Chapter 293

Chapter 293: The Magical Girl Cannot Save Humanity, and Liang Xiaoxiao Saw It With Her Own Eyes

The Original Witch, or rather the "Dream Weaver," quickly became famous all over the world.

Whether it is fun seekers, staunch atheists, those who hope for the supernatural in reality, or ordinary people worrying about future changes in the world, they all became the audience of the "Counter-Magic Bureau" during this crucial moment of public opinion.

Additionally, with various platforms pushing content without reason and other bloggers vigorously promoting after receiving "business deals," related search terms quickly hit over one hundred million clicks, even overshadowing the popularity of "Dazzling Stage."

—Do magical girls really exist?

This was a question that no one had thought about or cared for before, but it began to gain attention due to the ongoing bombardment and guidance of public opinion.

The most surprising part is that it even spread beyond young people’s circles, reaching those who were completely unaware of magical girls, including young adults, middle-aged workers, women buying groceries, and older men playing chess by the roadside… gradually becoming a hot topic across society.

In the inland region of Daxia, the "Counter-Magic Bureau" account on Bilibili had only been registered for one day, and its followers already exceeded eight million, increasing rapidly and expected to surpass ten million by the end of the day.

Such attention and follower growth, in the realm of virtual streamers, cannot simply be described as "the V-circle’s Xiaoyan" but belong to a prehistoric giant crashing a pond into an ocean.

"Tonight at nine o’clock, I will start my first live stream. Everyone is welcome to come and watch."

Esther smiled in front of the camera, her silver hair and red eyes giving her the look of an otaku bunny girl. With a mysterious and charming tone, along with the bizarre reality that followed, she left a deep impression on everyone.

On this day, the viewers, who were originally focused on the seventh issue of "Dazzling Stage" or lost in the beauty of Honey Qing on the photo cover, had their attention drawn to Esther.

But at the same time, some people noticed something strange about Chu Yuanqing’s photo theme.

In the past, no one thought there was anything special about "witch," but now, with the wave of magical girls happening all around, this term seemed very significant.

"Damn it, isn’t ‘witch’ just an abbreviation for magical girl? Is Honey Qing being used for promotion?"

"That’s so hilarious! Now that you mention it, Honey Qing’s outfit feels more like a magical girl style than a medieval ‘witch’ look."

"Is there a possibility—I mean a chance—that Honey Qing is actually a magical girl?"

As the discussion about magical girls continued to spread, many fans were enjoying the gossip when they suddenly realized it was about them. Suddenly, several detectives dug up "old accounts" and found a major flaw.

That is, Chu Yuanqing’s hair color and eye color.

"Not necessarily, Little Sakura’s eyes also turned pink, just like wearing colored contact lenses. I remember there were rumors saying it was the result of [Heart Flow], right?"

"If you look closely at the replay, during the second performance, Honey Qing suddenly changed her hair and eye color. Didn’t the other contestants’ fans protest back then? They said [Dazzling Stage] favored Chu Yuanqing and was not fair to everyone."

Although the changes in the second performance could be explained by special effects, the moment she first saw Charlotte on stage, her eye color suddenly faded, turning into a few precious golden frames, which seemed flawless.

At the same time, [Dazzling Stage] officials did not specifically create special effects for the change in her eye color.

This detail had been noticed a long time ago, but no one really cared until now. The current craze for magical girls, along with the theme of the photoshoot being [witch], brought it back into the audience’s view.

"If [Heart Flow] can really cause hair and eye color changes, does that mean the idols trained by [Dazzling Stage] are truly supernatural?"

"Chu Yuanqing’s photoshoot cover still chose the look of white hair and golden eyes. Is the official team intentionally hinting at something?"

These questions grew more numerous, and what originally seemed unrelated to the current controversy, [Dazzling Stage], was inadvertently drawn into the public debate.

To know, the fan group of "Dazzling Stage" is very large. This is the result of many years of effort from different countries, and it has become something that attracts a lot of attention.

This made Esther, the magical girl, and the "Counter-Magic Bureau" quickly become connected to "Dazzling Stage" in many different ways, with many marketing accounts spreading the news in an exaggerated and alarming way.

At the same time, little idols from all around the world received the news and reacted in different ways.

…

…

Dongliu Island, Hokkaido, Sapporo City.

On a hot summer day, the wind carried a warm temperature, and the noisy sound of cicadas was annoying. The wind chimes at the cold drink shop jingled, and their clear sound was quite refreshing.

Liang Xiaoxiao stood by the vending machine. She avoided the strange drinks and bought a bottle of cold Pocari Sweat. After twisting off the cap and taking a sip, she gazed at the distant Honpokan, lost in thought.

It was a building that looked somewhat like a blue castle. I heard it was a Western-style hotel built in the early Meiji period, nearly two hundred years old, and the surrounding scenery was nice, right by the small lake in Nakashima Park.

This is the place where their team has been residing recently.

I have to say, the travel funds from "Dazzling Stage" are very generous, and the staff arrangements are quite good. With almost invisible nano cameras, these days are almost like a vacation.

Although there is training, compared to the exhausting schedules arranged by greedy companies and the high-pressure environment of competing against each other in the base, these days of funded fun and relaxation are very refreshing.

"Xiaoxiao, do you think magical girls really exist?"

Lin Baor wore a sun hat and a light, flowing long dress, with sandals that revealed her toes. She sat on a bench in the shade, using a small fan to cool her face, while her wavy hair floated gently.

The girl continued to scroll through her phone and complain:

"After all, it’s just too exaggerated for the captain and Ji Shuzhu to be at that level in ‘Heart Flow’. That seems completely magical, right?"

Liang Xiaoxiao glanced at the pure white blending in "Cocoon of the Heart." Her eyes sparkled like holy frost, and the cold temperature of the Pocari Sweat in her hand cleared away the summer worries and heat, restoring her body and mind to their best state.

This glow from Chu Yuanqing created a wonderful strength in the soil of the heart, enough to stir up the tidal phenomenon of "Heart Flow."

The girl’s thoughts became clear. She casually put the Pocari Sweat against Lin Baor’s cheek and listened to her shout, "It’s so cold!" in a frantic voice. She replied casually:

"Magical girls may exist, but it surely has nothing to do with us."

Liang Xiaoxiao changed the subject and asked:

"What about Ruan Wutong?"

Lin Baor covered her cheek, thought for a moment, and answered:

"Ruan Wutong? She seems to have gone to the music game area in the ROUND1 arcade over there to compete."

"I heard that they are collaborating with ‘Shining Line’, and if you win offline, you can get a character card of Sakurai Koharu."

"Let’s check the time; it should have just started, right?"

Liang Xiaoxiao had heard that name before; Sakurai Koharu was the most popular player in the Tokyo district, which was comparable to Chu Yuanqing in the Sea City district.

Of course, the other person is very excellent, but still, she is nowhere near as cute as Little Qing.

Liang Xiaoxiao was not interested in Sakurai Koharu’s character card, and she was also doubtful about Ruan Wutong’s rhythm game skills, so she asked:

"If it’s a competition, when is the earliest someone can be eliminated?"

Lin Baor conservatively estimated:

"If someone is eliminated in the first round, they could be out in half an hour, right?"

Liang Xiaoxiao checked the address on her phone and said:

"Let’s go, I booked a Teppanyaki place nearby. If we take the train, we can just make it in time for Ruan Wutong to finish the competition."

Lin Baor stood up to follow; she hesitated for a moment and asked:

"Shouldn’t we tell the captain and the others? Although those two have no idea where they ran off to this early in the morning."

Liang Xiaoxiao thought that Baor’s personality was still too innocent. How could she not notice the secrets between Chen Yining and Ji Shuzhu after so many days?

Even Ruan Wutong, who is quite slow-witted, could tell by instinct not to make things awkward. When she saw the two were not around today, she didn’t ask about their plans and just went out to have fun.

"Don’t worry about them. The vlog was already finished. My sister also said there is enough footage for editing. We finished the commercial performance at the dojo yesterday, and now we have free time."

Liang Xiaoxiao made up an excuse for the captain and the choreographer’s little world, then pulled Lin Baor onto the tram. She sat by the window, looking at the blurred light on the asphalt road, her thoughts drifting.

Yesterday, related opinions stirred up a storm.

During the commercial performance, she gained insights from her wandering thoughts and saw a brilliance she had never seen before, releasing a deeper tide of feelings and discovering amazing abilities.

Even the usually proud captain admitted that her performance this time was quite good.

So, about what Lin Baor said, she had already thought about it a thousand times in her heart.

But…

Even if magical girls really exist, so what?

Does becoming a magical girl mean you can shine brighter than anyone else?

This is a false question.

It should be said that even if such a thing exists, only those who shine exceptionally can become a so-called magical girl.

So, even though she used Chu Yuanqing’s leftover light to brighten her heart’s lamp and caught a glimpse of the true nature of the "Cocoon of the Heart," she did not feel joy or the burst of hope inside her.

This is just luck; she was lucky enough to receive the angel’s kindness, but it doesn’t mean she can gain more favor from this kindness.

The moon shines by reflecting the sun’s light; it sparkles because of it, but wanting to use this sparkle to light up the sun is rather ridiculous.

Therefore, it is still hopeless.

Or perhaps, in those quiet weeks alone, she completely understood the difference between love, longing, liking, and admiration.

This made the thoughts in her heart become clearer and turn into something more pure.

The tram moved slowly along the tracks.

Liang Xiaoxiao’s mood became more relaxed, and she looked around before turning to Lin Baor next to her, hoping to find a topic to talk about.

Since joining Chen Yining’s group, Lin Baor was the only one who could talk to her normally.

There was no choice; Chen Yining and Ji Shuzhu were a classic pair of childhood friends and rivals.

At first, Miss Choreographer used clever tricks to keep the other person on edge, but once the young lady figured it out, they began a strange love battle of wits.

Under these circumstances, outsiders really couldn’t get involved.

As for Ruan Wutong, she was a bit of a rough and honest fool, and communicating with her was very delicate; only Lin Baor was a normal person and had a nice personality.

During this time, the two of them shared a kind of bond, and they became very good friends.

Thinking of this, Liang Xiaoxiao suddenly stared into space.

As she thought about it, Baor seemed to be one of her few friends.

Ever since her parents sold her to the company for a signing fee, she had almost lost the ability to socialize, and this time participating in "Dazzling Stage" felt like a dream.

Chu Yuanqing, Tang Liuli, and Xie Qingxuan were her first roommates.

Actually, everyone got along well, but it felt a bit far to call them friends.

That kind of real distance meant there was always a sense of estrangement in the atmosphere; perhaps that is what a temporary relationship is like, similar to a meal buddy or study partner.

They all came together because of their environment, but they could easily part ways when the environment changed.

Thinking this way, Baor would probably be like that in the future too.

Even though they added each other on WeChat, talked about the past, mentioned the future, and learned about each other’s dreams, hobbies, personalities, little habits, and even some private family matters.

But with their type of work, it is normal for them to backstab each other, grow distant, and quietly not contact each other at any time.

Liang Xiaoxiao felt lonely. She looked around and softly said:

"It seems like we are the only two people on this bus."

Lin Baor was still using a small fan to cool herself. She was very lively as she scrolled through her phone. Hearing this, she lifted her lovely face and replied with a sweet smile:

"Maybe it’s too hot, and everyone just doesn’t want to go out."

"If Xiaoxiao hadn’t said not to waste our public expense travel time, I might have just stayed in the hotel all afternoon."

Liang Xiaoxiao suddenly felt like saying something sentimental, but as faces flashed before her eyes, her heart skipped a beat, making her afraid to open her heart. She lowered her gaze for a moment, smiled slightly, and softly said:

"The summer in Hokkaido is very beautiful."

As soon as she finished speaking,

Lin Baor noticed something sharp, and just as she was about to say something, the whole tram suddenly made a loud rumbling noise.

Liang Xiaoxiao felt a strong push from behind, and she instinctively grabbed Lin Baor’s arm, using her other hand to hold onto the bracelet. The phone that had fallen on her lap was knocked to the ground and slid forward.

In the next moment, the glass nearby shattered as if it had been hit by a strong earthquake.

If it weren’t for the intense emotions stirring up like a strong wind, causing the glass fragments to scatter, both of their arms and faces would have been scratched and bleeding.

However, this was just the beginning; the shaking seemed to pause for a moment before officially spreading.

Liang Xiaoxiao struggled to hold onto Lin Baor, but she was thrown out as well.

Even though the little girl next to them reacted quickly, wrapping her arm around the other girl’s elbow while holding onto the armrest with her other hand, they both tumbled together, getting bruised and covered in scratches.

Was there a car accident?

In a daze, a confused thought came to mind.

Liang Xiaoxiao felt a terrible pain all over her body. She didn’t have time to think about how unlucky she was, or whether her face had been ruined, or if she would have scars. All that filled her mind was a big confusion.

The girl lay sideways on the bottom of the car, next to Lin Baor. Her drooping eyelids tried hard to open, ignoring the sting all over her body, wanting to see what was happening in front of her.

Splash, splash.

Pieces of glass rolled like waves, and dust and stones from somewhere blurred her vision.

Liang Xiaoxiao couldn’t see anything. Her eyes were filled with bloodshot lines, a result of the dust and blood irritating them.

But deep in her soul, in the sudden emptiness brought by fear of death, her sense of self pulled away quickly, making the "Cocoon of the Heart" shine brightly. A gentle glow spread over her body, and for a moment, her pupils frosted, pulling her senses away at the same time.

—I can see.

The girl had another kind of vision. She saw the car and the driver’s seat in the thick smoke, like a squashed tomato can, spilling a little red and revealing layers of twisted steel wreckage.

But the strangest sight was at the very front of the tram, like a vine creeping into a tin can, as if a predator controlled the area with its tentacles.

These frightening things are the cause of the tram accident. They blocked the way, pinning the vehicle to the tracks, slowly eating away at the seats and remains of the buildings ahead, like a chemical monster infected with sulfuric acid.

How magical, and yet how ridiculous.

That monster, which only exists in urban legends and fictional works, crossed the barrier of imagination and brutally tore open a path to the future, unreasonably standing in front of her door.

But why must it happen at this moment?

Liang Xiaoxiao calculated. She performed wonderfully in the show; as long as she continued to work hard in the next three performances, there was a chance Fan would reach ten million before elimination and gain leverage to negotiate with the company, tearing up the contract that bound her for the next 15 years.

The girl coughed violently, understanding the longing for Chu Yuanqing, and picking up the friendship betrayed in her youth, deciding to let go of her past self.

Light has already shone in.

So, she must not give up.

Liang Xiaoxiao tried to get back up. Her mind was in chaos, struggling to control her disobedient limbs, trying to get away from the incomprehensible monster, but she coughed up blood, feeling a heavy pressure in her chest.

Yes, that’s right.

Now, I can no longer compete.

This belated reality pierces my soul like a cold blade; it feels even more terrifying than death, as if all hope has humorously shattered.

All strength fades away, even the incredible extrasensory perception weakens at this moment, and the intense feeling of defeat makes my vision grow increasingly blurred.

With a loud crash, the upper part of the overturned tram is suddenly smashed, and the summer light floods in, stinging my eyes and creating a halo of light.

The girl’s eyelids reflexively lift, as if she wishes to see light one last time.

In the next second, a strange tentacle smashed through the window frame, wrapping around the unconscious Lin Baor and pulling her away.

Liang Xiaoxiao couldn’t react; she just happened to glance up and saw the frail figure being pulled into a wide, gaping mouth under the blazing sun, the crackling sound accompanied by writhing limbs and blood mist filling the air.