New Tenant

Fangting City Outer Ring Road, Villa District.

As the girls pushed open the door and stepped into the foyer, the first to speak was Wood Lily, who was walking at the very front of the group.

"What's going on? It's huge!"

Although the exclamation was devoid of any real substance, it represented the genuine thoughts of the group from Bai'an City.

The four-story detached villa was indeed much larger in space compared to the second floor of the music store where the magical girls of Bai'an City gathered.

"Why is your Secret Base so big? Was it a bribe?"

Wood Lily peered into the entryway, and after looking around, she finally couldn't contain her curiosity and turned to Lin Xiaolu to ask, "Or is this your property?"

"It can't possibly be a bribe no matter how you look at it," Lin Xiaolu said helplessly. "This venue was arranged by Larkspur through negotiations with the Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau."

"The Inspector it? Ah, I see. Now that I think about it, it's not surprising."

Wood Lily nodded knowingly, "But your teachers can afford such a grand setup and stay in such a luxurious facility, while we can only cower in the music school after school every day like girls in an off-campus band. Looking at it this way, our teachers really aren't... umm?"

Before she could finish speaking, White Thistle covered her mouth.

--Don't say such stupid things in front of outsiders.

Although he didn't say anything, White Thistle's gaze conveyed this meaning.

In fact, to say that Asō Madoka was useless or did not contribute in this regard is indeed a misjudgment of herself and the Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau of Bai'an City.

While the truth is that she hadn't discussed this matter, the existence of the Bai'an City Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau differs significantly from that of the Fangting City Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau. For the Fangting City Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau, acquiring a property is a simple matter; however, for the Bai'an City Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau, while it's not impossible, the process would be considerably more complicated.

The Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau in each city exists in different ways. Some, like in Fangting City, exist openly as government agencies, while others disguise themselves as other organizational forms. The Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau in Bai'an City, however, is a physically underground organization.

Regardless of personnel distribution or geographical location, the Bai'an City Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau is completely "underground." Although it has been operating in Bai'an City, it tries its best to erase all traces of its activities in the city.

However, it was precisely because they were so well hidden that no one knew they had been almost completely wiped out by Black Ash Dawn, which in a sense was like shooting themselves in the foot.

The fact that this organization operates in the Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau way makes it much more difficult for them to set up a large-scale base for magical girls in the city and to cover up all the details.

That is why neither Asō Madoka nor Lantern ever made such a request.

So now, a strange situation has emerged: although the Bai'an City team is clearly more experienced in magical girl affairs, after seeing the Fangting City Squad's luxurious facilities, they seem like country bumpkins visiting a grand garden, constantly asking questions.

The four-story villa was very spacious, with plenty of empty rooms to spare, and could easily accommodate a few more people. So, the magical girls from the Bai'an City Squad quickly chose their rooms and moved in with their luggage.

They will likely be staying here for some time.

Bai Jingxuan was in charge of setting up the training space for the others in the underground training ground, while Xia Liang dragged Moko to prepare dinner for the next day. The task of showing the Bai'an City Squad around the rooms naturally fell to Lin Xiaolu.

However, she always looked rather sullen.

White Thistle was the last in the team to choose a room, so after everyone else went to do their own thing, only she and Lin Xiaolu remained in front of the empty room.

"Then I'll choose this room. Thank you very much for your hospitality."

White Thistle, who had always acted like a leader, remained very polite even at this moment, thanking Lin Xiaolu and saying, "I may be taking up some of your space for the next period of time. If this causes you any trouble, I apologize in advance."

"Hmm? Oh, it doesn't matter, the place is pretty empty anyway."

Lin Xiaolu responded listlessly, "But what about you guys? Aren't you sure you can get everyone to Fangting City without any problems? What about the Aberrant Beast in your city?"

"Don't worry about that. Although I'm quite ashamed, our team still has a certified senior member who will continue to stay."

White Thistle explained, "Besides, something happened in our city recently, and at least for now, the frequency of encounters with Aberrant Beast in the city is very low, so we don't need that many magical girls."

"Black Ash Dawn?" After taking a moment to process the information in the other person's words, Lin Xiaolu tilted her head and came to a conclusion that pointed directly to the core of the contradiction.

"Ah... yeah, that's right, you encountered the same thing in Fangting City before."

Taken aback by the other party's straightforwardness, White Thistle belatedly nodded, then instinctively covered her mouth, saying, "I'm very sorry, I subconsciously felt that this was something not worth spreading, it wasn't intentional."

"So, did you two fight?" Lin Xiaolu asked rather abruptly.

"Fight?" White Thistle, puzzled.

"Black Ash Dawn, did you fight them?"

Lin Xiaolu looked at the other person with some seriousness, "How far has the battle progressed?"

"... Regarding combat, unfortunately, we did not directly engage in battle with the Black Ash Dawn's executives."

White Thistle lowered her gaze slightly. "After the Inspector arrived in our city, she found the enemy we had been searching for all along by herself. Then, according to our team's seniors, she almost instantly killed that Black Ash Dawn Ash Guard. We couldn't help at all; we weren't even 'bystanders,' just hindsight witnesses."

"Haven't you fought?"

Muttering this answer to herself, Lin Xiaolu's eyes flickered slightly. "... But I've already been to battle, you know."

"Hmm?" White Thistle was somewhat puzzled by the words of the person in front of him.

"I fought with 'Moth'... and that stinky old woman."

Lin Xiaolu stared at her opponent. "Although I was no match for her at all, and although I was really badly beaten, and even I myself felt that I was just a burden to Larkspur on the battlefield, I still fought her."

"From my very first battle as a magical girl, I have faced death. I know what fear feels like, and I know the pain of defeat. If we're talking about preparedness, I was ready a long time ago."

"So, what qualities do you possess, and what makes you qualified to be our 'preliminary test' candidate?"

"Why can't I take next year's Qualification Certification Exam just because I can't beat you?"

Her words were firm and resounding.

Because there was no one else around, Lin Xiaolu's words echoed slightly throughout the corridor.

The two were positioned on the south side of the fourth-floor corridor. The slanting sunlight cast several shadows on Lin Xiaolu's face, and combined with her serious expression, the atmosphere between them suddenly became somewhat tense.

White Thistle loosened her grip on the suitcase slightly.

"You mean what the teacher said to you after the concert?"

Her expression remained unchanged, seemingly unaffected by Lin Xiaolu's questioning. "If you are upset because of those words, I apologize, because she is indeed a straightforward person, and many times what she says is not pleasant."

"Does this sound like you're asking for an apology?" Lin Xiaolu frowned slightly.

"I'm sorry, I don't quite understand." White Thistle shook her head. "Perhaps I didn't understand what you meant."

What I need is an explanation.

Lin Xiaolu took a step forward, hands on her hips. "That woman... your teacher, why did she say that?"

"You mean, 'You can't participate in the certification process unless you defeat us'?"

White Thistle loosened his suitcase and stood up straight. "Or is it that she thinks ' Fangting City Squad can't defeat Bai'an City Squad '?"

Lin Xiaolu gave a light hum. "Both."

"The first thing is actually a bit complicated to explain, because it's inside information that only our teachers can talk about."

After giving Lin Xiaolu a calm look, White Thistle stated in a measured voice, "Next year's Qualification Certification Exam may be different from previous years. If your abilities are insufficient, there could be real danger to your life."

"This isn't the first time our Bai'an City Squad has participated in the qualification certification, and everyone here holds White Card. We're the participants in the assessment firsthand. If you fight us, you can roughly judge your own strength. If you can't win, it's better to avoid the fray for now and wait another year to take the exam."

"... According to you, stopping us from participating in the assessment is actually for our own good?"

Lin Xiaolu asked, "Because it's very dangerous, so if you can't guarantee your safety, you shouldn't go, is that what you mean?"

"Based on my speculation, yes."

White Thistle continued, "This conclusion is just based on the information my teacher gave me. To get the real answer, you'd better ask her directly."

"'Being good to us' is just speculation..."

Lin Xiaolu raised her head slightly. "Then what does' the Fangting City Squad couldn't defeat the Bai'an City Squad's mean?"

"These are her exact words," White Thistle replied with a polite smile. "Of course, this doesn't include our teachers and seniors; it only refers to us, the new generation."

"You said those exact words?"

Lin Xiaolu's eyes widened.

"Yes, although I don't know your strengths, I trust the teacher's judgment," White Thistle added.

"... Didn't I just tell you? All of us in the Fangting City Squad have fought against the Black Ash Dawn's officers," Lin Xiaolu said in a low voice.

"Yes, it must have been an extremely arduous and brutal battle. I have great respect for it," White Thistle replied.

"I've said it before, although I was completely outmatched, at least on that day, when I stood before that person for the sake of this city, I absolutely did not regret the possibility of dying."

I understand.

"Since that's understandable, then what about you, a squad that couldn't even find the enemy, fight, or protect your city when it faced its greatest crisis..."

Lin Xiaolu took another step forward. "What gives you the right to look down on us like this?"

The corridor fell silent for a moment.

Lin Xiaolu stared at White Thistle with a serious expression, while White Thistle looked at her calmly, though the polite smile that had been on his lips had disappeared.

"That was certainly some very harsh talk, Miss White Rose." After a long pause, she finally spoke, "Do you know that what you just said, while true, wasn't really appropriate to say now?"

Just call me Lin Xiaolu.

Lin Xiaolu pouted. "Larkspur said that magical girls' code names are only used among comrades."

"... I'm sorry, Lin Xiaolu, you are indeed a very interesting person."

White Thistle remained unfazed by the other party's barbed words, and simply nodded again. "I wonder what I did to offend you that makes you so hostile towards me?"

"I have no idea."

Lin Xiaolu confessed, "Although I don't know, I just feel very uncomfortable talking to you. I always feel like you're cursing me in your heart."

White Thistle was momentarily speechless.

After a long pause, she finally smiled slightly, regaining her previous calm demeanor. "I see. I apologize. Perhaps it was because my teacher told me on the way here that you are a leading figure of the new Fangting City that my impression of you was somewhat skewed."

"If you truly feel that my words were meant to belittle you, then I apologize once again, I am truly sorry."

"To express my sincere gratitude, please allow me to propose a form of compensation to mend our relationship, what do you say?"

This suggestion made Lin Xiaolu hesitate.

"... What compensation?"

"You think the teacher's judgment is flawed, and that you won't lose to us. While I trust the teacher, I also want to verify whether this conclusion is true."

White Thistle placed a hand on his chest, his Heart Gem glowing faintly. "How about we have a small, private competition right here?"

"A contest?" Lin Xiaolu finally showed her first smile since meeting White Thistle, but the smile contained absolutely no trace of friendliness, "How do you want to compete?"

"It's very simple."

The Heart Gem in his hand shone brighter until it covered his entire body, and White Thistle transformed, appearing before Lin Xiaolu in his transformed form. He then extended his right hand and placed it in front of Lin Xiaolu.

"Without using any Spell Formula, this is a sphere made solely of my magic."

As she spoke, a small magic ball appeared in her palm. "It's very simple; it's just magic gathered together to form this shape. There are no fancy features inside. It's a regular magic ball, plain and simple."

"And then?" Lin Xiaolu also touched her Heart Gem without hesitation.

"Then, make one of your magic balls. Use your magic ball to destroy mine."

White Thistle's expression remained calm, but his words were anything but calm:

"Or, be defeated by my magic ball."