The next morning.
Pale wore a simple apron, head down, concentrating on kneading dough. Gray hair strands softly fell by her cheeks, her expression showing the usual gentleness and a barely perceptible fatigue.
The Doll Witch was in the western district.
There were no organized magical girls there. If it was one of the elite freelance magical girls who had fallen...
The magical girls there couldn't organize effective resistance at all.
The principle behind witch formation remained controversial.
So said it was due to calamity's influence—magical girls weren't actually calamity's nesis, they would corrupt and fall like the previous era's magical creatures, just more slowly and covertly, specifically manifesting as changes in the girl's mind and gradual distortion of transformation attire, becoming more seductive and dark, with purple or red heart patterns usually appearing on the lower abdon.
Others said magic and miracles required paynt—continuous magic use led to accumulated costs. However much life magical girls saved and hope they brought, fallen witches would take that many lives and bring that much despair.
Pale remained noncommittal.
But one thing was certain.
When a girl abandoned hope, abandoned the desire to live, abandoned soul persistence, the magic core would completely blacken into a seed of corruption.
The thod to prevent this process was also simple.
Maintain hope and persistence.
Of course... one could also use other magical girls' cores for absorption...
Pale believed soul cores were containers of souls, even corruption seeds were the sa.
Many girls used corruption cores to absorb their own filth.
This was indeed a quick thod.
But... it could also create dependency, allowing those with ulterior motives to exploit it.
If soone deliberately created witches...
Therefore... resolving the Doll Witch was urgent. Her very existence could cause more girls to fall, and might attract more prying eyes.
"Sister Pale~"
A voice heavy with nasal congestion and extre grievance ca from the entrance, interrupting Pale's thoughts.
Pale's kneading motion paused. She looked up to see Hoshino Yu standing there, supporting herself against the door fra.
The little girl's eyes were swollen red like peaches, her nose tip also red. Her usually perky pink twin tails now hung listlessly. She bit her lower lip, looking like she was about to cry but holding back, as if suffering trendous injustice.
Pft...
Can't laugh, can't laugh.
Hold it together, Pale!
"It's little Yu," Pale set down the dough, wiping her hands with her apron, showing an appropriately concerned gentle smile. "What's wrong? Your eyes are so red. Who bullied you?"
This comfort from Pale made things worse. The girl who had been walking with trembling steps instantly couldn't hold back.
Hoshino Yu's tears burst out like a dam breaking. She rushed over in a few steps, completely ignoring that Pale's hands were still covered in flour, burying her head in Pale's arms, hugging Pale's waist tightly, pressing her face deep into that soft embrace.
"Wuwuwu... Sister Pale..." Hoshino Yu cried loudly, her voice muffled, body shaking from sobbing. "That... that damn Ember! She... she bullied ! Wuwuwa..."
Pale was the person Hoshino Yu respected most in the entire base besides Boss Suzune.
She had beco a magical girl because Sister Pale, despite having no magical girl powers, had still rushed out without hesitation to save her from magical creatures.
Sister Pale was everyone's light!
Everyone's mother!
The embodint of gentleness, courage, and selflessness!
Soone she absolutely trusted and depended on!
Feeling the girl in her arms' unguarded dependence and trust, Pale's heart, originally carrying a trace of teasing, softened almost imperceptibly, even producing a faint, almost negligible guilt.
She sighed softly, this ti from the heart, her hand patting Hoshino Yu's back more sincere and gentle.
Sigh...
It seems she really... bullied her too much?
Girls this age seed to have quite strong self-esteem.
"There, there, don't cry..." Pale's voice was warm and kind, carrying strange comforting power. "Tell slowly, what exactly did that bad Ember... do to our little Yu?"
Hoshino Yu, sniffling and sobbing, began her broken accusations.
Pale had no doubt that if she transford in front of her now, she would definitely pounce and bite her.
"She... she stole things! Wuwu... and... and ambushed , hugging from behind, so awful! She... she used so lewd magic! Absorbed my magic power! Made my whole body go weak... no strength at all... and... and..."
Reaching the most critical, most shaful part, Hoshino Yu got stuck.
Being stripped naked in public and spanked... how could she let the gentle Sister Pale know about that!
Finally, Hoshino Yu's face turned bright red, only able to bury her burning cheeks deeper into Pale's neck, mumbling unclearly: "She also... she also hit ! Wuwu... Sister Pale... she hit ... it hurt so much... super an... wuwuwa..."
What do you an lewd magic!
Pale's magic power absorption technique had been refined through several versions to be completely silent and without side effects!
It was entirely because Hoshino Yu was a lewd child that she beca strange!
Even though Pale complained internally.
But Pale went along with Hoshino Yu's words, using appropriately indignant and heartbroken tones: "That's absolutely outrageous! How could she do that!" She gently cupped Hoshino Yu's tear-stained face, carefully wiping away tears and accidentally sared flour with her fingertips. "Where did she hit you? Does it still hurt badly? Do you need dicine?"
"No... no need for dicine..." Hoshino Yu shook her head. "We magical girls' bodies recover quickly."
What really made Hoshino Yu suffer was more the sha and grievance. "It's just... just my heart hurts... how could she do that... wuwu... Sister Pale, only you are the best and gentlest..."
Damn Ember!
Just because she's a bit prettier, bigger, more mature, completely fits my aesthetic, reliable and strong!
Can't compare to Sister Pale at all!
Sister Pale is beautiful too!
And her cooking, literature, determination—everything is good, gentle and lovely.
Sister Pale is the best!
The greatest!
Pale again held the crying girl in her arms, gently patting her back: "There, there, it's all over... That bad person, we'll figure out how to catch her together and teach her a good lesson to get revenge for you, okay?"
"Mmhm~"
Hoshino Yu greedily slled Pale's scent, feeling this warm embrace, emmmm
Why does the scent seem sowhat familiar?
Feeling the girl in her arms suddenly stop acting spoiled and the scrutinizing gaze from her upturned little face, Pale suddenly felt uneasy.
"What's wrong, little Yu?" Pale tilted her head slightly, her tone carrying natural confusion, as if completely unaware why the other was suddenly staring at her like this.
"Did I get flour on my face?" Pale unconsciously raised her hand to wipe her face, appearing very natural and innocent.
Hoshino Yu frowned, moving closer like a little dog, carefully sniffing around her neck area.
"Sister Pale, are you using so perfu?"
"Ahaha, no way, where would I have money to buy sothing used by upper-class people, hahaha."
Pale laughed awkwardly then inquired with concern: "Are you feeling uncomfortable sowhere?"
Hoshino Yu looked at the still-gentle Sister Pale before her, inexplicably overlapping Pale's and Ember's figures.
The sa gray hair... the sa beautiful face... and the sa scent...
And... Ember's figure yesterday seed to be getting bigger?
If Ember's figure were shrunk a bit...
This thought scared even Hoshino Yu herself.
Impossible, impossible!
Magical girls carried cognitive barriers when transford—how could she suspect Sister Pale like this!
Sister Pale was so gentle, so good to her, even saved her life—how could she be that bastard Ember!
Hoshino Yu shook her head vigorously, trying to shake out this absurd thought.
"No, nothing..." Hoshino Yu lowered her head sowhat frantically, her voice much smaller, almost not daring to look at Pale. To cover her loss of composure, she glanced around randomly, landing on Pale's neck area, making conversation: "By the way, Sister Pale, your new scarf looks really nice!"
This ginger-yellow, warm yet simple scarf was now tightly wrapped around Pale's neck, perfectly concealing the hateful leather collar beneath.
"Ah... ahaha..."
"It's been... getting colder lately."
Pale reached up to lightly touch the scarf around her neck, only relaxing after confirming nothing was showing.
"Mm!"
Hoshino Yu nodded vigorously. "Sister Pale isn't a magical girl, you're not cold-resistant, you must add clothes!"
Damn it, can't let this little girl keep asking questions. Pale still needed to hurry up, finish cooking, and go ho to hug her little bear doll!
"Ahaha, to make up for our little Yu, how about big sister makes you donuts today?"
"Really? Great!" Hoshino Yu was imdiately attracted, her eyes lighting up, temporarily putting aside her slight doubts about the scarf and scent.
"Of course it's real." Pale smiled, beginning to skillfully shape the dough. "Go sit over there and wait nicely. It'll be ready soon."
Hoshino Yu obediently said "oh" and went to sit at the small dining table in the kitchen, hands supporting her chin, watching Pale's busy figure expectantly.
The warm kitchen, "I heard you raised a puppy, I want to see it too!"
"Ahaha... okay, okay..."
Breaking out in sweat...
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