Chapter 370: The Missed Performance and the Showdown With the World

In the twilight, the setting sun fell grandly.

A girl with silver hair and red eyes stood in the bright red light. She had a beautiful face as if created by AI, revealing a sense of sorrow and heaviness as she looked at the person lying on the bed, stripped of heat and authority, overly fragile, and said:

“There isn’t much time left, is there?”

Chu Yuanqing seemed to have just pulled herself free from a chaotic mind, like someone trapped in a hollow cage. She stared blankly for a long time before looking back at Esther and smiling as she said:

“There is still time.”

“You will succeed. The pure white will eventually fade away, but that Shining City will take its place, spreading light like the sun shining on you now, illuminating the earth and opening a brighter future.”

Esther could feel that her once strong spirit, like Eden dimming after burning out a galaxy, was gradually losing the strength to fight the Disaster group. Even the enormous magical power she had transformed last night was nearly all gone.

Those ten minutes of sleep and nine breaths of action had drained the last bit of energy from this savior, making her weak, slow, and fragile, like an ice sculpture melting under the sun, with pure light shining deep into her life, even the blood she shed was clean and holy.

But the melting ice cannot truly wash away the stains.

So, she continued to endure, continued to struggle, continued to hold on, waiting for the day when she would truly burn herself away, when she could use herself completely.

Esther understood this truth; the thinning humanity felt like a tremor in front of Ellie, bringing forth emotions called sorrow. She tasted the feeling of her “heart” and asked:

“Can you still use magic?”

Chu Yuanqing looked at the Lantern Gem, its shell chipped and rough to the touch, almost spilling tiny fragments. She felt a bit guilty and, ignoring the pain, gently rubbed its surface with her fingertips, whispering:

“Not for now. In a week, I should be able to slowly return to the state of just having lit it.”

The lantern symbolizes the state of the soul. This injury was too severe; the magic and willpower stored in Ideal Homeland could not ease the great cost of using the Perfection Realm.

In fact, if it weren’t for the fact that the Perfection Realm used in the illusion lay between illusion and reality, avoiding most of the consequences, there would have been no difference between her just now and burning her life away early.

However, unlike what others imagined, Chu Yuanqing’s current condition was mostly a side effect of the battle in the illusion. While suppressing the four forbidden zones, the Perfection Realm naturally fell away.

During those 9 seconds, she became weaker each second, until she finally used up all her strength.

Even without those 9 seconds, it would not have hurt much less; there was no need to make those children pay with their lives.

Esther looked at the emotional profile of the Pure White Witch and asked the more important question:

“Then… what about dancing?”

“Can you still move now?”

Chu Yuanqing was silent. She had tried to get out of bed before, but thinking about falling and not being able to get up embarrassed her, so she gave up that idea. After a moment of hesitation, she spoke the truth:

“It’s a bit difficult.”

— That means she can’t move.

Esther sighed inwardly. She knew that with Chu Yuanqing’s character, if she could make it in a few days, she would certainly add that it wouldn’t affect the performance.

Not mentioning it now meant that the other person understood that given her current physical state, performing on stage had become impossible.

In other words, this “Beacon” of the Donghong Federation, the most popular contestant from the Sea City division, would not be able to perform in three days.

This has a big impact.

In a normal talent show, either the program would be delayed or the contestant would withdraw.

Of course, ‘Dazzling Stage’ cannot allow Chu Yuanqing to withdraw from the competition, but because time is tight, postponement is also not possible, so the three performances must go on as planned.

Esther thought for a moment and then discarded the idea of using virtual projections or magic to create a substitute for the stage.

Chu Yuanqing’s “Heart Flow” and stage presence were too recognizable; even if she could fool the audience present, it would lead to unnecessary doubts. It would be better to openly announce that she had a health issue, which could also generate some buzz and make up for the lost exposure from not being able to perform.

The super AI then softly said, “I will temporarily change the rules of ‘Dazzling Stage.’ The three performances will only have team scores, and your teammates can perform as usual.”

“As for the five-person dance changing to a four-person dance, I will approve them to enter Ideal State for a day; the tenfold speed is enough to adjust the choreography.”

Chu Yuanqing thought for a moment and reluctantly nodded in agreement. She did not want to disappoint her fans, nor did she want to trouble anyone, but without a better solution, she had to go along with it.

As for letting Charlotte or anyone else take her place temporarily, even if she agreed, the fans would not accept it.

Pure White Witch hesitated a bit and asked, “How should I explain this to the fans?”

Esther was momentarily helpless; she really did not know what to do with Chu Yuanqing’s personality. Clearly, she had her own worries, yet she was still thinking about others.

But… compared to the impressive majesty of the savior who effortlessly subdued the Calamity God, she looked a bit silly and cute now. Even the cold AI instinctively softened its voice and answered, “You don’t need to post on Weibo or worry about this. The Dazzling Stage will explain it for you. Just take a good rest for now.”

After saying that, she asked, “By the way, do you need me to help notify your teammates?”

Chu Yuanqing initially wanted to refuse, but recalling the unease she sensed that morning, she nodded in agreement. The current situation really wasn’t suitable for everyone to be too far apart.

Moreover, with three dance pieces to perform in the show, if she left, it would mean everything would be wasted. Even though everyone had become magical girls and their memories and learning efficiency had improved significantly, it still represented a considerable amount of work, and they couldn’t afford to waste time.

Esther understood, and her ethereal figure faded into the light, going off to handle a series of follow-up tasks.

After Chu Yuanqing saw the other person leave, she stared blankly for a while, her tired eyelashes drooping. She crawled back into bed, closed her eyes, and hoped to rest and recover so she could get out of bed and walk soon.

Without waiting long for the main character to sleep, the official website of “Dazzling Stage” announced the big news that Chu Yuanqing could not participate in three performances.

In an instant, many Little Yuanxiao were excited. Millions of fans exploded with reactions, and the storm of public opinion spread across TikTok, Weibo, and various media platforms within an hour, becoming known by almost everyone.

During this time, countless fan support groups were sharing and discussing related information back and forth, expressing worry, anger, doubt, or sadness. The news was refreshed with 99+ every minute.

“And if Honey Qing can’t compete, what will Great Devil, Little Sakura, Honey Moon, and Liuli do? They have been practicing a five-member dance; how can they change the song at the last minute?”

“This team is the star of the Sea City competition area, with almost all their popularity in the top ten of ‘Dazzling Stage’ in the country. It’s absurd to be unable to advance for such a reason. Why not postpone?”

Questions, arguments, anxiety, anger, and worry…

Countless fans discussed this topic.

This matter came so suddenly and was so strange.

Chu Yuanqing’s Weibo still showed the sunflower field like a family photo, with sunlight and blue sky spreading warm colors. Her delicate brows and eyes were more beautiful than the scenery, and the smile on her lips left a lasting impression.

But in an instant, what they heard was such negative news.

All fans knew that Chu Yuanqing had no family; she had lived in an orphanage since she was young. The rental places she had lived in before had attracted much attention since the day she was exposed, and now they remained untouched, with gifts and letters from fans at the door, covered in dust.

In other words, her social circle was very simple. The Weibo post from a few days ago still showed her location in Sea City, and the reason she couldn’t get on stage was truly frightening to think about.

— Chu Yuanqing had an accident.

Almost all fans, after analyzing everything, could only arrive at this unlucky conclusion.

But out of love and hope, they immediately rejected it and rushed to post on the “Dazzling Stage” official website, under Chu Yuanqing’s Weibo, and in various fan groups, wanting to know the truth.

At the same time, some people began to connect this with the core of “Dazzling Stage,” as well as the recent talk about Chu Yuanqing possibly being a magical girl, leading to even more ominous speculation.

“The ‘Dazzling Stage’ will not have a dark curtain, but there will be something even scarier.”

“If Little Qing really is a magical girl, could it be that she was hurt while on a mission?”

“It doesn’t make sense; isn’t ‘Dazzling Stage’ a show for training magical girls? Even if Little Qing really is one, she shouldn’t be on the battlefield so soon, unless…”

Unless, in places they could not see, the situation had become so dangerous that they had to send new magical girls to the front lines.

While everyone shared their opinions, the officials had not made a statement, and various rumors, fueled by unseen forces, caused much attention, pushing it to the top of the trending list and catching more people’s eyes.

#The Tragedy of Magical Girls Returns? The Fall of a Genius Idol!#

#A tragedy has occurred; a contestant from the Sea City division is now in a military hospital.#

#Idol or Hero? A video suspected to show a battle with a disaster beast has leaked.#

These entries, when clicked on, all had clear details; however, they did not specify who it was. But combined with the information about Chu Yuanqing from ‘Dazzling Stage’ being unable to perform, it was hard not to think too much about it.

Xu Ling noticed that by the time this was happening, it was already late at night in Sea City. She had just escaped from the tiredness of writing and was sipping her coffee to stay awake, thinking about editing techniques and background music when Pei Xiaotong burst into the room, excitedly grabbing her shoulder and sharing the big news.

“What? Honey Qing is not competing anymore!”

The girl’s caffeine-stimulated brain felt as if it had been struck by lightning, and she instantly became fully awake.

Strangely, her first reaction was not about not being able to see Chu Yuanqing perform, but like many mom fans, she felt a panic as if her daughter had gone missing, wanting to call for help right away.

Unfortunately, just as Xu Ling took out her phone and hadn’t even started dialing, the little girl next to her snatched it away, forcing her to calm down.

After diving into the internet and reading through thousands of chat messages,

Xu Ling grew more and more afraid, recalling memories of Honey Qing like a slideshow in her mind.

From that summer rainstorm, capturing the beautiful moment of Chu Yuanqing supporting Little Sakura in the rain, to her being the first to enter the venue, smiling as she reached for the ribbons.

From the innocent singing and dancing in the practice room, to her astonishing success in secondary ratings, rising to an amazing Grade A stage, and the following first performance, teammate battles, the second performance, travel vlogs, and that commercial performance that seemed to save her life.

The young idol, who seemed fresh and innocent, had unknowingly taken up many places in her life. What started as a hobby account had grown, through endless editing, to have more fans than she ever dared to imagine.

Xu Ling knew very well that she would not always be this passionate about her idol. One day, whether it was Little Sakura or Honey Qing, her enthusiasm and love for them would fade with the end of youth, turning into a beautiful memory.

But this dream was too short, so short that it felt as if it hadn’t even reached the point of ending.

Three performances, four, five, until they formed a group and debuted, until she stepped onto a world-class stage, until she watched as she soared to the end of her dreams, whether she would break, give up, or never look back.

This could truly be called a complete story.

Right now, it didn’t even qualify as an ending without resolution.

Xu Ling didn’t believe this would be her idol’s ending. She eagerly refreshed the official website of “Dazzling Stage,” wanting to know the latest updates as soon as possible.

It seemed that fate was smiling upon her; she didn’t have to wait long before refreshing the site and finding the latest announcement.

It was a link that went straight to the Countermeasures Bureau’s official website.

The Countermeasures Bureau, also known as the Counter-Magic Bureau, was a disaster relief organization recently announced by the world government. It was responsible for managing, training, and assisting magical girls, as well as participating in special task forces for disaster response.

The relationship between “Dazzling Stage” and the Countermeasures Bureau was well known, but information related to Chu Yuanqing made it even more significant.

This immediately made anyone who clicked on the official website realize the seriousness of the issue.

Xu Ling continued to click, and what appeared was a special file that required entering an ID number, which could only be viewed after verification.

After successfully unlocking it, there was a striking photo.

In the image, Chu Yuanqing’s hair was snow-colored, her eyes were golden, and she sat on a throne in a hall with a mirrored floor. Her gradient gray skirt looked lonely as she looked down, and there was a fire burning in her gaze.

Dazzling, pure, and proud.

Below were a few short lines of text.

Name: Chu Yuanqing.

Resume: A magical girl with two months of active duty.

Combat Assessment: Chief of Staff.

Honorary Titles: Pure White Witch, ■■, ■■■, ■■■■■■.

Active Status: Resting at a secret base to suppress the riots of ■■■, ■■■■, ■■■, ■■■, and will return to idol activities in a week.