Chapter 277

Chapter 277: Soul Splitting, Painful Memories, Settling In

Xie Qing Yu’s words lingered in the room.

The little idols’ imagined love triangle suddenly ended and turned into a more twisted knot.

The shy cat only felt like it was hearing a scary story and moved closer to the sofa with the equally frightened Chu Wang Shu, inching toward Kirimi Miyuki’s spot.

Xie Qingxuan was silent; she didn’t understand why her sister saw studying abroad as abandoning her. This kind of monologue that felt like guilt and care was very strange and even a bit awkward.

The girl looked down and said nothing; Xie Qing Yu’s past was almost completely unknown to her.

These unfamiliar and fresh topics made her realize, just as she knew nothing about the other person, she had never gotten to know her sister either.

Because they had never sat down together and had a good chat.

Silence was the main theme.

And once the silence was broken, what they often passed to each other were icy blades and swords.

Xie Qingxuan looked up at the other person; she viewed herself from a distance, recalling the memories of that time, suddenly remembering that she had met Su Wan because Xie Qing Yu had brought her home to pick up something when she first returned.

The girl had a slim waist and long legs; she seemed to have practiced ballet. Her dark hair had some strands dyed a smoky blue, and when she smiled, she had dimples, like a gentle little sun.

When I first saw her, she stuffed many snacks into her arms, happily greeting me and saying she was my sister’s friend and that we should get along well; that evening, she was crying, hugging Xie Qing Yu, saying, "Waaah, Little Yu, I didn’t get the pre-sale album again."

Thinking carefully, I felt like my sister had many friends and many things I didn’t have, partly because of the impression Su Wan left that day.

So…

Has that girl already died?

Xie Qingxuan’s emotions were unclear, and she suddenly asked,

"What was your reason for killing her?"

The little butterfly fluttered its wings, feeling excited. This was the first time Honey Xuan had actively asked about Little Yu, so doesn’t that mean they’re getting back together soon? It wanted to say everything right away.

But the next moment, the violet wilting again. It wanted to tell Honey Xuan, too, but this involved the Countermeasures Bureau’s confidentiality rules. What if it caused Little Yu to be criticized by saying it out loud?

At that moment, Miss Saintess’s encouraging gaze gave the little butterfly great confidence.

Yes, Sister Charlotte perfectly held back Teacher Dream Weaver, making it so there were no issues at all!

Violet gathered her courage, glanced at Little Yu, and seeing that she didn’t oppose, she softly said:

"One year ago, before I was born, the Butterfly of the Underworld, where Little Yu is from, went to a city to investigate a disaster aura vortex."

"During this process, almost nothing unexpected happened, but after they cleared the disaster aura vortex, everyone in the city’s underground encountered a group of followers and seized unknown-level special Disaster Debris from their secret research base."

Xie Qing Yu whispered:

"Beelzebub’s gift, although just a mass of twisted flesh frozen in liquid helium, is what that group of followers called it."

"After we reported back to the Countermeasures Bureau, we stayed near the research base, waiting for the specialized recovery workers to return with them."

The little butterfly said sadly:

"But an accident happened during this process."

"Because everyone is a good child, and the tasks they had to do before did not involve killing, after defeating those cultists, they only used anesthetics and then sealed them away using physical and magical methods."

Chu Yuanqing did not speak; she understood that killing a disaster beast was very different from killing a fellow being. For the young girls who usually sang and danced on stage, touching such bloodshed was truly a great shock.

Even from the perspective of the Countermeasures Bureau, to maintain the mental health of the magical girls, they wouldn’t want them to personally judge those evildoers.

This is based on protection and stability.

So, transporting the criminals to a secret prison and letting the other staff carry out the execution was the more appropriate way to do things.

But following the process doesn’t mean it’s suitable for the battlefield; such kindness can easily be used against them.

Violet said softly:

"Some cultists had transplanted parts of the disaster beast. At night, it mutated, broke through the seal, and tried to seize that Disaster Debris. And that day… it was Su Wan and Xu Yan who were in charge of guarding it."

"Su Wan’s Flower of the Soul is a blue rose, and her magic is the strongest attack in the whole team. She is very decisive and can kill the followers with her magic almost instantly, but the disaster aura lingering on her awakened the frozen Disaster Debris, leading to tragedy."

Xie Qing Yu was silent for a long time, and then she said:

"These are all what we gathered later based on the scene and the surveillance."

"From the results, that Disaster Debris absorbed the disaster aura and came to life, breaking through the freeze of liquid helium, stabbing into Little Wan’s flesh from behind, and forcefully growing and spreading inside her bones."

"Because she didn’t bloom fully, Little Wan could not break her body to separate, which caused her to quickly become different, almost losing control. In the end, under the will of the Disaster Debris, she, in her struggle and despair, ended up eating Xu Yan…"

This bloody tragedy sends chills down the spine.

Chu Yuanqing probably understood why Little Yu’s breathing seemed to have some taboo surrounding it, changing so slowly.

Because she witnessed her best friend lose her human form and features, become corrupted in spirit, and turn into an ugly and loathsome monster.

Magical girls have never been invincible.

The short form of "witch" represents a forbidden area in this aspect.

After experiencing this, Xie Qing Yu can easily develop PTSD and feel an instinctive fear towards similar actions.

The little butterfly could not bear to let Xie Qing Yu continue speaking, so it gently touched her head and said for her:

"This action made Little Wan completely break down, lose control of her mind, and turn into a monster ruled by Disaster Debris."

"When everyone arrived, there was only Little Wan, who had turned into a monster, her tattered clothes, withered blue roses everywhere, and… Xu Yan’s remains were just pieces of flesh."

"At that time, Little Yu, thinking everyone had been killed by this monster, was so triggered that she went on a rampage with her magic."

The following events need no further explanation.

As the captain, after losing two teammates and knowing her best friend had sacrificed herself, the intense emotions erupted, pushing her magic to the brink of overflowing.

In this situation, there was no room to hold back.

Chu Yuanqing could completely imagine the scene from that time.

Xie Qing Yu used Patronus Magic to bring Su Wan into a Reality Marble, where they fought in a very basic way.

When a person loses their most precious and important thing, the anger and hatred that fills their soul can turn a timid rat in the gutter into a ferocious, bloodthirsty lion.

The little butterfly spoke softly:

"Little Yu didn’t know at first that it was Su Wan, but in the moment before she was about to kill her, the blue rose, lantern, and magic belonging to Su Wan slowly made her realize the truth."

"And I was born as the Lantern Elf during Little Yu’s breakdown and escape."

Xie Qing Yu’s heart was as calm as still water, her gray eyes lowered, as if she saw again the person surrounded by blue roses, crying and struggling in Beelzebub’s flesh, twisted by malice and gluttony, looking so ugly and so miserable.

Xie Qing Yu still remembered the warmth of the girl’s hand, the coolness of her fingertips, the tingling of her hair pressed against her skin during their hug, the softness of her body under the light during training, as well as her speaking habits, emphasis, tone, accent, and the echo that brushed past her ears.

Many times, memories are so painful because the past was so beautiful.

Xie Qing Yu will never forget Su Wan in this lifetime.

When they first met, she said:

"You must be honest with others and with yourself."

After the band completed their first event, she said:

"Little Yu has a great talent for music and is very beautiful; she will surely become an amazing person!"

When she argued with her teammates because of her stubbornness and wanted to leave, she stubbornly pulled her back, crying and said:

"I won’t let you go. Even if Little Yu’s parents never accept you, I will accept you. As long as we achieve a bigger stage together, many more people will recognize and like you!"

When they participated in the audition and made it through many challenges to the end, she happily smiled and hugged her, saying:

"Little Yu, we have debuted! We have fulfilled our promise and dream! Look, now so many people recognize you, right?"

Those small and beautiful memories piled up like a mountain, and when the truth was revealed, they all erupted in her mind, like sharp blades piercing her heart, nearly breaking her spirit, which was supported only by hatred.

How can I let go?

She pulled her out of the narrow darkness, showed her the light, and taught her what music was, what rock was, and how to express herself properly.

Without her, she would not have become a shining national idol in the eyes of others, nor would she have gained so much recognition and approval, slowly healing the wounds from her childhood.

At that time, Xie Qingxuan wanted to end her life, but she never thought about killing Su Wan.

If Violet had not been born by chance, her blooming self would surely have been twisted and warped by negative emotions and a broken spirit, giving rise to another fallen and distorted monster.

The girl’s trembling fingertips seemed to be stained with glaring red, her nose filled with the sweet scent of blue roses, as if she was dragged back into a dream, continuing to sink into that piece of withered mud, trying to find the few petals that had not yet fallen apart.

But in the end, it was futile.

Xie Qing Yu uncovered the scars in her heart, took a deep breath, and tried hard to face her inner regret, ignoring the dryness in her throat, whispering:

"I… I still regret it very much."

"At that time, Little Wan regained a bit of her senses. She said she was beyond saving and didn’t want to die like this. She begged me to set her free."

"But I was too afraid. I hesitated and didn’t break Little Wan’s lantern, which caused her soul to be completely consumed by the Disaster Debris. The lantern became completely murky, and I couldn’t even set her free."

"What Little Wan felt before she died was not the rock music filled with our memories, but the despair that was continuously growing and devouring her, fueled by the disaster aura and desire."

"I am not a qualified leader, nor am I a good friend."

Once the words fell, the atmosphere around us became silent.

Xie Qingxuan, Kirimi Miyuki, Tang Liuli, they all inherited some memories from the first playthrough and could accept this quickly.

But for Chu Wang Shu, she truly realized the horror of the Disaster and the painful tragedies born from it for the first time.

This experience was too cruel, cruel enough to almost reset her understanding of magical girls.

So…

Sister Charlotte, and Little Qing, have they always faced such things?

As Chu Wang Shu thought of this, she couldn’t help but remember her father. She seemed to understand why her young father in that memory had such awareness.

Because her father was a gentle person, and for gentle people, being unable to stop the birth of tragedy might bring great pain.

Charlotte felt a bit emotional. She guessed that there were hidden truths about the past, but she never expected Little Yu’s tragedy to twist into this. Her thoughts changed from "you are a bit extreme" to "why are you so normal," and even felt a bit of affection.

Chu Yuanqing gently patted the child’s head. She had experienced too many such tragedies to understand this sense of regret and powerlessness, but in that desperate end, her past self had no room for sadness.

This retired savior looked at the younger generation of the new era and softly said:

"It is because of regret that we must move forward."

"The so-called disaster beast is such a stubborn illness. Even magical girls who are far superior to ordinary people will meet a tragic end once their souls are completely corroded by disaster aura."

"Little Yu, the pain you have felt, there are others who are experiencing it now or will in the future."

"For me, whether it is magic or the skills of battle, they are only tools to stop these tragedies from happening."

"I won’t force my beliefs onto you, but… don’t let yourself regret it any longer."

Xie Qing Yu nodded slightly and remained silent.

The violet butterfly anxiously flew to her pale wrist, poking with its wings, showing that it was right there, looking very cute.

Chu Yuanqing looked at the little butterfly and could roughly guess the awkward reason behind Little Yu’s feelings.

This is not simply a psychological shadow.

Because, as a magical girl, Xie Qing Yu directly caused the birth of Lantern Elf, which is Violet, during her mental breakdown, and that itself is not normal.

You should know that the basic logic behind the birth of a Lantern Elf is the leftover shards of a magical girl’s soul, magical power, and wishes, and the hardest to fulfill among those three elements is the soul shards.

Normally, only when a magical girl reaches full bloom and enters a complete mature stage, when the quality and quantity of her soul hit a limit, will she naturally produce soul fragments.

—Charlotte’s unique talent and the effect of the first playthrough buff are counted separately.

At that time, Xie Qing Yu had just become a witch for a year and had not even officially reached full bloom, yet, coincidentally, a Lantern Elf appeared in this major event.

Chu Yuanqing strongly suspects that Violet was not a fairy born from normal soul fragment accumulation, but rather directly created from a part of Xie Qing Yu’s soul.

In other words, soul splitting.

This is not impossible; in the three essential elements for the birth of a Lantern Elf, the second key factor is a wish.

In that situation, it was almost natural for Xie Qing Yu to be in a twisted state, wanting to escape while also wishing to fulfill her duties as captain and protect her remaining teammates, praying for the birth of a Lantern Elf.

Furthermore, the Lantern Gem is the manifestation of a magical girl’s soul, splitting to create a fairy that resides in the lantern. Theoretically, this would not harm her potential or total magical power, but the cost could lead to unknown effects on her personality.

Chu Yuanqing suspects that this cost is probably related to Su Wan.

The most obvious thing is that since then, Xie Qing Yu hardly played rock music anymore. She would only play rock songs when she released her Patronus Magic, holding a butterfly electric guitar made of violet.

Even her sharp words towards Honey Xuan might be connected to this.

It was Su Wan who helped this child learn to speak properly.

So in this situation, avoiding the truth isn’t very helpful. It’s hard for Little Yu to face the problem and change; they need to find a deeper solution.

Chu Yuanqing couldn’t let this child eat the violet. Even if Little Yu was "healed," new emotional scars could still harm them. After thinking for a moment, she asked:

"Little Yu, have you learned the ‘Shine Meditation Method’?"

— ‘Shine Meditation Method.’

Although it was created by Charlotte, it actually includes many mental exercises from other cultures. It was something she instinctively combined with her knowledge before fully regaining her memory, turning out to be a way to relieve stress.

Xie Qing Yu looked up at the Pure White Witch who was treating her like a little dog, suddenly feeling a bit embarrassed. She squinted her eyes, lowered her long lashes, and quietly replied:

"I have heard that, but Teacher Dream Weaver said that a fully opened magical girl needs to completely master her current magic power before she can learn this. Otherwise, when expanding her limits, unexpected things can easily happen."

Chu Yuanqing pondered, and she could understand why Esther did this.

Before reaching full potential, magical girls have a great chance of success. Learning the ‘Shine Meditation Method’ is like children taking calcium tablets to grow taller; even with rapid growth, their stability will not be affected.

In simple terms, adding potential in the beginner village means that future upgrades will go smoothly.

However, when you reach level 100 and then add to your basic potential, the sudden increase in attribute values may not be so safe.

Especially for magical girls who always need to care for their mental health, it is even more important.

But with her and Charlotte watching, along with the hellish training of the Martial God Technique to sharpen body and mind, practicing the ‘Shine Meditation Method’ has no risk at all.

Chu Yuanqing nodded confidently. Although she had never taught anyone, she believed she would be a good teacher and said seriously:

"Don’t worry, I will teach you; Dream Weaver will not refuse."

Xie Qing Yu was not foolish. After seeing the exaggerated power of the Pure White Witch, she guessed that the witch’s position might be as high as Charlotte’s, belonging to the rare special beings in the world of witches that could surpass all rules.

So, this statement is not empty words.

Xie Qing Yu’s eyes sparkled as she looked up, filled with excitement, and asked:

"Teacher Chu, can I stay here for another week?"

Upon hearing this, Violet became excited too. It almost danced with joy, flying around Xie Qingxuan, Chu Yuanqing, and the other little idols, cheerfully saying:

"Yay! I really want to spend time with Honey Qing, Honey Xuan, and Sister Charlotte!"

The little butterfly felt that their family master was not scolded or embarrassed; if they had another week of vacation, it would be like traveling in Salzburg!

The scenery here is really beautiful! Although there are no bridge ribs from Daxia, the local food is worth looking forward to, and playing with these adorable magical girls is simply wonderful!

From Violet’s perspective, Little Sakura, the shy cat, the golden dog, and the cute daughter are all like lovely flower buds. Even though they haven’t bloomed their Flower of the Soul yet, they already smell great and are worth getting to know more.

After listening, Charlotte picked up the tiny blue tit next to her and said with a bright smile:

"Of course! Violet can play with my forget-me-not. It was just born and really needs a big sister to take care of it."

As she spoke, the little bird in her palm blinked its eyes, flapping its fluffy wings and curiously looking at the first bird it had ever seen.

Violet also curiously watched the forget-me-not. It quickly flew lively into Charlotte’s palm and began to whisper in a funny language, looking very happy together.

The shy cat raised its green eyes and looked at the two little creatures, listening quietly with deep thought.

Chu Wang Shu felt the urge to cuddle Violet and the forget-me-not. She loved small animals and was now excited to see what her future Lantern Elf would look like.

Xie Qingxuan felt something was off, but then thought that if her sister left, how would she have the chance to confront her and have her call her "master’s wife"?

In an instant, many images popped into the golden retriever’s mind of the Pure White Witch sternly teaching Xie Qing Yu, while it secretly played tricks on her from behind or under the table.

Kirimi Miyuki had no objections; the castle was so big that even if a few more teams stayed, it wouldn’t feel crowded. As long as Little Xuan didn’t mind, it was perfectly fine.

As for the possibility of the party being discovered…

Well, pure Little Sakura has not thought that deeply yet.

Just because the little idols have no objections, it doesn’t mean Esther has none.

Once those words were spoken, the super AI who had been quietly watching and had been shocked multiple times by Chu Yuanqing finally couldn’t hold still!

She jokingly called Little Yu over just to save as much manpower as possible, right?

If she were to give this extremely talented helper a whole week off, where would she find a new captain-level witch to fill the gap?

Unfortunately, The Last Diva and Pure White Witch together have the combined privileges of two lighthouses. Decisions they make together must be followed unconditionally unless it leads to the complete destruction of the Counter-Magic Bureau.

And just at that moment, while Dream Weaver Rabbit was in a dilemma,

Chu Yuanqing quietly typed on her phone:

"If you leave Little Yu with me for a week, I can solve her problems. Besides, with this high-level Disaster Debris in my care and no captain-level witch watching over it, you wouldn’t feel safe, would you?"

Miss Esther chose to remain silent after hearing this.

So, on the eve of the little idols leaving Salzburg, this captain-level witch temporarily joined the group and stayed in the castle with Violet.