Chapter 113: Strange Thoughts
Monise clapped her palms together, and she had it! This time, she truly had an idea!
A broad path appeared before her!
“That’s right, that’s right! If that’s the case, maybe it can really be done…” Like a lion, Monise grabbed Luo Shuangyue’s arm and forcefully dragged her out of the laboratory. “Come with me!”
“Eh?” Luo Shuangyue hadn’t even realized what was happening before Monise had pulled her out of the lab.
After they tussled their way outside the Magic Department, Monise leapt up, carrying Luo Shuangyue and flying towards the headquarters of Polar Night, reaching their destination in half a minute.
At this speed, Monise was almost using her limit speed for close combat.
Once they returned to the Polar Night headquarters, Monise charged directly into her laboratory, pulling out various monstrous limbs from specially made preservation containers that exuded an ominous aura.
Then, Luo Shuangyue was treated like a magical power supply terminal, using her magical power to cleanse various things.
They cleaned until evening, and just as Luo Shuangyue’s magical power was nearly exhausted, Monise finally released her.
As for the results of the cleansing, judging from Monise’s excited expression, it should be good.
Luo Shuangyue wanted to ask in detail, but Monise completely ignored her, lost in her own world and unwilling to pay attention to the outside.
If she tried to interrupt her with a loud voice, Luo Shuangyue felt that Monise would definitely go into a rage, so she decided to be cautious and not provoke Monise.
She tiptoed out of the laboratory, and at a glance, she saw a black cat peeking secretly at the laboratory from the corner.
“What are you spying on?”
“I heard someone say that Monise was in a hurry and dragged Lady Dark Butterfly into the laboratory. I was curious, so I came to take a look,” Jiuye said, scratching his head in embarrassment and explaining softly.
Cats are innately curious creatures.
“So Monise was in such a hurry because she made a discovery?”
Jiuye’s eyes sparkled with excitement.
“Not sure, but seeing her performance, perhaps this time there truly is going to be some progress.” With Jiuye in tow, Luo Shuangyue cautiously spoke in a normal voice only when they were a distance away from the laboratory.
Jiuye’s subsequent reaction made her grateful she made this choice.
“Eh! Really!? That’s great!” Jiuye exclaimed excitedly.
His voice was very loud.
It drew the curious gazes of Polar Night members passing by.
“Shh! It’s not definite yet, and why are you so happy?” Luo Shuangyue hurriedly signaled to Jiuye to keep quiet; it was not something to be carelessly talked about when the matter was still uncertain.
If it turned out to be all for nothing later, it wouldn’t be good.
“If Lady Monise’s research makes progress, I can become even stronger and fight against more powerful monsters!” Jiuye clenched his fists, swinging them vigorously through the air.
As a cat who has an irreconcilable hatred for monsters, being able to fight and kill stronger monsters was Jiuye’s ultimate dream.
Even if it meant risking his life, he wouldn’t hesitate.
“Even if she comes up with new technology, it might not be used on you. No one knows if the new enhancements will conflict with the old ones.” Luo Shuangyue doused cold water on Jiuye’s excitement.
That was the truth, and Jiuye sagged immediately.
“That’s true…”
“Alright, stop overthinking. There’s nothing wrong with being a carefree little cat. As for those monsters, just leave them to us to handle.” Rubbing Jiuye’s cheeks reassuringly, Luo Shuangyue comforted him.
Having been colleagues with Jiuye for so long, she didn’t want to see this black cat lose its life one day.
When you keep a pet for a long time, you develop feelings, especially since Jiuye was a good humanoid cat.
For those she cared about, Luo Shuangyue hoped they would always stay behind her, allowing her to protect them.
But it seemed the people she wanted to protect were all getting a bit restless…
Sigh, how annoying.
…
“Back, brother? You look pretty good today.”
Luo Shuangyue came home a bit later today, and Luo Shuangxing had already ordered takeout and was eating in the dining room. When Luo Shuangyue opened the door, Luo Shuangxing glanced up at her sister, a hint of satisfaction flashing in her eyes.
Her sister had finally stopped clinging to those few pieces of male clothing and had chosen a style that was more gender-neutral yet slightly feminine.
Aside from not wearing a skirt, Luo Shuangyue’s current outfit was something a more conservatively dressed girl would choose, with long sleeves and pants, and it indeed gave her a unique flavor.
“Are you eating fried chicken again? Be careful not to eat too much and turn into a little pig.” Luo Shuangyue shook her head and sat down opposite Luo Shuangxing, naturally putting on disposable gloves and grabbing a piece of fried chicken to shove into her mouth.
Today she was genuinely hungry, as that boss Monise hadn’t even bothered to provide her lunch; not only did she skip lunch but also drained her magical power.
Luo Shuangyue’s stomach was growling, wishing she could crunch the chicken bones like a dog and swallow them whole.
“I don’t think I’ll turn into a pig, but you might really become one.” Watching Luo Shuangyue devour her food like a hungry wolf, Luo Shuangxing felt a twitch in her eye.
What happened? Why had her usually well-mannered sister turned into this?
How hungry could she be to eat like this? Had she been starving for days?
“Order me another serving, this isn’t enough to eat.”
“You really can eat…” Luo Shuangxing likely guessed what was going on—Luo Shuangyue’s magical power was probably drained too much, and her body instinctively craved more nourishment to convert into magical power.
As for why her magical power was drained so much, Luo Shuangxing wanted to ask, but she couldn’t.
She wasn’t supposed to know that Luo Shuangyue was Dark Butterfly, and Luo Shuangyue also didn’t know that she was Linglan. As a normal sister who enjoyed making her brother wear female clothing, she couldn’t directly ask her brother if he had drained too much magical power, right?
“What? You’re allowed to eat, but I’m not?” Luo Shuangyue rolled her eyes, having endured Luo Shuangxing’s large appetite after their special training; how could she not allow herself to eat a bit more?
“It’s fine, you keep eating; I have no objections.” Luo Shuangxing raised her hands in surrender, deciding that this matter didn’t warrant arguing with Luo Shuangyue.
Let her sister, who was starving, have her fill; a sister like me who is understanding is rare to find.
Before Luo Shuangyue could fill her stomach, the front door was gently knocked on, and shortly after, Xia Mo opened the door and walked in.
“Shuangyue, I have something I want to talk to you about.”
“Oh, what is it?” Luo Shuangyue looked up, trying to focus on her meal.
“Ahem!” Xia Mo lightly coughed, “It’s a private matter.”
As she spoke, she shot a glance at Luo Shuangxing.
‘Shuangxing, can you excuse yourself?’ the meaning of her gaze was quite clear.
Luo Shuangxing immediately understood, nodded, and quickly ran to her bedroom. Before entering, she didn’t forget to shoot Luo Shuangyue and Xia Mo an ambiguous look.
“Got it, you two take your time to talk.”
With that, she closed the door with a bang.
This guy can’t think of anything serious? Luo Shuangyue silently complained, then turned her curious gaze toward Xia Mo.
What could be so urgent that she needed to find her now?
It can’t be that she missed her so much that she came here just to take a sip, right? Luo Shuangyue felt that Xia Mo shouldn’t be thirsty to that extent.
During these days, she had been fulfilling her agreement with Xia Mo, dressing in female clothing and playing with her every few days.
Well, while it was called playing, the two of them hadn’t really done anything extraordinary; they had just watched movies and had coffee together.
Moreover, the number of female outfits in Luo Shuangyue’s wardrobe was reaching a terrifying number. Every time Xia Mo would buy her clothes, one after another, there was no space left for her male clothing anymore.
Once Xia Mo learned about Luo Shuangyue’s troubles, she waved her hand and said, if there’s no room, then don’t keep it, I’ll buy you a few sets of neutral female clothing for you to wear as you like.
As for those male clothes that no longer suited her current identity, just throw them away!
“Shuangyue! I want special training!” Xia Mo slammed the table and said loudly.
Special training?
“Uh, and then?”
“Come up with a training plan for me,” Xia Mo continued.
Huh?
Luo Shuangyue scratched her head, “You can just train according to the plan I set before; haven’t you already fully adapted to the training intensity?”
“Not completely, I have been gradually increasing the intensity of the training, but now I want to train something more detailed,” Xia Mo explained her thoughts to Luo Shuangyue clearly.
The issue was quite simple—after defeating that Royal-class monster two days ago, Xia Mo realized her shortcomings. While her magic cannon seemed powerful, it didn’t perform well against monsters with hard shells.
To prevent this issue from being the reason for her failure in the future, Xia Mo felt it was crucial to train in this area.
She needed to enhance her armor-breaking skills.
“This… you’ve really presented me with a tough problem.”
Luo Shuangyue was also a newly minted Magical Girl; the special training she provided to Xia Mo and the others was learned from her mother’s notes.
This type of training could quickly boost a Magical Girl’s foundational strength, but something as specialized as breaking armor was beyond what Luo Shuangyue understood.
Everyone has their specialization; how could this Magical Girl who wields swords know how to enhance the armor-breaking abilities of a Magical Girl using a cannon?
It would be better to ask the Director or someone else; the Magic Department should have some research in this area.
“If you want, why not ask your Director or even Feiqin?”
“I’ve asked them. They told me that Magical Girls using the magic cannon are generally not good in this area,” Xia Mo explained helplessly.
If she could get answers from the Director, she wouldn’t be seeking help from Luo Shuangyue.
Right now, among the Magical Girls, those specializing in armor-breaking abilities were mostly dealing physical damage—like those wielding swords.
For ranged attacks, it was usually archery.
Magical Girls like Xia Mo, who use cannons, typically don’t excel at breaking armor; they are more adept at overwhelming monsters with dense firepower.
“But I think since those monsters have attacked us once or twice, they will definitely come a third time, and when they return, there will be even more of them. I need this capability so I won’t drag down in battle.”
Xia Mo stared intently at Luo Shuangyue. Ever since the last monster attack, she had been feeling an intense sense of crisis.
Even though Xinghai City seemed peaceful now, Xia Mo already sensed a storm about to come; she had to boost her power during this rare respite.
At the very least, before the next attack, she wanted to be able to kill one of those types of monsters more easily.
“I see… well then, let me think of some strategies.” Luo Shuangyue didn’t refuse; she and Xia Mo shared similar thoughts, emphasizing the need to improve the combat power of Xinghai City as soon as possible.
“Bring Xiaomimi and Luo Shuangxing along too, as the monsters attacking won’t all be royal-class. If we can’t stop all the incoming monsters, we will need them to join the battle.”
Since it was special training, it wouldn’t make sense for just one person to participate. The three Magical Girls of Xinghai City were a team, and Xia Mo couldn’t hog everything.
Moreover, Luo Shuangyue didn’t believe she could easily handle all the monsters herself. If the next wave of monsters had many members, some would undoubtedly slip through and require the budding level children to deal with.
Since they had already chosen the thorny path of being Magical Girls, battle was ultimately unavoidable.
“Let them join too? Okay.” Upon hearing Luo Shuangyue’s words, Xia Mo nodded without hesitation.
It would be a good thing for Luo Shuangxing and Xiaomimi to undergo special training to increase their strength, and it would also prepare them mentally to avoid panicking when encountering strange monsters later.
Knowing oneself and knowing the enemy leads to victory in every battle.
“However, regarding armor-breaking, I think we should also call Ye Lin over to discuss together.” After settling on special training, Luo Shuangyue began to worry about how to specifically train Xia Mo.
She genuinely didn’t have a clear idea on these matters, so they had to pool everyone’s strengths. Starting with Ye Lin, this ruler should be the most knowledgeable and talented one around.
And then, “In a bit, let’s call Shuangxing to your room. I’ll disguise myself as Dark Butterfly, and we can all discuss this together.”
Since they had decided to gather wisdom from many, Luo Shuangyue believed that bringing along this inventive guy would be a good idea; perhaps that guy would suddenly come up with a good plan.
“Okay, let’s meet at my place in an hour?”
“Sounds good!”
…
Whoosh!
Boom!
A pitch-black sphere fell from the sky and crashed onto the wilderness outside Xinghai City, drawing no attention whatsoever.
As the crater formed, the sphere’s outer shell slowly opened, revealing a body that was vastly different from that of monsters.
Suddenly, the body’s eyes shot wide open, a fleeting crimson glow flashing by.
…
“Um… you mean to say you want special training?”
Upon being called into her room by Xia Mo, Luo Shuangxing looked at the black-skirt girl sitting casually on the living room sofa, her expression slightly tense.
She really wanted to ask, was it necessary for you to make it this complicated?
Changing into a different outfit to run over to Xia Mo’s room just to discuss special training with me and Xia Mo?
“That’s right. We previously encountered a very powerful enemy, and to prevent being caught off guard if we meet them again, I feel we need special training,” Xia Mo nodded.
She had brought this matter up first, so it naturally fell to her to explain.
“Was the enemy from a couple of days ago really that strong?”
“Extremely strong! Don’t be fooled by the fact that they didn’t cause any damage to Xinghai City at the end; it was only because two of us were exceptionally strong Initial Bloom-levels. If it was another Magical Girl of my strength, the battle would have been very difficult,” Xia Mo nodded with a serious expression.
Upon hearing Xia Mo’s unintentional compliment, Luo Shuangyue wore a proud expression, as if to boast, ‘That’s right, I’m the MVP of that battle.’
“I see… but Senior Bai Ye hasn’t given us special training for a long time. Did you want to train on your own, Xia Mo?” As Luo Shuangyue basked in her pride, Luo Shuangxing seemed to unintentionally mention Bai Ye.
Ever since the last time Xia Mo and Luo Shuangxing went on their honeymoon in Eastern Extreme City, Bai Ye had not shown up again.
Where could Senior Bai Ye have gone? Ah, it really is hard to guess, isn’t it, my dear sister?
Feeling Luo Shuangxing’s strange gaze, Luo Shuangyue’s pride instantly vanished. She coughed heavily and brought the conversation back on track.
“Ahem! I don’t know about whatever Bai Ye, that’s up to you. You just need to train if you want to.”
Now she was in the guise of Dark Butterfly, a villain on a different path from the Magical Girls, and she needed a good excuse to join in their special training meeting.
“We’re all on the same side when it comes to protecting Xinghai City.” Xia Mo then provided the prepared rationale, successfully persuading Luo Shuangyue to join the discussion.
Returning to her transformed shape and releasing Ye Lin, the three of them engaged in intense discussions on how to deal with the hard shells of the monsters.
Luo Shuangxing’s thought was the simplest and most direct; Xia Mo’s current magic cannon couldn’t efficiently penetrate the hard shells of the monsters. It was totally due to the energy not being concentrated enough; as long as they focused the power, they could markedly increase the cannon’s destructive capabilities.
It was like a faucet with a constant water flow; the smaller the opening, the larger the impact the water creates.
“This method is feasible; the cannon’s opening can be reduced to this size,” said Ye Lin, the weapon spirit, recognizing the viability of Luo Shuangxing’s plan, but the opening for the remote-controlled cannon couldn’t be too small; otherwise, it would damage the weapon itself during use.
It was impossible for Xia Mo to reduce the cannon’s opening to the size of a pinhole, thereby multiplying its armor-piercing ability and allowing her to obliterate anything in an instant.
Such a result would only lead to the remote-controlled cannon bursting due to the inability to withstand high pressure from within.
“How about shaping the front end of the magic cannon to make it more suitable for facing armor?” After Luo Shuangxing suggested the simplest solution, Luo Shuangyue could only start using her imagination.
If other Magical Girls could transform their magic into arrows, why couldn’t Xia Mo also change the front of her magic cannon to suit her needs?
Xia Mo’s magic cannon currently resembled a round log; the front was flat, relying solely on the impact of magical power for damage.
By sharpening the front end, the impact strength of her magical power could increase significantly, potentially even penetrating her enemies directly.
“It’s a bit challenging, but I’ll give it a try.”
“What if the magical power is imbued with some special attributes?” Ye Lin scratched her head. “Like a corrosive poison or something?”
That was also a good idea, but unfortunately, Xia Mo couldn’t utilize it.
“That won’t work; my magical power doesn’t have that kind of capability.”
Xia Mo’s magical power lacked any special attributes. She had achieved the Initial Bloom level due to the bond with her companions, resulting in her magic being defined by the abstract concept of ‘bond’.
This type of magical power appeared normal during regular use, but when she sensed the intentions of her companions or had a strong desire to protect them, her ‘Bond’ magic could erupt with dozens or even hundreds of times the power.
In simpler terms, it was a type of magic attribute specific to idealism.
It was also the type of magic that could create the most miracles.
However, while the upper limit of this type of magic was incredibly high, its lower limit also became very low; Magical Girls with such attributes experienced little to no improvement in areas other than their weapons and magical power after reaching the Initial Bloom level.
The equivalent would be expanding a budding-level Magical Girl’s dimensions slightly and then tossing her into the Initial Bloom level; if Xia Mo hadn’t received their special training and the support of Ye Lin, her status at the Initial Bloom level would likely be much lower than it currently was.
“Sigh, lacking ability.”
“Hm?” Xia Mo raised her eyelids, as if she heard something very rude.
Upon being glared at by Xia Mo, Luo Shuangyue immediately surrendered, “I was wrong, sorry!”
Luo Shuangxing, who was also feeling awkward from their interaction, thought to herself, don’t you both remember what your current identities are?
One is a protagonist, and the other a villain; stop acting so ambiguously!
“Shuangxing, you should join in the training too. While you might not encounter Royal-class monsters, you could very well need to deal with General-class ones.” Xia Mo shot a glance at Luo Shuangyue but quickly turned the conversation back.
Luo Shuangxing’s situation was similar to hers; implementing her training plan shouldn’t be a problem.
It would also involve compressing magical power and shaping the magic cannon’s form.
Speaking of which, Luo Shuangyue suddenly remembered something; at the rate of Luo Shuangxing’s progress, she should be close to the Initial Bloom level by now
As long as she hadn’t lagged behind in her training in these past few days, she should have at least begun feeling the pressure of being unable to progress.
“What’s her current strength like?” Luo Shuangyue asked indirectly.
“She’s still a bit away from the Initial Bloom level, but I can feel that I’m close to hitting the ceiling of the Budding level,” Luo Shuangxing replied. “But I still have no clue how to break through.”
Luo Shuangxing was currently struggling with what path to choose; whether to go for a close-combat style like her sister or a ranged support style like Xia Mo.
Or perhaps, some other talents?
Luo Shuangxing was currently unable to make a decision, and without a decision, it meant she couldn’t break through to the Initial Bloom level.
This major decision about their future path ought to be considered carefully; Luo Shuangyue felt that her younger sister should take a while to think it over and make a well-considered choice afterward.
“Then there’s another question. You both know how to train, but what about your cat? What will she do?”
While Xia Mo and Luo Shuangxing could use a formula to solve their problems, the trio of Magical Girls in Xinghai City also included an outlier, a catgirl Magical Girl who didn’t conform to the norms at all.
Xiaomimi, a Magical Girl who was adept at agile sneak attacks like a cat, had a poor compatibility with hard-armored monsters; her little claws probably couldn’t even scratch the exterior.
“Well… can we extend her claws with magical power?” Luo Shuangxing raised her hand, pretending to make a fierce gesture.
Like the laser swords in cartoons, such things should also be applicable for close combat against armor, right?
“I think the effects might not be great… but it seems this is the only solution now.” Luo Shuangyue felt this idea wasn’t very reliable, yet she couldn’t think of a better one.
She definitely couldn’t have Xiaomimi learn to bite like big cats, could she?
Xiaomimi didn’t have sharp teeth, after all!
Fine, let’s settle on this; the General-class monsters that Luo Shuangxing and Xiaomimi need to handle shouldn’t be too powerful. After all, the first General-class monsters they faced could be taken down by Luo Shuangxing alone.
If not for their sheer numbers, they wouldn’t have even needed to retreat and wait for Xia Mo to return.
“Then let’s meet at the training ground of the Magic Department at 4 PM tomorrow. We’ll start special training.” Xia Mo decisively announced. “Dark Butterfly, you come too—be our target!”
“Eh?” Luo Shuangyue responded with a surprised expression, as if asking why she had to come too.
She had merely been called to offer ideas; why had she become their target? That didn’t seem right!
Of course, this was all acted out, purely for the purpose of solidifying the image of Dark Butterfly. After all, she was a villain, and faced with such demands from the Magical Girls, she couldn’t happily accept it without a hint of reluctance, could she?
“Help us out, aside from you, we can’t find anyone else to help!” Xia Mo pressed her hands together and pleaded in a voice full of sincerity.
“If you agree, I can also grant you one request!”
“This… fine.”
Confronted with Xia Mo’s earnest request, after what appeared to be a torturous internal struggle, Luo Shuangyue reluctantly nodded her head.
However, after nodding, she stubbornly added, “But this can’t be a regular occurrence!”
“Alright! Got it!”
Watching those two sisters overact in front of her, Luo Shuangxing felt embarrassed for them internally.
Was it really necessary to go to such lengths to establish a character?
Wouldn’t it suffice for her sister to just agree to Xia Mo? Why put on a façade of reluctance to fool anyone?
Come on, the tsundere trope has already faded out of fashion!
Sigh, let them play it out; it’s probably just a little fun for a couple of lovebirds.
As a single dog, Luo Shuangxing sighed internally, love truly is perplexing.
…
“Teacher, here’s my leave request.”
The next day, Luo Shuangxing walked into her classroom and handed the prepared leave request to her homeroom teacher.
Although their school would finish all classes before 4 PM, there would still be an hour and a half of club activities afterward, and a leave request was needed to skip that time as well.
The homeroom teacher glanced at Luo Shuangxing’s leave request, and her expression turned somewhat complicated.
The reasons written on Luo Shuangxing’s leave request were absurdly childish—what did it mean that she needed to care for her brother who was hit by a car? She should have at least said he had a cold or something, right?
If her brother saw this leave request, he’d probably give her a major lecture on brotherly kindness.
“Luo Shuangxing, from now on, write your leave requests more seriously.” The teacher signed her name on the leave request and helplessly advised Luo Shuangxing.
These days, it was quite easy for students to request leave; as long as they honestly came to ask the teacher here, the approval would almost always be granted.
“I know, teacher!” Luo Shuangxing laughed a couple of times, cheerfully running out of the office.
Just as she dashed out, she nearly collided with Xiao Yi, who was standing just outside the office door.
“Xiao Yi, why are you standing here?” Luo Shuangxing asked in confusion, having been startled and nearly losing her balance.
She glanced behind Xiao Yi but didn’t see the class representative; it was strange, weren’t those two usually inseparable?
Bowing her head, Xiao Yi seemed to be holding something in her hand. After a few moments of silence, she finally steeled herself, looked at Luo Shuangxing, and said, “I have something to say to you, Shuangxing.”
Something to say to me? Though perplexed, Luo Shuangxing followed Xiao Yi to a slightly quieter place.
Then, Xiao Yi handed over what she was clutching in her hand to Luo Shuangxing.
It was a very beautiful pendant; the transparent gem of the necklace contained a swirling vortex inside that continually attracted Luo Shuangxing’s gaze.
“Shuangxing, we are friends.” Xiao Yi’s voice rang in Luo Shuangxing’s ears.
Friends? Are we really friends?
Luo Shuangxing pulled her gaze back, unsure of what Xiao Yi meant. She remembered that her interactions with Xiao Yi had been limited, only having had close contact once during the last time they sought refuge together.
With such limited interactions, it couldn’t really be considered friendship, could it?
“Are we friends?” Xiao Yi repeated, this time switching it to a question.
Her eyes brimmed with desire and anticipation, resembling a pitiful little animal.
Luo Shuangxing bit her lip but couldn’t bring herself to say the word “no.”
“Yes, we are friends.”
Xiao Yi instantly gave a cheer and stretched out her arms towards Luo Shuangxing, saying, “Then can you give me a hug, Shuangxing!”
Huh? Luo Shuangxing was utterly puzzled by the situation; had their relationship really progressed this quickly? Was that okay?
She had just been asked if they were friends, and now it turned into a request for a hug… would that lead to something more?
No, no, no; she couldn’t think like that—they were both decent people! Xiao Yi probably just felt a bit attached to her after what happened last time.
Thinking this, Luo Shuangxing opened her arms and hugged Xiao Yi for a moment, then quickly pulled away.
That brief embrace made Xiao Yi’s eyes shine even brighter, her lips moving as if she wanted to say something.
But after hesitating for a few seconds, she abandoned the idea of continuing her speech and instead reached out to take back the pendant that Luo Shuangxing had been holding.
