"Keke!"

The palace suddenly began to shift, and not only did the entire Mirror Kingdom turn pitch black.

Disaster Beasts began to appear around them, causing everything in the Mirror Kingdom to become chaotic and disordered.

Silver Lotus and Keke both immediately transformed into Magical Girls.

However, Silver Lotus jumped once and discovered a problem.

"I can't fly, Keke!"

"Me neither."

The two girls could only tightly hold each other's hands, and then Keke immediately conjured a large fireball above them.

Disaster Beasts were charging towards the crowd, but there was no sound at all.

Flames mixed with cherry blossoms, engulfing the surrounding Disaster Beasts, yet there was no tangible feeling of actually killing the beasts.

Moreover, the people around them seemed somewhat transparent. Silver Lotus reached out to touch them and found that these people passed right through her hand.

"Are we... dead?" Keke immediately asked beside her, a chill running down her spine. "Is this the underworld?"

"Don't talk nonsense..."

Just as Silver Lotus was also feeling unsure and her whole body was turning cold, the two of them ran and ran, finally seeing a mirror.

A familiar figure appeared in the mirror.

"Yueji!"

Silver Lotus did not hurriedly reveal the joy and relief of meeting an acquaintance. Instead, she grew even more vigilant. "Why are you here?"

Keke was stunned for a moment, then immediately remembered: that Magical Girl from the Beihai Disaster Control Bureau who had investigated Big Brother back then.

She was also the Magical Girl serving at the Beihai police station. Back before Yiyi's sister died, Yiyi, her, and Yueji had dealt with a bull-headed Disaster Beast together. Yueji's ability was to buff others, which was quite useful.

However, a considerable amount of time had passed since then, and Keke hadn't seen her since, almost forgetting about her.

The yellow-clad Magical Girl just looked somewhat helplessly at her captain. "Your look is a bit hurtful, Captain."

"Are you a Mirror Kingdom Alice who infiltrated the Disaster Control Bureau?" Silver Lotus gritted her teeth. "Traitor! Everyone... everyone treated you so sincerely..."

Yueji immediately raised her hands innocently. "Wait, wait, Captain. I also just found out I'm a Mirror Kingdom Alice. I didn't know about this myself before. You were sincere, and I was sincere too. It's not really about being a traitor."

Silver Lotus was dumbfounded. "? Is that so?"

"Why would I lie to you? Anyway, you're imprisoned now." Yueji shrugged. "It wasn't until recently that the Mirror Kingdom recalled me and awakened my memories as an Alice. Otherwise, I wanted to live as an ordinary person for my whole life."

Hearing this, Silver Lotus and Keke, who were originally planning to take action, hesitated.

"Back then, the Mirror Kingdom wasn't unsealed yet. I drifted around, neither human nor ghost, really, really tired. So I deleted my own memories and lived a good life as an ordinary person in the new world. I haven't done anything bad."

"I never thought about serving the Mirror Kingdom again either. I just wanted to live an ordinary life, pursue my own simple happiness. Even as a Magical Girl, as a police officer, I helped many people. Do you think I'm wrong, Captain?"

Looking at her teammate she had fought alongside numerous times, Silver Lotus turned to Keke with a pleading look. Keke then asked, "How do we know if what you're saying is true or false?"

Yueji dug a chip out from her own forehead. "The advantage of An Shiyu lies in the data visualization of memories. As long as you look at my memories, you'll know whether I'm lying or not."

"No matter what, you're imprisoning us now..."

"I am an Alice, an Alice of the Mirror Kingdom. Once summoned, I cannot disobey. It's the underlying code of an Alice. But fortunately, the Mirror Kingdom's order is only to secretly imprison you, not to harm you."

Yueji held her chip and knelt down. "Just be imprisoned for a while, Captain, and little sister Keke. As long as you stay here quietly for a while, I can leave the Mirror Kingdom and return to the new world to continue my life. You know, my parents only have me left. I have to take care of them. I don't want to die either, I don't want to lose my past life."

Her tone was sincere, making Keke and Silver Lotus feel somewhat helpless for a moment.

A surge of anger rose in Silver Lotus's heart. If the Prince had been planning this from the start when contacting her and Keke, wanting to use Yueji to safely imprison them—neither angering Jiang Si nor failing to utilize Jiang Si...

Then she was truly both disappointed and angry with the Prince!

Mana gathered in Keke's hand, flames bloomed in the darkness, and the glass in front of them began to melt. "We won't kill you. We'll just knock you out, then we'll take you out! Don't worry, leave it to us."

Silver Lotus naturally nodded behind Keke.

She didn't know when it started, but between the two of them, Keke was making decisions more and more often, and she was acting according to Keke's words more and more.

Keke really was more suited to be captain.

However, Yueji just hung her head dejectedly, with a hint of a sob in her voice. "Unless you kill me, you can't get out. The Mirror Kingdom considered this from the very beginning... Please, I really... I just want to survive. I want to go back and see Mom and Dad..."

"No matter what," Keke's heart softened for an instant, but she still said, "Let us try first."

"Alice Self-Defense System..."

Yueji stood up. Her originally tearful, laughing expression gradually began to change, becoming stiff and cold.

As she chanted "Self-Defense System" and took out her Magic Wand.

A javelin silently exploded red and white at her temple!

Glass shattered noisily all over the floor. The Alice Yueji hidden in the mirror tumbled out.

Keke and Silver Lotus both looked around in confusion before spotting the Magical Girl holding the javelin not far away.

The same Magical Outfit, but with black and white color patterns. The same face, but appearing more youthful. Relatively shorter in height. The whole person looked like a younger Yueji!

What was even more noticeable was the other's eerily pale skin and the strange white horn extending from her forehead!

"Two Yuejis?"

Even though her head was pierced, Alice Yueji still struggled to get up. Looking at her other self not far away, her originally stiff, cold expression broke into a smile. "Damn it, you're still alive."

The slightly eerie Magical Girl took out a phone, on which standard Songti font text flashed.

"I will absolutely not die before you die, thief."

"Thief is too harsh, isn't it? Your parents abandoned you voluntarily. It has nothing to do with me. You're blaming the wrong person. And taking action now... that's too much, right? There were plenty of opportunities before."

"The Sect Master said, play the long game."

Yueji held the phone in one hand, displaying various texts, conversing fluently with the other, while twirling the javelin with her other hand.

The nervous Silver Lotus, with magic of the same color, walked to An Shiyu Yueji's side. "Don't... don't kill anyone again. You're still young. You're seventeen this year, still a child."

"Still plenty big enough," An Shiyu Yueji, with a javelin poking her forehead, wasn't angry either, just said with a smile, "But your parents will probably be very sad, you know. Look at your appearance, you look more like An Shiyu than I do, World Ghost. Mom and Dad won't recognize you."

Losing the daughter they raised for twenty years, they might cry very sadly. Just thinking about it makes me feel so sad for them.

"No need for you to worry."

Yueji smashed down hard, blowing her head apart. "I won't go back."

Then she summoned javelin after javelin, bombarding the area over and over.

"Wait..." Silver Lotus called out somewhat at a loss, feeling confused for a moment.

However, Yueji didn't pay her any mind, just looked at Keke. After curiously sizing her up, she revealed a warm smile.

As if she wasn't the same person who had just been whipping a corpse.

"Follow me."

......

Heaven and Earth are not humane, treating the myriad things as straw dogs.

The transformation catchphrase of Shion, known by everyone, known by all.

When these words resounded throughout the entire palace, even the lofty music seemed to be suppressed.

An Shiyu and Susan both looked at Jiang Si with bewilderment and some confusion. The people around were mostly shocked.

The Prince especially tightly clenched her palm.

Her fingertips almost pierced through her palm. The crushed petal fragments she had ground up drifted down bit by bit as she stared at the youth, waiting for the purple, overwhelming mana to erupt.

She waited a full two or three minutes. Even the climax of the music had passed, gradually becoming soothing, yet Jiang Si still held the Miracle Seed on the stage without any change.

"Daring to bluff us!"

Someone shouted from below.

Many girls also whispered to each other, clearly with some mockery.

The Prince's blood-red pupils also melted slightly, revealing a trace of confusion from beneath the ice.

For a moment, she truly doubted herself.

Just as everyone began to suspect whether Jiang Si was bluffing.

They saw Jiang Si nod. "Hmm, said the transformation line wrong. Sorry."

The entire palace fell silent for an instant.

Susan in the front almost fell off her chair. An Shiyu beside her covered her mouth, as if something had been poked, laughing uncontrollably, looking utterly delighted.

More angry curses and boos rang out.

Until Jiang Si spoke again:

"Dragon as space, moon as time."

Dark mana and golden curses began to emanate from his body. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

The Prince beside him was forced to step back.

Huge dragon wings slowly unfurled, giving a sense of majestic grandeur that could conceal the heavens and blot out the sun!

"[Qiankun Dragon Chant Moon]

"Transform."

The dragon wings contracted, instantly becoming a small cluster.

When the small black and golden light dispersed, a black and golden Magical Girl was reflected in the Prince's blood-red pupils.

Almost dyeing her pupils a brilliant gold as well.

Then, they saw Shion extend her right hand. The petite palm took on a somewhat dragon-claw posture, then suddenly clenched towards the outside of the palace!

Golden curses instantly crawled all over the entire palace!

Those who had just been cursing and booing immediately shrank back. Some spoke in bewilderment and confusion:

"H-how... how is it really Lady Shion?"

"Wait, why is the Sect Master a boy?"

"It's over, Taotao, what do we do? I laughed along just now..."

"Don't worry, you're next, Xiami."

"Holy crap holy crap holy crap! I'm leaving, quick, let's go, I didn't see anything!"

"Sit down!"

"Can first place in the Sect Competition be a get-out-of-jail-free card?"

"I have the highest contribution points, can I apologize first?"

"Then I'm first in public fund embezzlement..."

"Run! It's impossible to survive. That's the legendary Shion..."

"Just... just as long as I can leave this place...!"

After a moment of dead silence, the entire palace became noisy again!

Suddenly, hundreds and thousands of people cried out, hundreds and thousands wailed, hundreds and thousands kowtowed. In the midst of it all were the sounds of plastic white chairs collapsing and toppling, shattering sounds, tearing sounds, sizzling water sounds—hundreds and thousands of sounds happening simultaneously. Those trying to escape, those blocking people, those apologizing, those begging for mercy, the chattering, chirping sounds were like a ghost wedding scene, with cries for mercy, cries for money, cries for forgiveness all ringing together.

It was so noisy it made one's heart restless and mind disordered.

Until the black and golden girl spoke: "Satisfied?"

All sounds ceased.

The Prince stared dazedly at the golden curses covering the palace. She wasn't surprised, nor angry, nor taken aback.

Quiet, as if everything was as it should be.

After a long time, hearing Shion's question, she finally closed her eyes.

A gust of wind blew up petals, which now seemed like needles one after another, brushing past her side, bringing with them dense waves of stinging pain.

When the corners of her mouth uncontrollably drooped downward, the Prince stubbornly tugged at her lips.

Forcing out a smile.

Knowing that needles piercing the skin would hurt, having made mental preparations to endure the pain, to bear the pain.

But when they really pierced down, all preparations seemed pale and powerless.

She couldn't catch her breath, couldn't muster strength. The blood-red in her eyes spread in circles, almost dyeing her entire eye sockets and corners red.

The proud Prince, the noble Mirror Queen, just chuckled softly, as if everything was still under control.

She took a slight step back, letting her left leg act like a support, so her body wouldn't sway.

Dignity, dignity, dignity...

But the usual method of narrowing her eyes to exert pressure couldn't be used.

She could only try her best to open her eyelids wide. After sniffing, she maintained an arrogant and contemptuous smile. "How foolish, Shion. You really fell for it, didn't you? Now, everyone knows your identity."

The Witch Association, the Disaster Control Bureau, the old world—she had invited people from almost every organization.

Transforming under everyone's gaze, from now on, Shion's identity would no longer be a secret!

She bit her lips hard, as if finally grasping a victory that would allow her to hold her head high proudly!

Shion looked at her, didn't speak either, just waved her dragon tail.

Chanting softly: "The human path is vast and vague, the immortal path is boundless and obscure."

The Prince's pupils contracted sharply as she looked towards the guests below.

An Shiyu was still wondering what Shion meant when Susan beside her suddenly stood up:

"The human path is vast and vague—"

Before she could react, she saw more and more people standing up, densely packed!

Among them were quite a few girls who had just been scolding Jiang Si for making a scene. Now they stood up, bewildered and fearful.

Then with expressions about to cry, bitter and remorseful, they all opened their mouths following Susan:

"—the immortal path is boundless and obscure!"

Tables crashed noisily. Many people from the Witch Association and the old world who were still in their seats, trying to maintain their last shred of dignity, fell to the ground. They looked at the Magical Girls reciting poetry in front of them with bewilderment and terror!

Then, an even more resounding and solemn voice followed Shion's lines, ringing out again: "The ghost path delights, yet the human gate is life!"

Ear-splitting voices, perfectly synchronized, soared straight into the clouds amidst the golden curses!

"The immortal path values life, saving immeasurable people!"

Then they heard a huge sound coming from outside. An Shiyu immediately poked her head to look outside.

She saw a dark mass of people outside also standing up in a huge crowd!

All the voices merged, finally converging into a loud and majestic chorus reciting in unison!

"Only wishing the heavenly path to be accomplished, not desiring the human path to be exhausted."

"All heavens' energy vast and mighty, our path daily prospers and thrives!"

The voices resounded through the skies, their momentum like a rainbow, so much that the Prince staggered slightly under this overwhelming, mountain-toppling, sea-draining force!

All the remaining Witch Association members and old world people were now sitting limply on the ground, their legs trembling, staring blankly at this Azure Cloud Sect team-building event, muttering in a daze:

"It's over, it's over, completely over..."

Even Mùjǐn couldn't help but emerge from within An Shiyu. Looking at the groups of Azure Cloud disciples and the serious Susan beside her, she couldn't help but sigh with emotion.

"Invincible. I'm really impressed by you guys! Such a grand spectacle. If I didn't know better, I'd think you really came for your own boss's wedding..."

Before she could finish, An Shiyu firmly pressed her back in.

Seeing the gazes of the other Azure Cloud Sect Magical Girls gather over, An Shiyu could only smile awkwardly, bow, and nod, looking apologetic.

And the Mirror Queen on the stage now slightly parted her cherry lips, her pupils trembling violently.

As the recitation ended, multicolored magical light lit up, instantly turning the majestic palace into a dance hall under neon lights.

She looked at Shion, then at the Azure Cloud disciples scattered everywhere behind her.

Finally, she laughed out loud.

Under everyone's gaze, she laughed more and more intensely, no longer caring about any royal dignity or etiquette. She even bent over slightly, holding her stomach, laughing so hard that tears almost came out.

"You calculated it so well, Shion. The Witch Association and old world members I invited were actually all replaced by Azure Cloud Sect Magical Girls."

As she spoke, the Prince straightened up, wiping her tears. "You did really well."

She even clapped her hands. The laughter gradually subsided.

"I lost."

Although it was utterly silent, she seemed to hear mockery and ridicule.

It had been a long time.

Long-forgotten memories surged up uncontrollably.

Also in the palace. Also on a stage.

A performance and contest designed to make her lose face. Her mother's scolding. The ridicule of siblings. Those gazes and expressions.

Vividly before her eyes, painfully etched into her bones and heart.

After that, the Mirror Kingdom was destroyed. She escaped alone, clinging to life in the cracks.

During the long stretch of time, no one talked with her, no systematic conversations. Only herself, soberly waiting in the empty, dead, silent crevice, enduring torment.

The driving force that kept her going was that failure engraved in her heart, and the disgrace that couldn't be washed away, making her think about it day and night!

Extreme self-esteem allowed her to easily endure the long, lonely, and bitter life alone.

Her pride, her dignity, absolutely would not allow her to fail and never have another chance to reclaim victory!

Therefore, she had to survive, to restore the kingdom, and accomplish what everyone in the Mirror Kingdom couldn't. She would conquer the new world, lead the Mirror Kingdom beyond this world!

She would become the Mirror Kingdom's most insignificant king, completely erasing the disgrace and unwillingness that had tormented her!

That was how it should have been...

She raised her head, still like a swan that never lowered its head, her fair neck taut.

As if using all her strength to support her lofty pride from falling to the ground.

"But, it's not over yet, Shion. Don't think you've won."

"You don't really think I'm stupid enough to reveal your identity in the palace, do you?"

She sneered, suddenly pressing a button on her bracelet. "This place is a Heart Image Remnant that could collapse at any moment! Just like this, I can make it completely crumble!"

The entire palace's appearance changed!

It actually transformed into a broken Heart Image Remnant, floating in spatial turbulence. As the Mirror Queen pressed the button, it shook within the spatial turbulence.

Even the spatial turbulence stirred up a storm!

Mùjǐn below immediately shouted, "Everyone, be careful!"

After all, she came from a Heart Image Remnant herself. She was all too clear about the current situation!

The fusion and rejection of Personal Reality and the world, causing spatial collapse and chaos.

The resulting destruction was even more terrifying than natural disasters!

However, not a single Azure Cloud Sect disciple moved. They still stood tall and orderly. Some held down the Witch Association and old world members beside them, as if completely unconcerned about the Heart Image Remnant's collapse.

"Show some awareness! Don't expect Shion to save you all by herself..."

She originally wanted to angrily scold these people not to trouble Shion, but seeing the Heart Image Remnant shake once, the surrounding golden curses would flash once. Shake, flash. Shake, flash...

The Heart Image Remnant stubbornly showed no sign of breaking.

Susan gave Mùjǐn a strange look. The utterly embarrassed Mùjǐn immediately retracted her head, handing her body over to An Shiyu.

"S-sorry, I... I was just worried about everyone..."

Feeling somewhat indignant internally about her senior's embarrassing behavior, An Shiyu still obediently and carefully apologized.

Fortunately, everyone's attention wasn't really here.

They were all looking at the two on the main stage.

The Mirror Queen blinked forcefully now, casually throwing away the bracelet in her hand.

This was originally a matching couple's bracelet with Jiang Si.

"Don't think this is my only backup plan."

She still stubbornly lifted her head. "I have plenty of backup plans. Take your Azure Cloud Sect and get out immediately. Otherwise, don't blame me for being unkind regarding your sister's safety!"

To safely capture Keke, she had even activated an Alice who had been missing in Beihai for years.

Using a Beihai Disaster Control Bureau colleague to trap Keke was the perfect choice.

Magical Girls valued feelings most. They wouldn't kill Alice Yueji, wouldn't harm Keke either, wouldn't anger Shion while still forcing his retreat with this backup plan...

[Alert: An Shiyu Yueji has completely ceased activity. Keke and Silver Lotus are currently leaving the independent space under the protection of the real Yueji.]

The palace was deathly silent and terrifying.

As if something was shattering, or as if some heavy object was pressing down from above bit by bit.

Pressing down on that swan-like girl, bit by bit, almost making her unable to lift her head.

Strength, strategy, self-respect, pride.

Everything that constituted her seemed like glass.

Her lips gradually frayed between her pearly white teeth, fresh blood dripping from the corners of her mouth drop by drop.

Wanting to grab something, grab her last, tiny bit of dignity and pride.

Not wanting to be trampled into mud...

"The matter of dissolving the engagement, I can stop mentioning it."

Then they heard the Azure Cloud Sect's Sect Master say indifferently, "Three days."

The originally silent Prince looked up, bewildered, at the girl whose face was breathtakingly beautiful. She slightly tilted her head, averting her gaze. "What?"

"Three days from now. If you can defeat me, then you can dissolve the engagement with me. If you lose, whether as slave or servant, it will be up to you."

The Prince's tongue swept over her lips and teeth. The sweet, metallic blood, the bitten flesh, the pain was like an anesthetic, instead making her feel a bit of relief.

"Ha."

She laughed once. "Dissolve the engagement? Right, you've always wanted to dissolve the engagement with me."

The Prince took out the marriage contract.

The contract signed with Simo Tu and her own name, crumpled and wrinkled, but still intact.

"No need for three days later!" As if grabbing onto that last little bit of support, she propped up her body, so that the existence named Itaen wouldn't be trampled and melted away in shame. "And no need for you to dissolve it!"

"It is I, Itaen, who divorces you today!"