Magical Girls Never Meet Hot-Tempered Middle-Aged Men (Part 2)

Kalpas has been feeling down lately.

The old man left this estate to him before he died. Damn it, I've been with him for so many years, and I've told him countless times to find a companion, or even adopt one from an orphanage if necessary. What good is leaving all this to me? I still have to water the flowers, clean, weed, and mop the floor every day... It's so annoying!

He didn't know where he came from or who he used to be. The only things he could remember were his own name and the few blurry figures in his mind.

In short, one thing he was certain of was that he hated snakes and Nun, but had a slight liking for foxes.

He carved the patterns on the gate according to the design in his memory, but after finishing, he felt that two patterns looked very strange, so he removed them.

Decades ago, a young man found him during a wilderness expedition, took him back and cared for him carefully. Kalpas wanted to leave, but the man kept him by his side after learning that he had amnesia and no identity.

Over time, Kalpas became his housekeeper, and their relationship changed from that of a mother and son to that of a servant.

Time flies, and the man has grown into an old man, but his appearance has remained unchanged, still the same as when they first met.

The man was aware of his strangeness, but did not treat him as such. Instead, he regarded him as a friend and family member. Kalpas was very annoyed by this, but there was nothing he could do about it.

Because he wanted one...

According to the man's will before his death, Kalpas left this place and posted a rental notice. The rent is very cheap, providing a place to stay for those who truly love this quiet place.

Unfortunately, there are good people in this world, but there are far more bad people.

This is the only thing he left for himself, Kalpas will not hand over this "home" to anyone, unless...

"Cough cough, I don't know where you came from. I want to stay with you forever, but I'm sorry, I'm afraid I don't have much time left..." The old man was barely breathing, and his thin, withered hand was raised with difficulty. Kalpas held his hand without saying a word. The large hand that could lift a thousand-pound boulder without trembling was now trembling.

"Old man, get some rest." Kalpas didn't know how he was feeling, but he was definitely in a bad mood.

"My life has been smooth sailing, I have no regrets, and I can say I'm living a long and peaceful life. But I can't rest easy about you." Although the old man was old, there was still a light in his eyes, which reminded Kalpas of the first time they met.

"There are many evil people in this world, and I'm lucky to be the first person you met after you woke up... cough cough! If, if one day you meet someone who is willing to treat you with sincerity again, then give this..."

As the old man spoke, his voice grew softer and softer, and the light in his eyes gradually faded.

—Lifespan is the longest of all knives—

Kalpas picked the best-looking flower from the bushes and placed it in front of the tombstone in the back garden.

That guy loved tending to flowers and plants when he was alive, and over time Kalpas developed the same habit. Although he didn't think there was anything interesting about it, there must be a reason why that guy liked it.

"Ugh, you're really something. You always used to bring a bunch of brats from the city to play here, and now I have to continue doing it for you... These brats are just as annoying as before, no, even more annoying. They even want me to play Yugi with them! Damn it, they took advantage of my lack of experience and still beat me more than ten times!"

Kalpas's irritable words subtly revealed a hint of bitterness and displeasure. "Hmph, this time I'm well prepared. Those brats can just wait to die! I'll torture them in the most cruel way possible... Hahaha, ahahahaha!!!"

The man's wild laughter echoed in the garden for a while before he stopped. His gaze lingered on the blurry black-and-white photograph for a moment before he turned and left.

"A strange girl came today, claiming to be some kind of witch. Ah, she's quite similar to those witches who use magic in the stories you used to tell me. But she seemed to be having a lot of fun playing with those brats, and she gave me a few familiar feelings. Ugh, I really want to tear her to pieces!"

Kalpas muttered to himself as his figure gradually disappeared, leaving only a cluster of bright red flowers placed in front of the cold tombstone.

He changed into slippers and went into the room. He pushed open the door and entered the living room, where the Magical Girl Lady was playing Yugi with the children. Kalpas snorted and attracted their attention.

"Hey, I'm ready, who's going to die?!"

The children moved aside in unison, making room for Xing, who looked completely bewildered.

"Ha, how amusing. You actually pushed out that ignorant girl who helped you to be your scapegoat. Trying to make me laugh?" Kalpas, wearing a clown mask, sat down with a cold laugh, took the controller from the chubby boy, and before starting the battle, turned to the speechless Xing and mocked, "Hey, strange girl... what's your name?"

"Well, call me whatever you like, my real name is nothing to worry about."

"Oh, witch, are you ready to die? If you beg for mercy, I will spare you." Kalpas, who was eager to take revenge, did not notice that the children behind him were looking at him with sympathetic eyes, as if they were looking at a hero going to his death.

"I'm Magical Girl... Fine, call me whatever you want." The dedicated Sachi couldn't correct him, focusing her attention on the upcoming King of Fighters Yugi.

Ten minutes later—

K·O!

Bang!!!

Master Sen was so angry that he crushed the handle in his hand and roared in exasperation, "This round doesn't count, let's play again!"

"Uncle, you've lost over ten games in a row!" the children kindly reminded him. "According to the previous rules, you have to play with us for ten minutes every time you lose!"

"I ***** (meaningless censored)" Kalpas was so angry he wanted to curse. He glared fiercely at the innocent Xing before being dragged away by the excited children.

Xing shrugged, and was about to call Pardo and the others to report the information when the children came back and carried her away as well.

"Sister, come join us! The more people, the better!"

"Let me go! I've been playing with you guys all afternoon!"

The Magical Girl Lady tried to resist, but she couldn't bring herself to harm the children. Although she was protected by Force Field, it could only defend against malicious attacks, and the innocent children naturally had no ill intentions.

This is the romanticism Eden added to this armor; the system can detect the psychological fluctuations of those around the wearer and defend against all malicious attacks, ensuring the wearer is not harmed. Even villains cannot touch the Magical Girl Luming.

But what if one is harmed by good intentions?

Next, Xing played Yugi after game with these children whose biological age was similar to hers, along with Kalpas, who was forced to work.

Eagle catching chicks—

The Magical Girl Lady, who made a cameo appearance as a hen, used wind magic to lift everyone into the sky, leaving Master Sen, who played an eagle, helplessly staring at the ground.

"Hey, why did you bring a trampoline here?"

"Ha, since you're going to fly, then don't bother coming down!"

Kalpas watched the children fly up, fall, and jump again, listening to their screams of fear (actually excitement). He felt extremely satisfied. "Serves you right for beating me in Yugi."

The girl floated to the side, quietly watching the man. There must be a handsome face hidden beneath that mask, right?

Because she saw a bright and gentle heart.

Drop the handkerchief—

The Magical Girl Lady, tricked by the children, flew incredibly fast, but Master Sen still managed to grab her leg and pull her over. "Phew, you really can fly! Now it's your turn!"

Fortunately, it's a bit of a problem that it's not good to perform well indoors, as the flight speed is greatly limited, otherwise I wouldn't have been caught up.

Despite the frustration, the Yugi had to continue. Luckily, I picked up a handkerchief and, taking advantage of a moment when no one was looking, tossed it behind one of the children.

Hopscotch

The children watched Master Sen jump straight to the finish line and fell into deep thought. Hey, didn't we agree that he couldn't jump that far?

Truth or Dare

As sunset approached, Kalpas turned on the indoor lights, and everyone sat together, their eyes fixed on the soup spoon in the center of the table.

Xiao Yao secretly placed the magnet under the table, and the spoon handle unsurprisingly pointed at Xing.

The children all turned to look at her, and she reluctantly raised her hand to indicate, "Truth or dare."

"Me! Me!" Xiao Yao was the first to raise her hand. "Sister, sister, did you create your figure with magic?"

"... I grew up on my own." The children's gazes seemed to shift to a sensitive area. The girl lay on the table in embarrassment. Hey, are kids these days so precocious?

Kalpas looked disgusted. What's so good about those two lumps of fat? I really don't know... Hmm, what's going on? Why do I suddenly feel like I know someone with a lot of fat and someone whose fat is not fixed?

I hate this feeling!

With the children's underhanded tactics, the spoon handle was pointed at her again. Fortunately, she was both amused and exasperated. Hey, they're just picking on her, aren't they? I can understand, kids are bound to be curious about Magical Girl.

"Honestly, is there anything you want to ask?"

"How did you become Magical Girl, sister?"

"Um, it's pretty sudden, actually. My great-grandfather, or maybe I should call him great-great-grandfather? He made me a transformation device, and then I somehow became Magical Girl." Just thinking about Otto gives Sachi a headache. In terms of strategy, almost no one in the Honkai Impact 3rd world can outmaneuver him, and now that guy seems to have his eye on her... Help!

The children's eyes sparkled, but Xing kindly reminded them, "This is a high-risk profession. If it weren't for your good luck, my sister would have died several times over."

PS: The above number refers to the total number of near-death experiences across all professions in the game.

Kalpas frowned slightly; what he had just said didn't seem to be a lie.

"How old are you, sister?"

"Hehe, I'm only 11 years old this year~♪ Pfft, do you believe me?" Sachi revealed her biological age, and the children naturally refused to believe her.

Kalpas's frown deepened; what he had just said didn't seem to be a lie.

The children excitedly spun the spoon handles, but this time they pointed at Kalpas. As the children looked on in confusion, Kalpas's eyes twitched as he watched Xing, who was manipulating the magic box. "Truth or dare, what do you want to ask?"

"Um, I wanted to ask, what's your name, sir? After all, I don't think I know your name since we met."

"Hmph, your real name is nothing to brag about!"

Fortunate. "..."

Again!

"Honestly, it's so annoying."

"How old are you this year, sir?"

"I don't know, but it's definitely older than yours."

Isn't that obvious...?

Again!

"... Have you fucking had enough fun yet?!"

"Ahem, it's getting dark. Shouldn't they go back?" Xing pointed to the dark window and said tactfully, "If they don't go back soon, their parents will be worried, won't they?"

"Wow, big sister, you're new to Sky Dome City, right?" The children looked surprised. "Uncle, this place is a famous children's playground. Our parents won't worry if we stay here overnight!"

"Huh?" The Magical Girl Lady blinked. She hadn't seen this in the documents. The guys at the real estate company hadn't told her about this!

You bastard, you made me look bad in front of the kids! I'll never forgive you when we get back!

Kalpas laughed heartily at her predicament. "Interesting, absolutely hilarious! Let me see more of your wailing!"

Glug glug~

A series of rhythmic snoring sounds filled the room, and the children's eyes all turned to Kalpas. He sighed helplessly, stood up, and put on his apron. "I'm going to cook. You all stay here and wait quietly. Anyone who dares to run around will be in big trouble!"

P. S.: The "You can't eat your own food" moment in the Pleasant Goat and Gray Wolf Year of the Snake movie is truly something else! You guys owe us five big movies, remember to pay us back!

"Ah, I'll help." The Magical Girl Lady swam over like a fish. Kalpas glanced at her in surprise but didn't say anything. He just handed her an apron. "Take this, or you'll exhaust yourself doing laundry tomorrow."

"Um, I forgot to mention that there is magic around me, so my whole body won't get dirty at all."

"... Why didn't you say so earlier?" Kalpas subtly withdrew her hands, which were holding gloves and masks.

In the kitchen—

"Hahaha! Let me hear your wails! Witch, what are you looking at? Go chop your vegetables!"

Master Sen seemed to have a grudge against food; every time his cleaver struck the cutting board, it made a loud bang. Fortunately, he ignored the towering flames on the gas stove and was prepared to unleash water magic to put out the fire at any moment.

After a series of dazzling maneuvers by Master Sen, which even Xing could barely see clearly, a pot lid was used to cover the flames that were leaping high into the pot. Just when Xing thought the food was definitely burnt, Master Sen lifted the lid, and a blinding golden light burst out, dazzling the Magical Girl Lady's heterochromatic eyes, which widened in surprise.

"What did you put in the rice?! Mei's cooking never produces any golden light!"

"Huh? Doesn't cooking produce golden light?" Master Sen tilted his head, looking puzzled. Strange, the old man had the same expression the first time he saw him cook. Isn't it common knowledge that cooking produces golden light?

Kalpas, Xing obediently chopped vegetables, but Qian Jie, who had finished the appetizer, did not continue cooking. Instead, he walked to the girl's side, placed a strong hand on her shoulder, and said, "Hey, witch, how long are you planning to wait?"

Xing stopped what she was doing, her red eyes filled with confusion as she looked at him. "Waiting for what?"

"Stop pretending. The only people who come here besides children are those who have designs on this manor. You can't fool me."

"But I'm just a child," the girl said innocently.

Master Sen was almost roasted to death. No doubt about it, this girl is indeed a child, and she's only a little taller than those little brats.

Note: Please refer to the height of Naihi for current body size. Also, Sachi's current size is C+~D.

"Hmm, I'm just kidding, but I really did happen to be here because I was helping that child. I didn't take advantage of them." Xing put down the kitchen knife, her clear pupils meeting the eyes behind the man's mask.

"Who cares about that? Tell me what you're doing here." Kalpas pressed her against the wall further, demanding an explanation, completely disregarding how awkward her current position was.

"Um, just wanted to ask how much the rent is. I think the environment here is nice, and I'd like to stay here for a while." Xing pulled out a rental brochure from the real estate center from behind her back and winked.

"What?!" Qian Jie's hand on her shoulder tightened Kalpas. "You want to stay here?!"

"No, is that not allowed? Then I'll go back and look at the others..." Xing sighed inwardly, but then saw Kalpas release her, helplessly covering his forehead, "Why didn't you say so earlier? Where's the luggage?"

???

The man waved his hand in front of the petrified Magical Girl Lady. "What, are you deaf? Renting a place without your luggage?"

"No, no, didn't I hear that renting a room here requires completing tasks randomly assigned by the housekeeper?" Xing asked, having shattered the petrification layer on her body.

"Oh, that?" Kalpas said nonchalantly, "I was just kidding them. How could they possibly complete such an absurd mission? And bringing a bunch of gifts to rent a place, ha, would you believe that if you were in their shoes?"

What kinds of missions are they?

"It's nothing much, just simple tasks like surviving three minutes under my watch..."

"This is beyond the limits of ordinary humans, isn't it?!"

Just as she breathed a sigh of relief and was about to call Kane and the others to let them know that everything was going smoothly, Kalpas suddenly pressed her against the wall again. "Hey, there's something I need to make clear first. I'm the housekeeper here. If you're going to stay here, you have to listen to me. Otherwise, pack your things and get out of here right now, understand?"

"Okay, I got it~♪" The girl's slightly playful voice at the end made Kalpas's scalp tingle. For some reason, he suddenly thought of a woman with pink hair.

Hmm, I've pretty much figured out this guy's personality. Hmph, surprisingly easy!

Fortunately, she managed to get into the performance mindset, and her smiling eyes made Kalpas feel a little guilty. What was wrong with her? This familiar feeling of powerlessness!

——Love Gate——

After eating and drinking their fill and playing until they were tired, the children began their final pre-sleep entertainment: making a mask for the uncle!

"Sigh, I've practically filled a room with all these masks, and you're still wasting materials here?" Kalpas started her irritable motherly rant again. "Once you're done carving, get to bed and stop messing around! And you, witch, I decide where you sleep, but don't wander around here!"

"Okay, okay, I understand~♪" the girl replied perfunctorily, focusing on carving the wood in her hands. Hmm, she had done this before during a live stream. Speaking of masks, and considering that this manor might contain clues about the Thirteen Flame-Chasers, then...

The ordinary wooden block was quickly transformed in the hands of the skillful girl, creating a shape that terrified countless people 50,000 years ago.

After the children finished making their masks, they handed them over to Kalpas for inspection. "Rat, rabbit, dragon... why is there a woman's mask? Can't you guys be serious for once? Hmm, this one is..."

He picked up the unpainted wooden mask. The familiar patterns and shape made him feel dazed, and the fragmented images in his mind reappeared. But this time, Kalpas felt that he remembered something.

"I am... the sixth seat of the Thirteen Flame-Chasers, [Decimation], Kalpas!"

The children couldn't understand the man's whispers, but Xingke, who was beside him, understood the meaning behind them, and cold sweat instantly soaked her back.

What's going on? This man is Kalpas?!

No, it doesn't seem like there are that many surprises. Wearing a mask, so irritable, and surprisingly strong. Wait, the key question is, how did Kalpas end up here?!

Pardo, Eden, and now Kalpas, what is going on in this world? Is it a happy ending where all Thirteen Flame-Chasers survive?

None of that matters. That hot-tempered guy, the most difficult one to communicate with in the Elysian Realm, Herrscher tore apart Mei with his bare hands, almost killed Flame-Chasers, why is he now a kind, gentle, and Tsundere male mother who just won't talk properly?!

Are you kidding me?!

Her carefully adjusted mindset crumbled again. By the time she came to her senses, Kalpas had already thrown her back onto the bed she had started on.

"You'll be staying in this room from now on. It has a private bathroom. You can have meals in the living room on the first floor. You'll need to wash your own clothes. Is there anything else?"

"Hmm, there is indeed one more." Xing patted his head, forcing himself to calm down, placed his hand on his chest, and deactivated his transformation in a burst of white light.

Kalpas looked at her calves encased in ankle boots, a little puzzled. "So you like wearing shoes."

"What you and the children saw today is my transformed form. People who have seen that form won't remember what I look like afterward, so I want you to see this form." The girl jumped off the bed, her breathing still a little rapid. She walked quickly to Kalpas's side, hesitated for a moment, and then reached out her hand to him.

"My name is Chen Xilumeng Xing, you can just call me Luming. I am currently an idol, and I chose this secluded place because I didn't want to be disturbed. I hope you will take good care of me in the future, butler, or rather... Kalpas."

"Witch, you give me a very unpleasant feeling, but that doesn't matter, at least you're still pleasing to the eye." Kalpas slapped her hand away, turned around and left without looking back, not forgetting to close the door behind him.

The immense force caused the door frame to groan, and it was only long after Kalpas had left that Xingcai belatedly collapsed onto the bed, realizing what had happened.

"No wonder he gave me such a strong sense of oppression before. This is Kalpas. Even though he has lost most of his power, he can still bring the most terrifying oppression just by standing there... But today I seem to have seen a side of him that no one else knows."

"Sigh, I should have looked at Flame-Chasers's information more carefully when I was fighting in the Elysian Realm."

The girl took off her shoes, took a shower, and then took out a change of clothes from her luggage. She tossed and turned in bed for a long time without being able to fall asleep. Strange, have I forgotten something?

"Oh no, we forgot about Pardo and the others outside!"

Meanwhile, in a hotel some distance away, Kane was also unable to sleep. He stared at the Great Dragon Full Bottle in his hand in the darkness, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

The mechanical pet Cross-Z Dragon nuzzled his face affectionately, urging its master to fall asleep quickly. He pressed the little dragon's head and muttered to himself, "Before I came here, Luming told me that the World Serpent has a headquarters in Sky Dome City, which is disguised as the medical company Kamishiro Pharmaceuticals. I need to go there and take a look sometime."

Who knows how many underground levels Kamishiro Pharmaceuticals has?

Jackal sat at the table covered with screens, watching the images transmitted back before the Death Weaver stopped operating. The blue and gold Dragon Knight in the image made her tremble with rage. "Kamen Rider Cross-Z, transformed by Kane Kaslana, that means Kamen Kaslana must be here too! Damn it, I'm already here, how did you guys follow me? Did someone leak my information?"

"Anyway, this isn't Changkong City, and the research on the Danger Trigger is almost complete, and there's that..." Jackal played with the Build Driver in his hand, "Although I don't want to admit it, this driver does have the potential to Grip Driver and is more suitable as an embedded object for the Danger Trigger."

"With Xing's abilities, finding this place was only a matter of time, so let me put on a good show! But before that, remove some of my valuables first; it took me a long time to prepare..."

In a storage room somewhere at Kamishiro Pharmaceuticals, the small white eggs soaking in nutrient solution remained motionless, but in the dim light, lurking shadows stirred restlessly, coalescing into a serpentine shape...

Author's Note—

Actually, the First One surviving Flame-Chasers originally planned to appear in this book was Mobius, but because the official story was a bit ambiguous about the fate of the real Mobius, it was postponed. Good luck to everyone!