Chapter 407: The Change of Disaster Group, Political Correctness, Live Broadcast

[Son of Mankind].

In theory, this Calamity God was far less valuable, powerful, and strong compared to the other twelve Calamity Gods.

After all, the Disaster Group usually had only twelve permanent sequences, which appeared in this civilization as the Old Testament, the Tathagata, the Three Pure Ones, the King of Salt, Khaos, Amahl, the Solar Calendar, Youmir, Helldir, Nergal, Tenno-Gochu, and Tiamat.

These Calamity Gods took on different forms, powers, and shapes in various worlds based on their origins, rules, world records, and connections with Mother Ocean. They entered like embryos, reborn to plunder and corrupt.

In the end, all the stolen local achievements and the uncombined gene sequences of the Disaster Group merged to create a prototype experiment: the thirteenth Calamity God.

Simply put, it was an unnatural mix made by forcing together the scattered powers that the Disaster Group had not combined before with the local crystals. Its life form and power structure were very unstable, like chaos itself, and it could be destroyed at any moment.

Its purpose was to finish the experiment and then be swallowed up and consumed by the Disaster Group, while the twelve Calamity Gods shared its useful parts. It was akin to a test subject and a parasite.

But the Son of Mankind was different.

Actually, just think about it, and you would understand.

Before the Son of Mankind was born, a savior had fought all twelve Calamity Gods and trapped them within himself, locking them up and suppressing their power.

Under these conditions, how could the Disaster Group carelessly create a patched-up monster and send it out like before?

The formula to create the Son of Mankind was none other than the savior who was at the peak of power, carried the blessings of all humanity, fully unlocked the Martial God realm, shone with the Light of the Soul across the universe, and wielded Levatin along with the twelve powers of the Calamity Gods.

Chu Yuanying used his body to control the Disaster Group and forcefully harness their powers, paying many prices, the most important and deadly one being that he had almost no secrets in front of the Disaster Group.

Why could the Son of Mankind also possess the power of all humanity’s blessings?

First, it was because of the remains of hundreds of billions of souls; this black tide made of human soul essence formed the life foundation of this Calamity God. It was not wrong to say that it contained the concept of all humanity.

Second, the Disaster Group used the most broken species meme—recording, learning, uniting, and evolving—to perfectly copy the power of this savior.

Achieving this was not easy. It required twelve Calamity Gods to use the Disaster Group’s collective mind to transfer concepts together, shedding blood and flesh, then gathering disaster auras, disaster beasts, and all the chaotic, ununified Disaster Group power from around the world, to have a chance to succeed.

In the end, they succeeded.

Although they could not copy the Martial God Technique or the Light of the Soul—mysterious things that no one could understand or learn, and could only be imitated with powers—the Son of Mankind they created was still the biggest monster in the history of the Disaster Group.

Even more surprising, the Son of Mankind remained stable. After destroying this world, it was fully included in the Disaster Group and went on the final journey with the Calamity Gods.

Sadly, that battle was still lost.

But even though it didn’t win, the Son of Mankind didn’t completely die. This is how it managed to sneak in when the savior and The Last Diva had a daughter, sleeping ever since, crossing the reset world line, and reconnecting with the trapped Disaster Group.

In a way, Sunflower’s prime was very close to the Master of Disaster Group.

You could tell this because deep in Chu Wang Shu’s soul, before the sacrifice, there were thirteen groups of Calamity God sequences hidden. With Patronus Magic — Son of Mankind — further developed, they could control related powers.

But now, this important figure was missing and had fully cut its link with the Disaster Group. This made the other Calamity Gods, who still owed some powers and were both creditors and coworkers, feel very “confused.”

Because of this, when Pure White loosened bit by bit and had some energy to communicate, many sent a thread of their consciousness to Babel Tower.

At this moment, the twelve Calamity Gods were deep in thought. Unlike the Son of Mankind, who was a creature made from human ideas, they were purer natural disasters, far from the emotions of intelligent beings.

Among them, only Amahl understood humans better, but the gap between Amahl and humans still remained wide.

So, feelings like anger, panic, confusion, rage, and frustration did not occur during the meeting of the Calamity Gods. Their communication was pure and simple. One breath after arriving at their seats, the talk was done, and they came to the following conclusions.

— First, the power of the Son of Mankind was still there, but the marks, links, bonds, and locks belonging to the Disaster Group had all disappeared. It was very likely that something bad had happened.

— Second, part of the Disaster Group’s records were erased by some force. They still remembered this was a New Game Plus after defeat but forgot who defeated the Disaster Group and who restarted the world. It seemed they encountered the Mother Ocean or some power like the Sovereign Lord.

— Third, the Disaster group forgot what makes Chu Wang Shu special, but they remembered she was the chosen body of the Son of Mankind. Based on the existing clues, the sacrifice in Sea City was probably intended to awaken the only Son of Mankind who was not sealed, breaking the Prison of Pure White.

The final conclusion is that the key problem lies with one person.

That person is Chu Wang Shu.

This magical girl is both the chosen body of the Son of Mankind and the center of the sacrifice in Sea City.

The Last Diva’s Shining Magic that day was far from strong enough to sever the connection with the Son of Mankind and stop the sacrifice.

In theory, Chu Wang Shu should have transformed into the Son of Mankind and begun to wreak great havoc.

However, at that moment, the Son of Mankind and the Disaster group lost contact. This body was safe and sound, still busy planning her debut, and appeared completely unharmed.

No matter how you looked at it, she carried many secrets. To uncover the answers, the fastest and most convenient way was to look to her.

On the other hand, the records of the Disaster group had been erased, most likely after the Sea City incident. There were too many coincidences, giving the Disaster group every reason to attribute this to Chu Wang Shu.

The problem is, how could a small magical girl be involved with powers at the level of Mother Ocean?

Even The Last Diva at her peak was not worthy of such a connection.

Thus, the answer is simple. It can be discerned through a process of elimination.

Inside the temple, the lights slowly dimmed. The thoughts of the twelve Calamity Gods intertwined, forming a strange audio that twisted souls and crossed dimensions, reminiscent of morning bells and evening drums:

“What exactly did the savior we forgot do?”

The Disaster group had forgotten Chu Yuanying, Chu Yuanqing, and all traces of them, but due to the corrections of the Sea of Truth and the relentless suppression by the Miracle Wall, they learned that this was New Game Plus and that their side had lost once before.

Therefore, even if the records contained no concept of a savior, they could still use this outcome to infer the past, theorizing that there once existed a person, a group, or an entity, and attributing all the inexplicable mysteries to them.

As the thoughts dispersed, twelve minds vanished like smoke.

With no entanglements, doubts, or fears, they exchanged information and arrived at a series of conclusions; they reached a consensus: to break the deadlock, they must present a more extravagant lineup this time and eliminate that magical girl!

As soon as Chu Wang Shu faced trouble, all the secrets behind her would inevitably come to light.

Now, that tall wall was growing increasingly weaker, waiting for the day a true god would descend. When that day arrived… everything would come to an end.

…

…

Niigata Prefecture, Naeba Ski Resort.

From the high snowy slope, one could see endless mountain ranges, snow-covered cedars that resembled a bamboo forest, restaurants and hotels at the foot of the mountain, and buildings constructed in harmony with the landscape.

Rie Hatanaka exhaled warm breath, blinking her eyes. She looked at her boyfriend skiing toward her. Not caring about her nose turning red from the cold, she slyly bent down, formed a snowball, and threw it, bursting into laughter.

“Alright, Hatanaka, watch out!”

Qingshan Xiao was hit squarely in the face by the snowball but wasn’t angry at all. He found it amusing and quickly retaliated, playing along in the snowball fight as if he were accustomed to his girlfriend’s antics.

The ski resort was quite large, but today it felt crowded. Many couples like them were around, along with families skiing with their children. The nearby hotels were fully booked, every room reserved, with prices skyrocketing three or four times higher than usual.

The reason was the music festival being held at Miaocun Mountain the next day, featuring small idols from the Tokyo area, so most of the visitors were fans of “Dazzling Stage.”

Qingshan Xiao was 25 years old, a graduate of Tokyo University, and worked as a lawyer with a bright future ahead. He nearly never had free time, and the little he managed was used for working out, studying, and spending time with his girlfriend, leaving him with no chance to watch shows like “Dazzling Stage,” and he wouldn’t really consider himself a fan.

Discussions about disaster beasts, magical girls, and saving the world on stage held little meaning for him as he aimed to climb the social ladder. But he recognized these themes as new trends, with everyone scrambling to get involved.

With his connections and status, he could either find a way to get involved in drafting laws regarding magical girls (the Dongliu version) to snag a title and enhance his resume.

Or he could stand out among over twenty thousand peers and join a special legal agency handling magical girl issues, making him even more important.

To be honest, both were very hard, and he had to race against time to see a bit of hope.

In this situation, he sacrificed his time to come here to watch a concert, of course, to accompany his rich girlfriend who came from a powerful family.

There was no choice. On Dongliu Island, getting into Tokyo University could help one move up in life, but if you didn’t use that chance and connections well, you’d just be left behind by your classmates.

Everyone graduated from Tokyo University; who wanted to be left behind?

Rie Hatanaka was a good choice—beautiful, kind, from a family involved in politics for three generations, with influence among lawmakers and big businesses. They fell in love freely; though there was some advantage, their feelings were stronger, making their relationship nearly perfect.

It’s a pity; if his girlfriend were a magical girl, things would be even better; not only could he rise above others, but maybe he could even become a powerful figure behind the scenes of his country.

Qingshan Xiao broke off his thoughts. He reached out to brush the snowflakes from his girlfriend’s hair and gently asked,

“I already booked the restaurant. Hatanaka, are you hungry? Or do you want to skate a bit more?”

Rie Hatanaka shook her head and said excitedly,

“No, this time the team attending the concert is Ayano’s group.”

“I remember she really loves skiing. She even joined competitions before and won prizes. Maybe she sneaks away with her teammates to play here. She surely wants to ski longer!”

— Hoshino Ayano.

Qingshan Xiao knew who she was—the most popular idol in the Tokyo region, famous all over the country for her short hair, drum skills, cool vibe, refreshing style, and rock music mix. She had over fifty million fans online.

Compared to Dongliu Island, which had less than one-tenth the population of Daxia, that number meant she was a household name. She was extremely popular, even surpassing the famous national idols from before—truly amazing.

Also, as a recently revealed magical girl, she had already left behind the low status of idols in the Dongliu artist world. She quickly became a top star, beating funny entertainers, the whole entertainment circle, politicians, and otaku girls. She had earned many cool and edgy nicknames with a Dongliu flair.

Qingshan Xiao guessed that by past rules, Hoshino Ayano might surpass Secretary Fujiwara and become the Dongliu prime minister next year.

Well, that was if she wanted to run for election.

Rie Hatanaka was Ayano’s biggest fan.

Sadly, even if she were the kind of angel fan who could give her idol sports cars and fancy houses, she still couldn’t get in touch, change the other person’s plans, invite them over, or even add them as a contact.

To Qingshan Xiao, this was a shining moment that was bound to be brief.

People are social creatures, and the power of money can sometimes control the extraordinary. Magical girls are mostly young girls who don’t understand social rules well, so they can easily be caught up and controlled.

So, magical girls are only temporarily the perfect example of what is politically correct.

Once the danger from the Disaster group faded, magical girls who were popular now would just be newer products and might not even have the same freedom as normal stars.

Of course, it was also possible that magical girls could overpower money, rule the world, and become the ultimate powerful beings.

After all, no one knew how magical powers could really be.

Qingshan Xiao gently rubbed his girlfriend’s head and joked,

“You’re right, but she’s not silly. She knows she’s famous. Why would she ski here on Miaocun Mountain? She’d have a better chance of meeting people at the nearby ski resorts.”

Rie Hatanaka suddenly understood and said,

“Oh right, then let’s quickly go to a different ski resort!”

The girl felt anxious inside, like watching her boyfriend walk into another rich woman’s room and locking herself out.

Rie Hatanaka grabbed Qingshan Xiao’s arm excitedly and rushed forward, forgetting he was still on skis, causing Qingshan Xiao to stumble and almost fall.

“Be careful.”

Luckily, a hand nearby grabbed Rie Hatanaka and magically helped steady them both, stopping the little couple from tumbling down the big snowy hill.

Rie Hatanaka found her balance again, feeling scared and embarrassed. Her cheeks turned red as she looked at the kind person who helped her, repeatedly expressing her gratitude.

The girl wore cheap ski clothes rented from the hotel. She had goggles to protect against snow blindness, and her small face was covered by a mask, making it hard to see her features. On her head was a khaki knit hat, showing pure white hair like snowflakes, very memorable.

The words “気をつけて” rang in Rie Hatanaka’s ears. She looked at the person again, thinking their voice was very beautiful, like ice melting in a cold summer drink, creating a refreshing and clear impression.

After thinking carefully, there was still a hint of the sweet taste of cotton candy.

It must be very pretty, right? It’s a pity she couldn’t see the face.

Pure White Witch nodded gently. At the call of the shrine maiden nearby, she slid clumsily to the side. Her pure, shining hair fluttered, glowing softly in the white light, but her shape wobbled like a little crooked penguin, looking very cute.

Seeing this, Rie Hatanaka covered her mouth and showed a kind smile. She whispered,

“Xiao, when you first slid, you were even clumsier.”

Qingshan Xiao ignored his girlfriend’s playful teasing and stared blankly at the figure walking away.

It was strange. Even though he couldn’t see the face and the ski clothes hid the body, why did he suddenly want to talk to her?

Qingshan Xiao began to feel ashamed of his animal-like instincts. He looked away, wanting to scold his girlfriend for being careless just now.

But before he could speak, Rie Hatanaka exclaimed,

“She is improving so fast. Has she just started rehab after not skiing for a long time?”

The figure that had looked clumsy like a little penguin just now became skillful and swift, moving like an expert who often raced on the snow. Even the curve of her flying hair became more beautiful.

Chu Yuanqing was skiing for the first time. Even though she had some body difficulties, her reflexes and strength were much better than most people. After considering her experience skating with Liuli, she got better and better, becoming skilled enough to chase the ghost-like shrine maiden on the snow.

“Little Qing, I have started the live broadcast. To get some fancy sushi for tonight, show me a cool move!”

A cool move?

Chu Yuanqing’s small face looked puzzled. In her mind, she only remembered the green-eyed cat’s tricks on the skating rink. After thinking for a moment, she turned and slid toward the nearby race slope, which had a curved basin in the middle. Her skis moved smoothly, and she went faster and faster.

The next second, she flew like a light butterfly in the air. Her body stretched and spun like a swan dancing on a lake. Her skis crossed under her feet, and after spinning a few times, she landed smoothly, sliding backward with grace.

Rie Hatanaka’s mind went blank as she watched.

The girl slid backward, took off her goggles and mask gently, breathed in the cold air, and her golden eyes shone brightly. Her white hair moved with the wind as she looked at the distant view, like a snow fairy. Facing the strong wind and many gazes, she softly blessed the whole world.