But the people of Spring City alone clearly had no way of influencing the overall comment environment on the Sky Screen.
That was precisely why the law of "the protagonist never dies" had taken such deep root in most people's minds.
They didn't think Yu Muqiu would really come to harm.
Though that was indeed the case... what about Season Two?
Fang Ming thought of Song Niandong's history of being bullied, and his mood grew somewhat heavy.
A normal children's magical girl show really wouldn't have anything too dark in it.
But... reality was reality, after all. Some plotlines that could be brushed over in a children's anime might become mountains crushing an ordinary person in real life.
And besides, who said children's anime definitely couldn't be dark, deep, and tragic?
"I hope Magic Autumn isn't that kind of depressing show..."
For now, Fang Ming could only pray silently.
As he prayed, Fang Ming looked back up at the Sky Screen.
After seeing himself lead Yu Muqiu and Chen Xiaoxia into the aquarium, Fang Ming remembered something.
He recalled that he seemed to have transformed into Xiao Bai halfway through and gone to persuade Yu Muqiu to leave.
It was only because he had chatted with Yu Muqiu for a few minutes, and Fang Ming didn't think that was very long, that he had forgotten about it.
He wondered how the Sky Screen would portray it.
Next Up: Transformation Time!
For some reason, aquariums had become sacred dating grounds for male and female leads in the anime world.
Many stories took place in aquariums. Whether it was a comedy, romance, or even a depressing series, all sorts of crowd-pleasing scenes could happen there.
Although Yu Muqiu and Chen Xiaoxia had come to the aquarium to search for traces of the Fish Monster Demon.
Still... since they were already here, right?
If no plot got triggered, it would simply be an insult to this world's "anime" label.
Although Fang Ming didn't want his magical girl form to appear on the Sky Screen, he silently prayed that he absolutely wouldn't show up.
But the atmosphere had already been built up to this point, and Yu Muqiu was currently in the early, uncertain phase of her magical girl career.
There was no way he wouldn't appear.
And so, naturally, Fang Ming saw himself on the Sky Screen.
(Xiao Bai!?)
(Wait, Xiao Bai in casual clothes!? Xiao Bai's true form!)
(Did she come to the aquarium to look for clues too? What a coincidence.)
(...Is there any chance that Rock City only has a few places with water and lots of people? Where else could Xiao Bai go if not here?)
Magical Girl Xiao Bai appeared on the Sky Screen.
But she wasn't in her magical girl form. She was in her normal state.
Fang Ming's mouth twitched at the sight.
He remembered that he had just used the excuse of going to the restroom, transformed into Xiao Bai, then used magic to disguise his clothes as ordinary casual wear. That was how he had appeared beside Yu Muqiu as Xiao Bai.
Fortunately, the Sky Screen hadn't shown him going to the restroom just now. Otherwise, Fang Ming's true identity would probably have looked even more suspicious.
"Look on the bright side. At least the Sky Screen didn't deliberately expose anything suspicious about me. That proves the Sky Screen is on my side, so there's no way I'll be exposed! That's right!"
After comforting himself internally, Fang Ming looked back at the Sky Screen and watched the plot unfold.
["You still haven't left?"
Xiao Bai's voice suddenly rang out beside Yu Muqiu's ear.
Yu Muqiu, who had been watching the fish swimming in the water, jumped in fright and immediately turned toward her. "...Xiao Bai!?"
Beside the long aquarium stood Xiao Bai, dressed in a khaki coat over a simple white shirt and jeans.
She and Xiao Qiu stood at opposite ends of the tank. Beneath the blue glow of the water, the shot shifted back and forth between their figures.
"You're surprised to see me?"
Xiao Bai didn't look at Yu Muqiu. She merely watched the little fish in the tank and said, "I came to investigate the Fish Monster Demon's trail too. I just didn't expect to run into you... But you remember what I told you before, right?"
"..." Yu Muqiu turned back around, lowered her head beneath the watery blue light, and looked at the tiny particles in the sand. "I remember."
"That's good. I don't like bullying children."
"You don't look that old either..." Yu Muqiu muttered under her breath.
But Xiao Bai heard every word of that quiet muttering.
"At least I'm much older than you."
"..."
Yu Muqiu had nothing to say.
Although Xiao Bai looked about the same age as her, both her demeanor and the way she spoke seemed to carry the air of an adult.
Who knew when Xiao Bai had become a magical girl?
After a moment of silence, Yu Muqiu finally asked, "...Xiao Bai, why did you become a magical girl?"
Xiao Bai didn't answer. Instead, she asked Yu Muqiu in return.
"What about you? Why did you become a magical girl?"
"You still haven't answered my question... Forget it. I... was initially dragged into a barrier. I had no choice but to become a magical girl... After that, I felt that as a magical girl, I could help more people, so I continued being one."
"I'm the same as you." Xiao Bai's tone remained calm. "I also became a magical girl because I had no choice."
"Then..." Yu Muqiu was about to say something, but Xiao Bai interrupted her.
Xiao Bai turned her head and looked at Yu Muqiu on the other side. "But precisely because of that, you should understand how dangerous Demons are."
Because they had both accidentally been dragged into Magic Barriers and forced to become magical girls, they should understand just how dangerous Demons truly were.
This wasn't children playing house. In a fight against Demons, one careless mistake could really get someone killed.
"What about you, Xiao Bai?" Yu Muqiu turned and met Xiao Bai's gaze. "Even if you're right, why do you keep fighting Demons?"
"Didn't I tell you? I've always been alone."
"But even so, people will still be sad if you die! At least..." Yu Muqiu stared at Xiao Bai earnestly. "At least, I'll be sad for you!"]
(Xiao Qiu is such a good kid.)
(That's why she's the protagonist, isn't it?)
(Xiao Bai doesn't care about her own life, but after meeting Xiao Qiu, she already has a place in Xiao Qiu's heart. If something happens to Xiao Bai, Xiao Qiu will definitely be sad.)
(But hasn't Xiao Qiu only met Xiao Bai a few times?)
(Because Xiao Bai is a magical girl, and in Xiao Qiu's eyes, all magical girls are companions. That's probably why she said that.)
Leaving aside whether Yu Muqiu really was the protagonist, what she said on the Sky Screen now was indeed moving.
Fang Ming didn't really care much about his own life.
He had already lived a second life, so he felt he had gotten his money's worth. There wasn't much in this world that he was particularly attached to.
He had only lived until now because a miserable life was still better than a good death.
But if he truly encountered a situation where sacrificing himself could save the world, Fang Ming wouldn't refuse or shrink back.
And after transforming into Xiao Bai, that part of his personality became faintly amplified.
His personality before and after transforming couldn't be called completely different, but there were more or less some differences. That was why, after transforming, Fang Ming spoke to Yu Muqiu and the others that way.
But... Yu Muqiu didn't see it that way.
Perhaps it was from that moment onward that Fang Ming became a little more tolerant of Yu Muqiu and the other magical girls.
["You really can say something like that so casually."
Xiao Bai wasn't moved by Yu Muqiu's words. Her expression remained cold, as though Yu Muqiu's words hadn't stirred her in the slightest.
She turned around and walked in the direction opposite Yu Muqiu, framed by the blue aquarium, as she said:
"You don't need to concern yourself with me. You only need to remember what I said and leave this city as soon as possible. This is my final warning."
"Xiao Bai...!"
Yu Muqiu wanted to stop Xiao Bai, but Xiao Bai kept walking without looking back.
Just as Yu Muqiu was about to chase after her, the two of them suddenly stopped at the same time and looked deeper into the aquarium.
An unusual wave of magic swept toward them from nearby. A barrier formed from immense magical power spread outward from the depths of the aquarium.
In an instant, the Nightmare Barrier had formed, enveloping Xiao Bai and Yu Muqiu within it.
"Such... such a massive magical reaction!" Nino poked its head out from Yu Muqiu's backpack and said, "This reaction... it's that Demon with four Nightmare Seeds!"
Nino didn't need to say it. Xiao Bai, who had fought the Fish Monster Demon before, had already identified the source of the magic.
Her eyes narrowed as she coldly told Yu Muqiu, "Go take shelter. I don't want to see you before I deal with the Fish Monster Demon."
With that, Xiao Bai quickened her pace and continued onward. At the same time, she raised her right hand. A scythe wrapped in chains lit up on the back of her hand, and gray light enveloped her body.
Next up—
Transformation time!]
Fang Ming: "???"
The Evolved Fish Monster Demon
What?
Wait a second!
Just wait a second!!!
Seeing Xiao Bai on the Sky Screen about to enter transformation time, Fang Ming nearly sprang out of his chair.
He had thought that since the Sky Screen hadn't exposed the connection between himself and Xiao Bai, he would avoid the transformation sequence. After all, if even his true identity hadn't been exposed, how could Xiao Bai, who had always appeared as a magical girl, possibly transform?
But Fang Ming had never expected this!
The Sky Screen had been waiting for him right here!!
"I was wrong. I was really wrong. I never should have gone to see Xiao Qiu. If I hadn't gone to see Xiao Qiu, I wouldn't have needed to specifically transform into Xiao Bai to meet her. If I hadn't met her as Xiao Bai, I wouldn't have needed to transform..."
As the transformation sequence began on the Sky Screen, Fang Ming also turned into "Fang Ming's sister-in-law," muttering endlessly in his heart.
But no matter how much Fang Ming cursed the Sky Screen internally, it faithfully continued playing his transformation scene.
No, Xiao Bai's transformation scene.
[As the transformation-exclusive BGM began, the background sound filled with the clinking of chains.
Within a gray-white space, chains coiled around Xiao Bai, completely enclosing her.
Even the clothes-exploding segment commonly seen during magical girl transformations didn't escape. Chains wrapped around Xiao Bai's crucial areas on her glowing body, and when the chains shattered, her outfit appeared along with them.
Points of magical light scattered from her waist-length silver hair, and a scythe instantly appeared in Xiao Bai's hand.
She gripped the scythe with both hands and spun it rapidly. When the scythe stopped spinning, Xiao Bai had completely transformed into her magical girl form.
Finally, all the chains surrounding the space shattered. Xiao Bai stood in the center of the gray space, holding her scythe in one hand and striking a pose.]
Gah! I don't want to watch this!!!
If he had been at home, Fang Ming would probably have covered his eyes already.
But unfortunately, he wasn't. So even though he wanted nothing more than to crawl into a crack in the ground, he could only lean back in his chair with a perfectly normal expression and stare at the Sky Screen as if he were admiring it.
At this moment, Fang Ming was thinking the exact same thing as Yu Muqiu and the others.
Damn it, the transformation was obviously just a flash on the back of the hand and a blink of the eye. It didn't even take a second!
Why did yours take a full thirty-six seconds!
And why was it two seconds longer than Xiao Qiu's transformation sequence!!
Production team! You'd better pray that this dimensional wall never gets broken, or you're dead!
Before you continue