Magical Girl? There's No Going Back!

Chapter 16: Painful Yet Pleasurable

"I'm coming for you." Li Xuan looked at the immobile Qi Mo with a wicked grin.

"What are you trying to do?" Qi Mo could not help feeling afraid when she heard the malice in Li Xuan's laughter.

"Anyway, it won't be anything good." Li Xuan walked around behind the flesh wall and looked at the lower half of Qi Mo's body hanging from it. Under his careful control, she hung at just the right height for her toes to barely touch the ground. In other words, if she did not want to entrust all her weight to the loathsome flesh wall, she had to stand on tiptoe and support herself.

That position was naturally exhausting. Moreover, standing on tiptoe tensed the muscles in her legs and heightened her body's sensitivity.

Li Xuan gently lifted Qi Mo's gorgeous skirt, removed the petticoat underneath with a tentacle, then tore off a triangular piece of cloth in the mysterious domain. He raised a large hand and heavily smacked Qi Mo's two full rear lights.

A crisp smack rang out, and Qi Mo cried out in pain. Yet Li Xuan had no intention of showing her any tenderness. More slaps soon landed on her rear lights, producing a rapid series of sharp sounds.

At the thought that those loud sounds were coming from her own body, Qi Mo felt deeply humiliated and wished she could crawl into a crack in the ground. But her waist was tightly wedged in place, and struggling was useless.

"Hey, stop hitting me! I said stop! What's the point of doing this? If you just want monsters as subordinates, then hurry up and make me drink that magic potion!" Qi Mo finally shouted.

"If you walked into a music classroom and saw a beautiful piano, would you try playing it a little?" Li Xuan asked.

"Huh? Probably. Though I don't know much about music." Qi Mo found his abrupt question baffling, but she still answered.

"By the same logic, when I see such a beautiful skin drum, it's only natural that I can't resist giving it a few pats." Li Xuan smiled, twisted several thin tentacles into a single whip, and lashed Qi Mo hard.

"Awooo!!!" Qi Mo let out a miserable scream. His question had made her already tense muscles relax, and she had not been mentally prepared for the pain. The sudden agony threw her scream off-key, and a dark red welt immediately appeared across the skin drum.

"Oh dear, that's a little serious. Let me apply some pain-relieving medicine." Li Xuan smiled, took out a small bottle of Fallen Blood, and used a soft-bristled brush to slowly and evenly apply it around the welt.

The soft bristles brushed over her one by one. The battered skin drum still ached, creating a sensation that was both painful and itchy. Yet neither the pain nor the itch was particularly intense; both lingered faintly, stimulating Qi Mo's body and mind. Sometimes, while applying it, Li Xuan would mischievously lash her with a tentacle without warning, or switch to a feather brush, making her unbearably ticklish.

The two sensations repeatedly intertwined within the same body, making Qi Mo feel as if she were serving a temperamental monarch whose thunder and rain alike could never be predicted.

Her field of vision was restricted, leaving her unable to foresee what would happen to her next. Her hands were restrained, robbing her of the ability to stop any of it. Qi Mo felt like a small boat without sails or a rudder, able only to drift with the current and submit to fate's whims.

"Hang in there a little longer. I'm almost done." Li Xuan applied the final drop of Fallen Blood with the brush and watched the scarlet liquid gradually absorb into her skin. The dose was likely not enough to make a magical girl undergo Demonfall, but it was enough for her to experience that wonderful sensation.

"Enough! How far are you going to humiliate me? I came here for Xiao Rou! If you're only using me for your amusement, then I'd rather die than accept this!" Qi Mo seemed to have finally reached her limit. She clenched her fists and spoke viciously. In her mind, being spanked on the skin drum was a punishment for children who had made mistakes. Being punished despite having done nothing wrong already made her feel terribly aggrieved. Besides, she was already a graceful young woman. Everyone around her treated her with respect, and even her peers saw her as a dependable big sister. Yet someone like her was being subjected to a child's punishment. The humiliation was unbearable to her.

"I know you're in a hurry, but don't rush. Everything I've done was actually to transfer the Evil Energy from Xu Rou's body into yours. If you don't believe me, feel for yourself. Aren't you gradually becoming strange? You can't even tell pain and pleasure apart anymore, can you?" Li Xuan asked.

"This... so it was meant to be transferred?" Qi Mo froze. She closed her eyes and carefully sensed herself for a while, only to find that her senses really were becoming confused. Her skin drum still burned with pain, yet there was an unusual pleasure mixed into it. And there did indeed seem to be a faint aura of Evil Energy emerging from her body.

"That's right. As long as this continues, Xu Rou will completely return to normal. Until the process is finished, you have to endure it properly. You absolutely cannot lose consciousness, or the transfer will fail, and I won't be able to undo it." Li Xuan warned sternly.

"Can this really return Xiao Rou to normal?" Qi Mo asked doubtfully.

"Heh heh. Whether you believe it or not doesn't matter. Even if it fails, I lose nothing." Li Xuan sneered and lashed Qi Mo hard with a tentacle.

[Defeat CG Unlocked: SP Play (1)]

[CG Elements: Movement Restriction & Sensory Confusion]

[Experience +3]

[Current Experience: 1/30]

[Level increased to Lv. 3]

[Evil Energy level increased to: C]

[New skill unlocked: Mind Interference]

[Mind Interference: The skill holder may consume Evil Energy to influence another person's mind. The effect depends on level and the target's willpower.]

The system notification finally sounded. Satisfied, Li Xuan withdrew his tentacles and walked around to the front of the flesh wall.

Qi Mo's eyes had rolled back, her lips hung open, and her tongue lolled out as she wore a horribly twisted expression. Tears and saliva streamed everywhere, leaving her cheeks a complete mess. Yet she still retained the last trace of consciousness and had not completely passed out.

"What a good girl. I can't really give Xu Rou back to you, but I can let you fall to my side." As he spoke, Li Xuan took out the last bottle of Fallen Blood, gently pried open Qi Mo's lips with his index and middle fingers, and prepared to feed it to her.

Just then, he noticed Qi Mo's lips moving as though she were saying something.

Curious, Li Xuan bent down and brought his ear close. He heard Qi Mo chant in a voice so weak it was nearly inaudible, "Foam, scatter into the light."

In an instant, countless fine bubbles condensed in the air. They gathered into bubbles the size of fingernails, forming rings around Li Xuan's wrists, ankles, and neck. Like shackles, they connected him to the floor and walls, restraining his body so he could not move.

At the same time, the Hunting Radar finally sounded its alarm:

[Magical girl detected nearby]

[Distance: 50 meters, 45 meters, 39 meters...]

[Detailed information available after visual lock-on]

"!!" The moment he realized something was wrong, Li Xuan instinctively tried to retreat. However, the bubble shackles were far stronger than he had imagined. Even the brute force of his tentacles could not break free, and releasing the flesh wall by slowly absorbing its magic power seemed too late.

"Looks like... checkmate." Qi Mo looked at the flustered Li Xuan and revealed a weak smile.

Chapter 17: She Can't Come Back, But You Can Go to Her

"Qi Mo! You set me up!" Li Xuan blurted out someone's famous line without thinking.

"Same to you. I made a great sacrifice on my side as well." Qi Mo remained restrained within the flesh wall, but her expression had relaxed considerably. Clearly, she had planned this long ago—waiting until he lowered his guard before casting sealing magic at the closest possible range.

"Qi Mo! Are you okay?!"

An energetic voice came from outside. A bouncing pair of red twin-tails streaked into the warehouse in a blaze of fire, and the monsters guarding the entrance were burned to ashes before they could even fight back.

"Wu Yan! Your timing is perfect!" Qi Mo responded excitedly.

"Damn, did I get too immersed in the play and overlook the Hunting Radar's information?" Li Xuan hurriedly summoned the fireproof tentacles he had used against Wu Yan before. But this time, Wu Yan did not attack with flames. Instead, she charged forward and wrapped Li Xuan in a hug from behind, her long legs curling around his waist.

"Oh-ho! Is this move called Little Tree Entwining Roots?" The soft sensation against his back pleased Li Xuan immensely. But he also knew it was no time to enjoy himself, so he immediately pressed fireproof tentacles tightly against Wu Yan's body from every direction.

"You recognize these things, right? If you use fire, you'll get hurt too," Li Xuan reminded her.

"Of course I recognize them. But at this distance, you'll die too." Wu Yan's voice was almost cold.

Li Xuan frowned. He heard a madness in her cold tone—a madness that cared neither for the enemy's life nor her own.

"You want to die together?"

"Of course not. This is part of the deal too. Xu Rou may only be a monster subordinate to you, but to us, she's an important sister. My demand is simple: turn Xiao Rou back, and I'll spare you. Otherwise, we die together—one life for one life." Wu Yan threatened.

"It's two lives for one. At this range, Qi Mo will die too if you use that move," Li Xuan reminded her.

"I'll keep Judgment's range as small as possible. Then only the two of us will die. And if I mess up, it doesn't matter. Qi Mo was already prepared to atone with her own life. At least she'll die for a worthy cause." Wu Yan's voice remained cold. She had clearly resolved to die.

"So you already know what she did?" Li Xuan stalled for time through conversation while considering his options. It was too late to force Wu Yan away with the fireproof tentacles. It seemed he would have to rely on the new skill he had just acquired to resolve the current crisis.

"Qi Mo confessed everything to me. I can't forgive her crimes, but I respect her resolve to atone with her life. And for the record, I'm straight as an arrow. I have no feelings for Xu Rou beyond friendship. Who the hell knew she had all those messy thoughts?" Wu Yan looked at Qi Mo with some resentment, while Qi Mo lowered her head shamefully and refused to meet her gaze.

"Interesting..." Li Xuan gave a dismissive smile, but inwardly he was puzzled. When had Qi Mo come up with this plan? I monitored her movements whenever I had the chance, yet I never noticed anything unusual. Did she plan it while I was asleep? If so, she already discovered the Hunting Radar's ability?

"Interesting my ass! I'm giving you one minute to answer, or I'll die with you if I have to!" Perhaps recalling the humiliation she had suffered in this warehouse, Wu Yan became increasingly emotional.

[Target's emotional state is fluctuating severely. Mental resistance coefficient reduced by 55%.]

Such was the notification the system gave when Li Xuan locked onto Wu Yan with Mind Interference.

"As expected, simple-minded people are easy targets." Li Xuan smiled and unhesitatingly activated his skill on Wu Yan.

[Interference successful]

[Additional effect: Mild hypnosis]

[Duration: 30 seconds]

"Yan, you're gripping too hard with your legs." Li Xuan turned his head and spoke to the Wu Yan clinging to him in a tone as gentle as if she were his lover.

"Okay..." Wu Yan loosened her legs in a daze, only for the tentacles to seize the opening. They yanked her off Li Xuan in one swift motion and suspended her in midair with several fireproof tentacles, her legs stretched straight into a split.

"Damn it! What happened..." Wu Yan was shocked and furious. She had already made up her mind to die, but for some reason, she had loosened her legs. Now she was tangled in fireproof tentacles again. Even if she used Judgment immediately, she could no longer strike Li Xuan effectively.

"Who knows? Maybe you missed my techniques so much that you subconsciously couldn't bear to kill me?" Li Xuan grinned wickedly.

"Ptooey! How can you even say something so shameless?! You bastard! Give Xiao Rou back! Or else... or else..." Wu Yan could not help recalling how she had been tickled until her whole body went limp in this warehouse, and her cheeks flushed red.

"Or else what can you do?" Li Xuan reached out and patted Wu Yan's cheek. Wu Yan immediately bit at him, but Li Xuan had anticipated it and dodged.

"Hmph..." Wu Yan had no answer and could only glare furiously at Li Xuan.

"Even after planning this far ahead, I still can't atone for my sins? I really am... useless..." Seeing Wu Yan subdued as well, Qi Mo watched her newly rekindled hope shatter. She could not help crying in anguish, and the bubble shackles around Li Xuan came undone.

"Good girl. Actually, you still have a chance to reconcile with Xu Rou." Li Xuan wiped the creepy-uncle smile from his face and gently stepped forward to stroke Qi Mo's head.

"Really? You're really willing to spare Xiao Rou?" Qi Mo raised her head in disbelief.

"Of course not. Besides, Xu Rou has already become a monster. Even I can't turn her back."

"Then it's still the same..."

"If she can't come back, then why don't you go to her? Or is your love for Xiao Rou not worth giving up your human identity?" Li Xuan tempted her with a magnetic voice.

"But..."

"I won't force you. I'll only give you a chance to choose. But you only get one chance, so think carefully about your life." As he spoke, Li Xuan had the flesh wall retract and set Qi Mo down. Then he took out a delicate wineglass and activated Fallen Blood.

After his Evil Energy rose to C-rank, Li Xuan discovered that activating Fallen Blood no longer left him feeling as though he had been drained dry all at once. It seemed the gap between D+ and C-rank was much greater than he had imagined.

"Qi Mo! Don't let him deceive you! We're magical girls who represent love and hope! How can we submit to monsters?!" Seeing Qi Mo's dazed expression, Wu Yan cried out anxiously.

After hearing that, Qi Mo's unfocused eyes became hesitant. Xu Rou was the love of her life, and she could never give her up. Yet her strong sense of responsibility would not allow her to abandon her identity as a magical girl. At that moment, she wished she could split herself in two and make both choices at once, but cruel reality forced her to choose only one.

"Qi Mo, I'll only say one thing—Xu Rou drank water from this cup when she woke up today." As he spoke, Li Xuan casually shoved a tentacle into Wu Yan's throat, preventing her from opening her mouth to interfere again.

Chapter 18: I Won't Be a Magical Girl Anymore!

Qi Mo's body trembled. She had collected several cups Xu Rou had used herself. Indirect kisses were exciting, but not especially rare.

But Li Xuan had deliberately—or perhaps casually—mentioned that Xu Rou had used this cup upon waking. That meant he had been present when Xu Rou woke up. With a little thought, Qi Mo could immediately infer that he had already shared a bed with the Xu Rou she loved so dearly. What had he done with Xu Rou over the past three days? Had the Demonfallen Xu Rou already willingly allowed him to do whatever he wanted?

Qi Mo did not want to think any further, but her thoughts escaped her control and ran wild. Images and dialogue even formed in her mind on their own. The thought of Xu Rou, whom she had secretly loved for nearly ten years, entwined with him filled Qi Mo with pain.

All along, she had feared losing even the chance to remain friends, so she had never dared confess. To ease the long-suppressed desire in her heart, she could only commit one irreverent act after another. Perhaps feeding on imagination day after day had carried her farther and farther from the real Xu Rou. When she realized Xu Rou might already belong to someone else, excitement actually overwhelmed her pain, and saliva began to gather at both corners of her mouth.

As for the responsibility of being a magical girl, she had completely forgotten it by then.

"Yan, I'm sorry... I only learned one thing from my brief life as a magical girl: the more someone schemes, the more easily she falls into an unexpected predicament, until all her previous efforts come to nothing. Unless she surpasses magical girls..."

Qi Mo raised her head and looked at Wu Yan, who hung suspended in the air by tentacles.

"Qi Mo, what are you talking about?!" Wu Yan desperately pushed the tentacle out of her mouth with her tongue.

"I won't be a magical girl anymore, Wu Yan!" Qi Mo steeled herself, raised the cup filled with corruption, and drank every drop of the scarlet liquid inside.

[Fallen Blood activation successful]

[Individual Qi Mo undergoing Demonfall]

[Demonfall progress: 42%, 98%, 100%]

[Individual Qi Mo has completed Demonfall]

Almost instantly, Qi Mo transformed into a monster. Her cake dress and wand turned dark gold, the yellow gemstone around her neck shattered on the spot, and the three chains on her collar hung empty before her as though awaiting someone's lead.

"No! This can't be real!" Sensing the Evil Energy aura on Qi Mo's body, Wu Yan shut her eyes in anguish.

Although she often seemed closer to Xu Rou and frequently found Qi Mo meddlesome enough to argue with her, Qi Mo held the more important place in Wu Yan's heart.

Qinghe High School was one of the city's top key schools. Wu Yan had always been physically gifted but simple-minded, and her grades were ordinary. She had only managed to enroll through her status as a dance special-admissions student. In that high school, where nearly everyone was an academic standout, she was often looked down upon and even isolated because of that identity. Back then, Qi Mo, who had been the class monitor, stepped forward to help her. She brought the quiet Xu Rou along to tutor Wu Yan, eat lunch with her, attend self-study sessions with her, and gossip with her.

Among girls, social connections mattered a great deal. Seeing that Qi Mo, the class monitor, and Xu Rou, the famed icy beauty, were both close with Wu Yan, no one dared isolate her anymore. Later, during a school performance, Qi Mo persuaded the school to give Wu Yan a chance to perform onstage. Wu Yan quickly gained a great deal of popularity, made many friends, and became increasingly cheerful. Even her path toward becoming a magical girl had been inspired by Qi Mo.

Yet now, that big sister who had changed her life had fallen into demonhood after just a few words. The pain was even worse than when Xu Rou had swung an axe at her.

"So this is what Demonfall feels like? It doesn't seem as different as I imagined," Qi Mo said with a lost expression.

"You accepted your Demonfall, so naturally you don't feel much. Xu Rou fought desperately against that power at the time, which is why the contrast before and after her Demonfall was so severe. She's nearby. Do you want to see her?" Li Xuan asked.

"No. I still don't know how to face her. Master—I can call you that, right? Please give me some time to adjust. Don't make me meet Xu Rou immediately." Qi Mo lowered her head. It was clear that the guilt in her heart had not lessened because of her Demonfall.

"Then I'll allow you to choose a few of Xu Rou's personal belongings as gifts to celebrate your rebirth." Li Xuan smiled.

"Really? Thank you so much, Master! I'm already tired of those old casting materials. If possible, I want fresh ones." Qi Mo's eyes lit up. It seemed the Demonfallen her no longer hid her desires at all.

"Of course. I'll have her take them off for you later." Li Xuan gently stroked Qi Mo's blonde hair as he spoke.

From the perspective of a game piece, Qi Mo was far more valuable than Xu Rou. Setting aside her highly useful sealing magic, the strategic mind in her head alone qualified her to be an excellent adviser. Therefore, Li Xuan felt it was necessary to make an appropriate effort to win her over.

"Ah, Master! I knew I made the right choice. Staying by your side is truly blissful." Qi Mo rubbed against Li Xuan's arm like a puppy, her face brimming with satisfaction.

In comparison, Wu Yan, hanging in midair, looked utterly miserable.