Chapter 46: What’s Wrong with a Machine?

“Is that so.”

Yuan Qing’s voice was calm.

“Yeah!”

Sundae nodded vigorously.

“Hasn’t Miss Raven been arranging sparring sessions with other Magical Girls? I’ve thought about it for a long time, and I feel like I should give it a try. Not to win, just to see exactly how far behind I am.”

“When?”

Yuan Qing actually felt a bit unsure inside.

“It’s not decided yet.”

Sundae thought for a moment.

“Hmm… At least wait until I’ve practiced a bit more. If I went now, I probably wouldn’t even last ten seconds. That would be too embarrassing.”

After saying this, she laughed first. Her laughter scattered in the night breeze, light and airy, like a falling leaf.

Yuan Qing just kept running.

Sundae ran beside him. Her steps were much steadier than a few days ago, and her breathing was more rhythmic. Although the speed wasn’t fast, at least she wasn’t gasping after just a few steps like at the beginning.

“Mr. Luo.”

Sundae suddenly spoke again.

“Have you been watching Miss Raven’s streams recently?”

“I have.”

Yuan Qing answered quickly.

“I’ve watched them too! Her recent fights haven’t been instant kills. Each time she drags it out for over three minutes before finishing. But…”

Sundae’s voice suddenly lowered a bit.

“Recently, some people in the Magical Girl community have been talking about her. Saying she’s too solitary. Saying she fights so many Monsters every day, taking other people’s share, leaving other Magical Girls with nothing to do.”

“…”

Sundae turned her head to look at Yuan Qing, her smile carrying a hint of apology.

“Although saying this is very irresponsible… I always feel she’s a bit… how should I put it? Not quite like a real person?”

“…”

“I mean… too perfect. Her movements during fights are clean and crisp, never any wasted motion. She never panics, never hesitates. It’s like a machine that’s been programmed.”

Sundae explained.

Yuan Qing was silent for a while.

“…What’s wrong with a machine?”

He suddenly asked.

“It’s not that it’s bad, right?”

Sundae chose her words carefully.

“It just feels a bit scary. Like she doesn’t care about anything except getting stronger.”

Yuan Qing pressed.

“What about you? What do you think?”

The Raven on Yuan Qing’s shoulder tightened its claws slightly.

Yuan Qing felt it but didn’t speak.

“Me?”

Sundae thought.

“I think… Miss Raven might just be too busy. She has to fight Monsters, train, and also juggle her idol work. Doing so many things alone, where would she find time to chat?”

“…Hmm.”

Yuan Qing looked at the road not far ahead.

“Perhaps that’s it.”

As usual, the two ran to the vicinity of Sundae’s home.

“Thank you… thank you for running me home again today!”

Sundae slowed down, stopped, hands on her knees, breathing heavily.

“Huff… huff… Today, I should have run faster than yesterday.”

Yuan Qing’s breathing was still steady.

“That’s also a kind of progress.”

“Yeah!”

Sundae straightened up, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and smiled.

“See you tomorrow then?”

“See you tomorrow.”

Yuan Qing waved.

“Good night, Mr. Luo!”

“Good night.”

Sundae also waved, then turned and ran towards her home. Her ponytail swung behind her, and the color of her tracksuit seemed to shine a bit under the streetlights.

Yuan Qing stood where he was, watching her figure disappear around the street corner, then turned and continued running.

The Raven lay on his shoulder, still not speaking.

Yuan Qing didn’t speak either, just ran silently through the last stretch of road, ran into the apartment building, went upstairs, opened the door, and changed shoes.

Yuan Qing took off his tracksuit and draped it over the back of a chair, walked into the bathroom, turned on the shower. Hot water poured down from overhead, slid down his cheeks, pooled into a small puddle at his feet, swirling into the drain.

“Hah…”

Yuan Qing closed his eyes, let out a long sigh. The sound of the water drowned out everything. The magnificent, terrible everything.

“Do you want to know what happened today?”

“?”

Faced with the Avatar’s sudden question, Mizuho just felt a bit confused.

At this moment, Mizuho, having finished a day’s work, was using her scarce free time to practice.

In the mirror, her face was flushed, her makeup long since ruined, a few stray hairs stuck to her sweaty forehead. But she clearly had no intention of ending practice just yet.

“What I mean is.”

The Avatar rephrased.

“Don’t you want to know what happened with Yuan Qing today?”

“No.”

Mizuho turned her head and continued training.

“Why?”

“Because if it was important, Mr. Luo would tell me himself.”

No.

Still off by a bit. In her every gesture and movement, she still lacked that something called the “feeling of Miss Raven.”

The Avatar hopped anxiously in place.

“Honestly, if he would take the initiative to tell you, I wouldn’t even be asking you.”

“Then tell me, what happened?”

Ignoring the Avatar, Mizuho continued practicing.

The Avatar lowered her voice, as if afraid of being overheard.

“Sundae said she wants to challenge Miss Raven.”

Mizuho paused for a moment, her training movements halting for an instant.

“Challenge?”

“Yeah.”

The Avatar nodded.

“Literally. She wants to fight Yuan Qing.”

Mizuho turned back and continued training in front of the mirror.

“It’s fine.”

Mizuho’s voice was calm.

“Mr. Luo will win.”

“Of course.”

The Avatar’s reply was equally matter-of-fact.

Raise hand, turn, pose.

Raise hand, turn, pose.

Every movement was standard, every detail was in place. The movements were right, the rhythm was right, but something was still missing.

“Mizuho.”

The Avatar called.

Mizuho ignored it.

“Mizuho!”

The Avatar raised her voice.

Mizuho stopped and turned.

“What?”

“You’re tired.”

The Avatar said.

“Rest for a while.”

“I’m not tired.”

“Stop pretending. You’re clearly distracted.”

Mizuho opened her mouth to retort but said nothing.

So she simply gave up on training, walked to the window, pushed it open a crack. The night wind slipped through the gap, chilly, dispersing some of the indoor heat.

“Mizuho.”

The Avatar flew over, landed on the windowsill, and looked at her.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m okay.”

Mizuho said.

“Just a bit… unsettled.”

“Why?”

Mizuho didn’t answer immediately.

She looked at the distant, scattered lights.

“I don’t know.”

She turned, leaned back against the window frame, and looked at the empty practice room. The full-length mirror reflected her profile. Her clothes were a bit wrinkled, her hair a bit messy, the makeup on her face long since ruined, only a bit of eyeshadow remained on her lashes, shimmering faintly under the light.

“Why does she want to challenge Miss Raven?”

Mizuho suddenly asked.

The Avatar was taken aback.

“Who? Sundae?”

“Yeah.”

“Didn’t she say? She wants to see how much she lags behind a true powerhouse.”

“…Just for that?”

“What else?”

Mizuho didn’t speak, just walked to the wall, picked up her water bottle, and took a sip. The water was already cold, but she swallowed it anyway.

“You’re unhappy?”

The Avatar asked cautiously.

“No.”

“Then why are you keeping a straight face?”

Mizuho put down the water bottle and looked at herself in the mirror. That face was identical to Yuan Qing’s.

And at the same time, Yuan Qing turned off the shower, dried himself, changed into fresh clothes, and walked out of the bathroom.

The Raven was already lying on the windowsill, head tucked into its wing as if asleep. But its wing twitched occasionally, clearly still thinking.