Manager, give me a membership card too!

She had only spoken half a sentence when the blue-haired girl's expression froze. She stared in disbelief at the hand that had been gripping Lan Yuan Enju's wrist so tightly, then released it as if she had been electrocuted, sitting there in a state of panic.

Aihara Enju didn't seem to care that Miki Sayaka's earlier actions had hurt her. Instead, she sighed slightly and shrugged at the somewhat dumbfounded pink-haired girl beside her.

"Love, you make people blind."

"Could this be...?"

Madoka Kaname's expression was somewhat unpleasant. From Aihara Enju's previous demonstration, she had already understood what human 'weakness' meant.

"This is how those evil things control humans, using human emotions. Those intimate lovers, those long-time family members, those incredibly trusted friends, those comrades-in-arms—all of them are their sharpest weapons."

"They often target those who are unhappy in life, using the person's concerns or interests to blackmail them. If the target doesn't have any weaknesses, they will deliberately create 'accidents' to 'create' weaknesses for the target. For example..."

"A single wrong investment can bankrupt your family instantly. When you can't even afford to eat, you'll agree to conditions you could never have imagined."

"An unexpected illness may leave you or your loved ones with a terminal disease. In the face of death's scythe, there is nothing that cannot be sacrificed."

"An unfortunate car accident, trapped under a vehicle about to explode, and faced with only one chance for salvation, you have no right to refuse."

"as well as..."

At this point, Aihara Enju glanced at Miki Sayaka, who was still in a daze, and continued in a voice that the other could hear clearly:

"An inexplicable accident left a girl's childhood sweetheart seriously injured, confined to a hospital bed, living a life of despair that could never be better."

Sayaka Miki, who had been keeping her head down, suddenly clenched her hands, raised her head in disbelief, and asked sharply:

"What do you mean? Could it be... could it be that Kyosuke's injury..."

Instead of directly answering the excited art director Sayaka, Aihara Enju looked at the worried-looking Kaname Madoka beside the blue-haired girl:

"Mantouka, you must have heard that voice calling out to you from the bottom of my heart, right?"

"Huh?!"

Kaname Madoka, who was suddenly called out, was stunned and her expression became blank.

Synopsis of "I Will Never Become a Villainous Prince" from PY Time: Seeing the protagonist group's oppression of the villainous prince made me tremble with anger. Despite the sweltering heat, I was drenched in cold sweat, my hands and feet ice-cold. Hell is empty, all the devils are here on earth—can villains ever get any better? How can a villain possibly live to satisfy the protagonist group? Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably. This world is filled with oppression of villains; when will villains ever truly stand up for themselves? What? You want me to become a villainous prince? I, Li Yixian, would rather starve to death, die outside, or jump off this cliff than become a villainous prince!

Chapter 259 The Mermaid Princess's Sacrifice

Chapter 259 The Mermaid Princess's Sacrifice

"Could it be...could it be...?!"

Aihara Enju's casual words stirred up a tidal wave in Kaname Madoka's heart. She had always been troubled by the voice she had vaguely heard. She had initially dismissed it as a hallucination born of her nervousness, but the girl's words completely extinguished that notion.

Not only Madoka Kaname, but even Sayaka Miki next to her realized what was happening. Several days ago, her friend had complained to her about hearing mysterious voices. She had initially thought Madoka was mistaken and had even accompanied her to investigate the source of the voices, but they found nothing.

But now it seems that if the girl in front of them hadn't lied to them, then...

"Those guys have never changed their tactics since ancient times. They'll pretend to meet you by chance, or that they're in danger and need your help. Once they've become familiar with you, a series of crises or accidents will begin to appear. These dangers or emergencies will drive you to the brink of despair, or may affect many others, leaving you with no choice but to desperately seek any possible opportunity."

"And at this point, these creatures will reveal their true colors. They will bind you with rules that resemble contracts, while pretending to be doing it for your own good. Most 12 or 13-year-old girls are not shrewd or vigilant, and will be deceived by them, eventually falling into the trap they have prepared. From then on, they will be trapped and unable to extricate themselves, becoming puppets fooled by those alien creatures."

Hearing Enju Aihara's description of Madoka Kaname's life, Kaname turned pale, seemingly unable to imagine such a life at all. However, unlike her, Sayaka Miki, who was beside the pink-haired girl, although also looking unwell, asked in an almost gritted-teeth tone after hesitating for a while.

"If, and I mean if, I really did sign that contract, could Kyosuke-kun's hand be restored?"

Hearing the blue-haired girl's words, which contained a hint of hope amidst despair, Aihara Enju silently looked at Miki Sayaka, whose eyes were already beginning to shed tears.

"Is it worth it? Although I don't deny that person is your childhood friend, is it really right to abandon the family that raised you for more than ten years for such an 'outsider'?"

Sayaka Miki's expression froze for a moment, but she quickly managed a forced smile.

“As you said before, those alien creatures just want to use us to control human society. My Miki family may have some money, but we are not a prestigious family. Even if we are controlled by those things, it won't cause any damage. Besides, as long as I know the true nature of these things in advance, they can't force me to do things I don't want to do.”

"In this way, Kyosuke's hand can be restored, and I have suffered no loss. Isn't this a happy ending for everyone?"

Looking at the blue-haired girl in front of her who was still living in her imagination, Aihara Enju sighed silently, took out an electronic device from her pocket, operated it a few times, and then pushed it in front of Kaname Madoka and Miki Sayaka.

"You're too naive. Let me show you the truth of this world."

Looking at Aihara Enju across from them with some confusion, who was sipping her soda and clearly not planning to say anything more, Kaname Madoka and Miki Sayaka, whose eyes still had tear stains, subconsciously looked at the electronic device on the table. Upon seeing it, the pink-haired girl couldn't help but gasp in surprise.

"This, this is... an apricot?"

It's no wonder that Madoka Kaname was so surprised, because on the screen in front of her and Sayaka Miki, Sakura Kyoko, a new classmate who had transferred to their class a few days ago, was handing a beautifully decorated gemstone to a man with an unpleasant expression.

They recognized the man; he was the tall man who had brought a large group of transfer students to the school a few days ago. According to the new students, he was their adoptive father/dad/elder/brother/bad boss—and that "bad boss" was exactly how Sakura Kyoko described him.

Before the two girls could even wonder what the two people on the screen were doing, the scene before them changed.

The man, holding the ornately decorated ruby, backed away step by step, while Sakura Kyoko frowned, staring at him with a grim expression—or rather, at the ruby ​​in his hand.

"Where...is this?"

Kaname Madoka looked up with a somewhat inexplicable expression, glancing at Aihara Enju, who had pulled out a Coca-Cola bottle from somewhere and was refilling her Pepsi cup. Aihara Enju simply gave her a patient, downward-looking look before pulling out another Coca-Cola and continuing her refilling spree.

Just then, Madoka Kaname's hand tightened, drawing the pink-haired girl's attention back to herself. She glanced in surprise at Sayaka Miki, who was gripping her hand tightly and looking terrified, before noticing the unexpected situation unfolding on the screen in front of her.

The red-haired transfer student, Sakura Kyoko, who had only been there a few days ago, suddenly fell straight into the arms of the man holding the jewel. Seeing the somewhat bewildered expression on Kaname Madoka's face, Miki Sayaka hesitated for a moment, then tentatively swiped her finger across the screen. The scene before her eyes indeed rewound a few seconds, allowing Kaname Madoka to see the entire sequence of events.

Just as the man walked a certain distance with the red gem, Sakura Kyoko, who had been standing nervously in place, suddenly froze, her eyes becoming blank, and like a soulless puppet, her body went limp and she fell forward.

The electronic device in front of Madoka Kaname and Sayaka Miki even gave a close-up of Kyoko Sakura's face, allowing the two girls to clearly distinguish the red-haired girl's current situation.

That's definitely not an expression a living person could make!

"What...what is this?!"

Watching Sakura Kyoko being embraced by Rorschach in return on the screen, Kaname Madoka and Miki Sayaka already had a bad feeling. Aihara Enju's next words made them realize the reality.

"There's no such thing as a free lunch in this world. When you're in trouble, those alien creatures will extend an invitation to you."

“‘Make a wish to me, and any wish will be granted. Whether it's wishing for your family to regain their health, craving countless amounts of money, or simply wanting a bite of sweet cheese, it can all come true.’”

A mocking smile appeared on Lan Yuan Enju's lips as she spoke, and she said coldly:

"But those evil things will not tell these innocent girls who have fallen into their trap that the price for fulfilling their wishes is to give up their souls."

"what?!"

"To give up..."

"My own...soul?!"

Madoka covered her mouth in surprise, and even Sayaka Miki's previously resolute expression wavered again.

"The moment those girls reach an agreement with these alien beings, their souls are extracted from their bodies and placed in a container called the 'Soul Gem'."

Enju Aihara pointed to the magnificent gem that Rorschach was holding on the screen, indicating that this was what she was talking about.

"The soul of the person who agrees to the agreement will reside in the Soul Gem, and the body will be merely a puppet manipulated by the gem. If the gem storing the soul is too far from the body that serves as the 'tool,' it will lose consciousness due to the break in the connection and become a helpless puppet that can be manipulated at will."

"This half-dead state is given the name 'magical girl,' which sounds fantastical and eye-catching. However, hidden beneath this seemingly beautiful title is a tragic fate unknown to others. Because no magical girl signs the contract with a smile."

Stunned by this cruel truth, Sayaka Miki remained silent for a few seconds, then forced a strained smile. She gripped her friend's hand tightly, her voice bitter yet resolute as she said:

"It's ok!"

"It's alright. As long as Kyosuke-kun can recover, as long as Kyosuke-kun can achieve a miracle, even if I become that kind of... 'thing,' I won't regret it. At worst, I'll never let that thing called the Soul Gem leave me for the rest of my life. Compared to Kyosuke-kun's lifelong happiness, this price I pay is nothing."

Lan Yuan Enju frowned as she looked at the girl in front of her, whose expression was a mixture of sadness and happiness, and she really didn't know what to say.

Before heading to Mitakihara Municipal Junior High School, Rorschach briefly discussed the personalities and thought processes of the main characters with Enju Aihara and the other girls who were about to transfer schools.

The most important part of the story is about the girl in front of him named Sayaka Miki. According to Rorschach, Sayaka Miki is a person with a typical 'altruistic' personality. She doesn't care about suffering herself as long as those she cares about are happy.

Like the Little Mermaid in the fairy tale, she clearly loved the prince deeply, but in order to be able to see him, she was willing to give up her singing voice, which she had always been proud of, in exchange for a pair of legs that would allow her to appear in human society.

Even at the end of the story, when the prince she loved was with another woman, the mermaid princess, who could have easily killed the couple, still couldn't bring herself to do it. Instead, she lamented and wept, yet willingly turned into a white bubble in the sea, fulfilling the wishes of the couple who had betrayed her.

Previously, Aihara Enju had only heard of people with this kind of personality, and she never imagined that she would actually meet one. Moreover, her thoughts and ideas were not only exactly the same as what Luo Xia had said, but even more extreme.

To allow her childhood friend to pick up the harp bow again, Sayaka Miki dared to offer herself to the 'devil'. Even though what she gave was completely disproportionate to what she received, she still did it willingly.

"How...foolish!"

As a woman herself, and also someone she loves, Aihara Enju can understand the other woman's logic to some extent, but that doesn't mean she agrees with it. If it were a life for a life, she would praise Miki Sayaka's dedication and sacrifice for love, but if it were a life for a hand, she would only feel sorrow for the girl before her.

And there's another crucial premise: as far as she knew, the man named Kamijou Kyosuke wasn't as perfect as the girl before her imagined. In that man's eyes, Miki Sayaka's importance wasn't as significant as the girl imagined.

Recalling what she had seen before, Aihara Enju looked at the girl in front of her with pity in her eyes.

That man is not worthy of the girl's devotion; he doesn't deserve it.

Since you still haven't grasped the situation, then let me, your humble servant, thoroughly wake you up.

"Even if it means offering your soul to the devil and losing control of your own destiny, would you still save that man's 'right hand'?"

Looking at the blue-haired girl in front of her, Lan Yanyuan deliberately emphasized the word "right hand," wanting to remind the girl what she had traded her entire life's happiness for.

Unfortunately, Sayaka Miki seemed oblivious to the hidden meaning in Enju Aihara's words, and nodded with a sad yet somewhat happy expression, indicating that she had not changed her mind.

“Yes, Enju. I’ve decided to accept the contract with those… aliens to heal Kyosuke’s hand. Therefore, I hope that when those aliens appear around me in the future, Enju, you won’t stop them. At least, please wait until I make my wish before dealing with those alien creatures.”

"Sayaka?! Do you know what you're saying? That could..."

Madoka Kaname, standing next to the blue-haired girl, stared at her friend in disbelief, unable to comprehend that Sayaka Miki, whom she considered rational, strong, and braver and more unyielding than the average man, would say such a thing.

"I'm sorry, Mantou Card..." The blue-haired girl turned her head away, avoiding looking at her friend's disappointed eyes, which seemed to have been betrayed, and said in a lonely tone with a hint of sadness:

"Did I never imagine that in the end... I would also be a woman blinded by emotions?"

With a wry smile, Sayaka Miki composed herself and prepared to get up and leave.

Although it was unclear what organization the girl had brought her and Madoka to, based on what they had seen and heard before, it should be a group of humans fighting against those alien creatures. It was just unknown whether it was an official government organization or a privately established one.

But those things were no longer important to her. To successfully heal Kyosuke's hand, she had to leave this place. Only by leaving would the aliens who were hostile to Aihara Enju and the others approach her again and offer her a contract.

However, just as Sayaka Miki was about to get up and leave, Enju Aihara, who was sitting opposite them, reached out and gently tapped the table, attracting the attention of the two girls.

“Miki Sayaka, didn’t you ask me about another way witches are born? I’ll answer you now. Besides familiars hunting and growing on their own, there is another way witches are born, or rather, how exactly do witches come to exist on Earth.”

Wishing all graduating students the best of luck on their exams and success in getting into their dream schools! ヾ(@^▽^@)ノ

Chapter 260 Killing Three Birds with One Stone

Chapter 260 Killing Three Birds with One Stone

The setting sun was like blood, the last rays of the apocalypse.

Beside a tall white building, Sayaka Miki, with short blue hair, sat blankly on a bench in front of the building. Her once vibrant eyes were now dull and lifeless as she stared at the empty space in front of her, muttering something to herself.

Sitting next to her was Madoka Kaname, who looked worried and held her friend's hand tightly, as if afraid that she would do something irrational.

"It's all fake, fake, all fake... Hope is fake, miracles are fake, even Kyosuke... is fake!"

The girl's efforts, perseverance, and dedication were like a rose barely blooming in a rainstorm, cruelly shattered by the merciless natural disaster, showing no mercy whatsoever.

“Sayaka…”

Kaname Madoka's tone was worried, but her own feelings were actually not much better than the girl's. The thought of almost becoming that terrifying 'monster' sent chills down her spine, and she felt grateful for her narrow escape.

It all started with a conversation with Enju Aihara.

As Sayaka Miki was about to get up and take her leave, Enju Aihara calmly told the two girls in front of her the cruel truth.

It's a story about hope, despair, hunting and being hunted, and what a race called the 'Incubators' do after all of this.

From the moment the first girl made a wish to become a magical girl, the cycle of fate began to turn.

Becoming a magical girl comes at a price. Besides having her soul extracted and entering a state between life and death, the existence of the Soul Gem is also a major threat. This is because the Soul Gem can be 'corrupted,' and once the level of corruption exceeds a certain threshold, the magical girl who possesses the gem will instantly fall into darkness and become a new witch, a source of calamity that threatens the world.

Most importantly, the corruption of the Soul Gem is a constant process.

Not to mention combat and the use of magic, which greatly pollute the Soul Gem, even if there is no combat and a peaceful life is maintained, the Soul Gem will still be gradually polluted, and magic power will be consumed with every breath.

This means that from the moment a magical girl makes a wish to become a magical girl, her fate of falling into witchhood is inevitable.

Of course, there are ways to delay or postpone this process.

Hunting Witch

By hunting down magical girls who have fallen into witchhood and using the "Seeds of Lamentation" dropped by their dead, one can purify a portion of the Soul Gem's corruption and postpone their transformation into a witch.

Wishing to become a magical girl, consuming magic power to become a witch, transforming into a witch and causing disaster, the disaster leads to the birth of the next batch of magical girls, the new magical girls hunt the old magical girls to continue their 'life', after a certain time they fall into witches, and then it is an eternal cycle.

This cycle has been repeating itself on this planet for nearly ten thousand years. During this time, the number of magical girls who have died and the innocent civilians who have been accidentally injured would be an unimaginable number.

All of this is merely a "necessary sacrifice" made by the incubators to prevent a "heat death" that may occur hundreds of millions or billions of years from now.

Yes, the sacrifice of Earthlings.