Chapter 103: Confession (10,000 words)
The Vengeful Spirit Demon Emperor has a huge appetite.
Very huge.
It is like a bottomless pit, frantically devouring Luo Shuangyue’s magical power, even though its body is already covered in grey-black death patterns.
Yes, its body is already full of death patterns; it should be dying.
But it is still opening its mouth wide to absorb Luo Shuangyue’s power. What is going on here?
Luo Shuangyue turned her gaze to the sky and noticed that the battle above had somehow stopped; the three avatars of the Vengeful Spirit Demon Emperor were standing still in place, with grey stripes appearing on them similar to the one in front of her.
Got it, she completely understood. It turns out there is an unknown way of power transfer between these four avatars. Poisoning the one in front of her is not enough; she has to poison the other three as well.
“Poisoning them to death really does sound like a ghost story…” Luo Shuangyue was almost in tears. Poisoning the one in front of her had already taken everything she had; even if they squeezed her dry, the other three wouldn’t be satisfied!
Fortunately, the three Blooming Level Magical Girls were still reliable. Taking advantage of the Vengeful Spirit Demon Emperor’s inaction, they were continuously raining fire upon the three avatars, soon reducing them to fragments.
The Soul Guide’s attacks were particularly effective. Wherever the purple flames passed, the black mist was all burned to smoke.
Shortly after, the avatar dealt with by the Soul Guide was completely destroyed.
But at that moment, more than a dozen tiny pitch-black crystals transformed into a black light and rushed toward the avatar that was being force-fed by Luo Shuangyue with a magic cannon.
The Soul Guide had no time to intervene, only able to watch as this source magical power reverted back to the body of the Vengeful Spirit Demon Emperor.
The other two Blooming Level Magical Girls encountered similar situations; they destroyed the body of the Vengeful Spirit Demon Emperor but couldn’t stop the source magical power from returning to the avatar below.
Even after being thoroughly prepared, they still could not prevent the return of the source magical power.
“What’s the point of escaping here? We should work together to eliminate it completely!” The Soul Guide did not seem too concerned about this matter. The source magical power merely returned to the weakest of the avatars; after all, it hadn’t escaped the barrier of the Magic Department, right?
This is no different from prolonging life; it just lets the Vengeful Spirit Demon Emperor survive a few more seconds!
With just one move, they could solve this final avatar!
Even… they might not even need to lift a finger.
After the other three avatars were destroyed one after another by the Blooming Level Magical Girls, the Vengeful Spirit Demon Emperor’s avatar finally could not withstand the overly rich dying magical power within, the black mist that made up its body began to peel away piece by piece, transforming into black smoke that Xia Mo purified with her blade.
However, it seemed the Vengeful Spirit Demon Emperor was completely unaware that it was about to die, still happily consuming the magical power sent by Luo Shuangyue. It felt as though the things it was missing were slowly being replenished, and its fragmented consciousness was being unified by a brand new force.
More of it! As long as it consumes more, it can become even more perfect!
The body made of black mist was gradually collapsing, and the true form of the Vengeful Spirit Demon Emperor finally revealed itself to everyone.
It was a magical creature unlike any seen before; it was artificially created, compressed from the residual consciousness of countless magical creatures, so its true appearance was nothing more than a fragmented thing.
Dozens of pieces of source magical power were forcibly compressed into a space the size of an egg, and they were the dwelling place of the consciousness of the Vengeful Spirit Demon Emperor.
“No wonder it can make those avatars like this…” The Soul Guide realized immediately why the Vengeful Spirit Demon Emperor could split its body without hesitation.
Because from the beginning, the Vengeful Spirit Demon Emperor wasn’t just one—it was them!
Each piece of source magical power contained the consciousness of a magical creature, some clear, some chaotic, forcibly fused together by the powers of royal-class magical creatures to form the main consciousness of the Vengeful Spirit Demon Emperor.
Yet, this main consciousness didn’t resemble what a main consciousness usually would; it had never viewed itself as a whole even once.
“Now, they… are merging?” The Soul Guide squinted her eyes. The fragmented source magical power of the Vengeful Spirit Demon Emperor was slowly merging, and what was merging them was Luo Shuangyue’s magical power.
Perhaps because Luo Shuangyue’s magical power contained the essence of that royal-class magical creature, or perhaps for other reasons, but after absorbing Luo Shuangyue’s magical power, the Vengeful Spirit Demon Emperor began to experience rebirth while simultaneously dying.
Its body was eroded by dying magical power, completely vanishing, but its consciousness welcomed rebirth in death.
Those fragmented, weak consciousnesses were cleared away by the power of death, and the stronger consciousness was compelled by a familiar pressure to begin true integration…
“Should we just…” One Blooming Level Magical Girl brought her hands together like a blade, gesturing near her neck.
“I’d like to see what kind of thing will result from their merging. Let me add some fuel to the fire.” The Soul Guide had a different opinion from this Magical Girl.
She was a Magical Girl who studied consciousness, and the process of the Vengeful Spirit Demon Emperor’s consciousness merging was an area she had never touched before. To just destroy such valuable research material like this was something she couldn’t bear.
After all, the Vengeful Spirit Demon Emperor, having lost its body and only possessing consciousness, wouldn’t pose much of a threat anymore. It would be better to keep it for research.
With that in mind, the Soul Guide swung her blade toward the source magical power, and purple soul flames flew toward that mass of source magical power, burning it alongside Luo Shuangyue’s death magical power.
The other two Blooming Level Magical Girls shook their heads in resignation upon seeing the Soul Guide’s actions. Since the Soul Guide made this decision, they would wait and see.
After all, the Soul Guide was their senior; one must give respect to seniors.
“Then let’s go outside and take care of those magical creatures…”
“Two seniors, the magical creatures attacking the Purification Palace just vanished!” Xia Mo reminded.
At the same moment when the Vengeful Spirit Demon Emperor’s body completely shattered, the magical creatures attacking the Purification Palace also turned into dark fog and disappeared.
Perhaps it was because their summoner was the Vengeful Spirit Demon Emperor, and now that the Vengeful Spirit Demon Emperor was considered dead.
“I say… can I take a short break? I’m running out of magical power.” A faint voice came from the side.
Luo Shuangyue initially thought that defeating the Vengeful Spirit Demon Emperor would conclude the matter, but now, seeing the Soul Guide’s look, it seemed like she planned for her to continue unleashing the magic cannon.
If this went on, Luo Shuangyue suspected she might collapse from magical power exhaustion before the Vengeful Spirit Demon Emperor’s consciousness could merge.
…
The things destined to end ultimately cannot escape.
Even after drinking a blue recovery potion to replenish her magical power, Luo Shuangyue nearly collapsed onto the ground after completing her task.
After being hugged by Xia Mo for a while, Luo Shuangyue barely regained consciousness and turned her gaze toward the direction of the Soul Guide.
Her connected runes with Xia Mo had already been severed after her collapse; after all, if she ran out of magical power, she couldn’t maintain the runes.
This saved Xia Mo from a disaster; after all, the sensation of collapsing from magical power exhaustion was really unbearable.
However, after exhausting her magical power, Luo Shuangyue’s special hedgehog-like constitution no longer took effect. Without any magical power, her protective magical power had naturally disappeared too.
This allowed her to lie steadily in Xia Mo’s embrace without wounding her.
“Is that what we created?”
Looking at the black diamond gem wrapped in purple flames by the Soul Guide, Luo Shuangyue felt this gem was somewhat familiar.
Don’t the transformation gems of Magical Girls look like this?
“This time I appreciate you, Little Butterfly. Without you, resolving this crisis would have taken so much more effort.” The Soul Guide said sincerely, coming before Luo Shuangyue while holding the black gem.
“It seems this gem is nurturing a new consciousness; I can feel that its consciousness is different from the brutal and bloodthirsty nature of magical creatures. Perhaps, it will be a good child.”
As she said this, even the Soul Guide could hardly believe it.
A gem fashioned from the source magical power of the Vengeful Spirit Demon Emperor could contain a good consciousness?
This matter had exceeded the Soul Guide’s understanding; she needed to study the principle behind it carefully.
If she could clarify this principle, it might open up a brand new technological tree to counter magical creatures in the current world!
The black gem floating in the Soul Guide’s palm seemed to sense Luo Shuangyue’s presence, bouncing a couple of times in an attempt to get closer to her, but its gem form could barely move.
Instead, Luo Shuangyue reached out her finger to gently touch the black gem.
A natural sense of closeness arose from the bottom of her heart; she felt a strong resonance with this gem.
At that moment, the consciousness within the gem also sent a signal of joy.
“It should be a good child.” Luo Shuangyue lifted her head and said to the Soul Guide.
“But I’m even more curious if this kind of thing can be replicated. Can we use the source magical power of other magical creatures to create more good children like it?” The Soul Guide smiled at Luo Shuangyue.
Seeing the Soul Guide smile like this, Luo Shuangyue trembled slightly; she felt that there was something deeper behind the Soul Guide’s smile.
“Little Butterfly, why not stay in Eastern Extreme City for a few more days and assist our research?”
Luo Shuangyue gasped; she had just collapsed once because of this, and they couldn’t possibly squeeze her further!
“Your magical power issue hasn’t been completely resolved either. This will let you solve your magical power issue while participating in our research.” The Soul Guide coaxed, indicating that they wouldn’t let her suffer in Eastern Extreme City; as long as she was willing to help, the rewards would be substantial.
She couldn’t help but feel it was as if the Soul Guide was about to say, “There’s an old saying in the West District…”
“…Fine, but I need a day or two to rest.”
“No problem! If you need anything, just call me, and I’ll have someone deliver it to you!” The Soul Guide laughed heartily, obviously pleased with Luo Shuangyue’s cooperation.
…
After bidding farewell to the Soul Guide, Luo Shuangyue and Xia Mo returned to the hotel under the morning sun at around seven or eight o’clock.
So much had happened in this day and night—from going out to find the Soul Guide, to the sudden anomaly, to the attack of the Vengeful Spirit Demon Emperor. Luo Shuangyue hardly had any time to rest during the entire day.
In the end, she was even drained to a point of collapse.
Now, all Luo Shuangyue wanted was to return to bed and sleep well.
But just as she planned to do so, Xia Mo forcibly dragged her into the bathroom, gave her a thorough wash, and changed her into pajamas before letting her leave.
Throughout the wash, Luo Shuangyue was drowsy; any sense of shyness or embarrassment was entirely nonexistent in the face of her fatigue.
It wasn’t until she changed into pajamas and lay down on the bed that she realized the room Xia Mo had helped her into was not the one she had slept in last night.
When Xia Mo finished her shower and walked into the room with a bit of moisture on her, Luo Shuangyue had already closed her eyes and drifted into dreamland.
She was just too tired.
Looking at the tranquil sleeping face of Luo Shuangyue, a faint smile curled at the corners of Xia Mo’s mouth; today, she had taken a huge step in her relationship with Luo Shuangyue.
At this moment, perhaps Luo Shuangyue still didn’t realize the significance of what had happened today. But once she woke up and thought back to the recent events, her reaction would surely be delightful.
The connection allowed two people to enter a state of mutual understanding; Xia Mo could know what Luo Shuangyue was thinking, and Luo Shuangyue could know what Xia Mo was thinking.
Even though Xia Mo was trying hard to suppress her thoughts, some ideas were ones she couldn’t hold back.
For example, when Luo Shuangyue was in danger, concern for her would spring forth unbidden; that was an instinct she couldn’t suppress.
So as long as Luo Shuangyue wasn’t a fool, she would understand that Xia Mo already knew her true identity.
“Well then, let me think, how should I face you~”
…
Luo Shuangyue was dreaming, a bizarre dream.
She dreamed that she and Xia Mo had become one person, together defeating a villain who looked a lot like Luo Shuangxing, and then in the next moment, Luo Shuangxing turned into Jiuye.
It was chaotic; too chaotic. In this dream, Luo Shuangyue was flailing about until she accidentally tripped over a thorny black vine and crashed into a wall.
It didn’t hurt, but the scene in front of her turned completely black, and not far away, there was a black-eyed girl kneeling on the ground, which made her realize that she seemed to have fallen into a less than ideal place.
“We took down that demon emperor you were raising.” For reasons unknown, Luo Shuangyue said to the black-eyed girl.
The girl’s expression was indifferent. “Oh.”
She was already a dead person; the grievances of the outside world had nothing to do with her anymore. Right now, she just wanted to hurry up and die.
“Don’t you want to say something?”
“I just want to die quickly; could you please assimilate my consciousness sooner?” The black-eyed girl turned to look at Luo Shuangyue.
Although her eyes were pure black, Luo Shuangyue could clearly feel that she must have rolled her eyes.
Being locked away in a place like this, where no light could reach, the royal-class magical creature had lost all hope for the future.
All she wanted was to die as quickly as possible; once dead, everything would be over.
But the more she thought this way, the less she could die. There was nothing in this place that could lead to her self-destruction, and the big butterfly in the sky ignored her completely, as if she were merely air.
“Even if you say that, I don’t know how to assimilate you.” Luo Shuangyue shrugged; her understanding of this place was as limited as that of the royal-class magical creature.
Though this place should be the depths of her consciousness, she also had no control over its contents.
Anyway, since the royal-class magical creature could hardly stir up any waves for now, it could stay for a while… Moreover, Luo Shuangyue wanted to ask her where her mother was.
Last time she fought using Bai Ye’s form, this magical creature had mentioned some things that Luo Shuangyue cared about greatly.
“You seem to know something about Bai Ye. Where is she now?”
“You’ll know once you assimilate me.”
“I want you to tell me now!”
“I won’t tell; I’ll never betray my kin!” The royal-class magical creature firmly rejected Luo Shuangyue’s request.
But this reaction made Luo Shuangyue understand one thing: her mother’s disappearance was indeed not simple.
The fact that mentioning Bai Ye’s whereabouts was seen as the ultimate betrayal carried significant implications.
“Did you lay a hand on her, too?!” Luo Shuangyue said fiercely, grabbing the royal-class magical creature by the collar, trying to intimidate her with pure force.
But the royal-class magical creature seemed unfazed by this, hanging her head like a puppet with no will of its own, repeatedly murmuring for her to quickly assimilate her; she couldn’t bear this life anymore.
This despondency left Luo Shuangyue with no way to deal with her, and she could only throw her harshly to the ground.
“Then tell me, how do I use your magical power? Your magical power is giving me so much discomfort right now.” Luo Shuangyue changed the subject.
The royal-class magical creature tilted her head.
Luo Shuangyue repeated her question.
The royal-class magical creature indicated that this matter purely depended on talent; she was a magical creature, and controlling magical power was something she was born to do. There was no method to teach others.
“You’ll know once you assimilate me.” The royal-class magical creature stretched her arm toward Luo Shuangyue’s mouth. “Why don’t you have a bite and give it a try?”
The simplest way to assimilate consciousness was to have Luo Shuangyue eat her.
At least, that was the royal-class magical creature’s thought.
Luo Shuangyue stepped back a few steps, looking at the outstretched pale arm; she wasn’t a pervert, and there was no way she could swallow someone whole like that.
No matter if the creature in front of her looked human, she simply couldn’t force herself to bite into something that closely resembled a human being, even though she knew very well that beneath that layer of skin was not a person.
But the royal-class magical creature looked human, spoke like a human; Luo Shuangyue could only regard her as a human.
“Not eating? Then if I change my form, will you eat?” The royal-class magical creature shut her eyes and flushed her face, trying to revert to the magical creature state from before.
But after holding her breath for a long time, she couldn’t bring out any magical creature traits.
“Strange, why can’t I transform back?”
The royal-class magical creature felt somewhat confused. She began examining her body part by part, and then she discovered that her body seemed to have transformed and was not quite the same as it was before.
Her human body was originally just a facade, resembling a human only on the outside, but inside, it was actually a blob of goo.
Now, however, her body had become exactly like an ordinary human; all the necessary parts were there, along with the details.
“I don’t think there’s a need to check that part!” Seeing the royal-class magical creature reaching below her body, Luo Shuangyue exclaimed loudly.
Don’t do that in my consciousness!
But the royal-class magical creature ignored her. After a long while of groping, she cast Luo Shuangyue a complex gaze. “Perhaps I’ve already been assimilated by you.”
Her body had completely transformed into that of a human, and her emotions now carried many feelings that were uncharacteristic of magical creatures.
This was also a form of assimilation, wasn’t it?
“Then can you tell me where Bai Ye is?”
“I cannot.”
Well, then there was nothing to talk about. Luo Shuangyue sighed, turning her back on the royal-class magical creature and sitting down, starting to daydream.
She didn’t know how to leave this space; perhaps after she slept enough, she could naturally leave.
While daydreaming, she couldn’t help but think back to what had happened not long ago.
She actually did that kind of thing with Xia Mo while in the guise of the Dark Butterfly!
And it was even Xia Mo who took the initiative; this was simply too… wait!
Perhaps because she was currently deep within the sea of consciousness, Luo Shuangyue could vividly recall every detail of what had occurred recently.
And some of those details made her feel as if the sky was about to fall.
Did Xia Mo just call me Shuangyue in her heart?
Did she see me as her substitute or did she already know my true identity? Oh no, either possibility is utterly explosive!
As she slowly recalled memories in the state of connection, the more she reflected, the colder her heart felt.
This was off; it was definitely off. Xia Mo’s psychological activities had absolutely indicated that she viewed herself as Luo Shuangyue!
Am I exposed? Did my disguise get blown? When did it happen?!
“小黑! Come over and think with me!” Realizing that her flawless disguise had been seen through without her knowing, Luo Shuangyue was left with only one emotion in her heart: anxiety.
Xia Mo’s thoughts were clearly not those of someone who had only just realized Luo Shuangyue was the Dark Butterfly.
She had surely known for a long time!
She knew but chose not to confront me directly; instead, she kept watching the drama?
Wow, Xia Mo is so devious!
“小黑… I think that name is quite dismissive.” Although she said this, the royal-class magical creature floated over to Luo Shuangyue, sitting on the ground and watching Luo Shuangyue’s memories together.
She was quite bored; having something to do was better than being completely idle.
She saw Luo Shuangyue pull out a multitude of memories, trying to pinpoint when she became exposed. But after searching, Luo Shuangyue didn’t find any point where she did something wrong that would lead Xia Mo to discover her identity.
“Oh! So that magical aura on the fake card came from here. I thought the smell was so authentic. Turns out you guys still have this genuine demon king card.” Instead, the royal-class magical creature found the answer to the question that had been bothering her for a long time.
“And ever since that night, her attitude towards you started to change. It should be the problem here!”
“Then 小黑, what do you think? Since she discovered my identity, why didn’t she confront me directly?”
Could it be that she was discovered after that incident? Luo Shuangyue thought this possibility wasn’t impossible; after all, she got injured that day. Maybe because the wound’s location was similar, that was how Xia Mo noticed something.
Then, after some other events, Xia Mo became completely sure of her identity.
But another question arose. Since Xia Mo already knew her identity, why was she pretending not to know?
Why didn’t she come to question her directly?
“I’m not one of your kind. How would I know what you humans are thinking?” The royal-class magical creature rolled her eyes again with a tone of exasperation at the name Luo Shuangyue had given her.
What kind of medication did you take to ask a magical creature about human feelings?
Do magical creatures even have feelings? You’re really asking that!
“Having another person pitch in is better than me pondering aimlessly alone.” Luo Shuangyue propped her chin up, starting to review Xia Mo’s actions after that day. Then, while reviewing, she realized she had overlooked another issue.
That was, after that day, her sister’s attitude towards her began to change as well.
The sense of distance they once maintained had dramatically diminished overnight!
She even prepared female clothing for her, wanting her to wear it!
“Does she know too?!” Luo Shuangyue gasped; so it turns out she was the only one kept in the dark, the clown!
Seeing Luo Shuangyue’s colorful expression, the royal-class magical creature burst into laughter. Although she wasn’t entirely clear on the current situation, she just found it amusing.
“Didn’t they have any reactions to my situation? Are they both hoping I would turn out like this?”
Luo Shuangyue had always thought explaining her identity as a girl would be difficult, making Xia Mo and Luo Shuangxing feel awkward. But now she realized that after her female identity was exposed, Xia Mo and Luo Shuangxing seemed completely unbothered.
On the contrary, both of them became much more proactive, visibly happier!
“Oh, so that little guy was transformed by you two? Interesting… really interesting.” Luo Shuangyue was conflicted over the thought that her female identity was more popular than her male identity, while the royal-class magical creature had seen the black gem that the Vengeful Spirit Demon Emperor ultimately transformed into.
To be honest, after witnessing the battle between the Vengeful Spirit Demon Emperor and the Magical Girls, the royal-class magical creature felt quite embarrassed.
That was so shameful! They lost their minds just to consume some magical power!
However, after the Vengeful Spirit Demon Emperor perished, the black gem formed by absorbing Luo Shuangyue’s magical power and burned into shape by the Soul Guide intrigued the royal-class magical creature.
What was this? She had never seen anything like it before.
From its appearance, it appeared to be the typical source magical power block of a royal-class magical creature; within it was likely the newly formed consciousness of the Vengeful Spirit Demon Emperor.
Yet judging by Luo Shuangyue’s and the Soul Guide’s comments about the gem, the consciousness within it probably could not be categorized as that of a magical creature.
Could it be that during its formation, it absorbed the powers of Magical Girls instead of magical creatures? Was it this distinction that led its consciousness to lean more towards that of Magical Girls?
While the royal-class magical creature pondered, Luo Shuangyue’s body gradually became ethereal, as if she were drifting away from this world.
Oh, she was about to wake up from the dream, the royal-class magical creature thought with a hint of understanding.
And thinking about what kind of problems Luo Shuangyue would face when waking up brought a smile to her lips.
“What are you laughing at?” Luo Shuangyue felt goosebumps rising as she saw the royal-class magical creature smile like that.
That smile felt somewhat sinister!
“Just thinking about the things you’ll have to face after waking up makes me want to laugh; is that a problem?”
Luo Shuangyue looked down at her completely transparent body, her face suddenly revealing a puzzled expression.
She hadn’t even figured out how to face Xia Mo yet!
Not this sort of thing!
But no matter how much she resisted, the collapse of the dream was an established conclusion; what needed to be faced would eventually have to be faced.
Watching Luo Shuangyue leave this void, the royal-class magical creature chuckled lightly. Once this brief moment of joy ended, she would have to face the endless darkness.
Alas, it would be better to die directly… Just as this thought crossed her mind, the royal-class magical creature noticed that the large butterfly above her head had suddenly flapped its wings for some reason.
Some shimmering light fell from the butterfly’s wings, slowly integrating into the body of the royal-class magical creature.
New things entered her mind, and the royal-class magical creature’s eyes widened slowly. If she wasn’t wrong, this big butterfly had given her the ability to reshape this space?
……
Luo Shuangyue opened her eyes to a dark sky outside and a soft body emitting a slight warmth beside her.
She felt her arms sandwiched between two soft objects, and as she slightly turned her head, she saw Xia Mo’s tranquil sleeping face.
They were lying together on a bed, with Xia Mo tightly hugging her arm. Luo Shuangyue couldn’t even pull her arm out.
If she did, Xia Mo would definitely wake up.
At this moment, Luo Shuangyue actually hadn’t figured out how to face her childhood sweetheart.
Before, she could numb and deceive herself using her Dark Butterfly identity, but now that she knew Xia Mo had seen through her identity, Luo Shuangyue couldn’t use those previous excuses to fool herself anymore.
She had to confront her relationship with Xia Mo directly!
Uh… it seemed as if she had already faced it?
Touching her own lips with an empty hand, Luo Shuangyue’s heartbeat began to accelerate slightly.
She didn’t believe that Xia Mo’s earlier initiative was just to defeat the Vengeful Spirit Demon Emperor; it definitely contained more meaning.
So how should she face the feelings Xia Mo had revealed?
Luo Shuangyue felt as if there was really no second option for her.
“Awake?” A faint voice drifted into Luo Shuangyue’s ears.
Luo Shuangyue was startled, her heart skipping a bit as she turned her head to see that Xia Mo had opened her eyes at some unknown time, her beautiful eyes with hints of purple staring directly at her.
“Uh… I’m awake.”
“I took your contact lenses off and put them in a case. It’s not good to sleep with those in.”
Cold sweat dripped down Luo Shuangyue’s forehead as Xia Mo’s words implied that she knew her identity.
“Uh, thank you…”
“Apart from thank you, do you have anything else you want to say?” Xia Mo raised an eyebrow.
“Sorry, I was wrong!”
What else could she say? If she didn’t quickly admit her mistake now, would she wait for Xia Mo to hold a knife to her neck to force her to apologize?
Don’t ask her what she did wrong; she just knew she was wrong and apologized first!
After all, to be honest, Luo Shuangyue had done more than just a little wrong.
“How… did you find out?” Luo Shuangyue felt her throat becoming dry.
Upon hearing this question, Xia Mo let out a soft laugh. She leaned her head closer to Luo Shuangyue and softly replied, “The scent.”
“Ah?”
“It was Xiaoxing who came up with the idea. She noticed that the scent on you was very similar to that of the Dark Butterfly and suggested I compare it with the scent of the Dark Butterfly’s true form, so I took the time to remember your scent that day.”
Luo Shuangyue’s eyes flashed with realization. No wonder Xia Mo seemed particularly eager to get close to her that day; it was because she had an objective!
Then when she got home, Xia Mo was the first to come over to greet her, likely to verify the match between her scent and that of the Dark Butterfly’s.
And the culprit behind all this was actually Luo Shuangxing! Her little sister really did enjoy making things difficult for her dear brother!
You two relied on scents to identify people. Are all Magical Girls dogs or something!
That’s absurd!
“Since you already know, why still…”
“Because at that time, we still hadn’t figured out how to face this reality. If we recklessly uncover this secret, it could lead to some outcomes we don’t want to see.”
Xia Mo let out a gentle sigh. “Have you finished asking your questions?”
Luo Shuangyue instinctively nodded.
And then she heard Xia Mo’s voice leaving no room for refusal, “Now, it’s my turn to ask!”
In an instant, Xia Mo transformed from a soft and cute girlfriend to a hellish judge. Her brows furrowed, and her eyes sparkled with a light that made Luo Shuangyue hesitant to meet her gaze.
Instinctively, Luo Shuangyue felt that there couldn’t be any good answers to the questions Xia Mo would ask next.
“Can I skip answering?”
“What do you think, Shuangyue?” Xia Mo’s hand firmly gripped Luo Shuangyue’s cheek. “Should I call you Dark Butterfly, or perhaps, Bai Ye?”
Bai Ye’s identity has also been exposed?!
Luo Shuangyue was truly dumbfounded; how did her identity leak? It couldn’t possibly have been exposed!
Was it also by scent?
“First, tell me how you obtained your transformation ability and when you became a girl.”
“Three years ago, on the day I turned eighteen, the power sleeping within me awakened.” Luo Shuangyue lowered her head; the events had already unfolded, and she no longer felt the need to hide.
Now that Xia Mo’s strength could barely keep up with hers, telling her some matters wasn’t too big of a deal.
On the day of her eighteenth birthday, Luo Shuangyue had obtained the transformation of the Dark Butterfly while also uncovering her parents’ true identities from their遗留下的东西.
Thus, she commenced her search for her family.
“The power sleeping inside you? The magic gem didn’t suddenly appear before you?”
“No, I found myself in my transformed state upon waking up, and it took considerable effort to return to my original state.”
Fortunately, Luo Shuangxing had to go to school that day; otherwise, Luo Shuangyue’s identity would have been revealed much earlier.
“And Bai Ye? What about her?”
“…Do you know Bai Ye’s true identity?”
This question stunned Xia Mo. She was just an ordinary one among the many children saved by Bai Ye. How could she know Bai Ye’s true identity?
She shook her head, indicating that she, of course, didn’t know.
“She is my mother.”
Xia Mo’s gaze became dazed.
Bai Ye is Luo Shuangyue’s mother?!
Wait?!
This young and beautiful woman, who seemed more like the sister of the Luo siblings, was actually the revered Senior Bai Ye she admired!
No wonder… no wonder Xiaoxing resembled Senior Bai Ye so much. Could this be what they call family resemblance?
“What about Senior Bai Ye now…”
“She is missing, but I am certain she is still alive. The royal-class magical creature I defeated also knows my mother is still alive,” Luo Shuangyue clenched her fists and spoke softly.
“I must find her, but I don’t want you two to join me on this adventure, which is why I kept it from you.”
“Don’t let Xiaoxing’s currently cheerful demeanor fool you; once she learns that our mother is alive, she will recklessly try to find her, which is too dangerous for her right now!”
Currently, Luo Shuangxing remained too weak. She was just an ordinary budding magical girl who couldn’t even defeat royal-class magical creatures.
The creatures capable of causing their mother’s disappearance would at least have to be of royal class or higher.
Luo Shuangyue didn’t want to see her sister attempt the impossible; finding their mother was already difficult enough without having to deal with a frantic sister.
“So Xia Mo, you absolutely must not tell Xiaoxing about this!”
Luo Shuangyue sat up in bed, looking at Xia Mo with a ‘this is non-negotiable’ expression.
From this gaze, Xia Mo could see the determination in Luo Shuangyue’s heart. Regardless of how much Luo Shuangyue typically liked to bully Luo Shuangxing, in her heart, her sister had always occupied a significant place.
In fact, she may have been more important than her.
“So you just told me that? Not worried I would also go insane like Xiaoxing?” Xia Mo, sitting up like Luo Shuangyue, reached out to grip her chin.
This question felt like it was asking Luo Shuangyue whether Xia Mo or her sister was more important to her, which left Luo Shuangyue feeling somewhat hesitant.
In fact, this question had never been disputed. One was her sister, the other was her childhood sweetheart; in Luo Shuangyue’s heart, her sister was naturally somewhat more significant.
However, now the situation had shifted slightly. The budding feelings between childhood sweethearts had been spotlighted by Xia Mo’s proactive overtures; their current relationship felt less like simple childhood sweethearts.
“You… are different; you are more mature and powerful, and I believe you won’t react like Xiaoxing would.” Luo Shuangyue stammered her explanation.
Xia Mo held admiration for Bai Ye; she was like a fan who wouldn’t react too wildly upon learning about a missing idol.
But Luo Shuangxing was different; Bai Ye was her biological mother!
These two types of relationships were not comparable at all, so Luo Shuangyue believed Xia Mo could face this reality rationally, while she felt Xiaoxing would go crazy.
It was precisely because she knew both of them so well that she made such determinations.
“Hum, I’ll consider your answer valid, but for keeping it from me for so long, your punishment cannot be less…”
