Porcelain Moon left the hospital the next day; for this level of injury, she was already accustomed to it.
She returned to the Magic Control Bureau, but the once bustling lobby had grown cold and deserted.
It was likely because, following the attack a few days prior, most departments had relocated to safer locations.
The original twelve-person combat squad was now down to five—four had defected, one was captured, one remained unconscious, and one was dead.
She entered Ma Xinyin’s office.
“I’ve been relieved of my position. Someone will replace me soon,” Ma Xinyin said.
She instructed her assistant to pack up her personal belongings.
“Porcelain Moon, from now on, you’ll have to rely on yourself.”
“Ma Xinyin, about that secret… I don’t want to keep hiding it anymore……..”
“Oh? Suit yourself. I’m no longer the director of the Magic Control Bureau, so I can’t control you now. But are you sure your sister can accept your true identity?”
“I don’t know, but she’s already reconciled with me in her heart. Now is the right time for me to reveal the truth.”
At that moment, a third voice interrupted.
“Porcelain Moon, you can’t say that.”
Lei Mang approached from behind. Porcelain Moon’s secret had almost been exposed to this third party. Fortunately, the other person showed no interest in her secret—or perhaps… they already knew.
“Without permission from the State Affairs Bureau, you cannot reveal your true identity. Every S-Class Magical Girl born before 2016 must keep their social identity confidential.”
“Sigh, it seems that without Ma Xinyin, there are still others watching over me……..”
“Porcelain Moon, you can choose to trust us at the Saint Li Group. If you want, we can provide support and protection—it’s just a matter of a single word from you.”
Porcelain Moon recalled Tianlang’s words. Perhaps the Saint Li Group was the ultimate mastermind behind all this.
In the current situation, the Saint Li Group had already infiltrated every corner of the Magic Control Bureau… They were the final victors.
“Lei Mang, has Luo Xi formed a deeper cooperative relationship with you?”
“That’s classified.”
“I can’t trust you…” Porcelain Moon shook her head.
“Then let’s end it here.”
Lei Mang turned and left.
Porcelain Moon felt it necessary to speak with Luo Xi about her concerns.
“Ma Xinyin, what do you think of the Saint Li Group?”
“Before, I might not have answered that question. But now… I’d say be wary of their tricks. I’ve seen many Magical Girls who signed contracts with them end up controlled, forced to resign from the Magic Control Bureau to work exclusively for the Saint Li Group.”
“What used to be a gray area with no regulations has officially become legal this year— and it’s exclusive to the Saint Li Group for poaching in this way.”
“Maybe the people above are already under their control…”
“Hey, Porcelain Moon, be careful what you say. Walls have ears. This is all I can say.”
“I understand.”
Ma Xinyin pulled out a slip of paper.
“Porcelain Moon, let’s talk about the most important matter: the Magical Girl defections. What do you know about this?”
“All I know is the enemy uses the Dream Realm to indoctrinate. Usually, those with the most tragic backgrounds are the easiest to corrupt.”
“Hm, this is taken very seriously by the higher-ups. There have been similar defections across regions, so special uniforms designed to counteract mental influence have been distributed.”
“Why weren’t they issued earlier?”
“Because those people were too slow to react. They underestimated the opponent as just a loose band of armed forces. Plus, these uniforms were still in the trial phase before, and have only just entered mass production.”
“Rest assured, this product has nothing to do with the Saint Li Group—it’s an in-house military development.”
“This slip is a permit; you can use it to distribute the uniforms to whomever you wish. I’ve handed over everything I can still control to you.”
“What about those still undercover?”
“There’s nothing we can do. People’s hearts are unpredictable. For now, the strategy is to temporarily remove the Magical Cores from those who might be susceptible to indoctrination.”
“So, what’s our current mission?”
“The Intelligence Bureau is working hard to locate the enemy’s whereabouts and predict their next moves. At the moment, there’s nothing urgent—more or less.”
“It’s all over… Xiaosi and Li Jing, why did they defect…?”
Ye Liu sat atop the Magic Control Bureau building, gazing despondently over Jing’an City, now a ghost town.
Few pedestrians walked the streets; most vehicles passing by were military. With autumn settling in, a bleak desolation hung over everything.
“And Lin Shuqing… why did she do this…?”
Ziyuan passed by her side.
“Ziyuan, did you know Tian Lan is dead?” Ye Liu asked.
Ziyuan sat down beside her.
“I know. She was from Jiangnan Province like me, and yet she left us forever…” Ziyuan’s voice broke as tears streamed down.
“It’s all Lin Shuqing’s fault! If I hadn’t been careless and caught off guard by her attack, maybe it wouldn’t have ended like this. Lin Shuqing used to be your friend, right? Why did she betray us?” Ye Liu pressed.
“I don’t know… I only know that she had an unhappy childhood. Before meeting us, she was introverted and silent. Maybe a seed of hatred was planted early on. Even though I’m quiet too, cheerful Tian Lan was still her closest friend…” Ziyuan sobbed, struggling to speak through her tears.
“Ziyuan, what will you do now?”
“I think I’ll take Lei Mang’s advice and join the Saint Li Group… To be honest, I don’t know what the future holds. For a more stable life, I have no choice. Ye Liu, what about you?”
“I’ll probably continue following orders for now. Honestly, I want to quit this job… but I don’t know if my parents will agree. I’ll talk with them about the plan tomorrow.”
“Sigh… My boyfriend broke up with me after finding out I’m a Magical Girl. He didn’t give a reason—maybe he’s scared I’ll end up like Tian Lan. After all, being a Magical Girl is a high-risk profession…”
Ye Liu lay back, staring at the beautiful sunset—the warm light coating the gray city in golden hues.
Ziyuan stood, brushing dust from her clothes.
“I’ll go now, Ye Liu. I don’t know if we’ll ever meet again.”
“Farewell.”
“Ying Xian! Say something!”
Kong Ling tugged at Ying Xian’s sleeve, shouting.
“Miao Ke’er, why did you leave us… Now you can finally tell us, right!?”
“Kong Ling, you wouldn’t understand.” Ying Xian remained cold and indifferent.
“What do you mean? Miao Ke’er has been with us so long. I know her better than anyone—why…?”
Kong Ling lowered her head, recalling past moments with Miao Ke’er.
“She was always such a good girl. She never did anything bad, and if she accidentally hurt someone, she would apologize softly and explain! Ying Xian, how could someone like her defect!?”
“Kong Ling, you’ve lost your reason. In times like these, you need to analyze things calmly.” Ying Xian pulled her hand free.
“Miao Ke’er’s defection is a fact now. From this point forward, she’s our enemy, no matter what.”
“But we were friends! Why should friends hurt each other? It shouldn’t be like this. Magical Girls should have kind hearts; no matter what conflicts arise, we should resolve them peacefully. Isn’t that how it’s always portrayed in manga and novels?”
“You’re as naive as she was—no, she was more mature than you. Kong Ling, the real world isn’t a fairy tale. A person’s standpoint determines how they see the world, which in turn dictates their actions. And standpoints… aren’t something you can just change on a whim.”
Kong Ling shook her head bitterly.
“I don’t understand these complicated truths, but we’re all girls of the same age. Why are there different standpoints? Shouldn’t we all stand together to fight the monsters and protect our homes?”
“No, Kong Ling. Some believe chaos will bring a better world—and Miao Ke’er is one of those people. To me, Magical Girls are guardians of order, and that’s why we parted ways.”
Kong Ling didn’t want to argue anymore.
“What order, what chaos—I don’t care! I became a Magical Girl so everyone could live better lives! If even this simple wish can’t be fulfilled, then what meaning does this world have?!”
She turned her back and leapt down through the rift blasted open by magic.
Ying Xian quickly peeked over, but Kong Ling had already vanished without a trace.
“Miao Ke’er, you’re truly heartless, to make Kong Ling so broken.”
“On the battlefields of the future, I will make you pay.”