Chapter 23: Envy’s Fury and Xia Shi’s Ingenious (or Reckless) Solution

In its heyday, when Linzhou’s amusement park buzzed with activity and prosperity, the mirror maze nestled within its grounds captivated countless visitors.

True to its name, the maze’s interior walls were entirely clad in perfectly fitted mirrors, meticulously arranged at precise angles.

Upon stepping inside, visitors would find themselves surrounded by countless reflections, each seemingly scrutinizing their every move.

A smile would be met with an echoing grin from the labyrinth, while a scowl would draw a furious glare in return.

Yet now, the entire maze was consumed by a frenzied wrath, every mirror reflecting Envy’s contorted visage.

They wandered through the dust-laden, vine-choked corridors, their fists lashing out to shatter the mirrors on the walls in a furious release, all while gritting their teeth and growling in a low, seething rage.

“Gold… you utterly useless waste! Liar! Scum! Maggot! Didn’t you claim you could effortlessly defeat Fireworks? Didn’t you promise to bring back the Heart of the Silver Moon for me?”

“You failed at every single thing! You were simply crushed like rubbish, weren’t you?! Despite wielding magic that completely overwhelmed her, what in the world happened?!”

As they uttered these words, Envy abruptly stiffened, freezing mid-stride as if struck by a sudden, chilling epiphany, their reflection in the mirrors morphing from furious indignation to sheer terror.

They strode directly to a mirror, pressing their hands fiercely against their own reflected face, as if intent on crushing their very image, their voice simultaneously descending into a chilling, shrill whisper.

“I’m telling you… I’m talking to you, did you perhaps covet her power and deliberately go easy on her?”

“Are you looking down on me now? I truly believed you were different… Why would you conspire with others to torment me? You’re not still alive, are you? You wouldn’t possibly betray and murder me, only to defect to those preening magical girls, would you?”

As Envy’s frantic monologue continued, the ground before them abruptly fractured, a gaping chasm, like a deep ravine, cleaving its way through the entire corridor.

Amidst the muffled rumble of the earth tearing apart, a colossal humanoid figure forcibly ripped open the ground with its bare hands, then squeezed through the burgeoning fissure.

The humanoid brushed away the clinging dust, strode purposefully to Envy’s side, and sank to one knee.

Envy merely tilted their head, their gaze a flicker of disdain, and spoke:

“Knight… how can you be so incredibly boisterous and loud? What if that useless Lily of the Valley discovers our presence?”

Knight bowed their head even lower, their voice a solemn rumble:

“My deepest apologies, Master, I was indeed presumptuous.

However, I simply cannot bear to witness you rage, fret, and needlessly deplete your spirit and vitality over such an inconsequential failure.

Please, allow me to go.

I shall surely extinguish Fireworks’ life and return your moon and dreams to your possession.”

“Your utter lack of self-awareness is truly nauseating.

Your magical power is already vastly inferior to Gold’s, and your magic is incapable of providing any effective counter against Fireworks.

How do you possibly expect to achieve what Gold could not? Are you attempting to fool me? Do you truly hold me in such contempt?”

“Your evaluation of me is entirely accurate; my magic cannot rival Gold’s, much less be mentioned in the same breath as Fireworks’.”

Knight lifted their gaze, and a cold, predatory glint flickered within their pupils.

“However, were we to strip away the interference of magic and engage in a straightforward, direct confrontation, I am confident I could even face all the magical girls simultaneously and secure a clean, decisive victory for you.”

Envy bit their tongue until it bled, flecks of crimson foam bubbling at the corners of their mouth.

“Truly, ‘Knight’ lives up to their name, so adept at uttering accurate yet utterly useless nonsense! Would the cunning Fireworks forsake her magic? Would the contemptible Fireworks ever engage you in a direct, honorable fight? You—”

Mid-sentence, Envy abruptly froze, a sudden realization dawning upon them regarding their subordinate’s strategy.

Their lips curled into a wicked smile, and in an instant, the entire maze reflected their mirth with a chorus of joyful grins.

“Yes… yes, indeed, you are absolutely correct! According to that consultant, Lily of the Valley and Fireworks… those two imbeciles are set to enter an environment riddled with magic-draining vines tomorrow, where they will pointlessly clash against each other.

This is a heaven-sent opportunity! The heavens, as ever, favor me, they love me!

My dear Knight, bring an end to their lives for me, and reclaim the Heart of the Silver Moon that rightfully belongs to me!”

Knight clasped their right hand into a fist, pressing it firmly against their chest.

“I am grateful for your profound favor.

I shall assuredly return in triumph, fulfilling your every expectation.”

****

“Xia Shi, I’ve given it some careful thought—can you truly fight Lily of the Valley tomorrow?”

As night descended and the two meandered back into the city, Lu Chen addressed the young woman beside him.

Xia Shi responded with a knowing, confident smile, stating:

“There’s no need for concern.

I will easily secure victory and remain unharmed.”

“That wasn’t my primary concern…”

The girl’s gaze softened, and she murmured:

“So that wasn’t what you were worried about after all.”

“Naturally, I’m worried about that too! But my question now pertains to something else entirely.

Is Sister Lin alright with this arrangement?”

The girl blinked in genuine confusion, her pale cheeks appearing remarkably soft beneath the glow of the neon lights, a sight that Lu Chen found utterly irresistible, prompting him to reach out and gently caress them.

After a moment’s contemplation, Xia Shi gently nudged away the young man’s hand, explaining:

“It’s perfectly fine.

Sparring between magical girls is actually quite common; I’ve even engaged Morning Star in a match before.

As long as we keep it a secret from Sister Lin and ensure she remains unaware, everything will be alright.

Besides, it won’t consume much time.”

Lu Chen let out a sigh.

“So it’s still against regulations, after all… However, that’s not what I was referring to.

Last time, when you ventured into the Corridor of Memories to retrieve the Heart of the Silver Moon, didn’t I accompany you?”

The girl nodded in affirmation.

“Yes.

Because you wished to remain by my side.”

“While that certainly played a part, my primary objective was to document your life after your return, to compile a comprehensive follow-up report.

Yet, with the sudden appearance of that strange individual, I ultimately submitted only a rather unsatisfactory draft.

Consequently, this past Friday, Sister Lin informed me that next Monday—which is tomorrow—she intends for you to film some promotional videos, showcasing you eating, drinking, and playfully manipulating flames in your transformed state.

Won’t this create a scheduling conflict?”

Lu Chen, having assumed Xia Shi had already made thorough arrangements, was surprised to find the girl’s expression utterly bewildered.

She repeated, her voice tinged with confusion:

“Film videos…?”

“Yes.

‘Pai’ as in ‘film,’ ‘shi’ as in ‘video,’ ‘pin’ as in ‘clips.’ You haven’t forgotten, have you?”

Xia Shi retrieved her phone, silently scrolling through it for a moment before the color abruptly drained from her face.

She instinctively bowed, her voice barely a whisper:

“I… I merely forgot for a moment.”

Lu Chen, long accustomed to the girl’s guileless nature, could only offer a helpless shrug in response.

“You don’t need to bow to me, you know.

Since you’ve forgotten, there’s nothing for it.

Could I go speak with Sister Lin about the situation and request a change to the video shoot schedule?”

The girl mused for a brief moment, then shook her head.

“No, that might not be ideal.

I’ve been violating regulations rather frequently of late, and I’d prefer to build up a bit of goodwill.”

“In that case, should we go back and explain the situation to Lily of the Valley, then reschedule the fight?”

“…That might not be ideal either.”

“There’s no real need to accumulate ‘credit’ with Lily of the Valley, is there? It’s highly unlikely you two will ever become partners.”

Xia Shi subtly shifted her gaze, her clear eyes betraying a hint of unease.

“This isn’t about credit points, not exactly.

Y-you see, just now, I presented myself with such an imposing demeanor before her.

To return mere hours later, apologizing for a mistake and requesting a different time… it simply feels a bit…”

The girl’s voice trailed off, growing progressively softer.

Lu Chen’s lips curved into a smile, and he barely managed to restrain the powerful urge to vigorously ruffle her hair.

“I understand your feelings.

However, the schedules undeniably clash…”

Lu Chen was mid-sentence when Xia Shi’s eyes suddenly brightened, as though she were Archimedes himself, having just unearthed the principle of buoyancy.

“No, wait.

I’ve devised a solution that will satisfy both.”

The girl spoke with utmost confidence, yet an unsettling premonition began to stir within Lu Chen’s heart.

“…A solution for both?”

The girl nodded, a faint smile gracing her lips.

“I’ll simply fight Lily of the Valley while simultaneously filming the promotional videos!”