Magical Girl? There's No Going Back Now! Chapter 6

"Yeah! See you tomorrow, then!" Xu Rou only found the drink's taste a little strange, but she did not think much of it. She stood up, said goodbye to Qi Mo, and headed home.

After Xu Rou had gone far away, Qi Mo took out her phone and replied to a private message on the forum:

I did what you told me. Send me the video now.

The other party replied almost instantly:

[The high-definition file is too large, so I saved it on a USB drive. There's a public restroom two hundred meters ahead. I'll give you the video there.]

Qi Mo frowned. That meant the other party knew exactly where she was, and everything she had done so far had been under their watch.

"Since I've already come this far, this is also a good chance to see who they really are." Qi Mo convinced herself with that reasoning and went to the designated location as instructed.

Li Xuan, wearing a trench coat and sunglasses, emerged from the darkness. From luring Wu Yan into the trap, to driving the two apart, then using the video to endlessly magnify Qi Mo's desires and tricking her into making Xu Rou drink Fallen Blood.

By this point, the plan had essentially succeeded. He had no need to keep his later promises. The only reason he had shown up in person was to enjoy the expression on Qi Mo's face when she broke down.

"You drank something without even a label, without asking a single question? She really trusts you." Li Xuan teased.

"Cut the sarcasm. Where's what I asked for?" Qi Mo coldly held out a hand to Li Xuan.

"Relax, I won't shortchange you." Li Xuan handed Qi Mo a USB drive.

"Wait here. I'm checking it." Qi Mo took the drive and quickly entered the public restroom beside them.

Rushing into a stall, Qi Mo hurriedly locked the door and eagerly plugged the USB drive into her phone to check it.

The full video was indeed stored inside, a full hour long. The footage was extremely clear, obviously filmed with a professional camera.

She stared excitedly at Xu Rou being humiliated in the video, both furious and thrilled, as though fire might burst from her eyes. Her full thighs repeatedly clenched and relaxed, her flesh-colored stockings constantly rustling with friction. Still dressed in her magical girl outfit, she committed a profane act.

Half an hour later, Qi Mo emerged from the restroom with guilt and regret written all over her face. Her head hung low, and the spirited look from before had long vanished. Dragging her feet, she dejectedly returned to Li Xuan.

"Want one?" Li Xuan took out a cigarette and offered it to Qi Mo.

Qi Mo did not refuse. Though she did not know how to smoke and kept coughing from the smoke, she still took puff after puff.

"I'm lower than an animal. Xiao Rou trusted me so much, yet I used that trust to deceive her..." When the cigarette burned out, Qi Mo finally could not bear the crushing guilt any longer. Covering her face, she began to cry.

Li Xuan said nothing. He merely handed her a packet of tissues and waited silently nearby.

After the post-release clarity passed, Qi Mo wiped away her tears. She finally realized just how stupid she had been, and asked nervously, with a slight stammer:

"Y-you... what exactly was it that you tricked Xiao Rou into drinking...?"

"Don't you think it's a little late to ask that now?" Li Xuan found it rather amusing. Although Qi Mo's plan had once earned his admiration, whenever Xu Rou was involved, she got carried away and her intelligence dropped infinitely close to zero.

"You told me it wouldn't hurt her at all!" Qi Mo grew even more panicked and could only raise her voice to hide her unease.

"Believing a monster's promise is less ridiculous than believing Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun will get a second season." Li Xuan sneered as he removed his trench coat and sunglasses, and a familiar presence appeared before Qi Mo.

"You're the monster from that day?!" Qi Mo asked in a trembling voice.

"Stop lying to yourself, my lady. You figured out who I was long ago. Who besides me could have filmed that video from that angle? And you knew perfectly well there was something wrong with what was in that bottle. The reason you fell for such a hole-ridden lie was simply because you wanted an excuse—an excuse to satisfy your filthy desires. Am I wrong?" Li Xuan's voice became increasingly stern.

"Stop talking! I told you to stop talking!" Qi Mo covered her ears, crouched on the ground, and burst into tears.

For a moment, loss, frustration, guilt, worry, anticipation, and countless other emotions flooded her heart. Qi Mo had completely broken down. Unlocking her defeat CG now would have been easy, but Li Xuan hurriedly turned and headed elsewhere.

A far more exciting show was waiting for him there.

No Need to Hold Back Anymore

After saying goodbye to Qi Mo, Xu Rou began to feel that something was wrong with her body. The sensation was neither painful nor itchy, and even she found it difficult to describe.

After returning home, the feeling grew more intense. She tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep. Her body became increasingly hot, as if magma were flowing through her veins. The feeling was both agonizing and pleasurable. Her senses gradually began to blur, and she felt desperately hungry for something, yet could never be satisfied.

"What's happening to me?" Xu Rou got up and drank a glass of cold water, but the burning heat did not ease in the slightest. Her lower abdomen in particular had begun to ache faintly.

Unable to resist, Xu Rou lifted her nightgown and looked. A heart-covered succubus curse mark was slowly appearing across her flat lower abdomen.

"How could something like this appear on my body?" Xu Rou was startled. The curse mark was the source of the burning pain, and worse still, she could feel it radiating an aura of evil energy.

"Could it be some kind of parasitic monster?" Xu Rou hurriedly found her heart-shaped transformation badge, intending to use the light of transforming into a magical girl to drive the monster away.

"O world! In the name of love and hope, grant me power!" Xu Rou raised the badge and spoke softly.

Yet the badge that had accompanied her through countless battles gave no response at all.

"The world... rejected me?" Xu Rou panicked at once. The evil aura around her grew stronger and stronger, and she gradually realized a terrifying truth:

This evil energy fundamentally came from within her own body. The curse mark on her lower abdomen was merely an outlet.

"What... is going on? Am I turning into a monster?!!" Xu Rou said in disbelief.

"I have to do something!" With that thought, Xu Rou viciously slapped herself, forcibly regaining a little rationality.

She clenched her teeth and gripped the badge so tightly that her nails dug into her flesh, drawing thin traces of blood. Her body trembled in small, constant shudders, as though she were enduring immense torment.

Mentally, she was still a magical girl who represented justice, yet her body was gradually falling into a monster's corruption. Her polarized mind and body tore at Xu Rou's heart. The immense pleasure produced by Demonfall shot up her spine and into her brain, but Xu Rou defied her instincts and desperately resisted the pleasure brought by Demonfall.

[Activation of Fallen Blood successful]

[Individual Xu Rou, undergoing Demonfall]

[Demonfall progress: 15%, 40%, 60%, 59%...]

Li Xuan, hiding outside the window, watched the Demonfall progress on the system interface remain stuck at around sixty percent and could not help feeling anxious.

To make Xu Rou undergo Demonfall, he had paid a steep price. Without sparing his own evil energy, he had squeezed out a full two hundred milliliters of Fallen Blood and tricked her into drinking it. Yet the Demonfall progress did not seem to be going as smoothly as expected.

"She actually suppressed Demonfall through sheer willpower? That makes no sense!" Li Xuan could not help complaining. Then he reconsidered. This world already had magical girls, so science was hardly relevant.

In that case, he would personally deliver the final straw that broke the camel's back!

With that thought, Li Xuan dialed a number, muted the receiver, then used his tentacles to open the window and jump inside.

"You're... the monster from that day!" Xu Rou was startled. Remembering that day's humiliation, boundless rage immediately filled her eyes. Unfortunately, she had now lost her connection to the world and could not transform into a magical girl. No matter how angry she was, she could not threaten him.

"Five-star Emperor MacArthur once said: fall early and enjoy it early; fall late and suffer for nothing. Your body has already undergone Demonfall. What meaning is there in resisting mentally?" Li Xuan said with a smile.

"Pah! What crooked logic! A magical girl's noble soul will never submit!"

"Hehe, you really are pitiful. You trusted your companion completely, only to be betrayed in secret. Think carefully. Why did you end up like this?" Li Xuan prompted.

"Do you even need to ask? It must be your doing!"

"Don't jump to conclusions. Before you came home, did you drink anything strange?"

Xu Rou's heart skipped a beat. Before coming home, she had only drunk the beverage Qi Mo gave her, and the strange sensations in her body had begun after she drank it.

Thinking back carefully, the drink's color and taste had indeed been strange, and there had been no label on the bottle. She had only instinctively overlooked those things because she trusted Qi Mo.

"Could Qi Mo have tricked me? No, she grew up with me. She's always taken care of me like an older sister. How could that be possible? It has to be your doing!" Xu Rou retorted in a trembling voice, but even she could not fully believe her own words.

"Why not ask her yourself?" Li Xuan said. He took out a phone that was already connected to a call, turned off mute, and tossed it to Xu Rou.

In fact, Li Xuan had called Qi Mo the moment he entered the room. He had merely put the call on mute so she could listen as Xu Rou walked step by step toward corruption.

"Xiao Rou... I..." Qi Mo's helpless voice came from the phone.

"Qi Mo, you wouldn't lie to me, right?" Xu Rou asked, clinging to her final shred of hope.

"I'm sorry... Xiao Rou, I..." Hearing Xu Rou's voice as she struggled to endure, Qi Mo felt as though her heart were being cut to pieces. Tears fell like beads from a broken string, and she could not even form a complete sentence.

"Why are you apologizing? You really did lie to me, didn't you? Why would you do this? I trusted you so much. Why... why..." Tears glimmered in Xu Rou's eyes. Though she did not want to believe it, Qi Mo's reaction had already explained everything.

In that instant, Xu Rou felt something precious deep in her heart shatter.

"Hahaha... Qi Mo... you really did betray me. In that case, I don't have to keep desperately holding back anymore, do I? Even if I fall into a monster... that's okay too, right?" Xu Rou hung up through tear-blurred eyes. The light slowly faded from her gaze as her remaining rationality was swallowed whole by scorching desire.

[Demonfall progress: 100%]

[Individual Xu Rou, Demonfall complete]

[Hidden achievement attained: Soul Reaver]

[Experience +5]

[Current experience: 8/10]

As the system notifications appeared, Li Xuan felt an invisible connection form between himself and Xu Rou. Unlike monsters directly created by Fallen Blood, however, this connection was not absolute control. Xu Rou's self-awareness remained intact, but in her mind, his identity had changed from an irreconcilable enemy to an exalted master.

"So this is what becoming a monster feels like? Thank you, Master. I've finally found my true self." Xu Rou gave a seductive smile and knelt on one knee before Li Xuan. Though neither her appearance nor clothing had changed in the slightest, the shift in her eyes and expression alone gave the impression that there was no going back.

Just then, an energetic voice suddenly came from outside:

"Xiao Rou! I sensed a demon's presence and rushed over. Are you okay?!"

Li Xuan looked up and saw Wu Yan floating outside the window, looking over anxiously.

"Xu Rou," Li Xuan said softly.

"Master, I am here. Please command me as you wish." After Demonfall, even Xu Rou's tone rose slightly, making her sound full of delight.

"I order you to kill Wu Yan—kill your former companion." Li Xuan pointed at Qi Mo, who had just arrived outside the window.

Girls Fighting Is the Best!

"With pleasure." Xu Rou smiled cruelly and clenched the badge in her hand, activating her transformation.

But this time, it was not the world that granted her power, but an abyss filled with evil power.

After transforming, Xu Rou's hair was a little darker than before. A string of diamond studs had appeared on her left ear, while dark eyeliner accentuated her seductive gaze.

She still wore a one-piece short dress, but its skirt was shorter than before, exposing more of her snow-white thighs. The outfit's colors had changed from blue and white to blue and black, while her weapon had become an even more exaggerated double-bladed skull axe. Its broad blades radiated an ominous aura.

"She's gotten a lot sexier than before. Who knew Demonfall had that effect?" Li Xuan clicked his tongue in praise.

"Damned monster!" Hearing Li Xuan's voice, Wu Yan bristled with rage. Yet she could not sense Xu Rou's magical power, so she did not dare attack recklessly.

At that moment, a dark figure crashed through the window and shot outside, swinging a giant axe down at astonishing speed.

Wu Yan hurriedly dodged aside and raised her hand to fire back with Explosive Flame. But when she saw who had attacked her, she froze.

"Xiao Rou? How could this be..."

"Sorry, Xiao Yan. I'm going to kill you now. It's Master's order." Xu Rou spoke to her former companion in a frivolous tone.

"Xiao Rou... why are you saying something so strange? What are you..." Wu Yan stared at Xu Rou in disbelief. She was undeniably Xu Rou herself, yet she radiated the unique aura of a monster. The feeling was both familiar and foreign, leaving Wu Yan's mind in chaos.

Xu Rou, however, had no intention of showing mercy. She swung the giant skull axe and relentlessly hacked at Wu Yan.

Wu Yan knew she could not match Xu Rou's speed. If she kept dodging, she would eventually be cornered and killed. She could only swing her ribbons and unleash an arc of flame.

She had expected the attack to make Xu Rou retreat, but Xu Rou charged directly through the fire. The burning flames only slowed her slightly.

"Judgment!"

Seeing Xu Rou attack without mercy, Wu Yan was forced to use her true strength. A blazing pillar of fire instantly engulfed Xu Rou, and the roaring flames lit up the night sky as brightly as day.

Seeing that, Wu Yan could not help regretting that she had attacked too heavily. She had always considered Xu Rou her best friend. If Xu Rou really died by her hand, would she not regret it for the rest of her life?

The flames quickly dispersed, and Xu Rou was still floating in the air. Her burned body was healing at an astonishing speed. There was not the slightest hint of pain on her face. Instead, she looked excited.

"That hurt, Xiao Yan. Stop running away and let me kill you properly, okay? Otherwise, I won't be able to answer to Master." Xu Rou placed her index finger against her lower lip and spoke in a coquettish voice.

"What kind of joke is this?! The real Xiao Rou would never say something like that!" Wu Yan swung her ribbons, trying to attack again, but not even a spark appeared. Only then did she remember that she was still in the weakened period after using Judgment. Even keeping herself afloat was difficult.

"Unfortunately, this is the real me now. I've already taken off my mask." Xu Rou sneered, raised her giant axe, and mercilessly slashed at Wu Yan.

Wu Yan no longer had the ability to dodge. Just as she was about to perish beneath the giant axe, a pale golden light blocked it before her.

With a loud crash, Xu Rou's axe was knocked aside by the light. She staggered back several steps and discovered that the one who had intervened was Qi Mo.

"Well, well. You actually dare show your face before me." Xu Rou's expression gradually twisted. The corners of her mouth stretched high as if they might split apart, yet there was no trace of a smile on her face.

"I'm sorry... but I can't stand by and watch you kill Wu Yan." Qi Mo stared at Xu Rou's feet, unable to lift her head and meet her eyes.

"If you really feel sorry, then go die." Xu Rou stared unblinkingly at Qi Mo, overwhelming hatred surging in her eyes.

"Yes. There's no other way to atone." Qi Mo let out a long sigh and pressed her staff to her forehead as yellow light slowly gathered.

"Are you insane?!" Wu Yan hurriedly snatched Qi Mo's staff away and stared at her in disbelief.

"Wu Yan, I deserve this. It has nothing to do with you. Run!" Qi Mo said hopelessly.

"What do you mean it has nothing to do with me?! We're companions who've faced life and death together! Xu Rou, you, both of you are my very best friends! How could it have nothing to do with me?!" Wu Yan fiercely slapped Qi Mo across the face, her voice so emotional it seemed she wanted to vent every bit of frustration in her heart. "Listen! I don't care what you've been hiding from me. Pull yourself together right now! We'll figure out how to turn Xu Rou back together!"

"That's right, I can't die yet... I can't die!" That slap completely woke Qi Mo. She took her staff back from Wu Yan and finally looked Xu Rou straight in the eyes.

"Is the friendship game over? I'm practically sick enough to throw up from watching this." Xu Rou sneered, hoisted her giant axe, and charged at Qi Mo.

Li Xuan watched from inside the room, delighted beyond measure. This was exactly the kind of drama he loved to see: beautiful girls turning against one another, love giving birth to hate.