"Illya?!"
The sudden intruder abruptly shattered Nero's rhythm, cutting off her soaring song. Annoyed, Nero planted her hands on her hips. "This is my stage, my solo performance! Not only do you refuse to cheer for me from the audience, but you dare to climb onto the stage itself? Are you challenging me?"
"Stop this at once!"
Prisma Illya advanced without hesitation. "Your singing is beyond what humans can endure! I won't allow you to harm innocent people for your own selfish desires!"
"You dare claim my singing harms them?!"
Nero, of course, rejected Prisma Illya's accusation. After all, Tru'nembra truly was the God of Music—certified by Azathoth himself. "Do you even know who you're judging? You're listening to the voice of a God of Music!"
"What God of Music?!"
Prisma Illya had already resolved to stop Nero. Facing the fully unleashed Nero, she pressed forward relentlessly. "So that's why you deployed your Noble Phantasm to force everyone here to listen? Do you really think they want to hear you sing, or are they just trapped here against their will? You know the truth, don't you?!"
"Because I need a stage!"
Nero's use of Tru'nembra's Spirit Origin was purely instinctive. Now, with so many people "acknowledging" her singing, she selectively ignored the truth. What stood here now was a willful Emperor. "My Noble Phantasm was born for this very purpose!"
"Nonsense!"
Though Prisma Illya didn't fully grasp what the Cthulhu pantheon was, the images Bubble had shown her and her own firsthand experience told her one thing: they were definitely not benevolent—at least not to humanity.
"Adults like you... I'll correct you!"
"Hmph, then bring it on!"
Nero wasted no time, accepting Prisma Illya's challenge directly. "How will you challenge me? Whether it's combat, dance, or singing, I will make you accept your defeat utterly!"
"Huh?"
Prisma Illya's righteous fury instantly stalled. She only now realized... she didn't seem to have any combat abilities. As for singing and dancing, she'd never had professional training and was a complete amateur. Besides, there were no judges here. Relying on the brainwashed audience was clearly impossible.
"Hmph! Frightened?"
Nero proudly raised her head. "It is only natural to feel awe and fear before me..."
"No way! Of course I'm... Of course I'm..."
The only identity Prisma Illya could currently use was that of Jiang You's miko. If only I'd asked Jiang You what his Authority was beforehand, she thought regretfully.
"Then let's duel."
Jiang You, who had been watching from the stone bed, made the choice for Prisma Illya. He hadn't seen her card deck yet, after all.
In truth, Prisma Illya did possess combat power. The Holy Grail in her hand, stained with Jiang You's blood, was already a terrifyingly powerful Noble Phantasm—one capable of manifesting the concept of dreams into reality, a wish-granting machine in a sense. The problem was, neither Jiang You nor Prisma Illya knew how to use it.
"Lord Jiang You!?"
Only then did Nero notice that her current master, the Eternal Listener, had already taken his seat. And only now did she realize that Prisma Illya was radiating an aura remarkably similar to Jiang You's. Her Spirit Origin immediately informed her: Prisma Illya was now Jiang You's miko, the proxy of Azathoth.
Given the situation, this meant Jiang You had tacitly approved of the challenge.
Nero broke out in a cold sweat. No wonder Prisma Illya could still move freely within my Noble Phantasm despite the overwhelming difference in power. Jiang You must be displeased with my actions. But why? Could it be because I, his exclusive piper, performed for others? That must have made him unhappy. Yet, she still wished for more people to appreciate her music.
As things stood, Nero would obediently stop if Jiang You simply ordered her to. However, Jiang You had a mission from Bubble: to have Prisma Illya defeat Nero. This would also advance the main quest of restoring Fuyuki to normal. Therefore, Jiang You wouldn't intervene directly. Instead, he would let Prisma Illya gain some experience, with himself acting as a safety net.
"A duel? Right, a duel!"
Jiang You's words snapped Prisma Illya back to reality. She had experienced his summoning ability before, and now, as his miko, she could certainly use it herself.
"Miss Nero, let's play a Shadow Game! If you lose, you must stop using your Noble Phantasm to force people to listen to your singing!"
Nero stole a glance at Jiang You and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw he didn't object. This meant she still had the freedom to accept or decline. As the God of Music and the Roman Emperor, how could she possibly refuse a challenge from a mere elementary school student? "Very well, let us duel! If I win, you..."
Nero had intended to demand that Prisma Illya become her fan, but then she remembered that Prisma Illya was now Jiang You's miko. Making such a demand would be like poaching someone directly from Jiang You's grasp. So, she settled on a much milder condition.
"You must begin studying music and strive to become Jiang You's 'Praetor'!"
In theory, this was a great opportunity. The Invisible Orchestra of Azathoth was not an ensemble just anyone could join; even Outer Gods had to undergo rigorous screening. This was hardly a punishment. Nero's true intention was to invite Prisma Illya to join them, making her a comrade.
Prisma Illya also glanced at Jiang You, who gave her a reassuring look. Through their mental link, Jiang You promised her that he would absolutely not let her lose the duel.
Trusting Jiang You's words—both due to the direct thought transmission and her natural affinity as a miko for her god—Prisma Illya accepted. At the same time, Jiang You used his divine authority to bestow several incredibly broken cards into her hand. Among them was the counter-card, the Seal of Azathoth. After all, Nero's current Spirit Origin was that of an Outer God, so she undoubtedly possessed many absurdly powerful cards of her own. A little caution was never a bad thing.
Incidentally, there were restrictions on gifting cards like this. If Prisma Illya hadn't held the status of Jiang You's miko, she wouldn't have been able to receive even a single card related to Azathoth. It was similar to how one needed to be able to read Hieratic Text to control the Winged Dragon of Ra—without the proper qualifications, one simply couldn't use them.
"Alright, I accept!"
Prisma Illya agreed immediately. With Jiang You's support, she had no reason to lose.
"Then, let the duel begin!"
Prisma Illya thrust her hand forward, and the Duel Space instantly unfolded, completely overwriting Nero's Noble Phantasm. The audience, once trapped as listeners, now became spectators of the duel. The brainwashing effect was nullified by the new domain, and everyone now understood that Prisma Illya was fighting to save Fuyuki.
"Go for it, little white-haired girl! Don't lose to her!" someone shouted from the crowd.
Prisma Illya's face flushed red again, partly from shyness, but mostly from excitement. She was about to perform the heroic feat of saving Fuyuki, just like a real Magical Girl!
Of course, there was still a dissenting voice: "Lady Nero, please win this match! We swear to follow you to the death!"