“Wh-where is this…”
Bai Zhiqiu slowly opened her eyes, gazing upon an endless sea of flowers. All sorts of vibrant blossoms bloomed within this floral expanse: peonies, jasmines, lilies, dandelions, and right in the very center, a dazzling Higanbana.
Bai Zhiqiu stepped towards the Higanbana, her calves, clad in white silk, brushing past the myriad flowers, each touch leaving a delicate floral fragrance on the silk.
As she reached the flower, a peculiar sensation suddenly enveloped her, compelling her to bend down and pluck the Higanbana.
The next moment, everything before her dissolved into thin air, and Bai Zhiqiu found herself on a massive blanket.
Surrounding her were all the magical girls she had once bullied; even Jasmine was among them, and of course, Yan Qingzhu.
She noticed all the magical girls were smiling at her, yet their smiles held an undeniably sinister edge.
“Wh-where is this… I… mmph…”
Before Bai Zhiqiu could finish her words, another pair of lips silenced her.
Instantly, Bai Zhiqiu’s beautiful eyes widened in shock.
“!@#￥%… Yan Qingzhu… what… what are you… doing!”
After a prolonged moment, Bai Zhiqiu, gasping for breath, finally broke free from the kiss and confronted the exquisite face before her with a question.
“You!”
“Huh?… Mmgh…”
The other magical girls also sprang into action; these beings, whom she had once playfully called ‘little concubines,’ were now launching an assault.
Her arms, thighs, and feet—every part of her was seized, leaving her utterly immobilized.
She attempted to resist, but to her horror, discovered she possessed not a shred of magic; within this space, she could not conjure any spell.
Finally, after approximately nine and three-quarters minutes, she unleashed a powerful, unchanted water magic. Her consciousness, by this point, was soaring through the heavens.
After an indeterminate amount of time, her consciousness gradually returned. Bai Zhiqiu found herself standing atop a colossal city wall.
The wall soared a hundred meters high; from its vantage point, the distant landscape stretched endlessly below.
And beneath the city wall lay—monsters!
These were the enemies of magical girls and humanity for a century.
War was imminent, and vibrant magic spells rained down upon the sea of beasts below, tearing open a breach in their formation.
Even so, these spells only temporarily halted the monsters’ advance.
Soon, they reached the foot of the city wall.
“Higanbana Wielder—Soul Return!”
Bai Zhiqiu chanted, intending to assist them in repelling the attack, but found herself utterly unable to release any magic.
A wolf-shaped monster breached the city wall, its sharp claws lunging at Bai Zhiqiu.
Bai Zhiqiu instinctively raised her hands to defend, already envisioning herself being torn to shreds.
Yet, the claws passed right through her body, instead tearing a young soldier behind her into two halves!
“Quickly, get the magical girls to come here for support!”
An older warrior shouted, then plunged his long blade into the monster’s heart.
‘I… it seems… I can’t interfere here…’
Bai Zhiqiu could not intervene; she was merely an observer, witnessing this battle but powerless to act, just as the events here could not affect her.
“Data virtualization, Aether to nothingness!”
A delicate shout echoed from the sky, revealing a white-haired, blue-eyed loli descending from above, seated on a massive game controller.
The loli held a light-blue controller in her hand; with a single move, all the monsters within fifty meters of the city wall vanished into thin air.
The loli then drifted gracefully downwards, landing right beside Bai Zhiqiu. In that instant, Bai Zhiqiu noticed that this powerful little loli seemed to not be wearing any panties.
Before Bai Zhiqiu could ponder further, a colossal whale slowly flew from the distant clouds, carrying a massive palace on its back.
“Cloud Whale!”
Gazing at the Cloud Whale in the distance, the little loli murmured to herself.
She then ascended into the sky, engaging the Cloud Whale in combat with her game magic.
Just then, a dark-red figure streaked past the city wall with incredible speed, flying directly into the city.
“Blood Empress! Didn’t she die?”
Bai Zhiqiu was utterly astonished at the sight of the dark-red figure.
She should have been dead! After all, her magic core had filled Bai Zhiqiu’s stomach!
“Jasmine! Stop her, don’t let her break through the Xuan Pass!”
The little loli in the clouds, while fending off the Cloud Whale’s attacks, surveyed the battlefield, ready to provide assistance to her allies at any moment.
Soon, Bai Zhiqiu saw a familiar floral shadow… but unfortunately, the Blood Empress still managed to breach the Xuan Pass.
The next moment, the Cloud Whale’s wings violently flapped a few times, stirring up two colossal whirlwinds that surged towards the battlements.
****
Opening her eyes, Bai Zhiqiu found herself in an unfamiliar room, soft lamplight illuminating her face, and, of course, Yan Qingzhu’s.
“You’re awake!” Seeing Bai Zhiqiu stir, Yan Qingzhu, sitting by the bed, looked at her with delight.
As she met Yan Qingzhu’s joyful gaze, an unpleasant memory suddenly surfaced in Bai Zhiqiu’s mind.
‘Just now in my dream, I think they… did things to me…’
At this thought, Bai Zhiqiu’s fair little face instantly flushed, even her earlobes turned so red they seemed ready to drip blood.
A profound sense of shame welled up within her; her legs, hidden beneath the quilt, pressed tightly together. Fortunately, there was no sensation of dampness.
Relieved that she hadn’t lost control, Bai Zhiqiu let out a sigh, then glared angrily at Yan Qingzhu.
“Why are you looking at me like that? I didn’t do anything excessive to you!”
Meeting Bai Zhiqiu’s fierce gaze, Yan Qingzhu felt utterly bewildered.
‘How did I upset this little one again? Was it about betting with her photos? But she shouldn’t know about that…’
Thinking of the new photos in her phone album, Yan Qingzhu felt a surge of happiness.
Unlike the arrogant or pitifully pleading expressions of the little demoness in her own photos, the ones Jasmine took showed the little demoness lying peacefully, her sleeping face tranquil, showcasing all the cuteness of a white-furred furball.
After sharing the photos, both Jasmine and Yan Qingzhu were satisfied.
Jasmine had acquired photos of the little demoness in a predicament, while Yan Qingzhu had gained adorable pictures of the white-furred furball. Rosemary had enjoyed both types, and the other magical girls had received an excellent training opportunity. Even the citizens of Nanducheng had seen their beloved idol.
As for the cost? What cost? Is coaxing an easily pleased little demoness considered a cost?
“Alright, alright! Don’t be angry anymore! Get up quickly. I’ve already invited Bai Yue to dinner; I told her that you and I are treating her, or rather, Higanbana and Peony are inviting her!”
Although she didn’t know how she had offended the little demoness, it was a common saying not to hit a smiling face. It was always right to just start coaxing.
‘Aren’t all these white-haired lolis supposed to be coaxed anyway?’
‘Whether it’s the little demoness or that shut-in teacher at home…’
Finishing her words, Yan Qingzhu reached out to smooth Bai Zhiqiu’s disheveled hair.
Gazing at Yan Qingzhu’s slender, long middle finger, Bai Zhiqiu’s face flushed once more.
‘Fortunately, all of that was just a nightmare…’