After getting familiar with the important locations, he took Yi Shiyue for a good stroll through Satellite Park, a place filled with their memories, and walked along the surrounding streets.
They talked about many things during that time — the past, present, future, spirits, Alliance, and hunters. Their relationship felt exactly as it had in the past. As they walked, the sky grew dark, and they both felt a hint of exhaustion.
“Let’s sit down and rest for a while, Shiyue.”
“Okay.”
They reached a bench on a small path within the park’s woods and sat down side by side.
“Hmm… it’s almost 7:00 PM. Is there anything you want to eat, Shiyue?”
“No, I don’t think I could eat anything.”
Glimpsing the girl’s pale face, Ye Xingyao sighed softly. He suddenly remembered how he had felt the first time he faced a monster.
“Then we won’t eat. Just rest for a while, and don’t worry.”
“Thank you…”
“Saying ‘thank you’ between us makes things sound too distant.”
After thinking for a moment, Ye Xingyao reached out and gently wrapped his arm around the girl’s shoulder. Feeling her tense body slowly relax, he made his next move.
“Huh?! Xingyao…”
Yi Shiyue felt herself falling onto the boy’s lap. Looking up slightly, she could see his gentle smile. For a moment, she was stunned. By the time she realized what was happening, her fair face had turned a deep shade of crimson.
“Shh. Just sleep for a while. I’ll wake you if anything happens.”
Ye Xingyao placed his hand on the girl’s forehead and gently began to soothe her.
“Mm, okay.”
—
8:10 PM, Sanhua Cafe.
“Ugh… I really can’t eat anymore. Miss Maid, please stop feeding me!”
Ye Xingling covered her slightly overstuffed belly, reaching out to stop the maid who was wearing a gentle smile while holding a spoon to her mouth.
It was enjoyable, but that kind of smile made it truly difficult to refuse. Without realizing it, she had already eaten far more here than her usual meal size.
“Little Frost Flower, don’t be so modest. The store manager finally organized a welcoming party, so just accept your seniors’ affection!”
“That’s right, that’s right! When you have time, Little Frost Flower, you can even bring your brother and sister here to spend some money. I’ll ask the manager to give you a 20% discount!”
“That’s impossible. Little Frost Flower wouldn’t want her or her family’s real identities exposed to us, anyway.”
“No matter what, we are a magical girl society. There’s no need to worry about those kinds of issues.”
The cafe was filled with the sounds of singing and dancing, yet a “Closed Today” sign hung on the door. Even the floor-to-ceiling windows were tightly covered with curtains.
Who could blame them when the manager had organized a welcoming party for the new magical girl, “Frost Flower,” on a whim?
It was also because of this that Ye Xingling realized Satellite City’s magical girl society didn’t consist of only five magical girls. The organization also recruited girls to participate in operations and maintenance.
However, listening to their self-introductions, it seemed many of the girls were family members or friends of the magical girls, or people who had been helped by them and wanted to give back.
“Ah… that… I don’t really mind, but I don’t really want my brother and sister to know I became a magical girl. My brother seems to think magical girls are always in danger, and I don’t want to worry them.”
Ye Xingling stuttered as she answered her seniors’ questions.
“Waaaah! Such a cute and considerate little sister! I want one too!”
“Hey, Little Frost Flower, why don’t you become our little sister too?”
“Wait, what?!”
Just as Ye Xingling was at a loss for how to handle their enthusiasm, Kira tapped on the counter.
“Alright, that’s enough for today. Frost Flower is still a student. Her family will worry if she gets home too late.”
Ye Xingling cast a grateful look toward the manager and checked her phone.
“Gasp! It’s already almost 8:30 PM… Seniors, please excuse me!”
Ignoring the disappointed voices of the maids trying to get her to stay, she grabbed the small gifts they had given her and dashed toward the door, not forgetting to turn back and wave.
“Bye-bye, seniors! See you next time!”
After walking a good distance, Ye Xingling found a deserted alley and deactivated her magical girl transformation. A small, ice-blue crystal appeared in the hands of the black-haired, blue-eyed girl — this was her Magical Girl Gem.
No matter how many times she transformed, it still felt miraculous.
In the next second, the crystal vanished from her hand, transforming into a thin, silver-white necklace around her neck with a beautiful gemstone attached.
“Well, it’ll take a while to walk home. I might as well ride a bike to help digest.”
The girl mumbled to herself, walking over to the public bicycles by the street. She took out her ID card and tapped it against the sensor, and the lock clicked open.
Ye Xingling leaned down, adjusted the seat to the right height, put on her helmet, and pedaled away.
Within minutes, the familiar streets came into view.
“Whew, riding a bike really is faster. I’m almost home…”
She stopped the bike at the intersection, pushed it to the parking spot to lock it, and pulled out her phone to tell her brother she was safe. However, the moment she turned on the screen, her girlish screensaver was replaced by blood-red characters.
Suddenly, the phone in her hand began to vibrate violently. Nearby broadcasts and alarms blared simultaneously — “Monsters have appeared in the Satellite Park area. All uninvolved personnel within a 5-kilometer radius, please proceed to the nearest basement for shelter. Repeating, monsters have appeared in the Satellite Park area. All uninvolved personnel within a 5-kilometer radius, please proceed to the nearest basement for shelter.”
Monsters?!
Satellite Park?!
‘Isn’t that the park right near my house?!’
‘Brother and Sister Shiyue couldn’t be there, could they??’
A suffocating sensation immediately filled the seemingly peaceful street. Fortunately, the citizens of Satellite City had all undergone Monster Invasion Drills; they were moving toward the basements in an orderly and rapid fashion.
“Little girl, are you scared? It’s okay. Everything will be fine once we get into the basement.”
At that moment, a kind person nearby noticed her and spoke up to remind her.
“Yes, I’m going right now. I’m just waiting for my brother, and then I’ll head down immediately!”
Ye Xingling responded as she usually would, her body instinctively moving toward the basement.
‘No! This isn’t right!’
‘I’m a magical girl. How can a magical girl run away? Even if I’m only at the Glimmer rank, I can at least save a few more people!’
She carefully observed her surroundings. Seeing that no one seemed to be paying attention to her, Ye Xingling quickly ran behind a wall set up by a shopkeeper and gently stroked the gem on her necklace.
“Fearless cold of evil, please respond to my call, and draw a flower of protection with solid ice!”