Chapter 13: Consequences and Confrontations

“Indeed, the charges are quite substantial.”

A note of resignation tinged Qin Lan’s voice.

“Splendid, then.” Gu Qing clapped his hands, a brilliant smile lighting up his face.

“This good-for-nothing grandson of mine, my cheap grandson (TL Note: A humorous term referring to a younger person who acts disrespectfully, as if they are entitled to disrespect their elders), just cursed me out mercilessly.”

“Everyone present heard it, didn’t they?”

“So, sending him to prison for a while to experience life shouldn’t be too much to ask, would it?”

With words spoken so explicitly, what more could Qin Lan say?

She had to grant her old comrade this favor.

She cast a knowing glance at the team members behind her.

Two officers understood, advancing with synchronized steps towards the vice principal.

The flabby flesh on his face quivered, and he instinctively tried to retreat.

“What do you think you’re doing! I’m the vice principal of Saint Sakura Academy, you can’t…”

Before he could finish, a hand like an iron clamp seized his arm, choking off the rest of his words.

Another team member, expressionless, pulled handcuffs from their utility pouch, their voice devoid of any inflection.

“Sir, you are suspected of obstructing official duties and insulting GSA special agents. You need to come with us now.”

The vice principal struggled desperately, but the officers’ strength was astonishing, rendering him utterly immobile.

“Click.”

The cold handcuffs snapped shut around the vice principal’s wrists.

That chilling sensation sent a jolt through him, and the furious crimson that had suffused his face instantly drained away.

His legs gave out, and he collapsed entirely, only prevented from hitting the floor by the two officers supporting him.

Even as he was dragged out of the conference room like a dead dog, the vice principal’s mind remained utterly blank.

He simply couldn’t comprehend how, in a mere few minutes, his world had come crashing down.

The remaining school leaders were struck dumb with fear, not daring to even breathe heavily.

Qin Lan stepped forward, her voice icy.

“This operation is a top-secret GSA internal matter, and everyone present here will need to sign a non-disclosure agreement.”

“I do not wish for a single word of what transpired here today to leak out.”

****

With the matter resolved, Gu Qing was the first to slip out of the conference room.

Lin Xiaolu, her face flushed, hurried after him, softly apologizing from behind.

“I’m sorry, Senior, it’s all my fault for not having my ID on me, causing you to be reprimanded by them…”

“It’s fine.”

Gu Qing waved a hand, cutting her off.

“It’s not your fault; you did very well.”

He mused that one shouldn’t expect too much from a child.

Qin Lan also emerged, her expression complex as she regarded Gu Qing.

“Your temperament truly hasn’t changed one bit after all these years.”

She shook her head.

“You don’t act like a girl at all.”

Gu Qing merely shrugged, offering no reply.

‘I’m not, am I?’

“Next time, try to be more discreet during operations,” Qin Lan reminded him.

“Alright, alright,” Gu Qing waved his hand dismissively.

“It’s already two in the afternoon, and I still haven’t eaten.”

He rubbed his stomach, uttered this complaint, and strode off towards the cafeteria without a backward glance.

Watching his casual retreat, Lin Xiaolu stood rooted to the spot.

She turned to Qin Lan, whispering.

“Team Leader Qin, Senior Azure Star, she…”

“She seems rather different from the legends.”

These past few days of school life had been nothing short of torture for Gu Qing.

Sporting that adorable face, he was forced to endure the greetings of countless schoolchildren every day.

During lunch break, on the rooftop of Saint Sakura Academy.

Gu Qing leaned against the railing, and since he couldn’t smoke, he contented himself with sucking on a lollipop to stave off boredom.

Lin Xiaolu held her notes, reporting on the past few days’ developments.

“Senior, the school has been very quiet these past days; no suspicious individuals have been found.”

Gu Qing removed the lollipop from his mouth.

“Nonsense. We just took one down; shouldn’t they lie low for a while?”

He turned, casting a casual glance at Lin Xiaolu.

“Also, your friend, Gu Qianqian, who is my current deskmate, isn’t she also a GSA magical girl? Why wasn’t she called for this mission?”

“Team Leader Qin said that Qianqian just joined and doesn’t have enough experience yet, and this mission is too dangerous.”

“Heh.”

Gu Qing let out a derisive snort.

“As if you’re overflowing with experience.”

“This is an opportunity Team Leader Qin gave me; she said I really need this kind of training.”

Lin Xiaolu clenched her fists, her voice soft but resolute.

“Moreover, it’s an honor to work alongside you, Senior Azure Star. I never want to be a coward again.”

Gu Qing said nothing further, merely popping the lollipop back into his mouth, crunching it to pieces with a loud ‘crunch’.

‘Alas, none of these people seem to be easy to deal with.’

****

After school, the two walked side-by-side on their way back to the apartment.

To facilitate their mission, Qin Lan had specifically arranged an apartment for them near the academy.

Just as they were turning into a narrow alley, Gu Qing’s steps abruptly halted.

[Combat Instinct Activated]

[Warning! High-concentration Abyss Reaction rapidly approaching!]

“Look out!”

No sooner had Gu Qing’s warning escaped his lips than a shadowy figure lunged from the depths of the alley, its target fixed squarely on Lin Xiaolu, who was beside him.

Lin Xiaolu had no time to react.

In a flash of lightning, Gu Qing shoved her out of the way.

Then came the dull thud of a sharp object piercing flesh.

A black claw, condensed from Abyss energy, pierced through Gu Qing’s shoulder.

A chilling wave of Abyss energy instantly surged into his body, furiously eroding his energy pathways, and the intense numbness caused the flow of his internal Star Power to falter.

This rendered Gu Qing temporarily unable to transform into Azure Star.

He let out a muffled grunt, dropping to one knee.

His internal Star Power could purify this energy, but it would require time.

A masked man slowly emerged from the shadows.

“Oh, little girl, you’re quite quick to react, as expected of a GSA special investigator.”

“Are you from the Heirs of Dawn?” Gu Qing asked in a deep voice.

“What do you think? I’ve been craving your top-tier raw ore for a long time; today, I finally got my chance.”

The voice sounded somewhat familiar, but Gu Qing couldn’t recall where he had heard it before.

However, if he was the target, his life wouldn’t be in immediate danger.

After all, his top-tier raw ore was the experimental material those lunatics had long coveted.

He decided to turn the tables.

He would allow himself to be captured, and once the Abyss energy within him was purified, he would transform into Azure Star and eliminate the man.

“Run!”

Gu Qing roared at Lin Xiaolu, who was still stunned.

“Go find Qin Lan! Hurry!”

‘Run away?’

‘Leave Senior alone here?’

No, absolutely not.

“I won’t leave!”

A small, teardrop-shaped stone on her chest suddenly glowed brightly.

“Though the glimmer is weak, it can break the dawn.”

“Morning Dew, transform!”

A gentle green light enveloped her, and a green dress adorned with flower buds replaced her school uniform; Magical Girl Morning Dew had made her entrance.

“I’ll save Senior!”

Morning Dew raised her magic wand, and dozens of tough vines burst from the ground, lashing out like whips towards the masked man.

Yet, the masked man didn’t even bother to dodge, merely waving a hand dismissively.

“Overestimating yourself.”

A more potent surge of Abyss energy erupted, and the vines were instantly corroded upon contact, dissolving into a puddle of foul-smelling black liquid.

The next second, the masked man vanished from his spot.

‘Where did he go?’

Morning Dew panicked, and just as she was about to retreat, a cold hand appeared without warning, clamping tightly around her neck and lifting her completely off the ground.

A suffocating sensation and the terror of death swept over Morning Dew, and the staff in her hand clattered to the ground.

“Stop!”

Gu Qing struggled to stand, but the paralyzing sensation made even moving a single finger incredibly arduous.