"So what's the first step?"
"Shopping, then buying something tasty!"
"A cold drinks shop?"
"Buying presents, buying presents!"
"The sect master doesn't have that much money on him, does he?"
Inside the Illusory Moon Cave Abode of the Azure Cloud Sect, several girls crowded together, chattering at Winter Lord's ice mirror.
Schoolbags sat beside them; apparently, they had come straight over after school.
Propping her chin on one hand, Winter Lord looked thoroughly uninterested and did not join the discussion.
After hugging her bunny and mentioning a few times that she wanted to go to an amusement park, Yumo leaned closer to Winter Lord. "Lady Winter Lord, are you still angry?"
"I'm not angry."
Liar. You've been sulking since this morning.
Yumo had seen just how happy Winter Lord had been after winning yesterday's contest.
Although losing had left her a little disappointed, Yumo had soon felt genuinely happy for Lady Winter Lord, too.
Yet first thing that morning, the sect master had announced that he would personally control the Magic Puppet, splitting his attention between two tasks.
Even though she had not shown it, Yumo knew Lady Winter Lord must have been terribly disappointed.
After all, she had looked forward to it for so long yesterday, only for things to turn out like this...
For the first time, she put down her bunny and cautiously hugged Winter Lord. "Lady Winter Lord, I'm sorry. It's all my fault for competing with you yesterday..."
If she had not competed, Winter Lord would never have been so happy or looked forward to it so much.
Sometimes, it was precisely because others competed for something that people valued it and liked it even more.
And with something like the right to go on a date, if Yumo had not insisted on competing, Winter Lord would at most have been a little disappointed.
But after putting in the effort and winning that right, only to discover it had all been wasted, the sense of disappointment was surely different.
Still sulking, Winter Lord looked at Yumo, who had lowered her head, even put down her own stuffed bunny, and timidly hugged her to apologize. She could not help bursting into laughter.
Yumo jumped like a startled rabbit, hurriedly released her, and hugged her bunny tightly again. "Wh-what is it?"
"Nothing. I just thought Xiao Yumo was so adorable, actually taking the blame herself."
Winter Lord caught Yumo's cheeks and kneaded them. They felt wonderful, especially with Yumo's face flushed bright red, which made it feel even better. "Don't worry. I'm not angry, just a tiny bit unhappy. Only a tiny bit."
"If anyone's at fault, it's Jiang Si. He planned to control the Magic Puppet himself but didn't tell us sooner, wasting our time. Though fishing for luck was pretty fun in itself..."
Yumo breathed a sigh of relief, too. After a silly little smile, she said, "Th-then, Lady Winter Lord, shall we watch together?"
Winter Lord, who had originally had little interest, finally nodded, rose, and walked over. "All right, all right. Let's see just how perfect our sect master's own dating plan is. Hmph."
She's still sulking.
Stifling a laugh, Yumo followed Winter Lord and sat beside her.
The ice mirror in the center of the conference table was naturally Winter Lord's work. After leaving some of her mana on the Magic Puppet, she could use it to transmit its vision.
The ice mirror even showed the Magic Puppet's first-person perspective.
"Oh no, I have absolutely no idea what they should do next."
Four Leaves looked utterly troubled. "The sect master even asked us for suggestions..."
Four Leaves was the only one seriously thinking about it.
Yumo's head was filled with nothing but going to an amusement park. In the last manga she had read, the scene where the male lead confessed to the female lead at an amusement park had been so romantic that it had filled her with longing for amusement parks.
As for Six Leaves, there was no need to elaborate. She was still looking for places with good food.
Winter Lord rubbed her temples. "Go get Blue Flower. She's the most experienced one here."
Yumo immediately jogged to the confinement room and brought Blue Flower over.
"Blue Flower, aren't you always bragging about your dating experience?" Winter Lord pointed at the mirror. "Come give the sect master some advice."
Blue Flower strode over smugly. "Heh, just watch me. I've conquered more men, women, and nonhumans than you've ever met..."
She then stared at Winter Lord's screen for a long while, everyone quietly waiting for her advice.
Unexpectedly, before long, Blue Flower shook her head regretfully. "This won't do."
Winter Lord frowned. "What won't do?"
"Your ice mirror ability isn't good enough, Lady Winter Lord."
"Huh? How?" She had just risen to inspect her ice mirror when Blue Flower shouted.
"There aren't even any choice boxes or inner thoughts! How am I supposed to conquer anyone like this?!"
Beside her, Yumo could not hold back a snort of laughter.
Four Leaves covered her forehead. Only Six Leaves kept asking how to see the choice boxes and inner thoughts.
Winter Lord also smiled faintly, but there was not a trace of mirth in her eyes. "Yumo, throw her into the confinement room. Add three days to her confinement!"
"Wait, wait, wait! Lady Winter Lord, I wasn't finished! There may be problems, but that doesn't mean there's no solution!"
Blue Flower immediately called for a halt. "A lack of choice boxes can't stump me! We can create our own! Everyone suggests an opening activity they'd like for a date, and I'll make the perfect choice! We'll win over the sect master with ease!"
The other three looked at Winter Lord, who slowly nodded. "Fine. Give it a try."
Four Leaves: "Hold hands and go get a meal."
Six Leaves: "Eat ice cream together!"
Yumo: "K-kiss in public."
Everyone else immediately went, "Whoa." Yumo tugged at her hood. "In manga, th-they all do that."
"Even manga don't rush things that much, do they?"
Only after making that remark did Winter Lord say, "A princess carry."
Blue Flower pondered for a while. "Hmm... I think a princess carry."
"You're just trying to flatter Lady Winter Lord into reducing your sentence!"
"Picking the last one outright is way too obvious."
"I think so, too."
Blue Flower immediately looked indignant. "Then tell me which one to pick! Mine is absolutely the most perfect option."
Four Leaves raised a hand. "I recently learned a secret divination art. It'll definitely pick the most reliable option."
After Winter Lord nodded, Four Leaves took a box from the little bag slung at her side. Ancient, mysterious patterns covered the box, making it resemble some immortal's magical artifact. She opened the artifact and took out two...
Ten-sided dice.
"Spirits of heaven, spirits of earth."
Four Leaves performed her ritual and chanted, shaking the two dice for a long time before tossing them into the artifact.
"1-30 is option one, 31-60 is option two, 61-90 is option three, and 91-100 is option four. The incantation: 1D100. Dice Immortal, please turn around!"
Four Leaves lowered her head for a look. "It's 98. Lady Winter Lord's option really is the most reliable."
Naturally, the others had nothing to say.
Winter Lord smiled triumphantly. "Good. Tell the sect master right away!"
"The Magic Puppet has legs of its own. No need."
Rejected.
Keke had left school early during third period.
Fourth period was PE, which hardly mattered whether she attended or not, and she also had special leave from the Disaster Countermeasures Bureau.
Still, this was Keke's first time skipping class. Even though it was only PE, her heart kept pounding.
Ever since they were little, her parents had been quite strict about the siblings' schooling. Both parents came from ordinary families that counted for little even in their small county town. They had only turned their lives around later by studying well and gaining admission to universities in Beihai.
Although they could not compare with Beihai's wealthy families, after working for a few years, they had bought a home in the city center and could be considered middle-class in Beihai. They had made it this far from ordinary families in a small county town by doing well in school.
So, although the couple had given Jiang Si and Keke considerable freedom in other matters, they had been exceptionally strict about their studies.
Their parents had always hoped that she and her brother would both get into good universities. Even if they did not rise above the crowd, they would at least have an education and stable jobs.
That was why, even after her parents passed away, Keke had kept attending school diligently. She had never arrived late or left early, much less skipped classes or played truant.
One reason she disliked Jiang Si was that he was always skipping school.
At this rate, never mind getting into a good university-it would be impressive if he even graduated from high school.
Not only was he ignoring their parents' instructions to study properly and get into university, but he was also disgracing them.
Although Keke had little contact with their relatives, she still belonged to a family group chat on her phone, which she had joined during her parents' funeral. Although no one had adopted her afterward, she had not left the group and occasionally saw their conversations and ridicule.
The general sentiment was that, however educated her parents had been, they had still raised an ill-mannered, brainless child. Skipping school all day like that, what damn university could he possibly get into?
Fighting every day and stirring up trouble-this was all he would ever amount to.
Jiang Si had practically become the cautionary example their relatives used when teaching their children, and she and her parents were mocked along with him.
If their parents were still alive, they would certainly have been very angry.
Or perhaps they would not have been. After all, Jiang Si used to get up early to exercise and had been late countless times because of it. Their parents had long since grown used to it.
It was only because Jiang Si's exam results had been decent back then that their parents had generally let it slide. But that had been elementary and middle school. High school was different. If he did not attend classes and frequently skipped exams, it would have been strange if his grades were good.
Yet this time, Keke had only skipped a single PE class, and even that was to clear out a Calamity Beast with her captain.
Her heart still pounded with nervous excitement; in contrast, she had not felt much while fighting the Calamity Beast.
It had been an ordinary C-rank Calamity Beast. Just as Senior Hyacinth had said, little technique was needed. Using the method Teacher Shion had taught her, she had attacked with a burst of mana and simply beaten it to death.
"The Azure Cloud Sect acts fast. If you hadn't skipped class to come early, you wouldn't even have gotten a C-rank Calamity Beast. More real combat makes it easier to improve..."
Yinlian, who had stood by to back her up, chattered away beside her.
In truth, Keke felt the practical experience probably had not done much. After all, she had simply blasted it away in one shot; it had hardly felt like a fight.
Later, several magical girls from the Azure Cloud Sect had lingered nearby. They were all at the Bud Stage. Upon seeing Yinlian, they had neither rashly approached nor hurried to leave.
Only after Yinlian tossed the Grief Seed over did those magical girls withdraw.
"If magical girls from the Azure Cloud Sect ever block your way, just give them the Grief Seed. That's all they want."
Keke had also heard people mention this at the Disaster Countermeasures Bureau. The Azure Cloud Sect was quite obsessed with Grief Seeds; they hunted Calamity Beasts for them.
People at the Disaster Countermeasures Bureau had worried that the Azure Cloud Sect intended to do something dangerous with the Grief Seeds, but over two years had passed without any lurking problems emerging. The bureau also found it difficult to guard against them and could only let them be.
Once the Azure Cloud Sect's magical girls left, a car drove over from nearby and stopped beside the two of them. The person who got out was none other than Yinlian's older sister, Yinluo.
"A new cold drinks shop opened on East Street. I hear their desserts are especially good, too. Come on, my treat."
Keke was still a little hesitant. "I have classes this afternoon."
"It's fine, it's fine. Big Sis will drive us to school afterward." Grinning, Yinlian ran to her sister's side and affectionately took her hand. "Right, Sis?"
Yinluo tapped her younger sister on the forehead. "I told you not to call me Big Sis outside. You're making me sound old. Anyway, I don't have work this afternoon, so taking you two is no problem."
Only then did Keke agree. She undid her transformation, got into the car, and followed the sisters to East Street.
Watching Yinlian and Yinluo laughing and horsing around the whole way, she naturally felt a little envious.
Ultimately, although Jiang Si was at home, in everyday life she was little different from someone living alone. That sort of liveliness would never exist at home.
Everything in the cold drinks shop was expensive, the sort of thing Keke would never dare order normally, but Yinluo ordered two drinks per person.
"If you can't finish them, take them home."
Such generosity also left Keke feeling a little envious.
She had heard that the Disaster Countermeasures Bureau paid very well, especially the Magical Girl Combat Team, whose salaries were two to three times those of the support staff. The total payroll of a single Magical Girl Combat Team nearly equaled that of all the other departments combined.
But Keke did not know how much she would earn as an ordinary team member. After all, she was new, so perhaps it would not be that outrageous.
Even if it was a lot, there were plenty of things at home that needed money. She could not spend recklessly.
Jiang Si was in his second year of high school this year. Next year, he would be a senior taking the college entrance exam. Although she held little hope, if he could get into a decent university, then even just for their parents' wish, she would certainly have to help scrape together his tuition.
So she had to save all her pay from the Disaster Countermeasures Bureau. She could not waste it...
The three sat by the window, people passing beside them. Yinluo and Yinlian chatted about all sorts of little things, from matters at home to the Disaster Countermeasures Bureau. As sisters, they seemed to have endless topics to discuss.
Keke listened quietly beside them, occasionally adding a sentence or two.
Until Yinluo brought up Shion.
"As the Azure Cloud Sect's leader, she's lawless and disrupts order. If not for her and her Azure Cloud Sect, the Disaster Countermeasures Bureau would have gained control of the situation in Beihai and taken down the Witch Association long ago..."
Yinluo's bitter loathing for Shion was plain to see. Beside her, Yinlian nodded along, thoroughly agreeing with her sister.
"One day, we'll catch her!"
"But!" Just as the sisters were criticizing Shion, Keke finally could not help speaking up. Her voice rose slightly, interrupting their conversation. "But... Teacher Shion hasn't done anything bad, has she?"
Yinlian glanced at her sister. Naturally understanding what she was thinking, Yinluo adjusted her glasses. "Of course. That's why the Disaster Countermeasures Bureau isn't deliberately hunting her down right now. But even without doing bad things, disrupting order is still quite dangerous for Beihai. The greater the power, the more it needs restraint. Otherwise, it's a disaster for everyone."
"It's just like how you dislike your older brother. Your brother hasn't done anything bad either, has he?"
Yinluo's words left Keke somewhat speechless.
Seeing the atmosphere growing stiff, Yinlian hurriedly stood and tugged at Keke. "Come on, come on. Let's order some more food."
"If you order too much, you won't finish it, Yiyi."
"We can take whatever we can't finish home anyway." Yinlian pulled Keke along and whispered, "For my sister's sake, since she's treating us, don't be angry, okay?"
As the two walked toward the counter, Keke could not help smiling. "Why would I? I'm not angry."
"You looked like you were about to cry."
"I did not!"
With Yinlian's teasing, Keke relaxed. When Yinlian went to collect their food, she idly glanced outside.
She had originally only meant to take a casual look outside. She rarely came to East Street; the last time had been with her parents, to buy clothes, if she remembered correctly. East Street was already vastly different from how she remembered it.
So she wanted to find some familiar memories of the past. Yet when her gaze passed over a certain fast-food restaurant, she froze.
Inside the fast-food restaurant, a boy and a girl sat intimately together right by the window, sharing a couple's meal.
The girl on the right had purple hair and eyes, as well as an exceptionally distinctive, lovely face. She was simply too conspicuous to miss with that sweeping glance.
She was not wearing her familiar magical girl combat outfit, but casual clothes: a slightly fitted ribbed knit top and wide-legged trousers that draped well. Though not as splendid or well-suited as her combat outfit, they had a charm of their own.
Of course, seeing a different side of Teacher Shion was something to be happy about.
If, if only the person beside her had not been Jiang Si...
"What's wrong?"
Returning with their food, Yinlian asked, then followed her stunned gaze. Just like her, she looked as though lightning had struck her and nearly flung away the food she had just ordered.
"Jiang Si? Shion!"
Before Yinlian could call out, Keke immediately snapped back to her senses, grabbed her, and dragged her back to the table where Yinluo sat.
"W-wait! What's going on? Why are those two there?! Let's go ask them!"
Yinluo looked at her, a little puzzled. "Who? What's with you two? Who did you see?"
"Jiang Si." Yinlian was a little incoherent. "Jiang Si, and, and Shion. I don't know why, sitting together, they, we, eating more..."
Yinlian took a deep breath to calm herself down, not noticing that her older sister's expression beside her had suddenly turned rather unpleasant.
Because Keke, who sat on the other side, had actually begun to shed tears, dazed and blank-faced.
"Y-you, don't cry, Keke..."
Only then did Keke react, immediately wiping her face with her sleeve. "I'm not crying, I'm not crying. I just, I just choked..."
As she spoke, she lowered her head and began stuffing food into her mouth.
She ate faster and faster, feeling only that something was lodged in her throat.
Why? Why had it turned out like this...
I'm the magical girl. Shouldn't Miss Shion be with me?
Shouldn't she have become friends with me first?
Why did it have to be Jiang Si...
A sour ache flooded from the tip of her heart all the way to her eyes. Blinking desperately, Keke sniffled.
"I'm going to the restroom."