Infinite Journey: Dark Souls

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Xiaoyan rushed out of the barrier constructed by Zida, but stopped in the next instant.

The petite girl in the lady's hat, who was at the back, suddenly stopped in her tracks as she entered the CD store. She slowly turned her head and looked at the anxious Xiaoyan—she could still only see the corners of Xiaoyan's smiling mouth, but not her face.

Frustrated, Zida slapped his head, removed the barrier, walked to Xiaoyan's side, and waved to the girl in the lady's hat.

The other person seemed stunned. She remained with one foot still inside the CD store, tilting her head in confusion, causing her lady's hat to slip down slightly.

Zida patted Xiaoyan on the shoulder, pointed to himself with his thumb, and then pulled Xiaoyan to walk back.

The girl in the lady's hat seemed to finally realize what was happening. She jumped up exaggeratedly and waved vigorously towards the CD store. Soon, heads wearing headscarves, nun's hats, and top hats popped out, all looking in Xiaoyan's direction. Beneath their obscured faces, there seemed to be a hint of surprise.

Without saying a word, Zida picked up Xiaoyan, ignored the passersby, and used his jumping ability, which was similar to Xiaoyan's after her body was enhanced, to leap onto the next floor of the department store.

The four girls panicked immediately. They gesticulated wildly and communicated for a while, then tacitly pulled out large knitting needles, ignored the crowd, and immediately squeezed onto the escalator.

"Hey! I know you're trying to lure them over, but can you put me down? I can run away by myself!"

Arrogance, who had reached the upper level first, put Xiaoyan down on the ground while she struggled, and then the two of them ran towards the escalator to the next level.

"You seem to have been trying to keep me from being noticed by them. Is this to prevent us from being discovered by the witch?"

He nodded, then shook his head.

"Here we go again... Can't you say something?"

shook his head.

"Tsk, thanks to you familiars, I probably won't have a chance to get close to Madoka today."

The familiars, who had initially been obediently squeezing into the elevator, suddenly realized that they didn't need to follow human rules here. They immediately displayed magical girl-like athleticism and chased after the two.

"So, since they've already found out, I might as well have a good fight and vent my frustration from the past few days!"

Xiaoyan stopped in her tracks instantly, drew her spiked hammer and spear, and swung it with a strong wind at the blond top-hatted familiar who was charging ahead.

The yarn needle blocked the hammer and spear, and a violent impact came from the point of impact. The next moment, the giant rushed into the battlefield and swung a large wooden club, which instantly sent the familiar flying.

"Hey, so you can use my weapons?"

The girl in the headscarf caught up, and a pistol suddenly appeared in Xiaoyan's left hand, which was not holding a hammer. As she thrust out the knitting needle, she pulled the trigger twice in succession.

She dodged the first magic bullet by turning her head, but the second one struck her squarely in the chest, pausing her attack.

The girl in the nun's hat suddenly jumped off her head, but Homura completely ignored her and delivered a heavy blow to the girl in the headscarf.

A large wooden stick was placed above Xiaoyan's head. After blocking the jumping strike for Xiaoyan, the Great roared, and deep purple flames ignited on his body. He swung the nun-hat girl away, weapon and all.

The turbaned girl, who had been executed, rolled on the ground clutching her stomach, but Xiaoyan did not launch any further attacks. Instead, she threw away the spiked hammer and spear, drew her longsword, and held it behind her back.

The girl in the lady's hat who first discovered them somehow circled behind them and, taking advantage of the fact that both Homura and Arrogance had opponents, tried to make a sneak attack. However, the needle she thrust out was blocked by Homura's longsword.

Turning around and swinging her sword, this weapon, which had been with Xiao Yan the longest in the World of Fire, seemed to come alive, responding to Xiao Yan's every move and biting at the enemy's body like a venomous snake.

Sparks flew amidst the dense clashes, his deep black eyes remained calm, flames of purple tinged with black danced on his body, and he wielded his longsword steadily, each strike colliding firmly with the increasingly rapid knitting needles.

The feeling from the previous battle with the arrogant girl resurfaced. Even though this lady-hatted girl possessed the speed of the katana-wielding man and the strength of the executioner, she could still defuse the rapidly swinging knitting needles in the most reliable way, and even have the capacity to launch a counterattack.

In another exchange of blows, she suddenly widened her stance, using the force of the impact to extend her sword-wielding hand, and with a sudden spin, her longsword, drawing a large circle, slammed heavily against the knitting needle, suppressing the rapidly swirling weapon in one fell swoop. With another spin, the girl in the lady's hat had no choice but to raise her weapon, switching from an offensive-offensive approach to a defensive one.

The longsword flashed past, spitting out a row of sparks on the knitting needle. The next moment, the horizontal circle turned into a vertical circle. Xiao Yan jumped up, turned to the side, swung the longsword, and smashed it down hard on the girl in the lady's hat.

When the longsword had accumulated its maximum power, it suddenly transformed into a flame-shaped greatsword. This powerful blow not only sent the girl in the lady's hat flying but also cut a gruesome scratch into the floor of the department store.

Thus, the first wave of attacks from the familiar girl was neutralized.

As Da fell back behind Xiaoyan, Xiaoyan took out weapons and planted them around the two of them, forming a thorny jungle made of weapons.

The familiar girls, who had been struck hard, stood up again. The shadows faded from their faces, revealing their blue eyes with concentric rings.

They surrounded them again, and the large knitting needles glowed red.

The second round is about to begin.

PS: Yunxi: The content in 【】 is research on Madoka Magica, and all information comes from the Madoka Magica Baidu Tieba forum.

The Twelve Cycles of Destiny

As planned, Ori accepted Mami's invitation and met her after school. However, she didn't expect that Mami would take Ori directly to her own home.

"Inviting you to my home on our first meeting was a bit presumptuous, but there aren't any good tea places nearby, and I'm quite confident in my tea-making skills, so I took the liberty of inviting you over."

The senior student poured chamomile flowers into the teapot, added boiling water, gently shook the teapot to rinse the tea once, and then poured off the floating water.

"It's alright. Rather, it's my honor that Mami invited me here."

Heat another pot of water. When the water is almost boiling, add licorice and goji berries and simmer briefly. After the water boils, pour them into the chamomile tea, add two spoonfuls of honey, cover the pot, and let it sit. The aroma of the flower tea will already be wafting out.

"I wouldn't call it an honor. I'm just very curious about Ryougi-san. You know, I haven't met many traditional Japanese young ladies yet."

The tea was ready, and the corresponding refreshments were naturally not to be missed. Mami brought out two plates of cake and a plate of cheese, placing them in front of Zhi, Beibei, and herself.

"Haha, as for being a young lady, I'm actually completely unqualified. If my family hadn't forced me to learn, I wouldn't have gotten involved in tea ceremony, flower arrangement, or anything like that."

During the conversation, the chamomile tea had fully steeped. Mami picked up the teapot, tilted it slightly, and the golden tea soup, carrying a rich aroma, flowed into the cup.

"...Yes, now that I think about it, the subjects I hated as a child have now become a part of my life."

After filling all three teacups with tea, and after Oori raised her cup to savor it, Mami also picked up her own cup and took a small sip.

"Mami's skills are really good. I haven't had such delicious flower tea in a long time."

"Thank you, but flower tea is just a minor art. Compared to the true tea ceremony, what I have is nothing special."

Cut a piece of cake with a spoon and put it in your mouth. After the sweet cream melts, take a sip of fragrant flower tea. In an instant, the sweetness is washed away by the refreshing coolness, and the fragrance of flowers lingers on your lips and teeth. Wait for the next bite of delicious food to bloom on your tongue.

For Zhi, who secretly harbors a foodie nature, this was a true pleasure, and unconsciously, a happy smile even appeared on her face.

"No, no, no. Compared to traditional Japanese tea ceremony, I actually prefer Asami's home-style tea brewing method, which has a touch of Western influence. After all, tea is a beverage, and truly good tea should allow the drinker to appreciate the beauty of the tea leaves, rather than being constrained by cumbersome rules and regulations, or having the so-called rich cultural influences overshadow the simple aroma of tea."

"Although Liangyi seems carefree, she has her own unique insights into many things."

Seeing that Ori was enjoying her work, Mami couldn't help but smile. She listened quietly to Ori's point of view, gracefully put down her teacup, and continued the conversation.

"Haha, this is just something I think about when I'm bored."

“A person’s personality is formed from the little things in daily life. I can see that Liangyi is a warrior who dares to challenge tradition and dogma, which I admire very much.”

Asami gently swirls the teacup, and the golden liquid ripples in circles with her movements.

"As for me, I am used to these traditions and I am also obsessed with them. Sometimes I even think, how wonderful it would be if the times did not progress and everyone stayed the same."

Zhi seemed to have lost touch with Mami's words. She seemed to have moved on from the previous topic and was now expressing her feelings about something that Homura had told her about.

"Oh, sorry for saying something strange. I'm not actually dissatisfied with my current life, because no matter what, I still have Beibei by my side."

The atmosphere at the tea party froze for a moment. Sensing something, Beibei suddenly dropped the half-eaten cheese and pounced on Mami.

"It feels like it was a long, long time ago. Back then, I was the only magical girl in Mitakihara, and only Bebe supported and encouraged me when I was all alone."

After patting Beibei's head, Mami picked her up and held her in her arms.

"If it weren't for this child, I think I probably wouldn't be here anymore."

Zhi remained silent, and in her field of vision, she seemed to be lost in her memories, embracing the witch who was said to have bitten off her head, and tenderly recounting her experiences.

"Hey, Ryougi-kun, you can see Beibei, right?"

Suddenly, Mami's expression changed, and she looked over seriously.

"You know, being able to see Beibei means you have a qualification that ordinary people don't have. So, would you like to know more about me and Beibei, as well as the traditions or responsibilities I bear?"

"I... am all ears."

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As the sun sank, the sky gradually turned golden. On the cross-river bridge in Mitakihara, a bus was traveling at a steady speed with the setting sun behind it.

The bus has its route number marked on it, which reads "[See 15 Kazamino Station North Exit]".

Kyoko and Homura sat side by side, their backs to the direction the bus was heading, their ponytails and long braids fluttering in the wind in front of them.

"Sakura-san, have you known Ryougi-san before?"

"No, this morning was the first time I saw it."

The buildings along the roadside come into view from both sides, but then quickly converge into the focal point of the eye, disappearing into the distance like fleeting clouds. It's as if you see a lot, yet it's as if you see nothing at all.

"Judging from her appearance, she should be a third-year student, but since she can discuss things like tea ceremony with Mami-senpai, she is very likely a young lady from a wealthy family."

"Ah, but this young lady is really something else. Not only is she careless, she's also less meticulous than me."

"So don't you find it strange? Someone so unique, and from a wealthy family, how could she be unknown at school? Yet we've never heard of her before."

"I see, that's quite strange—but I don't usually pay much attention to classmates other than magical girls, so it's probably normal that I haven't heard of them."

The two were talking in hushed tones, but because they were sitting side by side, they couldn't even meet each other's eyes. Only their long hair, which marked each other's presence, could occasionally enter each other's field of vision in the wind.

"Is that so? So that's Sakura-san's judgment... But it seems like she can see Bebe and QB."

"Now that you mention it, it does seem to be true. I remember at noon, she seemed to have patted Beibei's head. Could she also have the potential to become a magical girl?"

"I'm just guessing, but since Senior Sister invited her over tonight, she probably wanted to confirm this matter... Judging from Senior Sister's expression, it seems that she intends to have QB sign a contract with her and become the new magical girl."

"That really suits Mami's personality, wanting more companions and all that—wait! Do you have to make a contract with Kyubey to become a magical girl? I always thought it was just a talking pet!"

"Isn't that...?"

The girls fell silent, while the bus continued on its way.

The sun had already half sunk below the horizon, and the golden sky was gradually turning orange-red.

The bus passed one stop after another, and after stopping at yet another stop, Kyoko watched the crowd getting off the bus and finally spoke again.

"The next stop is Kazamino City."

【This is Mitakihara Loop】【MITAKIHARA】

The bus started moving again, turned a corner, and seemed to be heading towards the place where Kyoko had always grown up.

To increase her persuasiveness, Kyoko pressed the stop announcement system on the train.

"Next stop, Takihara 3-chome, a place of peace and trust..."

An emotionless electronic voice sounded, and Kyoko paused for a moment after hearing it.