Su Tianqing felt her understanding of Xia Taotao was very shallow.
She had never had an in-depth conversation with her; she only learned about Rabbit's life from scattered words and phrases, vaguely piecing together her daily routine:
Waking up, attending classes, eating, watching anime, playing with merchandise, and sleeping.
If there was an anime convention, she would wear glasses and a mask to attend; if there was a concert, she would buy a ticket to go. She poured almost all her after-school energy into her love for Magic Girls.
And because of her social anxiety, Xia Taotao almost never proactively brought up her past, which also affected Su Tianqing's understanding of Xia Taotao.
At least Ben Hu still doesn't know what Rabbit's family situation was like before, nor does Ben Hu know what the Rabbit race beastmen's tradition of forgetting their offspring is all about.
However, Ben Hu never doubted Xia Taotao's passion for Magic Girls.
Whether it was positive or negative passion, it allowed Ben Hu to feel the purity in Rabbit's heart—
She genuinely loved Magic Girls; this was probably the prerequisite for her to successfully become a villainous Magic Girl.
"I understand everything you're saying; Rabbit is actually a good person."
Fenrir floated calmly beside Xin Yuehu and Hellcat, the three of them looking at the distance, as Gray Wolf Girl whispered.
"...But are you sure this can help Alice build her beliefs? Is it really reliable?"
"(Shrugs)" The Cat Girl remained silent.
"Oh well... let's just treat it as an experiment," the Fox Girl said with a wry smile, spreading her hands.
"【Quest Chain: Alice's Special Training】"
"【Quest 2: Cheshire Rabbit's Pleasure, 0 / 1】"
Ben Hu herself wasn't very confident that Rabbit could lead Alice onto the right path, but the secret codex arranged it this way!
Su Tianqing really wanted to explain to the two beside her that all of this was the secret codex's conspiracy, but she ultimately didn't say anything.
Want to know what happened?
—The scene before them was enough to illustrate the severity of the situation:
"Hehehe... Miss Hyacinth... you've finally put on over-the-knee socks..."
"Don't come over here! Don't come near me!"
"It seems you're not honest enough, look, over there with Miss Iris... she's already completely fallen under Fox Fox's Slime Monster's control..."
"Wuwuwu..."
Hyacinth and Iris were both suspended from the ceiling by magic ropes, with two Slime Monsters crawling at their feet, extending their soft limbs, tickling them wantonly.
Don't ask why there were no other actions; that would cause the world to be destroyed.
Not far away, Nightingale and Qiugui and the others were surrounded by enhanced Zodiac Twelve Witches, with the remnants of Ripper, which were gradually dissipating into magic particles, beside them.
"Please, all of you, stay put over there~ Today is Miss Hyacinth and Miss Iris's main event~"
Xin Yuehu said with a smile, having prepared a warm coconut latte for each of them.
The entire Autumn Osmanthus Squad didn't dare to move, their minds filled with Ripper's recent fate:
Smashed into the ground by the Leo Witch's punch, followed by the Golden Taurus Magic Girl's beating, and the Gemini Witch's full output.
Three Witches, three rounds of attacks, and Ripper was eliminated on the spot.
There were still nine others watching the show from the side, seemingly with playful smiles, which instantly made the originally chattering four members of Autumn Osmanthus Squad quiet down, not daring to even breathe heavily.
But Nightingale was different.
Under Qiugui's horrified gaze, Nightingale snapped her fingers at the Aquarius Witch not far away, signaling her to have a familiar bring her a cup of coffee.
The Witch courteously curtsied, walked to the familiar holding drinks, and handed Nightingale a warm latte.
"...Miss Nightingale, you're not Xin Yuehu in disguise, are you?" Xia Jin asked in horror.
"How could that be!" Nightingale quickly waved her hand in denial,
"Don't worry, the Zodiac Witches are absolutely safe when they are not attacking."
"Really? But they don't look very friendly—"
Qiugui glanced at the Scorpio Witch beside her, who returned a kind smile.
...
Compared to the leisurely Autumn Osmanthus Squad, the situation with Hyacinth and Iris was rapidly deteriorating.
Especially when Alice also joined in, the situation became even more complicated.
The blonde girl stared blankly at Rabbit Girl's unusually obsessed smile, then carefully observed Hyacinth and Iris, as if greatly shocked.
"Hehe... Miss Hyacinth, you're making a very cute expression..."
The Pink-haired Rabbit Girl leaned close to the light blue Magic Girl's ear, whispering.
Hyacinth felt a prickle on her back, struggling in fear to break free, but she couldn't escape at all.
This feeling was completely different from what that Golden Fox brought!
If Xin Yuehu's teasing was playful, then Cheshire Rabbit's was more inclined towards sadism, which wouldn't give her that strange feeling she had when Xin Yuehu tormented her,
but only left her with fear and helplessness.
"You, you, you, you, get away! Don't come near me again!"
"Hehehe... Look, Alice, Hyacinth, who was just so radiant and full of momentum, can now only struggle and wail in our hands..."
"Such an expression is a marvelous sight that can only be seen now."
The Rabbit Girl revealed her signature crescent smile, a row of white teeth forming that eerie expression, making her already low aura even darker.
Cheshire Rabbit walked around to stand in front of Iris,
The pure white Magic Girl had a sturdy blindfold placed over her eyes, her hands and feet completely bound, suspended in the air, allowing the Pink-haired Rabbit Girl to cup her face,
"Miss Iris, you must be very scared right now, aren't you?"
"Wuwu... wuyii..."
"Hahahahaha... That's right, exactly, this wailing, this sound as beautiful as a piano piece!"
The Rabbit Girl spread her arms as if embracing the starry sky, letting out a very healthy laugh,
"Look!"
"The pure and elegant Cannon Queen, struggling in her bitter restraints without finding release, the eyes and expressions engraved with her unyielding will..."
At this point, Cheshire Rabbit removed Iris's blindfold, exposing her unfocused eyes to the air,
The Rabbit Girl's smile became even more intoxicated,
"Such a wonderful look... If it could just remain like this forever and ever... Ahhh..."
The Rabbit Girl cupped her own cheek, hooking Iris's chin with one hand, as if admiring a work of art.
Alice stood in front of Iris, half-understanding, staring blankly at her expression, which was a mix of fear and shyness.
"You, don't look at me... Don't stare at me..."
Being intensely stared at, Iris felt her whole body go numb, and she timidly whispered.
At this moment, Alice seemed to understand something.
Iris and Hyacinth, even in London's Magic Girl circles, were quite talked about, and their merchandise was also very popular.
But...
When Alice saw their expressions, so different from those on their merchandise, a strange emotion welled up in the girl's heart.
"...Indeed, it's very interesting."
The girl whispered softly.
"【Quest Completed: Cheshire Rabbit's Pleasure】"
When the secret codex announced the completion of the quest, Su Tianqing breathed a sigh of relief, yet it felt as if a heavy burden had been placed upon her.
【Little Sister Alice】
The Golden Fox howled in her heart, offering a prayer to the stars.
【Please, whatever you do, don't turn out like Rabbit!!】