Chapter 1: From now on, we’ll be magical girls!

‘I think I’m doomed.’

That was the conclusion Bai Qiqi reached after careful consideration.

Just imagine it.

Two magically charged cannons capable of blasting you into dust were deployed nearby.

Above your head hung a Holy Sword capable of burning vampires into ash.

Beneath your feet was a carpet embroidered with magical girl motifs.

And all around you stood magical girls, smiling warmly as they watched you.

This was the entrance ceremony of the National Magical Girl Academy.

And you—Bai Qiqi, former vampire prince, current vampire princess, and newly enrolled student of the Magical Girl Academy—were standing in the middle of a crowd of magical girls, dressed in a light blue JK-style school uniform, clutching that damned admission letter in your hand.

Only two words could describe Bai Qiqi’s feelings right now.

Utterly screwed.

Looking at the gilded words on the acceptance letter, Bai Qiqi’s eye twitched slightly.

Although she technically wasn’t dead yet, her sisters probably all assumed she was as good as finished by now.

And honestly, she couldn’t even blame them…

After all, in a certain sense, she had practically volunteered for this mission herself.

Maybe a freshly dried bat corpse would soon be shipped back to Cain City.

Her mother would probably even erect a gravestone for her.

It would read:

Bai Qiqi Yin.

The only vampire in history to be drained dry inside a magical girl’s bedroom…

Was this really okay?

Well… probably?

“Damn that Lilith… she totally tricked me.”

Bai Qiqi clenched the hem of her skirt so tightly her knuckles turned white.

In this day and age, the cursed trend of endless competition had finally reached the vampires too.

Even a vampire prince without inheritance rights like Bai Qiqi had endless classes to attend, endless magic to practice, and endless etiquette lessons to memorize every single day.

Sure, being a busy little vampire prince wasn’t necessarily bad…

But becoming a vampire empress who could slack off whenever she wanted?

Now that was true freedom!

So when Lilith took out a letter and told her—

“Qiqi, the vampire race needs you. Go to the human world and become our eyes there. As long as you successfully infiltrate the National Magical Girl Academy until graduation and complete the tasks we assign you, you’ll immediately become the Crown Princess when you return. Once you’re Crown Princess, you won’t need to attend classes anymore, won’t need to learn etiquette, and can do whatever you want. Mother won’t restrict you ever again!”

Hearing such generous conditions, what was there left to say?

They were family.

She was in!

Suffer for a while, enjoy life forever afterward.

What a bargain.

And so, for the sake of becoming Crown Princess—and to live a happy life of slacking off every day in the future—Bai Qiqi eagerly accepted the mission and hurriedly signed her name.

Then, under Mother’s First Embrace, she turned into this.

For the sake of completing the mission and enjoying her future lazy lifestyle, she had truly endured humiliation and borne heavy burdens.

She had even changed genders for it.

But who could have known this place would actually be like this…?

Call it infiltration if you wanted to sound nice.

Put bluntly, wasn’t this just delivering herself directly to the enemy?

And not even full health either—this was basically feeding them a low-HP kill.

She should’ve known.

If this mission were really that easy, why would it have fallen to her?

Wouldn’t her older sisters have already fought each other bloody over it?

Sure enough…

Pies don’t fall from the sky.

But traps absolutely do…

Nobody told her there would literally be a Holy Sword standing here!

And that cannon too—its barrel was so wide it looked like she could fit inside it without a problem!

Bai Qiqi took a deep breath and forcibly expelled the images of Lilith and her six older sisters from her mind.

Regret was pointless now.

Her retreat route had already been sealed off.

Any suspicious movement would probably attract attention immediately, and then the sacred flames of the Holy Sword would reduce her to ashes.

“Ah~ Silence——!”

A lazy yet unquestionable voice instantly cut through the noise filling the hall.

At the very front of the hall, a petite girl pushed open the doors and casually swept her gaze across the crowd.

Her languid expression made her look like a sleepy little girl who hadn’t fully woken up yet.

She was the vice principal, Ye Lange—a powerhouse at the Half-Solar Wheel rank.

Although she looked no older than fourteen, with a tiny frame barely larger than Bai Qiqi’s, her pale blue hair cascaded down to her waist in soft curls, while starlike glimmers flickered within her sapphire-blue eyes.

She looked soft and adorable, the sort of girl people instinctively wanted to bully.

But if anyone actually thought that way, they would be in for a terrible time.

Just like the dragon skeleton displayed in the academy plaza.

Legend had it that the dragon’s former owner ended up like that after saying something he shouldn’t have…

Something about Ye Lange’s chest resembling “two screws nailed onto a steel plate.”

Bai Qiqi had no way of verifying whether the rumor was true.

But adhering to her philosophy of ‘better safe than sorry, and fewer problems means more slacking off,’ she decided to watch her words carefully in the future and stay as far away from the vice principal as possible.

“As per tradition, we will now begin the freshman sorting ceremony.”

After speaking, Ye Lange casually waved toward the Holy Sword, which obediently flew into her hand.

“The Holy Sword will evaluate your aptitude and assign your academy accordingly. During the evaluation process, I ask each of you to seriously consider one question.”

“Why did you become a magical girl?”

“Radiance Academy, Secret Strategy Academy, Artisan Academy, Blazing Edge Academy…”

“And if none of the academies are suitable for you…”

At this point, Ye Lange casually spun the Holy Sword in her hand.

“Then unfortunately, you are eliminated. That means you lack both the resolve and the ability necessary to enter this place and become an outstanding magical girl!”

The entire hall fell silent.

After struggling through overwhelming competition just to get here, everyone dreamed of becoming a magical girl.

No one would accept being sent home in failure.

Except Bai Qiqi.

The moment she heard those words, her spirits instantly lifted.

As long as she failed to get selected by any academy, wouldn’t that mean she could just drop out immediately?

Then returning to the vampire race and continuing life as a pampered freeloader would be perfectly reasonable, right?

The only remaining problem was how to survive the Holy Sword’s inspection…

If she got burned to ashes, it would all be over.

Still, she was carrying the protective charm Lilith had made for her.

It should probably be fine.

“Next, Number 0114.”

“D-rank. Average. Go stand with Radiance Academy.”

“Next, Number 0721.”

“A-rank. Not bad. Artisan Academy.”

As magical girls either passed or failed one after another, Bai Qiqi gradually figured out the Holy Sword’s pattern.

Aptitude itself had nothing to do with academy assignment.

What truly mattered were the thoughts in one’s heart.

If someone wanted to heal the wounded and save lives, they’d most likely be assigned to Radiance Academy.

If they wished to protect their homeland and fight enemies, they’d likely enter Blazing Edge Academy…

But the Holy Sword could actually materialize the scenes inside a person’s mind?

That was bad.

Hopefully the charm worked.

If her thoughts accidentally revealed she was a vampire, wouldn’t she be completely dead?

Still, there was at least one piece of good news.

The elimination rate for this test was extremely high—nearly fifty percent.

That reassured Bai Qiqi considerably.

As long as she survived the first stage, being sent home afterward was practically guaranteed.

“Next, Number 4398, Su Yanshi.”

While Bai Qiqi was still trying to think of ways to muddle through the test, it had unknowingly become the turn of the girl standing in front of her.

The girl had golden hair that looked deliberately dyed, giving her a rebellious appearance.

Her luxurious clothing also made it obvious her family background was quite wealthy.

Even when standing before the Holy Sword, she still wore an arrogant expression.

The moment she placed her hand on the Holy Sword, flames suddenly erupted from the blade, startling Bai Qiqi so badly that she let out a yelp.

She couldn’t help it!

The fire had burst out so suddenly she thought it was coming to burn her alive!

The previously serious atmosphere instantly became cheerful thanks to Bai Qiqi’s reaction.

Everyone smiled as they looked toward her, only now realizing there was such an adorable white-haired loli among the crowd.

Even Ye Lange noticed her and smiled with amusement.

Only Su Yanshi looked displeased, a trace of irritation flashing through her eyes.

That attention was supposed to belong to her.

And yet this noisy little brat had stolen part of it away!

【Talent Evaluation: S】

【Attribute: Fire】

【Recommended Academy: Blazing Edge Academy】

“S-rank aptitude. Very impressive. Your name reminds me of a certain magical girl. Come to think of it, she was technically one of my students.”

Ye Lange smiled and nodded, clearly recognizing either the girl herself or her family.

“Hmph! Barely acceptable. But I’ll surpass that woman eventually!”

Su Yanshi replied bluntly.

Without question, her talent was likely the highest among this year’s freshmen.

Looking at Bai Qiqi’s nervous appearance, Su Yanshi’s eyes filled with contempt.

Had this little weakling really been scared stiff already?

“Hey, trash fish. Your turn’s next. Don’t get eliminated so easily, alright?”

As she stepped off the stage, she passed by Bai Qiqi and whispered those words ghostlike into her ear.

Trash fish?

Was she talking about her?

“Next, Number 4399, Bai Qiqi. Stop looking around—you’re the last one, little thing.”

Instantly, everyone’s eyes gathered on Bai Qiqi, making her feel like she was sitting on pins and needles.

With every step she took, the magic power within her body boiled more violently.

Especially when she stood before the Holy Sword.

Her tiny fangs began itching unbearably, and the wings behind her back felt ready to burst forth at any moment.

‘Please… no… don’t… they’re… they’re going to come out… not here…’

‘Great Progenitor, please bless me!’

‘If I can make it home alive, I swear I’ll never steal your offerings again!’

‘Whatever you want to eat in the future, I’ll buy it for you!’

Inside her heart, Bai Qiqi desperately prayed to the Progenitor, yearning for a response.

“No need to worry, little cutie. Just go with the flow and place your hand on it. It’ll only take a moment…”

Yeah.

A moment before she became dried bat jerky.

Realizing there was no escape, Bai Qiqi took a trembling breath and shakily extended her hand.

The instant her skin touched the Holy Sword, an electric sensation spread through her entire body.

The Holy Sword and the vampire magic within her had triggered a rejection reaction.

Bai Qiqi’s entire body instantly tensed.

Her previously restrained little fangs suddenly became far more unruly, lengthening visibly in an instant.

And the wings behind her back grew even more restless, as though they were about to burst out at any second.

‘Get back in there!’

Sweat poured down like rain, soaking her clothes.

A strange blush spread across her cheeks, and even her eyes became hazy.

Watching from nearby, Ye Lange couldn’t help finding the scene rather odd…

This was supposed to be a sorting ceremony.

So why did this adorable little girl look like she was experiencing something straight out of an adult doujinshi?

Weird.

Better watch a little longer.

Golden flames wrapped around Bai Qiqi, as if preparing to devour her whole.

To stop herself from making any sounds, she bit down hard on her lower lip so fiercely she could already taste iron in her mouth.

Time passed second by second…

Just as Bai Qiqi was about to fall into despair, a mysterious voice suddenly echoed within her mind.

“Child, you are very different…”

Different?

Of course she was different!

She was a vampire—an actual royal vampire who had received the First Embrace!

They were humans!

How could they possibly be the same?!

Bai Qiqi had already given up and stood there numbly, waiting for death.

Then suddenly, the flames withdrew, carrying her magic power back into the Holy Sword.

In the next instant, the originally golden Holy Sword erupted into black flames, as though even space itself were being scorched and warped.

A vampire heir who possessed no desire for war.

Someone who restrained her urge for slaughter and wished for peaceful coexistence with humanity.

A soul filled with boundless love!

This was exactly the kind of person the Holy Sword had been waiting for.

The Holy Sword understood now!

At this moment, did it matter whether she was human or vampire?

No!

As long as she possessed great love in her heart, she was a magical girl!

And with such extraordinary talent despite her low strength, she must have intentionally suppressed her power and desires all this time!

She must have suffered greatly just to come here!

The entire hall fell deathly silent.

Even Ye Lange stood there blankly in shock.

【Talent Evaluation: SSS】

【Attribute: Darkness】

【Evaluation: Immortal Venerable of Great Love】¹

Bai Qiqi stared at the Holy Sword, her mind completely blank.

At this moment, she felt just like Louis XVI—completely unable to make heads or tails of the situation.²

Before she could react, Ye Lange had already rushed to her side and pulled her into a tight embrace.

Her eyes burned brightly, as if she were staring at the world’s rarest treasure.

“A genius! A genius! A genius unseen in centuries! I’ve decided—I’m teaching you personally! Nobody’s allowed to steal you from me!”

The crowd below instantly exploded into uproar.

The freshman magical girls all looked toward Bai Qiqi with envy-filled eyes.

Especially Su Yanshi.

Her fingernails dug so deeply into her palms that they nearly pierced the skin.

Meanwhile, Bai Qiqi could only stare blankly at everything happening around her…

It seemed she had really become a magical girl after all…