White Wolf

In the Material Realm of Eastern Hua Prefecture, people are accustomed to regarding the New Year as a special holiday.

As the New Year approaches, regardless of whether people have been busy with work or study, they always take a few days off to spend the holiday with their families.

Therefore, as December draws to a close and Fangting City is covered in snow and ice, schools and workplaces alike will enjoy a holiday lasting several days.

"Have a holiday?"

However, not everyone is happy to accept a holiday. At least for Yuan, it was definitely not good news. "What does that mean? It means I don't have to work for the next few days and I won't get paid?"

"Yes, we have to go home for the Chinese New Year."

A middle-aged man dressed in construction worker's clothes and wearing a hard hat exhaled, the steam rising slowly in the cold air. "I know you enjoy working, but it's getting late, you should go home and spend time with your family, your parents, your boyfriend, or something."

"I know I should go home for Chinese New Year... but is it really necessary to have a holiday?"

Slightly troubled, Yuan scratched her head and said with a worried expression, "To be honest, I really need the money urgently."

"There's nothing we can do about it. The equipment needs to be sent back to the company for maintenance, and the rental period for the construction vehicles doesn't include holidays... Even if you really wanted to do it, you can't do it all by yourself, can you?"

The middle-aged man waved his hand, signaling Yuan to leave. "Alright, if there's nothing else, clean up the scene and get going. We're leaving soon too."

Even if she wanted to say something more, she had no chance; the middle-aged man simply drove her away.

Looking at the sparsely populated construction site not far away, she glanced at her dusty construction clothes and her black white gloves, and finally leaned against the wall helplessly, letting out a sigh.

"Sigh, making money is really tough these days."

"Who told you, you idiot, to spend all the money the Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau gave you on lottery tickets and slot machines?!"

A slightly shrill voice came from beside her. Black Cat- like Fairy, Semi, had somehow appeared beside her. "So you realize money's hard to earn now? Why didn't you ever consider this when you were spending it? What's going on in your head?"

"It's just bad luck, what if I make money next time?"

Yuan muttered softly, "If all else fails, we can go to that place where we gambled on boxing before. At least we made a small profit there last time..."

"Are you still planning to go?"

Semi's hair stood on end. "No, no, no! We only have enough money left for a few days of food!"

"If we make money, we can go to that upscale restaurant we saw earlier, right?"

Yuan smiled confidently, "I'm pretty tired of boxed lunches; it's time to yearn for more luxurious meals."

"But if we lose, we'll have to rummage through trash cans in the shopping district for food again!"

Semi shook her head repeatedly. "I absolutely don't want to!"

"It's not like we're starving. Going hungry for a few meals isn't a big deal for either of us."

Yuan said casually, clearly not taking Semi's "consequences" to heart at all, and walked out along the path on the side of the construction site. "If all else fails, you can learn from the other stray cats and wait for passersby to feed you some cat food."

"The problem is, they can eat normally!"

Semi could only follow behind her, arguing logically. "Besides, I've already said I'm not a cat, and I don't eat cat food..."

"That's alright. Once I win the money back next time, you can eat whatever you want."

"I told you there won't be a next time! No lottery tickets! No boxing! No slot machines!"

Semi said sternly, "If this happens again, I'm quitting immediately. I might as well go back to the chief and apologize!"

"Okay, okay, okay--"

As she gave a perfunctory answer, she walked out of the construction site with Semi. Yuan strolled slowly along the sidewalk, watching the traffic flow on the road with a blank expression, seemingly lost in thought.

She has been in Fangting City for over a month.

From being scammed when I was looking for a job, to being chased by the city management officers while setting up a fortune-telling stall on the street, to finally finding a reliable construction site, I have seen some aspects of life in this city.

Although she hasn't yet integrated into modern city life, she doesn't feel uncomfortable about it. On the contrary, she's always trying new things.

Whether it's the gambling that Semi criticizes or the "serious business" of working and earning money, the city's food, entertainment, transportation, and many other things are things she's happy to experience.

Besides the experiences, even if there's really nothing else to do, she can go find the magical girls in Fangting City to fight a couple of times, which can be considered a balance between work and rest.

Although it hasn't been long, she's quite satisfied with this kind of life; in fact, she's recently become rather reluctant to leave. The Material Realm nowadays is far more interesting than the era she was born in, and also more interesting than her previous life in the Interrealm.

Stepping on the still-snowy road, the subtle sound of the snow being gradually crushed and compacted underfoot made Yuan stop in her tracks.

"What a pity."

She couldn't help but mutter to herself.

Although she really wanted to stay in this place longer, many factors prevented her from doing so.

Beneath the black white gloves, she could feel the back of her hands getting slightly warm.

He raised his hand and removed the glove. On the back of his warm hand, the patterns depicting a crimson eagle shimmered faintly.

This pattern represents her identity within Claw Mark, symbolizing her role as a core member of Claw Mark. When it glows, there is only one possibility—the leader of Claw Mark wants to speak with her.

This action didn't go unnoticed by Semi, who was standing beside her, so the Black Cat Fairy's expression also turned serious. The two exchanged a glance and began to act simultaneously.

After looking around and making sure no one was paying attention to her, Yuan randomly chose a small alley, walked into it, transformed in the darkness, and then took to the air, heading towards the rooftop of a towering office building.

Semi followed closely behind, taking advantage of her Fairy nature to avoid being seen by passersby, she bounced between several buildings before landing beside Kite.

With everything ready, Yuan took out a red and black Magic Mirror from her bag. She squatted in the cold wind and, following the call of the mark on the back of her hand, made contact with the other end of the Magic Mirror.

Almost simultaneously, deep purple magic emanated from the mirror, completely obscuring the surrounding space.

Silently watching the changes on the Magic Mirror, Yuan didn't say a word. Semi, standing beside her, also remained silent, lying motionless on the ground.

These deep purple magical energies seemed to possess a life of their own, exploring, sensing, and touching the surrounding air. Although they should have been light and airy, they were as solid as a physical entity, giving people a heavy feeling that made it hard to breathe. They surged and formed circulations within a certain range, as if they could be used to confirm the surrounding environment.

Before long, the spreading magic finally stopped expanding outwards, but it completely sealed off the sky outside the office building, forming a barrier that outsiders could not enter at all.

Then, the mirror in the kite's hand finally lit up.

"It's been a long time, my dear Yuan."

A light, slightly delicate voice rang out, and a girl who looked to be only about fifteen years old appeared on the other side of the Magic Mirror. Her face wore a smile that was as gentle as a spring breeze, like an innocent girl who knew nothing of the world.

Her face was delicate, her skin fair with a rosy glow, and her deep purple eyes were misty, making her look pitiful. Her long, flowing purple hair cascaded over her shoulders, looking quite soft and fluffy, like down filling her clothes.

She wore a white princess dress, ornately decorated, and a very luxurious Diamond necklace around her neck, as if to show off something.

From her appearance and clothing to her demeanor, the girl was like a princess from a fairy tale. Cute, gorgeous, elegant—a whole host of words seemed to fit her perfectly.

If we ignore the environment she is in at this moment.

The sky was filled with yellow sand, the setting sun was reddish, and behind the girl lay a huge, Aberrant Beast with only a faint trace of life remaining; the ground was covered with the Aberrant Beast's bodily fluids, limbs torn beyond recognition, and the charred remains of something that seemed to have once been its "Nest".

It looked like a battle had just taken place there; that was the thought that would come to everyone's mind when they saw the scene.

However, this idea becomes distorted upon seeing the girl—because the girl in this place is so jarringly out of place with her surroundings.

In this place that was almost a ruin, the girl was not covered in blood or dirt, not even a speck of dust. Her white princess dress, apart from the ribbons used for decoration, showed no other colors. Moreover, even her hair was as soft as if it had just been styled.

And this girl has one more striking anomaly – she has a pair of beast ears formed from magical energy on her head.

They looked like the ears of some kind of canine animal, standing obediently on either side of its head, but because they were constructed of magic, they appeared translucent.

"Long time no see, boss."

As if oblivious to anything amiss, the kite calmly greeted the object on the other side of the mirror, then looked up and politely smiled, asking, "Are you out hunting today?"

"Yes, it's been like this for a while now."

She glanced at the massive, Aberrant Beast behind her, and with that movement, the already dying Aberrant Beast even stopped its last remaining life force. "After all, we're short-handed at home right now. Since you've all gone out on missions, I can only do some odd jobs."

"Are you short-staffed...?" Yuan lowered her gaze slightly, avoiding eye contact with the girl in the mirror.

"Yes, you went to the Material Realm, the Black Cat returned to her Kingdom, and Kui went with her... Now it's just some support staff and me at home, it's very lonely."

The girl chuckled softly, her face slightly flushed, seemingly with a hint of shyness. "That's why I contacted you at this time. I hope I didn't interfere with your business?"

"No, boss, the most important thing is that you wanted to see me."

Yuan forced a smile, forcing out a seemingly nonchalant grin. "It's also our fault for being out for so long, making you feel cooped up at home all by yourself."

"It's alright. After all, these are my requests, tasks I hope you will complete. Rushing things often won't bring good results."

The girl shook her head, looking at Yuan with gentle eyes. "I'm just a little worried, have you encountered any insurmountable difficulties in your mission?"

Yuan pursed her lips.

She lowered her head, glancing pleadingly to the side, only to see Semi lying quietly on the ground, as if she were dead, making no sound at all.

With a sigh, she could only gather her thoughts and stammer, "Things on my end... aren't going very well, because according to my investigation, Moth's Beast Source... is now Control Stage Emerald's hands."

"As for Cornflower, although she is injured as the intelligence reports, veteran members of the Fangting City Squad are stationed here to protect her safety."

"That girl named Bai Jingxuan... she's almost always at the Secret Base of the Fangting City Magical Girl Squad, rarely showing up. Even when she does appear, she's always with the others, so there's never a suitable opportunity to strike."

She racked her brains to find what could be called "facts" in her mind, and after organizing them, she formed the above language.

These words were all true, but that wasn't the real reason she failed. The only reason was that she was "on vacation" here and had no intention of resolving the matter quickly.

"Emerald?"

Fortunately, the information that Yuan had managed to send out seemed to have really attracted the girl's attention, especially the code name that symbolized the Gem Scepter of the Research Institute.

I only learned this news when I had a duel with the Larkspur. It was because of this that I decided to settle down in Fangting City with a "what's the use" attitude.

After all, it's somewhat believable that she would rob a wounded, near- Gem Scepter, but to ask her to rob a fully-fledged, reigning Gem Scepter? That's a joke.

Upon hearing the code name, the girl paused slightly, then frowned, pouted, and made a clearly sulky expression. Although she was angry, she actually looked rather cute. "This bookworm, he's always so annoyingly perceptive about these things."

"You said the Beast Source is Control Stage by Emerald, to what extent exactly? Has it already fallen into her hands, or is it merely held by her librarians who overstep their bounds? Has it been transported to the Kingdom, or is it still remaining in the Material Realm?"

The girl spoke in a clear, melodious voice, as if reciting poetry. "So, now that the Beast Source is in her hands, has Cornflower actually made some kind of deal with her?"

"That seems to be the case."

Iris appeared to be honest, but she carefully chose her words as she answered, "I had previously approached Cornflower and asked her to hand over the Beast Source, but not only did the other members of the Fangting City Squad come to stop me, but I also learned that the Beast Source had already been taken by Emerald."

"I don't know when Emerald came and made the deal with her, but it must have been completed before we knew about it." Perhaps feeling that this wasn't enough to cover up her mistake, she added.

"So you don't know the progress... but are you sure the Emerald was taken? Could it be that they used this as an excuse to deceive you?" the girl asked.

"I can't sense any residual trace of the Beast Source on Cornflower, and there's no trace of it in Fangting City either. Even if it's not Emerald, it shouldn't be in this city."

Yuan truthfully reported her only legitimate task, "I haven't yet confirmed the reliability of this information; that was my mistake."

"It's alright, let's just assume it's true. It doesn't conflict with our original purpose."

The girl gently shook her head. "Then, the only remaining task is to bring back Cornflower and Bai Jingxuan. If we can accomplish these two things, their value will be no less than a Beast Source. Do you have any ideas?"

"This matter isn't actually that easy, because of the old members of the Fangting City Squad stationed there..."

"It's easy, isn't it?"

Interrupting Yuan's evasive words, the girl looked curious and leaned slightly towards the mirror. "Twenty years ago, the Fangting City Squad was known as a legendary team because of Cornflower and Sakura, but now Cornflower is injured, and Sakura is dead. There shouldn't be anyone left who can threaten you, right?"

"I tried to fight them, but the injured Cornflower seemed to be able to recover some of her strength with the help of her teammates, and her teammates were also Flower Rank..." Iris's voice trailed off.

"But it's still nothing to you, right?"

The girl suddenly smiled, a bright and pure smile, "You are my most trusted warrior. Even if you were to face a member of Cornflower or Sakura at their peak, you should be more than capable of fighting them."

"...Yes." That was all the kite could say in response.

"If a direct confrontation is proving too difficult, why not try using the people in the city? It's almost New Year's in the Material Realm, so how about setting off some nice fireworks for them according to their customs?"

Seeing that Yuan was unwilling to say more, the girl continued in a sweet, innocent voice, "A million people might disrupt the city's normal operation and make it inconvenient for the Apostles to take over later... How about 100,000? That number should be enough to make them accept some unequal Rule."

"... What do you mean?"

"Kill him," the girl said evasively, as if she were discussing what she planned to have for dinner.

The kite fell silent once more.

She remained silent countless times when facing this leader with Claw Mark, the former Gem Scepter — the White Wolf.

"Ah, why aren't you saying anything?"

Upon hearing Yuan's silence, White Wolf blinked, then tilted his head in confusion. "Is it because I interfered too much with your mission that you're unhappy? If so, I'm sorry. I just want you to resolve your troubles as soon as possible and return to our home. It's all my fault for being too long-winded. Can you please stop being angry with me?"

"After all, it's really lonely being alone."

Her gaze towards Yuan was tender and gentle, and she smiled shyly like a young girl, "If only you could come back and keep me company sooner."

The kite couldn't lift its head.

Even though she knew that if she looked up, she would only see the White Wolf's signature tender gaze, she still couldn't control her head to complete the movement.

She could only keep her head down, bowing deeply, like a subject before an emperor in Royal Court.

--"Yes, sir."

Then, like a puppet, he forced out stiff words.