Next, Bai Xiaoxiao went to the third floor and bought a cup, a toothbrush, and some cosmetics. She had to admit, girls’ cosmetics really were expensive. By the time she was done shopping, she’d already spent several thousand yuan.

When she reached the clothing section on the fourth floor, Bai Xiaoxiao tried on several outfits and eventually bought two very similar little dresses.

One was blue and the other pink. Girls loved looking pretty, after all. She took several pictures in front of the mirror, and they turned out pretty nice. Bai Xiaoxiao was just about done shopping for the day.

Then, at the worst possible moment, her phone started vibrating.

Bzzzt, bzzzt~ Bzzzt, bzzzt~

In a panic, Bai Xiaoxiao set everything down on the floor and pulled her phone from her pocket. Captain Qu Mengting had tagged everyone in the group chat.

“There’s a suspected C-Rank monster at Tianhai Zoo. All team members, stay alert. Don’t turn off your phones over the next couple of days. If you can’t receive messages, use magic to communicate directly.”

Tianhai Zoo? Wasn’t that where she, Senior Lu Wanxin, and Senior Cai Mengmeng had planned to go for fun the day after tomorrow?

How could a suspected C-Rank monster have appeared all of a sudden? It had been over half a year since a monster last showed up in Tianhai City, aside from that Returning Sea Demon Lizard.

“Pink Jade reporting in!”

After quickly replying, Bai Xiaoxiao felt a little uneasy.

But she told herself it’d be fine. It was only a C-Rank monster. At worst, they could evacuate everyone from the zoo beforehand and tell them to stay away from the area.

They could go have fun after dealing with it.

The others in the group all replied to the captain within seconds. Then Senior Cai Mengmeng and Senior Lu Wanxin both sent Bai Xiaoxiao private messages at almost the same time.

“Xiaoxiao, are we still going to the zoo in a few days? The captain said a C-Rank monster might appear there.”

Monsters didn’t just appear out of nowhere. There had to be signs first, like chaotic magic gathering in large amounts in one place. A few days later, a monster would emerge from there. Of course, the gathering could also fail, in which case the magic would dissipate back into the air.

“I’m not sure, but I feel like we should still go. If one really does appear, we can deal with it right there.”

It was only a C-Rank monster, after all. One Explosive Magic spell from her now would probably be enough to take care of it.

“Okay. I’ll ask Xiaomeng what she thinks first. She’s recovering really quickly, so she should be fine by tomorrow.”

Senior Cai Mengmeng’s main issue was psychological trauma. They’d already healed her physical injuries that same day.

“All right. If we go, the three of us can go together. We’ll let Captain Meng Ting know ahead of time and say we’re going to investigate the site.”

Senior Lu Wanxin replied with an OK gesture. Bai Xiaoxiao put down her phone and was just about to pick up her bags again when a shadow fell across her view.

“Huh?”

The shopping bag with her clothes in it was suddenly snatched away. Bai Xiaoxiao looked up and saw two punks with dyed yellow hair.

Their sleazy, hoodlum-like appearance was revolting. Just standing near them made her feel like throwing up.

Oh no. She’d been chatting and had unknowingly canceled her presence-concealing spell. No wonder people like these had started bothering her.

“Out shopping by yourself, little miss? We happen to be short a couple of female companions. How about you come hang out with us?”

Seriously, what decade was this? Were they still using such a tired pickup line on girls?

You couldn’t show punks like these any kindness. Bai Xiaoxiao glared coldly at their punchable faces and spoke, every word clear.

“I’m in a really good mood today. Don’t make me beat you up while I’m at my happiest.”

Hearing Bai Xiaoxiao’s adorable little threat, both yellow-haired punks couldn’t help laughing.

“What was that? Don’t make you beat us up? Hahahaha! If you think you can, then go ahead and—”

Before he could finish, the punk on the left suddenly seemed to have someone’s hand around his throat. Bai Xiaoxiao had already cast a concealment barrier, so no one else could see what was happening inside that small space.

Bai Xiaoxiao simply held out her left hand and choked the yellow-haired punk from a distance. The other one hadn’t even figured out what was going on when a sudden burst of pain hit his stomach.

The powerful impact sent him crashing into the concealment barrier. Pain shot through him and reached his brain; he clutched his stomach and howled, while the stolen bag of clothes fell to the ground.

“I think of myself as a kind person, but I’m not so kind that I’d protect trash like you, who enjoy tormenting girls. You’re willing to hit on cute girls without caring who’s watching. I doubt this is the first time you’ve done something like this.”

Even if she usually came across as a bit ditzy and innocent, Bai Xiaoxiao wasn’t actually that naive.

Since joining the Magical Girl team a year ago, she’d fought monsters three or four times. Some people were just like monsters—they enjoyed making you sick. Like cats that toyed with their prey. Bai Xiaoxiao couldn’t stand it.

“Remember this pain. Regret what you’ve done, and behave yourselves from now on.”

Surging magic coursed through her body. Thin black threads emerged from Bai Xiaoxiao’s palm and linked themselves to the two men.

It was the highest-level illusion spell Bai Xiaoxiao could currently cast. It let the target experience whatever she imagined.

She’d more or less switched reality and illusion around, making the two punks experience being girls who were harassed by others. The helplessness they felt wasn’t something a nightmare or two could make go away.

Before long, both of their pants were wet. It was probably the terror of “becoming girls and having something bad done to them by other people.”

They probably wouldn’t harass another woman for the rest of their lives.

Of course, she still had to clean up afterward.

After using magic to clean the urine off the floor, she cast a spell on the two of them to erase their memories of her. Then she dismissed the concealment barrier and ignored the men lying on the ground with their eyes rolled back. Bai Xiaoxiao picked up her bag and walked away without looking back.

The two yellow-haired punks lying on the floor drew plenty of attention. A few dozen seconds later, they woke from the illusion and immediately reached down to check their crotches. Then they screamed, “No!”

“We’re sorry! We were wrong! We shouldn’t have harassed women! I deserve to die! I deserve to die!”

Having finally seen the error of their ways, the two men dropped to their knees and kept slapping themselves across the face. Bai Xiaoxiao only relaxed once she was sure they didn’t remember whom they’d harassed. A-Rank magic really was useful.

After dealing with the two yellow-haired punks, Bai Xiaoxiao walked out the doors of Haoyouduo Shopping Center, looking delighted.

Meanwhile, a girl standing on the highest floor, the seventh, had witnessed everything. A scornful smile appeared at the corner of her mouth.

“Interesting. So very interesting. She made them switch places and experience their own mistakes, and even remembered to clean up afterward. Too bad her methods were still too merciful. Scum like that deserve much greater pain. That’s just how humans are—they never learn.”

As if passing sentence on the two yellow-haired punks, she waited until Bai Xiaoxiao had walked completely out of the shopping center, then sent a black magic shockwave straight into the fingers of the two men still lying there.

“Aaaah! My finger… my finger!!!”

The index fingers on both men’s right hands were cleanly severed. Not a drop of blood splashed from the wounds. Pain struck them again, and the crowd around them erupted into a commotion. The people who suddenly saw their fingers cut off immediately called the police.

“That’s strange. Was that a fluctuation in magic just now?”

Bai Xiaoxiao turned back toward Haoyouduo Shopping Center, a trace of doubt in her expression. Unfortunately, she couldn’t sense any more fluctuations in magic.

“I must’ve imagined it. The battle a couple of days ago was so intense that I’m probably still a little sensitive.”

She waited there for a few minutes, but still couldn’t sense any magic fluctuations. She’d probably really been mistaken.

The blazing sun kept pouring down its heat overhead. Bai Xiaoxiao didn’t dwell on it any longer and headed home with a light step.