A Misplaced Tease

How formidable… Heidi, standing nearby, watched the unfolding scene with a trace of disbelief, her pretty face etched with astonishment.

‘This person… are they truly just a magical girl?’

Though merely an experimental subject, this chimera represented the pinnacle of their empire’s latest technological advancements. Professor Death, at the very least, had sworn with absolute certainty that it would effortlessly eliminate any magical girl.

Judging by the chimera’s performance, defeating the purple magical girl from earlier would indeed have posed no issue, but the black one…

She mused, stroking her chin in surprise, her eyes blinking in thought.

“And she actually defeated the chimera in just three moves? Such power is certainly not that of an ordinary magical girl. That terrifying sensation when she transformed earlier… it’s truly peculiar.”

“What a pity. If that black magical girl hadn’t interfered, we surely would have won this time!”

Heidi pouted, a flicker of regret crossing her delicate features. Just as she was about to speak further, she suddenly stopped, turning her head to look beside her.

“Oh, you mean now isn’t the time to dwell on such thoughts, and it’s better to retreat first? Indeed…”

Heidi nodded in profound agreement, her petite form gradually transforming into a swarm of bats that dispersed across the sky.

Suddenly, a strange glint flashed in her eyes, and she asked, slowly and deliberately:

“Then, Sasha, tell me, if you were to act, could you defeat that black one?”

After a long, drawn-out silence, Heidi seemed to hear a response, and she spoke with a hint of surprise:

“What, you say even you’re unsure!? This is the first time I’ve heard Sasha say something like that…”

As the bats scattered, the girl’s figure, along with her astonished words, vanished into the air.

****

Meanwhile, on the other side, a faint smile unbidden graced Shen Jingyi’s usually cool and sharp features as she watched the unscathed Kaguya slowly emerge from beneath the massive corpse of the calamity beast.

The sensation of surviving a catastrophe was always exquisite. As she breathed in the fresh air around her, a profound weariness and pervasive ache instantly spread through her body, causing her to sink back to her knees despite having just struggled to stand.

Yet, even with her body devoid of strength, her gaze remained fixed on Kaguya, who was slowly ascending.

As if sensing someone’s scrutiny, Kaguya tilted her head and offered Shen Jingyi a mischievous smile.

“…!”

Shen Jingyi quickly lowered her head, averting her gaze. Had one brushed aside the long hair that framed her face, they would surely have seen her cheeks burning a vivid crimson.

Before Shen Jingyi could utter another word, her clear eyes narrowed slightly. Kaguya, who had just moments ago been leisurely floating upwards, had, at some unknown point, appeared right beside her.

“I-I didn’t expect you were a magical girl too…”

Seeing the girl’s playful smile, Shen Jingyi’s pretty face flushed with panic. Unsure what to say, she could only grasp at a random topic.

“Hmm, so what?”

Kaguya blinked mischievously, her tone laced with amusement as she asked.

“So…?”

Shen Jingyi couldn’t help but freeze at the question. Though she had only spoken casually, at this moment Kaguya should either have followed her lead or chosen to evade the topic. Throwing the question back at her like this was simply baffling.

“So… ah!”

Before Shen Jingyi could grasp the meaning, she saw Kaguya, her feet slightly hovering, silently move her small hand from Shen Jingyi’s hair to her back, then slowly drift downwards.

A faint blush instantly bloomed on the young woman’s fair, pretty face. A subtle, tingling sensation slowly spread up her spine, and casting aside her usual coolness, she hurriedly and somewhat frantically pressed down on Kaguya’s small hand.

“Don’t… don’t in a place like this…”

The calamity beast had only just been defeated. The Anomaly Investigations Department, the Disaster Prevention Bureau, along with news reporters and curious onlookers, would soon arrive.

Kaguya hadn’t even dispelled her transformation yet! If they were seen doing *this* here by others…!

“Oh~ I see. Is Teacher Shen worried about me getting caught on camera by the media?”

Kaguya wore an understanding expression, then let out a soft chuckle, resting her small chin lightly on the young woman’s shoulder.

“Don’t worry, I’m not afraid of being photographed. It’s fine, it’s fine~”

‘I’m not worried about *you*!’

Shen Jingyi’s pretty face was instantly awash with a crimson flush of shame and indignation. She could only attempt to press down on Kaguya’s restless fingertips with her weak little hands.

Even if she wasn’t transformed right now, if those people caught her being intimate with a newly appeared magical girl in this place, she could kiss her peaceful life goodbye!

Hadn’t she signed that agreement with this person precisely to avoid this kind of situation? If it were exposed, what would be the point then…?

‘And this person… they clearly know!’

The young woman, mortified beyond words, bit down hard on her teeth, preventing any faint moans from escaping her lips.

“Hmm, it’s not like that?” As if sensing Shen Jingyi’s protesting gaze, Kaguya tilted her head, feigning innocence.

“Then it’s…”

“Oh, so that’s it.”

A mischievous smile bloomed on the young girl’s tender face. She slowly stopped her hand, leaned close to Shen Jingyi’s ear, and whispered softly:

“Teacher Shen looks truly adorable right now. Say, if I’m this conspicuous, and we get photographed, the entire city of Wangdu will know about our intimate relationship, won’t they?”

“Ugh… don’t…”

Faced with Kaguya’s teasing, Shen Jingyi could only shake her head weakly, yet the flush on her face grew increasingly pronounced, and the tremors in her delicate body intensified.

A subtle blend of fear and thrill surged from the depths of Shen Jingyi’s heart. The inherent danger, the uncertainty, and the nervous tension of doing something illicit while fearing discovery all simultaneously stimulated her body, causing her to tremble even more violently.

Kaguya, however, seemed oblivious to the young woman’s shyness and nervousness. Her hand movements continued unabated as she extended her tongue, lightly tracing Shen Jingyi’s fair neck, and whispered in a playfully wicked tone close to her ear:

“If others were to discover this, your peaceful life would come to an end, wouldn’t it? My Teacher Shen?”

“Please…”

The young woman bit her silver teeth, the faint sound seemingly squeezed from between her lips.

Kaguya’s languid, alluring voice, combined with the subtle, faint dark scent emanating from her, made Shen Jingyi’s breathing quicken, almost robbing her of the ability to think.

“Hmm? Did Teacher Shen just say something?”

The amusement on Kaguya’s face deepened, yet her hand movements showed no sign of stopping.

“I said! I beg you! Not here… I beg you…”

Shen Jingyi leaned weakly against Kaguya’s petite form, her small hands, which had initially tried to stop the restless fingertips, now felt utterly powerless.

“Are you satisfied now…?”

“Hmm… good enough.”

Kaguya exhaled a breath like orchids, pressing her lips into a smile. The soft touch against her body required no conscious effort to perceive; it was distinctly felt.

‘—I nearly used up all my lifespan saving this little girl just now. How could I not take this opportunity to replenish it?’