As Ye Ning drifted into sleep…
The lobby of the Magical Girl Branch in C City remained brightly lit.
A slender yet upright figure slowly pushed open the branch’s main door.
The evening wind, carrying a chill from the night, rushed in, stirring her waist-length, ink-black hair.
She was a young woman who appeared to be around eighteen or nineteen, tall and wearing a dark red combat uniform with a black dress.
The somber attire held an air of elegance, the fabric embroidered with intricate blood-red butterfly patterns that shimmered faintly under the lights.
Silver tassels adorned the collar and cuffs, swaying gently as she moved, adding a touch of cool refinement.
Her skin was as white as snow, yet carried a hint of an almost imperceptible pallor.
Her oval face had well-defined features, with cool, composed brows and eyes of a profound, dark color.
Her nose was high-bridged, her lips a faint cherry pink, and the corners of her mouth always held an extremely subtle smile—not one of warmth, but rather conveying a sense of distance.
S-Class Magical Girl, Blood Butterfly.
The young woman at the front desk was looking down, organizing documents.
Hearing the door open, she instinctively looked up.
When she saw the figure standing at the entrance, her eyes instantly lit up, the fatigue on her face vanishing in an instant, replaced by sheer excitement and delight.
She hurriedly stood up, nearly knocking over the water cup on the desk, and quickly walked over, her steps somewhat flustered.
Her voice was full of barely contained excitement, even stumbling over her words due to her overwhelming emotion:
“B-Blood Butterfly! You… how did you come here? I… I’m your super fan! You’re really even more b-beautiful than in the rumors!”
By the end, the girl’s cheeks had turned bright red.
Her eyes darted away, not daring to meet Blood Butterfly’s gaze.
Her hands twisted nervously together, a picture of shyness and excitement—as an S-Class Magical Girl of formidable strength, Blood Butterfly was naturally an idol for many lower-ranked magical girls and staff.
The front desk girl was no exception.
Usually, she could only see her figure in the Association’s bulletins.
Now, being able to see her in person up close had left her utterly flustered.
Seeing her like this, the distance in Blood Butterfly’s eyes lessened slightly.
The corners of her mouth lifted into a gentle smile.
“No need to be nervous. I’m just here temporarily.”
Her tone was very gentle, without any hint of the airs of an S-Class Magical Girl, instantly soothing the front desk girl’s nervousness.
The front desk girl took a deep breath, trying hard to calm her excited heart.
She looked up, her eyes sparkling as she gazed at Blood Butterfly and asked respectfully, “Lady Blood Butterfly, is there something you need at our branch? Whatever it is, I will do my best to assist you!”
“Nothing major.”
Blood Butterfly shook her head gently, her tone flat.
“I just finished a mission on the outskirts of C City. On my way back, I happened to receive an online meeting notification from headquarters, saying there’s an important matter to discuss. Since this place was the closest to me, I came over temporarily, hoping to borrow an empty conference room to attend the meeting.”
As she spoke, she slightly raised a hand and rubbed her temple—the mission she had just completed wasn’t simple.
Although successful, it had come at a cost.
Right now, she just felt somewhat drained all over, with a faint tightness in her chest.
“Yes, yes, we do!”
The front desk girl nodded hastily, her tone still tinged with excitement.
“The conference rooms have been prepared for a while; there’s always one empty. I’ll take you there right now! Please wait a moment, I’ll prepare a cup of warm tea for you. You must be tired after just finishing a mission.”
Without waiting for Blood Butterfly’s response, the front desk girl hurried to the nearby break room, deftly prepared a cup of warm tea, carefully carried it in her hands, then quickly walked back to Blood Butterfly and respectfully offered it.
“Miss Blood Butterfly, please have some tea to relieve fatigue and warm up.”
Blood Butterfly took the cup.
Her fingertips touched the warm surface, a gentle warmth slowly spreading through her body, easing the tightness in her chest a little.
She looked up at the front desk girl, a flicker of gentleness passing through her eyes.
She said softly, “Thank you. Sorry for the trouble.”
A simple word of thanks nearly made the front desk girl stumble from excitement.
She quickly steadied herself against the nearby wall, her cheeks so red they seemed about to drip blood.
She hastily waved her hands, her tone flustered.
“N-No trouble at all! Not a bit! It’s my honor to serve you! Please, this way. I’ll take you to the conference room.”
With that, the front desk girl quickly walked ahead to lead the way, glancing back at Blood Butterfly from time to time, her eyes filled with admiration and joy.
Soon, the two arrived at a conference room door.
The front desk girl gently pushed it open.
“This is the one. All the equipment inside is ready; you can use it directly. If you need anything, just press the call button anytime. I’ll be right outside.”
“Alright, thank you.”
Blood Butterfly nodded and stepped into the conference room.
The moment the conference room door closed, the gentleness on Blood Butterfly’s face instantly faded, replaced by a hint of pallor and restraint.
She raised her hand, fingertips gathering a faint blood-colored mana.
With a light flick, a thin, blood-colored film enveloped the entire conference room, cutting off all external sound and aura—she didn’t want others to see her tired, vulnerable side, nor did she want the meeting’s content to be overheard.
“Mmm…”
Once the blood-colored film was in place, Blood Butterfly could no longer hold on.
Her body staggered, and she quickly grabbed the nearby conference table for support.
One hand pressed tightly against her chest, her brows furrowed deeply, a flash of pain in her eyes.
She slowly walked to the conference table and sat down, picking up the tea from the table and taking a few more sips.
The warm liquid slid down her throat, nourishing her weary body.
The dull ache in her chest eased a bit more, and her complexion gradually improved somewhat.
Then, she pulled out a small, cube-like object from her pocket—a communication device specially used by the Magical Girl Association.
It could connect to the headquarters’ virtual meeting system and block all external interference.
Blood Butterfly operated the device lightly a few times, her fingertips sliding quickly across the screen.
With a faint pulse of mana, a semi-transparent virtual display appeared before her.
The screen wasn’t large but was exceptionally clear.
Her figure was slowly projected onto the display, her brows and eyes cool, her expression calm, having returned to her usual demeanor.
Before long, the virtual display began to show the projections of various young women one after another.
They wore combat uniforms of different styles, their appearances varied, but each possessed outstanding presence and formidable strength—if any outsider were present, they would surely be shocked, for the young women in these projections were all famous S-Class Magical Girls within the Magical Girl Association.
Each could hold their own, the backbone of humanity’s protection.
“Hello, hello! Is everyone here?”
A lively voice rang out first.
It was S-Class Magical Girl, Hyacinth.
She wore her hair in high twin-tails, dressed in a light green combat uniform, her face full of smiles, exceptionally spirited.
“Just finished a mission and rushed over. Almost late.”
Another voice, tinged with weariness, sounded.
It was S-Class Magical Girl, Daydream.
She wore an ice-blue combat uniform and was hugging a large pillow, yawning.
The familiar young women began greeting each other, their tones relaxed, the atmosphere lively and bustling.
There was none of the usual seriousness from when they were on missions.
At this moment, having shed their magical girl halos, they were no different from ordinary girls, chattering away, sharing their recent experiences.
Just then, a gentle, soft voice sounded, carrying a hint of polite laughter.
“Xiao Yuan, you’re here too. You don’t look too well. Are you injured?”
Blood Butterfly looked up. In one corner of the display, a gentle and lovely figure had appeared—S-Class Magical Girl, White Rose, also one of the few S-Class Magical Girls within the Association belonging to the Light-Bathing Class.
She wore a pure white combat uniform, the hem embroidered with blooming white roses.
Her hair reached her waist, tied up with a silver hairpin.
Her skin was fair, her brows and eyes gentle.
Her irises were a light amber, like the warm sun of spring.
The corners of her mouth held a tender smile.
When she spoke, her tone was soft, carrying a sense of utmost politeness.
Every movement exuded a gentle, dignified grace that made one instinctively feel close to her.
“It’s fine. Just a little exhaustion. It’s nothing serious.”
Blood Butterfly shook her head gently, her tone flat.
After the pleasantries, Blood Butterfly looked up at the display, her expression gradually turning serious.
She asked, “What about the other members of Morning Star? Why don’t I see them?”
White Rose smiled gently and patiently explained, “It seems they’re all still on urgent missions. Only I am currently in a rest state, so I can attend the meeting on time.”
Blood Butterfly nodded and didn’t press further—they were all S-Class Magical Girls, bearing the responsibility of protecting humanity, constantly on the move.
Missing meetings was a common occurrence.
Just then, the virtual display suddenly rippled slightly.
The originally scattered projections gradually moved to the sides.
In the very center of the display, a tall figure slowly appeared.
She had a neat single ponytail and wore a form-fitting black combat uniform.
Her posture was upright, her brows and eyes sharp yet steady.
Her gaze was icy, and she exuded a powerful sense of pressure—Magical Girl Yin Xing, also the President of the Magical Girl Association, the strongest S-Class Magical Girl.
Usually steady and calm, not given to smiles, she oversaw all Association affairs and was a role model for all magical girls.
“President!”
“President Yin Xing!”
Seeing Yin Xing’s figure, the previously lively display instantly quieted down.
All the young women put away their relaxed expressions, respectfully greeting her one after another, their expressions serious.
Yin Xing gave a slight nod, her tone icy and steady, without any superfluous emotion.
“Everyone is here. Let’s skip the small talk and begin the meeting. First, each of you report briefly on your recent mission completion status. Keep it concise and clear.”
Blood Butterfly also briefly reported on the mission she had just completed, not mentioning her injury, merely stating plainly that the mission was accomplished.
After everyone had finished reporting, Yin Xing’s expression grew even more serious, a flash of gravity passing through her eyes.
“Alright, mission reports are complete. The overall situation is relatively smooth.”
“However, recently, there is one matter that requires everyone’s attention—abnormal situations have been occurring in A City. Not only are large numbers of Disaster Beasts frequently appearing, harming innocent civilians, but multiple cult organizations are also active in A City. The situation regarding Magic Crystal Stone smuggling has become particularly severe, and there have even been traces of Witches appearing.”
Hearing this, all the young women’s expressions turned serious—Witches, cult organizations, Magic Crystal Stone smuggling.
The simultaneous appearance of these three was no coincidence; it was clearly premeditated.
If not handled properly, it could bring immense disaster to the people of A City.
Yin Xing continued, “Currently, headquarters has assigned local magical girls to conduct preliminary investigations, but the results have been poor. We need an S-Class Magical Girl to go to A City, take full charge of this matter, conduct an in-depth investigation into the truth behind it, eradicate the cult organizations, eliminate the Disaster Beasts, track the Witch’s traces, and simultaneously curb the Magic Crystal Stone smuggling trend.”
As she spoke, her gaze slowly turned to Blood Butterfly, her tone softening a bit, carrying a hint of inquiry.
“Blood Butterfly, I’d like you to go to A City to carry out this mission. Are you willing?”
Blood Butterfly knew Yin Xing wanted to give her a chance to go home and see.
A slight tremor passed through her eyes—it had indeed been a long time since she had returned to A City, a long time since she had seen her sister.
Moreover, with such abnormal situations occurring in A City, as an S-Class Magical Girl, she inherently had the responsibility to go and provide support.
She didn’t hesitate and nodded.
“I am willing, President. Please rest assured, I will definitely complete the mission.”