Chapter 14: Surprise Raid, Meow?

A Midnight Errand

Late at night, Xiao Xi carried a cup of hot milk and knocked on Ye Xinglan’s bedroom door.

When Xiao Xi entered, Ye Xinglan was lounging on her bed, scrolling through her phone. She wore loose pajamas, the collar slipping off her shoulder, revealing a glimpse of something soft and fair.

Suddenly aware she was entering a girl’s room in the dead of night, Xiao Xi’s cheeks flushed. She averted her gaze and hurriedly placed the milk on the bedside table.

“I warmed some milk for you. It helps with sleep.”

“So thoughtful? Now that’s couple vibes. Thanks.”

“Cough…” Xiao Xi faked a yawn awkwardly. “If there’s nothing else, I’m off to bed. So tired.”

“Alright~”

Back in her room, Xiao Xi locked the door and turned off the light. There, that should avoid any issues.

Half an hour later, the magical girl [Sirius] arrived at the mission site.

This was the Mang Wolf Gang’s hideout? Xiao Xi wrinkled her nose at the sight of the abandoned, half-built buildings on the city’s outskirts.

The unfinished structures loomed eerily in the moonlight. Xiao Xi knew this place—some big-shot investor had planned a new commercial district here, but the guy absconded with the funds before completion, leaving this mess behind.

Villain organizations these days were so low-class. This dump was their headquarters? Back during the chaos years, major villain groups controlled entire cities like it was nothing.

Miss L distributed communicators to the trio and reviewed the mission plan. Mu Xingge listened while discreetly observing the two newcomers.

[Little Red Hood] seemed nervous, which was normal for her first mission. But [Sirius] showed no reaction at all. Was this newbie’s mental fortitude that strong?

“…That’s the plan. Your mission is to capture all Mang Wolf Gang members alive. Begin the operation.”

With Miss L’s orders given, the three magical girls split up and infiltrated the abandoned building under the cover of night.

A Disappointing Raid

Xiao Xi had initially psyched herself up to take the mission seriously, but she quickly realized the building didn’t even have a single patrol guard. No need to tiptoe—she could just stroll through and search.

The Mang Wolf Gang wasn’t on guard at all. Xiao Xi moved swiftly, and soon enough, she found her target on the third floor.

Through a window, she saw a group of people gathered inside, drinking. Stacks of boxes were piled in a corner, contents unknown, with luxury clothes, watches, and other valuables scattered on top.

Xiao Xi pursed her lips in disappointment. These were just regular humans—not a single villain among them. No need to stay stealthy.

But where did these punks get all these expensive items? Were they stolen?

Like she was entering her own home, Xiao Xi casually pushed open the door and walked in.

“Good evening, everyone. Magical Girl Association business. Please cooperate—”

“It’s a magical girl!”

The sudden intrusion caught the punks off guard, and panic ensued.

“Boss, what do we do? The magical girls actually showed up!”

“Calm down!” A short-haired young man, apparently the leader, glared at Xiao Xi. “Her mana’s only D-rank, and she’s alone. She’s not superhuman! Get her!”

The gang members snapped out of their shock, their confused and panicked looks turning predatory.

Facing the punks charging at her with weapons, Xiao Xi shrugged expressionlessly. She swung left and right, knocking out three of them in a flash.

[Sirius]’s abilities were perfect for close combat, with high burst power. But that was also its weakness—why bother with hand-to-hand when [Morning Star] could just blast everything with a mana cannon?

This was fine for punks, but against large monsters, close combat was hardly efficient.

After knocking out a few more, Xiao Xi suddenly stopped, realizing something.

“Wait, a D+ magical girl shouldn’t be able to take out this many so fast, right? Did I hit too hard?”

Miss L’s “Indeed” came through the communicator, and Xiao Xi scratched her head.

“…How about we do it again? I’ll go slower this time.”

Is this what a D-rank magical girl can do?

The gang members weren’t idiots. Realizing the terror of the girl before them, they dropped their weapons and scattered.

Xiao Xi sighed. Sticking to the “D-rank can’t stop this many” principle, she symbolically knocked out a few more before reporting the situation to the others via communicator.

The rest was uneventful. With the other two joining in, the fleeing punks were quickly rounded up and tied together.

Xiao Xi shook her head. The Mang Wolf Gang was just a bunch of small-time thugs after all… But that made things stranger. How could these nobodies be linked to such a massive monster attack?

“Minister L, we’ve counted everyone. Except for the gang’s leader, all members are in custody.”

Xiao Xi recalled the short-haired young man, the leader. He’d noticed her mana level, so he must be the one Miss L mentioned who had “a bit of villain tech.”

“Hm…” Miss L paused on the communicator. “Don’t chase him. Change of strategy. Let him run.”

“Block the exits outside the building. Don’t worry, the logistics team is there too. He won’t escape.”

The building had only three exits—one for each of them to cover. Miss L was setting a trap to catch him like a turtle in a jar.

The Leader’s Escape

High up in the abandoned building, the short-haired young man hid behind a concrete slab, trembling. Unlike the others, he’d fled upward during the chaos, avoiding capture.

With shaking hands, he pulled out his phone and angrily dialed a number. After a few rings, it connected.

“The Association’s magical girls showed up! What now?”

“Well… that’s quite unlucky, Mr. Cang Lang,” a low voice replied.

“Don’t give me that crap! You said this job was low-risk! And you promised you’d bail me out if anything went wrong!”