Friends (3)

“…You’re killing yourself for a few thousand a month?”

As the security guard advanced, Bai Mian let out a quiet sigh.

She raised her hand. A flash of ominous black-purple magic—and the guard collapsed, trapped in a terrifying nightmare.

“So… still eating tonight?”

After taking down the unlucky guard, Bai Mian asked the Dreamfiend in her hand.

She’d just finished feeding on a teacher who was still working late in the office. As she tried to leave, the guard patrolling the field spotted her.

Probably mistaking her for a thief, the old man had shouted at her—leading to this.

“…This isn’t mealtime, young lady,” Dreamfiend reminded her.

“True.”

Bai Mian smirked.

Then, suddenly, she spun around. Her arm lashed out—crack!—shattering a descending beam of magic.

Magic particles scattered like glowing dust. Her arm stung with a burning sensation.

Before she could check the injury, the next attack came.

Realizing the follow-up wasn’t something she could block, Bai Mian immediately chose to retreat.

In less than a second, several magic arrows struck the spot where she’d just stood. Then, a small, flame-wreathed meteor crashed down with a roar.

—Boom!

Dust and debris erupted into the air.

“…Are those the magical girls hunting you?”

As the smoke cleared, Bai Mian got her first close look at her pursuers.

Red twin tails. A yellow archer. And… a tiny blue girl.

“Definitely not the same ones,” Dreamfiend said. “I’d have sensed them. Their magic scale is massive.”

“So they’re weak, then?” Bai Mian asked.

“From what I just sensed… yeah. They’re clearly new—”

Suddenly, it fell silent.

“…?!?”

At the same time, Bai Mian was overwhelmed by a crushing, suffocating fear—like a boulder pressing down on her chest. Confused, she glanced at her right hand.

After fusing with Dreamfiend, they shared a weak psychic link. That fear… wasn’t hers. It was his.

“…Magic wand!? Run! Run now!” Dreamfiend screamed.

“Stop!”

Seeing the hooded figure flee, Raging Flame raised her greatsword, ready to give chase. Huangxing nocked three magic arrows, drawing her bow.

But at that critical moment, Tidal—standing beside them—suddenly dropped to one knee, clutching her chest, trembling in pain.

“Senior!”

“Tidal Senior!”

Raging Flame and Huangxing dropped their stances and rushed to her side.

“…I’m fine.”

Tidal raised a hand, stopping them.

Slowly, she pushed herself up, filled with frustration and regret.

In truth, the beam she’d fired was less than 10% of its power—easily dispelled by Dreamfiend.

If that sudden heart pain hadn’t disrupted her focus, that attack should’ve ended it.

“Senior…”

“I’m really fine.”

Forcing a smile at the two worried girls, Tidal said:

“Buy me a little time.”

“Got it!” both nodded.

“…Hey, use that—the thing we talked about in the air,” Huangxing said, glancing at Raging Flame, who nodded in understanding.

“Alright, I’m going. Can you keep up?”

“That’s my line.”

In flashes of red and yellow light, the two magical girls summoned their weapons and charged after Dreamfiend.

Raging Flame took the ground route—her melee weapon made straight-line pursuit more efficient. Huangxing soared into the sky. For a ranged archer, height meant better angles and vision.

Tidal didn’t know what “that” was. Maybe the two had discussed tactics while patrolling… she thought.

Her heart rate stabilized. The numbness in her body faded, and control returned.

“Now…” She tightened her grip on the magic wand, eyes locked on Dreamfiend’s escape path.

What did “magic wand” mean? What was Dreamfiend so afraid of? Bai Mian didn’t know. But they were one now—its instincts wouldn’t lead her wrong.

Channeling all her magic, Bai Mian sprinted toward the exit of the field.

As she ran, she held her palm behind her, letting Dreamfiend monitor the pursuers.

“…Another attack from above?”

Through Dreamfiend’s eyes, Bai Mian saw several magic arrows speeding toward her from the upper rear.

She didn’t dodge. She kept running her planned path.

The moment she saw the attack, Dreamfiend had already calculated the trajectory and sent the data to her mind.

Sure enough, the three orange-yellow arrows missed completely, landing over ten meters away—nowhere near her path.

To her, a missed arrow was no more threatening than a pebble on the ground.

They probably misjudged the arrow’s speed, firing a fraction too early… Bai Mian thought, a mocking smile forming.

The three arrows embedded in the rubber track, and as if furious at their master’s mistake, crackling arcs of electricity sparked around them.

“Wait—don’t go there!”

Seeing the anomaly, Dreamfiend suddenly understood.

“There’s a trap!” it shouted.

“…?!?”

But it was too late.

All three arrows exploded at once. Their stored electrical energy surged, drawn together, weaving into a massive net of lightning—several meters wide—suspended in midair.

Driven by momentum, Bai Mian couldn’t stop in time. Like a moth to flame, she crashed into the net.

Instantly, the current paralyzed her body, freezing her in place.

“I’m… done…”

Before she could regain control, a crimson streak of flame surged toward her.

Raging Flame—greatsword raised, radiating heat—charged forward with a roar, delivering the final blow.

—Hyaah!!!

The blade descended—but froze mid-swing.

Magical Girl Raging Flame—You Xi—stared at the hooded figure with the most stunned expression of her life.

“H-how…?”

“…Is that… Xiao Mian?”