Walking alone along the ruined road, Porcelain Moon kept a vigilant watch over the surroundings of this abandoned inland port.
On the exterior wall of the large warehouse with its blue canopy, the big red character “拆” (Demolition) had faded considerably, showing signs of age.
For various reasons, the demolition project here had yet to commence, much like the unfinished buildings in the newly planned urban area far away.
Vines wrapped around the rusted base of the tower crane, whose foundation was an old, rusted Disposal Forklift. A single flower had sprouted from beneath one of the forklift’s wheels.
Scattered containers piled up to form a vast labyrinth, with cardboard-packed goods spilling out from one container, blocking the pathway.
“Come here. Find me.”
It was the voice of Tianlang, conveyed through the Dream Realm.
From the rooftop of a distant building, a dazzling light flickered.
Porcelain Moon flew up to the rooftop of this building, which should be the port’s dispatch command center.
Tianlang had been waiting here for her for quite some time.
“Where is she?”
***
Porcelain Moon materialized a Silver Crossbow, aiming it at her opponent.
“Hold on, don’t be so hasty. Although I understand your whole hero-rescuing-the-damsel fantasy, I already told you, only you were allowed to come here.”
Tianlang’s face was still hidden behind a gas mask.
“However, this time, I’ll allow your little comrades to join you—come see how their reliable senior is subdued by me.”
“There’s only you here. What are you playing at? You can’t defeat us alone, can you?” Porcelain Moon lowered her Silver Crossbow and approached Tianlang without any hesitation.
Tianlang immediately unleashed their shared Dream Domain.
“Is this fear showing?”
“Do you think I’m afraid of you? Hahaha…” Tianlang laughed. “Look behind you. Let’s get reacquainted with your dear teammates, shall we?”
Porcelain Moon turned around, and her teammates appeared behind her. She knew these were merely illusions conjured by Tianlang.
“You sure know them well.”
Tianlang spread her arms and smiled. “Of course, I know you better than you know yourselves!”
She moved among the girls.
“Let’s start with this one—Kong Ling. What do you think of her?”
“Like Bai Lingluo, responsible and values her comrades.”
“Correct, no nonsense. She was born in 2003, from Shanglin County, Zhonghe Province, now fifteen years old. Naturally lively since childhood, at fourteen she was sent by her parents to become a Magical Girl as punishment for her mistakes.”
“Her parents hoped she’d become a disciplined child, and in fact, that decision was right, but in the long run, it inevitably pushed her to a dead end.”
“And this one, Chen Lisi.” Tianlang stepped before Chen Lisi.
“Talented, with rich combat experience.”
“Yes, but you don’t know her past. She was born into a military family and raised with high expectations. By thirteen, she was already a Magical Girl.”
“In one battle, her squad suffered 75% casualties, leaving her with severe trauma—a comrade dying right before her eyes is no easy thing to bear. You’re quite experienced in that regard, aren’t you?”
Porcelain Moon’s heart churned…
“She’s still just a child…”
“Haha, isn’t this world absurd? Sending children to die is ridiculous.”
Tianlang approached Lin Shuqing, reaching out to caress her face.
“This child is also pitiful. Orphaned from an early age, she spent her childhood in an orphanage. When the orphanage closed, no one wanted her. She became a drifter and child laborer before barely scraping by as a Magical Girl.”
“Child labor… That shouldn’t exist in this society.”
“Where you can’t see, anything can happen.”
Tianlang moved between the girls’ illusions, her hands gently brushing over each one as she began a mournful dance.
“Now look at this one. Interesting. Ying Xian—her parents were merchants. One day, all their savings were stolen by local villagers due to an accident.”
“This story tells us to drive carefully—beware of overturning, because once things fall on the ground, it’s hard to say if they’re still yours.”
“Since then, she was forced to become a Magical Girl, obsessively fighting chaos and pursuing order. Such a person is perfect as a lackey for the Saint Li Group, unable to distinguish priorities.”
Porcelain Moon listened patiently as Tianlang spoke.
“And this one?” Porcelain Moon pointed to Miao Ke’er.
“This one is a girl with a strong sense of justice, but overly emotional and easily influenced by her feelings. However, when it comes to matters of right and wrong, such a person often makes relatively correct decisions. Do you know why?”
“Why?”
“Because reason only leads to calculating gains and losses, making one selfish. Only those with enough emotion have the courage to do what they truly believe is right—even if others see them as mad.”
“But to themselves, it’s a true realization of self-worth! Of course, without reason, things won’t work out, right? You crazy girl.”
“I won’t deny it. I’ve done many things others see as madness, devaluing my own life. That’s enough to call me emotional.”
“Don’t misunderstand me. Everything you’ve done looks like pointless sacrifice to me, because the justice you’ve been clinging to is just an empty lie, no help in making this world better.”
“What you do looks the same to me.” Porcelain Moon retorted. “So I don’t have much time to listen to your stories about them. How about you tell me your own story?”
“Curious about me? Then come and see for yourself. Do you really have the ability to glimpse into my heart?”
Tianlang danced before Porcelain Moon. Her graceful movements made the gas mask on her face seem utterly out of place.
“I learned this dance when I was little. Even after all these years, I still remember it. Praise me, won’t you?”
Porcelain Moon grabbed her hand and stopped the dance.
The Dream Realm began to change. Porcelain Moon revealed her own power.
The once-dark purple domain turned white, and the girls’ illusions gradually shattered. The empty ground bloomed with beautiful lilies.
“What? Impossible! How did you learn this ability!?”
“Bai Lingluo taught me.”
For the first time, Tianlang felt fear. She struggled fiercely to break free from Porcelain Moon’s grasp and fled.
A Mind Wall formed between their Dream Realms.
“Before you go, tell me where Bai Lingluo is?”
“Cutting… Come find me on the tower crane. Your Bai Lingluo is waiting for you.”
The Mind Wall split, and the two Dream Realms looked at each other like isolated islands.
“Wait, I have one more question.” Porcelain Moon said.
“You’re also a pitiful child, aren’t you? Stop doing things that hurt both others and yourself. Why don’t we discuss things peacefully from now on? Just you and me.”
Tianlang removed her mask. Porcelain Moon saw her face for the first time—beautiful, yet melancholic.
“This is a war, and we are merely soldiers on opposing sides, with no right to talk about peace. The outcome of this war will end with one side’s victory. When you are the loser, then you can talk to me. Hahaha…”
She disappeared.
Porcelain Moon’s Dream Realm began to collapse, shattering into pieces.