The Unexpected Stage Call

On the stage.

After completing her self-introduction, the young woman bowed deeply to the audience below.

“Although it might sound arrogant, I believe everyone here knows us, don’t they?”

[Ling-chan! Ling-chan!]

The moment the young woman’s ‘they?’ fell, a deafening wave of cheers erupted throughout the venue.

It was clear just how immense the young woman’s popularity truly was.

“Everyone, please quiet down for a moment~”

The young woman’s stage presence was exceptional, and the venue quickly settled into silence.

Seeing her fans calm down, the young woman continued, “After a brief chat with management, we’re going to invite one of our little darlings up here. What do you all think, doesn’t that sound fun?”

Another stir rippled through the audience, but this time, silence quickly returned as everyone wondered who the young woman would choose.

“Little one, would you like to come up and play with your big sister?”

The young woman descended from the stage, making a beeline for a certain magical girl.

Huh? Aya Tone stared blankly at the slender hand extended towards him.

‘It’s beautiful.’

‘Oh, wait.’

‘With so many people here, how could they possibly pick me?’

Aya Tone felt the same sudden, caught-off-guard sensation one might experience in school when a teacher unexpectedly called upon him to answer a question.

“I don’t—”

“Yes!”

Aya Tone had barely begun to refuse when Miao Qingzhu, ever the instigator, eagerly accepted on his behalf.

“That’s wonderful!”

…

Aya Tone stood on the stage, but his eyes were fixed solely on Miao Qingzhu, who was seated directly in front.

If looks could kill, Miao Qingzhu would have perished ten thousand times over.

Miao Qingzhu, however, seemed utterly oblivious to the murderous gaze, a smile irrepressibly curving his lips.

‘An angry Tone is simply adorable.’

He pulled out his phone from his pocket and began recording.

‘You can do it!’

Witnessing this from the stage, Aya Tone instantly wished he could unleash a Starburst Blast upon his traitorous friend, Miao Qingzhu.

‘This is infuriating!’

Just then.

“Little one, what’s your name?”

The young woman, Ling, extended the microphone towards Aya Tone.

Aya Tone: “I’m twenty-three.”

Uh…

Seeing Aya Tone’s lack of cooperation, the young woman offered an embarrassed smile.

However, upon hearing Aya Tone declare his age as twenty-three, the audience erupted in gasps of surprise.

“Twenty-three?! A legal loli, holy smokes!”

“Hey, is this 110? There’s a pervert here! What? Being over eighteen isn’t a crime?”

“Mommy! Mommy! I want my milk!”

“Get lost, you bunch of lolicon perverts!”

…

“Silence! Please, quiet down!”

The situation was rapidly spiraling out of control.

The young woman helplessly tried to calm the boisterous fans below, but her voice was utterly lost amidst the clamor.

“Wow.”

Aya Tone clicked his tongue in wonder.

‘Now *this* is a normal reaction. If a few words could silence everyone, he wouldn’t have to constantly hide from all those women in the guild.’

The mere thought of those female hooligans sent a shiver down Aya Tone’s spine.

‘They’re terrifying…’

“Silence!”

The young woman sharply rebuked them again, though this time, she wielded the magic wand she used for her performance.

As the magic wand swished, specks of starlight scattered amongst the crowd.

The venue fell silent in an instant.

“Oho~”

Standing behind, Aya Tone raised an eyebrow, subtly glancing at the several ‘magical girls’ beside him.

‘That magic wand doesn’t look fake.’

‘So, these ‘magical girls’ beside her…’

Seeing the situation finally under control, the young woman let out a sigh of relief.

However, when her gaze fell upon the culprit behind her,

Aya Tone merely blinked, feigning an innocent, harmless expression.

The anger in the young woman’s eyes instantly softened into resignation.

She leaned down slightly and said softly, “My name is Lin Ling, and these are my friends, Ye Liu and Liu Fei.”

Upon hearing Lin Ling introduce them, the two ‘magical girls’ behind her offered Aya Tone a friendly smile.

Lin Ling then continued, “Judging by your cosplay, you must be a big fan of that Witch Lord, right?”

She didn’t press for Aya Tone’s name, sensing immediately that this child wouldn’t be cooperative.

It was better to approach from a different angle.

Aya Tone’s attire was unmistakable: silver hair, a little black dress, and the toy magic wand clutched in his hand.

It would have been difficult not to recognize him.

Unfortunately, Lin Ling’s imagination wasn’t quite vivid enough; she merely assumed this ‘twenty-three-year-old’ little girl was cosplaying the Witch Lord.

She dared not consider the possibility of him being the actual personage.

“That’s right. Is it a good rendition?”

Aya Tone, suddenly struck by a playful idea, didn’t reveal his true identity but instead played along with the young woman’s words.

“Teacher, your cosplay is incredible! Did you make this outfit yourself?”

The young woman held the microphone, her voice brimming with astonishment.

Below the stage, Miao Qingzhu bit his lip fiercely, determined to capture every detail of this hilariously amusing scene.

‘Naughty Tone!’

“No, actually. See my friend down there holding the phone? She made this outfit for me with her own hands.”

When he uttered the words ‘own hands,’ Aya Tone deliberately emphasized them.

It was clear how much resentment he harbored for being pushed onto the stage.

“It seems your friend is a true fan then.”

The young woman failed to detect the undercurrent of resentment in Aya Tone’s words.

Her gaze fell upon Miao Qingzhu, and she began to ponder how she might approach this ‘teacher’.

‘A teacher who can master details so perfectly… if only I could ask her to make one for me… how wonderful that would be.’

Miao Qingzhu hadn’t expected the conversation to pivot to him; feeling the gazes suddenly converge, his smile stiffened.

‘He had underestimated Aya Tone’s vengeful nature, but this small stage was nothing…’

Miao Qingzhu held his phone steady with one hand and politely waved with the other.

‘Easy peasy!’

Lin Ling withdrew her gaze, recalling her original purpose for inviting Aya Tone onto the stage: audience interaction.

She then continued, “Since Teacher also admires the Witch Lord, why don’t we all perform one of the Witch Lord’s signature moves? What do you say, everyone?!”

“Yes!!”

The audience, who had just settled down, was immediately re-energized with passion.

Four ‘magical girls’ on stage, plus one cosplaying the silver-haired Witch.

If they could capture a perfect photograph, their trip would certainly not be in vain.

“Signature move?”

Everyone in the entire venue was incredibly excited, save for Aya Tone, who stood bewildered on stage, his small eyes wide.

‘What signature move could *I* possibly have?’

Aya Tone pondered, realizing he hadn’t participated in any public events aside from that one ranking match.

“Um, what signature move are you talking about?”

Aya Tone quietly asked the young woman with long yellow hair beside him.

Ye Liu clearly hadn’t expected Aya Tone to speak to her; observing the small face so similar to the silver-haired Witch.

The young woman’s face flushed.

Aya Tone: “Why are you blushing, you bubble tea pot!?”

“It’s, it’s that Starburst Burst magic…”

Compared to Lin Ling, who stood at the front rousing the audience’s enthusiasm, this yellow ‘magical girl’ seemed rather timid.

Her voice, when she spoke, was soft and gentle.

However, Aya Tone was in no mood to consider such things at the moment.

“Starburst Burst???”

‘That move… he really shouldn’t do that.’

“I object!”

Aya Tone raised his small hand.