Magical Girls? There's No Going Back Now!

"It's fine. Send me however much you have. Also, summer vacation is ending soon. I'm planning to make arrangements for Alulu as well. We can discuss that after I've made my decision."

"I believe you won't hurt her," Lilika replied softly.

Li Xuan had wanted to say that he could simply let Alulu go. He also believed that Lilika, as she was now, would not mind continuing to provide him with information, but that loyalty was not on the level of Demonfall.

She could choose between her conscience and her daughter without hesitation, but without Alulu as a trump card, getting her to do things like betray her companions would probably not be so easy.

Within half an hour of ending the call, Li Xuan received a detailed report. Lilika had clearly put great care into it, presenting the intelligence she possessed in the most readable format possible.

Yet no matter how meticulous Lilika was, she could not conceal the fact that the intelligence was insufficient. The report mentioned the band's name and the magical girl names of its members, along with the crimes the Church had recorded for them.

But beyond that, nothing was known about their types, the magic they possessed, or the thing Li Xuan cared about most—their appearances and figures.

Li Xuan gave the report a quick read and only learned that their band was called "King's Edict." The four of them worked as mercenaries under the guise of touring as a band. Not only did they fight monsters, but if the payment was high enough, they would even attack magical girls. Their anything-goes conduct was somewhat similar to his own.

What should he do next?

Running was out of the question. Lilika's words had thoroughly piqued Li Xuan's interest. No matter what, he had to meet this renowned mercenary band.

Besides, strength itself was part of a woman's charm. Conquering powerful women often brought greater satisfaction, while the immense danger involved constantly thrilled his nerves.

Judging by Lilika's tone, the witch band had only confirmed the commission and would still need some time to actually arrive. Before then, he had to make as many preparations as possible.

"Party time!" After returning to the twelfth floor of the Stone Tower, Li Xuan pulled off his shirt, tossed it onto the floor, and made the announcement loudly.

"Why are you in such high spirits today, Master?"

Wu Yan, who had spent the entire day immersed in games after finishing her homework, turned around and asked.

"Don't ask. It's official business. Other than Alulu, bring every magical girl to the new platform upstairs. I'll be there shortly," Li Xuan said.

"We can finally go up there? I've been so curious about what's there." Wu Yan nodded excitedly. She first opened a portal to send the group of four upstairs, then went to gather the other magical girls scattered around the place.

After everyone left, only Alulu and Li Xuan remained in the Stone Tower. Seeing Li Xuan's firm chest muscles and fresh-faced appearance, Alulu could not help getting a little starry-eyed.

No, no. He's Mom's man. What am I even thinking?

Alulu hurriedly rejected her bold thought. When mother and daughter had been alone, Lilika had laid everything out frankly for Alulu—after all, Alulu had already seen the recording, and there was no way Lilika could keep hiding it. Rather than let her imagination run wild, it was better to explain things clearly.

"Alulu, come here," Li Xuan ordered.

"Huh? Me?" Alulu trembled all over. Though Li Xuan had never held parties in front of her, she had seen the older girls return hours after being summoned by him, their faces flushed and their steps unsteady. She could more or less guess what had happened.

Is it really my turn this time? Alulu's heart raced wildly. What do I do? What do I do? He's the man Mom secretly has feelings for. How can I give myself to him too? But mothers and daughters always have surprisingly similar tastes, and I like handsome men like Li Xuan too.

"Hurry up."

When Li Xuan urged her again, Alulu had no choice but to slowly shuffle over.

"Take off your clothes."

Li Xuan continued.

It's really happening! Catching Li Xuan's masculine scent, Alulu could not help feeling flustered. Mom, you can't blame me for this. He's forcing me!

Filled with shame and a sense of taboo, Alulu slowly removed her clothes, leaving not a single piece behind at Li Xuan's request and presenting herself before him in her most natural state.

"Listen. I'm going to let you go home. This little thing is a gift from me," Li Xuan said, creating a tiny monster with Fallen Blood. It looked like a strand of hair, so fine it was nearly impossible to see with the naked eye, and it did not seem capable of moving.

"What is that?"

Though the monster looked weak, Alulu instinctively felt afraid.

"A parasitic monster. Do you remember being at Sensitivity LV99 while climbing the tower? Whenever I give the command, this thing can put you in that state anytime, anywhere." As he spoke, Li Xuan carefully pressed the monster toward Alulu's delicate body.

Alulu was terrified after hearing that. She turned to run, only for tentacles to bind her tightly from head to toe, leaving her unable to move even an inch. She could only squeeze her eyes shut and tense every muscle, bracing herself for the piercing agony.

"Mm... ngh~"

Yet the agonizing pain she expected never came. Alulu only felt a slight chill run through her body, while the spot that had been pierced turned numb and tingly. Other than that, she felt nothing. When she opened her eyes, there was not even a wound.

"Alright, you can go home now. This is merely a precautionary measure. As long as you and your mother do not betray me, this monster will never harm you." After saying that, Li Xuan stroked Alulu's bright golden hair, the same color as her mother's, and opened a portal leading to her home.

"I can... go home?" Alulu stared at the pitch-black entrance, finding it hard to believe for a moment.

"Of course. Don't worry about your luggage. I'll have Wu Yan send it back for you—after she's rested up, that is." Li Xuan smiled.

Thinking of what Li Xuan was about to do with the older girls, Alulu feared he might change his mind and include her too. She hurriedly put her clothes back on and plunged headfirst into the portal.

"The first step of preparation is about to begin." After sending Alulu away, Li Xuan took a deep breath, opened a portal, and arrived at the new platform above.

At this moment, the magical girls were having a grand time in the unfinished first-phase building. Only Tang Xi was crouching on the ground, trying to check whether Bing Rui had been injured.

"Don't touch me! You're a monster now! Our bond as comrades is over from this day onward!" Bing Rui looked extremely unwilling, but with mana-draining tentacles binding her, she did not have even a shred of strength and could only let Tang Xi inspect her all over.

"If you won't let me touch you, why are you so close with that frail little fire girl? Isn't she a monster too?" Tang Xi asked unhappily.

"She was set up and had no choice but to fall into demonhood. What about you? You don't even have the courage to fight. What kind of magical girl are you?" Bing Rui said disdainfully.

"Fine, fine. I have no courage. I'm a coward. But I was a researcher to begin with. Fighting was never my specialty." Tang Xi spoke helplessly as she carefully massaged Bing Rui's body with gravity-controlling magic, helping ease her physical and mental exhaustion.

While Tang Xi cared for her former companion, the three little ones were playing chase with Tan Xiang. They flew and leaped among the buildings, looking utterly delighted.

"Master! Master! You secretly built such a huge housing complex behind our backs! It looks like it could house hundreds of people." Seeing that Li Xuan had finally arrived, Xu Rou said excitedly.

"It's a surprise for you. Once you've had enough fun, come find me in the large room on the top floor of the dormitory building." Seeing the magical girls enjoying themselves, Li Xuan did not stop them and instead headed alone to the suite on the dormitory's top floor.

This was the only room that had been furnished. It was as exquisite as a luxury hotel room. Li Xuan brought over a bathtub, used all his Evil Energy to summon Fallen Blood, then poured it into the tub.

Since his raw strength was still far from enough, he had to adopt a targeted strategy! Whether he created monsters specifically suited to counter his enemies or converted it into Wine of Ecstasy with all sorts of wondrous effects, he needed to prepare a large amount of Fallen Blood in advance.

But the Fallen Blood he had created by exhausting all his mana could not even cover the bottom of the bathtub. He was desperately short on Evil Energy!

And that was precisely why he had summoned all the magical girls upstairs for a party.

Before long, Tan Xiang, the least fond of exercise among the group of four, was the first to arrive. Li Xuan's Evil Energy had already been drained completely, leaving him unable to summon even tentacles, so he could only carry Tan Xiang to the bedsheets himself.

Tan Xiang was still transformed, her entire body wrapped in a skintight suit that accentuated her figure.

Ever since Demonfall, the design of that suit had changed somewhat. The most eye-catching change was the addition of two locked zippers, one at her chest and one at her crotch, making it look exceptionally alluring.

There was no need to ask; only Li Xuan could open those locks.

"Master..." Tan Xiang looked at Li Xuan with timid eyes, seeming somewhat afraid even now. This personality, so completely opposite to her combat style, immediately aroused Li Xuan's interest. He pulled open the zipper on the spot and began replenishing mana, drawing a startled cry from Tan Xiang.

The sounds Tan Xiang made while replenishing mana were as sweet as syrup, attracting everyone like bees to honey. Before long, all the magical girls had been drawn over, and even Bing Rui, still bound up, was carried into the room by Tang Xi.

"Master's in quite the mood today~ I get a turn later too, right?" Tang Xi, who had developed a taste for it, tossed her former companion onto the sofa, then leaned in and gently stroked Tan Xiang's flushed cheek.

"Don't worry. Everyone gets a turn today!"

Gazing at the six graceful, jade-like bodies before him, Li Xuan felt for the first time that his stamina was facing a severe test.

But in order to prepare for the incoming witch band, he still forced himself to rally. After replenishing mana, he continued summoning Fallen Blood, repeating the process until all six magical girls were completely exhausted.

"So replenishing mana has a limit too." Li Xuan looked at the magical girls sprawled all over the floor and stood up tiredly. The very act of rising made his vision go dark, and he involuntarily sat back down.

The enormous bathtub was still only covered at the bottom, far from Li Xuan's goal. To make up for the vast gap between Grade B and Grade A, he needed even more preparation.

"I'm afraid everyone will have to work hard lately," Li Xuan said as he looked at the magical girls lying on the floor, already too dazed to think clearly.

Yao of the Puppets

Even though summer vacation had ended, the scorching heat in Clear Lotus City had barely subsided. At noon, there were few pedestrians on the streets, as nobody seemed willing to linger beneath the blazing sun.

Yet four women walked beneath the searing sunlight as though they did not care at all.

The scattered pedestrians all turned to look, not because the women were unafraid of the sun's heat, but because the outfits of all four were simply too eye-catching.

The first to catch the eye was a gigantic nun, over two meters tall—an extremely rare height even among men.

Not only that, but the nun's body looked sturdier than an American bison's. Even through her loose nun's habit, her firm muscles were visible, while her back bulged high as though something had been stuffed beneath it.

The nun carried two black instrument cases on her back. While such bags would look enormous on an ordinary person, they appeared tiny against the nun's body and were even completely hidden from view when seen from the front.

Walking ahead of the nun was a short-haired woman in leather pants and a small leather jacket. She strutted at the front with her head held high, covered in gleaming metal rings and chains that clinked constantly as she walked. Some were decorations on her clothes, while others were directly threaded through her body.

Behind the nun hid a petite girl whose size formed an enormous contrast with hers, apparently taking advantage of the hard-won shade to cool off.

She was at least two heads shorter than the nun and wore a black-cat hooded pajama outfit. She herself was as adorable as a kitten, but her expression looked like she had not fully woken up yet, and she occasionally yawned.

A closer look would reveal that the girl's pupils were narrow vertical slits, utterly unlike those of ordinary humans.

A little farther from the other three walked a high-ponytailed girl in a skintight JK uniform. Her appearance was certainly cute as well, but what drew the most attention were the long and short blades strapped at her waist. Judging from their heavy metallic texture, they did not seem to be cosplay props.

The girl's gaze occasionally flicked toward her three companions, filled with disdain. Her laughter was even more unrestrained, revealing a mouthful of sharp shark-like teeth.

"So this is the band's four witches. Those outfits really are... full of personality." Watching everything through binoculars from afar, Li Xuan murmured in admiration.

A week had passed since Li Xuan began his preparations. According to the intelligence Lilika had provided, today was the day the witch band would arrive in Clear Lotus City.

In truth, he did not need intelligence to know they had arrived. Since this morning, he had sensed a dazzling source of mana, like a beacon. Judging by its magnitude, it clearly far surpassed Grade B.

Obviously, among the band's four members was a Prayer Type magical girl who remained permanently transformed. Her mana could not be concealed—perhaps she had no need to conceal it.

"Anyway, I'll secretly mark them first." With that thought, Li Xuan quietly approached the band members.

After leveling up, Li Xuan's various skills had all been enhanced to different degrees, including the range of Hunting Radar.

He had tested it on Alulu. He could now sense magical girls from a full two hundred meters away. Then, using visual lock-on, he could place Hunting Marks on them.

As long as he marked them, he would hold an unbeatable advantage in terms of intelligence. He could then make a targeted plan based on the information he gathered. This was the method Li Xuan had relied on time and time again.

But this time, things seemed slightly different.

[Magical girl detected nearby]

[Distance: 200 meters]

[Detailed information can be displayed after visual lock-on]

Just as the system prompt appeared in Li Xuan's mind, the shark-toothed girl suddenly stopped, her smile vanishing.

"What's wrong, Yao? Do you want ice cream?" The nun pointed at the ice cream machine by the roadside and asked.

"No. Someone's watching us." Yao frowned and looked around.

"Four ice creams. Put two extra cones on one of them," the nun said as she stepped forward to the shop owner.

"Ke ke ke... found you." Yao suddenly whipped her head around and let out a strange laugh in Li Xuan's direction. Her sharp teeth looked adorable, yet they also made it difficult for anyone to entertain improper thoughts.

But from Li Xuan's perspective, the scene was rather terrifying.

Just as he aimed his binoculars at the four women and prepared to use visual lock-on to obtain information and marks, the shark-toothed girl suddenly looked directly at him with uncanny precision.

It felt like watching a horror movie alone late at night, only for the ghost on the screen to suddenly turn and stare straight at you outside the screen, sending chills down your spine.

In that instant, he remembered what Li Sijie had once said: "When you can see others, you must be prepared for them to discover you."

Li Xuan no longer had time to gather information. He put away the binoculars and prepared to open a passage into the Delusive Badlands and leave. But just then, he realized that he could not move.

The next second, the shark-toothed girl carrying the long and short blades appeared before him, releasing an astonishing aura of mana. Clearly, she had remained transformed all along; she had merely not released her powerful mana.

[Magical girl locked on]

[Name: Yao]

[Mana Level: A]

[Type: Sealing Type/Battle Type]

[Height: 154 cm]

[CUP Level: C+]

"Ke ke ke, you thought you could run away? Stupid pig." Yao looked at Li Xuan mockingly as she slowly drew the long blade at her waist.

Li Xuan struggled with all his might, only then discovering that countless fine yet tough threads had somehow wrapped around him. Those threads were connected to the surrounding buildings, which was why he could not move.

But how had so many threads wrapped around him in an instant? Li Xuan could not understand it, and he clearly did not have much time left to think.

"The price for peeping on a cute girl like me is very high. Remember it well, little trash~" Yao revealed a cruel smile. Then her blade flashed, and one of Li Xuan's arms fell to the ground.

Blood sprayed everywhere, splashing across the ground. The sudden agony blanked Li Xuan's mind for a brief moment, while the girl had already returned to her companions.

"Yao, where did you go? Here, ice cream." The nun carefully pinched the cone between two fingers and handed the slightly melted ice cream to Yao.

"No! Don't think everyone craves sweets like you do. What I want is blood, death, and destruction!" Yao turned away disdainfully, with no intention of acknowledging the nun.

"Black Cat, can you eat another one?" The nun turned around helplessly and asked the pajama-clad little girl hiding in her shadow.

"Mm..." The pajama-clad girl nodded. Although she had already finished her ice cream, she was still nibbling at the three-layered cone in small bites.