Girl, Do You Want to Become a Magical Girl?

The smile in Bai Jingxuan's eyes slowly faded, and she gripped the chains tightly with both hands again.

She didn't speak, but simply tucked her withered, twitching right leg deeper into the hem of her skirt.

"The adoptive families dislike you, and the people in the facility ignore you."

"Are you planning to sit by this dilapidated railway track for the rest of your life, watching others move forward?"

Kabi's voice resonated deep within her mind, transcending the physical limitations of her worn-out hearing aid.

Bai Jingxuan's thin shoulders trembled slightly.

What can I do?

Bai Jingxuan lowered her head, her eyes reddening, and her voice soft.

"The doctor said my nerves are dead and I'll never be able to stand up straight again."

"In this world, for disabled people without extraordinary talents, simply surviving is already a struggle."

She raised her hand and pressed hard on her numb right thigh, her nails digging deep into the fabric.

I'm not reconciled.

How could I possibly be willing to accept that?

Every time she was writhing in pain on a rainy day, she wished she could take a knife and cut off her useless leg.

But reality is a cold concrete wall, trapping her in this corner.

Kabi floated up from her palm and hovered at eye level with the girl.

A faint purple-gold light slowly spread around the cat, completely isolating it from the dark hues of the abandoned railway.

"As long as you nod, all those damn medical reports are just pieces of paper."

Kabi stretched out a fluffy little paw and offered it to Bai Jingxuan.

"Little girl, do you want to stand up? Do you want to become Magical Girl?"

Bai Jingxuan stared intently at the strange creature hovering in mid-air before her.

Her brain, like a poorly programmed game, completely crashed and froze.

Her dry lips moved slightly.

Her hand unconsciously tightened its grip on the hem of her washed school uniform skirt.

"Magical Girl?"

"Are you an evil spirit, trying to pull this trick of making me burn my life force while wearing a shameful dress to save the world?"

Kabi stomped his feet in anger while suspended in mid-air.

Pink little paws, waving wildly.

"A trick? You actually call the highest gift of the Will of the World a deceptive trick?"

"No, no, no! Becoming Magical Girl won't burn your life!"

You think you're an unwanted, defective product? You're so wrong!

It moved closer.

His large, obsidian-like eyes gleamed with an alluring light.

"In the mundane medical reports of you mortals, your right leg has nerve necrosis, making you a burden who can only walk with a limp."

"But the heart beating in your chest, your entire body, is as clean as a brand new game save file without any errors!"

Bai Jingxuan lowered her head.

Looking at his right leg, which was completely numb.

She gave a self-deprecating smile.

What's the use of being clean?

"I don't even know where I'll get my breakfast tomorrow."

"My body is so broken and worn out that even the cleaning lady at the Welfare Home would find it unpleasant, complaining that I walk too slowly and block the way."

"As long as you possess sufficient value, even with this broken body, the Will of the World will reshape perfect wings for you."

Kabi's voice suddenly became solemn.

It possesses a certain bewitching Magic Power.

It struck Bai Jingxuan's eardrum directly.

Bai Jingxuan's heart skipped a beat.

Reshape the wings?

Really... can I stand up?

It was extremely quiet all around.

Only the rusty railway tracks in the distance hummed.

Just then...

A series of slightly hesitant footsteps came from the end of the mottled cement road.

Kabi's two long ears suddenly stood up.

It instantly transformed into a ball of purplish-gold light.

It blended into the shadow of the withered tree next to it.

"Tsk, someone's coming. I'll get out of here!"

Bai Jingxuan looked up in a panic.

What caught my eye was a young man wearing a faded blue volunteer vest.

He is very tall.

The wisps of hair framing her forehead were slightly messy.

In his hand, he steadily held a convenience store plastic lunchbox that was still steaming.

Su Bai approached with unhurried steps.

A gentle smile, just the right amount, graced his face.

"So you were hiding in this corner. I've been looking for you everywhere."

Bai Jingxuan subconsciously shrank back towards the edge of the swing chair.

His eyes held a habitual wariness.

"Who are you?"

I've never seen you before... at the Welfare Home.

Su Bai walked to the swing.

He casually handed over the warm bento box.

"I'm a volunteer here in the community today to bring warmth and assistance."

"I saw you all alone in the cafeteria earlier, not having gone to get your food, so I just brought you one."

"Eat something, your stomach will protest if you stay hungry."

Bai Jingxuan did not reach out immediately.

His gaze swept back and forth between the lunchbox and Su Bai's face.

She opened her mouth.

Why give it to me?

Su Bai remained calm and smoothly changed the subject.

His tone carried a sense of self-assurance and openness.

"Because this bento box will expire in two hours, the convenience store is offering a drastically reduced price..."

"Well, what I mean is, the distribution of donated supplies must be done equitably; that's our responsibility as volunteers."

Bai Jingxuan was stunned for a moment.

Then, he twitched the corner of his mouth.

This person spoke without the greasy, hypocritical air of those adults.

Instead, it carries an extremely raw and frank honesty.

She hesitated for a moment.

Finally, she extended her slender fingers and took the plastic lunchbox.

In the very brief instant when their fingertips touched.

Su Bai's smile remained gentle.

But from an angle where no one would notice.

A wisp of extremely faint purple-gold Magic Power flowed effortlessly from Bai Jingxuan's icy fingertips into her body.

Su Bai secretly raised an eyebrow in his mind.

"Um?"

The feedback from that wisp of detection Magic Power made him want to whistle on the spot.

There were no distracting or extraneous thoughts.

It is free from the contamination of worldly desires.

Pure, like distilled water that has passed through a thousand filters.

This is a Source Core with 100% purity.

Su Bai silently made plans in his mind.

"He's practically a match made in heaven, the perfect 'water purifier' tool."

"The Deep Space Marrow Core containing lethal radiation in the vault of the Cloud Summit Palace can finally be saved."

"As long as we recruit this girl and have her help cleanse the radiation bit by bit, the enormous energy of that Marrow Core can be directly realized and allowed to take off."

Bai Jingxuan was completely unaware of this.

She held the warm lunchbox.

It's separated by a thin plastic shell.

I felt that long-lost warmth in my palms.

The bento box contained only the most ordinary runny egg and fried pork cutlet.

It exudes an enticing aroma.

Bai Jingxuan stared at the lunchbox, muttering to herself in a barely audible voice.

The human body is 70% water.

"But I always feel that seventy percent of my broken body is rusty molten iron and moldy stagnant water."