The sky darkened, heavy clouds rolling in.
A sudden downpour broke out in the heat of midsummer afternoon.
Summer’s rainy season was notoriously fierce, and this year was worse than usual, with rainfall double that of previous years.
Many parts of the city were already submerged up to their knees, and residents everywhere grumbled as they scrambled to set up rain defenses.
“Li Yun, I’m home.”
Ji Meng returned to her house, where the living room was shrouded in darkness as usual.
It felt as if no one ever lived here at all.
She opened the door to her room and saw a bundle curled up on the large bed.
“…Li Yun.”
“I saw Ellera a few days ago.”
The quilt on the bed stirred immediately—
Li Yun pulled back the covers, her face looking a bit haggard but still strong enough to run toward Ji Meng.
“Sister, you saw her?!”
Li Yun’s eyes burned with an obsession verging on madness, twisting Ji Meng’s heart in a painful grip.
“Sis! Answer me!”
“Yeah… she’s even harder to deal with than before. If Xingyue hadn’t come to my rescue, I might have…”
At those words, Li Yun’s hands loosened their grip on Ji Meng’s shoulders, and her head bowed in defeat.
“I’m sorry, sister…”
“If only I could transform… then you wouldn’t be in such danger.”
Ji Meng’s disappointed eyes suddenly brightened with surprise, a flicker of joy rising in her chest.
So her little sister did still care for her!
“It’s okay, Li Yun. Right now, just focus on protecting your body. You’ll recover—”
“If I could transform too, even if I couldn’t defeat Ellera, at least I could fight alongside you…”
Ji Meng’s words caught in her throat and never escaped.
She stared blankly at Li Yun.
What was she seeing? Nothing at all.
There was no place for herself in her sister’s eyes.
“That’s enough…”
“Sister, I’ll try again tomorrow, this time I’m sure I can—”
“I said enough!”
Ji Meng shoved her hard, staggering backward to slump into a chair.
Li Yun, pushed away, fell to the floor, confused and upset but somehow understanding Ji Meng was angry.
She quietly asked, “Sister, what’s wrong?”
“How much longer are you going to keep doing this?”
“Seven years. Ever since that woman… you abandoned your duties as a magical girl for a whole seven years!”
“I don’t see a single trace of what a magical girl should be in you now!”
Ji Meng’s gaze fell sorrowfully to the ground, a bitter smile on her lips.
“I was wrong… if with this attitude you can still transform, then that would be an insult to all those magical girls who were forced into early retirement.”
Thud, thud, thud.
Li Yun staggered forward, grabbing Ji Meng’s shoulders, now on the verge of losing control.
“Sis? Sister!? Why say something like that? Weren’t you always on my side…? Why say such hurtful things?”
“You know I have always stood by you, right?!”
Ji Meng broke free from her grip, shouting hysterically.
“I’m the one who lived with you these seven years, who took care of you, who kept your seat reserved! Why can’t you pay some attention to me, your sister, instead of obsessing over Ellera?! Do I not exist to you?”
“I want to be seen by you too!”
“Why can’t you look at me like you used to?”
Tears streamed down Ji Meng’s face.
“Why did you… become like this…”
She transformed into a magical girl, ignoring the raging storm outside, and rushed out the door.
With no destination in mind.
Only wanting to escape this place at all costs.
***
Somewhere unknown, Xingyu bumped into someone, knocking the person’s umbrella flying. She collapsed onto the ground, sobbing and repeating “I’m sorry.”
The heavy rain soaked both their clothes instantly.
“…Did you come here just for nothing?”
At the familiar voice, Xingyu slowly lifted her head.
Through the rain-blurred vision stood a girl dressed in casual clothes, wearing a mask, with long silver hair, towering over her.
“Ellera?”
“That’s me.”
For some reason, her hand rose on its own and clutched the hem of the girl’s skirt.
Xingyu leaned against her legs.
“Let me forget everything…”
Luo You was utterly confused.
What did “Let me forget everything” even mean? What was going on?
【This is bad, could it be Xingyue’s Trap?】
Today was the day of the Second Imperial Duel, and she was on her way to the hotel for the appointment.
Xingyue had already booked a room there; from afar, the hotel lights flickered.
A midsummer night of wind and rain, heavy with the tension of a duel at the peak of the Forbidden Purple Summit.
No matter what noise was made, no one would hear it—the storm would wash it all away.
However—
On a night meant to be a showdown between her and Xingyue alone, another of the Ten Seats suddenly appeared.
And said to her, “Let me forget everything.”
Luo You couldn’t comprehend it.
No wonder she was her daughter’s sister, though unrelated by blood, their way of speaking was just as absurd.
“Um… I don’t mind a threesome, but can you explain what’s going on?”
“Can you… go see my sister Li Yun? (whispered)”
“Ah?”
The grip on her skirt suddenly tightened, pulling Luo You’s dress down with it.
Xingyu raised her head, humbly pleading, “Could you please go see my sister Li Yun?”
“Hah… what’s the reason?”
Luo You quietly adjusted her skirt.
“My sister… because of what you did to her in the past, she can’t transform into a magical girl anymore. At home, she’s all strange and withdrawn… so I thought… maybe if she sees you, something might change…”
“Ugh…”
Luo You felt herself tangled in trouble again.
A rake like her, how could she want to bear the responsibility for hunting magical girls years ago?
After a long silence, just as Xingyu lost hope, Luo You finally responded.
“It’s not free, you know.”
“I know… I’m ready for that…”
“I’m going to do some things to you, don’t resist.”
Luo You’s fingers gently tapped her forehead.
Brainwashing hypnosis! Brainwashing hypnosis! Brainwashing hypnosis!
Maybe because Xingyu had already been walking like a zombie, even after hypnosis, there wasn’t much change.
“Did Xingyue send you here?”
“No… purely by chance…”
Xingyu replied blankly.
“Do you know what Xingyue plans to do next?”
“No…”
“Alright then, come with me.”
Luo You sighed. What a mess.
This time she only agreed to help because Xingyu and Li Yun were sisters to her daughter.
She wanted to quickly solve this family’s problems, cut off all ties, and never get involved with them again.
That’s what she said—
【Her figure is really amazing!! Definitely the type of big sister who could smother me to death!】
Luo You’s gaze kept wandering over Xingyu’s rain-soaked body.
So focused she nearly bumped into a railing ahead.
If she were caught between Xingyue and Xingyu, even dying from suffocation wouldn’t be a regret.
Too bad she couldn’t do that—Xingyue was as cunning as a snake.
No one could guess what she was really thinking, and rashly joining Xingyu would only bring trouble.
“Then let’s split it into first and second halves!”
Luo You booked a room for Xingyu on the floor below the duel venue.