Chapter 122: Win-Win Solution
Fei Yue was a very enthusiastic girl, so much so that Luo Shuangyue found it somewhat overwhelming.
In the end, it was Xia Mo who stepped in to help Luo Shuangyue fend off Fei Yue’s enthusiastic advances. Indeed, such things were best handled by a proper magical girl; a fake magical girl like Luo Shuangyue simply couldn’t adapt to that kind of relationship.
“Amateur.” Luo Shuangxing looked at her older sister hiding behind Xia Mo and scoffed.
“Is it wrong to be shy? Do you have an opinion?” Luo Shuangyue shot back, feeling defensive. Different fields have their specializations, okay? I’m just not good at this kind of thing.
If you have the ability, come and contest fighting power. Let me see if I can’t spin you around a hundred times with one hand.
Fortunately, this exchange didn’t last too long, and soon Qidian found Fei Yue’s room card.
After receiving the room card, Fei Yue bid farewell to the group, took a small leap, and flew up.
“You all should go organize your rooms first. Come back here at thirteen o’clock, and I’ll take you to the training area.” After Fei Yue left, the Soul Guide spoke to the three of them.
“Remember to adjust the time; the time on the moon is different from that on the ground. Here, we sync with the Magic Department headquarters.”
“Okay!” Luo Shuangyue took out her phone from her spatial pocket and adjusted the time according to the electronic clock at the front desk.
She probably set the time forward by four hours, and there wasn’t much time left for them to organize their rooms—just a little over an hour.
Noticing the time was a bit tight, Luo Shuangyue hurriedly urged Xia Mo and Luo Shuangxing not to dawdle and to check how the room was.
The three of them said goodbye to their two seniors, leaped into the sky, and went to find their room.
Qidian watched the three juniors disappear from her sight and let out a soft sigh: “The younger generation is formidable.”
“What? Even you’re feeling the pressure?”
“No pressure at all. If they can become stronger than me, I’ll be so happy; then they’ll just be sitting here with nothing to do.” Qidian propped her chin in a disgruntled manner.
She didn’t want to act as a mere figurehead; she wanted to go out and help by getting into fights to relieve the tension.
“Then I think you should just extinguish that thought; you’re not sitting here because you’re too strong.” The Soul Guide rolled her eyes without mercy.
Qidian was here because she couldn’t help much elsewhere, and her combat style was quite wild, making no one dare to let her go all out.
According to the Magic Department’s own estimates, Qidian, when unleashing her full power, could destroy the entire planet.
Not just destroying the surface, but obliterating it into pieces.
She was a genuine star-level powerhouse.
“Eh, can’t you say something nicer?” Qidian pouted. “But that budding girl looks quite familiar… kind of like that person.”
Almost every Blooming Level Magical Girl thinks of that sun-like figure when they first see Luo Shuangxing.
The reason is simple, only Blooming Level Magical Girls know what Bai Ye represents, and only they have such profound impressions of her.
Even just a glance at Luo Shuangxing reveals many shadows of Bai Ye.
“Do you have that feeling too? Isn’t she from your Magic Department? Why didn’t you discover her before?” The Soul Guide was curious. Linglan wasn’t a magical girl from another organization; her information should be quite complete in your Magic Department, right?
So why didn’t you realize this girl resembled Bai Ye?
“You asking me these?”
The Soul Guide fell silent for three seconds; indeed, this question probably shouldn’t have been directed at Qidian.
This person was just a bystander in the Magic Department, her existence serving as a final weapon and usually not caring about the events unfolding.
Plus, Qidian’s personality wasn’t the serious type; expecting her to focus on a newcomer who had just become a magical girl a few months ago was simply unrealistic.
“But you brought her here; are you planning to…”
“What else could I be planning? Isn’t it good to cultivate a strong girl for your Magic Department?”
“Ha, then I have to thank you on their behalf.”
…
“It’s really just like a student dormitory…” Looking at her dorm room, Luo Shuangyue felt like she had returned to her student days.
It was too classic; aside from the bigger space and various familiar and unfamiliar furniture, it was almost identical to a student dormitory.
“An induction cooker? Can we actually cook here?” Xia Mo looked at the things in the room that shouldn’t be there, a bit dazed.
The bath and toilet are one thing, but why are there even cooking utensils?
There probably aren’t any ingredients for them to use, right?
There were two beds in the room; the beds weren’t very big but were adequate for a girl to rest well.
Now an issue arose: three people, two beds. Someone had to go to the neighboring room, but who should be the one to share a room with a stranger magical girl?
“I’ll go next door!” Luo Shuangyue raised her hand, indicating that she could take on that sacrifice.
In reality, it was indeed better for Luo Shuangyue to go next door according to the normal arrangement; after all, Rosemary and Linglan were familiar as seniors and juniors, both belonging to the Magic Department, so it was only logical for them to live together.
As for Luo Shuangyue of Polar Night, someone who had conflicts with the magical girls, going to the neighboring room was not a problem either.
However, Xia Mo was a bit reluctant to let Luo Shuangyue go like that.
In various senses, Xia Mo was a girl with strong possessiveness who could easily get jealous. The thought of Luo Shuangyue sharing a room with another girl made her feel uneasy.
So, Luo Shuangyue couldn’t be the one to go next door.
Because of her selfishness, she felt a bit guilty letting Luo Shuangxing go to the neighboring room all alone; she couldn’t let Luo Shuangxing suffer simply because she wanted to cuddle with Luo Shuangyue, could she?
So Luo Shuangxing couldn’t go either.
It seemed like there was only one choice left.
“No, I’ll go next door,” Xia Mo said.
“That’s not good, right?” Luo Shuangyue instinctively objected. “It’s better for me to go next door! I don’t get along with Linglan.”
Luo Shuangyue reminded Xia Mo, my identity as a Dark Butterfly and my bad relationship with Luo Shuangxing means we can’t share a room!
“It doesn’t matter; you both stay here, and I’ll go next door.” Xia Mo pressed Luo Shuangyue down onto the bed, with a serious expression that left no room for argument. “Besides, I’m just occupying a space next door; when it’s time to rest, I can still choose where to sleep!”
Xia Mo’s thoughts were straightforward; even though she was going to stay next door, she could come back whenever she wanted and, during the night, squeeze into the same bed with Luo Shuangyue, which was no problem at all.
Though the beds in the room weren’t large, they were definitely enough for two girls to sleep together.
Hey! Isn’t this just a perfect solution?
It solved her jealousy issue and gave her more opportunities to be close to Luo Shuangyue; she had won twice!
“Uh…” Luo Shuangyue found this solution somewhat strange but couldn’t say what was odd about it.
So, is there a possibility that it actually doesn’t matter if you live right next door?
Isn’t it unnecessary to come over every day?
But Xia Mo was already determined, she picked up the room card for the neighboring room and left without giving Luo Shuangyue any chance to dissuade her.
“Uh…” Luo Shuangyue looked at her sister, her expression a tad awkward.
Both of them clearly knew each other’s true identities, yet at this moment they had to pretend they didn’t know each other—how awkward!
Comparatively, Luo Shuangxing didn’t have as many twists and turns in her heart. In her eyes, this was just living in the same dormitory with her sister, who had the Dark Butterfly identity on; it was nothing big.
She actually felt it was better this way than back home.
At least her sister didn’t have to cling to that flawed male identity any longer and could be a normal girl.
Thinking this way, Luo Shuangxing was the first to解除变身, casting a significant look at Luo Shuangyue. “We’ve met, so let’s stop wearing masks here, okay?”
This statement clearly carried another meaning. Luo Shuangyue felt that her sister was telling her that they shouldn’t pretend anymore, and she could just show her true self openly.
That being said, actually showing her true self was still somewhat difficult for Luo Shuangyue.
Well, let’s解除变身 first.
Taking off the hairpin, as one butterfly after another floated away from her, Luo Shuangyue returned to her original form.
Of course, this was the form of the “Dark Butterfly” adorned with red eyes.
However, she didn’t continue using the makeup applied earlier, so now Luo Shuangyue’s appearance compared to before just had a difference in eye color.
At least the black dress she wore resembled the one Xia Mo had specially ordered for her, albeit it wasn’t the same one.
This still made Luo Shuangxing give a very speechless glance. She noticed her sister didn’t seem to want to put on a disguise anymore; just look at this outfit! Not to say it was identical to the one she wore when being sent to school last time, it could be claimed to be very similar.
“Dark Butterfly, you really look like my brother.” Luo Shuangxing placed her hands on her hips and walked around Luo Shuangyue while making a remark filled with wonder.
“What nonsense are you saying? I’m a girl; your brother is a boy. Is your eyesight defective?”
Hearing this, Luo Shuangxing’s expression grew even stranger.
Her sister was capable of saying anything. Usually, she would emphasize that she was male, but now, changing her identity, she began to stress that she was a girl.
This ability to lie without changing her expression truly astounded Luo Shuangxing.
“Maybe my brother is a girl after all; anyway, I think she’s a better sister than a brother.” Luo Shuangxing’s gaze fell on Luo Shuangyue’s little legs wrapped in black stockings, letting out a light chuckle. “You really do like black, huh?”
Luo Shuangyue’s expression froze completely. Why was this topic being brought up again? This outfit was prepared by Xia Mo, not her own doing!
The stockings matched the dress; it wasn’t like she could go without wearing them, right?
“Let’s stick to work topics, okay?” Luo Shuangyue replied with a serious expression, indicating she didn’t want to discuss life with Luo Shuangxing.
Let’s be mindful of our respective identities. You’re Linglan from the Magic Department; I’m the Dark Butterfly from Polar Night; we have past grievances and are fatal enemies. At this moment, you should glare at me, not like some infatuated girl asking if I like black or white.
What a fine plan to talk about work, Luo Shuangxing rolled her eyes, hoping that her older sister would have the courage to say this to Xia Mo too.
Only around her did this scheming sister dare to say such things.
Sigh, what choice did she have? She was just a younger sister after all.
“Alright, alright, we’ll try to talk about work.” Luo Shuangxing plopped down in front of Luo Shuangyue, propping her chin on her hands, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Luo Shuangyue.
Being looked at like this made Luo Shuangyue feel a bit uneasy; why did she feel like her sister was thinking of something quite terrifying?
“Don’t look at me like that.” She stated firmly.
But Luo Shuangxing acted as if she hadn’t heard, continuing to stare at her motionlessly.
After several minutes, Luo Shuangxing finally seemed to awaken from a dream and said softly, “Actually, you’re also quite pretty.”
You’ve been staring at me for so long just to say that? Luo Shuangyue felt a bit shy. Don’t I already know what I look like? Do I need you to tell me?
And what does you praising your enemy mean?
“Don’t do that; I’m scared.”
“Cheh, I’m trying to ease our relationship!” Luo Shuangxing voiced her dissatisfaction.
There was no problem with her actively mending relations with the Dark Butterfly; wouldn’t that make her appear to be a sensible child?
“We’re going to be comrades from now on. We’re even going to be housemates under one roof. Keeping it so tense is also not good, right?” swinging her legs, Luo Shuangxing said with a smile.
At first, Luo Shuangxing really disliked the Dark Butterfly, but after many events, especially discovering that the Dark Butterfly was actually her sister, her feelings began to change.
The relationship between them had already normalized since that time; only Luo Shuangyue was still stuck on the thought that their relationship wasn’t good.
Now, Luo Shuangxing aimed to change Luo Shuangyue’s mindset; she wanted to bring their relationship closer, so that everything would seem natural when it came time to reconcile Luo Shuangyue and the Dark Butterfly’s identities.
There were no dramatic turns, no intense emotional clashes; it was merely a steady flow that would lead to a natural conclusion.
That’s what Luo Shuangxing desired.
“… As you wish.” Luo Shuangyue waited for a moment in silence before replying softly.
Refusal was impossible; she could only accept the olive branch her sister was extending.
If she dared to refuse, everything would be over when it came time to unmask herself later. She had no doubt about how petty her sister could be.
…
Though it was just the beginning at the moon base, the seniors showed no signs of treating Luo Shuangyue like a person. The entire afternoon was enough to make Luo Shuangyue understand that the rest period from the previous day had to be compensated for.
Upon returning to the dormitory, Luo Shuangyue saw her sister in a similar state of exhaustion and realized her good sister hadn’t escaped the clutches of the seniors either.
Sigh, let’s not say anything more; just rest obediently.
Knock knock knock. The door was gently knocked twice, and soon after, Xia Mo’s voice came through, “Dark Butterfly, Shuangxing, I brought dinner for you!”
Luo Shuangyue lay on the bed, signaling to Luo Shuangxing to go open the door.
Luo Shuangxing rolled her eyes but still went to the door and pressed the button to open it, allowing Xia Mo to come in.
“There’s nothing particularly delicious here, just these nutritional liquids.” Xia Mo, already back to her original form, held several transparent glass tubes with an exasperated expression on her face.
And behind her followed a red-haired girl chewing on a similar glass tube, none other than Fei Yue, whom they had encountered earlier at the front desk.
Coincidentally, Xia Mo was actually rooming with her, making the girl extremely delighted.
Who wouldn’t want their roommate to be a gentle and cheerful older sister type? At least she certainly hoped for that.
“I’m coming in~” She hopped into the room with a cheerful smile. Upon seeing the exhausted Luo sisters, she revealed an expression of admiration.
Wow, these two sisters trained so hard as soon as they arrived at the moon base; they truly are the role models for magical girls like us!
I must learn from them too!
Thinking about how few subjects she had trained in today, Fei Yue immediately felt ashamed; she was quite proud initially, believing she was the hardest-working magical girl in the base, and this thought was shattered within a few minutes by these two sisters.
“Can I train with you tomorrow? I want to work as hard as you!” Fei Yue asked boldly.
This request naturally couldn’t be granted; the Soul Guide and the others had no plans to get more deeply involved with the Magic Department.
So Luo Shuangyue could only shake her head, indicating that she and Luo Shuangxing were undergoing secret special training by a few seniors and couldn’t take in outsiders.
“Eh? Is that so?”
“Yes, indeed. After all, I’m actually not a magical girl of the Magic Department.” Luo Shuangyue took the nutritional liquid handed to her by Xia Mo, pulled out the cork, and poured it into her mouth.
The liquid tasted a lot better than what Luo Shuangyue had expected, instead giving off a faint fruity flavor.
Moreover, the texture of this liquid was not water-like; it was thicker, more resembling jelly than anything else.
As for how much energy it replenished… Luo Shuangyue could only say it did, but it certainly wasn’t as effective as the mana potions Monise had concocted before.
That potion tasted a bit bad but could directly restore mana, while this nutritional potion was more like a substitute for three meals.
“I see, in that case, it certainly wouldn’t be good to intrude.” Fei Yue showed a sudden understanding.
Growing up at the Magic Department headquarters, she had heard from other seniors about the entanglements between the Magic Department and non-Magic Department magical girls. Those magical girls who didn’t wish to join the Magic Department weren’t bad people; they merely didn’t agree with or adapt to the operational style of the Magic Department, choosing instead to protect the world in their own way.
While some members of the Magic Department might express their dissatisfaction toward these magical girls, Fei Yue was not one of them. She felt that as long as everyone was fighting against magical beasts, then they were good partners.
“A bit hard to drink…” After finishing the nutritional liquid, Luo Shuangxing gave an unflattering assessment.
“The conditions here are like that; there’s no way to meet your enjoyment needs.” Luo Shuangyue sneered coldly.
This moonbase had only recently begun construction, and the magical girls had limited resources. They still had many tasks to accomplish, making it impossible to meet even basic needs for food and shelter beyond the bare minimum.
At least they weren’t being made to subsist on magical energy winds for every meal, which was quite commendable.
Then Luo Shuangyue saw Luo Shuangxing take out a white card, easily bending it, causing several bags of snacks to appear in the room.
Huh?
“Looks like I’ll have to fend for myself.” Luo Shuangxing rummaged through the bag of chips, sighing.
“Senior, Miss Fei Yue, do you want some?”
While breaking open the chips, Luo Shuangxing casually asked the other two girls, directly ignoring Luo Shuangyue’s presence.
“Eh? What just happened? How did all these things suddenly appear? Is this magic?” Luo Shuangxing’s trick shocked Fei Yue. She reached out and grabbed a few chips from the bag handed by Luo Shuangxing, eating while asking.
There was nothing to hide, and Luo Shuangxing explained that it was her unique ability, allowing her to seal various items into cards for easy access.
Maintaining these cards did not require a lot of magical power, and ordinary items like snacks could be stored easily.
“I prepared fully before coming up here—changing clothes, snacks I usually eat, and all kinds of things I’d need,” Luo Shuangxing said as she pulled out a stack of cards from her pocket, laying them out on the table in the room like playing cards.
Luo Shuangyue approached and found that it wasn’t so extravagant—most of the cards Luo Shuangxing pulled out were combat cards, with only a few containing daily necessities.
“Are you able to maintain so many cards at once?” After counting, Luo Shuangyue realized there were already over twenty cards.
This meant that Luo Shuangxing had at least twenty full power attacks in her hand, which would be considered an overwhelming first power among budding magical girls, wouldn’t it?
Which budding magical girl could release twenty ultimate attacks in a row without catching her breath?
“Of course, even more is possible; these cards only expend a lot of magical energy when they’re created.” Luo Shuangxing nodded naturally, as if this was a very ordinary feat. “If I hadn’t used up quite a few cards in training earlier, I might have around forty to fifty cards now.”
“Geez…” Acting on impulse, Luo Shuangyue reached into the bag of chips to grab some, stuffing them in her mouth before Luo Shuangxing could react.
She was now the Dark Butterfly, so it was normal for her to do things like this, right?
“You thief! Taking advantage when I’m not paying attention!”
“Just sharing a bit~”
Luo Shuangyue’s cheeks bulged, and her expression made Luo Shuangxing want to give her a good beating.
If you want to do it, just do it! Luo Shuangxing immediately shoved the chips into Xia Mo’s arms and lunged at Luo Shuangyue, “Prepare to accept punishment, you jerk!”
Luo Shuangyue hadn’t expected Luo Shuangxing to be so straightforward and was momentarily caught off guard as she was knocked onto the bed.
Although her strength was far beyond Luo Shuangxing’s, and even being ambushed like this wouldn’t be a problem to counter, she decided it was better to just stand there and take the hitting.
After all, she couldn’t really rotate her sister one-handed in front of outsiders, could she?
Watching the two girls rolling around on the bed, Fei Yue commented with some emotion, “Their relationship is quite good.”
She could clearly tell that Luo Shuangyue was intentionally letting Luo Shuangxing win since, as an initial bloom and a budding level, Luo Shuangyue could easily lift Luo Shuangxing with one hand if she truly tried.
Now the two were rolling on the bed; it was entirely because Luo Shuangyue was feeling merciful.
Moreover, the action of Luo Shuangyue stealing chips from Luo Shuangxing just now looked like something habitual, something only those with a good relationship would do.
“Indeed, it’s enviably good,” Xia Mo nodded in agreement.
At this moment, Luo Shuangxing tangled with Luo Shuangyue and noticed the butterfly hairpin in Luo Shuangyue’s hair. She remembered that her sister’s way of解除变身 was by taking off the butterfly hairpin.
Perhaps some nerve in her head had connected, as Luo Shuangxing stretched out her little guilty hand towards Luo Shuangyue’s butterfly hairpin, attempting to remove it.
This action caught Luo Shuangyue’s attention, and she couldn’t help but chuckle lightly. Only magical girls could take off their hairpins, and if Luo Shuangxing was to try, it would feel as if powerful glue had stuck the hairpin to her hair, and it was impossible to pull off.
Then, confidently, Luo Shuangyue discovered that Luo Shuangxing easily removed her hairpin, returning her to her original form.
“Eh?” The reverted Luo Shuangyue blinked, staring at the hairpin held by Luo Shuangxing in silence.
What’s going on?
How could my hairpin be taken off by Luo Shuangxing?
The two bystanders were also startled. If they weren’t mistaken, then the initial bloom Luo Shuangyue had been directly disassembled by Luo Shuangxing?
No way, right?
It must be an act?
Fei Yue’s gaze shifted back and forth between Luo Shuangyue and Luo Shuangxing. Having not noticed earlier when they were both in their transformed states, now seeing Luo Shuangyue revert for the first time, she suddenly realized that the two of them bore quite a resemblance.
Their features were very similar; apart from the difference in eye color, they seemed to be chiseled from the same mold.
Are they sisters? she thought.
If so, it could explain why Xia Mo, who was also in the Magic Department, was rooming with Luo Shuangxing while these two magical girls from different factions lived in the same room.
Such a relationship… was truly enviable.
“How did you do that?” Luo Shuangyue looked at the hairpin in her sister’s hand, her face written with disbelief.
Luo Shuangxing also stared at the hairpin in her hand, wearing a full expression of confusion.
Right, how did I do that?
She simply reached out and tugged, and the hairpin came off without any resistance.
“Cough, Linglan, you should get off the Dark Butterfly.” Xia Mo, unable to hold back any longer, reminded them.
Currently, Luo Shuangxing was in a somewhat ungainly position on top of Luo Shuangyue, creating a slightly ambiguous atmosphere between the two.
It felt almost as if Luo Shuangyue was about to be pushed down and forcibly devoured by Luo Shuangxing.
“Okay, okay!” Luo Shuangxing quickly got up, but still tightly gripped the hairpin she had just taken off.
Meanwhile, Luo Shuangyue attempted to return to her transformed state but realized she needed to retrieve the hairpin from Luo Shuangxing’s hand first… or rather, as long as Luo Shuangxing let go, the hairpin could return to her freely.
“Let go.” Luo Shuangyue instructed Luo Shuangxing.
Luo Shuangxing quickly complied. The moment she released her grip, the butterfly hairpin flew back to Luo Shuangyue’s chest as though it had acquired life, then dove straight into Luo Shuangyue’s chest.
At that moment, Luo Shuangyue finally felt her transformation ability return.
The two exchanged glances for a few seconds before realizing that this matter shouldn’t be discussed in front of outsiders; they needed to wait for Fei Yue to leave to delve into the details.
Fei Yue also sensed that the atmosphere in the room had turned slightly off and hurriedly stated that she had things to do and needed to leave.
With the outsider’s departure, the three in the room, who understood each other well, finally had the opportunity to discuss what exactly was going on.
The first to ask was Xia Mo, looking at the already reverted Luo Shuangyue, “Did you deliberately解除变身?”
Luo Shuangyue shook her head vigorously. “I thought she wouldn’t be able to pull off the hairpin. I still had magical power left, and I was far from being disassembled, so how could I be undone so simply?”
She wasn’t like other magical girls; others relied on magical gems to transform, and once transformed, the gems would turn into decorations.
Moreover, the magical girl outfits were indeed indestructible; unless magical power was exhausted, they would exist indefinitely.
Regarding the magical power exhausting, the magical girl would directly disassemble, and the outfit wouldn’t break either.
So, after magical girls were attacked, they might just be a bit disheveled, but it was impossible for their clothes to get damaged.
Those embellishments on their bodies were also the same; even a headband or a wristband was unbreakable.
In other words, the image of a magical girl after transformation was fixed and wouldn’t suffer from supposed battle damage.
However, now an exception occurred; Luo Shuangyue’s hairpin had been easily removed by Luo Shuangxing, even directly forcing her out of her transformed state.
“Linglan, why don’t you give it a try?” Luo Shuangyue believed this had something to do with her and Luo Shuangxing’s relationship; maybe because they were sisters bonded by blood, Luo Shuangxing could take off her transformation accessory?
She transformed again, asking Xia Mo to try pulling off her hairpin.
This time, the result returned to normal; Xia Mo struggled with all her might, pulling so hard that Luo Shuangyue thought her scalp might come off, yet the hairpin remained stubbornly intact.
Well, it seemed the issue indeed lay between the two sisters.
