Chapter 25: Why Do Bats Need to Eat?!

Lin Lu stared at the message, and the water bottle in her hand nearly slipped.

A livestream tonight???

Was there some kind of mistake? 

Why give such short notice? 

She had prepared nothing!

[Chiyoyuki: Sister Shimotsuki, this is way too sudden?! I haven’t prepared anything at all!]

[Shimotsuki: You don’t need to prepare much, just have a casual chat. I watched the video of you and Hoshino Hikari out shopping. Since the online hype is still there, livestreaming now will help consolidate your fan base. A full set of streaming equipment has already been sent to your house. Just go pick it up.]

[Shimotsuki: By the way, remember to transform before you start the stream. Don’t be careless.]

Lin Lu took a deep breath and typed her reply.

[Chiyoyuki: …Understood.]

‘They even sent the streaming equipment?!’ Lin Lu sighed. 

‘There really is no backing out now.’

Tucking her phone away, Lin Lu quickened her pace toward Caikun Station near her home.

***

“Phew~”

Lin Lu kicked the door to her house open while lugging a mountain of packages. 

She gently set down the stack of deliveries, which stood a full three heads taller than her.

“Is there really this much streaming equipment?” Lin Lu muttered, wiping sweat from her forehead.

“Yo~ you’re back~”

The bat was currently lying on her side on the sofa watching television. 

She greeted Lin Lu as soon as she heard the noise.

It was only then that Lin Lu noticed the snack wrappers and potato chip crumbs scattered across the floor, along with the takeout boxes Lilith had finished on the table.

Looking at the room Lilith had turned into a total mess, Lin Lu fell silent for three seconds.

“Mmph…” Lilith grabbed a handful of chips and shoved them into her mouth, chewing loudly.

“Your human stuff… mmph… is actually pretty tasty… hic~”

“Lil! Ith!!!” Lin Lu’s fist instantly tightened. 

She grabbed Lilith and began shaking her, “Look at what you’ve done to this room!!! Also, why does a bat even need to eat?!”

Lin Lu shook Lilith several times, making the bat look like a tattered rag being whipped around in her hand.

“Let—let go of me!” Lilith cried out, her head spinning from the shaking. 

Potato chip crumbs tumbled from the corners of her mouth. 

“I am the Evernight Witch! How dare you— hic~”

“You have the nerve to burp?!” Lin Lu held Lilith right in front of her face, staring into her tiny eyes. 

“Look at this floor! Chip crumbs, snack bags, takeout boxes—are you using my house as a dumpster?! Answer me! Look in my eyes!! Tell me! Why? Baby, why? Why does a bat need to eat so much? Even if you eat, why do you have to throw the trash everywhere?!”

Lilith looked away guiltily, “I… I was just experiencing human life… Besides, I’m not a god. I obviously need to take in energy… and it’s not like there are any Shadow Beasts around for me to eat…”

“You…”

“Since I’ve come to your human society, I naturally have to do as the locals do…”

“Doing as the locals do means turning my house into a pigsty?!”

Lin Lu tossed her back onto the sofa and rolled up her sleeves to start cleaning.

She swept the chip crumbs into the trash, folded the snack bags neatly before stuffing them in, and tied the takeout bags shut.

Lin Lu gritted her teeth as she cleaned, muttering complaints under her breath, “I go to training every morning, then I have to go to class, and when I get back, I have to investigate cases and look up information. I’m working myself to death while you’re just fine—lying on the sofa, watching TV, eating snacks, and wrecking the room…”

Lilith sprawled across the armrest of the sofa and whispered, “I was helping you test for poison… what if those snacks were toxic…”

“If they were toxic, why did you eat so many?!”

“Uh… I had to test them one by one…”

“Lilith!”

“Fine, fine, I was wrong.” Lilith fluttered her wings and flew up. 

“Can’t I just help you clean up?”

Lilith flew over to the coffee table, gripped a takeout box with her wings, and wobbled unsteadily toward the trash can.

-Splat!

Halfway there, the takeout box fell, spilling soup all over the floor.

Lin Lu remained silent for three seconds.

“Lilith.”

“Uh…”

“Are you doing that on purpose?”

“Of course not! It’s just… my wings aren’t very flexible…”

Lin Lu took a deep breath, and then another.

“Go sit over there. Don’t move.”

Seeing the dark fumes of irritation practically rising from Lin Lu’s head—looking even more resentful than a ghost—Lilith tactfully flew to the corner of the sofa and lay down obediently.

***

After nearly half an hour of struggling, the room finally looked somewhat presentable again.

Lin Lu tied the last trash bag and leaned against the wall, panting.

“I’m exhausted…” She wiped her sweat and said, “I was already nervous enough about having to stream tonight, and then you had to go and add to the mess.”

Lilith lay on the sofa and asked softly, “Livestreaming? You’re streaming tonight? Do you want me to help?”

“You? What could you possibly help me with?”

“I can transform into my human form and stream with you.”

“Forget it. With your current level of magic, your human form would probably be translucent.” Lin Lu shot her a look. 

“The fans would think the stream was haunted.”

Lilith shut her mouth.

Lin Lu sighed, walked to the entryway, and began unboxing the mountain of deliveries.

There were seven or eight boxes of various sizes, stacked higher than she was.

She opened them one by one—fill lights, a microphone, a camera, stands, a sound card… miscellaneous equipment soon covered the floor.

“This is way too professional…” Lin Lu’s head throbbed just looking at the pile of gear.

“Wait, what?!!” Lin Lu opened the last few large boxes to find a computer with a Rtx 5090. 

She wasn’t sure if it was because her Magical Girl theme was white, but even the PC case was a white “aquarium” style chassis.

‘Holy crap… Are the benefits for Magical Girls really this good? They actually sent a computer, and a Rtx 5090 at that?’ 

Although Lin Lu was pleasantly surprised, she had one major problem…

She didn’t know how to build a computer.

Lin Lu pulled out her phone, snapped a photo, and sent it to the group chat.

[Chiyoyuki: How do I put these things together?]

Hoshino Hikari replied instantly.

[Hoshino Hikari: Whoa! Headquarters sent the latest model! Where do you live, Sister Yuki? Wait for me, I’ll come over and help you build it!]

[Lin Qingqing: I’m coming too! I’m coming too!]

[Minazuki: I’ll come as well to make sure the equipment doesn’t have any issues. I don’t trust those two.]

Lin Lu felt a warmth in her heart as she looked at the screen.

[Chiyoyuki: Thank you, everyone.]

[Hoshino Hikari: Don’t mention it! We’re teammates! I’ll be there in ten minutes! I’m flying straight to your house!]

[Chiyoyuki: Uh… there’s really no need to be in such a hurry…]

Putting down her phone, Lin Lu asked Lilith, “They’re coming over. Do you want to… hide for a bit?”

Lin Lu shook the bracelet on her wrist.

“Fine…”

Lilith sighed. 

She had originally wanted to catch up on her shows tonight…

***

Fifteen minutes later, the doorbell rang.

Lin Lu opened the door to find the three of them standing there.

Hoshino Hikari was carrying a toolbox, Lin Qingqing was holding a bag of fruit, and Minazuki held a box that looked like dessert along with several cups of milk tea.

“Sister Yuki! We’re here!” Hoshino Hikari was the first to rush in, but then she froze, “Wow, your house is huge.”

“It’s alright…” Lin Lu stepped aside to let them in. 

“I wasn’t exactly short on money after joining the Magical Girls, so I just rented a spacious place.”

When Lin Lu had moved, she had considered the possibility of hosting guests, so she had specifically chosen a relatively large apartment.

Lin Qingqing set the fruit on the table and looked around, “Do you live alone, Sister Yuki?”

“Yes.”

“Eh~” Lin Qingqing continued to scan the room. 

“Don’t you get lonely?”

Lin Lu thought about it. 

It was actually fine since she had Lilith. 

If she really were alone, it would indeed be a bit quiet.

“It’s not so bad.”

Minazuki didn’t say anything. 

She just placed the box she was holding on the table and walked over to the pile of equipment, crouching down.

“This stand goes like this.” She picked up a bracket and assembled it in no time.

Hoshino Hikari also leaned in to help. 

“Minazuki, you handle the stands; I’ll handle the wiring. Sister Yuki, where is the computer?”

“Over here.” Lin Lu led her to the bedroom.

Hoshino Hikari glanced at the PC and nodded, “The specs are top-of-the-line. I’m actually a little jealous.”

The three of them divided the labor and finished setting up all the equipment in less than half an hour.

Lin Lu stood to the side, completely unable to find a way to help.

“All done!” Hoshino Hikari clapped her hands. 

“Sister Yuki, come try it out. You can start the stream in a bit~”