World Archive... Activate.
Watching as Kaguya finished venting her emotions, Ryuya activated the Clow Card - The Time.
As the card representing Time glowed with light, Ryuya could feel the mana within him being rapidly consumed.
Fortunately, he had the replenishment from Midnight Lost Child, creating a perfect balance between the two.
'Good grief, the amount of mana you need is really substantial. If not for the Midnight Lost Child, even draining Shinomiya Kaguya completely probably wouldn't be enough to trigger a World Archive, right?'
Feeling the nearly depleted mana inside him, Ryuya saw everything before him rapidly rewind, like a movie playing backwards.
In just an instant, he was back in his own home, lying in bed.
"Ryuya, wake up. I made you breakfast."
Following the knock on the door, the girl named Yukinoshita Yukino saw that her brother was already awake.
Under the morning sun, gentle and delicate light flowed softly. The man, who seemed more handsome than she remembered at any time, looked at her with a smile and uttered the address she had loved most in the past.
"Yuki-chan, do you want to go on a date today?"
Meanwhile, just as she had left home and was preparing to head to the address Yukino gave her, Eriri received a text from Yukino.
[Eriri, I'm sorry, but Ryuya has something to do with me today and we're going out. Let's do our plan tomorrow instead! I'll make you something delicious to make up for it!]
"Huh? What does this mean?"
Eriri could understand every single character Yukinoshita Yukino sent, but put together, they didn't make sense.
Shaking her head and staring at the screen, the lines filled with text ultimately only conveyed one word to Eriri, bro-con!
In other words, she had been stood up!
…
In over a thousand instances of time archives, Ryuya discovered that even if he didn't accompany Yukino and Eriri on their shopping trip, his little sister would still confess to him in the evening.
No matter what happened in all of Tokyo, no matter how the world changed, Yukino's maiden heart never wavered.
Deciding this would be the final loop of this day, and to accompany Yukino on a perfect date, Ryuya thought this way.
However, he had promised Kaguya one thing, so he needed to spare 10 minutes to let his sister wait.
"Yuki-chan, play with the cats here for a bit. I'll be back in 10 minutes."
"10 minutes? Okay."
She felt that that a mere 10 minutes was nothing to worry about, and Yukino was always super happy every time she came to the cat cafe.
…
Top floor, Rubl Grand Hotel.
"Who are you? Do you know who I am?"
A stranger suddenly appeared in his private room. Looking at Ryuya before him, Clue felt extremely uneasy.
Frantically searching his memories, he couldn't find any connection to Ryuya.
Sensing that all the magical formulas he had set up in the hotel had been nullified, Clue resorted to various threats, emphasizing the vast influence of the Gaiuslink Family.
"You're a lone magus, right? Why not join us at the Clock Tower? With your abilities, you could certainly be treated as an honored guest of our family."
Realizing that Ryuya wasn't swayed by his threats, Clue began offering substantial benefits.
After chattering on for several minutes like this, he looked at Ryuya full of hope, waiting for his agreement.
However...
"You're really long-winded, you know."
The last thing in his memory was the miracle of Age of Gods magecraft displayed by Ryuya. When Clue opened his eyes again, the panic in them had vanished.
"Respected Master, I await your command."
"Good. From now on, you will do this..."
After instructing Clue on all the tasks he needed to perform later, Ryuya hadn't killed this magus of the Gaiuslink Family.
For Kaguya, Clue's death would sever the naivety she had discarded from her former self.
But for Ryuya, death wasn't the only outcome. Or rather, in Ryuya's view, death should be considered a form of release.
Dark Sorcery - Eternal Shackles. This was a sinister magic that altered the target's very perception. They retained their own memories and personality but were compelled to obey the caster.
For example, Clue was still Clue. He had all his own memories and personality and would act in all ways consistent with his behavior… provided it didn't relate to Ryuya.
Yes, no matter how much he hated Ryuya in his heart, no matter how much he loathed him and wished for his death, Clue would simultaneously detest Ryuya while obeying his commands, even proactively working to solve problems for Ryuya and acting in his interests.
This was the pinnacle of contradiction, forcing Clue to endure this torment every moment.
Incidentally, this spell was created by Morgan. Back in Camelot, Morgan used it to deal with disobedient nobles and the like.
Although he didn't particularly like this spell, Ryuya had learned it anyway. It was also the method he had long decided upon for dealing with Clue.
He lets Kaguya personally execute him once, then turn this guy into a servant. This punishment, striking from the depths of the heart, was far more painful and cruel than a single death.
Not to mention the intelligence about the Clock Tower and other supernatural forces that could be gleaned from Clue, fulfilling his promise to Kaguya alone made it worth it for Ryuya.
…
Rushing back from the Rubl Hotel to the cat cafe in the shopping district, Ryuya saw Yukino no longer playing with the cats, but sitting alone on a chair, waiting for him.
"9 minutes. Not bad... Ryuya."
Seeing Ryuya return, the worried Yukino let out a tsundere 'hmph'.
She wasn't a complete fool. In the real-time period after Ryuya obtained the simulator, Yukino had felt him gradually distancing himself.
Faintly sensing that the image of her beloved brother was becoming increasingly blurred, Yukino, panicked by this feeling, didn't even have the spare time or mental capacity to think about anything else.
She could only tightly follow Ryuya's footsteps. She was so afraid, truly terrified, that she would fail, that she would never see her brother again.
It was precisely because of this feeling that, across over a thousand World Archives, Yukino insisted on confessing to Ryuya no matter what.
"Yuki-chan, what do you want to do this afternoon?"
Unaware of Yukino's thoughts, Ryuya simply did what a lover should do during a date.
…
At evening.
They returned once again to the Western restaurant where they had their first meal, drank the complimentary cocktail from the waiter again, and Ryuya carried Yukino home on his back again.
But unlike the previous confession, this time it was Ryuya who spoke first.
"Yuki-chan."
"Hmm?"
"I love you."
"Hmm? Hmm???!!!"
Silently lying on Ryuya's back, feeling dizzy, Yukino heard Ryuya's voice, the confession she hadn't even dared to dream of.
"I'm saying, Yukinoshita Yukino, I love you."
Tightening his grip on Yukino, Ryuya spoke without turning his head, his steps firm as he walked towards home.
"Lo... love me?"
Her breath hitched, and her slightly muddled mind cleared instantly. Not daring to believe it, she clung tightly to Ryuya, almost jumping off his back.
"Yeah, I love Yuki-chan. Not as a friend, not as family, not as siblings, but as lovers."
Whispering his love softly, after hearing his little sister's confession so many times, Ryuya felt it was time for him to take the initiative once.
"Ryuya..."
Without answering Ryuya directly, Yukino's mind was truly a tangled mess.
She didn't know how to describe it aptly, didn't know what comparison would be special. Yukino only knew that the person she had loved her whole life, the one she thought she could never be with, seemed to love her too.
So...
"I love you too. I love you the most."
"Ryuya..... Onii-chan."