After removing the belt, my body shifted back from that loli form to my original, utterly average male physique.

That evening gown was undeniably beautiful—but only when worn by others.

The front slit design was certainly eye-catching…

But on myself? Not so much.

“I’m dead tired!”

The moment I dropped the transformation, my legs gave out and I plopped down on the ground.

Today’s toll had been massive: two transformation cards and three skill cards burned through.

Given how just two skills had drained me completely before…

Three would’ve been unbearable.

“Rest here. I’ll handle cleanup,” Kyuubi said, tilting its head up at me as I slumped against a wall. Its crimson eyes glowed faintly in the ruined street—upturned asphalt, frost-cracked walls, shattered concrete.

“Thanks…” I rasped, too spent to move.

Miraculously, no bystanders had noticed this chaos. A small mercy.

But why had that girl attacked me?

No clues. Had it been because I’d wiped out those Bonesouls earlier?

“Kyuubi, do Bonesouls even give XP?” I asked, recalling certain magical girl tropes.

“No. She said you ‘interfered’—she likely needed those Bonesouls for something.” Kyuubi shook its head.

“Seriously?” I frowned. Bonesouls were humanity’s natural enemies. The idea of humans colluding with them felt unreal.

“I’m not certain. But her appearance gave me leads.” Kyuubi’s tail flicked. “This investigation was blind before.”

“I hope you’re wrong…” My voice tightened. The thought of humans and Bonesouls hunting innocents together made my chest ache.

“Bonesouls tempt humans,” Kyuubi explained patiently. “They offer superhuman power. Some become their contractors… and obey.”

“I see…” I nodded slowly.

“That girl? She’s involved. Probably the mastermind.”

“Even if she is—how do we find her?” I gestured at the empty streets. “Needle in a haystack.”

“We’ll find her.” Kyuubi’s certainty was absolute.

“Right…” I trusted its confidence.

“Oh—and she’s from your university. I recognize that distinct stench of malice.”

My head snapped up. “Guanghai Normal University of Technology?!”

Kyuubi licked its paw. “I smelled it on my first visit. Dismissed it as a fluke… until tonight.”

“So she’s been hiding there all along…” Memories clicked: the missing girls, nearly all from GNUT.

“No wonder she recognized me…” The fragmented puzzle pieces stung.

“You know her?” Kyuubi’s ears perked.

“Maybe…” That voice calling my name hadn’t been random. But hoping it wasn’t *her* made my throat tighten.

“Don’t dwell. Tomorrow will reveal all.” Kyuubi leaped onto my shoulder, patting it with a paw—seemingly trying to comfort me.

“I’m fine,” I forced a smile.

“Good. Let’s go. Cleanup’s done.”

I blinked. The street was pristine—no torn earth, no ice, no broken walls. Only dim streetlights painting the pavement gold. The damage had vanished as if time reversed.

“You really saved me from a mess…” I murmured. Without Kyuubi, this destruction would’ve caused an uproar.

“It’s my duty.”

“Yeah… with you around, I can fight without holding back.”

…

Night deepened as we walked.

*Where am I?*

I jolted awake on a park bench, disoriented. No memory of arriving here.

*That girl—the one who fought the thug—what happened to her?*

Fragments returned: a brutal criminal, a petite silver-haired foreigner bursting in… then darkness.

*Did she knock me out?* I rubbed my jaw, straining to recall.

“Chief! There you are!”

A crisp voice cut through my thoughts. Lin Huiyan sprinted toward me, breathless.

“Evening, Huiyan. What brings you here?” I waved weakly.

“I got a call saying you’d collapsed here!” She studied my face, then exhaled in relief. “You look okay…”

“Who called you?”

“A girl. Used your phone.” Lin Huiyan tapped her chin. “Her voice was… very young. Like twelve years old?”

*That silver-haired girl.*

“How did she subdue that thug?” I muttered. Someone barely five feet tall launching a man through the air made no sense.

A mystery for tomorrow.