No monster attacks. No natural disasters.
Apart from the damned road conditions making the vehicle jolt like a rocking toy car, this escort mission was proceeding so smoothly it was downright boring.
The sky gradually darkened. The setting sun, blood-red, plated the barren wasteland outside the window with a layer of deep, somber crimson.
“Ahhh—↑↑↓~~”
Amber Flowing Light was drowsy.
She let out a long yawn, listlessly resting her head on Fei Xia’s shoulder and even rubbing against it like she was searching for a pillow.
“So boring, Little Red Bean… Where’s the promised hot-blooded battles? Where’s the epic journey of charging through five passes and slaying six generals?”
She had originally thought the escort mission would be the kind of epic journey full of sparks and lightning.
But it turned out to be nothing but a dull road movie.
She tried telling a few jokes about General Bureau gossip to liven up the atmosphere.
But she was silenced by the row of fully armed, stone-faced special forces soldiers opposite her.
Fei Xia moved her shoulder in distaste, trying to shake off this human plaster.
When that failed, she simply let it be.
She leaned back against the hard seat, closed her eyes to rest, and mentally calculated how to spend the money they were about to receive.
After paying off this month’s online loans, should she give the bookstore a small renovation or buy some near-expiry food?
Thinking of the sausages mentioned by that wizard-hat girl, yeah, she’d buy sausages.
The smile at the corners of Fei Xia’s mouth was hard to conceal.
Compared to Fei Xia, who was immersed in her brief moment of happiness, Qinghai Starlight sitting across from her seemed somewhat distracted.
Her gaze remained fixed on the reflections of the ruins flashing by outside the window.
Every few minutes she would lower her head to check the geographic coordinates on her terminal, her expression downcast yet unable to hide her growing anxiety.
Fei Xia opened her eyes and pulled out her phone. She was just about to place an online preorder for a case of sausages.
Thud—!
A muffled explosion sounded from beneath the vehicle, followed by a teeth-grinding screech of tearing metal.
“Shit! Everyone hold tight!”
The driver’s furious roar came from the cab, instantly drowned out by the ear-piercing screech of brakes.
The entire heavy armored vehicle lurched like a slipping elephant, tilting sharply to the right before completely losing control and beginning a wild drift across the highway.
Fei Xia reacted with lightning speed.
Almost the instant control was lost, her left hand clamped tightly onto the safety handle above the window.
Her legs bent slightly as she stabilized her center of gravity.
But the person beside her… had clearly dumped all her skill points into special effects.
“Waaaah— Help!”
Amber Flowing Light let out a short, shrill scream.
Under the force of inertia, she shot forward like an orange cannonball, slamming straight into Fei Xia’s arms.
In her panic, she instinctively reached out to grab something—anything—to steady herself.
So her flailing hands unfortunately wrapped around Fei Xia’s slender, supple waist.
Then…
Thump!
Amber Flowing Light’s face, carrying tremendous impact, buried itself firmly into Fei Xia’s chest.
“???”
Fei Xia’s pupils quaked instantly.
Though her transformed figure was admittedly quite pitiful compared to Qinghai Starlight’s, it was by no means flat.
It possessed the unique softness and firmness characteristic of a girl—perfectly proportioned.
Amber Flowing Light’s entire face sank in. A cool yet pleasant faint fragrance lingered at the tip of her nose.
“Mm!”
She seemed dazed from the collision. Not only did she fail to let go, but she clung on like a startled octopus.
Her legs wrapped around Fei Xia’s thighs, her hands locked tightly around Fei Xia’s waist, and her head instinctively nuzzled deeper into the soft spot, seeking a more comfortable cushion.
“You…!”
Fei Xia’s entire body went rigid. The utterly unfamiliar warmth and softness of entwined female limbs made her scalp tingle.
But worse was still to come.
As the vehicle continued to jolt violently, Amber Flowing Light’s body slid downward under gravity.
Fei Xia could clearly feel her black cloak—and the dress beneath it—being yanked downward hard by this idiot!
Just as an utterly indescribable scene was about to unfold in public…
Screech—screech—!
With one final extreme maneuver from the driver, the armored vehicle fishtailed violently before skidding to a halt in a cloud of flying dust.
The interior of the vehicle fell into dead silence, broken only by the heavy breathing of its occupants.
Fei Xia’s face darkened.
Without mercy, she shoved away the orange head still buried in her chest—the one that was dizzy and even contentedly rubbing back and forth.
She quickly straightened her disheveled collar and skirt hem.
Only after confirming there was no wardrobe malfunction did she let out a long sigh of relief.
Though her body after transformation was undeniably that of a real girl, the shame stemming from her male identity still made her earlobes burn.
“Hiss…”
As she adjusted her clothes, she sucked in a sharp breath.
With the movement, a vicious tear appeared on the side of her black cloak at the waist, revealing the white lining underneath.
“Ah… Sorry, sorry!”
Amber Flowing Light rubbed her reddened forehead, looked at the damaged cloak on Fei Xia, and awkwardly scratched her head with an apologetic expression.
“I-I panicked too much just now… I didn’t hurt you, did I, Little Red Bean?”
“…It’s fine.”
Fei Xia pressed her lips together. Her fingers gently traced the tear, a flicker of heartache flashing in her eyes.
Though she said it was fine, she felt a pang of sadness inside.
It wasn’t just because the cloak hid her embarrassing dress and gave her a sense of security.
More than that… she had an inexplicable attachment to this cloak that had come with her transformation.
The scent on it made her feel at ease—like the smell of home.
“Report! The drive shaft snapped, and the engine overheated and stalled!”
The cab partition slid open. The driver poked his head out, face covered in dust, his voice dejected.
“We really hit the jackpot—broke down right in the middle of the wasteland.”
The fully armed team leader stepped out to inspect, returning with a helpless look on his face.
“Not enough spare parts. It’ll take at least four hours to fix. No villages or shops for miles around, and it’s getting dark soon.”
He glanced at his watch and made a decisive call.
“For safety’s sake, we’ll have to camp here overnight. Full alert, everyone!”
Spending the night in this wilderness, where monster attacks could happen at any moment, didn’t sound like a good idea no matter how you looked at it.
The atmosphere inside the vehicle should have grown tense.
Yet Fei Xia noticed that, upon hearing the words “overnight,” Qinghai Starlight’s previously dim eyes suddenly lit up.
The corners of her mouth even curved upward slightly, unable to hide her delight.
“Since that’s how it is, there’s no helping it.”
Qinghai Starlight stood up, patted down her skirt, and put on an expression that said, “I’m helpless about this too, but we’ll just have to accept it.”
She scanned the occupants of the vehicle and spoke seriously.
“This is a danger zone. Someone needs to stand watch at night. As the most senior magical girl here, I’ll take the night watch duty tonight.”
“?”
The entire vehicle was packed with elite, heavily armed special forces soldiers, various radar monitoring devices, and three magical girls—including Qinghai Starlight herself.
Fei Xia felt there was no need to assign someone specifically for night watch.
Or was the wilderness at night far more dangerous than she had imagined?
Just as Fei Xia was about to speak up and offer to help repair the vehicle or stand watch together…
“Then we’ll be counting on you, Miss Qinghai Starlight!”
The soldier team leader—who looked strict and by-the-book—agreed without a moment’s hesitation, not even offering a single polite refusal.
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