Manager, give me a membership card too!

That voice is... Homura-chan?

Recognizing the owner of the voice, Madoka Kaname instinctively tried to open her eyes to search for the black-haired girl, but before she could do anything, a terrifying explosion, along with a surging wave of air, rushed toward her location. If the two girls hadn't been tightly embracing each other, increasing their weight and resistance, they might have already been pushed aside by the wave.

However, Madoka Kaname and Sayaka Miki couldn't care less about those things at this moment, because the previous explosion had left their ears feeling muffled, with only a sharp buzzing sound lingering for a long time, causing the two girls to frown in pain.

Yellow bullets danced in the air as several fully armed soldiers gripped their weapons, relentlessly spewing destructive flames at the surrounding eerie creatures. Among them, a girl with waist-length black hair, wielding two Beretta 92f pistols, stood out the most.

She would suddenly disappear and then mysteriously reappear, traversing every corner of the battlefield, sending the most sincere greetings to the enemy with her gun. Like a beautiful flower on the battlefield, she exuded a strange charm that made people fear her yet unable to resist getting closer.

And this was the first thing Madoka Kaname, the pink-haired girl who had been slowly recovering from the aftereffects of the previous grenade explosion, saw when she opened her eyes.

Yesterday I saw the promotional ad for Heavy Gear, a collaboration with Evangelion, and excitedly downloaded the game, returning to this deep pit of addiction. And then, nothing happened. This is the first time I've ever heard of a collaboration game having gacha items with pay-to-win restrictions. All those hundreds of yellow tickets and 30,000 crystals I saved up are now useless. This forced-to-pay wave is outrageous! 12 RMB for one pull, and a pity system after 75 pulls! Forced-to-pay is one thing, but even leveling up requires real money?! I guess I'll just wait for Honkai Impact 3rd; it's also collaborating with Evangelion soon.

Chapter 256 Admonition

Chapter 256 Admonition

'Bang! Bang bang bang!'

Homura Akemi pulled the trigger, scattering the last twisted, deformed monster. She silently sheathed her weapon and walked away without a word towards Madoka Kaname, clearly not intending to speak with the two people she had just rescued.

Unfortunately, the black-haired girl wanted to leave, but the pink-haired guy clearly wouldn't let her go so easily.

"Homura-chan!"

As the world around her, which resembled a child's collage, slowly faded away and the familiar residential area gradually returned, Kaname Madoka, whose heart had gradually calmed down, ignored the several fully armed soldiers beside her and jogged a few steps to catch up with Akemi Homura, who was walking outside.

Seeing that Homura Akemi was still walking away without saying a word, Madoka Kaname grabbed the black-haired girl's hand and held it tightly in her palm, unwilling to let go.

"I... I just wanted to thank you."

After finishing speaking, Kaname Madoka released Homura Akemi's arm, then placed her hands in front of her lower abdomen, bowed deeply at a 90-degree angle, and sincerely thanked her:

"Thank you so much, Homura-chan, thank you for saving me and Sayaka."

The girl's heartfelt gratitude made Homura Akemi tremble slightly. She stood stiffly in place, her pale hands clenched into fists, as if suppressing some intense emotion. A long while passed before the black-haired girl calmed down slightly. Without turning around, she spoke in a cold tone, as if suppressing something:

"From now on, go straight home after school and don't go to any strange or dangerous places."

After saying that, without waiting for Madoka Kaname's reaction, he strode off again and walked away into the distance.

"Houmura-chan..."

Kaname Madoka watched Homura Akemi's retreating figure with a hint of sadness. She always felt that this girl had some kind of connection with her, but for some reason, the girl always seemed to be avoiding her, intentionally or unintentionally. Yet, while avoiding her contact, the girl was also constantly watching her from the shadows, leaving Kaname Madoka somewhat confused and wondering what the girl was thinking.

"Little round!"

Sayaka Miki's slightly anxious voice rang out behind Madoka Kaname. The pink-haired girl turned around and saw the blue-haired, spirited girl jogging after her. Reaching her friend's side, the girl asked, slightly out of breath:

"Xiaoyuan, did Houmura say something? What exactly was that thing that attacked us before? And..."

Sayaka glanced subtly at the soldiers nearby who were scanning with some kind of instrument, her eyes filled with doubt and wariness.

Although these fully armed soldiers rescued the two women from those terrifying monsters, since the battle ended, these men, completely covered from head to toe and not even showing their faces, haven't uttered a single word to them. They neither revealed their identities nor explained the origins of the enemies, but simply continued scanning something with various instruments in silence, appearing extremely suspicious.

"Who exactly are these soldiers? Are Homura and the other side together?"

"I don't know either..." Xiaoyuan lowered her head in disappointment. Everything that happened today was too surreal, and she couldn't understand it at all.

"She didn't say anything and just left."

"I see." Sayaka, the art director, scratched the back of her head, looking somewhat embarrassed. While it was true that they were now out of danger and shouldn't meddle, the whole process had been so disjointed and confusing that she was quite uneasy.

If I don't understand the whole story, what if I encounter a similar situation again and am completely clueless? Wouldn't I be doomed?

This time, these mysterious soldiers came to the rescue, but who knows if they'll be so lucky next time? What if they're on leave? Wouldn't I be doomed?

Just as Sayaka Miki, who was hesitant, was about to bite the bullet and go ask the silent soldiers for their opinion, another voice, which she didn't expect, appeared.

"Oh dear, I'm exhausted! I never expected to fall into a trap! That damned rabbit can not only run away, but it's also impossible to kill it all. Thank goodness I was clever enough to blow up the witch familiar that created the barrier and finally caught it."

Holding a greatsword and knight's shield crackling with lightning, and clad in magnificent armor, Aihara Enju walked out of a portal with a disgruntled expression, carrying a small creature that looked like a rabbit. Before her feet even touched the ground, she heard Kaname Madoka's voice, which was tinged with excitement.

"Yeonju! You're alive! Thank goodness! Thank goodness!!"

Caught completely off guard, Aihara Enju was tightly embraced by the pink-haired girl. Looking at Kaname Madoka, who was almost crying in front of her, Aihara Enju felt a pang of pity for some reason. She planted her knight's sword in the ground and gently stroked the pink-haired girl, who was taller than her, with her right hand covered by an iron glove.

"Alright, alright, I'm fine now."

.....................................

In a hall decorated in a sci-fi style, Enju Aihara, who had changed back into her beige Mitakihara school uniform, handed Kyubey, which had been sedated with a large dose of tranquilizer, to a researcher in a white lab coat. After instructing the researcher to take good care of it, she took several cans of milk that were still emitting cold air from a vending machine and approached Madoka Kaname and Sayaka Miki, who were sitting somewhat uneasy in a row of metal chairs in the corner.

"Here, drink up. This is milk from cows specially bred on Yggdrasil. You definitely won't be disappointed."

"Oh?! Oh! Okay! Thank you, Yeonjoo."

Kaname Madoka, who was initially looking around the room with a mixture of curiosity and caution—a room that clearly had a story—suddenly snapped back to reality. She then took the chilled milk from Aihara Enju with a hint of embarrassment, but instead of drinking it, she nervously rubbed it in her hand.

Sayaka Miki, who was next to Madoka Kaname, was slightly better than her, but not by much. However, compared to Madoka's cautious observation, hers was just a legitimate and open observation.

Seeing that neither Sayaka Miki nor Madoka Kaname seemed interested in drinking their milk, Enju Aihara didn't try to persuade them. Instead, she plopped down in the chair next to them, pulled the tab on her milk can, and took a satisfying sip.

After letting out a long, comfortable sigh, he spoke softly to the two girls beside him:

"If you have any questions, don't hold them in. I will try my best to answer them as much as I can."

Chapter 257 The Beginning of Civilization

Chapter 257 The Beginning of Civilization

"Legend has it that in the darkest corner of the world, a life form called 'witch' is being conceived. No, perhaps it is not even a life form, but rather a collection of certain emotions, an accumulation of resentment, a fermentation of unwillingness and hatred, and a representative of jealousy and rage."

"These individuals, known as witches, spread despair and fear in every country and region around the world. Ordinary people without 'talent' cannot observe witches; they transform into some kind of conceptual thing and wantonly destroy everything around them."

"Anxiety and suspicion, anger and hatred—the witch feeds on these dark emotions and also spreads the seeds of these dark emotions among the people."

"Unexplained suicides or murders, uncontrollable aggression, inexplicable injuries, and even events that seem like natural disasters are, to a certain extent, the work of witches invisible to ordinary people."

"Witches are invisible and intangible malice that destroys the foundations of civilization in corners unseen by humans, glorifies evil and tyranny, and incites any thought that can bring disaster."

"This is roughly what a witch looks like."

At a clean and tidy small dining table, Madoka Kaname and Sayaka Miki, with steaming food laid out in front of them, subconsciously swallowed, looking at the delicious-looking food but strangely feeling no appetite.

Subconsciously poked at the vegetables in the plate, the spirited girl with short blue hair pursed her lips and said with a hint of lingering fear:

"Could it be that the 'witch' that Mantouka and I encountered is the one you're talking about?"

Just as Aihara Enju was about to put a meatball in her mouth, she took a small bite and chewed it, nodding slightly. Just when the other two girls thought they had guessed correctly, the rabbit-eared girl, who had already swallowed the meatball, slowly shook her head.

This contradictory attitude left Kaname Madoka and Miki Sayaka completely bewildered, unsure whether they had misspoken or if Aihara Enju hadn't understood their question. Fortunately, the bunny-eared girl decided not to keep them in suspense any longer. After happily devouring the remaining meatballs with some broth, Aihara Enju wiped the smudges from her mouth with a handkerchief, composed herself, and explained seriously:

"What attacked you could be called a witch, or it could not. To be precise, it was a witch's reserve force, a 'familiar' created by a mature witch."

"Familiar?" Kaname Madoka and Miki Sayaka exchanged a glance, repeating the term they had only ever seen in fantasy novels and comics before, and then remained silent, waiting for Aihara Enju to continue.

“There are two ways a witch can be born. One of them is that a mature witch creates a familiar. When this familiar has collected enough negative emotions, that is, killed or eaten enough humans, it will evolve into a new witch.”

"How could this be... This is too cruel..."

The shocking fact that a race exists in this world that can only evolve and survive by consuming humans is something that Madoka Kaname, who has lived a peaceful and stable life for 14 years, cannot accept. The thought that so many innocent people who should not have died were influenced by the power of witches or familiars, committing suicide or killing others, fills the kind-hearted Madoka with unease and heartache.

Unlike Madoka Kaname, who was concerned about the innocent deaths, Sayaka Miki's focus was on something else entirely.

"Enju, you said there are two ways witches are born. Besides the familiars created by mature witches, what is the other way witches are born?"

Upon hearing the blue-haired girl's question, Aihara Enju did not immediately provide an answer. Instead, she picked up a slightly chilled glass of soda and took a sip. She then used the glass and her hand to cover half of her face, revealing only her crimson eyes as she stared intently at the two girls in front of her.

"What I'm about to say concerns a secret of all humanity, and will severely damage and destroy the worldview, values, and outlook on life you've built up over the years, causing many irreversible consequences. After knowing this, do you still crave answers?"

The red-haired girl spoke in a serious tone, and Madoka Kaname and Sayaka Miki, who were being stared at by her crimson eyes, subconsciously swallowed and nodded in unison after a few seconds of hesitation.

"Hehe, what a pair of curious little kittens! I hope you won't regret your choice."

Lan Yuan Enju chuckled, took another sip of her soda, and moistened her throat with the stimulatingly sweet liquid before opening her mouth to explain in a low voice:

“Long, long ago, long before any concrete ‘civilization’ existed, a group of guests from beyond the stars arrived on this beautiful and bountiful planet. They observed the various creatures on this planet, calculated their potential and evolutionary direction, and selected suitable seeds.”

"Finally, these alien visitors chose a race that did not seem particularly outstanding at the time, one that had neither thick skin nor sharp claws, and was incapable of soaring through the sky or swimming freely in the ocean."

"That is humanity."

Upon hearing this, Madoka Kaname and Sayaka Miki exchanged a bewildered glance, wondering why the story of the origins of witches had turned to aliens. Fortunately, both girls were excellent listeners. Even though their minds were filled with questions, they still listened quietly as the girl in front of them continued her narration.

"Having chosen humans as their subjects, these extraterrestrial visitors began their operations. Like the witches, these extraterrestrial lifeforms could not be observed by ordinary people; only those with talent could see these visitors and communicate with these mysterious creatures."

"For this reason, these extraterrestrial visitors did not choose to control these ancient humans who were still very savage and violent at the time, but instead hid behind the scenes and remotely controlled the development and evolution of the entire human civilization through individuals who could see them."

"These ancient humans who became agents of extraterrestrial beings were all girls around 12 years old. Adult women were extremely rare, and there were no men at all. That's about the same age you are now."

At this point, Aihara Enju spread her hands and continued in a joking tone:

"Perhaps this is one of the reasons why early human civilizations were matriarchal societies. After all, a leader with 'extraordinary abilities' could indeed bring great convenience to the group at that time."

py time: *The Villainous Saintess Can't Be a Man* Synopsis: Transmigrated into a game as a villainous saintess, a likely candidate for the final boss, destined to be stabbed to death by the female lead in the game's ending. But who the hell told me this saintess is actually a man? Oh well, might as well make the best of it. To avoid the stabbing-to-death ending, Natasia decides to try and win over the female lead, then gives up—this female lead, blacker than coal, is impossible to please. She's seventeen. I can't outsmart her.

Chapter 258 Weaknesses of the Mind

Chapter 258 Weaknesses of the Mind

"Extraordinary abilities?!"

Miki Sayaka accurately grasped the key point in Aihara Enju's words, and after giving her an approving look, the bunny-eared loli continued:

"Without special treatment, what gives those extraterrestrial life forms the right to manipulate humanity in secret?"

Lan Yuan Enju chuckled softly, her tone carrying a certain inexplicable emotion.

"When extraterrestrial life forms encounter human individuals who can see and communicate with them, they do not reveal themselves directly to explain their purpose. Instead, they hide in the shadows and observe the 'weaknesses' of these girls, or even young girls."

"Weaknesses?!" Madoka Kaname and Sayaka Miki looked puzzled. These aliens could travel across the universe to Earth, so why would they need to find human weaknesses?

“Yes, a weakness.” Aihara Enju nodded and took a sip of her soda.

"Although these extraterrestrial civilizations are extremely advanced and possess sophisticated space travel technology, unfortunately, their individual strength is extremely weak. Even a minor child could kill them in a one-on-one situation. To avoid danger and wasting time, these beings will definitely seek out human weaknesses."

"So what are our human weaknesses?"

Aohara Enju's lips curled up slightly, revealing a cute smile.

"emotion!"

"emotion?!"

The bunny-eared girl didn't explain directly. Instead, she squinted her crimson eyes at the two girls before her, and then spoke in a tone that implied all meaning:

"Humans are creatures with very rich emotions."

"For example, feelings between people such as love, family affection, and friendship, as well as one's own emotions such as happiness, joy, anger, sadness, jealousy, disgust, courage, cowardice, and greed."

"The emotions of the human race are so diverse and intense, bringing countless possibilities to humanity while also bringing irreparable weaknesses."

At this point, Aihara Enju suddenly raised her finger and pointed at Kaname Madoka, who was sitting to her left, and loudly asked:

"Mantouka, if one day your parents become seriously ill and no doctor can cure them, what would you do for your family?"

"Eh! Me? I...I..."

Startled by the sudden question, Madoka was momentarily flustered and hesitated for a long time before failing to utter a coherent answer. Aihara Enju shook her head helplessly, rubbing her forehead, and then looked at the blue-haired girl beside her.

"Sayaka, I heard you have a childhood friend with whom you've always had a good relationship, named Kamijou...Kamijou Kyosuke, right?"

Miki Sayaka was slightly taken aback when the topic suddenly turned to her, but she still nodded slightly and said:

"That's right, Kyosuke is indeed my childhood friend who grew up with me since we were little."

"I heard that the boy named Kyosuke Kamijou had some kind of accident and has been in the hospital for almost half a year now. Even after such a long period of treatment, he has only barely regained the ability to stand and is far from being able to return to his previous healthy state."

As Miki Sayaka listened to Aihara Enju's words, her expression gradually became somber and sorrowful, and her mood quickly turned dejected. Seeing the blue-haired girl's expression, which seemed to wish she could take the pain in place of the boy named Kamijou Kyosuke, Aihara Enju's lips curled into a knowing smile.

"I also heard that the boy was originally a very talented violinist, and with diligent practice, he might have even made his mark on the history of world music. But now, he not only sleeps in a hospital bed all day, but he also needs help to eat and dress, let alone play the violin."

The blue-haired girl's head was almost touching her chest. Even Madoka Kaname, who was next to her, noticed that something was wrong and gave the rabbit-eared girl a disapproving look.

Aihara Enju completely ignored Kaname Madoka's hint, instead slightly standing up, leaning forward to whisper in Miki Sayaka's ear in an extremely seductive tone:

"If I told you that I have a way to cure your childhood sweetheart's illness and restore him to health, young lady, what price would you be willing to pay for this miracle?"

Sayaka Miki, whose body was already trembling slightly, suddenly shuddered, and her pupils contracted sharply. Almost uncontrollably, she grabbed Enju Aihara's arm, which was bracing itself on the table, and said urgently in a voice filled with intense longing and hope:

"Really? Can you really save Kyosuke? I'll do anything! As long as..."