Magical Girls Exposed!

(?)

(What just flashed by?)

(Not sure, but it seemed like some kind of memory?)

(Oh no, kids, I have a really bad feeling... I can smell incoming angst.)

(You like angst, huh? Send me your address and I'll deliver some!)

Xiao Bai's sudden outburst on the Sky Screen sparked a wave of discussion.

Fang Ming, meanwhile, fell silent as he watched himself in the sky.

He remembered that, in order to replenish and strengthen his magic power, he had merged several temporarily learned Level 1 skills into his magic power level.

Though he had failed to break through, his total magic power had indeed increased.

He just had not expected the Sky Screen to show this scene too...

"So this is Xiao Bai's true magic?"

Youyou offered her assessment.

Fang Ming asked in confusion, "What do you mean?"

"I found it strange before. Magical Armaments come from one's emotions and heart. They are very sturdy, but because of that, once they are damaged, they are difficult to restore... Yet when you saw her this time, the scythe in her hand was completely intact, right?"

"...So? What are you trying to say?"

"Xiao Bai may possess a third magic beyond 'Severing' and 'Connection.' And this magic likely comes from the Demons' side... It is magic that requires a price."

Youyou made that judgment and said, "And the price for using that magic may be her memories."

"..."

It was not actually magic. It was his cheat ability... But if he had to put it that way, calling it magic was not exactly wrong, was it?

But if Youyou could make that judgment, then Nino probably knew as well. He wondered what Xiao Qiu and the others would think.

He just hoped they would not misunderstand anything.

He had really only used a few useless skills as advancement materials. It was not as noble as they imagined!

After all, he was not stupid!

"Huh? Memories? What memories? I don't know."

Nino stared blankly at Yu Muqiu, who had questioned her, and replied, "I don't know what magic Xiao Bai used either. Maybe it came from the Demons' side, since her source of magic power is connected to Demons."

"...So you don't know either."

Yu Muqiu felt somewhat heavy-hearted.

At the time, she had not really understood what the Songstress Witch meant by 'feeding on knowledge.' But now, after seeing the scene playing out on the Sky Screen, Yu Muqiu vaguely understood.

Yet she hoped she was wrong.

The Girls Were Still on Their Way

[Xiao Bai and the Songstress Demon were locked in an intense battle.

Yu Muqiu and the others, meanwhile, had already arrived outside the amusement park under a light drizzle.

"Whoa, why does it feel like the rain here is heavier than outside?!"

Wearing a raincoat and sandals, Chen Xiaoxia grabbed Yu Muqiu's hand and jogged into a pavilion inside the amusement park to take shelter from the rain.

Xiao Chun, who had been waiting there for quite some time, smiled when she saw the umbrellas the two had brought.

"Maybe it has something to do with the Demon... Luckily, you both brought umbrellas. Otherwise, I wouldn't have known how to get out."

Because it had still been sunny when she left, Xiao Chun had not brought an umbrella.

Now, rain poured outside, and Xiao Chun was trapped in the pavilion. If Yu Muqiu and Chen Xiaoxia had not brought umbrellas, the three of them would probably have had to explore the amusement park in the rain.

Yu Muqiu handed one of the umbrellas to Xiao Chun, then looked toward the amusement park, which had been shut down because of the rain.

"So the last Demon really is here?"

"I'm not sure. I could sense magic power fluctuations just now, but now... I can't sense them anymore."

Xiao Chun shook her head. She looked into the amusement park as well and said, "And among those fluctuations just now, I also sensed... Xiao Bai's magic power."

"Xiao Bai!" Yu Muqiu's eyes widened in surprise. "So Xiao Bai has already found that Demon?"

"That's possible..." Xiao Chun nodded.

Chen Xiaoxia impatiently darted out of the pavilion. Wearing a raincoat, she did not need to worry about the downpour soaking her.

As she went out, she waved at the two of them.

"Then what are we waiting for? Hurry up! If we're any later, she might defeat the Demon again!"

"...Xiaoxia, the way you said that sounds a little ambiguous... Like you're on the Demon's side." Xiao Chun said helplessly.

Chen Xiaoxia blinked. "Am I?"

After saying that, she clenched her fists and added, "I just don't want her lecturing us again afterward.

"Just thinking about how she might arrogantly tell us after taking care of the Demon, 'Kids, hurry home,' or 'I told you this is my territory, so what are you doing here?'... It makes me mad!"

Chen Xiaoxia lowered her voice when she said this, clearly imitating Xiao Bai. And she did a very convincing job.

As she spoke, imaginary images even appeared behind her head.

The scene showed Xiao Bai pointing at Yu Muqiu and the others while making those 'arrogant' remarks.

The vivid chibi figures were incredibly adorable.

Though Yu Muqiu and Xiao Chun could not see it, they could imagine what Chen Xiaoxia was thinking. They exchanged a glance and both laughed.

Yu Muqiu said, "Xiao Bai isn't that unreasonable."

"And wasn't Xiao Bai injured last time? Maybe this time, she won't be able to..."

Before Xiao Chun could finish, Xiao Qiu suddenly cried out, "That's right! Xiao Bai is injured! If she's injured, why is she still out hunting Demons?! Honestly!"

After saying that, Xiao Qiu impatiently tried to rush into the rain too.

Luckily, Xiao Chun reacted quickly and grabbed Xiao Qiu, handing her an umbrella at the same time.

"Wait! Take an umbrella!"

Yu Muqiu, who had nearly rushed into the curtain of rain and become a drowned rat, scratched her cheek in embarrassment. Only then did she take the umbrella Xiao Chun offered, open it, and step into the rain.

After Chen Xiaoxia reminded her, Yu Muqiu remembered that only two days had passed since they had parted ways with Xiao Bai. In just two days, and without a healing-type magical girl like Xiao Chun by her side, Xiao Bai's injuries definitely could not have fully healed.

Even if Xiao Bai was very strong, being injured would still affect her strength to some extent.

Yu Muqiu did not care whether Xiao Bai would win. She was only worried that Xiao Bai might worsen her injuries. Judging from the current situation, this unknown Demon seemed very powerful.

Its magic power could even affect the real world and change the weather. This was something Yu Muqiu and the others had never encountered before.

Yu Muqiu was worried that something might happen to Xiao Bai, so she wanted to find her as soon as possible.

Chen Xiaoxia claimed she wanted to compete with Xiao Bai, but when she thought about how Xiao Bai was indeed still injured, she could not help feeling worried too.

She just did not show it.

Xiao Chun did not know much about Xiao Bai, but kind by nature, she was also concerned about Xiao Bai and the Demon.

The three magical girls immediately took action, braving the heavy rain as they quietly slipped into the closed amusement park and began searching inside.

But after searching for quite a while, none of them could find the Nightmare Barrier.

This Demon seemed very good at hiding.]

(At this moment, the girls were still riding hard to the rescue...)

(Save her! Xiao Qiu, if you're any later, you'll only be collecting Xiao Bai's body!)

(Look on the bright side. Maybe Xiao Bai will take care of the Demon by herself?)

(...Do you hear yourself? This is obviously the final boss! How could Xiao Bai handle it alone?!)

(Everyone, everyone! Horror story: look at the progress bar!)

The opening that had played for over a minute, the nearly two-minute OP, almost five minutes of Xiao Bai fighting the Songstress Demon, and now the process of Yu Muqiu and the others meeting up, talking, and searching.

Altogether, the Sky Screen had already played for twelve minutes. In other words, with just over eight minutes of the episode left, it was about to end.

Yet Yu Muqiu and the others had not even caught a glimpse of the boss.

"Don't rush us! It's not our fault we couldn't find it. This Witch was just too good at hiding! And who would have thought the entrance was in the sky... Besides, it was raining at the time..."

Seeing the comments urging them on, Chen Xiaoxia puffed out her cheeks and complained.

The Songstress Witch was unlike any Witch they had encountered before. Not only was she intelligent, but she also actively avoided magical girls like them.

If Xiao Bai had not found her first, and if her battle with the Songstress Witch had not exposed her aura for Nino to detect, they probably would never have guessed that the Songstress Witch was here.

And if Xiao Chun had not figured out the entrance to the Nightmare Barrier in time, they probably could have searched until nightfall without finding anything!

So this was not their fault!

Bzz— Bzz—

Chen Xiaoxia was watching the Sky Screen with Xiao Qiu and the others when she suddenly felt her phone vibrate.

She took it out and saw that it was a call from He Xuan, the deputy director of the Investigation Department.

Looking at the others around her, who were absorbed in the Sky Screen's story, Chen Xiaoxia got up and walked a few steps away. Only after distancing herself from them did she answer the phone and ask,

"Hello? Aunt He? What is it?"

"Xiaoxia, do you have time to come to the Investigation Department this afternoon? I have something I'd like to ask you to do."

"Me?" Chen Xiaoxia pointed at herself, then looked toward Yu Muqiu and Xiao Chun, who were giving her curious looks. "Just me?"

"Yes. We need your magic for a... little experiment. If I remember correctly, your magic is Enhancement Magic, right?"

"Yes."

"Have you tried enhancing ordinary objects?"

"Not really..."

Chen Xiaoxia shook her head.

When she transformed into a magical girl, all she could think of was enhancing her own body and enhancing her weapon.

As for enhancing other things... Chen Xiaoxia had never actually tried it.

"Then come and give it a try this afternoon," He Xuan said to Chen Xiaoxia.

Chen Xiaoxia asked in confusion,

"What's going on? Why so sudden? Did something happen?"

"..."

"Aunt He?"

"...It's nothing much. We just seem to have found Song Niandong and Fang Ming..."

"What?! You found Brother Fang Ming?!"

Chen Xiaoxia's voice rose despite herself, drawing the attention of the others.

She immediately apologized awkwardly to the other students. Then, as Yu Muqiu and Xiao Chun came closer, she quietly asked He Xuan,

"...When did this happen? How is Brother Fang Ming now?"

"They escaped."

"Esc-... escaped? What does that mean?"

"Exactly what it sounds like. Two officers found them, but... they were hypnotized by Suggestion Magic and overlooked what was unusual about the two of them. By the time we realized something was wrong, the records had been wiped, and the two had already disappeared."

He Xuan said wearily over the phone, "...That's why I wanted to ask you for help. I want to see whether you can enhance some magical items capable of blocking magic."

This was why He Xuan had contacted Chen Xiaoxia.

Ordinary people had no resistance to magic. Even if they truly found Song Niandong, they would immediately lose track of her again.

In this regard, the Investigation Department was at an absolute disadvantage.