Facing Xiaoye’s scolding, Mahiru looked disheveled — like an African Chief who had just failed a card draw.
With eyes narrowed and head bowed, his expression seemed to plead, “Stop scolding me, stop scolding me.”
“I’m so sorry!”
Mahiru knelt on the floor, both hands pressed against the ground as he bowed his head in apology.
It was hard to tell if this posture was a sincere plea for forgiveness or just a pathetic display of submission.
Seeing that Mahiru had actually knelt before her, Xiaoye couldn’t continue scolding him like some cold, aloof corporate executive.
She had no choice but to let him off the hook for now.
“Since you’ve apologized, Older Brother, what else is there to say? Just be careful next time! Wait, no, looking at you now, there won’t even be a next time! So, what exactly happened to you? You were so full of confidence just a moment ago. Why did you suddenly crash after that Leap of Faith? You’re a Witch! Shouldn’t flying be easy for a Witch?”
“Uh… maybe it’s because I’ve never flown before, so I’m still a bit rusty! How about I try again? If I keep trying, I’m bound to learn eventually!”
Mahiru stood up and jumped with all his might right in front of Xiaoye, but gravity quickly and ruthlessly dragged his body back down.
Refusing to accept defeat, Mahiru tried several more times, flapping his arms like a hatchling, but the results remained utterly disappointing.
Xiaoye watched his performance with a deadpan expression.
After half a minute, she waved her hand impatiently.
“Enough, Older Brother. Stop trying to show off. You can’t even jump higher than my shoulder! I think you just don’t know how to use Magic at all!”
“How is that possible? Don’t underestimate me, Xiaoye! I only became a Witch recently, so I’m just a little out of practice! If you don’t believe me, let me show you another spell!”
With that, Mahiru suddenly waved his right hand toward Xiaoye.
Instantly, a transparent Water Shield manifested around her.
Seeing this, Xiaoye couldn’t help but show a hint of surprise, and Mahiru looked delighted.
However, the joy was short-lived.
The Water Shield maintained around Xiaoye suddenly collapsed.
Losing control, the water fell, soaking Xiaoye to the bone on the spot.
Drenched bangs covered her eyes, and her clothes became translucent from the water, making her pink plaid underwear faintly visible.
The soaking instantly turned Xiaoye from an energetic girl into a resentful water ghost.
Seeing this, Mahiru couldn’t help but take a small step back in shock.
“Uh… Xiaoye, would you believe me if I said I didn’t do it on purpose?”
—
“Mmm —”
In the living room, Mahiru sat by the low table, staring intently at half a cup of water with all his might.
He tried to extract the water from the cup through meditation, but no matter what he did, it was all in vain.
‘Come on, move!’
He had clearly been able to condense water into a shield that could even deflect lightning earlier, but now, for some reason, he couldn’t do anything.
It was as if his cultivation had been destroyed and his power lost.
‘What exactly is going on? Did my Witch Experience Card really expire?’
Mahiru looked up at the ceiling light with a dazed expression.
At that moment, Xiaoye emerged from the bathroom, drying her hair with a towel after her shower.
Seeing Xiaoye come out, Mahiru hurriedly tried to adjust his posture in a panic.
But in his clumsiness, he accidentally kicked the low table, causing the half cup of water to spill directly onto his thigh.
Feeling the sudden chill on his thigh, Mahiru couldn’t help but let out a high-pitched shriek.
But he didn’t have time to worry about that now.
He quickly straightened up and sat in a formal kneeling position facing Xiaoye, hands folded on his thighs.
He forced a smile, looking as obedient as a daughter begging her mother for a favorite doll.
“Xiaoye, you’re all finished with your shower!”
Watching Mahiru look at her so obediently, Xiaoye simply furrowed her brows and sat on the sofa with a look of disdain.
If Older Brother hadn’t insisted on showing off with his Water Magic, she wouldn’t have been suddenly drenched and forced to go home for another hot shower.
Of course, that part didn’t matter much to Xiaoye anymore.
What she was truly angry about was something else.
In order to level up quickly, she had served as her brother’s maid for two hours, yet he hadn’t accomplished a single thing for her.
Wasn’t all that dedicated service just a waste of effort?
All her hard work had come to nothing.
If she stopped now, the path would come to an end.
Sensing that Xiaoye was very angry, Mahiru quickly crawled over to her side and began massaging her legs with a cheerful smile.
“Xiaoye, you must be tired. Let me give you a good leg massage to help you relax!”
Xiaoye merely turned her head to stare at Mahiru, her eyes filled with a chilling, murderous intent that gave him a huge fright.
“Older Brother, do you have anything to say for yourself at this point?”
“Well… Xiaoye, don’t get worked up… let’s talk this out… we’re siblings! If we fight among ourselves, we’ll only make others laugh at us!”
“Why can’t you use Magic all of a sudden? Are you playing me? Do you think it was a great deal to get two hours of maid service for free?”
“No, no, no, how could I play you? You’re my sister!”
“Then why can’t you use Magic? If you don’t explain yourself clearly today, don’t even think about sleeping tonight!”
“Uh…”
Mahiru hesitated for a moment before replying guiltily, “Maybe it’s because… I might be out of Mana.”
“Ha? Out of Mana? How is that possible?” Xiaoye was full of doubt at Mahiru’s explanation. “You’re a Witch! How can a grand Witch not even squeeze out a drop of Mana? This kind of situation is unheard of!”
‘A grand Witch kneeling and submitting to a Magical Girl is also unheard of…’
Seeing Mahiru still mumbling, Xiaoye glared at him fiercely.
“No, I mean, even if it’s unheard of, it doesn’t mean it’s impossible!”
“Is that for real? The Halo above your head is brighter than the lights in our house, yet you’re telling me you don’t have any Mana left? Who would believe that?”
“Uh… is it possible that my Halo is white precisely because I have no Mana left?”
“…”
Xiaoye was suddenly rendered speechless.
She had to admit that Mahiru’s words seemed to make some sense.
She had never seen a Witch run out of Mana before.
Every time she fought a Witch, they would vanish under the onslaught of Magical Girls.
Their health bars always dropped faster than their mana bars, so she naturally had no way of knowing what a Witch would look like after exhausting their Mana.
“In other words, if you want to keep using Magic, you need a Mana Replenishment, right? Eh? Wait, it couldn’t be that kind of Mana Replenishment, could it?”