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Join the Server“Kill… Bai Shimo?”
Su Yuan instinctively tried to pull free from Sinor’s iron-like grip.
Her wrist was red from the pressure.
She leaned back slightly, looking at the other woman with wary eyes.
Sinor’s face still held that unfathomable smile.
She swirled the empty glass lightly by its stem, utterly at ease.
But Su Yuan could tell at a glance—she was dead serious about killing Bai Shimo.
At this moment, the two other women in black who had been silent throughout finally turned their gazes toward her, like tangible shackles, silently falling upon her.
Under the dim light, a faint crimson gleam—the unmistakable mark of demonkind—flickered in the depths of their eyes.
It was a blatant warning.
As if the slightest “no” from Su Yuan would immediately mark her as an enemy.
“…I…”
She let out a soft breath, pressing one hand against the cool tabletop as she stood up, putting some distance between herself and Sinor.
“I won’t join your operation.”
“Oh?
Why?”
The smile on Sinor’s face faded a little but didn’t disappear entirely—only her gaze grew colder.
“Because the target is Bai Shimo.”
Su Yuan forced herself to meet Sinor’s eyes, even as her heart pounded violently against her ribs.
“Even Senior Goria—a demon as powerful as her—couldn’t withstand her ‘Sacred Strike’ and was captured.
And now you say you’re going to kill her… Miss Sinor, do you truly believe that’s possible?”
“This—is my turf,” Sinor’s voice chilled.
She set down the glass and leaned forward slightly.
“Besides, we’re not acting alone.”
“So… you intend to win through numbers?”
Su Yuan’s fingertips were cold, but she forced herself to put her swirling thoughts into words.
“Miss Sinor, do you think sacrificing Senior Goria wasn’t enough?
Do you want even more of our kin to pay for your… rashness?”
Sinor paused, seemingly surprised that this timid little succubus would say such a thing.
A flicker of surprise passed through her eyes—but it was quickly swallowed by a deeper obsession, her expression returning to normal.
“So, dear Little Butterfly,” she said slowly, rising to her feet, “what you just said counts as a clear refusal, doesn’t it?”
“Yes.”
“Hah.”
Sinor let out a dry laugh, which sounded strangely out of place in the quiet corner of the booth.
“If Goria knew… she’d be very disappointed in you.”
“She wouldn’t think that way.”
“Fine.
I understand your position.”
Sinor stopped looking at her.
She smoothed her skirt and casually picked up the black lace shawl draped over the back of the chair.
“Then I’ll go alone.”
With that, she shot a glance at her two companions in black.
They rose silently, like two shadows.
“Goria… I owe her far too much.”
Sinor’s voice dropped low, as if speaking to herself, or making one final declaration.
“No matter what, I have to… repay at least some of it.”
***
Several black figures quickly melted into the ambiguous light and passing crowd near the entrance, disappearing from sight.
Just as they left, Su Yuan heard the manager’s voice behind her.
“Little Butterfly?
What are you spacing out for?”
Snapping back to reality, Su Yuan grabbed the empty tray beside her, spun around, and bowed deeply to the manager who had appeared nearby, stammering: “S-sorry, Manager!
That table of guests just now…”
“Oh, don’t worry about it.”
The manager waved a hand, her gaze sweeping over the slightly disheveled booth and empty glasses.
“Those three—the moment they sat down, their presence was so unusual that none of the other seasoned staff dared approach them.
I just wanted to test your mettle as a newbie, see if you were sharp enough.”
She patted Su Yuan on the shoulder.
“Didn’t expect you to hold up so well.
Didn’t cry, and even managed to ‘send them off.’
Not bad.
I’m satisfied.
You’re hired—work hard.”
Hearing the manager’s straightforward approval, Su Yuan finally felt the knot in her throat loosen a little.
It was only then that she realized—
The unusual atmosphere and faint mana stagnation in the booth area earlier had likely been a isolation spell Sinor and her companions had casually set up to avoid being disturbed by irrelevant humans.
That had ironically made “Little Butterfly” appear, in the manager’s eyes, as someone bold and perceptive enough to handle special guests.
Her job situation had been resolved surprisingly smoothly.
But Sinor’s parting words weighed heavy on Su Yuan’s heart like a block of ice.
Bai Shimo…
Those people would definitely make a move on Bai Shimo.
It might be tomorrow, or the day after—she didn’t know the exact timing, but the killing intent was real.
She didn’t want Bai Shimo to get hurt.
She had to do something.
Get closer.
Earn trust.
To… protect her.
***
Worried about Bai Shimo’s safety, Su Yuan pushed open the classroom door the next morning with a heavy heart.
But the sight before her made her freeze in the doorway.
Her desk was piled high with all kinds of beautifully packaged snacks and treats, along with a bottle of fresh milk tied with a ribbon.
What!
Someone as invisible as her was receiving this many gifts?!
“Th-this… this…”
Her eyes widened in surprise as she instinctively scanned the classroom.
And unsurprisingly, she met the gaze of her desk mate—Bai Shimo, looking back at her with a smile.
Su Yuan felt her cheeks warm.
Flustered, she walked over, pointed at the mountain of food, and whispered, “Bai Shimo, did you… give me all of these?”
Bai Shimo nodded with a bright, warm smile.
Under the curious and envious gazes of the surrounding classmates, Bai Shimo leaned close to Su Yuan, almost brushing her ear, and murmured in a voice only the two of them could hear:
“It’s a thank-you gift for comforting me yesterday.
And… about me crying—could you please keep that a secret from everyone else?”
The warm breath tickled her ear, carrying the faint scent of jasmine.
Like a startled quail, Su Yuan nodded vigorously.
“Ah, mm… o-okay…”
“Great.
Thank you for keeping my secret,” Bai Shimo said with a happy smile.
“By the way, Su Yuan—from now on, can I call you Xiao Yuan?”
Su Yuan nodded cautiously again.
Though the nickname “Xiao Yuan” had only ever been used by Goria when she was little.
“Then I’ll call you Xiao Yuan, and you can call me Shimo.”
Bai Shimo naturally took Su Yuan’s hand, lacing their fingers together, her face beaming.
“Lunch today, class, after school… can you stay with me the whole time?”
Stay with her the whole time?
Su Yuan began to feel that Bai Shimo’s insistence on “being together” seemed to go beyond ordinary friendship.
She couldn’t help but wonder again: Why?
Why didn’t Bai Shimo choose those classmates who surrounded her, clearly full of admiration and goodwill—why was she so fixated on an outsider like her?
Perhaps her confusion showed too clearly on her face, or perhaps Bai Shimo was simply perceptive enough to notice her bewilderment.
Before Su Yuan could ask, Bai Shimo spoke softly.
“Because…”
She paused, her gaze drifting toward the bright but harsh sunlight outside the corridor window.
Her smile remained, but it carried a tinge of transparent sadness.
“In this world, probably only you, Xiao Yuan, have ever seen me… that way.”
“In front of everyone else, I have to be ‘Bai Shimo’—the strong, reliable, seemingly invincible magical girl,” her voice was light, as if recounting something unrelated to herself.
“So no matter who approaches me, deep down… it’s hard for me to truly, unreservedly accept them as a ‘friend’ who can embrace all of who I am.”
She turned back to look at Su Yuan, the shadows in her eyes replaced by something brighter and warmer.
“But you’re different, Xiao Yuan.
You accepted that side of me—the one that’s not so perfect.”
So… that was it.
Listening to this honest confession, Su Yuan’s heart was filled with mixed emotions.
She thought again of Sinor’s cold killing intent from last night, and their determined “revenge” plan against Bai Shimo.
Her heart felt as if it were being squeezed by an invisible hand.
She couldn’t wait any longer.
She had to do something.
Taking a deep breath, she lifted her head and looked with unusual seriousness at the girl beside her, whose smile was like a blooming flower.
“Shimo,” her voice was soft but firm, “since you see me as a friend… from today on, let me walk you home.”
Bai Shimo blinked in slight surprise.
“Huh?
Xiao Yuan, do we… live in the same direction?”
Su Yuan didn’t answer directly.
She continued, her tone still earnest: “And if you go out on weekends, take me with you too.”
She paused, thinking of Sinor’s group—their movements unpredictable, their attack time unknown—and added, a note of worry creeping into her voice: “It seems like things have been… unsafe outside lately.
If I’m not with you, Shimo, please… try not to go out alone, okay?”
This barrage of words left Bai Shimo completely bewildered.
Her beautiful amber eyes were filled with confusion as she looked at Su Yuan’s earnest face, then down at their still-interlaced fingers.
What was going on?
Setting aside the fact that she, a Gold-rank magical girl, didn’t need protection from an ordinary person—
Why had Su Yuan, who had always darted away like a frightened rabbit at every gesture of kindness, suddenly become so proactive?
But despite her confusion, a strange, burning warmth rose uncontrollably from the deepest part of her heart, spreading swiftly through her entire body.
It felt so familiar.
Even if this person in front of her might not be the same as “her,” the feeling of being accepted, of being cherished… was so real, so warm, it made her want to drown in it.
A childish, almost petulant thought surfaced in Bai Shimo’s mind—a silent defiance directed at that distant “succubus” from her memories.
She tightened her fingers around Su Yuan’s and broke into an even brighter smile.
“Mm.
Then I’ll listen to you, Xiao Yuan.”
See that, you wretched succubus?
Even without you…
There’s someone willing to accept me like this, willing to care about me like this.
Since you abandoned me twice, I’ll never, ever look back.
Hmph!
Su Yuan had no idea about the childish vow Bai Shimo was making in her heart.
All she could think about was how to ensure Bai Shimo’s safety after school, how to thwart Sinor’s scheme.
The dismissal bell finally rang.
Su Yuan packed her bag quickly.
She took a deep breath, ready to head to the school gate as promised to meet Bai Shimo—
An arm suddenly blocked her path at the classroom door.
Su Yuan stopped, looking up in confusion.
It was Meng Qiu—the former “star” of the class, the center of the girls’ clique.
“What’s up?
D-do you need something?”
Su Yuan instinctively shrank her shoulders, her voice weak.
Facing this kind of “popular kid” superiority head-on made it hard for her to even speak.
She felt like an ugly duckling that had wandered into a flock of swans.
“Oh, nothing major,” Meng Qiu smiled, her arm still blocking the doorway, her tone casual.
“Just wanted to ask you a small favor…”
She gestured at the messy classroom behind her—the blackboard uncleaned, paper scraps scattered on the floor, desks and chairs askew.
“We have plans with boys from the neighboring school this afternoon, and we’re a bit pressed for time.
So… could you do today’s cleaning duty for us, Su Yuan?”
“Eh?”
Su Yuan froze, her eyes widening slightly.
She looked at the large classroom—erasing the blackboard, sweeping, taking out the trash, straightening desks and chairs… that was far more than a quick task!
And she had already promised to walk home with Bai Shimo, who was waiting for her at the gate!
“Um, I don’t think I…”
She opened her mouth to refuse, but her voice came out flustered.
“Just this once, and we’ll do yours next time, okay?” another girl chimed in immediately.
“Yeah, you’ve always been so nice, Su Yuan.
We trust you—that’s why we’re asking,” a third girl added with a smile.
“I… I…”
Su Yuan’s face flushed.
A knot of frustration lodged in her chest, but it felt like cotton was stuck in her throat.
It was always like this.
Every time.
Because she feared conflict, feared being disliked, feared becoming the center of attention—she could never clearly express what she truly wanted.
Blending into human society always made her feel like an outsider—careful, walking on eggshells, yet never quite fitting in.
But now wasn’t the time to be nervous!
Su Yuan shouted at herself.
Bai Shimo was waiting for her!
She had to speak her mind!
She took a deep breath, as if trying to press all her cowardice deep into her lungs.
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