The Watch Squad and a Sister’s Restraint

“The Watch Squad?”

“Oh? You know of us?”

“I’ve heard whispers, certainly. After all, a unit named after Headquarters itself is bound to be somewhat known.”

“Tell me, are you interested in joining us? I could put in a good word for you; your performance is easily on par with anyone in our ranks.”

Upon receiving Nelly’s invitation, Night Moon’s face initially lit up with expectation, her eyes practically sparkling, only for her to lower her head in a sudden, helpless gesture.

“I can’t… my sister won’t allow me to join a squad.”

Nelly was somewhat surprised by this revelation. After a moment’s thought, she realized the Watchtower seemed to have a particular rule: Magical Girls of lower rank, or those without a squad, typically received low priority in the mission assignment system. This meant they rarely encountered dangerous assignments, let alone dealt with anything more significant than petty demons, until they officially joined a team.

After pondering for a moment, chin in hand, Nelly spoke, “Such a restriction… it certainly feels much safer. But who exactly is your sister? And what you choose to do, surely no one can truly control that, can they?”

“Well… my sister is something of a minor leader at the Watchtower, so pretty much anything I want to do as a Magical Girl is subject to her control… Oh, please don’t mention me when you return to Headquarters, alright? I snuck out for this mission; nobody knows I’m here.” As she spoke, Night Moon raised a forefinger to her lips, her large eyes fixed directly on Nelly’s.

“No problem at all. Personally, I think your sister’s approach is wrong. Even as a sister, she shouldn’t be able to wield power to restrict her sibling like that, should she?”

“Exactly, exactly!” The green-haired girl nodded vigorously in agreement, simultaneously pulling out her phone. “Nelly? That’s your name, isn’t it? How about we add each other as friends? Then, when you go on missions, you could bring me along!”

“Alright, but as for that last part… we’ll have to see how things go.” If such an act were discovered by the Watchtower, they would undoubtedly face a stern reprimand from their superiors. Moreover, Night Moon had mentioned her sister was a leader; Nelly certainly didn’t want to be remembered by a superior and then assigned to hunt demons in the sewers!

After exchanging contact information, Night Moon was utterly thrilled. She felt like a spring released from its confines, eager to participate in classified missions. There would be even more opportunities.

“Well then, I’ll be off! That demon that Xiaolan rescued will definitely reappear in the future, and I intend to track it relentlessly.” As Night Moon considered the demon Xiaolan had specifically saved, a certain obsession within her grew even stronger. Beyond her personal desire to uncover more about Xiaolan, she reasoned that any demon specifically rescued by a witch must possess some unique significance.

For demons, that which does not kill them only makes them stronger. Night Moon had no intention of allowing it to grow unchecked. She still possessed ample equipment, and if that proved insufficient, she could always pilfer more from the Watchtower. She would continue her pursuit of that wretched beast.

“Right, safety first. If you encounter any trouble, you can always come to our squad; we’ll be able to help.”

“Hmph~ Going on missions without authorization is a disciplinary offense, isn’t it?”

“Emergency situation.”

“Hahaha~ I just love people like you!”

Then, carried on a stirring breeze, the green figure slipped into the night and vanished.

Several streaks of light streaked through the air, ultimately converging before Nelly. These were the Magical Girls from the Watchtower who had arrived as reinforcements. They weren’t clad in their unique battle attire but rather in uniform special outfits, indicating they were non-combat personnel dispatched for urgent tasks.

Nelly was not unfamiliar with the one standing at the forefront, for she was the very person who had been directly communicating with their squad via phone.

“Black Blade, your squad members performed admirably, but you yourself were far too reckless. As a captain, you should have remained with your team.”

“I am aware this is a disciplinary infraction, and I will accept the punishment. Please rest assured.”

The bespectacled liaison officer frowned instantly. Turning to the Magical Girls beside her, she commanded, “You all, go and assess civilian casualties in the surrounding area.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

After the girls dispersed, the liaison officer leaned in close to Nelly, speaking in a low yet remarkably forceful tone, “What I mean is! What you did was extremely dangerous! Dangerous for you!”

“Magical Girls are meant to confront danger head-on, aren’t they, Ms. Fiona?” Nelly waved a dismissive hand, her indifference palpable. As a Magical Girl, she had long since embraced the readiness to sacrifice herself.

“Call me Liaison Officer!”

Nelly met her gaze directly. This was someone she knew intimately; before becoming the captain of the Watch Squad, she had fought alongside this very woman in a different team. However, after a particularly arduous mission, that team was disbanded, and the surviving members were reassigned to other posts.

“Ms. Fiona, weren’t you yourself wounded in battle, disregarding your own safety, which ultimately led to you becoming the liaison officer you are today? Why do you seem like a completely different person now… so hesitant and timid?” Nelly unconsciously leaned closer, almost feeling the hot breath of the other woman ghosting across her skin.

Fiona appeared flustered; her cheeks flushed faintly, and she stumbled back a few steps, momentarily losing her balance due to her injured left leg. Pushing up her glasses, she averted her gaze and stated, “Let’s stick to the facts and avoid irrelevant topics. You are now the core of your squad, and for the safety of your members, you must at least ensure your own well-being…”

Nelly, a touch of tenderness softening her resolve, eased her forceful stance. Her voice softened as she said, “A captain should always lead their team from the front—that’s a lesson I learned from you.”

Fiona seemed taken aback by these words. She lifted her head to look at Nelly, her eyes widening almost imperceptibly. Her gaze then darted left and right, as if she were wrestling with some internal conflict, before finally closing her eyes.

“I understand, but this still needs to be reported. How will you phrase your explanation? Something reasonable could mitigate the punishment.”

“Emergency situation. Just say that.”

“…That’s hardly reasonable. Fine, I’ll put in a good word for you.”

“Thank you, Fiona.”

“Just call me Liaison Officer.”

“Alright, Fiona.”

Afterward, Nelly prepared to return to her original position on the rooftop to rendezvous with Aurora and Izha, leaving the Liaison Officer isolated on the street below.

Fiona turned, limping slightly, to watch the direction Nelly had departed. Her eyes were filled with tenderness.

“Be careful, you idiot…”

“Ma’am! The casualty survey has already been taken over by the Statistics Department. We’re—” A Magical Girl who had returned approached Fiona to report, yet her superior seemed not to have registered her words, still staring blankly in one direction. She followed her gaze but could discern nothing particularly unusual.

“Ma’am?”

“Yes, I understand.”

A moment of silence followed before the girl couldn’t help but speak up, “Ma’am… should our department even be here? According to emergency management protocols—”

“Just report it as an emergency situation. After all, it happened so suddenly; our superiors will understand.”

“Understood.”

While the outside world reeled in post-disaster chaos, in a distant house, Tia was gazing with a contented smile at the blonde girl placed upon the bed.

“Wakey-wakey, sleepyhead~”

Of course, mere words alone were insufficient to rouse the deeply sleeping girl. Tia infused her words with the enchanting power of her dark energy ability, aiming for a mental jolt.

As if her head had been sharply struck, Chloe instantly jolted awake from her slumber, her eyes still hazy as she opened them.

“This… am I dreaming?” The familiar surroundings made her feel as though she were still caught in a dream. Just moments ago, she had been fiercely battling outside, yet in the blink of an eye, she was back in her warm and lovely home.

“What do you think?” Tia casually tossed a soft object onto Chloe’s face.

Chloe picked up the item and scrutinized it.

“Zhitang?”

‘I really was dreaming.’