Chapter 41: The Arrival of Reinforcements

Sixth floor.

Provincial Library’s Digital Intelligence Space.

The lighting here was dimmer than downstairs. Rows of electronic reading terminals stood silently, their screens long since extinguished. Outside the glass curtain wall, the night was an impenetrable ink, and the city lights that should have been ablaze seemed to be cut off, leaving only a blurred halo.

Yet, in this profound silence, a golden-orange figure stood defiantly.

It was a girl in a golden-orange poufy dress. The skirt was rounded like half a pumpkin, its hem adorned with vertical green stripes. A warm yellow short-sleeved top loosely covered her, and a wide green belt cinched her waist, from which hung a small pumpkin-shaped pouch. Her hair was tied into two low buns with green ribbons, now drenched with sweat, with a few stray strands clinging to her cheeks.

Behind her, a hemispherical golden-orange light shield stood quietly. Inside the shield, seven or eight people in library uniforms were huddled together, all lying unconscious.

These were the staff from the upper floors—trapped there by Ghost Orchid’s mist.

“Must you truly stop me?”

Ghost Orchid stood not far away, her tattered, grey-white gown fluttering gently in the mist. She tilted her head slightly, her dark red eye fixed on Pumpkin, as if observing a stubbornly misguided child.

“I, Pumpkin…” The girl gripped the small pumpkin lantern in her hand, her voice trembling slightly from exhaustion, yet still resolute. “Must stop you! You are not allowed to harm them!”

Ghost Orchid remained silent.

She merely raised her hand with a subtle gesture.

From the mist, pale white specters—sightless creatures with mouths split to their ears—surged forth, encircling Pumpkin. They swirled and shrieked not far from her, yet made no move to attack.

It was as if they were playing a game of cat and mouse.

Pumpkin’s body was already covered in wounds. Where the specters had grazed her, her clothes were torn, and slender crimson lines marred her skin. On the tiled floor where she stood, a pool of blood slowly spread, the golden-orange light reflecting in the crimson, like a shattered sunset.

‘Jinjin…’

She called out inwardly.

A small, golden-orange hamster was curled up inside her pouch, its plump body pressed tightly against the edge, cheeks puffed out, yet straining to sense something.

‘[I—I still can’t contact anyone outside!]’ Jinjin’s voice also trembled. ‘[But—I’ve sensed it! Magical girls from the Wisteria Division are on their way! Several of them!]’

Pumpkin’s lips curved into a faint smile.

‘[That’s… good…’]

That was good.

All she had to do now… was hold on a little longer.

Just for a little while.

As a magical girl of the Hundred Grains Division… she couldn’t possibly be inferior to the magical girls of the Wisteria Division, could she?

She raised her hand, the small pumpkin lantern in her palm now so dim it was almost extinguished. Yet, she clutched it tightly, pouring her last vestiges of magic into it.

Golden Pulp Protection: Defense.

A faint yet resilient golden-orange light flew from her palm, landing on the unconscious staff. The light solidified, forming a thin protective layer that stabilized the already cracked shield around them.

She lifted her gaze, looking at the white specters circling above and then at the grey-white figure standing silently in the distance.

Ghost Orchid did not move.

She didn’t even glance at Pumpkin.

Her eyes were fixed on the thick, grey-black tome in her hands. The pages rustled, emitting a low, wailing sound, as if narrating something.

Then, she subtly shifted her body.

Pumpkin’s pupils constricted abruptly.

Behind Ghost Orchid, a figure had appeared at some unknown point.

It was a magical girl in a goose-yellow short dress—with slightly curled, long goose-yellow hair and light brown eyes, now tightly shut, as if she had lost consciousness. Countless grey-white translucent tentacles coiled around her, binding her tightly, suspending her in mid-air.

Was that… a captured magical girl?

“You—” Pumpkin cried out with all her might. “What have you done to her?!”

Ghost Orchid turned her head, casting a glance at her.

There was no emotion in her dark red eye.

“Nothing,” she said, her voice soft. “Just… I found her quite special.”

She tilted her head slightly, looking at the bound Su Xinxin.

“Her soul… is very special,” she paused, a hint of something indescribable entering her tone. “Unlike anyone else I’ve ever encountered.”

Pumpkin gritted her teeth.

She didn’t understand what this witch was saying, but she knew—that girl was in grave danger now.

Yet, she couldn’t move.

The white specters hovered above her; if she dared to take a single step forward, they would pounce. She didn’t fear death, but behind her were all those staff members within her pumpkin shield…

Just then—

“Oh my, it’s quite lively here, isn’t it?”

A cheerful voice drifted from the stairwell.

The voice carried laughter, a hint of mischief, and felt utterly out of place amidst the heavy atmosphere.

Immediately after, a pink-gold light illuminated the darkness.

Those white specters, circling in the air, seemed startled by something, stirring and retreating.

Ghost Orchid narrowed her eyes slightly.

At the stairwell, a figure in a layered, rouge-pink short dress slowly approached. In her hand, she held a silk-faced folding fan, adorned with snapdragon flowers. A translucent orange-pink chiffon shawl floated gently behind her, like a fish’s tail fin.

Snapdragon.

Behind her, three more figures appeared.

A deep purple-blue gothic battle suit, a long whip in hand—Gentian.

A deep purple off-the-shoulder long dress, a heavy magic book suspended at her side—Ziyuan.

A pure white, multi-layered lace dress, silver-white hair flowing behind her, holding a staff crowned with a glowing jasmine flower bud—Jasmine.

The four stood shoulder to shoulder.

Ghost Orchid watched them, saying nothing.

She merely closed the tome in her hands with a soft click.

The white specters, as if given a command, suddenly emitted piercing shrieks that echoed throughout the entire floor.

Snapdragon smiled, fanning herself with her fan.

“While we can’t block everything,” she said, her eyes curving, “dealing with your clone isn’t too difficult.”

Flower Fan Screen: Guard.

The fan unfurled, and a screen of layered petal-like illusions, woven with pink and gold light, condensed before them. Most of the piercing shrieks were blocked, and though still grating, they were within a tolerable range.

Her gaze swept across the sixth floor—the pool of blood around Pumpkin, the staff within the light shield behind her, and the goose-yellow figure bound by tentacles, floating in mid-air.

She narrowed her eyes slightly.

“Tsk.” She let out a soft click of her tongue, her tone still light. “This is truly…”

She did not finish.

Gentian had already charged forward.

“So noisy!” Her long whip carved a purple arc through the air, heading straight for Ghost Orchid. “Release her!”

Ghost Orchid did not move.

Those white specters turned again, meeting the still-recovering Gentian and engaging in a struggle.

Ziyuan had intended to stop Gentian, but she knew it was futile.

On the fourth floor, when Ghost Orchid had opened that book, Gentian’s reaction—that expression of unbearable pain, those forcibly stripped fragments of memory—Ziyuan had seen it all clearly. Gentian’s wounds were still bleeding, so her current ferocity was merely a facade to mask the pain.

Ziyuan opened her magic book, and dark golden light surged from its pages, beginning to analyze the information of the entire battlefield.

Jasmine, meanwhile, hurried to Pumpkin’s side.

“You…” She looked at Pumpkin’s numerous wounds, her voice trembling. “How long have you held on?”

Pumpkin looked at her, tugged at the corners of her mouth, attempting to smile, but failing.

“It’s alright…” she said, her voice weak. “You’ve come… that’s good…”

The light shield behind her wavered slightly, growing much dimmer.

Jasmine quickly raised her staff.

Purity Barrier: Cleanse.

A translucent white membrane of light silently spread out, quickly enveloping the staff once more.

“Don’t be afraid,” Jasmine said softly. “We’re here.”

Pumpkin looked at her, finally letting out a sigh of relief.

She lowered her gaze to the small pumpkin lantern in her hand—its light was so dim it was almost extinguished.

“Jinjin…” She then turned to her pouch, whispering, “Am I… useless?”

‘[No, you’re not!]’ Jinjin poked its head out of the pouch, its hamster eyes shining brightly. ‘[Master, you’ve held on for so long! You’re super amazing!]’

Pumpkin smiled faintly.

Then she closed her eyes and collapsed.

Jasmine quickly caught her.

“Hey! Hey!”

Pumpkin did not respond.

The wounds on her body were still seeping blood; the marks left by the white specters now looked horrifying.

Jasmine bit her lower lip, then looked up at the center of the battlefield.

Gentian was still entangled with the white specters.

Snapdragon stood to the side, seemingly relaxed, but her eyes never left Ghost Orchid’s every move.

Ziyuan’s magic book flipped rapidly, the dark golden light growing brighter as it analyzed the entire battlefield.

And Ghost Orchid—

She simply stood there.

Behind her, the goose-yellow figure, bound by tentacles, still floated silently.

Jasmine tightened her grip on her staff.

“Jasmin…” she whispered. “Wait for me.”

‘I will definitely save you!’

📚 Also on NHV Novels

Heemin’s One-Sided Love

AdultBoys LoveDrama

Read Now →
Not interested