"It's magic, da. Magical girl magic, da!" Flandre Scarlet said proudly while flying upside down in the air.
"Then please, Magical Girl Flandre-chan, pay attention to your clothes while flying... or please wear safety pants and a short-sleeved vest underneath." Seeing Flandre Scarlet hanging upside down in the air wearing a skirt, where in an instant nothing was left but her panties, Beatrice Swire covered her face and said.
"No, no, a magical girl's clothes won't fall off... I forgot to cast a spell on these new clothes!" Flandre Scarlet, now right-side up, had a face as red as a monkey's butt. She forgot that she wasn't wearing the outfit she went out in, but a new set of clothes she had bought; she hadn't changed out of them because she thought they looked nice. As a result, she made a fool of herself.
Beatrice Swire reached out and patted Flandre Scarlet's head to help her cool down. "Alright, alright, I know Flandre didn't do it on purpose. Besides, you did a great job today."
Only then did Flandre Scarlet recover.
"Then I'll head back first. See you tomorrow!" Seeing that it was getting late, Beatrice Swire said goodbye to Flandre Scarlet and left her room. After watching the other leave, Flandre Scarlet hugged a doll taller than herself, buried her head in its arms, and rolled around in the air for a good while before sticking her head out.
"Uwah, how embarrassing!"
Meanwhile, at the Lungmen Guard Department.
That afternoon, Ch'en Huijie followed the clues from the evidence and caught the second sister of the Xia family, who was wearing heavy makeup and about to leave from the Lungmen port. Faced with ironclad evidence, she confessed to the crime, admitting she had murdered her sisters. Solving the case so quickly earned Ch'en Huijie a lot of attention within the Major Crimes Unit.
Upon learning that the case was solved thanks to a newly hired bloodstain identification expert in the Major Crimes Unit, some were envious while others were jealous. Soon after, a new case appeared before everyone in the Major Crimes Unit. The victims were a family of three, all of whom died from excessive blood loss, and their blood was smeared all over the house.
Some said it was witchcraft, while others wondered if it was a Sarkaz Blood Demon; after all, in stories, those people loved playing with blood and enjoyed torturous killings. The Guard Department quickly identified five suspects and brought them in.
Originally, Ch'en Huijie wasn't very interested in this case; after all, with modern forensic science, it wasn't difficult to find the real killer among five people. However, she was stopped before she could even leave the Major Crimes Unit's door.
The man provoked her, saying he also happened to have a master of bloodstain identification on his side and challenged her to a competition to see whose expert—including the one Ch'en Huijie brought last time—was more skilled.
"So what if your friend is skilled?" Ch'en Huijie looked at him, speechless.
"Nothing much, I just don't want Governor Wei to be labeled as someone who practices nepotism, so I want to help him clear out the scum in our ranks." The man stared at Ch'en Huijie with his nose in the air.
He truly couldn't stand her. How could she climb to the position of Senior Superintendent of the Major Crimes Unit at such a young age? Was it just because of her connection with Governor Wei? He had worked here for over ten years before making it into the Major Crimes Unit; if it weren't for her, he should have been the one promoted to Senior Superintendent this year.
Ch'en rolled her eyes and tried to leave, but the man blocked the door and refused to budge. Just as tensions were rising, Hoshiguma reached out and pressed a hand on Ch'en Huijie's shoulder.
"Old Ch'en, this brother wants to see our expert's methods, so let him see. Besides, I'm also quite interested in our little expert."
Ch'en Huijie looked at Hoshiguma, who was smiling and putting an arm around her, feeling somewhat helpless. "A case of this level doesn't require her."
"Just think of it as calling her out to play; didn't that kid say she usually stays indoors?" Hoshiguma glanced at the man, and he obediently backed up a few steps.
Compared to Ch'en Huijie, Hoshiguma was a true veteran in the Major Crimes Unit. Moreover, it was said that before joining the Guard Department, she had been involved in the underworld, so no one dared to provoke this tall Oni woman.
"Fine then!" Ch'en Huijie knew Hoshiguma was helping her, and she also wanted to see how Flandre was doing after a few days. "In half an hour, we'll meet at the entrance of the crime scene. How about it?"
Seeing Ch'en Huijie agree, the man showed a triumphant look and spoke. "Whatever you want!" Ch'en Huijie shook her head, feeling that this was just a meaningless "game."
After going out, Hoshiguma said she would drive to pick up the Guard Department's little expert. Soon, several people arrived at the place where Flandre Scarlet lived.
"Wow, this little expert's place is really luxurious. The housing prices here must not be cheap!" Hoshiguma exclaimed while driving.
"It's just so-so..." Ch'en Huijie's mind wasn't on it; if it weren't for Hoshiguma, she really felt there was no need to involve Flandre in such a boring competition.
After knocking on the door, Hoshiguma explained the situation to Flandre Scarlet.
"Sure, I happen to be going to the library to buy books," Flandre Scarlet readily agreed. She had found three of the books Alina asked her for, but one wasn't in the local bookstore, so she had planned to check the library anyway. She had originally planned to wait for Beatrice to return and have her accompany her. Now that it was Ch'en Huijie and Hoshiguma, it was naturally fine too.
Hoshiguma also promised to take Flandre to the library after the matter was finished.
"You're also called Hoshiguma... You really are a bit like Yuugi." In the car, Flandre Scarlet looked at Hoshiguma driving and asked curiously.
"Yuugi?" Hoshiguma glanced at Flandre. The name sounded very Higashi-style; she didn't expect this little girl to know someone from Higashi.
"Yes, Hoshiguma Yuugi. Just like you, she's tall and big, with a horn on her head, but her hair is golden like Flandre's, and she loves drinking." Flandre Scarlet gestured animatedly, describing Hoshiguma Yuugi's appearance.
Soon, an image of a heroic woman with golden hair who loved drinking, somewhat similar to Hoshiguma, appeared in their minds. They chatted as they arrived at the crime scene. Upon arriving, Hoshiguma and Ch'en saw the man standing at the entrance with a young man wearing thick glasses who looked like an intellectual. He scanned Ch'en Huijie's group as they arrived and asked: "Where is your expert?"
Flandre Scarlet raised her hand. "Here, here!"
Seeing this little kid under ten years old next to Ch'en Huijie, the man had an expression that said, Are you kidding me? But the man beside him looked at Flandre Scarlet with a serious expression. Unlike his companion, who was blinded by hostility, he saw Flandre Scarlet's extraordinariness at a glance. Of course, the main reason was that Flandre Scarlet had no intention of hiding her bat wings.
"Interesting, so my opponent is a Blood Demon... I've long heard that your race's control over blood is unparalleled. Let's see if the power of technology can match your ancient witchcraft!" The young man looked at Flandre Scarlet with eyes full of fighting spirit. He thought that if he could defeat a Blood Demon in their most specialized field, he would surely become famous throughout Terra.
Flandre Scarlet blinked, wondering why one person was exasperated while the other was boiling with passion; they looked like the "Brainless and Unhappy" duo. Only then did the man who viewed Ch'en Huijie as a rival react, but upon hearing the word "Blood Demon," he instinctively took a step back, followed by a look of disgust.
"Sister Ch'en, I really don't like this guy's look. Can I gouge his eyes out?"
Flandre remembered the message Alina had passed on from Talulah, telling her to listen to Ch'en Huijie more while she was here, so Flandre Scarlet raised her hand and asked... The man was so scared he backed up a few more steps.
"You, don't you do anything crazy! This is Lungmen... I'm from the Major Crimes Unit. If you touch me, you'll be in big trouble."
Never mind Ch'en Huijie and Hoshiguma; even the man he brought thought his cowardly yet stubborn behavior made him look like a complete clown.
"Let's just start. This farce is too boring. Let's finish up early so I can go handle other cases." Ch'en Huijie looked at Flandre Scarlet.
"After you, Miss Blood Demon." The man felt that since he was an adult after all, he should show some courtesy, so he let Flandre Scarlet enter the house first.
Flandre went in, took a quick look, and then walked out just as the man was stepping inside.
"???" "What do you mean?" Seeing Flandre Scarlet turn around as soon as she entered, the man was momentarily dazed.
"I've finished checking!" Flandre Scarlet blinked. She had already memorized the scent of the blood aura in the house. "Then we'll go to the Guard Department to see the suspects, and by identifying whose blood aura is stronger, we'll naturally know who the killer is."
"???" The man also had a dazed expression. "Where is your witchcraft? Where are your incantations? You can identify the killer just by looking? Isn't that a bit too hasty?"
"Does it need to be that complicated?" Flandre Scarlet looked at Ch'en Huijie and Hoshiguma standing at the back.
"No, let's go back to the Guard Department. This gentleman can conduct his investigation; we won't disturb him." Ch'en Huijie crossed her arms and turned to walk outside.
As they left, they heard cursing from inside. "Didn't you say you were the best bloodstain identification expert in all of Lungmen?" "Well, you didn't say my opponent was a Blood Demon!" "Then why didn't you stop them?" the other's voice was exasperated. "Are you crazy? Two Senior Inspectors and a Blood Demon on the other side, and you want me to stop them? How many lives do I have? Besides, the money you paid isn't enough to buy my life..."
He wasn't going to take it; as a bloodstain identification expert, if you didn't hire him, plenty of others would. He didn't lack connections, so in the face of the man's embarrassment and anger, he snapped right back. Hearing the voices from inside, the three people in the car couldn't help but laugh.