"Illya has gone to that world again!"
Gaia had just returned to the Mooncell to monitor Jiang You when she sensed something was amiss. Illya had returned to that desolate world.
"Perhaps she intends to use Jiang You's Authority to travel to other worlds?"
Alaya dismissed it as insignificant, reasoning that others would inevitably pass through that place in the future. The red-haired servant, for instance, would likely have another opportunity.
"As long as she stays away from Jiang You, let her be. I've placed restrictions on Illya; she can't open that door on her own."
"...But she's knocking on that door."
"Which one?"
Alaya lacked Gaia's comprehensive Authority in this matter. Seeing Gaia's darkening expression, she pressed, "Which one do you think?"
Gaia and Alaya immediately rushed to Illya's location.
"My dear little ancestor, what on earth are you trying to do?!"
Alaya despaired of ever understanding humanity. This collective consciousness of humanity—let anyone who wants it have it.
"What benefit does the world's destruction bring you?"
If it were anyone else, Gaia would have summoned a Heroic Spirit to pound them into mincemeat for dumplings. But this was Illya, currently the person closest to Jiang You. They dared not imagine what the world would suffer if Illya were killed. Gaia's antagonism toward Jiang You stemmed from her survival instinct; she would never commit such obvious suicide.
"As expected, this got your attention."
Illya sighed in relief. She hadn't been certain her plan would work, but it seemed to have succeeded in drawing out the two Counter Forces.
"So, what do you want?"
Seeing Gaia's face darken completely, Alaya took over the conversation. Gaia had recently begun to emulate humanity, her emotions becoming increasingly apparent. This was likely due to Jiang You's influence; his existence was gradually causing formless entities in higher realms to gravitate toward the concept of "humanity."
"I want to go to Jiang You's world!"
Illya declared directly to the two Counter Forces. She understood that because of Jiang You, they wouldn't harm her. As long as she kept the truth of her world hidden, they would do everything in their power to help her. One could argue that Illya was now the strongest Magus below the level of Magician, surpassing even certain embarrassing "Magicians" in power.
"Do you even realize what you're saying?"
Gaia fully unleashed the magical power of the Will of the Planet. As a creature of the planet, Illya had no means to resist and was about to collapse under the overwhelming force. But Alaya swiftly supported Illya, using her own Equivalent Rank magical power to neutralize Gaia's.
"Alaya!"
"Hold on, let her finish."
Alaya now had to appease Gaia's emotions, feeling like the overworked employee caught between two demanding parties. But what choice did she have? After all, a higher-dimensional being had stranded itself on their world. She had to pacify Gaia while restraining her Fierce Partner, lest the latter provoke further trouble.
"I won't go to him as Illya. I can use an alias or find another way."
Illya resolved to charge forward. "Just let me get to his city. I'll handle the rest—meeting him, everything that follows. All I want is to be by his side."
Alaya and Gaia exchanged a glance, both sensing the absurdity of the situation in each other's eyes. If Illya wanted to be with Jiang You in this world, returning to her original world would inevitably require passing through the same transit portals she used to come here. Even with disguises, if Jiang You noticed that either Illya was missing or caught a glimpse of her in the portals, the truth would easily be exposed. Alaya raised this concern with Illya.
"There's another matter," Gaia added, firmly aligning herself with Alaya's stance.
"In Jiang You's world, our authority has been reduced to the absolute minimum. We can't assist you with establishing a proper identity there. Moreover, his subconscious actively rejects supernatural phenomena like magic, rendering transformation spells completely ineffective. You can only appear in that world with your original face, and any physical disguises would inevitably be discovered sooner or later."
"Leaving aside appearances for now, you first need a legitimate identity. To resolve this perfectly, there are only two viable approaches."
Alaya offered Illya a sliver of hope, fearing she might otherwise concoct another wild plan without a clear goal.
"One way is to go through the proper channels to obtain immigration and residency. You lack any identification documents from this world, and his country is one of the most difficult places to immigrate to. However, with the Einzbern family's wealth, purchasing citizenship in another country should be relatively easy. The rest will depend entirely on your own efforts."
"And the other way?"
Illya wasn't one to give up so easily. Platonic love wasn't her style.
Gaia tried to stop Alaya from continuing, but Alaya refused.
"The other way is to find an AI with administrative privileges in this world and have them alter reality's data. However, due to Jiang You's influence, this alteration will be extremely difficult. Still, if she agrees to help, it would be significantly simpler than the first method. So, what's your plan?"
"Of course, I'll pursue both!"
Illya believed in going all out, hedging her bets with a dual approach. "As long as one method succeeds, I'll try it, no matter how difficult!"
"Then how will you ensure you can reach the correct Worldline at a moment's notice without being detected?"
Alaya repeated her earlier question: "The Counter Force can freely traverse different Worldlines, but this method is unsuitable for living beings. Only magical power and souls can freely pass through the barriers between worlds. Or, like Kaleidoscope, you could possess the Authority of the Second Magic. Therefore, your interdimensional travel must pass through the door world constructed by Jiang You. How will you avoid him?"
Becoming a Heroic Spirit was out of the question; Illya still wanted to be with Jiang You in her physical body.
"...Ask Kaleidoscope for help?"
"Is that even possible?"
Gaia immediately poured cold water on the idea. "First of all, Kaleidoscope is actively avoiding meeting Jiang You. Even if he didn't care about that, can you guarantee he'll be available whenever you need him? A Magician at your beck and call for your whims?"
Illya knew this was impossible, but she refused to give up. She did have a plan, though it was one she found difficult to accept. But with things having reached this point, she had to keep moving forward. Gritting her teeth, Illya declared resolutely, "I have a way!"
"Achoo!"
Prisma Illya suddenly sneezed and wiped her nose with a tissue.
"...I don't have a cold. Is someone thinking about me?"