Aisi Aimu struggled with all her might to turn her head.
In that instant, her gaze met Silvia’s icy stare—it was… Zhennu Yibai!
‘It’s over.’
She had thought bullying a few junior magical girls would allow her to do as she pleased.
Unexpectedly, provoking the juniors had drawn out such a formidable opponent…
However, the little demoness was not afraid; her sister was surely watching from the shadows.
They weren’t the only ones with backup.
***
Just then, Qiye remained on her hands and knees, still in a posture of humiliation, her rear end conspicuously raised.
She looked utterly pathetic, tears welling in the corners of her eyes.
Her playful miniskirt had a piece of fabric torn away by the whip.
Xincheng, though barely standing, had a piece of fabric missing from her poofy skirt, and she was clutching the torn fabric on her thigh.
Seeing this, Silvia’s expression darkened slightly.
Then, she moved closer, her front leg brushing against the little demoness’s back leg…
Her hands casually rested on the demoness’s body.
This intimate yet unsettling gesture sent a jolt through the little demoness.
‘Is this right?’ she wondered.
Just as the little demoness was about to cry out ‘Indecent!’, Silvia preempted her, softly enunciating a ‘Hush.’
Instantly, the little demoness felt a surge of magic seal her lips!
It was a silencing spell.
No matter how hard she tried to open her mouth, she could only emit muffled ‘woo-woo’ sounds.
Her mouth had been ‘locked.’
***
“Don’t move,” Silvia said.
“I’ll just take your waist measurement.”
As she spoke, Silvia reached her right hand into her shoulder bag, fumbling within.
Her fingers closed around the desired item!
It was a small, U-shaped object—her personal pleasure device.
Moreover, she had many such items in the wicker basket of her wardrobe.
However, before proceeding, she dangled it in front of the little demoness.
This, she considered, was ‘displaying the arsenal.’
“Wuu~♥ Wuwu♥…” The little demoness whimpered, yet found herself utterly helpless.
She could only watch, powerless to resist.
***
A moment later, Silvia stepped back, a matching remote control naturally held in her hand.
As for what she would do next?
The next instant, “Ah wuwu~ Oh oh umm~♥”
Aisi Aimu let out muffled pleas for mercy, her cheeks flushed crimson.
***
Witnessing this, Silvia let out a cold snort.
“You truly deserve a good lesson for bullying my juniors, hmph~”
After playing around for a while longer, Silvia gave a light wave of her hand, and the remote control split into three.
She then handed them to the three girls, whose faces were alight with excitement and anticipation.
Having been tended to, Qiye and Xincheng’s battle uniforms had been mended with magic.
Qiye took the button, eager to try it, having just witnessed its formidable power.
“Senior, let me do it…”
“Me too, me too…”
“Little demoness, do you realize your mistake now!”
***
Aisi Aimu had long since lost her previous arrogance and belligerence.
Her ceaselessly twitching body and eyes pleading for it to stop conveyed nothing but her desperate desire for mercy.
Her legs felt soft and weak.
Had it not been for the immobilizing spell, she would have long collapsed to the ground.
***
Looking at the small puddle on the ground… well, it was probably sweat.
‘Alright.’
‘That’s enough.’
Silvia rubbed her brow, then dispelled the immobilizing and silencing spells.
Immediately after, Aisi Aimu slumped onto the grass, her torn black stockings covered in blades of grass.
Her shoulders heaved with sobs, and her gauze skirt trembled slightly with each gasp.
“You’re all meanies, wuwu~ bullying me… I’m going to tell my sister…”
“Oh ho, little demoness, are you trying to claim the moral high ground now?”
Hearing the words ‘my sister,’ Qiye clenched her fists; as she stepped forward, the other two also surrounded the little demoness.
Weizhan exhaled a misty breath onto her palm, while Xincheng stretched her limbs.
Judging by their stance, it looked like a full-blown group assault, complete with punches, kicks, and slaps!
Aisi Aimu lifted her small face, still streaked with grass clippings, tears clinging to her eyelashes.
She looked even more utterly pathetic.
“Don’t… don’t come any closer!”
The little demoness cowered and tried to retreat, but with her legs like jelly, how could she possibly stand up?
Just as Qiye was about to deliver a punch—the little demoness squeezed her eyes shut, yet the anticipated pain never materialized.
“Don’t be scared, don’t be scared, we won’t get rough~”
Weizhan blinked, deliberately putting on a stern face to frighten her.
Staring at the fist so close to her, the little demoness sniffled and looked up.
Through her tear-filled eyes, she could only discern the three girls’ mischievous smiles.
At this, she buried her face in the crook of her arm, resuming her muffled sobs.
***
At this moment, Silvia noticed the dark, circular device hanging at Aisi Aimu’s waist.
She had heard about this particular device.
It was a combat instrument capable of mimetic summoning of bio-engineered behemoths.
One of the tools witches used for wreaking havoc.
In response, the Association Headquarters had even developed a magic disruption device specifically to counter the Dark Ring.
‘This thing can’t be left here; it’s better to confiscate it,’ she thought.
As she mused, Silvia half-crouched, reaching out to touch the little demoness’s waist.
Yet, the little demoness, engrossed in her distress, completely failed to notice her waist lightening.
By the time she reacted, the Dark Ring was already firmly clasped in Silvia’s hand.
The little demoness first froze, then struggled forward on her knees, disregarding her inability to stand.
“Give it back to me! That’s mine!”
But she lunged at empty air.
***
Silvia shook the dull Dark Ring in her hand; its texture… felt remarkably like cheap plastic.
Having secured the ring, she turned her gaze back to Aisi Aimu.
‘As for this girl,’ she thought, ‘she should be sent to Ephemeral City Prison for some proper rehabilitation.’
Having made up her mind, Silvia crooked a finger, and a silver gleam flashed from its tip—Magical handcuffs clicked shut, securing Aisi Aimu’s slender wrists.
She then deftly placed magical ankle cuffs on her and wrapped her in magical chains until she resembled a zongzi.
The little demoness twisted her body in protest, muttering, “Let me go…”
Her torn black stockings brushed against the dew-kissed blades of grass, leaving a trail of damp marks.
***
After a while, the three girls approached, once again seeking hugs.
Qiye took the front, burying her face against Silvia’s chest.
Her nose brushed against the skin near Silvia’s collarbone, who was gently patting her back.
Her voice was muffled, “Senior Silvia, if you had come any later, I… I would have…”
But before she could finish, Silvia gently pinched Qiye’s injured rear, eliciting a soft gasp of ‘Ah’ from her.
“Hmph~ That hurts…”
Seeing this, Weizhan and Xincheng burst into laughter, both wrapping their arms around Silvia’s from either side.
Weizhan’s translucent battle uniform was still damp, while Xincheng pressed her face against Silvia’s shoulder.
She deliberately complained in a slightly jealous tone, “Qiye always snatches the best spot, hogging all of Senior’s attention~”
“Exactly, Qiye, when will you let us have a good hug with Senior too?”
Weizhan blinked her aquamarine eyes, also snuggling closer into Silvia’s embrace.
Qiye looked up, still wanting to argue, “But I was first…”
Yet again, before she could finish, Silvia pressed a fingertip to her lips.
“Alright, alright, you’re all grown up, stop bickering for attention…”
Hearing this, Qiye felt a tightening around her waist, realizing Silvia’s arms had encircled all three of them.
“This afternoon at the dumpling restaurant, the three of you will sit one by one, and I’ll give you plenty of affection…”
Silvia smiled serenely; in her heart, these juniors truly loved to vie for her favor.
***
After a long while, the three girls, having finished tidying themselves, bid Silvia farewell as they escorted Aisi Aimu away.
After all, Ephemeral City was still shrouded in smoke and dust.
Silvia stood on the dew-kissed grass, watching the Primary Colors Squad depart into the distance.
In the air, Qiye, flying with the other two, glanced back.
Only when Silvia’s figure vanished into the mist-shrouded forest edge did she turn around completely.
***
Weizhan tilted her head, pointing towards the sky, where the rising sun carved the collapsed buildings into a silhouette of light and shadow.
The commercial district was a scene of utter devastation.
Tattered billboards still hung precariously from twisted steel frames.
***
The Primary Colors Squad decided to split up.
Qiye proposed that she alone escort the little demoness to prison, while Weizhan and Xincheng would be responsible for the city’s aftermath.
After a moment, Xincheng inhaled the earthy, pungent air; rock patterns pulsed in her palms as she bent down to touch the ground.
With a low rumble, the fractured foundations slowly began to return to their original positions.
“Water Flow Clearance.”
Weizhan lightly waved her hands, and streams of water, cool with morning dew, wove through the ruins.
They swept away sharp rebar and shattered glass.
“Help! Is anyone there…?”
A faint cry for help emanated from beneath a pile of bricks and rubble.
Xincheng used her magic to push aside the debris, revealing a mother and daughter huddled in a corner.
The little girl’s school uniform was covered in dust, yet she still clutched a deformed Zhennu Yibai doll tightly to her chest.
“Don’t be afraid, big sister will take you out.”
Weizhan gently lifted the two with a soft current of water.
The two worked in perfect sync; wherever they went, bricks and rubble began to reassemble in an orderly fashion.
On the streets, citizens who had survived the disaster gradually gathered.
Wrapped in thin blankets, they watched the busy figures of the magical girls in the morning breeze.
***
Morning mist permeated the forest.
In the blink of an eye, Silvia was already seated on a gnarled old tree branch.
Lina, perched on the tree, swung her legs, her red eyes reflecting the dissipating smoke in the distance.
She looked at Silvia’s profile.
“Why didn’t you just kill her? That should have been simple for you…”
At such a question, Silvia paused for a moment, gazing towards Ephemeral City, where the rising sun was painting the ruins a blood-red hue.
“I can’t kill her, nor should I~ Imprisonment and killing are two very different approaches…”
“The enemy is hidden, while I am exposed.
If I were to kill such a minor demoness, the witch faction behind her would surely overturn the table.”
As she spoke, tiny ice flowers crystallized on Silvia’s fingertips.
“There have been precedents where Arch-Witches threatened a city’s lives to force magical girls to commit suicide…
If I truly killed her, what then?”
“Honestly, the current ‘balance’ is quite good…
They only cause trouble once or twice a week.
Though their destructive power remains immense, constantly summoning colossal beasts to raze cities.”
Hearing this, Lina frowned.
“You’re still too kind.
If it were me, I’d kill them all—the eyesores, the troublesome ones, the enemies.
Just kill them all…”
“Besides, Arch-Witches threaten mere mortals; why should magical girls be forced to commit suicide?”
Her voice held a hint of stubbornness.
Could the lives of an entire city truly be considered a bargaining chip?
Immediately after, Silvia gently placed her hand on Lina’s head, dispelling the bloodlust from her hair.
‘Honestly, why does she unconsciously emit bloodlust while talking?’
“As for me… I am still human.
As a human, I possess emotions and desires…
How could I commit such inhumane acts…”
Lina listened quietly but could not agree; their philosophies differed.
“Alright, I know you’re human…” Lina said softly.
Speaking of humans, she was reminded of Kuganawa… once, Kuganawa had also been human, though she ceased to be so later.
“It’s just… seeing someone as strong as you still entangled in ‘trivial matters,’ I just feel it’s a bit unworthy…”
***
Meanwhile, high in the sky, Qiye, holding the magical ropes binding the little demoness’s back, soared through the morning light.
The airflow stirred by her skirt’s hem swirled with fine dust.
Suddenly, an azure holographic screen appeared on her retina—It was a floating virtual letter, its edges entwined with faint, indistinct dark patterns.
“How could this be…”
Qiye abruptly halted, hovering in mid-air; the sudden stop caused her miniskirt to billow in the wind.
At this point, she looked down at Aisi Aimu, who was bound like a cocoon.
The little demoness, in turn, was smirking back at her, and she spoke, “Well, what do you think?
It’s a message from my sister, isn’t it?”
The little demoness twisted her body, her torn black stockings brushing against Qiye’s knee.
“Hmph hmph, soon, I’m going to make you ‘look good’~♥!
Even if you beg for mercy, I won’t stop…”
Currently, despite being restrained, the little demoness ‘turned the tables,’ drawing out her words with a sticky, threatening tone.
Qiye could only ‘endure the humiliation’; she bit her lower lip and looked up towards the Magic Prison.
The towering spires of the building were already faintly visible in the clouds five kilometers away.
But then, a second letter popped up on the holographic screen!
Clearly, someone on the other side was urging her.
Aisi Aimu noticed Qiye’s hesitation and immediately applied pressure.
“Stop looking, Big Sister Qiye~” Aisi Aimu tilted her head back.
“Why do you think I ‘obediently’ let myself be caught?
Because you were here; it was intentional from the start, you know…”
“My sister, you see, holds your most undesirable… secret.”
“Now, dutifully take me back, and perhaps I can even intercede for you with my sister…
If you comply, this matter might just be concluded.”
At this moment, the Flame Demonic Sword in her palm hummed uneasily, and a biting wind whipped across her cheeks.
Memories flooded back—That year, Qiye was only seventeen.
She was to attend a re-examination for the Advanced Magical Girl Qualification, a chance she only got thanks to Senior Silvia; otherwise, how could she possibly have ‘qualified’ for a re-exam?
Qiye’s magic power level consistently fell short; her Flame Demonic Sword would deactivate after merely a few dozen swings, and her transformation would last at most five minutes.
But Weizhan and Xincheng had passed without issue, which made Qiye anxious; as a captain, if she had to retake even the basic assessment, how could she command respect?
There was truly no other way…
Later, on a persistently rainy evening during the plum rain season, Qiye, while alone on a pursuit of a little demoness, lost her quarry because her magic power was depleted, forcing her transformation to release—As the familiar flames dissipated around her, Qiye stumbled to the ground in a damp alleyway, helplessly watching the little demoness’s figure vanish into the depths of the rain curtain.
Rainwater fell onto her mud-splashed skirt, mixing with tears of indignation as it slid down.
It was then that a woman who would ‘change’ her appeared—A black umbrella silently shielded her head as Arch-Witch He looked down at Qiye, gently wiping away the tears from her face.
In those dark eyes, a captivating, soft glow shimmered.
“It’s alright, talent is… destined, but I will give little Qiye ‘power’…”
***
The scene shifted.
Late at night, at Qinghe High School.
Arch-Witch He, cloaked in her robe, watched Qiye, who was kneeling in a hexagram array and still disrobing.
“Little Qiye, are you ready?
Time to receive your power~”
***
“What, still hesitating?”
“Are you sending me back to my sister?
Or continuing to fly towards the prison?”
Aisi Aimu’s eyes flashed with mockery; seeing Qiye wavering, she immediately pressed on.
“My sister has no patience, you know.
Do you think the anomaly in your magic power was an accident?
Hmph~ It was merely her way of seeing how far you’d go for power…”
“If I were you, I’d be begging my sister not to reveal those secrets to the public right now.”
“After all… if your teammates found out that their revered Captain Qiye—Magical Girl Scarlet Star—had secretly made a deal with Arch-Witch He…”
Aisi Aimu’s malicious smile grew even more pronounced.
“And Zhennu Yibai, who has always made it her mission to purify witches, how disappointed would she be to see you like this?”
Hearing this, “I…” Qiye’s voice trembled.
Finally, she changed direction, though she didn’t fly away immediately.
The wind surged beneath her skirt, and the pain from the whip marks on her rear paled in comparison to the tearing within her heart.
Even the Flame Demonic Sword in her palm began to grow faintly hot!
The originally fiery red sword blade now emitted wisps of eerie green flame.
Was it being corrupted, or merely revealing its true form?
She recalled using the power He had given her, which had greatly increased her magic, leading to her current strength.
Especially, He’s figure while teaching at Qinghe High School, sitting at the professor’s desk, smiling meaningfully…
And the private promise: ‘As long as you’re obedient, I’ll protect your little secret,’ she had whispered.
Yet now, in the distance, the Magic Prison—which was meant to be a small endpoint to this farce—had been shattered by a single letter.
“I’m sorry, Senior Silvia…”
Her voice was swallowed by the howling wind; Qiye knew what this choice meant.
She dared not look back towards Ephemeral City.
She dared not imagine Silvia’s disappointed gaze, nor face her teammates’ questions and their eventual disillusionment upon learning the truth.
In her arms, Aisi Aimu let out a triumphant chuckle.
And the scarlet magical sword, at this moment, dimmed to its weakest point.
The little demoness proudly hummed a tune.
In the distance, on the ruins of Ephemeral City, the rising sun cast the busy figures of the magical girls into long, elongated shadows.