I’m a cow, I’m on my own

Night had fallen, and Liyun waited nervously.

The plaza was nearly empty, with only a couple of people passing by every few minutes.

It truly was the perfect place for a secret meeting.

Hiss—huuu—

She drew a deep breath.

It was supposed to be perfectly normal, yet she still felt like a thief in the night.

Perhaps what weighed on her was the fear of running into someone she knew.

And worse—the words she intended to share with Youyou tonight were far too embarrassing.

“Liyun, I’m here.”

Her spirits rose as she turned, putting on what she hoped was a calm smile.

But the first thing she saw—those long, pale, gleaming thighs.

“Youyou!? What are you wearing—that’s so shameless!”

“Tch, relic of the feudal dynasty. Everyone wears hotpants nowadays.

Not like I came out in nothing but underwear.”

“Big Sis, your reaction’s too dramatic. Do you really care that much about my legs?”

“I-I don’t! It’s just… you always wore stockings when we met, and now suddenly you’re not, so it feels… unnatural!”

“Hmph~ Want me to go buy a pair and put them on right now?”

“Absolutely not!”

To be fair, among all the magical girls, Liyun’s reactions struck Luo You as the very essence of pure-hearted.

With the others—even when flustered—their responses lacked that innocent sparkle.

They sat together on a long bench by the lakeside.

Luo You handed her a canned soda.

“Big Sis, why did you want to meet me? You seemed so urgent in your message.”

“…”

Luo You tilted her head—Liyun hadn’t said a word.

She figured her “Big Sis” must have been too mesmerized by her legs, so she decided to prod again.

“Big Sis, you—”

“Youyou! I’ve encountered the greatest crisis of my life. Please… help me!”

Liyun dropped into a deep bow, practically on her knees.

“Eh—Big Sis, you don’t have to go that far, do you?”

“I do! Because what I’m asking of you… might demand great sacrifice. Even if you refuse me, it’s fine!”

“I see…”

Luo You pressed her lips, then smiled slyly.

“That won’t do. You’re Sixth Seat of the Alliance—you can’t bow so easily.”

“Eh?!”

Liyun snapped upright in shock.

“The magical girl who saved me from the fire today… and took my stockings—

that was you, wasn’t it, Big Sis?”

“Ehhh—No-no-no-no! Youyou, what are you saying—ha-ha! How could I be the Sixth Seat?!”

“Even when you transform, I can recognize you. You react exactly the same way when I tease you, after all.”

Rising gracefully, Luo You strode close, her pale legs dangling boldly in front of Liyun’s eyes as she bent down.

Whispering at her ear, she murmured,

“My stockings. You have them on you, don’t you?”

Then, without hesitation, she plucked the black silk from Liyun’s pocket, dangling them mockingly.

“See? I was right.”

“Ahhhhhh—!”

Liyun’s entire being trembled with fury and despair.

Not only her dignity as an elder sister was lost, even her disguise as a magical girl was utterly stripped away.

“Ah-ah, Big Sis, please don’t overreact! Calm down, calm down! I don’t mean to mock you!”

“Youyou, uuuu… my life is over… please, don’t tell anyone, I’ll do anything… sob sob sob!”

“I was never planning to tell anyone.”

Luo You lifted her up, smiling.

“Relax. To me, even knowing you’re one of the revered Ten Seats, you’re still the same unreliable Big Sis.”

“UuuAAAHHHH!”

It took Luo You half an hour just to soothe her down.

I really am going to break this one someday, she thought, half amused, half helpless.

Still, tearing apart her last mask of pride might just be what made her stronger in the end.

“Youyou… you’re really not disappointed in me? A Ten Seat, yet I’m like this…”

“How many times do I have to say it? I never cared about you being a magical girl. To me, you were always Big Sis first.”

“Mm… thank you, Youyou.”

In that moment, Liyun knew with certainty—meeting this cheeky, mischievous girl had saved her from falling utterly into despair.

Even if Youyou often toyed with her, she was the kind of little demon who carried an angel’s wings—bringing pain, but also strength.

She was her guiding star, the one she owed her life to.

“Youyou, please listen to me.”

“Mm, Big Sis, you can tell me all your embarrassing secrets if you want.”

“Not those! …Though this one is shameful too.”

“It’s about… Herrera.”

“Mm?”

So Liyun confessed.

About Herrera’s cruelty.

How she ravaged magical girls, stole their purity, hunted them endlessly—painting her as a tyrant king in a twisted fairytale.

Luo You listened calmly, but inside, her rage churned.

Hmph! A woman I personally trained into depravity dares to use such words about me?! Do you want a child that badly? I may not give you one—but I’ll find another way to stuff your belly full!

But in truth—Liyun’s defiance only added fuel to her enjoyment.

“The truth is, I’ve heard of this witch Herrera too,” Luo You said lightly.

“Eh? You have?”

“She’s practically an internet legend. Look.”

She pulled up her phone, searched “Herrera,” and showed Liyun the results.

“She’s a recurring ‘character’ in countless doujin comics.

In any magical girl-themed work, Herrera’s name always pops up.

Online fans rank her alongside infamous tentacle monsters.”

“This—this is outrageous! People really create such perverse things?!”

For almost half an hour Liyun scrolled, jaw dropping with each page.

Magical girls humiliated by Herrera.

Magical girls becoming witches.

Even stories where Herrera fell into true love with one!

And worst—those even had sequels.

Never before had she realized just how infamous, how popular, Herrera was.

All those years magical girls spent uplifting their image—and here, one witch had stolen their thunder completely.

“This is a cultural invasion! If this continues, the public image of magical girls will be destroyed!”

“We need countermeasures immediately!” she insisted.

“What, draw your own comics?” Luo You teased.

“Yes! Even if magical girls work to promote positive images, if in the public eye Herrera remains this kind of perverted archetype… then nothing will change.”

“Borrow the tools of the enemy,” Luo You smirked.

“Make your own comics. Have Herrera captured, beaten, humiliated. Rewrite her image in the minds of the people.”

For a moment, Liyun wavered.

But she quickly stiffened.

“Magical girls are not impure! Even if Herrera captured us in a story, she’d be put on trial, never degraded like that!”

“Mm~ Coming from the Big Sis who wanted to chain her down, make her lick your toes, and call you master?” Luo You countered.

“Th-that was—! I was just setting myself a goal, a source of motivation! Not that I’d actually do it!”

Her blush deepened, but her voice rang with conviction.

“So you admit you’ve thought about it, though.”

“Even so, the readers wouldn’t care. If all you offer is filth, they’ll get bored. A story with true power can outshine that.”

Luo You blinked. She actually slipped my snare?

Too pure. Too idealistic.

She left it at that.

After all, this whole “comic plan” was just a passing fancy—something to keep in mind for later schemes.

“So then, Big Sis, what is it you really need from me?”

“Ah!” Liyun remembered at last. It was already close to eleven.

Embarrassed, she explained the issue of Herrera forcing her into “films.”

“So… you want me to…?” Luo You tilted her head after listening.

“Write me a script. One of those scripts. No matter how shameless, I’ll follow it to the letter. This way, when the real shoot comes, I’ll already be prepared—and it won’t break me as badly.”

Luo You froze.

This… this was amazing!

Not only could she refine her perfect script, she could even rehearse Liyun!

What magical girl would just offer herself up like this?

She could hardly contain her excitement.

“Well? Will you agree?” Liyun asked nervously.

She knew Herrera wasn’t simply after her body—what the witch craved was the drawn-out torment of endless retakes, watching her despair deepen with each rehearsal.

Her plan was simple: if she already acted out all the shame with Youyou first, Herrera wouldn’t get to savor her true humiliation during the actual filming.

Her little triumphant thought echoed with pride—

[If I gift my greatest shame to you, my Soulmate, then Herrera can never claim it for herself!]

Luo You almost burst out laughing. That’s exactly like—graduating and giving your first time to your boyfriend before marrying a gangster for family debt. “You may sleep with me, but you’ll never own my first expression.”

Absurd, but deliciously amusing.

“Sure,” she said at last.

“Really?! Thank you, Youyou! Then… for now, please guide me… Director!”

“…Oh no,” Luo You muttered. I just became Director.

Still—it was the perfect chance.

She could rehearse with Liyun daily, and find a way to rope in Ji Yue eventually.

Yes… a brilliant plan was taking shape.

“Almost midnight,” Liyun said cheerfully. “I won’t trouble you further. I’ll leave you, Director.”

“Wait,” Luo You smirked.

“Before you go—help me shoot a quick tweet?”

A few moments later, a new post appeared.

[Big Sis dragged me out at midnight. She even ripped off my stockings! Look at the handprints!]

It ended with a thigh close-up, plus a photo of Liyun cut above the nose.

They parted soon after, each heading home.

But someone else, scrolling that tweet later, would not sleep a wink tonight.