At the nefarious base in City C, a cluster of wicked scientists gathered before a television, their gazes fixed intently on the live news broadcast.
Upon witnessing the mayor successfully utter the words they longed to hear, they erupted into cheers, waving their hands in triumph.
“Didn’t expect this, did you, Magical Girl Grey Moon!”
“The mayor himself has been swayed by our machinations!”
“I ask you now, Grey Moon, aren’t you utterly despairing?!”
“Heh heh, how does it feel to have fought for everyone until now, only to find no one standing by your side!”
“Descend into darkness, fall into depravity, Magical Girl Grey Moon!”
“You might as well transform into Homelander and start a rampage right this instant!”
Seated in the back row, Captain 19’s shoulders visibly relaxed in a sigh of relief as he watched the mayor deliver those very words.
At this juncture, the plan was, for the most part, secured.
Even if Banjao were to withdraw all the online trolls now, the torrent of curses aimed at Magical Girl Grey Moon would continue unabated.
Ultimately, all that remained was to close the net, ensuring Magical Girl Grey Moon’s successful descent into villainy, or her complete disappearance from the world of mortals.
Captain 19 clutched a stack of photo albums featuring Magical Girl Grey Moon.
Banjao had strategically placed hidden cameras near the attack sites, capturing every expression on Magical Girl Grey Moon’s face, especially those moments when she was late.
As Captain 19 gazed at the myriad photographs, spanning a period of time, Grey Moon’s expression seemed to remain unchanged—still arrogant, still aloof.
Yet, the agony festering deep within her eyes was undeniable.
Captain 19 could discern that this suffering gradually intensified, becoming particularly pronounced in the final few shots.
Among them were images of Magical Girl Grey Moon sniffling, her lips caught between her teeth.
Observing these photographs, Captain 19 found himself once again overcome with a profound realization.
Magical Girl Grey Moon,
She was, after all,
Still just a girl.
“Alright, Captain 19! You’ve been working diligently!”
“But even you need to unwind sometimes, don’t you?”
“How about joining your bro in the recreation room later? My points, my treat!”
The speaker was Captain Six, who, despite having almost no prior interaction with Captain 19, settled beside him with an air of feigned familiarity.
His voice, thick with lewdness, carried loudly and unapologetically.
“Today, my subordinates capitalized on the chaos to seize a few fresh-faced, beautiful female students!”
“Those legs, clad in black stockings, are absolutely divine, and their bodies are completely untouched!”
“They’re just waiting for you to turn those young girls into women!”
“Is that so? Well then, you should keep such fine treasures for yourself.”
Captain 19 rose, gave Captain Six a pat on the shoulder, and left him standing there, dumbfounded.
Turning, he exited the room, but just as he stepped through the doorway, a slender feminine hand, holding an unlit cigarette, blocked his path.
“Care for a smoke?”
He turned his head to find a tall, mature woman standing in the doorway, clad in a white lab coat.
Beneath her heavy makeup, dark circles still shadowed her eyes, and a vibrant green high ponytail swayed behind her.
Her gaze remained fixed on her phone, not meeting his, as she simply extended the cigarette towards him.
“No, thank you, Dr. Zhuge.”
“Such a good man.”
“I wouldn’t go that far,’ the man retorted, clad in the nefarious organization’s advanced combat suit and wearing Captain 19’s mask.
“It matters not,’ Dr. Zhuge replied, the cigarette she had placed between her lips igniting on its own.
She continued, the cigarette still dangling from her mouth, ‘The internet is now awash with condemnations of Magical Girl Grey Moon. I merely came to tell you that you’ve done an excellent job, and that the Commander is hosting a dinner tonight. Be sure to attend.’
Captain 19 acknowledged with a soft ‘Oh,’ just as a powerful burst of music erupted from his waist—his phone ringing.
Under Dr. Zhuge’s scrutinizing gaze, Zhou Huanan, who wore Captain 19’s mask, hastily retrieved it.
‘Liu Li? Why would he be calling me so late?’
Suspecting something might have happened to him, Zhou Huanan didn’t hesitate, immediately pressing the answer button.
The more he listened, the more his expression beneath the mask contorted, until he finally lowered the phone with a heavy sigh.
“My apologies, Dr. Zhuge. A friend of mine is not in good spirits today, and I must go keep them company for a while.”
“Please inform the Commander that I won’t be able to make it.”
Disregarding potential career prospects and opportunities, Zhou Huanan made to leave, but Dr. Zhuge’s voice halted him.
Her commanding tone, no longer laced with weariness, turned utterly serious, brooking no dismissal.
“Wait.”
Zhou Huanan’s departing footsteps abruptly ceased, and he turned to face Dr. Zhuge, the de facto leader of this nefarious base.
She no longer held the cigarette to her lips, her gaze now fixed on him with an appraising intensity.
Even through his advanced combat suit, Zhou Huanan felt the immense pressure, as the air around them seemed to grow thick and viscous.
“Is it a boyfriend or a girlfriend?”
“Someone I grew up with, a man.”
“Hmm…’ Dr. Zhuge hummed, tapping her chin, her voice still bearing the rasp of several sleepless nights.
Instantly, the pressure weighing on Zhou Huanan vanished, as if it had been nothing more than an illusion.
“I was just thinking, at this particular hour, with someone in need of comfort due to low spirits, if it were a girl, it might very well be Magical Girl Grey Moon herself.”
Zhou Huanan countered, “He’s a boy. How could a boy be a Magical Girl?”
“It’s not entirely impossible, is it?”
Dr. Zhuge chuckled, but seeing Zhou Huanan’s seemingly serious gaze, she dropped her jesting tone and looked at him earnestly.
“I merely wish to remind you not to forget.”
“You have already failed twice because of Magical Girl Grey Moon. You are currently serving under probation, having only retained your Captain status by performing meritorious service during your missions.”
“Should you fail this time, you will be demoted to the lowest rank of combatant.”
“Just imagine how many will mock your misfortune.”
“However, if you succeed, depending on the circumstances, you might even be promoted to District Head, which would grant you the privilege of utilizing Magical Girls.”
“I recall that your stated objective when you joined the organization was to ‘screw’ Magical Girls, wasn’t it? You’re still a virgin, aren’t you?”
“Do not forget your original aspiration, Captain 19.”
“Even though the actual probability is less than one in ten thousand, I still want you to seriously consider the possibility that Magical Girl Grey Moon’s true identity might be a boy.”
“What if your friend truly is Magical Girl Grey Moon, and they are currently at a point where their life is utterly shattered?”
“If you go and comfort them back, all your previous efforts, and all the organization’s sacrifices, would be utterly in vain.”
“Leave her be. Do not go.”
Captain 19 fell silent at Dr. Zhuge’s words, remaining motionless where he stood.
Just as Dr. Zhuge began to smile, musing that he was, indeed, teachable,
Yet, without even a three-second hesitation, Captain 19 moved, shaking his head, causing Dr. Zhuge’s expression to fall.
“I cannot.”
Zhou Huanan, facing his direct superior, mustered immense courage to flatly refuse, acutely aware that he was currently within a nefarious organization where everyone killed without a second thought.
The possibility of Dr. Zhuge, if displeased, having him killed was certainly not negligible.
Even so, he could not bring himself not to go.
Full of worry, Zhou Huanan turned abruptly and rushed away.
Dr. Zhuge, however, remained motionless, watching him with an impassive gaze, as Captain Six emerged sideways from the doorway.
“Big Sis, is Captain 19 really alright?”
“A single phone call from a friend, and he just drops everything and runs off, even after you’ve warned him like that, he still goes.”
“He… isn’t quite suited for this, is he?”
Captain Six’s underlying implication was that Captain 19 was not cut out for villainy.
Dr. Zhuge chuckled at this, her shoulders trembling, as was typical for someone who had gone days without proper sleep, possessing an incredibly low threshold for amusement.
“No, quite the opposite. He is perfectly fine as he is.”
“In fact, someone like him is precisely the right kind of ‘bad’: driven by desire, yet not entirely devoid of conscience, and still possessing a bottom line.”
“Compared to him, look at these individuals.”
Dr. Zhuge gestured for Captain Six to turn and look into the room, where the wicked scientists were embroiled in a heated debate over the post-villainy disposition of Grey Moon.
Some proposed transforming her into a monster breeding ground, others suggested severing her limbs to fashion her into a living, portable weapon.
Even more ‘clever’ individuals were calculating Grey Moon’s potential killing efficiency.
The figure they arrived at was two million people in a single night.
“With this, even destroying the world becomes achievable!”
“Ah ha ha ha ha!!”
Inside the room, the wicked scientists roared with laughter in unison.
Hearing this, Dr. Zhuge also revealed an exceedingly wicked smile, extending a finger to point at them for Captain Six.
“These are the ones who are truly beyond redemption…”
“Too wicked for their own good.”