It seemed the Divine Envoy noticed Yeli Lan’s unwillingness to act and shook their head with some regret.
“Apparently, the artificial monster plan still has flaws. It would be perfect if the Saintess had no personal will of her own.”
The next moment, Yeli Lan let out a muffled groan, her face contorted in pain. Her hand uncontrollably clenched tighter, and the more she resisted this force, the deeper the stabbing pain in her chest grew.
Another Divine Envoy shook their head. “Without personal will, what is created can no longer be called human—just a tool to be manipulated… Hmph. But after all, that’s what the Divine Summon Order needs: tools.”
“Enough. Stop,” came a sharp voice. “We must maintain the Saintess’s image before the ordinary believers. The cultists want to see a noble Saintess, not a ruthless killing machine. It wouldn’t do us any good if the Saintess kills a few Magic Girls here.”
The Divine Envoy glanced discreetly backward. The cultists were starting to stir uneasily. The Blood Moon Witch’s brutal handling of those three Magic Girls had been far too violent, and whispers of “monsters” were already spreading among the crowd.
The first Divine Envoy snorted coldly, and Yeli Lan, as if relieved, relaxed her grip. Her complexion softened significantly.
Seeing that Magic Girl falling from midair, she quickly dove down to catch her.
The Divine Envoy then spread their arms toward the surrounding cultists. “Even towards enemies who have strayed, the Saintess still cannot bear to strike them down. What a magnanimous heart…”
Not far away, Yeli Lan bit her lip with guilt as she looked down at the battered Magic Girl cradled in her arms.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t intend for this to happen…”
The Magic Girl hadn’t fully lost consciousness and whispered something barely audible. Yeli Lan hurriedly pressed her ear close and caught only two faint words:
“Monster…”
In an instant, boundless darkness surged over Yeli Lan like a tide, and the shouts of “monster” echoed from all directions, nearly overwhelming her.
I’m not. I’m not a monster…
I’m not…
Yeli Lan suddenly shot open her eyes, gasping for air like a drowning person pulled from the water.
Her hand still seemed to be clutching something, and she panicked as she looked down—only to find she was holding Tuan Tuan, Xiaoxi’s beloved plush.
The room in the real world was dark and silent. The steady breathing beside her—the comforting presence so close—gradually calmed her racing heart. All of that had just been a nightmare.
Perhaps it was because she had looked over the Twelve Divine Envoys’ files tonight that she dreamt so vividly.
She still remembered the scenes from that dream—when she had just become the Divine Summon Order’s “Saintess” not long ago and encountered a Magic Girl while moving with newly recruited cultists.
At that time, the Divine Summon Order’s control over her was still crude and rough.
Although her position was visibly high within the Divine Summon Order, the Twelve Divine Envoys who assisted her were essentially remote controls manipulating her.
Yeli Lan never voluntarily recalled those days, for that period was nothing but a nightmare to her.
But fortunately, the Divine Summon Order had already fallen. Now it was all over… Yeli Lan buried her face deeply into Xiaoxi’s chest, savoring this peaceful sense of security.
Yet soon, Yeli Lan’s mind took a mischievous turn. Since she was awake, why not take a bit of magic from Xiaoxi?
Just as she was contemplating this, she suddenly felt Xiaoxi’s arm casually drape over her shoulder, causing her to shudder in surprise.
“Xiaoxi? Did I move too much and wake you? Sorry.”
“No, it’s not that. I’ve been having a bit of insomnia and was just meditating with my eyes closed.”
Indeed, Xiaoxi hadn’t been awakened by Ye Xinglan. The events concerning the Divine Summon Order and the Blood Moon Witch had made her unusually anxious.
Lying beside Ye Xinglan just now, she had been thinking about where the Blood Moon Witch might be hiding now.
“What’s wrong, Xinglan? I’ve heard you muttering ‘monster’ for a while. Did you have a nightmare?”
Ye Xinglan gave a bitter smile. The dream had been a nightmare, but in it, she was the monster… Forcing herself to stop those thoughts, she nuzzled coquettishly against Xiaoxi’s embrace.
“All right, all right, no need to be scared…”
Xiaoxi was gently rubbing Ye Xinglan’s shoulder to comfort her, but the next second her expression changed sharply as she quickly pulled her hand back under the covers.
“If you’re scared, be scared, but can you not take advantage of it to grope me? Put your hands away!”
“What! You’re always like this. Words of comfort don’t mean anything. Can’t you show me some actual affection?”
Xiaoxi felt a headache coming on. She always thought Ye Xinglan had become much more troublesome since they became a couple.
At least before, Ye Xinglan wouldn’t be scheming to make a move on her every single moment.
And now they slept together every night, which was like putting a cat and mouse in the same cage!
Trying to be patient, Xiaoxi reasoned, “Baby, I’m only doing this for your own good. This kind of thing is very important, at least it has to wait until… cough cough… well, it’s just too soon right now.”
“Your School Romance Novels mindset is way too traditional!” Ye Xinglan ground her teeth. “I don’t care anymore! I’ve given it to you, isn’t that enough?”
“No, it’s not. What if one day we break up? Then I’d be the bad guy…”
“What do you mean? Who dates with breakups in mind? Damn it, I’m going to settle this today no matter what!”
Ye Xinglan’s cheeks visibly flushed red, clearly ready to launch an all-out offensive. Under the covers, their hands were secretly wrestling.
Ye Xinglan’s grip was surprisingly strong, and Xiaoxi hurriedly shifted position, squeezing her legs tightly to prevent any openings.
Xiaoxi felt helpless. Of course, she didn’t want to jinx things, but this was her final bottom line. Without revealing her true identity, the future was too uncertain.
Actually, Xiaoxi didn’t really care about this matter. She was confident she wouldn’t break up with Ye Xinglan no matter what she was hiding.
But she had to think of Ye Xinglan’s wellbeing, right? Otherwise, it wouldn’t be genuine.
Such a beautiful girlfriend sharing a bed every night and pretending not to feel anything was definitely a lie.
In the end, it was Ye Xinglan who lost the battle, because Xiaoxi cheekily transformed on the spot into Ding Tian Langxing!
Holding Ye Xinglan’s hands down, a D-rank Magical Girl naturally had more strength than an ordinary person.
Ye Xinglan had no way out. She couldn’t openly transform into the Blood Moon Witch like Xiaoxi could!
Being pinned down by Xiaoxi was unbearably frustrating.
If she could transform freely, she’d overpower Xiaoxi and pin her down until dawn.
What was so special about being a D-rank Magical Girl anyway?
Saying she was thinking about her wellbeing was just an excuse for being physically weak, Ye Xinglan thought bitterly in her heart.