A Sister’s Arrival and Unspoken Feelings

“Senior Tia?”

Night Moon immediately called out Tia’s name after clearly seeing who had arrived.

Nelly, however, was momentarily stunned by the intense killing aura emanating from the newcomer. Her heart tightened before she recognized this was Tia, the Magic Sword, and Chloe’s sister.

Though Tia’s clothes were pristine, unlike Nelly and Night Moon’s, which bore smudges of demon blood, the aura of slaughter she exuded made it seem as if she had just fought her way out of an encirclement of thousands of demons, with the desperate cries of beasts still lingering in the air.

A sudden thought struck Nelly: she was Chloe’s captain, and the girl’s current state, which clearly wasn’t good, would surely be difficult to explain to her sister.

“Ah… Senior Tia, Chloe, she…”

Nelly, fraught with anxiety, stepped forward. The closer she got to Tia, the more palpable the astonishing pressure became. Such a formidable individual; it was a relief she was on their side, not an enemy. Nelly was now gambling on whether Tia was the type to be extremely overprotective of her sister.

Reaching Tia’s side, Nelly found the carefully prepared words stuck in her throat. Meeting those profound purple eyes, she felt as if she were pleading guilty. Despite the cool weather, sweat beaded on her forehead.

“Though I don’t know exactly what transpired, I thank you for protecting my sister.”

“Now, allow me to take her home; the Watchtower personnel will deal with the remaining demons.” Nodding at the black-haired girl, Tia shifted her gaze to the golden-haired bundle still nestled in Night Moon’s arms, a subtle change flickering in her eyes.

“Hmph… My little sister is truly disobedient…”

“This…”

Though she longed to defend Chloe, for a significant portion of the credit for defeating that demon belonged to her, the person before her was Chloe’s sister. Nelly turned to Night Moon, her eyes signaling the other girl to bring Chloe over.

Night Moon gently stroked the girl’s back, then approached Tia with Chloe in her arms.

‘For Senior Tia, there certainly wouldn’t be any issues, right?’ Night Moon was the only one who had personally witnessed the true “intimacy” of their relationship.

“Then I’ll leave her to you, Senior Tia.”

“For an ordinary person like Chloe, this place is quite perilous; with Senior Tia personally looking after her, it will be much safer…”

“Chloe, your sister is here to take you home.”

Night Moon gently swayed the girl in her arms, a touch of reluctance in her movements, only to discover that Chloe was completely still. Concern immediately clouded Night Moon’s eyes. She cradled the girl’s waist, gently placing a hand against Chloe’s smooth forehead to tilt her head back slightly.

Chloe’s angelic, delicate, and lovely face was now serenely slumbering, and her soft, beast-like snores indicated she was not unconscious.

Realizing Chloe was merely asleep, Night Moon closed her eyes, exhaling a breath of relief. After taking one last look at the rare, beautiful sight, a faint smile unconsciously graced her lips as she carefully transferred the petite body into Tia’s embrace.

“She might be utterly exhausted,” Night Moon speculated. “To encounter something like this in the middle of the night, and Chloe’s body is still quite weak.”

“Yes, I’ll take her home for a good, long sleep.”

Taking the girl, Tia’s lips curved subtly at one corner as she expertly held Chloe, shifting into a more comfortable princess carry. Seeing Chloe jostled slightly in Tia’s arms, Night Moon almost spoke up to suggest a gentler motion, fearing it would wake Chloe. However, she decided against it, feeling her status did not warrant such a display of concern in front of these two.

The girl seemed to be in a deep sleep, showing no signs of waking even after Tia’s brief adjustments. She merely licked her lips, as if dreaming of sweet, delicious food, occasionally murmuring in her sleep.

Without another word, Tia departed, cradling Chloe.

The deserted street, scarred by battle, once again succumbed to silence.

The two girls, one in black and one in green, exchanged silent glances. They did not know each other, but their shared curiosity about their relationship with Chloe kept them from parting ways just yet.

Nelly was the first to speak. “You and Chloe… what’s your relationship with that blonde girl?”

‘We’re deskmates at school, and… friends? Should it be more intimate? Best friends? It’s not a good thing to be friends with ordinary people; it’s easy to drag them into danger.’

“Ah… perhaps that was true in the past,” Night Moon mused. “But I no longer believe it. Witches no longer lie dormant as they once did; attacks like tonight’s are likely just the beginning. They are actively integrating the boundaries of the magical world into the mundane world. It would be better to encounter these matters early and prepare mentally.”

Night Moon gazed at the magical girls flying through the sky. ‘With such a large-scale event, the personnel responsible for controlling information dissemination are probably in for a tough time.’

“That’s true…” Nelly conceded. “But getting too close to ordinary people is still very dangerous. Witches might target them first.”

“Chloe can only be considered half-ordinary, can’t she? You’ve already seen who her sister is. I doubt any witch would be bold enough to lay a hand on the Magic Sword’s sister. Even if they did, I believe Senior Tia’s strength would protect Chloe…”

“As for the intimacy you mentioned… I was actually hoping…” Night Moon shook her head regretfully, as if recalling some unfortunate circumstance.

During her time as a captain, Nelly had learned the skill of roughly discerning the emotions of the girls around her from their words and actions. Observing the green-haired girl’s demeanor, she felt an inexplicable urge to smile.

“You like her?” Nelly, using her height advantage, easily placed a hand on Night Moon’s shoulder.

‘Ugh! You! Where did you come from, you’re so rude! How can you casually guess a girl’s thoughts! I don’t…’ Stung, Night Moon’s emerald eyes instantly widened. She bristled, shaking off Nelly’s hand, and crossed her arms in a show of annoyance, but the blush creeping up her face refused to lie.

“Besides… how could a magical girl like an ordinary person… It would be very dangerous for her…” As she spoke, Night Moon’s voice gradually softened, eventually becoming almost inaudible, her small lips merely quivering as she mumbled to herself.

“Oh ho~ What if she’s also a magical girl? I’ve heard, you know, that there are quite a few couples among magical girls. How wonderful it would be to fight side by side with a partner!” Nelly asked tentatively, covertly placing her hand on Night Moon’s shoulder again. This time, it wasn’t shrugged off.

“I asked… she refused, and there’s nothing I can do… Besides, there’s Senior Tia, her sister, who has the advantage of proximity…” Mid-sentence, Night Moon realized this information was not to be casually divulged, so she quickly clamped a hand over her mouth, hoping Nelly hadn’t heard clearly.

Nelly, indeed, had not heard clearly, for her phone chose that moment to ring—an incoming call from the Watchtower’s command system.

–Black Blade, the situation is largely under control. Is everyone in the Watch Squad safe? The commander places great importance on your team.

Nelly glanced up at the sky; Izha’s pure blue magic was still functioning perfectly.

–All personnel are safe, but the mission target was rescued by a witch.

–It’s good that you’re all unharmed… Did the target cause any casualties? We are currently compiling the casualty count from this attack.

The image of that girl flashed through Nelly’s mind. Nelly opened her mouth, but no words came out.

–Black Blade?

–Ah, no casualties… at least, none that I witnessed.

–What a blessing…

–Please maintain contact at all times.

–Understood.