Mo Ying’s figure flickered, swiftly taking down the enemy.

The girl—Kagumo—hadn’t even had time to feel relieved when she sensed danger. Several wind blades and bullets came flying at her from both sides.

The wind blades were immensely destructive, slicing through the cover with ease.

An Affinity User had appeared.

Mo Ying stepped in front of Kagumo and the injured person. A sharp clang rang out as bullets struck her black scythe and were deflected. The wind blades arrived a moment later, but the rapidly spinning scythe managed to block some of them. Neither Kagumo nor the injured person suffered further harm, but the wind blades were still powerful. Since Mo Ying was only wearing a short-sleeved jacket, a fifteen-centimeter-long cut appeared on her right arm.

She quickly assessed the situation—six enemies in total, one already down, leaving five remaining, with one of them being an Affinity User.

Bang!

Mo Ying fired another shot at the ground. The bullet exploded upon impact, blooming into a black-and-gold lotus. Four of the gunmen were knocked down, while the explosion’s smoke obscured visibility.

The Affinity User had been on the edge of the blast and remained mostly unharmed, but the sudden loss of vision caused him to hesitate. In the blink of an eye, Mo Ying was already in front of him.

Wind blades—this must be a Tempest Affinity.

Before the enemy could react, the handle of her scythe struck his head with force. The Affinity User collapsed instantly. If she had used the blade, he would already be dead.

In less than five seconds, the six armed enemies had all been neutralized.

Seeing that no more threats remained, Kagumo focused on finishing the treatment of the injured person before calling the police. The civilians, who had been hiding inside, cautiously emerged.

“Oh my god, that was terrifying!”

“Yeah, I thought we were going to die.”

“The woman who took them down must be an Affinity User too. So cool!”

The police arrived quickly, only to find six unconscious members of the armed group lying on the ground.

Wow, a free delivery of criminals!

After questioning the witnesses, an officer asked, “So, where is this generous contributor to our arrest records—I mean, the brave woman who saved the day?”

“She was right here… huh? Where did she go?”

Mo Ying slipped into a secluded alleyway.

This is going to be a hassle later. Better leave now.

Just as she was about to disappear, someone came running.

“Wait! Huff… Huff…” Kagumo caught up, panting.

Mo Ying turned around, slightly surprised that Kagumo had managed to find her.

“I haven’t thanked you yet,” Kagumo said.

“I was just passing by,” Mo Ying replied.

“You’re injured!” Kagumo grabbed Mo Ying’s arm.

“It’s nothing.” It’ll heal soon anyway. Mo Ying tried to pull her arm away but failed.

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Kagumo shot her a disapproving look. “I hate people like you who act tough. If you’re hurt, you should get treated properly!”

Then her eyes lit up in surprise. “It’s you!”

Ah, I’ve been recognized.

Mo Ying didn’t deny it and simply nodded.

“You changed your hair and eye color, so I didn’t recognize you at first,” Kagumo said as she used her ability to heal the wound. The cut closed instantly, leaving only a faint scar.

“You saved me once too, so I guess we’re even now,” Kagumo said, though she looked a bit disappointed.

“What a shame. I was hoping that if I met you again, I could use this favor to ask you for something.”

“What is it?” Mo Ying asked, curious.

“If I tell you, will you agree?” Kagumo’s eyes glimmered mischievously.

“You have to tell me first,” Mo Ying countered, refusing to fall for the trick.

Kagumo sighed, then said, “I recently joined a mercenary group and wanted to invite you to join us.”

Mercenary groups were usually composed of Affinity Users. In the past, they were hired to participate in wars, but over time, they had evolved into something more like problem-solving agencies.

Because their ranks were mostly made up of Affinity Users, their fees were high, meaning they were usually hired for major jobs—or by the wealthy and powerful.

However, since Affinity Users were rare and most preferred to work alone, mercenary groups weren’t too common. But they were still a solid option.

It was worth considering. Mo Ying had been working as a bounty hunter solo for three years now, and she had been thinking about finding an organization to join.

“I’ll think about it. Can you take me to check it out first?” Mo Ying asked.

“Oh, of course!” Kagumo looked delighted.

Their base wasn’t far, so they could walk there.

Kagumo led Mo Ying to a fifteen-story building.

“This is it. The fourth and fifth floors belong to us. Apparently, the leader bought them outright.”

Paid in full? Mo Ying mused. So their leader must be wealthy.

They took the elevator to the fourth floor.

“I’m back, everyone!” Kagumo announced as she opened the door.

The space was spacious and well-lit, with a large floor-to-ceiling window in the living room. To the left was a desk cluttered with documents, with a brown bowler hat resting on top. A woman sat at the desk.

“Kagumo, you’re back. And you brought a guest?” The woman looked at Mo Ying.

She had elegant, light-brown hair styled into an updo and wore a brown jacket with light makeup. She appeared to be in her thirties, exuding a mature charm.

“Leader, I want her to join us,” Kagumo said.

“Oh? Why? Do you know her?” the mercenary leader asked.

“Not for long… but she’s really strong. She even saved me earlier.” Kagumo realized that, counting today, she had only known Mo Ying for three days. But that didn’t matter—there would be plenty of time to get to know each other.

Mo Ying: You really trust me, huh?

“She saved little Kagumo? Well, that’s worth thanking her for,” the leader said. “I’m Yvette de Cliché, leader of the Clovver Mercenary Group. If there’s anything you want, just ask. But as for joining, we’ll need to see what the rest of the team thinks.”

Clovver Mercenary Group, huh.

“It was nothing. She saved me once too,” Mo Ying replied. Yvette looked at Kagumo in mild surprise.

“Also, joining was Kagumo’s idea. I haven’t agreed yet,” Mo Ying added.

“I see. Then let’s call everyone and introduce ourselves before making a decision,” Yvette said before heading upstairs.

A short while later, she returned with two men—one young, wearing a white dress shirt, gray trousers, and a suit jacket draped over his shoulders; the other older, taller, and more muscular, dressed in workwear.

Both men were rather good-looking.

Mo Ying glanced at Yvette, Kagumo, and the two men. Wait, do they recruit people based on looks?

The two men’s eyes lit up when they saw Mo Ying.

“Boss, where did you find someone as tall and gorgeous as you?” the younger man said, grinning.

“Flattery suits you. You just complimented all of us,” Yvette chuckled. “But I didn’t find her—Kagumo did.”

After Kagumo explained the situation, she introduced them.

“This is Davis Clarke.”

“Just call me Davis. I’m not that old—only in my thirties,” Davis said warmly. “Oh, and Yvette is my wife.”

“I’m Ansel Hughes. Just call me Ansel,” the younger man said.

“My turn! Though we’ve already met, I never told you my full name,” Kagumo said. “I’m Chi Kagumo. As you can tell from my name, I’m from the Eastern Continent.”

“I’m Mo Ying, also from the Eastern Continent.”

“Can you tell me more about your group?” Mo Ying asked.

The four exchanged glances before Yvette spoke.

“Mo Ying, can I call you that? I have a question—are you interested in joining?”

“I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t,” Mo Ying said firmly.

“Since we don’t know each other well yet, how about this—we take on a mission together. You don’t have to commit now. Just work with us for a few days, and if you decide not to join, we’ll still pay you. How’s that?”

“Great idea!” Davis agreed.

Ansel and Kagumo also nodded.

“Alright, let’s do it,” Mo Ying said.

“Perfect timing. I remember we just got a new request,” Ansel said.

“That’s right. A hostage rescue mission,” Kagumo added.

“Hostages?” Mo Ying raised an eyebrow.

Bonus Skit:

Kagumo: Everyone, do your best! We're recruiting new members!

Author: I have a Fate Affinity. Don't worry, Mo Ying will definitely join.

Mo Ying: ?