Why are the magical girls in your area male?

"After suffering all these blows, Asakawa Sena was consumed by rage and revenge, fell into witchhood, fled the association, and her fate remains unknown..."

Shiori Shiomi walked to the roadside, flagged down a taxi, got in, and said goodbye to Genji.

"Let's part ways here... I have something to do, so I'll be going now. If you encounter any trouble, you can call me anytime."

"See you."

Yuan Qing nodded solemnly and watched the taxi drive away.

He lingered in place for a long time, then looked up at the sky.

"it's dark."

......

As night fell, Yuan Qing embraced Yuki Tsukishiro's soft body, his chin resting lightly on her silver hair that exuded a faint fragrance.

The events of the day were still churning in his mind, and a mix of emotions weighed heavily on him. He couldn't help but tighten his arms around Yuki Tsukishiro, holding her even closer, as if he wanted to meld her into his very bones.

“Yuki.” His voice was deep as he solemnly promised her, word by word, “I swear, I will never let anyone harm a single hair on your head, absolutely.”

Yuki Tsukishiro stirred in his arms, seemingly disturbed by the sudden vow.

She groggily tilted her head back, looking at him with sleepy eyes, her soft voice tinged with confusion: "Hmm? Why are you suddenly bringing this up... Of course I believe you."

She reached out and hugged him back, patting his back reassuringly: "I'll protect you too..."

You seem very down. Are you tired? Don't go to Moon Etching tonight, get some rest.

"Okay, it's up to you."

Yuan Qing suppressed the anger surging in his heart and lowered his head to kiss the top of her head.

After an unknown amount of time, Ji Mianchang's even breathing came through, indicating that he had completely fallen asleep.

Yuan Qing carefully withdrew his arm, tucked the blanket around her, and gazed at her peaceful sleeping face for a moment in the darkness.

The lunar etching has arrived.

He stood up silently and summoned guards to protect Yuki's safety.

He himself then entered the Tower of Death once again.

The inner turmoil could not be calmed by sleep; he needed strength, he needed to become stronger immediately.

He used up all three challenge letters he hadn't used yesterday, plus the three he used today.

With the last monster defeated, the Moon Etching event came to an end.

I've broken through level 51, and I'm just one step away from level 52.

If I grind a couple more times tomorrow, I should be able to reach level 52 and explore areas above level 10.

Not knowing what threats awaited him ahead, the sooner he could reach S rank, the sooner he could feel at ease.

......

......

Sunlight streamed through the ancient stained glass windows of Kanda Church, casting dappled, cold beams of light into the air.

Just like countless peaceful days before, Tsukimi Haruka walked with her head down, her baseball cap pulled low, stepping onto the familiar stone path, into the church that offered her a moment of tranquility.

She pushed open the heavy wooden door, the hinges creaking slightly.

Before she could take another step, the sound of orderly footsteps suddenly came from ahead.

A group of men dressed in expensive black suits, walking in unison, were walking out of there.

The leader was a young man in a white suit. Tsukimi Haruka instinctively dodged to the side, but accidentally kicked a chair leg and fell to the ground.

"Watch the road."

A cold voice came from the man in the white suit.

He looked down at Tsukimi Haruka with a cold expression.

Seemingly noticing her pretty face, he raised an eyebrow almost imperceptibly, then softened his voice and reached out his hand to help her up—

"Is everything okay?"

"I'm fine..."

Tsukimi Haruka subconsciously raised her head, wanting to apologize, but the moment her gaze fell on the gemstone ring on the index finger of the other person's outstretched hand, her whole body froze as if she had fallen into an ice cellar!

She recognized the ring, and she knew what a wicked person wore it!

The chill was like a steel nail, pinning down all the joints in her body, rendering her unable to move.

She stiffly raised her head, trying to bolster her courage with the coincidence, and looked at the other person's face.

The next second, a fear that seemed to tear her heart apart overwhelmed her completely like a tidal wave!

This face...this face!

Even if she were reduced to ashes, Tsukimi Haruka would still recognize her—

Kitano River!

It's him!

Two years ago, she was one of the culprits who appeared like a nightmare outside the dark and sunless cage, bringing her countless despair and pain!

He's back...

He was right in front of me!

Tsukimi Haruka's face turned ashen in an instant, her body went cold, and her blood seemed to freeze.

Kitano's hand froze in mid-air.

He keenly caught the barely concealed terror in Tsukimi Haruka's eyes.

He had seen that expression on the faces of many women he had toyed with, but Kitano was certain that he didn't know this woman and couldn't sense any magic from her.

A hint of doubt flashed across his face, but it was quickly replaced by a condescending indifference.

He gently withdrew his hand, casually turning the ring on his finger, a contemptuous smile curving his lips, as if mocking the other person's loss of composure.

"Looks like everything's alright."

His voice was devoid of any warmth, and his gaze lingered briefly on Tsukimi Haruka's face, as if he were looking at a satisfactory work of art.

"Let me give you my phone number. If you experience any discomfort later, feel free to call me. I will take full responsibility."

He recited a string of numbers, then said nothing more, giving his bodyguards a slight nod.

The group quickly surrounded him and walked past Tsukimi Haruka, who was still frozen in place.

The leather shoes made a clear, rhythmic sound as they stepped on the stone pavement, gradually fading into the distance.

Only after the suffocating footsteps completely disappeared outside the church door did Tsukimi Haruka, as if all her strength had been drained, lean against the chair, unable to move.

The other person didn't recognize me...

Thanks to Shiori Shiomi for changing her appearance and giving her a precious magical item that could conceal her magical energy fluctuations...

But what can we do?

The nightmare is about to begin again...

Why can't I escape?

Is there no way for me to completely escape this terrible nightmare...?

.......

The afterglow of dusk shone through the kitchen window, casting a warm golden hue over the stove.

Yuan Qing was focused on stir-frying the shredded potatoes in the pan, the oil sizzling and the aroma filling the air.

Just then, the phone on the counter suddenly vibrated.

He glanced at it casually, and the moment he saw the caller ID was "Minato Loli," he immediately had a bad feeling.

He turned off the stove, picked up his phone, and answered, "Hello?"

"Yuanqing, come to the pet shop from yesterday immediately."

Shiori Shiomi's voice was unusually suppressed, as if she had just cried, with a slight tremor, "Please..."

"What happened?"

"...Tsukimi Haruka is in trouble, and the situation is very bad. Please come as soon as possible."

"clear."

Yuan Qing put down his phone, his brow furrowed, then quickly walked to the living room and briefly explained to Yuecheng Yuki, who was curled up on the sofa playing games:

"Yuki, I'm going out for a bit. The president has something urgent to attend to. The food is ready to serve, so please eat first. Don't wait for me."

Yuki Tsukishiro looked up and saw Gensei's serious expression, so she also put away her playful demeanor: "What is it? Do you need my help?"

"I don't know yet, don't worry, I'll be back soon."

"Okay, go ahead then. Call me anytime if you need any help."

"Ah."

Yuan Qing grabbed his coat, hurriedly went out, hailed a taxi, and headed straight for the neighborhood he had visited just yesterday.

The closer they got, the stronger the ominous premonition became.

The taxi stopped in front of "Asakawa Pet Home".

The shop's roller shutter was half-drawn, letting in dim light that clashed with the gradually brightening lights of the surrounding homes, as if shrouded in a deathly silence.

He bent down and squeezed through the roller shutter door. The lights were off inside the store, and the pets were restless, scratching anxiously in their cages, as if they were foreshadowing something.

Shiori Shiomi was standing at the top of the stairs leading to the second floor, her back to the door, her figure appearing particularly thin in the dim light.

Hearing footsteps, she slowly turned around, her expression still indifferent, but her eyes were red and swollen, clearly she had just been crying.

"Up there, follow me."

Yuan Qing remained silent and followed her up the narrow wooden stairs.

The bedroom door on the second floor was ajar.

Shiori Shiomi pushed open the door, and a faint smell of disinfectant wafted towards her.

Tsukimi Haruka lay quietly on the single bed by the window, her face deathly pale.

Her eyes were closed, and her wrists were wrapped in thick white bandages. Even through the gauze, one could imagine how horrific the wounds underneath must be.

Her mother, Tsukimi Keisei, was slumped in a chair by the bed, her hands covering her face, her shoulders heaving violently, and sobs leaking from between her fingers, filled with despair.

"What...what is this?"

Hearing the noise, Tsukimi Megumi raised her tear-streaked face, her eyes vacant, and staggered to her feet. She walked alone to the window and sat down on the windowsill.

After confirming that Tsukimi Haruka was not in mortal danger, Gensei, worried that her mother might do something foolish, quickly followed her over.

Tsukimi Megumi didn't look at him, staring blankly at the deepening night outside, muttering to herself:

“This isn’t the first time… I know my daughter’s secret, I know what she’s been through…”

"Two years ago, after she returned from that place, she attempted suicide once..."

“At that time, I held her and begged her not to do this, ‘Mom only has you. If you die, how will Mom live?’”

So for my sake, she survived and never mentioned suicide again…

Tsukimi Megumi's voice began to grow hoarse as she continued, "But this time, I held her, and the bleeding just wouldn't stop. She's so heartless; even in that state, she refused to receive treatment..."

So I asked her, 'Yaoyao, are you really too tired? Can't you keep going?'

If she agrees, I... I won't call President Shiomi anymore. I'll just let her be free...

"But she looked at me, tears streaming down her face, and in the end, she shook her head."

"She survived again because of me."

At this point, she suddenly slumped to the ground and burst into tears:

"Am I being too selfish? Why can't anyone... make those beasts pay the price? Why?!"

Every word Tsukimi Megumi uttered was like a knife, cutting away at Gensei's flesh, one slice after another, filling him with rage and unbearable pain.