A seaside resort located at the border of South China and East China.
The Shuangsheng looked up and saw the magnificent view of the rising sun spreading across the sea, which greatly soothed their weary minds.
Walking barefoot on the beach, the feeling of sand squeezing out from between their toes was incredibly comfortable for the Shuangsheng.
The waves occasionally lapped against my skin, like a gentle tickle, and with the salty sea breeze, I gazed into the distance.
In the vast ocean, the phantom image of the Mental Image Remnants grew clearer and clearer, like a magnificent colorful curtain.
Mental Image Remnants was located at sea; otherwise, the evacuation of personnel alone would have been a major challenge.
After so many days of diffusion, the Mental Image Remnants have transformed from a vague Hai City into an increasingly clear landscape.
That which was eroding the outline of the world has now become incredibly conspicuous.
It won't be long before it becomes a reality and truly takes root.
At that time, not only the fishermen living by the sea, but also the towns that are even a little closer to the coast will likely suffer.
So ever since the phantom appeared, magical girls from the Disaster Countermeasures Bureau have been stationed here.
Recently, along with the gradual recovery of the Mental Image Remnants, the number of personnel in the Disaster Countermeasures Bureau has increased, and she even saw acquaintances.
Even Iris, who is only slightly inferior to the Shuangsheng, has come. It seems the Disaster Countermeasures Bureau really takes this very seriously.
Unfortunately, what the country bumpkins at headquarters didn't know was that this place had long been the hunting grounds of the Azure Cloud Sect.
Qingluan followed Iris, but could she really be considered an elite Full Blossom magical girl? The Shuangsheng had a slight doubt about it.
Quite a few people from the Witch Association did come. Although the Witch Association said that challenging the Azure Cloud Sect would grant a spot as a reward, they actually only provided one spot. The whole event was somewhat of a test of the Azure Cloud Sect's abilities.
After all, most of the people who could actually get a spot have already come here, so the remaining spot is dispensable and is perfect for testing the Azure Cloud Sect.
Although the remaining members of the Witch Association who were ultimately killed never went, that one spot was instead claimed by Si Motu, the so-called head of the East China region.
Currently, Si Motu is not seen in the Witch Association ' Guild, but there are many powerful Complete Witch. However, in the eyes of the Shuangsheng Lords, they are all just traitors.
The Shuangsheng were the only true five-star challengers to earn a spot in the Mental Image Remnants; could any other witch do that?
The problem is that her job is rather unusual.
The Shuangsheng looked towards the sea, where faint silhouettes of people in blue work clothes could be seen emerging from the water.
The Prince of the Land of Mirrors.
This was her job: to take the Prince of the Land of Mirrors to the Mental Image Remnants.
When the vice president asked her to entertain this so-called Prince from the Land of Mirrors, she initially thought the vice president was messing with her.
What Prince from the Land of Mirrors? Are you sure you're not just trying to fool her with something from a fairy tale?
Surprisingly, it Return to Truth exists. She detected the figure on the water's surface very clearly; it wasn't a phantom.
Although the Shuangsheng are not as good at controlling magic as the true disciples of the Azure Cloud Sect.
However, she is quite capable in detecting magical energy within the Azure Cloud Sect; Lord Bingtang Tang has specifically praised her for it.
The Prince of the Land of Mirrors before us is not some illusory phantom, but a real being that exists behind the mirror.
Could they suddenly attack the Shuangsheng in the middle of the night? It's really hard to defend against something reflected in the mirror!
"Don't worry, you timid girl. I have no interest in someone as ordinary as you. Someone like you is not worthy to set foot on the land of my Land of Mirrors."
As if sensing her thoughts, the Prince said this.
"Huh?" Shuangsheng kicked out, their toes kicking up sand, and sent it hurtling into the water. "Do you know who Shuangsheng are? I'm the only Complete Witch to have completed the five-star challenge, the strongest fighter in the East China Witch Association, and the highly respected Star of the Witch Association— "
"There's no room for all these people in the mirror," the Prince said casually, landing on a glass window of a shop by the beach. "Laboratory Little White."
Its destructive power is no less than that of a monkey hearing the name of the stable boy.
The Shuangsheng grabbed plastic chairs and were about to smash the mirror when the captain and Chilian on the beach quickly pulled the enraged Complete Witch back. "Calm down! Calm down! This is a partner of the Witch Association, an important mission entrusted to you by the vice president!"
The aggrieved Shuangsheng took two deep breaths, but ultimately prioritized the greater good and put down their stools.
Even the sect leader has never scolded me like that!
However, the Azure Cloud Sect has almost no information about the Land of Mirrors. For Lord Bingtang Tang's sake, the Shuangsheng must endure this humiliation and obtain all the information about the Land of Mirrors.
If she can't lie on Bingtang Tang's lap afterwards, and have Bingtang Tang coax her to sleep, feed her, pat her head, and praise her, the Shuangsheng will definitely sit on the ground and wail loudly!
She'll definitely burst into tears and show it to Lord Bingtang Tang!
"A nonsensical monkey." The Prince looked at the Vine Captain, his tone sharp and sarcastic. "No wonder he can hang out with beasts. But for a piece of trash without the blood of the Land of Mirrors, he's not bad."
The captain and Chilian, who had been blocking the Shuangsheng, both turned grim and simultaneously released their grip.
The Shuangsheng stopped fussing, sat down on the stool, put on their usual giggling expressions, and donned sunglasses. "Oh, thank you Return to Truth for the compliment, Your Prince! Shuangsheng so touched!"
"I really don't know what Jialan is thinking, letting you trash lead the way for the noble prince of the Mirror Kingdom. Her head must be messed up, she's probably out of her mind. Oh well, after all, she's been away from the Mirror Kingdom for too long, she's probably been corrupted by you lowly creatures. Forgive her for her mistakes, what are you all standing there for? Trash, quickly take me to the location of the Heart Image Remains, it's your honor."
The Shuangsheng absolutely must kill him, absolutely!
I swear on the lives of the Vice President and Xilan!
Having mentally kicked that sullen face countless times, the Shuangsheng snorted, "For the Witch Association— "
Unexpectedly, the usually composed captain patted the Shuangsheng on the shoulder and said seriously, "Even I, who have the utmost loyalty to the Witch Association, have my own principles. Shuangsheng, before we let the Witch Association, we must first ensure the victory of our own personal dignity."
"Captain, the Shuangsheng don't understand."
"Find a way to kill him, Shuangsheng!"
Now I understand.
"Let him know who the real villain is! This little brat has never seen the underworld before!"
Huh? So you're admitting you're the villain now? You wouldn't admit it before no matter what I said.
Seeing the two angry people, the Shuangsheng' anger subsided considerably.
Seeing others unhappy makes me happy too.
The Prince on the other end of the line frowned, about to urge the other person to stop dawdling, when the recorder on his right wrist made a sound.
He opened it and took a look.
[Battle report on contact with Shion of the Azure Cloud Sect.]
[Comprehensive information on the battle involving the Splash and a comparison of all magical girl abilities----]
I do not have a similar ability.
He went through the details of the battle with the Splash and the intelligence he had gathered, then took a deep breath.
Then, looking at the Shuangsheng who were still fooling around with those trash, he said, "Congratulations, you worthless lot! You have inherited the power of the entire Mirror King, and are now the kings of the Mirror World, transcending time and space and knowing the past and the future. This is the moment when you are allowed to provide some intelligence to the great Land of Mirrors. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for you. I hope you can seize it."
Shuangsheng: "What information?"
Captain: "Ignore him."
Chilian: "That'll drive him crazy!"
The Honghe, just woken up, asked, "What happened?"
The Prince slightly raised his chin. "One of our combatants, Splash, has made contact with the sect leader of the Azure Cloud Sect."
The previously chattering group immediately fell silent.
Although the Prince found the group of noisy fellows' reactions somewhat strange, he didn't take it to heart.
He continued, "The magical girl codenamed Shion killed our combatant, Splash. Although we've obtained enough information about her, in order to earn you merit, I'm willing to give you some opportunities to provide us with more information about Shion —what are you doing?"
The Shuangsheng quickly moved a table and placed it in front of the chairs. The captain and a few others dragged a bunch of snacks onto the table, and then the girl plopped down on the white plastic chair.
The three children and one teenager looked serious. "It's nothing. When it comes to matters concerning the Azure Cloud Sect Master Shion, we [ Shion Victims Association ] will be on high alert!"
"Then what are you laughing at?"
The Shuangsheng coughed slightly. "I'm naturally cheerful, and cheerful girls are lucky, so lucky!"
Over there, the hamster tore open a bag of potato chips and started munching away, while the Chilian lay on top of the Honghe hamster, nibbling on her fur with a crunching sound.
Only the captain, with a somber expression, said, "Can you tell me how much intelligence you've obtained? We [ Shion Victims Association ] need to verify the information."
"No problem."
The Prince continued, "First, there's her first spell, a spell that breaks through other people's abilities. When Splash faced her, she used the reflection technology, the core technology of the Land of Mirrors. Although it was still effective, she not only reflected the reflection but also broke through the reflection barrier at the end. Clearly, this spell is specifically designed to counter various abilities—"
"Haha----" Just as Chilian burst out laughing, the Shuangsheng casually slapped her away. Covering their mouths, the Shuangsheng frowned, their expressions serious and deep. "That's right, absolutely right. Thinking back, she possesses magic that can break through other people's abilities. Back then, Chilian's Rewind and the Captain's Regeneration were almost both broken through in this way. We didn't even realize it at the time, and thought something had happened. We never expected that Shion used such despicable magic!"
After speaking, the Shuangsheng looked at the captain and asked, "Don't you agree, Captain?"
The captain on the other end stammered a few times, nodded, but couldn't utter a word.
The Prince snorted coldly, then continued, "Another problem: after Splash reflected a fatal wound during the battle, it couldn't inflict a fatal wound on her, only leaving a shallow mark. Based on the battle footage and intelligence, we speculate that she might possess some kind of magic that weakens the abilities of others—"
"Puff----"
Several people looked at the captain, who suppressed a smile and said calmly, "Sorry, I farted."
Before the Prince could even ask how the vine farted...
The Shuangsheng adopted a thoughtful expression and said, "That makes sense. No wonder our abilities were ineffective against her."
"Regarding the powerful tracking ability of the Magical Girl Shion's magic, and her magic that can penetrate folded spaces and the defenses of the Mirror World ----"
Chilian immediately jumped out, "You've come to the right person! The Disaster Countermeasures Bureau in Jiangming City uses Mirror Space technology! Not only can she forcefully break through, but once her magic grabs you, forget about folding space, even folding time won't help! It's definitely her trump card magic!"
The captain and the Shuangsheng Qidian.
"Is there any more detailed information?"
The three of them shook their heads together.
The Prince raised his head arrogantly. "Useless, that's all information we already knew."
"Oh right, right, the Shuangsheng such a waste." The Shuangsheng yawned, leaned back in their plastic chairs, and picked at their toes, cleaning the sand out of between their fingers. "However, we do know some of Shion's weaknesses."
"Weaknesses?" The Prince smiled dismissively. "Have you ever won? Now tell me your weaknesses."
The Shuangsheng were stunned.
Yeah, they've never won a single game, so how can their stated weaknesses be believable?
Why haven't we ever won?
Just as the Shuangsheng were feeling dejected, a resolute voice rang out, startling them and causing Shuangsheng to turn around.
It's him, Captain!
He's still winning!
"We [ Shion Victims Association ] have won more than just once, Shuangsheng!"
" The Shuangsheng are here!" The Shuangsheng immediately put their feet down and sat up straight.
How many times have we fought against Shion?
"It's hard to say," the girl shrugged. "Ever since I came to support the Beihai Witch, as far as I can remember, we've been fighting."
The captain grinned crookedly. "It's five years."
"From the moment we established ourselves in East China until we were finally defeated by Shion, we were winning for five years, or even three years. We just lost the last time."
The Prince was indeed intrigued. "Oh? Tell me, how did you monkeys manage to defeat the people who stole the technology from my Land of Mirrors?"
The captain took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "From the time we arrived in Beihai until we died in the battle with Shion, we never suffered a complete defeat. And in these several battles where we had both won and lost, I naturally gradually discovered some of her weaknesses."
What weaknesses?
She's ticklish.
For a moment, the only sound on the beach was the crashing of the waves; it was eerily silent.
The Shuangsheng carefully crouched down beside the table, close to their captain, and whispered, "Really, Captain?"
"When I was burrowing the vines into his body, he couldn't help but tug at them, that's absolutely true."
"----"
The Prince scoffed, "What kind of weakness is being ticklish?"
"Oh, you don't understand. In a battle, even the slightest difference can tip the scales of victory. Think about it, when both sides are locked in a stalemate, you suddenly tickle her, causing her movements to falter and reveal an opening. Wouldn't that be a decisive blow?"
The captain waved his hand, "So, when fighting Shion, as long as we can get close, the advantage is in my hands!"
"I see," the Prince said thoughtfully. "That makes some sense."
The Shuangsheng looked at their captain with utmost respect, who showed no sign of guilt and even intended to continue attacking!
"Besides that, whether it's us or your so-called Splash, there's only one reason why we lost to Shion," the captain said solemnly, "And that is, courage!"
"Courage?"
"We don't have the courage," the captain looked up at the sky, stretching a vine towards the sun as if in regret, "We don't have the courage to choose to confront her head-on!"
The Prince frowned. "What do you mean?"
"She's just a magical girl in Full Blossom; how powerful can her magic be? It was precisely because we were intimidated and fooled by her, unwilling to fight head-on, that we were ultimately crushed and defeated by her powerful fighting spirit."
"If we had been braver and gathered everyone's strength to confront her head-on, she might not have been able to kill us all before her magic ran out, and the outcome might have been different."
That would make you die even faster.
The Chilian Shuangsheng nodded repeatedly, while the Honghe and the Mouse also nodded blankly in order to fit in.
"When two armies meet on a narrow path, the brave shall prevail!" the captain declared forcefully. "Don't be cowardly, don't be afraid, and don't waste time with fancy tricks—they're useless! We must dare to draw our swords! Let's use overwhelming strength and unwavering will to confront her head-on! Close the distance, seize her weaknesses, and kill her from the front!"
"Clap clap clap!"
The Shuangsheng immediately took the lead in applause.
The Prince looked at the captain and the Shuangsheng, pondered for a moment, and then nodded, "That's exactly what I was thinking."
Having said that, he contacted the technical staff of the Land of Mirrors, "Immediately design a system to counter Shion using Alice. Its specialty is close-quarters combat. Shion has special abilities, so we must force her into close-quarters combat! Remember, her weakness is being ticklish. As long as we can exploit this weakness to harass her in close-quarters combat, victory will surely belong to the Land of Mirrors!"
The Shuangsheng and the captain clapped hands in perfect unison and passed each other.
Put on sunglasses and pop champagne like crazy!
You bastard, if the Purple Luck doesn't kill you, your Shuangsheng will take your surname tomorrow!
The Prince paid no attention to the monkeys celebrating there.
He looked up at the Mental Image Remnants on the sea, and the sound of the waves stirred the Prince's heart.
Everything in the Land of Mirrors is right before my eyes!
If we can retrieve the key, the Land of Mirrors can break free of the blockade and return to this world!
Azure Cloud Sect? Shion?
He gave a cold laugh.
It's just a special kind of magic; the Land of Mirrors has plenty of ways to counter it.
Whether you confront her head-on or try to disrupt or counter her magic, the result will be the same.
Such a powerful being must have stolen the technology of their Land of Mirrors.
Since it's technology from my Land of Mirrors, how could it possibly defeat my Land of Mirrors!
What's more, they also know all her weaknesses!
Meanwhile, the Shuangsheng, having just finished opening the champagne, were stunned when they went to pay at the store.
"Eight thousand for a bottle! Do you think your customers are aliens?"
"Guest, this is the price at the scenic area."
" Witch Association —when did this tourist area become a lawless zone? Why weren't I notified?" The Shuangsheng stared longingly at the dozen or so bottles of champagne they'd opened, finally looking at themselves in the mirror with a smile. "Your Prince, your humble guide, Xiao Shuang, has encountered a funding problem—"
"As expected of a piece of trash, humph, swipe my card."
You know what, the title " Prince" was originally quite plain and even a bit rustic, but once he started spending lavishly, it suddenly seemed so handsome, dashing, and fitting.
If the Shuangsheng hadn't already fallen for Bingtang and the Sect Master, and if it weren't for the fact that there are no three suns in the sky, they might have Return to Truth been moved by him.
If you get killed by this, Shuangsheng will definitely collect your corpse and celebrate your seventh day after death!
"Senior Peony, is it really okay for us to have a vacation here?"
On the beach, at the resort.
Under a large parasol, Peony, dressed in a vacation outfit, was comfortably reclining on a chair. Beside her was a glass of orange-yellow cold drink with a slice of lemon on it. Sunglasses hung on her forehead, and her eyes were slightly squinted. Peony was as carefree as could be.
--
However, the red-haired girl sitting on the other side, dressed in a casual short-sleeved shirt, was clearly not so at ease. After asking one question, she asked again, "Didn't we say that this time we'd be cooperating with the Bureau of Magical Girls?"
Is it really okay to do nothing?
"Peace of mind and peace of mind."
Peony waved her hand, then picked up her drink, took a sip, and let out a satisfied sigh. "You're still too young, An Shiyu. There are two things you need to know about working at the Disaster Countermeasures Bureau."
"First, magical girls are free. Even if you don't do your job at the Disaster Countermeasures Bureau, no one can deduct your salary. Especially since Beihai is short of magical girls, there's even less to worry about."
"Secondly, the truly urgent and important work won't be assigned to us half-baked or newbies. The tasks assigned to us will inevitably be insignificant, so we should procrastinate as much as possible, giving them the impression that we're useless. Then, when there's any important work in the future, they'll naturally exclude us. This way, we can still collect our salaries, and they can find capable magical girls. It doesn't delay things, and it's a win-win situation for everyone."
Since Iris left, Peony has been working overtime continuously. This time, she finally got a job that was like having paid leave again, and brought An Shiyu to support the work of the headquarters.
Hehe, Peony isn't a magical girl skilled in combat, and An Shiyu has only just joined the Disaster Countermeasures Bureau; she's just a Bud magical girl.
They can't help in the fight either.
I'm just helping to maintain order; this isn't a pure vacation.
The resort where they were staying was quite far from the location of the Mental Image Remnants. Although it was visible, it was basically in a safe zone, so the resort was still open, and some residents and tourists were not forcibly dispersed.
However, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television had already publicized the dangers of Mental Image Remnants, so there are generally very few people left with them.
And no one will bother me, it's even better than the last paid leave!
The only trouble was the anxious, constantly chattering little girl An Shiyu.
Thinking of this, Peony felt she should teach the newcomer beside her a lesson and let her know what bullying by the Beihai Disaster Countermeasures Bureau was all about.
" An Shiyu, do you know what the greatest pain in the life of a magical girl is?"
The girl tilted her head. "Uh--lost your transformation?"
"Wrong, you still have the transformation ability, but you're no longer a girl!"
An Shiyu blinked, seemingly not understanding, but Peony sighed, "A 21-year-old magical girl can no longer be called a girl. Do you know what those brats from the Azure Cloud Sect call me?"
"Magic Granny! Magic Auntie!" Peony gritted her teeth.
An Shiyu immediately comforted her, "21 years old is still very young, Senior Peony, you should have confidence."
"A senior member of the Disaster Countermeasures Bureau once said that 21 years old is already middle age for a magical girl. That senior member said that a magical girl must accomplish ten things before reaching middle age—"
Looking up at the helicopter, the girl whispered, "Do I have to say it now?"
Peony held up her fingers and said one by one, "First, experience a love that is unforgettable."
"Secondly, she has ten suitors."
Third, he was gifted a deposit of 30 million.
Fourth, become one of the top ten in the Calamity Beast -hunting points ranking.
Fifth, turn around once.
Sixth, he assaulted the Incubators.
Seventh, having a complete family.
"Eighth, participated in the South China Magical Girl Grand Prix [ Eternal Magic ]."
"Ninth, to defeat the powerful enemy in the universe together with all our predecessors."
"Tenth, the Disaster Countermeasures Bureau's salary thief."
"If a magical girl doesn't seize her youth to enjoy life and achieve her magical girl goals, her life as a magical girl in middle age will be a failure. Don't look at me like this now; I'm making up for those experiences. The Disaster Countermeasures Bureau ruined me day and night. A regret from my childhood as a magical girl, I'll spend my whole life trying to make up for it!"
After listening for a while, An Shiyu, somewhat dazed, only managed to say one sentence, "But, Miss Peony, wouldn't this make her the first magical girl to be optimized?"
These words sent a chill down Peony's spine. She glanced at An Shiyu, who was sitting like a duck, and said, "Don't talk about optimization!"
She has already resigned from her teaching job, and currently her only source of income is from the Disaster Countermeasures Bureau.
If they really optimize her, then Peony will be starving.
The Azure Cloud Sect would never accept her, given their strong and capable appearances, especially considering the Azure Cloud Sect girls there.
Peony knew that place was definitely not suitable for her.
The Disaster Countermeasures Bureau can comfortably slack off, but that wouldn't work at the Azure Cloud Sect.
If it really gets optimized, Peony will only be able to go live and transform into a magical girl to beg for food.
"We should still be careful, Senior Peony. Witch Association have come here. We might be in danger if we're not careful—"
Don't worry, don't worry.
As they were saying this, a helicopter flew in from a distance, carrying a huge banner with incredibly imposing text:
[The strongest magical girl from the Disaster Countermeasures Bureau Iris, has arrived! Witch Association, prepare to die!]
Peony pointed in that direction and laughed, "See? Even if the sky falls, the strongest magical girl from the General Administration will hold it up. You, a nobody, don't need to worry. Just enjoy your vacation—"
Before he could finish speaking, a dark shadow swept past the helicopter.
The helicopter, which was still flying, split in two along with the huge banner, and quickly plummeted into the sea while billowing smoke!
"Oh no, the sky has fallen!"
An Shiyu said blankly, "The strongest magical girl seems to have been overwhelmed, senpai."