Fang Ming

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Fang Ming (方铭)
Alias(es)	Xiao Bai; Brother Fang Ming; Brother Ming; Cousin; “Silver-haired Queen” (temporary netizen nickname) 5 11
Species/Race	Human time traveler; later theorizes that his Magic Source evolution made him a Long-Lived Species 1 237
Gender	Male; transforms into a female magical-girl form 1
Age	23 1
Occupation/Role	Freelance writer; magical-girl combatant; Aurora’s registered-disciple mentor 1 202
Status	Active 238
First Appearance	Chapter 1

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Magical Power LV0	1, 11	Gained Magical Girl Transformation after his progress-bar cheat absorbed a Nightmare fragment during a Demon attack.
Magical Power LV2	11	Converted progress from more than a dozen low-level practical skills—including car repair, appliance repair, and pastry making—into magical power; sufficient to restrain and kill the Speed Demon with a prepared Chain trap.
Magical Power LV3	11	Reached after more than a month of training; assessed as comparable to a Mid-Tier Demon.
Upper Rank-level combat power	196	Overwhelmed and disintegrated a self-healing werewolf Demon with Chains, displaying strength far beyond Aurora and Luna.
Magic level above 5,000	235	Sacrificed Erosion Form LV3 to fuel a dramatic increase in magic and life force; his body regressed to a childlike form.
Magic level above 7,000 / Magic Source LV3	236	His former [Magic] skill transformed into [Magic Source LV3], unlocking structured access to Magical Girl, Demon, Shining, and unknown forms.

Background

Fang Ming is a 23-year-old male time traveler who spent his early life in Rock City as a reclusive freelance writer. His only initial advantage was a progress-bar cheat that displays learning progress and never regresses. He was an orphan with no immediate family, though Yu Muqiu is his distant cousin. 1 2

Three months before the Sky Screen’s appearance, Fang Ming was pulled into a Nightmare Barrier during a magical-girl battle. Contact with a Nightmare fragment allowed his cheat to absorb it and record Magical Girl Transformation as an ability. Though he initially objected to becoming a magical girl as a man, he began using the transformation to assist Yu Muqiu’s group and dissuade them from fighting dangerous battles. 1

The Sky Screen later broadcast his transformed self as the mysterious fourth magical girl. His attempts to keep the girls from fighting were framed as antagonistic behavior, while viewers praised the silver-haired “Xiao Bai” without knowing she was Fang Ming. 1 5

Appearance

In his ordinary form, Fang Ming is a black-haired young man. His magical-girl identity, Xiao Bai, sharply contrasts with this appearance and conceals their connection from the public. 2 57

• Xiao Bai form — Waist-length silver hair, crimson eyes, black trench coat, military-style clothing, scythe, and trailing Chains. 57
• Transformation sequence — Gray-white space filled with Chains; the Chains conceal his body before shattering into his magical-girl outfit. 31
• Post-Magic Source body — His magical-girl form physically regresses to roughly a child’s age after the Erosion Form sacrifice. 235 236
• Demonization Form — Approximately 2.5 meters tall, with black-red armor, twin horns, a crimson cape, scarlet vertical pupils, and an imposing demonic presence. 237 238

Personality

Fang Ming is private, pragmatic, and intensely anxious about public exposure. He repeatedly considers fleeing rather than allowing the Sky Screen to reveal that Xiao Bai is male, yet he continues placing himself between magical girls and danger. 1 33

He often uses dry humor, teasing, or deliberate acting to defuse uncomfortable situations. His ordinary persona is gentler and more patient than Xiao Bai’s cold, blunt presentation; the two forms share memories but differ noticeably in social behavior. 6 59 121

Despite claiming to be an ordinary person and avoiding emotional declarations, Fang Ming is consistently protective. He shelters and pursues adoption for Song Niandong, intervenes for magical girls in danger, trains Aurora, and sacrifices learned skills when he judges their survival to require it. 33 116 202

Abilities & Skills

Progress Bar Cheat

Fang Ming can view permanent progress bars for learned skills. Once a skill is recorded, its progress does not regress through disuse. 1 11

• Progress Conversion — Can consume progress from learned skills to improve supernatural abilities, particularly magical power. 11
• Has used practical and academic skills as fuel, including repair skills, pastry making, English, and cooking. 11 33 60
• Can rebuild sacrificed skills through training, though higher-level skills require substantially more time to recover. 49
• His magic does not follow the normal Emotion Seed growth pattern of contracted magical girls. 19 81

Magical Girl Transformation

Fang Ming can transform into Xiao Bai, a silver-haired magical girl armed with a scythe and Chains. In his ordinary form, he retains only severely weakened magical abilities. 1 57

• His pre-transformation appearance differs completely from Xiao Bai’s, preventing the Federation from identifying her civilian identity. 11
• Transformation grants significantly stronger magic, including suggestion or hypnosis effects. 59
• He can later transform rapidly and switch back at will. 59 238

Chains

Chains are Fang Ming’s primary control magic. They can bind enemies, scan or probe spaces, restrain allies, and be prepared in advance as traps. 11 22 93

• Bound the Speed Demon long enough for Fang Ming to kill it in one strike. 11
• Can restrain magical girls he considers at risk of entering a battle unprepared. 22
• Can be retained in weakened form even while Fang Ming is not transformed. 59
• Were powerful enough to help disintegrate a self-healing werewolf Demon. 196

Severing Magic

Severing Magic is embodied by Xiao Bai’s scythe. Once an opponent is restrained, Fang Ming can use it to deliver decisive killing blows. 16

• Can sever targets through the scythe’s edge rather than relying solely on raw force. 16
• The scythe can be damaged or shattered; Fang Ming has restored it by sacrificing another skill’s proficiency. 33

Erosion Form

Erosion Form is a dangerous demonic state associated with rage, despair, memory erosion, and the risk of becoming a Demon. Fang Ming believes his cheat may let him control it more safely than ordinary magical girls could. 94

• Its unstable power was later stabilized before Fang Ming sacrificed Erosion Form LV3 for magical growth. 235
• Combining Demon Magic, Magical Girl Magic, Mutant Magic, and mixed emotions contributed to its instability. 236
• Further Mutant Magic use is considered dangerous because of its unpredictable bodily effects. 236

Magic Source

After his magic overloaded, Fang Ming’s [Magic] skill evolved into [Magic Source LV3]. 236

• Includes Magical Girl Form LV3, Demon Form LV3, Shining Form LV0, and an unidentified ??? Form LV0. 236
• Includes Connection, Separation, and Barrier Magic at LV2–3. 236
• Grants enhanced mobility, including teleportation. 236
• Allows continued growth without necessarily sacrificing other skills, though its long-term risks remain unclear. 236

Demonization and Flesh Control

Fang Ming can activate Demon Form to become a towering armored demon while retaining his mind. 237

• Demonization — Greatly increases physical size, strength, and intimidation; negative emotions must be actively suppressed. 237
• Flesh Control — Lets him compress or expand his body while retaining mass, allowing shifts between childlike and adult-sized forms. 238
• Activating Demon Form renders his Magical Girl Form inactive and removes its exclusive magic, though weak universal spells remain available. 238

Martial Arts and Physical Combat

Even without transformation, Fang Ming is an exceptional fighter who has trained in numerous styles. 38 124

• Known training includes Eight Extremes Fist, Karate, Sanda, Kickboxing, Judo, Soft Fist, and Inch Punch. 38 61 201
• Can dislocate joints, evade armed attackers, disarm opponents, and defeat multiple enemies without using visible magic. 62 189 190
• Possesses a rare LV4 composite combat technique built from Eastern martial arts and other fighting systems. 192
• Defeated toy familiars and haunted-house constructs using physical strength and technique alone. 124 129

Suggestion Magic

Fang Ming can manipulate perception and behavior through Suggestion Magic. 42

• Used it to deceive patrol officers investigating Song Niandong and erase their recording. 42
• Can combine magical deception with disguises to avoid attention. 42 135

Equipment / Items

• Scythe — Manifested focus of Severing Magic in Xiao Bai form. 16 57
• Chains — Manifested control magic used for binding, traps, scanning, and restraint. 11 59
• MP3 player — Contains Fang Ming’s voice recordings and alarms; its accidental activation increased fears that his link to Xiao Bai would be exposed. 90 93
• Disguise glasses and makeup — Uses perception-distorting glasses and LV2 makeup skill to reduce recognition while traveling. 26 135

Relationships

• Yu Muqiu / Xiao Qiu — Distant cousin and one of the magical girls Fang Ming protects. He provided her group temporary lodging and later supported her growth in battle. 2 25 51
• Murong Xiaochun / Xiao Chun — Sees her as a younger sister, while Xiao Chun has romantic feelings for him. He does not reciprocate but agrees to her three-year promise and remains protective of her. 19 20 237
• Chen Xiaoxia — Frequent ally and rival of Xiao Bai. Fang Ming recognizes her combat potential, later plans her Shining Form breakthrough, and repeatedly frustrates her through Xiao Bai’s secrecy. 33 102 237
• Song Niandong / Dongdong — Rescued from harassment and treated as family. Fang Ming tries to adopt her despite legal obstacles; she is deeply attached and possessive toward both Fang Ming and Xiao Bai. 62 116 121
• Black Rabbit Youyou — Uneasy ally and frequent source of trouble. She learned Fang Ming’s Xiao Bai identity after witnessing his transformation, while he keeps her restrained when he considers escape unsafe. 57 59
• Meng Chen — Former roommate and hacker. Fang Ming relies on him for online cleanup and equipment, but withholds details of his magical identity. 42 151
• Aurora Lyla Campbell — Combat trainee and registered disciple. Fang Ming mentors her in technique, while Aurora seeks to surpass him through training. 153 202
• Luna — A blue-haired magical girl whose disappearance Fang Ming investigates; he promises her father Charles that he will help find her. 175 214

Story Role / Major Arcs

Rock City and the Fourth Magical Girl

After acquiring Magical Girl Transformation, Fang Ming quietly assisted Yu Muqiu’s group while trying to convince them to stop fighting. The Sky Screen then cast him as Xiao Bai, a powerful and apparently hostile fourth magical girl, forcing him to conceal the connection between his civilian identity and transformed self. 1 11

Secret Protector of the Magical Girls

Fang Ming repeatedly takes dangerous fights alone, declaring Rock City his territory and using Chains to keep the other girls out of barriers. His cold behavior is misread as arrogance, though he gradually recognizes that failing to explain himself has damaged trust. 16 22 33

Song Niandong’s Guardian

Fang Ming rescues Song Niandong from attackers, discovers she has been abandoned, and assumes responsibility for her safety. Their bond becomes sibling-like within days, and he later attempts to adopt her despite bureaucratic barriers. 62 98 116

Americas District Mentor

Fang Ming secretly travels to the Americas District to investigate magical girls, cult activity, and the Aurora Society. There he meets Aurora, protects her from gangsters, and becomes her combat mentor while concealing the extent of his supernatural abilities. 135 189 202

Magic Source Evolution

Seeking enough power to protect the group, Fang Ming grinds magic in a dream world with accelerated time, explores Erosion Form, and ultimately sacrifices it for a massive magic increase. The resulting Magic Source evolution gives him new forms but regresses both Xiao Bai and his civilian body to a childlike state. 214 235 237

Notable Quotes

“I was never a villain to begin with! Isn't joining the protagonist's group perfectly normal? Wait, I'm not part of the protagonist's group!” 2

“I'm none of those. I'm just an ordinary person.” 190

“Little girls shouldn't worry about an old man's business. As long as I haven't done anything illegal, that's all that matters.” 144

Trivia

• Fang Ming’s magical-girl identity remained plausible because nobody in the setting initially considered that a boy could become a magical girl. 26
• He fears the public exposure of Xiao Bai’s transformation more than most Demon battles. 3 31
• His acting skill reached LV3 partly because maintaining Xiao Bai’s cold persona required repeated practice. 121
• Fang Ming’s combat skills are strong enough that magical girls believe he could defeat them in close combat if they could not use magic or flight. 129