"I think I saw my great-grandma." Ye Shuang stared at the clear blue sky, then glanced at the yellow object pressing down on him. The sudden fall had left his head buzzing.
The mascot head had rolled off, revealing the girl's delicate face. "Ye Shuang, are you okay?" she asked.
"I'm fine." Ye Shuang reached out and gently patted her head. "It’d be even better if you could get off me, though."
He wasn’t sure if the mascot suit was just that heavy or if the weight was concentrated on a small part of his body, but it felt suffocating.
With Tang Keke’s help, Bai Yuyou wobbled back to her feet. Watching her unsteady movements, Ye Shuang couldn’t help but worry she might faceplant again.
"Mmm..." Ye Shuang also stood up with Zhixia and Linlin’s assistance.
"Teacher Ye, are you alright?"
"I’m fine."
Picking up the fallen headpiece, he noticed a dent on the surface. He reached inside, fiddled around, and—pop—the nose of the headpiece snapped back into place.
"Fixed it!"
"Seems pretty durable." Ye Shuang held the headpiece and tried it on. Perhaps because Bai Yuyou had worn it earlier, the faint scent of flowers lingered inside.
The visibility was terrible, though. And with this weight, how the hell had An Shiyu managed to pull off those complicated judo throws in this clunky thing?
"Where’d this come from?" he asked after taking it off.
"Bought it off Xianyu. It’s leftover stock from that Pokémon-themed amusement park. Hehe, I snatched it up," Tang Keke explained cheerfully. "I was just thinking of having Yuyou wear it for the cosplay event."
"Cosplay event?"
"Yep! Right at the school gate—lots of people are dressed up taking photos." Tang Keke waved a brown wizard hat and an eyepatch. "Behold! I am Megumin, the greatest and most powerful wielder of Explosion Magic!"
She raised a staff dramatically. "EXPLOSION!"
"Hehe, how’s that? Straight out of Konosuba."
Ye Shuang studied her, rubbing his chin. "Hmm… Something feels off, but I can’t quite put my finger on it."
"What about you guys? Joining the event too?" He glanced at Zhixia and the others. They’d earned a fair bit from selling lemon tea lately—might as well enjoy the rest of the holiday.
"We don’t really have costumes," Zhixia said with a smile, waving it off. She spent most of her time on music anyway.
Linlin nodded. "Yeah, never tried cosplay."
"I’ve got more!" Tang Keke rummaged through her bag. "Linlin-senpai!"
"Eh? W-What?" Linlin stiffened as Tang Keke’s eyes gleamed with mischief.
"Wear this!"
"T-This? No way!"
Zhixia clapped her hands together. "In that case, let me help you~"
"W-Wait, don’t strip me—!" Linlin flailed, but Tang Keke and Zhixia had her pinned.
...
Moments later, a wriggling watermelon slice emerged, clutching a megaphone. "Fam, can y’all even—?"
"Ooooh, suits you perfectly, Linlin!" Tang Keke and Zhixia applauded in sync.
"Perfect my foot! What kind of abomination is this?!" Linlin’s voice echoed from inside the watermelon suit, which resembled a giant, squirming caterpillar.
Zhixia blinked. "I think it’s kinda fun."
"I’d rather wear a maid outfit than this!" Linlin crossed her arms, clearly revolted.
Tang Keke gasped. "Linlin-senpai, how did you know I brought a maid outfit?!"
"Huh?!"
"Heave-ho!" She yanked out a piece of blue-and-white striped fabric, glanced at it, and stuffed it back. "Wrong one. But hey, you can wear this later too~"
"Why do you even have that?!" Linlin’s voice cracked.
"Hold on, I never agreed—!"
"Eek?!"
In the end, Zhixia donned the watermelon suit, while Linlin was forced into the maid dress—her face burning as she desperately tugged at the short skirt. "It’s too short… Everything’s showing."
"Relax, I gave you safety shorts," Tang Keke said.
"Those striped things are just an extra layer, not actual coverage?!"
Meanwhile, Zhixia enthusiastically mashed the megaphone. "Fam, can y’all even—?"
"Fam, can y’all—?"
"Fam, famfamfamfamfam—"
"Come here, Yuyou." Tang Keke beckoned Bai Yuyou over. The girl wobbled adorably in the mascot suit as the four of them gathered, creating a bizarre yet charming tableau.
"Quite the lively bunch. Sure you don’t wanna join?" Ye Shuang asked An Shiyu, who stood beside him, hands in pockets and visibly uninterested.
"Meh."
She turned to him. "If you’re keen, I’ve got cosplay props too."
"Really?" He was surprised—wasn’t she indifferent?
"Yeah." An Shiyu pulled a single leaf from her pocket. "Here."
Ye Shuang took it, puzzled. "That’s it? Just… a leaf?"
"Yep. Strip naked, cover yourself with this, and boom—you’re a caveman." She delivered this with utter seriousness.
Ye Shuang: "..."
He karate-chopped her head. "Why don’t you try that?"
"Wouldn’t pass censorship," she deadpanned.
"..."
"If I did that, I’d be having a chat with security."
"Fine. I’ve also got band-aids. Strip, stick them on strategic spots, and you can cosplay as a flasher." She produced a handful.
Ye Shuang: "..."
"Tch. So picky, old man." An Shiyu clicked her tongue, side-eyeing him with disdain.
"Since when are those actual cosplays?!"
"Then how about a school doctor?"
"I am the school doctor."
"So just wear your lab coat and add the leaf. Easy."
"That’s even more degenerate?!"
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
g Yu was preparing for retirement when her organization decided to eliminate her. She transmigrated to a zombie apocalypse world. However, a tiny unexpected situation occurred: She somehow transformed into an adorable little girl?!
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
