl was temporarily exhausted.

"Illya, are you alright!?"

"N-nothing... it's nothing. But Ruby, what happened just now?"

"... They're probably trying to avoid Gae Bolg by staggering their timelines."

In other words, she wasn't there at the moment of the attack.

Even with Gae Bolg, it's invalid if there's no object.

"Hmm..."

It turns out she also has this ability: to neutralize reversed cause and effect.

In other words, the result of the cursed spear piercing the heart was itself erased.

The Install ended, and the Demon Spear reverted to a magic wand.

"That's not fair! It's a foul!"

"At this rate, we might never hit her..."

The girls gritted their teeth as they gazed at the Merlin where plum trees leisurely floated in the sky, their umbrellas billowing in the air.

"Hehehe, now you understand? Illusion magic is the strongest superpower in Magical Girl anime~!"

She launched her attacks with glee as she spoke.

This time, not only Rin and Luvia, but Illya also ran away on the ground with her head in her hands in order to conserve her magic power.

"Rin-nee! Luvia- nee! What should we do now?"

"Such powerful abilities must have some drawbacks; it can't be as invincible as she claims..."

"That's right! We defeated all the Corrupted Heroic Spirit! How could we possibly lose so easily without any resistance!"

"Several of them were defeated by my brother, "Illya and Chloe thought to themselves.

"Don't compare me to those Corrupted Heroic Spirit you see on the street! I am the first and strongest Magical Girl, True Magic ☆ Meli!"

"Ugh!"

Rin and Luvia were almost blown into the sky by the attack.

"Why can this guy fire such incredibly powerful Magic Bullet so recklessly? Even if he can do whatever he wants, there should be a limit... huh?"

Rin suddenly stopped and turned to look at Luvia.

Luvia also immediately sensed something and stopped in her tracks.

"Do whatever you want...?"

"Could it be...?"

They exchanged glances to confirm each other's thoughts, then nodded, and instead of fleeing, turned to face the enemy.

"Huh? Why did it stop running...? Danger!"

Illya screamed in alarm, but Merlin's Magic Bullet had already struck Rin and Luvia, creating a shockwave from the explosion.

"Rin-nee! Luvia- nee! You're kidding me..."

Illya's eyes widened in disbelief. Even they had fallen...?

"Wait... a new magical reaction has occurred, what is this...!?"

"What?"

As the smoke and dust from the explosion gradually dissipated, Illya saw two figures.

One is red, and the other is blue.

Similar to, yet completely different from, the image colors of Illya and Miyu, appearing in the explosion were...

Rin Tohsaka and Luvia Zelitt dressed as Magical Girl.

"Eeeeeeeeeee!?"

"Eeeeeeeeeee!?"

Their outfits made Illya and Ruby scream.

The ruffled hem of their skirts fluttered in the wind, their battle suits were adorned with bows, and cat ears and tails appeared on their heads and behind them.

"Rin-nee and Luvia- nee have become Magical Girl!!"

"How did they manage to do this without resonating with the Kaleidoscope Wand...?"

Rin Tohsaka once used Ruby's power to transform into Magical Girl, and she looks exactly like that now.

However, Ruby is still in Illya's hands, so Rin cannot transform.

Not to mention Sapphire wasn't even there, so there's no reason for Luvia to transform...

"We've noticed."

"That's right, the secret hidden in your illusion."

Rin Tohsaka and Luvia looked at Merlin and began to explain.

True Magic ☆ Meli is undoubtedly the world's strongest... no, the strongest illusionist in history.

If it were her, she could even deceive the world.

That's right, True Magic ☆ Meli is doing now is deceiving the world.

In this space that resembles the Inner Sea of the Planet, she can wield True Magic at will, just like a real Magical Girl, and do whatever she wants.

However, this can never be unconditional.

Because even if illusions are cast upon it, the world is equal for everyone.

And the condition is that Rin and Luvia, who are both still young girls, could also transform into Magical Girl!

Rin gave True Magic ☆ Meli a defiant look. "I told you so, didn't I, senpai?"

The flower-wielding Magical Girl, who had maintained her composure throughout, revealed a hint of embarrassment.

Just as they deduced, anyone who meets the requirements can transform into Magical Girl within this illusionary space.

The reason is that, in True Magic ☆ Meli's mind, Avalon represents "the ideal future in the hearts of humanity."

And the ideal she's showcasing this time is... a future where all of humanity becomes Magical Girl.

That's a common trope in Magical Girl anime; the strength of Magical Girl's power often comes from her inner "hope."

Dreams will be presented equally to everyone who harbors "hope".

Rin and Luvia, driven by their strong desire, eventually transformed into Magical Girl wand.

"This is too reckless..." Chloe said, speechless.

"But... in that case, the situation might reverse!"

Aside from their age, Rin and Luvia's basic abilities as Magical Girl are superior to Illya Miyu's; their study abroad life in London is not something to be taken lightly.

"Then, let the real Magical Girl showdown begin...!" Projection Install!

Rin Tohsaka and Luvia now possess replicas of the Kaleidoscope Wand.

When you think of Magical Girl, you picture cute magic wands.

The power that drives Magical Girl is "hope," so as long as there is hope, they can now do things that were originally impossible for them (like Shirou's Projection Magic).

Just as Rin was full of energy and ready to charge into battle--