Dispute over Magical Girls

Honestly, Xia Cheng’s reason for becoming a magical girl was simple: to get more attention.

Of course, she herself didn’t realize this.

It’s difficult for people to truly recognize the desires of their subconscious.

To this day, Xia Cheng still believed she became a magical girl for love and justice.

In reality, she was only drawn to it because magical girls garnered so much attention.

The proof was that when her mother mentioned magical girls, she finally dropped her cold facade and cast a yearning gaze.

‘Little girls are so easy to read.’

Bai Hai chuckled inwardly and replied, “Why the sudden question?”

Jiang Yue scratched her head, looking somewhat troubled. “You probably don’t know what a huge impact Anomalies and magical girls have had on the academic world. People argue about this topic almost every day. So, I’m curious, how do you young people see magical girls?”

Bai Hai nodded in understanding.

His peripheral vision caught Xia Cheng’s grave yet faintly expectant expression.

He mulled it over for a moment before speaking.

“They’re pretty great. The police officer who drove me here said it herself: this city has dangerous Anomalies, but it also has invincible magical girls to be its saviors. I’m very grateful to them.”

“You’re lying,” Xia Cheng said suddenly, her voice low. “If you were really grateful to magical girls, you wouldn’t have had that attitude earlier.”

“Hm? What attitude?”

Jiang Yue looked at her daughter, bewildered.

Only then did Xia Cheng realize she had let it slip again.

Unexpectedly, however, Bai Hai took the initiative and diverted the attention.

“But in truth, I don’t agree with the notion that magical girls are equivalent to saviors.”

Jiang Yue and Xia Cheng both looked at Bai Hai in surprise.

He paused, then continued, “It won’t do to just hope for an omnipotent savior to protect you whenever there’s danger. That’s just a sign of cowardice and escapism. Because there has never been any such thing as a savior.”

“Nonsense!” Xia Cheng slammed the table and shot up.

She glared, her eyes wide with fury. “Do you have any idea how many people magical girls have saved? Without them, the city would have been destroyed countless times over. What right do you have to erase the merits of magical girls?”

For a moment, the entire restaurant fell silent.

Jiang Yue stared at her daughter in astonishment.

She never knew her daughter had become such a fervent fan of magical girls.

Bai Hai had anticipated Xia Cheng’s reaction.

If she weren’t a magical girl herself, she probably wouldn’t have reacted so strongly to this topic.

But as it was, she would naturally not allow anyone to casually judge magical girls.

But there were some things he had to say in front of her.

“I am not erasing their merits. But it is also an obvious fact that they are just a group of children. How can we, with a clear conscience, place the hat of ‘savior’ on their heads and then ignore everything else? That’s highly irresponsible.”

“Shut up!” Xia Cheng was furious, truly furious.

She glared at this cheap brother who had been getting on her nerves from the very first moment.

Ignoring her was one thing, stealing her mother was another.

What was even more detestable was that he would belittle magical girls like this. They were heroes!

“I think you’re just talking nonsense because you haven’t witnessed how amazing magical girls are. Weren’t you saved by a magical girl today? If it weren’t for her, you would have been eaten by that Anomaly long ago. What standing do you have to criticize this and that? What gives you the right…”

Xia Cheng’s shouts came like a torrential downpour, attracting the attention of the waiters outside the door.

Jiang Yue was too shocked to speak.

Only Bai Hai leisurely took a sip of his drink, then noticed that Xia Cheng’s voice had suddenly stopped.

Her mouth was open, as if her attention had been suddenly snatched away by something else.

In fact, at that moment, a clap of thunder seemed to have erupted in Xia Cheng’s mind.

Piercing shrieks exploded wildly in her brain!

An alarm that only she could hear quickly drowned out all other sounds in her surroundings, and at the same time, a faint illusion appeared before her eyes—

In a corner of the city streets, a silver shadow was gradually coalescing, letting out mournful howls!

It’s an Anomaly!

“Xia Cheng, what are you doing? It’s just a conversation, why are you getting so worked up!”

Her mother’s voice re-entered her ears.

Xia Cheng snapped back to reality, glanced at the embarrassed and annoyed Jiang Yue, and the still-calm Bai Hai sipping his drink.

She let out a strange laugh.

‘Mom doesn’t know. This person doesn’t know either.’

‘They don’t know that crisis has struck the city again, and only magical girls can save it.’

‘They can only spout empty words here, then hide when the sirens go off.’

‘But I have to go fight now.’

‘We’re already in two different worlds, so why argue so much?’

“Mom, I’m full. I just remembered Nannan needed me for something, so I’m leaving.”

Without waiting for a reply, Xia Cheng grabbed her jacket and walked out, disappearing in an instant.

“This child!” Jiang Yue was furious. This child was getting more and more unruly, leaving just like that.

She was about to go out and call her back when her phone in her bag began to vibrate violently.

Then, everyone’s phone in the restaurant started to vibrate.

[Level Four city-wide alert. Level Four city-wide alert. Anomaly No. 214 has appeared in the East District. Residents nearby, please cease all outdoor activities immediately and return home or proceed to the nearest shelter for refuge. Repeating…]

“What’s going on? Didn’t the South District just have one this afternoon!”

“The frequency of Anomalies has been increasing around here lately. I went on a business trip up north last time, and their Anomaly numbers were still under a hundred. Xingchuan City has already broken two hundred this month.”

“If this keeps up, we won’t be able to live.”

“Could this be some kind of omen?”

“It’s fine, we have magical girls.”

“Right, we have magical girls. Let’s go over there, I wonder which magical girl will show up today…”

The alert spread from the broadcasts on the streets to everyone’s mobile phones.

Because the East District was close, nearby police stations were also dispatched.

The restaurant staff also skillfully began evacuation procedures according to the emergency plan.

According to the new regulations, large public places like this were obligated to serve as temporary shelters.

However, many people chose to leave, because hiding in a shelter meant they couldn’t take the latest photos and videos of the magical girls.

Hearing the alert, Jiang Yue’s angry expression immediately turned to worry.

She grabbed her bag, ready to leave.

“Nannan’s house is in the East District. If Xia Cheng is going to find her… No, I have to…”

“Mom, I’ll go find Xia Cheng. You should leave here quickly. I’ll take her to a shelter as soon as I find her.”

Bai Hai rubbed his temples to forget the annoying sirens, then stood up and pressed Jiang Yue back into her chair.

Without waiting for her consent, he rushed out, leaving a worried Jiang Yue behind.

After a long moment, she muttered, “What is all this…”

Since the new laws and city regulations were announced, the speed of evacuation in Xingchuan City had increased significantly.

Within twenty minutes, most people had been evacuated.

Even the few individuals who remained outside followed online tutorials to hide in safe places and await rescue.

The entire East District suddenly became empty, leaving only silver shadows rampaging through the city streets.

“Hiss… Hiss…”

They were a swarm of silver spiders, each about the size of an adult human.

They were hideous and terrifying, their bodies shimmering with a mercury-like luster and emitting a nauseating stench.

They were scattered across the city streets, perched on abandoned cars.

Their unnaturally sharp fangs pierced into the gas tanks, as if they were sucking on something.

The city streets, which belonged to humans, were now completely surrendered to these unknown monsters.

The true masters of this steel jungle were now hiding in dark corners, peeking out in terror.

They were scared, but also expectant, waiting for the arrival of that ray of light!

And then they saw the light arrive!

There were two rays of light, one red and white, the other a pure sky blue.

The two lights streaked past the swarm of spiders at an incredible speed, knocking them away one by one.

Against the night scenery, two petite, girlish figures slowly emerged.

One of them was the magical girl named Ye Huasheng, in her beautiful red-and-white dress, the crown of thorns on her head held high.

The other was a girl slightly taller than Ye Huasheng by half a head.

Golden twin-tails, light purple pupils, and a particularly refreshing and beautiful sky-blue jacket over a slightly darker blue miniskirt.

Compared to Ye Huasheng beside her, this magical girl’s attire was more fashionable and daring.

But in reality, from the moment she materialized from the light, she had worn a somewhat restrained expression, like a good student forced to wear adult clothes.

“Magical Girl Ye Huasheng—is here!”

“Let us begin the battle, Magical Girl Lilia!” said Magical Girl Ye Huasheng.

“Can you stop talking like that! Chengzi!” However, the magical girl named Lilia blushed, shyly pulling down her overly short skirt.

“It’s so embarrassing!”

“Lilia, how can you not be ready for battle? Have you forgotten our mission as magical girls!” Ye Huasheng pretended to be angry and glared at Lilia, putting on a mature air.

Lilia, hearing this, glared back in embarrassment and annoyance.

“Chengzi!”

“Alright, Nannan, it’s not fun if we don’t do this,” Ye Huasheng sighed, sounding particularly regretful.

“Fighting isn’t supposed to be fun in the first place, you… Whoa, it’s coming!”

While the two were bickering, a silver spider shot towards them, its fangs glinting with a terrifying sharpness.

Lilia reacted in time, verbally warning her while summoning her own blue magic wand.

Magic power surged, and a visible blue sonic wave appeared out of thin air, instantly vibrating the pouncing silver spider into nothingness!

“Hey!” Ye Huasheng also reacted, summoning her wand and swinging it with force.

Several clumps of magic shot towards the spiders pouncing one after another, instantly blasting them into flying ash. The scene was quite spectacular.

“You’re a support, what’s the rush in attacking? I’m the main damage dealer!”

“What time is it! Hurry up, they’re coming again! Sister Lin said she needs some time to get here, she told us to hold on.”

Two magic wands, completely different attack methods and magic colors.

But the swarm of silver spiders seemed completely unaware that their companions were being constantly eliminated, and they screeched as they pounced one after another.

“Hold on? Why do we need to hold on against such weak monsters!” Ye Huasheng brandished her wand, magic power pouring out as if it were free.

Amidst a series of explosions, she shouted loudly, “Just the two of us are enough to take care of them! Don’t always rely on others. We’re magical girls too. Only by fighting can we level up!”

‘Watch carefully, this is how a magical girl saves the world!’

This was Ye Huasheng’s, this was Xia Cheng’s true inner roar!

Bai Hai, sitting on a nearby bench cracking sunflower seeds, couldn’t help but click his tongue. “Tsk, what a brat.”