A melodious symphony echoed through the theater.
The familiars danced on stage, and Golden Fox sang loudly, a fairytale-like song.
“The Great Demon King and the Sleeping Princess” was a fairytale play.
The background was that the Great Demon King invaded the capital of the kingdom, kidnapped the princess, occupied the palace, and at the same time used magic to control the kingdom's chief knight.
The theme was the story of a brave hero who received the blessing of the goddess, embarked on an adventurous journey to rescue the princess, overcame many obstacles, and finally defeated the Demon King and saved the kingdom.
Although clichéd, it was a classic, and Su Tianqing really liked such a kingly story.
Especially when playing the Great Demon King in this story, Villain Fox Fox was very good at getting into character.
“—Hehehe, unknown hero, you have finally arrived!”
Demon King Fox Fox stood at the top of the tall tower, with the sleeping Nightingale, who played the princess, beside her, and Hyacinth, the maiden knight with a greatsword, at the castle gate.
Dandelion clutched her magic staff, standing at the edge of the theater's audience, staring intently at Hyacinth, her brows tightly furrowed.
“Xin Yuehu! Release Hyacinth and Nightingale immediately!”
“Hehehe, if I release them just because you say so, wouldn’t that make me, the Demon King, look bad?”
Demon King Fox Fox said with a smile.
“Come, nameless hero, tell me your name. I don’t mind inscribing your name on my spoils of war.”
“...Don’t give me that!”
Dandelion waved her magic staff and charged forward, engaging Hyacinth in battle.
.
“The hero arrived at the former royal city.”
“However, countless thorns blocked her path. Even when burned with fire or cut with a sword, these thorns showed no signs of breaking.”
“This was the Demon King’s powerful magic. The evil magic had turned the entire palace into a dangerous place covered in thorns, but beyond these thorns, the hero’s former mentor appeared at the palace gate.”
“‘Hero, lay down your sword and leave now. This is my last mercy to you,’ the Demon King said, controlling the knight’s body.”
Golden Fox recited the narration.
Countless familiars surrounded the edge of the stage, sitting in the audience, watching everything happening on stage with their eyes sparkling with magic.
“Crack! Boom!!”
“Oh?!”
The greatsword slashed, and Dandelion couldn't parry, being cut back several steps, falling to the ground, covered in dust.
But Golden Fox quickly got up, clutched the magic staff in her hand, and still stared intently at the maiden knight not far away.
“Lay down your sword and leave now. This is my last mercy to you.”
Hyacinth said in a low voice, reciting her lines from the play.
Golden Fox gritted her teeth, took a few steps forward, and continued to wave her magic staff, wanting to charge at Hyacinth, but was once again effortlessly struck down by the greatsword.
“The hero fell again and again, and rose again and again.”
“Her obsession seemed to transcend the physical pain, but her sword could not break through the thick defense of the knight in front of her, and she could only be continuously knocked to the ground—”
Hua Ling gazed at the image on the divine code stone screen, clenching her fists, filled with worry, yet still not daring to take a step.
But when the Golden Fox in the picture stood up again and charged once more towards the almost insurmountable maiden knight, Hua Ling finally trembled and muttered to herself:
“Why… even knowing it’s an unbeatable opponent, why…?”
“Is this your conviction, is this what you want to convey to me, Tianqing Jie…?”
The maiden knight once again sent Golden Fox flying far away, almost falling off the stage.
Golden Fox rolled a few times, lay on the ground covered in dust, propped herself up with her hands trying to stand, but could only kneel.
“Gulp… Ugh…”
A painful wail came from Dandelion’s mouth.
And the Demon King Fox Fox's recitation of lines continued:
“After countless falls, the hero finally could not stand up again.”
“‘Is this all you have, nameless hero,’ the Demon King said.”
“‘I admire your courage, hero. If you leave now and swear never to invade again, I will spare your life.’”
Dandelion looked up at Demon King Fox Fox on the tall tower, gritted her teeth, and trembled as she straightened her body.
Although her body was already covered in wounds, her dress was tattered, full of dust and traces of greatsword slashes, she still straightened her back and stood up.
“...Hmph, even if your body can no longer hold up, you’re still stubbornly trying to launch a futile attack on me?”
Demon King Fox Fox said with a laugh.
“I will rescue them, I cannot let you… continue to use their bodies to do evil…”
Dandelion gritted her teeth, as if enduring immense pain, and said to Demon King Fox Fox.
But the controlled maiden knight had no mercy, raising her greatsword to attack her again.
“Heh heh, brave but reckless, overestimating yourself. Conviction alone without power cannot save your friends.”
“...The moment I chose to become Magic Girl Dandelion, my conviction would never waver!”
Dandelion said in a low voice,
“I will always protect them, no matter where they are, no matter what difficulties they encounter, I will try every possible way to save them!”
“This is me… Magic Girl Dandelion, this is where my conviction lies!”
“Interesting.” Demon King Fox Fox said with a slight laugh.
With a casual lift of the Demon King’s hand, the maiden knight immediately put away her greatsword and retreated, replaced by another tall dark shadow.
“Then let it put an end to your so-called conviction.”
“Your conviction is worthless in the face of absolute power!”
Its entire body seemed to be shrouded in black miasma, and the sharp, booming sound of the Razor Freak was transmitted to Hua Ling’s ears through the magic screen, causing the girl’s tense pupils to suddenly constrict.
Razor Freak.
The moment she clearly saw the dark shadow, Hua Ling’s steps involuntarily moved forward.
From bewildered steps to determined walking, then to a jog, and finally to a full sprint.
Tianqing Jie is protecting me.
She is doing her best to rescue Hyacinth and Nightingale, and am I just going to stand by and watch?
Hua Ling! You’re such a selfish person!
Just because you’re scared, are you going to let such a fragile support-type Fox Fox fight against Hyacinth, who is controlled by Xin Yuehu?!
You clearly have the power of a Magic Girl, you clearly can prevent all of this from happening, but you’re just watching from the sidelines as if nothing is wrong!
Selfish! Shameful!
It was as if another person was shouting angrily in the girl’s heart, the roaring sound blending with the clanging of the Razor Freak, mixed with the helpless, screaming wails.
The coldness that spread throughout her body almost froze the girl’s body,
But the soaring music that rang out in the theater made her steps even more resolute.
In the drizzling rain, the girl ran towards the grand theater where the soaring music was playing, and whispers from the starry sky seemed to echo in her ears:
“You, do you want that to happen again?”
“I don’t want to!”
“You have already lost them, do you want to lose her again?”
“I don’t want to!!”
“You, are you ready to face your true heart?”
“Let go of the past, let go of obsession, look to the future, look to what you should protect, are you ready?”
“...I, I am ready!”
.
.
Razor Freak walked in front of Dandelion.
Golden Fox looked at the terrifying and ferocious Monster in front of her with fear, trembling and falling to the ground, closing her eyes, as if accepting the inevitable outcome.
—A support character with no combat power, trying to forcibly confront a Monster, could only have such an outcome.
“Farewell, nameless hero.”
The razor swung down.
But a dazzling magic cannon beam instantly tore through the theater's outer wall, pierced through the audience, sent countless familiars flying, and directly blasted onto Razor Freak!
“?!”
Razor Freak was knocked back several steps by the blast, and the exploding shockwave also sent the weakened Golden Fox flying, but she was caught in mid-air by the pure white girl.
“Dandelion! How are you?!”
Hua Ling looked at the weak Fox Fox, covered in wounds, in her arms, her heart trembled, and she said loudly.
Dandelion opened her eyes, her ears and tail drooping, looked at the pure white girl who had caught her, and a smile squeezed out of her dusty face.
“You still came… Iris…”
“Sure enough, my conviction reached you…”
“Don’t talk! I, I’ll treat you right away, just hold on!”
“...Mm.”
Golden Fox nodded, tilted her head, and then fell unconscious.
The girl stood blankly in the ruined audience, gazing at the severely injured and unconscious Golden Magic Girl in her arms, a clear tear rolling from the corner of her eye.
Vast magic power bloomed from her.
The girl’s pure white dress was dyed pitch black by the stars,
But unlike the shadows, this darkness was dotted with countless shining stars, and even the pure white crown transformed into a star-gathering Star Crown!
“Heh heh… Hahahaha…!”
“Excellent! Iris! You finally came!”
Demon King Fox Fox laughed loudly.
The pitch-black Magic Girl straightened her back, holding the unconscious Golden Fox in her arms, and the magic cannons at her side emerged from the almost materialized Star magic power!
Three quadruple-barreled magic cannons, pointing directly at the Demon King at the top of the tall tower!
Magic Girl Iris ☆ Star Shadow!
Making a dazzling appearance!