[Puella Magi Madoka Magica World · Street]
Herta, who was currently holding Kyubey and trying to forcibly analyze the principles of its "Wish Mechanism," suddenly felt an inexplicable chill, causing her to instinctively shiver.
(...What's going on? Is someone plotting against me?)
She frowned suspiciously, then redirected her attention back to the white creature in her hand, which kept trying to interrupt her research by saying, "Sign a contract and become a Magical Girl."
Meanwhile, Kyubey was internally collapsing.
It felt like its ear was about to be ripped off by this "girl," who possessed absurd strength and completely ignored its words. Even worse, its proud Assessment System was almost completely failing in front of her.
(This individual... is definitely not normal! Contact must be terminated immediately!)
[Astral Express · Hidden Cabin]
Madam Herta stood before an ornate full-length mirror, carefully examining her reflection.
The system puppet stood quietly to the side, data streams smoothly passing through its purplish-red inverted cross eyes, recording its master's rare act of grooming.
The person in the mirror had been completely transformed.
The characteristic gray-white long hair was gone, replaced by flaxen, waist-length hair that cascaded like a waterfall, smooth and lustrous.
On her head was a purple witchs hat that looked more playful and mysterious, adorned with two delicate purple flowers near the brim that seemed never to wither.
Her eyes, originally purplish-black and lacking highlights, were now clear and bright purple, like top-grade amethysts, sparkling with light.
The main color scheme of the dress was still purple and black, but the style details leaned more toward the "Herta" aesthetic—an off-the-shoulder design outlined her elegant collarbones, the skirt was cut more sharply, and paired with sheer black stockings and knee-high purple boots, the overall look blended mystery with the flair and fashion sense belonging to a Genius.
The finishing touch was a small, exquisite key charm hanging around her neck, swaying gently with her movements.
She tilted her head slightly in the mirror, then spun around, her skirt tracing a graceful arc.
"System, how is it?" Madam Herta spoke. Her voice was no longer the indifferent tone with an ethereal echo she used before, but had become clear and pleasant, carrying a slightly rising inflection and full of confidence.
The system puppet immediately responded in its emotionless electronic voice, using an almost operatic rhythm: "Madam Herta is peerless in the world, Madam Herta is supremely intelligent, Madam Herta is beautiful enough to make fish sink and geese fall..."
Madam Herta's mouth twitched almost imperceptibly, clearly speechless at the exaggerated praise.
But she didn't speak to stop it; instead, she looked back at her reflection in the mirror.
She lightly cleared her throat at the mirror, seemingly adjusting her final vocal delivery.
Then, she slightly raised her chin, her eyes revealing a hint of casual superiority, and she spoke in a clear, confident tone, imbued with a sense of natural pride:
"Human, female, young, beautiful, cute," she paused, lightly tapping her lower lip with her fingertip, the corner of her mouth curving into a perfect smile, "Genius Society Member No. 83, Herta."
Whether it was her demeanor, tone, or the slightly rising inflection at the end of her sentences, she was a spitting image of the Genius, perhaps even more vivid, more... "Herta."
The system puppet beside her seemed to have triggered a certain program again due to the perfect imitation, and was just about to open its mouth to continue its "Praise Mode":
"Madam Herta..."
Madam Herta immediately turned her head, her purple eyes glancing at the puppet with a clear implication of "you can shut up now."
The system puppet's words stopped abruptly, like an electronic duck being choked.
Then, with Madam Herta's tacit approval, the system puppet's petite body also began to change.
The dark-colored Lolita dress she was wearing gradually transformed. A characteristic black beret appeared on her head, flaxen long hair replaced the previous deep purple, and the purple markings on her cheeks quietly faded, revealing a delicate face that was seven parts similar to Herta's but appeared more childlike. In her purple eyes, the inverted cross pattern also changed into ordinary pupils.
In the blink of an eye, a "Mini Version" of Herta appeared in the cabin.
She tilted her head and repeated the praise in a tone slightly more youthful than her original electronic voice, yet still devoid of emotional fluctuation:
"Ms. Herta is peerless in the world, Ms. Herta is supremely intelligent, Ms. Herta is beautiful enough to make fish sink and geese fall..."
Madam Herta watched the system, which had completed the transformation instantly and insisted on completing its "Praise Task," and her mouth twitched uncontrollably again.
She raised a hand to rub her forehead, finally just waving her hand dismissively with a feeling of "Fine, whatever you want."
"Alright, alright,"
She interrupted the system's potentially endless praise loop and looked out the window again, as if she could pierce the spatial barrier to see the massive structure suspended in the starry sky—the Herta Space Station.
Her purple eyes sparkled with eagerness, a predatory excitement like a cuckoo taking over a magpie's nest, yet perfectly encased in the shell of a Genius's arrogance.
"Let's go." She commanded succinctly, her voice entirely Herta-esque.
"Destination?" the System inquired.
"Herta Space Station."
The crisp voice carried an undeniable decisiveness, like a true queen preparing to inspect her territory.
It was time to have a good "stroll" in the backyard of the "genuine" Genius while she was away.
Presumably, there must be many interesting "toys" and "data" waiting for her, the "peerless" "Ms. Herta," to "grace them with her presence."
[Belobog · Goethe Hotel · Deep Night]
Xing left March 7th's room fully satisfied; the fierce pillow fight they just had consumed a good amount of her energy and relieved some of the day's fatigue.
Yawning, she slowly ambled back to her own room.
The room was dimly lit, receiving only a faint cold light reflected from Belobog's eternal ice plains outside the window.
Her gaze unintentionally swept across the bedside table, where the uniquely styled black curtain puppet sat quietly, seemingly exuding a mysterious aura in the darkness.
(Speaking of which, Ms. Herta seemed quite upset because of this puppet?)
Xing casually picked up the puppet and played with it. It was soft to the touch and exquisitely made; aside from the slightly dark style, it was indeed quite nice-looking.
She put the puppet back in its place, just about to dive onto her soft, large bed—
"Knock, knock, knock."
A light knocking sound rang out.
Xing paused, feeling confused.
(Who is it so late? Danheng, or did March 7th leave something behind?)
She rubbed her somewhat sleepy eyes, slowly walked to the door, and mumbled in response, "Coming, coming..."
"Click." The door lock opened.
Xing pulled the door open, looking out using the dim yellow light from the hallway sconces—
Then, she froze.
Standing outside the door was someone who looked exactly like her.
The same gray shoulder-length hair, the same golden eyes, the same slightly bewildered (?) expression of someone just woken up, and even the style of the clothes she was wearing was nearly identical!
Xing's mind didn't process it immediately, and she instinctively blurted out, "Who put a mirror outside my door?"
The moment the words left her mouth, she realized something was wrong.
How could a reflection in a mirror breathe?
However, just as her brain finished processing this bizarre information and her pupils began to contract—
The "Xing" outside the door moved.
She expressionlessly raised her hand. A familiar baseball bat had appeared in her grasp at some unknown point, and her movement was lightning fast, without the slightest hesitation, aimed precisely and steadily at the forehead of the genuine Xing standing in the doorway—
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