CHAPTER 1197: CHAPTER 1196: THIS ISN’T THE FIRST TIME I’VE EXPERIENCED IT

"I say, why do you always bring back something every time you fight?"

Looking at Little Hei, Fang Zheng sighed helplessly.

"Last time, Nanoha brought back one, and this time you actually brought back two..."

"Hahaha..."

Facing Fang Zheng’s complaints, Little Hei showed a playful smile and awkwardly made a gesture.

"I just got a bit carried away during the fight... But I opened the Inherent Barrier, so I didn’t cause any damage around, did I?"

"If you hadn’t opened the barrier, I’d have had Little Sakura and Illya pull you back."

Upon hearing this, Fang Zheng rolled his eyes helplessly, then turned his head to look at the curly-haired girl and the long-haired black-haired girl standing not far away—the latter had voluntarily followed because Little Hei had defeated the curly-haired girl.

"Alright, since you’re all here, I might as well be straightforward."

Fang Zheng walked up to the two, looking at them.

"My name is Fang Zheng, the ruler of Heavenly Dao Palace. Could you tell me your names?"

"..."

Upon hearing Fang Zheng’s question, the two remained silent for a moment, then the long-haired black-haired girl spoke first.

"Akemi Homura."

Afterward, the curly-haired girl responded as well.

"Mami Tomoe."

"You are both students from Mitakihara, right? Don’t worry, I just have some questions for that guy named QB... Little Sakura, bring it over."

"Okay, Teacher."

Little Sakura nodded, then controlled the Wind Card to bring QB in front of Fang Zheng. Fang Zheng squinted his eyes, carefully examining the strange creature that looked both like a rabbit and a cat. Meanwhile, QB also tilted its head, curiously observing Fang Zheng.

"You’re the one looking for me? Quite surprising, a man who can actually see me."

Unexpectedly, the bizarre white creature didn’t move its mouth, yet its voice suddenly appeared in Fang Zheng’s ear.

"I have a few questions for you, and I’d like you to answer honestly."

"Oh?"

Upon hearing Fang Zheng’s words, QB lay down like a cat and then stretched out its back leg to rub.

"What do you want to ask?"

"I only have three questions."

While speaking, Fang Zheng extended a finger.

"The first question: Did you sign a contract with the girls to turn them into Magical Girls?"

"Of course."

QB nodded.

"I fulfilled their wishes, and as a price, they fight as Magical Girls. It’s a very fair trade, isn’t it?"

"Second question."

Fang Zheng seemed completely indifferent to what QB said, he extended another finger.

"When signing the contract, did you explain to the contractors the true situation of becoming a Magical Girl? Including that their souls are placed into Soul Gems, and that their original bodies are just simple shells... If not, why didn’t you tell them?"

"Eh?!"

Upon hearing this, Mami Tomoe was instantly shocked and stared at QB in disbelief, while QB fell silent for a moment, wagging its tail.

"Because they didn’t ask. I confirmed well enough whether they wanted to become Magical Girls, and if they agreed, then they should have thought about the consequences, right? After all, I can fulfill any of their wishes, one can imagine they should understand that the wish they want to fulfill requires a corresponding price to achieve."

"Hmph."

Akemi Homura snorted coldly, turning her head away, clearly showing her displeasure towards QB. Fang Zheng just glanced at her before turning his gaze back to QB.

"Then my final question, how do witches... appear?"

"Witches are born from despair..."

"Don’t use such artsy nonsense to fool me, I’m asking about witches themselves, what specifically creates them, in material terms."

"..."

This time, QB was silent for a moment before responding.

"Witches... are transformed from Magical Girls."

"Eh?!"

Upon hearing this, not only Nanoha, Illya, and Little Sakura were taken aback, but Mami Tomoe’s expression showed disbelief as if struck by lightning.

"Magical Girls... turn into witches?"

"Of course."

After the full explanation, QB seemed to relax, wagging its tail with a visibly casual demeanor.

"When a Magical Girl’s Soul Gem reaches its limit of corruption, and they transition from hope to despair, they turn into witches. And witches, that’s precisely why they exist..."

"Wait, wait a minute!"

Just then, Mami Tomoe suddenly screamed, interrupting QB’s explanation. She stared intently at QB, showing disbelief.

"So you’re saying... all the witches I’ve defeated until now, they were all..."

"That’s right, they were all once Magical Girls, Mami Tomoe."

QB looked at Mami Tomoe, its tone unchanged.

"And you, one day, will also transform into a witch and be hunted by other Magical Girls."

"Ah... ah..."

Upon hearing this, Mami Tomoe turned pale, stepping back constantly, shaking her head desperately as if denying something.

"No, it’s not, it’s not like that! You’re lying to me, you’re lying, right!"

"Hah..."

However, facing Mami Tomoe’s near-crying questioning, QB merely sighed.

"Humans have always been like this, truly incomprehensible why they feel anger and sadness towards something that’s no longer their personal being and even threatens them? Even if it used to be a Magical Girl, it’s now merely a witch driven by despair, and so what if one day it’ll become a witch? Don’t humans also know from the moment they’re born, they’re bound to die someday?"

"Ahhhhh!!!!"

But at that moment, Mami Tomoe suddenly screamed in madness, then, the next moment, she abruptly drew a firearm from the void and frantically pulled the trigger towards QB.

"Bang bang bang!"

With the sound of gunshots, the white-haired creature standing before everyone was instantly torn apart, bullets swirling as they shredded QB’s flesh, penetrating its fluffy cotton-like body. It shredded the fur and muscles inside to pieces. Its skull broke, twisted, pressing the red eyes to burst out, then fell to the ground, turning into a puddle of strawberry jam-like blood.

"Hah... hah... hah..."

It took quite a while before Mami Tomoe stopped. She looked around in panic, shaking her head desperately.

"No, this isn’t real, this isn’t, this isn’t, I’m a Magical Girl, I’m not a witch, I won’t become a witch, hahaha...&... hahahaha..."

While speaking, Mami Tomoe took out another gun, aimed at the accessory on her head. But just as she was about to pull the trigger, suddenly, Mami Tomoe trembled, then fainted on the ground, motionless.

"Whew... that really scared me."

Appearing behind Mami Tomoe, Little Hei shook her hand, inhaling in fright.

"Terrifying, I really didn’t expect her to go insane like that..."

"It’s understandable, given the news she just heard... I pretty much got a clue now."

While speaking, Fang Zheng raised his head, looking at Akemi Homura who stood motionlessly beside him.

"Looking at you, seems you knew this all along?"

"Of course."

Hearing Fang Zheng’s question, Akemi Homura nodded. Her gaze towards Mami Tomoe contained traces of sadness and helplessness.

"After all, for me, this isn’t the first time experiencing it."