Chapter 14: Confession

Walking past several intersections along one side of the appliance street, the surrounding crowd gradually thinned out. The young girl, who had maintained silence for about ten minutes, seemed unable to suppress the questions in her heart any longer and spoke up to Lin Xiaolu:

"Hey, tell me, who is that kid in front?"

She leaned in behind Lin Xiaolu, deliberately lowering her voice: "She seems to talk in a very impressive way; is her background very formidable?"

Lin Xiaolu glanced at her but did not answer.

"Or is she your younger sister?" the girl continued to ask.

"……No."

Lin Xiaolu couldn't help it and said somewhat irritably: "That is Senior Cui Que; you should show more respect."

"Why do you have to call her Senior?"

The girl blinked: "And you said to be respectful... is she really a big shot? Is she some kind of young lady from a wealthy family?"

This time, Lin Xiaolu did not reply to her.

After all, Cui Que had said earlier to wait until they were in a different place to talk, and she did not want to disturb Cui Que's plan.

Seeing that Lin Xiaolu had no reaction after being provoked twice, the girl could only retreat a step, feeling a bit rebuffed. She put her hands behind her back and turned to observe the surrounding street scene instead.

Having left the busiest section, most of the shops on both sides of the street here were relatively old. Unlike the prime real estate in the center, the rent prices here allowed individual owners to keep their small shops running for a long time.

It was still a commercial street, though; aside from various storefronts and the people coming and going, there was no scenery. After watching for a while, the girl lost interest and spoke again:

"Come to think of it, I don't think I even know your name yet?"

"……"

"Don't be so cold to me, just tell me."

"……Lin Xiaolu."

"Lin Xiaolu? It sounds like 'little deer' when you say it, that's nice, it sounds a bit cute, doesn't it? As for me, my name is……"

——"We're here."

Cui Que's voice came from ahead, interrupting the two's conversation.

She turned her head to scan the two of them, maintaining that haughty air, and pointed to a small alley nearby, her tone devoid of inflection: "Go in from here."

The suggestion received no response, but Cui Que didn't care. She continued to lead the way, walking into the somewhat dark, narrow path, and Lin Xiaolu and Moke followed her in.

The girl, trailing at the very back, watched the two walk into such a place with expressions of taking it for granted, and for the first time, a look of nervousness appeared on her face.

——Why a small alley?

Is this a robbery? A threat? Or are they going to kill to silence a witness?

Several words matching similar scenarios flashed through her mind. The girl grimaced, suddenly unsure if she should continue following them.

But Cui Que's previous words echoed in her ears, and she truly felt a strong curiosity about where these two girls came from. Having followed them this far, there was no reason to back down now.

So, the girl pursed her lips, masking her slight unease, kept her posture relaxed, and moved forward again.

Turning into the alley, she could see Cui Que and Lin Xiaolu already standing there. Looking further ahead, she could see a wall erected: this was a dead end.

Cui Que looked up at the sky, then turned her head upon hearing the footsteps at the alley entrance to look at the girl. She reached into the pocket of her dress, took out her Heart Flower, and walked toward the girl without saying a word.

Why is she coming this way? What is she doing?

The girl tried hard to maintain the smile on her face, not letting her nervousness show on the surface, but such control had its limits. The other party's next action left her stunned on the spot:

Cui Que transformed into a Magical Girl.

To the girl, this process looked like a burst of bright light emitting from Cui Que. Her long blue hair moved without wind, and her original pale yellow puff-sleeve dress changed into a different navy blue long-sleeved Lolita dress. A bonnet of unknown origin appeared on her head, her entire outfit was as gorgeously decorated as a princess depicted in a fairy tale, and she held a... magic wand? engraved with unknown fine patterns in her hand.

The girl did not know Cui Que's identity, so naturally, she did not know this was a Magical Girl transformation, but the scene before her eyes still exceeded her range of understanding.

In the short moment she was stunned, Cui Que held out her palm to her:

"Grab my wrist."

"Ah, okay?" The girl reached out subconsciously.

Cui Que grabbed her wrist with her other hand, staring seriously into her eyes: "Next, hold on tight."

Holding each other's wrists—what is this for? Is it some kind of ritual? A secret code?

The girl's wandering thoughts led to many associations, causing her to nod mechanically without understanding Cui Que's words.

Then, she felt her feet leave the ground.

A feeling of weightlessness, stronger than anything she had ever experienced in her life, enveloped her entire body. The surrounding scenery swept past her field of vision in a way that defied all logic. The girl opened her eyes wide and turned her head to the side, only then realizing her situation:

Am I flying?

Then came the uncontrollable scream that escaped her lips:

"Kyaaaaaa!"

Cui Que pulled the girl along, following her chosen route to avoid angles where they might be seen by others, and flew high into the air along the wall of the building next to the dead end.

Avoiding the last few windows, she stepped on the air a few times as if there were truly something to push off from beneath her feet, traveled a distance forward, and then brought the girl to a rooftop.

A stream of pale blue magic particles surged from below, and Lin Xiaolu, who had also transformed into a Magical Girl, flew up to this spot as well.

"Ha, ha, I thought I was going to die..." After Cui Que let go, the girl, whose legs were weak, realized she was back on the ground and sat down on her knees, her face full of lingering fear.

"Heh heh, you're scared after flying just this little distance?"

Lin Xiaolu, who had landed lightly nearby, looked at her with some smugness upon hearing this: "I adapted to it right away, you know."

But her little boast did not get the reaction she wanted, because the girl seemed to completely ignore her words, making Lin Xiaolu, who had been gloating, pout in annoyance.

"We can transform directly here; it will be more convenient to talk about many things."

Cui Que spoke to herself: "Let's introduce ourselves first. What is your name?"

"Ha... are you asking me?"

The girl, who had finally recovered a bit, raised her head: "My name is Xia Liang."

"Then, Xia Liang."

Cui Que nodded and then asked abruptly: "Have you heard of Magical Girls?"

She did not intend to beat around the bush on this topic but went straight to the point.

In fact, if she had been hesitant about whether to recruit this new Magical Girl before coming here, and had only wanted to take a look, then upon seeing this girl named Xia Liang, she understood that the other party's potential was extraordinary.

She was able to sense Moke from afar and even track her in reverse while still an ordinary person, not yet a Magical Girl. And after seeing her, the vigilance she hadn't shown also indicated: she could feel that Cui Que's magic power far exceeded her own.

Such a performance could already be called an unpolished gem.

The identity of a Magical Girl is full of danger for children without talent; but for a true genius, it is an opportunity—an opportunity to obtain magical power far beyond the mundane.

Just as she would worry about the safety of Lin Xiaolu becoming a Magical Girl, but would respect her choice once she discovered her daughter's determination, she should also give this girl before her the right to choose.

Then let her choose for herself, Cui Que thought to herself.

"Magical Girl?"

This term seemed to connect something, making Xia Liang widen her eyes slightly. The series of strange events earlier made her have some associations: "I know of them, but could it be..."

"My name is Cui Que."

Cui Que nodded expressionlessly and reached out to point at Lin Xiaolu beside her: "She is Bai Mei."

"We eliminate Remnant Beasts and protect the safety of the city and its residents. We are the Magical Girls of this city, Fang Ting City."