I dug up the magical girl's corpse.

Chapter 47 Q&A

"You mean, the culprit who killed Chao Jing isn't in the Demon Court?"

"I'm just stating one of my conjectures, don't get too excited."

"I'm not excited, I'm just curious about the origin of your idea."

"Alright, before that, I must explain something to you. Chen Mu, since you're not a magical girl, you probably don't know what the [Flower] level is. The eleven current Flower-level magical girls, including myself, plus the former [Dawn], although we advanced to Flower level through different methods, our feelings are all interconnected. Flower-level magical girls, their Jewel Body transformations achieve perpetual cycles, never reverting to the transformation, their magic power is self-sufficient, forming their own laws [phenomena] and the uniqueness of their Heart Flower."

Speak like a human.

"...In other words, once we reach this level, there are only two things that can kill us: a nuclear bomb and another Flower-level being."

"Doesn't this just confirm my point of view? I didn't see a nuclear explosion in Miyuki City that day, so that was the Flower-level of the Demon Academy."

"First, I must correct one of your points. Not all flowers are in the Demon Academy. There are only five of us who serve as the Chief in the Garden Council, including myself. After Dawn's passing, only four remain. Most of the other seven flower-level members are still in a state of 'seclusion' and have not appeared since the war. Their whereabouts are unknown."

"You mean to shift the blame? The Flower-ranked person who killed Asakage isn't in your Demon Academy... Whether that's true or not, I'll find out."

"Also, when I said that the two things that kill a Flower-level being are 'nuclear bombs and another Flower-level being,' it wasn't entirely accurate. These two things only 'possess the lethality to kill a Flower-level being,' but it's very difficult to do so in actual combat. This is because a Flower-level being isn't a sitting duck; they can easily run away."

"Running away?"

"If the target is locked on us, I can react the instant I sense the nuclear bomb approaching and move out of the lethal radius before it explodes. The radiation and shockwave from a distance will have almost no effect on me. So, this kind of attack is theoretically effective, but ineffective in reality."

"I wasn't talking about nuclear weapons."

"The same applies to the mutual attacks between Flower-level beings. Even if there is a difference in our strength, we all have many methods. The moment we unleash [Phenomenon], it will be canceled out by the opponent's [Phenomenon], not to mention the transfer of magic power and life-saving magic, which are incredibly diverse. In a one-on-one situation, I cannot kill Dawn, and Dawn cannot kill me."

"You're talking about a 'one-on-one' situation, right? What if there are two Flower-level experts trying to kill her, or even more than two?"

"...If those reclusive talents were to simultaneously launch their schemes, that's certainly a possibility, but at least I should have been able to detect it."

"If you're not sure, then I'll verify it."

"The investigation into [Zircon] is already underway. She hasn't stopped working these past few days. She'll let me know as soon as there's any new information."

"Zircon...you mean Lu Cai? Why do you like using such awkward nicknames? A simple name would suffice."

"...She's a fully-fledged magical girl now, so it's safer for her to investigate."

I don't trust anyone.

"You don't believe me either, Chen Mu?"

"I believe you, [Tide], I believe you wouldn't kill your own student. But what if Lin Chaojing's death involves some important secret? What if this secret shakes the Demon Court or even your laws? What if it forces you to be at odds with those flowers? Would you tell me then?"

"I can tell you right now that Dawn wasn't killed. If you insist on finding a murderer to maintain peace, you might as well consider me the murderer."

"Not murder? So you're telling me she committed suicide? Ha—"

"Of course not. She had no reason to commit suicide. I deduce that she must have had an accident while researching some extremely special magic—"

That's enough.

"..."

"Someone's coming, let's call it a day."

...

After much effort, Lin Yongxi finally figured out how to get out of the Demon Academy.

It's actually very simple; the answer is right in your hand—that badge.

After I put the badge on my clothes, suddenly an arrow mark appeared at my feet.

"what?"

The arrow appears on the floor tile, not as an actual pattern, but more like a projected spot of light, pointing straight ahead, like a navigation app.

Lin Yongxi could sense that this was a projection formed by the condensation of magic power; he hadn't expected it to have such a magical application.

It's as if the arrow can read her mind. It points straight to the exit when she wants to go out. Could it be that it has the ability to read minds?

Just as Lin Yongxi felt a pang of panic, thankfully, after walking a short distance, different arrows soon appeared, pointing to different rooms, and different signs were marked on the walls in small print. These included "Library," "Laboratory," "Classroom #12," "Private Rooms Available for Rent," "Restaurant," and so on.

It seems that it is not that intelligent and probably only serves a marking function.

Wearing the magical girl badge makes one considered one of their own, thus fixing those freely shifting spaces.

This might be a maze or a trap for the enemy, but for our own people, it allows them to come and go freely and also serves a defensive purpose.

"...Pretty impressive."

Normally, Lin Yongxi would be very excited about this magical little gadget, eager to play with it more and try to explore different rooms.

But she was clearly downcast and preoccupied.

She still couldn't forget the scene of that white-haired girl leaning against the glass and smiling at her.

"teacher……?"

Lin Yongxi was a clever girl, and she realized in an instant that this was probably related to her sister.

Am I mistaken for someone else? My sister works at this Demon Academy, so could that child be one of her students?

Judging from her attitude, does she not know about her sister's death?

What should I do?

Lin Yongxi walked with her head down, feeling a terrible headache, and even had urges to escape. She didn't dare look back to see if the room she had just been in was still there.

As she walked, she emerged from the intricate maze of corridors and returned to the foyer where she had entered.

In the empty front hall, there were still only two people standing: one was the tall and beautiful magical girl, Tide, and the other was her brother-in-law, Chen Mu.

"Well."

Lin Yongxi stopped in her tracks, unsure whether to continue. She sensed an eerie atmosphere between them, as if they were still talking. Although they didn't seem to be arguing, their voices seemed to be shrouded in a hazy mist, making it impossible to hear anything clearly. She didn't dare to listen, afraid that going in would disturb them.

"Someone's coming, let's call it a day."

Just then, they seemed to have finished their conversation and looked over at the same time.