My and Their Anime-Style Otherworldly Survival Adventure

“You’ve misunderstood me this time. If you don’t believe me, go online and look it up yourself. See what it really means to give a girl a kimono in Japan.” Jiu Xiao shook his head with a smile and handed his phone to Xiao Yuan.

Xiaoyuan took the phone with some skepticism and started searching online. A moment later, a look of sudden realization appeared on her face, followed by a hint of embarrassment and shyness.

"So that's really how it is... Lord Jiuxiao, you...you're so cunning!" Xiaoyuan's cheeks flushed again. She lowered her head, not daring to look Jiuxiao in the eye. Xiaoyuan was actually very happy that Jiuxiao said he wanted to marry her, but her girlish modesty made her too shy to express it directly. She bit her lower lip lightly, her thoughts racing, even already thinking of a name for their child.

After dinner, Jiu Xiao arrived at Xiao Yuan's room as promised. Xiao Yuan, who had already resigned herself to her fate, had transformed and was quietly waiting for Jiu Xiao to "pick" her. A faint fragrance filled the room, a blend of Xiao Yuan's unique body scent and the fresh flowers placed in the room, creating a sense of tranquility and comfort.

Fortunately, the room was very soundproof, and no matter what they did, they couldn't hear a sound outside.

After the battle, Xiaoyuan collapsed breathlessly into Jiuxiao's arms. Sweat soaked her hair, which clung to her cheeks, adding a touch of allure to her pure face. Jiuxiao gently stroked Xiaoyuan's soft hair, his eyes filled with tenderness and affection.

"Xiao Yuan, not bad, your skills have improved. You can hold out for an hour without falling behind. You girls are so great, your whole body is a 'weapon'." Jiu Xiao teased in a low voice in Xiao Yuan's ear, his warm breath hitting the girl's earlobe, making her tremble.

"No, please stop, Lord Jiuxiao..." Xiaoyuan pleaded, covering her burning face. Her legs were still a little sore...

Jiuxiao wasn't going to let her off easily. He gently pried open Xiaoyuan's hands that were covering her cheeks, forcing her to look him in the eye, and continued to tease her, "Xiaoyuan, you're really heartless. You were having so much fun just now, and you're denying it so quickly?"

Xiao Yuan blushed deeply after Jiu Xiao's words, so embarrassed she almost bled. She weakly glared at Jiu Xiao, but couldn't refute him. Seeing Xiao Yuan like this, Jiu Xiao was in a good mood and decided to be merciful and let her off the hook. He was mainly afraid that if he bullied her too much, the little girl would avoid him for the next few days.

Satisfied, Jiu Xiao played with Xiao Yuan's pink hair when suddenly a flash of inspiration struck him. He remembered the pink bead that the system had rewarded him with, which was what the system called a spatial node. Jiu Xiao had tried many methods, but he still couldn't activate the bead. It was like a stubborn rock, lying there quietly without any reaction.

"Xiaoyuan, take a look at this bead. Is there anything special about it? Or do you have any feelings about it?" Jiuxiao handed the pink bead to Xiaoyuan, his face full of expectation.

Xiao Yuan took the bead and examined it carefully. The bead's surface was as smooth as a mirror, emitting a faint pink glow, which looked particularly enchanting in the dim light. She gently touched the bead, trying to sense the power within it.

However, as time passed, Xiaoyuan's brows furrowed deeper and deeper. Although she sensed a familiar aura emanating from the pillar, she couldn't pinpoint its source. The aura seemed to have a subtle connection to the depths of her soul, yet it remained elusive, like a phantom shrouded in mist.

"What's wrong, Xiaoyuan? Did you find something?" Seeing Xiaoyuan's serious expression, Jiuxiao couldn't help but feel a little puzzled.

Xiao Yuan gently shook her head and handed the bead back to Jiu Xiao, her voice tinged with confusion: "This bead... gives me a very strange feeling. The aura on it seems to have some kind of connection with me, but I can't quite put my finger on it. I tried to inject magic into it, but it was like throwing a stone into the ocean, with no response whatsoever."

Jiuxiao grasped the bead in his hand again and tried to infuse it with magic. The orange magic flowed into the bead, assimilated by the pink light, but that was all; the bead's light only became slightly brighter than before, with no other reaction. Just when Jiuxiao thought he was about to fail again, the bead suddenly erupted with a dazzling light, enveloping both of them. Jiuxiao only felt a blur before his eyes, and then, Xiaoyuan was inexplicably swept into it, disappearing without a trace in the blink of an eye.

After the bead absorbed the small circle, it transformed into a pink stream of light, wrapping around Jiuxiao's ring finger like a delicate ring, quietly shimmering with a pink glow. This series of events, though a long story, actually happened in the blink of an eye.

Jiuxiao stood there, stunned, staring at the pink ring on his ring finger. He couldn't help but ask himself three philosophical questions: Who am I? Where did I come from? Where am I going? How could such a big little circle of me just disappear like that?

Just as Jiuxiao was filled with doubt, shock, and apprehension, a system notification suddenly sounded in his mind: [Congratulations, host, on successfully activating the spatial node and obtaining the reward—The Law of Cycles (Fragment). Possessing this item will grant you powerful rule-based strength in a specific universe, allowing you to reverse some world laws. Furthermore, as a key figure in activating the spatial node, you have established an inseparable bond with the owner of the Law of Cycles. Main Quest Issued: Clear Witch's Night, Reward: Unknown.]

[Warning! The host will be teleported to the universe containing the Law of Cycles in five minutes. Please prepare!]

Hearing the system's emotionless notification, Jiu Xiao's thoughts were in turmoil. I'm fighting Su Nuo? Really?! The Witch's Night is not something Jiu Xiao can contend with now. The Witch's Night is a super-powerful witch passed down through generations, requiring no protective barrier, possessing immense magical power capable of turning the world into a drama. Its nature is "powerlessness," a symbol of the ever-revolving Fool. When the device holding the doll upside down is reversed, it will instantly reduce surface civilization to nothing.

Chapter 136 Sign a contract with me and become a magical girl!

Jiuxiao had no time to think. The system's countdown had already begun, the ticking sound echoing in his mind like a death knell, each tick pounding against his heart. Jiuxiao could only pray that the system's cheat code was powerful enough, otherwise facing Witch Night would be a free kill. Fortunately, he had Homura Akemi, the save-loading expert, so the worst-case scenario was just reloading and starting over.

Knowing he didn't know how long he would be away from this world, and to avoid worrying the other girls, Jiu Xiao sent a group message explaining that he had to leave with Xiao Yuan temporarily, for no more than two months, and that they shouldn't worry. After sending the message, Jiu Xiao quietly waited for the teleportation to begin.

It was a dream. Madoka felt she had a very, very long dream. In the dream, she became a magical girl, with a group of like-minded companions who fought, laughed, and battled witches together. And after learning the truth about magical girls, they all fell into an abyss...

In her despair, she was suddenly transported to another world, where a boy helped her out of despair. She remembered living in that world for a long time and making many friends. The boy who saved her was named Yuan Jiuxiao, and they became a couple. Although she was just one of his girlfriends, she was very content and happy, and they did many intimate things...

But then the scene shifts abruptly, and she suddenly finds herself in a gray-white space, with shattered building fragments floating around her, like a post-apocalyptic ruin. In the sky, a gigantic humanoid object hangs upside down, with gears slowly rotating on it. Suddenly, a girl with long, straight black hair leaps out of the ruins and engages in battle with the gigantic humanoid object in the sky, quickly finding herself at a disadvantage.

Just as Xiaoyuan was about to do something, a white creature suddenly appeared beside her, resembling both a cat and a rabbit, speaking in a series of words Xiaoyuan couldn't understand. At the end of the dream, the girl was defeated, knocked away by the monster, and crashed heavily into the branch of a large tree. The girl turned to look at her, her face filled with sorrow, her lips moving, but due to the distance, Xiaoyuan couldn't hear what the girl said.

Just then, the white creature beside her spoke: "...So sign a contract with me and become a magical girl!" This time, Madoka heard it clearly.

Because Madoka heard it very clearly this time, she was very confused. Hadn't she already become a magical girl?

Before she could think too much, her thoughts quickly became a jumbled mess, dragged into another abyss. Xiaoyuan woke up with a start, clutching a pink doll in her arms, her hair disheveled, staring blankly at the ceiling.

"That girl just now was Homura, wasn't she..." Madoka murmured. Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain in her head, and countless pieces of information flooded into her mind, making it almost impossible for her to breathe. Those images, those sounds, those familiar yet unfamiliar faces, and that white culprit—Kyubi!

Although these memories were all important to Xiaoyuan, there was something else that bothered her the most. Xiaoyuan gently stroked her lower abdomen, where his traces seemed to still linger. Xiaoyuan's pretty face flushed crimson, almost bleeding. The fragments of memories that had just flooded her mind—the absurd things he and that man had done—were vividly clear in her mind! For a moment, she couldn't distinguish between dream and reality.

If everything in the dream was real, then what is she experiencing now? The truth about the magical girl, another world, Yuan Jiuxiao...

If it was all a dream, why were these scenes so real, with even the details depicted so vividly? Xiaoyuan was filled with doubt and confusion; she didn't know how to face it all. If it had all truly happened, where were the people in the dream now? Xiaoyan, her senior, Xingzi, and the boy who had given her warmth and hope in her most desperate moment—where were they?

Xiaoyuan shakily got up, gently stroking the Mitakihara Junior High school uniform hanging on the wall. Everything felt so familiar yet so strange. Wearing the uniform, Xiaoyuan seemed to have returned to that innocent time. She stood in front of the mirror, carefully examining herself, trying to find some answers in her still-childish face.

But ultimately, she found nothing. Xiaoyuan shook her head in disappointment and left the room. Passing through the courtyard, she unconsciously ignored her father, busy in the family vegetable garden. She went straight to the bathroom, and after much difficulty, managed to identify her toothbrush from among the many toiletries by color. Xiaoyuan mechanically went through her morning routine. The cold water splashing on her face seemed to temporarily wash away the confusion and chaos in her heart. She looked up at herself in the mirror; water droplets slid down her cheeks, intertwining with the flood of memories.

"What's wrong with me?" Xiaoyuan asked herself in a low voice, her voice echoing in the empty bathroom, but she didn't get the answer she wanted.

After trying to cheer herself up, Xiaoyuan went to the kitchen and naturally began preparing breakfast, a habit she had developed in her "dream".

Kaname Tomohisa entered the kitchen and was surprised to find that his daughter, Madoka, was already preparing breakfast. This was quite a shock to him. In his memory, Madoka had never made breakfast before. Moreover, it looked like she was making Chinese breakfast; based on Kaname Tomohisa's many years of experience as a stay-at-home husband, it was probably something like xiaolongbao (soup dumplings).

"Yuan, why are you up so early today? You even cooked breakfast yourself. By the way, when did you learn to make xiaolongbao?" Kaname Tomohisa said as he walked to Yuan's side, looking at her with a loving expression.

Xiao Yuan looked up at her father, paused for a long time, and then managed a weak smile before saying, "Good morning, Dad. Long time no see..." Xiao Yuan sounded a little awkward, like a long-lost guest trying her best to maintain a polite facade.

Kaname Tomohisa was even more puzzled upon hearing this. Long time no see? Weren't we sitting at the same table having dinner just last night? Is this child still half asleep? Looking at Madoka's somewhat forced smile, Kaname Tomohisa said worriedly, "Madoka, are you alright? You don't seem to be feeling well. Do you want to go back to sleep for a while? Dad will ask the school for leave for you."

Xiao Yuan gently shook her head, her hands still moving. She placed the last steamed bun into the steamer and said softly, "No need, Dad, I'm fine. I just had a nightmare last night and didn't get enough rest. I'll be fine after a while."

"Really? You mustn't push yourself. If you feel unwell anywhere, be sure to tell me. We're family, so don't be shy," Kaname Tomohisa said, half-believing. His daughter was growing up, and some things were best left unsaid. Seeing how insistent Xiaoyuan was, he, as her father, couldn't say anything more. He could only stand silently by, watching Xiaoyuan's busy figure, his heart filled with mixed feelings.

Xiaoyuan suddenly felt an urge to cry. Had everything she once thought was precious really been so valuable? Indeed, those images weren't just a simple dream; otherwise, there would be no way to explain this intense sense of separation. She forced back her tears, not wanting her father to worry, and silently turned away, continuing what she was doing. Then, feigning cheerfulness, she said, "Okay, Dad, I'm really fine. You should go wake Mom up, or she'll be late for work."

Seeing this, Kaname Tomohisa, though still deeply worried, could only do as Madoka suggested for the time being. He sighed softly, turned and left the kitchen, heading towards the bedroom, silently praying that Madoka would recover quickly.

Xiaoyuan listened to her father's footsteps gradually fade into the distance before finally letting down her guard. She looked down at the steamer basket in her hands, tears welling in her eyes, but stubbornly refusing to let them fall. What terrified her was that the familiar people and events in her mind were gradually becoming blurry, as if they were truly just a dream.

After preparing breakfast, Xiaoyuan brought out the steaming hot xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) to the table and brewed a pot of her father's favorite tea. She sat at the table, quietly waiting for her parents to arrive. A little while later, Kaname Tomohisa and his wife emerged from the bathroom, accompanied by her three-year-old brother. Seeing the steaming xiaolongbao on the table, Kaname Shunko exclaimed in surprise, "Wow, Xiaoyuan, did you make all of this? I thought Tomohisa was joking. When did you learn to make xiaolongbao? Did you get a boyfriend? I knew it! With Xiaoyuan's charm, getting a boyfriend was just a matter of time!" Kaname Shunko joked as she sat down next to Xiaoyuan and pinched her cheek.

Kaname Junko successfully triggered the keyword, and Madoka's emotions collapsed at a visible speed. Tears welled up in her eyes and rolled down in large drops, dripping onto the dining table and instantly swallowed by the tablecloth. This scene froze the atmosphere at the table. Kaname Tomohisa and Kaname Junko were both stunned, not understanding why a joke would make Madoka lose her composure like this.

Could it be that the child has broken up with her boyfriend? But that shouldn't be the case. If Xiaoyuan had a boyfriend, her mother couldn't possibly have kept it a secret. After all, Xiaoyuan isn't the kind of child who can hide her feelings.

Kaname Yuuko muttered to herself, quickly grabbing a few tissues and handing them to Madoka. She looked at her with gentle concern and comforted her, "It's okay, it's just a man. There are plenty of good men in the world. My Madoka is so wonderful, she'll definitely meet someone even better in the future. Don't cry, tell Mom what happened."

Kaname Hiroko truly lives up to her reputation as a strong woman; even her words of comfort to her daughter are so "unique," almost like watching a drama unfold. In her eyes, her daughter's heartbreak seems to be nothing more than a trivial matter. Who hasn't experienced heartbreak? It's part of youth, after all.

This is very Japanese thinking. If it were in China, would you dare to have a relationship so young? They'd break your legs! But seeing Madoka crying so sadly, Kaname Shunko couldn't help but feel a little sorry for her. As for Kaname Tomohisa, he had already cursed that unknown "boyfriend" a thousand times in his heart, even though he had no idea that person existed.

Xiaoyuan sobbed, trying to speak, but found she couldn't utter a single complete sentence. The fears about dreams, about forgetting, about loss weighed on her chest like a boulder, suffocating her. Xiaoyuan could only shake her head, tears flowing even more profusely, like a broken faucet, unstoppable.

Seeing this, Kaname Tomohisa coughed lightly, trying to ease the atmosphere: "Shunko, don't rush, let Madoka calm down. Madoka, Dad knows you're upset, but no matter what happens, Dad and Mom will always stand by your side to support you."

After a long silence, Xiaoyuan finally spoke, her voice trembling with tears: "Dad, Mom, I... I'm really okay. I didn't break up with anyone, but I don't know why I suddenly feel so sad. It's like there's a piece missing in my heart, an empty feeling..."

Kaname Tomohisa and Kaname Junko exchanged bewildered glances, their eyes filled with confusion and worry. They had never seen Madoka like this before, and this inexplicable sadness left them feeling uneasy and at a loss for what to do.

Kaname Junko suddenly noticed that Madoka had placed an extra breakfast on the table, and a sense of foreboding washed over her. Oh no, could this child have really gone mad? What happened to her?! She cautiously asked, "Madoka, this breakfast…did you make an extra one?"

Xiao Yuan froze for a moment, her gaze blankly fixed on the extra breakfast, tears blurring her vision once more. Meanwhile, the owner of that breakfast was standing on an unfamiliar street.

Jiu Xiao felt a sudden blur before his eyes, and he was transported to an unfamiliar space. In this space, Jiu Xiao felt his thoughts become extremely sluggish, as if in a dream, hazy and indistinct. He found himself in front of him a girl radiating pink light...? Judging from her figure, she was a girl, right? But why did she have such large wings on her back? Jiu Xiao felt that this girl looked familiar, but he couldn't make out her face.

“...Is it...an angel...?” Jiuxiao uttered a few words with difficulty, murmuring.

The girl seemed to hear Jiu Xiao's murmur. She slowly squatted down, looked directly into his eyes, and shook her head. Her lips moved, as if she were saying something, but Jiu Xiao couldn't hear her at all. His ears felt as if they were blocked by a thick layer of cotton, and he could only vaguely catch some incoherent syllables.

Anxiety gradually crept into the girl's eyes. She tried to communicate with Jiu Xiao again, this time raising her voice and gently patting his head to try and get his attention.

"...Time...is running out...save...me...divine messenger..."

Chapter 137 Homura-chan, you don't want Madoka to know about this either, do you?

Jiu Xiao felt his consciousness fading, and the girl before him grew increasingly blurry. Until the very end, he still didn't understand what the girl was trying to say, only vaguely sensing that she seemed to be asking him for help. Suddenly, Jiu Xiao heard a sound like shattering glass, and the scene before him abruptly collapsed, jolting him awake. Jiu Xiao found himself standing on a bustling street, everything around him now exceptionally clear.

Everything that had just happened felt like a dream, yet the realism left him with lingering fear. He looked around, trying to find the mysterious girl, but amidst the bustling streets, there was no one who matched the image of the girl with the pink light.

Once his mind returned to normal, Jiu Xiao had already formed a guess about the girl and the unfamiliar space. While he was lost in thought, a calm, rational, and slightly mechanical voice suddenly entered his mind: "Young man, you're quite interesting. You're clearly not a girl, yet you possess the aura of a magical girl. Who are you? I don't recall ever having a contract with a male. Moreover, you're the second person I've encountered today without any memory of a contract."

Jiuxiao looked up and around. He noticed a white "beast"—QB—sitting quietly on the lid of a trash can not far away.

Jiuxiao's heart tightened suddenly. He hadn't expected to encounter the creator of magical girls, Kyubey—that seemingly harmless but actually cunning white creature—so soon. He tried to remain calm and slowly said, "Kyubey, you say I have the aura of a magical girl, so I do? Besides, who says men can't have the aura of a magical girl? That's sexism! If this happened in the United States, you'd probably be sued and face huge damages!" Jiuxiao feigned anger, trying to distract Kyubey.

But who is QB? Despite its reputation for absolute rationality, it was not distracted by Jiuxiao's abstract words. Instead, it scrutinized him with a more critical eye.

"How do you know my name? I don't remember introducing myself in our conversation just now. I also couldn't find any information about you through the Incubator Network. Who exactly are you?" QB lightly leaped off the trash can lid and landed gracefully in front of Jiu Xiao, her emotionless crimson eyes fixed on him.

Jiuxiao shrugged, feigning indifference: "How can we know each other in this life? It's all just a matter of chance. As for how I know your name, that's not important. All you need to know is that I'm the one who will take your life, and that's enough." Jiuxiao's words carried a hint of murderous intent. The reason he didn't act immediately was because he knew it would be futile and a waste of energy.

"You can't kill me, but your reaction is quite interesting. Young man, whether you like it or not, you do indeed possess the aura of a magical girl; that's an undeniable fact. As for the reason, I don't know yet. However, this doesn't affect our deal. I can tell you're not a magical girl, and you possess an incredibly vast causal law. If it were you, I imagine you could grant any wish." QB's eyes gleamed with a strange light, his tone carrying a strong seductive undertone, like a strange uncle coaxing a little girl to look at goldfish.

To be honest, Jiu Xiao was genuinely tempted for a few seconds, even though he knew perfectly well that making deals with QB never ended well. But what a temptation! How many people could resist the allure of having any wish granted? Especially those naive young girls. Who knows how many innocent girls QB has ruined? So, QB! You really deserve to be cursed!

Jiuxiao pondered inwardly, but his face remained impassive. He sneered and said, "A wish? Hmph, that sounds nice. So, what's the price? Miracles and magic aren't free, are they?"

QB paced back and forth, quite annoyed by Jiuxiao's uncooperative behavior. This was why their incubators disliked trading with men; men were always too rational and difficult to sway with simple temptations. If it weren't for the undeniable causal force surrounding Jiuxiao, it would have truly given up on this tough nut to crack. But QB, as an angel investor (it considered itself) and experienced, quickly adjusted its mindset and said in a more sincere tone: "That's right, miracles and magic aren't free, but compared to what you'll gain, that price is negligible. How about it? Sign a contract with me and become a magical girl."

Jiuxiao was speechless. How could a grown man like him become a magical girl?! This was an absolute insult to male dignity! Just as he was about to complain, QB changed the subject and said, "Is it too late? You can take your time to think it over. If you change your mind, you can contact me anytime." After saying that, QB disappeared into the crowd without looking back.

Jiu Xiao felt somewhat bewildered. What do you mean, "too late"? You're such an unprofessional salesperson! You left without even explaining yourself? He stared in the direction where QB had disappeared, his mind racing.

Just as Jiuxiao decided to leave this perplexing place, a cold, metallic touch suddenly pressed against his lower back. Jiuxiao stood frozen in place on the bustling street. Long black hair swept over his shoulders, and the fragrance of violets, mixed with the smell of gunpowder, enveloped him.

"Don't move!" The girl's voice was like a quenched blade, cold and sharp, cutting through the surrounding noise. Jiu Xiao could feel that the unidentified object pressed tightly against his lower back was undoubtedly some kind of deadly weapon.

"Explain in five seconds—why do you have Madoka's magical aura?"

Jiuxiao's pupils contracted slightly; he had heard this voice countless times in his past life. With heartache and pity, he slowly turned around and, sure enough, saw Homura Akemi staring at him with those calm, almost ruthless eyes behind the dark muzzle of a gun, as if she wanted to see right through him.

"How many cycles has this been?" Jiu Xiao suddenly asked, and in the other's suddenly constricted pupils, he saw the answer.

"You seem quite surprised. You didn't expect me to know you, did you? Homura-chan." Jiu Xiao smiled faintly. Uncle, I love seeing your surprised and slightly shocked expression.

"You're not allowed to call me that! The only person who can call me that is... the only person who can..." Homura Akemi's voice trailed off, the slightly trembling gun barrel revealing her inner turmoil.

“Only Xiaoyuan, right?” Jiuxiao added for her.

Homura Akemi's pupils dilated in shock. She hadn't expected that this boy not only knew her, but also Madoka. Judging from his tone, he seemed quite familiar with Madoka. Having gone through nearly a hundred loops, this was the first time she'd encountered such a situation. Silently activating Time Stop, Homura Akemi decided to first subdue the boy before slowly interrogating him about his background.

However, it had no effect! The surrounding crowd seemed to have been paused, completely still, but this boy was still able to move freely, and even his eyes did not show the slightest sluggishness.

Jiuxiao was certainly not surprised by this, as he was blessed by the Circular Principle (fragment), and the cricket's time-stopping technique could not harm him.

Taking advantage of Homura Akemi's momentary daze, Jiuxiao gently pushed aside the gun barrel pressed against his lower back, his tone teasing: "Homura-chan, that's not how you use time stop. You know, some people can only stop time for five seconds, and they think about protecting those around them and fighting evil. Some people can stop time indefinitely but use it for lewd things. But you, my friend, you are the real hero, using time stop to kidnap your best friend's boyfriend, what are you really up to? Homura-chan, you don't want Madoka to know about this, do you?"

Homura Akemi's face instantly turned ashen. She could understand each of Kushou's words individually, but when put together, she couldn't comprehend them. Boyfriend? What boyfriend? At this point, Madoka had no romantic entanglements whatsoever, let alone a boyfriend! Where did this suddenly appearing boy come from? And why was he impersonating Madoka's boyfriend?

Indeed, in Homura Akemi's heart, Madoka is pure and innocent, the gentlest being in the world. She should not be tainted by any emotional entanglements, and she should not have a so-called "boyfriend" at this age.

"What nonsense are you spouting! I'm warning you, don't talk nonsense here, or I won't be polite to you!" Akemi Homura shouted angrily, her gun barrel once again steadily pointed at Kyuuhou.

Seeing this, Jiuxiao wasn't afraid at all; instead, he laughed even harder: "Oh dear, Homura-chan, why are you doing this? I'm not making this up. Look, I have evidence." With that, Jiuxiao pulled out his phone from his pocket. The screen lit up, and a series of photos of them together appeared before Homura Akemi's eyes. They were all photos of Jiuxiao and Madoka taken in other worlds: playing on the beach, embracing and watching the sunrise on a mountaintop, kissing under the stars… Every photo was crystal clear, warm and sweet, as if the deep emotional bond between them could be conveyed through the screen. Homura Akemi's eyes widened as she rapidly flipped through the photos. Her heart pounded faster and faster, and her breathing became rapid.

At that moment, Homura Akemi's world collapsed.

"This...this is impossible!" Her voice trembled, unable to accept the reality before her. In all her countless reincarnations, nothing like this had ever happened. Now, suddenly, a boyfriend of Madoka's appeared—how could she accept this? It was like having adored your goddess for so long, only to have a man suddenly tell you that she was already taken. Homura Akemi understood that heartbreak and despair all too well.

It hurts, it really hurts!

But seeing Madoka smiling so happily in the photo, Homura Akemi felt that this ending wasn't entirely unacceptable. As she struggled with her decision, Kushou reminded her, "Homura, if you keep going like this, you'll be late for school. Today is your first day at Mitakihara Middle School, right?"

Homura Akemi suddenly woke up. Yes, today was an important day for her. She was about to transfer to Mitakihara Middle School and begin a new cycle. This was one of the most important steps she was taking to get closer to Madoka and change her tragic fate.

Glaring fiercely at Jiu Xiao, Homura Akemi quickly deactivated the time stop and fled the scene in a disheveled state. Jiu Xiao followed her all the way; unable to find Madoka's house, she could only try to wait for her at her school gate.

After finishing breakfast in a daze, Xiaoyuan ignored her family's advice and resolutely decided to go to school. She desperately wanted to see for herself whether it was just a dream or a reality about to unfold.

Walking along the familiar streets, Xiaoyuan felt a little better. Anyone can feel relaxed in familiar surroundings. Passing a wetland park, she saw two girls waiting for her ahead.

One had green hair, the other blue. Soon, the blue-haired girl, Miki Sayaka, nicknamed "Cool Girl," rushed over, complaining, "Madoka, you're so slow today! We're going to be late..." Before she could finish her accusation, Miki Sayaka noticed something was off about her childhood friend. The usually energetic Madoka was listless today, her eyes red-rimmed, as if she had just been crying.

"Madoka, what's wrong? Did some bastard bully you?" Sayaka Miki asked indignantly, rolling up her sleeves as if she were about to stand up for Madoka.

The green-haired girl, Hitomi Shizuki, quietly observed Madoka, her eyes filled with worry. She also noticed Madoka's unusual behavior, but was calmer than Sayaka, and asked softly, "Madoka, are you feeling unwell? If it's really bad, let's ask for leave and go to the hospital."

Xiaoyuan shook her head. The concern from her friends warmed her heart, but the fear and unease in her heart weighed on her chest like a boulder, making it hard for her to let go. She could only force a smile and repeat the same story she had told her parents that morning: "It's nothing, I just didn't sleep well last night and had a nightmare."

The two girls looked at each other, clearly unconvinced. But Xiaoyuan had already started walking and continued towards the school, so the two girls could only follow.

Jiuxiao's tailing skills were terrible, and Akemi Homura noticed him in no time. But the girl didn't stop; instead, she used her magical girl's superhuman strength to move quickly, trying to shake Jiuxiao off.

But Jiu Xiao was no ordinary person, and he quickly followed Akemi Homura to the school gate. Because they were moving so fast, there weren't many students at the gate yet; only a few were slowly entering. Akemi Homura stopped, turned around, and frowned at Jiu Xiao, who was following closely behind. Although she didn't know what his intentions were in following her, her intuition told her that he meant no harm. Besides, she had more important things to do right now and didn't have time to deal with Jiu Xiao.

Jiuxiao stood at the school gate, his heart pounding with anxiety. He had no way of knowing Xiaoyuan's condition. This time travel was different from the past; who knew what changes might occur? In the worst-case scenario, Xiaoyuan might have unknowingly experienced countless reincarnations, or even have no memories of him at all.

Time ticked by anxiously as Jiu Xiao scanned the students coming and going at the school gate, trying to catch a glimpse of the figure that haunted his dreams. Finally, amidst the bustling crowd, Jiu Xiao recognized the pink-haired girl he had been longing for at a glance—Kaname Madoka.

P.S.: I'll write more detailed descriptions for these chapters to set the stage for later plot developments. Hope you don't think I'm just padding the descriptions.

I'd also like to ask for some votes; please support me in any way you can QAQ.

Chapter 138 Hello, Brother Shuang!