[CH.8] Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss (Part 2)
Alice returned to the dressing room in a huff, but as soon as she reached the door, she heard two people inside the room talking loudly.
A relatively unknown female artist, Number 1, said with a disdainful tone, "Have you all seen that magical girl's performance? Wow, you really can't tell she's playing such a seductive character. That kind of allure, it's impossible to pull off if you haven't seduced a man before. Yet, that little s**t is still pretending to be innocent in front of everyone. What's she even pretending for?"
Another relatively unknown female artist, Number 2, chimed in, "She even has an overly enthusiastic fan in the audience. At first glance, he seemed decent, but then he was wearing that magical girl's support shirt, and it made me sick. I didn't expect that guy to publicly confess his feelings to that girl. Could he be a paid client?"
"Are you saying he's a paid client through physical transactions?"
"Who knows, maybe they're friends with benefits. By the way, do you think that magical girl acted innocent during s**?"
"She might be quite skilled at seduction."
Then, laughter filled the room.
Alice stood outside the door, feeling an uncomfortable surge of emotions. She was already frustrated with Sun Zhe's inappropriate behavior in public, and now she had to listen to others gossiping about it. Her anger escalated.
She clenched her fists, wanting nothing more than to storm in and give those two a piece of her mind.
However, Alice managed to restrain herself.
Alice possessed an attribute of 【Physical Strength: 5】. This attribute enhanced her physical abilities, making her as strong as Superman when transformed. Activities like tearing steel sheets, breaking bricks with her head, or even eating iron nails were all easily within her capabilities. If Alice lost control of herself, she could easily beat those two to a pulp.
After all, no magical girl would perform a stunt like crushing large stones against her chest in the middle of a bustling street, as it didn't align with the typical image of a magical girl in the public eye.
On the other hand, Alice was influenced by two attributes: 【Love and Justice: 1】 and 【Idol: 4】, so she naturally wouldn't resort to violence.
Alice stood outside the door, continuing to listen to the conversation between the two women.
After the two actresses finished laughing, Number 2 said to Number 1, "By the way, that magical girl is named Alice, right?"
"That's right, her name sounds quite old-fashioned. People from her agency all seem so out of touch. Look at that Lily, still wearing braided hair and glasses in this day and age. I initially thought she came from the countryside."
"That girl has been active as a magical girl for 4 years now, but who knows how old she is."
"Who knows indeed. She claimed to be 14 when she debuted, but looking at her old-fashioned style, it wouldn't be surprising if she's actually a country bumpkin. After all, using magic to make herself look beautiful is as easy as waving her fingers."
"She might just be a gossipmonger. Without magic, no one would love her."
Hearing these two women badmouthing her senior, Alice could no longer contain herself. She kicked the dressing room door open and stormed in, shouting angrily, "You two are the gossips here! If you can't measure up to someone, don't talk behind their back!"
The door panel separated from its frame, spinning as it flew out and shattered a distant mirror before landing near the two female artists.
The force of Alice's kick and the trajectory of the door panel left the two artists trembling as they huddled together. If the door panel had veered slightly off course, it could have hit their heads instead of the mirror.
Trembling, Female Artist Number 1 stammered, "Why were you eavesdropping on our conversation? It has nothing to do with you. You can do a little magic, but why be so aggressive?"
Female Artist Number 2 chimed in, "Exactly! Aren't magical girls supposed to protect us? You eavesdrop on private conversations and then jump out to intimidate people!"
Alice clenched her fists, her face flushed with anger. Her body trembled slightly, and her mind was a whirlwind of emotions.
"You're not allowed to speak ill of my senior!"
Alice shouted with all her might, her voice cracking and filled with emotion. Tears welled up in her eyes, and her words even had a hint of a sob.
In the eyes of onlookers, Alice's current state made her even more endearing. There's nothing more adorable than a crying teenage girl.
Perhaps sensing that something was off with Alice's demeanor, the two female artists believed that she wouldn't actually resort to violence. After all, Alice's appearance was relatively fragile, giving the impression that she was an easy target—someone who hadn't experienced much of the world, timid, and submissive. Even if she were bullied or mistreated, she would likely just cry quietly and not dare to seek help.
With this assumption in mind, the two female artists became bolder.
Female Artist Number 1 said, "Who said anything bad about her? We didn't say a word, so don't make baseless accusations!"
Alice's face turned red as she replied, "But I... I heard everything from outside the door!"
Female Artist Number 2 added, "What did you hear? Did you use your magic to eavesdrop on ordinary people's conversations?"
"You were talking so loudly that I could hear everything clearly from outside!"
Female Artist Number 1 shrugged it off and continued, "Girls like us wouldn't speak loudly. If I were to spread the word about you eavesdropping on public conversations, you can kiss your idol career goodbye. There are already plenty of magical girl idols in this city, one less won't make a difference."
Female Artist Number 2 chimed in, "Exactly! One more or one less, it doesn't matter. Besides, do magical girls really need to be idols? You just have to fight those disgusting monsters, no need to compete with us for jobs."
Alice was ready to take action now. She didn't want to prolong this confrontation any further and planned to bring "baby-like sleep" to her opponents with her fists.
Dealing with troublemakers and bullies, practicality often outweighed trying to reason with them through words. While it might not be advisable for men to strike women, Alice was a genuine woman herself. In such a situation, a woman fighting another woman didn't seem to pose a problem.
Meanwhile, the commotion in the dressing room had already attracted a crowd of onlookers. People from neighboring rooms had gathered at the door to see what was happening.
In the chaotic dressing room, mirror fragments were scattered all over the floor, and the concave door panel lay horizontally on the ground. Both sides stood in a tense standoff, with an air of hostility filling the space.
One side consisted of the two female artists who, though trembling, had the upper hand in the verbal exchange. The other side was the silver-haired teenage girl, Alice, with flushed cheeks, on the verge of tears. Her appearance hinted at an impending outburst.
"Yay, I love watching women fight."
A male coach, who had previously been humiliated by Alice's senior, stood in the crowd, excitedly cheering. He had quickly opened his phone's recording function and held it high, hoping to capture a moment of Alice resorting to violence.
This coach wanted to document Alice's predicament, torn between her desire to fight back and her restraint. If he had the chance to record her actually getting into a physical altercation, he would undoubtedly upload the video to social media at the earliest opportunity.
"Come on, do it, do it!"
"Get lost! Didn't I tell you not to show your face in front of me again?"
Before the words had even finished, a powerful punch came from behind the male coach. The forceful blow sent him flying into the dressing room in an instant. His body knocked over several chairs and slid under the makeup table, rendering him unconscious.
Alice's senior pushed her way through the crowd and entered the room swiftly. She had previously promised to meet Alice after her performance, and upon arrival, she witnessed Alice in trouble.
Lily walked over to Alice's side and positioned herself in front of her. With just a single glance, she made the two instigating female artists lower their heads.
"Are you bullying Alice?"
"W-who... who's bullying her? We weren't bullying her!"
"Then why is she on the verge of tears?"
Lily grabbed Female Artist Number 1, who was trying to maintain her bravado, by the collar and stared down at her. Her icy voice squeezed out from between her lips.
"Don't think you can mess with me. I am Magical Girl Lily, known for my violent and high-profile S-class attributes. Don't think for a moment that I won't take action. My reputation means nothing to me, and if you truly provoke me, I'll make sure you regret it."
Golden light flickered in Lily's eyes beneath her glasses. An aura of cold, menacing intent radiated from her, causing the female artist in her grip to tremble uncontrollably.
Indeed, those who gossip about others are often cowards who prey on the weak. In the presence of the dominant Lily, these two female artists didn't dare to even take a deep breath.
Female Artist Number 1, gazing into Lily's golden swirling eyes, felt an uncontrollable wave of fear surging in her heart. With a sudden burst of momentum, it transformed into a warm current that tainted her very being.
"I'm... I'm sorry..."
This mature woman-child suddenly burst into tears, completely abandoning the arrogance she had displayed when confronting Alice.
"I'm sorry... Please spare me. I beg you not to hit me..."
Large tears rolled down her face, smudging the makeup on her cheeks, and even her nose began to run. She wiped the tears away haphazardly with her hands, making her face even less appealing.
"You've got to be kidding me. I haven't even hit you yet."
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."
She continued sobbing, constantly muttering apologies. At this point, Female Artist Number 1 looked so unsightly that even Lily found it hard to further intimidate her.
Alice tugged at her senior's clothing and whispered, "Senior..."
"I know what you want to say. I won't lay a hand on her; she's not worth it."
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