Lin Xiao clutched his aching head, grappling with the mountainous pile of tasks that perpetually swamped his desk. Despite countless repetitions, he found himself utterly incapable of adapting to the relentless demands of such arduous work.
As the organization currently housing the vast majority of intelligent demonkind, the Dawn Star Hall had never known a moment’s respite from the immense pressures assailing it from every conceivable direction.
Curiously, the organization’s name was, in fact, borrowed from an anime he had watched ages ago. Yet, unlike a righteous demon who succumbed to darkness and rose as a villainous overlord, he had been branded the “Demon King” from the very outset.
“Xiao, we’re getting married,” Qi Yue’an’s voice suddenly broke through his thoughts. “Is it truly wise to invite *them*? I recall they assaulted several of your settlements, and I even had a skirmish with them myself, not so long ago…”
Just then, Qi Yue’an’s voice materialized beside him. She held a steaming mug of coffee, which she gently placed on Lin Xiao’s cluttered desk before remaining perfectly still, as if momentarily frozen in place.
“They are, after all, a renowned magical girl squad,” Lin Xiao began, a weariness in his tone. “Even if they attend, I doubt they’ll cause any undue trouble; they are hardly foolish individuals… As for the marriage itself, it’s primarily for the ritual, and to grant you a protective identity.”
The casual, almost matter-of-fact way she spoke of becoming his wife, like any young woman on the cusp of matrimony, left him feeling a distinct pang of awkwardness.
“Xiao, do you truly not wish to marry me…?”
Qi Yue’an lowered her gaze slightly, her fingers idly tracing patterns on her own hand. Though her expression remained inscrutable, an inexplicable sense of desolation emanated from her.
“I… it’s just that our relationship back in the village, when we lived together, was… different,” he stammered, scrambling for words. “To suddenly leap to marriage now feels a little… strange.”
He hurried to explain, referencing the distant past when Qi Yue’an had still been Qi An. Back then, her abilities had blurred the lines of her gender, rendering her indistinguishable as male or female, and he had never, in his wildest dreams, envisioned their connection escalating to such a profound level.
“Then, Xiao,” she pressed, her voice soft but firm, “do you love me?”
“Eh?”
Qi Yue’an fell silent for a fleeting moment before abruptly lifting her head, her eyes fixed on him with a terrifying earnestness. It was as if she posed a question of paramount importance, yet utterly devoid of the bashful shyness one might expect from a typical young person.
“I…”
He began to form a response, but his words caught in his throat as Qi Yue’an took a decisive step closer.
“I want you to love me, Xiao.”
Leaning against the desk, her face, etched with unwavering resolve, drew so close it was almost pressed against his own.
Lin Xiao found himself momentarily speechless, utterly at a loss for a suitable reply. It had always been this way; she would, at times, unexpectedly utter such startling pronouncements. Her current actions bordered on a full-fledged declaration of love, yet knowing Qi Yue’an as he did, he perceived that her true meaning lay elsewhere.
“Then… An, what about you?”
His counter-question, however, seemed to momentarily fluster her. While she deeply yearned to become the person he cherished most, believing it might safeguard her from abandonment, the thought of turning that very question upon herself…
While Lin Xiao held significant importance for her, she had never, in the earlier days, entertained such romantic notions. Moreover, her current predicament felt more like being held captive by him, rendering her inner emotions profoundly complex.
As a faint blush crept across her cheeks and she nervously fumbled for words, an unexpected voice suddenly cut through the air – that of someone who had, until now, been entirely overlooked.
“How do you two manage to speak with such… saccharine sentimentality, yet display not a single shred of embarrassment?”
The voice, distinctly female, carried a note of faint awkwardness.
Qi Yue’an turned her head, her gaze falling upon a woman with flowing golden hair and an elegant figure. The woman held a briefcase, and it appeared she had been patiently waiting, quite possibly for a considerable duration.
“Boss,” the woman stated, “these are the replies we’ve received from various parties over the past few days.”
“Just place them here,” Lin Xiao instructed, a hint of surprise in his voice. “But… has Li Yan really finished delivering everything so swiftly?”
The woman nodded, her tone tinged with a slight exasperation, yet a faint, almost imperceptible glint of approval flickered in her eyes.
“That kid, ‘Third Brother,’ is certainly diligent when running errands,” she remarked, a wry twist to her lips. “If only he could be a bit more serious in his daily conduct. And rumor has it, one of the reasons for his swiftness was to pay a visit to a certain someone.”
Qi Yue’an instinctively shrank behind Lin Xiao, yet her eyes remained intently fixed on their exchange. They appeared to have a long-standing acquaintance, their conversation flowing effortlessly, entirely devoid of any typical superior-subordinate dynamic. Furthermore… that particular form of address…
‘Xiao possesses a facet of himself I have never encountered.’
A faint, inexplicable pang of jealousy stirred deep within her. She gently tugged at Lin Xiao’s sleeve, her eyes silently posing the unspoken question, “Who *is* this woman?”
“I apologize, I forgot to introduce you. This is—”
Lin Xiao was in the midst of the introduction when, without his noticing, she had already gracefully stepped closer.
“Well hello there, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you~”
Her voice had taken on a remarkably light and cheerful cadence.
“My name is Su Qiao,” she announced, a charming smile gracing her lips. “I’m ranked second among the executives, overseeing ‘Pride.’ You can simply call me Sister Su Qiao.”
Her smile was exceptionally gentle, much like one might bestow upon a small, vulnerable creature in need of protection.
Lin Xiao added from beside her, his tone imbued with the casual familiarity of introducing a family member. “Su Qiao is one of the founding members who followed me from the very beginning to establish the Dawn Star Hall. Her personality can be a bit blunt, but she is, by and large, quite dependable.”
“Boss,” Su Qiao feigned a pout, “speaking of me like that in front of the bride-to-be, aren’t you entirely ruining my first impression?”
Su Qiao playfully scowled at Lin Xiao, then turned her gaze towards Qi Yue’an, her eyes softening considerably.
“We haven’t had the chance to meet before,” Su Qiao continued, her honesty disarming. “The rumors circulating among the subordinates painted you as some unfortunate girl of unknown origins, merely seized to complete a ritual…”
She spoke without the slightest hesitation or pretense.
“Now, however, it seems my worries were unfounded. This is, in fact, the very first time I’ve witnessed *him* display such an expression.”
Qi Yue’an felt a distinct unease under the radiant glow of Su Qiao’s bright, “sunny” disposition, prompting her to subtly retreat. Yet, the protective intimacy Su Qiao emanated, a stark contrast to Li Yan’s demeanor, prevented her from feeling entirely repulsed.
Perceiving Qi Yue’an’s apprehension, Su Qiao straightened herself and clapped her hands together lightly.
“Right then, I won’t keep you from… ‘attending to your important matters’ any longer.”
She deliberately elongated the phrase with a playful, teasing lilt, before addressing Lin Xiao with a sudden shift to seriousness.
“Boss,” she affirmed, “all preparations are proceeding according to schedule, and the outer perimeter security has been significantly reinforced. As you no longer require my services as a secretary, I shall now return to the guard department.”
With a decisive, fluid motion, she turned and departed, her footsteps steady and assured, her long golden hair sweeping a graceful arc behind her.
****
Within the office, only two figures remained. Following the brief, unexpected interlude, the atmosphere seemed to noticeably soften.
Lin Xiao observed the still-constrained Qi Yue’an, sighing softly as his voice grew gentler.
“An, there’s no need to be so nervous,” he reassured her. “Li Yan and the others… while nominally my subordinates, are more akin to partners who embarked on this journey with me. The Dawn Star Hall would not have reached its current stature without their unwavering dedication.”
Qi Yue’an murmured a soft “Mmm,” her gaze drifting to the eternal night outside the window. She, too, recalled her own companions, yet leaving them had been her choice… a decision from which there was now no turning back.
After a moment of thoughtful silence, she suddenly posed a question in a hushed tone.
“Xiao, that ‘Crown of Logic’… when might I… see it again?”
Lin Xiao paused, a subtle flicker of surprise crossing his face as he met her gaze. Her eyes, no longer shadowed by the tentative uncertainty of moments ago, now held a newfound serenity, imbued with a quiet, resolute determination.
“You’ve truly made up your mind?”
he inquired, his voice dropping to a low register.
“Yes,” Qi Yue’an affirmed with a nod. “Since it is the crucial element of the ‘ritual’ and an integral part of your grand design… I believe I should, at the very least, endeavor to comprehend and adapt to it, rather than perpetually evading its presence.”
She paused, a complex, shimmering light briefly illuminating her silver eyes.
“Furthermore, I also wish to uncover… the true nature of those ‘memories’,” she confessed, her voice barely above a whisper. “I desire to understand the person you once were.”
Lin Xiao held her gaze for a protracted moment, as if seeking to ascertain the depth of her resolve.
Finally, he rose from his seat and approached a seemingly innocuous wall at one side of the room. As his fingertips glided across its surface, the wall rippled and shimmered like disturbed water, parting to reveal a concealed, inner sanctum.
Within the secret chamber, the light was dim, save for the faint, ethereal glow emanating from an ancient, intricately designed crown that floated above a central stone pedestal—undeniably, the “Crown of Logic.”
“Its power is truly immense,” Lin Xiao warned, his voice grave. “Beyond the myriad Qi Yue, it also harbors an ocean of other information. Even a momentary lapse could result in assimilation.”
Lin Xiao cautioned her with utmost solemnity.
“You must remember that you are *this* unique, singular you,” he emphasized. “Do not delve too deeply; simply allow yourself to feel. Should you experience even the slightest discomfort, withdraw at once. I shall remain here, guarding you.”
Qi Yue’an drew a deep, steadying breath, then approached the stone pedestal. The intricate patterns etched upon the crown seemed to encapsulate all the mysteries of the world. She extended her hand, her fingertips quivering almost imperceptibly, until, at last, they made fleeting contact with the crown’s cool, unyielding surface.
In that very instant, an immense, irresistible suction assailed her, not affecting her physical form, but directly seizing and pulling at the very core of her consciousness.
The surrounding tableau—Lin Xiao’s concerned face, the shadowy confines of the secret chamber—receded rapidly, like an ebbing tide, blurring into indistinctness before finally being utterly engulfed by an boundless expanse of pure white light.
She felt as though she had plunged into a river composed of countless fragmented lights and shadows, an overwhelming sensation of weightlessness engulfing her entirely.
Countless indistinct voices echoed in her ears, and fragmented images rushed towards her like snowflakes—burning battlefields, silent starry skies, unfamiliar faces, and… countless silhouettes of girls with similar outlines but vastly different temperaments, flickering in and out of existence at the edge of the shadows.
‘This is… the interior of the “Crown of Logic”? Are these what Lin Xiao referred to as the “memories” left behind from past cycles of reincarnation?’
Her consciousness drifted forward, effortlessly bypassing the outermost defenses, until it finally touched an ethereal doorway. The moment she made contact, she felt something long dormant within the depths of her consciousness, or perhaps her soul, begin to stir and awaken.
A brilliant light gradually began to manifest around Qi Yue’an, slowly coalescing into a familiar figure.
It was the other half of her soul, split from her, possessing an identical appearance. She had once offered the possibility of new life to the one named Qi An, yet this split had also been a persistent, lingering shadow upon her heart.
She had never truly vanished; instead, she had merely fallen into slumber deep within Qi Yue’an’s consciousness after her complete transformation that day. Now, at this very moment, she was finally awakening.