Volume Five

The Dream of Lin Xi (Part II)

Chapter One

Haze of Rain

Thunder rolled by her ear, a low drum under a quilt of cloud.

From the soft fog of sleep, Yue Liuyi opened her eyes.

Patter, patter...

It sounded like a light rain whispering outside the window.

Fine drops slid down the glass like silver threads. Pale morning chill seeped in, and the room dimmed like watered ink.

"Mm... looks like I overslept."

She glanced aside. Eight-thirty glowed on the clock. That impish Yue Dier was surely up already.

She pushed the quilt. Cold air slipped in like a fox and pounced her warm nest.

"Ah! So cold!"

She hurried into her little dress. Warmth returned like a shy cat as soft fabric hugged her skin and walled off the chill.

She slipped on patent shoes and a small shawl. A delicate blue-haired girl stood there like a drop of sky.

"Uu... everyone’s up so early."

She opened the door and stepped into the hall. Rain-dark light blurred her shadow, a smudge of ink on the wall.

"Sis, do you think this looks good on me?!"

She had just stepped out when a tiny girl pounced like a sparrow.

The little thing was under one forty, with straight-cut bangs, neat like girls from a Sakura kingdom.

But here was the rub: Yue Liuyi didn’t know this loli. No one but Little Rose lived inside Moon Post Bookstore.

"Huh?"

"Huh? Sister Dongfang Chen, you don’t remember me...?"

"Do—whoa! You’re Dashi?! How did you turn into this?!"

Yue Liuyi jolted. The tiny girl looked exactly like Dashi. Waist-length hair and a dusting of pink had thrown her off.

"Hehe, thanks to Sister Dongfang Chen’s power, my hair grew out overnight~"

"Uu... that ability works for this too?"

She rubbed her own hair, troubled. The power Dashi awakened last night was too weird.

Not a spell-school. Not a personal talent.

It was... inheriting the will.

Like in old war romances: the disciple takes up a living master’s cause and even his feathered fire.

Except Dongfang Chen hadn’t died. And the boy’s true body was a guileless World Tree Maiden.

Which made everything stranger.

He hadn’t turned into a girl. But his hair had poured down overnight, making him look like a pure, pint-sized girl.

His voice was already young. Dressed right, out on the street, no one would spot him.

And...

"Dashi, why are you wearing girls’ clothes?!"

Not just long hair. He had swapped into a little dress too. The chest was flat, but, well... lolis don’t have curves anyway.

"Eh? We’re doing a stealth op today, right? Lots of people at the company know me. As a girl, no one will notice."

"Uu... at least pretend to be shy..."

"Uh—well, I was. But when I thought of Sister Dongfang Chen cheering me on, I stopped being scared!"

"When did I cheer you on?! And call me Yue Liuyi! ‘Sister Dongfang Chen’ is super weird. It feels like... uu..."

She patted her head, vexed. That title dragged her thoughts somewhere strange.

"Got it, Sister Liuyi! I’m so glad you’re safe!"

"Ha... be careful out there too, Dashi."

The blue-haired girl sighed, took the tiny loli’s hand, and led her toward the hall.

...

On the first floor of Moon Post Bookstore, the girls were already set.

Dixue wore a silver-white combat dress. The floating hem and fitted lines turned her into an elven ranger.

Teng Ying had on menswear and a cloak. A handsome face hid in shadow. The cut masked every hint of her figure.

Yin Mu wore a gangster getup. A clown mask hid her cheeks. A light P90 rested in her hand like a coiled cat.

Little Rose and Kaka were on house duty, so they dressed simple. Little Rose kept her deep red dress, and Kaka wore a sport shirt.

"Wow... everyone got ready so fast!"

"Mm. Don’t worry, sis. Kaka will guard the house."

"We’re just waiting on Little Moon. Once she finishes breakfast, we move."

Yue Dier walked over, calm as moonlight, and patted Yue Liuyi’s head.

"Uu... we only decided last night to slip into Xinke District. What’s with those outfits? You’ll turn heads."

"Relax. I’ve planned it out. Open up—ah..."

Dixue tugged Yue Liuyi close and lifted a bite from the table to her lips.

"N-no! I can feed myself!"

So many eyes on her. Yue Liuyi’s cheeks burned at being fed by LittleSnow.

"Nope! You promised last night. The price to join is obeying me the whole way. Eating included."

"Uu..."

Under Dashi’s wide-eyed stare, his mighty “big brother” Yue Liuyi got fed a tiny egg.

...

...

Misty rain fell over the streets of Winterwood District.

Drops like silk needles barely touched the skin, yet wave after wave turned the road into a breathing haze.

Thanks to the World Tree Maiden’s great magic, the district had healed. Runoff still looked grimy, but it no longer burned the skin.

"LittleSnow, where are we headed?"

"The subway. Luyao and his men are waiting."

Dixue nodded. At her level, umbrellas were old news. A soft airflow shield cupped her, and rain slipped off like fish.

"Eh? So prep’s already done?"

"Mm. Worried Teng Ying might be right, Luyao rushed the arrangements."

"That’s great."

"Master, rest easy. Yin Mu forged a new spell. It’ll shine in this fight."

"Uu... maybe don’t, Yin Mu. Just scare them a little."

"No way. It’s Miss Yin Mu’s first battle! The prologue of a legend—ow, ow! I yield, my queen!"

"I said follow orders."

Dixue tweaked Yin Mu’s ear. The five girls slipped away, swallowed by the rain-soft haze.