Inside the subway station.
Lu Yuan’s face was flushed red, and she kept wanting to ask Qing whether the set of clothes formed from her own body… could transmit the sensation back to Qing herself.
If that were possible… then wouldn’t Qing be constantly touching all over her own body right now?!
Covering her face with her hands in embarrassment, Lu Yuan felt too shy to ask the question aloud.
She preferred to tell herself that Qing simply couldn’t feel anything.
***
Qing was half a step behind her, still wearing that smoky gray long dress and beige trench coat, her pale blue hair falling smoothly over her shoulders.
She seemed curious about the noisy surroundings, but also somewhat uneasy, her gaze always following Lu Yuan, as if she were the only anchor point in this chaotic place.
Lu Yuan took a deep breath, suppressing the chaotic thoughts swirling in her mind.
She pulled down the hood of her sweatshirt, trying her best to conceal her face.
“Let’s go.” She whispered to Qing, her voice muffled through the fabric.
Qing immediately fell in step, reaching out naturally to gently pinch the hem of Lu Yuan’s sweatshirt.
Lu Yuan’s body stiffened, and she glanced back at Qing.
Qing lifted her eyes, clear and innocent. It was just an unconscious gesture seeking safety.
“…Hold on tight.” Lu Yuan finally gave in, turning her head with resigned acceptance as she carried this bulky accessory along with her, merging into the stream of people pouring into the subway station.
They looked just like two ordinary girls—one dressed casually, the other a bit artsy—holding hands… or rather, pinching the hem of a sweatshirt, preparing to board the subway and leave the city behind.
Only Lu Yuan knew that she was wearing the most expensive, unique, and utterly unsettling custom-made outfit in the world.
And the designer herself clung to her sweatshirt hem like a child afraid of getting lost, never leaving her side.
***
The turnstile line at the subway station was neither too long nor too short.
Some people looked down at their phones as they swiped their cards, others stared at the arrival sequence screen above the gates.
The air was filled with a hurried yet weary indifference.
“Tch, the rain outside is pouring like the sky’s leaking,” a middle-aged man complained, shaking water droplets off his umbrella, splashing the person beside him.
“This damn weather—will the train even come?”
“Who knows? They say the heavy rain caused some malfunction. It’s already ten minutes late,” a woman in office attire snapped back, stomping impatiently on the tiled floor with her high heels. “Such bad luck. I just want to go home and crash.”
“Seriously, will this train show up or not?!”
Probably office workers complaining, Lu Yuan shrugged her shoulders.
She was a little worried the subway might not arrive either, but thankfully the station’s announcement dispelled her doubts.
“Attention all passengers, due to heavy rain, train C1XX will be delayed by ten minutes. Please wait patiently… all passengers…”
Well, at least it was just a ten-minute delay. As long as the train came, that was fine.
Lu Yuan took a deep breath and pulled her hood further down.
Because of the announcement, many passengers decided not to continue waiting in line, instead sitting down on nearby benches to rest.
The crowd thinned a bit, and Lu Yuan took the chance to walk a little further ahead.
Fortunately, although she hadn’t brought her phone, Qing had hers, so they could use Qing’s phone to ride the subway.
***
Ten minutes later… twenty minutes later, the train finally arrived—twice as late as announced.
At last, it was their turn.
Lu Yuan took the phone with its screen still lit from Qing’s hand, ready to scan and enter.
But just as her fingertip was about to touch the card reader—
“Beep beep beep beep—!”
An extremely sharp, unnatural alarm suddenly blared out from every turnstile.
The shrill sound made everyone’s scalp tingle.
All the turnstile indicator lights began flashing wildly.
The gates jerked open and shut erratically like they had a spasm, producing a harsh “click-clack” noise.
“What’s going on?!”
“Is it a machine malfunction?”
“What the hell…?”
The line instantly erupted into chaos.
People complained and questioned the situation, instinctively stepping back to distance themselves from the crazed machines.
***
Lu Yuan’s heart sank.
She looked out the station window—the downpour was relentless.
The heavy rain, the chaos, the noisy crowd—all of it told her this was no ordinary malfunction.
A sickening premonition crawled up her spine.
Instinctively, she threw her body over Qing, who was still clutching her sweatshirt hem, shielding her.
Her eyes rapidly scanned the chaotic surroundings.
Suddenly, her gaze froze on a relatively empty corner on the other side of the turnstiles.
There, a figure leaned lazily against the wall, as if utterly indifferent to the surrounding turmoil.
She wore a simple black coat and jeans, her hair tied in a ponytail, black-framed glasses giving her the appearance of a harmless schoolgirl.
But when she slowly lifted her head, the eyes behind those lenses were unmistakable.
That gaze pierced straight through the chaotic crowd, locking precisely onto Qing, who was nestled in Lu Yuan’s arms.
Lu Yuan instinctively pulled Qing even closer.
She would never forget those eyes… She had arrived.
Rose.
A cat-and-mouse smirk curled at the corner of Rose’s lips.
This time, she would no longer keep a low profile.
To give a “greeting” to her so-called “allies,” she intended to make a big scene—one worthy of making headlines.
Their eyes met.
The air seemed to freeze in that instant.
Everything around them faded into muffled background noise.
Lu Yuan felt an icy chill shoot up from the soles of her feet to the crown of her head.
Could she really find us this fast?!
It was over.
Her mind went blank, with only those two words echoing wildly.
She instinctively wanted to transform, but her Transformation Crystal was not on her.
At this moment, she was just an ordinary girl, powerless.
Run!
But… run where?
The exit was right behind them, but would Rose just stand by and let them go?
Qing seemed to feel the same terrifying pressure.
She hid behind Lu Yuan, her body trembling slightly, her grip on Lu Yuan’s sweatshirt tightening.
Her pale green eyes were filled with animalistic fear, staring straight at Rose.
Rose appeared to savor their fear and hesitation.
She didn’t advance immediately but instead watched them, as if contemplating where to strike first to feast on this gift delivered to her doorstep.
If the enemy wanted to attack an untransformed Magical Girl, Recognition Obstruction Magic was always an insurmountable barrier.
But for Rose, that barrier did not exist.
Because she was a Magical Girl too.
***
Rose lightly pushed up her glasses.
She didn’t move at once—after all, an ordinary girl without any power had no chance to resist.
She wanted to play with Lu Yuan properly.
She spoke slowly, her voice low.
Lu Yuan couldn’t quite catch what Rose said, but she clearly recognized the last two words Rose mouthed—they were directed at Qing:
“Make a move.”
***
Make a move…?
Who was she telling to make a move?
Qing?
Or did Rose have an ally?
Lu Yuan’s thoughts were still racing when she was abruptly interrupted.
“Puchi!”
Before Lu Yuan could react, a sharp blade pierced through her abdomen from behind.
Lu Yuan turned around, stunned.
Blinding pain blurred her vision, but she still saw clearly who had struck.
It was Qing.
Qing’s eyes were vacant.
She was blindly obeying Rose’s command.