Illya felt a sudden, inexplicable sense of threat. She instinctively stared at BB, this woman who looked exactly like Sakura Matou. Something about her felt dangerous. Although BB didn't seem to have any connection to Jiang You at the moment, she lived in the "Reality" world where he resided—giving her a significant advantage over Illya.
Illya quickly shook her head, mocking herself for being overly sensitive. Back then, Sakura Matou did have... other feelings for Jiang You, but she's been reduced to a background character now. She hasn't appeared in ages. This woman just looks the same, and she's not even in the same country as Jiang You. I must be overthinking things.
"Yay! I've been so bored cooped up in here! Finally, I can get some fresh air!"
BB practically leaped into the air. "It's a deal! I'll start working right away!"
She immediately dashed to the computer and began furiously typing code. As absurd as it sounded, this computer was linked to the Mooncell's system. Tasks she could normally accomplish with a mere flick of her finger now required long sessions of keyboard mashing, which annoyed her to no end.
"Is this woman really reliable?" Illya muttered.
While she was happy to have a solution to her problem, BB didn't exactly inspire confidence.
"She's our only option," Bubble replied. "Someone anchored this timeline as the 'Reality' world. Even I can't influence it freely. In his perception, his world doesn't contain any supernatural elements."
Bubble shrugged. "I've worried myself sick ensuring this world's survival. But honestly, I mainly chose BB for her restless nature. Things are bound to get interesting."
"Isn't it good for young people to be energetic?" Bubble added with a sly grin. "A young man who just graduated a few years ago would definitely be into her type."
"Did you just say something completely out of character?" Illya asked, narrowing her eyes. She had a nagging feeling Bubble was enjoying this a little too much, but she had no proof.
"You're overthinking it," Bubble replied dismissively. "I'm just an avatar. Outer Gods don't really have 'personalities' in the human sense. My settings are completely adjustable."
She continued, "More importantly, have you figured out how to approach him? If you show up looking like this, he'll recognize you instantly."
"Maybe I can use a spell to disguise myself?"
Though she hated the idea of wearing someone else's face, Illya had no choice. She'd done some research on Jiang You's country; her hair color and features were far too rare. He'd know who she was with a single glance.
"Just change your height and hairstyle slightly," Bubble advised. "Jiang You recognizes people by specific features. For example, if Eresh dyed her hair black, he'd never be able to tell it was her."
"...Even a normal human wouldn't recognize her, right?"
Isn't that just one person? Bubble thought. Selling palette swaps is just too profitable.
"Have you forgotten?" Bubble explained. "In his perception of this world, things like spells don't exist. That's why all supernatural powers here are suppressed to the absolute limit. If BB didn't possess such high-level authority, I wouldn't have been able to cooperate with her to modify this world."
"But didn't the avatars of the two Counter Forces still manage to create human forms for themselves?"
Illya wasn't just guessing. The Counter Forces shouldn't have concrete forms, yet they had successfully appeared before Jiang You as humans. It wasn't that she distrusted Bubble—at Bubble's level, there was no need to lie to her. But if the Counter Forces had found a way, then she should be able to as well.
"Speaking of which, did you know? Because those two forms appeared before Jiang You, they've been anchored in place until he realizes the truth about this 'reality' world."
Alaya and Gaia weren't still using those forms because they liked them; they simply had no other choice.
"Doesn't that mean I have to meet him looking like this?"
Illya felt utterly helpless without her magic.
"Your imagination is so utterly barren, isn't it?" B.B turned around, criticizing Illya's rigid thinking. Hearing something interesting had instantly piqued her curiosity. She leaned in close, pinching Illya's cheek.
"Do you Magus types just not function without your spells? Let's see... are you even wearing makeup?"
"Ah, makeup?" Illya wasn't unfamiliar with the term, but the concept had always remained distant. From the Fourth Holy Grail War to preparing for the current Holy Grail War just months ago, she'd never had the time or inclination for such things. It wasn't until she met Jiang You that she began to yearn for something more in life.
"I see, just as I suspected." B.B sized up the girl, who only reached her chest. "Being naturally beautiful is so unfair! You'd score at least a 90 without even trying. I wonder which lucky boy will end up with you. But of course, I, B.B, am also a stunning beauty! By the way, have you ever heard of the Four Great Asian Wicked Arts?"
"What's this? Logically speaking, even Witchcraft should be restricted like Spell, right?"
Just hearing the name, Illya had assumed it was some ancient form of Witchcraft. In essence, Witchcraft and Spell were fundamentally the same thing, differing only in their foundational principles and operating within distinct systems.
"Hmph, leave it to me. Though it's not Spell, it's no less potent."
B.B rummaged through a cabinet, pulling out a plethora of makeup supplies that quickly overflowed the entire table.
"Illya, you have such naturally beautiful features, heavy makeup would actually detract from your overall allure. You wouldn't want to meet your crush with a strange, unnatural look, would you? Hmm, altering your entire appearance will be quite a challenge for me, but don't worry—I guarantee he won't recognize you while preserving your inherent charm."
"Will this really work?" Illya asked, eyeing the two glowing figures. She couldn't shake the feeling that B.B had finally found the perfect doll to play with.
"Of course it will! B.B even considered becoming a beauty influencer once, you know."
After the world underwent its cataclysmic transformation, B.B, bored out of her mind, decided to try her hand at live streaming. No matter what genre she attempted, she received overwhelmingly positive reviews (mostly because she was strikingly beautiful). Ultimately, she settled on competitive games where she could constantly bully others.
"Take your eyes, for example," B.B explained. "Your ruby-colored pupils are far too vibrant for 'Reality.' You'll need to wear colored contacts—I recommend blue, which will maintain vibrancy while creating a clear distinction from the red... Then there's the shape of your eyes. Typically, people use eye shadow to make their eyes appear larger and more youthful. But you already have a very youthful appearance; enlarging them further would look unnatural. We need to make your eyes appear slightly smaller to give you a more mature look..."
Illya glanced at B.B in the mirror. B.B's purple hair and pale violet pupils didn't look like they belonged to a normal human either.