It was only natural.
Magical Girl Grey Moon let out a self-deprecating laugh.
She had known, deep down, that by the time she arrived, Magical Girl Tri-color would have already resolved the incident.
This particular incident was the very root of the previous pedestrian street crisis, which Magical Girl Grey Moon had resolved. Unbeknownst to anyone, Banjao had hacked into the power system of C City’s largest pedestrian street, overloading it and subsequently paralyzing the city’s entire electrical grid.
Those critical remarks.
She truly did not wish to hear them ever again.
Her rather flamboyant aerial approach had drawn considerable public attention. Now, even those who paid little heed to magical girls, or the elderly who rarely ventured online, were well aware of Magical Girl Grey Moon’s distinctive habit of arriving late.
A blue news helicopter descended before Magical Girl Grey Moon, and a female reporter extended a microphone towards her.
“Excuse me, Magical Girl Grey Moon, you must surely be aware of the considerable skepticism directed at you across the internet. How do you respond to the most significant of these doubts, specifically the allegations that you fought to a standstill against four C-class monsters?”
The familiar-faced reporter hesitated, then uncertainly offered the microphone to Magical Girl Grey Moon. Fortunately, Magical Girl Grey Moon accepted it, her expression and voice remaining perfectly composed.
“The reason is quite simple. Those four supposed C-class monsters were, in fact, A-class monsters in disguise. The Mayor himself witnessed their transformation process and can corroborate my statement.”
“I see!”
The news reporter smiled, then continued to ask a series of miscellaneous questions. Although Magical Girl Grey Moon disliked being exposed to the cameras, she patiently endured, answering each query.
After a prolonged period.
Only then did Magical Girl Grey Moon ascend, soaring high above the clouds until she was obscured from view, finally departing the scene.
Magical Girl Grey Moon’s inaugural interview and clarification ignited a significant uproar online. Almost immediately, the internet was flooded with statements in support of Magical Girl Grey Moon, with her newfound adherents aggressively attacking any slandering remarks in various video comments sections.
The network was inundated with these self-proclaimed devoted fans of Magical Girl Grey Moon.
“Yes, exactly.”
Within Banjao’s nefarious lair.
Captain 19, his face obscured by a mask, sat before a computer. He unleashed the full force of his online army, ensuring that all of C City understood the possibility that Magical Girl Grey Moon had been unjustly maligned.
This was not a sudden change of heart on his part, nor was he taking pity on Magical Girl Grey Moon or finding himself utterly captivated by her.
Rather, it was precisely through this manipulation that he could utterly thrust Magical Girl Grey Moon into the abyss!
“Now, all the pieces of the puzzle are in place.”
“Hehehe.”
Captain 19 pressed Enter to confirm, then set down his mouse and keyboard. He picked up his phone, located the contact saved as ‘Mayor’, and placed the call.
After a significant delay.
The call was finally connected.
Captain 19 tapped his fingers rhythmically on the table, remaining silent. Eventually, the person on the other end could no longer bear the quietude and spoke.
“What is it you want from me?”
“Heh~ The Mayor truly is a busy man with a short memory. It’s precisely as we discussed. Now, it’s time for you to deliver the statement you promised.”
****
Magical Girl Grey Moon soared through the sky, a hint of bewilderment clouding her thoughts. She couldn’t understand why she had risked transforming, despite knowing that Magical Girl Tri-color would ultimately resolve this crisis.
If she didn’t return soon, her manager would undoubtedly grow impatient.
Pondering this, Magical Girl Grey Moon descended into a narrow alley. Just as she was about to revert to her civilian form and head back to the fast-food restaurant where she worked, she noticed a message from her manager.
[Where did you go again? Didn’t I tell you there could be no mistakes today? Don’t bother coming in tomorrow!!]
Magical Girl Grey Moon stood in the grimy, cluttered alley, her feet pressed together, her gaze fixed on the message displayed on her phone.
For a long moment.
It took her a considerable while to fully process that she no longer had to return to that small fast-food establishment.
No hint of joy appeared on her face. As if her soul had fled, Magical Girl Grey Moon immediately opened her banking app, staring blankly at the mere three-digit balance displayed.
An unsettling question involuntarily surfaced in her mind.
If that was the case.
Tomorrow.
What would she eat?
Magical Girl Grey Moon clutched the hem of her skirt, biting her lip hard to prevent the tears from falling. She deactivated her transformation, stealthily slipped into the store to retrieve her belongings, and then boarded a public bus.
The bus was packed with people.
Liu Li felt utterly exhausted, yet he couldn’t find an empty seat. He was forced to stand for half an hour, jostled by the crowd, until he finally disembarked near his home.
He thought that he might as well have transformed into Magical Girl Grey Moon and flown back instead.
In the past.
Liu Li had always been terrified of anyone discovering that he was Magical Girl Grey Moon, and he had strived to keep the two identities entirely separate, transforming as infrequently as possible. To now entertain such a thought.
To some extent.
It was perhaps a sign of giving up, of a ‘broken pot, broken throw’ mentality.
Liu Li walked home, a bitter smile gracing his lips. Along the way, he pulled out his phone and searched for Magical Girl Grey Moon online, though he held no real expectations.
Yet, the online attacks against Magical Girl Grey Moon had only grown more relentless. Liu Li scrolled through the malicious comments, unable to comprehend the reason. Tracing the origin, he discovered that shortly after Magical Girl Grey Moon had publicly defended herself, the Mayor of C City had also been invited for a reporter’s interview.
Liu Li tapped to open the interview content, and the gaunt Mayor appeared on the screen, his expression stern.
“Ahem, ahem. Given the numerous inquiries I have received from the public regarding the deeds of Magical Girl Grey Moon, I hereby issue a public statement.”
“I, the Mayor of C City, am deeply grateful for Magical Girl Grey Moon’s contributions to maintaining public order in our city. However, I earnestly hope that Magical Girl Grey Moon will properly fulfill her duties as a magical girl, and at her age, learn to speak neither empty words nor falsehoods.”
“As for the trending video circulating online, concerning Magical Girl Grey Moon’s alleged struggle against four C-class monsters, I publicly declare that I personally did not witness the disguise process of those four monsters. Therefore, the assertion that they might have been A-class monsters…”
An expression of utter disbelief spread across Liu Li’s face. He immediately extinguished his phone screen, unwilling to hear anything further.
…
How could this be happening?
Clearly, the Mayor should have witnessed it, the transformation process of those four A-class monsters…
Why would he lie?
Liu Li struggled to suppress his urge to cry, barely managing to hold back the tears.
He was a proud, upright boy, and he couldn’t simply cry in public.
Yet, he couldn’t fathom it, and a profound sense of injustice welled up within him.
Stepping onto the small bridge along his route home, the slightly swaying surface felt like a taut string vibrating within Liu Li’s heart. After finally making it across, he spotted the familiar sign of the renowned Forest Convenience Store near his house. On the brink of an emotional collapse, Liu Li gazed blankly at the signboard.
Normally, he would never dare to step inside such a shop.
Yet now, he inexplicably recalled the ice cream he had seen earlier that afternoon.
Liu Li clenched his fists, deciding that perhaps it was permissible to indulge in a small luxury. He walked into the convenience store, bravely purchasing the exorbitantly priced ice cream.
Clutching it in his hands, he stood by the entrance and tore open the packaging.
Gazing at the chocolate ice cream, generously coated with sunflower seeds, Liu Li managed to force a semblance of a happy smile. He was just about to take his first bite.
However, he was suddenly bumped by some passing, playful children. The ice cream slipped from his grasp, tumbling onto the ground.
“Ah…”
Without even a single apology, the boisterous, mischievous children ran off into the distance. Liu Li’s gaze remained fixed on the shapeless ice cream splattered on the ground, and he felt as though a tightly wound string within his heart had suddenly snapped.
Tears.
They poured out like a dam breaking, falling onto the ground, beside the ruined ice cream.
“Waaah…”
Liu Li reached out, trying to wipe away his tears, but no matter how much he tried, they wouldn’t stop, nor would they truly clean his face.
He recalled all the injustices he had endured over the past few days: being misunderstood, receiving no praise despite his immense efforts, people still cursing him, always being outpaced by the ‘cheating’ Scarlet Magical Girl. He had wanted to protect the city, only to be fired in return, and now the Mayor had publicly lied.
Even.
Even the simple pleasure of an ice cream, which he had longed for, was denied to him.
The ice cream became the final straw that shattered Liu Li’s composure. He broke down, standing by the roadside and crying softly so as not to draw attention, yet the more he wept, the more profound his sense of grievance became.
Ultimately, he could only place all his remaining hope in his best friend.
Pulling out his phone, he dialed the number saved under the name ‘Zhou Huanan’.