Chapter 376: The Prophecy Poem; Luckily, It’s Not You Who Is Forgotten

The next day.

Chu Wang Shu, Tang Liuli, Xie Qingxuan, and Kirimi Miyuki, led by Esther, traveled through the Intracastral Sea and returned to the Violet Academy of the Ideal State, beginning to rearrange the dance music for the upcoming performance using time proportions.

The message of the Beast of Love, the gluttonous apostle Beelzebub, was reported during the daytime, drawing great attention from the Countermeasures Bureau, followed by discussions in the Supreme Council.

Esther received permission to dispatch two captain-level leaders and five fully Bloomed magical girls from the four recently suppressed and temporarily low-risk restricted zones: Amahl, King of Salt, Youmir, and Tenno-Gochu, to Sea City.

Based on the vast intelligence shared by Tang Liuli, all dispatched individuals were specially selected for their suitability, gathering elites who mastered the Mortal Realm Barrier and possessed reconnaissance abilities rivaling concept powers inherent in their Patronus Magic.

Among the captain-level leaders sent were:

Dragon Witch, Elise.

Witch of Relief, Ji Qianju.

String Witch, Xie Qing Yu.

Elise’s ability was straightforward: she could be regarded as a legendary dragon in human form. If she sacrificed her life to activate Full Power Mode, she could even further awaken magic that forcibly transformed all abnormalities into dragons and stole control over them.

Ji Qianju, also known as Golden Bowl, had recently been promoted within the Ideal State and was the most junior captain. Her performance during the suppression of the Amahl restricted zone had been less than satisfactory.

However, this did not indicate weak strength.

Golden Bowl was revered as the Sacred Flower in India, used to adorn temples. Its floral symbolism was of hopeful happiness and the pain of parting; according to legend, it was the flower that announced the Virgin Mary’s pregnancy, also carrying the meaning of relief.

Ji Qianju’s Patronus Magic was called “Prophecy of Relief.” She could predict the future randomly three times a day and could make one targeted prediction about the outcome of a specific event.

Simultaneously, she could convert the information from her prophecies into Fruit of Salvation, which—depending on the prophecy’s value—granted those who consumed the fruit potent healing nearly equivalent to resurrection, along with various random luck enhancements.

Before Elise was healed by Chu Yuanqing, the Countermeasures Bureau pinned their hopes on this Witch of Relief reaching Full Bloom to attempt a magical miracle that would reverse degeneration.

Moreover, Fruit of Salvation could also be used offensively in combat. It could manifest as damaging vine-like attacks akin to vampire vines, while drastically reducing the enemy’s luck.

Regarding the severity of misfortune inflicted: the mildest could make a disaster beast fall flat on the ground, while the strongest could cause a disaster beast to choke on water—a somewhat uncanny manipulation of fate.

Furthermore, even if the prophecy poems were consumed, they would form lasting records. When a magic domain was activated, the poems were forged into the Golden Temple, providing very strong protective effects.

Overall, Ji Qianju was an exceptionally excellent support figure: capable of healing, defending, predicting, and even boosting luck. Unfortunately, Amahl’s authority was brokenly powerful; it could bypass the Golden Temple and even turn teammates against each other, causing her operations to be extremely frustrating.

There was no need to elaborate about Xie Qing Yu. She was called the String Witch and was somewhat related to playing various debuff notes on a guitar, but not extensively.

The real reason was that all captain ranks had to devise a titling prefix. Little Yu, being poor at naming, confidently wrote “Rock Witch” on the report, but was promptly stopped by Violet and the others, who forced her to alter it to the current title.

These three captain-level witches, accompanied by five others each skilled in their unique area, temporarily formed the Sea City Guard. This configuration was even more extraordinary than the setup stationed within any single restricted zone.

At the outer ring of Sea City,

inside a quaint and quaintly styled café, eight magical girls gathered.

After a brief exchange and meeting, the non-captain magical girls went out to execute their mission, leaving only the three captains behind.

Ji Qianju removed her hat, letting her golden hair cascade down. The tips were dyed in a gradient of yellow-brown, and the eye color hidden by the magical array returned to bright yellow.

The girl’s attire reflected a trendy, idol-like stylishness with a spicy flair. Her slender waist was fully exposed; her skin was fair and delicate, and the elegant lines beside her vertical navel were visible, completely concealing any trace of the severe injury she had sustained yesterday.

She looked at Elise, who was sitting across from her and staring at a strawberry parfait, and smiled as she said,

“Let me introduce myself. I’m Ji Qianju from Daxia; we’ve added each other as friends.”

Elise’s naturally curly gray hair was tied back into a single ponytail that maintained a well-shaped form. She wore a youthful and cute stage outfit, as if she had just stepped down from performing; her three-dimensional and tender adorable face still bore makeup.

“Elise Atlant, the other details are written down.”

“I know you, Sister Ji. Can Elise have the parfait? It’s melting away.”

“Of course.”

Ji Qianju was not a monster; she would never take away a child’s right to enjoy ice cream.

Xie Qing Yu sat beside her. She ordered a chocolate sundae and, after the little butterfly’s urging, also ordered a fancy ice cream cone. She looked up and smiled,

“Golden Bowl, it’s been a long time.”

Magical girls also had their own circles. In the Countermeasures Bureau app, there was a special chat section and group chat area, managed in real time by a super AI. Their social interactions were not limited by team or nationality.

Although the app warned against revealing real identities, it was normal for Xie Qing Yu and Ji Qianju—both from the same country and well-known idols—to occasionally see through each other’s disguises, especially when cooperating on missions.

Ji Qianju had no intention to reminisce. Her expression was serious as she said softly,

“Little Yu, I didn’t mention it in front of everyone, but one of today’s three prophecy poems concerns you.”

As her words faded, the dark night swept over the café. Words fell like twinkling stars, weaving together into verses through magic.

[This flower has lost its fragrance.]

[It is like your kiss, which once breathed life into me.]

[The bright colors have faded and no longer shine for you, the only you…]

Its title was “Ode to a Withered Violet.”

Xie Qing Yu fell silent. This was Shelley’s poetry, also the expressive form of the “Prophecy of Relief.” The little butterfly beside her happily rolled in the ice cream cone; hearing this, it lifted its head adorably and immediately ate faster.

The girl lowered her gaze to the Lantern Elf, showing a helpless yet sorrowful smile, quietly whispering to herself,

“Does this mean I will at least pay the cost of [Full Power Mode] in Sea City, or even the cost of [Scatterflowers]?”

One use of [Full Power Mode] meant sacrificing the Lantern Elf.

Two uses of [Full Power Mode] meant sacrificing the future of the witch—a permanent, fixed potential.

After that came burning everything, sacrificing all, causing the magical girl to unleash her strongest and closest state to a miracle—[Scatterflowers].

The violet encouraged,

“Little Yu, don’t be afraid. We won’t lose! This time, we will not only protect Honey Qing but also kill the bad guy who harmed Little Wan!”

The little butterfly was not afraid at all and showed no sign of trembling.

In her simple and cute logic, if Chu Yuanqing had not arrived yesterday, she would have merged with Xie Qing Yu again and disappeared as the cost of [Full Power Mode]. Sacrificing herself for the other felt only natural.

Not to mention, this time the enemy was the Apostle of Gluttony, Beelzebub!

The reason Su Wan died was because of Beelzebub’s flesh; it not only corrupted her body but also twisted her mind with the power of gluttony, forcing her to eat Xu Yan, directly causing mental collapse and subsequent tragedy.

Wiping out those brainwashed followers was far from enough; Beelzebub, as the root cause, must be killed for true revenge.

In a sense, Violet had been born because of Beelzebub. In her eyes, if through her death Little Yu could personally kill the enemy and return to her original self, it would be a worthwhile bargain—a true cycle of cause and effect.

However, Xie Qing Yu did not share this view. She was unwilling to lose Violet’s presence, just as unwilling to lose her teammates.

But even so, there was no reason to retreat.

The girl quickly steadied her emotions, not even waiting for Ji Qianju and Elise nearby to offer comforting words before continuing to ask,

“What about the other two prophecy poems?”

Ji Qianju raised her palm, and the ethereal prophecy book fluttered open, causing the colors in the café to distort and momentarily intertwine to form two poems titled “Facing a Wall” and “Loneliness.”

Xie Qing Yu was silent for a moment, then calmly assessed,

“Judging from your prophecy poems, the Countermeasures Bureau sending us here was the right choice.”

The violet butterfly had finished its ice cream cone. It slipped into the round water ball in Elise’s palm, washed off the ice cream from its body, and perched atop the little girl’s head, cheerfully saying,

“Exactly. If the situation is this bad now that we’ve arrived, it means the future of Sea City would definitely be even more terrifying without us.”

The little butterfly spoke with righteous indignation,

“Teacher Dream Weaver guessed correctly. That group of villains definitely wants to harm Honey Qing. Honey Qing can’t use magic right now, so we must protect her.”

—Chu Yuanqing was being targeted.

This was the core reason the Countermeasures Bureau deployed this Galactic Warship. The trail of the Beast of Love, Beelzebub, and the significance of the three major performances all paled in comparison to the newly appointed Chief of Staff, the Pure White Witch, who was resting and recuperating in Sea City.

The Supreme Council was willing to risk the four forbidden zones erupting in rebellion again, even to risk releasing the Calamity God, but they refused to let this former savior and current Chief of Staff — the Lighthouse — suffer any more injuries.

Therefore, the primary mission of this team was not to defend Sea City or the performance site, but to protect Chu Yuanqing while accomplishing these tasks.

Elise stopped eating her parfait; her expression became serious as she nodded with nervous solemnity:

“Sister Little Yu, Violet, Sister Ji, don’t be afraid. Elise will protect you all.”

The little girl’s words immediately drew affectionate caresses from the two elder sisters, slightly easing the tense atmosphere.

Ji Qianju analyzed,

“‘Facing a Wall’ is easy to understand; it signifies that we face many obstacles ahead, and it won’t be easy to thwart Beelzebub’s schemes.”

“But the meaning of ‘Loneliness’ is not so clear.”

Xie Qing Yu pondered and said,

“This is Nietzsche’s poem, right? Do you think it refers to a specific person or some kind of symbol?”

Elise softly recited a passage,

“And you stand there pale —

Cursed to wander in the winter,

Like gentle smoke,

Always drifting towards the cold air above.”

After finishing, the little girl looked up at the cup, where a small amount of fully melted parfait remained, and asked,

“If it refers to a specific person, who do you all think it might be?”

Ji Qianju responded without hesitation,

“If it refers to a person, then it is most likely Chu Yuanqing.”

“Because if it were merely a symbol, the prophecy poem wouldn’t express our personal feelings so directly. Even when faced with adversity, it would, like Little Yu, plainly speak of withering and death.”

“At present, the only person with enough personal influence to sway the future is the newly appointed Chief of Staff — Chu Yuanqing.”

Elise thought hard and said:

“Sister Chu was indeed very lonely; her teammates had temporarily returned to the Ideal State, and Sister Charlotte had to go back to Vienna tomorrow to prepare for a performance, so she would be alone.”

“So, does this hint that we should never be apart from Sister Chu? That if we separate from her, she will encounter danger?”

Xie Qing Yu nodded and said,

“It is possible, but we originally planned to stay at Teacher Chu’s place and take turns looking after her, so there should be another meaning.”

Ji Qianju did not voice many opinions; her prophetic poem was not absolutely accurate, otherwise it would be a skill that locked cause and effect. What was valuable in it were the clues, and the poem itself could be preserved to serve as the [Fruit of Salvation].

Elise thought for a moment and said,

“Why don’t we call Sister Chu first? We haven’t told her we intend to stay at her house yet.”

At the same time,

In an old neighborhood near the coffee shop,

Chu Yuanqing was slowly attempting to get out of her wheelchair while Miss Saintess was cooking in the kitchen. She pressed her toes down with effort, her arch bent, the muscles in her calves tensed, but suddenly they cramped, sending sharp pain, and she lost strength.

—She failed.

The Pure White Witch accepted this reality; she sat in her wheelchair, calm and emotionless, only a little dazed.

For many years, she had seemingly never experienced such helplessness.

What had once supported her carrying the hopes of many, leading her step by step toward the end, the “immortality,” had finally withered like a dead flower, unable to bloom again.

The girl’s curled eyelashes drooped, fragments of flowing light dissolving, restraining the emotions in her eyes as if to conceal many secrets.

Strangely, in her hallucination, countless black arms wrapped around her limbs, waist, whole body, and face, blocking the brightly lit scene, bringing overwhelming drowsiness.

Chu Yuanqing was accustomed to this. She closed her eyes and felt her consciousness sinking.

Noisy sounds were chaotic and unceasing; the soundtrack of an old film played in her ears, and someone amid the dark tide was playing a broken piano, sharp and decayed notes piercing through continuously, dividing the world into countless fragments.

Blurry, clear, magical, impossible, once happened…

In a daze, she recalled many things.

The boys who died in the City of the Sky, died in the Black Tide, died in the crowd, died in embraces, died amidst ruins, died before the Calamity God—one by one—their corpses piled up like mountains.

As the void spread,

these traces, these pasts, these remains were being gnawed away and consumed, divided by a vulture called the Sea of Truth.

The images in her memory were fragmented, dim, and chaotic, like shattered stained-glass windows, making it difficult to distinguish truth from falsehood.

Chu Yuanqing drowned in illusion; at a certain moment amid the chaotic blankness, she felt a happiness found by shedding all burdens. That comfort pulled at her consciousness like a swamp, causing her to sink bit by bit.

The sea no longer stabbed through flesh, heart, mouth, or nose; it slowly froze into a tormenting blade. The world began to brighten, warm, and become kind, taking away and dissolving worries, loneliness, sorrow, and burdens.

In memory, important, unimportant, cared for, and indifferent things, all slowly faded, but there was no sorrow nor need for sorrow. They were like petals falling to dust, bringing nourishment, granting new life, and opening the future.

Seventeen years of continuous pain, torment, and despair… vanished in an instant, the taste of emptiness flooding her heart, pulling her further down, deeper into a prolonged and tender embrace.

In her dreams, someone sang gently:

—And you stood pale.

—Cursed, to wander in winter,

—Like light smoke,

—Always drawn toward the cold air above.

In reality, the girl slept peacefully.

The afternoon sunlight bathed her in golden rays, imbuing her delicate and fragile face with tranquility and happiness, like a bright oil painting.

On her thigh, her phone vibrated persistently, the sweet and cheerful ringtone playing for a full minute inside the room, yet it remained unanswered before hanging up on its own.

Nothingness formed a thick barrier, making outside sounds feel miles away.

But strangely, faint footsteps echoed clearly in her mind, the joyful voice belonging to Charlotte, her lively intonation breaking through countless obstacles, lingering near her ears:

“Little Qing, are you asleep?”

Chu Yuanqing’s sinking consciousness suddenly revived; like a traveler finding an anchor point in a cold, silent universe, she returned to her body.

The girl tiredly opened her eyes, and before her was Miss Saintess, squatting and seeming to hesitate whether to make a funny face. She groggily called out the other’s name:

“Charlotte.”

“I’m here.”

Charlotte’s eyes curved with a smile, warm and bright. She gently cupped the Pure White Witch’s cheeks with both hands, as if wanting her to better feel her warmth.

The girl’s clear eyes seemed to have the purest blue ice filter; she appeared unaware of anything yet as if knowing everything. Her smile was radiant, softly repeating what had been said many years before:

“I’m here.”

Chu Yuanqing hesitated for a long time, like a child sensing chill, slowly and timidly drew near, carefully embraced her. Her eyelashes drooped, and through her nose she softly uttered an “mm.”

Charlotte did not ask what had happened; she simply held her as usual, chatting quietly.

After a while, she said, “Elise called you but you didn’t answer. You should call her back soon, or else that child might think she’s been disliked.”

Then she said, “The oven in the kitchen has too few functions. I’m going to buy a new one immediately; tonight I want to show off my cooking skills.”

Charlotte’s words were always many, bringing a sense of nostalgia and comfort.

At one moment, she felt as if she was back at the orphanage in Final City, sitting on the rooftop with her, listening to the countless trivial talks that the rooms couldn’t hold, counting the bright stars together.

Thankfully.

The Pure White Witch smiled faintly and whispered to herself.

Thankfully, this time it was not you whom I forgot.

It was me.