Chapter 298

Chapter 298: Each Person’s Awakening, Hope, Departure

The castle hall.

Chu Yuanqing brushed away the white hair that was stuck to her cheek. Her eyes sparkled gently like gold, and her light pink lips curved into a cheerful smile as she hugged her daughter and looked at Little Sakura, saying:

"Alright, let’s head to the dining table. The food is warmed with magic. We can all wait together for everyone to come back and eat together."

Chu Wang Shu reluctantly pulled away from Honey Qing’s warm embrace. She touched her cheek, which still held the warmth of a recent harvest, feeling shy and lost in the moment. She thought the person saying such words really felt like a mother.

But…

The girl glanced at Sister Miyuki, who looked a bit sad, and shook her head vigorously inside her mind. It wasn’t just Sister Miyuki; Sister Xie, Sister Charlotte, and even Liuli were all in that kind of relationship with Little Qing.

She couldn’t keep imagining Little Qing as a mother, or else what would that make her? That would be super awkward, especially knowing there was a chance Charlotte could be her real sister.

Sigh, the relationships in this group are getting more and more complicated.

Even though things felt the same between them as before, she still marveled at the strange connections they had.

Little Sakura took off her coat, revealing her thin short sleeves. She continued to put on her bag and adjusted it slightly so that the strap rested in the center of her chest, gently stretching the fabric, highlighting her curves more clearly.

The girl stuffed her coat into her narrow bag and looked at her lover’s face. The gloom faded from her cherry-pink eyes, revealing a bright smile as she said:

"Okay, let’s go."

"I’m sure everyone will be back soon."

Chu Yuanqing took Kirimi Miyuki’s hand and walked to the table to sit down next to her. She looked down at Little Sakura’s bag and curiously asked:

"Is this also Miyuki’s work?"

Kirimi Miyuki proudly and happily explained as she took off her black nylon bag and placed it on Pure White Witch’s lap, meeting Chu Wang Shu’s curious gaze:

"This is a space bag. I divided the inside into 20 three-cubic sections. I put charms, paper knives, amulets, and various small props neatly in there, so it’s super convenient to take them out during battles."

Chu Wang Shu exclaimed in admiration:

"Sister Miyuki is so amazing! Does this mean we don’t have to carry luggage when we go out in the future?"

Kirimi Miyuki corrected her:

"With Charlotte here, we don’t really need to carry luggage, but if everyone has one, it’s definitely easier to handle our things, right?"

The girl gently stroked Chu Wang Shu’s hair and said affectionately:

"I will make one for everyone who needs it when I have time. This time is just a prototype, so the materials and design are very simple."

"But next time, we can be a little more creative. Little Shu can think about what style she likes, and she can ask me to customize the shape later."

The lovely daughter’s eyes sparkled with excitement, and her favorability rating for Kirimi Miyuki soared as she couldn’t help but think about what kind of bag she wanted.

Chu Yuanqing was a bit surprised and said quietly:

"Can your ‘Tempering of the Heart’ now add elements of space?"

Although the paper crane jar that Miyuki first gave was magical enough to become invisible and hide deep within the soul, this effect was not stable.

Simply put, before the level of ‘Tempering of the Heart’ is raised, trying to clearly forge an item or weapon with a special attribute or function requires a very high state of mind and luck.

Theoretically, Little Sakura is currently unable to consistently forge storage items.

Kirimi Miyuki explained:

"The blessing part has not yet reached this stage, but I’ve found that as long as we use Charlotte’s magic to forge, it easily leads to this element."

Chu Yuanqing pondered and replied:

"Charlotte’s magic does indeed have a high adaptability to time and space spells, but I didn’t expect that the compensation mechanism for blessings could also uncover anchoring methods."

Chu Wang Shu blinked in confusion; she didn’t understand the terms like [Tempering of the Heart], blessing, and compensation mechanism, but it must be a kind of magic, right? She would surely learn it later.

The girl thought for a moment, looked around, and asked:

"Little Qing, why can’t I see Sister Charlotte?"

Chu Yuanqing gently patted her lovely daughter’s head, poured her a glass of warm milk, and replied with a smile in a soothing voice:

"She went to hunt the disaster beast in Austria. Little Shu should see something soon."

Chu Wang Shu partly understood the answer, but then she suddenly grasped something important: this time, it was different from their last encounter with the disaster beast in Vienna.

This time, the disaster beast was not just a matter of bad luck or coincidence for her and Sister Miyuki; it was simply that the area and number of disaster beasts had increased!

Kirimi Miyuki realized this too; her nose filled with the rusty smell of ashes and blood. In a daze, she saw again the black snow that had covered Dongliu Island, drowning everything.

The girl’s pink eyes became cold like weapons. She took a deep breath, contained her rising emotions, looked at the delicious and comforting dishes on the table, regained her focus, and asked with a worried expression:

"So, this is a planned group attack?"

Chu Yuanqing calmly explained:

"To be precise, in these few hours, large-scale disaster beast events have been happening all over the world, but they are all limited to Grade E. It feels less like a formal war and more like an attempt to create panic."

Chu Wang Shu’s intuition was sharp, and she murmured:

"Could it be because of the recent talk about magical girls?"

Kirimi Miyuki agreed:

"The officials just revealed the existence of magical girls, and suddenly there are attacks happening all over the world. It looks like a direct challenge, as if they want to compete with us."

Chu Wang Shu tugged at Pure White Witch’s skirt and asked worriedly:

"Doesn’t Little Qing need to help her? How can Sister Charlotte deal with so many disaster beasts alone?"

Chu Yuanqing raised the corners of her lips and said with a smile:

"Charlotte is really amazing. Little Shu doesn’t know yet, right? That day in Vienna made the news, the rainbow aurora covering all of Austria was her Shining Magic."

"Dealing with some newly hatched Grade E Disaster Beasts is quite easy, even without a stage and an audience."

Chu Wang Shu looked up at the night sky in surprise, letting go of her worries and said,

"Yes, on the day the news was broadcast, it happened to be right next to Sister Charlotte’s performance, but this time it seems there is no similar aurora."

Chu Yuanqing covered her daughter’s eyes with her small hand and whispered,

"Don’t look with your eyes. I taught Little Shu last time to learn to observe with the senses of a witch."

After hearing this, Kirimi Miyuki also closed her eyes, focusing her vision on the sea of divine sense. She actively merged into the waves of feeling, peeling away the veil of the material world, and saw a rainbow scattered in the atmosphere like auroras, stretching far away.

Chu Wang Shu saw the same scene.

In fact, due to the pull of her soul, she saw the source of this shining light.

The green cliffs of Salzburg always sparkled like broken jewels, spreading their beautiful light as it flowed upward and extending even further.

The girl whispered in amazement:

"So Sister Charlotte is there?"

As her words ended, footsteps came from the doorway.

Xie Qingxuan walked into the dining room; she sat right across from Chu Yuanqing and stated briefly:

"Little Qing, we met the disaster beast, and I killed it in front of everyone."

Tang Liuli looked at the spot next to Chu Yuanqing that was full, feeling a bit unwilling, and sat down next to the golden retriever. With her bright green eyes blinking, she said seriously:

"That thing fell from the sky, and many of them fell at once, but now the sharp, poking sensation has completely disappeared. It must have been solved by Charlotte."

The green-eyed cat wrinkled her little nose and said seriously:

"Because I saw her light shining and spreading further."

Chu Yuanqing admired the detective skills of the pastry cat. According to Charlotte, Liuli, during the first playthrough, initially focused on scouting and sensing because the cost of "The Wall of Sighs" was too high.

Looking back now, this shared talent truly extends to many areas. The Liuli from the first playthrough did not develop skills to act or even enhance the emotional impact of songs; she specialized purely in combat.

Therefore, after inheriting some fragments of memory, she could have exceptional scouting skills without any training.

Chu Yuanqing repeated the information she had just received and then used the Chain of Contracts to open a chat channel with Charlotte, sharing the previous conversation with Dream Weaver Rabbit.

This included the current situation, Liang Xiaoxiao’s experiences, and the size of the training camp.

The girl twirled her platinum-colored hair, her dark eyes emotionless. She took a sip of coffee without sugar and objectively remarked:

"Xiaoxiao is very unlucky, but she never gave up until the end, turning a ruthless tragedy around. This courage and determination show that she has the potential to be a warrior."

"This might become a turning point in her life."

Although her expression and tone were quite cold, those who knew Xie Qingxuan understood that this was a very high compliment.

Tang Liuli felt sad about her friend’s tragedy, but the memories of the past kept her emotions calm. She suddenly felt a familiar numbness, like being on a battlefield, and only after a moment did she come back to herself.

The girl looked down at the moon’s wing in her hand and whispered softly:

"After this, there will only be more people hurt by Disaster, having their happiness destroyed."

Kirimi Miyuki said clearly without hesitation:

"The magical girls were born to fight against these unfair forces."

"Our stage, our shine, our magic will one day help many who face these misfortunes, so we just need to keep moving forward at our own pace."

Chu Wang Shu’s sad feelings were lifted by these words.

Dad had saved so many families and protected such precious and beautiful happiness. She might not be as amazing as him, but she could still contribute her strength to this cause.

"Sister Miyuki is right; I will work hard in this training session."

Tang Liuli smiled and said seriously,

"I have actually been thinking that I don’t deserve to be liked by so many fans."

"But if I can be a magical girl and fulfill my duty to protect many people’s happiness, perhaps… I would deserve this love, deserving the flowers and encouragement I receive as an idol."

Chu Yuanqing watched the little idols, quietly listening to everyone’s words. She smiled, her eyes shining, and said,

"The days ahead might become more difficult."

"So, there’s no need to think too much right now. Before everyone starts training, let’s enjoy the present moment and take a good break, shall we? The festival in Charlotte’s hometown will definitely be lively."

After the Pure White Witch spoke, rainbow lights filled the room, and a slender figure appeared, settling down beside Chu Wang Shu, agreeing.

"Little Qing is right; after all, we are the new generation of witch reserves, specializing in stage and Shining Magic."

"So, don’t worry about going to battle. If a performance goes wrong, it would not be worth the loss."

Charlotte naturally hugged her adorable daughter next to her, showing a bright and soft, sweet smile that filled the room with a warm, cheerful atmosphere.

Soon, everything returned to its usual state, and they began to enjoy the delicious meal, magically kept warm, creating a cozy family party feeling.

Meanwhile, in Hokkaido, still in the afternoon, the atmosphere of this group was like two completely different worlds.

At the outlet shopping mall, there was a Teppanyaki restaurant filled with lively activity.

Ruan Wutong looked down with a confused expression, her dark hair tinged with layers of purple, staring blankly at the sterile egg in her bowl.

After a while, she lifted her gaze to Liang Xiaoxiao, who had short hair dyed a grayish-white like dried grass, and then glanced at Lin Baor, whose legs were marked with a circle of jagged scars.

The bitterness in Ruan Wutong’s heart grew stronger; she shed her carefree sunshine from before, her eyes filled with shadows.

Tears welled up in the girl’s eyes, forming drops that splashed into the bowl and shattered. She quickly covered her face with her hands, not wanting to cry, especially not in front of Xiaoxiao, who was going through something a thousand times worse than she was.

But her emotions were out of control, and her sobbing words squeezed out from her throat:

"I’m sorry, if I hadn’t gone to the hall, you wouldn’t have come to find me…"

Liang Xiaoxiao gently rubbed Ruan Wutong’s hair, and with a helpless sigh, she said:

"It’s not about Ruan Wutong. Esther said that the disaster beast would be more interested in those with magic, and our hotel is nearby. Even if we don’t go out, there’s a good chance we could be attacked."

"And I thought you would be a bit slower to understand."

Ruan Wutong held back her tears and said:

"Xiaoxiao and Baor have always taken good care of me. Even when I caused a lot of trouble for you, you never scolded me or lied to me. I like you all, and I don’t want you to get hurt."

Liang Xiaoxiao’s chest felt like it was blocked by something hard. She tasted the sourness of sadness mixed with unexpected comfort, swallowed it all down, feeling as if her tongue was stained with blood, yet she still said seriously:

"I know, I like everyone too."

"So, as long as Ruan Wutong continues to shine on stage and goes after their dreams, I look forward to seeing everyone in their brilliant forms."

Ji Shuzhu remained silent; she was the most indifferent one at the scene. Even though she completed the first transformation under the guidance of the Dream Weaver, the effects of hypermnesia and its side effects still damaged her emotional mechanisms.

To be honest, even if all her teammates died, as long as Chen Yining, who had known her since childhood and held colorful memories in her heart, was okay, she would not show any signs of disturbance.

But… she still didn’t like it.

Just thinking about the possibility of this unreasonable, sudden tragedy happening to Chen Yining would stir up heavy waves in her dull and lifeless "Cocoon of the Heart."

Ji Shuzhu couldn’t feel sad about this tragedy; she raised her almond-shaped eyes and looked at her two teammates, choosing to respond in her own way:

"Little Ning and I will try to see if there are any other ways."

"But no matter the outcome, I will seek revenge for you by striving to defeat more disaster beasts in the future."

Chen Yining flipped the sirloin steak and placed it in Liang Xiaoxiao’s bowl, continuing to grill the tempting pork neck, and said earnestly:

"When I arrived on the battlefield, Esther was sure you were beyond saving, but the truth is, you didn’t become a monster and even saved Baor."

"She said that magical girls are products of miracles, but in my eyes, you hold the same miracle within you."

"Although it sounds grand and empty, I still want to say, don’t give up. Go prove your worth to those people, show them that you are not a monster, and demonstrate that you can control this power."

The words hung in the air.

The silver-haired girl with red eyes sat gracefully among the crowd. She seemed like a ghost who could appear and disappear at will. Ignoring the small idols who were protectively blocking Liang Xiaoxiao, she looked up at Liang Xiaoxiao and softly said:

"It’s a very naive thought, but it’s not without the possibility of coming true."

The message in Esther’s words suddenly made Ruan Wutong, who was still crying, and Lin Baor, who was holding back tears, turn to this super AI, wanting to ask a question.

Liang Xiaoxiao took a deep breath and asked:

"What do you want to say?"

Esther replied plainly:

"You should know the way, right?"

"The miracle that has kept you from becoming a monster is a great achievement made by people."

"In other words, it is a sustainable miracle, as long as you find the source that gives you gifts."

These puzzling words left the little idols very confused, but only one person suddenly realized the meaning behind them.

Liang Xiaoxiao said dreamily:

"Are you talking about Little Qing?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Baor felt an alarm ringing in her heart. She tried to suppress the emotions she didn’t even understand and asked, confused:

"Little Qing, you mean the one that Xiaoxiao has always dreamed of, right?"

Ji Shuzhu said:

"Chu Yuanqing? Indeed, with her extraordinarily brilliant shine, she should have become a magical girl long before us, so she must have a way to solve Xiaoxiao’s problem?"

Chen Yining did not question the thoughts of this strong opponent; she simply stated:

"Even if she can do it, will the higher-ups agree to take that risk and let Xiaoxiao go find Chu Yuanqing?"

"To put it bluntly, if Chu Yuanqing is really that excellent, then the higher-ups probably wouldn’t want her to meet Xiaoxiao, unless…"

Esther smiled:

"Unless Chu Yuanqing has combat skills that far exceed Liang Xiaoxiao’s possibilities, that’s what you were thinking, right?"

"You guessed right; that is indeed the case."

"Though she has not fully bloomed yet, she is already almost at the peak of being a witch, comparable to a true captain level."

As she spoke, memories of battles from the past in the Mortal Realm Barrier flowed back in time before everyone’s eyes, stirring ripples of emotion.