Nangong Xiwang originally didn’t watch livestreams; she wasn’t that idle a person.
Whether it was some two-dimensional VTuber beauty, some gaming streamer, or illustrators, dancers, singers, or emotional radio hosts, she had zero interest in any of it.
After all, she had to work at the comics editorial department during the day, occasionally going out to violently urge authors for their manuscripts.
After getting home from work at night, sometimes she still had to go out for “side jobs” to earn extra money.
Her life was already very busy, so she wouldn’t waste her free time on entertainment activities that wasted life like livestreaming. Instead, she chose something more valuable and meaningful… well, she chose to drink heavily.
Using alcohol to stop her brain from thinking, thereby extending her perception of time…
This method also had risks; if she blacked out, the time would shorten.
However, during this recent period, Nangong Xiwang had developed the habit of opening the official Sigma Heroes livestream as soon as she got off work, while also holding her phone to browse the short videos and photos they released.
She even went to the comment sections on various platforms to read other people’s opinions about them.
Such focused behavior was practically indistinguishable from that of a true hero otaku or idol fan.
Yet, Nangong Xiwang had no interest in the Sigma Heroes; the only one she paid attention to was “Magical Girl Clara.”
“I’m home.”
Although it was evening, the winter sky had long since darkened.
Returning to her rented apartment where the heater had been turned on in advance, Nangong Xiwang, as usual, carried a six-pack of beer cans in her hand. Her backpack also contained oil-paper-wrapped grilled squid tentacles.
She then kicked off her leather shoes and walked into the living room. Without bothering to wash her hands or anything, she first opened her laptop on the coffee table, then skillfully clicked on the livestream webpage bookmark.
However, the livestream wasn’t broadcasting.
Pop—she pulled open a can of beer naturally chilled by the cold air. …Hmm? No livestream? Has the collaboration training camp ended already?
Nangong Xiwang caught the frothy beer foam bubbling out with her mouth.
Then she checked the official videos and photos.
“Gas mask… So the face under the mask really is… Hmm, they even took a commemorative group photo… Clara is still wearing…”
Nangong Xiwang muttered, frowning. She then went to check today’s lunar weather conditions.
“Oh? So the sun’s active period has ended?”
It seemed they were on their way back today.
Clara…
With no livestream, Nangong Xiwang, holding her half-empty beer can, carried her laptop to her desk, turned on the desk lamp, and then took out a stack of printed comic manuscripts from a kraft paper envelope.
The cover of the kraft paper envelope was printed with “Magical Girl Clara Chapter One,” Author: Zhenjian Yingxiong. Behind the author’s name, the name “Clara” was also written in pen.
The manuscript was thick—over fifty pages of comics. For a first chapter, it was a generous amount. The artwork was so refined it didn’t look like a comic. The most outrageous part was that it even included a beautifully colored version…
Polished to this quality, it almost felt wasteful for web serialization. If submitted to a publishing house, it should get approved, right?!
This wasn’t the first time Nangong Xiwang had flipped through Clara’s comic manuscript.
Clara had sent her over a dozen emails asking for feedback. Without receiving a reply, she kept silently polishing the work and continued sending new manuscripts… This period of isolating her had instead made Nangong Xiwang herself feel guilty.
Zhenjian Yingxiong’s brushstrokes had a very personal touch. The art style was retro and detailed, with a fondness for meticulously rendering various background details.
Yet, the character designs were novel and soft, and the protagonist was a cute yet resilient squid loli…
Therefore, it was hard to guess the author’s age from the artwork. Furthermore, “Zhenjian Yingxiong” was quite a masculine-sounding pen name, making even the gender unclear…
Probably no one would think that the author behind this comic was the comic’s protagonist herself—Magical Girl Clara.
But was Clara really a young girl?
Nangong Xiwang drank her beer, supporting her forehead with a wry smile.
As a professional editor, Nangong Xiwang could sense from the comic the author’s accumulated skill in drawing, a maturity that didn’t match her outward appearance, and… a heart filled with unrecognized talent, longing for acknowledgment.
“…I can’t stand this.”
Nangong Xiwang’s feelings were complicated. As an editor, there was no reason not to help such a comic author.
Before learning that truth, that little girl living in a cheap rental apartment and drawing comics had genuinely moved her.
But her other identity was…
Nangong Xiwang’s phone suddenly rang.
She hadn’t exchanged phone numbers with Clara, so it was probably temporary work arranged by the chief editor again.
Thinking this, Nangong Xiwang picked up the phone quite impatiently, only to find the caller was an unfamiliar number.
She answered.
“Miss Kamui, I… I am the Blue Cavalier from the Sigma Series.”
The voice on the other end was a straightforward, low female voice. Although the other party had already introduced herself, it still made Nangong Xiwang feel surprised and displeased.
A hero’s true identity needed to be kept secret. Even probing for this identity was considered a legal violation. This was the same for Nangong Xiwang… or rather, for Magical Girl Divine Might.
“How did you get this number?” she retorted.
“I… We’ve collaborated before, so I could get your number from the Hero Association.”
She was registered with the Hero Association. The association’s contact could only reach her mobile phone, but she hadn’t expected the association to directly hand this number to another hero…
Generally, when contacting a hero, they would first contact the hero’s affiliated company. Just like to find Clara’s number, they would first call the dream witch, answered by Lucia who was acting as the operator.
But since Kamui was an independent hero without company backing, generally, this kind of hero-related contact would come directly to her.
Didn’t this count as another form of information leak?
“I have something very important. I hope to meet with you.”
“What is it?” Nangong Xiwang impatiently shot back.
Listening to this voice, had the Blue Cavalier really been turned into a woman by the Fourth Calamity cadre?
Even though she already knew from watching the livestreams.
But actually hearing this voice still made Nangong Xiwang somewhat surprised.
She had collaborated with Clara for a week. Plus, the connection between herself and the Blue Cavalier was that incident that got her demoted. She was probably coming because she had discovered something.
“Alright, let’s meet.”
Nangong Xiwang thought for a moment and said, “I’ll give you an address.”
Heroes also had to be wary of each other. Nangong Xiwang wasn’t foolish enough to invite the Blue Cavalier to her home.
Thus, the OL lady who had just gotten off work not long ago put back on the leather shoes she had kicked off.
“What a hassle, at this hour of the night…”
In a hurry, she left her rented loft apartment and walked into an empty, deserted park restroom. Entering a stall, she took out her magic gem pendant while making sure no one was around.
Chanting the transformation spell in a voice so low she feared someone might hear, she then saw a burst of red and gold special effects through the gaps above and below the stall door.
Transformed into Magical Girl Divine Might, Nangong Xiwang let out a sigh of relief, as if she had just relieved herself in the stall:
“Whew…”
Only then did she walk out of the public restroom, stepping onto a Spiked Mace she casually summoned and shooting up into the night sky.
Don’t ask why she wasn’t sitting on it.