As winter deepened in 2027, a profound chill permeated the air.
The city, outwardly vibrant, still teemed with traffic and shimmered with neon, yet the occasional, escalating reports of missing persons, tucked away in news corners, cast an almost imperceptible pall over the otherwise tranquil facade.
Beneath this veneer of normalcy, however, an insidious undercurrent, potent enough to shatter the very foundations of the world, was beginning to stir.
****
Night Watchmen Headquarters, a name utterly concealed from public knowledge, stood as a fortress interred deep within the shadows.
Within its core command center, the atmosphere was so palpably heavy it felt as though it might condense and drip.
Projected onto the massive circular conference table were diverse figures from every corner of the globe, each representing a primary member state’s clandestine operations.
This marked the inaugural emergency joint meeting of all such ‘shadow’ representatives since the Global Emergency Response Organization (GERO) was founded.
“I warned you time and again!” a sharp female voice sliced through the tension. “The Demon Queen Qi Yue’an is utterly untrustworthy!”
The speaker, a young woman in a cotton military cap, hammered the tabletop, her sharp eyes gleaming.
Her dark, impeccably tailored overcoat, with its mature cut, offered a stark contrast to her still-youthful, almost baby-faced features.
“She may once have been a magical girl, true, but power—especially the kind entwined with Demon Lord Lin Xiao and that uncanny Crown of Reason—is enough to corrupt even the staunchest will!
We should never have divulged the core of the ‘Tanuki Plan’ to her, not a single detail, from the very outset!”
“This is hardly the moment to assign blame for past decisions.”
A tall, poised woman of substantial build, Yun Lan, the Night Watchmen’s lead representative for this meeting, interjected, her voice carrying an inherently calming authority.
Her penetrating gaze swept across the entire chamber, pausing deliberately on the flickering holographic projections.
“Our immediate concern is how to counter the Dawn Star Palace’s ‘Black Sun’ device.
Fortunately, our operative Ling Ru managed to extract, bringing with her vital, albeit deeply unsettling, intelligence.”
A glance around the conference room revealed a truly phantasmagoric sight.
Among the attendees, some possessed hulking physiques, their skin encased in rock-like carapaces, their eyes as savage as a wild beast’s.
Others, conversely, appeared delicate and charming, adorned in voluminous Lolita dresses, resembling innocuous porcelain dolls.
Regardless of their disparate appearances, they shared a singular commonality: each served as the highest-ranking official or representative within their respective nation’s anomalous management department for the ‘shadow’ world.
They might be ‘demons’ transformed by a surge of magical awakening, or magical girls whose very existence was reshaped after a fervent wish.
Within the common populace’s understanding, they had likely either “legitimately died” or vanished without a trace.
Nevertheless, drawing upon the profound experience and wisdom they had amassed prior to their transformations, they swiftly reclaimed positions of power, emerging as the architects and guardians of the new order within this veiled world.
The Dawn Star Palace, the most formidable demon organization, had surged to prominence precisely when magical phenomena first manifested.
With the advent of Demon Lord Lin Xiao, whose unfathomable power and technology far surpassed anything of the current era, the organization’s influence had ballooned like a snowball.
Its penetration, both into the “shadow world” concealed beneath mainstream society and into the “bright world” through colossal corporations like the Eden Tech Group under its sway, had reached a truly chilling magnitude.
To counteract this power, which threatened to utterly destabilize the global balance, the various clandestine governmental organizations, hastily formed by nations worldwide, had coalesced to establish the Global Emergency Response Organization.
After a brief, weighty silence, a figure, remarkably conspicuous even as a holographic projection, was the first to speak.
Her vibrant golden pigtails shimmered, complementing a sharply tailored dark suit and a vivid red tie.
Her face bore a peculiar expression, a curious blend of a politician’s calculated composure and a comedian’s theatrical humor.
Everyone recognized her—or more accurately, her distinctive speaking style—though its pairing with her current petite, adorable magical girl form invariably produced an unsettling sense of dissonance.
“Ladies and gentlemen, and all… non-traditional attendees,” she began, her voice clear but with a familiar, undulating cadence.
“This is truly dreadful news, utterly dreadful.
You know, ever since this ‘magic’ business so unceremoniously crashed into our lives, we’ve left our sleeping children, bid farewell to our anxious partners, and even vanished irrevocably from the cherished family photographs we once adorned… Yet, this cannot break our spirit.
Indeed, just look at us,”
She spread her small hands wide, mimicking the expansion of an accordion.
“We are more… ‘young and vibrant’ than ever, aren’t we?”
After a brief, unreciprocated chuckle, her tone abruptly shifted to one of grave seriousness.
“But today, the Dawn Star Palace, this colossal entity entrenched within the shadow world, has extended its tentacles too far.
It has all but monopolized the resources of high-tier demons, and now, it wields a strategic weapon like the ‘Black Sun,’ capable of imperiling the entire globe.”
She leaned slightly forward, the close-up of her face on the holographic projection exuding an intense, almost suffocating, pressure.
“No one comprehends strategic deterrence more intimately than I.
I can unequivocally foresee that should Lin Xiao succeed in fully linking the ‘Black Sun’ with the ‘Crown of Reason,’ the entire world—both its overt and hidden facets—will be irrevocably plunged into the shadow of the Dawn Star Palace, never to know peace again!
Therefore, I strongly advocate for the immediate imposition of the most stringent, comprehensive sanctions across both the overt and covert realms against all entities associated with the Dawn Star Palace.
We must instantly mobilize every armed force at our disposal, teleport them directly to the Dawn Star Palace’s core region, and either seize, or, if absolutely necessary, utterly annihilate the ‘Black Sun’ device!”
No sooner had her words faded than another clear, chilling voice resonated through the room.
It was Chen Ling’s projection, showing her seemingly situated in some cramped, dimly lit hideout.
Fresh scratches and grime marred her face and arms, indicating she had just endured a fierce engagement.
As one of the rare senior special operations agents still active within the Dawn Star Palace and untainted by exposure from the “Tanuki Plan,” her counsel was paramount.
“I appreciate the Federal Nation representative’s concerns,” Chen Ling’s voice, though weary, remained lucid. “However, your proposition is overly aggressive, and the risks are incalculable.
Large-scale economic sanctions, particularly the cross-dimensional deployment of military forces, would inevitably and drastically expand the ‘informed populace.’
For every single ordinary individual who gains explicit awareness of magic and demons, the ambient magical concentration of the world will surge uncontrollably.
Consequently, the likelihood of spawning more rogue demons and unforeseen anomalous events will escalate exponentially!
Let us not forget the fundamental purpose of the ‘Heavenly Severance Protocol’: it exists not to shackle us, but to safeguard our fragile mainstream society from collapsing under the weight of cognitive overload and a catastrophic eruption of demons!”
“I must object to Ms. Chen Ling’s assessment!”
A demon representative, whose voice boomed and whose physique was as stout as a bear, with skin of a bluish-grey hue, declared with gravity.
“At times, essential risks must be embraced.
If we delay until the ‘Black Sun’ is fully operational, the Dawn Star Palace’s dominion over the shadow world will become unassailable, and their infiltration into the overt world will proceed without constraint!
At that juncture, they could unilaterally abrogate the ‘Heavenly Severance Protocol’ at will, subjecting the entire world to their dominion!”
“I contend that even if we must shoulder the risk of magical resurgence stemming from a breach of the protocol, we are compelled to act immediately and launch a preemptive strike.
Demon Lord Lin Xiao is presently preoccupied with his wedding ceremony; this is our singular opportunity.
Let our main contingent of operatives assault the ‘Black Sun’ device’s core area, while simultaneously deploying our most elite special operations squad to raid the wedding ceremony itself.
Intelligence suggests that Demon Queen Qi Yue’an is merely a first-tier magical girl of the Envy lineage, possessing minimal combat capabilities.
Our objective is to disrupt and delay the ceremony, and, if absolutely necessary… to execute a ‘decapitation strike’ against critical targets!”
The conference room instantly erupted into a clamor of fervent debate.
Given the inherent “existence replacement” characteristic of magical girls, coupled with the brutal reality that ordinary human “cognition” directly catalyzes the emergence of magic and demons, communication between the Global Emergency Response Organization and high-level government officials worldwide had always been maintained with the utmost secrecy and brevity.
The vast majority of national political leaders remained utterly oblivious to the existence of another treacherous battlefield simmering beneath the surface of their world.
While this profound secrecy had, to a great extent, safeguarded the stability of ordinary society, it simultaneously imposed severe limitations on the large-scale mobilization and expansion of capabilities for the various anomaly management departments.
At this critical juncture, the central point of contention revolved around whether to risk global instability by shattering the constraints of the ‘Heavenly Severance Protocol.’
“Violate the protocol? You ‘beast-man’ speak so casually!”
A magical girl, whose scholarly demeanor was underscored by her spectacles, adjusted them on her nose.
She was the representative from the Europa Alliance.
“Have any of you truly considered the immense chain reactions a global cognitive shock would unleash if we were to manifest on a grand scale?
It might not merely result in a few additional demons; the advent of ‘The End’ could be drastically hastened, culminating in a genuine apocalyptic scenario!”
“Yet, by standing idly by, are we not merely inviting the same apocalypse?”
Another representative, this one from the Night Watchmen, retorted.
“Which poses a more immediate threat: a world utterly subjugated by the Dawn Star Palace, perpetually vulnerable to strategic blackmail by the ‘Black Sun,’ or the risk of ‘The End’ that we might conceivably face?
We have yet to fully decipher Lin Xiao’s true intentions, but the intelligence retrieved by Agent Ling Ru unequivocally suggests that his plan is far from any grand endeavor for the betterment of the world!”
The crux of the debate was further complicated by an even more intractable technical dilemma.
An operative, tasked with intelligence and technical analysis, interjected, their voice laden with gravity.
“Even if we resolve to attack, an insurmountable obstacle remains: the Dawn Star Palace itself is fundamentally constructed upon Demon Lord Lin Xiao’s formidable ‘Demon Domain.’
Its internal spatial architecture is ‘non-linear,’ meaning that while invited wedding guests can be guided inside, any large-scale external teleportation attempt would prove exceedingly difficult.
Precise teleportation demands a stable ‘spatial coordinate’ within his domain, one with sufficient authorization, to serve as a beacon.
And this coordinate… must be actively transmitted by an individual inside the Dawn Star Palace who possesses adequate clearance.
This, currently, is our most significant bottleneck.”
Upon hearing this, the conference room fell silent once more.
Without an internal coordinate, a large-scale assault was an impossibility, and infiltrating with small units would be tantamount to a suicide mission.
Amidst this weighty silence, Sister Lan, the Night Watchmen’s supreme representative, who had been listening in quiet contemplation, suddenly allowed a mysterious and resolute curve to grace her lips.
She rose slowly, her gaze sweeping over every anxious, angry, or despairing face in the room.
“The issue of spatial coordinates…” she stated, her voice clear and imbued with an undeniable confidence, “…perhaps isn’t as intractable as everyone presumes.”
Instantly, all eyes in the room converged upon her.
“Are you implying…” The Federal Nation’s representative with golden pigtails narrowed her eyes.
Sister Lan offered no direct reply, instead speaking with profound implication: “The Dawn Star Palace is not an impenetrable fortress.
Even beneath the sun, shadows persist, and we, the Night Watchmen, excel at standing vigil through the longest nights, and… at planting seeds of hope.”
Her words were thick with suggestion.
“To prevent exposure, I cannot provide detailed intelligence at this moment.
Please trust that when the time is right, we will receive guidance from ‘within.'”
Her announcement stirred a tempest of speculation.
The representatives exchanged bewildered glances, wondering what this “internal guidance” truly implied—had a high-ranking executive been turned? Or had the enigmatic Demon Queen herself, whose allegiance remained a mystery, ultimately left a contingency?
Sister Lan offered no further elucidation.
She placed her hands on the table, delivering her concluding remarks: “Based on current intelligence analysis and risk assessment, I, on behalf of the Night Watchmen, propose the following operational plan, submitted for this council’s vote: Concurrently with Demon Lord Lin Xiao’s wedding ceremony, we will launch a joint military operation codenamed ‘Daybreak.’
The core objective is to incapacitate or destroy the ‘Black Sun’ device, preventing its final connection with the ‘Crown of Reason.’
The elite forces’ mission is to disrupt the wedding ceremony, delaying the Demon Lord’s progress, and, if necessary, to execute high-priority control over key individuals.
The main assault force will be composed of the most elite special operations agents drawn from all member states, supported by a limited number of armored units.
Leveraging numerical superiority and heavy weaponry, they will form a joint assault cluster to strike the underground facility, uncover the secrets of the Black Sun device, and bring the Dawn Star Palace to justice.
This operation will, in principle, remain within the framework of the ‘Heavenly Severance Protocol,’ minimizing the scope of awareness.
However, front-line commanders are authorized, in extreme circumstances where the mission faces failure, to exercise their judgment on site and decide whether to employ unconventional methods that may expand cognitive impact.
All responsibility will be jointly borne by the Global Emergency Response Organization.”
She surveyed the entire assembly, her voice decisive: “Ladies and gentlemen, we have no retreat.
Let us seize this fleeting opportunity, fight with all our might, and secure a different future for our world, and for those who have forgotten us.”
A brief silence descended upon the conference room, broken only by the faint hum of the holographic projections.
Each representative weighed the costs and probabilities.
Finally, the Federal Nation’s representative was the first to raise their hand.
“The Federal Nation agrees to the ‘Daybreak’ operational plan.”
Immediately after, the Northern Nation representative’s massive hand slammed heavily onto the tabletop.
“The Northern Nation agrees!”
“The Europa Alliance agrees.”
“The Pan-Pacific Alliance agrees!”
One by one, all the attending representatives, regardless of their previous heated debates, made the same collective choice.
Sister Lan took a deep breath, her voice solemn. “Then, Operation Daybreak is officially launched.
All units, proceed with final preparations according to the plan.”
With the command issued, the war machine hidden beneath the world’s facade began to churn into motion.
Unbeknownst to anyone, in a matter of hours, the globally anticipated wedding would intertwine with a raid poised to decide the fate of the world.
Meanwhile, Qi Yue’an, currently regarded as a thorn in the side of the entire world and the most vulnerable point of the entire Black Sun plan, sat within a lavishly decorated wedding car.
She leaned against Lin Xiao’s shoulder, clad in a pristine white wedding gown, appearing truly like a wife about to marry her beloved.
There was no hint of impending crisis on her face; instead, she seemed to be savoring the moment.
Lin Xiao, also in the back seat, maintained a vigilant expression.
He was acutely aware of the ceremony’s inherent dangers, which was why he had remained by Qi Yue’an’s side since the previous evening.
“An, you didn’t have to resort to this method.
The original plan could have been completed without it; you don’t need to bear all this…”
He had only learned the full scope of the situation yesterday afternoon.
Qi Yue’an had successfully amplified the attention on the Crown of Reason and this ceremony through her actions, elevating the success rate to near certainty.
However, this also meant she had drawn the world’s scrutiny, and its condemnation, upon herself.
Lin Xiao understood that after this, Qi Yue’an would no longer be a mere magical girl coerced as a sacrifice, but a Demon Queen, complicit in his ‘crimes.’
She would lose any chance of returning to her original world, irrevocably bound to him.
Hearing his words, Qi Yue’an shook her head.
Rather than distancing herself from Lin Xiao, she embraced his arm.
“I’m not afraid.
Xiao will protect me, and besides, my wish is to always be with you.
It doesn’t matter if others dislike me.”
Her words were so ambiguous, surpassing any fervent declaration of love.
Yet, Lin Xiao could discern the hidden anxiety and fear in her silver eyes.
It was not fear of becoming the perfect assassination target, but an anxiety of being left behind.
“Xiao always excludes me.
Now that you’re going to face the world, you can’t leave me out of something like this again.”
She tightened her grip, feeling for the first time that she truly stood beside him.
The girl who was usually somewhat timid now felt an intoxicating, unparalleled sense of security.