A Guide to Humanity’s Extinction

”Why are we waiting for the bus? You might as well transform and fly us over with your umbrella. It’d save money.”

”I’m not a vehicle. Why don’t you turn into lightning and carry me over instead?”

On the afternoon of July 12, there was a clear sky without a cloud in sight.

A boy and a girl of similar age stood quietly at a bus stop in the Old Jingmai District, waiting for the next bus. The boy wore a T-shirt and shorts, exuding the lazy vibe of a washed-up slacker, while the girl wore a bright yellow dress that revealed her fair, delicate calves. The eaves blocked the harsh sunlight, but not the ceaseless chirping of the cicadas.

The scorching sun made the long street warp and waver like a mirage.

Ke Mingqing wiped the sweat from his forehead. ”Are you sure you want me to fly you over?”

”Yeah.”

Xia Zili nodded.

”I’d die of exhaustion halfway to her house,” Ke Mingqing said, mocking himself. ”Though if you want to experience being carried through the air by a corpse, I don’t mind.”

”How lame. You call yourself a superhero?” Xia Zili said coldly.”Heh, Lord Ember is certainly different with two years of experience under her belt. You really know how to lecture us newbies.”

”When the Tiamat Comet flies past Earth in half a year, your good sister is going to either become an ordinary person or turn into a witch.” Xia Zili paused. ”Can’t you just let me bully you a little more while I still can?”

Ke Mingqing fell silent for a moment. He raised his arm against his forehead, shielding his eyes from the blinding sunlight.

”Then you should just become an ordinary person,” he murmured. ”That way, I can bully you however I want and overthrow Lord Ember’s tyranny. Go ahead and have your fun for this half year.”

”What if I refuse?” Xia Zili asked.

Ke Mingqing turned his head to look at her fair cheeks. ”Then what are you going to do?”

”Turn into a witch and commit double suicide with you.”

”Is that how you use that phrase? You’re already in middle school; how can your language skills still be this bad?”

”Then I’ll turn into a witch and drag you down to hell with me. That way, you won’t get the chance to bully me.”

Ke Mingqing reached out and ruffled her hair. ”Just be a good, ordinary person. I’ll protect you.”

”Really? When that time comes, I won’t be the magical girl Ember anymore. I bet you won’t even pay attention to me.”

”How could Ember possibly be more important than my own sister?”

”Really?”

”Nope.”

Xia Zili stared blankly for a second, then flipped him the middle finger.

”By the way, is my girlfriend home?” Ke Mingqing asked casually.

”She’s not home,” Xia Zili said. ”Third Sister has her WeChat, so I had her ask.”

”Why didn’t you just ask Little Red Riding Hood?”

”I told you, we’re still giving each other the silent treatment.”

”Why are you two giving each other the silent treatment anyway? I thought you were best sisters with two years of history?”

Xia Zili spoke bluntly. ”Because I played a trick on a certain superhero she’s been following lately. Little Red Riding Hood was very unhappy about it and felt I was purposely trying to piss her off. Get it?”

”Could you not make me sound like some little girl getting harassed by a street punk?” Ke Mingqing’s eye twitched. ”But then again, a punk like you really does deserve to die a thousand deaths.”

”If you’re not a little girl, what are you?” Xia Zili said faintly. ”I could handle ten Blue Pigeons with a single hand.”

Although being treated as a unit of combat power was infuriating, Ke Mingqing tactically chose to avoid the fight. ”I get it. You want me to show off my powers in front of Little Red Riding Hood to let her know that I’m your brother, right?”

”Yeah.” Xia Zili didn’t deny it.

”Won’t that just make your relationship worse? She’s going to say, ’Senior, you knew all along that Blue Pigeon was your brother, yet you still let me make a fool of myself. You’re so mean.’”

Xia Zili was secretly taken aback. She turned her head and asked, ”You seem to know her pretty well. Have you been chatting with her in private on WeChat?”

”Please. We haven’t said a single word to each other since adding each other.”

To prove his innocence, Ke Mingqing picked up his phone. Opening his player Chat Panel, he sent a message to Kuroki Hitomi.

[Ke Mingqing: My sister and I are heading over to your place now.]

[Kuroki Hitomi: I’m not home. I took a flight to Japan this morning. I have a main quest that requires me to go to Tokyo. What are you coming over for?] [Ke Mingqing: Nothing important.]

Before long, Ke Mingqing and Xia Zili boarded the blue bus.

The siblings sat in the very back row and used their phones to invite Xia Ningzhi to a game of Fight the Landlord.

The three of them played a round of cards. In the end, Ke Mingqing, playing as the landlord, won a sweeping victory. He spammed the family WeChat group with grinning Minion emojis, relentlessly mocking his two sisters.

He only stopped when Xia Zili elbowed him in the shoulder.

A while later, the bus pulled to a stop at a station along the coastal highway.

After they got off, the sea breeze was surprisingly unrefreshing, carrying a wave of heat instead.

Ke Mingqing was drenched in sweat, looking as sluggish as a walking puddle. Xia Zili, beside him, was faring much better. Supposedly, the Comet Fragments inside a magical girl naturally regulated their body temperature.

The entire coastal highway baked under the blinding sun.

The two walked for a bit before spotting the luxurious villa.

”You ring the doorbell,” Xia Zili said.

”Do you really need to hide that far away? Girls’ silent treatments are terrifying.”

Ke Mingqing shot Xia Zili a glare and reached out to press the villa’s doorbell.

The door opened, revealing a girl with wispy bangs wearing a polo shirt. She had an apron tied around her waist, and her plastic-gloved hands gripped a broom. Clearly, she had paused her cleaning to answer the door.

An Youlu peeked through the gap in the door, staring warily at Ke Mingqing.

Why is this cabbage-stealing pig here again? she thought to herself.

”I came to keep my sister company,” Ke Mingqing spoke up.

An Youlu blinked in surprise. Shifting her gaze, she finally noticed Xia Zili hiding in the distance.

”It’s too hot outside, I’m heading in,” Ke Mingqing said, brushing past An Youlu to step inside the villa first.

Xia Zili stared blankly at his retreating back. How could you just abandon your sister like that? she thought.

She suddenly felt like she had lost her only support. Left with no choice, she reluctantly walked over and stood in front of An Youlu with her head bowed.

”Please go back, Senior,” An Youlu said rapidly. ”It’s rare for a garbage-eating little girl like me to idolize someone, only to have them snatched away by a little girl born with a silver spoon in her mouth.”

The girl lowered her eyes in deep sorrow. ”Alas, capitalism... Alas, human nature. I don’t want to be friends with any magical girls anymore.” Xia Zili hadn’t expected the incident to hit her quite so hard.

An Youlu paused, and her tone rapidly returned to normal.

”By the way, Senior, there’s a magical girl visiting in the living room. If you want to chat with her, I don’t mind. But I still haven’t forgiven you, so please don’t interrupt my work.”

”What happened to not being friends with any magical girls?” Xia Zili was speechless.

”Come on in. What are you two doing?” Ke Mingqing’s voice drifted out from inside the villa.

After stepping into the villa, Xia Zili quickly spotted an unfamiliar figure sitting on the living room sofa.

It was an ethereal young girl dressed in a white miko outfit. She had long, luminous lead-powder-colored hair and wore a cherry blossom hairpin. Ke Mingqing was also looking at her as a super-human species panel slowly presented a Pop-up in front of his eyes.

[super-human species Codename: ”Magical Girl Sakurahime”]

[Type: magical girl]

[Danger Rating: B++ Rank]

[Description: The most famous magical girl in Japan. The form of her magic dress is a ”miko outfit,” and her magic weapon is a ”folding fan capable of controlling cherry blossoms,” which can sometimes be transformed into a sharp blade for combat.]

Because she was also on the escort roster for the upcoming comet event, Ke Mingqing had read up on her online.

Unlike other magical girls, Sakurahime didn’t care to hide her identity. Whether transformed or not, she always liked wearing her miko outfit, maintaining her distinct features and style.

She was one of the few magical girls who openly revealed her true identity to the public.

Over in Japan, her influence was massive. She was an idol among idols; the sales of her merchandise had even spurred Japan’s economic growth.

Of course, the reason she had such confidence was because she was backed by an incredibly powerful underworld syndicate—the Kiyono Clan. The Kiyono Clan possessed immense influence in Tokyo, practically controlling the city from the shadows. Even if Sakurahime’s enemies knew her identity, they wouldn’t dare make a reckless move against the people around her.

At that moment, An Youlu walked over.

Leaning close to Xia Zili’s ear, she asked reluctantly, ”Senior, this is Magical Girl Sakurahime, the teammate the company arranged for us. Do you need me to distract your brother so he leaves first?”

”No need,” Xia Zili shook her head. ”My brother knows who I am, and he knows you’re Little Red Riding Hood.”

An Youlu froze, her expression growing even more depressed.

”Did Senior really sell me out? How terrible,” she muttered, her tone brimming with resentment.

The girl in the miko outfit clearly understood Chinese. She raised a delicate eyebrow, turned her head, and sized Xia Zili up with great interest.

”So then, this must be Ember?”

”Hello,” Xia Zili said. ”You’re Kiyono Sakura, right? I’ve seen your introduction on TV.”

Kiyono Sakura smiled slightly. ”That’s right. I’ve heard so much about you. I just arrived from Japan today. In a few days, we’ll be serving as guards for the Comet Fragments together. Please take care of me.”

She paused and turned her head to look at Ke Mingqing, who was standing there dumbfounded.

”And this is?”

”He’s my brother,” Xia Zili said. ”He knows my identity, so there’s no need to hide anything in front of him. His lips are sealed; he won’t tell a soul.”

My lips are sealed, but White Jack’s aren’t, Ke Mingqing thought to himself, silently shifting his gaze.

”I see.” Kiyono Sakura nodded thoughtfully.

”I have a little business to take care of, so I’ll be borrowing this garbage-eating Little Red Riding Hood,” Xia Zili said coldly. She suddenly reached out and grabbed An Youlu, who was in the middle of sweeping, by the back of the neck.

She lifted her up just like picking up a cat.

”Alright, please take Trash-Eating Hood away,” Kiyono Sakura smiled faintly.

”I refuse to be bullied with nicknames! Please use my proper name!” Trash-Eating Hood tried to resist.

Xia Zili replied, ”What’s wrong? You love eating garbage the most, so calling you ’Trash-Eating Hood’ shouldn’t be a problem, right?”

Kiyono Sakura chuckled softly. It seemed she had already gotten used to Little Red Riding Hood’s way of speaking.

Soon after, Xia Zili dragged An Youlu toward the backyard past the first-floor living room. Ke Mingqing followed them out, casually playing with his phone. A few jacaranda trees were planted in the backyard, their blue-violet petals scattering in the cool breeze and blanketing the ground.

The three of them stood in the cool shade of the trees. Looking out into the distance, they could see the ocean. The crashing of the waves against the shore echoed with a rhythmic whoosh.

”Senior, us little girls who clean up garbage have very busy days. After tidying up the living room, I have to go clean the kitchen in a bit.” At this, An Youlu paused. ”If there isn’t anything urgent, please take your cabbage pig... oh, no, please take your older brother and leave.”

Xia Zili emphasized every word. ”You’re not leaving. I have something to tell you.”

”Couldn’t you just say it over the phone?” An Youlu hugged her broom, looking like the picture of misery. ”You just had to show up at my house without any warning.”

”No. I have to tell you in person for you to believe it.”

”Why? You’re always so unreasonable, Senior. That’s why I’m the only one willing to hang out with you.”

”Brother,” Xia Zili suddenly called out.

Ke Mingqing was staring out at the ocean in a daze. Being called out like that, he helplessly shrugged his shoulders.

”I know, I know.”

As he spoke, he kept his left hand stuffed in his pocket and raised the index finger of his other hand.

An Youlu frowned slightly, shifting her gaze to this rather unremarkable, handsome youth.

In the very next moment, a surge of deep blue lightning erupted from the tip of the boy’s finger.

The electricity danced and shrieked through the air. It gradually shifted from an oceanic, illusionary blue into a violent, chaotic black, illuminating the shadows beneath the trees and faintly scorching a trail of white smoke into the air.

A fierce wind swept past, gently lifting his bangs. His pupils were illuminated by the crackling lightning, making him look like a completely different person from the washed-up slacker from before. Watching this scene unfold, An Youlu slowly and unconsciously let go of the broom in her hands, frozen completely in shock.