Chapter 11: The Price of Justice and Unveiled Secrets

Notably, on Sunday evening, He Yao received a phone call. Following the instructions given over the phone, she logged into a website. The site was named ‘Magical Girl Domain’. It served as an internal platform for Magical Girls to communicate and exchange information. This indicated that someone had already uncovered Magical Girl Ink Crystal’s true identity. In truth, this came as no surprise. Even though she had always sought a secluded spot for her transformations, a determined investigator could easily piece together her true identity through a thorough analysis of surveillance footage. Nevertheless, He Yao had already anticipated such a development.

Upon logging into the designated account, she discovered the user ID was already registered as ‘Magical Girl Ink Crystal’. She then proceeded to link her bank card, reset the account password, and complete phone verification as instructed, thereby confirming her identity. With these steps complete, she could now receive remuneration for her activities as a Magical Girl. Concurrently, the ‘Magical Girl Domain’ website allowed her to communicate and interact with other Magical Girls, facilitating the exchange and acquisition of intelligence. It also provided a platform for her to post and accept various tasks.

After selecting the ‘Same City’ button, she noticed the ongoing conversation between Magical Girl Amethyst and Magical Girl Emerald displayed on the public screen. Amethyst was requesting Emerald’s assistance, leveraging her unique abilities to craft a potion capable of utterly annihilating the Reborn’s terrifying regenerative powers. As a support-type Magical Girl, Emerald excelled in such matters. She even offered to join Amethyst in person, an offer Amethyst promptly declined.

However, such a refusal was quite a normal occurrence. After all, both Emerald and Amethyst were Magical Girls who guarded their true identities. Amethyst clearly wished to keep her real self hidden from Emerald, and working together would undoubtedly risk exposure.

Her eyes then fell upon a ranking titled ‘City Magical Girl Contribution Ranking’. Within their ‘Clear Sky City,’ the top position was held by a being known as ‘Magical Girl Rainbow Jade’. She was, of course, familiar with this Magical Girl. Rumor had it that Rainbow Jade was among the most formidable Magical Girls in the entire nation, an individual best described as ‘omnipotent’.

Her vibrant, rainbow-hued radiance symbolized a spectrum of diverse powers. Rainbow Jade alone could achieve feats that typically required the combined strength of several Magical Girls. Her formidable power instilled fear and forced numerous monsters into retreat. Consequently, she was also known by the moniker ‘Flawless Rainbow Jade’.

She was an incredibly popular Magical Girl, yet Rainbow Jade’s last intervention seemed to have been… half a year ago? However, her presence on the website suggested she hadn’t retired, did it?

After familiarizing herself with the website and its pages, she formally clicked on ‘Customer Service’. The customer service for this website was handled by dedicated staff. After clicking on customer service, she received Magical Girl Ink Crystal’s ‘assigned area and patrol route’. These were the fundamental duties of a Magical Girl.

In essence, it entailed conducting patrols, investigations, and exterminating any monsters or strange demons within the designated area. Accepting this responsibility came with a substantial basic salary. Even without the additional rewards for vanquishing monsters or strange demons, the base monthly salary alone reached an impressive twenty thousand.

While this sum was hardly considered a fortune by He Yao’s standards. Yet, the money she earned herself felt entirely different from the allowance provided by her family. Her monthly allowance, in fact, amounted to only six thousand yuan. Even so, it was more than enough for her to live lavishly.

After all, her basic needs—food, clothing, shelter, and transportation—were all covered. Her six thousand yuan was primarily dedicated to in-game purchases, or occasionally treating Teacher Lin to a lavish meal. ‘Anyway, I don’t have much to do besides playing games—why not just treat the patrol route as a jogging exercise routine, and strengthen my body at the same time?’

With this thought, she made her decision. She resolved to begin jogging the very next day. However, she couldn’t help but recall Teacher Lin and Liu Yun’s date that very day. Then, her thoughts drifted to Liu Xingyue’s revelation: Zhang Xiao harbored feelings for her. The second matter was undeniably more pressing.

Whether the other person actually liked her felt irrelevant; the answer, she believed, was unequivocally no. Drawing upon her years of reclusive and awkward experiences, she was certain Zhang Xiao harbored no genuine affection for her. Who would express fondness for someone in such a peculiar manner? Not even a tsundere would behave in such a fashion. That young girl, precocious beyond her years, was adamant about claiming she liked her…

A growing sense of caution began to stir within He Yao. ‘She’s planning revenge on me!’ Suddenly, a chilling realization dawned upon her. She had finally seen through Zhang Xiao’s ploy. Zhang Xiao intended to feign affection, ‘conquer’ her, and once He Yao reciprocated with, say, some intimate gesture… Zhang Xiao would immediately call the police and have her arrested! He Yao was nearly sixteen, while Zhang Xiao was merely twelve or thirteen!

Her fate would be utterly tragic! Even if her closest friends believed her innocence, the public perception and legal outcomes in such cases were notoriously unforgiving. She held no illusions about prevailing against Zhang Xiao in court. ‘But could Zhang Xiao truly possess such a sinister, malicious heart? One who could summon strange demons? What kind of benevolent heart could possibly reside within her? This girl harbored enough hatred to destroy the world, and He Yao had, moreover, broken her leg! This was a vengeance for a shattered limb! This was undeniably a scheme designed to ruin her beyond any hope of recovery.’

A sharp intake of breath escaped her lips. He Yao gasped, convinced her suspicions were entirely valid. After all, she was the type to think this way, and her own nature often led her to such dark conclusions. Standing on her bed, she felt a profound chill, as if perched precariously at a great height. ‘Is this the price of justice? So be it! If I do not descend into hell, who will? I am a Magical Girl, what does it matter if it’s just a young girl? So what? As the adage goes: ‘At magic’s peak, who dares contend? With Ink Crystal’s arrival, all paths fade to naught!”

Having thus settled her stance on Zhang Xiao, He Yao felt a profound clarity of mind and happily immersed herself in gaming.

****

On Monday, as He Yao arrived at the physics laboratory as usual, Lin Han immediately brought up the topic. “Zhang Xiao says she likes you. What do you intend to do about it?”

“What to do… I’ll refuse, of course!” He Yao declared, having already pondered this dilemma last night. “Leaving aside the fact that Zhang Xiao and I barely know each other, and that I broke her leg, Teacher Lin! A student’s primary duty is to study! This is a crucial period; who has time for dating? Look at Ye Liuyun, for instance. He’s incredibly popular, constantly surrounded by admirers, yet he doesn’t pursue relationships. His grades remain consistently at the top of our class.”

He Yao’s words were undeniably righteous, so much so that in the context of their country, a teacher would find it impossible to refute them. “You’re absolutely right; this is a time for dedicated study. While I believe in balancing work and leisure, it’s certainly not the ideal age for romance,” Lin Han conceded with a smile. “However, I’m a bit more open-minded, less conservative. If you ever do find yourself in a relationship, I’ll gladly keep your secret.” He continued, “After all, you have a family fortune to inherit. The importance of academics to your future isn’t as absolute as it might be for others.”

He Yao chuckled. “Then why aren’t you currying favor with me, Teacher Lin? Once I inherit the family business, I’ll hire you as my personal security guard and offer you the best compensation in the entire city!”

“Don’t tempt me, that actually sounds quite appealing!” Lin Han laughed in return. “But I understand your sentiments. I’ll convey your message to Zhang Xiao, making sure to do so as gently as possible to avoid upsetting her.”

“I appreciate that, Teacher! Speaking of romance…” He Yao probed, a knowing glint in her eyes. “Teacher Lin, do you have a romantic partner?”

Lin Han’s gaze immediately darted away. “You know perfectly well I’m single. What are you implying?”

“Single, huh…” He Yao mused, then pulled out her phone, flipping to a photo. “I don’t know what this is!” It was a photograph of Lin Han and Liu Yun shopping together. Only then did Lin Han realize that He Yao had been following him and Liu Yun. No wonder Magical Girl Ink Crystal had appeared so swiftly when the Reborn attacked that day.

‘But does she know that I become a Magical Girl?’ he wondered. ‘Should I ask her?’ ‘No, He Yao is a very sensitive person. Given our relationship, if she wanted to tell me, she would have directly. Since she hasn’t, I’ll pretend I know nothing.’

‘He Yao becoming a Magical Girl, huh…’ Lin Han’s prolonged silence led He Yao to believe she had cornered him. “Teacher Lin! Liu Yun is the goddess of so many students in our class! I can’t believe you two have such a close relationship! You have no idea how many people secretly stare at Teacher Liu’s thighs during class!”

One could only attribute such remarks to adolescence. Lin Han shook his head, a hint of helplessness in his expression. “That was when your Teacher Liu was moving. The movers said they didn’t provide help with carrying things, so she asked me to help her load her belongings into the car, and then unload them at her new place. She treated me to an all-you-can-eat buffet as thanks.”

“Huh?” He Yao looked utterly bewildered. “Really?” Yet, if Lin Han said it, it was most likely the truth. He Yao frowned. “Then why did she call you instead of someone else?”

“Perhaps because I’m quite strong? Have you forgotten last year’s sports day, the teachers’ individual tug-of-war? I was the champion!” Ah… that person had even beaten the PE teacher in tug-of-war. He Yao remembered the incident. “So, nothing happened between you two?”

“What could happen?” Lin Han spread his hands. “You know my situation—a guy who lives on instant noodles… my apartment is rented. How can I date? It costs money!” Lin Han sighed. “You’d have money if you stopped playing with that motorcycle so much!” He Yao retorted. “You should sell that motorcycle!”

“That’s certainly out of the question! Speaking of which, yesterday we actually ran into a monster attack! Your Teacher Liu even twisted her ankle. You must have seen it today, right?” He Yao nodded. “I saw it.” “At the time, we encountered a new Magical Girl called Ink Crystal. Did you see her?”

“I… I didn’t see her. After I saw you two, I took a picture and left. I was in a hurry to buy something.” “What a shame. Magical Girl Ink Crystal was quite cute,” Lin Han said with a smile. “It’s a pity Magical Girls can’t be photographed, otherwise I would have taken a picture to show you. You’d definitely like her.” ‘Nonsense, of course I know what I look like!’