Starting from a Magical Girl, Dominating Eternity-Chapter 172 - 65: Magical Girls Must Keep Smiling

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The mist surged as Jiang Keke tumbled down the stairs.

She looked at the layers of vines above, then glanced at the parasitic vine on her arm that had burned to ash.

Even though she knew the opponent was strong.

She hadn’t expected them to be this strong.

What to do, what to do, what to do...

The vines that fell again were like whips, and Keke rolled to avoid them.

As the second vine whip came, she raised her hand.

Crimson magic spread to her fingertips, and at the moment of touching the vine, it ignited the entire vine!

But without any defense, a vine burrowed out from under her feet, grabbed her ankle, and yanked her up!

It flung Keke away!

As she hit a pillar and slid down, Keke curled up, barely able to make a sound from the pain.

"You must be wondering why you, of all people, ended up in this situation."

"Why you’re the only one so unlucky."

The captain’s devil-like figure echoed from upstairs, coming closer and closer.

It was only at times like these that Keke understood why Jiang Si trained so hard.

Even the power of a Magical Girl has its limits.

And now, Keke felt regretful for not training enough on regular days.

Just a little running left her feeling exhausted.

If only she had worked hard with Jiang Si earlier, it wouldn’t be like this...

She struggled to get up, "I don’t know what you’re talking about."

The captain simply shrugged: "Just like now, still avoiding reality, pretending not to understand anything, how pathetic, Keke."

Due to the poor precision of her magic manipulation, Keke was getting less and less magic.

Just as Teacher Zi Yuan said, imitating too much, wanting to learn this and that, led to achieving nothing in the end.

Even the fine control of magic she spent the most time on couldn’t support high-intensity battles.

As Keke got up, she staggered and was tripped by a vine, falling to the ground.

The captain walked up to her, looking down at her.

"Magical Girls exist because of Disaster Beasts, and Disaster Beasts are born for Magical Girls. The first Disaster Beast in Beihai City must have gone for the city’s first Magical Girl."

Keke’s pupils shook, and when she wanted to rush forward, she was again pinned down by vines on the ground.

"You are the reason your parents died. If it weren’t for you, the first Disaster Beast in Beihai City wouldn’t have been born there."

The captain crouched down, looking at her, "You are the source of all misfortune, Keke! The first Magical Girl of Beihai City!"

Keke’s body trembled.

A long silence,

Then she lowered her head, propping up her knees, barely standing up, "Nonsense..."

"It doesn’t matter whether you believe it or not."

The captain said with a calm smile, "But, do you know? Despite being the first Magical Girl of Beihai City, the most perfect raw gem, your mind is filled with resentment, hatred, and pain."

The parasitic vines burrowed into her mind, unlocking nonexistent memories with the captain’s words.

That was three years ago, after the Disaster Beast attack.

She had already returned to the sanatorium.

In the middle of the night, Jiang Si fell asleep by her bedside, the window open, swaying occasionally, the night breeze billowing the curtains.

The girl on the hospital bed missed her parents, she hated, cursed the world.

Why did her Miracle Seed appear only after her parents died.

Why didn’t her wish even have a chance to come true.

What use was it being a Magical Girl!

Then, a pitch-black figure floated in from the window, ghost-like, coming to her side.

Said it would grant her wish, reaching out to take her Miracle Seed.

The Miracle Seed, originally burning like a raging fire, quickly dimmed, turning pitch black.

In her memory, the dark figure stood by her bedhead, lips opening and closing without end, as if saying something to her.

And then, pressed the Miracle Seed against her forehead.

When those cold fingers touched her forehead, a severe pain stirred in her head.

And an endless power seemed to explode throughout her body!

Keke abruptly opened her eyes, cold sweat pouring, returning to her senses from the memories, holding her head, letting out a painful groan.

The captain stood not far away, with that wicked smile still on his face, quietly watching her, "Remembered? That night, you were supposed to become a Witch, but very regrettably, due to certain reasons, you failed. I’m certain, if you had become a Witch then, you’d have gained the power to change the world."

"In this world, the moment a Magical Girl, hopeful, falls to become a Witch, is the most radiant and strongest,"

"I always thought someday, you’d find your own path to becoming a Witch, since your seed should’ve been discarded, you don’t even have your own Hatcher."

The captain showed a hint of confusion, "It’s really strange, why did you still transform into a Magical Girl? In your deepest despair, how did you grasp onto hope, I’m really curious."

Zi Yuan, teacher...

Thinking of that purple figure, strength surged forth from her body once more.

Don’t give up, Keke, don’t disappoint the teacher.

Lowering her breath, gathering strength.

Desperately squeezing magic out of the seed.

As the captain walked over, her crouched body sprang up!

The magic-infused fist slammed hard into the captain’s face!

Yet the captain’s neither male nor female, not young nor old face only slightly twisted, even revealing a smile, "You’re far inferior to Zi Yuan now, but if you become a Witch, it might be different. I’ll help you gain power, the strongest Witch’s power!"

The dense mass of vines instantly lunged at Keke from behind the captain.

Even trying her best to dodge and erupting magic to burn, she was still eventually engulfed and devoured by the endless vines.

"I am a Magical Girl!"

Keke’s struggling strength gradually waned, yet she clung stubbornly to the vine’s edge, "I will never turn into a Witch, never!"

"Who knows."

The captain grabbed fiercely towards Keke with his right hand, the remaining vines finally completely buried Keke, "Every Magical Girl says that before they fall."

"You were once the perfect Witch’s raw gem."

"Poor Keke, kind Keke, naïve, Witch Keke."

"You are the only one in Beihai who has a chance to defeat Zi Yuan."

"Let me help you reclaim the anger and hatred of that time, reclaim the power you should have."

"Then, let’s conquer Beihai, conquer the world!"

...

The voice beside her ear vanished, consciousness plunged into darkness.

Keke pondered whether she could have done better.

But from the moment she encountered the captain, she had actually guessed that the opponent had the power to forcibly take her away.

Unable to transform into a Magical Girl, she was at a complete disadvantage against a member of the Witch Association.

The reason for coercing her into following was likely because the opponent didn’t want to harm her.

For now, it seemed like they were planning to turn her into a Witch...

While fretting, suddenly a sliver of sunlight seeped through from above.

She raised a hand to shield herself from the somewhat blinding light.

Then, warm winds blew, cicadas chirped, whispers and footsteps of passersby, honks and engine roars of vehicles, gradually became clear by her ears.

Amidst the sizzling heat of summer, she was sitting underneath a mulberry tree at her home’s entrance, both mulberry trees thriving in lush greenery.

She looked up at the plump mulberries swaying overhead, somewhat dazed.

Until someone embraced her from behind, lifting her up.

"What’s my darling daydreaming here about?"

"We’re about to leave, Jiang Si, can’t you be a little happier, come on, smile, smile."

Keke turned back, looking at the beaming couple, and behind them, Jiang Si, whose mouth was being pulled into a forced smile, wearing a helpless expression.

The cicada’s cries were heartrending, like a wail before its death.

Her lips moved slightly, hesitantly murmuring those now unfamiliar two words.

"Dad, Mom..."