Esper X Family – Chapter 653 – What’s the Price?

Xing Lan had multiple identities.

Back when Ye Yao first activated the【Awakening】trait, she had playfully added all sorts of labels for fun.

These included mother, daughter, toy, friend, lover, pet, and other miscellaneous roles.

As a result, Xing Lan had many exclusive ways to address Ye Yao.

But she preferred calling her “Mom”.

Because this title was incredibly powerful. Even when Xing Lan was inwardly badmouthing Ye Yao and got exposed, if she called her “Mom”, there was a tiny chance of awakening Ye Yao’s maternal instincts.

The probability was slim, and there was even a risk of being subjected to a round of “domestic discipline” in human form, but at least it offered a better chance of escaping punishment than other titles!

Moreover, this title was no small matter.

Luo Jianhua and the other girls absolutely doted on her.

They genuinely treated her like Ye Yao’s daughter.

Sometimes, when she made mistakes, she could hide behind them for protection, leaving even Ye Yao no choice but to temporarily let Xing Lan off the hook and settle accounts later.

Even if she couldn’t escape in the end, Xing Lan lived by the motto, “Drink today’s wine today”.

Even if she might get topped into the sky later, that was a problem for future her to worry about.

For now, her self-designated “daughter” role had a proficiency several times higher than her other identities, allowing her to even assimilate into the interpersonal relationships around Ye Yao.

For instance, when she saw Lou Wei, she would call him “Grandpa”, fully embracing the “granddaughter” identity.

When she saw Fu Qi, she would call him “Granduncle”, cozying up and having fun in all sorts of ways.

The only downside was that it might cause Ye Yao to suffer social death, thereby increasing the risk of Xing Lan getting topped to the sky.

But did that mean she had to obediently act like a mere accessory just because she feared being sent to the sky?

That’s how losers think!

Xing Lan would never be a slave!

And at this moment, under the eyes of the entire world…

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Leveraging the authority of her own power, Xing Lan appeared in the camera frame in a way no one expected.

She had descended alongside the two human powerhouses!

Of course, Xing Lan was still a round, plump little bird, and she even landed on top of Lou Wei’s head.

“You…?”

Lou Wei was stunned and dared not make a single reckless move, terrified of turning Ye Yao’s pet into a roasted bird.

Fu Qi sucked in a breath.

He had no idea how this bird had suddenly appeared beside them.

“What are you doing here?”

Lou Wei had more or less grown accustomed to this peculiar pet by Ye Yao’s side.

Although Xing Lan could speak, was highly anthropomorphic, and called Ye Yao “Mom”, she was still a normal pet.

He figured that it was just some ability construct that Ye Ge had whimsically crafted for Ye Yao.

Given that woman’s skill, it wasn’t hard to accept that she could produce a creation more intelligent than artificial intelligence.

As for Xing Lan calling him “Grandpa”, it had caught him off guard at first.

After all, Lou Wei could never have imagined having a “granddaughter” in his future.

First of all, setting aside whether anyone could ever win over his precious cabbage, which man under heaven could possibly be worthy of the peerless Ye Yao?

If one applied the logic of matching social status, there was simply no such person in the world.

Moreover, Ye Yao hadn’t even grown up yet.

Anyone with designs on her would have to get past Lou Wei first.

Only those who could elbow the “Sun” would even qualify to approach.

And from Lou Wei’s understanding of Ye Yao, no males of her age had ever appeared around her; only adorable girls.

The likelihood of Lou Wei becoming a grandfather was extremely low.

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He had originally thought that his whole life would pass like that, but who could have expected a mysterious cooing bird that loved randomly claiming kin to suddenly show up?

The key point was that Ye Yao had only stopped it a few times before eventually couldn’t be bothered to intervene.

Lou Wei had no choice but to reluctantly accept a mysterious cooing bird as his “granddaughter”.

Sometimes he would take it for walks and felt like just another bird-walker.

Very surreal, bro.jpg ¹ 非常诡异兄弟. I only found a similar pic that uses 恐怖(scary) instead of 诡异(surreal).

“This isn’t a place for you.”

Just as Fu Qi was about to use his ability to whisk Xing Lan away, he suddenly realized that it was impossible!

He couldn’t lock on!

The feeling was eerily familiar, like trying to move an enormous, unmovable planet!

Observing more closely…

Xing Lan’s aura was unfathomably deep; her tiny body contained vast energy!

Just like Ye Ge!

Could this bird be Ye Ge?

A ridiculous thought flashed through Lou Wei’s and Fu Qi’s minds.

But they quickly dismissed it.

Not Ye Ge.

Ye Ge wasn’t that absurd. It was more likely Ye Tong.

But Ye Tong and Xing Lan had appeared simultaneously before, and the former was unlikely to disguise herself as a bird.

Before the two could ponder further, Xing Lan’s eager voice echoed in their minds.

“Crimson Wheel, Void Heaven, let’s fight together!”

Lou Wei: “???”

Fu Qi: “Wait!”

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Both had a foreboding feeling.

Meanwhile, the public on Bluestar also recognized that familiar mascot.

“Oh my Heavens! It’s Lord Fat Chirp, the mascot of the Magical Girl Alliance!”

“Insolence! It’s White Chirp!”

“How did it end up beside those two big shots? Could it be…!?”

In the setting of the Magical Girl Movie, that round little bird was the origin of magical girls, essentially the agent for all magical girls.

It had so much screen time that it was almost inseparable from the very concept of “magical girls”.

Those familiar with it knew that whenever “White Chirp” appeared, a magical girl or her civilian form was sure to follow.

Now that she had made a public appearance in reality, how could she not pique everyone’s interest?

In space.

Xing Lan was brimming with excitement, feeling that making her entrance alone as a bird was a bit dull, and some opening act would be better.

“Let’s transform! I shall bestow upon you the power of magical girls!”

The two had no chance to refuse.

Xing Lan pulled two spare transformation props from a mysterious space, precisely the mystical little tools that “Crimson Wheel” and “Void Heaven” would soon use.

The next moment.

An irrefutable force enveloped them both.

The classic forced transformation scene unfolded!

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Watching the two balls of light, one red and one gray, on the screen, Ye Yao couldn’t hold back her laughter any longer.

“Hahaha! Yes! Xing Lan, that’s the way to play! Who told them to go to space for no reason and show off? Now they’re really putting on a show!”

Ye Yao had initially worried that Lou Wei and Fu Qi were about to betray the Magical Girl Alliance, but thankfully that concern was unfounded.

With Xing Lan around, the two would only further strengthen and expand the magical girl domain!

Many people had regretted not being able to see Magical Girl Crimson Wheel and Magical Girl Void Heaven in real life.

Well, now that regret was fulfilled.

Sure, it was fun to talk about online, but who wouldn’t want to see Crimson Wheel and Void Heaven show off their might in person?

As the light in space faded.

Lou Wei and Fu Qi successfully skipped the step of becoming “Lou Weiwei” and “Fu Qiqi”, leaping straight into the forms everyone knew: Magical Girl Crimson Wheel and Magical Girl Void Heaven.

Two strikingly elegant, gorgeous young maidens stood in the heavens.

One was the Daughter of the Sun, the other the Princess of the Void. The classic duo made their grand debut!

The girl radiating solar energy raised her small hand, clad in white lace-trimmed gloves, her expression at a loss for words.

Meanwhile, the gray-haired ponytailed girl’s eyes were utterly vacant, giving off a distinct sense of being alive but spiritually dead.

Their current forms certainly looked powerful, but what was the price?

Author Note

My HP is fully healed! Kids, did you miss me?