Have You Made Up Your Mind?

"Jia Yu! It's a deal, then! Nine tomorrow morning!"

"Got it, got it. Xiaofeng, hurry home. And don't be late again tomorrow morning."

"I won't be late!... Ah, bye, Tianqing!"

"Bye-bye—" Fox Fox wagged her tail.

The SUV's windows rolled up, and it drove around the corner at the end of the street.

Only then did Nan Xiaofeng stop waving excitedly. She turned around and took Hua Ling's hand, unable to hide the excitement on her face.

"This is awesome! Hua Ling, did you hear that? Jia Yu said she's taking us to Rongcheng Amusement Park tomorrow!"

"You really are happy, Xiaofeng." Hua Ling chuckled, seemingly swept up in the cheerful atmosphere as well.

When they returned home in their nightgowns, the first thing they saw was the White Sable Spirit sitting on the sofa and watching the news.

Hua Ling curiously observed the Stargazer Spirit Nan Xiaofeng called "Bailing."

"Oh? Did your sister and her friend head home, Xiaofeng? I thought they'd stay here for the night."

"Why did you come out, Bailing? What if my sister saw you?"

"Only magical girls and people with magical talent can see me. Ordinary people can't, so don't worry."

"Hmph, I don't care. Let me sit there."

Nan Xiaofeng said sulkily, shuffling over in her slippers and unceremoniously squeezing in beside the White Sable Spirit.

"Why are you squeezing me?!"

"This is the best spot for watching TV!"

"You can watch it from beside me too, Xiaofeng!"

"I don't like watching with my head tilted!"

Watching the girl and Spirit bicker, Hua Ling suddenly felt her mood lighten, and she laughed.

"Hehe... You two really get along well, Xiaofeng."

""Who gets along with her?""

Hua Ling smiled and sat down on the sofa, still curiously studying the White Sable Spirit with its tiny wings.

"...Classmate Hua Ling, why are you staring at me like that?"

With Hua Ling's gaze so intensely focused on it, the White Sable Spirit became a little embarrassed and asked in confusion.

"Um... I talked with Tianqing today, and I suddenly figured something out. I wanted to talk to you about it, Bailing," Hua Ling answered honestly.

"Tianqing?... Ah, that cute fox girl! Hua Ling, you're so sneaky! I barely got to say anything to her!"

Before she could finish, Nan Xiaofeng suddenly realized what she meant and stomped her foot anxiously.

"Tianqing is way gentler than Jia Yu! And... speaking of which, Hua Ling, did you touch her tail?"

"N-no. I heard that touching a beastfolk's tail was kind of impolite, so..." Hua Ling shook her head repeatedly.

"That's such a shame! Tianqing's tail and ears feel so—so comfortable! And she's super cute too!"

"Jia Yu said she met Tianqing in college, and they went to class and ate together every day! I'm so jealous!"

"Hmph. This morning, you were telling me that just seeing Foxfolk annoyed you. How did you defect by nighttime?" Bailing sharply mocked.

Nan Xiaofeng's eye twitched. She grabbed the White Sable Spirit's ear beside her and yanked hard, making it squeal in pain.

"When did I ever say that?! What I meant was... people like Heartmoon Fox annoy me! Tianqing is practically a gentle, adorable little angel!"

"...I can't argue with that." The White Sable Spirit rubbed its ear and nodded.

Its gaze returned to Hua Ling.

"What were you going to say just now, Hua Ling? What did you figure out?"

"...Bailing, do you still have any spare Guardian Stars?"

Both of them froze.

Nan Xiaofeng stared at Hua Ling in disbelief.

"Guardian Stars?... Wait! Hua Ling, didn't you say yesterday that you wanted a few more days to think about it? Why all of a sudden...?"

The White Sable Spirit was surprised too.

It had long noticed Hua Ling's magical talent and wanted to recruit her as a magical girl, but whether to do so ultimately depended on Hua Ling herself.

After all, becoming a magical girl meant fighting monsters at any time, not to mention that Heartmoon Fox, a Villain Magical Girl who only caused trouble instead of fighting, had appeared as well.

If Hua Ling refused because she was worried about danger, neither Bailing nor Nan Xiaofeng would say anything. After all, becoming a magical girl was something that required careful consideration.

—But!

Even if Hua Ling herself was willing, the Guardian Star had to respond to her!

If the Guardian Star did not respond to her... then no matter how high Hua Ling's compatibility was, she would be unable to transform into a magical girl.

"Because Tianqing talked with me, and I learned a lot from her. I didn't tell her about magical girls, either," Hua Ling said seriously.

"Xiaofeng, we're friends, right?"

"Of course." Nan Xiaofeng answered without hesitation. "I don't have many friends to begin with. Hua Ling, you're definitely my best friend!... Apart from Jia Yu."

"I see."

Nodding as though she had made up her mind, Hua Ling held out her hand to Bailing, spreading her palm to reveal her fair, delicate wrist.

"Please give me a Guardian Star. I want to see whether I'm qualified."

.

.

A little later.

On the rooftop of an office building somewhere in Rongcheng.

Su Tianqing happily swung her little feet.

After transforming, she was no longer wearing the ribbon stockings from daytime. A pair of white thigh-high socks accentuated the curves of her calves, their surface reflecting distant neon lights in a dreamy, hazy glow.

The camera floated nearby, but it had not been turned on, faithfully awaiting its master's command.

Su Tianqing was in an exceptionally wonderful mood.

The two tasks she had just completed had sent the number of Divine Codex Stones in her pocket soaring straight to 1,500!

Together with the slacking-off task the Codex had given her, her Divine Codex Stones had reached an unprecedented 1,600!

"A fortune, a fortune! Now I can finally buy that new item I've been dying for!"

Su Tianqing happily opened the Codex and flipped to the newly unlocked item section on the shopping page, ready to spend this fortune where it counted.

[Heartmoon Wand: 1500 Divine Codex Stones]

[A magical girl's iconic wand. It can transform into any desired object or shape.]

[Unlock Skill A: Monster Summoning. Once per day, summon one designated monster that will obey your commands absolutely.]

[Unlock Skill B: Monster Enhancement. Three times per day, comprehensively enhance one monster's attributes. Can be repeatedly applied to the same monster.]

After reading the description, Su Tianqing spent all the Divine Codex Stones she had originally planned to use on repeatable enhancement potions on this wand.

A golden staff appeared beside her.

It floated at her side, close enough to grab. At its tip was a four-pointed star identical to the Guardian Star on her chest. It looked somewhat like a children's toy sold on a carpet stall, but it felt far sturdier in her hand.

Just holding it, Su Tianqing could feel the magic within her surge tremendously.

How could a magical girl be without a wand? This was the soul of a magical girl!

She would try using it to cast all sorts of magic later. For now, it was time to get down to business!

Stowing both the wand and the Codex in her magical space, the golden-haired Fox Fox turned on the camera, adjusted its position, and gave the lens a charming smile.

"Good evening, everyone!"

"Heartmoon Fox, the Villain Magical Girl, is back to see everyone again!~"