Cooperation.
This was a relatively unfamiliar word to Luvia and Rin. Both of them, as the best of their generation and the number one student candidates of the Clock Tower, possessed extraordinary abilities that rarely required them to cooperate with others.
And before coming to Japan this time, when they received the task of collecting the Class Cards, although they were reminded that cooperation was necessary to complete the task perfectly, their quarrelsome minds were filled with ways to defeat the other first and take all the credit for themselves.
Therefore, when they once again heard the word cooperation from Naoki's mouth, Luvia immediately snorted coldly with disdain: "Cooperation? I can perfectly complete this task of collecting the Class Cards on my own, there's absolutely no need for cooperation. Although you are an assistant arranged by Grand Master, you most likely won't be needed. Sapphire and I alone are enough."
"That's exactly what I wanted to say."
Rin also said the same thing, but it was different from Luvia's arrogance.
"I appreciate your good intentions to help collect the Class Cards, but sorry, this is the first task I've received, and I don't intend to let anyone else interfere—let's go, Ruby, let's rest tonight, we'll start the work of collecting the Class Cards tomorrow."
Seeing the two of them turn around and walk towards the door, Ruby and Sapphire exchanged glances, then said in unison.
[Regarding collecting the Class Cards—]
[We are truly sorry, but Sapphire-chan and I now assess that neither of you are suitable to be magical girls at all!]
"Huh?" ×2
Rin and Luvia were instantly stunned.
"Wait! What do you mean by not suitable to be magical girls!"
[That's exactly what it means. You two must remember what Grand Master said before you left, right? He told you to cooperate! But all this time, you two have completely ignored the task, arguing fiercely without caring about others—]
[Please forgive our impudence, but we believe that neither of you are suitable to be our masters, and we have just terminated our contract relationship]
"Hah?!" ×2
The barrage of attacks from Ruby and Sapphire directly froze the two of them like they had been struck by lightning.
"Wai—what do you mean by not suitable! You lowly magic wands dare to go against your master's orders?!"
[Ahahaha! Too bad, Rin, you're no longer my master—in conclusion! Sweet little sister! Let's make a contract with me and become a magical girl pufo!]
Directly slapping Ruby, sending her flying into the wall beside them, Naoki sighed resignedly: "I told you not to instill bad ideas in my little sister. Haaa... It seems that before we actually start collecting the Class Cards, there are still many problems to be solved."
"The problem is Ruby and Sapphire! They said they want to terminate the contract as they please..."
"Is that so? I actually feel what they said is quite right." Naoki interrupted Rin's complaints, "As an outsider, I won't comment much on your relationship, but regarding your actions of fighting fiercely in the sky earlier—I think Old Man Jewel gave you those two magic wands, not to make you fight like an aerial battle."
[Exactly! How dare they tell Sapphire-chan and me to face each other, outrageous!]
Ruby flew back as if nothing had happened.
[Sapphire-chan and I were given to you to collect the Class Cards, not for you to compete and fight with each other!]
"Ugh... but Luvia started it all first!"
"Huh? Didn't you provoke me first, Rin! Don't twist the facts!"
Why did these two start again?
Naoki completely gave up on these two. Raising his hand and snapping his fingers, the wind blowing in the room directly wrapped around their hands and feet, instantly suspending them in the air: "Calm down first, we're talking about important matters. If you want to fight, go find your own rooms later and fight to your heart's content."
"You—"
"Silence! I'm sick of listening to women arguing!"
Naoki's suddenly stern attitude and his clearly displeased gaze instantly made Luvia and Rin, who had just wanted to speak, unconsciously shut their mouths.
[Your way is really harsh, Master. Could it be that you're the type who looks gentle and bright, but is actually a super S tsundere to the core pufo!]
Slapping Ruby against the wall again, Naoki sighed resignedly: "Dealing with you guys is really tiring..."
"Thank you for your hard work, Big Brother, I'll give you a massage later."
[Please forgive Nee-sama for troubling you]
Turning his gaze back to Rin and Luvia, Naoki, who was sitting cross-legged on the sofa, crossed his legs: "First of all, let me introduce myself, because after this we will be working together. I am Natsukawa Naoki, and this is my little sister, Gray. We are assistants sent by Zelretch from a parallel world, although it wasn't my own will."
'Parallel world? That's right, if it's Grand Master...'
"Then regarding the Class Cards, considering that your contracts with Sapphire and Ruby have now been terminated, and you are only ordinary-level Magus, from now on, I will be the one collecting the Class Cards."
Hearing that, Rin immediately raised her hand, gesturing that she wanted to speak.
"Say it."
"Do you know what needs to be done to collect the Class Cards? It's not just finding the cards and picking them up, but you have to fight the materialized power of the Heroic Spirit hidden within them, and they can only be collected after defeating them. It's very dangerous!"
"I know." Naoki retorted with a flat face, "So what?"
Rin unconsciously froze: "What do you mean so what... No matter what, a Magus won't be able to defeat a Heroic Spirit. The level of mystery is completely different. Only with the help of Ruby and Sapphire can we fight a Heroic Spirit. If you're also a Magus, you must know this—don't tell me you want to make a contract with Ruby or Sapphire?"
"I'm a man, not interested in magical girls, and have no intention of becoming a magical girl." Naoki suppressed the urge to kick Rin, "Besides, those are just Shadow Servants that manifest a portion of the Heroic Spirit's power, why are you so wary?"
If the Class Cards could manifest the entire power of a Heroic Spirit, then Naoki definitely wouldn't dare to be reckless, but what existed in the Mirror World now was just a manifestation of a portion of the Heroic Spirit's power. Naoki didn't feel he would lose to something as low-level as that.
Even the most troublesome Berserker—Heracles, Naoki estimated he could steadily defeat him.
Back then, Emiya Shirou could project Excalibur and kill seven lives with one slash. It wouldn't be an exaggeration for him to transform into Tsukihime and pull the moon to strike twelve lives, right? If he really couldn't, he'd let Gray wash her face with the Holy Lance.
'But compared to the Class Cards, what's more important is the Einzbern family's affairs from the parallel world later... as far as I remember, the storyline before I crossed over was Illya preparing to go back to the past and start New Game+... hmm? Wait a minute.'
Naoki glanced at Rin and Luvia, whom he was restraining, then looked at Ruby and Sapphire floating beside Gray.
According to the original storyline, Ruby and Sapphire should have already found Illya and Miyu Edelfelt, who came from another world, and made them magical girls. But because of his intervention, both magic wands were still here.
That meant—
'This time, Magical Girl Illya really has no Illya?'