Why are the magical girls in your area male?

She had to admit that when Yuan Xun said, "I am already dead from weakness," her mind suddenly felt as if the wrinkles had been smoothed out.

But that intense sense of crisis is becoming increasingly apparent.

When Yuan Xun said those words, the determination in his eyes was genuine.

In Yuki Tsukishiro's eyes, the "Green Plum Realm" above Kaoru Minamoto's head is absorbing experience and constantly upgrading.

The aura emanating from her was becoming increasingly sharp.

"The Great Demon King...?"

Yuki repeated the word, trying to force a calm smile.

Unfortunately, the stiff facial muscles caused by shock made her smile appear particularly forced.

"Xiao Xun, do you think this is some kind of shonen manga?"

"Whether it's a manga or not, Yuki-nee, you know the answer in your heart."

Yuan Xun's voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear: "I like A Qing, and this liking is exactly the same as your liking for him."

I know my brother loves you very much. You are his rightful girlfriend, his true love. I know this better than anyone else.

She paused, then her calm voice gradually became agitated: "Watching him with you, watching you laugh, watching you be so intimate... it felt like my heart was being torn apart!"

I know it's immoral to say this to you, but I can't help it! I just like him! I've liked him for a very, very long time!

When it comes to liking Aqing, I absolutely won't lose to anyone, you know? I'm the person who likes him the most in the world!

Her eyes welled up with tears, as if something was about to spill from the corners of her eyes.

Seeing this, Yuki Tsukishiro softened her voice, trying to soothe the other person's emotions: "Kaoru, you...you should calm down first."

Yuan Xun shook her head, her voice turning cold, and said calmly, "I'm very calm, Yuki-nee, really."

She subtly wiped away the tears welling up in her eyes and continued, "You all think that I'm the one Ah Qing is protecting, the little sister he'll never grow up in his eyes, and you all think that my feelings for him are dependence..."

But no! Yuki-nee, tell me, what childhood friend would be so heartbroken and want to disappear just because their partner got a girlfriend?

What childhood sweetheart would go crazy with jealousy just because they see their partner being close to another woman?!

"..."

"I tried to give up..."

Yuan Xun hastily wiped her cheek with the back of her hand, her voice trembling and on the verge of tears as she recounted, "When I first learned you were a girl, and when you told me about your relationship..."

I truly, truly want to wish you all the best. I think as long as Aqing is happy, that's all that matters...

But when I'm alone in my room, I can't stand it, and that inexplicable malice in my mind gets stronger and stronger!

I can't help but wonder, why? Yuki-nee, why can you stand by his side so naturally? Why can you have everything I've ever dreamed of?

I've known him longer than you have, and I've spent more time with him than you have! I know everything about him! Why did you end up dating him?

"Xiao Xun! Don't do this!"

Yuki couldn't help but raise her voice.

But upon seeing her tear-streaked face, the guilt I felt for taking care of this younger sister welled up again.

She lowered her voice and spoke gently: "I can't tell you why. Feelings aren't measured by the length of time, nor is it necessarily true that whoever knows you first will win."

Aqing chose me because we are attracted to each other, because…”

"Because I wasn't brave enough, right?!"

Yuan Xun suddenly raised her voice, interrupting the other person, "Or is it that because of my relationship with him, it's impossible for me and A Qing to ever be together?"

"That's not what I meant, but, however..."

Yuki Tsukishiro frowned and placed her hand on the table. "Kaoru, you're wonderful! You're really wonderful! But love... it's irrational!"

It happened, and that's that. My feelings for Aqing are real, and Aqing's feelings for me are real too. This has nothing to do with whether you're okay or not!

"So what? Because my pain is self-inflicted, a punishment for my cowardice, does that mean my feelings are fake?"

"Yuki-nee, tell me, if I had confessed before you, if I hadn't had so many worries, if I had stood bravely in front of him like you, would the outcome have been different?"

"..."

Yuki Tsukishiro was speechless for a moment.

Will it be different? She didn't know.

A deathly silence fell over the living room, with only the heavy breathing of the two people echoing in the background.

After a long silence, Yuki Tsukishiro finally spoke in a tired, hoarse voice: "Kaoru, there are no 'what ifs' in this world..."

I'm the one with Aqing now, and we love each other—that's an undeniable fact.

She looked at Yuan Xun, her eyes filled with complex emotions. After a moment's hesitation, she continued:

"I understand your pain, really. I can understand the feeling of wanting something but not being able to have it better than anyone else."

I know this seems unreasonable to you, but I don't want you to ruin my relationship with Aqing, Xiaoxun...

This is...this is immoral. It's unfair to Aqing, and it's unfair to me too.

Yuan Xun smiled sadly, wiped away her tears, and whispered as if in a daze:

"Yuki-nee, you're right. There are no 'what ifs' in this world. It's all my fault. I woke up too late. I was too cowardly."

Her eyes were filled with resentment. She lowered her head, and her voice gradually became firm: "But, I can't give up. I really can't."

I can't imagine losing him, especially since he's right beside me, so close yet so far away...

This scene has become a nightmare for me. Every time I think about it, my heart aches.

Yuki Tsukishiro looked at the girl crying like a child, sighed, and continued to gently guide her:

"Xiao Xun, you can't force matters of the heart. You're still young, and you'll meet the right person for you in the future."

Ah Qing, he will always be your family, and that will never change.

He will always care about you and protect you, and I will treat you like my own sister, just like he does.

"...Could we try to get along in a different way? Don't put Aqing in a difficult position, and don't make the three of us suffer like this, okay?"

Yuan Xun didn't speak, but silently shed tears.

She listened to what Yuki Tsukishiro said, but how could a few words of comfort easily erase the feelings that were so deeply rooted in her heart?

Therefore, it took her a while to slowly stop sobbing. She wiped her face with her sleeve, took a deep breath, and her gaze toward Yuki gradually became sharp.

The moment Yuki Tsukishiro saw into the other person's eyes, her heart sank.

"Yuki-nee, thank you for telling me all this. But, I'm sorry, I can't promise you anything right now."

I like him, I like Aqing, and I can't let go of these feelings, I really can't let go.

Do you remember what I said to you that night at the Tarot Association? Love doesn't have a first-come-first-served rule. You yourself said that just because you've been together a long time doesn't guarantee a happy ending.

You and Aqing haven't reached the point of marriage yet, so I won't give up.

"Xiao Xun."

Even with all the love and patience Yuki Tsukishiro had for Kaoru Minamoto, hearing these words still made her frown, and a hint of anger flashed in her eyes:

"Do you really have to go this far? Do you even know what you're saying? You're ruining someone else's relationship, that's immoral, understand?"

Yuan Xun smiled bitterly, lowered his head, and fell silent.

After a long pause, she suddenly uttered a sentence: "...Yuki-nee, you're almost four years too late."

“…What?” Yuki Tsukishiro was taken aback.

"After Aqing took me away from those vampire-like relatives, we huddled together like stray dogs under a roadside tin shed for warmth. He told me he would protect me for the rest of my life..."

This feeling is already ingrained in our very being; it can't be easily erased by simply saying, "We're a couple."

After a pause, Yuan Xun curled her lips into a forced smile. "I've said it before, the person who likes him the most in the world is me."

"I'm not even afraid to die for Aqing, so why would I be afraid of being immoral?"

"you......"

"Yuki-nee, I am really grateful to you and I like you very much. Whether it is reality or Moon Etching, I will listen to you and give you everything."

Even if one day we encounter danger, and I have to sacrifice myself to ensure your safety, I will not hesitate.

But only... only Ah Qing, I absolutely, absolutely will not let go.

"Yuki-nee, thank you... for telling me all this. But, I'm sorry, I can't promise you anything right now... I like Ao, and I can't let go of these feelings."

I won't make things difficult for Aqing, but I won't give up either. I'll stay by his side in my own way.

Family or lover, regarding my identity... time will tell.

"This is wrong, Kaoru!" Yuki Tsukishiro frowned and warned sharply, "Have you ever thought about Ao's feelings? Putting him in this dilemma, is this what you call 'liking' him?"

"Is it good for him to keep him in the dark and let me bear all the pain and suffering alone?"

Yuan Xun's counter-question was quick and sharp: "Yuki-nee, I respect you, both before and now."

So don't worry, in my heart, I don't dislike the fact that you're my sister-in-law; it's just that I have selfish feelings...

You are an important friend of mine, and a trusted 'Senior Danzhu' whom I can entrust my life to without hesitation on the battlefield. That is why I have chosen to speak frankly.

Yuki Tsukishiro watched as Kaoru Minamoto's expression gradually changed from sorrow to resolve, and she knew very well that tonight's conversation had to end here.

Both of them have reasons and determination not to let go, making it a deadlock that can only be resolved slowly with time.

Or perhaps...

It erupted in a way that none of them could have predicted.

"It's late, go to sleep."

Yuki ultimately did not directly respond to Minamoto Kaoru's "declaration of war".

She rubbed her temples wearily, turned her head away, and said softly, "I have to go to school tomorrow, and I have a lot of things to do. Don't make Aqing worry."

"Ah."

Yuan Xun nodded, said nothing more, and silently turned and walked towards her room.

Before pushing open the door, she paused, turned her back to Yuki, and whispered, "Goodnight, Yuki-nee."

“…Goodnight, Kaoru.” Yuki watched her retreating figure and whispered her reply.

The sound of the door closing was especially clear in the quiet night.

The closed door temporarily separated the turbulent undercurrents between the two, allowing Yuki Tsukishiro to calm down and try to sort out her chaotic thoughts.

But, at this moment——

"Buzz!"

An extremely sudden and incredibly violent surge of magical energy, like a tsunami, came from outside without warning!

After advancing to Rank A, Yuki Tsukishiro's perception of magic was much sharper than before. Her pupils widened, and she immediately locked onto the source of that terrifying magic.

It's nearby! The straight-line distance is probably less than 300 meters!

That place seems to be the shopping street behind Shigenjaya?

A wave of malevolent magic washed over his skin, bringing with it a chilling sensation.

Judging from this nauseating energy reaction, it's definitely at the level of an A-rank Shadow Beast leader!

"Damn it!"

Yuki Tsukishiro frowned, then immediately shook her head, casting aside her previous turbulent emotions.

"Buzz!"

With a flick of her wrist, the Echoing Stone appeared in her hand: "Emergency! This is Zhejing Danzhu, near the Sixuan Tea House. A high-intensity A-level Shadow Beast leader has appeared!"

Its energy is violent and extremely aggressive. We request the association to send reinforcements immediately. (Repeatedly, we request the association to send reinforcements!)

The moment the words left his mouth, Yuan Xun's door was suddenly pulled open.

She clearly also felt the extremely powerful and terrifying magical fluctuations; her pretty face turned pale, filled with worry.

"Yuki-nee! Are those Shadow Beasts outside?!"

“Yes, it’s near Shigen Tea House, very close to us!” Yuki Tsukishiro nodded and hurriedly instructed, “Kaoru, I’m going to take care of that thing right now, so don’t do anything rash.”