Skyscraper, Perfect Star Productions.
“So, your job is the Radiance Magical Girl from a children’s cartoon, and you’ve won first place in the most beloved Magical Girl Awards among the people?”
The gloomy middle-aged man pushed up his reflective glasses with his mechanically modified finger. His speech was slow and drawn out, every syllable filled with doubt.
“That’s right.”
Sitting across from him, the girl with light golden hair displayed a dazzling smile. She snapped her fingers, and a beautiful star appeared in the palm of her hand.
The radiant star refracted seven-colored lights, within her palm, it twirled and began to tap dance.
The faint starlight reflected her sky-blue eyes, making them shimmer.
“Is that all you can do?”
The middle-aged man, Shenshu, who had a face full of worldly experience, spoke mercilessly, “You can achieve something like this just by installing a projection lamp in your palm.”
As he spoke, his black suit sleeve flipped up, revealing a silver mechanical hand.
To the girl’s incredulous gaze, a faint light appeared in the palm of his hand. Soon, the eight major planets—Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune—appear one after another, converging into a solar system. The sun and moon turned, the constellations shifted. In the next second, a miniature Milky Way began to flow and rotate slowly in his palm.
The golden-haired girl, Pei Huan, stood up in astonishment.
She carefully examined the galaxy held in Shenshu’s hand, its exquisite and magnificent quality were completely incomparable to the stars in her own hand.
It’s like a little witch encountering a great sorcerer.
Pei Huan felt a bit defeated, but quickly regained her spirit and said, “I lost this round. But I have another special ability.”
Shenshu retracted the projection in his hand, with all ten of his fingers touched in front of his face, calmly saying, “Then go ahead and show me. Let me see.”
“Love-”
Pei Huan took a deep breath and struck the classic pose of a magical girl transformation. She closed her eyes, her golden lashes cast a faint shadow underneath. From her hands clasped in a prayer-like gesture, a parade of spinning stars emerged.
Then, the spinning star flew towards her forehead, its radiance growing brighter, almost engulfing her entire being.
“An– –d Peace!”
“Oh, goddess of light who enforced love and justice, lend me your power.”
“With faith, wisdom, and courage! And an unparalleled radiant smile!”
With a resolute and powerful slogan, Pei Huan’s beautiful long hair, resembling threads of shimmering gold, swayed as if blowing by wind, a white bow appeared behind her head.
She clasped her arms tightly, and her body, emitting a holy light, gradually took on the silhouette of a fluffy skirt. The skirt extended into a long train, adorned with the brilliance of stars, dancing in the wind like a light veil.
As a final ray of light glimmer, a pair of translucent angel wings emerge from her back.
She opened her eyes, her blue irises shone like gemstones. The closed wings behind her suddenly unfolded, and countless shining stars gently fell from the sky.
“The Radiance Magical Girl, is here!”
Before Pei Huan could even land in her fixed pose, Shenshu spoke up.
“Although I don’t know why your transformation sequence is so long, taking a second,” he criticized with an almost headache-inducing tone and expressionless face. “However, your smile is too flashy, your lines are too cheesy, and your transformation lacks originality. I’m afraid not even a three-year-old child would like it.”
“By the way, you don’t only have this one costume, do you? It’s just…,” Shenshu paused for a moment and continued ruthlessly, “too shabby.”
“How can that be?”
Pei Huan covered her chest, which felt like it had been ruthlessly stabbed, and protested.
In fact, before accidentally transmigrating to the interstellar realm, she had been the three-time reigning champion of the most popular magical girl ranking, not only children, but even adults loved her.
Even the blackened beasts from the enemies provoked her, “Hey, that arrogant magical girl over there, yeah, I’m talking about you! You think you’re something just because you have some popularity!”
“Why not,” Shenshu countered, seemingly listlessly. “Just your one-click outfit change already made me bored to the point of wanting to fall asleep.”
As if confirming his words, he casually waved his hand, and his originally neat and formal black suit instantly transformed into a blue-and-white striped pajama.
Shenshu paid no attention to Pei Huan’s reaction. He waved his hand twice, and the blue-and-white pajama rapidly switched to a sleek baseball uniform, a British-style equestrian outfit, a close-fitting motorcycle suit, and casual homewear…
The speed of the clothes changing grew faster and faster. Nude aprons, burgundy sequined suits, luxurious evening gowns, Santa Claus costumes, sexy bondage outfits, pink nurse uniforms, and many more outfits were constantly switching back and forth, creating afterimages that almost dazzled Pei Huan’s eyes.
Wait, something strange seemed to have mixed in!
Pei Huan blinked her eyes in suspicion, but the overwhelming feeling that surged in her heart was astonishment.
Wow, so amazing! Is this the interstellar realm?
Indeed, it’s the level she couldn’t achieve.
Her magical girl transformation, in comparison to his antics, seemed like a clumsy dress-up game, and she herself felt like a country bumpkin who had mistakenly stumbled into a glamorous world.
Pei Huan dared not even blink her eyes, fearing to miss a second of this magical and incredible scene.
It wasn’t until the end, when Shenshu waved his hand again, and the clothes returned to their original black-gray suit. He wearily raised his eyelids. “Do you have anything else to say? If not, next.”
“Don’t move on so quickly. I, I can sing and dance too!” Pei Huan quickly pleaded, “Everyone says that listening to my singing can brighten their mood.”
“Brighten their mood?” Shenshu sneered, already absentmindedly tapping his fingers. “I’m not interested in that faint sense of pleasure. What I want is stimulation!”
“Do you understand stimulation? Give those poor souls whose minds have been numbed by virtual illusions an intense stimulus. Awaken what little emotions they have left, make them feel that they might still be alive.”
Shenshu’s smile was filled with sarcasm. “As long as that happens, they will willingly shower me with money.”
“Stimulation?” Pei Huan was a bit confused. She had just arrived in the interstellar realm and many things were beyond her comprehension.
But she always believed that idols, just like magical girls, needed love and could bring hope. How could excitement be associated with it?
Shenshu looked at the young girl in front of him with her slightly bewildered blue eyes, shimmering with purity and sincerity, a purity he might have lost since infancy.
Her golden hair shimmered with a brilliant ignorance, as if she was born without any understanding of the suffering and hardships of the world.
In his heart, a feeling of cruelty slowly rose, and he wanted to see this self-proclaimed magical girl being struck by reality and engulfed by darkness.
Shenshu chuckled inwardly and whispered dangerously, “You have no idea, do you? Then let me give you a precious opportunity to witness it.”
Under his control, the wall behind him suddenly rippled, revealing four transparent square-shaped screens.
“These are the four most profitable idol groups in our company.”
“NO.1, DropSan Girls.”
The screens were filled with black mist as the girls danced with an adorable yet eerie smile. The black-purple skirts fluttered, and the large, rough tentacle arms and legs crept up, leaving sticky traces of water on the screens. The demonic music and pale lights directly awakened the purest fear in people’s hearts.
Just by looking at the thumbnails, Pei Huan thought it was some kind of monster she had to eliminate in her original world. She could barely control herself from using her ultimate move!
So, this is the kind of intensely stimulating idol groups that are popular in the interstellar realm.
“NO.2, Jet Squadron.”
Gothic girls wearing gas masks, shouting and roaring, “Jet, tear, destroy!” as they carried fire extinguishers and sprayed all over the stage. Instead of water, colorful fluorescent mist sprayed from the nozzles, with a fluorescent green skull hanging high in a fog.
“NO.3, Dance of Dragons and Elves.”
The girls in the picture had exquisitely delicate faces like elves, but what was astonishing was that before they danced, they transformed into roaring dragons, shaking their thick dragon tails adorned with bows. Their forelimbs, covered in golden scales, assumed a fierce pose of baring their teeth and claws.
“NO.4, Midnight Idols.”
Pei Huan couldn’t see the visuals of this idol group at all; it was just a mosaic to her. She could only hear the incredibly alluring music, as if someone was tracing circles in her heart with delicate manicured nails.
“Oh, I forgot, you’re not yet 20 years old, so you can’t watch it,” Shenshu added leisurely.
It must be an explosive scene if it’s restricted to those over 20! Are these really proper idols?
Pei Huan complained to herself.
“Anyway, by now you should understand that old-fashioned, healing-type idols like you have no market. Audiences are no longer interested in dreams and hard work. What they want is a kind of excitement, the most direct kind of stimulation.”
Shenshu’s voice grew low, seductive like a venomous snake. “If you were to become a Fallen Magical Girl, there might be some potential for fame.”
“So, what do you think? Would you consider it? It’s a great opportunity,” Shenshu presented his terms, “After all, your face and figure are decent. Although not irreplaceable as you’re not an android after all. You can be polished and make your debut as a real-life idol. You might unexpectedly become popular…”
“No, thank you!” Pei Huan stared directly into Shenshu’s open eyes and stood up. “I’m sorry for taking up your time.”
She casually untied the ribbon bow from her hair, and the magic instantly dissipated. She returned to her original appearance.
Being a dark, fallen, or sinister magical girl was Pei Huan’s bottom line. She was the Radiance Magical Girl who brought love and smiles to people.
Even though there were no negative emotions transformed into monstrous beasts waiting for her to defeat in the interstellar realm, and the rapid development of technology rendered magical girls unnecessary, she couldn’t forget her mission.
Pei Huan left Perfect Star Productions.
The sky was perpetually gloomy, with thick, unchanging dark clouds. Standing in the curtain of gray rain, she looked at the giant advertisement screen hanging on the skyscraper. A virtual idol with a human head and serpent body was using a strangely humorous voice to promote a product.
“Magic not working? Let technology solve it! 88th Transformation Day, Fantastic Discount on Transformation Surgeries!”
Neon signs were everywhere, tinting the transparent drizzle with desaturated colors. The sky resembled spilled ink, spreading a mixture of impure hues download.
Pei Huan felt the cold, stinging sensation of raindrops hitting her face and couldn’t help but sigh in her heart. It was another unsuccessful day in her job search.
She thought that her previous experience in participating in “Radiance Magical Girl Chronicles: Magical Girl Idol” would help her pass the interview smoothly.
But it turned out that the interstellar realm was completely different from her original world.
Transformation, magical abilities, healing songs—they were all common occurrences now. She couldn’t bring any surprises to people anymore.
Pei Huan once again realized that she was truly unemployed as a magical girl.
Her soaked clothes clung uncomfortably to her skin. Pei Huan brushed aside her wet bangs and started walking towards the temporary hotel she was staying at.
She lost consciousness during the final battle against the ultimate boss, and when she regained consciousness, she found herself in the interstellar realm with no way to return.
The power of happiness stored in the stars had already been mostly depleted, and today’s struggles had made it even more challenging. If she didn’t collect everyone’s power of happiness soon, she wouldn’t be able to transform.
However, the happiness levels of the interstellar residents were found to be very low, and her star power remained unfilled.
Pei Huan couldn’t help but recall Shenshu’s words about stimulation. She pondered in distress, wondering if stimulation could bring happiness.
Just as Pei Huan was contemplating her next plan, she heard a faint, crisp sound in her ears.
It was like the last petal falling from a withered rose in a deserted garden; a string of clear wind chimes being blown off the eaves by a gust of wind; a star forever losing its radiance.
This is—
Pei Huan widened her eyes in disbelief.
This is the sound of a pure soul shattering!
Among Pei Huan’s group of magical girls, there was always the concept of a soulmate.
The soulmate of a magical girl was often an ordinary girl of similar age. Although they didn’t possess magic, they had the power to heal people’s hearts.
Usually, the magical girl charged forward in battle while the soulmate stood behind, doing their best to heal them in their own unique way.
However, strangely enough, as the iconic Radiance Magical Girl, Pei Huan had never heard the voice of a soulmate as described by her companions. She had never found her destined soulmate either.
To be honest, when her teammates and their soulmates were walking hand in hand, Pei Huan couldn’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy that she struggled to control.
Now, she finally heard it.
But this soul was gradually breaking apart!
Pei Huan took a deep breath, slammed on the brakes, and turned around, sprinting in the direction indicated by the stars!
Rainwater streamed down her fierce face, and the splashing dirty water soaked her shoes and socks.
She heard her heart pounding intensely and anxiously, thundering her eardrums.
Stop! Don’t break any further!!!
A dried up mushroom currently addicted to translating novels. Totally not on caffeine!
