The next day.
"Good morning, good afternoon, and good evening, audience friends!"
"Villain Fox Fox, sparkling ☆ debut! ~"
On the phone screen, Golden Fox smiled cheerfully in front of the camera, reciting her familiar opening lines.
"It's been getting colder recently, how's everyone doing? Have you caught a cold? If you're sick, remember to see a doctor promptly.
"If I can't see everyone because you're sick, Fox Fox will be sad too.
"—Then, Fox Fox plans to put on a grand performance for everyone in this cold winter day!"
The video camera shifted, revealing the spacious stage behind Golden Fox. Some familiar viewers already recognized the location and started typing in the bullet comments—
【Rong City Grand Theater?】
【Fox Fox booked the whole place!】
【It's the theater performance Fox!】
The stage was set with scenery, plastic paper thorns covered the area, and in the center was a castle-like stage structure with a tall tower surrounded by thorny spikes.
Inside the cage at the top of the tower, Magic Girl Nightingale was suspended, sleeping, bound by chains made of magic.
"I believe everyone has already recognized the special scenery Fox Fox set up for the stage, right?"
"That's right! This is the play scheduled to be performed tonight!"
"Fox Fox Great Demon King and the Sleeping Nightingale Princess! Please look forward to it~"
The video ended.
Hua Ling silently looked at the crazy comment section below the video, turned off the screen, and looked up at the podium and professor surrounded by students not far away.
It was three in the afternoon, and the video had been posted five minutes ago.
Yesterday, Xin Yuehu did not show up, and Dandelion did not have the opportunity to confront Xin Yuehu directly, which made Hua Ling feel a hint of relief.
If Tianqing Jie really fought Xin Yuehu as Dandelion... Hua Ling felt that she would probably be tormented by guilt.
But Xin Yuehu ultimately made a declaration of war, even directly taking firm control of the kidnapped Nightingale...
The girl put down her phone and glanced at the empty desk beside her.
Nan Xiaofeng's seat had been empty for three days.
Mu Yao's last message was also three days ago.
Ever since the two of them were controlled by Xin Yuehu's strange magic, she had never seen them appear again, and she didn't even know what kind of torture and torment they had endured.
It must have been a very painful experience, Hua Ling thought.
Xin Yuehu liked restraint methods like slime or chains, and her Mindscape World was also filled with such torturous tools.
Coupled with her last full-mystery video of Hyacinth, and now Tianqing Jie was heading to the place where Xin Yuehu appeared, to rescue the kidnapped Hyacinth and Nightingale in her hands...
Hua Ling shook her head vigorously, not daring to think about what might happen.
"Xin Yuehu already possesses Star Shadow, her true strength should not be underestimated," Bai Ling had said.
However, Tianqing Jie was going to confront Xin Yuehu alone, which made the guilt in Hua Ling's heart rise even more.
Even though she knew this operation was very dangerous, she couldn't overcome that intense fear and unease.
She no longer had the conviction to continue being Iris, Hua Ling thought.
Magic Girls must have conviction to gain power. Having lost her conviction, she was no longer qualified to be a Magic Girl.
...I'm sorry, Tianqing Jie.
I... am not worth so much of your effort.
Later that evening.
Su Tianqing sat leisurely in the front row of the stage, directing her familiars to adjust the stage layout while leisurely admiring the sky-blue Magic Girl standing motionless at the castle entrance on the stage.
Magical Girl Hyacinth.
She had been controlled by her Qian Si Puppet for three whole days, and if she wished, she could continue to control her for another four days.
But honestly, the control effect wasn't as good as she had imagined.
"Because Hyacinth cannot be adjusted to autonomous mode like other familiars; she can only be directly controlled by Ben Hu."
Su Tianqing muttered to herself.
If Ben Hu could remotely control her to fight from home, that would be fine, but currently Ben Hu also had to control the actions of the two righteous Fox Foxes. If she were to control Hyacinth as well, she would definitely fall into the predicament of an overloaded fox brain.
Just in case, it would be better to just leave Miss Hyacinth standing at the castle entrance as a decoration, Villain Fox Fox thought.
Yesterday's conversation with Hua Ling seemed to have a very significant effect.
When she said, "This is my conviction as a Magic Girl," Hua Ling's expression, a mix of shock and self-reproach, was simply too wonderful!
This is what Ben Hu wants to see, more expressions like this!
Su Tianqing felt like she wanted to pounce on the beach and laugh strangely, just like a certain famous scene from a Rider show.
Ahem, getting a bit out of character.
Fox Fox tidied her mood, straightened her posture, and looked at the clock not far away.
It was seven in the evening, an hour before the scheduled start time.
Cameras were set up all over the theater. Now, she just needed to wait for the righteous Fox Foxes to get into position, and she could perform this grand show from all angles!
Her own arrangements were also in place. Observer Fox Fox should be close to connecting with Hua Ling by now.
As long as that item was given to Hua Ling, Ben Hu's plan could enter its third phase!
.
Eight o'clock sharp.
Melodious music filled the theater, accompanied by a clear and crisp song.
Hua Ling watched the theater from afar, silent.
She still couldn't rest assured. Although she still didn't dare to transform into Iris, she had quietly bypassed the blockade to observe from a close distance.
The two Observers beside her also looked very nervous.
"Are we really letting Dandelion go in alone...?" Bai Ling showed a worried expression, looking at Observer Fox Fox beside her.
Yue Tianxin nodded.
"There's no choice, she wants to do it herself, and I'm very worried too."
The three were silent.
Hua Ling clearly understood why Dandelion wanted to go alone.
Tianqing Jie, her conviction as a Magic Girl was to protect everyone.
And now that Xiaofeng and Mu Yao had both been kidnapped, even without her assistance, she still had to launch this dangerous deep infiltration.
She didn't want to put herself in danger, preferring to bear everything alone.
This was the conviction of Magic Girl Dandelion. In contrast, she, who was clearly an experienced senior, felt fear because she had lost her conviction...
"By the way, Dandelion asked me to give you this."
Observer Fox Fox suddenly said, pulling out a brand new enchanted divine code stone from her magical space.
Hua Ling took it with surprise.
This was a convenient astral communication tool that could be used by injecting magic. She had heard of it.
As magic was applied, the divine code stone projected a light screen, showing Dandelion's perspective as she moved through the theater.
"Dandelion added magic to it so you can see what she sees."
"She said she hopes this will help you get back on your feet."
"...It's raining."
Observer Fox Fox looked up at the sky, where raindrops were drizzling down.
A gloomy, dim night, with no stars, no sunlight, no clear sky.