Rumble!!!
A scorching heatwave surged across the battlefield. The touch of shimmering Golden Blood felt warm against her skin, while Cipher's soft gaze brushed over her like a spring breeze.
Under the stimulation of those external sensations, Meng Xingyao's chaotic thoughts finally regained a trace of clarity.
[Don't just rely on your feelings; use your head more. Otherwise, you'll be sold and still help them count the money, and by then it'll be too late for tears~]
So... was Sister Cipher mocking me all along for being deceived?
No... that's not right... stay conscious, Meng Xingyao. Don't let these chaotic thoughts drag you away...
Cipher's past warnings suddenly became incomparably clear at this moment, like a morning bell ringing through the fog.
The clouded pupils that had nearly collapsed under the erosion of pollution finally regained a glimmer of light.
"...Wake up... Little Princess... don't fall asleep..."
That anxious voice continued to echo faintly in her ears like scattered raindrops.
Finally, the muddled consciousness deep within her mind stirred once more.
Meng Xingyao struggled desperately to crawl out from that sea of chaos.
Yet before she could even open her eyes, a splitting headache swept through her brain like a violent storm.
The pain was so intense it almost felt cruel.
For a moment, she even wanted to simply sink into unconsciousness forever and escape this torment completely.
Unfortunately, Cipher clearly had no intention of allowing her to become Sleeping Beauty.
Thud!!!
A scorching breath brushed against her face.
Warm.
Comforting.
Trembling slightly, Meng Xingyao slowly opened her eyes.
The first thing she saw was Cipher's clear azure pupils.
Their gazes intertwined at an impossibly close distance.
At some point, their foreheads had already pressed together lightly. Their noses were nearly touching, and even their breaths mingled together in the cramped space between them.
Then Cipher spoke, her tone carrying urgency that allowed no refusal.
"Meng Xingyao! Don't let that pollution mess up your head. Stay calm! I don't know what those disgusting pests told you, but right now, you have to believe me! If you still have doubts... then survive first, and afterward you can come ask me personally for the truth, okay?"
Meng Xingyao stared blankly at the somewhat disheveled cat girl reflected in her pupils.
The other's expression was serious.
Firm.
Fearless.
At that moment, as Cipher's warm voice echoed beside her ears—
Meng Xingyao chose to believe her once again.
Even if it's a lie... I'm willing to believe you this time.
The moment her Power began functioning again, relief immediately flashed across Cipher's eyes.
The earlier failure of her Power could only mean one thing—
A crack had formed in the trust between them.
And the only solution Cipher could think of was the most direct one possible.
A gamble placed entirely upon the bond and trust they had built over the past month.
Fortunately...
Cipher won the bet.
This silly little princess was still willing to trust her.
Which made everything afterward much simpler.
Cipher lowered her head slightly and, following the previous method, gently pressed another kiss onto Meng Xingyao's forehead.
After all, if she wanted to avoid any mistakes, she had to commit fully to the act.
As that smooth warmth spread from her forehead through her entire body once more, Meng Xingyao felt as though a spring breeze had swept across frozen snow.
Like a clear stream quietly flowing through her exhausted consciousness.
The agonizing pain stabbing through her head gradually faded away within moments, gently soothed by that warmth.
"Ugh... what happened to me?"
With the buffs restored, Meng Xingyao's brain finally began functioning properly again.
"I don't know what those pests told you. Your mental state suddenly became terrible, and my divine Power almost failed to protect you."
While speaking, Cipher had already roughly pieced together the situation in her head.
Before Meng Xingyao became capable of understanding those eerie whispers, the only unusual factor had been the mysterious buff she had placed on her.
Most likely, the purification effect of the Power was too strong and ended up filtering the polluted whispers into understandable language.
That's why the Little Princess suddenly became capable of understanding those originally incomprehensible mutterings.
Listening to Cipher's explanation, Meng Xingyao gradually regained her bearings.
And this time, she clearly noticed the words "divine Power" coming from Cipher's mouth.
At the same time, she suddenly felt a wet warmth on her cheek.
Subconsciously, Meng Xingyao raised a hand to wipe it.
Gold and crimson blood mixed together stained her fingertips.
Then her eyes immediately landed on Cipher's shoulder.
The torn wound there was still stained with traces of Golden Blood.
"Cat Sister, are you hurt?!"
Meng Xingyao's voice trembled anxiously.
She didn't ask about the Golden Blood.
Since she had already decided to trust Cipher, then for now, she wouldn't ask unnecessary questions.
"Relax. This kind of small injury will heal soon enough. And instead of worrying about This Cat, shouldn't you care more about yourself?"
Although the wound piercing through Cipher's shoulder wasn't particularly serious, the intense pollution attached to the blood thorn continued corroding it like acid.
Otherwise, with her physique, such a wound would've healed long ago.
If it were the Little Prince, the thing probably wouldn't even pierce his skin.
"I'm sorry... if it weren't for me..."
"Alright, alright."
Cipher directly interrupted her self-blame.
"Magical Girl, focus on solving the current problem first. You can compensate This Cat later with a few boxes of gold coins."
Hearing that familiar teasing tone, Meng Xingyao finally nodded obediently.
Then, with Cipher supporting her, she slowly stood up.
Together, the two looked toward the source of everything.
"..."
Across the crimson-stained ground, countless sticky flesh fragments slowly writhed and squirmed.
Every piece seemed alive.
Every piece crawled silently through the shadows.
"Cat Sister, they're regenerating again...Do you have a solution?"
Meng Xingyao looked nervously toward the scattered remains of the Flesh Worms.
Cipher narrowed her eyes slightly.
Only minutes earlier, she had already shattered these disgusting creatures hundreds of times over.
But physical attacks simply couldn't destroy them completely.
Still...
She vaguely noticed that their regeneration speed had slowed considerably at some point, as though some invisible force was suppressing them.
Recalling the heatwave that had swept through the battlefield earlier, Cipher quickly arrived at a conclusion.
Cipher (•᷄ࡇ•᷅): Silver Wolf definitely did something behind the scenes.
So... should I drag these ugly things over to her?
No, no. She'd definitely mock This Cat for "not even being able to handle Flesh Worms."
Besides, This Cat is a Demigod of Deception. There's no way I can't deal with these disgusting bugs.
...Since physical attacks don't work... then what about magic?
The moment that thought surfaced—
Cipher's eyes suddenly lit up.
Then, with a meaningful smile slowly curling across her lips, she turned to look directly at the Magical Girl beside her.
Meng Xingyao: (๑˙ー˙๑)?