"Achoo!"
B.B rubbed her nose, baffled as to why she could catch a cold in this body. Despite being transformed into a flesh-and-blood human, her core essence remained unchanged: a high-ranking AI with certain privileges over the world—now rightfully called the world.
To put it more accurately, she was a high-ranking human with authority over the laws of the world, a true aristocrat.
Physical health was a trivial matter for someone of her status, especially considering her role as the school physician. Yet this sneeze proved that a powerful entity had set its sights on her.
"Could it be those two from the Counter Force? Honestly, even without concrete forms, they still flaunt that cute face! They must be plotting something nefarious! Hmph... And they even shut down B.B's live stream! But that won't stop me—I'll be back on air soon!"
"Still... why do I suddenly feel like someone's pushed me onto the race track?"
B.B couldn't explain her premonition. "Hakuno? But I haven't had any interaction with Hakuno here. Unless something unexpected happens, Hakuno will likely live out her life as an ordinary high school student. Hmm, isn't that good too? Anyway, whatever! Let's start the broadcast! Today, I'm going to make every opponent I encounter cry!"
After dropping Illya off at the Emiya household, Jiang You left. Now that the truth was confirmed, there was no point in agonizing over it.
Due to the limited space, the two Illyas shared a room. The young girls (though one wasn't actually young) usually had endless topics to discuss, just as they had the previous few days. Sometimes Illya would explain magic and the Holy Grail War, while at other times they'd gossip about Jiang You and Shirou Emiya.
But today, neither was in the mood. One was slumped over in despair, wanting to cry but unable to shed tears, while the other curled up in a corner, staring blankly ahead with vacant eyes.
"Damn you, Jiang You! Give me back my allowance!"
Since there were no spare rooms in their house, Prisma Illya had to pay out of pocket to book hotel rooms for the servants. Her small savings, which had briefly swelled thanks to Jiang You's visit, instantly dwindled again. She regretted stubbornly refusing Jiang You's "rewards" earlier, especially since she really enjoyed the treats he offered.
Prisma Illya quickly noticed that the room felt unusually quiet today. Her other self seemed deeply downcast.
She hurried over and sat shoulder-to-shoulder beside Illya.
"What's wrong? You've been acting strangely ever since you got back. Did Jiang You bully you? Tell me if he did. Miyu and I..."
Prisma Illya's relationship with Miyu was relatively good now, unlike their initial rivalry in the original timeline. However, Miyu clearly sided with Jiang You, leaving Prisma Illya to defend Illya on her own.
"Fine, I'll definitely give him a good beating! How dare he bully his own adorable girlfriend? That's outrageous!"
"Girlfriend?"
Illya sighed. She now understood why she had sensed a faint detachment from Jiang You. To him, she—and this entire world—were mere illusions, characters in a game who could never truly be with him for life. That's why Jiang You radiated kindness toward every character; he genuinely liked them all, though this affection fell short of love.
Yet she couldn't reveal the truth. If Jiang You rejected this world, it would collapse. To maintain the game's harmony, she couldn't even Replenish Magic with him, despite having prepared herself to deepen their Bond.
"Illya," Jiang You asked, "what would you do if you loved someone deeply, but they lived in another world? He sees your world as just a game, but you can't tell him it's real. The game's rules prevent you from getting too close, and you can't even visit his world using your true identity. But you still love him so much. Would you accept this reality, or..."
Prisma Illya knew Illya was referring to herself and Jiang You, but since Illya could only describe things vaguely, she couldn't picture exactly what was happening. All she could do was ask tentatively, "Then... can I go to his world?"
"You can, but you can't meet him."
Illya had almost crossed over to Jiang You's world, but the Counter Force forcibly pulled her back.
"Why can't we meet?"
Prisma Illya found this all so troublesome. Why did romance have to be so complicated?
"Because the truth of the worlds would be revealed."
Illya felt she couldn't continue this conversation any further. If Prisma Illya pressed further, she would have to change the subject.
Though still confused, Prisma Illya offered her advice: "Then why not just hide your identities? Lovers in this world, lovers with different roles in the other. It's like Mr. & Mrs. Smith—a similar situation. Live together under different identities until you fully accept each other. Don't you think that's romantic too?"
"!!!!"
Illya suddenly felt a vast sea of possibilities open before her. If Jiang You couldn't unite with her here, then she would go to his world herself. She instantly hugged Prisma Illya so tightly that the girl nearly lost her breath.
"Thank you! Thank you, Illya!"
Prisma Illya didn't understand what Illya was trying to say, managing only to squeeze out a few words:
"Y-you're welcome."
"Lend me Ruby for a moment. I need to find two 'people'."
Illya pulled out Jiang You's Card. After being discovered, Jiang You had given her three more, even though she had no use for them. But she had to possess them.
"Eh?"
Ruby, who had been lying on the table pretending to be an ornament, was forced back into action.
"Did something happen to Jiang You?"
Seeing Illya's urgency, Prisma Illya's curiosity was piqued. She was desperate to know why Illya had become like this. We're the same person, so why can't I understand what she's thinking?
"If the opportunity arises, I'll tell you," Illya said, using the same phrasing Jiang You had used. She activated the Install and traveled to a Parallel World filled with countless doors.
"She uses the exact same words," Prisma Illya murmured, listlessly flopping back onto the bed after Illya disappeared.
"The other me must have learned something... What secrets is Mr. Jiang You hiding? Damn it, I'm so curious!"
Secrets and forbidden love—the thought gnawed at her heart like a restless cat. She vowed to uncover the truth at the first opportunity. Wait a minute... Aren't we identical?
Prisma Illya's clever little mind devised a plan. I'll test it out when the time is right.