Starting with magical girls, I'll reign supreme for eternity.

"You are the only one in the North Sea who has a chance to defeat Shion."

"I will help you rediscover your anger and hatred, and reclaim the power that is rightfully yours."

"Then, conquer the North Sea for us, conquer the world!"

……

The sounds around me disappeared, and my consciousness was plunged into complete darkness.

Coco wondered if she could do better.

But from the moment she met the captain, she had already guessed that he had the ability to forcibly take her away.

Unable to transform into a magical girl herself, she is at a significant disadvantage when facing members of the Witch Guild.

The reason they use coercion to get you to follow them is most likely because they don't want to hurt you.

It seems to be because she plans to transform herself into a witch...

Just as I was feeling uneasy, a ray of sunlight suddenly peeked out from above.

She reached out to shield her eyes from the somewhat glaring sunlight.

Then the scorching warm wind blew in, and the sounds of cicadas, pedestrians' whispers and footsteps, car horns and engine roars gradually became clear in my ears.

In the sweltering heat of summer, she sat under a mulberry tree in front of her house. Both mulberry trees were still thriving, lush and verdant.

She looked up at the plump mulberries, which seemed about to fall, and stared blankly.

Until someone hugged her from behind and picked her up.

Why is my little one spacing out here?

"We're about to leave, Jiang Si. Can't you cheer up? Come on, smile!"

Coco turned around and looked at the smiling couple, and Jiang Si following behind them, her lips being pulled and forced into a smile, looking helpless.

The cicadas' cries were heart-wrenching, like the wails of someone on their deathbed.

Her lips moved slightly, and she murmured the two unfamiliar words.

"Dad, Mom..."

Chapter 66: A Belated Happy Mid-Autumn Festival (Bonus Chapter, Please Vote)

A relaxing summer vacation.

The sea, barbecue, beach, and fireworks.

Before setting off, the parents kept imagining the wonderful trip that was about to begin, asking their daughters what they wanted to eat, drink, and do.

Jiang Si remained almost unchanged, standing there expressionless, seemingly lost in thought.

But compared to Jiang Si now, the young Jiang Si at this time exuded a sense of anxiety.

The restlessness was so pronounced in the summer that Coco couldn't help but glance at it a few more times.

She had long forgotten what Jiang Si was like when she was a child. That sense of boredom and anxiety, even with a hint of bewilderment, was a side of Jiang Si that Coco had never seen before.

"Coco, why are you still spacing out? Come on, the bus is about to arrive."

Her father's words brought her back to her senses. Turning her head, she saw her father, dressed in summer casual clothes, wearing a pair of sunglasses that he thought were cool. But in reality, sunglasses didn't suit her father at all, and the design of these sunglasses was also quite silly.

It just looks funny.

"Dad, Mom."

She knew it was pointless.

Deep down, I know this is probably just an illusion.

Or perhaps it's just a memory.

She clearly recognized that this was a phantom of the past, and nothing could be changed.

However, the impulse compelled her, causing Coco to uncontrollably say, "Don't go! I'm not going!"

However, no one paid any attention to her. Her parents hugged her and happily ran towards where the bus was parked.

Later, when her father was so tired that he could no longer hold her, he handed her over to Jiang Si.

Jiang Si carried her on her back and was even the first to rush onto the bus.

I managed to snag a spot at the back.

She wanted to get up from Jiang Si and sit down next to her, but her body wouldn't obey her.

Instead, he rested his head on Jiang Si's lap and fell asleep directly on the double seat.

When Jiang tried to pick her up and hand her to her parents, Coco struggled and refused.

He was about to lie down and sleep on Jiang Si's lap.

Seeing herself clinging to Jiang Si when she was little, Coco turned her head away, feeling somewhat uncomfortable.

She's almost forgotten.

When I was a child, I was like that; I wanted to play with Jiang Si more than my parents.

"Oh dear, look at you, you're so useless. You can't even carry Coco for long before you're panting like crazy. You're not even as good as Jiang Si."

"Jiang Si works out at home every day. I can't keep up with him since I work every day. You want me to quit my job and do rehabilitation for three years? I'll definitely crush this brat in three years. Don't try to fool me. Back in high school, I was a well-known muscle man on the basketball team. I charmed countless girls."

"You're kidding me."

The parents were laughing and arguing, and then the mother looked over, touched her head, and said, "Coco, from now on, you should just call your dad 'brother' and your brother 'dad'."

"Don't lead the children astray."

The father reached out and ruffled Jiang Si's hair. "Look at your mother, she has no respect for elders, don't you think so, buddy?"

Jiang Si didn't reply, but just sighed, leaned against the window, and looked outside.

Because Jiang Si acted like a little adult from a young age, and because he trained diligently, he quickly surpassed his father in strength. So his father would always jokingly call Jiang Si "brother".

Hey bro, wanna train with me sometime?

Brother, we're practically family, come on, let's have a drink!

Brother, I'm not trying to be mean, but my wife just talks a lot. She's in a good mood today, come on…

I've heard conversations like this many times.

Many forgotten memories flooded back, and Coco's nose tingled with emotion.

The parents don't actually act like adults at all.

They said it was because of Jiang Si.

Because in other families, if children don't take things seriously, they'll never take their parents' words to heart.

But Jiang Si is different; she is quiet, obedient, and even overly mature.

It made them seem a bit immature as parents, and sometimes Jiang Si even had to remind them how to raise their child.

So the parents said they should just be good friends with their child.

After all, they couldn't put on airs like parents to Jiang Si.

Coco was closer to Jiang Si when she was little because her parents weren't very good at taking care of children—Jiang Si didn't need to be taken care of much from a young age, and when it came to taking care of Coco, it was Jiang Si who knew better how to keep her from crying.

Her parents sometimes apologized to her, saying they weren't good parents, but in Coco's heart, it was never like that. Mom and Dad were always the best in the world...

My parents aren't actually that old; they're both just over thirty. Judging from their complexions, they look like young people, with a certain lack of vitality and a strong sense of exploration typical of middle-aged people.

Because Jiang Si and Coco hardly needed to bring anything, and with the mindset of a young couple, they wanted to travel and create lasting memories everywhere.

Sometimes at home, he would leave Coco with Jiang Si so the two of them could enjoy some alone time.

Just like now, Ke could lean against Jiang Si's legs to sleep, while Jiang Si quietly gazed out the car window, lost in thought.

The parents whispered among themselves in the back seat.

"Looking at it this way, our Jiang Si does seem to be a bit short."

"I could tell before, right? Old Li's kid next door is only ten years old and he's already about the same height as Jiang Si. This kid is training too hard; he'll probably stay this tall for the rest of his life."

"It's all your fault, you couldn't stop him."

"What can I do if the child is willing? Besides, I can't beat him in a fight later, can I?"

"You shameful father, you'll regret it if you can't find a wife in the future."

"Jiang Si is quite handsome, he inherited his father's good genes. His eyebrows and eyes are somewhat like yours. There are definitely girls who don't care about his height. Don't worry about it. Maybe a bunch of girls will be chasing after him in the future, and you'll have to consider whether he'll become a jerk."

"With his personality, he's so quiet and reserved. If I were his age, I wouldn't even give him a second glance. What girl would ever want to date him? Don't talk nonsense. He needs to be more proactive and know how to chat with girls."

Coco looked up at her parents.

She doesn't remember such a thing.

I should have been asleep by then, so it's impossible for me to remember this.

So this illusion uses someone else's memories, or perhaps, scenes recorded within the vines of the calamity beast...

"Jiang Si, Jiang Si."

The father suddenly called out furtively, then turned his head and pointed to a pretty girl behind him, "Isn't that one pretty?"

Jiang Si merely glanced at it and said, "Hmm."

"Hmm? What does 'hmm' mean? Does it mean I'm asking if it looks good?"

"It'll probably look good."

"You little rascal," the father suddenly lowered his voice, "why don't you go over and say hello?"

Are you very free?

"Oh dear, your mom's always nagging about how if you keep exercising and don't grow taller, what if you can't find a girlfriend? Go and make friends with someone, prove something to your mom."

"I'm busy."

"I clearly have free time."

The mother started to hold Jiang Keke, trying to take the girl back, but little Keke just clung tightly to her brother's clothes and refused to leave.