Previously: This story takes place after a long time-skip into the future.
Inside the Obsidian Army camp, Ghostfire—captain of the Obol Squad—stared at the four leave requests being shoved in front of her. Her "expression" was so gloomy it could have curdled milk.
But she didn't explode. Yet.
"Ophice. You first. Let's see what ridiculous reason you wrote this time."
"Huh?! C-Captain Ghostfire! Weren't you sneaking looks from behind me all night? You should already know what I wrote…"
"Bullshit!" Ghostfire snapped. "You kept covering the paper with your hands! And at the end you straight-up committed mutiny and—"
Her voice hitched.
"—and used that… thing to cover my whole head! What exactly was I supposed to see?!"
Seeing Ophice hesitate, Ghostfire launched into a full barrage. Then, when Ophice's lips started to pout and her eyes got watery, Ghostfire sighed, the tiniest crack of mercy slipping through.
"Ophice. The crying kid gets the milk. Just like the soldier who sells the saddest story gets the most supplies. I'm letting you go first so you can get your leave first. That's all."
"Captain Ghostfire is lying!" Ophice puffed her cheeks. "I'm your gun-bearer! Even if I go first, what does it matter? It's not like I can put you down and run away without you!"
Ghostfire's eye twitched.
Ophice, still sulking, quietly unzipped the front of her jacket—then, with the seriousness of someone producing classified equipment, pulled out a comically oversized umbrella.
The tent went very, very still.
Eleven didn't say a word. Her face just heated up instantly.
Trigger also didn't speak—only the color of her visor shifted again and again until it settled on an unmistakable, glowing shy pink.
Only Sid looked around with an innocent expression… until something clicked behind her eyes and her gaze turned solemn, as if she'd reached a profound moral conclusion.
"When facing a dishonest captain," Sid began gravely, "one should apply—"
"STOP!" Ghostfire practically yelped. "I'm your captain! Ophice—pink holsters, I can accept! Custom gun wraps, sure! But not that! Not ever again!"
Watching Ghostfire panic like that lit a roaring fire inside Ophice's chest.
At last—at last—the era of being bullied by Ghostfire was ending.
No more being denied daily leave to go see Qianye. No more constant restrictions. No more being treated like a child. No more…
Fine. Whatever. The point was: this miserable life was finally reaching its end.
Ghostfire, it was weird to say—very weird—but toward you, the strict, father-like captain…
I declare rebellion.
Like in the novels.
Right here. Right now.
This is the moment I rise up against my dignified father figure—
Ophice took a deep breath, forcing down her giddy joy, and tried to put on a serious face.
"Captain Ghostfire. If you won't be honest, then now I—"
"I don't want to get my mouth covered in some fishy, overwhelming liquid again! And you even—"
"Mmnn! Mmm!"
"Stop—no, shut up! Captain Ghostfire, don't keep talking!"
Ophice slapped a hand over Ghostfire's "mouth," then whipped around in a panic—only to find her teammates all turning their heads away at record speed, as if the ceiling suddenly became fascinating.
"T-Trigger… Eleven… you guys…"
Trigger's visor was… somehow even pinkier than before. And she looked like she'd—very casually—licked her lips.
"So… interesting," Trigger said in a voice that tried very hard to be normal. "Maybe next time I should… add some attachments too…"
"Impressive," Eleven said, utterly sincere, eyes shining with admiration. "Ophice, you're amazing."
Then she frowned thoughtfully.
"Maybe I should consider Anby's suggestion after all…"
Under those scorching, intensely weird looks—looks that screamed So Ophice is secretly that wild??—Ophice felt like her whole body was on fire.
Especially her palm.
…Her palm?
Ophice stiffly looked down.
A pair of furious red "bean eyes" glared up at her—pure wrath packed into a tiny frame, heat building like a bomb about to go off.
Just as Ghostfire looked ready to detonate, a steel hand clamped down with absolute force—
"Captain Ghostfire," Sid said with innocent calm, summoning Old Sid to pin Ghostfire in place, "you must stay calm. Even a cactus will shed its thorns sometimes."
Then Sid turned to the others and tilted her head.
"Everyone, I'll be going now, okay?"
"Going? Sid, aren't we supposed to—"
"Oh, Dr. Veronika already filed leave for me," Sid said cheerfully. "But I wanted to stay and observe you all. To understand you better. That's why I hung around."
"…Sid," someone asked very carefully, "can Dr. Veronika file one for us too?"
"Sure," Sid nodded, then crouched with a bright smile beside Ghostfire, who was still being held down and vibrating with rage.
"Captain, that's okay, right? Oh—sorry, I forgot to let go."
Ghostfire stared at her. For a long, terrifying second, no one breathed.
Then Ghostfire exhaled like someone surrendering to fate.
"Fine! You're all my soldiers! Running to someone else for leave is what kind of nonsense?! We're leaving now. Bring the paperwork back later and write your reports!"
"Yes!! Long live Captain Ghostfire!!"
In the Criminal Investigation Special Ops office, afternoon sunlight filtered through the blinds, cutting the desk into bands of light and shadow. Zhu Yuan sat at her workstation, the glow of her phone lighting her tense face.
Her fingers hovered over the keyboard for ages. Every message she typed got deleted. Again. And again.
"How long we've been apart—seven Mid-Autumns…" she murmured, then immediately shook her head. "Too literary. Qianye won't like that."
"I'll be the moon that lights your nights…" Halfway through, she blushed hard and wiped it away in a panic. "Too direct. Not subtle at all."
"May we live long and—"
"Zhu Yuan," Qingyi's amused voice drifted in, "you're still like this. Completely indecisive."
Qingyi returned with her fourth teapot, sighed at Zhu Yuan's one-hour struggle, and finally lost patience.
She walked over, snatched Zhu Yuan's phone, tapped a few times with terrifying speed—
—and hit Send.
"Senior! How can you do that?!" Zhu Yuan grabbed the phone back and saw the message already gone:
I want to see you.
Her face turned bright red instantly.
"You still remember to call me 'Senior,' huh?" Qingyi poured herself tea as if she'd done nothing at all, then glanced at her flustered junior. "I don't recall my junior being this hesitant."
"But! Qianye, he—"
"Qianye isn't that inflexible," Qingyi cut in, confident. "Zhu Yuan, he's already moved forward. You're the only one still trapped in your past."
Zhu Yuan's shoulders sagged, fingers twisting her uniform hem.
Qingyi sighed. "And it's just one message. You've been stuck for so long—someone else may have already asked him out."
"Qianye…" The very thought made Zhu Yuan's voice wobble with quiet loss.
"Honestly," Qingyi went on, sipping her tea, "you're that eager to bring him home?"
Zhu Yuan nodded softly. "Mm. My parents keep saying they want to see him. Especially my mom. She stopped pushing blind dates, but now she mentions Qianye almost every day—"
She noticed Qingyi's cat-like, teasing smile and immediately flared up. "Senior, what are you smiling about?!"
"Zhu Yuan," Qingyi said lazily, letting Zhu Yuan pinch her cheeks, "you're still sly. Hiding behind your elders as a shield… while you 'safely' pour out your longing."
"Senior!"
Qingyi laughed and finally relented. "Alright, alright. Since you love using elders as an excuse, let's let elders help you. Did you even check if Qianye replied?"
"Ah! I forgot!" Zhu Yuan hurriedly lit the screen.
Then she froze.
"…Senior, you sent I want to see you—that's way too direct!"
"Not honest, Zhu Yuan," Qingyi sighed. "So stubborn."
"Senior!"
Asaba Harumasa stared at the mountain of documents someone had dumped on his desk. His entire body locked up.
He blinked. Rubbed his eyes. Rubbed them again.
The documents did not disappear.
Worse—Tsukishiro Yanagi's gaze grew steadily more dangerous.
"Haha… Yanagi, what's the meaning of this?" Harumasa forced a laugh. "I don't think I've taken sick leave recently?"
Yanagi adjusted her glasses. A cold glint flashed across the lens.
In that moment, Harumasa swore he saw an invisible hand flip a mountain over and slam his head underneath it.
"Asaba," Yanagi said sweetly, "you haven't taken sick leave lately. Good. That means you won't need to anymore, right?"
"…Because Qianye cured you."
"No no no! I still need it! A major illness recovery requires—"
Harumasa's voice faltered.
For a split second, he hallucinated: Yanagi wearing a monocle and black top hat, exhaling the mist of forced overtime like an urban legend.
His voice shrank into a desperate whisper.
"Deputy Chief… I only have to handle today's work, right…?"
"Apologies," Yanagi smiled, and Harumasa felt his soul leave his body. "The Chief already left to go see Qianye."
"To avoid falling behind—and to ensure Section 6 continues operating normally…"
She leaned in, her voice gentle as a guillotine.
"You'll handle the work the Chief pushed onto me. And not just today."
"You'll also 'make up' some of the days you were absent. Young people should carry more responsibility, don't you think?"
"No. No no no—"
"You can't refuse," Yanagi said calmly. "This is punishment for helping Miyabi instead of me, which led to my date with Qianye getting stolen."
Harumasa collapsed face-first onto the desk.
Yanagi turned to leave, then paused as if remembering something.
"Oh, right. When Soukaku comes back from lunch, you'll help me babysit her for a few days."
A sound like something hitting the floor echoed faintly behind her.
"…Must've been my imagination."
"Caesar! This time you are not ruining my good thing!"
"Lucy! I came in late, but my feelings are sincere!"
"Oh? Caesar, if you ruin things between me and Pokona again, I'll take your notebook, copy it, and plaster it all over New Eridu with Pokona."
"…Thank god this one doesn't have that many weird thoughts," someone muttered.
"Shut up, Piper! Even Lighter is more reliable than you!"
"…Ouch."
The atmosphere was quiet and elegant. Rina sipped black tea leisurely.
"Rina…" Corin fidgeted, twisting her apron. "Um… was it really okay for us to get Ellen's teacher to delay class, give detention, and assign tons of homework…?"
Rina blew gently across the teacup, eyes serene.
"Well, Ellen said she wanted to improve," Rina replied. "So we can only help her, can't we?"
She looked at Corin, gaze meaningfully deep.
"Corin… in matters of love, people who are too considerate of others…"
"…end up losing."
"U-um… okay." Corin nodded, half understanding, half not.
Rina set down the cup with a soft clink.
"Alright. It's time for us to go."
"Where's Mr. Lycaon?" Corin asked.
Rina glanced toward the sinking sun outside the window, lips curving slightly.
"He's gone to intercept… an old friend."
Two figures faced each other. The air was tight enough to snap.
"Hugo," Lycaon said lowly, muscles coiled, not daring to relax even a fraction. "I didn't expect you to hold out this long."
"Hugo's eyes were sharp, breath heavy. "Lycaon, I'll say it again. Move."
"Sorry," Lycaon replied, voice steady. "For Rina and the others' happiness, I can't."
Hugo stepped forward, pressure rising like a wave.
"Heh. Neither can I."
"For Vivian to get what she wants… how can I lose here, Lycaon?!"
"Hugo!!"
"Lycaon!!!"
"Hugo!!!"
Eupis Port.
Sea wind carried salt and dampness, and the sunset poured gold across the glittering surface of the water. Qianye sat alone at the pier, fishing rod in hand, line sinking into the sea and spreading ripples outward.
His focus was locked onto the bobber, as if the entire world's chaos had nothing to do with him.
His communicator had been left at home.
And—just to be safe—he'd disguised himself.
In fact, he'd gone all in: dressed up so convincingly that, at a glance, no one would ever suspect the quiet "girl" on the pier was him.
"Hmph," he muttered under his breath, watching the cluster of fish gathering under his hook without biting. "Watching a movie with Zhe and Belle would've been way better."
"As long as Zhe's there, Belle won't dare force me to 'pay my dues.' And the others—yeah, they say it's just moon-viewing and cake…"
"…and then somehow the 'cake' ends up being me."
He clenched his jaw, resisting the urge to jump into the sea and teach the fish a lesson.
"…Maybe I should do what Master Yinhu said. Just buy fish when the boats dock."
"Or," a warm voice said behind him, "I can catch a few for you. How about that?"
"No," Qianye replied automatically, stiffly. "A real man's fish must be caught—"
His voice died.
A hat was gently lifted off his head.
Then something soft—and very familiar—pressed against his back, and the scent that followed made his entire body lock up.
"M-Master?" he stammered, voice cracking. "Weren't you in Weifei…?"
A low laugh, close to his ear.
"I missed my disciple," Yi Xuan murmured. "I searched for so long and couldn't find you… I had to rely on divination to locate my beloved little disciple."
Her hand pinned his shoulder with effortless control, warm breath spilling beside his ear.
"And I must say… you look positively delicious like this."
Qianye trembled, sensing that same overwhelming, almost frightening desire—too strong, too hungry, too unstoppable.
He tried to struggle anyway.
"…Master."
"Yes, my good disciple?"
"…Can I at least finish fishing first?"
A chuckle. Amused. Absolute.
"No."
Then, with a playful softness that somehow felt even more dangerous, Yi Xuan summoned her azure bird.
And as the wind rose and the world suddenly tilted—
Qianye realized, a little too late, that while everyone else was fighting, scheming, searching, or sending messages…
He'd chosen the worst possible time to go somewhere quiet.
If you want, I can also do a second version that keeps the same scene order but shifts the last part into a hard fade-to-black earlier (even cleaner), or I can continue translating the next special/side chapter in the same style.
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 150)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter190)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter105)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter222)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 190
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 170
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass Volume2/5
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 215
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 200
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 154
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player Volume4/30
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 115
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 67
Uma Musume: From Beginner 130
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 85
Uma Musume: I Want All 105
I Can Copy Unique Skills 100
Summoning an Evil God, but the 70
Supernatural Multiverse 90
My Harem Is Indescribable 85
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 90
"I'm just a Valkyrie passing through." 68
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 81
Still playing traditional Honk 69
The Most Filial Son Under Heav 65
What Should I Do After Switchi - Volume2/3
Reincarnated as a Demon, Skill 60
Hell-Difficulty Dungeon? 55
Transmigrated as Sukuna 61
Checking In in Demon Slayer 65
The Reincarnating Trainer of Tracen Academy 80
I Refuse to Become a Heroic 66
My Best Friend Into a Slime? 58
A Saiyan Stands Above Marvel 65
What Do You Mean by Using a Lab Mod to Be the Hero? 63
Tanya Starts from Re:Zero 59
Why did they assign me to Uma 55
MYGO Beauties 56
DanMachi: Emiya the Giant Hero 45
The Gacha Merchant Who Started 49
Honkai's Otherworld? Wait—Who Are You People?! 26
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