“Who are we waiting for?”
“…” Fei Yu remained silent.
With her keen intuition, Zhou Xi ventured a guess.
It likely had something to do with Luo Zining’s eccentric guardian, didn’t it?
That person had already caused her enough trouble—an utterly bewildering figure.
Not malicious, perhaps, but with a personality so peculiar it was hard to fathom what kind of spectacle they’d create if they ever became a magical girl.
“Greetings, ladies!”
Before they could dwell further, Fei Yu and Zhou Xi found their shoulders clasped by strong, confident arms.
A fragrance, crisp like sunlight on a winter’s day, enveloped them.
The woman holding them was about twenty, her golden hair cascading far beyond her height, shimmering like molten gold under a blazing sun.
It floated softly behind her, weightless and ethereal.
Her exquisite, snow-pale face was striking, but it was her eyes—golden, with cross-shaped pupils—that seized attention, imprinting everything they beheld with unshakable clarity.
Fei Yu straightened, her tone formal.
“Senior Jin Wang, greetings.”
“Hey there, hi hi! You too, miss!”
The woman’s voice was bright, almost teasing.
“Senior, hello!”
Zhou Xi stood ramrod straight, her voice crisp with respect.
This was Jin Wang, the Seventh Seat of the Magical Alliance’s Ten Seats Council, also known by her moniker: Gold.
“Have you already met Lady Xing Yue, Senior Jin Wang?” Fei Yu asked.
“Not yet. I’ll catch up with her later, see how much she’s changed in seven years.”
Jin Wang’s tone was casual, but her reputation preceded her.
Despite her radiant appearance, Jin Wang’s personality stood out among the magical girls as fiercely aggressive.
Unlike the legendary Xing Yue, whose mystique was woven with enigma, Jin Wang’s record was no less dazzling.
Eight years as a Seat, her most notable feat was her tendency to abandon her post at the Boundary Sea Customs, diving headlong into the sea itself to hunt dimensional beasts.
“Rush their lair and crush the threat at its source!”
was her battle cry—a mantra befitting a magical girl of both courage and unmatched strength.
“She looks like such a gentle big sister…”
Zhou Xi muttered under her breath.
“Zhou Xi,” Fei Yu warned softly.
“Present!”
Zhou Xi snapped to attention.
Jin Wang let out a playful chuckle.
“Relax, no need to be so stiff. I know that day was tough to talk about, but don’t worry. Only the Ten Seats are here today. Just tell us everything that happened, exactly as it was.”
“Uh, got it.”
Zhou Xi had braced herself for this.
Why Fifteen else would they summon her to the Ten Seats Council if not to discuss Ellera?
With her current standing, she was nowhere near qualified to set foot in this sacred place otherwise.
“No more chitchat—enter!”
A commanding, magnetic voice echoed from above, resonating with authority.
The Ten Seats, receiving their cue, moved without hesitation toward the grand hall, a symbol of supreme honor.
That majestic voice belonged to Manzhushahua, the Second Seat, whose prestige had soared in Xing Yue’s absence, some even whispering she might one day rival the legend herself.
“Let’s go,” Jin Wang said, leading the way.
Without her guidance, Fei Yu and Zhou Xi wouldn’t have dared step into this hallowed ground.
Today, the atmosphere in Seidheim was unlike anything they’d ever felt.
…
The meeting chamber was intimate, almost austere.
A rectangular table dominated the center, flanked by opulent chairs.
Two additional seats, reserved for outsiders, stood against the wall.
Six of the Ten Seats were already seated, the Fourth and Sixth absent due to other commitments.
The council, once ten strong, now held only eight.
Four years ago, the devastating Light-Plunder Crusade claimed four members, and only two replacements had been found since.
Selecting a Seat was no small matter; the Magical Alliance had struggled for years to fill those voids.
At the table’s head sat Xing Yue, with Manzhushahua to her left.
The two seemed to exist in a different dimension, their presence shrouded in an almost otherworldly haze, distinct from the rest of the council.
Something’s different about Lady Manzhushahua today, Fei Yu thought, lowering her gaze.
She sensed it might be tied to Xing Yue’s return.
“Everyone’s here. Let’s begin,” Xing Yue declared, her hands clapping softly.
Her voice, laced with an enigmatic allure, cut through the room’s mystique like a blade through fog.
For the first time, the council could truly behold her.
Magical girls were renowned for their beauty, far surpassing ordinary standards, but Xing Yue redefined perfection.
Starlight seemed to cling to the tips of her hair, and her eyes, framed by delicate star-shaped markings, carried a gentle smile that dismissed the mundane with quiet disdain.
“Xing Yue, before we dive into the agenda, you should greet everyone,” Manzhushahua interjected, her voice soft yet clear, like a spring nurturing the earth.
Clad in a nun’s habit adorned with black embroidered flowers, her golden hair spilled from beneath her hood, framing a serene, saintly face bathed in an inexplicable moonlight glow.
Her eyes remained closed, sparking curiosity about what visions lay beneath—perhaps a sight too profound for mortal minds.
“You’re right,” Xing Yue conceded, her gaze drifting to the Eighth Seat, Bailing Niao, the newest member, appointed just last year.
“I-I already met Lady Xing Yue at the Canglan Ruins!”
Bailing Niao stammered, her green, shoulder-length hair swaying as her eyes darted nervously.
“S-so, um, please guide me!”
Despite her usual confidence, she shrank before Xing Yue, casting a pleading glance at the Fifth Seat, Zheyi Hudie, her mentor and near-sister.
“Oh, how unrefined,” Zheyi Hudie purred, her narrowed eyes glinting with a dangerous edge.
A veteran of the council, her ash-blue hair was partially braided, one strand playfully curling around Bailing Niao’s finger.
She exuded an air of cunning, perhaps even menace, and Bailing Niao’s teary expression hinted at some less-than-pleasant memories.
“New blood’s quite entertaining,” Xing Yue remarked with a melodic laugh, her attention shifting to the outsider seats.
Fei Yu and Zhou Xi froze under her gaze, tension rendering them speechless.
“No need to be nervous,” Xing Yue said warmly.
“I’ve read up on both of you before the meeting. Just relax.”
Fei Yu exhaled, her voice steady.
“It’s an honor to be known by you, Lady Xing Yue.”
“…”
Zhou Xi managed only a quiet “Hello” before falling silent.
Xing Yue’s eyes lingered on her, a knowing glint in them, before she continued.
“Let’s get to the point. Today’s discussion has one focus: the Aurora Witch, Ellera.”
Boom—!
As if on cue, a terrifying surge of magical energy erupted in the room.
Resentment, palpable and heavy, radiated from the Seats, directed at a single name.
“What’s happening!?”
Fei Yu gasped.
“W-w-w-what’s going on!?”
Bailing Niao squeaked, trembling.
Zhou Xi’s heart sank, a silent wail echoing within her: Has that woman managed to cross every single one of these Seats!?0