Chapter 393: A World Without Chu Yuanqing

The world froze in place.

On the performance stage, the Shining Magic and the disaster aura cocoon instantly evaporated. The sunflower, which had parasitized Chu Wang Shu’s soul in the form of a Lantern Elf, was also dissolved and refined by the Void, breaking free from the Disaster group’s control and transforming into an unclaimed power.

Thus, silently and imperceptibly, Chu Wang Shu replaced the sunflower and became the true thirteenth Calamity God — the Son of Mankind — severing all connections with the Disaster group through the power of the Void.

From that moment, her will regained freedom. The other twelve Calamity Gods, who had partly replenished their powers through sacrifice, were also absorbed by the Son of Mankind, merging within this body’s infinite potential, continuously evolving and solidifying as all that belonged to Chu Wang Shu.

“Now, you are free.”

Chu Yuanqing stood in an isolated dimension. Around her flowed endless tides faintly glowing with white light. Dark shadows loomed behind her like a solitary island woven from billions of worlds.

Her left arm, right leg, and nearly half her waist had turned into fragments of black dust. The skin at the joints showed no blood, only cracks like those on delicate porcelain dolls.

The cherry blossom tree that the shrine maiden had gifted materialized from her soul and took root in the tides. She leaned against it as softly falling petals shimmered with dazzling radiance.

Cracks spread across Chu Yuanqing’s exquisite face, rendering her fragile and solitary. Her sole remaining golden eye stared through the void dimension, vigilantly watching over those frozen around the stage — Little Shu, Charlotte, Liuli, Miyuki, Little Xuan…

The Power of the Titan had granted her a chance to control her own existence.

Chu Yuanqing did not choose amplification but weakening instead. By doing so, she returned to the future dream where she had been nearly completely swallowed by the Void. Using that experience, she recreated a miracle with the Void.

The cherry blossom tree Miyuki had given ensured she would not be swallowed immediately afterward.

The girl’s vision blurred. Her dense eyelashes drooped, half her face obscured by white hair. Black mud fell from her hollow eye sockets, and the last golden eye, coated in dust, slowly dimmed. She whispered softly, as if in a dream:

“I really want… to hold you all again.”

Splash, splash.

Amid the ebb and flow of the tide, no breeze was willing to carry this wish. The ancient and towering cherry blossom tree slowly withered. The figure beneath it quietly fell asleep. A strand of white light peeled away, passed through the dimension of the Void, and merged with Chu Wang Shu’s soul.

Suddenly, the darkness faded.

The world’s colors blossomed vividly once more.

Chu Wang Shu stood confused at the center of the stage. She looked at her equally stunned teammates. The audience below continued to cheer as if the performance had just ended. Her mind seemed fragmented; she felt disoriented for a moment.

“Little Shu, are you okay?”

Charlotte disregarded the audience and immediately hugged her dear, dear daughter. She skillfully turned off her daughter’s headset, pinched her cheek gently, leaned in with worry, and asked,

“Is the sunflower still in your soul? That Lantern Elf was a bad thing disguised as the Calamity God! You mustn’t be fooled by it.”

The Last Diva wore a gorgeous, sparkling gown. Her charming, cute face was full of maternal concern. Her gradient-colored gem-like eyes brimmed with worry, nervously watching her sweet daughter gradually regain herself. Chu Wang Shu’s clear eyes blinked as her small hands fidgeted, checking if anything was wrong.

Chu Wang Shu returned to consciousness, shy and ashamed. She glanced at the audience below but did not want to push away her caring mother. Her memories now synced with reality — she realized the sunflower had deceived her and that Charlotte’s Shining Magic had saved her.

“Mom, I’m really okay. Let’s leave the stage first. The other performers still need to go on.”

Xie Qingxuan, Tang Liuli, and Kirimi Miyuki, three little idols, along with Dorothy, Xie Qing Yu, and Elise, three magical girls, were all in a haze of confusion.

In their memories, the performance had ended just as Chu Wang Shu was enveloped in thick disaster aura, pushing the three idols away. Then Charlotte’s Shining Magic followed, and several magical girls appeared on stage.

In the magical girls’ memories, the enemies they had struggled to defeat all suddenly committed suicide one by one, transforming into streams of light that surged into the sky. Upon returning, they saw this very scene.

The entire process lasted less than 30 seconds — not even long enough for the audience to fully release the intense emotions evoked by the brilliant performance they had just witnessed.

At that moment, the super AI, connected to the live performance, surveyed the entire city as it transitioned from precariousness and impending destruction to restored peace and harmony, feeling that everything had gone remarkably smoothly.

Esther had no time to feel emotional. She managed the casualties, kept information secret, guided public opinion, lifted the highest alert, arranged various miscellaneous tasks, and helped the magical girls gathered on stage to leave, allowing the performance to continue temporarily.

Thus, the audience’s eagerly anticipated “surprise” segment ended without result, but the next group of little idols’ wonderful performance quickly diverted everyone’s attention, letting them temporarily bury the earlier incident in their hearts.

In the backstage resting room, a very worried Mama Charlotte was still examining her precious daughter’s body. After questioning her thoroughly inside and out, and confirming that her little darling was not disguised as Sunflower, she reluctantly felt reassured.

Xie Qingxuan had already removed her Magic Armor. She sat silently at the edge of the sofa, her calm and cold brows showing no emotion. Stars twinkled in her dark pupils, as if she was thinking about something. She said nothing, appearing distant and indifferent.

Tang Liuli curled up in a single armchair like a sleeping cat. The hem of her skirt was flipped behind her hips, and she didn’t bother to smooth it out. Her bangs scattered across her forehead, and her dense eyelashes drooped low, obscuring her green eyes. The tear mole at the corner of her eye was hidden in her black hair, radiating a gloomy yet enchanting atmosphere.

The girl wanted to sleep. Everything had been very strange today. She had barely been on stage, yet both her Flower of the Soul and magic felt as if they had been drained in one go, leaving her extremely listless.

Yet she couldn’t fall asleep. Those few restless, inexplicable, and illogical thoughts wandered back and forth in her mind like searching for the loose end of a ball of yarn, turning her heart upside down. They tangled with sleepiness, making her feel irritated.

After Kirimi Miyuki had cared for Chu Wang Shu and confirmed that her teammate was fine, she began her habitual review. She pulled up the replay video to see if there were any shortcomings in her performance, but her concentration was poor. She watched it several times, only for her thoughts to drift away repeatedly without focus.

The girl with cherry-pink eyes looked somewhat lonely. She suppressed her irritability, pulled out the music score from her tablet, and stared blankly at the notes, feeling no trace of joy or sense of accomplishment after the stage.

Chu Wang Shu sat obediently on the sofa, her thoughts also wandering. But hearing Charlotte mumble about taking her to the headquarters later to use the [Planetarium] for another test made her feel especially warm inside.

Suddenly, the girl thought of something. She lifted the corner of her mouth, her eyes shining brightly as she looked at the other person, changing the subject and asking,

“Mom, how was my performance this time?”

But just as she spoke, it felt as if some switch was flipped in her mind. Her heart suddenly throbbed painfully, and a long-suppressed terror, long separated from the world, surged all over her mind like a storm, stiffening her smile. Tears fell suddenly like broken pearls, plopping softly as they scattered.

“So strange, why am I crying?”

Chu Wang Shu froze for a moment, wiping away her tears in confusion.

Why? She had no reason to be sad.

Although she was very unhappy about being deceived by Sunflower, feeling the sting of betrayal by a good friend, they had spent only a few days together. Once she saw clearly that the other was bad from the beginning, all that remained inside her was regret, anger, and guilt for troubling everyone.

The little girl wiped her tears under the worried gazes of others and said she was fine. She worked hard to compose herself, lifting the corners of her lips into a bright smile, explaining:

“Maybe… maybe it’s because I’m too excited about the upcoming debut. When I think carefully, after I debut, I’ll be able to call myself an idol. It feels like a dream.”

Chu Wang Shu spoke somewhat absentmindedly. She had grown up in an orphanage, receiving government relief. Thanks to excellent grades, a private school awarded her a large scholarship and waived her tuition, so she hadn’t worried about life.

But a few months ago, after being admitted to Sea City Art University through recommendation, she had to start considering college expenses. At the same time, she encountered the “Dazzling Stage” trainee recruitment and, with some hope and plans to work a summer job, participated in the audition.

Now, having come this far, she had not only learned the truth about the world and become a magical girl about to debut, but also miraculously reunited with her biological mother, who was her peer in age.

If she disregarded the trickery by Sunflower, her journey so far had been remarkably smooth and fortunate.

So… was this why she was crying?

The third performance was a milestone. Whether as a magical girl or officially debuting as an idol, from now on, the path would gradually unfold, drawing a clear line from her past life, opening a brand-new trajectory for her, and embracing a future unlike anyone else’s.

Chu Wang Shu tried to convince herself this way, and her tears gradually stopped.

Charlotte gently comforted her little darling. Her smile was always warm and full of passion, like a Rose Eden soaked in fragrance or a rainbow captured in the eye after rain, bringing joy and surprise to the world.

No abnormality, no suspicion, no doubt, and no extra emotions—everything was just as usual, steady and full of expectation.

Elsewhere, Xie Qingxuan slowly came back to herself. Little Sakura put down the music score, took the sleepy Liuli Cat’s hand, and they started discussing the group name for their debut together, gradually forgetting the previous strangeness and regaining laughter.

Charlotte stayed a while longer, then, along with Dorothy, Xie Qing Yu, Elise, Ji Qianju, and others, patrolled throughout Sea City to ensure no disaster aura remained. After capturing any stragglers, Dream Weaver Rabbit arranged for those in shelters to return to the city one by one.

Time flowed as group after group of little idols took the stage to perform. Because nearly half of the idol teams here had members who could use [Heart Flow], the atmosphere was excellent.

Midway, Dream Weaver Rabbit also announced the names of the debutants who would become magical girls, delivering major news that made the voting competition even more intense and exciting. After a lot of commotion, the contest concluded at dusk with winners determined and the curtain falling.

Chu Wang Shu’s team lived up to expectations. Amid fans’ cheers, they bathed in golden ribbon rain, achieved first place, earned the debut opportunity, and the cameras captured this glorious moment.

Thus, the three performances concluded perfectly.

What was even more delightful was that the Supreme Disaster Beasts, Apostles, and Bishops all mobilized in full force, yet not only did they fail to accomplish the Disaster group’s conspiracy, they were all annihilated in this operation. Even Sea City, the main battlefield, did not suffer significant damage.

It could be said that compared with the Disaster group’s reckless all-in strategy, the collapsed streets in Sea City, casualties fewer than a hundred, and half-day work stoppage causing economic losses were negligible.

Both Esther and the Supreme Council felt this victory was surreal.

The Countermeasures Bureau had never expected the Disaster group to be so mad, and had been perfectly led along by their rhythm. Under such conditions, victory was already a blessing, and the fact that no magical girl suffered any casualties sounded like a fairy tale.

But it was true. After restraining the urge to pop champagne, the Countermeasures Bureau kept tight control over the overall situation, suspecting the Disaster group might still have hidden cards.

At the initial meeting, everyone wanted the four captain-level witches to remain in Sea City for a while, but after discussion, they realized that would be a waste of resources and thus recalled everyone to their original posts.

At the same time, someone woke to the current situation and proposed in the council:

“Since the vast majority of the Disaster group’s forces have been eliminated, can we slow down the severely accelerated pace of Dazzling Stage to increase the success rate of our plan?”

“Indeed, two months is still too rushed. Our earlier proposal might have been too pessimistic.”

When Chu Yuanqing’s traces were swallowed by the Void, the high command began to entertain hopeful visions about the limits of Pure White.

Many believed that with the Disaster group weakening, there was no need to worry about the world entering war prematurely, and Dazzling Stage could proceed at a normal pace.

Esther was silent for a moment. A fleeting glimmer passed through her crimson eyes as she retorted,

“Don’t forget, we still don’t know how long Pure White can hold out. It’s good that Dazzling Stage is moving fast, but if it slows down and something unexpected happens, we will have no room for error.”

The topic was briefly passed over.

The head of the Countermeasures Bureau of the Donghong Federation then proposed,

“For world-class Shining Magic, it’s best to have two Beacons. I think it’s necessary to select a suitable candidate from the new generation of magical girls.”

The Supreme Council’s discussion continued.

Meanwhile, Charlotte and Chu Wang Shu hurriedly said their goodbyes and left to attend their third show in Vienna.

Esther gave the advancing teams a two-day holiday, requiring them to fill out forms during this time. The forms covered topics like girl groups, songs, music videos, dance, music style, image design, debut songs, and other demands, which would then be discussed and negotiated with the producers hired by Dazzling Stage.

Xie Qingxuan, Kirimi Miyuki, and Tang Liuli temporarily gathered in a café in Zhelong Town (owned by Liuli).

As for Chu Wang Shu…

She chose to return home first.