Longguo, Huahai City.

September heat still clung to the air like a furnace.

Luo You clocked out at the gym’s front desk, ending another shift.

The moment he stepped outside, away from the haven of air conditioning, sweat poured down his sunny face like rain.

“F**k this weather, is it trying to eat people alive?”

Muttering a few complaints, he was just about to pop open his umbrella when a musclebound man walked out of the gym behind him.

“Coach Luo, what time’s your shift tomorrow?” the man asked.

“Oh, it’s Xiao Jie. Morning eight to afternoon three.”

“Great, I’ll come in at nine. Hope you’ll guide me again!”

“Ok.”

Luo You set a reminder alarm on his phone.

He looked up, ready to walk off, but noticed the muscled man was still standing behind him, not moving.

“Ajie? Something else?”

“Uh, yeah!”

Ajie scratched the back of his head awkwardly, twisting his legs like a shy schoolgirl, his cheeks tinged with blush.

“I forgot my umbrella today… mind if I share yours to the bus stop?”

“…Nope. Nope nope. Take the umbrella.
I think I could use a bit more sun.”

“Giegie, don’t leave me behind—!”

Luo You shoved the umbrella into Ajie’s thick meaty hands, then sprinted away.

Gone in an instant.

Damn it! Why are more and more guys dropping hints at me lately?

If it were girls, maybe he’d understand.

But why is it always dudes?!

“Now that I think about it—
All the clients assigned to my fitness group are men.
Not a single girl!”

“No way. Gotta talk to the manager and get some girls next round.
Can’t keep working like this.”

Luo You grumbled under his breath.

Luckily, his apartment was close to the gym—perfect for commuting.

But what really made him happy—

Was the death corridor that lay between the gym and his home:

A food street feared by every fitness enthusiast.

Luo You’s favorite pastime?

Catching gym clients sneaking out to eat here and reporting them to their personal trainers.

Hearing them wail in pain during extra workouts the next day helped him blow off steam.

“Let’s see which poor sucker I’ll catch today… huh?!”

Just as he was scanning the crowd for prey, Luo You’s gaze locked onto a familiar figure.

A guy he’d just started coaching two weeks ago!

Catching another trainer’s client was one thing—Luo You would laugh it off.

But catching his own client?

That was war.

“Motherfu—what the hell are you eating—Oh my god!”

“You’re eating… fried egg, pig trotters, chicken feet, pork intestines—
A quadruple-calorie hell bowl of luosifen with over 3000 calories minimum?!”

Luo You’s jaw dropped at the sight of the steaming bowl in the guy’s hands.

Furious laughter burst from his lips.

He slung an arm over the young man’s shoulder and flashed a wicked grin.

“Bro, how about we have a little chat down that alley over there?”

“Gyaaaaaaaaa—!!“

The guy shrieked like he was getting molested and bolted.

…Crows flew overhead…

Even though the kid was long gone, his scream still echoed in Luo You’s head.

It took him a long moment to snap out of it.

Banana your damn grandpa, how the hell does a grown man make a sound like that?!

You’re getting double reps next time!

So pissed.

That voice alone ruined Luo You’s appetite for the next two days.

“Move aside! Move aside, everyone!”

A security patrol vehicle was blasting announcements through its loudspeaker.

“Two magical girls newly assigned to this city are arriving! Please make way!”

At those words, the crowd calmly stepped to either side of the street.

After all, this was a big deal—

Magical girls weren’t just beautiful, they were also rare defenders.

Even first-tier cities barely got any.

Having two assigned to a second-tier city like Huahai?

That was a major security boost.

In the current supernatural world, two major powers held dominance—

The Magical Girl Alliance and the Paranormal Organization.

Seven years ago, the Paranormal Organization had nearly taken full control—

Until the Aurora Witch vanished.

Their momentum collapsed soon after.

Two years later, just as the battle between the two sides reached its boiling point—

Dimensional Beasts invaded.

Forced to defend against a common enemy, both factions reluctantly signed a truce.

Now, the global balance stood at 60/40.

Though “Paranormal Organization” sounded like the name of a villain group,

In practice, they fought crime and protected cities just like the magical girls.

But their methods were far more brutal.

More mafia-in-silk-robes than sweet justice girls.

Admittedly, they had been villains once upon a time.

Now, the struggle for dominance wasn’t about killing each other—
It was about winning public favor.

Welcome to the media era.

Being an idol?

Showing some skin?

No shame in that.

Approval ratings were everything.

“Move aside! Hey, you in front! Yeah, the bro in the middle of the road—move it!”

Huh?

Luo You realized he was the only one still standing there.

Everyone else had stepped aside.

That bro… is me?!

“In fifty meters… yep, that’s gotta be the magical girls’ car.”

Behind the patrol vehicle, a luxury car rolled forward, draped in banners of victory.

“So flashy,” Luo You muttered sourly.

Still, he stepped aside with the crowd and let the car pass.

“Back in the day, I was the guy who pinned down the strongest magical girl, Xingyue, and—
sigh
How did it all come to this?”

He turned to leave, grumbling to himself.

But inside the car—

Magical girl Yue Yuezi had cracked the window slightly—

And heard everything.

“Who was that?!
Badmouthing Lady Xingyue?!”

“What’s wrong, Yue Yuezi?”

The other magical girl, Zhou Xi, turned her head.
“Someone insulted Lady Xingyue?”

“I’m going down there to find that arrogant bastard!”

“Wait—hold it!”

Seeing her companion about to cause a scene, Zhou Xi quickly grabbed her.

“I know how much you admire Xingyue,
But remember your identity.”

“Pressuring a civilian only hurts our image.”

“Besides, look at the crowd.
Can you even tell who said it?”

“If I ask everyone to say a sentence—
My ears are sharp, I’ll know!” Yue Yuezi insisted.

“No way.
We magical girls only just started breaking into entertainment and boosting our public image.
If this stirs up negative press, all our efforts will go to waste.”

“Don’t talk to me about that!
Every time you bring it up, I get mad!”

“If the local government had given us more mainstream media slots,
The Paranormal Organization wouldn’t be strutting around like that!”

Zhou Xi sighed in helpless agreement.

“Nothing we can do.
The local authorities clearly favor them over us. That’s already settled.”

On the surface, magical girls were adored—

Beautiful, pure-hearted girls naturally won over the people.

But behind closed doors—

The local governments preferred the Paranormal Organization.

They got things done.

Brutal, efficient, final.

Take a hostage crisis, for example—

The Paranormal Organization would wipe out the threats and the hostages if needed,

Guaranteeing zero chance of future retaliation.

Public might hate them for it—

But the government?

They loved it.

That’s why the Paranormal Organization always got mainstream coverage.

News, TV reports—

All backed by management.

As for the magical girls—

The government didn’t suppress them, but also didn’t support them.

Second-class citizens, basically.

Zhou Xi understood why, even if it made her bitter.

Magical girls insisted on ideals like “zero casualties,”
“love and justice,”
“never abandoning anyone.”

That kind of nobility came at the cost of efficiency and realism.

If you gave a hostage rescue mission to magical girls,

It would likely end in one of two ways:

– Criminals escape, hostages injured.
– Criminals escape, hostages die anyway.

Some government officials still respected magical girls, though.

Enough to offer them media help,

Support their move into the entertainment industry,

And connect them with the people.

The root of the problem was clear—

But Zhou Xi couldn’t change it.

Magical girls were magical girls because of their ideals.

Strip those away, and what’s left?

She gazed out the window.

“If it were Lady Xingyue, she’d still be able to do everything perfectly…
Even while holding fast to those ideals.”

“Hmph! Of course!”

Yue Yuezi puffed up.

“Lady Xingyue is the strongest magical girl ever!”

“That kind of thing would be easy for her.”

Then she deflated.

“But she’s been silent for so long…
Ever since her battle with the Aurora Witch seven years ago, she’s disappeared.
No one knows what happened to her…”

At the mention of the Aurora Witch, Zhou Xi couldn’t help but shiver.

That woman was a nightmare to all magical girls.

Countless magical girls had fallen to her.

The defeat CGs she triggered were so disturbing they struck fear into everyone’s hearts.

Bratty tomboys.

Proud older sisters.

Cold beauties.

None were spared.

They broke.

Their convictions shattered.

Some never transformed again.

The ones trained by the Aurora Witch?

Some were still active—

But many of the strongest had vanished.

If there was any silver lining—

It was that the Aurora Witch disappeared around the same time as Lady Xingyue.

That gave the magical girls a brief window to breathe.

Compared to death—

Being broken by the Aurora Witch might’ve actually been the better Bed End.