After sorting through the pile of troublesome matters Ma Xinyin had handed her, Porcelain Moon felt utterly exhausted in both body and mind. She stepped out of the camp and faced a withered lake.
This place had once been vibrant, with clear waters, but now, the only living things were probably a few stray weeds and several desiccated trees in the distance whose fate was uncertain—maybe watering them could coax some leaves to grow?
Now, the lake held only a fraction of its former size.
The lake’s water source was the Huanghe River, but desertification had caused soil erosion, shrinking the lake’s capacity by more than half.
The water was no longer clear; it was muddy and yellowish.
Near the shore, the sediment had piled up into a swamp.
Desertification was a crime committed jointly by humans and the Extradimensional Beasts, yet nature seemed to take its revenge solely on humanity—perhaps because the beasts were not natural creations.
This place longed for rain, longed to come back to life.
Thinking of this, Porcelain Moon suddenly recalled the nationwide freshwater crisis back in 2009. Many people had no access to clean water sources then, resulting in widespread illness and numerous deaths.
At that time, he had been reassigned to the Nanshui Beidiao Project. The entire nation’s efforts were poured into simultaneously combating the Extradimensional Beasts and undertaking this massive construction.
Whenever he looked into the distance, thousands of workers labored day and night.
Some collapsed from exhaustion and were sent to emergency stations; some accidentally fell from newly built pumping stations—fortunately, water had already flowed below, saving their lives; others weren’t so lucky, with many dying from sheer overwork.
Yet countless people still fought desperately to build, their enthusiasm inspiring him. He thought of his own father and sister, both suffering from water shortages, and threw himself into the work without hesitation.
In the end, the project was completed two years ahead of schedule.
Although he received little compensation and soon returned to the front lines against the beasts, he bore no regrets—he knew he had helped his sister, his family, and millions of suffering disaster victims.
Porcelain Moon found a fallen tree trunk, wiped its surface clean, and sat down.
As the last rays of the sunset vanished below the horizon, darkness swallowed the world.
“Porcelain Moon senior, so you’re here too.”
Turning around, she saw Bai Lingluo approaching.
When the sun set and the moon rose, under the pure moonlight, Porcelain Moon noticed the complicated expression on Bai Lingluo’s face.
“Porcelain Moon… sister, do you have something on your mind?” Bai Lingluo sat down beside her.
“Nothing much, just some old memories came to mind.”
Bai Lingluo tried to get closer but inexplicably restrained herself, keeping her distance—a restraint Porcelain Moon both saw and understood.
Porcelain Moon wanted to reveal the truth, but it was a dilemma: to crush the faint hope in her heart or to weave lies that allowed hope to grow only to eventually consume everything.
She didn’t know how to decide.
“Um… Porcelain Moon sister, could you share your thoughts with me?”
[“Bai Lingyi is already dead, Bai Lingluo. Don’t hold on to any illusions anymore.”]
But…
The moonlight shone on the murky lake surface, reflecting a blurred white-haired figure.
Bai Lingyi, are you watching us?
Porcelain Moon made up her mind, took a deep breath, and said, “Do you want to hear it?”
In the end, she chose the latter.
Seeing Porcelain Moon’s beautiful smile illuminated by the moonlight, all of Bai Lingluo’s worries melted away. She leaned in, resting against Porcelain Moon’s chest.
“I have a sister. She was very disobedient. When we were kids, she was always mischievous, liked running off alone onto the streets to play.”
“Every time, Mom would make me, as the older sister, go find her. Sometimes it took me a long time. Once, I even found her almost being kidnapped. It scared me to death. But I never really blamed her—after all, kids are bound to make mistakes.”
“Then the Extradimensional Beasts came and killed many people, including our mother. I told my sister I would become a Magical Girl to protect our home, just like our father did.”
“In one battle, I lost all memories related to my sister. I can’t remember her name, I can’t find her. I only remember she said she wanted to become someone like me.”
“Who knows if that memory is even real? Maybe it’s just my fantasy… If I really had a sister, I would feel so guilty.”
“Maybe she hates me, maybe in her eyes, I’m already dead. Someone who risked her life fighting the beasts, indifferent to her family’s feelings—that’s crazy, right?”
This memory was real—Porcelain Moon’s Magical Core had pulsed when Bai Lingluo touched her, revealing Bai Lingyi’s past memories, which she then recounted.
Bai Lingyi, how many more past stories haven’t you told me yet?
“No! You’re a hero! I think, if she knew you were still alive, and had become an S-Class Magical Girl, she would be so happy! Definitely!”
Bai Lingluo gripped Porcelain Moon’s hand tightly.
“She definitely would…………”
“Would she… really?” Porcelain Moon looked up at the full moon, which radiated pure white light.
Would she, really?
Porcelain Moon thought of Luo Xi. If she opened up to her, how would Luo Xi view her?
Suddenly, Bai Lingluo raised her head, and Porcelain Moon saw tear stains all over her face.
“Bai Lingluo little sister, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing… just remembered my own past as well. But let’s not dwell on sad things. Let’s talk about something else.”
“By the way, Porcelain Moon sister, you’re a seasoned veteran. What do you think of my fighting style? Everyone tried hard, but in the end, we lost because of my mistake. I feel really sorry for everyone.”
Bai Lingluo blamed herself deeply; she cared a lot about her team.
Porcelain Moon could see it clearly. After all, she herself seemed to have inherited some of her sister’s qualities.
She replied, “Your fighting style is similar to mine. Honestly, when I first saw you, I felt we were alike in many ways.”
“I used to be like you, charging ahead with my strong power as the vanguard. But I would entrust my back to my teammates because I trusted them enough, and they trusted me.”
“So, Bai Lingluo, you should trust your teammates. No matter how strong one person is, they’re weak in front of a team. I hope you’ll reflect on that—but don’t blame yourself too much. Don’t take victory or defeat too seriously.”
“Porcelain Moon sister, you’re right.”
Bai Lingluo stood up and walked to the shore, not caring about the muddy ground beneath her feet. Turning back, she said, “Porcelain Moon sister, I have a request. Will you promise me?”
“What request?”
“Will you fight me?”
“Huh? Did I hear that right?”
“You heard right. I… want to defeat you.”
Porcelain Moon smiled wryly—this damned competitive streak inherited from the Bai family.
She had personally experienced Bai Lingyi’s competitive nature in dreams, whether it was about winning or losing at chess or the dynamics in relationships.
“Hmph, do you know how big the gap is between an A-Class and an S-Class Magical Girl? Beating me won’t be easy.”
“I know, but I just like challenging impossible tasks, because only then can I unleash my true potential and be ready for tough tasks in the future—like single-handedly holding off a Kingdom-Class Aberrant Beast,” Bai Lingluo said with a smile.
Is this girl’s brain fried? Did what I say just now make her lose her mind…? Porcelain Moon silently complained.
“Anyway, next time you meet a Kingdom-Class Aberrant Beast, you’d better avoid it.”
“So, Porcelain Moon sister, will you accept my challenge?”
Porcelain Moon thought for a moment. Maybe she could help Bai Lingluo train her abilities further. After all, a Magical Girl’s initial rank is fixed, but battle skills can be learned later.
Mastering refined combat skills could let one defeat even stronger enemies. Maybe an A-Class Magical Girl defeating a Kingdom-Class Aberrant Beast alone isn’t impossible—though it requires genius and perseverance.
Porcelain Moon believed Bai Lingluo had those qualities.
“Alright, I accept your challenge. I’ll go with little Bai’s suggestion—when do you want to challenge me?”
“Next time at the joint training exercise!”
“Then it’s a promise!”
“Good!”
The two linked pinkies and made a vow.