Magical Girl Heavy Dependence

Chapter 12, Bounty

The sun finally set completely.

Rows of lights peeked out from the windows of each house, adding a touch of surreal life to the ruins-like street.

Yan Xi finally managed to collapse onto her bed in the bedroom.

She let her long hair fall loose, covered her eyes with the back of her hand, and stared blankly at the ceiling through her fingers.

Exhaustion spread uncontrollably throughout my body.

"What...am I doing?"

A wave of self-loathing washed over me.

The disgust for being treated like a prisoner, the disgust for lying to his grandmother, the disgust for the inconsistency between his words and actions, and the disgust for his inability to face reality—this disgust was so intense that it almost became tangible, churning and spasming inside his stomach.

She felt like gagging, but even that pain was an illusion.

Her vision gradually blurred, and she turned her head to look at the dressing mirror beside the bed.

But what I saw was not myself, but someone else.

"……elder sister."

She remained silent.

Many years ago, this neighborhood was destroyed in a battle between a magical girl and a demon.

That magical girl would run wildly through the streets with her when she was young, ride her bike to take Yanxi to school every day, and secretly fly with her among the clouds at night.

She was so innocent and gentle that even a demon wanted to save her...

Yan Xi closed her eyes.

That was just a typical "farmer and the snake" story.

The severely injured demon was taken in by the girl and then ambushed her after recovering from his injuries.

The fire was raging.

The battle was so fierce that it nearly turned the entire street into ruins. In the end, the magical girl and the demon perished together... When rescuers arrived, only one member of the family of four remained alive.

Yan Xi hated that magical girl so much, because her foolish kindness destroyed her family; yet Yan Xi also missed that magical girl so much, because the days with her were the happiest times of her life.

She kept thinking that way until she obtained the "Heart of Desire".

I initially thought it was a sign from fate, but the power couldn't change anything.

Everything about magic was more complicated than she had imagined: black markets, gray areas... who knew that a seemingly ordinary children's playground would be such a place? Affairs Bureau, Association, Yinfu Entertainment... unexpected organizations popped up one after another.

She just wanted to make money.

Yan Xi raised her hand, and the raven feather wand that had transformed into a feather hair tie fell into her hand, before being tossed aside.

The girl curled up, talking to herself in the empty room, "What should I do?"

Yan Xi buried her head in the pillow, her mind filled with a jumble of thoughts.

She was brought to the Sound Palace Entertainment because of the defilement of her "Wish Heart". According to the contract, she must stay in the company for six years until the end of her magical girl career.

Alternatively, you can participate in the "Witch Trial" in advance, at which time the contract will be automatically terminated.

During this period, she was unable to use magic to do anything that violated the terms of the contract.

She didn't remember many of the complicated terms and conditions, and she thought that she might as well make the best of it, settle down as a trainee, and debut as an idol in the future.

But I don't seem to have that kind of talent.

Moreover, whenever I think back to the time when I accidentally caused an accident and was forcibly taken to that company by the Magical Girl Association, I am always reminded of the past.

His admiration and affection for his older sister quickly turned into disgust.

So hypocritical, so sanctimonious.

Where were you when your sister needed help?

Suddenly, the phone screen lit up.

She unlocked her screen and saw a notification from the company's OA system.

After reading the contents of the notice, Yan Xi's eyes widened suddenly, and she sat up abruptly in bed.

"A bounty!?"

……

Cheng Chen, holding a coffee, looked at some documents while waiting for the elevator with her other colleagues.

He never used to drink such bitter and tasteless beverages, but Jiang Fei said that coffee is the medicine for corporate slaves, and since he had become a corporate slave, he had to carry a bit of the bitterness of life on his body.

"Producer".

The assistant appeared out of nowhere and stood beside him like a ghost.

"Regarding your request for a practical test, I have selected a suitable bounty for you. The target is a demon who recently appeared in Yincheng and fled. The detailed document has been forwarded to your email."

So fast?

Cheng Chen raised her eyebrows in surprise. The idea, which she had only come up with on a whim before leaving get off work yesterday, was already arranged first thing this morning.

No wonder Congcong can be the president's assistant!

"Yes, I'll watch it when I have time. Thank you for your hard work."

He nodded calmly.

"It's my duty." Congcong said in a capable manner. "Producer, the bounty mission is public knowledge, and other magical girls who are not affiliated with the company will also participate. They will be led by second-tier magical girls dispatched by the association, and the assembly time is this afternoon."

"Have you notified the three of them?"

"Everything has been arranged."

Cheng Chen nodded to indicate that she understood, and then made a decision: "Before the three of them come to the company today, I would like to visit the daily training of other idols or trainees. Please arrange that for me. After they arrive, let them attend regular classes first, and I will observe them throughout."

"Also, arrange a vehicle. We will not appear in person during the bounty process; we will only observe the progress. Please communicate with the magical girl leading the team at the association for details."

"OK."

Congcong had no objections and lowered his head to take notes.

Today's events unfolded similarly to yesterday; the problem trio didn't arrive until very late in the afternoon.

Cheng Chen did not show herself, but stood quietly behind the one-way mirror, observing their practice from the basic courses onwards.

Candle Tears performed poorly in all courses.

Whenever she needs to cooperate with her peers, she starts to dazed and tremble. If the teacher reminds her to pay more attention, she will even de-transform, bury her face in her hands, squat down, and repeatedly apologize with tears in her eyes.

The scene became chaotic at one point.

Lingxia, on the other hand, has a different style.

She seemed to be in control and obedient. When the teacher corrected her movements or gave her individual pointers, she would politely and humbly accept them, but in the end, her test results were all terrible.

While it may not be superior to candle tears, it is at least on par with them.

Cheng Chen realized that they were all highly skilled, making this a high-level game.

Compared to yesterday, E-Ya has become the best performer.

Just as Congcong said, her performance in the basic courses was almost remarkable.

Whether it was tedious etiquette training or simple dance practice, she demonstrated amazing focus and execution, and her performance was outstanding.

Cheng Chen's opinion of her changed somewhat, but her confusion also grew.

……

"Practice ends here for now. You have half an hour to rest and eat. After half an hour, gather again for a practical training session, led by a second-tier magical girl from the association. I will also be there to observe."

Cheng Chen pushed open the door to the training room and announced to the three people who were wiping their sweat and resting.

Upon hearing the word "rest," Zhu Lei felt as if she had been granted a pardon and hurriedly deactivated her transformation, seemingly unconcerned about others knowing her true identity.

He immediately perked up his ears, becoming alarmed: "A...practical course?"

"Um."

Cheng Chen waved his phone in his palm. "Traces of demon activity have been discovered near the industrial park on the outskirts of Lushan District. The association has issued a 'Kage-level' bounty, and I've taken on this mission for you."

The Magical Girl Association issues bounties for their capture.

It's not mandatory. Among magical girls, there is also a large group of traditional martial arts fighters who rely on defeating demons and monsters to condense "heart containers." The association publishes threat information collected from various channels to make it easier for them to select targets and also to maintain the safety of the city.

Some raids will also have municipal bounties.

"Why us? The producers."

Lingxia was also caught off guard, and then Zhulei... no, now Lu Baishu pressed her for an answer.

They are trainees at Yinfu Entertainment, and unlike the martial arts faction, they almost never participate in combat.

"I learned about your abilities yesterday, and the difficulty of this mission is just right." Cheng Chen scanned the three people's expressions. "Magic was originally born for practical combat. Although it has gradually evolved into a tool for stage performance, you will not have a fundamental understanding of magic if you have not participated in any actual combat."

"This lesson is also part of my test for you, and your performance in the task will affect my future training strategy for you."

This is a lie.

The practical exercises and tests were just pretexts. What Cheng Chen really wanted was to see what Huiya would do after learning the news.

After all, under his arrangement, the reward for this mission was no small sum.

"Waaah~"

Lu Baishu clutched her head and slowly squatted down, like a trembling rabbit, muttering to herself, "It's over, it's over, it's over..."

Ling Xia didn't hesitate at all, flashing a sweet and obedient smile, and nodded energetically: "Okay! Producer! I will do my best to protect everyone!"

The raven has no expression.

Or rather, she remained completely silent all day, without interacting with Cheng Chen or even her two companions.

"If there are no problems, we'll disband and everyone can get ready."

After saying that, Cheng Chen turned and left.

……