Chapter 15: TS Magical Girl, Unsatisfied!

Dongfang Cheng sprawled listlessly on his bed, thumb lazily swiping his phone screen. Two unread messages sat quietly in the notification bar.

The first was from Hoshino Kirara, her tone as high-and-mighty as ever:

[A Thousand Roses at Dawn (Kirara’s Official V3.0)].docx

Study it seriously. If you dare embarrass me or Mr. Dan at the campus festival, you’ll regret it.

The second came from Lin Feng, unusually gentle:

“You’ve been out of it all day. Sick? I can grab some meds for you on my way home.”

After school, they hadn’t walked home together as usual. Lin Feng claimed he was staying late to study hard and boost his class status. Dongfang Cheng didn’t think much of it, figuring it was another of his three-minute passions, and left alone.

He stared at the messages, eyelids growing heavier.

Lately, he hadn’t been sleeping well. An inexplicable urge stirred restlessly in him, pushing him to shove the crystal into his contract terminal and transform into Zero.

The impulse came from nowhere but clung like a leech, impossible to shake.

He’d even tried interrogating that round-headed black cat, resorting to some physical negotiation tactics. But aside from pitiful mewling, it gave him nothing, leaving him empty-handed.

To fight the almost addictive urge to transform, Dongfang Cheng forced himself to stay distracted: grinding through study problems, pummeling a punching bag, watching cerebral movies he’d never cared for, even drowning it in alcohol…

The result? His mental state had been shot, and his sleep quality plummeted.

He typed a quick “1” back to Hoshino Kirara, tossed his phone onto the nightstand, pulled the blanket over his head, and let the dual exhaustion of body and mind drag him into a deep sleep.

[Status self-check…]

[Individual physiological parameters… mostly stable]

[Individual mental parameters… unstable, fluctuating]

[Individual transformation level: Low]

[■■ Learning progress: Severely behind]

[Warning: Key metrics below expectations, initiating forced intervention]

[Executing forced transformation…]

He didn’t know how long he’d slept when he opened his eyes, vision still blurry, body feeling… off.

And why did the bed feel so… big?

Instinctively, he threw off the blanket, reaching to rub his groggy head.

Then he saw it: a slender, snow-white wrist, almost too perfectly shaped, adorned with delicate black lace gloves. The intricate patterns revealed glimpses of pale skin, exuding a mix of restrained allure and seductive charm, extending all the way to the elbow.

His gaze followed the lace-wrapped arm upward, then down to his body…

“Where’s my ■■!?” The girl’s hand shot under her skirt, finding nothing.

She’d transformed without knowing how or why!?

“…No way!”

Zero bolted upright, long black hair slipping off her shoulders, a few stray strands brushing her cheeks with a faint itch.

She leapt off the bed, dragging her unfamiliar body to the full-length mirror in the living room. The black-haired girl in the reflection stared back, stunned and terrified.

This combat outfit… was even more outrageous!

A sudden chill hit her back, making her flinch. Hesitantly, she reached behind, fingers brushing smooth, delicate skin and… two thin, ribbon-like black ties.

Turning, she saw the top of her combat outfit—more like a tight little dress—had an almost fully open back. What kind of defense was this supposed to offer?

Two soft ribbons extended from a striking black bow at her neck, barely tying a small knot above her waist, their long tails draping restlessly over her exposed, dazzlingly pale back, swaying faintly with her breaths.

Facing forward again, her eyes traced downward. The top was a bold, black strapless mini-dress, its evening-gown-like fabric clinging to her budding, shapely curves and impossibly slim waist.

Lower still, the layered black lace skirt was scandalously short, barely covering the tops of her thighs, threatening to flash with the slightest move or breeze.

Below that, silky black thigh-high stockings hugged her long, toned legs, the garters pressing faint, suggestive marks into her tender thighs, reaching mid-thigh.

This was a combat outfit? This was practically lingerie!

Zero growled through gritted teeth, her consciousness diving into the contract space.

“W-Wah, meow! It’s your beautiful girl form… w-wait, hold on, let’s talk, don’t come closer, meow!” The round-headed black cat, mid-stretch, saw Zero appear, radiating visible murderous intent, and its fur stood on end.

“Give me an explanation, or a reason not to tear you into cat strips.” Zero’s voice was deliberately low and menacing.

“I can explain, meow, but it’s complicated, meow! I need time to investigate, meow. Half an hour… no, fifteen minutes, meow! If I can’t find why you transformed, you can twist my head off and kick it like a ball, meow!”

Zero’s icy stare lingered on the cat for a few seconds before she let out an impatient “tch,” grabbed the black cat, and flung it like trash into the distance.

It wouldn’t die in the contract space anyway.

After the cat vanished, Zero plopped down unladylike on the gray “floor” of the contract space, arms crossed, toes tapping impatiently. She’d wait right here for that damn cat’s answer.

But barely two minutes later, the doorbell rang out of nowhere.

“Ding-dong—ding-dong—”

“Ah Cheng, you home? It’s me, Lin Feng. Why aren’t you replying? Not picking up my calls either. I came to check—you’re not dead, are you?”

Lin Feng’s all-too-familiar voice, now sounding like a death knell, came from outside.

Zero’s body froze.

She scrambled out of the contract space, consciousness snapping back to reality.

Opening her eyes, she was still in the humiliating combat outfit, her back bare, garters digging into her thighs, making her want to disappear.

“Whatever, just change back!”

She gritted her teeth, reaching to pry the black crystal from the terminal—

It wouldn’t budge.

Her nails practically sparked, but the crystal was fused to the slot, unmoving no matter how hard she tried.

“What… what the hell? Why’s it stuck now!?”

Her eyes twitched, cold sweat breaking out.

“Ah Cheng? You there? If you don’t answer, I’m calling the cops!”

Lin Feng was still banging on the door, his voice growing urgent.

Zero panicked, spinning in circles, clutching her head.

If Lin Feng saw her like this, that repressed virgin would lose it on the spot!

She dashed to the wardrobe, frantically searching, but found only hoodies and school uniform jackets—none long enough to cover the skirt’s risky hemline. Her pants were at the tailor’s, and she hadn’t picked them up!

The doorbell grew more insistent.

Outside, Lin Feng kept pressing the bell and pounding the door. “Ah Cheng, you in there? Open up! I’m serious, I’ll call the police!”