The real “Phantom” woke up about twenty minutes later.
She found herself lying on the floor of the Old School Building. The back of her head throbbed slightly, like she’d hit something. Her pale purple eyes blinked in confusion.
“…Why am I here?”
She sat up and rubbed the back of her head. There was a small lump.
Did I fall while taking a shortcut? Probably. Today she’d gone to Luter Academy to observe that white-haired, red-eyed student named Lin Lingling. The Countermeasures Section suspected her of being connected to “White Night.”
What were the observation results?
‘Phantom’ frowned, trying to recall.
The test scores were average. No special performance. She was completely ordinary.
“What a waste of time.”
She muttered, stood up, brushed the dust off her clothes, and headed toward the Countermeasures Section.
The details of the “combat simulation” in her mind had become as blurry as ink soaked in water. The memory of what that white-haired, red-eyed girl actually did in the arena had already turned into a blank. And her own “Mimicry” ability had been copied by someone else.
—
7:00 PM.
District Seventh, Old Block, Ling Ling’s apartment.
Lin Jiu was busy in the kitchen. The aroma of ginger-fried pork filled the entire living room. Chiyotsuki sat on the sofa drinking black tea, while Ye Fengxue was opening a new box of macarons.
The sound of the door opening came from the entrance.
“I’m home.”
Her sister’s voice.
“Welcome back, Sis!”
Lin Jiu answered cheerfully, poking her head out of the kitchen. She saw Ling Ling standing at the entrance, still the same white-haired, expressionless girl as always.
But Lin Jiu tilted her head.
Sis seemed to have an unfamiliar scent on her today. Not the smell of blood, but the scent of someone else’s ability.
“Sis.”
“Hm?”
“Did you have enough coffee today?”
Ling Ling paused in the middle of taking off her shoes.
“…Enough.”
“That’s good.”
Lin Jiu smiled and retreated back into the kitchen.
Chiyotsuki held her black tea cup, her golden eyes watching Ling Ling walk into the living room.
“Taken care of?”
“…Yeah.”
“Cleanly?”
“Cleanly.”
Chiyotsuki nodded without asking for more details. She only needed to know the result.
Ye Fengxue looked up, her emerald eyes scanning between the two.
“What are you talking about?”
“Nothing.” Ling Ling sat down at the small coffee table and pulled out her tablet. “Daily records.”
She opened the document titled “Urban Legend Raising Plan.”
A new page.
“Today’s Countermeasures Section observer ‘Phantom,’ ability ‘Mimicry’ has been copied.”
“Additionally: ‘Cognitive Modification’ has limited effectiveness on targets below D rank. Phantom’s cognitive modification level: approximately 60%. Key details cannot be recalled, but the fact of ‘being attacked’ may remain. Requires follow-up observation.”
“”Mimicry” has been added to the ability library. This ability has significant strategic value and may be considered for use—”
She paused, then continued writing.
“—Making ‘White Night’ bigger.”
“The Countermeasures Section wants to confirm White Night’s identity. Then let them witness more ‘White Nights.’ Let them see ‘White Night’ everywhere. Let them doubt their own judgment. Let them overcomplicate simple matters, imagining one person’s actions as an organization’s chess game.”
“Let them trap themselves.”
She stopped typing and looked out the window.
The night view of District Seventh was as usual. Lights flickered in the distance. The rumble of the urban train came faintly. From the next room came the sound of a TV—someone was watching a variety show, laughter muffled.
Daily life.
The thing she wanted to protect.
And today, she had personally snuffed out a spark that threatened that daily life.
“Sis.”
Lin Jiu walked out carrying the last dish.
“Time to eat.”
“…Yeah.”
Ling Ling turned off the tablet screen and stood up. As she passed Lin Jiu, her younger sister suddenly reached out and gently grabbed the corner of her shirt.
“Sis.”
“Hm?”
“Next time, let me help you.”
Ling Ling looked at her. Those blue eyes seemed to hold emotions that were almost overflowing.
“…Okay.”
She reached out and flicked Lin Jiu’s forehead.
“Oof.”
“But don’t go too far.”
“Sis is the last person who should say that.”
“…Can’t argue with that.”
The two walked toward the dining table.
Chiyotsuki put down her tea cup, watching the sisters’ backs. In her golden eyes flickered a complex emotion—tenderness, worry, and something even she herself didn’t fully understand.
She picked up her black tea cup and took a light sip.
Outside the window, the night of Akasha City gently covered the enormous metropolis. The lights of District Seventh flickered in the distance. Countless people lived their ordinary lives under those lights.
And in this small apartment, the daily lives of four girls quietly continued.
—
Late night.
Ling Ling lay in bed, staring at the ceiling.
Lin Jiu was sleeping in the same bed with her tonight. It was a promise her sister had made—to sleep together with her from time to time.
The events of today replayed in her mind.
“Phantom” was an A-rank “Mimicry” ability user from the Countermeasures Section’s Special Investigation Sixth Room, an observer lurking in the shadows. In addition, there was the public-facing Ishida Sanae and Sergei Volkov from the Defense Department.
She had copied “Mimicry” and temporarily eliminated the threat by modifying Phantom’s cognition.
But this was only the beginning.
The Countermeasures Section wouldn’t give up after one failed observation. The Defense Department was still watching her like a hawk. And the remnants of the “Cradle” were hibernating somewhere, unknown.
She had many enemies. And she was alone.
No.
Not alone.
Ling Ling turned her head to look at Lin Jiu’s sleeping face. Black hair spread across the pillow. Long eyelashes cast faint shadows in the moonlight. When she was asleep, she looked like an ordinary girl.
But Ling Ling knew.
If necessary, this “ordinary girl” would tear apart anyone who threatened her without hesitation.
And Chiyotsuki. Ye Fengxue.
They weren’t “combat strength” or “chess pieces.” They were—
Ling Ling searched for a long time before finding a word in her mind.
‘…Partners.’
She said the word silently.
Then closed her eyes.
Tomorrow, Ishida Sanae would still appear in the classroom as the homeroom teacher. She would continue to observe her. And she would continue to play the role of an “ordinary C-rank student.”
But after tonight, she had one more card in her hand.
“Mimicry.”
“White Night” would no longer be just one person. White Night would become two people, three people, even countless people. White Night would appear in District Seventh, but also in District Third, District Fifth, District First. White Night would become a shadow the Countermeasures Section could never catch, an urban legend whispered about in the underworld, a monster larger than reality in the minds of all enemies.
Let them guess.
Let them fear.
Let them never figure out what they were dealing with.
Ling Ling quietly closed her eyes.
There were classes tomorrow. She also needed to keep up her energy to deal with any crises that might come her way.