“All visitors, please enter in an orderly fashion. When entering, please present your ticket QR code. Thank you for your cooperation.”
The comic con entrance was bustling with activity.
People queued to enter, chatting animatedly and excitedly.
This was Red Rose's first activity since her retirement hosted by the Hero Association, and the entire Firefly G125 seemed to shine even brighter due to her presence.
And this naturally attracted countless old fans of Red Rose—Magic Girls from other cities.
Any Magic Girl would have heard of Red Rose, this living fossil of a senior, and would more or less hold a unique admiration or respect for her.
This also changed the nature of Firefly G125, transforming it from an ordinary comic con into a gathering carnival for Magic Girls overnight.
“...So, Bai Ling, how exactly did you cultivate two Star Shadows within half a year?”
At the edge of the Sui City Stadium terrace, several Observer Spirits sat side by side, looking down at the bustling crowd below.
One of the Calico Cat Spirits asked the Bai Diao (White Sable) Spirit beside her.
“Uh...it was all thanks to Little Yue, and Hyacinth and the others are indeed very talented.”
Bai Ling scratched the back of her head with a silly smile, a little shy.
The Calico Cat didn't say much, only silently pulled out her divine code stone and glanced at it.
“Little Yue? ...Are you talking about Miss Yue Tianxin? You two seem to be quite close.”
“N-no, we're not that close,” Bai Ling replied, her face slightly flushed.
On the other side, an Orange Cat Spirit poked her head out and interjected:
“I heard Gray Cloud say that Yue Tianxin's Observer exam scores were full marks in all subjects? Is that true?”
“It's true. Didn't the Star God Council just release this period's report card last month?” The Weasel Spirit, who was drinking a cup of cola, heard someone call her and replied.
The Spirits chattered about their new colleague, while laughter and exclamations occasionally came from the crowd on the ground—
“Oh, wow, look! That Qiugui cosplayer over there is really spot on, so amazing.”
Visitors looked towards the magnificent orange Magic Girl not far away, marveling at the cosplayer's incredibly high level of accuracy.
But soon, someone noticed something: the sparkling magical light in this so-called 'cosplayer's' hair was definitely not something an ordinary person could achieve!
“No way, look at her hair. Can cosplay really replicate Qiugui's light effects?”
“Could she actually...actually be Qiugui herself...?”
“This must be Qiugui herself!”
“Miss Qiugui! Miss Qiugui, I'm your fan!”
“Qiugui!”
The first fervent fan rushed forward.
The orange-clad girl, who had thought her cosplayer disguise was convincing, was momentarily stunned when fans suddenly appeared in front of her, but then she was submerged by the fervent fans.
Looking at the fan meeting happening not far away, Xia Taotao drooped her rabbit ears timidly and tightened her mask and scarf.
How nice, Miss Qiugui, to have so many fervent fans.
But her fans seemed quite odd, their focus entirely on her white stockings and long legs, even making quite off-putting noises:
“Miss Qiugui! Please step on me!”
“Don't reward him! Reward me!”
“All of you, get away! Qiugui's shoe is my lunchbox!”
If it were other Magic Girls, they would probably be terrified, but Qiugui was already used to her off-putting fans. She could only give a helpless wry smile and greet them, while trying to push through the crowded people towards the stage.
The people around them were already accustomed to the behavior of Qiugui's fervent fans, and occasionally, one could hear comments like, “They're just like Qiugui.”
The scene not far away was quite similar. Some recognized Qiu Baiyang, and others recognized Sui City's local Pothos Trio. The performance venue immediately turned into a fan gathering, and the atmosphere was lively.
Red Rose's appeal in people's hearts is indeed strong, Xia Taotao thought.
The first-generation Magic Girl, with brilliant achievements, top combat power; almost all Magic Girls worldwide were fans of Red Rose, which explains why so many people gathered for this Firefly event.
It was hard to imagine how lively the atmosphere would be when the Bai Lili Squad and Hailanshi Team appeared later.
—“Clap!”
Suddenly,
As people were immersed in the fan gathering, the lights in the venue suddenly dimmed, making everyone pause and look towards the only brightly lit stage.
Those familiar with the Firefly performance routine had already started cheering. The entire venue instantly transformed into a sea of excitement. People eagerly raised their light sticks and support signs, loudly calling out to the several shimmering magical lights:
““Bai Lili! Bai Lili!””
““Hai Lan Shi! Hai Lan Shi!””
The lights brightened, and the graceful figures of the Magic Girls appeared above the stage, igniting the already lively audience atmosphere.
“Hello, audience friends!”
“I'm your favorite Magic Girl—Bai Lili! ☆~”
The pure white and elegant Magic Girl floated at the front of the team, waving her wand at the audience. Her magic transformed into a sky full of stardust, scattering down like the twinkling lights of stars.
Xia Taotao excitedly bounced a few times, quickly pulled out her old digital camera from her pocket, and started snapping photos.
On the other side of the stage, Su Tianqing also pulled out her phone to photograph the starry scene created by Bai Lili. Only Nan Jiayu remained unmoved, even secretly complaining in her mind.
“Always doing these flashy things, and still so popular. That kid Bai Li is really annoying, no wonder I used to love beating her up so much.”
“Little Fish! Little Fish, come here quickly!”
The Fox Girl beside her suddenly said. Nan Jiayu curiously looked down, then was suddenly hooked by Golden Fox's arm, followed by a click from a phone's front camera.
“Click.”
“Got it! ~”
Golden Fox said cheerfully, showing the Cat Girl the double selfie on her phone screen.
“Hehehe, I got an interesting expression,” Su Tianqing said with a smile, naturally linking arms with the Cat Girl beside her.
Although Nan Jiayu was a bit shy, she had to admit that this candid photo was indeed very interesting.
Amidst the myriad stars, the petite and endearing Golden Fox, wrapped in thick winter clothes, and herself, caught in a moment of surprise, made the photo exceptionally vivid.
The Magic Girls' singing echoed on the stage.
Bai Lili and Hai Lan Shi stood side by side at the front of the team, singing a medley of classic anime OPs, and a series of cheers and applause erupted from the audience.
But as the song drew to a close, an ethereal chant seemed to drift from the distant reaches of the Star Realm, silencing the audience and immersing them in its melodious tones.
A fiery red light illuminated the entire venue, and a crimson Magic Girl appeared as if from flames, completely igniting the comic con:
““““Oh oh oh oh oh!!””””
““Red Rose! Red Rose!!””
Su Tianqing couldn't help but be stunned.
This was her first time truly seeing this ancient senior. Her distant, ethereal voice pushed the grand chorus to its climax, blooming amidst fireworks and magical light.
Countless fans shed tears, vigorously waving their glow sticks and light signs, and spoke Red Rose's iconic line with her:
“Under my magic, turn into fiery ashes!”
“““Oh oh oh oh oh!!”””
The crowd erupted.
Su Tianqing also shouted a few lines along with them.
At a concert, you naturally have to scream excitedly to create the atmosphere! Golden Fox always believed this.
...
The performance lasted over an hour.
Only after the performance ended did the real fan meeting begin.
People lined up in long queues, each holding Red Rose's old merchandise, all wanting to get an autograph from this senior, a signature from over twenty years ago.
“Miss Red Rose! I've been watching your anime for over twenty years, please sign this for me!”
“Thank you for your support~ I hope you can pass on your support to the younger generation in the future~”
The fiery red girl smiled, bringing tears to the fans' eyes.
It was indeed the right choice to be a fan of this Magic Girl for over twenty years!
Not far away, Su Tianqing rubbed her hands together and smoothed her tail fur, looking determined.
This was probably her only chance to get close to this mysterious senior! Today, she absolutely had to uncover all of Red Rose's secrets!
But how could she get this senior to reveal the secrets she knew?
Directly asking was impossible; there were too many people around, and she wouldn't have the opportunity to get to know this old senior. She had to use a strong method.
Thinking this, Su Tianqing couldn't help but turn her attention to the familiar.
It seemed she would have to spend a little, to find a 'Fox Fox Wonderful Gadget' from the secret codex's shop that could handle the current situation...
To make this senior, Red Rose, kneel and extract information, her current methods alone would definitely not be enough, even if she had Little Fish transform into Hellcat, it wouldn't quite work.
But if it were a certain person, perhaps...
【Star Realm Core · Perfect Projection: 40,000 divine code stone】
【Once daily, with the permission of the Stars and the Magic Girl herself, a perfect projection of a Star Shadow can be manifested in the present world.】
This was an item she had bought last time with a free exchange opportunity. Although she thought its purpose was unclear at the time, it was the most expensive item in the shop, so it was worth using the free opportunity to exchange for it no matter what.
And now, she had a perfect plan.
From an angle no one noticed, Golden Fox grinned, revealing a mischievous 'fun fox' smile.
Familiar Fox Fox! Do it!
Star Realm Core—Projection Start!
Senior! Lend your power to this Fox Fox!
.
A vast wave of magical energy spread throughout the venue.
Everyone, including Red Rose, who was smiling and greeting fans, and the Observers sitting on the venue terrace chatting and laughing, were all drawn to the sudden burst of immense magical energy in mid-air.
“Hmm! This... this feeling is...”
Red Rose suddenly reached out and clutched her chest. The guardian star on her chest emitted a fierce red light, as if resonating with that magical energy.
A Star Realm Rift suddenly formed in the comic con venue!
And the slowly drifting azure figure that emerged from it made everyone's pupils sharply constrict!
“You finally decided to come out of that broken house, Red Rose.”
The azure Magic Girl opened her eyes, her pupils reflecting the brilliance of countless stars.
She casually raised her hand and clenched it. A huge azure scythe suddenly appeared in her hand, dancing out a nearly materialized dust of magical energy, pointing directly at Red Rose, who tightly gripped her wand.
“Azure Reaper, Magic Girl 【Mercury】.”
“By invitation from a certain junior, I've specially come to pay a visit to you, my old friend!”