Chương 149: More Than Just "Companions"

In the quiet corner, the cool moonlight shone on the bench, casting long shadows of the two girls.

Xingxian's usually cool and sharp eyes were now filled with deep self-reproach and regret as she realized the serious mistake she had made.

"I actually—completely overlooked the possibility that the official agency responsible for protecting this city itself might have problems." Hoshino's voice trembled slightly.

She pressed her lips tightly together, seemingly struggling to control her emotions: "This behavior—is a serious dereliction of duty on my part as the inspector!"

If it weren't for Jiying's timely reminder, and if she had truly trusted all the intelligence provided by the Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs without any precautions, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

Looking at her slightly pale face and clenched fists, Ji Ying knew that she must have taken all the blame on herself. She was really strict with herself to the point of being obsessive.

She sighed softly and comforted her gently, "Miss Xingxian, you don't really need to be so hard on yourself."

"In your previous understanding, the magical girls in this city were likely all wiped out. In that situation, you would have no way to immediately contact any of your companions who might be able to help."

"In the absence of any effective intelligence sources, seeking intelligence assistance and operational support from the local intelligence agency is the logical and most compliant choice, isn't it?"

When Xingxian heard Jiying's gentle words of comfort, her expression softened slightly, but the self-blame and regret in her silver-gray eyes still lingered.

She has always been very demanding of herself, and for her, any negligence that could lead to mission failure or endanger her companions is unforgivable.

Seeing Xingxian's state, Jiying knew that simple comfort would probably not be enough to completely dispel the knot in her heart, so she sighed again and changed her perspective, continuing her analysis: "Actually, from the moment that guy Jingjue chose to intercept Yuexi's distress signal, or even from the moment he began to systematically target the magical girls in this city—"

"He must have foreseen that at some point in the future, an inspector like you would inevitably come from the kingdom to investigate the truth."

"So, your appearance at the Bureau of Extraordinary Events today, at best—only turned his certain suspicions" into certain facts."

"Given his cunning and treacherous, step-by-step approach, I'm sure he must have made thorough preparations long ago to deal with any possible unexpected events, including your arrival."

"Therefore, your whereabouts being exposed is perhaps only a matter of time, not your responsibility, and you don't need to blame yourself too much for it."

"What we should be considering now is how to make good use of the intelligence we currently have to deal with any possible attacks he might launch next."

Xingxian listened quietly to Jiying's analysis, her eyes flashing with a thoughtful look. She knew that what Jiying said made sense, but her stubborn pursuit of perfection still made it difficult for her to completely let go.

After a moment, Xingxian nodded slightly and asked in a slightly low voice, "Those companions—do they also know that there might be problems within the Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs?"

What she was more worried about at that moment was that those inexperienced juniors might meet with misfortune because of their trust in the Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs.

Ji Ying immediately understood the worry in her words and replied without hesitation, "Don't worry, they already knew about the problems with the Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs the night before Jing Jue launched his sneak attack."

"Now they know more about Jingjue and are certain that there is a traitor within the Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs. Their vigilance towards the Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs is definitely no less than yours."

"Is that so?" Upon hearing this, Xingxian's tense expression finally relaxed a little.

After learning that his remaining companions would not be easily endangered by the Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs' betrayal, the huge weight that had been pressing on his heart since earlier was finally lifted.

But then, an uncontrollable rage rose from Xingxian's eyes. Her delicate brows furrowed tightly, and her voice took on a cold chill due to her anger: "Jingjue—that guy actually cooperated with a traitor of humanity, using such despicable means to ambush those unsuspecting magical girls—this behavior is utterly disgusting."

"I will never let him get away with this. One day I will wipe out this filthy scum!"

Seeing the almost bursting anger in Xingxian's eyes and the unwavering determination in her words, Jiying knew that she was being too emotional again.

She gently shook her head and reminded her, "Miss Xingxian, of course I understand how you feel right now, but it's precisely at times like these that we need to remain calm."

"As we analyzed before, Mirror Lord is an extremely cunning and cautious Void Realm Apostle. To deal with him, we must devise a more detailed and meticulous plan. It is not something that can be easily accomplished by momentary anger and impulse."

Xingxian took a deep breath, her chest heaving slightly from the intense emotional turmoil. She closed her eyes, trying to calm the raging anger within her.

After a moment, she slowly opened her eyes. Although a hint of coldness still lingered in her eyes, she had regained her composure and rationality.

She looked at Ji Ying, nodded solemnly, and said with a hint of apology in her voice, "—You're right, I did lose control a bit. Don't worry, I won't let these negative emotions affect my subsequent actions and judgments."

Looking into Xingxian's eyes, which had regained their clarity and determination, Jiying knew that she had recovered from her earlier agitation. He nodded gently and said, "Speaking of which, Miss Xingxian, it is a very lucky thing for both of us to meet here unexpectedly tonight."

"If you hadn't met me, you wouldn't have been able to contact your other magical girl companions who were still active in the city immediately, nor would you have been able to obtain information about the traitor in the Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs."

"At that time, that guy Jingjue will definitely use the same trick again, once again using the mole in the Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs to lead you step by step into the trap he has carefully set for you."

"In that situation, even you might not be able to escape unscathed."

Xingxian immediately considered the terrifying possibility—being led into a desperate situation by the very official agency he should have trusted, without any intelligence about the enemy, and then ambushed by Mirror Lord's true form; the battle might not even begin before he was already severely injured.

Even with her powerful magical armor and abundant magical power, in such an extremely unfavorable situation, she would most likely suffer a bitter defeat, or even pay the price with her life.

Thinking of this, her face paled slightly, and a wave of lingering fear washed over her.

But then, she also developed a deeper curiosity and a touch of admiration for the partner that Ji Ying had mentioned, who was able to turn the tide in such a desperate situation.

With the strength of a Crescent Moon-level being, despite being ambushed by a meticulously planned attack, they were still able to turn the tide and completely eliminate Mirror Lord's mirror image, which possessed independent thinking abilities.

Although his "Tears of the Star" was severely damaged as a result, his strength and will were undoubtedly quite formidable.

Perhaps—the other party could really become a very effective ally in the process of fighting against the troublesome enemy, Mirror Lord?

Just as Xingxian's thoughts were drifting away, she suddenly felt a gaze fall directly on her.

She snapped back to her senses and found that Ji Ying was tilting his head slightly, his dark red eyes staring at her with a hint of confusion.

Xingxian's cheeks flushed slightly uncontrollably, and she quickly shook her head to temporarily dispel the chaotic thoughts from her mind.

She slowly stood up from the bench, straightened her slightly wrinkled light purple combat suit, and then—bowed deeply to Ji Ying.

The bow was extremely deep, almost a perfect ninety degrees, and her long, smooth, light purple hair cascaded down like a waterfall, outlining her slender and graceful neck and shoulder curves.

The well-fitting combat suit clung tightly to her tall and slender body, perfectly showcasing her delicate waist and pert hips.

Even a simple bow is full of captivating elegance and charm.

Ji Ying was slightly taken aback by Xing Xian's sudden, solemn, and somewhat exaggerated action, and for a moment she was at a loss for what to do.

She had no idea that this seemingly aloof and proud inspector would be so grateful to her.

"Miss Xingxian, what's wrong with you—"

"Jiying, you're absolutely right." Xingxian straightened up, her eyes filled with a sincere and solemn light.

"If I were to step into the trap that the treacherous Mirror Lord has set for me without any warning, even I would be in a very dangerous situation."

"Thank you so much for the important information you just provided. I really can't put into words how valuable it is to me."

"I will definitely find a way to repay this kindness."

After a brief moment of astonishment, Ji Ying revealed a helpless yet gentle smile.

She gently shook her head, then reached out and naturally pulled Xingxian, who was still standing there, back to sit on the bench, saying softly, "There's no need to thank me for this, Miss Xingxian. We're companions now, aren't we?"

"Don't forget, for a long time to come, we'll be fighting side by side against that cunning enemy, Mirror Lord."

"Companion—?" Xingxian sat down again following Jiying's lead, unconsciously murmuring the word. A strange light flickered in his silver-gray eyes, and his expression was somewhat unfathomable.

Just when Jiying thought the other party was still pondering the meaning of the word "companion," Xingxian suddenly raised her head, and a bright and radiant smile bloomed on her face, completely different from her previous cold and composed demeanor.

Immediately, she grabbed Ji Ying's hand, which was still firmly in her grasp, and pulled her body closer to her under the slightly surprised gaze of the other woman at this sudden act of intimacy.

The distance between the two instantly shortened, so close that Ji Ying could clearly smell the faint fragrance emanating from Xing Xian, as fresh as morning dew.

"You're right, Jiying." Xingxian's voice held a gentleness and intimacy never before seen in him.

"We—are partners now."

"but----" She tilted her head slightly, her bright eyes fixed on Ji Ying's face, which appeared even more exquisite and beautiful in the moonlight, her tone filled with obvious expectation.

"I'm not content with just being partners with you against the same enemy."

.

"So, in our time together going forward, can we—continue to grow closer to each other?"

She paused, her smile deepening, her voice becoming softer and more sincere: "Not just as a trustworthy companion, but as—a closer and more intimate friend."

Ji Ying stared blankly at Xing Xian, who was completely different from the aloof and composed patrol officer she had been before. Now she seemed like an ordinary girl.

Her mind went blank, with only one big, confused and bewildered thought swirling wildly within her.

—What—what's going on here?!

Her eyes widened slightly in utter surprise, and her delicate lips opened involuntarily, uttering a single syllable filled with confusion and bewilderment: "Huh?"

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