As previously mentioned, Magical Girl Grey Moon’s outfit was severely battle-damaged, especially around her chest.
Captain 19’s touch met what felt like a soft, yet firm steel plate, a peculiar sensation indeed. Perhaps in his terminal delirium, he resolved to die a notorious philanderer.
In that fleeting moment, a thought surfaced in his mind.
‘Though petite, it offered a surprisingly pleasant grip.’
‘He squeezed, then squeezed again.’
Before his eyes, Magical Girl Grey Moon’s usually stoic expression fractured for the first time. A deep crimson blush began to creep from her neck, spreading across her cheeks, her shoulders quivered, and her blood-red eyes shimmered with unshed tears.
She fixed him with an unwavering gaze, her luminous eyes widening in absolute disbelief, her face a mask of shock.
“You scoundrel! Haven’t you had your fill of groping me?!”
As the girl’s furious roar ripped through the air, Captain 19’s jawbone absorbed a powerful, jarring impact.
“Ah-bwa!!!”
The girl’s uppercut, imbued with a potent mix of shame and fury, launched the Captain skyward like a character in a slapstick cartoon. After an indeterminate flight through the air, he finally plummeted headfirst into the dense woods beyond the city limits.
For any ordinary individual, such a fall would undoubtedly have proven fatal.
Alas, Captain 19’s advanced combat suit was far from mere ornamentation. He casually rolled onto his back, then sat up as if utterly unfazed, his gaze fixed on the core he had seized. With practiced ease, he sealed it within a specialized canister.
Having completed his task, he remained rooted to the spot, lost in a daze of contemplation. His left hand unconsciously mimicked the prior sensation of his grasp, savoring the lingering memory of the girl’s soft bosom.
“Magical Girl Grey Moon…”
“Was it surprisingly good, or merely as expected?”
“Indeed, she’s still just a pure, innocent girl.”
‘Such an extreme reaction, all for a mere touch of her chest.’
Propping himself up on the grassy expanse behind him, Captain 19 gazed at the sky, lost in thought.
‘He’d nearly met his end.’
Captain 19 removed his mask, revealing a youthful, refreshing countenance—the kind of handsome face that would undoubtedly turn heads on any city street.
He exhaled slowly, a profound sense of relief washing over him.
“Phew… that’s that.”
“Mission accomplished. Time to head back~”
****
A secluded public restroom nestled on the outskirts of the city.
Magical Girl Grey Moon, who moments ago had shone brilliantly in the sky, now concealed her radiant presence, furtively descending behind the public restroom as if a thief in the night.
The battle-worn Magical Girl Grey Moon cautiously peered around the corner, inadvertently knocking over a broom, and instantly recoiled in a startled panic.
After a lengthy pause, a single, errant strand of hair emerged first, before Grey Moon finally mustered the courage to cautiously peek her head out once more, scanning left and right.
“Mhm, clear.”
Only after multiple confirmations that the coast was clear did Grey Moon finally steel her resolve and step out. Without a flicker of hesitation at the restroom entrance, she dashed into the men’s facility with astonishing speed.
It was a move so audacious, even the most seasoned thrill-seeker would raise their hands in exultation!
But let there be no mistake!
This was not to imply that the city’s transforming heroine harbored some dark, unspeakable secret, indulging in a penchant for entering a secluded men’s restroom in her battle-damaged, sacred regalia, offering her youthful, feminine form as an SSR-tier mysterious gift to weary old men scavenging for trash.
Nor was Magical Girl Grey Moon reveling in a thrill akin to exposing oneself beside train tracks at night—a clandestine act where, despite a fervent desire not to be seen, an inner yearning for discovery ignites a flush of crimson across her cheeks and a frantic pounding in her chest!
She was simply…
Magical Girl Grey Moon hastily shut the cubicle door, her usually taut silver-grey ahoge now drooping with relief, having found a semblance of safety.
Leaning against the cubicle door, her silver-threaded gloves resting upon her chest, she softly murmured the incantation to dispel her magical attire. Then, she pushed the door open once more.
Reflected in the restroom mirror was nothing more than a refined, handsome young man.
His eyes held a dull, lifeless quality, framed by prominent, dark circles. The only truly striking feature was his remarkably clear skin and his shoulder-length hair.
Who could possibly have imagined it?
The despondent youth reflected in the mirror, whose friends could be counted on a single hand—a sullen individual, met with little expectation either at school or at home.
I, Liu Li.
I am the very Magical Girl Grey Moon who dominated the news headlines—that noble and aloof grey-haired, red-eyed loli who single-handedly vanquished the Great Demon, the heroine who just saved the city.
The automatic faucet, temperamental in its flow, sporadically released water. Liu Li waited for an extended period before the sink, finally managing to collect a handful of water to splash across his face.
The restroom door behind Liu Li suddenly swung open, sending a jolt through him. He trembled violently, his legs nearly buckling, and he instantly cast his gaze downwards.
‘How could this be!’
Liu Li braced himself against the low sink, a wave of despair threatening to bring tears to his eyes.
‘He had meticulously observed for a considerable time, ensuring the restroom was entirely empty before entering.’
‘This person… when did they come in? Surely they haven’t discovered my secret—that I’m Magical Girl Grey Moon, have they!?’
Just as Liu Li’s nervous toes were on the verge of curling enough to excavate a three-bedroom apartment, a cheerful, youthful voice drifted into his ears.
“Hey, Liu Li? Why are you here?”
‘Huh…’
The voice struck him as vaguely familiar.
As if a death sentence had been commuted to a reprieve, Liu Li slowly lifted his head to meet his reflection, only to find a familiar face standing behind him—one of the few individuals he could truly call a friend. A genuine smile, born of pure surprise and relief, spread across his face as he turned around.
“Zhou Huanan? What are you doing here, you rascal?”
“When did you get in? I honestly thought I was alone here; you practically scared me half to death!”
“Huh—?!” Zhou Huanan emerged from a cubicle, his eyes widening at the sight of Liu Li. He clearly hadn’t anticipated finding him there, and a flicker of embarrassment crossed his face. After a brief hesitation, he smoothly diverted the conversation, not following Liu Li’s lead.
“Be that as it may, Liu Li, I’m more curious why *you’re* here. Shouldn’t you be in class right now?”
“Gulp!”
“So you skipped class, right?”
Confronted by Zhou Huanan’s scrutinizing gaze, which seemed to relish his discomfort, Liu Li’s eyes began to dart nervously. Unable to withstand the intense, unwavering stare any longer, he raised a hand in a mock French military salute.
“Alright, fine! I skipped class! But what about you, huh? It’s clearly class time right now! Showing up here, you scoundrel, haven’t *you* skipped class too?!”
“That’s right.”
Zhou Huanan offered a candid, cheerful smile, a stark contrast to Liu Li’s contorted expression.
“I skipped too~”
“Then why are you—”
Liu Li was poised to continue their argument, but the sound of someone approaching the restroom entrance made him instantly clamp his mouth shut and lower his head, washing his already clean hands once more.
“Still can’t handle being watched, huh?”
Noticing this, Zhou Huanan stepped closer to Liu Li, subtly shielding him from the view of the doorway.
“It’s not something I can help. Everyone has their own struggles, after all…”
Two yellow-haired youths, cigarettes dangling from their lips, sauntered in. They paused, momentarily taken aback by Liu Li’s long hair, but after a few quick glances confirming his male identity, they relaxed and entered, immediately launching into a conversation about Magical Girl Grey Moon.
“Dude, have you seen the Magical Girl Grey Moon video? If not, you seriously need to check it out—it’s epic, man.”
“I’m not some troglodyte; I’ve already watched it.”
“So, what’d you think? Pretty badass, huh?”
“Absolutely badass, my man! Taking on the Great Demon all by herself, I swear~ You probably missed the subtle details, but while Lady Grey Moon was battling the Demon, the three primary-colored Magical Girls—especially the Scarlet one—her eyes, oh man, they were filled with such deep resentment~”
Liu Li subtly pricked up his ears, eavesdropping on the conversation about himself, secretly basking in the extravagant compliments, his heart swelling with unadulterated delight.
This, after all, was precisely why he was willing to transform into Magical Girl Grey Moon.