"Kyubey: This is merely a cute creature with Kyubey's appearance. It has no special powers and cannot speak, but it possesses a limited form of immortality. Even without other abilities, it understands human emotions, making it an excellent choice as a pet. However, caution is advised—do not let it approach magical girls, or there's a chance it may undergo mutation and become a real Kyubey. If that happens, things could get troublesome. Bloodstained Points: 300."
"Pikachu: A small pet resembling Pikachu. It can't use skills like Thunderbolt, but it does possess mild electrical discharge abilities—enough to stun an ordinary person. It's the perfect self-defense pet for women! Still, do not expose it to too much lightning or electricity, or there's a chance it will absorb the energy and evolve into a real Pikachu. Once that happens, it won't return without a duel. Bloodstained Points: 270."
"Kero (Cerberus/Keroberos): The little flying creature contracted with Sakura Kinomoto. Cute and well-behaved, though it's a complete glutton. It also understands human emotions but cannot speak. Be careful not to let it absorb too much light-based energy (as used by spiritual practitioners), or it'll revert to its original form! Bloodstained Points: 320."
"Luna: The contract familiar of the first generation of magical girls. This elegant and beautiful black cat is well worth your time. Don't worry—she's harmless now. Even if you play rough, she'll only scratch you at most. However, if she happens to fall in love with a human, she may transform into a catgirl—that counts as a special ability, I suppose. But honestly, that's nearly impossible. Different species can't fall in love, can they? Bloodstained Points: 350."
"Kedama: A minor monster from the Touhou Project universe that still enjoys notable popularity. Its body is a fluffy orb with a diameter ranging from 5 to 20 centimeters. Bloodstained Points: 50–200."
"Tybaulk: Annie's teddy bear—a bear that can change size according to its owner's will. The standard version, however, is only a pet. Since it's a system-issued version, even in its non-transformed state it can move on its own. Its appearance might look strange, though, so try not to scare people with it. Bloodstained Points: 260."
"Poro: A small animal native to the Freljord region of Valorant, loved by the locals. It's also the totem of the Howling Abyss—the one warm and comforting sight in that cold, bloody land. Bloodstained Points: 240."
"There are actually many more," Shiroha explained, "but I think these are the ones you'll find most suitable. If none of them please you, you can always exchange for something else."
"Alright, even though I'd love to get more, these will do." Chu Lian counted on her fingers. "Chu Chu, Xiu'er, Yanran, Nana, Lux, and Satsuki—that's six people. As for Anna…" She paused for a moment, hesitating. "Would these little ones even be right for her?"
Then her eyes lifted to the Kyubey listing on the screen. A small smile curved on her lips. "No, Anna definitely needs one—and Kyubey will definitely like Anna, too."
Having decided, she checked her available Bloodstained Points.
"Bloodstained Reward: Slayed one S-rank Peak Dragon. Due to its physical attributes being at SS rank, reward level determined as SS. Acquired Kill Points: 12,350."
"Only 12,350 Kill Points for slaying an SS-rank dragon... these are really hard to earn. And just exchanging for these few creatures will almost use them all up." The difficulty of obtaining Kill Points was far beyond what she had expected. Chu Lian realized that if she wanted to summon an entire group of helpers for her projects and plans, she'd need to slay hundreds of Heaven-tier dragons—a task that was anything but easy.
"I should be thankful that other creatures also give Bloodstained Points. Otherwise, I'd be stuck slaying dragons for the rest of my life." She sighed in relief. At least this goal could be achieved gradually.
"Exchange one each: Kyubey, 20cm Kedama, Tybaulk, Poro, Pikachu, Kero, and Luna," Chu Lian decided, and immediately initiated the exchange process.
"Exchange complete. Total cost: 2,000 Bloodstained Points. Remaining: 10,350 points." Upon hearing her confirmation, Shiroha immediately processed the exchange and materialized the requested items.
"Wait, that should've only cost 1,940 points! Why 2,000?" Chu Lian frowned. She had done the math herself, and Shiroha's numbers didn't add up.
"It's not wrong~ Since it's your first time exchanging a Kedama, this young lady kindly upgraded it with eyes, a nose, and a mouth! Otherwise, that plain furball would've scared everyone senseless." Shiroha's words painted an image in Chu Lian's mind—of a smug, golden-haired tsundere noble lady standing with one hand on her hip, looking down at her.
Chu Lian really wanted to strangle whoever had programmed this personality—or whatever had caused it to develop this way—because it was absolutely infuriating.
"Alright then, thank you, kind and benevolent Lady Shiroha." She clenched her fists behind her back, silently telling herself to endure. Don't provoke her. If she got mad—or worse, started crying—it'd be a nightmare. Better to just go along with it.
"Those seven glowing orbs floating beside you are the items. Alright, off you go now," Shiroha said, dismissing her with a final flick of text.
"Thanks." Chu Lian waved her hand, summoning the seven light spheres to circle around her palm before exiting the system space.
When she opened her eyes again, the first thing she saw was Chu Chu's soft pink lips—clearly leaning forward for a kiss. Calmly, Chu Lian extended her hand and pressed it against Chu Chu's forehead to stop her advance. "Chu Chu, even if your big sister got distracted for a moment, that's no excuse for this kind of behavior."
"Ahem, Big Sis, what were you just thinking about?" Chu Chu quickly averted her gaze, wisely changing the topic. Inori, who had been quietly watching from the side, couldn't help but cover her lips and giggle softly.
"You were asking me for a gift earlier, right? So I went somewhere and brought back some pets that I think you'll all like." Chu Lian raised her hand slightly. The seven glowing orbs floated in her palm, spinning slowly. Under the car's interior lights, each orb revealed a curled-up, adorable little creature inside.
"Ah! So cute!" Chu Chu's delighted cry drew the attention of the other girls, who immediately turned their curious gazes toward them.
Fortunately, this was the car arranged specifically for their two groups, with the driver's seat separated from the back. Unless they were shouting, the driver wouldn't see a thing.
Even if he did, Chu Lian wasn't worried. These were all harmless creatures, and those involved in supernatural work wouldn't find them strange anyway.
"So, do you want me to choose for you, or would you like to pick one yourselves?" Chu Lian rotated the seven orbs gently, making them enlarge so the girls could see more clearly.
"Big Sis, you should give them to us! That way, it's more meaningful," Chu Chu said, though her eyes were already fixed on one of the orbs.
"Alright then. Chu Chu, this one's for you—it's called Pikachu, and it carries a bit of electrical energy." Chu Lian smiled knowingly. She could easily tell which one Chu Chu had her eye on, and as an older sister, she understood her well. She gently floated the Pikachu orb into Chu Chu's arms.
"These orbs act as resting spaces for them. If you link your consciousness to them, you'll be able to communicate. When it's inconvenient to carry them around, the orb can shrink at your command. Inside, they'll sleep and slowly recover from injuries, but when they're outside, they'll still get hungry, so make sure to feed them." Even though this was her first time using such an item, the system had already transmitted all relevant information to her mind, so she could explain it clearly.
"Pikachu~!" No sooner had Chu Lian finished explaining than the orb in Chu Chu's hand shrank and vanished into her palm. The little Pikachu popped out instead, climbing up to her cheek and rubbing against her face affectionately.
The other girls, seeing this, could barely contain their excitement. Which one would Chu Lian choose for each of them?
"This one's Luna. Nana, take good care of her." Chu Lian handed the orb containing the black cat to Ruriko Nana with a warm smile.
"Thank you, Lian-chan! Mua~!" Overjoyed, Nana threw her arms around Chu Lian and planted a kiss on her cheek. A moment later, realizing what she had done, her face turned crimson. "S-sorry, Lian-chan! I just got too happy!"
Chu Lian shook her head, her bright smile unchanged. "It's fine. Aren't we good friends?" Her words made Nana's heart flutter. Was this… recognition? Holding the light orb close, she returned to her seat, fiddling with it happily.
Next, Chu Lian handed Kero to Lux Lyle. Just like Nana, Lux leaned in and planted a light kiss on Chu Lian's cheek, overjoyed at being acknowledged.
"Yanran, Xiu'er—these are the Kedama and Poro. They're yours." Chu Lian then handed the two fluffiest, most adorable creatures to Liu Yanran and Li Xiu'er. The two girls exchanged glances, then mischievously followed Nana and Lux's example—each standing up to kiss Chu Lian on one cheek.
"This is just gratitude, don't get the wrong idea." Compared to the flustered Li Xiu'er, Liu Yanran was far calmer, waving her finger playfully as she said it—though her tone made her intent quite obvious.
"Yes, yes, just gratitude." Chu Lian chuckled, understanding perfectly well what they meant but not calling them out on it.
"Satsuki, here—this one's for you. It might look a little silly, but it's actually really cute." Holding another orb, Chu Lian turned to Kurosaki Satsuki, whose face was as cold as ever, though her eyes betrayed a flicker of emotion.
"...Thank you." Since Chu Lian had gone out of her way to give it, Satsuki couldn't refuse. After all, everyone else had received one, and deep down, she wanted one too.
"That's my good girl…" Chu Lian smiled faintly. Why give the bear to Satsuki? Perhaps because she hoped the fiery little creature could melt some of the frost from the white-haired girl's heart.
"Anna, Anna, wake up. Mommy has a present for you." Finally, Chu Lian glanced at the last orb in her hand—the one containing Kyubey. A strange smile flickered in her eyes. Since you're so capable, let's see what kind of trouble you can stir up in the hands of a god's daughter.
Of course, she would never admit the real reason—that she wanted to watch Anna torment this supposedly immortal little creature.
After all, when it came to a yandere, letting her vent was necessary. Otherwise... things could get messy.
If Anna ended up slicing it into hundreds of pieces, well, that would be fine too.
"Mm? Mommy, what are you giving Anna?" The little girl blinked sleepily as she rubbed her eyes, looking up at Chu Lian.
"This one—its name is Kyubey. It's a very cute little creature. But the most important part is that it's immortal. As long as its consciousness isn't erased, it can't die. I think you'll like it. Take good care of it, alright~?" Chu Lian handed the orb to Anna, whose sleepy face brightened into a radiant smile. Chu Lian smiled too—smiled brightly, almost wickedly.
Once, you were the one who pushed girls into despair. Now I'm giving you one of your own. I wonder—does this count as karma, Anna? Treat it well~
The car gradually entered the city limits. Not long after, a passenger plane soared into the sky, bound for London, England...