Chapter 39: A Cunning Trap

‘Look, they saw me?’

Her gaze darted around in panic, and Su Qianyu hastily withdrew her hand from the doorknob.

Suddenly, she had no desire to use this restroom.

Her initial intention had merely been to use the solitude of the restroom to collect her thoughts.

Yet, performing such a ‘dry pull’ (TL Note: A gaming term referring to attempting an action without any cover or protection) directly under someone’s watchful eye, without any concealment, felt utterly impossible.

‘Impossible. Utterly impossible!’

What’s more, the person observing her was a complete stranger, whose identity and capabilities remained shrouded in mystery.

‘Open the door! I’m not using this restroom anymore!’

‘Doorknob, twist!’

A series of clicks and clacks echoed, followed by a final, resolute ‘thunk.’

The sound indicated that the door was firmly locked from the outside.

‘Huh, why is the door locked? Maybe a double-tap on the handle will work?’

‘Haha, still no luck.’

‘Had she somehow stumbled into a room from which she couldn’t escape without actually using the facilities? 😭’

“Stop trying to escape. I know what troubles you.”

A genderless, synthesized voice emanated from the terminal.

“I’m merely here to assure you: there’s no need to worry about Illo.”

“Rest assured and come meet me; I possess methods to deter her.”

Having delivered this message, the terminal, which had previously hovered in the air, abruptly plummeted to the floor, scattering with a crisp, crystalline clatter.

Simultaneously, the distinct click of the door unlocking echoed through the small space.

‘What was she waiting for? Run!’

Scrambling and practically writhing, Su Qianyu managed to propel herself back into Illo’s field of vision.

“You finished in the restroom so quickly… *that* quickly?”

Outside, Illo had just been about to close her eyes, deep in thought about how to ensnare the mysterious figure lurking in the shadows, when she registered the commotion from the restroom.

Initially, she presumed Su Qianyu was merely up to her usual antics, and observing no significant shifts in the girl’s emotional state, Illo chose to disregard it.

However, the instant her gaze fell upon Su Qianyu’s disheveled emergence, a single glance was all it took for Illo to discern that something was amiss.

Yet, when she peered into the restroom, all she saw was the terminal still spinning idly on the floor.

What’s more, she couldn’t detect even the faintest trace of danger.

“What exactly transpired in there just now?”

Gently helping Su Qianyu to her feet, Illo thoughtfully picked up a nearby tissue and tenderly wiped away the dust that clung to her clothes from the floor.

However, even after glancing back at the crystal terminal on the floor a couple of times, Su Qianyu remained stubbornly silent.

She hesitated.

‘Should she share the information she had just received with Illo?’

A cool breeze brushed past her ear, and her thoughts briefly intertwined, a complex tapestry of doubt and calculation.

Then, Su Qianyu decided to speak.

“She… she sent a message, asking me to find a time to go meet her.”

Her voice, barely more than a whisper, like the faint buzz of a mosquito, was met with an immediate challenge.

“Then why do you seem so utterly panicked?”

Illo narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing the Little Fox Girl before her.

“You’ve been my captive; shouldn’t you harbor a deep hatred for me?”

“If she’s arranging a meeting, and just caused such a massive explosion to demonstrate her capacity to aid you, shouldn’t you be overjoyed?”

It had to be said, Illo’s wariness towards Su Qianyu never truly subsided.

However, Su Qianyu was no slouch either.

Her eyes darted about for only a moment before a cunning strategy materialized in her mind.

“She said… she knows what I’m thinking, and she’s monitoring our every move!”

“And she also claimed that she isn’t afraid of Magical Girls like you!”

The same old trick, just as effective as ever.

A blend of truth and falsehood proved to be the most potent form of deception.

Observing Illo descend into thoughtful contemplation after hearing her words, Su Qianyu inwardly swelled with pride.

While the stranger’s true intentions remained obscure, instigating a conflict between Illo and this mysterious individual could only benefit her.

Illo mused for a moment, but even after sifting through her memories of a past life, she found no answers.

She simply couldn’t fathom who would dare to provoke her in such a brazen manner.

With a sigh, she shifted her gaze back to Su Qianyu.

“Since she’s requested a meeting, then accept.”

Illo gently brushed the lingering dust from Su Qianyu’s clothes, her eyes gleaming with a slow, resolute determination.

“Let me see who this audacious individual truly is, to dare act with such insolence.”

With that, she retrieved the terminal from where it lay abandoned in the restroom and reactivated it.

“Send her a message, telling her you’ll go in a few days.”

Illo commanded, and Su Qianyu promptly complied.

In stark contrast to the previous silence, the other party’s response this time was remarkably swift.

The reply consisted of several ‘OK’ confirmations and hand gestures, followed by an immediate barrage of emojis.

If not for the fact that this was a terminal exclusively used by Magical Girls, Su Qianyu would have sworn the sender was simply another internet user.

“By the way, what exactly will we be doing these next few days…?”

Observing the terminal transform back into a Magical Girl’s gem once the screen powered down, a question suddenly sprang to Su Qianyu’s mind.

Since their meeting was postponed for a few days, Illo would undoubtedly seize the opportunity to execute some plan.

If she could just glean some information, she might even be able to relay a message to the other party.

Though, she wasn’t entirely convinced Illo would actually divulge her plans to her.

Yet, unlike previous occasions, Illo’s face now bore an expression of remarkable ease; her demeanor suggested she was discussing nothing more significant than a trivial everyday matter.

“What else could we possibly do? Naturally, we’ll focus on healing and investigation, won’t we?”

“Given that she could contact you via the terminal, it’s undeniable that she must be a Magical Girl herself.”

Laying out her entire strategy, Illo continued.

“While there are numerous Magical Girls in this area, by searching them one by one, we are bound to uncover her identity eventually.”

“Even if it takes a little longer than ideal.”

She hadn’t anticipated that Illo would so readily entrust her with this information.

After a quick glance revealed no significant reaction from Illo, Su Qianyu quietly tightened her grip on the terminal in her hand.

‘It seems… I need to find an opportune moment to relay this message to the other party.’

The more chaotic the situation became, the greater the advantage she stood to gain.

And so, she yearned to witness a river of blood.

Yet, before she could fully bask in her nascent triumph, Su Qianyu’s hand suddenly felt empty; her terminal had mysteriously reappeared in Illo’s grasp.

“Of course, to ensure no information is leaked, I’ll hold onto this for a while, alright?”

“If you want to try and take it, *hmph hmph*?”

‘She *knew* it!!!’

Illo never once overlooked such minor details!

Yet, upon seeing Illo nonchalantly place the terminal on a bookshelf just out of her reach, Su Qianyu’s frustration instantly morphed into a triumphant smile.

‘Was she… was she truly doubting Su Qianyu’s ability to retrieve it?’

She cast another glance at Illo, who had, astonishingly, replaced the bed and was now sound asleep, snoring softly. This sight only solidified Su Qianyu’s conviction that Illo, in her exhaustion, must have completely forgotten about her own unique abilities.

After all, it was perfectly normal for people to forget things when they were in a rush.

Furthermore, having just endured an explosion, it was entirely logical for a Magical Girl to prioritize sleep for rapid recovery from her injuries.

Though she had been seeking an opportunity to relay the secret, to have it presented so readily was, nonetheless, a pleasant surprise for Su Qianyu.

‘To search high and low, only to find it effortlessly at her doorstep!’

Surprise or not, the task still needed to be accomplished.

As for the repercussions, she couldn’t care less!

‘Retrieve the terminal, send the message!’

‘Then, append her current predicament!’

Observing the swift reply from the other party, this time she made sure to meticulously erase all traces of their communication.

‘Done! Time to call it a day!’

Clapping her hands together, and seeing Illo still sound asleep on the bed, Su Qianyu carefully replaced the terminal before settling back down herself.

No sooner had she lain down than a nagging sense of unease settled over Su Qianyu.

‘Hmph, this isn’t right, is it?’

Illo, someone who activated anti-magic stones even in her sleep, how could she possibly commit such a rookie mistake?

The more she pondered it, the more suspicious Su Qianyu became.

‘Hadn’t she fallen for a similar ploy once before?’

Before she could fully process the thought, however, a familiar sensation abruptly surged beneath her.

“A bare hook… and you still bit?”