Yakushi and Illya could both hear footsteps resounding in the corridor, and those footsteps stopped outside Illya's room.
"Wait... could it be..."
Yakushi seemed to have thought of something, looking at the sound from outside the sliding door in disbelief.
A knock came, followed by a familiar voice.
"Excuse me, is Miss Illya in?"
"Yu... Yu..."
Yakushi didn't react. Before she came over, she had clearly confirmed that Yuzuru was still sleeping, and why would she come to Illya's room?
It must be said that these two girls, who had transformed from a whole into two different individuals, were too similar in certain aspects, even when it came to finding someone.
"Come in."
As Illya spoke, the sliding door of the room was pulled open. Just like before, only the person at the door was different.
"Surprise! Yakushi! Why are you here!?"
Yuzuru looked at the stunned Yakushi in surprise. She hadn't expected Yakushi to appear in Illya's room, and Yakushi likewise hadn't expected Yuzuru to appear here.
Yuzuru unconsciously walked into the room. The moment she entered, Illya snapped her fingers, and the room's sliding door closed automatically.
Yuzuru saw this sight and reached out to pull the door open, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't budge the simple door, as if it had been welded shut.
(fuhai: The door is firmly locked! No one is leaving today!)
"Miss Illya! What in the world is going on?"
Yuzuru looked at Illya in confusion. Although she did have the idea of leaving, why would she close the door?
"To prevent any of you from escaping, I can only use this method. And this is also a way to avoid causing trouble for others."
Illya waved to Yuzuru, signaling her to sit next to Yakushi.
"Since you're already here, then sit down. I believe your purpose in coming is definitely the same as this fool's. Let's solve it together, instead of one by one."
Ignoring Yakushi's complaint of "Who's the fool?", Illya said with a calm expression.
Yuzuru hesitated for a moment, then sat opposite Illya with Yakushi.
The two girls, with identical appearances but different identities, sat together, their expressions serious, their eyes heavy as they looked at Illya.
ruby, from who knows where, found two teacups and placed them in front of Yakushi and Yuzuru. Illya, meanwhile, took a pot of tea from the Imaginary Space and filled her own cup and those of Yakushi and Yuzuru.
"The first time I saw you, I thought you were just immature children who didn't consider your surroundings and only did what you wanted. But after seeing your subsequent actions, I changed my mind."
Her gaze lingered between Yakushi and Yuzuru. Illya's crimson pupils had unconsciously turned golden, with a rhomboid pattern surrounding them.
Just by being looked at, Yakushi and Yuzuru felt a heavy pressure, causing them to involuntarily tense their bodies.
"yamai Yakushi... Yamakusa Yuzuru, from your names, from your identities, it can be seen that you were originally one entity. For unknown reasons, you transformed from a single true body into your current state."
One spirit crystal could only give birth to one Spirit. Inaba Tsukiyo and Yoshino were special cases. Yakushi and Yuzuru were different; they had clearly become this way later.
"I can see that you care deeply about each other. Don't rush to deny it. Wait until I've finished speaking, then you can talk."
Yakushi and Yuzuru, who were about to say something, could only close their mouths, listening to Illya's words while picking up their teacups and taking a sip.
It was bitter. The first sip brought a bitter taste that spread through her mouth, almost making Yakushi spit out the tea.
But the subsequent sweetness gradually changed Yakushi's expression. This sweetness gradually overwhelmed the bitterness, making Yakushi unable to resist taking another sip, savoring the feeling.
Yuzuru was in the same situation. For some reason, memories of her time with Yakushi appeared in her mind.
Although she harbored a pain that others couldn't see, her life with Yakushi, like the sweetness that followed, gradually overcame the bitterness.
"The reason you came to me is to sacrifice yourselves in exchange for the other's chance to survive, isn't it?"
This single sentence sent a chill down Yakushi and Yuzuru's spines, making them gasp.
Illya had actually guessed her purpose in coming? But... what did the latter part mean? "You two"? Could it be... Yakushi and Yuzuru turned to look at each other, and seeing the other make the exact same movement as themselves, both of them froze.
"Shock! Yakushi, could it be that you really..."
"Yuzuru... you..."
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