Chapter 21: has arrived!

“Who wants to use you! What’s wrong with you right now?”

Luo Tianyou was a little embarrassed.

“It’s just the side effect of using a special form. The body temporarily regresses to a less burdensome form to recover magic and physical strength. It will probably last for a while.”

Yuexia Liuli used that childish, milky voice, stretched out her small hand, and tugged at the hem of Luo Tianyou’s starry battle dress.

“Master, squat down. The dog can’t reach you right now.”

That soft voice carried a hint of whining, and with that doll-like delicate little face, it actually made Luo Tianyou feel an illusion of “not doing as told is a sin,” and she slowly squatted down.

A sharp light flashed in Little Yuexia Liuli’s eyes, and she pounced forward!

“Waah!”

Caught off guard, Luo Tianyou was knocked to the ground.

The petite blonde “little girl” lay on top of her, her small head buried in Luo Tianyou’s soft chest, and she took a deep breath.

“Sure enough, the master’s scent is still the best.”

Yuexia Liuli rubbed against her contentedly.

“You… What are you doing? Get up.”

Luo Tianyou was a little annoyed, but seeing Yuexia Liuli’s small appearance, looking no different from a little girl, the urge to throw her off wasn’t so strong.

“No.”

Yuexia Liuli refused crisply and decisively, then adjusted her position to lie more comfortably, wrapping her small arms around Luo Tianyou’s neck.

She raised her little face, golden eyes watery as she looked up.

“Master, hold me.”

“What?”

“I’m tired, exhausted, and can’t walk anymore. As the master, isn’t it only natural to carry a dog that can’t move?”

Luo Tianyou: “……”

She looked at the little scoundrel acting shamelessly in her arms, glanced at the somewhat pale little face and weary eyes, and hesitated.

Luo Tianyou still reached out, supporting Yuexia Liuli’s waist with one hand and holding her securely with the other, picking her up in the standard way one would hold a child.

So light.

That was Luo Tianyou’s first feeling.

The shrunken Yuexia Liuli was as light as a feather, as if she’d break with a little force.

Her small body was soft, warm, and carried a faint fragrance.

Yuexia Liuli leaned her little head against Luo Tianyou’s shoulder, found the most comfortable spot, and naturally placed her small hand on Luo Tianyou’s chest.

“Master is so obedient.”

“…Hmph, so what’s the situation now? Is the problem solved?”

Luo Tianyou snorted.

“Kiriel can’t be completely eliminated. At least, I still can’t do it. I can only seal it temporarily in the Suburbs and need to repair the seal every once in a while. As for the restoration inside the city, that’s the Administration Bureau’s job… Master, the dog really needs to sleep for a bit. You handle the rest.”

Yuexia Liuli stretched, her small hand clinging tightly to Luo Tianyou’s clothes, rubbing against her neck.

Soon, a steady and long breathing sound could be heard.

Luo Tianyou held the hot potato in her arms, standing still.

She looked down at Yuexia Liuli’s peaceful sleeping face, her long golden lashes like little fans, and her pink mouth pouting slightly, looking pure and harmless.

Damn it… Even knowing this guy is still that black-hearted bad dog inside, this appearance is just too deceptive.

“Luo Tianyou, is it over?”

Beside her, Lihua Yu’s Barrier had already lifted.

She sat weakly on the ground, watching as the smoke finally settled.

“More or less.”

Luo Tianyou said softly.

Suddenly, a call request sounded in her earpiece.

This was the earpiece Zhou Zheng had given her when she left the building.

Luo Tianyou fiddled with it and activated the call function.

“Lord, has Kiriel been dealt with? All the surveillance in the area of the recent battle was destroyed, so we don’t know the exact situation here.”

It was Zhou Zheng’s voice.

Luo Tianyou looked around.

Although the building was mostly intact, all visible glass, including various basic infrastructure, was more or less destroyed, and the street was shattered as if bombed.

“Mm, Kiriel is sealed in the Suburbs. It needs people to maintain it periodically.”

“Thank you to Lord and Lord Yuexia for your efforts! Leave the rest to us.”

Zhou Zheng’s voice was instantly filled with excitement, and a messy cheer came from the earpiece before it cut off.

“Luo Tianyou, what now? Do we wait for the Administration Bureau?”

Lihua Yu asked quietly.

“No, I have other things to do.”

Luo Tianyou shook her head.

She still had to go to the hotel to look for her mother’s belongings.

“Okay.”

Lihua Yu responded softly, looking at Luo Tianyou with wide eyes.

Those light brown eyes were filled with complicated emotions—relief at surviving disaster, awe of power, and a hint of longing.

She looked at the quietly sleeping blonde girl in Luo Tianyou’s arms and really couldn’t connect her to the previously intimidating Moonlight Witch, but the way Luo Tianyou held her looked so natural.

Standing here, she felt like an outsider.

“Can I go with you? I have nowhere else to go, and I want to help.”

Lihua Yu knew she wasn’t much use, maybe even a burden, just a rat from the sewers, but she just didn’t want to be separated from Luo Tianyou like this.

If they parted now, she might never see her again.

Luo Tianyou looked at Lihua Yu’s pleading and uneasy eyes, recalling how Lihua Yu had chosen to protect the shop even under Kiriel’s mental influence.

She smiled.

“Okay.”

Lihua Yu’s eyes instantly brightened, and she nodded vigorously.

The road to the hotel wasn’t easy.

The street was strewn with rubble and twisted objects.

Occasionally, panicked citizens and Administration Bureau rescue workers rushing over could be seen.

It was hard enough just to return to the hotel.

The lobby was a mess, the Crystal Chandelier tilted, and many decorations were shattered on the floor, though the basic facilities were still intact.

Returning to the top-floor suite, Luo Tianyou gently placed Yuexia Liuli on the soft bed in the bedroom and tucked her in.

The little one made a dissatisfied noise as she touched the bed, her small hand grasping at the air as if trying to grab something.

Obviously, it couldn’t be a pacifier.

Eat air instead.

Luo Tianyou muttered heavily and walked to the living room.

Lihua Yu sat on the sofa, hands on her knees, her voice a little dry.

“Luo Tianyou, thank you… for saving me again.”

Luo Tianyou found her mother’s bag and held it in her arms.

“No need to thank me. You chose to stand on our side, and you protected that shop at the end, without being fully controlled. That’s not easy.”

Lihua Yu’s cheeks turned slightly red, warmth welling up in her heart from being recognized.

“I just don’t want to be like before anymore. I want… I want to become like you.”

“Like me?”

Luo Tianyou was a little surprised.

“I don’t want to keep hiding in dark corners, stealing and lying. I know I’m still useless now, not even a D-rank Magical Girl, but I can learn, I can work hard, as long as you don’t mind…”

“When you have a dog at home, never adopt little pets at random. Beware of big dogs chewing, chewing, chewing.”

No one knew when Yuexia Liuli had appeared in the living room.

Her childish face was solemn as she faced Lihua Yu.

“I’m going to bite you.”