Magical Girls Exposed!

Fang Ming said nothing. He merely looked at the Nightmare Seed, speechless inside.

Nightmare Seed... Dream Power...

So you really wanted to turn the entire world into a dream, huh!

Infinite Tsukuyomi, huh!

As a magical girl, I was probably going to have to deal with you here. Seriously.

Getting Used to Being Gentle

That had just been a joke.

Fang Ming had no intention of exposing himself yet. And although he had learned Youyou's plan, he had no proof to expose it.

Before the plan was truly put into action, any accusation against Black Rabbit Youyou would only lower Song Niandong's opinion of Fang Ming.

After all, during Song Niandong's darkest days, the one who had pulled her out was Youyou, the one who had formed a contract with her.

In Song Niandong's heart, Youyou's existence was probably more important than anyone else in the world.

Well, deceased relatives didn't count.

So if Fang Ming truly wanted to save Song Niandong from the inside out, he had to make her understand Black Rabbit's "sinister intentions."

As for how to do that...

Fang Ming ignored Youyou and raised his head toward the Sky Screen.

The Sky Screen lit up at just the right moment, playing the plot of Episode Nine.

No one currently knew how the Sky Screen worked. Whether it was magic or a projection from another world... no one knew the answer to those questions.

But one thing was certain: the Sky Screen would continuously air the story of Magic Autumn every day, rain or shine.

It was currently airing Episode Nine. If an anime was broadcast in the usual twelve- or thirteen-episode format...

Then tomorrow would be Episode Ten, the day after that Episode Eleven, and the day after that Episode Twelve.

In three days at the earliest, or four at the latest, Fang Ming would get to see the plot concerning the second season.

And if Black Rabbit Youyou truly had something to do with the second season, then her scheme would definitely be exposed on the Sky Screen.

Therefore, Fang Ming actually did not need to do anything. He only needed to wait patiently for the day the Sky Screen revealed Youyou's plan.

Well, it was not like he had nothing at all to do.

At the very least, he had to persuade Song Niandong not to begin her plan before Youyou's was exposed.

That was also why Fang Ming had stayed by Song Niandong's side.

The Sky Screen began airing Episode Nine, picking up directly after the ending of Episode Eight.

[Tiny droplets of blood drifted before Yu Muqiu. Xiao Bai's figure, her shoulder pierced by a trident, was reflected in Yu Muqiu's pupils.

The sight left Yu Muqiu unable to recover for a long while. Her pupils trembled as she stared at Xiao Bai, who had been injured for her sake, in disbelief.

She wanted to say something, but no words came out. Xiao Bai's earlier words flashed through her mind again.

—Being a magical girl isn't an easy job.

The words she had not fully understood before now gave Yu Muqiu a faint grasp of what Xiao Bai had meant.

But while Yu Muqiu stood frozen, Xiao Bai did not.

Even injured, Xiao Bai's expression remained calm. Aside from a slight frown when she pulled out the trident, she looked as though she had not been hurt at all. She stood proudly before Yu Muqiu like a shield protecting her.

"...Get back."

With her back to Yu Muqiu, Xiao Bai said, "You used up quite a bit of magic just now. Go recover on the side. I'll handle it."

Compared with her earlier cold words, Xiao Bai's tone had become much gentler after she was injured.

She did not mention her injury at all, nor did she scold Yu Muqiu like before.

Instead, she comforted Yu Muqiu and told her to go rest and recover.

Xiao Bai's behavior only made Yu Muqiu feel even guiltier. She would rather Xiao Bai scold her like before; that would have made Yu Muqiu feel better.

But Xiao Bai did not care what Yu Muqiu was thinking. Looking at her shattered Magical Armament, she frowned again. Then her gaze shifted to the trident in her hand, as if she had gotten an idea.

"Hey! You in black, you..."

As Xiao Bai examined the trident in her hand, Chen Xiaoxia flew over from afar. She had wanted to say something, but upon seeing the wound on Xiao Bai's shoulder, she hesitated before asking instead,

"...Y-you, are you okay?"

"I won't die."

Xiao Bai answered calmly, completely ignoring the wound on her shoulder. She raised her arms and gripped the trident tightly with both hands as it tried to escape her grasp.

"Don't try to act cool at a time like this! Are you a kid or something?!"

Chen Xiaoxia thought Xiao Bai was forcing herself to endure it and could not help complaining.

A trace of speechlessness showed in Xiao Bai's crimson eyes. She skipped over the subject and asked Chen Xiaoxia,

"How many more times can you use an attack like that?"

"...Once." Chen Xiaoxia's voice was low. "I only thought of that move on the spot. I can only use it one more time."

Just like Yu Muqiu's Light Cannon ultimate, Chen Xiaoxia's giant sword move had also been improvised. And to wield such an enormous sword required an immense amount of magic as well.

With Chen Xiaoxia's current reserves, she could use it at most one more time.

"Once is enough."

As Xiao Bai spoke, magic covered the trident in her hand. Under Xiao Bai's magic, the trident actually stopped trembling.

Chen Xiaoxia did not know what that meant. She only asked Xiao Bai,

"What are you planning to do?"

"Wait for the right chance. I'll notify you. Once you hear me, use that move from before. It's that simple."

Xiao Bai spoke calmly. Fine Chains had already covered the trident in her hand.

Those tiny Chains were etched across the trident like inscriptions, allowing Xiao Bai to completely seize control of it.

Only after finishing did Xiao Bai narrow her eyes. Propelled by the Chains, she shot toward the Fish Monster Demon emerging from the mud beneath the water.

Then the opening theme began.]

(Oh no, Xiao Bai isn't acting tsundere anymore.)

(Xiao Bai suddenly getting gentle... I'm not really used to it. Xiao Qiu probably isn't either.)

(Because she was already hurt, blaming Xiao Qiu would only make her feel guiltier, so did her attitude become gentler?)

(What kind of cold-on-the-outside, warm-on-the-inside dad template is this... She'd make a great match with Mama Xiaochun!)

(www It used to be Xiao Bai x Xiao Qiu, and now it's Xiao Bai x Xiao Chun?)

(Why can't it be both Xiao Qiu x Xiao Bai and Xiao Chun x Xiao Bai?)

(...Don't discuss ships at such a serious time!)

As usual, the comments went off the rails during the opening theme. But Fang Ming stared at the Sky Screen above, recalling what had happened back then, when something suddenly occurred to him.

The reason he had been able to control the trident then was because his magic shared the same origin as that of the Demons.

The comments probably could not tell, but Xiao Qiu and the others had Nino beside them...

"Oh? This child's Magic Source is actually from the Demons' side?"

Youyou's voice suddenly rang out. Eating fries while watching the Sky Screen, she commented on it.

Fang Ming's expression did not change. He turned to Youyou and asked, "What do you mean?"

"Hmm, you've watched so many episodes already. Even an ordinary person should be able to understand the difference between Emotion Seeds and Nightmare Seeds by now, right?"

"Of course."

"Then it's easy to explain. If Nightmare Seeds are negative power, then Emotion Seeds are positive power.

"And that Fish Monster Demon up there, the trident in its hand is a collection of negative power. Normally, magical girls would experience a conflict of power just from holding it, let alone using it. But this child named Xiao Bai controlled the trident."

Youyou explained.

Fang Ming fell silent.

Because he knew Youyou was right. After losing his weapon back then, Fang Ming had only tested whether he could turn the trident into his own weapon.

He had not expected it to actually work.

Yu Muqiu and Chen Xiaoxia did not know what that represented, so they had not paid attention to it.

But Nino... like Youyou, had probably already noticed it.

He wondered whether she would tell anyone about it.

Coming to a Close

"...Why didn't you ever mention that Xiao Bai had used a Demons' weapon before?"

In the Investigation Department, Nino saw that scene on the Sky Screen and could not help asking Yu Muqiu.

Whenever Yu Muqiu entered combat mode, Nino would use special magic to leave the battlefield and avoid getting caught up in it, which would distract Yu Muqiu and the others.

So during battles, Nino usually did not stay by Yu Muqiu's side.

That was why she did not know Xiao Bai had used a Demons' weapon.

Hearing Nino's question, Yu Muqiu blinked in confusion.

"Is that important?"

"Of course it—!"

Nino had just started to speak, but after looking at the people around them, she closed her mouth again.

Yu Muqiu was currently on campus, surrounded by students who were watching the Sky Screen with her.

Because of the Sky Screen, students were now given half an hour of rest at this time every day. After all, with the Sky Screen broadcasting outside, they could not focus on studying even if they wanted to. It was better to simply leave that time free.

And with Yu Muqiu now famous throughout the world, every time the three of them watched the Sky Screen at school, a crowd gathered around them.

Although Nino's identity was no longer a secret and she could openly appear before everyone, some things were better left unsaid.

Even if Nino was not very good at studying, she still knew what to say in what setting.

"...Forget it. We'll talk when we get back." Nino finally stopped talking and lay quietly beside Yu Muqiu, looking up at the Sky Screen.

Don't underestimate Nino just because she was at the bottom of the class. She was still bottom of the class after receiving systematic training!

She could still tell the difference between positive magic and negative magic.

Even if she was at the bottom of the class!

Xiao Bai's source of magic was actually Demons... Nino had only just learned that.

Of course, after everything Xiao Bai had gone through with Yu Muqiu and the others, Nino did not think Xiao Bai was some spy sent by the Demons.

But... no matter what, they had to get to the bottom of this.

Demons' magic was not something that could be taken so easily. If the Demons managed to use Xiao Bai's magic to lock onto this world, that would be a huge problem!

[The opening theme ended.

Xiao Bai moved through the tentacles surging with water like an underwater sprite.

The Fish Monster Demon that had emerged from the mud looked at Xiao Bai charging straight toward it, as well as the trident in her hand. Its somewhat ugly catfish-like face showed confusion and a frown.

"Why... can... you...?"

The Fish Monster Demon was about to speak, but perhaps because its evolution was incomplete, it spoke slowly and stuttered.

Before it could even finish the sentence, Xiao Bai had already reached it.

Xiao Bai was the type to act without wasting words. Facing a Demon, she did not say a single word, letting her attack speak for her.

Although her shoulder was still injured, Xiao Bai's assault was not inferior to before. In fact, because of the trident, her attacks seemed even faster!

Because the trident, a Magical Armament from beneath the water, could actually ignore underwater resistance!

Perhaps that was why it had been able to shatter Xiao Bai's Magical Armament.

The trident drove the water along with it as it stabbed down at the Fish Monster Demon.]