I'm a magical girl in the future

Chapter 7 Human Disaster Prevention and Response Bureau

The streets returned to calm after the ravages of the monsters. The remaining debris, like giant, carelessly discarded building blocks, testified to the overwhelming power that had just been unleashed.

The silver-haired girl looked at the black-haired girl beside her, "Reclaim the 'Source of Magic,' Higanbana. Do you remember how to do it?"

"You already said it twice on the way here."

The black-haired girl walked lightly toward the pile of wrecked beast remains. A dark light shone from her fingertips, probing deep into the remains like living tentacles.

Soon, from the scattered, still-warm fragments, faint specks of light were peeled away, as if drawn by an invisible force, slowly gathering in her palm.

Qin Xiaoling understood that this was to reclaim the "magical essence" left behind after the annihilation of the calamity beast.

After the calamity beast is defeated, the magic power and soul fragments remaining in its surviving internal core are also important materials, collectively known as "Magic Essence." For magical girls, this is both proof of their battle and an indispensable resource for enhancing their own power.

Qin Xiaoling and Ye Han clearly had no objection to the magical girl collecting magical energy. After all, they were the ones who defeated the calamity beast.

"Are you all alright?"

Qin Xiaoling snapped out of her daze and realized that the other two girls had already walked up to them. It was the taller, silver-haired girl who spoke.

Beside her, the petite silver-haired girl in a similar red and white dress was staring at her silently with a feeling that Qin Xiaoling couldn't quite describe.

"Ah... I, we're alright..."

Qin Xiaoling answered instinctively. Still reeling from the ordeal, she tugged at Ye Han's sleeve, who was also pale-faced.

"Thank you so much for your help!" Ye Han bowed deeply. "If it weren't for you..."

The white-haired girl slightly raised her hand. "It was nothing. However, I'd like to know more: when the Civil Defense Bureau assigned tasks, didn't they teach you that the 'psychic energy level' of the monsters is the rule for determining whether or not to engage in combat? A level 34 monster like that one is far from being an opponent you should be facing at this stage."

Her tone wasn't harsh, but it carried an invisible pressure.

"Th-that..." Qin Xiaoling's cheeks flushed slightly, her gaze involuntarily drifted to the ground, and her tone became hesitant.

Seeing this, Ye Han, who was standing to the side, mustered her courage, took a small step forward, and said as loudly as she could, "I...I'm so sorry! Actually...we...we haven't registered with the Human Defense Bureau yet..."

"Oh?" The white-haired girl's voice rose slightly at the end, her arms crossed over her chest. "You're also 'non-registered' magical girls, aren't you?"

Qin Xiaoling and Ye Han lowered their heads even further, unsure of how to react.

The so-called "Human Disaster Prevention and Response Bureau" is officially called the "Human Disaster Prevention and Response Bureau," and is also referred to as the "Human Defense Bureau" in some regions. It is a global organization established to address the supernatural threat of "Disaster Beasts."

Its composition is complex, including not only a small number of ordinary people and administrative staff who can use magic to assist in their work, but also a core force composed of magical girls who are registered and subject to unified command and management. They are responsible for handling incidents caused by various monsters and are the only line of defense for protecting human society.

"Non-registration" refers to a group of magical girls who, for various reasons, choose not to register with the Civil Defense Bureau and instead operate as "freelance mercenaries" or "wild magical girls."

The reasons for this may be that they feel constrained by the rules and regulations of the Civil Defense Bureau and yearn for a freer way of doing things; or they may be influenced by some inhumane rumors circulating online about the Civil Defense Bureau.

"Well, I don't mean to criticize you, after all, everyone chooses their own path."

The white-haired girl's tone was calm, as if she had known all along.

"However, for newcomers, especially when they are still unsure about their own abilities, seeking protection and guidance from the Civil Defense Bureau is usually a safer choice."

"Many experienced 'free' magical girls choose not to register because they have a reliable 'guide' or they have accumulated enough power and experience to have the confidence not to register."

She paused, her gaze sweeping over Qin Xiaoling and Ye Han, "Otherwise, it's easy to step into a dangerous situation far beyond one's capacity, just like tonight."

"Because...because..." Ye Han's voice was barely audible, "I...I heard some rumors online saying...that the Civil Defense Bureau is doing...doing things like 'human experiments' on magical girls...something really outrageous..."

The white-haired girl's expression froze for a moment, and a cold shadow seemed to flash across the depths of her deep red eyes.

But that was only fleeting; she quickly regained her calm and composed expression, gently shaking her head and saying, "Most of those are just baseless rumors. In order to maintain the mystery and authority of magical girls, the Civil Defense Bureau is indeed very strict in terms of intelligence control, which is probably the source of those absurd speculations."

Despite that explanation, it didn't seem to completely dispel the lingering doubts in Qin Xiaoling and Ye Han's hearts.

"It's all recycled."

Just then, the black-haired girl's voice rang out. She had returned to the white-haired girl's side, holding an irregular crystal that emitted a murky light in her palm.

"You've worked hard, My Love."

Qin Xiaoling's attention, however, involuntarily fell once again on the silver-haired loli who had been silent since the beginning.

For some reason, she always felt that the way that child looked at her was... very special.

A gaze filled with emotions she couldn't understand made her feel inexplicably uneasy, and also... a strange sense of familiarity.

"Since we're both magical girls living in this city, we're companions. Let's get to know each other," the white-haired girl said. "My code name is Noah."

As she finished speaking, the black-haired girl chimed in, "Other Shore. Nice to meet you, little sisters."

Then there was the silver-haired loli who had been watching Qin Xiaoling the whole time.

Her voice was more childish than the other two, yet it carried a calmness beyond her years: "Lingbo." She uttered the two words softly, her deep red eyes never leaving Qin Xiaoling's face.

It was Ye Han's turn. She took a deep breath: "I... my code name is 'Four-Leaf Clover,' nice to meet you."

Finally, it was Qin Xiaoling's turn. She composed herself and met the gazes of the three, especially Ling Bo's gaze, which made her somewhat uneasy. "My code name is... 'Morning Glow'."

"Yes, Clover and Asaka." Noah nodded. "In that case, it's not too late yet. Would you like to come with us to the Civil Defense Bureau to register?"

As she spoke, she glanced at Lingbo and Bi'an beside her, "We also happen to have two newcomers on our side."