“Speaking of which, if that girl can clear the Demonic Consciousness inside others, wouldn’t that be a huge help for your research?” the Soul Summoner Princess reminded.
The problem that lingered in front of Monice, at its core, was that the deeper a Transhuman was modified, the more their thinking was influenced by the Demonic Consciousness hidden within the Demonic Energy.
Such Transhumans were dangerous and hardly useful.
But if Luo Shuangyue was around, these issues would be much easier to solve.
After all, Luo Shuangyue could consume the Demonic Consciousness of the Demons, so there would be no need to worry about the modified subject being affected by the Demonic Consciousness, right?
Monice shook her head expressionlessly, signaling that things were not that simple.
“Even if there is no Demonic Consciousness within the Demonic Energy, Transhumans still have an innate tendency toward destruction and desire after modification. This is a natural attribute of Demonic Energy. Unless you tackle the Demonic Energy itself, it cannot be changed.”
“Besides, I’d rather find a method that ordinary people can also use, not one that depends on a specific Magical Girl.”
The future was a key consideration for Monice as well.
She couldn’t guarantee that Luo Shuangyue would always be by her side, nor that she could always come to assist with every modification surgery.
Technology that couldn’t operate without Luo Shuangyue was meaningless.
“It sounds like your wish will be very difficult to achieve.”
“On the contrary, I’ve already caught a glimpse of a clue. I used to be fixated on Demonic Energy, but now I’ve found a safer substitute for it. With just a few more experiments, I might be able to put it into practice.”
Monice clenched her fists, a gleam of confidence flashing in her eyes.
Yes, she was talking about the method to create Enhancement Stones—using the Magical Girls’ mana to gradually purify the chaotic aspects of the Demonic Energy, leaving behind a residue similar to the Magical Girls’ own magic power.
Using that for modification would definitely be safer than using materials from Demons themselves.
Monice’s intuition told her that this time, she had found a viable path.
“Just wait and see. Soon enough, I will prove that my choice was the right one!”
“Brother! How come my shampoo is all used up?” The bathroom door suddenly slammed open with a bang.
Wrapped in a white towel, Luo Shuangxing poked her head out without a trace of shyness, addressing Luo Shuangyue, who was watching the news.
Looking up at her younger sister, hair wet and flushed with a faint blush, exuding a subtle alluring aura, Luo Shuangyue remained calm like an enlightened monk.
“Used up? How could it run out so quickly…” Luo Shuangyue pondered.
Given Luo Shuangxing’s daily usage, it seemed impossible to finish the shampoo so fast.
Then she suddenly realized the bottle wasn’t just used by her sister; she had been sneaking some as well.
No wonder the consumption was so fast—especially over the past ten days, when she hadn’t cared which bottle she grabbed during her showers.
Thinking carefully, it seemed she had been using her sister’s bottle every time.
After all, Luo Shuangxing’s shampoo was much better than her own, and it left her hair feeling much nicer.
Without realizing it, Luo Shuangyue had grown used to borrowing her sister’s stuff.
They were sisters, after all. Sharing some things wasn’t a big deal, right?
The result was that Luo Shuangxing’s shampoo usage rate had doubled, and today it was used up completely.
“Yeah, how did it run out so quickly?” Luo Shuangxing stared at Luo Shuangyue with a look that seemed to say, You little thief, trying to act innocent.
There were only two people in the house. Her recent usage hadn’t changed much, so what was the obvious reason for the early depletion?
“Brother, you’ve been secretly using my shampoo, haven’t you?”
Grabbing the empty bottle, Luo Shuangxing threw it hard at Luo Shuangyue. “Go buy me a new one right now!”
“Hmm, explain yourself first.”
Dressed in white pajamas, Luo Shuangxing sat cross-legged on the sofa, glaring at Luo Shuangyue like a bug she was about to squash.
Sneaking off with her sister’s things, huh? Not just shampoo, you’re using other stuff too, aren’t you?
She had just weighed her belongings, and many were noticeably lighter than when she last used them.
Meanwhile, Luo Shuangyue’s things were much heavier, as if they’d barely been touched.
No need to say more—the case was clear.
Her dear elder sister was secretly borrowing her stuff to bathe.
“Brother, could it be that secretly you’re a huge pervert?”
Luo Shuangyue stood stiffly in place, her expression extremely awkward.
How was she supposed to answer that?
“I’ve been too tired these days to pay attention,” she could only retort with a weak excuse.
And it was true—Luo Shuangxing’s stuff was more comfortable and smelled better, so she got used to borrowing it, and later just grabbed it without thinking during her showers.
She hadn’t expected to get caught red-handed.
“Ah~” Luo Shuangxing sighed dramatically, “I’m really not too bothered about these little things, but my dear elder brother, you’re using girls’ products. Doesn’t that bother you at all?”
Luo Shuangxing wasn’t too upset about Luo Shuangyue secretly borrowing shampoo and shower gel—it was family after all, no need to keep everything strictly separate.
But that didn’t stop her from using this as a weapon to mercilessly interrogate Luo Shuangyue.
You had fun at Xia Mo’s place, right? Leaving me out, huh? If I don’t torment you to death tonight, I won’t be called your sister anymore!
“Ahem!” Luo Shuangyue’s face turned even more awkward.
She hadn’t cared much when using those things.
With how exhausted she’d been the past few days, she barely maintained her role as brother, let alone had the energy to care about trivial matters.
It was only today, with both of them free, that they had time to bicker about these things.
“Brother, how about I just start calling you sister? You’re acting just like one anyway.”
Luo Shuangxing continued the torment.
This time Luo Shuangyue didn’t immediately show resistance.
Instead, she pretended to ponder before making a small “okay” sign with her fingers in front of her.
Things like this have to happen slowly. You can’t just change your title the moment I say so. That would make me seem frivolous.
“I’m your brother!”
“Really? You don’t have a trace of masculinity on you,” Luo Shuangxing said, using her thumb and index finger to measure Luo Shuangyue’s “masculinity value.”
Yeah, it was practically invisible, just like Luo Shuangyue’s so-called masculinity only ever existed in words.
Except for the occasional times when she brought it up to defend herself during Luo Shuangxing’s torment, Luo Shuangyue never actually showed any masculine traits.
“It’s your fault!” Luo Shuangyue shot Luo Shuangxing a fierce glare, but the aggression was so weak it felt like she was just being cute.
Her elder sister was truly a treasure, Luo Shuangxing thought.
No wonder Xia Mo was so firmly hooked.
Even she sometimes felt like nibbling her sister affectionately.
“I get it, it’s all my fault~ But sister, you look super super pretty in girl’s clothes. Look, Xia Mo even likes seeing you dressed up like a girl,” Luo Shuangxing said with a cheeky grin as she stood up, walked behind Luo Shuangyue, and wrapped her arms around her waist.
“You really don’t have to hide your true self.”
“What true self? I don’t understand,” Luo Shuangyue quickly wriggled out of her sister’s embrace, put on a stern face, and pushed Luo Shuangxing back into the room.
“I’m going to shower!”
With that, she shut the door, locking Luo Shuangxing inside.
“Oh? Feeling guilty, huh?”
Though locked inside, Luo Shuangxing was in unusually high spirits.
Luo Shuangyue’s behavior was different from before. The resistance in her words was fading.
If she kept this up a few more times, her sister would eventually admit her true identity.
In fact, Luo Shuangxing suspected Luo Shuangyue already knew everything, but hadn’t confessed because she hadn’t figured out how to relate to her with this new identity.
Even if Luo Shuangxing didn’t care whether Luo Shuangyue was brother or sister, or ordinary person or Magical Girl.
Her not caring didn’t mean Luo Shuangyue could be indifferent.
Her elder sibling was always sensitive and thoughtful. She had been like this before, and after their Parents disappeared, becoming the family pillar, it was even more so.
“Sis, you really don’t have to keep pretending anymore. Your little sister has grown up,” Luo Shuangxing said softly, gently pressing her hand against the door, speaking in a voice only she could hear.
Warm water flowed over pale skin, washing the faintly scented bubbles away.
Luo Shuangyue stood under the showerhead, letting out a sincere sigh.
“As expected… there’s no going back now.”
Her relationship with Luo Shuangxing had already begun to change.
At first, those changes were subtle, but looking back, she realized how drastically their dynamic had shifted.
Some of the changes had happened in Luo Shuangxing, others in Luo Shuangyue herself.
She found that she no longer clung to the idea of interacting with Luo Shuangxing as her brother.
Sometimes, she even felt that the role of brother wasn’t suitable for how she wanted to communicate with her sister.
Luo Shuangxing should be closer to her sister, and Luo Shuangyue felt she could be more comfortable embracing the identity of elder sister.
No longer constantly restraining herself or trying to imitate who she used to be—she could simply be whoever she wanted to be.