And indeed, it was exactly as it seemed: no matter how hard Xia Mo tried, she couldn’t remove the hairpin stuck in her hair, but with a gentle tug from Luo Shuangxing, it slipped right out of Luo Shuangyue’s hair, as if Luo Shuangyue had taken it out herself.
What was the principle behind this? Luo Shuangyue and Luo Shuangxing exchanged a glance and saw the same bewilderment reflected in each other’s eyes.
After thinking it over, the only explanation seemed to be their blood relation.
But since neither of them was ready to voice it yet, they just exchanged subtle looks, silently sharing their thoughts.
“It doesn’t seem like a big deal. Just don’t touch me randomly from now on.”
“As if I want to touch you, geez!”
After a few playful jabs, the two completely forgot about what had happened earlier and went back to doing their own things.
Xia Mo, meanwhile, planned to return to her dorm first before coming back to sleep next to Luo Shuangyue.
Yes, her earlier idea wasn’t just a passing thought—she genuinely intended to make it happen.
However, since Luo Shuangyue and Luo Shuangxing both needed to shower now, she took this opportunity to go back to her dorm and inform Scarlet Moon that she wouldn’t be returning late.
After all, it was already 10 p.m.
Leaving Luo Shuangyue’s room and heading next door, Xia Mo opened the door to find Scarlet Moon sitting on her bed, head bowed in deep thought, a complex expression on her face.
Upon hearing Xia Mo enter, Scarlet Moon looked up and gave her a puzzled look.
“Lord Dark Moth and Lily of the Valley are sisters?”
Xia Mo fell silent for a few seconds. She didn’t know how to answer yes or no.
But that conflicted expression on Xia Mo’s face was enough for Scarlet Moon to understand the answer.
Obviously, Xia Mo knew the relationship between those two girls, and she felt it was a delicate topic—not something easy to say out loud or to outsiders.
If Dark Moth and Lily of the Valley were not sisters, Xia Mo could have just shaken her head casually to deny it.
Only if they truly were sisters would Xia Mo’s conflicted expression make sense.
“Well, I think I get it now… their relationship is really close,” Scarlet Moon muttered softly.
Close? Xia Mo couldn’t deny that.
The Luo sisters were close to the point of excess. Sometimes even Xia Mo herself felt a faint sense of caution toward Luo Shuangxing.
Though on the surface they appeared to bicker, deep down there was no doubt they loved each other profoundly.
“Yeah, close enough to make people a little jealous,” Xia Mo nodded, sensing a hint of envy in Scarlet Moon’s words.
Could it be that this magical girl was actually a sister who lacked love? Was her relationship with her own elder sister not so great?
Though curious, Xia Mo certainly wouldn’t ask such a private question to a roommate she had known less than a day.
She suppressed her doubts and told Scarlet Moon she would be resting next door for a while.
This surprised Scarlet Moon, “Next door? But isn’t there no extra bed left there?”
“Did I do something wrong? I can change.”
Scarlet Moon worried she had offended Xia Mo somehow, causing her reluctance to stay in the same room.
“No, it’s just a personal preference,” Xia Mo shook her head, speaking softly to ease Scarlet Moon’s tension and anxiety. “I get along better with Dark Moth.”
She winked at Scarlet Moon, giving a meaningful look.
“The beds the Magic Department prepares are pretty big. Two people can squeeze in without any problem.”
Scarlet Moon looked down at the bed beneath her, then back at Xia Mo, a blush suddenly rising to her cheeks.
She seemed to understand what Xia Mo meant!
So that was it!
Rosemary and Dark Moth were that kind of relationship?
If that was true, it wasn’t strange at all for Rosemary to stay next door.
For magical girls, feelings between girls weren’t a taboo topic. Many magical girls developed emotions for their companions that went beyond friendship.
After all, they were girls, with delicate feelings and thoughts.
When you spend every day together, trusting each other with life and death, it was natural for subtle emotions to emerge.
Emotions were the source of a magical girl’s power. Supported by those feelings, magical girls became stronger, didn’t they?
“I-I get it!” Scarlet Moon covered her face, stammering. “Rosemary, you do as you like. I don’t mind living alone!”
This girl was quite adorable, Xia Mo thought to herself, entertaining a not-so-polite notion.
She seemed easy to trick.
No, no—this was kindness and innocence, not gullibility.
Quickly dismissing the impolite thought, Xia Mo packed some of her personal belongings before opening the door and returning next door.
When she entered, she saw Luo Shuangxing had already changed into her pajamas and was lying peacefully in bed with her eyes closed, reclining comfortably.
Luo Shuangyue was nowhere to be seen, but faint light from the bathroom suggested she was still showering.
Three minutes later, Luo Shuangyue came out of the bathroom dressed in pajamas, looking fresh.
“You’re quick,” Xia Mo said, already lying on Luo Shuangyue’s bed, gently patting the empty space beside her, signaling Luo Shuangyue to come warm the bed.
“I just washed quickly. Actually, transforming can achieve almost the same effect,” Luo Shuangyue replied softly as she slipped into the bed, warmed by Xia Mo’s body heat.
A transformed magical girl wouldn’t get dirty; magic blocked all impurities.
If Luo Shuangyue didn’t mind, she could stay transformed all the time without showering, keeping clean and fragrant.
“That’s the so-called ritual, right?” Xia Mo’s hand quietly reached toward Luo Shuangyue. “I actually like you better like this.”
Magical girls were indeed beautiful, but their beauty had a dreamy, ephemeral quality that frightened Xia Mo—she worried her touch might shatter that illusion and the person she liked would vanish like a mirage.
But after reverting to their true selves, that dreaminess became reality.
That warm, tangible feeling was what truly gave Xia Mo peace of mind.
Holding the girl tightly, Xia Mo drifted into a deep sleep.
When she woke up, the clock read 7:30 a.m.
Luo Shuangyue lying beside her had long since opened her eyes, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Across from them, Luo Shuangxing was already dressed in her casual clothes, sitting on her bed with a shy, ambiguous smile, her golden eyes occasionally darting toward the two who had spent the night together.
If the three didn’t know each other’s true identities, this scene would have been undeniable proof that Xia Mo was cheating right in front of her sister-in-law!
“Sorry, I think I woke up late!” Xia Mo quickly let go of Luo Shuangyue’s hand and sat up in a panic.
“It’s fine. Training doesn’t start until 8:30, so we’ll still make it on time.”
After freeing herself from Xia Mo’s embrace, Luo Shuangyue yawned leisurely and stretched, then naturally walked toward the washroom.
As if nothing strange had happened, she just woke up and got up on her own.
If she showed any other behavior, the entire act would have fallen apart.
So for everyone’s sake, let’s just pretend it never happened.
“Xia Mo, you guys didn’t do anything last night?” Luo Shuangxing placed her hands neatly on her knees, acting like a good student, but her words carried an extra sting.
Even Xia Mo wouldn’t do that kind of thing in front of Luo Shuangxing!
She was at least a normal young girl with normal values, thank you very much.
“Don’t say nonsense,” Xia Mo puffed out her cheeks and rubbed Luo Shuangxing’s head hard, causing the girl to giggle foolishly.
“I’m not joking, Xia Mo. I think your relationship with my sister could get a little deeper,” Luo Shuangxing said seriously, clenching her fist.
Given Xia Mo and Luo Shuangyue’s current closeness, taking things further was normal.
They could kiss without blushing, even with an outsider like Luo Shuangxing present.
That alone spoke volumes about their relationship.
“Not yet. I want to wait until she fully sheds her disguise and fully integrates her identity before I savor it properly,” Xia Mo shook her head.
She knew she could claim Luo Shuangyue right now.
But doing so prematurely would leave a faint sense of loss.
She wanted to cross that threshold at a more perfect moment.
Right now, Luo Shuangyue didn’t meet her standards, so Xia Mo chose to wait patiently.
It was like waiting for a gourmet meal to be served.
Right now, Luo Shuangyue was raw beef—Xia Mo could dive in and eat it, but it would feel crude.
What Xia Mo wanted was a delicious steak.
“Oh~ so that’s how you think, Xia Mo!” Luo Shuangxing immediately showed admiration.
That explanation suited her perfectly!
If she were in Xia Mo’s shoes, she probably would make the same choice.
Such a bad older sister deserved to make her feel loved from head to toe.
“What are you two talking about?” Luo Shuangyue returned to the room after washing, shivering slightly.
Why did her sister and Xia Mo’s looks seem off when they glanced at her?
Was it just her imagination?
“Nothing!” the two answered in unison.
Definitely something scary!
Luo Shuangyue sensed danger but judging by their expressions, there was no way they’d admit to it.
She could only hope they weren’t thinking weird things…
Her puzzlement didn’t last long.
Training from a few senior magical girls soon absorbed all her attention.
The space battlefield was completely different from ground battles.
The combat here was far more complex, with movements Luo Shuangyue, accustomed to ground combat, found hard to imagine.
There was no up, down, left, or right in space.
No buildings blocking movement.
Nothing that had to be protected.
At least, not here.
This made the battlefield enormous, and magical girls were tiny dots within it, which was awkward for a close-combat fighter like Luo Shuangyue.
Those long-range Magic Artillery users could attack from afar, while she had to painfully fly right up to the enemy’s face.
A strong hit would send enemies flying, and she had to chase after them.
In short: it was tough.
After three days straight, Luo Shuangyue still found it hard to adapt.
“You’ve improved a lot. It does take time to get used to fighting here,” said the Bladed Whip Magical Girl training her, clapping.
“Some of the Magic Department’s magical girls can’t even move freely now. They fire a shot, miss, and get knocked back themselves.”
The senior laughed heartily, as if delighted by the Magic Department girls’ embarrassment.
After laughing, she put on a serious face and outlined Luo Shuangyue’s schedule for the next day.
“Tomorrow, you’ll join the Magic Division Squad on a routine patrol.
A Full Bloom-Class Magical Girl will lead the team, and there should be about ten Initial Bloom-Class members.
This is to help you get used to future battles.”
There hadn’t been many Demon attacks in space recently—just scattered weak ones.
Full Bloom-Class Magical Girls on the outskirts easily wiped them out.
But this also proved that clearly there were Demons targeting this area, preparing to strike.
“I’ve always wanted to ask: the universe is so vast, can we really defend this place flawlessly?” Luo Shuangyue asked a question that had been bothering her.
Space wasn’t like the ground; it was too vast.
The magical girls’ vigilance couldn’t cover every direction.
Wouldn’t it be easy for enemies to sneak in?
“The Magic Department is deploying Planetary Protective Magic to safeguard the Mother Star, so we don’t need to worry about its safety.
Our job is to eliminate all incoming Demons before the protection weakens!”
The Magic Department’s plan was simple: shield the Mother Star with magic, then have the main forces battle the Demon army in space.
As long as they quickly killed the Royal-Class Magic Beasts, the magical girls would win.
Could they actually do it quickly?
The Magic Department was confident they could.
Once they found the Demon’s hiding place, the Full Bloom-Class Magical Girls would rush in together and wipe them out without mercy.