Chapter 334: A Sudden Upheaval, a Dark Turmoil!

Though her sense of beauty was peculiar... no one could deny that the obese woman before them was the ruler of this city. Her appearance had not changed in a hundred years. She was the one who forever looked down upon everything from within Herth.

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And now.

As she looked at the same fat, ugly face Vivi had shared with her, the pink-haired girl’s figure suddenly froze.

Although she had already seen that face online last night,

now, in the form of a live broadcast, she had truly confirmed that the other party was in the same time and space as she was. The moment that realization struck, something suddenly erupted.

A flame of unknown origin rose from the depths of her magic power and heart, and was caught by the power of the Soul Link.

It was...

[Jealousy].

In an instant,

unutterable pain suddenly “surged” through the brain and Soul Gem that seemed to contain nothing but the core spell and magic circuits.

Then came countless negative emotions.

Hatred, revulsion, anger, resentment...

As the heart was seared by the pain of that surging flame of [Jealousy], several indistinct words rang in her ears, like an oath spoken together with others.

-We are those forced to look up.

-We are those who choose to look down.

-We are... those who stand up and fight back!!

Thoughts surged, and magic power boiled.

Thanks to his talent for turning the rotten into the miraculous, Lin Guang finally noticed a deeply hidden fact.

In the brain left behind by the magical girl named Teresa, all detailed memories in the literal sense had vanished, with the exception of her [Prosthetic Domination] spell and its associated information.

But that did not mean it was truly empty.

That was because everyone’s magic power and spells contained spiritual force that represented their emotions and sense of self.

It was like forgetting every unforgettable thing one had experienced, while the feelings from those moments remained etched in one’s magic power and spells, never to be completely erased.

“.........”

Facing the camera, Miss Pris’s face, covered in makeup, took on a suitably compassionate expression. She then lowered her head and slowly began to speak, her voice tinged with sadness and regret.

“My dear people of Neon City, today I have some unfortunate news to announce.”

“Due to the terrorist attack carried out by the villains of the [Witches’ Guild], Herth’s facilities were caught in the incident. A considerable number of contract beasts were injured, and for now, we don’t know when they will fully recover.”

“...!!!”

Vivi, who had just noticed that something was wrong with Lin Guang and had been about to ask him about it, felt her pupils tremble violently. A terrible premonition suddenly welled up in her heart.

If the contract beasts bound to magical girls had been injured, did that mean...

The next moment, her guess was confirmed.

Miss Pris raised her right hand, covered in rings, and gently placed it against her broad chest. A trace of pity squeezed through the narrow slits of her eyes.

“To protect those injured contract beasts, and to ensure the girls’ safety, we will have no choice but to drastically reduce the number of magical girl admissions starting this year.”

“This year’s quota will be cut by a full fifty percent.”

In an instant, the white-haired girl’s pupils shrank to pinpoints, and her tail stiffened.

Fifty percent?!

Normally, each class of magical girls only had a dozen or twenty contract slots, even when they needed to make up for a large number of magical girls killed in battle or forced to retire because of demon beast waves or other accidents. In years with fewer openings, there weren’t even ten!

And now they were cutting that number in half?!

“Moreover... based on the current situation, this number may continue to shrink over the next decade or more, until the entire contract system is fully repaired.”

“!!”

She sighed, her tone heavy. “I deeply sympathize with you. This disaster, brought about by human folly, is a calamity even I failed to foresee. As the head of this city’s family, all I can do is offer a little compensation.”

Miss Pris lowered her hand and changed the subject.

“Only after the sands have been sifted can true gold be found.”

“Under such harsh conditions, the girls who still manage to break through the obstacles, successfully form contracts, and become magical girls will be this city’s most precious treasure.”

“I promise you that every newly appointed magical girl will receive more generous benefits and privileges than at any time in the past.”

With that, she reached out and lifted a gigantic gold-inlaid wine goblet from the tray held by the waiter beside her throne. The vessel was sized to match her own build, and its blood-red wine rippled inside.

Miss Pris raised her glass toward the camera. Her face, buried beneath layers of makeup, forced out an encouraging smile.

“Go out there and strive, girls.”

“I’ll be waiting for you on the top floor of Herth.”

The image froze on that toast. Then the screen flickered and switched back to the regular news broadcast.

Yet the expressions of everyone in the carriage had gone still.

Because the impact of that brief live broadcast was destined to be far-reaching.

In an instant, the class chat group on Vivi’s glasses, which had been dead quiet ever since she defeated Renee, exploded.

Everyone began discussing the matter heatedly.

【Did you all watch the live broadcast??】

【What?】

【This is a huge problem!】

【The number of magical girl slots is being cut in half this year!!】

【??】

【It’s over...】

One person was on the verge of breaking down: 【How are we supposed to take the exam now?? It’d already be amazing if Fourth Middle School produced one or two magical girls in a whole year! What if this class doesn’t produce a single one!!】

Another girl was rubbing her hands together, eager to go: 【I just took out a loan. I’m going to take another shot at it!! If I make it, I’ll be set for life!】

【...】

Messages flashed rapidly across the white-haired girl’s eyes. Discussion and emotional outbursts about the matter kept pouring in.

Then, suddenly, someone sent a message.

【This year’s situation could be even worse than you imagine.】

【Didn’t you notice? The quotas will keep shrinking for the next decade or more, but the benefits are going up... Do you know what that means?】

【It means that for everyone who wants to become a magical girl, this class has the best odds and the most openings. The farther into the future you go, the lower your chances will get.】

【They’re all going to fight like mad this year, staking everything they can borrow or put up as collateral...】

【Those people from First Middle School and Second Middle School who’ve already paid an enormous price to repeat a year, or even two, and scored as high as past champions in mock exams will definitely bet everything they have.】

【And then there are those who attend private schools and have been kept frozen in cryogenic pods. Legally, they’ve remained at the age of ninth graders and on leave from school, but in reality, they’ve been cultivating, studying, and taking mock exams in virtual worlds, waiting until they’re more confident before emerging. Those three-time champions, five-time champions, even ten-time champions... they’ll wake up too!】

【They’ll all emerge in this final class before the end of the magic age, stake everything, and fight in the most brutal contest of magical paths!】

【The passing standards from previous years won’t mean a thing! They’ll push the magical girl score cutoff to the absolute limit!】

【Our class is about to face the most terrifying dark turmoil ever!!】