Time flew, and in the blink of an eye, the day of the rough cut screening arrived.
Sora already had an appointment that day, so of course, he wasn't going to blow it off.
He'd warned everyone ahead of time, so he just gave the Federation of Hope crew a brief explanation, said goodbye, and headed toward the agreed meeting spot.
The place had… an unusual name.
"Magpie Bridge, huh?"
It immediately made Sora think of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl.
Supposedly, every year on Qixi, they would meet by crossing a bridge made from magpies.
Unfortunately, after asking around, Sora discovered that this place shared the same name but a very different meaning.
This Magpie Bridge had been jointly established by four parties—the four major peoples currently living in the Cangyan.
Their leaders had gathered and, after careful discussion, created this place.
"May the magpies of the galaxy form a bridge, guiding those who cannot return back to the Cangyan."
On one hand, it referred to the warriors still on the battlefield.
At the same time, it expressed their hope that those lost somewhere in the galaxy could find their way home.
Once Sora realized this, he understood the prayer hidden within those words.
He sighed quietly—thankfully, there were no regrets left behind.
When he'd arrived, everyone had been there. For both sides, that alone was the greatest comfort.
The feeling passed quickly. Sora rapidly reset his mindset.
He was here today to keep his promise to Robin.
Shopping was supposed to be relaxing; he couldn't let his mood dampen the day or rub off negatively on her.
So he waited there quietly.
But the longer he waited, the more his butt went numb…
"Okay, what's going on? We both left from the same place—why hasn't she shown up yet?"
Sora pulled out his phone and realized it was already past their agreed-upon time.
Robin was officially late.
And that was strange.
Their current accommodations weren't far apart—at most, it was just going upstairs or downstairs.
If he'd managed to arrive, how could Robin still not be here? Had something happened?
Sora's instincts prickled. He scanned around quickly for a familiar figure.
With senses far beyond an ordinary person's, it didn't take long for him to notice a crowd gathered ahead.
They seemed to be watching a spectacle.
"Sorry, sorry—excuse me."
"Hey! Who's pushing?!"
Sensing something was off, Sora forced his way through the crowd using sheer physical strength, squeezing to the front.
The ordinary Xianzhou locals were irritated but couldn't do anything about him.
Because of that, Sora reached the front without breaking a sweat.
And there, he saw today's other "main character"…
"The Family Head noticed you haven't been active in the galaxy recently and was worried there might be issues with your mental state. We've been specially dispatched to look for you."
"Miss Robin, the Family Head misses you greatly. Please return with us."
Several people in Xianzhou-style clothing—but with faces clearly not Xianzhou—had Robin surrounded.
They were agents dispatched by The Family to find Robin.
They had received a request from the Oak Family Head, Sunday, to confirm his sister's safety and bring her back to Penacony.
Thus, Family members had been roaming the galaxy, and these ones had found their target here in the Cangyan.
They gently but persistently coaxed her, urging Robin to return to Penacony.
But even after all that, Robin refused to go back.
"I know my own mental state. I don't need to return to Penacony for treatment."
Robin checked her phone anxiously.
She'd already been delayed too long. What if Sora gave up and left?
It wasn't easy for them both to have free time simultaneously. She didn't want this chance to slip away.
"Move. I have somewhere I need to be!"
With that, she tried to push past them.
But instead of backing off, the Family members stepped forward and blocked her way.
"What are you doing?"
Robin frowned and retreated a few steps. Something felt wrong.
No matter what, Sunday was one of Penacony's decision-makers. As his sister, these people should've shown some restraint.
But instead of giving in after hearing her demand, they held their ground even more firmly.
Something was definitely off…
"Please forgive us, Miss Robin. Your return is by the Family Head's order. Please don't make this difficult."
The one in front repeated the line, leaving Robin baffled.
Suddenly, something clicked. She stared at them in shock.
"You're saying the Family Head sent you?!"
The group nodded to confirm.
Robin's surprise deepened further.
Because in Penacony, "Family Head" wasn't a title held by only one person.
One was her brother, Sunday—the current Family Head.
The other was someone who had long since retreated behind the scenes, the one who'd taken them in back then…
The Dreammaster.
If her status didn't work on these people, then they hadn't come on her brother's orders.
They'd come on the Dreammaster's.
Which raised the real question: why would the Dreammaster want her back in Penacony?
Robin didn't have many memories of their adoptive guardian, but each one was vivid.
That person always wore a faint smile, yet their gaze was unfathomably deep—like they were always contemplating something.
Above all, the way they'd looked at her had always felt… off.
Not in a romantic sense.
Something deeper. Like being scrutinized at the most fundamental level.
Many times Robin had convinced herself she'd imagined it—because a moment later, the Dreammaster always appeared unchanged.
But she'd never fully shaken her wariness.
And now, the Dreammaster was actively sending people to retrieve her. Why?
Something was wrong, and the Penacony agents were already tightening their circle around her.
By the time she noticed, the situation had already become dangerous…
"You're going to use force here in the Cangyan?!"
She backed up again—only to find there was nowhere left to run.
They kept advancing, their intentions clear.
No, no, no—
Robin shook her head. She had something important she had to do today.
No matter what, she had to get there. No matter what, she had to see him.
If she didn't, a rift might open between them that would never heal.
She could already picture Sora waiting for ages, then leaving silently.
So no matter what, she had to see him and tell him something.
"Just give me a little more time. After that, I'll go with you."
But unfortunately, they had no intention of allowing her even that.
The leader raised his gaze, his expression unchanged.
"Sorry, Miss Robin. The Family Head has waited a long time since the swarm disaster ended."
In other words: no exceptions.
Without her noticing, they'd already blocked every angle. There was no escape route.
"You… you…"
Robin kept retreating, staring at them in disbelief.
"If you have complaints, you're welcome to report us to the Family Head."
"But right now, please come obediently!"
With that, he signaled the others to move.
Robin retreated further—but just then, a hand shot out from the side and grabbed hers.
She instinctively tried to resist, but tremendous force pulled her in. Before she knew it, she'd been drawn into someone's embrace.
That feeling…
"Sora?!"
"Wrong. It's Magical Girl Beast!"
Robin's first reaction to hearing his voice was pure happiness—but his words made the corner of her mouth twitch.
If she wasn't sure before, she was one hundred percent sure now. This had to be Sora!
…But how on earth did he end up dressed like these people?
She didn't have time to think about it. Sora's appearance threw the whole scene into chaos.
"Though we do not know your origins, we ask that you return Miss Robin to us—"
The leader clearly hadn't anticipated someone popping out to interfere at the last moment.
The anger swelling in his chest even made the fingers adjusting his glasses tremble slightly.
Sora responded with, "Daga, kotowaru!"
"The reason I, Magical Girl Beast, exist… is to fulfill a young lady's wish!"
"And right now, I can see someone's dream being trampled, so Magical Girl Beast makes a shining entrance!"
He struck a pose—complete with a little sparkle.
In an instant, the area fell silent, everyone stunned at what they'd just witnessed.
The silence lasted until someone from Penacony gagged out an "Ugh," finally breaking it.
No one wanted to watch a grown man striking coy poses right in front of them.
Especially not while saying lines like that—it was enough to obliterate one's senses on the spot.
What kind of horror was this waking world? I want to go back to the dream! I want to go back to the dream!
Meanwhile, the leader clenched his glasses so hard they were practically crushed in his fist.
He was still holding it together!
As the Family Head's right-hand man, he couldn't afford to lose composure!
In contrast, Robin, held safely in Sora's arms, looked delighted.
She looped her arms behind his neck, leaning fully into him.
"Looks like you're having fun…"
"This isn't 'fun.' It's Magical Girl Beast's creed!"
When that pinched, affected voice rang in his ears again, the leader admitted—something inside him snapped.
He slammed his glasses to the ground, pointed at Sora, and cursed, "For fuck's sake—quit grossing me out!"
Magical Girl Beast, protecting girls' dreams—
With that voice on top of everything else, it was absolutely nauseating.
Dreams were so much better. Would a beautiful dream ever contain something like this?!
He needed to finish the mission and get back to Penacony as fast as possible!
"Damn you—!"
After getting Robin safely onto the rooftop, Sora jumped straight back down.
Did he look like the type to get hit without hitting back?
No way.
"Today I'll show you the power of a magical girl!"
With that, he launched into the fight with light, nimble steps.
For a moment, he really did look like a woman performing a sword dance—oddly pleasing to the eye.
As for why Sora knew this swordsmanship…
Go on. Guess who uses Yanrui Sword Wolf Langyan.
It wasn't surprising he knew this style—but…
The leader threw a punch. Sora dodged gracefully, even adding sound effects—"gurururu."
The leader's blood pressure jumped another two levels on the spot.
"Why the hell—?!"
The more frantic he became, the wider his openings grew. The instant he shouted, a sword swung sideways and slammed into him.
Clang!
A crisp sound rang out—and he dropped.
"Whew. Crisp, no brain damage—just the right amount of force."
Sora flicked the blade lightly, then tugged at his collar.
"Ahem. The evil villain who destroys girls' dreams has been defeated by Magical Girl Beast!"
"If anyone's dreams are threatened in the future, magical girls will help you too!"
As soon as he finished, scattered, half-hearted applause rose from around them.
They seemed to think it was some kind of street performance.
Sora didn't bother explaining. He leaped back up to the rooftop, pulled Robin into his arms, and ran off.
Only after some time had passed did the two emerge from a secluded alley.
By then, Magpie Bridge was no longer noisy. The area had already been cleaned up spotlessly.
The Cangyan side had received word and taken away the unconscious troublemakers.
And Sora looked smug as could be.
"Heh heh heh. With acting skills this perfect, there's no way anyone could guess who I really am."
Turns out acting in a movie had its perks. At the very least, Sora didn't feel even a shred of embarrassment right now.
"Thank you. Seriously."
"Come on—why thank me? It's just us."
He and Robin were friends, that was all. He had no ties to the Family and no reason to help them.
Robin didn't want to go back, so naturally, Sora was on her side.
"But… what do we do now?" Sora asked, curious.
After what had just happened, once those Penacony people woke up, who knew if they'd report Robin as the cause of the disturbance.
So their best bet was to head back, wait out the rough-cut screening, and let Feng Liqi handle it afterward.
But Robin had other ideas…
"If we go back and deal with this now, we probably won't have much time left today…"
She stole a quick glance at Sora's hand as she spoke.
"Can't be helped. Who knows what sudden insanity your people are having?"
"In that case… listen to me."
Robin smiled—and before he could react, she grabbed Sora's hand.
Just like he'd grabbed hers earlier.
"If we miss today, it'll be such a waste."
Everyone else had plans. Only the two of them were free.
Tomorrow wouldn't be the same.
So even after that little detour, she still wanted to enjoy today properly.
Besides—who said a detour had to be a bad thing?
As they ran, she tightened her grip on Sora's hand.
Robin's plan was simple: a quick change of outfit, plus some accessories.
She found a clothing shop and dragged Sora inside with her.
The owner was still chatting about the amusing commotion on Magpie Bridge and didn't pay them much attention at all.
Robin looked Sora up and down, building an outfit in her mind.
In the end, she put together a complete look for him.
When he stepped out, even the shopkeeper couldn't stop praising him. "What a handsome young man! Sir, having a girlfriend like that is a blessing!"
"Do we look like that?" Sora asked.
"Don't you?"
Sora stared into the shopkeeper's eyes, thinking about his relationship with Robin.
Did they? Maybe a little. But… it didn't quite feel like that either…
Just then, the fitting room curtain opened, and a figure stepped out.
"I'll take this one," Robin said.
She'd changed into a brand-new outfit.
The moment he saw her, Sora was startled.
Her aura was completely different—like an entirely new person.
Before, she'd worn a gentle, quiet long dress—her usual style.
This outfit felt trendier, more down-to-earth.
And with her cap worn backwards, some inexplicable vibe radiated off her.
Anyone who saw her now would never believe she was Robin, the galaxy-famous singer.
With Sora staring openly, Robin naturally grew embarrassed.
"This… this is an outfit inspired by Punklorde. Is—is something wrong with it?"
"No, no. If this isn't good, then what could possibly be good?"
Sora was being honest. He thought she looked great.
"Exactly!" the owner chimed in. "With your figure, you'll turn heads the moment you step outside. Such a shame that a beauty like her is already taken. Who knows how many hearts will break?"
Robin handed over her payment card, still trying to explain, "We're not like that…"
But the softer her voice got, the richer her expression became—until even the pink wings by her ears seemed to say something.
"Right, right. If you say you aren't, then you aren't," the owner said.
She'd seen enough couples to judge these things.
Customers would say whatever they said—but as for the truth…
Today's street gossip on the Xianzhou would give curious people their answer.
Robin didn't want to say anything more. She hurried through checkout, then immediately dragged Sora out of the shop.
And her new look naturally drew frequent glances from everyone around them.
But nobody noticed these two were the culprits behind the earlier disturbance.
Sora and Robin didn't stop until reaching somewhere quieter.
"So… what do we do now?" Sora asked.
Robin awkwardly changed the topic.
What the shopkeeper said had made her feel far too shy.
She worried Sora would notice, so distracting him became priority one.
"Let me think…"
Sora recalled why they'd come out today in the first place.
Robin had invited him shopping—buy clothes, walk around…
But they'd already done that. So what now?
Head straight back? Ridiculous.
Sora didn't even need to think—if he suggested going home, Robin's fist would probably land on him instantly.
But where else could they go? He genuinely didn't know.
After considering carefully, Sora decided.
"How about we buy some souvenirs?"
Since they were on a Xianzhou, they might as well follow the custom and grab some keepsakes.
It wasn't like they'd visit a teahouse to listen to storytellers.
All the teahouses in the Cangyan told roughly the same stories.
Maybe others liked it, but for Sora, every time he listened, he cringed so hard he could practically dig a three-bedroom apartment into the floor.
Most stories were about him. How could he not feel awkward?
So souvenirs seemed better.
"Uh…"
Robin hadn't expected him to pick that.
Usually, you'd stroll along, discuss the future, or do something together.
But Sora had a talent for perfectly avoiding every one of those options.
"Um… isn't that… kind of not great?"
"No. I think it's great."
But then again, this choice really suited him perfectly.
If Sora suddenly did something "normal," Robin would start worrying instead.
"Ahri mentioned a shop when we first arrived on the Xianzhou—she said it had a really good reputation. I'll lead the way."
Robin grabbed Sora's hand again and led him into the flow of people.
...
While Sora and Robin enjoyed their day off, elsewhere, the Penacony agents at the outer level of the Cangyan's Flame Prison woke up again.
The moment the enforcement officers received the report, they hauled in the troublemakers who'd caused a commotion in a busy public area for questioning.
The agents naturally explained everything—their objective, background, and all the events—without omitting a thing.
In the broader universe, the Family had significant clout. Trying to hide something now would only invite further trouble.
"I see. We'll verify this matter with the Family later. Now then—who was it that fought you?"
The Vidyadhara officer recorded everything diligently.
And when the topic turned to the person who'd defeated them, the Penacony leader took a deep breath, mentally preparing himself.
"About what I'm going to say… when you hear it, you absolutely cannot think it's disgusting!"
Hearing him speak so gravely, another Vidyadhara moved closer.
"Now you've got me curious. Go on."
"Yeah. We're Vidyadhara guards. Nothing disgusts us."
Faced with these two earnest-looking guards, the leader sucked in another breath and recounted what had happened.
"Just now… I was defeated by a man disguised as a magical girl."
The two Vidyadhara exchanged a look and leaned back solemnly.
"Which magical girl?"
"Not that! He was a man—but dressed as a magical girl!"
After hearing the description, one Vidyadhara scribbled quickly, then held up a drawing.
The picture showed a bearded brute in women's clothes.
"Not that either. He didn't show his face clearly!"
No face. Got it.
The Vidyadhara drew again—this time someone wrapped entirely in bandages, also wearing women's clothes.
"Can you even tell someone's gender through bandages?"
The Vidyadhara added a few strokes between the figure's legs, emphasizing a certain unmistakable feature.
"Th-that…"
The leader stared, dumbstruck. What the hell are you—
"I get it. Let me," the other Vidyadhara interrupted, snatching the paper and pen to draw another image.
This time, a strikingly beautiful man appeared.
"No, not that either! It was clearly a man at first glance, but he still pinched his voice and insisted on calling himself a magical girl!"
The two Vidyadhara nodded for him to continue.
"I was trying to complete my mission when he suddenly jumped out, claiming to be a magical girl."
"Everyone knows magical girls are girls—but he, a man, still dressed like that…"
"And worst of all, when he fought me, he added sound effects with his mouth!"
"Things like 'gurururu,' and 'pikapika'—and most horribly, he was acting cutesy!"
The leader looked as if he'd witnessed true horror. He emphasized again: "Acting cutesy! Understand?!"
Once they nodded again, he continued, "Then I couldn't stand it anymore and started fighting him. His swordsmanship was actually quite good!"
"Luckily, I'm also skilled—I barely managed a few exchanges. But then, in the middle of the fight, he started acting cutesy again, and then I…"
"Pfft!"
Laughter escaped suddenly, and the room fell quiet again.
The leader stared in confusion at the Vidyadhara on the left who'd just laughed.
"I thought of something happy," the Vidyadhara said quickly.
"What?"
"My wife's about to have a baby."
Huh?
The leader froze. Since when could Vidyadhara have babies?
"Kh… heh…"
The other Vidyadhara, who'd also been on the verge of losing it, finally let out a laugh.
The leader glared at him. "What are you laughing at now?"
"My wife's having a baby too."
"Have you Vidyadhara overcome the Path's restrictions or something?"
"Y-Yeah…" he wheezed, barely holding back laughter. "Hahaha…"
"Ahem! No—what I meant is we take our work so seriously that getting promoted feels like having a baby—"
"I'm being serious! I'm not joking!"
The leader slammed the table, emphasizing his seriousness.
"Right, right." The two Vidyadhara shook, their suppressed laughter already giving them away.
"Hey! You're mocking the Family!"
"Ahem… All details related to this case have been recorded. We fully understand your request."
The two Vidyadhara forced down their laughter and returned to handling the matter seriously.
"Please have the Family await our response."
Only when the matter was finally "resolved" did the leader's heaving chest calm slightly.
Sometimes, you really had to invoke the Family's name to intimidate certain people.
"Good. You'd better hurry up and arrest that cross-dressing 'magical girl.'"
"Please trust in Flame Prison's enforcement capabilities!"
The Vidyadhara said it with utterly straight faces, righteous and solemn.
Seeing that, the Family leader left in a better mood.
And the instant he stepped out the door, uproarious laughter exploded inside.
"Damn it…"
His fists clenched so tightly they turned white. The fury in his chest threatened to explode—
But given the circumstances, he swallowed it back down.
"I'll remember this!"
It's just the Xianzhou. Someday, I'll be back!
And when I find that man pretending to be a magical girl—I'll humiliate him properly!
"Hmph!"
With a heavy snort, he stormed away.
Once he'd gone, a figure emerged from the shadows on the wall.
"Tch. Even after all that, he still kept his cool. Is he even human?"
Jin Xing watched him retreat and shook her head helplessly.
If he'd lost his temper and thrown a punch at Flame Prison, they'd have an excuse to take further action.
But he actually managed to endure. Honestly, it was disappointing.
"Quit laughing. He's gone."
At Jin Xing's words, the laughter inside gradually faded.
Two Vidyadhara poked their heads out the door and asked, "Then, boss… what now?"
"Return to your duties. Leave this to me."
Jin Xing transformed into cloud and rain, disappearing on the spot.
She reappeared inside a room packed with screens.
Settling into a lounge chair, she comfortably watched the images above.
The Family had claimed they were the victims, conveniently omitting that they'd been trying to forcibly abduct someone.
In other regions, maybe people would have folded under the Family's pressure.
But unfortunately…
"The entire Cangyan is under surveillance. Did you really think I wouldn't know what you were doing?"
Jin Xing watched their figures on the monitors and shook her head.
Humiliating them once was enough. Time to return to what she really wanted to see.
She flicked her finger, instantly switching all screens to a new scene.
And in that scene, Sora—currently picking out souvenirs—was undoubtedly the star.
Jin Xing lay back, watching contentedly.
...
Meanwhile, as Sora browsed souvenirs, he suddenly shivered and scanned the area—only to find nothing unusual.
A fluke? No… something felt off.
"Sora, I think this necklace is really nice," Robin said, pulling him back from his brief distraction.
"In that case, I'll buy it for you," Sora offered.
"Really?"
Robin smiled softly at the two small birds on the necklace.
They looked ordinary enough, but they were famous throughout the universe.
Their name: Biyi Birds.
And the meaning of the necklace was clear.
"In the heavens, may we be paired-wing birds; on earth, may we be entwined branches…"
Robin watched Sora paying at the counter, a subtle smile forming.
"Idiot."