Chương 3: Henshin...something seems off.

.. something seems off.

[Congratulations, host, on completing the mission! Rewards have been issued; please claim them as soon as possible.] As soon as Lin Che entered the park area, he received a system notification. He then pressed the handbrake hard, and with a tooth-grinding screech, the mountain bike came to a stop, the tires leaving two black marks on the asphalt road.

Lin Che braced himself on one foot, his chest heaving violently, sweat dripping down his chin onto the handlebars.

He stared intently at the flashing "claim" button in his field of vision, his fingers trembling slightly in mid-air, his heart pounding so hard it hurt his eardrums.

"It can't really be...?"

The moment the fingertips touched the ground, a golden streak of light fell from the void.

The boy instinctively reached out and caught it, feeling the cool metallic touch in his palm. The transformation device that any man would dream of had appeared in his hand.

Lin Che held the Divine Light Stick in both hands and examined it closely with an almost reverent attitude: It was an exquisite silver short staff, about the length of a hand. The silver-white staff was inlaid with transparent crystals, and the intricate patterns were as dazzling as a galaxy, as if each one contained a secret from the ancient past.

[Congratulations, host, you have received a reward! Why not give it a try now?]

"Transform directly in the city center?" Lin Che frowned.

"Wouldn't that cause a riot?"

[The host can control the size of the transformed form~ Just silently think of the desired size in your mind!]

"This is a bit suspicious..."

Lin Che wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but he felt that the text displayed by the system subtly conveyed excitement... and pleasure?

"But whatever! I'll trust you this time!"

Lin Che's desire to transform overwhelmed his doubts. He raised the magic light stick in his hand to his chest and pressed his thumb against the activation button.

The evening breeze suddenly stopped, and the shadows of the trees froze into collages, as if the whole world was holding its breath in anticipation.

[Please think of your transformation slogan before you transform.]

"Slogan?" Lin Che was taken aback, then raised the corners of his mouth. This question didn't require any thought at all.

There is only one answer—

"Hen——shin!!!"

The moment the button was pressed, the wing-like structure of the magic wand unfolded with a "click".

The expected holy white light did not appear; instead, an explosive wave of cherry blossom-colored light appeared. Lin Che felt that some kind of magical power was reforging every inch of his bones.

A bright light enveloped his body and illuminated the darkness.

[Congratulations, host, you have successfully transformed into the magical girl codenamed Starfrost] This message was hidden in the bright light and went unnoticed by Lin Che. When the light faded, what came into view was the bicycle seat that had suddenly been raised to her chest.

"So this is what it feels like to transform into the Giant of Light...? It doesn't seem that special... Huh?"

"You've grown taller?"

She looked at the mountain bike standing in front of her, a hint of confusion in her eyes: "Was this mountain bike... always this tall?"

Xing Shuang walked up to the mountain bike, gestured somewhat uncertainly, and then confirmed that it wasn't her imagination; the mountain bike had indeed become taller.

"Could I have been tricked by that system...? No... Ah... Ah... Ah!"

She suddenly realized that what came out of her throat was not the familiar male voice, but a female voice as melodious and sweet as a nightingale's, which sounded so cloying to her that it made her want to vomit.

"Wait, wait, wait!" She clutched her throat as if she'd been electrocuted—there was no prominent Adam's apple, only a slender neck wrapped in silky satin.

"It must be a hallucination." Her fingertips slid along the ribbon of the bow to her chest in an almost stiff motion, and a soft, terrifying sensation almost made her brain shut down.

The boy—or rather, the girl—staggered back half a step. The subtle, restraining feeling of the lace stockings binding her thighs made her hair stand on end, and the sensation of her hair brushing against her collarbone felt like detonating a bomb on her skin.

She suddenly looked down at her hands and lower body. What appeared in her vision was not the purple, red, and silver skin she had expected, but a pink pleated skirt and white long gloves. The diamond-shaped gem floating on her chest was rapidly changing colors with her rapid breathing.

"A mirror... yes, a mirror!" With a sliver of hope, Xing Shuang frantically rummaged through her bag and pulled out a small mirror.

As expected, what came into view was not the familiar boy's face, but a girl with a beautiful face and deep purple eyes—a magical girl who could drive any otaku crazy.

Her cherry blossom pink twin ponytails had a soft-focus effect, with the ends curled into playful spirals, and a small top hat perched on her head; her pearl white over-the-knee socks accentuated her perfectly defined cleavage; the layers of her combat suit skirt resembled blooming peonies, with each petal adorned with shimmering starlight.

If there's anything imperfect about it, it's that the beautiful face in the mirror is currently showing a slightly distorted expression.

"What the hell is that Giant of Light?!"

Starfrost looked at herself in the mirror and let out a sharp, explosive sound.

A moment later, the petite pink-clad girl knelt on the ground, panting. The star and moon embroidery on her skirt rose and fell with her breath. This was not due to physical fatigue, but rather to the overwhelming mental shock.

The pink round-toed leather shoes pointed directly at a puddle, and the reflection of Starfrost made her look like a real-life figurine that had just escaped from a magical girl-themed cafe.

[Host, have you calmed down yet?] The system will display timely messages of support.

"How am I supposed to stay calm while wearing this humiliating outfit?!" Xing Shuang grabbed her skirt and stormed off, stomping on the fallen leaves with a loud crackling sound.

Is there anything you're unhappy about?

"Why don't you ask me what I'm satisfied with?" Xing Shuang glared ahead, her eyebrows raised, her eyes blazing with fury.

Unfortunately, with her current appearance, no matter how angry she is, she looks like an angry little animal, without any intimidation whatsoever.

[This system is dedicated to serving you. Please feel free to voice any complaints you may have. Host, please don't be angry anymore.] Starfrost asked with a cold laugh, "Then let me ask you, why did I transform into a magical girl? Wasn't what you gave me a sparkler?"

【Starfrost's transformation item is called the Spark Lens~】

"Are you playing word games with me?" Xing Shuang looked ahead with a face full of anger—actually, at the place where the text was displayed in her field of vision.

[As stated from the beginning, the purpose of this system is to help the host become an excellent senior magical girl.] However, that sentence was interrupted by the host's command to uninstall the system, which was not the system's fault.

"Magical Girl Senpai? Me?" Xing Shuang pointed to her nose, looking incredulous.

"And couldn't you have displayed the text completely after I interrupted you? This was totally intentional, wasn't it?"

[This is the case for this system.]

"What is your purpose?"

[Help the host become an excellent magical girl senior]

"What is my gender?"

Currently female

"I'm asking you what my real gender is!" Xing Shuang's expression was almost frantic.

[The gender in the transformed state is also the real gender]

"Release! Immediately! Right now!" The girl tugged at her fluffy skirt and jumped around like a pink Pomeranian with its fur standing on end.

I'm sorry, I can't do that.

"Huh?" Xing Shuang's tone suddenly rose.

The host needs to complete the task first.

Starfrost asked fiercely, "What if I don't finish it?"

The transformation cannot be actively canceled.

"..."

"You should have said so earlier~ I wonder who the system wants me to beat up?" After a brief moment of stiffness, Xing Shuang's face instantly revealed a business-like smile.

This unlucky system should pray that she never gets rid of the transformation.

A battle between magical girls and void beasts broke out not far away.

Your mission is to defeat the Void Beast and rescue your two magical girl juniors.

"What are Void Beasts?"

These basic common sense facts are easy to acquire, so please make the most of them now.

The mission will be considered a failure if any magical girl dies.

"Fighting monsters, huh... I understand. Even if I can't become the Giant of Light, fighting monsters is still the same." Starfrost slowly straightened her chest, a determined expression on her face.

"I have one last question."

[Host, please ask...]

"Why did I become so short after transforming...? Using that mountain bike as a reference, am I not even 1. 4 meters tall?!"

[Please recall what you silently recited before transforming.] Xing Shuang's expression stiffened for a moment: "What you were silently reciting? Could it be...?"

"It's okay. The form you take after transforming is controlled by the host's will. Just silently think about the form you want to shrink into~" A demonic whisper suddenly surfaced in her memory, and she remembered that at the moment of transformation, her mind was filled with "Let's try becoming a proportionally shrunk Ultraman first."

The pink-haired girl froze on the spot, her twin tails drooping into a seaweed-like shape at a visible speed.

Three seconds later, a flock of nocturnal birds took flight in the park—a certain enraged magical girl was roaring in a sickeningly sweet voice:

"I meant proportionally scaled down! Not turned into a loli-sized body, you damn system!!"