Luo Tianyou sprang directly off the sofa.
“What? Where are they? How is it going now?”
“The abandoned training ground in the suburbs.”
In the background of Xiao Yuan’s call, the faint sounds of explosions and exclamations could be heard.
“The current situation… well, three of the protective barriers for the training ground have already been shattered. Director Zhou Zheng is considering whether to apply for a budget from the city defense fund to repair the fourth layer.”
Luo Tianyou felt her vision go dark.
“I’m going there right now.”
“Little Tianyou, you don’t need to be too hurried. The two of them won’t be able to kill each other in — “
Before Xiao Yuan could finish her sentence, Luo Tianyou had already hung up.
“Huayu, I’m heading out for a bit! You go ahead and eat dinner first!”
Li Huayu poked her head out from the kitchen, still holding a spatula.
“Tianyou? What happened?”
“Yuexia Liuli and Evelyn are fighting. I’m going to go check on them.”
“Eh? Wait, I want to go see, too…”
The door had already slammed shut with a *bang*.
Li Huayu stood in place, her spatula slowly lowering.
‘Why didn’t she invite me to watch the fun?’
“…But then again, it’s probably because of Tianyou,” she whispered to herself before turning back to the kitchen.
“I’ll finish the sweet and sour pork ribs first and wait for Tianyou to come back before we eat.”
—
The old Magical Girl training ground in the suburbs of C City.
This place was originally used by the Order Management Bureau for combat drills.
Because the equipment was outdated, it had been decommissioned several years ago, though the barrier facilities were still mostly intact.
At least, they were intact until 5 minutes ago.
Now…
*Boom!!!*
A pillar of crimson fire soared into the sky, completely tearing apart the already crumbling fourth layer of the protective barrier.
In the center of the fire pillar, Evelyn hovered in mid-air, her long red hair dancing like flames.
“Stray dog! Is this all you’ve got?!”
Opposite her, Yuexia Liuli stood on the ravaged ground.
She held up a Moonlight Barrier with one hand, blocking the heatwave rushing toward her.
“This is enough to deal with a noisy, stupid bird.”
“Who are you calling a stupid bird?!”
“I’m calling whoever answered.”
“Stop your yapping!”
Evelyn’s face flushed with rage.
She pressed her hands together in front of her chest, and scorching magic began to condense.
Yuexia Liuli also raised her hand, gathering silvery-white moonlight in her palm.
A Giant Flaming Sword and a silver Moonlight Arrow collided in the air.
*BOOM!!!*
A blinding light erupted, and a massive shockwave completely leveled the last few walls of the training ground that were still standing.
In the distance, on a temporary observation deck, Director Zhou Zheng looked at the tablet in his hand, which displayed a real-time damage assessment of the training ground.
“Barrier repair budget: 12 million; site reconstruction budget: 8 million; equipment loss: 5 million… adding the maintenance fees for the previous three broken barriers, it’s at least 50 million?”
Lin Weiwei, standing beside him, reminded him, “Director, this is only a preliminary assessment. If they continue fighting…”
“Don’t say another word.”
Zhou Zheng clutched his chest.
“I want to be alone.”
Xiao Yuan stood at the edge of the observation deck, watching the battle in the field with great interest, even holding a cup of freshly brewed black tea in her hand.
“Oh my, young people are so full of energy.”
“Lady Xiao Yuan…”
Zhou Zheng looked like he was about to burst into tears.
“Can’t you persuade them to stop? If this continues, the Bureau’s budget for this year will be completely gone.”
Xiao Yuan took a sip of tea.
“I can’t persuade them. The two of them have lost their heads in the heat of the moment. They won’t stop unless they exhaust themselves, or…”
She looked toward an Order Management Bureau official car that was suddenly speeding toward them.
“Or if someone more powerful comes to break up the fight.”
The car door opened, and Luo Tianyou practically rolled out.
She was in such a hurry that she nearly tripped over her own feet.
“Sister Xiaoyuan!”
Xiao Yuan pointed toward the center of the dust-covered training ground.
“They’re still fighting, but it should be over soon.”
Another massive explosion echoed from the field.
The dust slowly cleared, revealing the scene inside.
Evelyn was down on one knee, panting heavily, the flames surrounding her having dimmed significantly.
Yuexia Liuli leaned against the ruins, her face pale, and her silvery-white magic fluctuations were becoming unstable.
Both of them were at their wits’ end.
“Huff… huff…”
Evelyn looked up and forced a smile.
“How about it… stray dog… can you… still keep going?”
Yuexia Liuli sneered.
“A bit… better than you…”
“Stubborn…”
The two glared at each other, but neither had the strength to strike again.
On the observation deck, Zhou Zheng let out a sigh of relief.
“It finally stopped… Quick, get the medical team ready.”
Evelyn suddenly stood up unsteadily.
“I can still — “
“Still what?!”
Luo Tianyou’s voice suddenly rang out.
At some point, she had already rushed to the edge of the training ground.
With her hands on her hips, she glared at the two people in the field, fuming with anger.
“The two of you, how old are you? Still fighting! And you tore down the training ground! Do you have any idea how much it costs to fix this?!”
Evelyn and Yuexia Liuli both froze and looked at Luo Tianyou.
“Wife…”
Evelyn’s eyes lit up.
She tried to step forward, but her legs gave way, and she nearly fell.
Yuexia Liuli also wanted to say something, but as soon as she opened her mouth, she began to cough violently.
Looking at their pathetic states, Luo Tianyou was both angry and annoyed.
“Honestly, why are you fighting? Can’t you just talk things out?!”
She scolded the two S-class Magical Girls as if she were lecturing small children while walking into the training ground.
Evelyn watched her approach with a silly grin on her face.
“Wife, you came to pick me up…”
“Who’s picking you up?!”
Luo Tianyou glared at her, but her pace didn’t slow.
Yuexia Liuli turned her face away, her voice very soft.
“It’s fine. You don’t need to worry about it.”
“If I don’t worry, who will?”
Luo Tianyou walked between the two of them, looking at one and then the other.
“Can you two walk on your own now?”
Evelyn tried to stand, but she swayed the moment she got up.
Yuexia Liuli also forced herself to stand straight, but her face was frighteningly pale.
On the distant observation deck, everyone from the Bureau stretched their necks to watch the scene.
“Is that Miss Luo Tianyou?”
A young clerical worker watched in shock.
“She just walked in like that? Those two are S-class…”
“Shh! Keep your voice down!”
The predecessor beside him lowered his voice.
“You don’t know? That Miss Luo is not simple. When Lady Yuexia and Lady Seraph fight, it’s likely because of her.”
“Because of her? But she looks like an ordinary girl…”
“Ordinary? Who do you think solved the Kyriel Incident? Have you ever seen an ordinary girl who could make two S-class Magical Girls tear down an entire training ground for her? Besides, it’s said that Director Zhou Zheng even specifically looked up the Magical Girl Archives from decades ago for this. She’s definitely not simple…”
Luo Tianyou’s raised voice traveled from the field.
“The both of you! Stand up straight for me!”
The observation deck went silent instantly.
Luo Tianyou stood with her hands on her hips, looking up to glare at Yuexia Liuli, who was a head taller than her, before turning to look at Evelyn, who was on one knee.
She looked exactly like a kindergarten teacher scolding disobedient children.
“Speak! Why were you fighting?”
Evelyn was the first to react, pouting aggrievedly.
“Wife, she’s the one who provoked me first!”
“I provoked you?”
Yuexia Liuli sneered.
“Who was it that said they were going to ‘clean house’ the moment we met?”
“Well, you shouldn’t have called me a stupid bird!”
“You are a stupid bird.”
Luo Tianyou’s head throbbed.
“Both of you, shut up!”
The two of them silenced themselves at the same time.
Evelyn shrank her neck and muttered softly, “My wife is so scary…”
Yuexia Liuli turned her face away again, but she didn’t speak further.
Luo Tianyou first went to Yuexia Liuli’s side and knelt down to check her injuries.
Yuexia Liuli had several burns on her arms, and her magic was severely overextended.
“What were you trying to prove…”
Luo Tianyou couldn’t help but nag.
“Didn’t you say you wanted to start over? Does starting over mean turning yourself into this?”
Yuexia Liuli pursed her lips and said nothing, but she obediently stayed still.
Luo Tianyou then walked over to Evelyn.
Evelyn’s condition was no better; there was a cut from magic on her leg, and although it wasn’t deep, it wouldn’t stop bleeding.
Her magic was also over-exhausted, making her look quite wilted.
“And you! Is being an S-class Magical Girl so impressive? Is fighting cool? Doesn’t it hurt to be injured?”
Evelyn looked up pitifully.
“Wife… it hurts…”
Luo Tianyou said crossly, “It should hurt. Don’t fight again next time.”
“But she insulted me…”
“She insulted you, so you hit her? Then you called her a stray dog. Should she hit you, too?”
“That’s different!”
Evelyn said righteously.
“She really is a dog!”
Yuexia Liuli: “You’re the real stupid bird.”
“Look! she’s insulting me again!”
“You insulted her, too!”
Luo Tianyou felt speechless.
‘Are these two kindergarteners?’
The more she spoke, the angrier she got.
She pointed at their surroundings.
“Look! The walls have collapsed! The ground is cracked! The barriers are shattered! Do you know how much it will cost to repair this?!”
Evelyn whispered, “I have money…”
“Even if you have money, you can’t waste it like this! And look at you, your clothes are torn!”
Evelyn looked down at her damaged skirt and, for once, didn’t say a word.
Yuexia Liuli still kept her head turned away, but the tips of her ears were slightly red.
It wasn’t out of shyness, but because Luo Tianyou’s tone — like she was scolding a child — made her feel both ashamed and annoyed.
Yet, strangely, she also found it somewhat comforting.
On the observation deck, the young clerical worker’s mouth hung open.
“She’s actually scolding S-class Magical Girls. Those are S-class! They are the top existences in the world. It’s usually hard to even get a glimpse of them…”
The predecessor patted his shoulder and said earnestly, “Young man, you must remember. In this world, there is always someone greater…”