Yet, just as Amber was thinking the other must surely be embarrassed too, she saw Black Amber still wearing that same helpless, indulgent expression as she gently pushed her body away, saying, "No need to be so dramatic. As long as Kiana takes care of herself, that's enough."
Huh... why does it feel like it didn't work?
Could her acting skills be far above mine? No, this should be about mental resilience, right?
Realizing she might have made a futile effort, Amber felt a bit down, but since her boundaries had already lowered, she naturally shed quite a bit of baggage.
Besides, if the utterly, ridiculously, goddamn adorable Kiana makes a move like that and you don't even blush a little, it seems you haven't yet realized the charm of my 2D wife!
"Still saying you're not looking down on me! I'll take care of both my own happiness and Mei's!"
"Alright, alright. But we can't let our guard down just yet. We can talk more once we're safe. We've only dealt with the monsters; the evil organization's leader controlling them hasn't shown up yet."
Still no change? Am I the only one making a fuss here?
But ever since coming to this world, Black Amber really has been acting strange... Is it her attitude toward me... or her tone? Anyway, it's really bothering me.
Since her performance still hadn't worked and what Black Amber said was true, Amber temporarily suppressed her urge to stir things up.
Seriously, even though she's over two hundred years old, getting worked up over something so trivial is just immature.
After adjusting her mindset, Amber was about to check on the citizens behind her. But before she could turn around, she heard murmurs of conversation.
"I knew they were a couple! I noticed them when they were shopping earlier…"
"Yeah, yeah! But I thought they were bandmates before. So they're just a couple?"
"Being a couple doesn't stop them from being bandmates, right? If anything, that makes them even more like bandmates."
"Can Valkyries form bands too?"
"Why wouldn't Valkyries be able to? And judging by their looks, they're still students. My bold guess is they're not just a couple and bandmates but also school idols, and maybe secretly magical girls!"
Pfft.
'Stacking buffs much?'
Even though things seemed to have settled for now... weren't these people a bit too gossipy and imaginative?
Is this what ordinary citizens are like when kid-friendly shows and band anime combine?
As for being a couple... even though it's practically out in the open, the original work never actually confirmed it... But saying Kiana and Mei aren't a couple feels even less convincing.
Shaking her head to dismiss these thoughts, Amber called out loudly, "Everyone, stay alert! We're not completely safe yet!"
While it was good that they could adapt to disasters so quickly and give themselves psychological first aid, being too relaxed and ignoring risks wasn't ideal.
The citizens clearly understood the situation well.
Once the 'heroes' announced the intermission was over, they once again prepared themselves with a sense of urgency, ready for the boss's appearance.
Their adaptability was excellent; obviously, this wasn't the first time for any of them.
Amber, on the other hand, wasn't quite used to their rapid mood shifts.
Just as she was feeling puzzled, she felt the ground tremble.
Pitch-black tentacles, about two meters in radius and hundreds of meters long, burst from the ground in Shibuya, dozens of them appearing in the blink of an eye.
"Bwahaha! Magical girls! Did you think the attack was over? That was just an appetizer! Now that you've shown up, prepare to fall right here!"
A distinctly villainous, three-dimensional, surround-sound voice echoed over Shibuya, followed by the appearance of a green-haired woman in a black coat, holding a cane, floating in the air not far from the magical girls.
"It's Merula from the evil organization!"
A knowledgeable fan in the crowd immediately provided commentary: "She's the arch-nemesis of Candy Fantasy!"
"Don't lose, Candy Fantasy!"
Fans of the magical girls began cheering them on.
"This is the final battle! Show them your bonds!"
An enthusiast shed tears of excitement.
"Trust them. They're Candy Fantasy, after all. Gathering everyone's strength, there's no way they'll fall here."
Others wore expressions of relief.
Could someone give me a recap? Why is this suddenly the final battle? What happened earlier?
Amber was completely bewildered, unable to understand why the atmosphere had shifted so abruptly.
Was this how the fervor of some bystanders looked to clueless outsiders when she used to watch anime—utterly baffling?
She had no idea how she got through the next half-hour.
All she knew was that the magical girls shouted things about friendship and bonds and ended up beating that evil organization's Merula until she couldn't get up, followed by a wave of cheers from the onlookers.
It wasn't until the five magical girls, bruised and revealing hints of skin through their torn outfits, landed in front of her to express their gratitude that Amber remembered she wasn't just watching an anime.
But this really felt like a 4D experience—no wonder so many people loved being fans of magical girls.
Black Amber, already familiar with this world, responded to their thanks with her usual calm expression.
"No need to be so polite. As Valkyries, protecting citizens is our duty."
"Valkyries stand before people even without magic. In a way, you're even more remarkable than us."
The pink magical girl, clearly the leader, spoke with emotion.
"Even though it can't compare to magic, your strength is essential. Please accept our respect."
Another blue magical girl said earnestly.
"Could you tell us your names? Protecting so many people proves you're undoubtedly outstanding Valkyries."
"I'll inform Chappy of your brave deeds and ask it to report your achievements to Schicksal. Even if you might not need it, we hope you'll accept our gratitude in whatever way we can."
The green magical girl smiled warmly.
Faced with Candy Fantasy's enthusiasm, Amber glanced at the black-haired girl beside her and, seeing no objection, replied cheerfully, "I'm Kiana Kaslana, and she's Raiden Mei. We're best friends, and we're not just 'very excellent'—I'm going to become the strongest Valkyrie someday!"
The white-haired girl's confident and radiant demeanor clearly delighted the magical girls.
After Amber's declaration, their attitude grew even more enthusiastic, even inviting Amber to visit their agency when she had time.
Though they had lives outside of being magical girls, Candy Fantasy usually kept at least one member on duty at the agency.
It wasn't until government agencies arrived to assess the situation and take over the cleanup that the two groups reluctantly parted ways.
Amber was genuinely amazed. She'd traveled through three anime worlds now, but only this one made her feel like she was truly inside an anime.
This world is just too much fun, isn't it?!
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.