Chapter 217
Next, after taking a shower and changing her clothes, she can go home.
Generally speaking, after working for almost a whole day in idol costumes that cover almost the entire body, most people would be quite tired and sweaty.
However, Tachibana Aeruru doesn't have this kind of trouble.
After all, she's Magic girl.
In the changing room, after a burst of light, the petite Tachibana Aeruru was covered in shimmering petals. With a fragrance and scattered petals, the girl's figure began to grow taller and more slender.
As the petals fell from the girl's body, a Magic girl, as beautiful as a flower and dressed in layers of tiered skirts, appeared before the mirror.
Dreamy, soft pink hair, and eyes as clear as bubbles.
Her long hair was adorned with roses.
Without a doubt, this Magic girl is none other than the most popular Magic girl in Maple Plain City — Magic Girl Star Flower.
She is also the real-life counterpart of the popular idol Tachibana Aeruru.
Star Flower gently touched the mirror, glanced at her reflection, and then smiled at herself.
"Thank you for your hard work today, Ms. Tachibana."
Tachibana Aeruru is her stage name.
However, Tachibana was also Sakaki Chika's grandmother's original surname, and the reason she chose this name was to commemorate her grandmother.
It is said that this surname has been passed down since the time of R'lyeh, just like the Crystal "Iris" left by her grandmother.
Therefore, what she possesses has irreplaceable significance for her.
Speaking of which, school starts again tomorrow.
While the start of the school year is a source of anxiety for other students, Sakaki Chika always looks forward to it.
After all, when she was little, she couldn't go to school like other children for various reasons.
After entering high school, it became even more difficult for her to study seriously because of her idol work, especially since she was the kind of person who was rather slow-witted.
In this respect, I really envy Ai and the student council president; they are both so good at studying.
I also enjoy attending classes with my classmates.
However, Star Flower couldn't say she had no ulterior motives, especially recently, as she realized her purpose for going to school was becoming increasingly impure...
"I wonder how your holiday went... Did you think of me at all?"
Thinking of this, Star Flower touched the charm on her phone, which was a small rabbit doll that looked very cute.
This was the first gift that Teacher Haihara gave her.
This shows that Teacher Haihara has always had feelings for her.
After that, she never let the doll leave her side.
Since the changing room was basically hers, Star Flower didn't rush to undo her transformation. She just sat down and looked at her phone for a while.
As an idol, Star Flower's hobbies are no different from those of an ordinary high school girl.
She enjoys watching popular soap operas, videos about pets, and occasionally cartoons.
Occasionally, I'll do some intensive self-searching to see how people evaluate me online.
Incidentally, she only dares to search herself when she transforms.
Otherwise, given Sakaki Chika's current state, she wouldn't have had the courage to see her negative reviews.
However, I also read some news about Magic girls.
Recently, with the appearance of a new Magic girl, namely Magic Girl Thousand Sins, the popularity of Maple Plain City has soared to new heights, with almost the entire world discussing the arrival of the new Magic girl Thousand Sins.
Due to Thousand Sins's overwhelming performance so far, many people believe that Thousand Sins is the world's strongest Magic girl.
Moreover, Xiao Thousand Sins is not only strong, but also cool and cute.
Her popularity has reached a phenomenal level.
At this moment, Star Flower sighed slightly...
Takanashi- kun, you've become so strong now!
Among all the Magic girls in Maple Plain City, her companions are constantly getting stronger; it can be said that each of them has the power to defeat Perfect Form Monster on their own.
Everyone here has protected this city from powerful enemies.
Upon closer reflection, it seems that only she has remained stagnant.
Although she was happy that her friends had become so successful, sometimes she would wonder if she would become a burden to them in the future...
Star Flower was slightly disappointed, but quickly patted her cheeks again:
"Never mind."
Her disappointment was fleeting, and she quickly returned to her usual relaxed and cheerful self.
"Grandma said that belief is the strongest Magic, and I will become stronger in the future."
Sakaki Chika always believed in everything her grandmother said.
Even in her most desperate moments, she never doubted her grandmother's words. Although she almost gave up several times, she has managed to persevere until now.
Magic girls have the opportunity to become stronger.
If she were to advance from an ordinary Magic girl to Sacred Domain like Phantom Wind- senpai, she would probably become very strong.
Thinking of this, Star Flower removed the Pendulum from her Magic Wand and deactivated her transformation.
The flower-like Magic girl has returned to being a petite young woman.
Sakaki Chika blushed slightly as she carefully stroked the Iris Pendulum in her hand.
The Pendulum was very brightly colored.
Within its magenta color, there is an iridescent glow; when light shines through it, a rainbow appears.
This Pendulum had been with her since she was a child.
It was an irreplaceable keepsake from her grandmother.
I heard that my grandmother used to use this Pendulum to transform into Magic girl and fight.
Grandma also told her that when she felt down or confused, she could get a gentle response if she talked to Iris.
It is said that when Grandma was young, she was often encouraged and comforted by Iris.
Iris has her own soul and will accompany her as if her grandmother were still alive.
Although Sakaki Chika not heard that voice yet, she can sense that Iris's voice must be gentle and full of maternal love.
When it comes to motherhood, Sakaki Chika subconsciously thinks of Teacher Haihara.
She lowered her head and muttered to herself:
"What kind of gift should I give Teacher Haihara next time...? I wonder what Teacher Haihara likes."
Sakaki Chika was talking to herself.
[Miss Haihara really loves children, so how about we have a baby together?]
While talking to herself, Sakaki Chika suddenly heard a gentle and maternal voice, whether it was her imagination or not.
That voice was really beautiful.
Like a more mature Star Flower.
Baby?
At first Sakaki Chika was inexplicably tempted by the idea, but then she realized something was off—there was no one else here except her.
She blinked.
"... Eh?"
Chapter Twenty-Three: Bei Laohei, I Miss You
Deep within Black Forest on the distant border of the R'lyeh Kingdom, where no detection Magic can find it, lies an ancient prison strictly guarded by Magic girls.
This prison is buried deep underground, like a long-forgotten ruin, and its purpose is actually to make it a place that no one will ever visit again.
However, this prison actually only held one inmate.
That was the most dangerous and evil Magic girl in R'lyeh's history, second only to the Overlord, whose threat level was no less than that of the Demon King.
She was once a blood relative of the Queen, but later rebelled for the sake of R'lyeh's Sovereignty and power, accepting corrupted power in the Black Forest and becoming the first Black Magical Girl.
People have many different names for her.
Some call her the Queen of Dark Magic, the Lord of the Black Forest, others call her Caesar, and still others call her by the name of Hell, or by her name before she became Black Magical Girl, "Extreme Moon".
In short, she is an evil emperor, the Caesar of hell.
In the end, however, people still call her by her real name, that taboo name that appears in countless dark R'lyeh tales and cannot be mentioned.
--- Magic Girl Belial.
Centuries ago, this place was strictly guarded by Magic girls sent by the Kingdom to prevent any remnants of Belial from getting their hands on it.
However, after such a long time, the seal had long since plunged Belial into eternal slumber, leaving only his remaining power, which is said to linger on Earth along with his departed soul.
What remains here is merely an empty shell that retains some semblance of consciousness.
Today, a Magic girl has arrived at this long-unseen underground prison ruin.
"Magical Girl Nightingale, Lord of Nightingale Town, I'm here today for my annual inspection of the prisoner Belial. Please let me in."
This is a Bird System Magic girl with a young appearance and a soft, melodious voice. A long bird feather is pinned to her black hair, making her appear lively and elegant.
She calls herself the Magical Girl Nightingale.
She was also Magic girl the two guards had heard of. As a lord who had once fought near the Black Forest, Nightingale did indeed have such a duty.
"Lord Nightingale, I recall that you came to inspect the seal about a week later, didn't you?"
One of the guardian Magic girls looked puzzled.
To this, the Nightingale simply smiled, appearing completely at ease.
"A lot has happened in the Kingdom lately, and the Black Magical Girl might be stirring up trouble, so I was a little concerned about the situation here and came ahead of time."
Just as she said, R'lyeh has become much more lively lately than before.
This is mainly due to what happened on the other side of the Earth.
After all, many things that have happened on Earth recently have exceeded the common sense of the R'lyeh Magic girls, such as the Black Death Cult who surpasses the Perfect Form Monster, and the Serpent System Magic girl.
Furthermore, the time is drawing ever closer to the day predicted by the Grand Scholar of Star Reading when the Overlord's Magic Artifact will reappear.
After Nightingale finished speaking, the two Magic girls nodded and let Nightingale in.
The Nightingale thus entered the depths of the prison without hindrance.
Rather than calling this a prison, it's more accurate to describe it as a cage that confines some kind of being.
The Nightingale could only stand on the steps, looking down at the woman's figure, murmuring:
"Even though she's just an empty shell devoid of power, she still exudes a terrifying aura... the legendary Magic girl Belial..."
The dark stone wall extends upwards for dozens of meters, with huge rocks forming some kind of mechanism, creating a seal powerful enough to imprison Crown Rank Magic Girl.
At the very bottom of this hellish cage, there was a woman whose entire body was bound by heavy chains.
Just then, the woman imprisoned in the darkness seemed to react.
The shadows were like her nest and her soul, making that cage look like a bottomless dark abyss.
The woman in the darkness slightly raised her head.
"The aura of Monster?"
A cold, deep voice echoed within the cage.
Upon hearing what the woman said, Nightingale revealed a strange smile.
"I knew I couldn't hide it from you."
As she spoke, the colors and outlines on the Magical Girl Nightingale gradually changed, becoming bizarre and strange.