Chapter 58: The Dark Organization’s Imposters and a Delicate Stalemate

“It’s time we discussed the real matter at hand: the ‘Dark Organization.’ More precisely,” Blazing Blade clarified, her tone subtly deepening from its previous lightness, “it’s about the ‘Dark Organization’ that Ling Xing isn’t a part of, the one that exists outside of all records. You must have noticed something by now, haven’t you, Ling Xing?”

With one arm crossed over her chest, Blazing Blade retrieved her phone from the space between her sports bra and skin, wiping away the clinging sweat from its screen. As the screen lit up, it immediately began playing…

News footage of the recent attack on the Allied convoy. It showed the fully armed convoy, the pre-planned combatants, and then the appearance of the true combatant—no, the ‘Magical Girl’ Ling Xing.

Though brief, the footage was comprehensive. In mere tens of seconds, it conveyed a perfect blend of composition and emotional guidance, feeling entirely natural and unforced. It was as if it wasn’t hastily broadcast news, but a meticulously edited film, crafted with considerable effort.

“Ling Xing…? What is this? You again…”

“Ah, it was just something I stumbled upon on the way. That doesn’t count as intentionally abandoning you, does it?”

Before Chao Wu could erupt, Ling Xing quickly conjured a casual excuse to placate her.

‘So, the Reporter Lady still released it after all,’ Ling Xing mused. ‘I thought she might have held back… well, I can’t really demand it, can I? As a reporter and photographer, releasing news is her job. At least her editing skills are decent. Those in the know would recognize it as news, but others might mistake it for a promotional video for some Magical Girl.’

“Then there are these individuals who appear under the guise of the Dark Organization… these people who pin their notoriety and atrocities on the Dark Organization. Do you know who they are?”

‘These are absolutely not members of the Dark Organization, nor could they be former operatives from a Dark Organization branch, let alone remnants aiming to revive it,’ Ling Xing thought. ‘There’s a crucial difference in their aura. While the Dark Organization occasionally causes rare casualties due to loss of control or other reasons, they absolutely oppose intentional killing. They primarily use various non-lethal weapons and tools in combat, not this kind of evil armament designed purely for slaughter. Incidentally, those rare casualties are usually their own combatants, severely injured by out-of-control test subjects, and so on… The ones deployed to the battlefield are always the most docile and obedient, so such incidents naturally wouldn’t occur. Therefore, there’s no doubt. This is a group of thugs calling themselves the Dark Organization, attempting to confuse the public and conceal their atrocities under the Dark Organization’s name.’

Ling Xing had already reached a conclusion: this group of self-proclaimed Dark Organization thugs was an entity she absolutely had to deal with. She could not allow them to continue defiling the Dark Organization’s reputation, wantonly acting under its banner. ‘If Dal were to be associated with such despicable thugs, she would be heartbroken!’

“Their specific identities are still unclear, but their objective is quite evident—on the very day you attacked the tower and declared the Dark Organization, the former branch chief and numerous high-level researchers were assaulted and killed by them. Almost all the experimental data she spearheaded was stolen and burned…”

“Only Nuonuo’s lab, which coincidentally had a test subject go out of control and transform into a tentacle nest, was preserved? And only Nuonuo, who was being elbowed by tentacles and thus not present, survived?” Ling Xing finished Blazing Blade’s sentence.

She now understood the current situation, grasping what had transpired since that morning.

“Yes, exactly.”

Blazing Blade nodded, her fingers tapping lightly on the table.

“The Allied Forces are taking this very seriously, dispatching large troops to try and eliminate these ‘Dark Organization’ members, and preparing to escort the last remaining experimental results to a safe location.”

“And without the protection of the branch chief, the only living Nuonuo becomes the last witness and scapegoat for the branch chief’s countless nefarious experiments. Rather than being captured and interrogated by the Allied Forces along with her research, it would be better to directly take the results and flee back to the Dark Organization branch, which she now knows still exists, right?” Ling Xing calmly stated her deduction before Blazing Blade could speak further.

“Ugh… my research…”

A faint, hoarse whimper escaped the sickly Nuonuo, confirming the truth of Ling Xing’s words.

This was indeed the case. Ling Xing possessed naturally keen senses and an astute deductive intellect, allowing her to grasp the full scope of events from the available information. Even without Blazing Blade’s explanation, she already had a clear understanding.

The Allied Forces intended to escort the research findings away and eliminate the Dark Organization. The thugs operating under the Dark Organization’s banner wanted to recover Nuonuo’s research before the Allied Forces could. Meanwhile, Nuonuo herself wished to abscond with her research.

All three parties faced the same hurdle: the laboratory was now completely overrun by dangerous experimental tentacles. Dealing with those ‘adorable little tentacles’ would be a monumental task, demanding a significant investment of time and energy. Any oversight could easily lead to utter failure.

The result was a delicate stalemate. If they expended effort on these tentacles, there was no guarantee that the other two factions wouldn’t ultimately reap the benefits. If they ignored them, they would remain oblivious to the other sides’ movements.

“Well, I’ll ask one more time, Nuonuo, don’t you want to just go home?”

“I already told you…”

[I will not return to the Dark Organization as a burden. I don’t need Darklier’s pity; I will prove my worth.] The frail girl, slumped limply in her chair, mumbled this telepathically to Ling Xing.

To get her to go home, and for the Dark Organization to gain her and her cherished research, this problem had to be resolved. While simply carrying her home didn’t seem entirely out of the question, doing so would mean her dangerous research findings might fall into unknown hands. Moreover…

To prevent Dal from being saddened and to keep the Dark Organization’s name from being disgraced, Ling Xing herself had to eliminate those thugs masquerading as the Dark Organization. On this point, her goal and Nuonuo’s were aligned.

So, only one question remained.

“I understand, but—”

Ling Xing looked at the tall, mature woman before her. Her healthy, bronzed skin shimmered with a subtle sheen. Her chest rose and fell gently, revealing a well-proportioned and healthy curve. Her toned abdomen hinted at the contours of muscle and an athletic physique. Coupled with her bright red eyes and perpetually upturned lips, her entire being exuded an aura of competence and spirited grace, radiating from within. It was a demeanor she had never possessed during her time as a combatant.

Magical Girl Blazing Blade, a C-rank Magical Girl reassigned here for this emergency mission, was also a former comrade of Ling Xing’s. Though their time together had only spanned a few months, that period had been quite pleasant, leaving a vivid impression on Ling Xing’s memory.

“What about you? Blazing Blade, the C-rank Magical Girl dispatched here?”

Breaking this comfortable understanding was not Ling Xing’s intention. She would have gladly reminisced and chatted with her old companion. However, the current circumstances clearly didn’t allow for casual personal interaction. Ling Xing needed an answer to decide her next course of action.

“It doesn’t matter to me who gets it, Ling Xing. I was merely assigned here to maintain order, and I will only uphold order in this place, and perhaps catch up with an old friend—nothing more.”

In response, Blazing Blade laughed heartily, her smile as bright as ever.