Huahai City – Branch of the Altered Ones Organization
On a high platform, a middle-aged man radiated a presence that was both ancient and terrifying.
He had four arms, and his body was unusually tall and broad, his muscles shimmering with a metallic sheen.
“The Magic Alliance dealt with that one?”
“Yes, no suspicious traces were left behind,” someone below the platform replied respectfully.
“And what’s the real situation? I don’t believe those naive and idealistic magical girls could take care of that cunning bastard.”
“You’re absolutely right, sir. The Magic Alliance sealed off information, but after our investigation, we found that the one who actually handled the problem was… Herrera.”
Boom—
The platform beneath the man’s feet cracked, spiderweb-like fractures spreading in all directions.
A non-human aura surged forth, stirring violent winds.
“How reliable is this information?”
“We didn’t have anyone at the scene, so we can’t confirm it one hundred percent. If we want the truth, we’ll have to approach the magical girls who were there that day.”
“…Don’t report this to headquarters for now.”
“Yes, sir.”
Soon, the room was empty except for the middle-aged man, who stood silently, hesitating, unable to make up his mind.
In the end, he realized that with just the resources of his branch, he couldn’t handle this massive prize alone.
“She has the Third Relic—and it’s the highest compatibility we’ve ever recorded. If I could uncover the secret of her body and combine it with the Fifth Relic we’re still tracking… I’d ascend to the peak of this world! But how do I begin?”
Anyone who’d been active on the front lines long enough knew how terrifying that woman was.
Back when he was still a nameless grunt in the organization, he’d once witnessed Herrera fight a top-tier magical girl—and the overwhelming difference in power was enough to make him feel inferior down to his very genes.
“There were rumors in the organization… seven years ago, she was assigned to a top-secret mission. Now she’s resurfaced—could it be…?”
His imagination began to run wild, and the conclusion he reached was shocking.
Considering the organization’s obsession with the “Box,” it was likely that Herrera’s mission seven years ago was connected to it.
So far, the known relics were the Second, Fifth, and Eighth.
Had she already collected some of them?
Or worse… had she already found clues leading to the Box itself?
“This world… is about to be shaken. If that’s the case, neither the Magic Alliance nor the human government will stand idly by.”
As he predicted, five minutes later, one of his supporters within the human government reached out, summoning him to a classified department for urgent discussions.
In fact, two days prior, all branches of the Magic Alliance had already received transmissions from headquarters, located in the heart of the Boundary Sea.
They were ordered to gather magical girls from all inland cities near the sea’s edge, to remain on high alert for any unusual disturbances—and to move strictly in groups to avoid being ambushed by the Aurora Witch and losing both their virtue and their dignity.
The re-emergence of the Aurora Witch had set in motion the waters that had lain still for years…
***
The atmosphere in the car was painfully awkward.
Especially in the back seat—utterly suffocating, like hell itself.
Luo Zining kept stealing glances at Zhou Xi from the corner of her eye, but just couldn’t muster the courage to say anything.
No matter how she tried to start a conversation, her thoughts inevitably circled back to that incident—the one where Zhou Xi had been “violated” by the Aurora Witch.
And with that in mind, any attempt at small talk froze over instantly.
Buzz.
The car gently vibrated.
Luo You fastened her seatbelt and glanced back.
“Off we go!”
“Hey, uh… cough, I mean, You—do you have a driver’s license?”
“Mhm, don’t worry. A little privilege goes a long way when it comes to licenses,” Luo You said breezily.
“Wait, what?”
“Nothing, nothing. Don’t mind me—I’m a great driver, trust me.”
As for the license, just like she said—Luo You actually had two!
So there was no problem at all.
The only issue was…
“Hey-yah!”
She adjusted her seat and, relying on muscle memory, tried to reach the pedals.
Her short legs stretched as far as they could.
Even with her foot completely flexed in her white socks, she couldn’t reach the clutch.
“…I’ll move the seat forward.”
She awkwardly adjusted the seat until her face was nearly pressed against the steering wheel.
“What a unique guardian,” Zhou Xi said with a faint smile from the back.
But as she caught her reflection in the window, even she was momentarily startled.
Though she was in an unfamiliar place, the face reflected back at her looked relaxed—genuinely at ease.
Just looking at Luo You’s back made her feel as if a gentle spring breeze had melted away all her tension.
“This feeling is…”
Zhou Xi stared intently at Luo You’s silhouette, trying to line it up with someone in her memory.
They were about the same height and build, but no matter how many times she tried, the images just wouldn’t match.
It had to be a mistake.
Was she subconsciously projecting Herrera onto Luo You?
It was true—Luo You was beautiful, and dangerously seductive when she wanted to be—but replacing someone else like that was incredibly rude.
[…She’s looking at me.]
From the driver’s seat, Luo You spotted Zhou Xi’s glances through the rearview mirror.
She didn’t seem to have recognized her true identity—just plain curiosity.
So, for now, it was safe.
Still… not ideal.
That transformation mask was supposed to block perception, but with magical girls, you could never be 100% sure.
Sigh… what a mess.
Had she known Zhou Xi would tag along on this hot spring trip, she might as well have really wrecked her in bed last night—then she’d be too sore to come, and none of this would’ve happened.
······ After an awkward yet oddly pleasant drive ······
“We’re here!”
Luo Zining hopped out of the car to unload the luggage, unusually cheerful.
Luo You wasn’t sure what she was so excited about.
Normally when they traveled, this brat would never touch the luggage.
She’d dump it all on her and treat her like some kind of muscle-bound mule.
Today, though, she was helping.
Luo You glanced at Zhou Xi and guessed: Zining probably wanted to make a good impression on her senior, hoping for mentorship or favors later down the line.
Ah, what depraved morals and twisted humanity it takes for a 17-year-old magical girl to behave like this!
This toxic air… it’s even infiltrated the Magic Alliance now! Outrageous!
But in truth, Luo Zining was thinking: Dad’s all soft and fragile—if he tried to carry this stuff, he’d probably cry. Better I do it.
Meanwhile, Luo You remained lost in her own fantasy, unaware that her daughter’s show of “filial piety” was actually just spontaneous affection.
[Ah, foolish daughter, if you want to impress your superior, you should be flattering her, not just showing off in front of her. Foolish, foolish girl.]
Well, no choice.
As your father, I’ll have to pave the road for your future myself!
Luo You zipped over to the back seat, warmly took Zhou Xi’s hand, and said cheerfully,
“Come on, Miss Zhou Xi, you must be exhausted from… last night’s activities. So sorry we had to put you in a cramped car like this.”
Zhou Xi’s expression instantly shifted.
She gripped Luo You’s wrist and whispered, “How do you know about… that?”
“Uh, I could just tell.”
Luo You put on an innocent face.
“I mean, your legs haven’t closed properly since you got in the car, but your complexion is glowing. Girls only look like that when they’ve been thoroughly satisfied.”
“……!”
Zhou Xi’s face went through a rainbow of expressions.
She wasn’t wrong—but the way Luo You just said it, completely unfiltered, felt like she’d been stripped bare.
Luo You winked at her mischievously.
“Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me… Oh, and please take good care of our little Zining. She’s a bit mischievous, you know? I hope she won’t cause too much trouble. We’re all from the same place, so let’s support each other, yeah?”
“You—”
Are you blackmailing me?
Zhou Xi didn’t finish the sentence.
She really wanted to believe Luo You wasn’t that kind of person.
After all, magical girls rarely came from families with twisted morals.
Yes, that had to be it—Luo You was just… eccentric.
Deep down, she was probably a good person.
She repeated this to herself like a mantra, forced a smile, and said, “Zining works hard. As her senior, I’ll do whatever I can to help.”
“Thanks so much. This will stay between just the two of us.”
Wait, isn’t that number off?
Zhou Xi kept smiling stiffly.
“Oh, that reminds me—our company’s been taking nominations recently. I was thinking of recommending Zining.”
“Oh, silly me! Sorry, sorry. This will stay between just the three of us!”
“Hahaha… Miss You, you’re really something…”
Zhou Xi was already holding back a sea of complaints.
Forget corruption—even if she were corrupt, who could withstand this kind of pressure?
They say: If the soldier is a coward, the whole battalion is doomed.
With a guardian like this, what kind of person could Luo Zining possibly grow into?
“Senior Zhou Xi! I got the room keys. You’ll be staying right next door to us—is that okay?”
Zining ran over with the cards, clearly nervous that her cute dad might’ve said something inappropriate.
After settling Zhou Xi into Room 312, she opened the door to 313.
Poke—
Luo You held out a hand.
“Where’s my key?”
“This is the room.”
Zining pointed inside.
“And yours?”
“Same room.”
“We’re sharing?”
“Problem?”
“Hmm… if you’re okay with it, then I won’t complain.”
Luo You had thought Zining, being of that age, would’ve insisted on her own room.
Especially considering how, just a few nights ago, she caught Zining performing some sort of magical ritual over a BL game in the dead of night.
Hotels really offered even less privacy than home.
Sharing a room would mean a lot of private stuff would be off the table.
“Dad, what did you say to Senior Zhou Xi earlier?”
“…”
She hesitated.
Kids don’t usually like their parents meddling in their work life—so the best response here was clear.
“Nothing much. Just some casual chit-chat.”
“Casual?”
Zining flinched, grabbing her shoulders.
“You didn’t say anything weird, did you!?”
“Nope. She’s great! She even said she’d take good care of you.”
Luo You crossed her arms proudly.
Feel that overwhelming fatherly love, dear daughter?