Apocalypse, then transforming into a magical girl

"There's more than one core." Bai Shuyuan had already set up the anti-material sniper rifle on a high-rise building hundreds of meters away and loaded another bullet.

Her gaze was focused and cold, but her pupils had turned a dazzling gold, as if they were burning.

Through the scope's field of view, the massive flesh seemed to instinctively sense the deadly threat from afar, desperately gathering all remaining tentacles, bone spurs, and nerve cords, condensing them in the core area to form a twisted, temporary shield.

"In vain," she muttered, not paying any attention to it. Her aim was firmly locked on the monster, and her fingertip decisively pulled the trigger.

"boom--!"

The 14.5mm armor-piercing incendiary round streaked across the sky with a visible trail, piercing through the heavy rain and heading towards the university.

The bullet easily pierced the monster's frail shield made of flesh and blood, turning the tissue into dust, and finally accurately penetrated into the deeper core area, where it exploded.

A loud, muffled thud came from inside the mass of flesh. After that, all the monster's resistance ceased abruptly.

Like a ship without a keel, the massive aggregate of flesh and blood began a large-scale, irreversible disintegration and liquefaction. All the eyeballs also lost their luster.

The entire process was silent, without any dying screams; it was simply a matter of flesh melting and peeling away like wax.

In the end, most of what had once covered half the university turned into black slime, mixing with the puddles on the ground.

The only sound in the environment was the cacophony of rain.

Xia Zhaozhao and Xiao Lü were suspended in the air, momentarily forgetting their movements, simply staring in shock at the scene.

However, after the massive torrent of blood and flesh collapsed, a last, relatively small core remained, still struggling to survive.

Its form was still terrifying, but compared to its previous mountain-like terrifying form, it now appeared very pathetic, having lost all the power that could threaten the two people in front of it.

At the very center of the small core stood a man with long nails stuck in his head, his body covered in flesh and blood. His eyes were empty, devoid of any spirit. Yet, the eyeballs on his body still held that same deep-seated hatred, staring directly at the two people before him.

"It's him." Xiao Lü was certain that this was Qin Zheng's fourth doctoral student, the man with the nail in his head in the "Sasha" painting.

At such close range, the two finally clearly discerned the true nature of their previous hatred. It was not simply hatred directed at a specific individual or thing, but rather an extreme loathing and hatred for the entire world, and especially for their own existence.

The man still instinctively wanted to muster his remaining strength to launch a final attack on the two of them.

However, just as his tentacles lifted, a small ball of flesh wriggled to Ye Hao's side from the side of that tiny core, giving him a firm little hug with its tiny tentacles, stopping his futile attack.

A look of confusion and pain crossed the man's face, and he stopped all activity; all his intentions vanished at that moment.

The few remaining eyeballs on the tiny lump of flesh were now all staring at the two people in front of them, their eyes revealing an indescribable pleading and sorrow, as well as something more complex and heartbreaking.

Xiao Lü and Xia Zhaozhao exchanged a glance. In the end, Xiao Lü simply sighed softly, raised her hand, and conjured an ice spear.

Under the sorrowful gaze of the little fleshy blob, the ice spear pierced the man's body precisely from top to bottom.

In the instant death approached, the hatred that had burned in the man's eyes for who knows how long suddenly died out and faded away.

Instead, there was a deep-seated weariness and regret.

In the end, everything that could be called emotion faded from those murky eyes, and Ye Hao's body gradually turned into black mucus, disintegrating along with the surrounding flesh and blood, falling into the puddles on the ground.

The fleshy mass on its side seemed to lose all its strength the moment Ye Hao's life force was cut off, its tentacles drooping limply, clinging tightly to the last of the black mud that had not yet completely dissipated.

A notebook slipped from the fleshy ball's tentacles with a thud and fell into the murky puddles.

"Sasha—!" Xia Zhaozhao exclaimed in surprise, completely disregarding the horrifying appearance of the fleshy mass. She quickly rushed to the side of the mass, her legs went weak, and she sat down helplessly in the puddle.

Little Green silently followed, bent down, picked up the notebook that had fallen into the water, and gently shook off the water.

Bai Shuyuan flew in from afar at this moment, having already put away the anti-materiel rifle that had secured the victory, and carried it on her back.

She silently landed beside the two of them, her gaze falling on the wet notebook in Xiao Lü's hand.

"It was copied from the back." Xiao Lü opened the notebook. Although the first few pages recorded childhood memories, the handwriting was clearly that of an adult. Every stroke carried a sense of repression, almost tearing the paper.

I wanted to buy new comic books, but I didn't have enough pocket money, so my older sister gave me five yuan.

My sister fixed my toy car! She's so amazing!

Today I put some Tiger Balm in Dad's hemorrhoid cream, and Dad wants to hit me. My sister said she did it, but Dad doesn't believe her.

"This guy named Ye Hao was really bad when he was little. But you can tell he had a very deep relationship with his sister when they were young." Xiao Lü said speechlessly.

As they turned the pages, they found records of the two's warm and cozy childhood memories.

"It seems she copied down all the entries in her previous diary that mentioned 'older sister'," Bai Shuyuan said.

"...The ultimate sister complex."

……

The middle pages of the diary have more forceful and messy handwriting, clearly indicating that the writer was emotionally unstable and the content is difficult to decipher.

My sister has been coming home very late lately, and she's become quieter.

I saw my sister crying today. I asked her what was wrong, and she said nothing was wrong. She's been listless lately, but I don't know how to comfort her.

My sister didn't come home today, and Dad didn't come back after receiving the phone call either...

"The dates in these diaries basically match the dates in the previous experimental records. That is, the diaries from the period when Ye Shasha had the accident."

Bai Shuyuan nodded: "Yes. You can tell from the handwriting that Ye Hao's emotions were extremely turbulent when he was copying these diaries. His reaction to 'loss' seems to be more extreme than that of ordinary people."

She added, "Also, the handwriting in the following content is slightly different from before, and the ink color is also slightly different, so it should be a diary entry he wrote himself later."

……

My father has passed away, and the funeral arrangements have been completed. That's good; nothing can stop me now.

I have made all the necessary preparations for taking the postgraduate entrance exam in a different field.

[Graduate school admission went smoothly.]

"After that, the diary became very short, mostly consisting of declarative sentences. It seems their goal was very clear: to target Qin Zheng," Xiao Lü analyzed.

……

[Passed doctoral qualifying exam. Objective: Investigate Qin Zheng's family relationships.]

Qin Zheng is an orphan, with no immediate family or children. How could this be? Why is this old dog living such a clean life?

"...Sure enough, he wanted Qin Zheng to experience the pain of losing a loved one." Xiao Lü's tone was tinged with sarcasm. "But ironically, Qin Zheng is an orphan. His meticulously planned revenge scheme has thus failed."

"So, next, he set his sights on Qin Zheng's students. A common phenomenon in revenge psychology," Bai Shuyuan added.

He seems to value his students highly, what a hypocritical beast.

"...After Ye Shasha's accident, Qin Zheng was perhaps feeling guilty and wanted to make amends, which is why he was so kind to the students afterward," Xiao Lü said softly.

Bai Shuyuan agreed: "That's what I think too. Qin Zheng's change may stem from...deep reflection on the previous incident and an attempt at self-redemption."

"...However, in Ye Hao's mind, all of Qin Zheng's goodwill was just hypocritical pretense." Xiao Lü sighed.

Yang Qian's experimental data is problematic; he's a complete useless idiot. I was annoyed that he was dragging me down, so I helped him revise it. And he actually called me "good brother"? That's disgusting!

Han Xue and the others asked me to go to the movies with them, but I declined. Why did I hesitate?

"He's starting to waver," Little Green said. "...Accepting this kindness is tantamount to admitting that everything he did in the past was wrong, isn't it? It's tantamount to...betraying the mission he imposed on himself—to avenge his sister?"

"Yes. A classic case of cognitive dissonance."

At a celebration banquet after a project ended, that old dog actually cried at the table, saying he had wronged a student surnamed Ye back then, that he had been too eager for quick success and had pushed him too hard.

Does he think he can get forgiveness this way? Does he think a few worthless apologies can make up for everything? Disgusting! Disgusting! Disgusting! Disgusting! Disgusting!

He even patted me on the shoulder and said I looked like that person? He doesn't even dare mention my sister's name! That murderer! But why do I feel so choked up?

Xiao Lü's tone was somewhat complicated: "Although it was because he was drunk, Qin Zheng actually admitted his mistake in public. That probably takes a lot of courage."

For Ye Hao, it would only add fuel to the fire.

……

Yang Qian's experiment has run into trouble again; he's incredibly incompetent. If we ignore him, he definitely won't graduate, and he'll further delay my progress.

Han Xue asked me to go to the movies again, saying she'd already bought the tickets. It's a sequel to a movie my sister really likes.

[Zhu Hui is the easiest place to make a move, but I need to wait for a more perfect opportunity.]

"The thought of revenge is still there, but his resolve seems to have completely wavered. He's even... making excuses for his friendship with his classmates."

"Yes. A rationalization behavior taken to alleviate inner conflict."

……

I can't remember my sister's face. I try so hard, I read my diary over and over again, but her image in my mind is becoming increasingly blurry, leaving only a few fragmented pieces.

I actually dreamt that I was chatting and laughing with them in the lab? When I woke up, I even felt a little nostalgic for that feeling?

[No, how could I forget my sister? I'm still alive because I want to avenge her!]

I tried to recall what my sister looked like before she died, to remember every little detail from before. But the excruciating pain that should have been unbearable... doesn't seem as intense anymore. What's wrong with me?

Looking at myself in the mirror, this face is fucking disgusting! I'm a traitor, I'm a beast, I deserve to die, I'm a beast, I'm a beast, I'm a beast!

The next few pages were filled with the same content: repetitive sentences, chaotic layout, and distorted fonts.

"...Even though my actions have been moving in the direction of a 'normal person,' I still can't get over this past."

"I...cannot sympathize with him at all," Xiao Lü said.

"Mm." Bai Shuyuan simply nodded.

Next up are Sasha's graffiti.

There are four stick figures, and the words "Friendship^_^" are written next to them.

A warning was given when a multi-eyed monster opened its mouth and swallowed three stick figures whole.

And finally, a stick figure with a long nail piercing its skull, crying, and the word "pain" next to it.

"So, he committed suicide after that? What did he use to drive that long nail straight into his head? But why... would this phenomenon, which has spread throughout the campus, occur?" Xiao Lü was still somewhat puzzled.

After pondering for a while, Bai Shuyuan slowly said, "I think I fully understand everything now."

"Ye Hao, a patient with paranoid personality disorder, is filled with a desire for revenge after experiencing the tragedy of his sister Ye Shasha."

"He blamed all his misfortunes on Professor Qin Zheng and devised an extreme revenge plan."

"However, in his interactions with Qin Zheng and the other students in the laboratory, the mission of revenge he imposed on himself clashed with the inherent emotional needs of human beings."

"The pain caused by this cognitive dissonance, and his panic over the fading memories of his sister, ultimately drove him to self-loathing and self-destruction."

"Ultimately, he chose to commit suicide by stabbing himself in the skull with that long nail, a move that was full of self-punishment."

Bai Shuyuan paused, seemingly recalling the head of Ye Hao she had seen through the sniper scope, remembering the spot where the long nail had pierced her, and carefully choosing her words.

"However, the nail did not actually kill him; it merely damaged the neural pathways in his brain responsible for transmitting visual signals, thereby triggering a clinical condition known as Charles-Bonner syndrome, or CBS for short."

"Unlike the 'blindness' patients I mentioned earlier who can unconsciously process visual information but insist on being blind, CBS patients, with their optic nerve pathways blocked, can create clear visual illusions in their brains based on their memories."

"In other words, unlike 'blindness,' CBS patients firmly believe they can see. But everything they see is an image rendered inside their brain."

"Ye Hao, who attempted suicide, may no longer be able to see the real world. The laboratory, the sunflower field, the corridor of No. 3 Middle School, the faceless man, and Ye Shasha are all projections of things in his memory, and also... the real images of the world in his eyes."

"And just then, a global catastrophe struck. Similar to the 'Li Ding' you encountered earlier, he also fertilized a 'deformed' creature."

"This combination gave him the ability to broadcast his inner world and create a cognitive interference field that permeated the entire university. In other words, all the illusions we experience originate from this."

"This combination also distorted his mind and amplified his obsession. The twisted obsession and monstrous instincts began to dominate his behavior."

"So, he eventually killed Qin Zheng's student, thus achieving his 'revenge'."

"However, Professor Qin Zheng eventually saw through the illusion and saw the true form of Ye Hao's combination with the monster."

"I guess this feeling of being 'seen' is the most unbearable thing for Ye Hao. He will frantically attack anything that can see his true face, which is both a monster's instinct and a manifestation of his extreme self-loathing."

"And that 'Sasha' illusion that has always guided and helped us," Bai Shuyuan's tone was unusually gentle, "is a projection of Ye Hao's purest memories and feelings for his sister that remain deep in his heart. It is a kind of powerless attempt by him in his subconscious to try to stop the tragedy from happening further and to redeem himself."

"He was also the only light in his twisted darkness."

After listening to Bai Shuyuan's explanation, Xiao Lü silently closed her notebook and looked up at the still gloomy sky.

The sky remained that suffocating rusty red, and the clouds seemed even more oppressive.

The crimson raindrops continued to fall tirelessly. In the rain, those eerie black, thread-like things continued to writhe uneasily.

Xiao Lü silently channeled the magic within her body. The raindrops surrounding the three of them condensed into harmless ice particles just before they touched them, striking their raincoats with a thud.

Xiao Lü even missed the impressionistic sky she saw when she first arrived here.

The dormitory building in the distance had completely collapsed, leaving behind a gruesome ruin. The adjacent administration building was not spared either, with large sections of glass shattered and peeling off.

However, even without these new wounds, this once ivory tower is no longer what it used to be. The overwhelming flesh and blood that once covered the land has left indelible scars on every inch of this place.

Fortunately, all the black, thread-like objects in this area seemed to have been completely devoured by the previous flesh and blood. At this moment, the stagnant water on the ground, though still murky, had long since lost its vitality, becoming merely a reassuring pool of still water.

Xiao Lü gently patted Xia Zhaozhao's shoulder, who was still kneeling in the puddle, and said calmly, "The rain seems to be getting heavier. We should go."

Xia Zhaozhao sniffed, her voice choked with sobs and dissatisfaction: "Hey...you two, aren't you being a little too heartless? Sasha...she was so cute before, and she helped us so much...and just like that...she's gone."

Xiao Lü forced herself to keep her voice steady, sighed softly, and said calmly, "But, Zhao Zhao, the real Ye Shasha has already passed away. She ceased to exist several years before we arrived."

"I know! But... but that Sasha..." Xia Zhaozhao wanted to say what she was learning, but she couldn't continue.

A subtle smile crept onto Xiao Lü's lips. She paused, then said slowly in a slightly teasing tone, "Yes, Ye Shasha is gone, but 'Shasha' has never truly passed away."

Just then, Xia Zhaozhao suddenly felt three hands gently stroking the top of her head.

To be precise, it was two human hands and a slippery, tentacle-like thing that were resting on her raincoat hood.

Her body stiffened, and with a hint of incredulous anticipation, she raised her head.

Xiao Lü was suppressing a laugh, her face beaming with knowing satisfaction, and exchanged a glance with Bai Shuyuan. Although Bai Shuyuan remained expressionless, a hint of mockery seemed to have crept into her eyes.

Beside Xia Zhaozhao, the little fleshy mass that Xia Zhaozhao had previously thought had completely disappeared now gently placed a small tentacle on the top of her head.

The few remaining tiny eyes on the lump of flesh were blinking at her, just like the other two, filled with the smug satisfaction of having successfully pulled off a prank.

"Sa...Sasa? You're still alive!" Xia Zhaozhao's mouth was wide open, big enough to fit an ostrich egg.

The fleshy mass waved its tentacles somewhat slowly, eventually making a "V" sign.

Xia Zhaozhao was initially overjoyed, but then she realized what had happened and a feeling of being fooled surged into her head.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner! You three idiots, don't waste my feelings!"