The Initiation and the Imp’s Jest

“As a newcomer, Yue Ling could not possibly grasp the full combat capabilities of these three magical girls from this footage alone.”

“Therefore, I intend to entrust the next offensive in that region to you… and Maositog.”

“Huh? No, Commander, why must I be burdened with this one? Is she even worthy?” Maositog bristled, a palpable tension radiating from him.

“Hey, yak-head, do you have some objection?”

Yue Ling slowly turned her head, her lips curving into a smile that was anything but kind—a sight that would have sent shivers down an ordinary person’s spine.

Maositog, however, was not easily intimidated.

Far from backing down, he slammed a hand onto the table, leaning aggressively forward, and used his imposing stature to exert direct pressure on Yue Ling.

“Yes, I absolutely have objections to you. I’ve encountered far too many glib-tongued individuals like yourself in other teams. Furthermore… I hardly believe someone who parades around in lingerie over their clothes could possibly accomplish anything of note.”

As Maositog’s words hung in the air, Yin Luo, who had been meticulously grooming her thick white tail, twitched her ears. She then cast a discreet glance towards Yue Ling, her curiosity piqued.

Indeed, a black leather belt was cinched around Yue Ling’s waist, connected to another strap that passed between her legs, forming a distinct “T” shape. Upon first glance, it undeniably bore a striking resemblance to lingerie worn as outerwear.

Yet…

“I am not wearing lingerie over my clothes!” Yue Ling retorted, her face flushed with indignation.

‘In fact, I’m not wearing lingerie at all! What I’m wearing is… just open your bovine eyes and look closely; those two straps are clearly attached to my shorts!’

Truth be told, she herself found the outfit somewhat… audacious. Yet, she had no alternative; this was precisely the design of the combat suit those creators had fashioned for her upon her “manufacture.”

They had claimed that donning specialized battle attire could augment one’s combat prowess… but then, wasn’t the cadre named Yin Luo practically wearing nothing at all?

‘Could it be… that this so-called combat suit was merely designed for me to wear, purely to satisfy their own peculiar preferences (TL Note: ‘XP’ is a slang term referring to personal fetishes or kinks)?’

‘Hmm… actually, when I gaze into the mirror, I find it quite appealing. It evokes a peculiar urge, almost like wanting to self-pollinate like a pea (TL Note: A humorous and somewhat self-deprecating expression, implying a feeling of self-satisfaction or perhaps a slightly suggestive allure).’

“Hehe, Sister Yue Ling, there’s no need to be so defensive~ Wearing lingerie as outerwear isn’t so disgraceful, especially when there’s someone right here who isn’t even wearing any underwear at all~”

Despite Yue Ling’s vehement clarification, Avila Dolly, the impish girl nestled within her roly-poly toy, piped up, ever eager to fan the flames of mischief.

“While it isn’t precisely shameful, your taste pales in comparison to ours, dearest. If Sister Yue Ling were to confront magical girls dressed like that, they might very well mistake her for a woman of loose morals~”

Yue Ling’s initial impulse was to apply a swift lesson in classical physics to the impish cadre, but the Commander’s presence precluded any overt conflict. Moreover, she remained ignorant of the imp’s true capabilities…

‘Hmm… Aha! If classical physics is off-limits for this imp, then I’ll simply combat her with her own peculiar grammar.’

With a slow, deliberate breath, Yue Ling composed herself. She then delicately brought her slender, jade-like fingers to her lips, mimicking the imp’s very own mischievous, taunting smirk.

“Oh~ So, an outfit that so effectively accentuates one’s figure is deemed ‘tasteless’ by little sister Avila? Could it be… that little sister Avila’s own figure is simply too meager to truly appreciate the allure of this ensemble?”

In truth, Yue Ling possessed no concrete evidence to label Avila Dolly a “flat-chested” girl. However, according to the ‘Impish Girl Theorem’ (TL Note: A humorous, fictional theorem stating that impish girls with childish voices and mischievous tones are typically flat-chested), those with a childish voice and a teasing tone, much like Avila, were invariably so.

“You! Cough, cough… This one has no interest whatsoever in such utterly useless adipose tissue. My philosophy is something a mere minnow like Sister Yue Ling could never hope to comprehend.”

“Oh my? Little sister Avila, I merely stated, in broad terms, that my attire accentuates one’s figure. How is it that you immediately jumped to the conclusion of breasts? Could it be because you yourself are acutely aware of how meager that particular area is?”

“This one… this one merely happened to consider that area, that’s all. Besides, what concern is this one’s figure to you?”

“Oh dear, oh dear~ Little sister Avila is now wailing and fussing because I’ve seen right through her little mind, boohoohoo, how utterly pathetic~”

“This one is not wailing and fussing! Keep talking, and this one warns you: I’ll bite!”

Observing Yue Ling and Avila’s playful squabble, Yin Luo couldn’t help but cover her mouth with her sleeve, letting out a few soft chuckles. Maositog, however, clearly abhorred their conversational style and appeared ready to pummel them both.

The Commander, remarkably, showed no sign of irritation. Instead, he patiently waited for Avila and Yue Ling to conclude their antics before finally speaking.

“It appears, Cadre Yue Ling, that your rhetorical skills are quite formidable. Perhaps in future encounters with magical girls, this approach could prove effective in disrupting their thought processes.”

“Eh? Ah! Thank you for the compliment, Commander. By the way, Commander, there’s one more matter I wished to inquire about.”

“Questions, questions, always more questions. You certainly have a lot of them, don’t you?” Maositog grumbled.

“Maositog, there’s no need for such animosity. Cadre Yue Ling’s willingness to ask questions merely signifies her deep engagement in thought. Cadre Yue Ling, do you have any further inquiries?”

“Since our objective is the invasion of this planet, what precisely is the underlying purpose of this conquest? Is it merely for the planet’s resources?”

“Pfft… It seems the person who was supposed to give you the basics really dropped the ball, little sister Yue Ling,” the fox demon Yin Luo remarked with a faint, knowing smile.

“Eh? Was this truly knowledge I should have possessed from the very beginning?”

Yue Ling scratched her head, a look of profound bewilderment clouding her features. She recalled… upon her reincarnation into this body, several tubes had been affixed to her, and beyond the cultivation pod, a figure with glasses and dragon horns had stood. From their lips… words had indeed flowed, something about… knowledge, perhaps.

‘Could it be that my reincarnation timing was too “perfect,” inadvertently overwriting the very initial memories they were attempting to transmit?’

“Cough, cough. Allow me, then, to elucidate this for you, Cadre Yue Ling. Our fundamental reason for assaulting this planet is to harness its human inhabitants for the collection of ‘Thought Crystals.’ Whenever the humans of this world generate desires or negative emotions, we can deploy ‘Deep Discs’ to gather these energies, thereby condensing them into ‘Thought Crystals.'”

“Thought Crystals serve a multitude of purposes, among them the creation of the ‘Obscure Forms’ you just witnessed in the footage.”

“Eh? But what conceivable use is there for something that is so swiftly annihilated?”

“That particular Obscure Form was merely fashioned from the residual scraps of ‘Thought Crystals.’ Our objective at the time was simply to draw out the magical girls, enabling us to capture footage. However, Obscure Forms crafted entirely from ‘Thought Crystals’ possess immense power and can acquire diverse abilities depending on the additional materials incorporated during their creation. With sufficient luck, a fully realized Obscure Form can even manifest a human form and an independent consciousness. Such entities are eligible for recruitment into our ranks, serving as high-level subordinates.”

“So that’s how it is…”

‘So, these so-called Obscure Forms are essentially the monster-of-the-week archetypes from tokusatsu shows, then? Hmm… to combat magical girls, I suppose tentacle-based forms would be most effective. Yes, that’s precisely what I’ll do when the time comes!’

“Moreover, ‘Thought Crystals’ are not solely utilized for the creation of Obscure Forms; they are also essential for activating your ‘Liberation Form.'”

“‘Liberation Form’?”

‘Why does that sound like some sort of life-draining, power-at-a-cost transformation…?’

“Indeed. Upon absorbing the requisite ‘Thought Crystals,’ you will be able to enter your ‘Liberation Form.’ At that juncture, both your abilities and your physical appearance will undergo significant transformations. For instance, Cadre Maositog can absorb ‘Thought Crystals’ of ‘Rage,’ ‘Lust for Power,’ and ‘Hatred.’ Cadre Yin Luo, on the other hand, can absorb ‘Lust,’ ‘Erotic Desire,’ and ‘Shame.’ Now then… Cadre Yue Ling, after your creation, did your overseer inform you which ‘Thought Crystals’ you are capable of absorbing?”

“Hehe, how could a mere minnow like Sister Yue Ling, who is utterly ignorant of even the most basic knowledge, possibly be aware of this~”

Avila seized the opportune moment to unleash her mockery, intent on fully retaliating for the earlier loss of face.

Yue Ling, meanwhile, leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes as she delved into the memories of that specific time.

“Hmm… while my earlier memories remain somewhat hazy, I distinctly recall that after emerging from the cultivation pod, ‘that person’ conducted a test to ascertain my adaptability to various ‘Thought Crystals.'”

“And the outcome?” the Commander pressed, leaning forward.

“Hmm… if I recall correctly, it seems I possessed adaptability to all of them.”

“Hehe, this one knew it………………Eh?”