Chapter 211
An hour later, when the group gathered in the streets, almost everyone was carrying multiple shopping bags.
Before Chu Yuanqing could even ask a question, his Little Cotton-padded Jacket slipped him a gift bag.
The Green Eyed Cat followed closely behind, presenting an exquisitely packaged piece of jewelry.
Kiriwake Yayoi felt she had been caught in the crossfire, and no longer felt shy, she gave away the gift.
Xie Qingxuan watched from the side, carrying an Exquisite shopping bag, showing no intention of giving it away.
--Because what's inside is just the outer packaging of the gift.
Chu Yuanqing rarely received gifts, or rather, she never thought she would receive gifts. She was stunned for a few seconds before quickly grabbing the bag that was about to slip to the ground and asking the Little Idol to help carry the gifts. She decided to go back to the hotel to lighten her load.
On the way back, the Pure White Witch was troubled about how to return the favor. She was terrible at giving gifts, and nine times out of ten, the gifts she gave her daughter were disliked. In this respect, she was a complete disaster.
After returning to her room, Chu Yuanqing began unwrapping the gifts.
The gift from my Little Cotton-padded Jacket was a snow globe, which really adds to the Christmas atmosphere.
The Green Eyed Cat gave me a swan-shaped crystal necklace, which I feel is worth more than 100 euros.
Finally, there was Yayoi. She gave me some thoughtful gifts that were full of local cultural charm, perfect for displaying at home as collectibles.
Chu Yuanqing thought for a moment and put all the gifts they gave her into her Small backpack.
Although she doesn't have a home to put these things in, and isn't interested in girls' jewelry, she is still very happy that people are giving her gifts.
It only takes four minutes by taxi from the hotel to the Schönbrunn Palace.
Since we had other plans for the afternoon, we took a taxi directly after leaving the hotel.
Chu Yuanqing soon arrived at this famous classic, the summer palace of the Habsburg emperor. Everywhere he looked, there were magnificent palaces and Baroque gardens.
Only 45 rooms in the palace are open to the public. After a quick tour, the Little Idol visited the Neptune Fountain and the Roman ruins before heading to a highly-rated restaurant online.
Chu Yuanqing scooped out a piece of apple roll with a spoon. She hadn't yet adapted to the richer taste buds of her new body, so she only scooped out a symbolic little bit and tasted it with her pink tongue.
Hmm, it's a wonderful blend of the sweetness of apples and the unique aroma of cinnamon, along with a thin, crisp skin and sprinkled with icing sugar. It's Xiao Shu would like to eat it.
As expected,
The girl looked up and saw her Little Cotton-padded Jacket, happily squinting her eyes. She looked at her with tenderness, then suddenly remembered something and, like Charlotte, took a picture of the scene with her phone, her smile widening.
"Xiao Qing, Xiao Qing, I want to take a picture too!"
Tang Liuli noticed Chu Yuanqing's little action with her sharp eyes. Her emerald green eyes sparkled, and she immediately clung to the Pure White Witch who looked like a mother in a coquettish manner.
Kiriwake Yayoi had placed her camera on the empty table next to her, recording directly in their direction. Upon hearing this, she couldn't help but look at Chu Yuanqing, her cherry-pink eyes staring straight at him, looking exceptionally alluring.
Xie Qingxuan did the opposite. She took a picture of the girl's gentle profile in the sunlight with her phone, then tugged at the girl's sleeve with her fingertips. Her beautiful face was pure and innocent as she looked at the girl earnestly and said directly:
"I want to stay in Xiao Qing's photo album."
Finally, even Chu Wangshu was tempted to join in the fun. Her cheeks, which had been puffed up by the food, immediately disappeared, and she began to control her expression, hoping to be photographed in a better way.
Chu Yuanqing had a momentary illusion that she was a kindergarten principal, but she still didn't refuse. She earnestly used her terrible skills to satisfy all the Little Idol, adding a bunch of poorly composed photos of her teammates that relied solely on their looks to fill the album.
The meal ended amidst playful banter, and everyone strolled around for a while afterward, taking a group photo at one of the attractions, bringing it to a perfect close.
It was 3 p. m. They had visited two attractions and completed one-fifth of their task. Without stopping, led by Chen Xiaoxiao, they arrived at a dance studio in Vienna's old town.
Kiriwake Yayoi looked around. The dance studio was about 100 square meters, and the facilities were quite good, much better than the dance studio assigned to her by her previous company. However, compared to the high-standard treatment of <Flash Dance>, which incorporated various cutting-edge technologies, it was obviously somewhat shabby.
There's no AI-powered lighting to correct movements, no AI instructors to help you learn dance, no equipment to enhance muscle memory, no sleep pods to improve sleep quality, and no massage pods to relieve muscle soreness...
Even Kiriwake Yayoi, who had experienced hardship in this area, couldn't help but feel a huge sense of disappointment.
But Little Sakura didn't dwell on this emotion. She quickly made a training schedule and assigned tasks. The first thing to do was naturally the warm-up flexibility training, followed by the dance practice, and then the part assignments.
When the training session came to an initial conclusion, it was nearly evening.
The Little Idol all went to take showers, leaving only Chu Yuanqing and Kiriwake Yayoi in the dance studio.
"Aren't you going to take a break?"
"No need, I feel great."
A bright smile appeared on Kiriwake Yayoi's lips. She adjusted her breathing rhythm, ignoring the pounding in her heart, and prepared to practice the newly learned dance one more time.
The "Cocoon of the Heart" within the soul also advances with the will, accumulating the power to move forward.
Now, just as she had imagined, she was constantly approaching the Life Form of Magical Girl, and even the dazzling moments that had erupted on stage in the past were beginning to solidify into a lingering Heart Tide phenomenon.
Watching this scene, Chu Yuanqing felt that it would be difficult to find someone in other regions with such rapid progress as Yayoi. Perhaps... this child could become one of the main forces in this era to fight against the Disaster Tide.
Wearing a form-fitting dance costume, Kiriwake Yayoi freely stretched her slender body, taking light steps as she danced. Her toes touched the solitary shadow of the curtains, and her lowered eyes revealed her feminine grace.
Just then, the evening breeze from the Danube River blew in through the window, and the setting sun cast its golden light into the room.
Almost instinctively, Kiriwake Yayoi turned around and looked at Chu Yuanqing, whose face was obscured in the afterglow. Suddenly, she felt that the gaze he was looking at was somewhat familiar. A sense of déjà vu slowly rose within her, causing her heart to pound violently.
At this moment, the radiant [Cocoon of the Heart], the dazzling light that seemed to envelop me like flames, Chu Yuanqing's familiar yet unfamiliar gaze, and that phrase that suddenly came to mind—the moment of encountering the demon—all rushed past like a raging torrent, roaring in my ears.
A god in the black snow, a sacrifice born of betrayal, a redemption dragged out of loneliness...
The bizarre and fantastical images in my dreams, swirling and chaotic amidst the agonizing pain of burning flames, filled my mind in a disorderly fashion, washing away the exhaustion of my trained consciousness and leaving it blank.
"Ring ring..."
In a daze, Kagura Bell Rei's melodious voice, mixed with the clanging of steel clashing, shattered all memories, making them solidify like molten iron in a mold, solidified by the ringing of the bell, and then softened and deformed by the high temperature.
The girl's expression was blank, the cherry blossom pink in her eyes burning in the light. Her love for the stage, her identification with her idol, and her devotion to herself all melted into a grander and more intense emotion in that instant, almost uncontrollably causing her dance steps to change.
It was still dance, but it was different from girl group dances, or even modern dances; it leaned towards a priestly style.
At this moment, the cherry blossom idol before my eyes seemed to have transformed into the Eastern Flow Witch. She seemed to be holding up the Kagura Bell and praising it to all directions. She took a step forward, jumping and leaping, her eyes slightly closed, her palms facing the sky, and a devout smile on her lips, as if she were telling the gods about the joys and sorrows of humankind.
Chu Yuanqing's expression faltered slightly. The gilded light in her pupils shattered from the darkness, like magma overflowing from a glass bottle, burning fiercely with intense emotions. The lantern on her chest was stained with the same dangerous reddish-black color, as if it had been dragged into distant memories.
How wondrous! How magical!
This ordinary dance, without music, Kagura Bell, or Witch costumes, touched a special medium within the soul, allowing an intense, suffocating sorrow, a teeth-grinding hatred, and a bone-chilling regret to permeate one's very being in an instant.
Those memories, as vast as a tsunami, flashed through my consciousness like images.
This Savior, now an empty shell, silently gazed at the vast emptiness of her soul, as if standing on a desolate landscape filled with black snow, surrounded by chaotic and fragmented pieces of memory.
--[Amaterasu].
This is the Disaster God, the first Disaster God she has ever fought.
But why? Why did I previously think the "King of Salt" came first?
Chu Yuanqing's memory is confused. Unlike the last time she fought against the [Old Testament] in the illusion, she doesn't remember any of the process of fighting against [Amaterasu]. This means that among the things that the Sea of Truth made her forget, there is a part that involves its core logic.
Therefore, after it was taken away, the memories of [Amaterasu] became like rootless duckweed, unable to gather substantial information, leading to a disorder in the overall memory.
But Yayoi's dance became a pivotal point, allowing the fragmented information about this Disaster God to begin to reassemble, just as broken puzzle pieces collided back and forth in consciousness, forcibly piecing together a visible shape.
--Heart Forging, Futsu-no-Mitama, Ama-no-Habakiri no Habakiri, Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi...
And each time a keyword is mentioned, the Kagura bells seem to draw closer to one's ears.
Chu Yuanqing instinctively resisted seeing that scene. Her heart ached, she had difficulty breathing, she couldn't help but purse her lips, and even close her eyes. But the information in her brain still gathered and pieced together on its own, recalling that long-buried past.
In the dance studio, the shrine Witch lightly touched the ground, dancing like a butterfly or bee, stirring up gusts of wind. The clear sound of bells fell from her ethereal sleeves, and with her dancing steps, she began to spin, like a kite in the sky, moving with a gentle rhythm.
Chu Yuanqing sighed wearily. She opened her eyes, and the molten gold that had once burned like lava was now darker than ever before. She stared silently at the memories pulsating within her soul.
The girl's slender figure swayed in the fire. Her fingers, hidden in her sleeve, flicked out gently. Her long fingertips seemed to tap on the Kagura Bell in her memory, forming the final, resounding note that shattered the illusion. Her flesh and blood collapsed and shattered, turning into fine ashes.
In the end, the scorching sea of fire boiled the black snow in my memory.
Those numerous weapons originating from mythology, bathed in the blood and bones of Witch and nourished by holy souls, were all evaporated and melted at the cost of a blessing called [Heart Forging], igniting a great fire that Funeral Procession the entire island and forging the blade that ended Norse mythology.
Yes, Laevatain.
Volume 1: 202. Version Update, Changes in Affection Levels. (5K)
The Danube River shimmered in the twilight.
The fiery clouds outside the window were exceptionally intense, and the sunset reflected into the room created a vibrant silhouette.
The girl stopped dancing, maintaining the final pose as if frozen in time, like a dragon gracefully swimming in water. The focus in her eyes refocused, her fingertips drooping as she regained consciousness. All the strength in her body seemed to snap, causing her to lean weakly to one side, about to fall to the ground.
Chu Yuanqing watched this scene in a daze. Her dim golden eyes suddenly burned with heat. The anger, sorrow, and regret in her chest surged like a tide. The silver magic power, like moonlight, surged and instantly softened into countless threads, supporting Little Sakura's slender waist.
Then, instinctively she stepped forward, as if across a distant era, across that hopeless sea of fire, and tightly embraced the limp Witch. Through her tear-blurred vision, she saw the priestess's dying smile.
At this moment, the roar of glaciers cracking echoed deep within my soul once more.
The Sea of Truth has stripped Kiriwake Yayoi of all memories.
Even after taking a long detour and using [Amaterasu] as a medium to recall the scene of the Witch forging Laevateinn, the curse still clung to him like a malignant tumor, shrouding the images in his mind in layers of mist once again.
Chu Yuanqing remained silent. Her flawless white hair cascaded down her shoulders, with a few strands falling in front of her eyes, obscuring her complex emotions. Her expression had returned to calm, and the silvery-white magical properties were twisted by the fire in her heart, transforming into a halo that turned from red to pitch black, attempting to resist the power of oblivion.
The cherry blossom idol's pretty face in the Pure White Witch's eyes seemed to perfectly match the appearance of that Witch. She felt the real, soft, and warm girl in her arms, as fleeting as cherry blossoms, and couldn't help but tighten her arms. She stretched out her slender fingertips and gently stroked the other's forehead hair, as if cherishing a fragile treasure.
Chu Yuanqing wore a complex smile, a mixture of relief and apology she murmured to herself:
"Yayoi, I'm sorry, I... I forgot who you are."
"But I'm really happy to see you again and to know that you're doing well in this New Era. Thank you."
As these thoughts passed by, the red and black magic was officially exhausted, and the [Extinguished Karmic Sin] was forced to be released. The memories that still had some outlines were buried again by the thick fog. He could only barely remember the scorching heat of the burning fire and the intense emotions of questioning himself in his chest.
The Witch's figure was buried by fire, leaving only the indelible sharpness of Laevateinn.
Chu Yuanqing's expression went blank for a moment, but then she regained her composure. She breathed a sigh of relief, not forgetting that Kiriwake Yayoi was a comrade-in-arms, and even the key information about the origin of Laevateinn.
This is the best news; the rest of the details are irrelevant.
Thinking about it carefully, this seems to be the first time in 17 years that we've managed to snatch back a bit of memory from the Sea of Truth.
However, luck played a larger role.
"Laevateinn is special, so special that even just the memory of it is entangled with the power of fate, especially at the moment of its birth, when such qualities are amplified to the maximum."
"So even though the curse stripped away Yayoi's memories, because her birth was so closely linked to Laevateinn's, the curse couldn't completely erase that part, thus leaving a bug."
Chu Yuanqing sorted out the logic and felt it was too coincidental. She had four teammates. Apart from Xiao Shu, who was her daughter, Xie Qingxuan and Kiriwake Yayoi both revealed characteristics of the old era. The latter even reminded her of some memories.
Then... what about Liuli? Could Liuli be someone I knew from before?
Although she had guessed before that, given the character of those old friends, it was almost certain that they would stand out if they participated in Flash Dance, she never imagined that they would all coincidentally meet.
Chu Yuanqing sensed the scent of fate, or perhaps it was because she had inherited the blessing of her deceased friend, and was already bound to him by an unbreakable bond, like substitutes drawn together by mutual attraction.
Of course, the possibility of Planet Consciousness at work cannot be ruled out.
When Chu Yuanqing forcibly elevated the dimension and corrected the Worldline using [Funeral Procession] to confront the Sea of Truth, he also noticed the near-death consciousness of this planet.
Even though it can't compare to a colossal entity like the Sea of Truth, which is like the ultimate truth of the universe, the Collective Consciousness of this planet still possesses considerable power. Going back to its peak, it can read information from the first playthrough, so it's quite reasonable for it to deliberately assemble the "hero team" from the past in the second playthrough.
Unfortunately, Planet Consciousness lacks intelligence and only possesses animalistic self-preservation instincts.
Otherwise, communicating with the other party is much more efficient than communicating with Dream Weaver Rabbit; a single chat can clarify the crux of the current problem.
At this moment, Little Sakura, who had fully come to her senses, blinked in bewilderment. She was enjoying the feeling of being embraced and snuggled close by the Pure White Witch. Before she could even feel happy, she remembered her skillful and natural Kagura Dance from before, and was greatly shocked.
What's going on? Could it be... that she's actually a dance prodigy?
Is it possible to fully grasp the essence of this art form simply by working at a shrine in Hokkaido for a few days, and then naturally reproduce that devout yet elegant dance posture through one's body?
Even so, it's unreasonable for someone to suddenly do the splits and start Kagura Dance while practicing a girl group dance!
The more Kiriwake Yayoi thought about it, the more frightened she became. It was acceptable for her drawing skills to improve and for strange changes to occur, but dancing was different. It not only involved her performance on stage, but it was also easy for her to ruin her teammates' lives.
Little Sakura couldn't even imagine how explosive the audience would be if she suddenly switched to dancing the Kagura Dance on stage. It would probably burn out their CPUs, and her Idol Career would end at that moment.
"Woke up?"
Chu Yuanqing looked at the girl's bewildered face, poked her cheek with his fingertip, and said:
"Tell me when you wake up what dreams you've had lately, and what strange things have happened to you."
Upon Kiriwake Yayoi snapped out of her reverie, a strong sense of security welling up within her.
That's right, Xiao Qing is a very powerful Magical Girl. If it involves supernatural magical events, she definitely has a way to solve them!
Thinking of this, the girl reluctantly got up from the soft, fragrant embrace of the Pure White Witch. Like a child who had made a mistake, she straightened her back and knelt in front of her. However, due to the yoga clothes, her curves were particularly prominent, and the winding arcs were not at all like those of a child.
Kiriwake Yayoi, not even bothering to put on a coat, said earnestly:
"As for dreams, I've had many back at the base, but I can't remember them clearly when I wake up. All I remember is a lot of black snow. It was yesterday in that square, after hearing Charlotte sing that song, that a lot of unfamiliar images suddenly popped into my head."
"Moreover, that night I tried to draw what I remembered, and I found that my drawing skills had become amazing, almost like it was printed out. I was thinking of asking you about it today, but just now I suddenly started dancing that dance without even realizing it."