The Abacus Clatters Loud and Clear

 [Zining is such a third wheel. How am I supposed to get close to Zhou Xi like this?]

Beneath the misty surface of the hot spring, Luo You poked her head out and glared daggers at Luo Zining.

No matter when or where, this girl always managed to wedge herself right between her and Zhou Xi.

She was doing it on purpose—Luo You bubbled furiously underwater, venting her inner frustration.

Yes. Definitely on purpose.

Having intercepted Luo You for the third or fourth time, Luo Zining chuckled coldly to herself.

Heh. Old man, you think I don’t know what’s going on in that filthy head of yours?

The moment you laid eyes on a live magical girl, you lit up like a firecracker. And now you’re trying to act all cool and disinterested? Please.

As long as I’m here, don’t even dream about laying a finger on Senior Zhou Xi!

Though her thoughts were valiant, she didn’t realize that her own gaze toward Zhou Xi had gained a tinge of hostility and wariness.

Seconds ticked by.

“Zining, your phone’s lighting up,” Luo You said, pointing to the waterproof pouch by the poolside.

“Oh please, like I’d fall for that agai—huh?”

Zining turned to look—sure enough, her phone was vibrating.

It was a call from Zhao Xin.

Due to the nature of magical girls’ duties, phones were never left unattended.

If Zhao Xin was calling, it had to be work-related.

She snatched the phone, exchanged a few quick words, and then turned back with unease.

Her eyes flicked from Luo You to Zhou Xi before she walked off—reluctantly, glancing back every few steps—to take the call in private.

Luo You hadn’t caught most of the conversation.

Just the start—something about someone needing Zining’s reception later.

[Must be someone from the Magical Alliance,] Luo You guessed.

Which meant—

Her turn was up.

She was just about to make her move when Zhou Xi beat her to it.

“Yuyou, what’s your opinion of magical girls?”

“…Idols? Internet celebrities?”

“Wow. That’s a basic answer.”

“To ordinary people, that’s pretty much what they are.”

If she were to answer sincerely—candidly—Luo You might’ve tacked on a few less-than-respectable labels too.

You know, the kind you see plastered all over those kinds of doujinshi.

“But you’re not wrong,” Zhou Xi admitted.

Relaxing her posture, she exhaled long and slow.

There was a distant melancholy in her voice.

Idols. Influencers. Trendsetters…

That was the public’s image of magical girls.

Because that was how they were marketed.

“But that only applies to second- and third-rate magical girls,” she continued.

The ones stationed at the border of the Sea of Realms—the true frontlines—almost never appeared in the media.

Because at any moment, they could simply… stop existing.

Even the strongest magical girl in history, Xingyue, was only ever mentioned in writing.

Photos of her were exceedingly rare.

“Me and Yue Yuezi—ah, she’s my partner—were both temporarily reassigned from the front.”

“We were dispatched to Huahai City to deal with a dimensional beast that slipped through the net.”

“We thought it’d be a straightforward mission…”

“But it didn’t go well.”

“I can’t share the details, but… the casualty rate among magical girls may spike again.”

She let out another long sigh.

All because of one dimensional beast—Huahai’s defense forces were nearly wiped out.

After that crushing defeat, whether she and Yue Yuezi could return to the frontlines was now uncertain.

Not because of their strength or condition—but because of mental health concerns.

“Oh,” Luo You replied flatly.

She wasn’t sure why Zhou Xi had suddenly opened up like this.

Probably just needed to vent.

After all, the recent incidents in Huahai had been significant.

A being that seemed to be a fusion of human and dimensional beast…

Unprecedented.

In the twenty-odd years since dimensional beasts first appeared, Luo You had never seen anything like it.

That anomaly might just be the first proof that humanity had learned to harness dimensional beast power.

It could be the spark that ignited a bloody upheaval.

[Was it the Inhuman Organization involved? The government? Or… the Magical Alliance itself?]

Luo You considered all three.

The Inhuman Organization was the most likely culprit—they had always been the bad guys.

Next came the Magical Alliance.

Despite their fame, they remained shrouded in mystery—born from the Sea of Realms, beyond the reach of human authority.

That’s why local governments were always reluctant to support magical girls in the media.

The Inhuman Organization, for all its criminal history, was still human.

Their powers came from mutations, and authorities had a relatively clear handle on their operations.

The Magical Alliance? Not so much.

Yes, magical girls were chosen from among humans…

But the origin of their power remained a complete mystery.

No one could trace it.

And the Sea of Realms?

So full of secrets, even scouting parties sent in never came back whole—more went in than ever came out.

On top of that, the Magical Alliance resisted oversight by human governments.

Naturally, this made them deeply mistrusted.

In the first few years of their emergence, magical girls were the subject of fierce suspicion.

Some high-level theorists outright declared them “foreign agents from the Sea of Realms.”

With enough backing, that theory nearly turned magical girls into the new witches of medieval Europe.

Even now, while magical girls were publicly praised for defending humanity, the Magical Alliance itself remained a shadowy, distrusted entity.

It was the girls people loved—not the organization behind them.

Luo You included.

She’d always harbored doubts toward the Alliance.

That’s why she ranked them as second most suspicious.

“Mm…”

Zhou Xi rolled her shoulders.

The discomfort clearly radiated through her whole body.

Luo You’s eyes lit up.

Now’s the chance!

After all, she had tied Zhou Xi’s arms behind her back with hemp rope the other night.

Of course she’d be sore.

“About that apology from earlier,” Luo You said, scooting closer with uncharacteristic enthusiasm.

“How about I give you a massage instead?”

“No need… You already listened to me vent. That was more than enough. Sorry for dumping all that on you.”

“Come on. Listening doesn’t cost a thing.”

Luo You sat beside her and placed both hands gently on Zhou Xi’s shoulders.

Her fingers began to dance like piano keys—swift, precise, feather-light.

“Mnngh~!”

The sensation was electric.

Zhou Xi let out a tiny moan before she could stop herself.

The pain in her shoulders melted into waves of exquisite tingling.

Luo You leaned in close, whispering right by her ear.

“My massage skills are practically first-class certified~ Want a full demo?”

“…T-then… I’ll take you up on that.”

“Good~ I’ll make sure you feel re~ally good.”

D-don’t say it like that!

Zhou Xi squeezed her eyes shut, cheeks flushing crimson.

This woman named Yuyou—her sense of personal space was completely unhinged.

Close one moment, distant the next.

That eerily familiar vibe…

And yet—her hands were magic.

Just a few strokes and Zhou Xi’s vision was blurring.

Her breath came in slow wisps as she slumped against the towel, drifting into dreamy drowsiness.

If only she could ignore the fact that Luo You’s hands were no longer confined to her shoulders.

“Wow, you’ve really been overworked,” Luo You murmured.

“That girl—she was rough, wasn’t she? Must’ve worn you out completely.”

“Mm… yeah… wait—huh? How’d you know it was a girl?!”

Zhou Xi jolted awake.

Luo You pointed at her waist.

“Easy. You’ve got her bite mark still there.”

“Wh—!”

Zhou Xi’s entire face lit up red.

Only now did she realize her swimsuit had somehow been pulled up to expose a very compromising spot.

A faint bite mark bloomed on the skin there.

“Nothing to be ashamed of.”

Luo You smiled.

“Two girls hooking up is nothing scandalous these days.”

“Being embarrassed over it is actually a bit disrespectful to your partner, you know.”

“P-partner?! No no no no! She’s not my partner!”

“Oh? Just a situationship, then.”

“Can you not casually drop bombshell terms like that?!”

“So, is it? Or isn’t it?”

“I—!”

Zhou Xi stammered into silence.

Maybe… maybe what they had was just a situationship.

If anything, it didn’t even qualify as that.

If she were being honest—

She was just a toy.

A relief tool for Herrera.

Zhou Xi thought of that bittersweet figure—the one she loathed and longed for in equal measure.

In her heart, she knew the truth.

But her mouth refused to admit it.

“Well, I mean…”

“If she ever wanted to define the relationship officially, I wouldn’t exactly say no.”

“Heh…”

Luo You chuckled internally.

Ah. Stockholm syndrome.

That’s a problem, girl.

But she didn’t say it aloud.

Luo You had never been the responsible type post-hookup.

Even if Zhou Xi had just admitted her feelings, she wouldn’t acknowledge them.

Might as well go full villainess.

“Since that’s the case…”

The air shifted.

Luo You’s 屑 woman aura radiated in full force.

“You went through so much last time—next time, you need to turn the tables!”

“Teach her a lesson!”

“Make her regret treating you like that!”

“Eh? But can I even do that…?”

“With your current skills? Probably not. Hmm…”

Luo You’s eyes lit up.

“I’ve got it!”

She smirked.

“I’ll help you practice~.”

“Practice? What kind of practice?”

Zhou Xi blinked.

“We’ll do a little hands-on ♀ training.”

“That way, next time you can absolutely wreck her.”

What Luo You said next was so outrageous, it rendered the air dead silent.

Her logic?

Well—

All this time, she’d been the one doing the conquering.

Every magical girl she touched left satisfied—while she remained unfulfilled.

So maybe this time…

It’d be fun to switch roles for once.

Or—

Let’s be honest here:

Zhou Xi was a natural dom in bed.

Probably a certified姛-enjoyer.

If Luo You had to be the “practice dummy” so her daughter could secure a better future?

So be it.

She’d sacrifice herself for the next generation.

Such is the duty of a father.

“Hmm?”

In Huahai City, Zhao Xin suddenly looked around suspiciously.

Her colleague nudged her.

“What’s wrong, Zhao Xin? We’re about to meet with the Top Ten. Don’t zone out now.”

“…Did someone next door just start using an abacus?”

“An abacus? Come on, who even uses those anymore?”

“Really?”

Zhao Xin tilted her head.

“But I swear I heard one… clattering away…”