Chapter 93: The Witch and the Magical Girl’s Midnight Rendezvous

“Liyun, have you gotten back your old touch yet?”

“Mm, my sister has been practicing with me these past few days, so it’s no problem now… Ah, I’m truly sorry for all the trouble I’ve caused everyone all this time!”

Liyun bowed deeply.

Hoshizuki didn’t mind and helped her up, teasing lightly, “Telling me that won’t help much. After all, you and I both disappeared for seven years.”

“No! You can’t be like me! I just— I only wasted those seven years meaninglessly. Your story must be the exact opposite, Hoshizuki!”

“Well, I did prepare for some things during those seven years, but I really didn’t interfere with the outside world. In that sense, we’re even.”

Hoshizuki pulled over a chair for her.

“Sit.”

“Thanks.”

“I’ll take you to Sidheim to forge your own Spiritual Manifestation Column… You’ve already heard from your sister what a Spiritual Manifestation Column is, right?”

“Yeah, it’s a physical aggregation of innate magic, right?”

“You’ve got it. It should be second nature for you. Also, you came here with something else you wanted to talk about, didn’t you?”

“Ah, yes.”

Liyun’s main purpose for coming was to relay the agenda that had been discussed at the previous Ten Seats meeting.

“Regarding the Elira Suppression Squad, Manjusaka has proposed we take down Elira once and for all this time. Luckily, the Sea Tide of the Borderworld has receded, easing the pressure on the Borderworld Checkpoint. Since Elira boldly challenged us, we have to respond decisively.”

“That matter…” Hoshizuki pursed her lips, surprised it came up so soon.

The “Elira Suppression Squad” was formed before she discovered Elira’s true identity, and it was established decisively with unanimous support from all Ten Seats.

But who would’ve thought that just a few days after the decision, she would encounter Elira herself.

And it was the real Elira.

【We can’t just disband the Suppression Squad now, right?】

Hoshizuki rubbed her cheek, troubled.

But on second thought, it didn’t really matter.

This was just a show of strength to send a message to Elira—letting her know that the Magical Alliance wasn’t her backyard where she could casually pick a few flowers and then plant them back after playing.

Whether or not they could catch Elira, few truly believed it was possible.

Hoshizuki didn’t think Elira was an opponent you could defeat by sheer numbers.

If they really cornered her, the magical girl identity might no longer be their get-out-of-jail-free card. To avoid capture, Elira might cause casualties among them.

At the same time, Hoshizuki worried that an insufficient show of force might provoke Elira’s pride even more, making her hunt magical girls without restraint.

The ideal was to deliver a warning strong enough to intimidate Elira but not so fierce that it provoked a violent counterattack.

Easier said than done.

Compared to that, Liyun was very proactive.

Her time was running out!

Better to capture that witch before she films her little movies!

“Hoshizuki, we want to use you as the spearhead against Elira, with us providing support from the flanks. What do you think?”

“Hmm…”

Hoshizuki frowned slightly.

“It might not be that easy.”

“You defeated Elira seven years ago, didn’t you? There’s a first time, so there must be a second!”

Liyun’s sparkling eyes left Hoshizuki momentarily speechless.

A second time?

Yes!

But she ultimately failed.

She had never faced Elira in a direct battle of strength.

【I’m confident I can handle Elira’s Sanjie Shifang Pure Land and other techniques, but that white coral and her uncatchable speed…】

Hoshizuki fretted. If she wanted to defeat Elira head-on, she’d have to use the — but that wasn’t meant for Elira. It was reserved for a much longer-term plan.

“Let me ask, have you made any plans for failure?”

“Failure… that won’t happen, right? We have so many Ten Seats, and with you here, even if we can’t win, we shouldn’t lose,” Liyun replied.

Having seen Elira’s strength firsthand in the Nine Abyss Sea, her response was very measured.

Each Ten Seat was formidable, especially Hoshizuki, who had defeated Elira before.

Manjusaka, the second seat, was unfathomably powerful as well.

How could they lose with so many combined?

If they did lose, then all magical girls in the world would be at Elira’s mercy.

That future would be terrifying.

Hoshizuki added, “If we don’t find a way to limit her speed, it won’t matter how many of us gather.”

“Could barrier magic work?”

“Probably not much, unless it’s a large-scale barrier formed by multiple Ten Seats working together.”

“But Elira won’t give us time to form such a barrier. Before that, she’ll use her speed to pick you all off one by one.”

“Then—”

Liyun frowned, confused. If this can’t work and that can’t work, how exactly did Hoshizuki defeat Elira seven years ago?

And today, her answers sounded like hesitation.

“Manjusaka will be here in a couple of days. Let her explain it to you,” Liyun said.

“Who’s coming? Manjusaka?”

“Yeah, that’s what she said.” Hoshizuki was surprised.

In all the years she’d known Manjusaka, she had rarely left Sidheim, always stationed at headquarters.

Her strength had been quietly accumulating.

Now, even Hoshizuki couldn’t gauge her depth.

“She wants me to be the vanguard?”

“Exactly.”

“I see…”

Hoshizuki thought it over. “Alright, if it’s her proposal, it should be feasible.”

Knock knock—

Hoshizuki: “Come in.”

Fiyu opened the door and stepped inside.

“Excuse me, are you discussing how to deal with Elira? Sorry, I just happened to overhear…”

“Yes, as you heard, we have to respond to Elira’s declaration.”

Wanting to test Fiyu’s decision-making as a future Ten Seat, Hoshizuki asked, “Fiyu, what do you think of Elira’s previous declaration at the Borderworld Checkpoint?”

“Eh?”

Fiyu blinked.

This was a topic only the Ten Seats usually discussed—a sign she was about to join their ranks.

“Oh? Who do you think it’s aimed at?”

She thought for a moment and answered, “Probably she has a specific target in mind?”

“…Maybe a magical girl who angered her?”

Who could it be? Surely not me, Hoshizuki thought.

Though Elira won the previous Duel 2.0, she didn’t seem happy about it—her stockings were pulled off after all.

Yet afterward, Elira did keep her promise to counsel Liyun, so she probably held no grudge.

Besides, Hoshizuki was confident she made Elira both enjoy and suffer during that Duel 2.0, whether attacking or defending.

“Does anyone here recall recently angering her?”

“Maybe me,” Fiyu admitted honestly.

“I created a group chat with magical girls who suffered from Elira’s attacks, uniting their power to gather intelligence. Maybe this exposure made Elira feel her everyday life was threatened…”

“I see. Unless you’re very close to the truth, she wouldn’t make such a big deal just to target you alone. It’s probably more than just you.”

Fiyu had no clue.

True enough.

What else could have angered Elira?

***

At Luo You’s House —

“I’ve got it!”

Luo You suddenly lit up, throwing her head back and shouting.

She’d had an idea about the little movie!

She had always thought that just Liyun and herself weren’t enough to build a compelling script, but if they added a third person, everything would change.

“The third person will be you… Auntie!”

Luo You grinned with an unsettling smile.

The movie’s plot was about a girl born with a poisonous body. When young, her family was mercilessly tormented by an evil witch.

The female family members were locked up as concubines at home, while the male members were exiled to the borderlands to dig potatoes.

One day!

A fairy descended to drive out demons and uphold justice.

She saved the poisonous girl from the witch and took her as an apprentice, teaching her to harness the power of her poisonous body.

From then on, the poisonous girl vowed to exact revenge on witches.

She refined hundreds of poisons, turning all her bodily fluids into deadly toxins.

Years later, when she had reached mastery, it was time to settle the score!

She stormed into the witch’s residence only to find something that shattered her life’s beliefs—her master was secretly indulging herself under the witch!

That vacant, submissive look was like a puppet under the witch’s control!

It turned out that before rescuing the poisonous girl, the master had already been the witch’s star wrath.

Saving the poisonous girl and teaching her cultivation was all part of the witch’s plan.

The poisonous girl killed her master in tears.

However, the poisons she used to refine her own body had already been swapped by her master.

The fearsome poisonous body became nothing more than a natural charm that stimulated desire!

From then on, both master and apprentice fell under the witch’s spell, becoming caged birds who sang sweet songs all day long…

That was the story!

“Genius! I’m a genius!”

Luo You laughed out loud. This script fit her perfectly!

The poisonous girl was Ji Yue, Liyun was the master, and she herself was the all-consuming witch!

Luo You had always harbored resentment toward Ji Yue because of that suggestion to poison her body. Now she had a reason to pay special attention to her!

Assigning Ji Yue the role of the poisonous body was for this reason.

But after the excitement faded, Luo You calmed down.

The script was written, but how to get Ji Yue to cooperate in filming the little movie was still a problem.

A good film required magical girls to cooperate voluntarily.

If they subconsciously resisted, it would end up like a cheesy island film.

She wanted something worthy of a Nobel Prize!

Liyun’s side was fine. How to get Ji Yue to willingly cooperate…

In the end, it could only be done by threatening someone she treasured.

So the choice was—

“Uh, Zining? No, no, no. No way. Change the candidate!”

Ji Yue didn’t have many people she cherished—just Ji Meng and Luo Zining.

But Ji Meng was actually Xing Yu, a Ten Seat, and neither side knew the other was a magical girl.

Threatening Ji Meng wouldn’t work.

That left only—

“I’ll have to get personally involved,” Luo You sighed.

During this time, she’d work to become someone dear to Auntie’s heart.

Then, using “Luo Youyou” as leverage, Ji Yue would have no choice but to obey!

Luo You wasn’t afraid of their innate lack of acting skills.

No matter how hard it was to embody the role?

No problem. With hypnosis and repeated suggestions, even the best actors could be created.

“Should I also give Auntie a pair of stockings?”

Luo You thought.

Auntie didn’t look like someone who could be won over by seduction so easily…

Ah, whatever, better to give them first!

But before that, she still had to set a trap for Liyun.

“Is it about time?”

Luo You glanced at the clock.

Ten hours had passed since the fire broke out.

It was now 9 PM.

Normally, Liyun wouldn’t come looking now, but what if she sent a message first?

Done and done.

Luo You opened WeChat and sent a voice message.

“Big sister! Big sister! Today I met that Sixth Ten Seat magical girl!”

After more than ten minutes, Liyun finally replied.

“Eh, you met her? I’m so jealous! Ahahaha…”

Even after ten minutes to compose herself, Liyun’s tone was palpably awkward.

Luo You immediately dropped the killer line—

“Big sister, I even gave her the stockings I was wearing then as a gift. You won’t be mad, right?”

“Eh? I-I’m not mad! You can give stockings to whoever you want, Youyou.”

On the other end, Liyun blushed, her heart pounding as she looked at the black silk stockings by her side, their smooth texture tugging at her heartstrings.

No! No! She couldn’t think about that!

Wanting to change the subject, Liyun quickly did so.

“Youyou, you live in Huahai City, right? Coincidentally, I just came to Huahai City! I have something to discuss with you… do you have time? …Ah!”

The voice message had already been sent, and Liyun immediately regretted it.

She had just met Luo Youyou today as the magical girl “Liyun,” and now she had revealed her location. That was definitely suspicious!

She wanted to recall the message and backtrack, but Luo You quickly replied.

“Sure~ Big sister probably can’t come to my place, right? Where do you want to meet? Could it be… a couple’s hotel?”

“N-No, no, no! Just somewhere normal!”

Liyun sent her location.

It was the local seaside plaza in Huahai City, a massive area with a large sightseeing lake.

At night, it was a great place for a secret meeting.

Rumor had it that strange sounds came from the grass there after dark…

Luo You asked again, “Want me to dress up pretty and sexy?”

“No! Just wear whatever you’re wearing at home when you come out!”

“Ah, but that’s not really appropriate~?”

Luo You sent a selfie—she was in the bath, covered in foam.

One could only imagine the sharp shriek Liyun let out after seeing the photo.

After that, Luo You finished bathing and changed into a beautiful, fashionable outfit—though she didn’t wear stockings.

The lower half was a pair of ultra-short hot pants that showed off her flawless white legs, almost entirely exposing them.

With this outfit, it was as if she was emphasizing to Liyun that the stockings she once wore on her legs had already been given away.