“Speaking of which, your aunt really doesn’t seem to like me very much.”
Luo You grumbled with no small amount of dissatisfaction.
“Just now, too—she didn’t answer a single one of my questions directly. Is that really the attitude you should have toward the person who raised your niece?”
“Uh…”
Luo Zining averted her gaze guiltily.
Luo You’s teeth ached just watching her.
There was no need to ask—this girl had definitely badmouthed her in front of that aunt.
And not just once or twice—she must’ve really gone in.
Yet Luo You had no way to scold her, because… well, she hadn’t exactly been a model parent either.
So now what?
In public, she had to deal with Herrera’s grudge.
In private, she had to watch out for Ji Yue’s scheming?
“Well, isn’t this perfect,” she muttered.
Her fingers danced flexibly through the water, her expression quietly filling with a dark, unspeakable desire.
Since she’d overheard Ji Yue’s grand plan for revenge, how could a top predator like her just sit back and do nothing?
“A bunch of broken-in meat tools who’ve already tasted defeat are now gathering together and suddenly have the nerve to turn against their former master? Really?”
If they actually dared to come at her, Luo You wouldn’t mind hosting a full-blown group silver party, just to remind these magical has-beens of their place.
Ten people should be enough—more than that, and even she couldn’t handle it.
But Ji Yue… no.
That woman was off-limits now.
No matter how much of a pain she was, Luo You couldn’t touch her anymore.
They had some sort of familial connection now.
That line—Luo You didn’t want to cross it so casually.
…Though, technically, she’d already crossed it ten years ago.
But she didn’t know Ji Yue’s identity back then, so it didn’t count!
On the other side of the room, Ji Yue had finished saying everything she needed to.
She said, “That’s all for today. I’ll talk with Zining later. You should get some proper rest.”
“Mhm.”
Ji Yue turned toward them again.
“Zining, want to go visit your sister?”
“Yes! I want to! I want to!”
“I’ll pass,” Luo You declined politely.
Since it was clear Ji Yue didn’t particularly like her, there was no point in pretending to be polite.
“Um, Yuyu, maybe you should still go along?”
Luo Zining looked around awkwardly, unsure what to do.
But Ji Yue, seeing Zining’s torn expression, took the initiative.
“Why not come over to my place for a bit? I find you… rather interesting.”
“No need, really. I’ve got other things to take care of.”
She tried to act firm, but her expression couldn’t have been more guilty and evasive.
And who could blame her?
Now that she knew Ji Yue was one of the magical girls she had done things to in the past, she couldn’t act normal anymore!
No, this won’t do… Luo You covered her eyes.
Just looking at Ji Yue’s face brought back vivid memories of her ahoge and all those faces she used to make.
Hearing Ji Yue’s voice, Luo You could almost hear the breathy moans and gentle whimpers again.
That calm and frosty demeanor only made Luo You picture the woman doing finger hearts and calling her “Master, Master” in a whiny voice.
But it was exactly that over-the-top guilty look that made Ji Yue suspicious.
“Why won’t you look at me?”
“Because… you’re too beautiful.”
“…”
The blunt honesty of that response actually caught Ji Yue off guard.
Her lips parted slightly.
If it were anyone else, that might’ve been the end of it.
But Ji Yue was a magical girl, with sharp instincts honed by countless battles.
Something about Luo You felt… off.
“Ahem. I’ll be going now.”
Luo You couldn’t take it anymore.
She threw on a towel and made a beeline for the changing room.
“Wait!”
Slap!
Just as she turned, Ji Yue reached out and grabbed her right hand.
Luo You turned back, ready to say something—but Ji Yue didn’t follow up.
……
Ji Yue simply stared dazedly at the small hand in her own.
Even that slight squeeze was enough for her to feel the soft, dangerous flexibility hidden beneath those fingers—and the kind of pleasure they could bring.
For a fleeting moment, something stirred in her consciousness, like she was about to connect with a long-lost memory.
But it slipped away like smoke.
Luo You calmly withdrew her hand, a hint of caution in her eyes.
“Was there something else?”
“…No, nothing.”
“If there’s nothing, then go chat with Zining. I’ll be back later.”
She jogged into the changing room.
Ji Yue stood still, deep in thought, recalling the sensation in her palm.
***
After changing back into her clothes, Luo You left the hot spring hotel.
She couldn’t stay there any longer.
If she kept looking at Ji Yue’s face, she might just lose control and try to hunt another magical girl for fun.
Two nights away from home in a row, and her daughter would definitely scold her again.
“There was someone watching us in the hot spring… I wonder if Ji Yue noticed.”
While she was soaking, everything had been fine at first.
But once she activated the Crimson Authority to enhance her physical senses, she noticed something strange.
Among the people around them, someone’s gaze wasn’t clean—especially toward Zhou Xi.
That kind of look… Luo You knew it too well.
It was the kind of look only scumbags had.
And who would dare target a magical girl?
The answer was obvious: members of the Abnormal Ones.
They’re probably not here for me.
They’re here for Zhou Xi.
Luo You had already figured out the intruder’s intent while she was still in the hot spring.
It was, without a doubt, unrelated to her—or maybe, in a roundabout way, it was.
After all, she had recently reappeared as Herrera.
That the Abnormal Ones would make a move was inevitable.
But unable to get direct information on Herrera, they would naturally turn their attention to the magical girls of that era.
Perhaps the Abnormal Ones had caught wind of something—maybe they’d found out Zhou Xi had once again shared an… intimate encounter with Herrera.
And so, they sent someone to keep tabs on her.
“With Ji Yue around—and she’s rumored to be a Ten-Seat candidate—there shouldn’t be a problem.”
The Abnormal Ones had a high success rate against most magical girls, but that only held true when they were facing average ones.
Most magical girls were beaten down by harsh reality while chasing their ideals.
But the truly exceptional among them—especially those like the Ten Seats—had already begun to develop the power to manifest their ideals into reality.
When it came to those elite magical girls, the Abnormal Ones suffered crushing defeats.
Their dirty tricks had their limits.
“I should stop by the battlefield where that Light-Eater-class dimensional beast appeared.”
Luo You boarded a newly opened subway line.
The most iconic landmark of Jiuming Sea was the site of its former battle with that very beast—the Canglan Ruins.
The Canglan Ruins consisted of 49% urban ruins and 51% wild, overgrown forest.
It was a place that felt as ancient and raw as the very birth of the world.
Overhead, a vortex of swirling clouds hovered eternally—like a massive serpent curled in the sky, spitting purple lightning as it gazed down upon humanity.
It was hard to believe this serene, breathtaking landscape was once the site of a catastrophic battle. Just a few years ago, it had swallowed up over 100,000 soldiers.
The Magic Alliance had lost four of its Ten-Seat elites.
The Abnormal Ones had suffered devastating casualties as well.
A place meant for the living… now a cycle of endless death.
“So old-fashioned…”
At the ticket booth, Luo You peered past the gate.
Only a few years had passed, and though the local government had done some repairs, the place still looked like an ancient ruin abandoned for a millennium—mysterious, grand, and hauntingly majestic.
Rumor had it that the Light-Eater-class beast was so extraordinary that even its spilled blood carried rare matter from the Boundary Sea.
To this day, strange and unexplained phenomena occurred throughout the ruins.
Paranormal bloggers loved it.
“Paranormal phenomenon, huh? Sure hope I run into one.”
Luo You had never seen a Light-Eater-class beast. Heck, she hadn’t even encountered a Dragon-class one.
The strongest thing she’d ever faced was that humanoid King-class monster from before.
If the chance ever came… she really wanted to test her limits.
“Didn’t I already swear I wouldn’t use that power again?”
Luo You clenched her fist, quietly questioning herself.
Maybe from the moment she learned her daughter was a magical girl, she knew she could never return to a normal life.
She needed that power to survive.
In the unstable world to come, the biggest threat wouldn’t be the Magic Alliance or the Abnormal Ones—but the dimensional beasts from the Boundary Sea.
And maybe… not just the beasts.
“If only I could see a Light-Eater-class one with my own eyes…”
Her muttering caught the attention of the old man manning the ticket booth, who immediately rolled his eyes.
Easy for you to say!
Do you know how many people die every time one of those shows up?
Disaster doesn’t hit your doorstep, so you think it’s just a cool show?
Luo You held up her phone.
“One ticket, please. QR code’s here.”
“Five hundred.”
Damn it!
If she were still a man, she might have cursed a bit under her breath.
But not anymore—gotta maintain appearances. She grumbled inwardly, stuffed the ticket into her pocket, and walked toward the gate.
After having a corner torn off her ticket, Luo You chose a path less traveled and stepped into the heart of the Canglan Ruins.
And at that very moment—
Wmmm—
The swirling clouds above the ruins suddenly paused.
The Canglan Ruins, dormant for years, let out a deep, low rumble—like something ancient had just awoken.
Within the next ten minutes, Jiuming Sea’s meteorological office issued back-to-back yellow and red blizzard warnings.
The old man at the ticket booth looked up at the sky, then down at his group chat on his phone.
“Weird. Why the hell is there a blizzard all of a sudden?”
Inside the ruins, a loudspeaker crackled to life:
“Dear visitors, the Meteorological Office has just issued a red-level blizzard warning. Temperatures will drop rapidly to -29°C. For your safety, the Canglan Ruins will now be closed. We apologize for the inconvenience. If you need assistance, please proceed to…”
Luo You, who had only just gotten inside, stared blankly as she listened to the announcement.
Five hundred yuan for a ten-minute visit?
“You think I’m paying five hundred for just ten minutes? Not happening.”
Ignoring the broadcast, Luo You headed deeper into the ruined zone.
Her crimson eyes glowed faintly in the snowstorm, her silhouette like a ghost with blood on its hands, moving with deadly purpose.
She was going to see for herself—what mysteries still lurked in the battlefield where humanity once fought a Light-Eater-class dimensional beast.
***
At that same time, 100 kilometers south of Jiuming Sea—Boundary Gate, Zone 27.
“Halt! What unit are you—wait! This guy came from the Boundary Sea! Everyone, battle stations!”
“Outsider! State your identity!”
The creature emerging from the Boundary Sea gave no response.
It didn’t even look at them—just marched forward.
The commander didn’t hesitate.
The order was given, and a wall of artillery fire rained down.
——————!!!
A deafening roar echoed through the sky as dust and smoke swallowed the area.
Silence followed.
Not long after, a message raced up through the chain of command.
Boundary Gate—breached.