"Why would the Fox Fox Great Demon King capture the princesses?"
In the bright castle, Golden Fox stood by the window railing, overlooking the entire Mindscape World, and whispered softly.
She seemed to be conversing with someone, yet also talking to herself.
"As an evil villain, the Fox Fox Great Demon King always wants to kidnap princesses, summon dragons, or destroy kingdoms, but why does he do it?"
"Is it because the Fox Fox Great Demon King wants to rule the world? But if the Fox Fox Great Demon King is evil, why would he re-establish his own order instead of letting the world descend into chaos?"
"So, Fox Fox, I think the reason the Fox Fox Great Demon King does 'bad things,' the reason he turns princesses into frogs, swans, or something else... it's all for one thing."
After speaking, Xin Yuehu raised a finger and turned to look at the Magic Girls not far behind her.
"—For fun," Cheshire Rabbit said softly, completing the sentence.
"Exactly, it's for fun!"
"Seeing the princesses in a panic, seeing the Magic Girls terrified and scared—these are things only the Fox Fox Great Demon King, as a villain, can see, and they bring the most exhilarating fun!"
After speaking, Xin Yuehu grinned lightly, and the Pink-haired Rabbit Girl standing not far away also showed a resolute and reverent gaze.
The three Magic Girls, Green Vine, were firmly bound to a pillar not far away.
Hearing Xin Yuehu's 'fun' remarks, and then meeting the obsessive smile on Pink-haired Rabbit Girl's face, the three of them made whimpering sounds from their tape-sealed mouths.
No one knew what they had endured, but the smile on Cheshire Rabbit's face and the Rabbit Hammer and vine whip in her hand were enough to explain everything.
Su Tianqing leaned out from the windowsill with interest, overlooking Swan Lake, which was covered by heavy curtains.
The ballet of the Four Little Swans had ended, the curtains had fallen, and the heroic sacrifice of the three Magic Girls, Hyacinth, had opened the path to the Fox Fox Great Demon King's castle for the remaining few.
And what they had to face... was Hellcat, laughing and wielding her Cat Claw Gauntlets.
"Hahahaha! It's much more satisfying to beat you, Hyacinth!"
"Don't always hit me! Why don't you hit those two?!"
""Hyacinth, shut up!""
Golden Fox showed a joyful smile on her face.
Cat Cat found a handy punching bag and was very happy.
Rabbit transformed into a sadistic Great Hammer Rabbit and also found a few handy punching bags, equally happy.
And as the creator of the Mindscape World, seeing everyone immersed in the world she created, she also gained a lot of fun.
Everyone was happy, only the Magic Girls were not so happy.
"Well then, Miss Green Vine."
Golden Fox casually closed the window, no longer looking at Hyacinth, who was being chased around the room by Cat Girl, and turned her gaze to the three Magic Girls, Green Vine.
The whimpering sounds of the three stopped abruptly, and they trembled silently, not knowing what kind of encounter awaited them next.
Would they be hammered flat and then magically stretched? Or would they be tightly bound with vines? Or perhaps...
"Hehehe... Why are you so scared, Miss Green Vine?"
Teleportation magic activated, and the petite Golden Fox suddenly appeared in front of Green Vine, so close, with the unique charm and allure of a fox-person revealed in her emerald vertical pupils.
"Miss Green Vine, do you think anyone will come to save you?"
"Probably."
"Tsk tsk tsk... You usually don't care about the surrounding populace when fighting Monsters, only caring about suppressing the Monster with firepower. Do you really think everyone wants to see the three of you saved?"
"In Fox Fox's live stream... the bullet comments wanting to see you beaten by Rabbit are more numerous than those wanting to see you successfully escape~"
After speaking, Xin Yuehu casually clapped her hands, and the screen familiar immediately floated beside her, displaying the dense bullet comments from the live stream to the three Magic Girls, Green Vine.
"Rabbit, hit her quickly! They're the ones who demolished my house!"
"They said things would improve after Mai Sui left, but last time they almost sent me and the Monster flying together!"
"Don't let them out!"
Green Vine stared blankly at the content flooding the bullet comments.
"You were supposed to be the guardians of Sui City, Miss Green Vine. Have you truly upheld this duty?"
The smile on Xin Yuehu's face stopped abruptly, becoming cold and severe.
"When you covered the Monster with firepower, when you fought without regard for the safety of the surrounding populace, did you truly have the self-awareness of a Magic Girl?"
"Or... did you just happen to meet Observer, just happen to become Magic Girls, and have no will to 'protect important things' at all?"
Green Vine remained silent, not daring to look into Xin Yuehu's eyes.
Every word of hers seemed to strike her heart directly, posing a soul-searching question:
"As a Magic Girl, are you truly worthy of the stars' favor, Miss Green Vine?"
"And you, having lost everyone's support, do you still hope your companions will come to save you?"
After speaking, Su Tianqing leaned close to the immobile Green Vine's ear and said in a voice that all three could hear:
"To save you, they used their weak magic to fight the full-power Hellcat, broke into the castle, and faced the terrifying illusions I created for them. They possess the belief of 【Protection】 in their hearts, and only then are they worthy of being Magic Girls."
"And what about you?"
"You did defeat the Monster, and you did complete the Hero Association's mission, but you ignored the safety of what you were supposed to protect, letting it be covered in wounds."
"You attributed all the mistakes to Mai Sui, naively thinking that as long as Mai Sui left, your reputation would improve, people would continue to support you, and you would become excellent Magic Girls like Hyacinth."
"How ridiculous."
"Are you worthy of the sacrifices they made, Miss Green Vine?"
Green Vine lowered her head, not daring to answer Xin Yuehu's question.
She indeed disliked Mai Sui's area-of-effect tactics and indeed felt that her fighting style, which disregarded the surrounding populace, was unreasonable.
However... wasn't she also relying on this fighting style?
Before Xin Yuehu arrived, when she and her companions faced the Monster attacking Sui City, didn't they also choose area-of-effect suppression?
And as she was, did she still remember the vows and beliefs she made when she first became a Magic Girl?
"Then let's see, let's see everyone's evaluation of you!"
The screen displayed a temporarily opened message board from the live stream.
"They are not worthy of being Magic Girls!"
"If it weren't for them, my mother wouldn't have been injured in the attack!"
"My house is completely destroyed, my life's savings..."
"<Image>, <Image>, <Image>"
Dilapidated ruins, injured residents, businesses and houses turned into rubble, and the shocking accusations and curses of the Sui City residents filled the entire message board.
"Magic Girls are born to protect."
"Miss Green Vine, look at what you have protected!"
Golden Fox almost leaned into Green Vine's ear, whispering to her with a hint of anger.
Magic Girl Green Vine stared blankly at the tragic sight on the message board, whimpering and finally bursting into tears.
Violet and Edelweiss were in similar states; their spirits were already on the verge of collapse due to Cheshire Rabbit, and upon seeing such sharp accusations at this moment, their last psychological defenses finally crumbled.
Su Tianqing did not continue speaking.
They were just children, after all. Since they could gain the stars' recognition and become Magic Girls, they certainly wouldn't be beyond redemption.
If her words could reignite their fighting spirit, then...
"Clang!!"
A loud bang.
The door to the top-floor room of the castle was blown open by a magic cannon, and Su Tianqing smiled as she turned to look, meeting the gaze of Mai Sui, who held a magic cannon in each hand!
She wasn't angry that Mai Sui had interrupted her verbal assault; instead, a sense of pleasure rose from her heart.
"Xin... Xin Yuehu!"
Mai Sui suppressed the fear she felt when facing Xin Yuehu and raised the twin magic cannons in her hands towards her.
"Hehehe... You're quite fast, Miss Mai Sui."
Xin Yuehu landed on the castle floor with a light laugh, and Cheshire Rabbit also summoned her Rabbit Great Hammer, following closely beside her. Both looked at Magic Girl Mai Sui, whose hands were trembling but who still mustered her courage.
"A firm will, a determination to protect—these are the things Fox Fox most wants to see."
Su Tianqing said with a smile, leaning forward as if adopting a battle stance.
On the top floor of the Fox Fox Great Demon King's castle, the hero Mai Sui had overcome countless difficulties and was about to engage in an intense battle with the Fox Fox Great Demon King!
"What a wonderful classic story."
"Come, entertain me, Miss Mai Sui!"