Inside the inn, after Illya left, everyone, bored, took out playing cards and started a game of Old Maid.
However, Shiori was constantly distracted, occasionally looking out the window, her worried gaze completely evident.
"Don't worry too much about Illya, Shiori. Even if any of us here gets into trouble, Illya will be fine."
Kurumi said, drawing a card from Origami's hand and discarding a pair.
She knew that Illya was Inaba Tsukiyo transformed, just like when she transformed into Medusa before.
If not for someone with immense power, why would Inaba Tsukiyo choose Illya as her transformation? Even if she hadn't heard of a legend with the name Illya, she knew very well that Illya was not weak, even very strong.
"W-what you say is true, but Illya hasn't shown her strength, and the storm is so big now. I'm worried…"
"Worried that Illya might be defeated by a suddenly appearing Spirit? Hehe~ That's too naive, Shiori. Do you really think someone who can be with Tsukiyo-chan would be an ordinary person? She's a Magical Girl."
"Magical… Girl… When Illya first came over, she said she liked Magical Girls. Was that what she meant?"
Likes Magical Girls? Hehe~ Too naive! She herself is a Magical Girl; liking Magical Girls might just be a simple hint.
However, Shiori didn't realize that Illya genuinely loved the culture of Magical Girls. Before she became a Magical Girl, she loved watching works related to Magical Girls.
"Actually, in Shiori's eyes, Illya is just a Little Girl who likes to bully people. So even if Illya can become a Magical Girl, Shiori, you still think Illya is just a Little Girl, right?"
"Well… I do have that thought. After all, Illya looks like a child, and she's not a Spirit… Even if she has some special powers, how could she possibly deal with Spirits?"
As they chatted, the weather outside gradually calmed down. The wild winds slowly stopped, and sparse drizzles fell from the sky.
Everyone was still playing Old Maid. Due to Origami's expressionless nature, she had very few paper slips on her face. Kurumi was in a similar situation; her smile showed no flaws whatsoever.
Shiori was the second most miserable, but Tohka was different. That girl completely displayed her feelings on her face, especially her expression when she drew the Old Maid, which completely gave away the situation.
If Shiori hadn't deliberately gone easy later, intentionally losing a few rounds, Tohka would have probably destroyed everything around them due to her inverse Reiryoku.
"Speaking of which, the weather has already cleared up. Why hasn't Illya returned yet?"
Shiori asked, a little puzzled. They had been playing this game for so long, why hadn't Illya returned yet?
"Now that you mention it… that doesn't seem right. With Illya's strength, she should have resolved it by now. Why…"
Kurumi stroked her chin, a bit puzzled. From what she knew of Illya, such a simple matter should have been resolved quickly. Why hadn't Illya returned yet?
Tohka, who was removing the paper slips from her face, suddenly felt a gaze. She turned to look behind her but saw nothing.
Just as Tohka thought it was an illusion, she noticed a masked figure, emitting a terrifying aura, standing behind Shiori.
Like a startled kitten, Tohka immediately jumped up from the ground, came to Shiori's side, pulled Shiori behind her, and looked nervously at the person who had suddenly appeared there.
Everyone else was stunned by Tohka's actions, turned around, and then also discovered this strange figure.
From every angle, this person who had suddenly appeared was too suspicious, and he was dressed like an assassin.
Compared to Tohka and Shiori's nervousness, Kurumi and Origami, while vigilant, also broke out in cold sweat.
When did this person appear here? They hadn't felt anyone enter at all, and hadn't even noticed someone standing behind Shiori, who looked like he had been there for some time.
'So strong! Not an opponent' such thoughts grew in Kurumi and Origami's hearts. This was no joke; how were they supposed to fight such an opponent?
Just then, the masked man threw the people he was holding onto the ground. These were two girls in restraints. From their appearance, it was clear they were Spirits.
Since they were Spirits... that meant this person was... Everyone stared blankly at the masked man, only to see him slowly remove the mask from his face, revealing Illya's delicate and cute face.
"Illya!"
"Hehe~ It's me, alright. I didn't expect it would take you so long to notice me, and that it was only Tohka who did."
Illya had actually gotten impatient and couldn't help but release a bit of her aura, which was how Tohka spotted her. Otherwise, Shiori and the others would definitely not have been able to discover Illya's presence.
As expected of the first Old Man of the Mountain, this level of Presence Concealment was completely unmatched by other Hassans.
As expected of King Hassan, who possesses [Presence Concealment: A], no one else could ever discover him unless they were about to die or he willingly revealed his presence.
"Th-that, Illya. Could you please not be like this? Although I know you don't mean it, it's really scary."
Shiori said with some fear. This bone-chilling sensation was uncomfortable no matter what, just like facing death.
Realizing that Shiori and the others couldn't handle the aura of death she unconsciously released, Illya could only transform. The [ASSASSIN] class card returned to Illya's hand.
After canceling her transformation, her light, airy clothes appeared on her, and Magical Girl Illya appeared before everyone.
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