Chen Xiaoxia raised her chin even higher and said, "Anyway, unless a fifth Magical Girl shows up, she had to be the one who knocked Xiao Chun unconscious!"
"Then why didn't you tell Aunt He when you were discussing it earlier?" Xiao Chun asked Chen Xiaoxia in confusion.
Chen Xiaoxia immediately lost some of her momentum and stammered,
"...Well, it's just that I was afraid... afraid Aunt He would tell on me to my dad... Drawing conclusions without evidence—if my dad found out about this, I'd definitely get scolded again when I went home."
Chen Xiaoxia came from a family of police officers. Both her grandfather and father were officers. Her presumption of guilt might not have seemed like much to ordinary people, but at home... if her father and grandfather found out, they would probably spank her until she couldn't sit down.
But no matter what, Chen Xiaoxia's instincts were good. Although she had no evidence, she had locked onto Xiao Bai through intuition alone.
There was probably a tiny bit of personal grievance mixed into that, but there might well have been official personnel who thought the same way as Chen Xiaoxia.
Fortunately, no one currently suspected Fang Ming. Even if they did suspect him, no one would think that Fang Ming was the fourth Magical Girl.
Although the entertainment culture of this world had the concept of Magical Girls, there had never been a precedent of boys turning into Magical Girls. It was unlike his previous life, where similar manga and novels had explored that idea in every possible way.
With no precedent, no one would think that Xiao Bai's true form was male.
Fang Ming should be able to keep lying low for a while longer.
"But if it really was Xiao Bai, why did she knock Xiao Chun unconscious?"
Yu Muqiu raised this crucial question.
That was right. If Xiao Bai really had done this, why had she specifically gone over there and put Xiao Chun to sleep as well?
"The reason... I think I can guess it," Xiao Chun said hesitantly. "She probably didn't want me to encounter danger... But if she could knock me out, making all of you fall asleep shouldn't have been difficult either. Why was it specifically me...?"
Xiao Chun couldn't figure it out.
Neither could Yu Muqiu and the others.
Seeing the girls about to uncover a crucial clue through their review of events, Fang Ming immediately cleared his throat and said,
"Ahem. All right, there's no point discussing this here. Why not ask her directly when we meet the person involved?"
"That's true..."
The three little girls nodded.
Fang Ming did not give them time to continue thinking and asked,
"By the way, what did you come here for?"
Prompted by Fang Ming, the three of them remembered something. Chen Xiaoxia cried out,
"Ah, I almost forgot! We came to invite Brother Fang Ming out to have fun!"
"Have fun?"
"Yeah. There's going to be a local lantern festival by the river in Spring City these next few days. Since Brother Fang Ming rarely comes here, we wanted to invite you to the festival with us."
Chen Xiaoxia explained why they had come to invite Fang Ming.
The riverside lantern festival was also one of Spring City's major attractions.
When Fang Ming's parents were still alive a few years ago, he had come here once with them. Hearing the festival mentioned again now made him rather nostalgic.
However...
Was Yu Muqiu and the others going to the lantern festival part of the second season's plot?
If it was...
Then something very unusual would probably happen at this festival.
The Magic Barrier That Should Not Have Appeared
The Spring City Lantern Festival.
One of Spring City's defining attractions, it was held in summer. Before the weather turned cold for winter, it took place by the river almost every night.
At certain times each month, there would also be fireworks at night, along with stage performances.
Even passersby could go up and show off their talents. Outstanding performers could even receive special rewards.
But Fang Ming and the Magical Girls definitely could not go onstage to perform.
After all, they were celebrities now. Forget performing onstage—even when going out, they needed to wear some kind of Disguise.
Otherwise, like famous idol stars, they would be swarmed by crowds of fans the moment they stepped outside.
They would not be able to have fun at all. They would probably have trouble even walking.
"Here, Brother Fang Ming."
Before heading to the festival, Xiao Chun handed Fang Ming a pair of black-rimmed glasses with clear lenses.
Sensing the magic power on them, Fang Ming roughly understood what the glasses did, but he still asked,
"These glasses are...?"
"I added magic to them that blurs people's impressions of you. That way, no one will recognize Brother Fang Ming when you go out."
"I see. That's pretty convenient."
Fang Ming put on the glasses, then looked at Xiao Chun and the others. "What about you?"
Xiao Chun and the others were not wearing glasses, and he did not know how they were concealing themselves.
Xiao Chun smiled and pointed at the strawberry hairpin on her head. "I'm using this."
After saying that, she looked at the other two in the distance, who were discussing where to go first that evening, and pointed at them.
"Xiao Qiu's magic is on her hairpin too. Xiaoxia uses glasses like you do, Brother Fang Ming, except hers don't have lenses."
It seemed the Magical Girls all had methods of concealing themselves, which put Fang Ming somewhat at ease.
After the Magical Girls appeared, quite a few people had developed special ideas about them out of sight.
Fang Ming had even heard that somewhere else in the Federation, there was some cult called the Demon Society. They preached that only the arrival of Demons would bring new hope to the world, while Magical Girls were heretics who needed to be eliminated. As a result, they held deep hostility toward Magical Girls.
The Magical Girls did not know about this. Fang Ming had only learned of it after getting in contact with He Xuan.
Therefore, wherever the Magical Girls went now, official personnel would protect them closely.
With the Magical Girls' own protective measures added on top of that, there should not be any problems with their safety.
As long as Demons did not appear again.
The group of four and one cat boarded an official business van and headed straight for the riverside.
The driver was a female bodyguard, mainly there to protect Fang Ming. After all, among everyone present, Fang Ming was the only ordinary person.
The rest of the protectors were hidden in the shadows. Fang Ming glanced around without using magic to investigate, but he saw nothing.
It was clear that these protectors were professionals. Before they stepped forward on their own, no one could know where they were hiding.
Upon arriving at the festival grounds, Fang Ming and the Magical Girls entered through a less crowded entrance under the bodyguard's lead.
Before they went in, He Xuan specifically gave the Magical Girls a round of instructions.
"Do not use magic unless absolutely necessary. Do not reveal your identities. If your identities are exposed, retreat immediately. And don't run off randomly... Mr. Fang Ming, I'll leave them in your care."
"...I think Xiao Qiu and the others should be able to take care of themselves."
Having already had more than enough experience babysitting, Fang Ming truly did not want to be their guardian now.
And hadn't they said he was here to have fun? What was this about making him take care of Xiao Qiu and the others?
Fang Ming was somewhat resistant, but He Xuan said helplessly,
"But they're still children in the end..."
"All right, all right! Aunt He, what could possibly happen at a lantern festival? Stop fussing already! Xiao Qiu! Let's go!!"
Before He Xuan could finish, Xiaoxia cut her off. At the same time, she grabbed Xiao Qiu and, like a husky that had slipped its leash, dragged her into the crowd in a flash.
He Xuan stared at Chen Xiaoxia in stunned disbelief, veins seemingly bulging on her forehead.
"That Xiaoxia—!"
Of the three Magical Girls, He Xuan had the best relationship with Chen Xiaoxia because she was friends with Chen Xiaoxia's mother.
She had become deputy director partly because she was indeed qualified for the position, but also because she had a familial connection to Magical Girl Chen Xiaoxia.
Familiar people were always more likely than strangers to make Magical Girls lower their guard.
But for that very reason, Chen Xiaoxia was also the least obedient around He Xuan.
Chen Xiaoxia might listen to He Xuan when it came to serious matters, but in everyday situations... she was just like this.
One second He Xuan would be saying something, and the next, Chen Xiaoxia would have already tossed it to the back of her mind.
Watching Chen Xiaoxia disappear from sight with Yu Muqiu, He Xuan tiredly rubbed her temples before saying,
"Teams One and Two, confirm Xiao Qiu and Xiaoxia's locations. Team Three follows us. Team Four, remain on standby..."
She held an earpiece as she spoke, clearly relaying instructions to the Magical Girls' protectors.
Fang Ming and Xiao Chun did not leave.
The two of them stood beside He Xuan.
When Xiao Chun saw Chen Xiaoxia pull Yu Muqiu away, then turn back and give her an encouraging look, she instantly understood what Chen Xiaoxia meant.
She wanted to leave Fang Ming and her alone together.
But...
Xiao Chun secretly looked at Fang Ming, who was remarking, "Xiaoxia sure is energetic," and let out an almost imperceptible sigh.
...But someone did not seem to have that kind of intention.
"All right, let's go in too."
Seeing that He Xuan was still making arrangements and did not seem to have anything else to tell him or Xiao Chun, Fang Ming planned to take Xiao Chun into the festival grounds.
Xiao Chun froze at his words, then quickly and firmly nodded. She jogged a few steps closer to Fang Ming, and the two walked into the venue side by side.
Xiao Chun had originally thought Fang Ming would keep his distance from her, but she had not expected him to allow her to stay by his side.
Although Fang Ming's behavior was almost no different from before, after the Sky Screen had exposed her feelings, Xiao Chun had once believed Fang Ming would distance himself from her.
That was why Fang Ming acting as usual now made Xiao Chun so happy.
No matter what the future held, as long as she could continue staying by Brother Fang Ming's side for now, she was already content.
Unlike the rosy thoughts filling Xiao Chun's heart, Fang Ming, who appeared to be admiring the lantern festival's streetscape, was actually thinking about something else.
If something really happened at today's lantern festival, where exactly would that "something" occur?
The authorities had agreed to let Xiao Qiu and the others attend the festival. Perhaps they were thinking the same thing as Fang Ming—that something unexpected might happen here—so they had decided to "follow the plot" and prepared to prevent any accident.
Then, since the authorities had already prepared themselves, would today's possible accident still happen?
As Fang Ming was thinking this, he and Xiao Chun beside him suddenly stopped almost at the same time.
But in an instant, Fang Ming realized something and continued forward as though he had sensed nothing.
The moment he took that step, Xiao Chun swiftly wrapped both arms around his arm and said,
"Brother Fang Ming! Something's wrong!"
"?"
Fang Ming looked at Xiao Chun with a bewildered expression. "What is it?"
"A Magic Barrier...! Someone has deployed a Magic Barrier here! But... but why...?"
Xiao Chun clutched Fang Ming tightly, confusion in her eyes as well.
That was right. A Magic Barrier.
Unlike the bizarre Nightmare Barrier, a Magic Barrier was a reflection of the real world created deliberately by Magical Girls.
And because it was a reflection, nothing that happened inside it could affect the real world.
That was why Magical Girls deployed barriers before fighting.
In the seventh episode shown by the Sky Screen today, Xiao Bai had deployed a Magic Barrier when she fought Xiao Qiu and the others.
And now, above this lantern festival, someone had deployed another Magic Barrier.
Moreover, unlike the Magic Barrier that could drive all ordinary people outside, this Magic Barrier had enveloped everyone inside the lantern festival!
To use an inappropriate analogy.
Before you continue