Magical Girl Fan Bingbing

[Important Notice: The "magic element" in this book is a fictional concept and has no connection to any real-world substance.]

As the story unfolds, the protagonist will undergo a complete transformation; please read on patiently.

No abuse, no cuckolding.

"Mr. Jiang Ran, your organs are failing, and your condition is very serious."

"How much longer do I have to live?"

"Optimistically speaking, it will take no more than three years, provided that the rate of organ failure does not accelerate."

"..."

"Medical technology is very advanced now. A full organ transplant might improve the situation. Even if a matching organ cannot be found, artificial organs are an option..."

Jiang Ran did not inquire about the cost of organ transplantation and artificial organs because he knew it was an exorbitant medical expense that he could not afford.

When Jiang Ran left the hospital, she was still somewhat dazed. In addition to physical exhaustion, past memories were also surging in her mind.

More than 20 years ago, the world was suddenly invaded by a monster called the Demon Beast. Humanity suffered repeated defeats, and at the most critical moment, it lost more than half of its land and its population plummeted.

Subsequently, a small number of human girls awakened the power to control magic and became magical girls.

They led humanity to reclaim their home, saving human civilization from disaster.

Now that the situation is gradually stabilizing, humanity has established a complete system for training and managing magical girls. Although sending a group of teenage girls to the battlefield is a mess, humanity has no choice but to do so for the sake of the continuation of civilization.

In theory, only human girls aged 10 to 20 have the opportunity to awaken and become magical girls. However, for some reason, Jiang Ran, a middle-aged man in his thirties, was once a magical girl.

Later, the Magical Girl Alliance disbanded, and Jiang Ran stopped her activities as a magical girl.

However, because he had spent many years fighting on the front lines, Jiang Ran had not mastered any social survival skills, which caused him to encounter setbacks in his life after retirement. In the end, he relied on his experience as a magical girl to work as a physical education teacher in a "magical girl special class" at a high school, barely making ends meet.

"Twenty years have passed."

The hidden wounds left from back then have never healed. Over the years, Jiang Ran has vaguely sensed that her life is slipping away, and now she finally sees the countdown to her death.

Jiang Ran lived in an old neighborhood with low housing prices and somewhat dilapidated facilities. The dimly lit stairwell was dark, and he groped his way up to the third floor, took out his key, and opened the door.

The furnishings inside the house were equally old, and the atmosphere was desolate. Only through the group photos hanging on the wall could one sense a trace of warmth that had once existed.

"I'm back."

Jiang Ran talked to herself in the empty living room before returning to her bedroom.

This is a double bedroom. The interior decoration has not changed for a long time. Even the bedside table still displays Jiang Ran's wedding photo with his ex-wife Song Mingyue. There are several posters of the magical girl "Azure Star Stone" on the wardrobe and wall.

When they were young, his ex-wife, Song Mingyue, was very fond of this relatively unknown magical girl.

Looking at the somewhat gloomy magical girl on the poster, Jiang Ran bent down and took out a small, dusty box from under the bed.

Blowing away the dust, revealing the exquisitely crafted texture on the surface, Jiang Ran opened it with a complicated expression.

A golden medal lay quietly in the box, its weight substantial in my hand.

The medal is exquisitely crafted, and its overall design is somewhat like the United Nations emblem. Golden ears of wheat wrap around the Earth in the center, and several delicate little figures are engraved above the Earth. Opposite the little figures is a giant snake that could almost swallow the entire Earth.

Turning the medal over, you'll find another line of small print: "World Serpent War Hero Medal"

[This chapter is dedicated to those who sacrificed their lives to protect civilization, and the title of hero is bestowed upon the magical girl "Azure Star Stone" in gratitude for saving human civilization.]

As Jiang Ran ran her fingers over the raised and recessed areas of the engraving, a dull ache suddenly shot through her chest.

Twenty years ago, the supreme-level magical beast "World Serpent" invaded Earth, threatening human civilization. Jiang Ran and several other shining-level magical girls set out to fight against the supreme-level magical beast.

In that battle, several Shining-level magical girls fought with all their might to barely defeat World Serpent. However, World Serpent's self-destruction attack before its death also seriously injured Jiang Ran, becoming one of the main reasons for his retirement.

Jiang Ran took off his shirt, revealing a large purple snake tattooed on his left chest where his heart was. The snake was biting Jiang Ran's heart, like a black hole constantly devouring his life force, which was the root cause of his organ failure.

"What can be accomplished in three years?"

Holding the cold medal, Jiang Ran thought of his daughter and ex-wife.

"The mortgage will be paid off in a few more years. Then we can sell the house, and we can use the proceeds to pay for our daughter's child support and her college expenses..."

Jiang Ran carefully calculated her assets and found that they were far from enough to do what she wanted. Her meager savings were all given to her ex-husband during the divorce.

He needs money, lots and lots of money, not only for his daughter but also for his medical treatment.

Even though the hope is slim, Jiang Ran does not intend to give up treatment. Who wants to die when they are alive and well?

Jiang Ran put the medal back in the box, having made up her mind.

Carrying the medal that represented his highest honor, Jiang Ran arrived at the local antique street. People here like to collect old objects or commemorative items, and that medal should fetch a good price.

Jiang Ran walked back and forth on the antique street several times, picking and choosing, and finally walked into a shop that looked more reliable.

"Welcome, sir." The shopkeeper behind the counter greeted him warmly. "What kind of business would you like to do, sir?"

Jiang Ran walked over with the box. "Do you accept medals here?"

"That depends on the year," the shopkeeper said. "Items from recent years aren't worth much because the government has issued too many. Only items from ten or twenty years ago, or even earlier, can fetch a price."

"This one was issued twenty years ago," Jiang Ran said, handing over the box.

The boss put on his glasses, leaned closer for a closer look, and frowned slightly: "This style looks like a medal from the former Demon Alliance."

"It's a medal from the Magical Girls Alliance," Jiang Ran said softly.

The boss said to himself, "The former Demon Alliance has been disbanded, and their medals have become rare items. There aren't many of them circulating on the market right now."

"Then this one for me..."

"The medals from the former Demon Alliance aren't worth much, and I've never heard of the World Serpent War Hero Medal in your name, so it's probably fake. But considering its exquisite craftsmanship, I'll offer five thousand."

The shop owner shook his head and added, "If it were made of pure gold, it would indeed be worth some money. Unfortunately, the gold content of yours is very low. I'll have to melt it down to extract the gold."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ran clenched her fists.

"But it was sent to Souseiseki..."

"Azure Star Stone? Never heard of this magical girl." The shopkeeper pushed the box back. "If it were any other famous magical girl, a level three battle medal would sell for 300,000, a level two for 1 million, a level one for at least several million, and above that..."

At this point, the boss shook his head again and said, "The magical girls who can win the Hero Medal are either members of the Magical Girl Council or generals who guard a region. You definitely won't be one."

Jiang Ran retrieved his medal and silently walked out of the shop. It was already dark. He sat on a bench by the street, looking at the world he had saved from the jaws of a supreme magical beast twenty years ago, and then let the darkness slowly envelop him.

Jiang Ran took out his phone and searched for the keywords "World Serpent War" and "Azure Star Stone" on a search engine. The results were all unrelated news articles. Occasionally, a few related headlines appeared, but the content had been deleted after clicking on them.

All traces of his past as "Azure Star Stone" were silently erased by an unseen hand.

Only this medal, awarded by the Magical Girl Alliance, records that history. However, even the Magical Girl Alliance itself has been submerged by history. Now, the Magical Girl Council of Ten is in control of this world.

As a remnant of the old era, Jiang Ran seems to have been abandoned by the world.

While pondering, Jiang Ran opened her palm, and a bracelet inlaid with emerald green gemstones appeared out of thin air in her hand.

This is the soul gem of the magical girl Souseiseki. Even though it has not been used for many years, it still shines and remains untarnished.

Jiang Ran also possesses the ability to transform, making her a dazzling magical girl who would still be at the pinnacle even today. But, should she transform?

As a former magical girl of the Magical Alliance, can she be accepted by the current ten-seat council?

Given his current physical condition, is he able to perform at his peak?

Under the night lights, the gemstone bracelet emitted a dreamy emerald glow, and many questions intertwined in Jiang Ran's mind.

However, all the problems that arose were ultimately blocked by a wall in Jiang Ran's heart.

"Let this be one last dance, for my daughter and for myself."

Jiang Ran gripped the gemstone bracelet tightly, her gaze gradually hardening.