Chapter 29: There is a kind of pure beauty

Watching Zero, head nearly buried in her chest, neck flushed red, Lin Feng was inwardly cackling. That’s his stubborn, prideful best friend, alright—this mix of bashful and explosive reactions was too fun!

But while he reveled in his smugness, he knew deep down he’d never actually harm civilians if Zero had refused. Unlike Ouroboros’s callous types, Lin Feng had his own principles.

“…How long are you planning to hold me?” Zero’s muffled voice came from his arms.

Curious onlookers were already staring, some even pulling out phones to snap the “cute couple” hugging in broad daylight for half a minute.

Lin Feng coughed, quickly letting go, then casually grabbed her small hand.

“What are you—” Zero started, but Lin Feng cut in, righteous as ever. “What if another guy tries to hit on you? I’m preventing trouble.”

“Yeah, right…” Zero muttered, not pulling away, just following with a flushed face.

Inside, Lin Feng’s inner gremlin was rolling with laughter.

Teasing his best friend turned beauty, oblivious to the truth? Peak entertainment!

But a cold splash of reality hit him: he couldn’t develop feelings for Zero, or rather, for Dongfang Cheng in this state.

A chasm separated them, unbridgeable.

As long as he bore the names Technician and Ashura, as long as he sought the truth about his grandfather in that dark organization, they were fated enemies. One day, he might have to turn his weapons on the friend whose hand he now held.

That thought washed away his smile like a sand drawing under a tide, his grip on Zero’s hand loosening slightly.

He walked on in silence, mood dampened.

Zero, sharp as ever, caught the shift. Glancing at “Lin Feng’s” blank side profile and distant chestnut eyes, she felt an inexplicable irritation.

She tsked, yanking her hand free from his slackened grip. Stepping ahead, she blocked his path.

“Hey,” she tilted her delicate face up, black-and-white eyes glaring with annoyance, arms crossed. “I’m not the one sulking, so why the long face? People might think I dragged you out to shop.”

Lin Feng snapped out of his grim thoughts, startled by her blunt call-out. Seeing her pouty, indignant face, the weight of their opposing fates was briefly buried under an urge to tease her.

“Miss Zero, worried about me?”

“As if! Who’d care about a pervert like you? Self-flattering much?” Zero’s cheeks reddened, but her tongue stayed sharp. “Your sour face with my friend’s look is just an eyesore!”

“Tch, so dishonest.” Lin Feng’s lips curled, his hand darting to pinch her invitingly slim waist—

Slap!

Zero’s palm struck back without hesitation.

Yup, this wasn’t a rom-com light novel world! Lin Feng, clutching his stinging cheek, confirmed it. This girl didn’t mess around!

“Touch me again, and I’ll smash you,” Zero said icily.

“Got it, let’s shop.” Lin Feng backed off fast, though his grin persisted despite the burning pain.

No way she’d let him get away with that! After racking up thousands on fake Lin Feng’s card, Zero was still fuming.

Then, an idea hit—she’d pry some Ouroboros intel from this seemingly high-ranking guy. He’d been called “Lord Ashura” by that “Lover” creep.

“Hey,” she said casually, “what’s Ouroboros up to usually? Besides sending monsters to wreck stuff, any other KPIs, like kidnapping civilians?”

Lin Feng’s still-red cheek twitched, his grin knowing. “Oh? Miss Zero fishing for organization secrets?”

“N-No! Just… curious about villain daily life!” Zero stammered, flustered.

“I could tell you.” Lin Feng leaned closer, voice low. “Kiss me once, and I’ll spill everything—even which cadre’s wearing what color underwear today—”

Slap! Another crisp slap landed, perfectly mirroring the first, leaving his face symmetrically red.

Looking at Zero, trembling with humiliated fury, her ahoge practically standing on end, Lin Feng wisely retreated, clutching both burning cheeks.

“Cough,” he cleared his throat, opting to share some harmless intel to avoid enraging her further. “Like your magical girl association’s C, B, A, S strength tiers, Ouroboros ranks members: Wolf, Tiger, Ghost, and the top-tier Dragon.”

“Weakest Wolf grunts? Trained human soldiers can handle them. Tigers need full-fledged magical girls like you. Ghost cadres, like that ‘Lover’ Dan you smashed, have tricky abilities. Dragons? One going all-out could raze a city in no time.” He was about to brag about his Dragon status when Zero cut in.

“What C-B-A-S tiers? Never heard of them.” Zero looked baffled, her face screaming who am I, where am I, what are you saying?

Lin Feng turned, staring at her clueless expression. They locked eyes, falling into an awkward silence.

“Uh… hasn’t the magical girl association, or some management group, ever contacted you? For strength assessments, mission assignments, logistics support?”

“What association?” Zero blinked, confused. “I fight, make sure nothing’s left, and bail. Who sticks around?”

Fair point—his friend couldn’t detransform in public without blowing up social media servers.

Lin Feng facepalmed, sighing. “You know, without joining an association, you get no benefits. No compensation for damaged gear, no support for injuries or death. You’re basically working under the table.”

“I don’t fight for money.” Zero’s tone was cold, her gaze unwavering. “I just see you jerks bullying people and want to punch you.”

Her conviction was so unshakable, so natural, that Lin Feng didn’t know how to respond. Her stunning yet stubborn face left him speechless.

“…You’re such a freak,” he said.

“Thanks for the compliment.” Zero’s expression didn’t budge.

Lin Feng chuckled softly. “Seriously, don’t you get tired fighting alone?”

“I’d rather be tired than take orders from strangers,” Zero shrugged.

“Ever think about the day you can’t hold out? No backup, no rescue… you die, and this city forgets you like you never existed.”

Zero went quiet, glancing at her clenched fist.

“So what.”

Her voice was light, like it didn’t concern her.

“At least these hands protected some decent people and smashed some real scum. If I vanish one day, it’s… not a bad deal.”

Lin Feng fell silent.

Her words rendered his arguments powerless. He watched her, the cute uniform clashing oddly with her brutally resolute words.

Her logic was a straight line: protect the good, beat the bad, and accept an unnoticed end any day. How long had it been since he’d seen such blinding, almost painful innocence in a city painted with lies and betrayal? Lin Feng didn’t know.

Maybe it was an illusion, but he felt the flawless girl’s body housed Dongfang Cheng’s soul, with a gaping void. Her strength, stubbornness, and power stemmed from the purity and loneliness of that void.

“…You’re such a freak,” he repeated, less teasing this time.

Zero caught the shift, tilting her head with a scoff, her black eyes warming slightly under the mall’s soft lights. “Thanks, but you already said that. Running out of vocab, Dragon?”

Lin Feng laughed, shaking his head, not arguing. They walked side by side through the glowing mall, silent for minutes, but the quiet wasn’t awkward—it flowed like an unspoken understanding between them.