Chapter 5: The Spark of Destiny: An Unexpected Encounter

Jin Shiling’s fateful encounter with Cheng Zhenzhen stemmed from a sheer coincidence.

****

On a Monday afternoon, after school, Jin Shiling attended a classmate’s birthday party at a hotpot restaurant located in a mall not far from their school. While Jin Shiling and a few friends were heading to the restroom, one of the restaurant’s patrons suddenly transformed into a Corroded Body right before everyone’s eyes, plunging the establishment into chaos.

Most of the diners managed to escape before the Corroded Body exhibited strong aggression, but Jin Shiling and several other guests found themselves trapped inside the restroom. Holding their breath, Jin Shiling and the others cautiously listened to the commotion outside the door. After aimlessly wandering around the restaurant for a while, the Corroded Body finally sensed the presence of several people hiding in the restroom.

With a series of sharp hisses, a pair of black, scythe-like limbs pierced through the thick wooden door of the restroom in the blink of an eye, eliciting screams of terror. The frantic shouts only provoked the Corroded Body further, and in a few swift movements, a large hole was torn through the wooden door. From the gaping maw, a black, insect-like monster’s head emerged, its sharp mandibles grinding menacingly as it eyed the group huddled in the corner.

It was at this critical juncture that a Magical Girl made her appearance.

A flash of golden light erupted, and the Corroded Body, which had already squeezed half its mass into the restroom, abruptly vanished from sight, followed by the resounding crash of shattering glass.

“Stop right there! Your evil deeds end now!”

Peering through the hole in the door, Jin Shiling saw a peculiarly dressed girl standing by the sink. With just one hand, she lifted the Corroded Body, which was significantly larger than herself, and pinned it against the cracked mirror of the sink, rendering it immobile.

Observing the intermittent golden streams of light around the girl and her somewhat extravagant attire, Jin Shiling deduced that she was a Magical Girl.

Her pale golden hair subtly lightened at the tips, framing a delicate, adorable face adorned with a confident smile that revealed two small, charming canine teeth, all set above striking blue-green eyes.

As if she were in some kind of cosplay, this Magical Girl sported a pair of tiny cat ears atop her head, her hands encased in gloves that resembled furry animal paws, and her legs, from the thighs down, were clad in boots that mimicked beastly feet. Even her long stockings appeared to be made of animal fur, giving her an overall appearance akin to a beast-girl (TL Note: ‘Kemonomimi,’ a Japanese term for human characters with animal features) from an anime.

Despite being held captive by the Magical Girl, the two-meter-tall Corroded Body thrashed relentlessly, its gleaming mandibles repeatedly scraping against the Magical Girl’s arm, yet failing to inflict any damage on the seemingly defenseless furry gloves.

“Ugh, stop moving around! You’re such a pain. One more punch and I’ll finish you.”

With that, the Magical Girl raised her right hand, and an undeniable luminescence steadily gathered in her small paw. As if sensing the imminent danger, the Corroded Body’s struggles intensified, but to no avail.

Directing her merciless punch towards the shadowy aggregate, the Magical Girl unleashed her full power.

“——”

The already cracked mirror shattered into countless fragments under the impact, and the Corroded Body, embedded in the wall, was blasted by the concentrated magical punch. In a burst of brilliant light, it disintegrated into innumerable black shards that rapidly dissolved in the lingering glow.

The Magical Girl observed the unconscious man she held by the collar, and after confirming he posed no further threat, she carefully placed him aside. She then turned to greet Jin Shiling and the others who had been watching.

“Hey—hey! It’s safe now, you can come out! Watch your step, though.”

After checking that no one trapped in the restroom was injured, the Magical Girl breathed a sigh of relief. Having resolved the Corroded Body crisis, she didn’t linger at the scene, choosing instead to depart swiftly, without even revealing her name.

“Huh?”

Jin Shiling noticed a pink crossbody bag hanging around the neck of a large mascot doll at the hotpot restaurant’s entrance. She found it rather odd; it wasn’t surprising for patrons to abandon belongings in their panicked escape, but most discarded phones and bags she’d seen were lying on the floor or left on seats. This particular crossbody bag, however, was neatly hung on the doll, which seemed too deliberate an action for someone fleeing in terror.

Jin Shiling approached for a closer look. The pink crossbody bag was adorned with numerous cute cartoon animal stickers and sported a badge featuring an unknown anime character. From these details, she surmised that the bag most likely belonged to a student.

She could at least be certain it didn’t belong to any of her classmates or friends; the bag was far too flashy, and anyone carrying it would be stopped by a teacher before even entering the school gate.

“Wait, wait a minute—that’s my bag—!”

A sudden shout echoed from behind Jin Shiling. She turned around to see the Magical Girl, who had just left, now rushing back towards her.

The Magical Girl skidded to a halt three paces from Jin Shiling, then snatched up her crossbody bag. Noticing that the girl before her was one of those trapped in the restroom earlier, she seemed to recall something. Opening her bag, she pulled out two dried plum candies, offering one to Jin Shiling.

“These are really tasty, here you go.”

“Oh, thank you.”

Realizing this was the Magical Girl’s way of showing concern, Jin Shiling smiled, accepted the candy, and, along with the other girl, peeled back the wrapper and popped it into her mouth.

The taste was rather pleasant.

“How is it?”

“Mmm, quite sweet.”

“Hehe~”

The Magical Girl’s warm and genuine smile fell upon Jin Shiling, stirring within her the pure yearning and affection she had felt when she first fell in love with the idea of Magical Girls. This feeling, she mused, felt somewhat unfamiliar now.

Afterward, the Magical Girl chatted briefly with Jin Shiling, but seemingly had urgent matters to attend to, as she soon departed in a hurry once more.

Following the commotion, the classmate’s birthday party was, regrettably, cut short. As a witness, Jin Shiling was called upon by the swiftly arriving police and cleanup crew to assist with the investigation. By the time everything settled, it was already half-past nine in the evening.

“No, thank you, Uncle. My home isn’t too far from here; I’ll just walk back.”

“Alright then, student, please be careful.”

Declining the staff’s kind offer of a ride home, Jin Shiling ceded the limited seats to others, watching the car recede into the distance until it disappeared from her sight.

“Why do I have to do the report that the Magical Girl should be responsible for? It’s already so late…”

Glancing at the time on her phone, Jin Shiling grumbled softly.

Pondering the unfinished assignments and homework in her backpack, Jin Shiling wandered around, eventually finding a nearby McDonald’s. She went inside, found a seat, ordered a hot cocoa, and began tackling her day’s work.

“Hello, I’d like a soft-serve ice cream cone, the new green one!”

Jin Shiling, engrossed in calculating the sine value of the dihedral angle between two planes, suddenly heard a somewhat familiar voice. She looked up to see a girl in a uniform, carrying a crossbody bag, standing at the counter, pointing at a dessert on the menu board to the cashier.

“Ah, please wait, I’m looking for my phone. Odd, I thought I put it here…”

The crossbody bag the girl was rummaging through was pink, adorned with familiar animal patterns.

“——”

Jin Shiling’s eyes widened slightly, her pen involuntarily pausing as she observed the girl.

“Thank you, big sister, you’ve worked hard.”

Eagerly taking the matcha-flavored soft-serve, the girl happily licked the dessert twice, an expression of utter satisfaction on her face. Then she turned, her gaze inadvertently sweeping over Jin Shiling, who was watching her.

Their eyes met, and the air around them solidified.

With a ‘thud,’ the girl’s crossbody bag slipped from her shoulder and fell to the floor.

“…”

“…”

“Um, excuse me, student… you must have mistaken me for someone else.”

The girl quickly averted her gaze, her tone weak and guilty, thereby directly exposing herself.

*Wait, I haven’t even said anything yet.* Jin Shiling stared at the girl, who practically had ‘panic’ written all over her face, unsure how to react.

Jin Shiling’s outwardly calm and silent demeanor, however, was interpreted as a different emotion by the girl. She swiftly picked up her crossbody bag, rushed over, pulled out a chair beside Jin Shiling, and sat directly opposite her.

“Please, I’ll do anything! Just don’t tell anyone!”

“That—”

“Do you want some snacks? Here, these are really good, and this one, and this…”

Like a magician, the girl, while holding her soft-serve, continuously pulled out various small snacks from her crossbody bag. In no time, the table was piled high with a small mountain of treats and study papers.

“That—”

The girl’s reaction was entirely unexpected to Jin Shiling. She wanted to explain, but the other girl gave her no opportunity, completely lost in her own world. Seeing that the attention of those around them was gradually being drawn, Jin Shiling, knowing this wouldn’t do, decided to take the initiative. She reached out and placed her hands on the girl’s shoulders, speaking in a gentle, coaxing tone, as if to a child.

“First, just calm down for a moment, alright?”

“…O-okay.”

Even though Jin Shiling maintained a gentle smile, the girl seemed to sense an underlying pressure beneath it, successfully settling down and obediently nodding at Jin Shiling.

*Honestly, she’s finally quiet. If I let her continue exposing herself like that, things would spiral out of control.*

“Student, trust me, I won’t do anything to harm you, so please rest assured, it’s fine.”

“Really?”

After writing a line on a scrap piece of paper with her pencil, Jin Shiling picked up the paper and presented its contents to the girl.

[You are the hero who saved us, and I would never betray you.]

“W-well, it wasn’t that amazing, ehehe.”

Though her words expressed humility, the wide grin on her face and her restless fingers completely betrayed the girl’s true feelings. Clearly, Jin Shiling’s words had pleased her immensely.

*So easily handled.*

Watching as the Magical Girl was successfully placated with a few words, Jin Shiling’s illusions and aspirations concerning Magical Girls faded a little further. She had no desire to involve herself in troublesome affairs, let alone deepen her acquaintance with someone who clearly seemed prone to getting into trouble.

“Okay, I understand, I believe you!”

Then, her gaze fell upon the snacks on the table, and she pointed at them with her finger.

“Um, do you still want these?…”

Jin Shiling waved her hand, declining.

Jin Shiling had assumed this troublesome Magical Girl would vanish as quickly as she had after dispatching the Corroded Body. To her surprise, the other girl seemed to have no such intention. As she slowly savored her soft-serve and tidied her snacks, she would occasionally glance cautiously at Jin Shiling, lost in thought. Jin Shiling, for her part, focused entirely on her exercises, no longer bothering with the other girl.

It wasn’t until Jin Shiling finished all her homework and prepared to pack up for home that the other girl finally rose from her seat as well.

“If it’s alright… I’ll walk you home.”

Her opening words nearly made Jin Shiling lose her composure again.

Based on her current understanding of this girl, refusing this ‘kind offer’ would likely only complicate matters further. Thus, despite her reluctance, Jin Shiling readily agreed.

“Thank you, then I’ll entrust myself to you.”

“Yay!”

Following the girl out of the McDonald’s, Jin Shiling initially expected her to simply walk alongside her until they reached home. Instead, the girl pointed directly to a dimly lit alley nearby, devoid of streetlights.

“Come on, let’s go.”

With a touch of bewilderment, Jin Shiling followed her into the alley. After glancing around and seeing no one else, the girl stopped.

“Alright, this spot should be just about right.”

With that, she turned around, her hands clasped behind her back. A faint light emanated from her body, and in the blink of an eye, the beast-girl cosplaying Magical Girl reappeared before Jin Shiling.

Staring at the furry, paw-like hand extended towards her, Jin Shiling suddenly had a bad premonition.

“Come on, grab onto me. This is much faster than taking the bus or subway, you know.”

And the Magical Girl’s smile remained as radiant as ever.

****

A moment later, a golden shooting star streaked across the night sky of Jingping City.

“How was it, *huff huff*, aren’t you feeling elated~”

Unlike the Magical Girl, who was long accustomed to flying through the sky, the girl clinging to her waist with all her might remained silent, terrified that she might lose her grip and be flung off.

“It’s fine, you don’t need to hold so tight. With magic protection, it’s very safe.”

Despite the Magical Girl’s assurances, Jin Shiling dared not relax, nor did she dare to look at the scenery below. This current situation was utterly unlike anything that should be happening in her life.

She was flying through the sky, reliant on the Magical Girl’s power. Though she appeared somewhat disheveled, in a way, she was fulfilling a small childhood wish. Should she feel joy? Should she savor this moment? Should she admire this sight that she would likely only see once in her life?

Judging by Jin Shiling’s almost closed eyes, it was clear that she was currently unable to appreciate the Magical Girl’s kindness.

“Ding-a-ling—ding-a-ling—”

Just then, Jin Shiling heard her phone ringing from inside her crossbody bag. The Magical Girl also heard the sound and significantly reduced their flying speed. Jin Shiling struggled to free one hand, pulling her phone from the outer pocket of her bag, and saw the caller’s name on the screen.

Zhang Qingwei, her nominal older brother, with whom she now lived.

Noting the late hour, and not wanting to cause him unnecessary worry, she hesitated for a moment before answering the call, casually fending off his inquiries. Just as she was about to hang up, she noticed the Magical Girl’s expression towards her had become somewhat subtle.

Unwilling to let her public image change in front of an outsider, Jin Shiling patiently used a more intimate tone to reassure her brother on the other end not to worry about her, then quickly pressed the red hang-up button.

“Is that your brother?”

“Yes, it’s quite late today, so my family was a little worried.”

“That’s so nice. I wish I had a brother too. I see other people’s brothers are always doting on their sisters. Is your brother like that too? You must have a really good relationship.”

“…Yes, of course.”

Jin Shiling felt a surge of relief that the Magical Girl couldn’t see her expression, because even the smile she managed to force out now would likely appear strained.

****

Nearing midnight, most of the lights in the apartment building had been extinguished, and the streetlights along the roadside cast a dim yellow glow. Finding a secluded corner within the community, Jin Shiling and the Magical Girl slowly descended.

“You can drop me off here, thank you.”

“Hmph, it was nothing. I’m just glad you’re all safe. Protecting you is my duty as a Magical Girl.”

“Yes, well, I wish you success in your Magical Girl activities. Goodbye.”

As Jin Shiling prepared to leave, the Magical Girl suddenly called out to her, as if remembering something.

“Ah, wait!”

“Actually, there’s one more thing I might need your help with.”

Having disengaged her transformation, the girl took a few quick steps towards Jin Shiling, holding up an index finger.

“Could you please hold my finger?”

“…Alright.”

By now, Jin Shiling had no desire to further inquire about the reason. She took the girl’s finger in her hand.

“Is this enough?”

“Yes, and, um…”

The girl stared intently at her clasped finger, her expectations rising and then falling, replaced by a subtle sense of disappointment and loneliness. After about ten seconds, she smiled and shook her head.

“It’s fine now, thank you. It’s enough.”

“Mhm, no problem. Well—bye-bye?”

“Bye-bye.”

Jin Shiling perceived the girl’s unspoken expectation. Perhaps the other girl had been hoping for something to happen, though Jin Shiling didn’t understand what significance holding a finger could have, nor did she truthfully have any interest in finding out, unwilling to delve too deeply into it.

After parting ways with this Magical Girl, she could finally return to her own world, to her gray and colorless life, where no tears flowed and no ripples stirred.

And this, perhaps, was fate, a predetermined outcome woven from layers upon layers of coincidence.

****

A warm current surged into Jin Shiling’s body. Simultaneously, the hand that had held the Magical Girl’s finger began to tingle with heat. To Jin Shiling’s disbelief, a faint yet undeniably present light was born in her palm.

“What… is this?”

Weaker than the dim streetlights, more ethereal than the hazy moonlight, yet it was distinctly there.

And this light, too, ignited a spark in the Magical Girl’s eyes.

****

And so it was now.

It seemed the appearance of an ornament in Cheng Zhenzhen’s hand triggered a resonance with a certain power within Jin Shiling. The familiar sensation of heat once again manifested in her palm, giving rise to a soft, white halo.

And within this halo, something seemed to be flickering into existence.

“Indeed, you possess the aptitude to become a Magical Girl.”

Cheng Zhenzhen extended her invitation once more, which was precisely her purpose for meeting Jin Shiling here today.

“Join me and become a Magical Girl, Jin Shiling.”

Jin Shiling quietly felt the power flowing through her body. Though faint, she could sense a strange, wonderful connection had formed between herself and Cheng Zhenzhen, a connection mediated by the nascent, light-enshrouded illusion in her palm.

This was an unprecedented and novel experience. It was impossible for Jin Shiling to be unmoved by the situation; she could hear the pulse of her heart, a fervor and hope she had deliberately forgotten long ago, just as she saw it reflected in Cheng Zhenzhen’s eyes.

By accepting Cheng Zhenzhen’s invitation, she, Jin Shiling, might, no, would certainly become a Magical Girl.

This was no mere naive fantasy; it was within her grasp, readily attainable.

“Magical Girl…”

Jin Shiling softly murmured the familiar yet foreign term. This word represented a dream, an identity, a responsibility. It had once felt as light and distant as clouds on the horizon, desirable yet unattainable. Now, however, it possessed an immense, weighty presence, a weight that was likely just the tip of its true significance.

Whether to accept this power was not a difficult question; it never had been.

“I—”