"Ruby, Sapphire, you heard everything back then, right?"
It was midday. Jiang You was still at work in the "real world" and hadn't logged in, so Illya was spending her time with the Prisma Illya family. Elementary school girls' energy comes and goes quickly, and since it was lunchtime, Prisma Illya and Miyu had already fallen asleep, leaning against each other. Illya seized the opportunity to take the two Jewels to a deserted corner.
"D-do we know too much?"
Ruby's wings had shrunk into a tight ball. If what happened yesterday wasn't a secret, then there would be no secrets left in the entire world, let alone the universe. As outsiders who had learned forbidden knowledge, the sisters feared that the Counter Force, working with Illya, might try to silence them permanently. Given the scale of the situation, even Kaleidoscope would likely have no objection.
Sapphire wasn't particularly worried. If Illya truly intended to act, she wouldn't have waited until now. When the two Counter Forces were present, they wouldn't have stood a chance of resisting. In fact, as members privy to the truth, they could help Illya maintain the lie.
"Illya, you don't need to worry about us revealing the truth to Jiang You. This matter concerns the safety of the entire world, and we would never joke about something so serious."
"That's precisely what I hoped to hear."
Illya wasn't concerned about the two Jewels betraying her. As creations of Kaleidoscope, their allegiance naturally aligned with his. In truth, most people faced with this situation would choose to maintain the lie. Even the most wicked villains wouldn't want to face a world stripped of everything.
Of course, this excludes those "trolls" whose thought processes deviate from normal beings.
"I summoned you here for two reasons. First, I wanted to gauge your stance on this matter. I've already received your answer."
Illya couldn't operate in Jiang You's world alone. Moving between parallel worlds was beyond her individual capabilities.
"Secondly, I need your assistance."
"Do you mean you need our help traveling to that world with only doors?" Sapphire guessed, figuring Illya's request would involve traveling between parallel worlds, which would be impossible without the Second Magic.
"Not entirely..."
Ruby, who had accompanied Illya during her second encounter with Gaia and Alaya, knew Illya's true plan. It had been present when Illya explained her idea to the Counter Force.
"It involves our Illya. At a crucial moment, she needs someone to impersonate her."
"Prisma Illya?" Sapphire asked hesitantly, studying Illya's expression.
"But... wouldn't that be too difficult? Given your relationship with Jiang You, it would be quite challenging for her. She doesn't have those kinds of feelings for Mr. Jiang You, making it easy to expose the ruse. And would that Illya even agree to it?"
"If I had a choice, I wouldn't want this either."
The thought of Prisma Illya having to pretend to be so close to Jiang You filled Illya with an indescribable sense of awkwardness, but the situation left her with no other option.
"In Jiang You's mind, he believes himself to be merely 'mortal.' But time holds no meaning for him; he possesses absolute immortality, even if this entire universe were to fall into utter solitude. Therefore, once he surpasses the normal human lifespan, he will inevitably discover the truth."
"So, the world's destruction is only a few decades away?" Sapphire realized the gravity of the situation, but she still didn't understand how this connected to Illya's insistence on traveling to Jiang You's perceived "real" world.
"Yes. That's why we must make him develop a sense of belonging to this world before anyone realizes something's amiss."
Illya's face suddenly flushed crimson. Though she was indeed an adult, she knew next to nothing about such matters—Prisma Illya probably knew far more about them than she did.
"We need to forge bonds for him, make him see this world as his home."
"Wait, bonds... you mean...?"
Sapphire suddenly realized something. This world indeed had many limitations; some actions were simply impossible within the "game." But reality was different. For Jiang You, Illya in "reality" would be a real person.
"Do I really have to say that line?" Illya covered her face, her cheeks burning crimson.
"I think you should," Ruby started to say before Sapphire smacked him away with her staff.
Using love to save the world? Sapphire thought. That's such a Magical Girl trope. Too bad her actions don't fit a mainstream anime.
"I'll help! To save the world, we'll help convince that Illya when you're ready."
-
Returning to the present, the eerie silence in the room made Prisma Illya uneasy. The other Illya had gone to Miyu's room to talk about something, leaving her alone with Ruby. But the usually boisterous Ruby was uncharacteristically silent.
"Ruby, you've been acting strange ever since we went to the Parallel World with that Illya. Did something happen?"
Today, Prisma Illya sensed that Ruby seemed deeply troubled. The Lecherous Wand, usually brimming with boundless energy, would instantly recover its spirits even after being beaten to near death by Sapphire. But ever since Illya borrowed it last night, it had been sighing heavily.
"Illya, sometimes I suspect this world is just a dating sim."
How is it that the neighboring Worldline is all about fighting and killing, while here we're trying to save the world through romance? Could this world really be built on a dating sim game?
"Huh?"
Prisma Illya couldn't understand why Ruby would have such thoughts, and her curiosity surged.
"So, what exactly happened?"
"I can't say right now... but you might find out soon enough."
Ruby glanced at Prisma Illya, ultimately deciding to keep silent for now. Although it trusted Illya to prioritize the bigger picture, Illya's situation hadn't been resolved yet. Ruby would wait until Illya had sorted things out herself—or had a change of heart—before letting her tell Prisma Illya.
"No, why are you, Illya, and Jiang You all saying the same thing?!"
The feeling of being left out was truly unbearable. Prisma Illya's inner curiosity was clawing at her like a restless kitten. She grabbed Ruby and shook it vigorously. "Just tell me what's going on! You guys are driving me crazy!"
"A maiden's heart is such a troublesome thing..."
Ruby now understood why Kaleidoscope had suddenly run off. If it could, it would have bolted too.