Starting as a Magical Girl, I Alone Shall Rule for Eternity

"So what's the first step then?"

"Window shopping and then buy tasty food!"

"Ice cream shop?"

"Buy gifts, buy gifts!"

"The Sect Master doesn't have that much money on him, does he?"

Inside Azure Cloud Sect, in the Illusory Moon Cavern Dwelling, several girls squeezed together, chirping at Winter’s ice mirror.

A schoolbag sat nearby; it looked like they'd just come from class.

Winter propped her chin on one hand, looking bored and not joining the discussion.

Yumo, clutching a little rabbit, mentioned wanting to go to an amusement park and then edged closer to Winter. "Winter, are you still upset?"

"I'm not upset."

Liar. She'd been sulking since morning.

Everyone had seen how ecstatic Winter was after winning yesterday’s contest. Even though she technically lost, Yumo had sincerely been happy for Winter. But that morning the Sect Master announced he wanted to personally control the puppet, splitting his attention. Even if she didn't show it, Yumo knew Winter must have felt really let down. After looking forward to something for so long, that kind of result would sting…

Yumo cautiously put down her rabbit for the first time and hugged Winter. "Winter, I'm sorry. It's my fault for fighting with you yesterday…"

If she hadn't argued, Winter wouldn't have been so excited and expectant. Sometimes people only value something because it was fought over. For something like a dating opportunity, if Yumo hadn’t insisted, Winter would at most have been a little disappointed. But after fighting for it, winning the qualification, and then seeing it wasted—that disappointment hits differently.

Winter, who had been moping, watched Yumo hang her head and even put down her rabbit, timidly apologizing. Winter couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Yumo, like a startled bunny, jumped and quickly grabbed her rabbit again. "W-what's so funny?"

"Nothing. I just think little Yumo is so cute, taking the blame herself."

Winter pinched Yumo's cheeks and kneaded them; they felt so soft. Seeing Yumo's crimson face made it even better. "Relax, I'm not angry—just a little unhappy. Only a little."

"If anyone's at fault, it's Jiang Si. He planned to control the puppet himself and didn't say so earlier, wasting our time. But baiting fate was kind of fun…"

Yumo sighed in relief and smiled foolishly. "Th-then, Winter, shall we watch together?"

Winter, who'd had no interest, finally nodded and rose. "Alright, alright. Let's see how perfect the Sect Master's date plan really is. Humph."

Still sulking a little.

Yumo snickered and sat beside Winter.

The ice mirror at the center of the table was Winter’s handiwork: after leaving her magic in the puppet, she could use that magic to transmit vision. The ice mirror showed the puppet’s first-person perspective.

"Oh no, I have no idea what to do next."

Four Leaf looked distressed. "The Sect Master also said to give suggestions…"

Only Four Leaf was actually thinking seriously.

Yumo’s head was full of amusement park images; in the comic she’d read, the male lead confessed to the female lead at an amusement park—a scene so romantic it made her yearn to go. Six Leaf, of course, was still hunting for tasty food.

Winter rubbed her temple. "Go get Qinghua. She’s the most experienced here."

Yumo immediately ran to the detention room to pull Qinghua over.

"Qinghua, don't you always brag about your dating experience?" Winter pointed at the mirror. "Give the Sect Master some advice."

Qinghua strutted over, full of herself. "Heh, watch me. The people I’ve seduced are practically inhuman—more than you’d ever seen…"

She stared at Winter's screen for a long while. Everyone waited quietly for her counsel.

Unexpectedly, Qinghua soon shook her head, full of regret. "Nope."

Winter frowned. "What do you mean, 'nope'?"

"Your ice mirror is no good, Winter."

"Huh? What's wrong?" Winter stood up to check her ice mirror, when Qinghua blurted out, "There’s no option box and no inner monologue! How can you follow a walkthrough without those?"

Four Leaf covered her forehead. Only Six Leaf kept asking how one could see an option box and inner thoughts.

Winter gave a faint smile that carried no humor. "Yumo, throw her back into the detention room. Add three more days to her time."

"Wait, wait! Winter, I haven't finished. It’s not hopeless!"

Qinghua called out. "No option box won't stop me. We'll create our own option box! Each of us suggests a favorite date opening move, and I'll pick the perfect one! We’ll win the Sect Master easily!"

The others turned to Winter. She nodded slowly. "Alright, give it a try."

Four Leaf: "Hold hands and go eat."

Six Leaf: "Eat ice cream together!"

Yumo: "K-kiss in public."

Everyone went "whoa" as Yumo tugged her hood. "In the comics, it's always like that."

"Comics aren't usually in such a hurry," Winter deadpanned, then offered, "Princess carry."

Qinghua thought a moment. "Hmm… I think princess carry."

"Qinghua just wants to butter you up to shorten her sentence!"

"Picking the last option straight away is too obvious."

"I agree."

Qinghua bristled. "Then which would you pick? Mine is absolutely perfect."

Four Leaf raised her hand. "I recently learned a deduction ritual. Using it I can pick the most reliable option."

Winter nodded. Four Leaf opened a small box from her bag; it was engraved with ancient mystical patterns like a cultivation artifact. She took out two…

ten-sided dice.

"Spirits of heaven, spirits of earth."

Four Leaf chanted and shook the dice, tossing them into the artifact.

"1–30 pick one, 31–60 pick two, 61–90 pick three, 91–100 pick four. Incantation: 1D100, dice spirit, make your turn!"

She glanced down. "It's 98—just as I thought, Winter's option is the most reliable."

The others had nothing to say.

Winter gave a victorious smile. "Alright, let's tell the Sect Master right away!"

"The puppet has its own legs; no need."

Rejected.

…

Keke had left school early during the third period.

Fourth period was PE, which was optional, and she also had special leave from the Disaster Control Bureau. Still, this was Keke’s first time skipping class; even if it was just PE, her heart fluttered.

Their parents had been strict about schooling. Coming from an ordinary family in a small county, they didn't stand out—until they studied hard, got into Beihai University, and turned their lives around. After working a few years they bought a place downtown, reaching a modest middle-class status in Beihai. Their success hinged on studying hard. So they demanded strict academic standards from Jiang Si and Keke.

The parents always hoped both siblings would get into a good university and at least have education and stable jobs. Even after their parents passed, Keke attended school diligently—no late arrivals, no skipping classes.

She hated that Jiang Si frequently skipped class.

At this rate, not only would he fail to enter a good university—just graduating high school would be lucky. He disregarded their parents’ wishes for study and brought shame on the family. Keke rarely interacted with relatives, but she was in a family group chat on her phone—added during their parents’ funeral. She didn’t remove herself; every so often she saw messages mocking them: what use is educated parents if their kids have no manners or brains? Always skipping class, fighting, causing trouble—that’s life for them.

Jiang Si had become the family cautionary tale—and by association, she and her parents were ridiculed. If their parents were alive, they'd be furious. Or maybe not—back when Jiang Si trained early and missed school many times, the parents got used to it because his grades weren't bad then. But high school's different—skipping classes and missing exams makes good grades unlikely.

Keke only skipped one PE class today—partly to clean up after a Disaster Beast with the captain. Her heart raced with nervous excitement, but when they fought the beast she felt oddly detached.

A plain C-rank Disaster Beast, just like Hyacinth had described: no special tactics needed. Using the blast of magic taught by Shion, they struck it down with a single salvo.

"You guys were quick. If you hadn't skipped class you might not have gotten to it. More field time helps you improve…" Silver Lotus chattered as she covered Keke.

Keke thought the combat wasn’t all that meaningful—just a single explosive attack, no real grappling feeling.

A few Azure Cloud Sect Magical Girls lingered nearby—still in Sprout rank. Seeing Silver Lotus didn’t rush them, they hesitated.

Only after Silver Lotus tossed the Grief Seed did those girls retreat.

"If the Azure Cloud Sect girls try to block you, just give them a Grief Seed. They want this thing."

Keke had heard about this at the Bureau: Azure Cloud Sect prized Grief Seeds and hunted Disaster Beasts for them. The Bureau worried they might use Grief Seeds for something dangerous, but after two years with no obvious threat, the Bureau couldn't easily prevent it and let them be.

Once the Azure Cloud Sect girls left, a car drove up and stopped beside them. Out stepped Silver Lotus’s sister, Yinluo.

"There's a new ice cream shop on East Street. I hear their desserts are great. Come on, my treat."

Keke hesitated. "I still have classes this afternoon."

"No problem. After we eat, sis will drive you back to school." Silver Lotus ran to her sister, holding her hand affectionately. "Right, sis?"

Yinluo tapped Silver Lotus’s forehead. "Quit calling me sis in public; you've made me old. I have no work this afternoon, I can give you a ride."

Keke relaxed and transformed back, then climbed into the car with the Yin sisters to East Street.

Watching Yinluo and Silver Lotus tease each other, Keke felt a twinge of envy. With Jiang Si at home, she was practically alone; scenes like this never happened there.

The ice cream shop's prices were high—things Keke never dared order. But Yinluo ordered two cups each.

"Take what you can't finish home."

Such generosity made Keke wistful. She’d heard the Disaster Control Bureau paid well, especially the magical girl combat teams—two to three times the support staff's pay. One combat team's total pay could rival other departments combined. As a rookie, Keke didn't know her exact salary; maybe it wasn't that high. Even if it were, their family needed money; she couldn't squander it. Jiang Si would be a senior next year preparing for college entrance exams—if he could get into a good university, she'd save to help with tuition.

So Bureau money had to be saved.

The three sat by the window as people passed. Yinluo and Silver Lotus chatted about everything, from family matters to the Bureau—sisters with endless conversation.

Keke listened quietly, chiming in occasionally.

Then Yinluo turned to talk about Shion.

"As the leader of Azure Cloud Sect, she runs wild and disrupts order. If not for her and her sect, the Bureau would have taken control of Beihai and dismantled the Witch Association long ago…"

Yinluo’s hatred for Shion was clear, and Silver Lotus nodded in agreement.

"We’ll catch her someday!"

"But—" At the sisters’ criticism, Keke couldn't hold back. Her voice rose slightly, interrupting them. "But… Teacher Shion hasn't really done anything bad, has she?"

Silver Lotus glanced at her sister; Yinluo adjusted her glasses, already understanding Keke's train of thought. "Of course. That's why the Bureau isn’t actively hunting her. Still, even if she hasn't committed crimes, disrupting order is dangerous for Beihai. The stronger the power, the more it needs restraint, otherwise it becomes a disaster for everyone."

"It's like how you dislike your brother; your brother didn't actually do anything wrong, right?"

Yinluo's words stumped Keke.

Sensing the mood stiffen, Silver Lotus quickly pulled Keke up. "Come on, come on. Let’s order more food."

"Don't order too much you can't eat, Yiyi."

"We can always take leftovers home," Silver Lotus whispered to Keke. "On account of my sister paying, don't be mad."

As they walked to the counter, Keke couldn't help smiling. "I wouldn't be mad."

"You look like you're about to cry." 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

"I am not!"

With Silver Lotus teasing, Keke relaxed. While Silver Lotus fetched the food she idly looked out the window—she rarely came to East Street; the last time was with her parents, buying clothes. East Street felt different now. She wanted to find familiar memories, but when her gaze swept across a fast-food restaurant she froze.

By the window sat a couple, close together, sharing the same combo meal.

The girl on the right with purple hair and matching purple eyes—her strikingly beautiful face stood out so much Keke couldn't miss her.

She wasn’t in her familiar Magical Girl combat outfit but casual clothes: a fitted ribbed sweater and flowing wide-leg trousers. Not as flashy as a battle suit, but appealing in its own way.

Seeing a different side of Teacher Shion should have made her happy.

If only the person next to her wasn’t Jiang Si…

"What’s wrong?" Silver Lotus returned with the food and asked, then followed Keke’s blank stare. She nearly dropped her tray.

"Jiang Si? Shion!"

Before Silver Lotus could shout, Keke pulled her back to the table where Yinluo sat.

"Wait! What’s going on? Why are they sitting together? Let's go ask."

Yinluo looked puzzled. "Who? Who did you see?"

"Jiang Si." Silver Lotus faltered. "Jiang Si and Shion—sitting together like that; they're—"

Silver Lotus took a deep breath to steady herself and noticed her sister’s expression had darkened.

Keke sat frozen, expression blank—and then she began to cry.

"Don't cry, Keke—"

Keke snapped back and wiped her face with her sleeve. "I'm not crying. I just—choked."

She forced the words and started shoveling food into her mouth. The faster she ate, the more something lodged in her throat.

Why? Why did it become like this…

I'm the Magical Girl. Teacher Shion should be with me, shouldn't she?

We should have become friends first.

Why is it Jiang Si…

A sourness swelled from her heart to her eyes. Keke blinked hard and sniffed.

"I'm going to the restroom."