Chapter 52: Interrogation and a Drunken Teacher’s Recuperation

Two hundred meters underground.

A highly secluded area.

Ethereal Gem, the Magical Girl, emerged.

“How is Tiger Mask doing?”

“His regenerated body is incredibly powerful. Fortunately, the inhibitors we developed are indeed effective. With regular injections, they cannot unleash their full strength, allowing for excellent control.”

Hearing this report, Ethereal Gem nodded.

“Lady Carnelian is deep within the volcano.”

“She claims to be pursuing ‘the Dao’.”

Ethereal Gem’s expression was peculiar. “Magical Girls’ power stems from love and justice, so what exactly is she doing? Has her martial arts training addled her brain? I hope she’s alright.”

The person beside her dared not speak.

“Enough. Take me to Tiger Mask. How is Snake Mask’s condition?”

As the researcher led the way, they explained, “Snake Mask repeatedly insists on her innocence and has revealed her true identity.”

“She claims to be a respectable young woman, forced into the organization against her will, only discovering her illness cured after waking up.”

“She had no choice but to join them.”

“How credible is this?”

“Although every detail aligns with the facts, we cannot fully trust her. Rainbow Jade has also firmly stated that this individual cannot be released.”

“She believes that until all of them are apprehended and tried, not a single one should be set free, even if they are truly innocent.”

Ethereal Gem nodded.

Accompanied by the researcher, she arrived at a room constructed from dozens of centimeters of thick tempered glass.

Inside, she saw Tiger Mask.

Naturally, his mask had already been removed.

He appeared to be a young man in his twenties.

She picked up the microphone, her voice carrying into the fortified room.

“Tiger Mask,”

“I imagine I don’t need to explain the principle of leniency for confession.”

Tiger Mask’s voice resonated through the headset Ethereal Gem was wearing. “Magical Girl Ethereal Gem,”

“I admit, Magical Girl Rainbow Jade is formidable. I am no match for her. You may do with me as you please, kill or dismember. I will not disclose any information.”

His expression was scornful. “Besides, I am well aware that my mind is not sharp. Even if I were to divulge some intelligence, would you truly believe it?”

“The other three are far more cunning. I trust they will survive unscathed. You have no leverage over me.”

“If you provide useful information that proves the innocence of others, we will consider releasing them. As for you, for kidnapping ordinary people, your release is out of the question.”

“Heh heh!”

Tiger Mask shook his head, still scornful. “I did indeed kidnap them to save them.”

“However, I saved them not because I genuinely wanted them released, but to express my loyalty to Brother Dragon!”

“Now that I’ve been captured in a desperate fight, I have no regrets regarding Brother Dragon. Whatever you choose to do to me, or to them, is of no concern to me.”

‘He’s truly difficult to handle.’

‘It’s a pity they are Magical Girls; they cannot torture these individuals. It goes against the heart of justice – even if others were to do it, it would still be unacceptable.’

‘Otherwise, perhaps there wouldn’t be so many tough individuals in this world. But ultimately, if criminals are abused in prison, they themselves could become vessels for negative energy, thereby transforming into monsters.’

‘From this perspective, perhaps Rainbow Jade was right. Killing these individuals directly might be the best option.’

‘Just like unleashing a flood, utterly destroying the entire world, leaving behind only two “pure” individuals.’

‘Perhaps only death can cleanse the sins of humanity.’

‘Do truly pure individuals exist in this world?’

She shook her head.

‘This is not the time to ponder scriptures.’

‘She also lacked the power to unleash a flood upon the world. Yet, facing this situation, she felt that perhaps Rainbow Jade’s approach wasn’t so bad after all. Perhaps her own attempts to dissuade Rainbow Jade had been misguided from the start.’

“There’s nothing more to discuss.”

She turned and walked away.

****

“Reporting, Teacher Liu! I have successfully ‘assassinated’ Teacher Lin!”

The next day, He Yao reported his success.

This made Liu Yun somewhat worried. Although she had given the order, she hadn’t expected He Yao to actually ‘act’ against Lin Han! Surely he hadn’t truly given Lin Han an upset stomach?

“How did you ‘assassinate’ Teacher Lin?”

“I invited Teacher Lin to my house for dinner, then got him completely drunk!”

He Yao’s face was beaming with triumph. “Of course there’s no problem! Teacher Liu, don’t worry! I’ve hired a medical team!”

“Once Teacher Lin wakes up, I’ll tell him he needs a comprehensive physical examination! Then I’ll inform Teacher Lin that he has an illness, and he’ll have to recuperate at my house!”

“I’ll give him vitamin pills, which will ensure Teacher Lin can’t participate in the entire sports meet!”

‘You truly have a knack for using such schemes, especially on Teacher Lin.’

‘Must you take my words so literally?’

In truth, Liu Yun was still quite worried.

After all, too much had happened yesterday.

A Magical Girl had appeared, and then Liu Yun and Lin Han had been kidnapped by a monster. Following that, she had even accompanied Rainbow Jade to escort Tiger Mask to prison.

Events had been flying by, so she hadn’t expected Teacher Lin to be invited to He Yao’s house and then promptly get drunk.

“I heard about all the commotion yesterday,” He Yao explained. “Teacher Lin was quite unsettled by it. He confided a lot in me when he was drunk.”

“So, I believe Teacher Lin needs some time to adjust.”

Liu Yun nodded, agreeing with his assessment.

Teacher Lin was a kind-hearted man. Being suddenly kidnapped by a monster must have been a terrifying experience, so taking time to recover was certainly appropriate.

He Yao, this young man, actually possessed considerable emotional intelligence, despite usually appearing to be an unpopular otaku.

Furthermore, if Teacher Lin were resting at He Yao’s house, Ink Crystal would likely be unaware of Lin Han’s whereabouts, preventing her from harassing him there.

This brought a sigh of relief to Liu Yun.

Although she had confronted Ink Crystal yesterday, Liu Yun had been utterly defeated in their exchange.

At present, she lacked the confidence to confront Ink Crystal again. While that Magical Girl’s strength might not be overwhelming, she was incredibly troublesome to deal with.

The words Ink Crystal spoke were enough to shatter one’s resolve.

She also needed to properly adjust her own state of mind.

She couldn’t help but recall the event she was participating in.

The Unlimited Arena Match.

An event perfectly suited for Magical Girls.

The rest of the day proved remarkably peaceful.

That afternoon, upon hearing Liu Yun announce that He Yao had ‘assassinated’ Lin Han, everyone burst into cheers.

Liu Yun rallied their spirits. “Listen up! Although the monstrous Teacher Lin has been ‘assassinated,’ the other sports teachers in the school are still incredibly formidable opponents!”

“We cannot let our guard down!”

As they set up the sports meet venue, they began strategizing and competing against other classes.

Then, it was time for school to end.

Liu Xingyue walked over to He Yao and simply took his hand.

“?!”

Seeing He Yao’s bewildered expression, Liu Xingyue smiled. “What’s wrong? You don’t want to hold your girlfriend’s hand?”

“It’s not that,” He Yao replied, “it’s just that you’re unexpectedly proactive today…”

“Is there something wrong with being proactive?”

“I don’t mind,” He Yao said, still somewhat confused. “You’re planning to visit Teacher Lin, aren’t you?”

Liu Xingyue didn’t refute him. Her expression natural, she said, “Did you get Teacher Lin drunk because you heard about him and me being kidnapped? Yes, I was worried he might develop psychological trauma from it.”

‘Heh heh, you have no idea who Teacher Lin truly is.’

“Then aren’t you worried about your own girlfriend?”

“Aren’t you Magical Girl Emerald? Honestly, after I heard the news yesterday, I wasn’t worried at all.”

“While Emerald’s combat abilities aren’t particularly strong, her support capabilities are quite renowned in Clear Sky City. I’ve been browsing various Magical Girl forums recently.”

“There are a lot of heated discussions about power levels, with experts analyzing and ranking the combat abilities of different Magical Girls.”

“These people really have too much time on their hands.”

Liu Xingyue felt a touch of helplessness. She hadn’t seen these rankings herself, but since He Yao was talking about them, she decided she would search for them later.

“Of course I worry, just as you do. I admit that I didn’t immediately transform back then because I wanted to ‘fish’ for information.”

“However, this might not have been very considerate towards Teacher Lin. I want to go and see him.”

“While it won’t be revealing my identity, it will be a way to express my apologies.”

“As I told you from the very beginning, this is fundamentally a Magical Girl’s responsibility. Yet, I allowed Teacher Lin to fall into danger due to my desire for achievement, and that is truly regrettable.”

He Yao glanced at her, thinking, ‘Teacher Lin hardly needs your protection.’

‘But Emerald certainly has this kind of personality.’

“Since you want to visit him, why don’t we go buy some gifts together?”

He Yao proposed this idea.

Liu Xingyue pondered. “Should we buy fruit?”

‘Fruit would be nice, of course, but Teacher Lin isn’t actually sick. He’s not someone who prefers bland flavors. Comparatively, he enjoys hearty meals with plenty of meat.’

“Alright. So what are you suggesting?”

He Yao said with great confidence, “Relax! You’re my girlfriend. If you want to visit Teacher Lin, it’s naturally my responsibility as your boyfriend to handle the arrangements.”

“Besides, I know exactly what Teacher Lin likes.”

He took Liu Xingyue’s hand and led her to the shopping mall.

“You’ve bought at least twenty catties of meat, haven’t you?”

“It’s fine, isn’t it? Anyway, it can be delivered directly to the house, so we just need to buy the items. I also need to restock on seasonings. Teacher Lin can really eat a lot, as you all saw that day.”

As he selected various items, he added, “Should we also grab a small cake?”

“A small cake?”

Liu Xingyue paused, bewildered. “Does Teacher Lin eat things like that?”

“Of course not for Teacher Lin! You’re coming to my house to cook, so do you expect to eat nothing but these things?”

“These are what Teacher Lin enjoys. But I still need to treat my girlfriend, don’t I? What flavor do you like?”

As she watched He Yao intently choose a cake, the guilt in Liu Xingyue’s heart suddenly intensified.