Lin Lu lay on the ground, the taste of blood filling her mouth.
She braced her arms against the floor, trying to push herself up, but her limbs shook so violently that she collapsed halfway through.
“Cough, cough…”
A sharp pain radiated from her chest.
It felt like she had sustained internal injuries, and at least two of her ribs were broken.
“Oh dear, don’t move, don’t move.” A voice drifted down from above, carrying a nonchalant, playful tone.
“You’re quite badly hurt. If you keep moving around, you really might die.”
Lin Lu forced her head up with great effort.
A pair of white boots stood before her.
The person wore a long coat, and silver-white hair — just like Lin Lu’s — fell all the way down to her waist.
The stranger knelt, tilting her head to look at Lin Lu with a smile.
‘Who is she? Why did she attack me?’
It took a few moments for Lin Lu to realize that the figure before her was not human.
Although the creature’s aura was deliberately restrained, Lin Lu caught a faint trace of it, reminding her of something Lilith had once said…
‘The one that wounded me wasn’t some common piece of trash Shadow Beast. It was one with a complete human form — self-aware and capable of speech…’
‘Could this person be…’
‘Damn it…’
“You…” Lin Lu’s voice was incredibly weak, “Who exactly are you…”
“Me?” The person reached out, her fingertips catching a strand of Lin Lu’s silver hair.
She brought it to her nose and inhaled by saying, “Oh my — how rude of me. I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Changmeng. You should remember that, little lady.”
Lin Lu jerked her head to the side, pulling away from the woman’s fingers.
Changmeng didn’t seem annoyed.
She let go of the hair, stood up, and walked over to Smiling Face.
Smiling Face was huddled in the corner of the wall.
Its black mist had faded until it was nearly transparent, and its dark red core flickered like a lightbulb on the verge of burning out.
“Smiling Face.” Changmeng knelt beside it, tilting her head.
“You’ve been beaten quite miserably, haven’t you? I almost feel sorry for you.”
“My Lady…” Smiling Face’s voice was as thin as a mosquito’s buzz, “My Lady, save me…”
“Eh? Save you?” Changmeng reached out, her fingertip pressing against Smiling Face’s core.
She rubbed it gently, as if playing with a bead and said, “But you went out to play without permission… I haven’t even settled that score with you yet. Besides, if I saved you, wouldn’t I be wasting all the hard work that young lady put in?”
Smiling Face trembled violently, the thin mist flickering like a candle in the wind.
Changmeng chuckled, withdrew her hand, and looked back at Lin Lu.
“The scent on you…” She walked back slowly.
Every step was light, yet each one felt like it was treading directly on Lin Lu’s heart, “It seems a bit familiar.”
Lin Lu lay flat on the floor, unable to rise.
She could only watch as Changmeng approached.
Changmeng crouched down, bringing her face close to Lin Lu’s.
“Are you… a Magical Girl?” Changmeng asked, head tilted to the side.
Lin Lu remained silent.
“Doesn’t seem like it.” Changmeng shook her head, her nostrils flaring slightly as if she were identifying a scent.
“The smell on you… it’s not that disgusting, holy scent those Magical Girls have. It seems to be something much older, something ancient…”
Her gaze fell upon the silver bracelet on Lin Lu’s wrist.
‘Damn it! Has she seen through it?’
Lin Lu’s heart tightened.
Subconsciously, she tried to pull her hand back into her sleeve.
Changmeng noticed the slight movement.
Her eyes lit up as if she had found a fascinating new toy.
“Ah.” she let out a soft laugh, “I see.”
She reached out, her finger moving toward the space between Lin Lu’s eyebrows.
Lin Lu tried to dodge, but her body wouldn’t move.
She no longer had the strength to resist.
“Let me see… what secrets are hidden inside this beautiful lady’s body…”
Just as Changmeng’s finger was about to touch Lin Lu…
“BOOM!”
A massive explosion shook the room.
A blade of crimson flame slashed through the window, striking the ground exactly between Changmeng and Lin Lu.
Changmeng quickly pulled back her hand and leaped away.
The floor was carved with a deep trench, and splinters of wood flew everywhere, stinging Lin Lu’s face.
“My, it certainly is lively tonight. However… isn’t it a bit impolite to interrupt my private moment with this young lady?”
Changmeng turned her head toward the window.
A figure stood on the windowsill.
A red trench coat snapped in the night wind, and slightly curly red hair cascaded over her shoulders.
In her hand, she gripped a long, crimson blade.
The scorching flames dancing along the blade’s edge seemed to flicker with the shadow of a phoenix.
The moonlight illuminated her face, which wore a confident smile.
Lin Lu didn’t recognize her.
However, she knew the woman must be a Magical Girl; that overwhelming, unmasked aura could not be faked.
“I wondered why I could smell such a stench from so far away.” Hong Huang jumped down from the windowsill and landed in front of Lin Lu, shielding her.
“Turns out a rat crawled out for a midnight stroll.”
Changmeng looked at her, a flicker of emotion finally appearing in her eyes.
“Hong Huang,” Changmeng said with a playful tone, “I didn’t expect to see such a high-profile figure in a small place like Beijiang. I’m truly flattered.”
“Hmph!” Hong Huang pointed her long blade forward.
“We received reports of suspected Hui Yan activity in Beijiang a long time ago. I didn’t expect to run into one the moment I landed.”
Changmeng smiled and asked, “Did you come alone?”
“Against you, I’m enough,” Hong Huang said, though her grip on the hilt of her sword tightened.
Changmeng glanced at her, then at Lin Lu behind her.
She smiled again, sensing Hong Huang’s wariness.
It was true that Hong Huang alone could hold her own in a fight, but everyone else present… would likely die in the crossfire.
“Forget it.” Changmeng shrugged, “I’m not in the mood for a fight today.”
She turned and headed back toward the window.
As she passed Smiling Face, she paused for a moment.
Smiling Face was still huddled in the corner.
Its mist had almost entirely dissipated, and its dark red core was dim and lifeless.
“My… My Lady… please… take me with you…”
Smiling Face pleaded in a stuttering, broken voice.
The smile vanished from Changmeng’s face instantly as she looked down, glaring coldly at Smiling Face.
She reached out, her five fingers splayed toward the core.
“A useless piece of trash,” she said, her voice freezing.
She clearly didn’t view Smiling Face as one of her own kind.
“Doesn’t deserve to live.”
She closed her fist.
Smiling Face didn’t even have time to scream.
The dark red core shattered like a glass bead, and Smiling Face vanished into nothingness as its core was destroyed.
Changmeng brushed the dust from her hands as if she were flicking away something insignificant.
“Secret lady with the silver hair,” she called out without looking back, her voice drifting in through the night wind with a hint of a smile.
“I’ll come play with you again next time.”
Hong Huang tightened her grip on her blade.
With a gust of evening wind, Changmeng’s figure vanished without a trace.
Hong Huang sheathed her sword and knelt down, looking at Lin Lu, who had already lost consciousness.
She reached out to check Lin Lu’s breathing and pressed two fingers against her carotid artery, her brow furrowing slightly.
“The injuries are severe,” she whispered, her fingers lightly pressing on Lin Lu’s back.
“Two broken ribs, internal bleeding…”
“She’ll be alright.” Hong Huang stood up, removed her trench coat, and draped it over Lin Lu.
“At least she’s not dead.”
Just then, a noise came from behind them.
“Ugh… my head hurts…” Hoshino Hikari propped herself up and rubbed her eyes.
Before her vision even focused, she began looking for her friend.
“Sister Yuki? Sister Yuki, where are you…”
Then, Hoshino Hikari’s pupils shrank.
She saw Lin Lu lying unconscious on the ground, her face pale and her mouth stained with blood.
A strange woman stood nearby, holding a sword.
“What did you do to Sister Yuki?!”
A staff appeared in her hand instantly.
Orange light flared as a beam of energy blasted directly toward Hong Huang.
Hong Huang tilted her body slightly to avoid it.
The beam grazed her shoulder and blew a hole in the wall.
Bricks and debris clattered to the floor.
“Hoshino Hikari! Stop!” Minazuki’s voice came from the other side.
She had just woken up as well and hurried over to restrain Hoshino Hikari before she could attack again.
Hong Huang sighed, “Look closely. I’m a Magical Girl too.”
Hoshino Hikari froze for a second, finally realizing Hong Huang’s identity, “Ah… haha, sorry, sorry. I… I was just in a panic.” She apologized awkwardly.
If she was also a Magical Girl, then even if she didn’t know what had happened, this woman must have been the one who saved Sister Yuki.
Hong Huang’s lip twitched.
‘Is this girl… missing a few brain cells?’
She looked down at Lin Lu and said, “If you don’t save her soon, she really is going to die.”
Hoshino Hikari’s mind cleared instantly.
“Aaah! Sister Yuki!”
She rushed over and knelt beside Lin Lu.
Seeing the blood still seeping from the corner of Lin Lu’s mouth and her breathing so shallow that her chest barely moved, Hoshino Hikari began to sob.
“Sister Yuki!!” Hoshino Hikari’s voice trembled, and tears immediately welled up.
“Sister Yuki, wake up! Don’t die, waaaah!”
“Don’t shake her,” Hong Huang interrupted, “Her ribs are broken and she has internal bleeding. Call an ambulance immediately.”
“Is this Headquarters? We’re at Nantang Road Number 17. We need medical support… Yes, as soon as possible…” Minazuki pulled out her phone, giving orders to Lin Qingqing while she spoke.
“Qingqing, help stabilize her condition. Medical support is on the way.”
“Ah… okay!” Lin Qingqing immediately moved with frantic hands to begin treating Lin Lu.
Although she wasn’t a specialized healer, she knew basic universal healing magic…