“GG.”
Lu Yuan typed the two letters on his keyboard, closed the game, and stretched lazily.
The room was cluttered with game merchandise and empty energy drink cans, and the only poster on the wall was a faded and curling one of an esports team from ten years ago.
The glow from the computer screen illuminated his face, revealing an expressionless countenance.
Another total wipeout… If only he could be as strong as that genius kid who played StarCraft with a red dot in his laptop.
It was 3:17 AM, but Lu Yuan’s biological clock was at its peak alertness.
***
“Gurgle~” His stomach growled in hunger.
Lu Yuan grabbed his phone and opened the Baolemei delivery app, but as soon as it launched, a shake-triggered ad popped up automatically:
“【Stardust Liuli】’s new single breaks one million sales!”
“The brand-new Magical Girl idol group 【Crying Girl AveMYGO】 announces limited-time flash sale for global tour tickets!”
“Recently, cases of missing Magical Girls have been occurring frequently…”
Without even blinking, Lu Yuan’s twenty-year single status honed reflexes tapped precisely on the skip button.
You ask what kind of speed that is? Of course, it’s the speed of a twenty-year FPS veteran sniper. What did you expect?
Still, his hand trembled slightly, and the phone instantly re-entered the ad.
***
“Damn!” Lu Yuan cursed under his breath. This damn phone’s gyroscope was absurdly sensitive—any slight movement registered as a shake.
“When longing lights up the night sky~” A saccharine sweet female voice came from his hands.
On the screen, three girls dressed in elaborate battle suits flew above the city.
As Lu Yuan desperately swiped up to exit the app, the close-up shot of the white-haired girl in the middle made him pause.
Pale blue eyes, delicate features, and unlike the other two members, an expression void of desire or worry.
She was indeed somewhat beautiful.
Lu Yuan thought for a moment. He recalled this Magical Girl was called Su Li, and she was pretty powerful.
***
“Stardust Liuli, join us in a rendezvous among the stars!” The ad continued to play.
“Tch, so flashy.” Lu Yuan finally found the close button. As the ad vanished, he inexplicably exhaled in relief.
With ads like this flooding everywhere, being a Magical Girl must be pretty lucrative. Lu Yuan mused, it wouldn’t be bad if he could be a Magical Girl too—after all, who turns their back on money?
Too bad men can’t become Magical Girls.
The phone returned to the delivery page, but Lu Yuan momentarily forgot what he wanted to order.
Forget it. He’d just survive the night on coffee.
Thinking this, Lu Yuan stood and went to the kitchen.
Looking inside the fridge, only one can of black coffee remained. Lu Yuan sighed and took it out.
Psst. A little coffee splashed onto his hand as he popped the tab.
He shook his hand, sucked on his fingers, and returned to his room.
Just as he was about to sit back at his computer, a muffled thud came from the balcony, followed by the sound of shattering glass.
“What the…” Lu Yuan frowned and walked toward the balcony. “What kid’s ball just smashed my window?”
The moment he pushed open the door, a scent of feminine perfume mixed with blood hit him.
Under the moonlight, a white-haired girl lay draped over the balcony railing, a small crystal hanging on her chest. Her magnificent white battle suit was torn in many places, revealing bleeding wounds beneath.
***
Lu Yuan’s coffee froze at his lips. For a moment, he was stunned.
Wasn’t this the same girl—the idol captain from the Stardust Liuli ad just now?
That said, he couldn’t quite connect the glamorous idol he saw on his phone to this battered and bloodied girl before him.
“Su Li?” Lu Yuan muttered the name instinctively.
The girl lifted her head, biting her lip faintly as if enduring pain. “You recognize me?”
“With those ads everywhere, it’d be weird if I didn’t.” Lu Yuan was about to say something snarky but stopped when he saw how badly Su Li was hurt.
He quietly set the coffee can on a nearby shelf and knelt to examine her wounds.
There was a deep cut on her right arm, deep enough to see the bone, and the white fabric of her battle suit was stuck to the dried blood crust.
“Can you stand?” Lu Yuan asked.
Su Li tried to push herself up but gasped sharply from the pain.
Lu Yuan sighed and carefully slipped his hand beneath her knees, supporting her back with the other, lifting her into a classic princess carry.
***
“W-Wait!” Su Li’s pale face flushed. “I’m Magical Girl Su Li! You can’t just carry me like that…”
“If you keep talking, I’ll drop you,” Lu Yuan interrupted, though he had no intention of doing so. “The door frame’s narrow; don’t move around.”
He sidestepped inside, kicked aside a sofa piled with gaming merch, and gently set her down.
Then he turned and pulled out a long-forgotten first-aid kit from beneath the TV stand. Surprisingly, it was fully stocked.
“Where did you get such a complete medical kit?” Su Li looked at the dusty box in surprise.
“Online shopping to fill minimum order amounts. People who live alone usually have one.” Lu Yuan tore open a packet and began treating her arm wound. “Bear with it.”
When the powder touched the wound, Su Li bit her lip and groaned softly.
Lu Yuan’s hand paused for a moment, then continued more gently.
***
“Magical Girls get hurt too?” Lu Yuan asked as he wrapped the bandage. “On TV, you just wave your hand and everything heals.”
“That’s just special effects for the show…” Su Li smiled weakly. “Real combat’s far more complicated.”
“But does this ordinary medicine even work for Magical Girls?” she asked.
Lu Yuan didn’t look up as he taped the gauze in place. “A wound’s a wound. No fancy categories.”
Watching her bandaged arm, Su Li realized this was the first time she’d been treated like this.
***
“Want to drink some?” Lu Yuan suddenly offered the nearly full can of coffee.
Su Li was about to take it but noticed some moisture on the tab. Lu Yuan, noticing her gaze, quietly wiped it clean with his sleeve before handing it over again.
“Thanks…” Su Li took a small sip, wrinkling her nose at the bitterness but politely swallowing.
“I thought you were one of Tongmen City’s top Magical Girls? How did you end up like this?” Lu Yuan pulled out his phone. “Need me to call someone? Police? Or Magical Girl Headquarters?”
“I’ve already sent a signal to Headquarters,” Su Li said. “They’ll be here soon to pick me up. Thanks for taking care of me. I’ll pay you back for the window.”
“That’s good.” Lu Yuan said. “Whatever monster did this to you must be no joke.”
“Yes, an unexpected monster,” Su Li replied. “I’ve already dealt with the Main Beast. Only some Residual Beasts remain for other squads to handle…”
***
Before she finished, a loud crash echoed.
The wall behind Lu Yuan suddenly exploded outward, stones flying everywhere as a massive two-meter-tall spider monster burst through.
Its body was jet black, eight compound eyes glowed red, and a twisted human face was embedded on its abdomen.
***
“Residual Beast?!” Su Li gasped. “Impossible… It followed me all the way here?”
After the Main Beast dies, Residual Beasts usually lose all intelligence and only wander near the corpse. This one had actually chased her into a residential area?!
The creature moved with incredible speed, its forelimbs slicing like blades toward Lu Yuan.
Su Li lunged forward, her battered body shielding Lu Yuan. A huge Scythe suddenly appeared in her hands, barely blocking the strike.
The spider monster emitted a harsh shriek, then swung another forelimb, slamming heavily into Su Li’s chest.
She flew like a broken kite, crashing through the bedroom door and collapsing unconscious among the rubble.
Her Scythe spun through the air, clicking as it landed at Lu Yuan’s feet.
The Scythe’s head was embedded with a Crystal, which fell with the impact.
***
Lu Yuan looked down at the Crystal—a white gem encased in a metallic base. He recognized it as a Magical Girl Transformation Device.
The spider monster didn’t give Lu Yuan a moment to think. It raised its forelimb high, aiming a full-force strike.
Lu Yuan instinctively bent down and grabbed the Crystal. Images of Magical Girl transformations from movies flashed through his mind.
At the same time, the Crystal’s color shifted from white to transparent.
“No way…” he twitched his mouth. “This is just too…”
The monster’s forelimb was already coming down.
But there was only one way to survive!
At the split second between life and death, Lu Yuan raised the Magical Girl Transformation Device high.
“Fuck it! Transform!”