In a desperate attempt to rouse Alex from the trance Fufi yelled. "Alex, snap out of it! Start dancing like your life depends on it!"

  Unfocused, Alex approached like a zombie.

  Merumeru snatched Alex's phone and began pressing buttons. The slime girl, who knew some letters, but not enough, hastily approached Fufi for assistance. While clutching the doll under one arm, she extended the unlocked phone towards Fufi.

  Fufi persistently pecked at the phone's screen, eventually hitting an icon with musical notes. As a result, the words "Sweet Georgia Brown" began to scroll across the dispy, and the phone emitted an upbeat melody accompanied by the sound of finger-snapping. This peculiar device drew everyone's attention, leaving them momentarily speechless.

  Moments ter, the phone's speaker came to life with the lively melody of jazz, sung in a sing-song voice. "Hey man, who's that cat coming down the street?"

  Another voice of a man answered, coming from the phone, "I don't know but it sounds to me that he's the man with the bones."

  As the first voice emerged from the speakers, lively whistles filled the air, creating an upbeat jazzy atmosphere. "Sure is having himself a ball."

  "Fine fine, let us see your little performance child. The forests do not rush things. If you want to show off your talent, next things can wait."With a smirk, Sakura dismissed the compulsion that controlled Alex with a graceful wave of her hand. Ironically, the dryad appeared more amused than threatened by the situation.

  Freed from Sakura's enchanting powers, Alex found himself with an inexplicable urge to dance the Charleston. Yet, the dance steps evoked by the spell seemed incongruous with the music's rhythm. Alex responded by taking a brisk step forward, immediately followed by a swift step backward. The nymph's movements were remarkably graceful, keeping a gentle bounce in every step that perfectly matched the music's rhythmic pulse.

  The dance sequence unfolded with a mesmerizing routine:

  Step together, step.

  Step together, step.

  Step together, kick.

  Step together, twirl.

  Step together, step.

  Step together, hop.

  As Alex danced, three dolls sprang to life, joining the dance with an energy that matched Alex's own. Like Alex, they moved in perfect synchrony with the music's jazzy beat.

  The scene was surreal—a dance performed by a human and dolls, with the tter moving with a grace and agility that belied their inanimate nature. And yet, amidst this enchanting spectacle, a martial undercurrent lurked. As the dolls danced, they maneuvered into position, preparing for an attack. The once lighthearted atmosphere transformed into one of tense anticipation. The dance was a prelude to a battle that was about to unfold.

  Kaide looked like she wanted to break down ughing at the whole situation. She wasn’t taking the magical girl seriously.

  Amidst the melodious tunes, Edelweiss, the armored doll, gracefully advanced, her steps echoing the rhythm of the music. With determination in her eyes, she readied herself to strike the wooden bars of the aviary, aiming her weapon to liberate Fumi.

  Meanwhile, Lily, the skilled archer doll, released arrows with a pace that harmonized with the trombone's soulful melodies.

  And Rose, the water-wielding doll, sprayed her water gun, creating a staccato symphony that mirrored the percussion section of the music.

  "Look at all the dolls dancing around." Kaide ughed and waved her hands through the air. "What fun this is!"

  Sakura took a seat on her throne. A hand wave was all it took to block the ranged attacks. A mass of vines sprouted from the ground and blocked the arrows and water. "How cute, if you want to water pnts as part of your responsibilities to the grove that can be arranged."

  Despite being dismissed by Sakura, Alex persisted in dancing, but to no avail. Edelweiss’s attacks on the cage bars bounced off harmlessly, and the combination of arrow and water attacks only resulted in a muddy mess. None of it managed to penetrate the bird cage, and Alex couldn't even manage to dirty her opponents. The situation was grim. After approximately three minutes, Lily had exhausted her arrows, Rose had run out of water, and the song had come to an end.

  The caged fmingo remained silent but watched everything with sadness.

  In the midst of a conversation with Fufi, Merumeru's fingers danced across Alex's phone, frantically pressing buttons. Alex mented his decision not to secure his phone with a PIN but found soce in the knowledge that there was nothing compromising stored within.

  "Alex, come here at once," Sakura commanded, still seated upon her throne. "We must complete what we began. You have to understand, you were a race that gets targeted contractually by demons. If there is one thing that the evil forces want to stop at all costs it is a human reaching a high level. I’m sparing you from a life that would be filled with conflict and almost certainly cut short. "

  As Sakura's voice reached his ears, Alex's dance abruptly halted. Snapping back to reality, he swiftly took two steps towards the dryad.

  Merumeru, her gaze fixed on Alex, scowled at the phone. It was as if she intended to intimidate the apple nymph’s device through the sheer force of her stare.

  The dance had concluded, leaving the dolls limp and lifeless, colpsing to the ground.

  Unable to resist Sakura's allure, Alex walked past the damp vine wall and knelt before her.

  "Let's release those painful memories, Alex, so you can embrace your new life." Sakura gently brushed Alex's leafy hair with her tree-like hand.

  Alex tightly shut his eyes, hoping to block out any potential pain.

  Suddenly, a ringing sound emanated from Alex's phone. Fufi and Merumeru had somehow managed to make a phone call and switch it to speakerphone.

  "Hello, is this Alex? It's Luna speaking. Have you finally made the decision to live as a girl?" The voice on the other end of the phone sounded familiar, yet Alex couldn't quite pce it. Who was this Luna, and what did she know about Alex's inner struggles?

  "Meeeee Ru ru ru ru ru! Me mee ru. Me!" Merumeru shouted into the phone.

  With a tilt of her leafy head, Kaide's curiosity piqued. "What in the world did that slime just utter? And who is she addressing through that rectangur, dark object?"

  Sakura focused on working her magic through Alex’s mind and didn't respond.

  "What?! A magical girl is doing what to Alex?!" Luna's voice shouted through the phone.

  Fumi and Fufi both winced in unison. The goddess on the other side of the line sounded pissed.

  Fumi pleaded with Sakura, fpping her wings behind the wooden bars, "Sakura, we are not trying to survive the demon invasion anymore. Please reconsider this. Not every human is going to end up captured by the demon army anymore. The demons are more focused on cultivating right now instead of battling. Magical girls are supposed to be friends. This is not friendship."

  Ignoring her familiar, the dryad stood up. "That talking tile is a distraction," she muttered. With a snap of her fingers, a root shot out from the ground, striking the phone and shattering it into pieces. Bits of electronics flew in all directions, but Sakura's eyes remained locked with Alex's, glowing green with magic.

  Moments ter, the fragments of the phone defied gravity, levitating off the ground. They converged in the sky, forming a rapidly spinning circle. Within this ethereal ring, reality distorted, and Luna emerged, gracefully stepping through. Delicate flower petals trailed her, adding an ethereal touch to the scene. Suspended in the air, Luna appeared as radiant as ever, adorned in a pristine white robe. A halo hovered above her head, radiating a soft, celestial light that illuminated the surrounding area.

  Luna fshed a predatory smile. She pointed at Sakura and Fumi. "You two are in trouble."

  Alex finally was able to look away along with everyone else to regard the newcomer. "Who is that?" The apple nymph magical girl sounded confused.

  Luna's smile grew wider and she narrowed her eyes, "A lot of trouble."

  Sakura stood up and asked Fumi, "Who is that?"

  Fumi stammered for several seconds before she answered, "Ummm, that is goddess Luna. I told you about her when we made our contract. For her to show up in person means we are in big trouble."

  The dryad's eyes widened. "Why is this the first time I've met her then?"

  "I umm.... well... we are not supposed to make contracts with nature spirits because they tend to not understand things like empathy and friendship. I've been hiding the fact from her." Fumi said, ashamed.

  Luna gave the fmingo a judging look. "Everyone thought you were dead Fumi. The st we heard from you was when you set out during the demon invasion. And now you are here betraying what it means to be a magical girl, breaking the contract."

  Sakura sounded confused, "But everything we've done is to complete the quest. I don't understand why you would be upset with us."

  Luna looked to the dryad then back to Fumi. "This is why we teach the young familiars not to make contracts with spirits."

  Fumi bowed her head, pleading, "Please spare Sakura. She may not be the ideal magical girl, but she saved my life."

  Luna folded her arms, questioning, "I fail to comprehend how saving a single life justifies abandoning love and justice."

  Fumi turned to her goddess, desperation in her voice. "Sakura doesn't grasp the concept fully. She's a spirit."

  Luna's tone was firm as she responded, "Spirit, human, elf, or dwarf, it matters not. When one forms a contract with one of my heralds, they become subject to the standards of a magical girl. And I, as the goddess, judge those who believe the ends justify the means."

  "We are saving these lost sheep. The demon queen's army took anyone they wanted from the town and now it is a ruin. Becoming nymphs to heal the nds is a better fate than starving out in the wastends or worse being turned into a succubus's thrall." Sakura tried to defend herself, digging herself into a deeper pit with her defiance.

  Luna gave a disapproving shake of her head. "You should have already known this, Fumi. You did a poor job of teaching Sakura. And Sakura, taking away people's memories and free will is a debt you must atone for."

  Fumi swallowed hard.

  "They are safer without it." The dryad asked, still not understanding.

  With a frown, Luna expressed, "Your inability to value what others hold dear hinders your capacity to find genuine love or forge meaningful friendships. Empathy is crucial in fostering such connections." Luna approached Sakura and gently pced her hands on her shoulders, saying, "It is time for you to compensate for your actions. By breaking Fumi's trust, you have vioted our contract." Luna's voice took on an ominous tone as she concluded, "Additionally, Fumi requires atonement for allowing us to believe she had perished."

  Sakura froze and her eyes became wide with fear. When Luna touched her, the reality of the situation finally sunk in.

  Luna leaned closer until their lips were nearly touching, she whispered softly but clearly, "Give them back their memories and free them from your curse."

  Sakura's eyes gzed over, "Yes...." she said in a mechanical voice, falling for a very simir power that she had just used on Alex. Her face contorted with the wave of emotions flooding into her.

  "Nope, not a word out of your mouth. Take this time and let this feeling sink in. It is how you made them feel." Luna turned Sakura's head and made her watch the unfolding scene.

  All of the nymphs staggered, their minds flooding with stolen memories.

  A disconcerted Kaide fell to her knees, "I... I was a farm boy named Kyle. My parents, I oh no...I'm so sorry Martha. I'm sorry Alex. I know now what I did was incredibly cruel. I even tricked my own family."

  Emerging from nowhere, Luna produced a picnic basket. She untched it, revealing ftbread and a jar adorned with a ribbon. With a deft motion, she unscrewed the jar's lid and spread some hummus onto the ftbread. Folding it in half, she offered it to Alex. "Partake in this hummus, Alex," she said, "It has the power to reignite your humanity. But only if you have not forgotten the essence of being human. With time, its efficacy diminishes."

  Alex accepted the food and took a bite. Who would have thought hummus could turn someone back into a human? The apple nymph ate the rest of the food in a few bites. A few moments ter he transformed back into a human male. Though male was putting it generously. Yes, there was something swinging between his legs again but his build felt very simir to before. He had a svelte silhouette, long hair with green streaks. He'd have to check for the rest of the changes ter but he likely had come to look like a trap.

  "Oh, no! She broke my cell phone!" Alex uttered, quickly covering his mouth. His voice remained unaltered, resembling that of a girl rather than a boy.

  "Don't worry, we can fix it. Sakura owes you a new phone anyway. How dare she cut off that adorable slime girl's call? So rude!" Luna snapped her fingers, and the shattered pieces of the phone magically flew back together. Reaching into a basket, she pulled out heart and star stickers, which she pced on the back of the phone. Finally, she attached a magical girl charm to a corner of the phone with a thread. "There, that should be much better," she decred.

  As Luna rummaged through her picnic basket, she pulled out several vibrant wooden letter blocks, preparing Sakura's divine punishment.

  Alex, puzzled by the presence of toddler toys in Luna's basket, tried not to delve too deeply into the matter.

  Luna tossed the blocks into the air, sending them spinning rapidly above Sakura's prone figure. The letters were initially indistinguishable, but as they slowed down, the first letter became apparent: 'B'. Gradually, the remaining letters formed a word.

  A puff of smoke enveloped Sakura, and when it cleared, a baby dryad stood in her pce. The word 'Babality' was spelled out by the blocks, and a deep, ominous voice reverberated through the grove: "Babality!"

  "Let the punishment fit the crime. I'll hang on to these memories. That should be okay right? You did the same to others." Luna looked at the baby.

  With a piercing cry, Baby Sakura's wails of "Waaaaaa" echoed through the air.

  melchi