Chapter 119: Can Aliens Work Too?
After returning to the headquarters of Polar Night with Luo Shuangxing, Luo Shuangyue first took Luo Shuangxing to meet Soul Guide, asking this senior to share some practical tips with Luo Shuangxing so that she wouldn’t be at a loss later.
However, the moment Soul Guide set her eyes on Luo Shuangxing, her eyes narrowed. She scrutinized Luo Shuangxing from head to toe, making Luo Shuangxing feel a shiver run down her spine.
Why is this senior looking at me like that?
Is there something strange on my face?
“Senior Hikaru?” she asked softly.
“Nothing, I just feel you resemble an old friend of mine a bit,” Soul Guide shook her head. She almost thought she saw Bai Ye, but upon closer inspection, she realized there were still some differences between Luo Shuangxing and Bai Ye.
Luo Shuangxing appeared more youthful, and her aura seemed to resemble someone significantly younger than Bai Ye… to put it simply, Luo Shuangxing looked like Bai Ye’s daughter.
Does that person have a daughter?
Thinking about this possibility, Soul Guide’s feelings became complicated. Could it be that Bai Ye’s prolonged disappearance was due to starting a family?
But as long as she is still here, perhaps one day she can ask this child about her mother…
Suppressing these thoughts, Soul Guide began teaching Luo Shuangxing some simple comforting techniques. Luo Shuangxing sat attentively, even though she didn’t quite understand how these techniques would be useful, but she figured she could just apply them all later!
“By the way, you should take this opportunity to instill a sense of hatred towards magical beasts in her; that way, we can gather more information about the magical beasts from her,” Luo Shuangyue, standing with her arms crossed, added.
“It feels a bit wrong to approach her with such ulterior motives,” Luo Shuangxing muttered softly.
“You don’t want her to live her whole life shadowed by magical beasts, do you? You’re helping her to overcome her sorrow.”
“That’s a weak argument…” Luo Shuangxing still disagreed with Luo Shuangyue’s words, but she didn’t refuse the idea.
She already understood how crucial the information Xiaoyi possessed was for humanity right now; if she could get Xiaoyi to voluntarily share this information, it would be a win-win situation.
Realizing this, even if her heart was reluctant to go through with the plan, Luo Shuangxing pushed herself to complete the task.
…
While Luo Shuangxing was trying to extract information from Xiaoyi, the Magic Department had already begun preparing for the impending army of magical beasts.
This time, the enemies came from the universe and were a whole powerful legion, which was vastly different from the enemies the magical girls had encountered before.
Previously, magical beasts were scattered, without anyone to command them, only following their inherent desire for destruction.
But this time, the opponents were different; they had a clear commander, a royal-class magical beast that had survived for many years. They had recently completely destroyed a cosmic civilization known as the Elves and were now pursuing the last remnants of the Elves towards humanity.
“Sigh, what a hassle,” the black-haired girl complained softly as she gazed up at the starry sky.
“What’s going to come will come. Instead of complaining here, we should think about how to deal with that magical beast,” the pink-haired girl said, approaching her and giving her a firm pat on the back. “Let’s hurry to the meeting room; everyone is waiting for us.”
“Got it~”
The upper management of the Magic Department didn’t blame this alien girl for bringing in the magical beasts. After all, many of these upper echelons were magical girls and had good hearts.
Those who weren’t magical girls might feel a little anxious, but they knew that this wasn’t the time to complain. Instead of complaining about the enemies brought by aliens, it would be better to think seriously about how to deal with them.
Humans and magical beasts shared an unwavering enmity, and humanity was well aware that fighting against magical beasts was unavoidable.
Since a confrontation was inevitable, fighting now or later wouldn’t make much difference.
“Move those experimental weapons up! We need to see if those bugs have any useful items. If they do, grab everything!”
“What about that alien? Should we leave her with Monise?”
“Akihiko is there too; she will be keeping an eye on her. Besides, that’s Bai Ye’s territory.”
“Bai Ye… right, then let’s not worry about that side for now!”
Amidst the noise, the meeting quickly reached a consensus; the magical girls would do their best to fend off the enemies and ensure that the magical beasts wouldn’t be able to damage their planet.
They needed to build a planetary defense line as quickly as possible.
“Blooming Level Magical Girls can operate freely in space, but Initial Bloom Magical Girls can’t fight in such an environment for long.”
“We need a resting place.”
“How about the moon? Let’s use it as our fortress and have the magical beasts battle us on the moon!”
This proposal was quickly approved. Compared to the far-off stars, the nearby moon was indeed the best choice.
Even if the moon was destroyed in the battle, the impact on humanity wouldn’t be as severe.
…Better than having the mother planet destroyed.
“Then it’s decided. Detailed action plans will be sent to your phones. Now, the Blooming Level Magical Girls should stay; we must immediately begin preparations!”
…
Tap, tap…
Luo Shuangxing gently opened the room’s front door and quietly walked into the tense atmosphere inside.
Monise, who had been coldly recording data from instruments, looked up at Luo Shuangxing with a flicker of surprise in her eyes.
Then, she closed her notebook and walked up to Luo Shuangxing.
Luo Shuangxing instinctively took a small step back, but Monise didn’t say anything; she simply stared into her eyes for a few seconds and then spoke in a tone only they could hear.
“There’s no need to record any further data. Go do what you want.”
After saying that, Monise left the room without looking back.
Xia’s body was already on the verge of collapse; her life could now be counted in seconds.
Luo Shuangxing walked to Xiaoyi’s side, looking at her sister who couldn’t cry or make a sound, feeling a deep ache in her heart.
If before she was only focused on completing the task assigned to her by Xia Mo and Luo Shuangyue, now she genuinely wanted to help Xiaoyi, to help her overcome her sadness.
Magical girls’ hearts were kind; they couldn’t bear to see others unhappy.
“I’m sorry…” Holding her sister, who was barely breathing, Xiaoyi’s apology seemed to echo towards no one in particular.
Luo Shuangxing adjusted her skirt and knelt beside Xiaoyi, gently patting her back.
“Have you figured everything out?” Xiaoyi asked in a hoarse voice.
“Figured out what? Figured out that you want to hypnotize me, or that you’re not human?” Luo Shuangxing countered.
Xiaoyi fell silent, her silence confirming Luo Shuangxing’s suspicions.
Luo Shuangxing had learned everything.
“Why are you still willing to see me?”
She didn’t know many details about the humans on this planet, but she understood that what she had done was poor in their eyes.
Yet, under such circumstances, Luo Shuangxing still wanted to visit her, which struck her as remarkable.
“Because I’m the only one who can see you,” Luo Shuangxing replied bluntly.
Xiaoyi’s relationships with the people on this planet were all fake; only the two sisters of the Luo family retained their impression of her.
So, wasn’t it just Luo Shuangxing who could come to see Xiaoyi?
“Your sister doesn’t have much time left.”
“…”
Xiaoyi tightened her arms around Xia and seemed to try to hold her sister closer.
But it was evidently futile; Xia’s breath continued to fade irreversibly.
Her sister was truly about to leave.
“So, are you just planning to hold her like this for the rest of your life? Look at yourself; isn’t that just what that bastard wants to see?” Luo Shuangxing grabbed Xiaoyi’s collar, glaring at the girl who appeared lifeless.
“If you still have a heart and a bit of courage, don’t just cower and tremble at the sight of magical beasts. They took your kin, so you should kill them! Use their blood to honor your people!”
“These monsters can’t be killed, you don’t know how powerful they are…” Xiaoyi, still gripped by Luo Shuangxing, looked lifeless, as if she had lost all hope. She felt like a mere shell of a person.
She could almost see the magnificent star sea fleet of the Elves being toyed with and dismantled by the magical beasts, and the endless black tide swallowing all that was good.
The terrified cries of her kin echoed in her ears, the despairing communications from the fleet firmly engraved in her heart.
How could such monsters possibly be defeated?
What method could defeat them?
“They’ve already found me; they are coming. It’s my fault for putting you all at risk,” Xiaoyi bit her lip, guilt evident in her voice.
“You’re not putting us at risk; it’s just a few magical beasts. I’ve killed more than you entire race ever has!” Luo Shuangxing snorted coldly.
At that moment, the girl cradled in Xiaoyi’s arms slowly opened her eyes.
Perhaps realizing her time was near, Xia reached out to grasp Xiaoyi’s hand, calling her in a voice nearly imperceptible, “Sister…”
All that needed to be said had long been expressed. Xia didn’t harbor hatred for her sister for abandoning her and fleeing at that moment.
However, seeing her sister cry so hard while holding her made any lingering resentment vanish.
What could her sister have done back then?
Her only choice was to run.
“Don’t let the same mistakes and regrets happen to you again,” Xia said softly, holding Xiaoyi’s hand.
But now, Xiaoyi still had the choice to rise up against fate.
She could fight back; she could show her teeth, and even if she ultimately couldn’t defeat that terrifying foe, she wanted to take a piece of flesh from them.
“Sister, this time, don’t run away, okay?” Xia coughed a couple of times, her eyes gradually becoming unfocused, her breath growing shallow.
Xiaoyi bit her lip tightly, clenched her fists, and took a deep breath before heavily nodding.
If this was her sister’s wish, then she would follow through!
Even if it was a path filled with despair and hardship!
“Sister, please supervise her for me and make sure she doesn’t go back on her word,” Xia looked towards Luo Shuangxing.
“Of course!” Luo Shuangxing nodded firmly.
“Thank you…” With that response from Luo Shuangxing, Xia finally seemed to let go of all burdens and softly closed her eyes.
Her grip on Xiaoyi’s hand slackened, and the life force within her fully vanished.
Xiaoyi knelt on the ground, hugging Xia’s body, her body trembling slightly as she emitted a deeply suppressed cry.
Luo Shuangxing reached out to pat Xiaoyi’s back, wanting to say something comforting but unsure of how to console her.
Sigh, as an outsider, she ultimately couldn’t meddle in such matters.
Fortunately, Xiaoyi’s sorrow only lasted a few minutes; soon, she wiped away her tears, straightened up, and gasped, looking at Luo Shuangxing, “I can’t let Xia down!”
Her gaze burned with the fierceness of flames; she had abandoned her sister once, and she would never make that mistake again.
She had to fulfill her sister’s last wish!
“Tell me, what should I do?”
“We need information on that magical beast: what its army looks like, how many there are… huh?”
Before Luo Shuangxing could finish her sentence, two streams of light suddenly darted in from outside the room.
What is this?!
…
Time rewinds slightly, and several people observing the intimate farewell from the surveillance room remain silent.
Monise looks down at her notebook; Soul Guide is gently patting Feiqin’s shoulder while sighing softly.
Luo Shuangyue and Xia Mo stand a bit further away from the three seniors, all wearing heavy expressions.
Watching an older sister bid farewell to her younger sister ultimately doesn’t sit well with them.
“Such tragedies happen every day…” Xia Mo said in a very quiet voice.
“I just don’t want such things to happen to us,” Luo Shuangyue said, in contrast to Xia Mo’s broader compassion.
She just wanted to protect her family and friends, and that alone sufficed. As for others, saving one was a blessing.
Thud, thud, thud…
Just as she was about to say something more, a strange sound suddenly echoed in her ears.
Turning her head, Luo Shuangyue saw that the two pendants belonging to Xiaoyi and Xia were suddenly glowing.
Huh?!
“Pendants! Look at the pendants!” Luo Shuangyue pointed at the two pendants, calling attention to them.
The grief-stricken onlookers rushed to see the pendants, which, in that brief moment, seemed to be drawn by an invisible force—they flew straight towards Xiaoyi’s room.
“The pendants are running away! Quick, chase them!”
Not engulfed in the sentimental atmosphere, Monise, Luo Shuangyue, and Xia Mo jumped up and sprinted after the two pendants.
A few seconds later, they discovered where the pendants had flown.
“This is…” Luo Shuangyue gazed at the unfolding scene, casting an inquiring look at Monise.
That sight looked vaguely familiar.
Monise rubbed her eyes hard; after confirming she wasn’t imagining things, she exclaimed, “Now her research value has just skyrocketed.”
“Is this really the time to be saying these things?! Hurry up and get in there!” Xia Mo exclaimed, sounding like a normal person.
“It’s no use going in now; we should stand here and watch the birth of a new magical girl,” Luo Shuangyue said, holding Xia Mo’s shoulder lightly with a complex tone.
Through the transparent glass doors, Luo Shuangyue saw the two pendants swirling around Xiaoyi, their transparent outer shell, wrapped in a vortex of stars, slowly dissolving—those two starry whirlpools separated from the pendants and fused at Xiaoyi’s chest.
A beautiful gemstone, radiating breathtaking starlight, appeared before Xiaoyi, who seemed to realize something, slowly extending her hand and grasping the gem with effort.
In the next moment, as if a beam of starlight descended from the heavens, it showered down on Xiaoyi.
A deep blue dress speckled with starlight replaced the clothes she originally wore, and a magical power flowed through her body; she felt as if she could do anything now.
“What is this…” She stared amazedly at her hands, bewildered by what had just happened.
“A Magical Girl! You’ve become a Magical Girl!” Luo Shuangxing exclaimed in surprise, reaching out to pinch Xiaoyi’s cheek firmly, confirming that the magical girl before her was no impostor.
Her soft cheeks were elastic, and her temperature still felt a bit hot, coupled with those prominently pointed ears. Yes, this was the Xiaoyi she knew!
“A Magical Girl?”
“Yes, Magical Girls possess powers far stronger than magical beasts. Now, you can truly avenge Xia!” Luo Shuangxing said, her voice excited.
“Is that so?” Xiaoyi clenched her fists, took a deep breath, and gazed resolutely at her sister, who lay lifeless on the ground, then firmly nodded.
“Xia, I won’t let you down!”
…
“So it seems that it’s not only humans who can become magical girls. Why didn’t a single magical girl appear when the Elves were exterminated?”
“Could it be that it’s due to circumstances; only here could a girl with strong emotions gain magical power’s favor?”
With her chin resting on her hand, Luo Shuangyue watched the group of lab-coated individuals measuring various data from Xiaoyi, feeling puzzled.
Her initial speculation was indeed correct; as long as a girl like Xiaoyi overcame her fears of magical beasts, she could directly obtain a magical gem and become a Magical Girl.
But this girl was an alien; she didn’t even have a household registration here, making the magical gems awfully unselective.
It was almost as if if you met the emotional criteria, the gem would just be handed to you.
Yet many girls on the human side, like Jiuye and Xiaomimi’s friends, could definitely also become Magical Girls, but the gems seemed to overlook them.
It was truly puzzling.
“Who knows? If even you can become a Magical Girl, then perhaps it indicates that these things might be related to lineage?” Xia Mo answered softly.
The birth of Magical Girls is still a mystery that humanity cannot explain.
However, some patterns could be discerned, such as the buff stacking previously mentioned by Luo Shuangyue—more buffs increased the likelihood of obtaining a gem.
Or one could be a descendant of a Magical Girl, which might also raise the probability of becoming one.
But that was just Xia Mo’s speculation. Most Magical Girls never contemplate such matters, and only the legendary Bai Ye had two children.
And both of Bai Ye’s children became Magical Girls, and were even gifted, making the hereditary factor hard to dismiss.
Look, even Luo Shuangyue was originally a boy who was forcefully transformed into a girl at eighteen. That shows just how powerful the force of inheritance can be.
“Perhaps so. Well, let those important figures worry about these things; we just need to focus on our responsibilities,” Luo Shuangyue stretched, feeling utterly overwhelmed by the events of the day.
So much had happened, it was hard to keep up.
She felt exhausted and wanted a good rest.
However, it seemed like there wouldn’t be any other incidents this evening, and she could retreat with Xia Mo now.
“Aren’t you waiting for Shuangxing?”
“She’ll probably need to stay here with Xia for the night. Don’t be fooled by how strong this child is acting now; when it’s time for bed, you never know how hard she might cry. She needs someone to accompany her at that time,” Luo Shuangyue shrugged.
This wasn’t so much her thinking highly of Luo Shuangxing’s comforting ability but more that only Luo Shuangxing would be suitable.
There’s no way she could accompany Xia to sleep; that would earn her Xia Mo’s ire.
“Let’s go; it’s getting late. We should rest early; we need to be back here bright and early tomorrow.”
…
“Discovered a small number of magical beast traces. They have been eliminated. Hmm, the morphological characteristics are consistent with the magical beasts that attacked Xinghai City, confirming it to be the same type.”
Standing atop the head of a silver dragon, Longwen reported through her earpiece.
There was a hint of magical power in her voice, allowing it to be transmitted through the vacuum of space.
Behind her were a few wisps of faint black smoke, and the magical beasts here posed no effective resistance against Longwen, showcasing the tremendous power of Blooming Level Magical Girls.
“The environment in space is extremely extreme, requiring additional magical power to maintain physical functions. This may shorten the endurance time of Initial Bloom Magical Girls by about thirty percent.”
Longwen was here to prepare for upcoming cosmic battles. The Magic Department had never anticipated that one day they would fight enemies from the sky. Now that they had to engage in battle in space, it required Blooming Level Magical Girls to work overtime calculating various data.
Compared to the favorable conditions on the ground, space was a relatively extreme combat environment—vacuum, low temperatures, radiation—all these factors combined posed numerous challenges for the Magical Girls.
Dealing with these environments would consume magical power, which was manageable for Blooming Level Magical Girls but a considerable liability for Initial Bloom Magical Girls.
Their opponents, on the other hand, were naturally adapted to the environment of space.
This was essentially fighting on the enemy’s home turf!
But it was unavoidable. The Magical Girls couldn’t allow those unknown cosmic magical beasts to land on their planet. Who knew if those guys had some superb weapons capable of obliterating the entire planet in an instant?
Even a civilization like the Elves had been defeated by magical beasts. Keeping the enemies away cautiously was the only correct choice.
…
Understanding that powerful enemies might attack at any moment, Luo Shuangyue managed to live a somewhat peaceful life.
Soul Guide leveraged her connections to bring in one senior after another, ruthlessly training her.
For these past few days, Luo Shuangyue felt like she was either eating, sleeping, or getting hit—a consistent barrage of training.
None of the Magical Girls called in by Soul Guide were slouches; they were either Blooming Level or Initial Bloom Magical Girls who had mastered their fields.
No matter how strong Luo Shuangyue’s talent was, she had only been a Magical Girl for three years—and compared to these veterans with decades of experience, she was still quite young.
Whoosh!
A whip of magical power effortlessly ensnared Luo Shuangyue’s scythe, sending it flying. Then, the magical girl wielding the whip transformed her attack, striking Luo Shuangyue’s abdomen and sending her flying several meters.
“You’ve made great progress; Soul Guide didn’t pick the wrong person.” Though she had defeated Luo Shuangyue with relative ease, this Magical Girl applauded her appreciatively.
From initially being knocked away to now being able to fight twenty-some rounds before being sent flying, Luo Shuangyue’s speed of progress was astronomical.
She had no doubt that given enough time, this girl could become the next Bai Ye.
She could see extraordinary potential in Luo Shuangyue, a rarity in the world… though she couldn’t say that about Lilac, the little sister on the other side, who also held considerable promise.
Indeed, these Magical Girls training with Luo Shuangyue had also noticed Luo Shuangxing’s potential, and under the auspices of wanting to help, they included her in the special training.
All in all, these past days had given the two sisters of the Luo family quite a rigorous regimen.
“Let’s call it a day for now. Tomorrow, you’ll have a day off; the day after tomorrow, we’ll continue special training,” this bold Blooming Level Magical Girl said while stylishly stowing her weapon.
“Eh? I can still train tomorrow?”
“You can, but we have a meeting at the Magic Department. All Blooming Levels must attend, so you girls get a day off to rest.”
This senior knew well that Luo Shuangyue could keep training, and with the unyielding pressures from the Dark Butterfly and Lilac, they could make quick progress.
Since they might feel drained when they left that night, but upon waking after a good sleep, they would revitalize and feel more spirited than the day before.
If possible, she would grasp every opportunity to train these two Magical Girls, but there was no escaping tomorrow’s meeting.
The Magic Department had sent out a summons; even non-Magic Department Blooming Level Magical Girls had to give some respect to the largest magical girl organization in existence.
Moreover, recent rumors had reached these non-Magic Department Magical Girls, informing them about the type of enemies they were about to face. Under such circumstances, they certainly wouldn’t choose to oppose the Magic Department.
After all, they only differed in a few matters but stood on the same front when it came to protecting humanity and safeguarding their planet.
…
“Tomorrow we get a day off? Want to go out and have some fun together?” Summer Mo immediately asked Luo Shuangyue, displaying her excitement when she heard that she finally had a day off.
These days had been incredibly stifling for her. They had agreed that every week she would take her out for a few days of fun. But once the special training started, let alone going out, she barely saw Luo Shuangyue at all.
Luo Shuangyue was training in Polar Night, and she couldn’t exactly visit her there every day.
And after returning home, Luo Shuangyue was always in a rush to sleep after dinner, so Summer Mo couldn’t just drag her into a late-night life, could she?
These past few days, the two sisters of the Luo family completely lost any intention of acting and playing around. They exchanged a brief weary glance upon getting home, sighed, and then finished dinner together before retreating to their bedrooms in quick succession, only to wake up the next morning.
Did they even ask each other why they were so tired?
Sigh, being kindred spirits in hardship, it was best not to burden each other at that time.
Now, finally, Luo Shuangyue had a day off!
Summer Mo was determined to make up for all the time they had missed together these past days!
“Going out… I’m not really in the mood for that,” Luo Shuangyue replied with an expression that said she had completely burned out.
“Then come over to my house!” Summer Mo squinted her eyes.
That request was acceptable; Luo Shuangyue nodded.
As long as she didn’t have to step outside, tomorrow she just wanted to stay at home and enjoy some peace.
Though she had just said she could still train, upon realizing she would finally have a day of rest tomorrow, all the accumulated fatigue from over ten days exploded forth, leading her to just want to lie low peacefully at home for the day.
As for what Summer Mo wanted to do with her… well, whatever.
Lying around and enjoying herself didn’t seem bad, right?
A few minutes later, Luo Shuangxing opened the door and walked in.
Upon entering, she tossed her small bag onto the floor, raised her arms, and let out a cheer, “Finally, I can take a day off!”
It seemed this girl had also been eagerly awaiting rest for quite a long time.
“Summer Mo, I’m resting tomorrow! Let’s go have some fun together!”
However, compared to the completely drained Luo Shuangyue, Luo Shuangxing still had a fair amount of energy, enthusiastically urging Summer Mo to go out.
“No can do; I need to stay home with Shuangyue tomorrow,” Summer Mo replied, reaching up to ruffle Luo Shuangyue’s hair with a motherly smile.
Luo Shuangxing immediately shot a glare at Luo Shuangyue, fuming, oh, you bad sister, how could you ambush me!
So petty, so shameless!
Wanting to enjoy a double world at home, huh? I’ll tell both of you, not a chance!
“Then can you at least spend some time with me?”
Luo Shuangxing quickly dashed into Summer Mo’s embrace, beginning to act adorably.
In this regard, Luo Shuangxing had a clear advantage over her sister, quickly winning Summer Mo’s consent with her shameless charm.
“Alright, alright, Shuangxing, you can come over to my house to play tomorrow,” Summer Mo sighed, tenderly patting Luo Shuangyue’s head.
Sigh, if that’s the case, then they couldn’t do anything too extreme after all.