The discussion in the conference room continued, the atmosphere both solemn and intense.
Yet, the compiled intelligence felt thin.
Black hair, and the witch’s signature red eyes.
Beyond that, there was almost no substantial or conclusive information.
A faint, almost imperceptible gravity flickered deep within Olivia’s icy blue eyes.
Such information… was far from enough.
“All right.” Olivia’s cold voice cut through the discussion.
She stood, her gaze sweeping over every Magical Girl present.
“Today’s meeting ends here.”
“Dismissed.”
“Remember this without fail,” her tone carried unquestionable authority, “if you encounter a Witch attack, call for support immediately!”
“I will… arrive right away!”
She was the first to stride out of the heavy atmosphere in the conference room.
Outside the door, Administrator Zhang Xia waited quietly.
“Follow me,” Zhang Xia motioned, “I’ll take you to your temporary office.”
“Thank you.”
Olivia nodded slightly.
Zhang Xia led Olivia toward the elevator.
The polished metal doors reflected their figures.
“Ding.”
The elevator doors slid open.
They stepped inside.
“The first floor is the lobby and reception area, the second floor houses the lounge and restaurant, and floors three through fifteen are living quarters…”
Zhang Xia pressed the button for the 33rd floor while briefly introducing the Association Building’s layout to Olivia.
The elevator ascended smoothly.
“Ding.”
The 33rd floor arrived.
The doors opened onto a softly lit corridor lined with thick carpet.
Zhang Xia guided Olivia through the quiet hallway until they stopped before a door labeled “Temporary Command Room.”
She pushed the door open.
Inside was a standard office.
A large desk faced the entrance.
Behind it stood an ergonomic leather chair.
The most striking feature was the enormous floor-to-ceiling window occupying the entire wall behind the chair.
Outside, the Red Sea City skyline stretched clearly under the afternoon sun, offering an excellent view.
“The environment is nice.”
Olivia scanned the room, her voice even.
“Mm.”
Zhang Xia nodded.
“Well then, thank you for your hard work. If you need anything, contact me anytime.”
With that, she turned and quietly closed the door.
Olivia was left alone in the office.
She approached the desk and set down her briefcase.
Without hesitation, she shifted quickly into work mode.
The immediate priority was to gather more comprehensive intelligence!
Olivia opened her laptop; her slender fingers typed rapidly on the keyboard.
She entered the special URL for the Magical Girl Internal Forum.
However, the account she used to log in was not her usual one.
A long-forgotten username with special significance appeared in the login box—it was her teacher’s, Crystal Orchid’s account.
The password was one she knew intimately—the abbreviation for her teacher’s favorite Strawberry Sundae.
Yet, after pressing Enter—
The system did not transition smoothly as usual.
A bright red warning box popped up on the screen:
[Warning: This account is logged in from another location!]
“Logged in elsewhere?”
Olivia’s icy blue pupils suddenly constricted!
A cold chill shot up her spine!
“How is this possible!?”
Her teacher’s password… no one else should know it!
Her teacher never revealed her preference for Strawberry Sundae to anyone, except once… when Olivia happened to see it…
Who?!
Who logged into her teacher’s account?!
Her fingers hovered above the keyboard; her knuckles whitened from tension as her mind raced through all possibilities.
Knock, knock, knock—
At that moment!
A clear but restrained knock interrupted Olivia’s swirling thoughts.
“…Please come in.”
She swiftly suppressed her emotions, her voice returning to its usual coolness.
The office door opened.
Mu Yurou and Huang Xi stepped inside.
Both wore expressions of hesitation mixed with solemnity.
“What is it?” Olivia’s gaze rested on them, questioning.
“Well…”
Mu Yurou took a deep breath and stepped forward, “…we… have some important additional intelligence to report.”
Her voice was nervous, but her eyes were resolute.
“Go ahead.”
Olivia leaned back slightly, signaling her readiness to listen.
“A week ago… during the Abyssal Beast attack in the school district…”
Mu Yurou’s voice grew clearer, “…a Witch appeared.”
“A Witch appeared?”
Olivia’s brow instantly furrowed, her icy eyes sharp as blades.
“So… that attack was orchestrated by a Witch? Why wasn’t this mentioned in the meeting just now?”
Her tone carried a hint of sternness.
“I… I thought…”
Mu Yurou felt the pressure, her fingers unconsciously twisting the edge of her sleeve, but she persisted, “…such matters… require more cautious, face-to-face reporting. Besides…”
She paused, lowering her voice with a touch of uncertainty, “…what I’m about to say… you might… think I’m talking nonsense…”
Olivia’s gaze sharpened further.
“What happened? Speak clearly.”
“That day…”
Mu Yurou seemed to return to that desperate moment, her voice trembling ever so slightly, “…we fought the Insect Monster until the very last second… our magic nearly depleted, trapped in a dead end…”
“Just when we thought… it was all over…”
“She appeared!”
“A Witch appeared!”
“She… saved us!”
Mu Yurou’s voice surged with disbelief and excitement, “It was her… who killed that monster!”
“Saved you?!”
Olivia sprang to her feet, her icy eyes wide with shock and deep suspicion!
“That’s impossible!”
Her voice was resolute, bearing the pressure of an Abyssal-class warrior.
“A Witch… they cannot harbor goodwill! They are incarnations of calamity!”
“Which is why… I was worried you wouldn’t believe it…”
Mu Yurou’s voice dropped, tinged with grievance, but she raised her head and fixed a burning gaze on Huang Xi beside her, “…but it’s true! My partner… Huang Xi! She can testify! She was there!”
Huang Xi immediately nodded firmly, her eyes just as resolute.
“Yes, Senior Lily of the Valley! We saw it with our own eyes! That Witch… acted at the last moment and struck down the Abyssal Beast!”
Olivia’s eyes flickered between their determined faces.
Their testimony didn’t seem fabricated…
But it completely upended her understanding of Witches!
“So then…”
Olivia’s mind raced, catching the crucial contradiction, “…why would she attack Xu Beauty? If she saved you…”
“Because…”
Mu Yurou cut in immediately, her tone certain, “…the Witch who attacked Sister Xu Beauty… and the one who saved us… are not the same person!”
“Are you sure?!”
Olivia’s voice grew heavier than ever, her body leaning forward slightly.
“You mean…”
Her gaze pressed like a tangible weight on Mu Yurou.
“…There are currently… two Witches in Red Sea City?”
“Exactly!”
Mu Yurou nodded without hesitation.
“The Witch who attacked Sister Xu Beauty,” she described clearly, “Sister Xu said she has ‘black hair like ink and red eyes like blood.’”
“And the Witch who saved us…”
Mu Yurou’s voice held a faint complex emotion as her gaze seemed to pierce through time and space, returning to that heart-stopping moment, “…I remember it vividly!”
“She is…”
Mu Yurou enunciated carefully, delivering a striking characteristic:
“…White hair like snow, red as blood.”
“White hair?!”
Olivia was struck as if by an invisible lightning bolt!
Her icy pupils shrank to pinpoints!
Her body jolted violently!
An indescribable chill mixed with shock, absurdity, and a hint of… uncontrollable terror, swept over her entire being!
A long-forgotten, yet never truly forgotten figure, with warm golden eyes and snow-white hair, suddenly crashed into her mind!
“Xiao Baihe~”
Could it be… her teacher…
This terrifying thought, filled with endless longing and immense fear, coiled around her heart like a cold serpent!