Chapter 64: Fairy Tale Kingdom Adventures

“Polly Polly~ Magic Ripple~ Help me defeat the evil demons!”

A tender, childlike voice emanated from the loudspeaker beside them.

To the rhythm of the background music, rows of targets, each painted with various small monsters, moved before Black Mirror and Rainbow.

Black Mirror glanced at the short bow in her hand, adorned with an exaggerated pink coating.

She drew a toy arrow, tipped with a rubber suction cup, from the small quiver at her waist.

Selecting her target, she then nocked the arrow onto the bowstring.

With a soft ‘thwack,’ an arrow accurately struck a swiftly moving, beast-like Xinluti (TL Note: A fictional creature, likely a fairy or magical being in the context of the game) target, which, despite its monstrous nature, appeared rather cute.

The staff member, clad in a mascot costume, immediately announced the arrow’s value: “50 points! Keep it up, pooh!”

“Oh, wow! That’s amazing, Little Mirror! You hit the highest-scoring target right away!” Rainbow, playing the part of an enthusiastic hype-woman, clapped her hands with fervor.

“I understand the concept, but why are there even magical fairy targets in this kind of game, especially the highest-scoring ones?” Black Mirror questioned, casting a sidelong glance at the scoring guide displayed at the facility.

By all accounts, the game was supposed to be about transforming into a magical girl to defeat impish demons.

Yet, the demon targets typically yielded only 5, 10, or 20 points, while this Xinluti target, ostensibly a magical girl’s companion, was worth a full 50 points.

“I know! Allow your teacher to explain.” Rainbow, as if performing a magic trick, produced a fan adorned with the Xinluti’s image from her small bag and began her exposition.

“Actually, this Xinluti is named Mollygoo, and it appeared in the fourth installment of the series.

Initially, it was portrayed as cute, friendly, and very intelligent, successfully helping the protagonist’s team resolve numerous crises.”

“However, midway through the plot, it suddenly betrayed the protagonist, revealing itself to be a spy sent by the demon faction.

It collaborated with the demons, severely harming the protagonist’s friends and creating one of the most brutal arcs in the series’ history.

For a period afterward, it frequently suppressed and mocked the protagonist, making the viewing experience incredibly depressing.

Despite efforts to give it a redemption arc in the later stages of the story, limited production time and the scriptwriter’s capabilities resulted in a rather underwhelming execution.

Many fans and viewers were unconvinced, and Mollygoo consequently became one of the few Xinluti characters disliked by the audience.”

“Everyone watches magical girl anime for beautiful friendships, spectacular battles, emotional growth, and a wonderful sense of girlish wonder, all seeking a sense of healing.

Yet, the scriptwriter, in an attempt to cater to a fleeting trend of dark, gritty, and profound elements, hastily concocted such a stereotypical plot.

This only made the work feel neither here nor there, failing to attract new viewers while simultaneously enraging old fans.

Being flamed (TL Note: A Chinese slang term for receiving widespread online criticism or backlash) was entirely deserved,” Rainbow concluded, delivering a comprehensive and sharp critique as if she were indeed a core fan of the series.

Given her personality, it was highly probable she had watched the entire series.

This implied the target was also designed for these fans to vent their frustrations.

Even Xinluti Fairy Tale Kingdom, despite its meticulous attention to atmosphere, would resort to such a ploy to generate more commercial value.

Black Mirror nocked another arrow, striking a different Mollygoo target with precision.

Regardless of whether it was a good fairy or a bad one, as long as the score was high, it served its purpose.

Leveraging her exceptional physical prowess as a Corrupted, Black Mirror effortlessly hit six Mollygoo targets in a single round of six shots, accumulating a total of 300 points.

“It’s rare to see a magical girl achieve such a high score! This young lady is truly amazing, pooh! You can come over here to choose the prize you’d like to redeem, booboo!”

“Which character do you like among these?” Faced with a multitude of large plush toys, almost half her height, Black Mirror was at a loss for choice and simply asked Rainbow for her input.

“Oh, that one, of course! The red one,” Rainbow said, reaching out to point at a particular plush.

“It’s called Xiao Qi, and it’s so cute! In the third installment…”

Mentally tuning out the rest of the description, Black Mirror walked over, picked up the plush Rainbow favored, then held it out and presented it to her.

“Here, it’s for you.”

“Huh? Are you giving it to me?”

“You paid for everything, so naturally, it’s yours.”

“Wow, thank you~”

Rainbow was about to reach out and take the plush when she suddenly withdrew her hand, clasping it behind her back.

Seeing her eyes slightly narrowed and a smile playing on her lips, Black Mirror had a distinct feeling that Rainbow was cooking up another mischievous idea.

“I feel like it’s missing a bit of ceremony this way.

Little Mirror, could you possibly hold it and say to me, ‘Master, master, I am your little darling, please cherish me well’?”

“My apologies, the wind was quite strong just now; I didn’t hear you clearly.”

“Please, Little Mirror!”

“I can’t.”

“Just say it once, just once!”

“No.”

“Hmph, well, I’m angry then! I won’t take it,” Rainbow declared, crossing her arms over her chest and turning away, pouting like a petulant girlfriend.

‘Honestly, she just loves teasing me.’

A fluffy arm gently nudged Rainbow’s shoulder.

When she turned around, she saw Black Mirror hiding her body as much as possible behind the plush Xiao Qi, operating it to wave its arms.

“Master, master, I am your… little, little darling…”

The deliberately lowered voice could barely conceal a fidgeting shyness, and before the sentence was even finished, the plush was practically pressed against Rainbow’s face.

“It seems like there’s still half a sentence missing?”

“You just cherish *it* well!” With a tone of exasperated frustration, the plush was promptly shoved into Rainbow’s arms.

“Ah, it’s precisely this reluctant, yet mortified feeling that makes it so good! Thank you for the treat~ Hey, don’t be mad, don’t be mad! Wait for me!”

Seeing Black Mirror stride away quickly, Rainbow, clutching the plush, laughed and followed after her.

****

After enjoying a few more attractions in the Xinluti Fairy Tale Kingdom area, they moved on to the adjacent Robot Wars Zone.

This area, themed around robots, featured more intense and thrilling rides.

However, neither Black Mirror nor Rainbow held much interest in robots themselves; they had come solely because Rainbow intended to experience the most exhilarating roller coaster there.

After temporarily storing Rainbow’s bag, phone, sunglasses, and the plush she was holding, Black Mirror removed her hat and joined Rainbow on the roller coaster.

“I heard this one spins 360 degrees at the top; I’m so nervous!”

“If you’re nervous and scared, wouldn’t it be better not to ride it?”

“Don’t be such a spoilsport, Little Mirror! Give me your hand.”

Black Mirror unfastened her right hand from the restraint device securing her upper body and offered it to Rainbow.

It was then taken by Rainbow’s left hand, their fingers intertwining.

“When you’re scared, this is what you’re supposed to do.”

“…Whatever you say.”

Deliberately trying not to notice Rainbow’s smiling face or the warmth of her palm, Black Mirror quickly averted her gaze.

The ride began to move slowly, ascending the track amidst the screams of the tourists, drawing closer to the heights inch by agonizing inch.

It deliberately afforded riders ample time to realize how far they were moving from the ground, the present slowness feeling more like a countdown to an impending, violent descent.

The perspective shifted, yet what appeared before them was still a gentle stretch of track.

Just as their suspended hearts began to settle, the train suddenly accelerated, lurching forward at the moment of their weakest psychological defense, plunging into a mischievously nearly vertical drop.

Amidst successive jolts of weightlessness, Black Mirror felt her hand squeezed even tighter.

Turning her head, she saw Rainbow screaming in perfect sync with the other riders, yet her face showed no trace of fear, completely absorbed in the enjoyment of the moment.

For ordinary people, this was undoubtedly a thrill rarely encountered in daily life.

However, for Corrupted like them, this level of turbulence was insufficient to stir their inner calm.

Being besieged by magical girls in the past had been far more perilous than this.

If Zhang Qingwei were sitting here instead, even if he wouldn’t scream like the others, he would surely feel a degree of tension within him.

His hands would undoubtedly cling tightly to the protective restraint across his chest, not letting go for an instant.

Though the consciousness remained the same, the differing physical bodies and abilities would elicit distinct reactions.

“Aaaah—!”

Amidst the unrestrained screams surrounding her, Black Mirror endured a dizzying, topsy-turvy ride.

Once the roller coaster completed its circuit and slowly came to a halt, Rainbow, having just disembarked, immediately leaned against Black Mirror.

“Let me lean on you for a bit, Little Mirror.

I’m so tired, I don’t have an ounce of strength left, and my legs are all wobbly from fright.”

“…You were just sitting there, not moving at all, honestly,” Black Mirror grumbled under her breath.

Nevertheless, she offered her body as support.

Rainbow’s soft form instantly pressed against her back, and Black Mirror could even feel Rainbow’s slightly warm breath on her neck.

To an outsider, they likely appeared to be nothing more than a pair of close friends.

“Who said I didn’t do anything?

Let’s walk a bit further, and I’ll show you just how hard I worked.”

Clinging to Black Mirror like a lazy sloth, completely oblivious to the surrounding stares, Rainbow dragged her a few more steps.

Black Mirror noticed the group of people who had just ridden the roller coaster gathered near the exit passage; they seemed to be blocking the service station, discussing something.

“What a coincidence!”

“First time encountering something this strange.”

As Black Mirror passed by the edge of the crowd, she glanced over, realizing they were discussing the photos the amusement park took of visitors on the roller coaster.

Typically, camera positions were set at the most thrilling points on the track, capturing the riders’ uncontrolled expressions.

One could then purchase these photos as souvenirs by simply paying a bit more, becoming a ‘sucker’ (TL Note: A colloquial Chinese term for someone who spends extra money on something unnecessary or overpriced).

However, it seemed something had gone awry this time.

What puzzled both the visitors and the staff was that several birds had appeared from nowhere just as the machine was taking pictures.

For some unknown reason, they had conveniently perched directly in front of the lens, rendering most of the photos unusable.

Even more coincidentally, one of the visitors happened to be a birdwatcher, who was delighted to purchase several of these photos, which were, in another sense, quite rare.

‘As expected, Rainbow’s transformations aren’t limited to human forms,’ Black Mirror mused, turning to glance at Rainbow.

She found her companion sporting a mischievous, triumphant expression, a cunning curve playing on her lips.

While it was a slight disservice to the tourists who had been looking forward to their photos, it was indeed imperative that the pictures not be taken normally.

Otherwise, if they saw an empty seat on the roller coaster, it would cause considerable trouble.

After passing a robot stage show and taking a few photos of Rainbow with the robot actors, then riding a drop tower and a 5D cinema tour vehicle, Rainbow suggested they move to the next area.

“Although the special effects of the transforming robots battling each other were certainly impressive, I still feel like the overall experience was a bit lacking,” Rainbow remarked, evaluating the recently completed tour vehicle ride.

Black Mirror concurred with this sentiment.

After all, if magical girls truly unleashed their full power, their destructive capability would undoubtedly be far more formidable than these multi-meter-tall robots, which merely boasted so-called high technology and endless energy.

She couldn’t help but recall her recent, brief skirmish with the magical girl Zhuohua.

It was truly worthy of being called the city’s greatest firepower, igniting the air and tearing apart dark clouds; it was a veritable “sword that cleaved heaven and earth.”

The mere aftershocks generated by their clashing and devouring magical energies had nearly obliterated the park, surely creating considerable trouble for the departments responsible for post-event cleanup.

For their next stop, they chose a kung fu-themed area built around a martial arts-practicing raccoon.

The attractions here were relatively simple and singular, primarily consisting of mini-games, and the area also offered numerous rest zones and restaurants.

Under Rainbow’s expectant gaze, Black Mirror donned a pair of boxing gloves and stood before a machine decorated with a wooden dummy overlay.

She took two deep breaths, then threw a punch at the device in front of her.

On the electronic screen, an evil tiger displayed a dazed expression, while simultaneously, the lights beside it began to illuminate sequentially, finally stopping at approximately one-third of the entire light strip.

“What a pity, young lady! Just a little more effort and you could have won the grand prize! Here, this is your reward.”

The nearby staff member offered kind words of comfort while handing over a pre-prepared refrigerator magnet.

However, this was a transparent lie; to win the prize plush, one would likely need to at least double Black Mirror’s current score.

“Hey—Little Mirror, where’s my hero, A-Hu?” Rainbow asked, pointing at a raccoon plush hanging at the redemption counter.

“If you want it, go get it yourself.”

“A weak girl like me couldn’t possibly get it!”

“Then neither can I.”

This attraction was simply not designed for women of their physique.

The previous shooting game had been fine, but if she were to casually punch and achieve another high score here, it would appear far too unusual.

She had no desire to draw attention to herself.

“Alright, then it seems it’s my turn to step up.”

After paying for another round, Rainbow confidently stepped forward, put on the gloves, and gestured towards the device in front of her.

“Little Mirror, make sure to capture my cool side!”

With that, she took a half-step back, assuming a stance of full commitment, and punched the machine with indignant force.

The light strip illuminated with hopeful lights, and then—

“Here, this is your refrigerator magnet.”

“How could this be…”

Staring at the light strip, which had barely illuminated a fifth of its area, Black Mirror helplessly covered her forehead.

“Again! Again! I’ll definitely get it this time!”

“Let’s go, stop wasting money.”

Dragging the overly enthusiastic loser away from the greedy and wicked machine, Black Mirror completed her loss-prevention efforts.

****

As noon approached, Rainbow chose a noodle shop in the area for their lunch.

In truth, Black Mirror, having conducted some personal tests, had concluded that Corrupted likely had no genuine need for food.

As manifestations of negative emotions, they were difficult to define as “biological beings” in the true sense.

Although they possessed normal taste buds, the act of eating seemed more like a symbolic gesture, consequently producing no feeling of fullness.

However, she couldn’t possibly discuss these matters with Rainbow to arrive at a definitive answer.

After all, Black Mirror wasn’t a pure Corrupted herself, and it would be problematic if Rainbow discerned anything amiss here.

Thus, throughout the meal, Black Mirror maintained an almost silent demeanor, offering only simple responses to Rainbow’s seemingly trivial questions.

On a side note, despite tasting no different from the ramen at the company cafeteria, the price was astonishingly ten times higher.

Watching the pitifully few slices of beef in her bowl, Black Mirror, with a complex expression, picked up the vinegar bottle from the table and began to pour it into her ramen.

As the color of her ramen gradually darkened, Rainbow’s expression across the table grew increasingly complex.

“Little Mirror?”

“Hmm?” Setting down her “pitch-black” bowl of noodles, Black Mirror swallowed the mouthful of broth and then looked up.

“…Nothing.”

Even this articulate and eloquent Corrupted chose to remain silent about her companion’s unusual eating habits.

After their meal, the two wandered around the vicinity.

Black Mirror was pulled by Rainbow into every souvenir shop they could see.

Whenever Rainbow spotted something she liked, she wouldn’t even glance at the price tag, cheerfully pulling out money to buy it.

Witnessing the growing collection of items draped over her and in her hands, Rainbow simply bought a large backpack, and Black Mirror helped her pack all these severely overpriced trinkets into it.

Picking up a piece of clothing, Rainbow held it against herself.

“This one’s so cute, Little Mirror.

What do you think if I wear it?”

“Quite good.” After a brief glance, Black Mirror gave a calm assessment.

“Then this one?” She picked up another.

“Not bad.”

“Then th—”

“It’s alright.”

“Your attitude is a bit perfunctory, Little Mirror; you haven’t even looked at me.

Wait for me, I’m going to try it on and see.”

With that, she took two pieces of clothing and walked into the fitting room.

Watching Rainbow’s retreating figure, Black Mirror temporarily set down her backpack and sat down.

Aside from them, the store held some students and couples.

Observing these people chatting and laughing with a hint of ambiguous intimacy, Black Mirror only felt a sense of incongruity with her surroundings.

‘…’

‘The longer I stay with Rainbow, the more I feel I shouldn’t be here.

This isn’t Rainbow’s fault; her behavior is no different from anyone else around, all seemingly ordinary people enjoying their leisure time.’

‘…’

‘No, the problem is solely with myself.’

‘Operating as Black Mirror usually means engaging in battle.

This body is a weapon that perfectly protects me, separating the not-strong-enough me.

In other situations, there’s no need for me to transform into Black Mirror.’

‘Simply liking something, simply doing something out of enthusiasm and interest—it sounds so easy, yet I can’t recall the last time I did such a thing.’

‘Though a Corrupted born from negative emotions, Rainbow, as she herself said, is here to enjoy the day.

She harbors anticipation for this day, for everything before her.

She is like the purest human, embraced by full and overflowing emotions, immersed in every second of joy and occasional worries.’

‘To blend in with humanity so openly, to live like an ordinary person, smilingly discerning those positive and wholesome emotions, Black Mirror believes this is still a form of “acting.”

Yet, beside Rainbow, she sees no flaw whatsoever.’

‘More human than humans themselves, as if teaching me how to be human,’ Black Mirror could only think of such a description.

‘When I’m around her, my mind always starts to wander.

This is a kind of “mental pollution” not composed of magic, but of Rainbow’s words, expressions, actions, and the emotions she conveys—her laughter and her smiles.’

‘If the one here wasn’t the Corrupted Black Mirror, wasn’t a weapon, wasn’t Zhang Qingwei, wasn’t a failure of self-negation and exile, but something else… then would she, would I, find some peace?

Would I truly be able to blend into this atmosphere?’

Looking into the mirror that reflected nothing of herself, she wished, for once, to see her own expression reflected back.

She wanted a hint of an answer from her own face.