Category: I Became a White-Haired Loli

Chapter 3: Little Girls Are the Best After All!

“Oh no!”

Xu Bai panicked, immediately pulling her hood back up and nervously glancing around.

Strangely, the passing crowd seemed oblivious, none paying attention to the incident.

Xu Bai’s face flickered with confusion, but she was also relieved.

If her non-human features were discovered, things would become very troublesome.

And Xu Bai hated trouble.

“Wow, so cute!”

A girl’s excited voice suddenly rang out beside her. Xu Bai looked up instinctively, meeting a pair of sparkling eyes inches from her own. A faint, sweet fragrance drifted around her.

“Huh?”

Xu Bai startled, taking a step back.

But the other girl relentlessly closed the distance, swiftly scooping Xu Bai into a hug.

A slender, pale hand reached out, gently pinching Xu Bai’s cheek beneath the hood. The girl sighed contentedly,

“Mmm, soft and sweet. Little girls are the best after all!”

Before the assailant could pinch her again, Xu Bai wriggled free, retreating several steps and warning in a low voice, “Don’t come near me!”

Despite her usual stern tone, Xu Bai’s current delicate voice made the warning sound oddly incongruous.

The girl froze, then straightened up, lowering her head slightly and apologizing,

“Oh, I’m sorry. I’ve never seen such a cute little girl before. I couldn’t help myself… I’m really sorry!”

Xu Bai’s heart sank. She pulled her hood tighter, lowering her eyes,

“…You saw, didn’t you?”

“Yes, I saw. You’re very cute.” The girl nodded repeatedly.

“Cute?”

Xu Bai frowned.

At that distance, the girl couldn’t have just seen her silver hair; she must have also seen her face and her unusual golden, vertically-slitted eyes.

Those weren’t features typically described as “cute”…

Ignoring Xu Bai’s wariness, the girl’s eyes continued to sparkle. Seeing Xu Bai’s lack of response, she extended a hand. “By the way, my name is Sasha. What’s yours?”

Sasha looked at Xu Bai, a faint smile on her face, revealing two shallow dimples.

Xu Bai finally took a proper look at the girl. Besides herself, this girl was probably the prettiest Xu Bai had ever seen.

Her flaxen hair was neatly tied in a ponytail. Her features seemed ordinary at first glance, but the more Xu Bai looked, the more captivating they became.

Especially her bright smile, which was as refreshing as a spring breeze.

Her only flaw was her plain clothing, a simple, undyed, grayish-brown dress.

But more noticeable than her dress was the large backpack she carried, almost as tall as herself… Was she moving?

Xu Bai hesitated, but didn’t take Sasha’s hand or offer her name.

Sasha’s hand hung in the air, the awkwardness palpable. Yet, she continued to look at Xu Bai with interest.

Suddenly, a commotion erupted from the direction Sasha had come from, followed by several loud shouts,

“Make way! City Guard on official business!”

…City Guard?

The Empire hadn’t had a City Guard before. It seemed that after the war, the regular garrison knights had taken over city patrol duties.

Xu Bai looked curiously towards the source of the commotion, spotting several fully-equipped knights in light armor rushing against the flow of the crowd.

Wait, were they… coming this way?

“Haven’t shaken them off yet?”

Sasha muttered under her breath, tightening her grip on the large bag.

Xu Bai stiffly turned to look at the nonchalant Sasha, her eyelid twitching uncontrollably.

So that’s why she had been running…

“There’s the thief! Stop her!”

The City Guard spotted the conspicuous large bag in the crowd and shouted, drawing everyone’s attention.

For some reason, Sasha’s expression suddenly became conflicted. Instead of running immediately, she looked at Xu Bai with reluctance and asked shyly,

“Little girl, tell me your name quickly, or I won’t be able to find you later!”

Xu Bai: “…”

You’re still running away!

Xu Bai had a sudden premonition: she absolutely couldn’t get involved with Sasha. This girl was a walking disaster.

Under Sasha’s expectant gaze, Xu Bai remained silent, pulling her hood lower and seamlessly backing away into the crowd without hesitation.

It felt a little heartless, but Xu Bai desperately wanted to avoid trouble.

“That thief seems to have an accomplice! The one in black trying to run away! Don’t let them escape!”

The City Guard shouted again. The crowd around Xu Bai instantly parted, exposing her concealed figure.

“…Damn it.”

Despite the impeccable manners instilled in her by Sister Neily, Xu Bai couldn’t help but curse.

Unlike Xu Bai, Sasha’s eyes lit up again.

“Little girl, it looks like they’re after you too!”

You think?!

Sasha scratched her head, then, before Xu Bai could react, rushed forward, scooped her up, and declared,

“Little girl, let’s go!”

Once again, Xu Bai found herself unexpectedly in Sasha’s arms, her small body enveloped in a warm, soft embrace. The girl’s unique fragrance filled her senses, and for some reason, she couldn’t muster the strength to struggle.

“Miss Sasha, what are you doing?”

Xu Bai forced herself to calm down, asking as steadily as she could.

“Taking you with me!”

Xu Bai couldn’t see Sasha’s expression, but her voice sounded even more excited than before. “You’re so light! What’s your secret?”

…Is now really the time to ask that?

Xu Bai sighed inwardly, turning to look back.

The pursuing City Guards were far behind, struggling to navigate the dense crowd.

Meanwhile, Sasha moved through the throng like a deer in the forest, finding every foothold with nimble grace.

She was skilled, far more than she appeared…

“Little girl, actually…”

Sasha suddenly lowered her head, looking at Xu Bai’s face beneath the hood, a smile playing on her lips. “You’re not human, are you?”

Chapter 2: First… First Encounter Kill?

North Calendar Year 537, Late Winter.

A full year had passed since the “Saint Noyes Incident.”

Just as the Imperial High Command had predicted, shortly after the great retreat, the demon legions from the Abyssal Demon Realm successfully captured Saint Noyes.

It was the seventy-second border fortress, and the last, lost by the Human Empire in the centuries-long war against the Abyss.

Human territory shrank once again, now less than a tenth of its former size.

However, just as the demon legions were about to overrun Saint Noyes, an unusually powerful surge of psychic energy erupted at the heart of the battle, its intensity strong enough to disable all nearby psychic devices.

Simultaneously, at the very same spot, a strange, brilliant “sun” rose slowly over the ravaged battlefield of Saint Noyes.

In an instant, the “Nightmare” legion, one of the most formidable and undefeated demon armies that had ravaged the continent of Solor for years, was annihilated, their lives snuffed out by some silent force.

The battlefield was eerily desolate, devoid of any trace or clue.

The Abyssal Demon Realm investigated this unexpected turn of events thoroughly, but no information was ever released. The incident became a taboo subject, never to be mentioned again.

However, the Abyssal Demon Realm understood that their age-old war against humanity could no longer continue.

No one could guarantee that the “sun” of Saint Noyes wouldn’t rise again, and the potential cost was too great for the Abyssal Demon Realm to bear.

Thus, the war, lasting over four hundred years, officially ended with the North Empire signing a peace treaty proposed by the Abyssal Demon Realm.

Humanity no longer lived in constant fear of demon attacks and could finally redirect their scarce resources towards rebuilding.

The North Empire, having caught its breath, finally had the opportunity to focus on the development of its cities.

—And Vikarn Port, in “Shrieking Bay,” was one of the empire’s key development targets.

Before the war, it had been a vital transportation hub, facilitating trade with non-human factions. Abandoned for centuries during the war, it was now being revitalized.

“I haven’t been back in years. How did Vikarn Port become so lively?”

Xu Bai gasped softly, marveling at the bustling Vikarn Port, before quickly pulling her hood tighter, her small figure moving through the crowd.

Vikarn Port was where Xu Bai had grown up, but she hadn’t returned since joining the vanguard forces and heading to the battlefield.

Seeing Vikarn Port now, both familiar and foreign, bearing traces of its past despite the changes, brought a flood of warm memories to Xu Bai’s mind.

Memories of herself, and of Sister Neily…

A year had passed.

A year since Xu Bai had resolved to defend Saint Noyes to the death.

The memory of the blood and the stench of decay still lingered.

“Rayne, Victoria, Lockner, Qin Su, and… Sister Neily.”

Of the once spirited Sharp Assault squad, only Xu Bai remained. Even Sister Neily, her companion for over a decade, had vanished in that terrifying white light.

Moreover, in the past year, Xu Bai had transformed from a “he” to a “she.”

The crowd grew denser, forcing Xu Bai to lower her head as she walked. She glanced down at a small puddle left by last night’s rain, her reflection shimmering within it.

She slowed her pace, staring absently at her reflection.

First, she saw a pair of unsettling, vertically slitted golden eyes, then the delicate features she still found breathtaking, framed by shimmering silver hair. Her small, petite frame was concealed by a black hood and cloak.

No one would guess that this adorable, silver-haired little girl had been an ordinary, quiet young man just a year ago.

Xu Bai’s memories of the siege, its duration and end unknown, were fragmented. All that remained were images of her comrades falling, and Sister Neily’s final embrace.

Then, a blank space. When her memories resumed, she was like this.

If not for the familiar, damaged armor and slightly loose clothing, Xu Bai would have thought she had possessed someone else’s body.

For the past year, Xu Bai had been searching for a way to return to her original form.

But so far, she hadn’t found a single clue, not even a race with similar silver hair and vertical pupils.

Because of her appearance, Xu Bai always wore a black robe, hood, and veil, concealing herself completely, afraid of being discovered.

The transformation into a little girl was embarrassing, of course, but more importantly, Xu Bai knew that her current appearance wasn’t human.

Her ethereal beauty, even Princess Lilia, renowned as the empire’s most beautiful woman, couldn’t compare.

When beauty reached a certain uncanny level, it evoked fear rather than admiration.

Fortunately, Xu Bai had saved some money from her time as a knight, enough to last a few years.

The only clue seemed to be Sister Neily, who had mentioned her role as a “key” before her demise.

So, after searching fruitlessly in foreign lands, Xu Bai decided to return to the North Empire, to Vikarn Port, the place she and Neily had grown up, to find answers.

She was reluctant to return to this land of sorrow, but she had no other choice.

However…

“When did Vikarn Port become so prosperous?”

Xu Bai looked up, observing the bustling crowd, a dazed expression on her face.

Vikarn Port used to be a deserted, neglected port. Even during festivals, it had never been this lively.

It was even more prosperous than the North Empire’s capital in Xu Bai’s memory. After all, the last time she had been in human territory, the war was still ongoing.

“Well, it has nothing to do with me.”

Xu Bai shook her head. She had more important matters to attend to.

Besides herself, who else in Vikarn Port had been close to Sister Neily?

Frowning, Xu Bai wandered aimlessly, lost in thought.

“Move… Move aside!”

Suddenly, the crowd stirred, and a series of cheerful yet urgent shouts rang out.

A figure darted through the gaps in the crowd, rushing straight towards Xu Bai, who was still deep in thought. Unable to react in time, she collided head-on with the oncoming person.

“Oof!”

The impact sent Xu Bai stumbling, but she managed to regain her balance and avoid falling.

However, her carefully concealed hood was dislodged, and her striking silver hair cascaded down, fully exposed to the public.

Chapter 1: The Beginning of the Story

North Calendar Year 536, Winter.

The gloomy sky was thick with acrid smoke. Faint magical fluctuations lingered, and the air reeked of the stench of blood and the nauseating smell of decay.

Saint Noyes, the once formidable fortress standing at the edge of human territory, was now nothing more than a pile of rubble.

Xu Bai stood atop the high city walls, overlooking the retreating demon legions that had besieged Saint Noyes. His blood-splattered face was expressionless.

Another wave of attack had ended, and the demonic army had been repelled once more.

But the price…

Xu Bai lowered his head slightly, gazing at the scattered, twisted, and dismembered corpses of demonic soldiers strewn across the ground below.

Surrounded by the pile of corpses stood a tall suit of armor, resolute as a statue.

The knight inside was dead, but even in his final moments, he had shown no sign of retreat, wielding his weapon against the swarming demons until his last breath.

His armor, battered and broken from days of fierce fighting, barely clung to his wounded body. Blood seeped through hastily applied bandages, now dried and stiff.

“Rayne…”

During the enemy’s previous charge, Rayne had leaped from the wall, sacrificing himself to hold back the enemy. Even in death, his body remained upright.

Xu Bai raised his head slightly, his gaze shifting towards the watchtower nestled against the city wall.

Atop the watchtower, a tall, slender figure was faintly visible. Leaning against the narrow top, she clutched a nearly destroyed heavy magic cannon, lifeless.

Below the watchtower, a dense mass of decaying demon corpses lay piled up, their expressions frozen in their final moments of ferocious attack.

Even as death approached, she had maintained her firing stance, unleashing a barrage of fire upon the incoming demons.

“Even Victoria is dead…”

Xu Bai’s eyes flickered before he lowered his head.

…Just as he had foreseen.

His comrades, all members of the “Sharp Assault” squad, had perished here. Saint Noyes, once a border fortress, had become their cage and their tomb.

“This wasn’t how it was supposed to end…”

Xu Bai closed his eyes slowly, sighing.

The “Sharp Assault” squad, a special operations team of the Border Guard’s vanguard regiment, had operated as a secret imperial unit behind enemy lines, maintaining the long front at the border alongside the imperial cavalry stationed at Saint Noyes.

Just a few days ago, as usual, the Sharp Assault squad had ventured deep into demon territory on a raiding mission to disrupt the demon army’s march.

Unexpectedly, after numerous arduous battles and successfully completing their mission, they returned to find Saint Noyes deserted. Supplies and weapons were gone.

While the Sharp Assault squad had risked their lives to divert the demon army’s forces, the garrison at Saint Noyes had retreated.

It was clearly a premeditated withdrawal.

Faced with the infamous “Nightmare” demon legion, the Imperial Knights had chosen to abandon the fortress and fall back to the next line of defense.

Abandoned along with them was Xu Bai’s Sharp Assault squad.

No one remembered this secretive unit. Due to the nature of their missions, the Sharp Assault squad wasn’t even officially recorded in the military archives.

In other words, Xu Bai and his team were trapped in Saint Noyes, forgotten by all.

“Captain, come down. Don’t look anymore. You can’t bear it.”

A familiar, gentle voice came from behind him, tinged with worry.

Xu Bai remained silent, his face darkening.

Neily looked at him with heartache. She was the only medic in the Sharp Assault squad and had been like a sister to Xu Bai for as long as he could remember.

She knew that despite his reserved nature, Xu Bai deeply valued his comrades.

“Bai, don’t blame yourself. You’ve done your best.”

As she had done when he was a child, Neily gently stroked Xu Bai’s hair, speaking softly.

She no longer addressed him as “Captain,” but used his old nickname.

“But I still couldn’t bring them home…”

Xu Bai trailed off, looking up at the darkening sky.

A light rain began to fall, evenly sprinkling Saint Noyes, but it couldn’t wash away the thin layer of smoke hanging over the ruins.

Seeing Xu Bai’s grief, Neily opened her mouth as if to speak, but remained silent.

The low rumble of hooves echoed again, drawing closer.

Seemingly aware that the defending knights were all but annihilated, the demon army, after a brief respite, slowly advanced towards Saint Noyes.

“They’re coming again.”

Xu Bai looked at the vast, dark mass of the demon army below the wall, then turned to Neily, speaking calmly, “It’s time… Sister Neily, I’m sorry, I have to go first.”

“Bai…”

Neily called out, her expression complex, a mixture of conflict and struggle.

But Xu Bai didn’t notice Neily’s unusual behavior. Without hesitation, he pulled away from her, drew his longsword, and walked slowly towards the wall, whispering,

“If we meet again in the next life, I hope… I can call you Sister Neily again…”

Before Neily could react, Xu Bai had reached the wall and leaped.

He wouldn’t wait passively for death. Facing certain doom, he launched one final charge.

Even if he was alone.

Watching Xu Bai’s receding figure, Neily’s mind flashed with a buried memory. Tears glistened in her eyes as her conflicted expression hardened into resolve.

“Maybe this is wrong, but I won’t regret it…”

“Kill!!!”

A deafening roar erupted as the demons recognized the lone human commander charging towards them.

A deluge of spells and countless blades rained down on Xu Bai.

But he didn’t evade, continuing his charge towards the demon leader at the center of the legion, his longsword carving a bloody path.

The demon leader watched with amusement, arms crossed, making no move to intervene, even as Xu Bai closed to within a hundred meters.

But this distance was an insurmountable chasm for Xu Bai.

Under the relentless onslaught, Xu Bai finally succumbed, collapsing slowly. But in his last moment, he flung his longsword, chipping the demon leader’s armor.

The demon leader looked down at his damaged shoulder armor, slightly surprised. He spoke in a deep voice,

“Impressive, human knight. I admire your courage. Unfortunately, the disparity in power cannot be overcome by bravery. Regrettably, we have won.”

Xu Bai twitched his lips, offering no reply. The vibrant red of the blood on his face faded to a pale white.

Even on the brink of death, Xu Bai remained fearless, a flicker of memory in his eyes as he murmured,

“Rayne, Victoria, Lockner, Qin Su…”

“Though a little late, I’m still coming to join you.”

…

…

“No, Bai.”

After an unknown amount of time, or perhaps in an instant, Xu Bai heard a familiar, gentle voice and slowly opened his eyes. “…Sister Neily?”

He was startled by his own voice. It sounded… strangely delicate.

But upon seeing the figure before him, his heart clenched, forgetting his strange transformation. He spoke in disbelief, “You… are you Sister Neily?”

“Good, Bai, you still remember me.”

The mangled figure spoke in the voice Xu Bai knew best, yet now dreaded the most.

“How could this be…”

In Xu Bai’s memory, Neily always wore a pristine smile. Now, she was nearly unrecognizable, her body disintegrating.

A blinding white light enveloped everything, punctuated by the agonizing screams of demons and the horrifying sound of flesh vaporizing.

Xu Bai even saw the once invincible demon leader writhing in agony within the white light…

“Don’t worry, Bai, Sister Neily won’t let you die,” Neily raised a hand, gently stroking Xu Bai’s hair, her voice soft. “But as the ‘key,’ my mission ends here.”

“Sister Neily, what’s wrong? Why are you like this?”

Panic seized Xu Bai. He instinctively reached for Neily, but her body began to disintegrate even faster, fading into a translucent, ethereal form.

“What… what’s happening?”

Xu Bai recoiled, but Neily’s condition seemed irreversible.

Neily didn’t seem to mind. She simply smiled gently, her gaze shifting downwards. Her clear eyes reflected a small, white figure, two brilliant golden points flickering like flames within it.

“So beautiful,” Neily murmured, her lips curving into a smile. She spread her hand, letting Xu Bai’s floor-length silver hair slip through her fingers. “Just as beautiful as always…”

“Sister Neily…”

Xu Bai now understood. Although Neily had somehow turned the tide, she was fading away along with the demons, leaving him as the sole survivor.

Tears streamed down Xu Bai’s face, evaporating before they could reach the ground.

Neily stretched out her arms, her fading form embracing Xu Bai. She whispered,

“Bai, go far away from here. Do what you want to do. Sister Neily… is content.”

Her voice trailed off as she dissolved into a wisp of smoke. The white light intensified, engulfing Saint Noyes, sparing only Xu Bai, who stood with outstretched arms, unable to embrace the memory of his sister, alone in the blinding light.