X
Last night, while Envy and Knight were secretly conversing within the mirror maze, Zero was perched on the armrest of a dilapidated sofa, engaged in a private discussion with Ling Wei, who lay sprawled watching television.
“Master, have you decided how to deal with Lily of the Valley?”
“That girl is exceedingly suspicious, and her hatred for monsters runs deep. Even if we manage to deceive her for a while, it will likely be impossible to keep it from her forever; she is bound to become a significant problem sooner or later.”
Ling Wei paid absolutely no mind to the bird. Instead, she munched on potato chips, gesticulating at the horror film playing on the screen.
“‘Ju-on,’ that film… it never lives up to its reputation, no matter how many times I watch it. It’s essentially the same ten-minute segment looped for an hour and a half. Audiences who saw it in theaters back then should have demanded an eighty-nine percent refund on their tickets.”
She continued, “‘Ringu,’ a contemporary and equally renowned film, remains utterly perfect; it hasn’t aged a day.”
Upon hearing his master’s disparaging and outrageous remarks, Zero promptly set aside their main discussion and responded with deference.
“Your film critiques are, as always, remarkably unique, and, as always, utterly devoid of insight.”
“‘Ringu’ built up its suspense through a protracted, almost feature-length exposition, only igniting the true plot at its climax; ‘Ju-on,’ by contrast, maintains a tight pace, continuously unleashing nearly ten points of terror, a veritable cascade of climaxes. I could easily enumerate ten such comparisons.”
“Moreover, the ‘Ju-on’ you watched was merely the 2002 theatrical release, yet the version legendary for scaring people to death was unequivocally the 2000 VHS edition.”
Ling Wei yawned languidly, giving the remote control a casual shake.
“It is precisely because of such overly romanticized and fantastical rumors that I have no desire to watch it. It’s not a matter of whether it’s true or false. Rather, once aware of such a thing, one’s expectations are involuntarily elevated to an impossible degree, only for the film’s actual quality to prove quite unremarkable. The 2002 version, in any case, was utterly tedious.”
“So, instead of watching it and being profoundly disappointed, don’t you agree it’s far better to simply preserve that beautiful imagination?”
Zero, with an obedient flutter of its wings, made a respectful gesture.
“Are rumors of scaring people to death truly considered beautiful and fantastical? Maintaining prejudice and narrow-mindedness is, after all, an adult’s prerogative, so I shall refrain from correcting you.”
“However, given my patience in enduring your outrageous pronouncements, perhaps it’s time we returned to the matter of Lily of the Valley?”
“While it might draw the attention of Morning Star, are we to seek an opportunity to eliminate her?”
The young girl tensed her core, then sprang from the sofa with a swift, carp-like flip, her black hair sweeping cleanly across the chair’s back. Folding her hands on the coffee table, she struck a commanding pose, facing the television.
“Your taste in films and your approach to action are remarkably alike,” she observed. “You merely rush to resolve one problem only to immediately confront the next, utterly failing to appreciate the subtle beauty of trouble.”
“Now, display Lily of the Valley’s personal data on the screen.”
Zero retrieved the remote control, then, following the instructions, pressed a series of buttons. The woman in white on the screen flickered out of existence, replaced by Lily of the Valley’s headshot and personal profile.
Ling Wei narrowed her eyes as she stared at the screen, a faint smile gracing her lips.
“Look, this child harbors quite a significant grudge against Envy. Ever since she awakened as a magical girl, she has relentlessly pursued that petty individual, yet she hasn’t even grazed their shadow once. To draw a parallel with ‘Ringu,’ she’s barely ten minutes into the story, with Reiko, the protagonist, only just beginning her investigation into the cursed videotape.”
“If we were to simply let her be slain by some random ‘Pride’ from who-knows-where, wouldn’t the online audience tear apart the director and screenwriter’s entire families? That’s hardly how one depicts the unpredictability of fate.”
“Even if she ultimately fails to defeat Envy, she ought to perish at the hands of Envy or one of their retainers, or perhaps be compelled to relinquish her hatred for some compelling reason. At the very least, she should be struck down by a random bystander just as success is within her grasp, shouldn’t she?”
Zero let out an imperceptible sigh. His master, it seemed, was indulging in another of her peculiar ‘episodes’.
“Master,” he ventured, “if I may be so bold, the cinematic discussion has drawn to a close. We are now deliberating matters of reality. Surely, you have no desire for your identity to be exposed?”
Ling Wei merely curled her lips into a smirk and shrugged.
“Relax a little,” she advised. “Why draw such a strict line between the two? We merely seek to conceal an identity, and there are far more entertaining methods to achieve that than mere assassination.”
“Do you truly believe you can persuade Lily of the Valley?” Zero pressed. “If I may interject once more, unlike Lu Chen, she doesn’t perceive Xia Shi through a ‘pink bubble filter,’ and her mind is, to some extent, rather fixated.”
“There’s no necessity for that,” Ling Wei stated. “I don’t require Lily of the Valley’s conviction; I simply need to ensure she cannot sway anyone else.”
“Render her incapable of convincing others…?”
“Precisely,” Ling Wei affirmed. “This young girl already maintains a rather detached relationship with other magical girls, possessing few true confidantes; indeed, many prefer to keep their distance from her. All we need to do is subtly orchestrate tomorrow’s duel, transforming her from ‘a somewhat fanatical magical girl’ into ‘a cowardly wretch who, driven by her obsession, nearly caused the demise of a recently revived comrade, and even shamefully fled when a monster appeared.’ Her credibility will be utterly decimated, rendering her incapable of persuading even one influential individual. And Zero, you shall assume the role of that attacking monster.”
Zero hopped momentarily on the armrest, then pondered aloud:
“You wish for me to masquerade as a monster, then, during your duel with Lily of the Valley, attack you, Master—who will have suppressed your magical powers—and casually kick you aside as if you were a mere roadside pebble?”
“While that’s broadly the idea,” Ling Wei retorted, “could you perhaps employ a more refined vocabulary? Tomorrow, under the pretext of filming a promotional video, I shall feign distraction during our battle, subtly belittle and humiliate Lily of the Valley in Xia Shi’s characteristic style, and then incapacitate her. At that precise moment, you will emerge and deliver a punch to me. After you’ve knocked me down, you’ll theatrically threaten Lily of the Valley with a few choice words, declaring that your sole objective is my elimination and that you hold no interest in anyone else. This green-clad young girl already harbors suspicions about my identity, and after being both provoked and thoroughly beaten, her anger will undoubtedly escalate, leaving her with no justifiable reason to remain at the scene. Once she has scurried away in a panic, I will then unleash a surge of power, feigning a desperate counter-attack to defeat you… Xia Shi is certainly no mere stepping stone! With this, our grand scheme will be flawlessly executed.”
Zero nodded slowly.
“I see,” he remarked. “No wonder you intended to film a promotional video concurrently with the battle. When I first heard of it, I confess I believed your dementia had finally manifested; it was, in fact, all a ploy to provoke Lily of the Valley.”
“There’s more than just a single benefit to be gained,” Ling Wei mused, taking the remote control and casually pressing a few buttons. The television screen flickered once more, transforming to display Lu Chen’s headshot. The young girl gazed at the softly luminous screen, the young man’s image reflected in her beautiful pupils, a pleased curve gracing her lips.
“Since the protagonist of our promotional video is none other than our beloved Xia Shi, then the cameraman must naturally be our beloved Lu Chen. He will remain on site, reveling in the time spent with his lover, admiring her beauty… and then, fully savoring the adorable sight of his beloved teetering on the precipice of death.”
“Zero, I entrust you with meticulously capturing his expression at that precise moment. The Heart of the Silver Moon might very well manifest itself then.”
****
Now, the present moment. Ling Wei, within the arena, displayed a resolute gaze, approaching Zero with an air of determined sacrifice; outside, Lu Chen’s heart was ablaze with anxiety. He hurled the remote control aside and lunged at the wall of vines.
He desperately clawed at the rough vines, straining to tear them apart, but only succeeded in fruitlessly abrading his palms.
Blood dripped, and a sharp sting flared. The young man, his voice trembling, cried out to the girl:
“Xia Shi! Run!”
The sound pierced through the impassable vines separating Lu Chen, reaching the girl’s ears.
She paused, her tension and fear fading from her face as she offered Lu Chen a comforting smile.
Before Lu Chen could utter another word, the girl drew a deep breath, forged a pair of blazing fire blades, and charged directly at the colossal beast. The monster let out a deafening shriek, sweeping its jet-black wings towards the charging girl.
“Boom—”
After a theatrical explosion effect, the monstrous beast remained standing tall, a terrifying malevolence swirling around its form.
The red-haired girl still valiantly wielded her fire blades, but the light in her eyes flickered precariously like a candle in the wind, crimson wounds marred her fair skin, and her slender legs trembled incessantly.
The colossal beast, while looking down upon its master, secretly adjusted the angle of its Eye of Scrutiny to capture a close-up of Lu Chen.
It flapped its wings, sending forth a volley of iron-hard, black feathers.
Half of these feathers formed a barbed-wire-like barrier around Zero and Ling Wei; the other half landed by the wall, forming a long ladder leading outside.
It cleared its throat, then declared loudly to the young man and Lily of the Valley:
“I am Marphas, the ‘Funeral Master,’ a trusted confidant of Lord Gluttony! I fight not with magic, but with an unyielding physique, making me invincible within these mana-draining vines!
“However, today I conduct a funeral feast for Fireworks alone, with no intention of commemorating others. If you do not wish to become rotting flesh in the earth alongside her, then depart this place at once!”
Lily of the Valley glanced around. Her firearms had melted, her short dagger was nowhere to be found; she was disarmed.
She could only walk towards the barbed-wire barrier forged from feathers, tearing it open with her blade-sharp bare hands, and stepped inside.
In Zero’s astonished gaze, the girl raised her bloodied hands, adopting a boxing stance, and coldly spoke to Lu Chen beyond the wall:
“Go to the Puppet Theater. Old Nie is there. He should be able to undo the magic securing the vine wall.”
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