Magical Girl? There's No Going Back!

"Phew, taking a shower and blasting the AC afterward on a hot day felt amazing!" After rinsing off, Yun Ye wrapped herself in a bath towel, walked over to the air conditioner vent, spread her arms, and said happily.

"Lady Yun Ye, shouldn't we first look into the whereabouts of the three magical girls in this city? They must have fought the monster before. If they're still alive, they're probably the ones with the most information right now," Tan Xiang asked after putting away Yun Ye's daily necessities.

"What could C-rank fodder like them possibly know? Besides, traveling such a long way was exhausting. I'm resting for a day first, then I'll start working tomorrow." Yun Ye spoke as she flopped spread-eagled onto the bed, not caring that water was still dripping from her damp towel.

"Okay..." Seeing that Yun Ye had no intention of leaving, Tan Xiang could only open her suitcase, take out her own toiletries, and arrange them in a corner of the table.

"Hm? Why are you still here?" After lying on the bed and playing on her phone for a while, Yun Ye suddenly noticed Tan Xiang unpacking and asked in confusion.

"Huh? I... wasn't supposed to be?" Tan Xiang froze, her hand holding the towel stiffening in midair.

"Of course not. Isn't this my room? Once you're done, get out already. It's hot enough as it is—I don't want to share a bed with you." Yun Ye widened her eyes and spoke as though it were only natural.

"Sorry. I'll leave now." Tan Xiang fell silent for a while, then packed up her luggage again with a hurt expression and dragged her suitcase out of the room.

"Close the door behind you—" Yun Ye's drawn-out voice came from inside.

Summer in Clear Lotus City was already scorching, and today was even hotter than usual. There wasn't a single cloud in the empty sky. The moment Tan Xiang stepped out of the hotel, she felt as though she had been soaked in hot water. She hurriedly found some shade, sat on her suitcase, took out her phone, and looked for a job that could make money quickly.

Tan Xiang was still high-school age, so she naturally couldn't do any highly skilled work. If it also had to be short-term, her options were basically handing out flyers, delivering food, or waiting tables. But those jobs paid very little—nowhere near enough to cover Yun Ye's expenses.

As she kept scrolling, tears began to gather in Tan Xiang's eyes. The more she thought about it, the more wronged she felt. Unable to bear it any longer, she tossed aside her phone, crouched on the ground, and began to cry pitifully. She already had a sickly, fragile air about her, and crying only made her look more tragic. Anyone who saw her would have felt pity.

But Li Xuan had no heart. He only saw an opportunity. He immediately called Xu Rou. "I'm sending you the address of a café. Go ask the manager for a maid outfit and a stack of flyers, then take a cab to the Sylvie Hotel in the south of the city."

"Does Master want to play dress-up? Boohoo, I'm an innocent and adorable little maid. I don't want to be eaten by a big bad wolf with evil intentions," Xu Rou coquettishly said over the phone.

"Hm?! That actually sounded pretty good... but before that, you have another task. Listen... Hand out flyers as you walk. When you see a tall, skinny girl..." Li Xuan lowered his voice and told Xu Rou the plan.

After crying for a while, Tan Xiang helplessly picked up her phone again, wiped the dust off it, and continued looking for part-time work.

Just then, a sweet and adorable voice came from nearby—so sweet that even Tan Xiang, another girl, couldn't help looking over. A maid as sweet-looking as her voice was holding a stack of flyers and promoting her café to passersby. Even pedestrians hurrying along would stop to take a flyer and listen to a few words of her pitch.

How much did she make a day doing that? She looks so happy, so it must pay well, right? Would it be enough to cover Yun Ye's daily expenses? Tan Xiang couldn't help thinking.

As she was thinking about it, the cute maid had already reached her. She was busy thanking a young woman who had accepted a flyer when her left foot caught her right, and she pitched forward in a textbook stumble.

Tan Xiang was startled. Her constitution was poor, but years of working as a magical girl had given her instincts far beyond those of an ordinary person. She immediately rushed forward and caught the maid who was about to fall, then stylishly...

Got dragged down and fell to the ground with her, scattering flyers everywhere. Though Tan Xiang's reaction had been incredibly quick, she was simply too weak to hold up a maid who weighed a little more than she did.

"Ow, ow, ow... Ah, sorry, did I knock you down? Are you okay? Should we call an ambulance?" The maid hurriedly pulled Tan Xiang up, asking with deep concern in her voice.

"It's nothing. Let me help you pick up the flyers." Tan Xiang smiled and shook her head, then turned around to help the maid gather the flyers from the ground.

"Oh my, it was all thanks to you! Otherwise, I would've fallen right onto that hard pavement. I don't know how to thank you. How about I treat you to ice cream? I know a place that's especially good!" The maid took the flyers and repeatedly bowed politely.

"You don't need to be so formal." Tan Xiang hurriedly reached out to stop the maid from bowing again.

"No, no, I have to do something to repay you. Our manager always says that for every drop of kindness, you should repay it with even more drops of kindness and hugs." The maid shook her head.

Tan Xiang hesitated for a while. She noticed that the maid looked carefree, wore only light makeup, and had on a relatively conservative maid outfit. She didn't seem like someone working at one of those adults-only places. Finally, Tan Xiang gathered her courage and asked, "This may be a little rude, but... how much do you earn per day at this job?"

"About this much~" The maid held up her fingers to indicate the amount.

"That much? Then what exactly does the job involve..." Tan Xiang asked in shock.

"Don't worry, it's an absolutely respectable place. The shop's just been really busy these past few days, so we had no choice but to offer high pay to hire people. We also have very high standards for appearance and temperament—like me~ Oops, I accidentally bragged about myself. Hehe~" the maid said cutely.

Tan Xiang carefully studied the maid's appearance and felt that she was not much worse-looking herself. Embarrassed, she said, "Then... could you introduce me to the job? To be honest, I really need money right now."

"Oh my, then you'd be a huge help! The boss has been worried about being short-staffed! Do you have any other luggage? If not, come with me!" The maid looked delighted, hailed a taxi by the roadside, and even helped Tan Xiang put her luggage in the trunk.

"Actually, I... alright, let's go together!" Tan Xiang had been a little hesitant, but the maid was so enthusiastic that she felt too embarrassed to refuse and got into the car with her.

There really are more good people in the world... If I'd met someone like this maid earlier, would my life have turned out differently? Sitting in the back seat, Tan Xiang lost herself in her imagination and failed to notice the sly smile that curled around the maid's lips the instant she shut the door.

[It's arranged.]

A text signed "Xu Rou" arrived on Li Xuan's phone.

Maid Games! Wait, This Didn't Count as a Date at All, Did It?

By the time Tan Xiang arrived at the shop, it had long since closed for the day. Xu Rou took out her phone and made a call. Before long, a young man with a refined-looking yet somehow sinister air opened the door and welcomed them inside.

"Hello, hello. Xiao Rou just told me about you. You really are beautiful. My name is Li Xuan, and I'm the owner here—please don't be too nervous. Make yourself comfortable." The man smiled gently, gestured for Tan Xiang to sit down, then personally made her a cup of coffee.

It was Tan Xiang's first time drinking hand-brewed coffee. She curiously watched Li Xuan use a small hand-cranked machine to slowly grind the beans into powder. Seeing her curiosity, Li Xuan even handed her the grinder and let her try it herself.

After the coffee was ready, Tan Xiang took a tentative sip. Coffee without any seasoning had a faint acidity and a rich bitterness, but after swallowing it, she could gradually taste the aroma of the beans.

"Don't force yourself. Try adding a little milk." Li Xuan smiled, picked up a pitcher of milk, and slowly poured the protein-rich white liquid into Tan Xiang's cup, creating a beautiful heart-shaped latte design.

"That's amazing! It's like drawing a picture." Tan Xiang stared at the heart in her cup in surprise.

"If you want to learn, I can teach you," Li Xuan said with a smile.

Li Xuan's gentle tone made Tan Xiang feel very comfortable. She liked the atmosphere of being around him: he was neither stern nor oppressive, and he did not feel overly enthusiastic either.

Combined with her financial pressure, Tan Xiang quickly agreed to work at the shop. Xu Rou seemed very happy. She held Tan Xiang's hand and chatted with her about interesting things until evening came, then finally saw her out.

"Master... talking in such a cutesy voice is exhausting, meow... I really can't keep it up anymore..." After seeing Tan Xiang off, Xu Rou hurriedly rubbed her cheeks, which hurt from maintaining a smile for so long, and sat on Li Xuan's lap with a resentful expression.

"You worked hard. Your acting was very good this time." Li Xuan stroked Xu Rou's little head.

"I thought I'd get to go on a date with Master while wearing a maid outfit, but I ended up helping Master pick up girls instead. Who exactly was that girl? Why did Master care about her so much?" Xu Rou asked jealously.

"You'll find out when the time comes. You did well today, so I'll reward you with a date." Li Xuan smiled mysteriously.

"Yay! I get to go on a date alone with Master! Master, Xiao Rou wants latte art too. Put Master's white, protein-rich liquid into Xiao Rou's cup too." Xu Rou coquettishly pleaded.

"Cough, cough... Xiao Rou, things like dating should be taken step by step..."

"I know, it means going in slowly. Xiao Rou isn't that greedy. I won't try to swallow Master in one bite." Xu Rou flashed a little-devil smile and deliberately wriggled her butt on Li Xuan's lap, making his fuse begin to react.

"You little brat, don't push your luck!" Seeing that she was not listening to him at all, Li Xuan became a little irritated. He slipped both hands beneath her armpits, lifted her by the shoulders, and picked her up.

"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare. Getting an inch is fine, but taking a foot would kill Xiao Rou~" Xu Rou giggled as the stimulation reached her ribs.

"Who taught you to say things like that?" Li Xuan pressed her onto the table and asked in a pretend-ferocious tone.

"I learned it online myself. Doesn't it fit the image of an evil girl better?" Xu Rou smiled.

"No, no, no, you've got the wrong idea entirely. I still prefer you when you're wild and untamed. Go back to that." As he spoke, Li Xuan gently lifted the hem of the maid outfit, tugged her garter strap, and snapped it against Xu Rou's thigh with a smack.

"You're awful... Then Xiao Rou will give it a try: Help! I'm a magical girl of justice! Evil tentacle monster, go away! Don't turn me into a complete mess, aaahhh!" Xiao Rou cried, pretending to panic.

"No, no, it still feels wrong. That was too exaggerated. What happened to your acting from earlier? Right, earlier was your true self. Xu Rou after Demonfall really has that smiling-but-deadly personality." Li Xuan spoke as though thinking aloud.

"Master, what are you muttering about? If you don't come in soon, the coffee will get cold." Xu Rou looked back at him expectantly.

"Let's give it a try—Mind Interference, activate!" Li Xuan said, placing his palm atop Xu Rou's head and attempting to restore her to her magical-girl state through Mind Interference.

"Huh? What was that for all of a sudden? Is Master having a chuunibyou episode? Can't control the Dark Flame Dragon sealed in his arm anymore?" Xu Rou looked at her master in confusion.

Just then, Li Xuan's palm emitted a faint glow invisible to the naked eye. Xu Rou's gaze froze, and the confusion on her face gradually turned into shock.

"What is this?! I actually... Damn it, let me go!" Xu Rou struggled fiercely like a dying fish suddenly springing back to life on a cutting board. For a moment, Li Xuan could not even hold her down.

"Calm down. I'm your master, remember?" Li Xuan said as he created two tentacles from a small amount of Evil Energy, pinning Xu Rou's body firmly against the tabletop.

"Evil Energy? You're that demon? What have I done?! I actually lost myself... and did that to Qi Mo!" Xu Rou stared in shock at the tentacles binding her. That familiar Evil Energy immediately made her realize who stood behind all this.

"So even when the consciousness changed, the memories didn't. How do you feel now, magical girl Xu Rou?" Li Xuan asked with a grin.

"Demon, enjoy your smugness while you can. I will never submit... One day, I'll tear you into a thousand pieces with my own hands!" Xu Rou glared viciously at Li Xuan, her teeth grinding. If hatred could become blades, Li Xuan would have already been turned into a pincushion.

"Yes, that's the feeling!! This is what a magical girl should be like." Li Xuan grinned wickedly, grabbed Xu Rou's long hair from behind, split it into two handfuls, and used them like steering handles.

"No! You can't do this... Someone... save me! Qi Mo, Wu Yan, where are you?!" Xu Rou's voice gradually became a shrill, off-key wail. Her body, altered by Demonfall, felt overwhelming pleasure, while her mind had temporarily returned to the steadfast resolve she possessed as a magical girl. The split between body and mind threw her consciousness into chaos, and the way she addressed Li Xuan kept shifting between "demon" and "master."

By the time Li Xuan ended their deep conversation, Xu Rou had gone completely limp. When he turned her head around, the resolute gaze from moments before had entirely melted into soft affection.

"Master? What I just felt... was so strange~ It was like having a dream while fully awake." Xu Rou spoke softly.

"Then keep dreaming." Li Xuan lightly kissed her forehead. He had gradually become proficient in using Mind Interference. Next would be the practical stage.

There Seemed to Be Another Story Behind Her Weakness?

Early the next morning, Li Xuan called the three sisters of Clear Lotus City to his home. He gave them a box of tabletop games to pass the time, while he sat at his computer desk and connected the Hunting Radar's signal to his monitor so he could watch Tan Xiang's movements.

The moment the feed opened, it showed Yun Ye berating Tan Xiang mercilessly. Li Xuan frowned deeply as he watched. This Yun Ye was going too far, and she was completely unreasonable. She seemed to simply want to vent her negative emotions on Tan Xiang. Yet despite repeatedly showing hurt expressions, Tan Xiang had no intention of resisting at all. Was it really only because she needed Yun Ye's magic to detoxify herself?

"Too slow! You know perfectly well that the Oracle Machine sends instructions at seven every morning, yet you were still fifteen minutes late. Don't you know that every second counts when fighting monsters? Even one minute can change the outcome of a battle!" Yun Ye scolded with her hands on her hips.

"Sorry... I stayed far away because I was looking for a cheap hotel... and there was traffic on the way..." Tan Xiang explained quietly.

"Huh? You couldn't even come up with a decent excuse? You're a magical girl. Couldn't you just transform and fly over here?" Yun Ye looked incredulous.

"But the canon... the canon says we're not allowed to transform anywhere we please. We have to preserve the mystery of magical girls," Tan Xiang argued.

"Hmph, you really are unbelievably hypocritical. You follow trivial rules like that to the letter, yet you don't care at all about the grave sins explicitly forbidden by the canon. If I hadn't helped cover up what happened two years ago..." Yun Ye snorted and looked down on Tan Xiang with contempt.

"Don't... don't say it anymore! Please, don't say it anymore! I'll do anything!" Tan Xiang covered her ears as if breaking down emotionally. Her knees gave out, and she dropped to her knees before Yun Ye.

Seeing a tall, stunning beauty suddenly kneel before a woman who was not particularly attractive, the people near the hotel all turned to look. They whispered among themselves, guessing at the relationship between the two. Some said it was a mistress begging the legal wife for mercy; others said two lesbians had fallen out while negotiating bride price for their wedding. In any case, the guesses became more absurd by the second.

But Li Xuan, who had watched the entire scene, understood clearly: Tan Xiang must have some leverage in Yun Ye's hands. If he could use this chance to drive a wedge between them, his odds of winning would rise dramatically.

"Are you stupid? So many people are watching. Why are you kneeling?" Hearing the surrounding gossip, Yun Ye shouted irritably and slapped Tan Xiang across the face.

"Sorry..."

"All you know how to do is apologize. Listen to how they're talking about me. It's like I did something wrong." Yun Ye grew furious at the comments from passersby. She casually threw the milk tea she had barely drunk into a trash can, took a somewhat yellowed scripture from her backpack, recited a few lines, and rose into the air.

"You transform too. That way, you can use Cognitive Obstruction to erase the effects of what just happened," Yun Ye ordered.

"Yes." Tan Xiang did not dare argue further and could only transform on the spot. The pedestrians reacted chaotically at first, but because of Cognitive Obstruction, the memory would not remain for long.

But Li Xuan noticed something important in the footage from moments ago.

"Wait. That Yun Ye seemed to fly without transforming, didn't she?" Li Xuan stared through Tan Xiang's viewpoint and saw that Yun Ye was still wearing the same clothes as yesterday, except for a long, dull gray cloth draped over her left shoulder that covered half her body.

"Wu Yan, can magical girls use magic without transforming?" Li Xuan lowered his head and asked Wu Yan, who was hidden beneath the desk and busy moving back and forth.

"Wu Yan doesn't know. I only know how to fight. I leave all those troublesome things to Qi Mo, my external brain." Wu Yan pulled the object from her mouth and spoke with an unconcerned expression.

"Once Prayer Type magical girls sign their contracts, they remain transformed permanently. Unless they lose their qualifications as magical girls, it will not be undone. Also, I've heard that awakened magical girls can use some abilities without transforming, but I don't know whether that's true." Qi Mo was being trampled under Xu Rou's white-socked feet, yet she still answered Li Xuan's question with a serious face.

"I see... Prayer Type really is special. Speaking of which, how many types of magical girls are there? You three are Fantasy Type, Battle Type, and Sealing Type, and now Prayer Type has appeared too. Will there be a civil engineering type someday?" Li Xuan asked.

"How could there be? Civil engineering isn't for humans to study. There are only four types of magical girls. When signing a contract, it depends on one's inclination toward the Three Principles. Battle Type and Fantasy Type focus on 'justice'; we Sealing Type focus on 'mystery,' while Prayer Type focuses on 'purity.'" Qi Mo explained.

"No wonder Sealing Type produces so many perverts... That's just how riddle-speakers are." Li Xuan made a sarcastic remark, then refocused on Tan Xiang and Yun Ye.

By then, Yun Ye had thoroughly vented her emotions on Tan Xiang and finally began discussing something serious. "The Oracle Machine sent two messages this morning. The first confirms that the three magical girls in Clear Lotus City have most likely undergone Demonfall."

"Demonfall?! Isn't Demonfall something only A-rank monsters can accomplish? Does that mean the monster we're dealing with is A-rank?" Tan Xiang said in shock.

"How could that be? If he were really A-rank, he wouldn't be hiding like this. But he may genuinely possess the ability to cause magical girls to undergo Demonfall. That's probably why the Oracle Machine is so concerned about him." Yun Ye shook her head.

"Since the enemy's combat strength has increased, shouldn't we ask the Archpriest for instructions and request a few more reinforcements?" Tan Xiang asked worriedly.

"Are you stupid? If we add more people, won't our credit be divided up? Besides, it's only three more C-rank nobodies. For you, that should be over in an instant." Yun Ye said dismissively.

That was close... Li Xuan was relieved that Yun Ye had rejected the plan to request reinforcements. If there were any more people, he really would not be able to handle them.

"Also, the second message showed an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of Clear Lotus City. The monster fought the local trash magical girls there several times, and Evil Energy reactions are still coming from that location even now. So it's very likely the enemy's lair. No time to waste—we'll head over and wipe him out completely!"

As Yun Ye spoke, she made a throat-slitting gesture, then took out her phone and flew toward the warehouse while scrolling through videos. The loud, meaningless background music from the videos made Li Xuan instinctively lower the Hunting Radar's volume. If not for Yun Ye, he would not even have known that the Hunting Radar had that feature.

"So they really targeted that warehouse. What a shame there wasn't enough time to prepare much." Watching the two magical girls fly toward the abandoned warehouse, Li Xuan gave a strange smile.

Although he still did not understand much about the "Oracle Machine" Yun Ye had mentioned, his repeated activity around that warehouse had clearly caught the duo's attention. It had originally been bait meant to draw the magical girls' attention elsewhere. He had tried to arrange the place to resemble a "demon's den" as much as possible in order to mislead them.

Now, it seemed that idle move had come in handy. Not only could it buy him time, it would also let him observe Tan Xiang's combat ability.

But as they flew, Yun Ye suddenly stopped. Her brows furrowed, and she showed an expression of utter shock.

"Did she notice something was wrong? You really can't judge a book by its cover." Li Xuan could not help worrying when he saw that.

Do You Know What It's Like to Run Into a Garbage Restaurant Today? (800 Words Omitted)

"Lady Yun Ye, did something unexpected happen?" Seeing Yun Ye suddenly stop, Tan Xiang hurriedly moved closer and asked.

"Yes! And it's huge! Look! Hurry and look!" Yun Ye's eyes shone as she shoved her phone screen right in front of Tan Xiang's face.

Tan Xiang pulled back slightly and saw several selfies edited so heavily even their mothers would not recognize them. The background seemed to be a restaurant, and the caption beneath read:

Girls! SOS, SOS??!