Conversation

Shock, confusion, worry, doubt…

All sorts of emotions and thoughts flooded You Dong’s mind at once.

He didn’t know what he should do now, nor was he willing to accept the reality before him.

‘Why? Why is You Xi a Magical Girl?’

He thought of Old Lin.

He thought of the Old Lin who had repeatedly tried to persuade and entice him, whether over the phone or sitting by his bed.

Once he found a target for his frustration, all his complex emotions instantly transformed into boundless fury.

You Dong took out his phone, but his hands trembled so much with anger that he couldn’t control them, and the phone fell to the floor.

The screen cracked; the brand-new phone was instantly damaged goods.

None of that mattered right now.

Under the astonished gazes of the others, he picked up the phone and fled the smoking room as if his life depended on it.

“Old Lin!”

–”Yo, isn’t it Dongzi. This seems to be the first time you’ve actively sought me out, huh? What’s up, figured things out? It’s not that I’m nagging you, but you…”

“I have a question for you.”

You Dong rudely cut off Old Lin’s rambling, enunciating each word.

“Magical Girl Fury, who is she?”

“…”

After a few seconds of silence, Old Lin replied.

–”The true identities of Magical Girls are strictly confidential. Even among the various【Connectors】, we are not allowed to reveal the identities of those we’ve contracted with…”

“Then let me ask a different way,” You Dong said. “Magical Girl Fury, is she my niece, You Xi?”

How he wished for Old Lin to deny his words immediately, yet the silence on the other end only served to confirm his suspicions.

“I, I…”

“f*ck you.”

You Dong almost burst into tears.

“Why? Why did you target You Xi? To get back at me? Just because I didn’t agree to your request?”

–”It’s not like that, I’ve told you before. Theoretically, I could force a contract with you over the phone right now, but I won’t do that.”

–”Those who have contracted with me in the past, including You Xi, all walked this path willingly. I don’t even actively guide them. You are the only exception—”

Even after being cursed at, Old Lin’s tone and emotions remained utterly unchanged.

–”It’s not that I’m one to talk, You Dong, but why you possess such high aptitude is something even I can’t figure out. If you were willing to become a Magical Girl, perhaps this long-standing battle could truly come to an end.”

“Fine.”

You Dong answered in a heartbeat.

“Change You Xi back to normal, and I’ll do it.”

–”Sure, but would You Xi agree to that? I won’t forcibly contract with a Magical Girl, nor will I forcibly retrieve their Soul Gems. It’s a matter of principle.”

“…”

You Dong was speechless; it seemed his last hope had been severed.

–”You should calm down first, You Dong. Now is not the time to discuss whether you’ll become a Magical Girl. It’s not that I’m lecturing you, but we’ve been talking for three months now. Right now, I’m just, just asking you a question as someone you chat with. Don’t take what I’m about to say the wrong way, buddy.”

Old Lin’s tone grew uncharacteristically serious.

–”Before You Xi made the contract, she already knew that becoming a Magical Girl and fighting would mean getting hurt, or even going missing, or dying.”

“I could tell. Before she sortied, she was no different from any ordinary little girl.”

–”She would be timid, she would be afraid, her voice would fail her, she’d speak in stutters, and her muscles would even get so stiff that she’d walk with her arms and legs on the same side moving in sync. But even so, she could quickly pull herself together and transform by her own will. In your eyes, she might just be a rebellious, willful, trouble-making little brat, but in my eyes, Magical Girl Fury is a noble warrior who embraces justice.”

–”And now you say, ‘Change her back.’ I ask you, what right do you have to deny her conviction? What right do you have to insult her efforts?”

****

‘A Weirdo? I sat on it and crushed it.’

‘Insta-killed, what’s there to say?’

You Xi was incredibly pleased with herself right now. If she had a tail, it would probably be sticking straight up to the heavens.

She hadn’t expected her first solo mission to go so smoothly; it seemed her previous apprehension had been unnecessary.

‘Maybe I’m actually super strong?’

At this thought, You Xi couldn’t help but giggle foolishly.

After finishing the battle, You Xi changed back into her everyday clothes and went to a tea restaurant she frequented. She savored her post-battle dessert while scrolling through forums related to Magical Girls.

Today’s hot topic was, naturally, Magical Girl Fury insta-killing the Bubble Man.

[Already stanning. I hereby officially declare that I am Fury’s fan #001, don’t you dare fight me for the fan badge.]

[This rookie might be the strongest in recent years, you know? Look, she didn’t even use her weapon or soul skill.]

…

She liked every comment that praised her. Of course, for buzzkill comments like [Defeating a C-rank on your own is the real test, let’s see after that], she unhappily gave them a downvote.

By the time she was done basking in her own glory and finally remembered to head home, the sky had already grown dark.

“Crap, You Dong is going to lecture me again later.”

You Xi stuck out her tongue, grabbed her backpack, packed up the rest of her food, and got up to go home.

The place the two of them lived was near the Fifth Ring Road of Shangjing City, a relatively high-end residential area.

Being far from the densely populated city center, the area was spacious and sparsely populated. The wealthy people here weren’t fond of high-rise apartments; standalone houses were the trend instead.

You Dong was an ordinary office worker. Although he had worked his way up to a low-level management position in a foreign-invested enterprise, the essence of being a miserable wage s*ave hadn’t changed. His income alone couldn’t afford such a house. The two-story house with a garden they currently lived in was part of You Huimei’s inheritance.

Unlocking the door, You Xi gently pushed it open.

The living room was dark. It seemed no one was home. Could You Dong not be back yet?

‘Lucky~’

Just as she was rejoicing inwardly, she happened to glimpse a dark figure sitting motionless on the living room sofa.

“——!”

“Why aren’t the lights on? Are you trying to scare me to death?”

After recognizing the dark figure as her uncle—You Dong—You Xi felt both angry and amused.

She turned on the lights and saw her uncle sitting on the sofa with his back to her.

In You Xi’s impression, her uncle was 1.8 meters tall and had a rather sturdy build for a man. But now, his back inexplicably seemed so frail, and his entire figure looked a size smaller than it had this afternoon.

‘What happened? Did Mo Li’s parents chew him out that badly?’

Seeing her uncle in such a dejected and dispirited state, You Xi felt a pang of guilt alongside her shock.

Ultimately, she was the one who had caused the trouble.

If she hadn’t hit someone, You Dong wouldn’t have had to rush all the way to school just to get an earful.

At this thought, You Xi’s face suddenly flushed.

“Um.”

‘…sorr-’

For a moment, the words of apology almost escaped her lips. However, if she really did apologize, the atmosphere that followed would likely become even more awkward.

So, You Xi stopped herself.

She tiptoed, preparing to go upstairs to her room. Halfway there, however, You Dong spoke up, stopping her.

“Magical Girl Fury…”