Chapter 31: Fleeing in Panic

The night was as dark as ink, and the evening wind howled as it swept through the narrow alley.

Ye Ning, draped in a black robe, moved like a phantom, frantically fleeing through the streets.

The magic wand in her hand flickered with green mana light as she layered speed buff after speed buff over herself, her feet feeling as if they were born of the wind.

All she could hear was the roaring wind and her own ragged breath.

Behind her, a clear yet urgent voice chased her, drawing closer and closer.

“Hey! Don’t run! We’re all magical girls—we’re not bad people!”

Magical Girl Clover pushed her mana to its limits, her figure swiftly pursuing Ye Ning, sweat beading on her forehead and frustration written all over her face.

Despite being a B-rank magical girl specializing in assault and speed, she felt a deep sense of helplessness as she watched the figure ahead grow more distant. What the hell was going on here?

That girl was clearly a Light-Bathing class magical girl, so how could she run so fast? Layer after layer of speed buffs—it was absurdly terrifying. Even going all out, Clover could only barely keep up with her afterimage.

“We really mean you no harm!”

Clover shouted as she chased, her voice full of earnestness and urgency.

“We’re not going to force you to join the Magical Girl Association! We just want to get to know you. You saved that kid earlier, right? If you’re in any trouble, we can help!”

Up ahead, Ye Ning’s figure suddenly faltered.

Clover’s heart leaped with hope. She quickened her pace, thinking, ‘Finally, she’s going to stop!’

But the next second, something that crushed her spirits entirely happened—Ye Ning didn’t stop. Instead, as if spurred on, her mana surged, and her speed shot up even further.

She shot out of the alley like a meteor, widening the gap instantly, and soon vanished into the night, leaving only a faint trail of mana residue.

‘Get to know me? If you really did, it’d be all over!’

Clover stopped, leaned against the wall, and gasped for air, her face filled with dejection and helplessness.

Her lips curled down as she muttered resentfully, “What’s up with that kid… She did a good deed, so why run… And how does a Light-Bathing class move that fast? Seriously…”

She took a while to calm down before trudging back to the area near the rental room, where her teammates were waiting for her.

Seeing Clover return alone, her face clearly crestfallen, the other magical girls gathered around, shock evident in their expressions.

“Clover, why are you back alone? What about that mysterious magical girl?”

“You failed? That’s rare! You’re the fastest in our squad—someone actually got away from you?”

“Yeah, yeah! I never thought I’d see the day Clover was outrun!”

The girls chattered away, their voices filled with surprise. Clover’s speed was top-tier among B-rank magical girls, yet she couldn’t catch that mysterious one.

Standing off to the side, Li Qing watched Clover’s downcast expression, a flicker of understanding in her eyes. She parted her lips slightly but said nothing.

She knew full well that the mysterious girl was S-rank Lark. With Clover’s B-rank strength, no matter how fast she was, she couldn’t catch an S-rank magical girl. Just keeping up with the afterimage was already impressive.

Magical Girl Haitang Hua smiled as she stepped forward and wrapped her arm around Li Qing’s. Her tone was light and enthusiastic. “Alright, alright, stop crowding Clover. Since Li Qing is willing to join the Magical Girl Association, let’s head back first. We need to register her identity and input her information.”

She paused, then chattered on, “Oh, and Li Qing, you’ll need to come up with a code name as a magical girl. From now on, when we do missions, we’ll call you by that!”

Li Qing nodded slightly, a faint smile on her face. “Okay, I’ll think about it carefully.”

Haitang Hua tugged Li Qing along, chattering about interesting stories from the association, and walked off ahead. The other magical girls followed, patting Clover on the shoulder and offering a few words of comfort before leaving.

Clover took a deep breath, pushing down her frustration. She turned to the officers who had just arrived, her expression instantly becoming serious. In a grave tone, she said, “You need to inform Director Lu immediately. Increase surveillance across A City, especially around secluded alleys and old rental buildings.”

She paused, then continued, “According to Li Qing, the cultists have become so bold that they’re forcibly using Disaster Force to corrupt ordinary people, trying to turn them into Witches. I suspect there’s at least one extremely powerful Witch hiding in A City, along with a group of cultists operating in the shadows.”

The officers’ faces grew solemn at her words. They nodded quickly and replied respectfully, “Yes, Miss Clover! We’ll inform Director Lu right away and ramp up surveillance. We won’t let any suspicious individuals slip by!”

Clover waved her hand, softening her tone slightly. “Be careful yourselves. The cultists are cunning and cruel. If you encounter anything suspicious, don’t engage on your own. Contact our magical girl squad first.”

“Understood!” The officers saluted and hurried off to relay the message.

Once their figures had faded into the distance, Green Ivy, dressed in a green combat suit and reserved by nature, stepped forward with a puzzled look and asked quietly, “Clover, why did you tell the officers all that? We’re not sure if there are cult spies among them yet. If the news leaks, won’t that tip our hand?”

At that, Clover’s lips curled into a sly smile. She leaned in close to Green Ivy and lowered her voice, speaking with certainty, “That’s exactly what I want.”

She paused, then explained, “If there really are cult spies in the police force, hearing this news will likely push them to act while the captain is away and our squad is leaderless. They might stage an incident to expand their influence. But I’ve already gotten word from the captain that an S-rank magical girl will be stationed in A City for a while to help us in secret.”

“When they show their hand, we can team up with that S-rank magical girl to wipe them out and completely root out the cult’s base in A City.”

Green Ivy’s eyes lit up with understanding, and she nodded in admiration. “So that’s it! You and the captain really thought this through!”

On the other side, Ye Ning pushed herself to the limit and finally made it back to the residential complex she shared with Hua Niao. She shed her black robe, tossing it carelessly at the entrance, and slipped on her little bunny slippers without even putting them on straight. Stumbling, she rushed into the living room and lunged at Hua Niao, who was lounging on the sofa.

“Hua Niao… hurry.”

Her voice was thick with exhaustion, tinged with a barely noticeable weakness. She crashed into Hua Niao’s arms, and before Hua Niao could react, Ye Ning pressed her lips to Hua Niao’s, gently biting the corner of her mouth to draw out her mana and warmth. After that frantic escape and absorbing Li Qing’s Disaster Force, her mana was nearly depleted. Her whole body felt limp, and only by drawing Hua Niao’s mana could she ease this weakness.

Hua Niao froze for a moment, then let out a resigned laugh. She reached out and gently wrapped her arms around Ye Ning’s waist, letting her draw mana while softly stroking her hair.

Only when the weakness had mostly subsided did Ye Ning pull away from Hua Niao, her eyes dazed and her cheeks flushed with a faint blush, her breathing still rapid.

She nestled in Hua Niao’s embrace, her mind groggy. She thought to herself, ‘It feels… so good. Warm all over. I can’t even muster any strength…’

‘No, no!’ Ye Ning shook her head violently, snapping back to alertness. ‘I can’t let Hua Niao enchant me!’

She scrambled up from Hua Niao’s arms, hands on her hips, tilting her little face up with a smug expression. “I did something good again today! I saved a girl who was being corrupted by cultists and Disaster Force, and I even beat two cultist masked figures! I’m amazing!”

Hua Niao yawned lazily, leaning back into the sofa with eyes full of affection, though she couldn’t resist teasing, “Alright, alright, our great do-gooder. Always hiding, terrified of your identity being exposed, yet still running around helping people. And you’ve already been recognized several times. So, Ningning, should we go to bed now?”

“Hey! Meanie Hua Niao!” Ye Ning’s fur stood on end. She puffed out her cheeks, glaring at Hua Niao with indignation. “You’re making fun of me again! I don’t get recognized all the time, okay? And I’m doing good deeds—I’m not trying to expose myself!”

With that, she ducked her head and delivered a headbutt to Hua Niao’s chest. It wasn’t forceful, more like a playful nuzzle.

But the next second, Hua Niao grabbed her head and shoved her face into her ample chest, making it hard for Ye Ning to breathe.

“Mmph—! Hua Niao! Let me go! I can’t breathe! You jerk, Hua Niao!”

Ye Ning thrashed and kicked, letting out muffled whines, though her face was flushed crimson. She was both flustered and embarrassed, yet she couldn’t help but cling to that warmth.

Hua Niao held her, her eyes sparkling with amusement. She patted Ye Ning’s back gently and said in a tender, teasing tone, “Settle down. If you keep this up, no allowance tomorrow.”

At that, Ye Ning’s struggles immediately stopped. She still muttered under her breath but didn’t dare act out, snuggling quietly in Hua Niao’s arms, letting herself be held.

Allowance and good food couldn’t be risked.