Chapter 1: Did you meet your mortal enemy on a blind date?

In the café, Xiao Xi sat nervously by the window, barely daring to meet the gaze of the girl sitting across from her.
The girl had a cool, refined demeanor, dressed in a small vest and short skirt, her slender legs clad in black stockings crossed under the table. From her outfit to the leather handbag on the table, it was clear she was no ordinary person—definitely a wealthy young lady.
If it weren’t for this blind date arranged by her family, Xiao Xi, a shut-in, would never have had the chance to meet someone like this.
“Ye Xinglan, pleasure to meet you—I didn’t expect my blind date to be a girl.”
Looking at the delicate hand extended toward her, Xiao Xi fumbled for words: “Maybe the matchmaker made a mistake, haha…”
But Xiao Xi knew it wasn’t the matchmaker’s error. Though she’d always had a softer, more delicate appearance, she had indeed been a boy before.
She hadn’t told her family about becoming a girl due to her time as a magical girl, so this mix-up was likely because her mom used old photos to arrange the date.
“Let me start by introducing myself. Feel free to interrupt if you have any questions.”
Ye Xinglan got straight to the point, no nonsense: “I’m 23, currently living alone. I haven’t counted the exact number of properties or cars my family owns. As for work…”
Xiao Xi was surprised. She’d thought the date would end the moment Ye Xinglan realized she was a girl, but instead, the other girl launched into her introduction. Probably just going through the motions for her parents, like Xiao Xi was.
Still, listening to Ye Xinglan’s family background, Xiao Xi couldn’t help but let out a self-deprecating chuckle in her mind.
Where did her mom even find this match? Ye Xinglan’s circumstances were so impressive they made Xiao Xi nervous. What did an unemployed shut-in like her have to compare?
Maybe her past as a magical girl was something to brag about… but Xiao Xi had retired three years ago. Though she still had plenty of fans, she was determined to live an ordinary life now.
Truth be told, wasn’t it because of being a magical girl that she’d gradually transformed from a boy into a girl? So Xiao Xi had no lingering attachment to her days as the so-called “strongest magical girl.”
“By the way, I don’t have many dislikes, but there’s one thing—I can’t stand magical girls. I’d prefer my partner to have nothing to do with them either.”
Ye Xinglan’s words snapped Xiao Xi’s attention back. Watching the girl elegantly sip her coffee, Xiao Xi raised an eyebrow. It was hard to imagine anyone disliking magical girls in an era where monsters and freaks roamed, and magical girls protected the public.
“Why? Did a magical girl do something to you? Most people don’t hate them, right?”
“Nothing… specific,” Ye Xinglan’s tone grew oddly stiff, and she waved a hand. “I just don’t like them, that’s all. A bunch of noisy weirdos in flashy costumes—what’s so great about them?”
Xiao Xi’s fist clenched slightly. Though she’d retired, she couldn’t tolerate such harsh words about magical girls.
After all, magical girls fought monsters to protect people. Comments like that were just too much.
“Miss Ye Xinglan, I think we’re done here. Seems we’re not a good match—waiter, the bill.”
Xiao Xi stood, offering a polite smile, feeling this blind date had no reason to continue. Different values, no point in forcing it.
Though she was a girl now, Xiao Xi still chivalrously paid the bill. Stepping out of the café, she sighed deeply. Her already tight wallet was now even worse off.
This month’s living expenses were already a problem, not to mention the two months of rent she owed. If she didn’t pay soon, her landlord might kick her out to sleep on the streets.
Whatever, the priority now was to go back and keep looking for a job. The blind date her mom set up was dealt with…
As Xiao Xi’s thoughts wandered, a massive explosion erupted behind her, followed by the roar of a monster and the screams of fleeing people.
“Roar—”
“A monster! Run!”
“Help! Is there a magical girl…?”
A monster attack? So sudden?
Xiao Xi spun around, seeing the café half-collapsed in a cloud of dust. Almost instinctively, she wanted to transform and rush in to save people.
No, calm down… The Association’s magical girls would arrive soon. She was retired; no need to reveal her identity here.
Xiao Xi tried to force herself to walk away, but her eyes stayed fixed on the panicked crowd escaping the café. Looking at their terrified faces, she suddenly realized something—Ye Xinglan, her blind date, didn’t seem to be among those running out.
No choice, she couldn’t just let someone die…
But just as Xiao Xi gritted her teeth, ready to transform, a purple light streaked across the sky like a meteor, heading straight for the café.
“It’s a magical girl! A magical girl’s here!”
“That’s Mu Xingge, the S-rank magical girl from the Association, right? Phew… with someone of her level here, it’ll be fine.”
Glancing at the figure flashing overhead, Xiao Xi unclenched her fist, pulled up her hood, and slipped into the crowd.
With Mu Xingge here, there was no need for her to act.
After all, they were former teammates. Xiao Xi knew Mu Xingge’s strength was more than enough to handle a single monster.
Ye Xinglan’s face flashed in her mind again. Xiao Xi wondered if, after being saved by a magical girl this time, that wealthy girl might change her view of them.
What Xiao Xi didn’t know was that, inside the half-collapsed café, while almost everyone had fled, a lone figure remained seated in a corner.
The massive, pitch-black monster stared at Ye Xinglan, still seated, and let out a hoarse roar. At its level, it didn’t have the intelligence to wonder why this person hadn’t run; it only wanted to tear the figure before it to shreds.
Its giant claws swung down with a whistling wind, but Ye Xinglan remained seated, legs crossed. She took a small sip of coffee, glanced at the monster, and softly muttered two words—
“Trash.”
A flicker of crimson passed through Ye Xinglan’s eyes.
The monster’s movements froze. Though she looked like a frail human girl, in that instant, it felt an overwhelming, suffocating pressure from her. Crippling fear rooted it in place.
The next second, a powerful magical beam pierced the monster’s body. Mu Xingge, in an ornate long dress, slowly descended from the air, glancing at the creature as it collapsed.
“This is Mu Xingge. Monster eliminated. No casualties on-site.”
After her brief report, Mu Xingge frowned, looking toward the café’s corner.
Strange, the rest of the café was smashed to bits by the monster, so why was this one corner completely untouched?
Ye Xinglan was long gone from the window-side table, leaving only a half-drunk cup of coffee gently swaying on the surface.