Su Li stood in front of the full-length mirror in the changing room, her fingertips gently smoothing the wrinkles on her uniform.
The girl in the mirror wore a form-fitting pure white combat suit, her silvery-white hair tied up in a high ponytail. A white Transformation Crystal hung from her chest—a custom piece freshly made for her by the Equipment Department.
As the captain of Stardust Liuli, Tongmen City’s hottest magical girl team, Su Li usually completed her wardrobe change and was ready to strike in a matter of seconds. But right now, her movements were slower than usual.
Her fingers paused at the collar, unconsciously tightening, causing the fabric to crease in her palm before she smoothed it out again. She took a deep breath, and the gaze in the mirror wavered slightly.
Lu Yuan… how is she doing?
Since the first case of the missing magical girls, Su Li had mobilized everyone in Tongmen City beyond the basic security forces to dedicate themselves fully to solving the case. Yet, nearly a week later, there was still no lead at all. Rose had hidden too well.
Su Li sighed.
No matter how fast she changed into her combat suit, she couldn’t find the target of her mission.
***
Suddenly, the crystal on her chest began to emit a faint glow.
“Could it be…” Her fingertips lightly touched the crystal reflected in the glass.
Tian Aixing’s voice came through the communicator: “Captain, a Magic Frequency has been detected, and its source is suspected to be—”
“It’s my crystal,” Su Li interrupted, quickly stepping out of the changing room.
“What about the Connection Box from the Equipment Department? Bring it to me.” She hurried toward the hall and instructed the staff waiting outside the changing room.
“Yes.” The staff nodded and quickly left.
***
Moments later, in the Headquarters’ hall.
“Captain Su Li, here is your Connection Box.” A staff member handed her a black case.
Su Li took the box and pressed a button on it to open.
The box popped open to reveal a recess inside.
She placed her new Transformation Crystal into the slot, and it projected a holographic image.
“All staff, stop what you’re doing and focus. Let’s carefully watch this and find Rose’s hiding place together,” Su Li ordered. “Tian Aixing, you’re in charge of locating the source of the signal. But if anyone recognizes the location from the video, that would be even better.”
Everyone put down their tasks, preparing to scrutinize the only clue that could capture Rose. They wanted to extract as many leads as possible from this limited footage.
“Beep beep.”
A faint blue holographic projection unfolded in the air. This was a real-time image transmitted back through the Connection Box from the Transformation Crystal—a distress communication system that, in theory, only activated when a magical girl’s life was in grave danger.
The projection first showed a glass cage, then Lu Yuan’s blood-stained chin.
Su Li’s breath caught involuntarily.
“She’s still alive…”
Thank goodness… Su Li’s heavy heart finally eased.
***
The scene suddenly shifted to a close-up of a girl’s face inches away—a blue-haired girl with moist eyes and…
“Wait, this is…”
Su Li’s fingertips froze mid-air.
The holographic image clearly showed: the blue-haired girl’s arm wrapped around Lu Yuan’s waist, their lips pressed tightly together. Worse, Lu Yuan was clad in little more than a few scraps of fabric—almost naked.
Everyone watched the two girls kissing, and the Command Center fell into a sudden silence.
***
“Ahem.” Aoi Hoshino coughed from behind. “We’re all adults here, so it’s fine, but I do want to ask—Captain, did you play the wrong clip?”
“This…” Su Li felt awkward, momentarily at a loss for how to respond.
Tian Aixing had just left the Medical Chamber and approached Su Li. She glanced at the screen and raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”
Su Li’s ears flushed pink. “You know, this is… this is a necessary method for Magic Conduction. Lin Wan was pretty clever.”
“Mm.” Tian Aixing’s tone was calm. “I did mention this during new magical girl training—that it’s indeed a method of Magic Conduction.”
Su Li exhaled in relief.
“But no one said you had to hold waists while conducting magic, right?” Tian Aixing pointed out lightly. “And judging by the posture, the blue-haired girl seems to be the one taking the initiative?”
***
With a snap, Su Li closed the Connection Box, her fingers trembling slightly.
She took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down. Now was not the time to get distracted—the important thing was Lu Yuan was alive, and their location had been identified!
“Has the location been confirmed?” Her face was still flushed, clearly trying to appear calm but failing.
“It was completed thirty seconds ago,” Tian Aixing replied. “But are you sure you want to move out now? You only just got discharged.”
“No time left. If we delay any longer, it won’t just be Lu Yuan—all the captured magical girls will be in danger.”
Su Li yanked off her Transformation Crystal and clenched it in her hand. In an instant, it transformed into a giant white scythe.
Behind her, Aoi Hoshino looked on at Su Li dressed entirely in white, like an angel.
This was the legendary Captain of Tongmen City’s magical girls known as the White Death God.
“I’m heading out with Aoi Hoshino. Tian Aixing, I’m counting on you to handle logistics,” Su Li said as she turned toward the elevator at the hall’s entrance.
“Don’t worry.” Tian Aixing twirled a pen in her hand. “I’ll keep you updated with any information.”
“Su Li! Wait for me!” Aoi Hoshino ran to catch up with her.
But Su Li stood at the elevator doors, not stepping inside.
“What’s wrong, Su Li? Why aren’t you going in?” Aoi Hoshino poked her head from behind. The elevator was empty, and she couldn’t understand why Su Li hesitated.
Su Li scratched her head awkwardly.
“Sorry, I was in such a rush to transform earlier… the scythe’s too big now; I can’t fit inside.”
“…”
“Then take the stairs.”
***
“Ha… ha… cough cough.”
Inside the Glass Cage, the two magical girls finally let go of each other.
Sunlight poured in, and between them, faint “threads” shimmered in the light, as if barely severed but still connected.
Lu Yuan wiped her mouth and gasped for air.
She had no idea how long she and Lin Wan had been kissing just now, but it had definitely been more than three seconds.
“You’re not plotting anything on me, are you?” Lu Yuan teased.
“W-what are you saying!” Lin Wan hurriedly denied.
“I’m a girl! How could a girl plot anything against another girl?” Lin Wan poked a finger, though she didn’t seem very confident.
But Lu Yuan didn’t notice Lin Wan’s unease. After thinking for a moment, she wondered if she was judging the kiss from a boy’s perspective—as if Lin Wan had ulterior motives.
Well… yuri stuff probably wouldn’t happen to her.
I’m really so dirty-minded! Lin Wan kissed me just so we could escape; maybe she didn’t even want to do it! How could I think she had other intentions?
Lu Yuan silently scolded herself for doubting her teammate and didn’t notice Lin Wan grinning beside her, her face glowing with a rather satisfied expression.
“Anyway, Su Li should be here soon, right?” Lu Yuan said.
“Yeah, as long as Captain Su Li arrives, we’ll definitely be saved,” Lin Wan nodded.
“She’s… the White Death God, after all.”