Chapter 92: Operational Plan (Four-in-One)
“This place… the distance from the city is moderate, and it’s sparsely populated. It’s a good location for a stronghold.”
The short girl cloaked in black nodded slightly with a very subtle motion as she scanned her surroundings.
Her body was hidden beneath a thick black robe, exposing only a pale, bloodless face, with a pair of pure black eyes resembling obsidian, devoid of any vitality.
This distinctive appearance would likely lead one to conclude immediately that she wasn’t human.
However, compared to her kin who lacked any human form, she was already quite close to a human representation.
At least her features were reasonably well-defined, and if one overlooked the strong sense of otherness, she could actually be considered a fairly beautiful girl.
“Master, I can sense a strong residual magical power here. It seems a Magical Girl has just been here…” The black-clad figure named Demon Two closely followed behind the girl and spoke softly while looking down.
“Just an Initial Bloom and two Buds. They won’t be able to detect our presence,” the girl shook her head, a hint of disdain flashing in her eyes.
Without the presence of a Blooming Level Magical Girl, she was confident that no low-tier Magical Girl would be able to notice her movements.
This location exuded such a potent Magical Girl aura, indicating that it was familiar territory for them. When they investigated here, they would likely be quite lax, which is what humans often refer to as being blind right under the lamp.
Compared to other seemingly more secluded and safer places that would be heavily searched by Magical Girls, this spot was evidently more suitable for hiding.
The girl trusted her judgment, relying on the experiences she had gained over the years living among humans.
“We’ll hide here and wait for Demon One and the others to retrieve the Sealing Cards here, allowing me to regain my power.”
As long as she could restore herself to peak condition, those Magical Girls chasing her would not be her match!
Having been defeated once, the girl still held great confidence in her abilities. After all, these so-called Magical Girls were merely amateurs compared to the magical beasts that could naturally coexist with magical energy.
She would never lose to those amateurs!
…
After a day of special training, Xia Mo did not return home immediately but was called back to the Magic Department for something important.
As soon as she stepped into the Magic Department, Xia Mo saw the Director chatting amiably with a silver-haired girl, their expressions showing the warmth of seeing an old friend.
The silver-haired girl had previously made quite an impression on Xia Mo.
“Senior Longwen? What brings you here…”
Yes, the girl speaking with the Director was none other than the Silver-winged Dragon Princess, Longwen, who had met Xia Mo not long ago.
“It’s been a month, and Xia Mo’s abilities have improved quite a bit. Bai Ye’s special training is indeed effective,” Longwen smiled kindly at Xia Mo.
From her tone, it could be inferred that Longwen and Bai Ye were likely old acquaintances.
“The Royal-class magical beast has escaped to the southwest, and its whereabouts are currently unknown. The personnel available for mobilization from the Magic Department are limited, and we can only focus our defenses in several cities. According to our analysis, the Royal-class magical beast is most likely headed toward our Xinghai City.”
The Director took over, explaining the current situation to Xia Mo.
Upon hearing this, Xia Mo’s expression turned puzzled. Why was the Royal-class magical beast most likely coming to their area? Was there something particularly appealing to it in Xinghai City?
“Xinghai City is large, there are few Magical Girls stationed here, and there are traces of Bai Ye’s activities. These factors combined make it understandable that the Royal-class magical beast would choose this place to return,” Longwen said with an expression that indicated ‘this is quite normal.’
If you were to consider the other cities along the way, either they were too small or there were too many stationed Magical Girls. Overall, Xinghai City was indeed a prime target.
It was spacious, its factions mixed, and it had only three stationed Magical Girls, none of whom had extensive experience.
Wasn’t that like a steamed bun with a thin skin and lots of filling?
In the path of a fleeing magical beast, it practically shouted, “I’m easy to bully, come here for a supply run!”
“I came here secretly; others will be dispersed among nearby cities. After locating the magical beast, we’ll act uniformly, creating signs that I’m actually active in their territory to distract the magical beast.”
Royal-class magical beasts possess intellect on par with humans, but when it comes to scheming and trickery, they are still no match for humans.
After all, their minds are predominantly filled with the concepts of survival of the fittest and exterminating humans.
Longwen’s secret presence in Xinghai City provided added assurance. As one of the strongest forces in the Magic Department, her presence could at least ensure that seriously injured magical beasts wouldn’t cause too much trouble.
Otherwise, relying on just a handful of Magical Girls in Xinghai City would likely result in being swiftly dispatched by a Royal-class magical beast.
“I see… So, does Senior Longwen need my assistance?”
“Just keep your daily activities the same. It’s best to act like you’re unaware of my presence…” Longwen stated that she had nothing specific for Xia Mo to do, her reason for calling Xia Mo over was to share some insights and let her know that there were powerful allies backing Xinghai City, preventing any future surprises.
“Oh, oh. Should I discuss this with the Dark Butterfly?”
After the meeting initiated by Longwen, Xia Mo’s private communication with the Dark Butterfly had become an open secret; otherwise, she wouldn’t have directly invited the Dark Butterfly over to her house in front of so many people.
The Magic Department turned a blind eye to this, as long as Rosemary didn’t sell out the organization. If she could convert the Dark Butterfly, it would be a significant accomplishment.
“That’s fine. By the way, the information you provided regarding the Sealing Cards was quite valuable, and during our previous investigation, we discovered that the Royal-class magical beast is also collecting Bai Ye’s Sealing Cards. Do remember to relay this news to the Dark Butterfly.”
“If possible, have her bring any Sealing Cards she has and I will destroy them.”
Why do magical beasts want to collect Sealing Cards? It remains a mystery. However, it’s irrelevant why; the Magic Department just needs to ensure the magical beasts’ desires aren’t met.
Since the magical beasts want to collect cards, the Magic Department should aim to destroy the cards before the magical beasts can get their hands on them.
The idea of retrieving the cards for personal use isn’t viable; holding onto them comes with risks of theft. Destroying them eliminates any risk altogether.
…
Splash…
“Recently, Xinghai City seems particularly calm,” Luo Shuangyue remarked, closing her book and looking up at Xia Mo, who had just approached her.
“Who would dare to stir up trouble at this time? Do they really think their lives are too long?” Xia Mo replied, placing a small bag in front of Luo Shuangyue.
Members of Evil Organizations are bad, not foolish. In this state of heightened alertness, which member of an Evil Organization would dare to poke the tiger’s whiskers at the Magic Department?
The Magic Department had just showcased its unmatched strength. Engaging them head-on would be tantamount to seeking death; even the Snake Fang from Illusion Mushroom City was still hanging from the crooked tree!
“True enough. So, why did you seek me out? I haven’t provoked you recently, have I?” This was what puzzled Luo Shuangyue the most; she had been really well-behaved and hadn’t done anything recently.
Every day, she simply got up early, headed over to the Polar Night base to wander around, checked on any new developments in Monise’s research, and inquired about any movements from other Evil Organizations.
When bored, she would go play with the Catgirl; after all, Jiuye had been cooped up in the base and was almost getting bored to death.
She didn’t have to work but still got paid; it was simply wonderful.
“The first thing I want to ask is whether you’ve discovered anything suspicious over there, and secondly… the Magic Department has formulated a plan to lure the snake out of its hole, and I’d like to ask for your assistance.” Xia Mo said with a somewhat shy smile.
“You want me to go fight the Royal-class magical beast? No way! That last semi-Royal-class nearly cost me my life; now encountering a complete Royal-class would surely mean my demise,” Luo Shuangyue immediately shook her head. The Tyrant Python turned semi-Royal-class was not something she could handle; if Xia Mo hadn’t managed to break through, she might have perished there.
Now, the new operational plan crafted by the Magic Department must be targeting Royal-class magical beasts, right?
Could she possibly take on a Royal-class magical beast? Of course not!
“I’d advise you to be realistic; if the Royal-class magical beast doesn’t come out on its own, then leave it be. Let those Blooming Level seniors handle the investigation—it’s not worth risking your life!”
Currently, Xia Mo’s strength was weaker than Luo Shuangyue’s. If they really encountered a Royal-class magical beast, the two of them together wouldn’t be a match.
Royal-class beasts require Blooming Level Magical Girls to handle them; what use were they, Initial Bloom?
“No, no, you misunderstood my intentions!” After hearing Luo Shuangyue’s reply, Xia Mo realized there was a misunderstanding regarding the plan.
Who said they were going to fight the magical beast?
If they could easily lure that Royal-class magical beast out, that would be wonderful. Longwen was right here waiting; if the beast dared to show its head, it would die.
“The magical beast escaped with four capable subordinates when fleeing; all are Initial Bloom-level and, as humans, can blend into the city more effectively.”
Xia Mo stressed that the operational target this time wasn’t the magical beast, but rather its minions.
Moreover, they wouldn’t confront the magical beast’s subordinates head-on.
“Aren’t you the one who made temporary Sealing Cards before? Let’s stage a play, fighting over the Sealing Card you create, and pretend to injure each other to try and lure the magical beast’s subordinates out.”
“If once doesn’t work, we try twice; if twice doesn’t work, we go for three times. If there’s really no response, then the magical beasts might genuinely not be nearby Xinghai City.”
In fact, such actions had already begun in other cities, and Xinghai City was uniquely advantageous over the others; the existence of a villain that could actually contest against Magical Girls truly added to its credence.
This villain could even create knockoff Sealing Cards, which was simply perfect.
“Dark Butterfly, please help me with this once!” Xia Mo clasped her hands together and bowed her head deeply. If it weren’t for the inappropriateness of the occasion, Luo Shuangyue might have thought that Xia Mo would perform a full prostration in front of her.
“What if the Royal-class magical beast is lured out?”
“Senior Longwen will be watching closely.”
Well, it seemed I couldn’t find a suitable reason to refuse this. Luo Shuangyue sighed helplessly in her heart.
Fine, what else could she do? Since Xia Mo had already made plans, they would go ahead with it.
“But let me make it clear upfront, I won’t help you for free. If what you offer isn’t satisfactory…”
Before Luo Shuangyue could finish her sentence, Xia Mo extended a few fingers toward her, then announced a rather staggering figure.
“Are you seriously not trying to make me sell myself to the Magic Department?” Luo Shuangyue gasped sharply. This amount was nearly equivalent to three years of her salary!
The Magic Department really had this much money?
Wow, what a wealthy organization!
“If you’re willing to join us in the Magic Department, you’ll at least earn this amount annually, and no matter how things unfold for you in the future, as long as you don’t betray humanity or the Magic Department, this money will be provided until your death.” Xia Mo scratched her head; wasn’t the pay for Magical Girls in the Magic Department public knowledge?
According to strength levels, every Magical Girl received a nearly equal basic salary, and there were additional allowances based on how many times they engaged in battles with magical beasts each month. Even newly transformed Magical Girls could live comparatively well just on their basic salary.
In short, if a Magical Girl were willing to join the Magic Department, they would absolutely not disappoint that Magical Girl.
When it comes to treating others well, the Magic Department truly excelled!
“Fine, for the sake of this money, I accept this job!” Luo Shuangyue admitted that in the face of such a large sum of money, all her internal conflicts vanished.
Although she wasn’t particularly short on money while working at Polar Night, there were still moments when she felt a bit financially constrained.
Getting involved with the Magic Department could turn her into a wealthy person in a short time.
Luo Shuangyue had always been quite a realistic person, far more so than a typical Magical Girl.
While other Magical Girls sacrificed themselves for ideals, regarding money, they were indifferent, not caring whether they had it or not.
But Luo Shuangyue thought nothing like that.
If her views were placed in the context of Magical Girls, it could cause their faith to shatter and their strength to plummet, yet she remained completely unaffected as if the rules governing Magical Girls didn’t apply to her.
“If it’s just the Sealing Cards you need, I could mimic about seventy percent of the real deal, which would last around a week.”
“If you want to add something to the cards, then the stable duration will drop to just one day; after that, the cards would lose their stability and could potentially break at any time.”
…
As a villain character, Luo Shuangyue had thought about the possibility of being captured by the Magic Department or raiding it to cause chaos one day.
But she never imagined that her first entrance into the Magic Department would be as a collaborator.
“What do you think? Isn’t it pretty nice here?” Xia Mo smiled at the strangely expressioned Luo Shuangyue.
Xia Mo brought Luo Shuangyue to one of the most central departments of the Magic Department, which dealt specifically with Magical Girls and Magical Beasts. Outsiders were prohibited from entering here at all.
The atmosphere here wasn’t quite as unique as Luo Shuangyue had imagined; it was quite similar to other departments in this era, with the biggest difference being the portraits of Magical Girls hanging in the corridors.
These Magical Girls were those who had made remarkable contributions to humanity over the past several decades, and at the forefront among them was the most familiar figure to Luo Shuangyue.
With her white four-strand ponytails, radiant golden eyes, and the green branch sword hanging from her waist, she was a rare sight among these Magical Girls not belonging to the Magic Department.
Typically, the Magic Department wouldn’t display portraits of Magical Girls not under their command unless this Magical Girl had achieved such remarkable feats that they couldn’t overlook her.
And Bai Ye was precisely such a figure—the one that could not be avoided in discussions of Magical Girls; you had to mention Bai Ye.
After all, she had been the world’s number one for so many years, having vanquished countless magical beasts, including the powerful Royal-class ones, with her single-handed efforts breaching into their stronghold and triumphantly returning with their heads.
“These seniors are my role models!” Xia Mo spoke up, noticing Luo Shuangyue was looking at the portraits lining the corridor.
However, what fell on Luo Shuangyue’s ears had a different flavor altogether. Few of the Magical Girls depicted were still alive.
This was essentially a hall of martyrs!
“But they all… sigh.” Luo Shuangyue sighed. It would be best for her not to speak too freely here.
After all, Longwen was present; if her comments reached that senior’s ears, she might just be in for a minor lesson.
While Magical Girls generally had good tempers, they would let you know what anger can look like when you spoke carelessly about their comrades.
Though Luo Shuangyue didn’t finish her thought, Xia Mo understood the unspoken meaning behind her words.
She was well aware that Luo Shuangyue was worried she might end up like those seniors, burning out in battle against magical beasts.
Being a Magical Girl has never been a safe profession. Why does the Magic Department offer such favorable conditions to them? It’s simply because the battles fought by Magical Girls involve risking their lives.
It’s life insurance!
“Don’t worry, I will protect myself well,” Xia Mo said, reaching out to wrap her arm around Luo Shuangyue’s shoulders, speaking softly in her ear.
Luo Shuangyue first reacted instinctively with an “uh,” then she realized something was amiss.
Wait, this isn’t right!
Our relationship as enemies should not be this friendly!
Why is Xia Mo putting her arm around my shoulder and telling me not to worry about her?
That should be something you say to your friends, not to me, your enemy!
“You can die or not, that’s none of my business; get off, get off!” Luo Shuangyue immediately expressed her rejection, fully committed to maintaining her enemy persona.
The Dark Butterfly was Rosemary’s enemy, an enemy!
Seeing herself pushed away by Luo Shuangyue, Xia Mo displayed a slightly ambiguous smile; observing Luo Shuangyue’s act, she found it quite amusing.
Later when Shuangyue learns the truth, she would likely be so embarrassed she would want to find a crevice to hide in!
Thinking of this made Xia Mo want to laugh even more.
Shuangyue, oh Shuangyue, you think you’re performing quite well, little do you know that Shuangxing and I already know your identity.
The look on Xia Mo’s face that hovered between laughter and teasing made Luo Shuangyue feel somewhat unsettled. The longer she looked, the stranger it seemed, as if she were a small bug caught in a spider’s web, and Xia Mo was that spider slowly approaching her.
So eerie, so terrifying.
Fortunately, the feeling didn’t last long as the two soon arrived at a door with a “Break Room” sign hanging on it.
“Today, Linglan and Siam are all here; let’s discuss the details of the upcoming operation together…” As she spoke, Xia Mo opened the door.
Then, they heard loud voices coming from inside the room.
“Longwen, you showed a gap! Watch my infinite combo!”
“What? You were able to find that gap? You must be cheating; you’re definitely cheating!”
“This is called keen observation skills, Longwen!”
What do Magical Girls do when they’re resting? Do they have tea parties, chat? Read novels? Or reminisce about their glorious battles against magical beasts?
All of those are possible. After all, when there are no operational tasks, Magical Girls are just ordinary girls.
So, it’s perfectly normal for two Magical Girls to gather and play games together, right?
Looking at Longwen and Luo Shuangxing, deeply engrossed in a heated game, Luo Shuangyue’s expression was somewhat stiff.
She could tolerate her sister playing games; after all, Shuangxing was still quite young.
But Longwen, you playing games with Luo Shuangyue is going too far! Luo Shuangyue clearly remembered that this senior Longwen was from her mother’s era!
In other words, Longwen belonged to her mother’s generation, and now Luo Shuangxing was even calling her “Longwen-sister,” with Longwen happily approving?
Though Longwen looked quite young, she was actually nearing fifty!
“Is your life always this vibrant?”
Luo Shuangyue asked Xia Mo, her gaze complex as she watched the two playing enthusiastically, completely oblivious to the newly added company in the room.
“Generally… it’s not like this,” Xia Mo replied, her expression slightly awkward. Normally, no one accompanied Luo Shuangxing for games.
She preferred reading or listening to music. Xiaomimi would be found hugging her cherished cat photo book, and Luo Shuangxing rarely had someone to play games with her.
Now that Longwen had come, Shuangxing had found her kindred spirit.
“And isn’t your senior pretending to be younger? I remember her being nearly fifty…”
Before Luo Shuangyue could finish her sentence, the gaming Longwen suddenly turned her chilling gaze toward Luo Shuangyue, as if her stare could freeze someone.
“I am eighteen years old this year, thank you,” Longwen replied, staring directly at Luo Shuangyue, pronouncing each word clearly.
Luo Shuangyue swallowed hard, instinctively sensing that it was best not to probe further on this topic, or her head might just be twisted off by Longwen.
A girl’s age is a topic that should never be touched lightly, and for Magical Girls who show no signs of aging, this topic remains particularly sensitive.
After all, no one knows how much life experience this seemingly teenage girl holds. Time seems to have exhausted its effect on these girls; up until now, no Magical Girl has ever left this world due to aging.
How long can Magical Girls live? So far, the conclusion drawn by the Magic Department is that as long as a Magical Girl wishes to continue living, she can keep living.
For Longwen, her life was only just beginning; suddenly telling her she should be called a Magical Aunt instead of a Magical Girl because she was nearly fifty could well trigger murderous thoughts.
“You’re here? Come, sit over here; let’s discuss how to catch that sly fellow!” Dropping her gaming controller, Longwen patted the two empty cushions beside her, inviting Luo Shuangyue and Xia Mo to sit down.
As for why she would abandon the game so readily… Luo Shuangyue sensed that Longwen might not want to continue with a game where the advantage was quite obvious. Being defeated by a junior would be quite embarrassing.
Longwen was naturally a strong-willed girl, and as an opportunity presented itself, she certainly would utilize it.
After all, she was handling proper business!
Luo Shuangxing sighed helplessly, placing her controller at her feet and shifting closer to join the circle with everyone.
“Dark Butterfly, let me see what your Sealing Card looks like.” Once everyone was seated, the senior Longwen addressed Luo Shuangyue.
If the Sealing Card Luo Shuangyue produced did not resemble anything legitimate, then Longwen would have to settle for using actual Sealing Cards as bait.
“Okay.”
Luo Shuangyue nodded, removing the butterfly hairpin from her pocket and sliding it into her hair. Then, as butterflies flew from thin air to land on her, she transformed.
Except for Luo Shuangxing, it was the first time for the other few to witness Luo Shuangyue’s transformation process. The whole procedure was reminiscent of a Magical Girl but gave off an undeniably distinctive vibe.
Luo Shuangyue’s transformation used not a Magical Gem but a butterfly-shaped hairpin, and her transformation process was not cloaked in light before leading to a transformed state.
A swarm of black-purple butterflies emerged from the void, morphing into the girl’s dress, offering far more theatrical flair than the typical Magical Girl transformation.
“Interesting. This is the first time I’ve seen such a transformation…” Longwen muttered, stroking her chin.
What exactly was going on? Longwen regarded Luo Shuangyue with a spark of curiosity in her eyes.
“That’s so pretty! I want to transform like that too,” Siam said innocently. She thought Luo Shuangyue’s transformation method was far more visually appealing than her own.
She wanted to wear a cat-ear hairpin, with a whole bunch of cats jumping towards her to complete the transformation.
Seeing the attention shifting away from her, Luo Shuangyue cleared her throat and raised her hand to release her makeshift Bai Ye magical power.
Pure white light points seeped from her palm, causing Longwen’s golden vertical pupils to slightly contract. This magical energy seemed to carry Bai Ye’s aura!
Yet, the one emitting it was not Bai Ye, how intriguing.
As there was no need to seal anything, Luo Shuangyue quickly transformed this magical energy into a Sealing Card, emitting a soft white glow.
Looking at the card floating in Luo Shuangyue’s palm, there was no need for Longwen to scrutinize it closely; it could easily pass as real!
This Dark Butterfly showed some real talent.
“Such a card, not sealing anything, could last a week. However, if you want to put something inside…”
“Can you contain my Dragon Breath in it?” Before Luo Shuangyue could finish her thought, Longwen eagerly interjected.
“Sorry, I can’t do that. I don’t possess the same immense power as Bai Ye, and even Initial Bloom-level magic can only barely retain its stability for a day,” Luo Shuangyue firmly replied.
Longwen was Blooming Level; only someone at that rank could seal Longwen’s attacks.
Moreover, even when it came to Initial Bloom-level attacks, they needed to be weakened before being sealed by Luo Shuangyue, as this wasn’t something resilient.
Her mother sealed the residual magical energy of a death magical beast with cards, residual!
The magical energy could not possibly match what the beasts had when they were alive, could it?
“You can only seal a small part. Don’t expect to wipe out a Royal-class magical beast with this; that’s impossible.”
“Can’t wipe it out? What a pity.”
“Actually wiping them out is impossible! If I had that power, I would seal all my attacks, then during battle, just throw out Sealing Cards and win outright!” Luo Shuangyue displayed a “that’s not how this thing works” exasperated expression.
Hearing this, Luo Shuangxing’s eyes suddenly lit up; that combat style sounded quite striking.
Too bad she had no clue how to make Sealing Cards, so this idea could only temporarily reside in her thoughts.
“I think a simpler solution would be to place a locator in there; that way, we can trace their whereabouts easily,” Luo Shuangyue proposed a more straightforward, more effective method.
Though she couldn’t contain Dragon Breath, inserting coordinates for it to shoot was still manageable.
As soon as those vile beings snatched the card, they would be utterly doomed; Longwen would track them right to their doorstep.
“Alright, then let’s discuss how to stage this play…” Longwen nodded, acknowledging the tracker idea was indeed feasible.
Now it was time to chat about how to convincingly portray a heavily injured bout.
First, the exchanges couldn’t look overly fake or be too exaggerated—it’s best to leave some reserve for later.
Then, at a particular point, one side would receive a hit inducing collapse while the other faked exhaustion, making it feel more authentic.
“Now then, who will be the one to collapse?” Longwen glanced between Luo Shuangyue and Xia Mo before quickly expressing her opinion, “Dark Butterfly, you can take one for the team.”
At this point, she had to side with her junior, right?
Luo Shuangyue made a bitter expression, knowing that this was the outcome she had anticipated.
“It can’t be just me collapsing. To make it look more real, I should defeat one of them first, and then she explodes to take me down after—that’s better.” Aware that this conclusion couldn’t be changed, Luo Shuangyue quickly decided to drag someone else into it.
And that someone would naturally be her dear sister.
