The Essential Ritual for Magical Girls

That was right. What played out on the screen was happening in this very world.

Everything they had experienced, everything that had been shown, truly existed in this world.

Magic really existed!

Magical Girls really existed too!

And then the world erupted.

Because if Magical Girls truly existed, then the enemies they fought—the beings known as Demons—existed as well!

Ordinary people could not see Demons, but Demons could affect the world. Without Magical Girls, they might even destroy this world bit by bit!

Thus, the group of Magical Girls led by Yu Muqiu became completely famous throughout the world.

Most people began treating these Magical Girls like saviors. They fanatically pursued their whereabouts, and the entire world descended into chaos.

If the Federal Government had not announced four days ago that the Magical Girls had partnered with the government and become government employees, some people might have done even crazier things to them!

At that time, the screen had only revealed the existence of three Magical Girls.

Now...

A fourth Magical Girl seemed to have appeared.

(Wait, this newly appeared Magical Girl seems to be an enemy?)

(Look at where she's standing, the action shots... and her clash with Xiao Qiu... she really does seem to be an enemy!)

(Tsk, tsk. You can tell you people haven't watched enough anime. Isn't this kind of character, an early-game enemy who gets redeemed and joins the main cast later, a standard Magical Girl trope? Just relax and watch.)

After the opening played on the Sky Screen, everyone realized that the newly appeared white-haired, red-eyed girl in a black dress seemed to stand against the main cast.

But some people quickly began "educating" the others, believing that this new character was merely hostile to the main cast at first and would definitely join them later.

"...I was never a villain! Isn't joining the main cast perfectly normal? Wait, I'm not part of the main cast!"

Fang Ming complained inwardly.

His hands moved even faster as he packed. He had to run now! Run to some deserted island and live out the rest of his life there! No one could stop him!

Just as Fang Ming thought that, a scene on the Sky Screen made his movements suddenly stop.

Then... his hands became a blur as he frantically stuffed things into his suitcase.

And the reason was—

["Brother Fang Ming! Long time no see!"]

On the Sky Screen, a girl with pink twin-tails threw herself into the arms of a black-haired young man.

That black-haired young man was Fang Ming!

And that pink-haired girl, who looked lively yet somewhat adorably clueless, was Yu Muqiu, the protagonist of Magical Girl Xiao Qiu currently playing on the Sky Screen!

She was also Fang Ming's distant cousin!

"If I remember correctly, that was when I discovered she was a Magical Girl, and then somehow became a Magical Girl myself... So that means... I'm about to be exposed soon, aren't I?!"

That was exactly why Fang Ming packed even faster.

What the Sky Screen was showing now had happened three months ago. That day, Yu Muqiu and the others had come to the city where Fang Ming lived for summer vacation, and they happened to meet up with him.

Fang Ming was an arts worker—or, more accurately, a plagiarist.

Since he was freelance, he had plenty of free time. So when he learned that his cousin and her group were coming to visit the city where he lived, hosting them naturally fell to him.

And on top of that, Fang Ming had to provide lodging for the girls.

After all, ever since his parents had died in a plane crash three years ago, he had lived alone in the whole house. A few more people would not take up much space.

But he had never expected that what he thought was an ordinary visit would change the entire course of his life!

["Xiao Qiu, long time no see."

The handsome young man named Fang Ming smiled at Yu Muqiu and the others. He naturally took Yu Muqiu's luggage, then looked at the girls beside her and asked:

"You must be Xiao Qiu's friends, right? I'm Fang Ming, Xiao Qiu's cousin."

"I know, I know. Xiao Qiu told us about you." The blue-haired, blue-eyed girl beside her greeted Fang Ming energetically and introduced herself. "I'm Chen Xiaoxia! You can call me Xiao Xia, Brother Fang Ming! Please take care of us while we're in Rock City~"]

The blue-haired girl was full of the youthful energy unique to young people. She was also the brightest and liveliest member of the group.

And without question, she was a Magical Girl too. She became one after Yu Muqiu, during the second episode.

(So jealous, so jealous, so jealous...)

(That Fang Ming actually gets to live in the same house as three Magical Girls!)

(I'm dying of jealousy! Cousin, trade places with me!)

(...Am I the only one who thinks this cousin is pretty handsome?)

Watching the comments scroll across the Sky Screen, Fang Ming remained expressionless.

Living in the same house as three girls was no good thing. During the days Yu Muqiu was there, Fang Ming did not dare leave the house too messy. Even when using the toilet, he put the seat down!

He did not dare play games too late either, afraid of disturbing the girls. He especially did not dare go out casually, afraid of stumbling into some "lucky pervert" incident and being misunderstood by them.

The suffering of those days was simply indescribable.

Still, that was all in the past. He had only met them as their cousin for a few days.

So running away now should not be a problem...

Fang Ming had barely thought that when a knock sounded outside the door.

Knock, knock, knock—

He extended his magical perception beyond the door. When he saw the officers standing outside, Fang Ming looked silently at his already packed suitcase.

He... seemed to have been too late after all.

An Unavoidable Magical Girl Moment

"Hello? Are you Mr. Fang Ming?"

"Yes, I am..."

"We're sorry to disturb you, but you should have seen the footage playing in the sky. So... for Miss Yu Muqiu's safety, please come with us."

The officers who came to Fang Ming's home were very polite.

That was because Fang Ming was not a bad person, much less a wanted criminal. They were only there to protect Yu Muqiu's friends and family from harm, preventing people with ulterior motives from using the family of one of the world's only Magical Girls to threaten her.

They had likely investigated Fang Ming beforehand. It was simply because he had never appeared on the Sky Screen that they had not immediately taken him away for protection.

But now...

Since Fang Ming had appeared on the Sky Screen, even if he never had another scene after this episode, the Federal Government still had to place him under protection.

After all, he was connected to the Magical Girl Yu Muqiu.

"I understand. Please come in first, everyone. How about we finish watching this episode?"

Having dealt with his suitcase before opening the door, Fang Ming generously invited the officers inside.

The officers did not suspect anything. Chatting and laughing, they entered the room, went to the balcony where the view was best, and began watching the rest of the story.

By the time they finished talking, five minutes had already passed in the show above.

In just five minutes, Yu Muqiu and the others had completed a whole series of activities: "shopping," "buying supplies," "having fun," and more.

What the Sky Screen showed now was what happened on their second day after arriving in Rock City.

["Haaah~ Morning, Xiao Chun, Xiao Xia~"

Early in the morning, Yu Muqiu emerged from her room, yawning as she greeted the two girls eating breakfast in the living room.

On the sofa in the living room, the short blue-haired Chen Xiaoxia and another girl with long, wavy yellow hair were chatting. When they saw Yu Muqiu come out, they greeted her in unison:

"Morning, Xiao Qiu."]

The yellow-haired girl with Chen Xiaoxia was the Magical Girl who appeared in the third episode. Her name was Murong Xiaochun. She had a rare double surname, a gentle and shy personality, and a voice that, like her name, made people feel as though they were bathed in a spring breeze.

She was the team's "healing type."

[Yu Muqiu sat down with Xiaoxia and Xiao Chun. She first looked around, then finally turned toward the tightly shut master bedroom door and asked in confusion:

"Is Brother Fang Ming not awake yet?"

"Oh, Brother Fang Ming made breakfast for us this morning, then went back to sleep. He said something about being a nocturnal creature..."

Chen Xiaoxia explained.

Xiao Chun smiled gently beside her. "It seems... older brothers and sisters all keep that sort of schedule these days. We should avoid disturbing Brother Fang Ming."

"Agreed. But never mind Brother Fang Ming for now—Nino, how did your investigation go last night?" Chen Xiaoxia asked, turning her gaze to the side.

From their backpacks, an animal resembling a calico cat crawled out. As soon as it emerged, it imitated Yu Muqiu and yawned before saying:

"I haven't found anything for now... Perhaps no one has been possessed by a Nightmare Seed yet."]

Nino was a visitor from another world. When its world was on the verge of destruction, it brought the Heart of Hope, which could turn people into Magical Girls, and descended upon this world.

It was the one that turned the three girls into Magical Girls, but it was also the one that brought Nightmares and Demons into this world.

According to Nino, those Demons found this world because it was close to its homeland.

But some people believed that this tiny calico cat was the true culprit behind the Demons' invasion of the world.

One could only wonder whether Nino would protest its innocence if it learned what those people thought.

(Sleeping by day and being active at night, staying up late to play games... this cousin is basically me!)

(Wake up. You're not as handsome as him.)

(Wake up. You don't have such a cute cousin.)

(By the way, why did they come to Rock City again? A week has passed, and I've kind of forgotten the earlier plot...)

(They came to search for the Nightmare Seeds that fell in Rock City. Go watch the replay. There are recordings online.)

That was right. Yu Muqiu and her group had come to Rock City to search for Nightmare Seeds capable of manifesting people's nightmares.

According to Nino, as well as the recap at the beginning of the first episode, there were twenty-four Nightmare Seeds that had fallen into this world.

Those twenty-four Nightmare Seeds were the Demons' advance force. If all twenty-four were gathered and activated, the Demons would learn this world's coordinates and invade it.

That was how the Demons had invaded Nino's world.

["None at all? Do they not exist, or..." Xiao Chun frowned in thought.

Nino explained, "No one should have been corrupted by a Nightmare Seed yet. Otherwise... you would have sensed it last night."

"I see..." Xiao Chun nodded in relief.

Chen Xiaoxia said, "But we still can't let our guard down. Nino has been in this world for two months now. Look at Spring City, where we live—there have already been five cases of Nightmare Seed possession in two months.

"And the Nightmare Seeds in Rock City should have fallen at the same time as the ones in Spring City, so..."

"So it's very possible that a Nightmare Seed has already landed on someone, and it only needs the slightest trigger..."

Yu Muqiu added.]

"Come to think of it, a lot of strange things did happen in our city three months ago."

Below the Sky Screen, in Fang Ming's home, one of the officers rubbed his chin and said:

"We received reports at the time saying someone had jumped from a rooftop... Others said there were unusual disturbances at the hospital... We thought someone was causing trouble, but it turned out to be these Magical Girls..."

"Is it really okay to tell an outsider like me that?" Fang Ming asked blankly.

The officer smiled. "The Sky Screen has already exposed the Magical Girls. What's there that can't be said anymore?"

"R-right."

Fang Ming continued watching the Sky Screen above.

[Yu Muqiu and the others ultimately decided to search this city for signs of Nightmare Seeds. According to Nino's magical sensing, there were three Nightmare Seeds within Rock City.

So the three girls split up.

Nino went with Yu Muqiu, while Chen Xiaoxia and Xiao Chun each used Search Magic to look for Nightmare Seeds.

Even without transforming, Magical Girls could use some relatively weak magic in their everyday lives. Search Magic was one of them.

The perspective followed Yu Muqiu, and the place she mainly searched was Rock City First Hospital.]