Inside a certain department store.
Endless corridors, disordered intersections, and doors that appear hazy under the setting sun.
A figure with golden hair and armour walks through the scene, seemingly gathering all the light around her.
Amid the crisp sound of armour clashing, the woman clad in extravagant attire, with blood-red patterns etched onto her, strides through a fire escape door—only to be met by a small changing room and a lethal blade shooting out instantly!
Facing the sudden attack, the woman named Angelica lets out a cold snort. Golden ripples emanate from her body, and sharper blades emerge, shattering the weapon before it disintegrates into particles.
She roughly pulls aside the curtain of the changing room and steps out. In the electronics store, televisions of various models are silently displayed, as if mocking her dishevelled state.
"Enough!"
As the last shred of patience is exhausted, she lets out an angry roar. Her fury transforms into a storm of blades, with countless weapons projecting from the golden ripples, destroying everything around her.
Shards of LCD screens scatter, reflecting her sombre expression.
Angelica knows this building has become a foreign realm. Space has been twisted into incomprehensibility by magic, like a tangled ball of thread. Even with her knowledge of similar magic, she cannot untie a dead knot—unless she's willing to spend the entire night straightening it out.
But doing so would fulfil the man's objective.
Therefore, a quicker, more decisive way to escape this situation must be found—and there is only one method that comes to her mind in this situation.
Raising her right hand, the woman, versed in ancient mysteries, reveals countless golden ripples behind her.
"Open Gate of Babylon!"
With her decree, the gates to the treasure vault of the city of Babylon swing wide, unleashing countless treasures and miracles from the golden ripples, bringing violent destruction to space.
The disordered space is torn apart.
The hidden magic dissipates, removing all mysteries along with it.
The magic entwined in this space vanishes along with the department store.
Under the blood-red setting sun, only the golden figure stands amidst the ruins of the building, her hollow, unfeeling blue eyes locked onto a white-haired figure opposite her.
"I've caught you… Shirou Emiya, don't think of resisting. Hand over the class card crafted by Lord Darius and return to Ainsworth Castle to continue your confinement—this way, you, a despicable impostor, might live a little longer."
With a murderous glare, the youth smirks, a smile different from his former self, raising two fingers.
"First, I'm not the Shirou Emiya you think I am. You can call me Sakuya. Second, Angelica Ainsworth, a doll who gained the King of Heroes's power through substitution magic…"
A sharp weapon pierces the youth's body, yet he continues to smile, a playful tone in his voice.
"You think you can catch me?"
More weapons fly out, piercing his face and shredding his mocking smile. But when the illusion fades, all that remains before Angelica Ainsworth is a lifeless doll.
"Substitution magic… Tch, Shirou Emiya, no, Sakuya."
Angelica crushes the doll underfoot, irritated by the elusive mouse despite her usual lack of emotion.
"How did this guy obtain Ainsworth's magic?!"
—
Several kilometres from the department store, in a church, a white-haired, golden-eyed youth opens his eyes, scratching his head in frustration.
"Hmph, the last doll I swiped from Ainsworth Castle is used up… What a pain, that woman..."
Remembering the golden figure gives him a headache.
Though he managed to mock and escape unharmed, no one knows better than him how troublesome that woman is.
A thought and bluish text appear before his eyes, forming a small panel.
[Fate Compendium: New Data Unlocked.]
[001: Angelica Einsworth]
[Character Info: A doll from the Ainsworth family, also a maid. She adeptly uses the Ainsworth family's substitution magic to create portals or substitute human souls with virtual consciousness, creating dolls with only virtual awareness.]
[Hidden Info: Not unlocked.]
[Records Condition (2/3)]:
Escape Ainsworth Castle (Completed)Evade her pursuit for seven days (Incomplete)Hidden condition
At this point, the youth's identity is clear—
Indeed, he is a transmigrator who has been reborn in Shirou Emiya's body, wielding a cheat ability called the Fate Compendium!
Upon awakening, and analyzing the remnants of this body's memories, the youth, now calling himself Sakuya, quickly understands his situation: He has entered a vast world once thought fictional, created by a certain figure.
A world of endless wonders, branching paths, and worldlines.
When he discovered this truth, as a devoted fan of the Nasuverse, he nearly struck a JoJo pose, but reality bound his hands, stopping him.
The memories from the original Shirou Emiya are deeply etched, making him realize that this is Fate/Kaleid liner, within the worldline of Magical Girl Illya.
At this moment in time, the events of the movie "Magical Girl Illya: Vow in the Snow" have just concluded. Shirou Emiya, unable to withstand the onslaught of the Ea, is defeated and captured, held in Ainsworth Castle's depths.
In this world, Shirou Emiya didn't last until Miyu returned but died after summoning a foreign soul.
Even though the original will has faded, Sakuya, inheriting this power and will, continues to oppose Ainsworth.
Thus, he concealed his presence.
Thus, he broke free from chains.
Thus, during Angelica's absence, he stormed out of the dungeon and into the depths of the castle.
Though Darius Einsworth, the family head, escaped during the chaos, Shirou Emiya—no, Sakuya—still seized five completed class cards and one blank card with imbued power but no class, leaving triumphantly.
As his mind refocused, the white-haired youth sighs softly.
"Speaking of… It's the seventh day, isn't it?"
The bluish panel in his vision fades, five class cards blooming and folding like flowers in his hand. He stood up, stretching under the moonlight like flowing water.
"Why hasn't Kirei Kotomine, that fake priest, returned yet… Could he be hiding from me?"
The youth sighs helplessly, stepping outside the church.
"Fine, I'll spare him. Better leave before that dazzling woman shows up."
Diamond patterns form under his foot. As magic activates, space appears to warp, eliminating distances, and Sakuya swiftly vanishes from the church vicinity.
Substitution magic.
Though an entry-level spell, based on the principle of inferior exchange, few use it. But in the hands of the Ainsworth family, who specialize in it, the scale, precision, and application range surpass common sense, even touching upon abstract concepts like space and mind.
Yes, it is the Ainsworth family's sole magic that Sakuya opposes. In battle, it is formidable and elusive. Angelica used it to escape Shirou Emiya's fatal strike.
For the Ainsworth family, substitution magic is their strength's source. But when such power falls into the hands of a youth opposing them—it becomes a nightmare.
As for why Sakuya mastered substitution magic…