Chapter 374
The Sculpture Demon, who seemed to have a strong desire to express himself, was indeed controlled by Song Niandong's words.
He actually explained it to Song Niandong:
"I am Demons now, of course, but... I used to be human."
"?!"
Song Niandong stared wide-eyed, looking surprised.
The Sculpture Demon seemed quite pleased with Song Niandong's expression. He stopped his army of sculptors and explained to Song Niandong:
"Hehe, I used to be a sculptor... but unfortunately, I lost my job and incurred a lot of debt, so I had to find odd jobs... and then I was pulled into becoming a test subject."
"Every day... every single day I was doing experiments, being injected with all sorts of unknown liquids! I thought I was going to die... but I never expected..."
The Sculpture Demon raised its hand.
His obsession with sculpture, and the ashen body that absorbed the world's fear of statues, became the most perfect work of art in his eyes.
He hugged himself tightly in excitement, and said frantically:
"But I never expected it to turn out so perfectly!! Ah... this must be the gods answering my call! That's right... Lord Blood... Lord Demon Lord King! They are the gods of this world! So--"
The Sculpture Demon reached out its hand to Song Niandong: "Come follow the gods! Little sister! As Magical Girls, you'll surely become my most perfect creation! Let's... become gods together!!!"
"..."
Song Niandong remained silent.
She couldn't respond to the Sculpture Demon's words.
I checked the time.
The Sculpture Demon had said so much, yet only two minutes had passed. It would still be at least three minutes before Chen Xiaoxia arrived.
Song Niandong had never felt that time could have passed so slowly.
She was just wondering whether to find an excuse to delay a little longer when she saw the Sculpture Demon suddenly grin:
"Your refusal is useless, because..."
"!?"
"My goal has been achieved!!! Hahahaha!!!!"
The Sculpture Demon burst into laughter.
Song Niandong's pupils contracted, and she suddenly looked at Nicole.
The Magical Girl Nicole, who was originally protecting her, suddenly had the gray-white color spread all over her body at an extremely fast speed in an instant!
Nicole's pink light burst forth, and her immense magic attempted to slow the graying process, but all she did was in vain. The graying force was gradually turning her into a sculpture!
"Nicole!!!"
Song Niandong raised his hand to touch Nicole, trying to use his magic to slow down her Sculptification.
After all, their magic comes from the same source, and with Song Niandong's help, Nicole might be able to slow down the process of Sculptification.
However, as soon as Song Niandong raised her hand, Nicole waved her wand, sending Song Niandong flying far away.
Bang!
Nicole's magic fell upon Song Niandong, causing Song Niandong to distance himself from her without touching her.
Having just finished doing all this, Nicole's body completely turned into a sculpture. Having lost her power and Magic Source, she fell from the sky and crashed to the ground.
Song Niandong, who was knocked away by Nicole, finally managed to regain his footing in the air.
She stared blankly at the Nicole sculpture on the ground, her mind a complete blank.
Normally, even if a friend recorded in the Book of Friends is destroyed, they can be summoned back by Song Niandong in the future; it just takes time to repair them.
But Nicole, now a statue, seemed to have lost all connection with Song Niandong.
Song Niandong was unable to summon Nicole back, nor could he repair her body.
Song Niandong's last trump card has thus become a lifeless sculpture.
But Song Niandong had no time to be sad at that moment.
Because right after Nicole turned into a statue, grayish-white marks appeared on the tips of Song Niandong's fingers, and these marks... were spreading upwards!
Song Niandong, she's been infected!
Volume 4 <Magic Autumn> Theatrical Edition and Season 3: Chapter 405 Dongdong's Shining Form
[When?
Song Niandong stared at the grayness on her fingertips, her mind going blank for a moment.
She recalled her battles with the Sculpture Demon, remembering the moment Nicole sent her flying, and suddenly understood.
"Magic..."
"Oh dear, it seems the little sister guessed it. That's right, it's magic."
The Sculpture Demon stretched out its hand, pointed at Song Niandong, and said with a smile, "I can not only turn anything into a statue, but I can also use magic to spread 'Sculptification' to people with similar magical attributes... Little sister, these are your summoned creatures, right?"
The Sculpture Demon, with one foot planted on the petrified Toy Bear, said, "These summoned creatures of yours, though powerful and seemingly independent, are actually... merely your appendages, possessing the same magic as you, so..."
"... Nicole knocked me away just now to keep me from getting close..."
Song Niandong understood.
Although Song Niandong's magic was always connected with Nicole's, unless there was physical contact or Song Niandong actively infused magic into Nicole's body, their magical connection was only at the most basic stage.
The instant Song Niandong and Nicole made contact, their magic was connected. Although Nicole quickly broke the connection, even that small connection was enough for the Sculpture Demon's power to enter his body.
"I can tell you're stalling for time, but unfortunately, I'm stalling for time too. It seems you've got the upper hand now."
The Sculpture Demon is laughing.
While Song Niandong was stalling for time by talking to the Sculpture Demon, wasn't the Sculpture Demon also using idle chatter to lower Song Niandong's guard?
From this perspective, what seemed like a peaceful conversation was actually a covert contest.
Judging from the current situation, Song Niandong has lost.
The graying at her fingertips was slowly and steadily spreading throughout Song Niandong's body.
At this rate, it won't be long before Song Niandong is completely turned into a sculpture, becoming the 'collection' of the Sculpture Demon.
It's just unknown whether Song Niandong will be able to restore the original form after the Sculpture Demon is destroyed.
(Oh no! Where 'Xiaoxia?! Someone come to her rescue!!)
(It's too late. At this rate, by the time Xiaoxia arrives to help, Dongdong will already be a statue!)
(Damn those Sculpture Demons! No, damn the Aurora Society!! If it weren't for the Aurora Society...)
(It's no use saying all this now. Let's see how Dongdong breaks this deadlock. Dongdong definitely won't perish here!)
(Dongdong's strength lies entirely in her summoned creatures! Now that they've all been turned into statues, how is she going to break this deadlock?!)
Breaking the deadlock... it is definitely possible to break the deadlock.
Judging from the progress shown in the Sky Screen, this episode should be considered a special episode for Dongdong.
The Magical Girls closest to Song Niandong would need at least three minutes to arrive, and if Song Niandong herself couldn't resolve the Sculptification, then her death sentence was practically certain.
All of these conditions seem to be prerequisites for a character to reach their full potential.
But... will Dongdong be able to successfully enter the new form?
Fang Ming was a little worried.
He wasn't sure what Dongdong was like inside the Sky Screen, but the real Dongdong... probably wasn't ready to start a new form yet.
Despite saying that, Fang Ming was also cheering Dongdong on in his heart.
Dongdong...
Keep it up!
"Hehehehe! Soon I'll have a Magical Girls statue! Little sister, don't worry, I'll take you to our god! You'll live on forever as my most perfect creation! Hehehe--!"
The Sculpture Demon laughed as he danced and gestured among the various sculptures.
He seemed to have gone mad.
Song Niandong remained silent, standing there listening to the words of the Sculpture Demon, a scene from the past flashing through her mind.
"Oh dear, our work isn't quite perfect~ Hahaha!"
The blonde-haired delinquent girl burst into laughter as she looked at the girl in front of her, who was covered in dirty water and soaking wet.
A companion sitting beside the canvas gestured with a paintbrush, echoing:
"Perfect! Just like that, don't move! How about we call this painting 'The Dirty Little Beggar'?"
"This name is fantastic, hahaha!"
"That's what I mean..."
The laughter of the delinquent girls was ear-piercing, but the purple-haired girl being used as a 'model' remained silent, her head bowed.
She had long been accustomed to this kind of life; as long as she didn't give the other party any reaction and didn't resist, she wouldn't suffer any physical harm.
The girl thought this kind of life would continue until she graduated from high school.
Until--
Bang!!!
Memories flashed back.
A seemingly kind young man punched a delinquent teenager, sending him flying.
The image of him knocking the delinquent away was reflected in the girl's pupils.
In the end, those who had bullied the girl were either lying down or running away, and then the young man reached out his hand to the girl.
Are you alright?
Looking at the outstretched hand, a rare glimmer appeared in the girl's eyes.
The young man entered the girl's life like a ray of light.
He took care of her and showed her concern, like a loving older brother, providing her with meticulous care.
They even adopted her in the end.
During this time, the girl made many mistakes and even hurt him, but in the end he forgave her with a gentle attitude, and the girl truly regarded him as her brother.
Splash--
Water splashed onto the girl's head, but this time it wasn't sewage; it was water from the swimming pool.
This happened sometime after the last great battle, before the young man went to the outer district. The group went to the water park and started having a blast in the indoor pool.
The young man, the girl, and the other Magical Girls were having a water fight, and the girl who was splashed with water couldn't help but think of the time she was bullied.
The young man noticed that the girl was upset and immediately went up to her and asked:
"Dongdong? Are you alright? Did water splash into your eyes?"
"..."
The girl shook her head, then looked up and met the young man's gaze, and whispered:
"I just feel... like I'm dreaming right now..."
She met a young man, encountered Magical Creatures, became Magical Girls, gained friends, and had a loving older brother... It was all so dreamlike that the girl felt it was unreal.
She looked up at the young man, feeling that everything before her was too unreal, as if the young man could disappear at any moment.
The young man approached the girl. He first reached out and tucked her wet hair behind her ear, then took her hand in his.
He asked with a smile:
"Did you feel anything?"