Chapter 319

Chapter 319: Following Public Opinion, Magical Girl Little Qing

New York, Times Square.

Although this area, which has a large crowd, was recently hit by a Grade C Disaster, leaving it somewhat deserted, the surrounding areas still could not finish evacuating.

When the Disaster Relief arrived, a vast number of dark particles radiated light over the land, while a powerful will, like a king holding a scepter, casually marked off the forbidden territory.

At that moment, Times Square and the surrounding areas were enveloped in darkness, allowing the large crowd of over a hundred thousand spectators to witness and even directly experience this terrifying event.

If in Osaka there were creatures like a parade of monsters, here in the land of the White Eagle, there appeared vampires, demons, and Wendigos, monsters that leaned more towards local culture.

This was completely different from ordinary criminals; the nearby officers, who were stationed to manage the area, fought bravely at first, but after realizing that bullets were useless, they quickly lost their will to fight.

As for the rest of the untrained people, they performed even worse. Compared to hitting something real, like a ghostly monster, the zombies in movies that stop moving when shot in the head seemed almost friendly.

The only thing to be thankful for is that,

When strangers sang gently, like the voice of a god, amid the sound of falling meteors, that supernatural monster and the despair that painted the world in darkness vanished in the dazzling light, no longer existing.

Everything happened too quickly, so fast that everything experienced in ten minutes felt like a dream.

At the intersection near the tower of the era, next to a broken hot dog stand, a blond man leaned against the green area. He looked at the handgun that had fallen nearby and was now empty, whispering softly:

"A miracle, the demons have completely disappeared."

This old officer, with a weathered face, tried to remember the recent song and the appearance that was forgotten deep within his soul, using his keen detective skills.

For a long time, a long time.

The man couldn’t remember anything, but he caught a few clues, the faint sound of the song quietly whispering:

"God… is a girl?"

At the same time, similar things were happening in all corners of the world.

Even though six million people is not a large number globally, aside from the victims affected by the [Disaster Relief], the nearby citizens could still see the towering black pillar of light.

In other words, controlling public opinion is very troublesome, and clearing memories through one-on-one conversations is an enormous task that is not worth the effort.

So, the officials just quickly arranged for staff to conduct a general screening of the victims in the area, allowing the police to ask a few routine questions before letting everyone go.

Fortunately, since the vast majority of the public only spent about ten minutes in the disaster aura environment and then underwent the [Pure White Ode] cleansing, their bodies did not suffer serious harm.

Among the seriously affected, the worst would only feel weak for a few days.

Overall, among nearly six million people, adding in the elderly who passed away from heart disease after being frightened and various accidents, the casualty count was under a thousand, which is truly miraculous.

If the initial plan had gone ahead, with the magical girls forming 46 idol teams, they could have easily dismantled the conspiracy of [Disaster Relief], but it would have been very difficult to simultaneously release Shining Magic.

As long as there was a 10-second error, [Disaster Relief] could realize that things could not go on, and during these 10 seconds, they recklessly took away many people.

This could result in at least hundreds of casualties, or even more.

"Chu Yuanqing’s actions have helped us recover many losses, minimizing the public’s panic and casualties. The core of the 《Dazzling Stage》 project has not been exposed, but conversely, the strange sight of Sankt Wolfgang must be kept hidden."

"Otherwise, from a strategic point of view, revealing the existence of [Lighthouse] would be far worse than the previous outcome."

In the upper-level meeting, the mood of popping champagne lasted no more than three minutes before they started discussing the aftermath of the [Disaster Relief] event, first cooling down the excitement around Chu Yuanqing’s live performance, and then moving the exposure of the magical girl project forward.

After arranging a series of matters,

The head of the Donghong Strategy Bureau actively mentioned a key point:

"As soon as [Disaster Relief] confirmed the deaths, the riots in the thirteen forbidden zones also calmed down, falling into a dead silence like a machine malfunctioning."

"From this incident, you can see that Chu Yuanqing is indeed connected to [Pure White]. She is very likely… the chosen successor of the nameless savior, Chu Yuanying."

Someone replied:

"The Perfection Realm, the Martial God Technique, the Eternal Spear, along with the instinctive battle memories and the connection with [Pure White], she really does seem like an heir of a savior."

In fact, the last four words could be omitted.

Those who could attend the upper-level meetings were all top elites, and their sensitivity and imagination were enough to piece together the truth from the existing clues.

But… did that matter?

If the truth would only make the situation worse and bring no beneficial change, then there was no need to reveal it.

Chu Yuanqing was Chu Yuanying.

This meant that the life of this [Lighthouse] itself only had a few months left, which indirectly represented that if the "Dazzling Stage" project failed, the only one left to bear the burden would be Charlotte.

This revelation brought no morale at all; it only evoked feelings of a fading hero and a hopeless future. It was better to bury it in the dust from the beginning.

Right now, no one here wished more than you all that Chu Yuanqing was a new generation of witch who had inherited the light of the savior.

This minister from the Donghong Strategy Bureau mentioned it himself, which set a recognized identity for Chu Yuanqing to prevent anyone from making foolish mistakes that could reveal the truth, while also hinting at something very important.

That was, if Chu Yuanqing equaled [Pure White], then she must not be allowed to act easily; otherwise, if this led to the collapse of the high wall too soon, no one would be able to bear such a consequence.

In addition…

"I propose that more witches join Chu Yuanqing’s classes."

"That savior created [Pure White] and single-handedly suppressed disasters around the world, a power equal to that of the gods."

"At this stage, we cannot find any trace of him, but Chu Yuanqing is part of the ‘Dazzling Stage’ savior project, which may itself be his plan."

"If witches can learn more of the savior’s skills from Chu Yuanqing, or even inherit some of his power, it would undoubtedly be a great help for the future."

In fact, a similar proposal had been made during the high-level meeting when Chu Yuanqing was teaching Xie Qing Yu, but due to various practical factors, it had to be put on hold for now.

At that moment, the new generation of witches in training was set to join a group exercise, and the brief return of the Pure White Witch once again shocked the thirteen forbidden areas. Based on past experiences, they would at least remain quiet for a week.

Therefore, sending more active witches, taking on roles as instructors, students, and bodyguards to participate in the training, became a practical possibility.

In fact, they had to seize this rare opportunity.

Because afterwards, whether in the forbidden areas or the Church of the Gods, the backlash from Disaster would only become stronger, leaving little room for slow training.

"I agree."

"I second that."

"This group training involves two Lighthouses and the new generation of the Dazzling Stage. Sending more team leaders is also for safety reasons, and I agree."

"No objections."

Thus, with one agreement after another in the meeting, the training was officially decided, and a certain Pure White Witch, who only intended to educate the trainees, unknowingly took on the role of head instructor.

…

…

Donghong, Daxia.

Sea City First People’s Hospital.

"The test results are out; the bones and meridians have all healed."

"Incredible, this is truly a medical miracle."

"Little girl, can you try to take a few steps? Can you move?"

Pei Xiaotong was surrounded by a group of doctors; she sat in a wheelchair, like a newly hatched chick, moving her pure and intact legs, looking down at her slightly trembling toes, feeling confused inside, as if in a dream.

The girl had imagined many miracles that could make her legs healthy over the past few days; she dreamed of finding a medicine for regret that didn’t exist in the world, trading back and forth between healthy limbs and her hopes for the future.

But in the end, all that came was a tempting, heart-stealing demon.

During the time Xu Ling was running away, Pei Xiaotong pushed the wheelchair, trying to control the monster that acted like a substitute, blocking it from hurting her family.

But during this time, the "Disaster Relief" kept increasing its stakes, using disaster aura to stimulate flesh and blood, reshaping non-existent bones and flesh with terrible distortions, creating legs that were smooth as jade and beautifully shaped.

Although she could not control these legs at all and felt nothing, the strong emotional turmoil still gave the other side a chance.

In the end, only one thought remained in her mind.

As long as the monster allowed itself to kill Xu Ling, the sensation in her legs would gradually return.

On the contrary, those legs would slowly rot and fall apart in hesitation.

And before this test of humanity could be answered, "Disaster Relief" fulfilled Xu Ling’s wish and was then completely destroyed by the Eternal Spear.

Pei Xiaotong’s perfectly shaped legs, distorted from their original form, accidentally underwent a cleansing by the "Pure White Ode," becoming harmless and truly returning to their original state.

Xu Ling sat outside, watching her cousin slowly stand up with her parents’ help, only to plop back into the wheelchair with a silly and adorable look. She smiled with joy and emotion, tears filling her eyes.

Although she didn’t know who to thank, she hoped that the person who changed everything could find the same, or even more happiness.

There were other lucky ones in hospitals covered by similar disaster auras.

After all, those suffering from sickness had a strong need, making them easy targets for Disaster Relief. Since it was a type of Disaster governed by rules, its distortions also occurred based on the rules of fulfilling wishes.

That’s why miracles like Pei Xiaotong and Kuromi happened; otherwise, under normal distortions, after being washed by Pure White Ode, it wouldn’t be so easy to regain health or fix what’s broken.

Online, news related to this event had started to spread rapidly.

[Disaster beasts really exist! Magical girls save the world!]

[Can the soldiers still protect the country?]

[Otherworldly rifts? Five origin theories about disaster beasts.]

[Shocking! A global level talent show plan – ‘Dazzling Stage’ – is suspected to be related to magical girls?]

[Arms race? Officials from various countries are revealing the latest military technology, possibly to give the people more confidence.]

These true and false messages spread everywhere, mixed with meteorologists explaining the disaster aura pillar as a mirage in news reports.

The hottest discussion among them was about the truth of magical girls and disaster beasts, along with various speculations about ‘Dazzling Stage.’

Weibo, forums, WeChat, QQ, TikTok, Twitter…

One could say that as long as you went online, you’d be flooded with these topics, leading to discussions about this seemingly absurd yet increasingly real topic.

"We can’t hide it anymore. With such a big commotion, it’s only a matter of time before we can’t fool people. It’s better to let the public accept it slowly."

‘Dazzling Stage.’

This globally hosted talent show, due to its enormous cost and the presence of many non-civilian advanced technologies, sparked numerous conspiracy theories and hypotheses online at the beginning.

As it has evolved to the present, the truth is finally ready to be revealed.

"I wondered why [Heart Flow] was so abstract, and now I see it might be a basic requirement for being a magical girl!"

"Oh no, now that you mention it, I don’t dare to cheer for my favorite little idol anymore."

Chu Yuanqing’s Weibo, trending topics, and various fan support groups have become especially lively because of this.

This person’s popularity ranks in the top three in the Daxia competition area, and with a new fashion magazine themed around [witches] coming out soon, it’s only natural for everyone to think about it.

The Little Yuanxiaos began to rationally speculate:

"To be honest, Honey Qing has a strong chance of being a magical girl. First, as someone who initially could only perform half of a dance, her progress has been incredible, surpassing years of effort by others in one go."

"Second, her stage presence is unbelievable, and she dominates the [Heart Flow] realm against other little idols."

"Third, Honey Qing is so beautiful and has a perfectly stunning figure. Moreover… that white hair and golden eyes look completely real!"

"Finally, the magazine designed and launched by Dazzling Stage also hints at this identity, making it feel like the officials are clearly suggesting it."

Once this conclusion was made, it quickly received approval from many Little Yuanxiao fans.

In an instant, Chu Yuanqing’s fans felt confused and shocked, along with a kind of indescribable excitement.

It is well known that fans can be divided into categories like beauty fans, career fans, character fans, girlfriend fans, and mom fans…

However, no matter what type of fan it is, they will pay some attention to their idol’s career progress and achievements, and feel proud of them.

Therefore, the reaction of Chu Yuanqing’s fans can basically be summed up in one sentence.

—"Wow, I actually support a magical girl!"

This made some less pure critics even more restless, unable to suppress their wild desires:

"Hmm, does the white-haired, golden-eyed look remind you of Honey Qing after transformation? ❤️❤️❤️?"

However, during the excitement, people gradually realized a very important issue.

That is, the place where Chu Yuanqing is performing is located in Sankt Wolfgang, and Charlotte’s social media account recently posted about a birthday celebration in this very area.

In other words…

For a moment, Little Yuanxiao and the others felt a sense of crisis; rather than whether their idol is a magical girl, the fans were clearly more worried about whether she would be taken away by a blonde riding a motorcycle.

And on the other side, Sankt Wolfgang.

Even though it was controlled, there were still over ten thousand more tourists here; the small town, which is usually quiet, was especially lively today, with virtual screens in every area showing live updates of the activities.

Among them, the most popular was the live broadcast from the central stage.

After Charlotte finished recording a video reminding the fans to keep order, she forgot about the unhappiness of being hacked by Dream Weaver Rabbit. With a bright smile, she stepped onto the stage, and amidst thunderous applause, she began to sing.

Below the stage,

The Pure White Witch sat in the audience, looking up at the bright and shining person on stage. Her thoughts seemed to travel through time, back to that night by the flickering bonfire, where she heard Charlotte speak about dreams once again.

The girl smiled and whispered to herself:

"How wonderful it is to see you on stage, singing with so many fans around you. This is a scene I could only dream of many years ago."