Chapter 326

Chapter 326: The Princess Has Died, and the Dragon-Slaying Boy Is Still Burning

This news hit like a huge wave, throwing the people, who were happily enjoying their entertainment, into chaos.

Although the wave of opinions about magical girls, sparked by the massive exposure of popular content and a mix of true and false rumors, along with hints from the "Disaster Relief" event, had already caused a big shock,

But still, for those who had never seen a disaster beast or a magical girl, these online discussions were just for fun—until the fire touched them, they would never feel the pain.

Everyone’s thought was simple: if the sky fell, there were tall people to hold it up. Since the government hadn’t acted or spoken, it probably didn’t mean there was a big problem. Maybe in a while, there would be nothing to worry about.

After all, decades ago, local wars fought for resources sometimes appeared online.

The bodies of children in scorched earth, bombs featuring otaku images making their mark, young war correspondents still in elementary school, civilians starving in the desert, compatriots sold to foreign lands, missing flights, nuclear waste leaked into the ocean…

If you think about it, weren’t these a "cancer" to human civilization?

But as long as it didn’t involve them personally, most people just watched in excitement, feeling passionate for a moment and making a few empathetic calls, then slowly forgot it all and returned to their normal lives.

This was a common feeling for people.

Especially for those who grew up in peaceful times, very few people had such a sharp sense of crisis. Even if they believed in things like disaster beasts and magical girls, they subconsciously felt that it had nothing to do with them, or they may say it felt unreal.

But when the official media, which was the voice of the country, spoke out, the nature of the situation was clearly completely different.

— Magic.

When the government acknowledged the existence of magic, it was the same as admitting that magical girls were real, and it also meant that disaster beasts were a real crisis.

So the question arose, did disaster beasts and magical girls suddenly appear?

If not, it was very intriguing that the government, which had hidden the news for so long, would voluntarily expose related information.

Anyone who was not foolish could guess that the crisis regarding disaster beasts would truly come to light. Even if it didn’t spread through society in a terrifying way like a contagious disease, it would undoubtedly have a real impact on daily life.

"At first, people thought this was a joke, until…"

Although there were many abstract online users trying to ease the magical news with jokes, the opinions on major platforms still leaned towards spreading anxiety and panic.

Just half an hour after this news was broadcast, the vast Donghong Federation, centered around Daxia Country, began a massive hoarding of supplies, grabbing salt, stockpiling food, and buying medicine…

Some even decided to change to stronger security doors or immediately run to big cities like Sea City or Kyoto.

In short, everyone ran towards whatever made them feel safe.

Of course, the most abstract was the sacred United Nations. The White Eagle side had already prepared to organize a grand parade, and the passionate feminists started to question why the roles of magical girls were not made public sooner, claiming it involved malicious interference with women’s employment.

The scene around the world was extraordinarily chaotic; amid the disorder, small members of the Church of the Gods took the opportunity to promote their beliefs or simply commit acts of violence, unleashing disaster beasts to cause destruction.

Even though the security forces and special troops, along with the super AI "Dream Weaver," could achieve nearly perfect rescue efficiency and extinguish various crises in their infancy, it still created quite a stir and intensified the panic.

As for this, the higher-ups were not worried; wanting the whole world to accept such a magical setting would surely cause similar "growing pains."

This level of commotion was completely minor during a period of adjustment.

Leaders of the street protests were arrested, and a list of all participants was collected to connect to a global database, conducting strict political reviews and investigations.

Feminists, environmentalists, animal rights activists, and all extremists were seen as possibly colluding with the cult, seriously disrupting civil unity, and were arrested and taken to jails and police stations for questioning; those who resisted arrest could be shot on the spot.

Many branches of the organization monitored the online environment, controlled public opinion, and tracked the movements of criminals and cult members.

At the same time, news and various promotional channels began sharing previously secret military technology and started live streaming military exercises, revealing parts of the technological advancements related to magic to boost public confidence.

Thus, just as signs of panic and chaos began to emerge, a series of swift and decisive actions snuffed it out, creating a temporary atmosphere that civilization was about to enter a new era, with the situation thriving.

#Learn how to use these software tools to teach you how to escape and seek shelter when disaster beasts arrive!#

#At noon, magical girl Kikyō will appear at the invitation of a national host to share her insights, introducing, educating, dissecting, and defeating some common disaster beasts.#

#The government’s three major decisions? The first group of randomly selected individuals will go to major hospitals to receive vaccinations, which are said to prevent infection from new viruses.#

#The Counter-Magic Bureau really exists! The light of humanity, the guardians in darkness, the heroes hidden in history, will take you into their stories.#

The base of "Dazzling Stage" is a place that seems like a dungeon? The Donghong Federation has made it clear that the government puts the people’s right to life first.

The stage determines fate, and song and dance save the world! The rising stars in "Dazzling Stage" might just be the magical girls of the future!

From the news coming out at six in the morning to the public opinion changing by eleven, the world’s situation turned so fast, like dough being kneaded by invisible hands, filled with an absurd and magical feeling.

When a college girl who was used to staying up late woke up, the crazy world had already turned to two in the afternoon. She sleepily opened her eyes and looked at her phone, seeing the shocking news.

Xu Ling stared blankly for several seconds, trying to think if she had slept through a time travel.

This question stayed with her until she got up, brushed her teeth, washed her face, and went out to the hospital to see Pei Xiaotong. Sitting in the taxi, watching the cars blocking the road and listening to the driver’s complaints, she finally felt a sense of reality.

— The world is crazy.

— I am also crazy.

The girl heavily slapped her cheeks with her hands, her eyes filled with innocent wisdom and shock.

Is ‘Dazzling Stage’ really a show that trains magical girls? Yesterday, she was fine, but could it be that Honey Qing’s stage actually saved her life?!

This guess would have been a crazy joke before, but now it felt absurd yet somehow reasonable.

The driver uncle looked at the long line like a dragon and sighed:

"The Sea City Sports Arena, all the major hospitals, and even the World Expo Park are filled with the first group of people who can get the vaccine. I don’t know where the country found so many medical staff."

Xu Ling, while browsing forums, chatting in groups, watching Douyin and Weibo, was talking to Honey Tong, who had just gotten vaccinated, and occasionally glancing at her family group, was simply super busy.

And even so, she found the time to chime in:

"My sister just got her vaccine. I heard there are professional medical robots helping out, so it’s fast and doesn’t need breaks."

"According to the government website, they will soon arrange for the second group of people to get vaccinated, and there will be thousands of sites set up in Sea City. They will also have community and neighborhood committee styles for vaccination."

The driver uncle felt a dryness in his throat. He instinctively squeezed his cigarette pack, glanced at the girl in the rearview mirror who looked just like his daughter, took a sip of tea from his thermos, and sighed:

"It seems the government was prepared for this."

"Little girl, don’t you think it’s strange that the task of protecting our home and country is given to such young girls? My daughter said that the talent show only picks magical girls. Why aren’t there any magical boys or saint warriors?"

Xu Ling was stumped by this question.

Right, why aren’t there any magical boys?

As for the saint warriors, one could tell that the man was an old otaku.

The girl glanced at the magical news on her phone and complained:

"Who knows what silly reasons there are? Maybe it’s because we live in a children’s animated show!"

The driver uncle smiled slightly, calmly saying that a character like him wouldn’t even have a name in a children’s show, and he began to chatter about his daughter’s misdeeds of stealing his TV time to watch ‘Dazzling Stage.’

Half-listening, Xu Ling casually asked:

"Excuse me, sir, you have watched quite a few with your daughter, do you have a favorite little idol?"

The driver perked up at this. He was not interested in idols, but these little idols might one day turn into magical girls who protect the city and defend humanity. Choosing which little idol to support was as exciting as drawing cards in a mobile game. It could spark debates about which hero was stronger, a favorite topic for passionate middle-aged people.

"I think all those kids are wonderful. It’s hard to say who I like the most, but if I had to pick someone who made a big impression on me, it would definitely be the most popular girl."

"Oh right, her name is Chu Yuanqing, isn’t it?"

Xu Ling was stunned. She had thought the driver would prefer more mature women or little idols like Honey Xuan, who had obvious advantages, but it turned out he also liked Honey Qing.

Oh, Little Qing, you are such a naughty girl, charming everyone from the seventy-year-old aunt buying groceries to the tall girls, even the driver on the street can’t escape your magic.

The driver continued to speak: "The girl seemed mature and lonely, but beneath her exterior, it felt as if she hid the tiredness of an adult who has seen much of the world."

"Although I only watch occasionally, whenever she appears on screen, she always gives her best. On stage, even someone like me, who doesn’t understand this kind of music, can feel a healing that touches my soul."

The man spoke with a puzzled expression. He pinched the cigarette box, as if he found it amusing and strange, gazing at the busy streets that seemed to stretch to the horizon, and said: "It might sound strange to say, but I feel a bit like her. Watching her continue on stage even gives me the illusion of youth coming back to life."

"If I had to say something, it’s like the hero of a finished youth comic suddenly started a new story. Don’t you think that’s cool? Just like a princess who has died, but the boy who slays dragons is still burning with desire."

"To me, Chu Yuanqing is that kind of cool girl."

"If I were a little younger, maybe I would be captivated by her from behind the screen, eagerly waiting to see one of her concerts?"

Xu Ling was lost in thought. She had never considered that in someone else’s eyes, Chu Yuanqing could have such a different charm. This was truly a fresh and wonderful experience. Compared to her admiration, the driver’s feelings were even more special; he saw another version of himself in Chu Yuanqing—a more dedicated, braver, and more passionate self.

Xu Ling suddenly realized that Chu Yuanqing was a very complex person. As fans, they observed her through a kaleidoscope, and each natural facet told a different story. So, if one day this gem fell from the kaleidoscope into the grand and bright sunlight, wouldn’t more people come to love her?

Xu Ling suddenly felt hopeful. She used to secretly wish that Honey Qing wouldn’t become too popular, as if hiding a unique and beautiful song, like a dragon wanting to keep a princess all to itself. But as she began to like Chu Yuanqing more and more, she only wished for her to grow even more famous, to be known by more and more people. That way, one day, she could piece together a complete and brilliant gem with everyone who loved Honey Qing.

Little Qing, will you feel happy then?

…

…

Sankt Wolfgang, White Horse Hotel. The little idols sat on the sofa, yawning and huddled together. Although it was noisy on Daxia’s side, it was still a cool morning in Austria because of the time difference, and the pleasant sunlight shone on the earth, making everyone want to nap again.

In this house, only the forget-me-not was very lively; it blinked its shiny black eyes, fluttered around, and jumped like a game of hopscotch from Liuli’s head to Honey Xuan’s, then to Little Sakura’s head. In the end, it was Chu Wang Shu who caught the increasingly mischievous Lantern Elf.

The girl held the chubby bird in her hands, worriedly looking at the news, and asked: "The officials have directly revealed the secrets of ‘Dazzling Stage.’ It’s okay for us as contestants, but what about the other ordinary candidates who didn’t become magical girls? Will our families be targeted by bad people?"

Although Honey Qing and Charlotte said that their dad used to be very strong and was a hero who saved the world, that was in the past. If he hadn’t fallen on hard times, he wouldn’t have ended up in such a state before.

So, she was very worried that her dad might be harmed by those bad people because of her choice to participate in ‘Dazzling Stage.’

Chu Yuanqing sensed her daughter’s thoughts and comforted her:

"Don’t worry, the officials will take care of the contestants. They should have already prepared the necessary protections before the announcement."

"Moreover, the situation is somewhat different from what you imagine."

"The scale of the ‘Dazzling Stage’ project is so unusual that it was destined to attract the attention and targeting of the followers. Now that they have revealed their true intentions, it will only push them to act desperately."

In reality, they won’t act desperately at all.

Because the leaders of those sects must be aware that the ‘Pure White’ is about to collapse.

And in just a few months, can a new generation be selected from a magical girl audition, producing someone capable of killing a god?

The Church of the Gods is mostly filled with madmen and scoundrels; their way of thinking cannot be understood with normal logic.

But even they must protect the interests of the ‘Calamity God.’ Instead of destroying a show that is doomed to be short-lived and won’t create big waves, it’s better to focus on how to dismantle the forbidden land’s defenses and work towards freeing the ‘Calamity God.’

So, there will be assassinations and targeting, but not too much. The ones truly under pressure are the witches stationed at the forbidden land.

Charlotte’s eyes sparkled as she said with a smile:

"Is Little Shu worried about your dad? Don’t worry, she’s very safe."

While speaking, Little Sakura and Detective Meow, who knew the truth, couldn’t help but glance at Honey Qing, who was pretending to be uninvolved, showing quite a complicated expression.

Chu Yuanqing felt a little guilty, so she quickly changed the subject:

"We’re going to training camp tomorrow. Everyone has tried building Magic Armor, right?"

Xie Qingxuan blinked her big, innocent eyes and said seriously:

"I built Magic Armor."

"But it seems because of the surroundings, the basic Magic Armor turned out a bit rough. If others see it, Little Qing might get jealous, so I am rewriting it, and it should be finished by tomorrow."

As soon as she said this, Liuli Cat and Little Sakura beside her turned very red-faced, feeling a mix of embarrassment and anger.

So, why would someone suddenly have an idea to create Magic Armor while doing something like that?

This kind of scene in a magical girl anime would definitely be very meaningful, okay? Turning into a black wedding dress with a cute style is definitely your own problem!

Chu Wang Shu looked confused at Sister Xie, then at the two blushing seniors, wanting to directly ask what kind of Magic Armor would be too embarrassing to show.

But just then,

The Pure White Witch coughed a few times, interrupting the inappropriate discussion, and decided to skip the topic of Magic Armor for now, her small face serious as she took out a piece of white paper.

On it was drawn a blade and a staff crossed, with a vertically positioned eye in the center, surrounded by wavy golden emblems, both majestic and mysterious.

"We already talked about this, tomorrow’s training is, in a way, like going to another world."

"And this paper shows the emblem of the Karembu Empire."

When Chu Yuanqing said this, she looked at Xie Qingxuan, Kirimi Miyuki, and Tang Liuli, showing a complex expression as she asked seriously:

"I want to ask, do you have any impression of this pattern?"