"This Is My Turf"

Chen Xiaoxia spoke with perfect confidence.

What Chen Xiaoxia said seemed to make sense. Yu Muqiu hesitated for a moment, then stopped arguing.

After all, the name "Xiao Bai" had come from her, and it was only a name. If Xiao Bai truly disliked it, she could tell them what to call her, even if it was just a codename.]

(So that was how Xiao Bai got her name.)

(No, honestly, that name sounds way too much like a pet's name. It feels a little disrespectful to Xiao Bai...)

(But wasn't it because Xiao Bai never gave them a name in the first place? She could've at least given them a codename, right?)

(No, how are you all calling her Xiao Bai so naturally?!)

(No, why did you say "no"?)

"..."

Fang Ming stared blankly at the comments streaking across the Sky Screen.

Honestly, he did not care what he was called. Although he had initially felt that the name Xiao Bai was indeed somewhat inappropriate, he had not planned on picking another name for himself.

Whether he chose a codename or gave a false name, there was a chance someone could follow the trail and uncover his real name.

It was better to simply accept the name Yu Muqiu and the others had given him.

Looking at it now, Fang Ming's choice back then had been correct.

After all, the Sky Screen was right overhead, openly revealing the Magical Girls' existence to the public.

There was no shortage of clever people in this world. If he had tried to be smart and used another name back then, those clever people might have figured something out.

Xiao Bai it was.

It was pretty good.

[After discussing Xiao Bai, Xiao Chun was just about to ask about the "territory" Xiao Bai had mentioned when Nino suddenly flew in through the window in a panic and said:

"I sensed the location of the second... no, the second Nightmare Seed cluster!"]

Along with Nino's cry and the Magical Girls' surprise, the opening theme began to play.

After the ninety-second opening ended, the scene on the Sky Screen shifted from indoors to the lakeside.

["Yes, four tickets. Thank you."

Fang Ming bought tickets from the young woman at the park ticket booth, while the three girls stood at the edge of the park, looking toward the lake in the distance.

Stillwater Lake in Rock City was one of the area's scenic attractions, named for how its waters remained calm and ripple-free most of the time.

However, although it was a tourist attraction, it did not receive many visitors on ordinary days. Locals generally did not come here, and most visitors were tourists from elsewhere. Though it was summer vacation, the weather was simply too hot, so there were not many people sightseeing here.

As a result, the entire Stillwater Lake Park was exceptionally quiet.

In other words, this did not seem like the sort of place where a Nightmare Core could exist.

"Nino, can there really be a Nightmare Core here?"

Yu Muqiu looked at the sparsely populated park and asked Nino, who was inside the cat carrier on her back, enjoying the portable air conditioner she had brought along.

Nino lounged in the cat carrier, basking in the cool air, and nodded. "There's no mistake. It's here!"

"But there don't seem to be many people around here." Yu Muqiu voiced her concern.

Chen Xiaoxia nodded as well. "Yeah, didn't you say Nightmare Cores like crowded places the most?"

"There are quite a few people here." Nino looked out from the cat carrier at the visitors in the park.

Xiao Chun asked, "But there are very few residential buildings nearby. It doesn't seem likely that nightmares could be born here, does it?"]

One of the necessary conditions for a Nightmare Seed to transform into a Demon was for someone to harbor resentment. The resentment did not need to be especially intense; as long as a group of people shared the same resentment, it would activate the Nightmare Seed, transform it into a nightmare, and give birth to a Demon within that dream.

The second necessary condition for it to transform into a nightmare was that people needed to be asleep.

Therefore, Nightmare Seeds generally transformed into Demons at night. It was rare for a Nightmare Seed to transform into a Demon during the day.

As for Demons that had already taken shape, they were not restricted by day or night.

There were few people around Stillwater Lake Park, not many residential buildings, and it was dozens of kilometers away from the city center.

Other than the night-shift security guards stationed here, almost no one lived nearby.

Naturally, there was no way for resentment to accumulate.

The chances of a Nightmare Seed transforming into a Demon were low.

["But... it might have come from somewhere else, like the Speed Demon."

Nino offered a guess.

The three Magical Girls immediately fell silent.

That was right. Once Demons took shape, they were no longer restricted by barriers. Most Demons lacked intelligence and would simply remain where they were.

But intelligent Demons were different. The Speed Demon, for instance, had actively come to attack Yu Muqiu and the others, and no one knew where he had originally been born.

"What are you talking about?"

As they chatted, Fang Ming walked over carrying tickets and ice cream.

The three girls instantly put on bright smiles. Yu Muqiu said, "Nothing, we were just admiring... wow, the scenery is so beautiful~"

"Yeah, yeah! Brother Fang Ming, is this ice cream for us? You're so nice, thank you, Brother Fang Ming!"

Chen Xiaoxia spotted the ice cream in Fang Ming's hand, took one from him, and smiled sweetly.

It was hard to imagine that Chen Xiaoxia, who was usually so carefree and tomboyish, would behave so obediently in front of Fang Ming.

She really had two completely different faces depending on who she was around.

Fang Ming did not mind. He had bought the ice cream for the girls anyway, so after Chen Xiaoxia took one, he handed the remaining two to Xiao Qiu and Xiao Chun.

The two girls accepted the ice cream and sweetly called out "Thank you, Brother Fang Ming" in unison before using magic to communicate with Chen Xiaoxia nearby.

Yu Muqiu was the first to raise the issue:

What if we really run into a Demon here? What if it doesn't set up a Nightmare Barrier and suddenly attacks us? Then Brother Fang Ming...

How about one person stays with Brother Fang Ming while the other two split up? Once we find a clue, we can send a signal and regroup, Xiao Chun suggested.

Leave one person behind to protect him? That works. Then... who stays? Chen Xiaoxia asked the other two.

In the end, the three girls looked at one another, and Xiao Chun stayed by Fang Ming's side.

The reason was that Xiao Chun was the most mature. With her protecting Fang Ming, the others could rest easy.]

[The three Magical Girls decided to split up.

Fang Ming, meanwhile, fully took on the role of tour guide and guardian. On one hand, he introduced the scenery in the park to the three girls, and on the other, he kept a close eye on them to stop them from running around.

But Fang Ming was only one person. How could he possibly keep watch over all three of them?

So after they passed an intersection, only Xiao Chun remained at Fang Ming's side. Xiao Qiu and Xiaoxia had vanished without a trace.

"Seriously... why are you kids running around like this..."

When Xiao Qiu and Xiaoxia disappeared from beside him, Fang Ming sighed helplessly at Xiao Chun.

Xiao Chun gave an awkward laugh and said, "They probably went back to the gift shop from earlier to buy something."

"Seriously... and neither of them is answering their phone... Forget it. Xiao Chun, stay here. I'll go back and look for them, then come meet up with you."

After Fang Ming called Yu Muqiu and received no answer for quite some time, he sighed again and got up, preparing to return to the gift shop from before.

Xiao Chun blinked. "How about I go back with you, Brother Fang Ming?"

She still had to protect Fang Ming and ensure that if an attack suddenly occurred, Fang Ming and the nearby ordinary people would not be harmed. She could not separate from him now.

"No need. You can take a break at the milk tea shop nearby. I want to see what those two kids are up to."

As he spoke, Fang Ming led Xiao Chun to the milk tea shop nearby and ordered her a cold drink. Then he said:

"Oh, right, memorize my number. If Xiao Qiu and the others meet up with you first, give me a call."

Worried that Xiao Qiu's phone might be on silent or even turned off, Fang Ming gave Xiao Chun his number.

"Um... Brother Fang Ming, how about we still go together..."

Xiao Chun had just planned to leave with Fang Ming when she suddenly sensed an unusual fluctuation of magic.

That magical fluctuation was very close, leaving Xiao Chun unable to finish what she had been saying.

She turned blankly toward the source of the magic before saying to Fang Ming:

"I understand, Brother Fang Ming. I'll wait here for you."

"Mm. Don't run around, or I won't be able to explain things to your parents."

Fang Ming gave one more reminder before turning and leaving, quickly disappearing from Xiao Chun's sight.]

(Cousin worked hard!)

(Cousin worked hard!)

(As an adult, I know Xiao Qiu and the others had no choice but to split up in order to search for the Demon, but from his perspective, realizing the kids he brought along have gone missing really would make your vision go black.)

(And what'll make Cousin's vision go even blacker is that after he fails to find Xiao Qiu and Xiaoxia and comes back... hahaha, Xiao Chun will be gone too!)

(Fang Ming: I'm so screwed!)

(I feel bad for him, but I want to laugh.)

(This is what happens when you live with three beautiful girls!!)

(Lmao, Jealous Bro is still here.)

No, actually, watching them "get lost" was part of my plan!

Fang Ming watched the comments and recalled what had happened then.

He had actually known about Xiao Qiu and the others disappearing.

They thought no one else could hear them when they used magical Telepathy, but perhaps because they believed no other Magical Girls would overhear them, their Telepathy... had been set to public chat.

He definitely would not have been able to hear them from far away, but Fang Ming had been standing right beside them. It would have been stranger if he had not heard their conversation.

But Fang Ming did not interfere.

Xiao Qiu and the others wanted to leave Fang Ming's side to search for the Demon. How could Fang Ming not have had the same thought?

The park security was fairly reliable anyway, and Xiao Qiu and the others were Magical Girls, inherently stronger than ordinary people. As long as they did not encounter a Demon, they would basically be in no danger.

As for the Demon—

[After Fang Ming left, Xiao Chun said "I'm sorry" several times to his retreating back before turning toward the lake nearby.

Stillwater Lake had a long shoreline. The stretch near the ticket entrance alone was nearly three kilometers long.

The milk tea shop where Xiao Chun stood was right beside the shore. All she had to do was turn her head to see the perfectly still lake.

Ducks swam across the water, and small boats carrying tourists drifted across the lake. Everything looked tranquil, but Xiao Chun knew her senses were not wrong. She had just felt a faint magical presence here!

Should she notify Xiao Qiu and the others?

The bow-and-arrow mark on the back of Xiao Chun's right hand flashed briefly. She planned to use magical Telepathy to contact Xiao Chun and Xiaoxia, who had gone their separate ways.

But reality did not give her the time.

Because Xiao Chun saw a tiny crack appear on the lake's surface, one visible only to those who possessed magic.

And that crack lay directly along the path several small boats had to take!

"Not good! It's a Nightmare Barrier!"

The Nightmare Barrier had already formed. Clearly, the Demon here intended to devour the tourists and turn them into its nourishment.

Xiao Chun had no time to hesitate. She found a corner hidden from the cameras and began her Magical Girl transformation.

The exciting transformation sequence had arrived once again.

Unlike Xiao Qiu's pink space, Xiao Chun's transformation space was green, representing thriving life.

Patterns of flowers and grass rose from the ground, while countless green leaves and flower petals fell from the sky.

The leaves and petals covered Xiao Chun's body, and the clothes she wore dissolved beneath the petals' influence.

Her glowing body was covered in petals, which then transformed into the dress she wore.]