chapter 01
“You have to be the mayor. It has to be you.”
With a lollipop dangling from her mouth, Jin E’li lazily strolled down the street, clumsily toying with a butterfly knife she’d just bought from a roadside stall. The sharp blade brushed against her pale skin again and again, yet not a single scratch appeared.
“I refuse.”
The girl flicked back her fluffy, messy red ponytail and replied in a muffled voice, “I’ve told you this countless times. There’s no room for discussion.”
“No, just listen to me!” The voice on the other end of the earpiece grew anxious, the volume rising several notches. “If you’re not the mayor of Yinbin City, then the world is probably really going to end!”
“Then let it end.” She stretched lazily, spat out the last bit of her lollipop, and pulled out a new one from her pocket. “There are so many magical girls in the council. Just pick one at random. Why does it have to be me?”
“Because they either have no prestige or they’re insane,” the girl speaking to her sighed, her voice weakening. “Really, Lisi. In that enormous council, you’re the only suitable candidate. Only you have the authority and the sanity to lead Yinbin City toward a bright future. Only you—”
Beep… beep…
With a crisp click, Jin E’li shut off her earpiece. She expertly tore open the wrapper of the lollipop and tossed the candy into the air, catching it perfectly in her half-open mouth and sucking on it contentedly.
Cloudy skies turning to light rain. Nice weather.
As she gazed at the dim gray sky, she suddenly felt something blocking her path. A girl in Gothic Lolita attire beside her had extended an arm, clearly trying to stop her from moving forward.
“There’s a protest ahead. We’d better avoid it.”
“No need.” Adjusting her casual trench coat and putting away the butterfly knife, Jin E’li snorted softly. “Want to make a bet, Mo? Once that bunch sees us, they’ll tuck their tails between their legs and won’t dare say a word.”
“One candied hawthorn skewer.”
Mo’s brief reply signaled her acceptance of the bet. She removed several hairpins from her silver hair and clenched them in her palm.
“Heh, deal.”
Before they saw the people, they heard them. In less than half a minute, faint but orderly noise drifted from the other end of the street—chanting, perhaps slogans.
After turning two corners, the narrow alley suddenly opened up. A densely packed procession collided head-on with the two girls.
“Down with magical girls!”
“Long live humanity!”
“Eliminate the evil monsters!”
“Defend our homeland!”
Led by a short man, the crowd waved flags and banners of all kinds, shouting louder and louder. The pounding of drums and clanging of gongs made ears throb. Even the rats scavenging through a nearby trash heap were startled by the deafening noise, squeaking as they fled their warm feast and hid trembling in their holes.
The orderly procession suddenly fell into chaos—like a cellphone ringing during a harmonious choir performance. The disturbance quickly escalated into widespread confusion, infuriating the short man at the front.
“What are you doing? Keep order! No pushing! There aren’t even riot police here, you all—”
Holding a megaphone, he tried to restore discipline, but before he could finish, he froze like a statue. His jaw dropped and refused to close.
“It’s magical girls!”
A man nearby shouted instinctively upon realizing what had happened, his voice amplified perfectly through the megaphone for the entire street to hear.
In that instant, the world seemed to stop.
Jin E’li and Mo walked calmly, one on each side, straight through the procession. Wherever they passed, people scattered aside like a flock of penguins parting obediently before a seal, silent and docile as they cleared a path.
Some stared at them curiously. More lowered their heads, avoiding eye contact, afraid that even the slightest misstep might anger those “monsters” and bring disaster upon themselves. A few bold ones glared with naked hatred, as if they wanted to devour the girls alive.
The protest fell into a dead silence. Only the sound of the two girls’ footsteps splashing in muddy water echoed through the air, occasionally accompanied by the clink of a pebble kicked aside.
Until a little girl suddenly darted out from the crowd and blocked their way.
“Um… big sisters… would you like to buy some candied hawthorn? It’s really tasty.”
Like the rest of the crowd, she wore tattered gray cloth. Her face was smeared with dirt, her hair a tangled mess with even lice visible among the strands. The so-called candied hawthorn in her hand consisted of several skewers of rotten fruit, with flies buzzing around them.
Though she’d seen such sights countless times, Jin E’li still frowned and rolled her eyes. The pitiful, pleading look was cute enough to tug at the heartstrings—but that stuff was absolutely inedible. She waved dismissively and walked away.
Mo, however, pulled a few small coins from her pocket, counted them, and placed them into the girl’s palm. She gently took a skewer. “Is this enough?”
“Y-Yes, yes! More than enough!”
The girl couldn’t believe she had received so much money at once. Shock and delight filled her face, and she stammered, “W-Wait, I—I’ll get you your change—”
“No need. Keep it.” Mo gently patted her head, blew lightly on the candied hawthorn, and drifted away. The girl stood there clutching the coins tightly, unaware of the dead flies scattered on the ground.
“Here. The hawthorn I owe you. I purified it.”
After leaving the protest, the two turned onto a much cleaner street and stopped in front of a shop reinforced with multiple security doors.
“Ugh, it tastes awful.”
Jin E’li knocked on the door, crushed the lollipop in her mouth, and took the skewer from her companion. She bit into one of the fruits—which no longer looked quite as rotten—then grimaced and spat it out, flinging the entire skewer far into the distance. “Making food like this is a waste.”
“Try to understand,” Mo said, chewing hers bite by bite without the slightest hint of disgust—or rather, her expression never changed to begin with. She had already put her hairpins back in place. “People around here struggle just to survive. Getting even rotten food isn’t easy.”
“Take it easy. We don’t have the ability to help everyone.” Stuffing another lollipop into her mouth, Jin E’li kicked the door hard several times, producing dull thuds. “And I don’t plan to care about anyone other than you anymore.”
“Then how do you explain our current objective?” Mo pulled a sheet of paper from her coat and handed it over. “This mission commissioned by those lunatics from Argo.”
“Last time.” Jin E’li snatched the paper, skimmed its contents, crumpled it up, and tossed it at the bald, muscular man who had just opened the door. “We’re here. Where’s the goods?”
“Mm. The last hundred millionth time.” Mo closed her eyes, slowly chewing her hawthorn, and shook her head gently.
