Let’s Go!

Luo You was in Xue’s house.

Hypnosis, hypnosis, hypnosis—relentless, merciless hypnosis.

“You are Luo You’s little loli.

You absolutely cannot resist me…

And you’re not allowed to lay a finger on me, either!”

She repeated this dozens of times before the session could finally draw to a close.

Dropping heavily onto a chair, Luo You gulped water down in big swigs.

Repeating the same line that many times was exhausting—her tongue ached.

Moments later, Xue snapped out of her entranced state.

She scampered over to Luo You with quick, booming steps, lifted herself up, and—without hesitation—plopped her tiny butt down onto Luo You’s face.

“You! Can you show me now?”

“Huh? Show you what?” Luo You asked wearily, tossing her to the side.

“That form from the other day—the really powerful-looking one!”

“Oh… you mean Supreme Mastery.”

Luo You immediately understood.

She was referring to the ability she used at the Sea of Realms Pass when fighting Zhi Chuan.

Supreme Mastery: Miraculous Dharma Manifestation.

It wasn’t a move she used often, since most of the time it wasn’t necessary.

Still, it was one of the most unique skills in her arsenal.

It carried traces of Buddhism, tied in meaning to karma.

When invoked, golden lotuses would bloom across the ground.

The deeper the karmic connection she had with someone, the more she could draw upon it.

Through Supreme Mastery, she could manifest a seed of cause and effect born from that karmic bond, duplicating the other person’s abilities entirely.

Even temperament and thought-patterns would slowly align with them, an absolute replication.

Of course, she had to witness and understand the target’s powers before duplicating them.

Take, for instance, the magnanimous saintess, Litia.

That magical girl, after sharing a steamy night of passion with Luo You, had even entrusted her with a child.

Their bond was profoundly tied by karma, so replicating Litia’s intrinsic magic was no issue at all.

The ability wasn’t entirely heaven-defying, but it was remarkable in its own right.

Still, Luo You privately believed she didn’t need anyone’s powers to reign supreme.

Her own arsenal was overwhelming enough already.

Even Litia’s Ten Seat-level gifts were more luxury than necessity.

That said, Litia’s inherent magic did hold a unique edge—it wasn’t useless.

It made for an excellent ace in hand.

There was another benefit to Supreme Mastery: it let her operate under a disguise.

With it, she could assume the guise of any magical girl and, say… massacre enemies without tipping her hand.

Easy peasy.

“So why are you so eager to see that? It’s really not worth gawking at.”

Luo You batted Xue’s forehead three times like bouncing a ball.

“Quit fussing over that, I’ll show you something else fun instead.”

“No! I want to see it! It’s inspirational!” Xue shouted, shaking her head vigorously.

“Inspirational?”

“Yes! Inspiration!”

“I see…”

Luo You considered.

She guessed what this little thing had in mind.

Xue was no ordinary existence.

She was the original body of the Plunder-Light class dimensional beast that once ravaged Jiuming Sea—a flawed byproduct of the Sea of Realms’ evolution path.

Perhaps it was the nature of Realm Matter itself that drove dimensional beasts mad upon reaching Plunder-Light class, stripping them of sanity.

Strength born of Realm Matter, strength destroyed by Realm Matter.

Never once had a flawless Plunder-Light specimen emerged.

Litia’s intrinsic magic, however, achieved something radical.

She perfectly fused Realm Matter from a Plunder-Light beast into herself, balancing its destructive nature.

Xue must have seen in that skill a possible path for her own evolution.

Though simple-minded, Xue was far from stupid.

Her instincts were abnormally acute.

That might bode well—or not.

Regardless, Luo You found it harmless to give her a first-hand glimpse.

“Fine then, follow me.”

She led Xue to a secluded spot.

“Why here?”

“Because I’m not just going to show you.

I’ll let you feel it.”

Supreme Mastery—Miraculous Dharma Manifestation.

With her whisper, gold lotuses blossomed upon the ground.

Gleaming petals filled the space.

Xue stared, as if glimpsing her past self within the lights, before it flickered away like a soap bubble.

Within the radiance of one lotus, a golden fruit emerged.

It shone like the relic of an enlightened monk.

This was the effect, born of the karmic seed between her and Litia.

“Wait! Can I eat that?!” Xue blurted out suddenly.

“Eh? Uh…”

Luo You froze.

She hadn’t considered this possibility.

Supreme Mastery produced things in the external world, not bound to her body.

In theory, someone else could consume them.

“…I don’t think you should rush into that.”

After hesitating, she palmed Xue’s eager little face flat before the girl could pounce.

“Wahhhh! I waaaant it! I WANNA EAAAAT!” Xue squealed, thrashing like a child.

With a light slap, Luo You silenced her.

“This fruit was born of Divinity Particles.

If you eat it, you might ascend straight into the heavens on the spot.

Besides, it’s born of my bond with Litia—nothing to do with you.

No telling what consequences it would cause.”

“…Fine…” Xue pouted, sulking miserably.

To spare her further fixation, Luo You casually popped the fruit into her own mouth.

“…Spicy.” She winced.

The golden fruit surged through her, remolding her body from the inside out.

Fused with Realm Matter at the Plunder-Light level, her magic flared with refined, devastating potency.

“Brace yourself.”

“Eh?”

A flood of sinister, malignant magic burst from Luo You, hurling Xue tens of meters like driftwood in a storm.

She tumbled across the dirt in a dozen rolls.

“Pffhahahaha!” Xue scrambled upright, filthy and dizzy.

“What was that for?!”

“You wanted inspiration, didn’t you?

You can’t grasp it by just watching.

You need a real fight.”

She beckoned her.

“Come. Attack me. I’ll show you what true fusion looks like.”

Xue’s face hardened, older than her apparent age.

Black Realm Matter condensed at her fingertips into claws, raking at Luo You.

They sliced the air, leaving sickly trails in their wake.

Nearby plants blackened and withered instantly.

But—

“…?”

Her claws passed straight through.

The Realm Matter evaporated into nothing.

There wasn’t even the sensation of hitting.

“What… what is this?”

“Litia’s power isn’t exactly ‘all-invulnerable.’

It’s better described as ‘adaptation.’

Absorption.

Assimilation.”

Luo You’s voice was cool, instructive.

“If you attacked with another beast’s Realm Matter, it would hurt me at first.

But the more I endure, the more I adapt.

Eventually, I merge with it entirely.

At that point… I become your kin. You cannot harm me.”

“…No way…” Xue’s face went blank.

Luo You’s body shimmered back into her golden Supreme Mastery form.

Waving away illusions, she merged with the essence of Plunder-Light itself.

Pointing at herself, she declared:

“I can adapt to all attacks.

That is my power.

Do you understand?”

“And… and Litia?”

“I can use her strength too.

But I can’t fully grasp it yet.

That’s why I need you.

To help me master Litia’s power.

You… are my strength. Understand, Xue?”

Xue nodded faintly.

At last, she understood.

But Luo You shook her head.

“Not enough. You need to join yourself with me.

Become a part of me.”

“Wha—?!”

“Don’t be afraid.

This is the only path.

Fusion.

With me.

Only then can we reach perfection.”

Xue trembled.

Fear wavered in her eyes.

Yet when Luo You stretched her hand out again, this time she grasped it.

Light roared out, annihilating the area.

Xue screamed as her body dissolved into white brilliance…

And entered Luo You.

Her aura exploded, brighter, sharper, godlike.

“This… is perfect fusion.” she whispered.

She was stronger. Flawless. Invincible.

Her gaze hardened on the horizon.

“From this moment, we build a new world.”

Later, Luo You returned Xue home and got into her car.

Just as she drove, her phone buzzed.

[An Jiu’er: Coach, I’m finally free! I’ll be relying on you these next few days, okay?]

Delight lit her face.

After so much loafing around at the gym, she finally had work!

“Of course! Come any time—you name the part you want to train, and I’ll teach you!”

[Tomorrow morning at nine, is that okay?]

“Perfectly fine!”

Her eyes moistened on the spot.

She really did love this job—

The last proof of her life as a man.

“I’m home~~”

Opening her door, she found Ji Yue already there.

She’d been expecting this contact—but being face-to-face still felt odd.

Ji Yue carried that aura—the resentful, wounded high-class magical girl.

Her suspicion toward “Luo Youyou” was as sharp as ever, circling the hidden possibility: Aurora Witch.

Luo You tilted her head, thinking:

[Well, it hardly matters. She’ll be beneath me soon enough, moaning out her submission. Until then, I’ll happily keep playing.]

“Hello, are you here for Zining?” Luo You asked cheerfully.

“…Hello.” Ji Yue’s tone was clipped.

She stood.

“I’ve finished speaking with Zining. I still have matters to attend, so I’ll be on my way.”

“What? Already?!”

Luo You quickly interjected.

“Come on, it’s rare for you to visit Huahai City. I should treat you! My gym’s right beside a great gourmet street with tons of food—and sometimes magical girls even hold concerts there! In fact, one’s performing tomorrow. How about I take you?”

At this, Zining’s hand crumpled the milk carton in her grip.

Memories—bad ones—flooded her mind.

Ji Yue glanced at her niece thoughtfully.

[Perhaps it’s worth watching my niece’s daily activities up close.

Besides, Lord Xingyue is stationed here.

It might even be my chance for her guidance.]

“Then… tomorrow, I’ll have Zining take me. I wouldn’t want to bother you—you’ve got your gym job.”

“No trouble at all, really!”

“Truly, it isn’t necessary—”

“Not an issue! I’ll handle everything!”

…but Ji Yue’s next words struck her like a slap.

“Are you… this idle?

Too much enthusiasm exhausts people.

I’d prefer if we kept some mutual distance.”

Luo You’s smile stiffened.

“…Auntie?!” Zining gasped, horrified—the air grew tense instantly.

Ji Yue herself realized she’d spoken too harshly.

Startled, she covered her mouth.

“…Forgive me, Youyou. I’ve been in poor spirits lately, and spoke thoughtlessly.”

“Eh—no problem, no problem. Everyone has days like that.

Happens to me when I see a trainee binge-eating in frustration.”

She controlled her expression perfectly.

The atmosphere warmed again.

“Stay in my room tonight, Auntie.” Zining suggested.

“All right.”

The two women settled in comfortably with each other.

Luo You laughed, seemingly at ease—though inwardly, her eyes frosted over.

[Oh? So that’s how it is?

You dare call me ‘too enthusiastic?’

‘Better we don’t interfere with each other?’

Back then, in the sauna, weren’t you the one pressing yourself on me?

Now you ignore me? That’s rich.

Must be because I shut down your suspicions back at Jiuming Sea—that I wasn’t Herrera.

So now ‘Luo Youyou’ means nothing to you?

Unforgivable.

Absolutely unforgivable.

And no one ignores me.

Only I ignore others.

Especially not a defeated magical girl.

Looks like this useless older sister…

Deserves to be broken in thoroughly.

Time to discipline her just right.]

Luo You’s gaze gleamed sharp as a knife.