The Disappearing Act

It’s nothing to worry about! After all, isn’t this outfit precisely what we’re after?

Emerging from the subway station’s restroom, the trio’s next order of business was to decide on a location for their photoshoot.

Freed from the watchful eyes of Pan Qi and the school’s security guards, their movements grew considerably bolder, opening up a wider array of potential locations.

“Where should we go? A park? A shopping mall? Or perhaps a hotel room?”

“Doesn’t that last option seem a little… problematic?”

While Li Yue voiced her complaint, she found none of the suggestions particularly suitable. St. Mary’s environment was so exceptionally refined that replicating its aesthetic elsewhere proved surprisingly difficult.

Their objective was to capture images that would convincingly lead Alezno’s parents to believe the photoshoot had taken place within the hallowed grounds of St. Mary’s itself.

“Still, this week’s special ability seems far more useful than last week’s, wouldn’t you say?”

Mo Linyu offered this observation, yet Li Yue found herself unable to concur.

“That’s only true for you, isn’t it?” she countered. “The versatility of mind-reading is undeniably superior to disguise, even if it only reveals current thoughts, offers no retrospection, and requires staring intently at a dialogue box…”

“Just think about it properly,” Mo Linyu pressed. “When we’re searching for otherworld souls, we’re bound to encounter areas inaccessible to ordinary people, aren’t we? Imagine an office building requiring keycard access—wouldn’t your ability prove invaluable then? You’d be practically a spy.”

“…We’ll discuss it if and when such a situation arises,” Li Yue muttered, a slight curl gracing her lips.

While such circumstances might occur, they would undoubtedly be the exception, not the rule.

“So, where to now?”

Li Yue deferred the decision to Mo Linyu, who, after a moment of contemplation, proposed, “Why don’t we just take them at home?”

“To your estate?”

“Yes, and we can call Gongliang Kuixi over at the same time.” Mo Linyu reached out to gently pinch Alezno’s small cheek. “The little one’s parents have surely never set foot inside St. Mary’s, and even if they have, there are countless areas they wouldn’t have explored. My garden is perfectly suited to deceive them, and once we’re done, we can head straight indoors to stream—a truly advantageous arrangement, wouldn’t you agree?”

“What? Why are you more invested in streaming than I am?” Li Yue grumbled, her brow furrowed, before adding, “So, you’re not planning to roam around the city today, then?”

“Didn’t you explicitly state that I could only occupy half of your day?”

“…Very well, let’s proceed with that arrangement.”

Li Yue found herself utterly speechless, realizing she had somehow become surprisingly driven without even noticing when.

Mo Linyu continued, “By my reckoning, we’ve only known each other for eight days, yet we’ve already located two otherworld souls. At this pace, we’ll only need a little over a month to gather all the remaining ones.”

“Hold on, why this sudden surge of optimism?”

“Because I sense destiny at play. Just as you, the Hero, are fated to slay me, the Demon Lord, so too are otherworld souls destined to gravitate towards one another… Don’t you believe it?”

“I don’t.”

Li Yue’s response was sharp and unequivocal; she held no faith in the concept of destiny.

To concede to destiny, after all, would be to admit that slaying the Demon Lord was merely the fulfillment of prophecy, a preordained script.

Such an admission would reduce her to a mere actor in a play, not only negating her own arduous efforts but also diminishing the profound sacrifices made by her companions.

Thus, she had always harbored skepticism toward Mo Linyu’s pronouncements on destiny, finding them to echo the hollow justifications of a loser rationalizing their failures.

Even with the Goddess’s prophecy guiding them, ultimate triumph had always been the culmination of their own relentless endeavors…

Yet, if that were truly the case, how could all her companions have been annihilated half a year prior?

A chorus of self-doubt began to surface within her, stirring a profound sense of unease in Li Yue.

****

The trio eventually returned to the opulent Mo family estate.

En route, Mo Linyu had contacted Gongliang Kuixi, who assured them she would hasten over immediately after finishing work.

That meant it would be evening at the earliest.

It seemed Alezno would need to maintain her persona as Alezno for a while longer.

“In that case, let’s find a suitable spot and take the photographs first.”

The Mo family estate boasted sprawling gardens in both its front and back yards; the former featured an elegant fountain, while the latter held a pristine swimming pool. Conveniently, the Western-style landscaping perfectly complemented the refined ambiance of St. Mary’s Academy.

Clad in the girls’ school uniform provided by the disguise kit, Li Yue settled gracefully beside a wrought-iron round table with a glass top. As she casually swept her golden hair back over her shoulders, every subtle gesture exuded the effortless poise of a born young lady.

Anyone observing her would harbor no doubt that these photographs had been captured within the very confines of St. Mary’s campus.

Their ultimate choice of location was a secluded, shaded terrace nestled beneath the trees in the back garden, furnished with charming wrought-iron tables and chairs, perfect for a quiet repose.

“Hmm? Hero, you seem even more like a proper young lady than before,” Mo Linyu remarked, even as she held up her phone.

“Is that so?” Li Yue responded with a sweet, demure smile. “Perhaps it’s merely the tranquil surroundings here that put me at ease.”

Leaning back comfortably against the chair, she let the dappled afternoon sunlight, fractured by the overhead leaves, cascade gently upon her form.

Through the transparent glass tabletop before her, one could discern her slender legs, encased in stockings, elegantly crossed. The hem of her skirt, noticeably shorter than a standard school uniform, cascaded naturally, drawing the eye as if to delve into the tantalizing depths beneath.

“Moon…”

Alezno, too, shuffled his chair closer to Li Yue, appearing to intend to embrace her for another joint photo, much like they had done in the restaurant earlier. His small face even gravitated towards Li Yue’s chest.

“Ahem, Ranger,” Mo Linyu interjected, “even amongst friends, one typically doesn’t press their face against another’s chest.”

Since this particular photoshoot demanded a more serious approach, Mo Linyu felt compelled to gently remind him of appropriate boundaries.

“Pardon the interruption.”

Just then, however, Dong Lu and Xia Xi, the Mo family’s maids, emerged from the back door, pushing a dining cart laden with afternoon tea for the trio.

“You’ve all been working diligently,” the elder, composed maid Dong Lu stated respectfully, “so we’ve prepared some iced tea and refreshments for you.” Beside her, Xia Xi quietly poured their tea.

The subtle fragrance of the tea, mingled with the mind-soothing sweetness of fruit, permeated the air, its refreshing essence noticeable even in its chilled state.

“Mmm~ These are precisely the right props,” Mo Linyu mused, a look of profound satisfaction gracing her features.

With the pastries and tea artfully arranged upon the round table, the scene’s visual richness and composition were significantly enhanced.

Yet, just as Mo Linyu raised her phone once more, poised to immortalize the scene, Li Yue’s attire, as if consumed by an unseen fire, silently disintegrated into ash, scattering away on the humid breeze.

“…Eh?”

In the blink of an eye, the school uniform that had adorned Li Yue’s form vanished entirely, leaving her clad solely in a modest set of plain white cotton underwear.

Her delicate skin, now exposed to the air, first bloomed with a faint blush, then steadily deepened into a vivid crimson hue.

Evidently, a novel characteristic of this particular special ability had just been inadvertently revealed.

For a moment, Li Yue found herself uncertain whether to conceal her body. She instinctively raised her arms to embrace herself, only to let them fall back down with a frustrated sigh—she refused to appear effeminate.

But Alezno, who considered himself male, did cover his eyes…

Though not entirely, as his small eyes were peeking mischievously through the gaps in his fingers!

“…By my reckoning, how much time has elapsed?” Li Yue asked, composing herself and striving for an air of forced composure.

“Hmm, approximately an hour, I’d say.”

Mo Linyu offered her reply, even as the phone she held let out an audible “click.”

“Hey! Stop taking pictures!”