Chapter 30: A Grand Entrance and a Forced Partnership

That afternoon, at school.

Although it felt as if a multitude of events had transpired, suggesting a considerable passage of time, in reality, only a single lunch break had elapsed.

Chao Wu sat at her desk, feeling a sense of disorientation from this temporal disconnect, her gaze fixed absently on the phone in her hand.

[It’s resolved. You can attend classes as usual.]

A brief message was displayed on the screen. The sender was… Kuonji Mashiro.

Ling Xing had once again resolved the issue, even ensuring Chao Wu could make it to her afternoon classes on time. Yet, Chao Wu couldn’t shake the subtle feeling of being excluded. It seemed even Kuonji Mashiro, who should have been an adversary, knew more than she did.

Chao Wu rested her head on her desk, her gaze drifting to the empty seat beside her. Despite being told that everything was resolved and that she should attend school as usual, Ling Xing herself had yet to arrive.

‘Well, Ling Xing is incredibly capable; she surely hasn’t run into any trouble, has she?’ The young girl mused idly, but in contrast to her own informed state, her unsuspecting classmates appeared far more agitated.

“Chao Wu, Chao Wu! Where were you during the last class this morning? You missed something huge! The Magic Science Squad battled the Dark Organization!”

“Yeah, you wouldn’t believe it. Old Man Deng was halfway through his lecture when he turned green with fear, yelling at us to get under our desks. He even grabbed a broom and stood by the door—hehe, what good would that do if something really happened? So stupid.”

“Shhh, she’s a magical girl! When the Magic Science Squad acts, she must be leading the charge, right? Can’t you figure that out?”

“……”

The unsuspecting children chattered noisily. Given the cacophony, Chao Wu was momentarily at a loss for how to respond. ‘Should she tell them she was no longer a magical girl? That the Magic Science Squad had been pursuing her? Or perhaps that she and Ling Xing had skipped class and fled… to replenish magic?’

Chao Wu lightly pursed her lips, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the corner of her mouth, savoring the fleeting sensation. ‘…Only I can do it, replenish Ling Xing’s magic. Even if her other abilities weren’t special, and she couldn’t offer much help as a combatant, Ling Xing surely couldn’t escape her for this one thing.’

As she savored the touch on her lips, a faint, almost imperceptible blush tinged Chao Wu’s small face. ‘Should I suggest it to Ling Xing later…? No, that would make it seem like I’m expecting to kiss Ling Xing… But this is—this is serious! It’s not about being shy or not… it’s between a man and a woman…’

The young girl’s thoughts gradually shifted from memories to fantasies.

Meanwhile, the classmates, having received no reply from her, quickly shifted their attention.

“Hey, hey, look at that! Isn’t that an international limited-edition luxury car? It just drove right into the school, bold as brass!”

“No way… Holy cow, it really is! And look at who’s getting out—definitely a rich person at first glance!”

“True, but who’s next to her? I feel like I recognize them.”

“It looks like…”

“…Ling Xing?”

****

Chao Wu, who had been oblivious to the chatter around her, lost in her own fantasies, suddenly shot to her feet. Without a word, she pushed past her classmates and pressed her face against the window.

Outside, beside the luxury car parked on school grounds, stood Kuonji Mashiro, resplendent in an opulent gown… She imperiously swept her long hair aside, her high heels tapping the ground. That wasn’t the point. Why she was here, why she was dressed so unlike a student… none of the topics her classmates were discussing mattered. The crucial detail was this…

‘Ling Xing, Ling Xing… why are you holding her hand, walking side by side with her?’

****

“How utterly uncultured. A flock of chattering commoners; coming to a place like this for school is truly a waste of my time.”

The young lady in her lavish attire raised an indifferent eyebrow. Already quite striking, her opulent dress made her exceptionally dazzling within the school grounds, drawing the gaze and hushed whispers of almost everyone in sight. Evidently, her opinion of it was not high.

“I didn’t ask you to come; you’re only here because you’re afraid I’d run off. I’m a student, after all, attending school is only natural, isn’t it?”

Ling Xing, walking beside her, was completely unfazed by her imposing aura. Ling Xing had mastered the formidable ability to disregard all the young lady’s exclamations and embellishments, extracting only the core of the matter!

“If you’d just let go of me, at least half the whispers would stop.”

“Impossible. Until the honorable duel you spoke of, where everything will be decided, I absolutely will not release you. You are not permitted to leave my side for even a single step!”

Clink—

The young lady scoffed, flicking her wrist, which forced Ling Xing’s left hand to sway as well, eliciting a crisp, metallic clinking sound. Upon closer inspection… a bracelet shackled Ling Xing’s wrist to hers, making it impossible for them to separate without leaving a hand behind. They were locked in an ambiguous proximity.

‘It felt like a young couple, holding hands and walking side-by-side?’

“See? I told you there’s no need to be so serious. I won’t run…”

“Do you truly believe this young lady would trust the nonsense of a Dark Organization combatant? Enough idle chatter! If you’re so displeased, then let’s fight now. I am ready whenever you are!”

‘…It was hard to say who was truly at a disadvantage.’ In any case, the young lady was serious. As a condition of their agreement, she intended to personally supervise Ling Xing, ensuring Ling Xing wouldn’t breach the terms of their deal, effectively making her a partial hostage, mirroring Hane. The outcome was that she had used this magical handcuff, invisible to outsiders, to shackle herself to Ling Xing. Until the promised duel Ling Xing spoke of arrived, she would remain with Ling Xing, ensuring Ling Xing wouldn’t cower, retreat, or flee in the face of her formidable power. That was her declaration.

“Alright, alright, if that’s what you want, my dear young lady…”

What else could be said? ‘Just… just comply, then. Anyway, Ling Xing has always been shameless, so it certainly wouldn’t be her own loss.’

As if in a silent contest, the two, completely unconcerned by the surrounding gazes, walked arm-in-arm, making a grand entrance into the classroom.

They were a little late; a teacher was already lecturing in the classroom. Yet, even the teacher was stunned into silence by their self-assured presence, their impending reprimand suddenly dying on their lips.

“I am Kuonji Mashiro of the Kuonji family. I’m here to temporarily audit classes for a few days, and this one is my study partner—that’s all. Arrange a suitable place for me, and it must be next to this one.”

The young lady, dressed in her luxurious court attire, slightly raised her hand, effortlessly lifting Ling Xing’s arm along with it, as if holding Ling Xing’s hand to… make some grand declaration, an aura of arrogance radiating from her. For a moment, no one in the entire class dared to respond to her words. ‘It was truly… too oppressive. One wrong word, and you felt like you’d be thrown into Tokyo Bay, encased in concrete…’

“Hmph, must I personally handle such a trivial matter? What a bunch of useless individuals—Hey, you, newcomer.”

Her strapped high heel lightly tapped the floor, producing a distinct, crisp sound in the silent classroom. The young lady strode imperiously towards Chao Wu. The detestable tights had already been torn off, and students who bowed their heads under her intimidating aura could clearly see her perfectly rounded toes, nails painted a delicate pink.

“Get out of my sight, go wherever you please. Your seat has been requisitioned.”