Chapter 99: Terrorist Attack?

Ye Xingling and her deskmate Jiang Nan went downstairs again and found a bench to sit on in the small park on campus.

“So it’s really blown up this big. They’re rolling out such a huge operation today.”

Jiang Nan sat beside Ye Xingling, cupping the coffee she’d bought as if warming her hands. She took a sip and sighed with feeling.

“No kidding. They’ve already released such a major announcement, so they must be planning to take this seriously.”

Ye Xingling replied absentmindedly.

At this moment, her mind was still on the phone call her brother and Sister Shiyue had given her when they were upstairs.

‘So her big bro and Sister Shiyue really had been involved in these things long before she knew, in places she didn’t know about… And they were able to get someone as impressive as Senior Qiluo to help her obtain the identity code…’

‘How had she never noticed before how capable her big bro and Sister Shiyue were? Had they been hiding it that well?’

‘Thinking about her own elf… it made sense. Even she could become a Magical Girl, so no matter how outrageous other things were, they weren’t impossible.’

‘If that were the case, then her brother and Sister Shiyue knowing she was a Magical Girl… probably didn’t matter. Even if they had some connection with the Human Alliance, as their little sister, they should accept her, right?’

She couldn’t help but feel a glimmer of hope.

“Hey, Xiaoling, look. It looks like a few people carrying several bags are going into the gymnasium.”

Jiang Nan noticed her deskmate didn’t seem inclined to talk, so she looked around and happened to see this strange sight. She quickly patted Ye Xingling’s shoulder and pointed out the direction of those people.

“Huh? They’re probably just going to play ball. Maybe the Comprehensive Census will be held at the gymnasium later.”

Ye Xingling said without even looking up, automatically.

After all, it was time to prepare for the Comprehensive Census. The third period and lunch break had all been used for the school to set up the venue. Otherwise, Ye Xingling and Jiang Nan wouldn’t have had the leisure to come downstairs for a break.

She continued thinking about the possibility of confessing her identity as a Magical Girl to her brother and sisters and gaining their support.

“Oh, that makes sense.”

Jiang Nan thought for a moment and agreed.

Ye Xingling suddenly looked up and observed her deskmate. Finding that she wasn’t paying attention at all, she opened her alt account and tapped into the small group of the Magical Girl Society.

‘Were any of the seniors discussing something interesting right now?’

But after she entered, she was dumbfounded.

Qiluo: I received a notification. Terrorist attacks have occurred in some places that were preparing for the Comprehensive Census. Everyone, please protect those around you and stay alert for anything unusual.

Qiansheng: …That serious? Do we need to do anything?

Yunque: No need. The Human Alliance seems unwilling to rely on external help this time. Since yesterday, they should have been eliminating hidden dangers. They probably pushed those guys too hard and forced them to jump out.

Qiansheng: That’s good, but isn’t this a bit too rash?

Qiluo: Indeed, it’s too rash. It doesn’t seem like a decision the Human Alliance would make. They’ve always prioritized stability.

Qiluo: Anyway, it’s not much of our concern. If you girls notice any hidden dangers, let me know first, and Yunque and I will come help.

Something unusual… terrorist attack … hidden danger…

These words appeared one after another, making Ye Xingling’s hair stand on end. She couldn’t help but tense up.

‘It couldn’t be that much of a coincidence…’

Ye Xingling suddenly remembered what Jiang Nan had just said. She swallowed nervously and glanced guiltily toward the gymnasium. Seeing nothing happen, she shifted her gaze back to the small group of the Magical Girl Society.

‘It seemed the seniors weren’t going to chat anymore…’

Just as this thought crossed her mind, a deafening explosion came from the direction of the gymnasium. She turned her head and saw thick smoke billowing out of the gate of the nearby gymnasium. Nearby students let out piercing screams and fled in all directions.

The sturdy gymnasium didn’t seem to have collapsed from the explosion, but the dust and rolling smoke spewing from the doors and windows had yet to dissipate.

“Xiaoling?! Run! What are you waiting for?”

Jiang Nan was about to pull Ye Xingling, who was momentarily stunned by the incident, when she saw that there seemed to be people wearing black hoods, moving against the crowd, swinging something in their hands to drive the students…

There weren’t many such people, but the unarmed students were quickly herded by their strikes toward one direction — it seemed to be toward the teaching building.

Ye Xingling immediately snapped out of it. She grabbed Jiang Nan and ran away from the crowd.

“W-we’re not following the others?”

Jiang Nan was breathing heavily, barely keeping up with Ye Xingling’s pace.

‘She had never noticed before how strong this girl was.’

“You idiot! Following them is no different from waiting to die!”

Ye Xingling hissed under her breath. The knowledge of handling emergencies that came from being a Magical Girl was finally a little useful.

Those guys were clearly herding the students like sheep toward one direction. Later they might come out to search for students on the periphery. At this moment, the most important thing was to hide or run out of the school gate.

Ye Xingling took Jiang Nan to hide in a relatively secluded bush. From a distance, across the cafeteria, she observed the exit of the school gate. But she found that there were also a few hooded guys loitering near the gate. Any students trying to escape were beaten back.

The other exit was surely in the same situation. Damn, these people had set this up in advance.

Then she glanced at the school’s nearly three-meter-high, electrified wall and completely dismissed the idea of leaving the school that way.

Seeing that no hooded guys seemed to be paying attention to them, Ye Xingling quickly led Jiang Nan from the staff passage of the cafeteria’s back door to the cafeteria’s restroom area. But just as they quietly crept over and were about to hide inside the restroom, clear footsteps came from inside.

The footsteps grew closer and closer. Jiang Nan’s heart was nearly in her throat. Ye Xingling quickly pressed Jiang Nan’s head down and pulled her behind a nearby kitchen dishwasher.

She confirmed that this dishwasher should perfectly hide their feet. If the other party didn’t notice them or didn’t look too closely, it should be a temporary hiding spot.

The doorknob turned. A hooded man walked out, holding a machete in his hand. He looked around, then picked up his walkie-talkie.

“I’ve done it. What do you want me to do now? Go back? Alright.”

As he spoke, the sound of his shoes on the tiles faded away.