Chapter 100: Bad News and Bad News
“Hmm?!”
As soon as these words left her mouth, things took a turn for the worse. Akabane Enji and Lin Xixuan entered their transformation states almost simultaneously, looking as if they were ready to slice Luo Shuangyue into pieces.
Especially Akabane Enji, whose nearly two-meter-long big sword was almost resting on Luo Shuangyue’s neck.
“Calm down!” Luo Shuangyue quickly raised both hands. If this misunderstanding wasn’t resolved quickly, she feared she would be done for right here.
Akabane Enji observed Luo Shuangyue with a probing gaze for a long time.
After a minute of deep thought, she sheathed her sword.
“You shouldn’t be that Royal-class magical creature. It’s not that foolish,” Akabane Enji said.
Luo Shuangyue’s earlier actions were simply too abstract. If she truly were that Royal-class magical creature, why would she ask the magic spirit questions? And why ask that question in the end?
Surely, she didn’t mean to flaunt her identity to the people around her?
“But we still need an explanation. Why did she say you’re her master?”
“I can explain that. You all know that Royal-class magical creature died in our Xinghai City, right…”
Luo Shuangyue succinctly explained her current situation, summarizing that she had eaten something unsanitary, resulting in some unclean scents on her body. It was likely that this scent led the Royal-class creature’s underlings to mistake her for the creature itself.
Xia Mo also produced Longwen’s endorsement to corroborate Luo Shuangyue’s explanation. With such a powerful senior’s backing, the credibility of Luo Shuangyue’s explanation rose significantly.
At least it was enough to convince Akabane Enji and the others.
“I can’t believe something like this happened. What were you thinking, to dare eat something like that…” Xie Jingci muttered, stroking her chin.
“I didn’t choose to eat it! The moment I touched it, it melted into my body! What could I do?!” Luo Shuangyue protested, stamping her feet.
Standing next to Luo Shuangyue, Xia Mo observed this scene with a strange expression.
She wondered if Luo Shuangyue had realized that the actions she had just taken were exceedingly girlish, making it hard to imagine that this was a person who usually insisted on being male.
Moreover, during those actions, Luo Shuangyue was acting reflexively and hadn’t even thought that something was wrong.
Very strange, too strange.
“Ahem, anyway, as long as Miss Die asks questions, the magic spirit will answer, right? Let’s not dwell on this, we need to clarify things quickly!” Lin Xixuan forcefully steered the conversation back on track.
“Oh, then I’ll continue asking…”
Ten minutes later, the five of them were gathered around a large round table, staring at an unpowered phone on the table.
A few seconds later, Xie Jingci was the first to speak, “Do magical creatures possess some unique technology that allows them to make phone calls with dead phones?”
This phone had been dead for quite some time; it seemed like it had never been charged and had never served any purpose other than to be a brick for hitting people.
Yet the magic spirit claimed that its commands were transmitted through the phone.
If the phones were broken, how could they receive messages?
“Then she’s deceiving us,” Akabane Enji frowned.
“Considering her mental state and the instrument’s readings, there’s no sign of lying,” Lin Xixuan shook her head.
The magic spirit’s life signs were consistently stable, stable like a straight line.
As for her mental state, it was a stagnant pool with neither hatred for her nemesis nor fear of death after being captured; her heart was hollow and devoid of anything.
Like a doll, a moving doll.
“Don’t look at me; I don’t know anything. I just arrived in your Eastern Extreme City yesterday,” Luo Shuangyue quickly stated, urging them not to expect her to decipher anything.
She wasn’t clever at all and had no talent for detective work.
“We should go into the city and see if there’s anywhere we can help,” Luo Shuangyue suggested, feeling she could slip away.
Let these professionals handle these mind-boggling matters; all she needed to do was fight.
“Wait!” Akabane Enji interrupted. “While we’re willing to believe you aren’t that Royal-class magical creature, we still need to be cautious.”
Currently, there were some very sensitive things about Luo Shuangyue, and it was better to take precautions now that they were aware of them. As the leader of the Eastern Extreme City Magic Department, Akabane Enji could not take no action.
She turned and walked to a nearby storage cabinet, retrieving a high-tech-looking small box.
Opening the box revealed a bright silver object similar to a wristband.
“This is a tracking wristband; it can monitor your body parameters and location in real time and can briefly restrict your movements in urgent situations.” Handing the wristband to Luo Shuangyue, Akabane Enji explained its function.
“Miss Die, you can choose to wear this wristband when you go outside or stay here and act with us; I will not force you.”
Luo Shuangyue accepted the wristband, curiously examining it, noting she hadn’t seen anything like this in Xinghai City.
As for what Akabane Enji had said, she hadn’t really taken it to heart. She had nothing to feel guilty about, so what was the problem with wearing the wristband?
After all, she was clearly in a problematic state, and even she didn’t dare to guarantee there wouldn’t be issues with herself. It was quite good to have some insurance.
Without hesitation, she put the wristband on her right wrist and noticed it gradually tightening, even changing to a color somewhat similar to her gloves, prompting her to exclaim, “High-tech, huh.”
Seeing this, Akabane Enji showed an expression of surprise. When she had asked others to wear this before, they had often responded with strong resistance. Yet, this time, Miss Die was surprisingly compliant.
Had magical girls become so compliant nowadays?
“Put it on; let’s head out.” Luo Shuangyue showed Akabane Enji the wristband on her wrist.
“Hmm, I’ve already sent the mission location to your phones, but don’t act rashly for now. As long as the magical creatures aren’t causing disturbances in the city, just monitor them,” Akabane Enji reminded once more.
After Luo Shuangyue and Xia Mo left, Lin Xixuan shot an incredulous look at Akabane Enji.
“You’re just letting her go? That’s not like you.”
“Her eyes are clean, and I’m willing to trust her. Now, let’s stop with the nonsense; we have troubles to address.”
……
Today’s Eastern Extreme City was eerily quiet.
Due to a massive number of magical creature phantoms, the city’s residents had temporarily entered a refuge state, leaving the empty streets solely occupied by Magic Department staff and ghostly magical creatures.
Standing atop the tallest building in her assigned area, Luo Shuangyue gazed at the darkened streets, feeling a slight unease.
She couldn’t pinpoint why she felt this way; she simply felt a deep-seated aversion to the scene before her, and her magical power seemed to be growing more agitated due to these entities.
From Xia Mo’s perspective, it appeared as though a faint black film clung to Luo Shuangyue, which was constantly protruding outward in spikes. After a few seconds, these spikes would retract and reappear in another place.
Overall, it resembled a prickly ball, making it impossible for anyone to approach.
“I remember there’s a term in Eastern Extreme City called ‘Yokai Procession’; this scene seems to perfectly fit that description,” Luo Shuangyue sighed and rubbed her forehead, trying to make small talk.
There was nothing much to do when standing on the rooftop staring at these seemingly mindless magical creatures—she would rather they materialize and attack her; at least that would be somewhat interesting.
“It’s indeed a Yokai Procession. But where’s the grand mage capable of dealing with such an occurrence?” Xia Mo said, gently swinging her feet while sitting on a floating cannon.
The only one in Eastern Extreme City who could carry the title of grand mage was probably the Soul Guide, but she had now vanished.
As dusk approached, it wouldn’t be long before the Soul Guide vanished for an entire day.
What could possibly cause a Blooming Level Magical Girl to be missing for a day? Surely, there couldn’t be another Royal-class magical creature?
If so, Eastern Extreme City was incredibly unlucky; not only was a previously rare Royal-class magical creature now present, but there seemed to be two of them, each serving one.
The sun slowly dipped, casting a blood-red glow over the city shrouded in black mist, transforming it into a ghostly town.
In the Eastern District’s tale, this moment was referred to as “the Time of Encountering Demons,” when the light was dim, and the boundary between realms became fragile, increasing the chances of supernatural occurrences.
But, ultimately, it was just a story.
Right?
Click!
A sound resembling glass shattering rang in Luo Shuangyue’s ears.
“What was that noise?” She turned her gaze toward the sound’s direction, where the originally smooth space now appeared as shattered tempered glass, riddled with cracks.
Black mist and purple light seeped slowly from those cracks.
Something felt… off?
The floating cannon behind Xia Mo had silently aimed at the area of the abnormal space while Luo Shuangyue gripped her scythe tightly, ready to confront whatever battle might come.
Boom! Boom! Bang!
After three consecutive loud bangs, the fragile space finally collapsed, and a girl dressed in deep purple shrine maiden robes was forcefully thrown out from the breach.
She carried a somewhat weak aura but exuded the unique presence of a Blooming Level Magical Girl.
The black mist that pursued her from the crack seemed to want to continue attacking the girl, but as soon as it left the spatial breach, it was shredded and purified by the purple sword light.
They seemed ill-suited for the outside world.
Upon realizing this, the black mist recoiled, slowly patching the broken space, much like closing its own front door.
“That must be the Soul Guide, right?” Observing the magical girl above, Luo Shuangyue immediately identified her.
Blooming Level, purple, wielding a sword—everything matched Longwen’s description perfectly; it had to be the Soul Guide.
“Yeah, that should be Senior Soul Guide,” Xia Mo nodded and then loudly called out to the Soul Guide, “Senior Soul Guide, is that you!”
Xia Mo’s shout attracted the Soul Guide’s attention. The tired-looking girl glanced down at her two juniors on the rooftop, sheathed her blade, and landed before them.
“You are…” She looked at Xia Mo and then at Luo Shuangyue, her eyes showing a hint of confusion.
She knew every magical girl in Eastern Extreme City but didn’t recognize these two.
Had they come from elsewhere?
The black-purple girl held a turbulent magical power that she seemed unable to control, and the girl’s appearance reminded the Soul Guide of someone she once knew.
“I’m Rosemary, and this is Dark Butterfly. We came from Xinghai City,” Xia Mo succinctly introduced herself. “Senior, why did you come out from there, and what were you fighting?”
Now, Xia Mo didn’t have the time to inform the Soul Guide that she had come to help Luo Shuangyue; clearly, there was a more pressing matter at hand.
The creature from that space had been strong enough to injure the Soul Guide, which likely meant it was at least Royal-class.
“Last night, a friend of mine called and told me he discovered some strange things and wanted me to take a look. After I arrived, I searched all the way to the place where that magical creature was hiding,” the Soul Guide exhaled a heavy sigh, a slight embarrassment crossing her face.
She had initially thought her strength was enough to defeat the creature but was shocked by its actual power; even in that strange space, she was no match for it.
If not for the thinning boundary between the two realms during the Time of Encountering Demons, she might have been dragged to death by it.
“Moreover, this magical creature isn’t in its complete form; it is still in the process of incubation. If I were to name it, I would call it the Vengeful Spirit Demon Emperor.”
Yes, this magical creature had yet to be fully nurtured; while powerful, it was not a completed being.
Its active area was currently confined to its small space; once it reached the outside world, its power would drop to a level between King-class and Royal-class.
“Then what about these countless magical creature phantoms all over the city…” Luo Shuangyue’s mouth twitched, so there really was a Royal-class creature after all?
“It’s a projection of its power. It intends to transform this land to allow itself to walk freely here.” The Soul Guide nodded seriously, “Someone has been continuously nurturing it, but not long ago, that support was cut off, causing its instincts to seek new sources of power.”
After battling that creature for an entire day, the Soul Guide had gained considerable insight into the magical creature’s nature and the secrets behind it.
The situation was actually quite simple; the previous Royal-class magical creature had been attempting to create a companion. Now, this Vengeful Spirit Demon Emperor was that creature.
…
As everyone knows, the commotion following the emergence of a Royal-class magical creature is immense, making it impossible to conceal through normal means.
Thus, if that Royal-class creature wasn’t behaving normally, then it could indeed blend into the chaotic backdrop.
So, the Royal-class magical creature commenced its actions, employing an unknown method to carve out a space for itself, placing the Vengeful Spirit Demon Emperor’s embryo within it.
It had taken a long time to gather the primordial magical powers of nearby deceased magical creatures and would compress this power into the Vengeful Spirit Demon Emperor’s body. By employing this somewhat crafty approach, it successfully created a half-finished product.
Had its plan proceeded smoothly, perhaps a Royal-class magical creature would indeed have quietly been born into this world.
However, regrettably, this Royal-class creature’s existence was exposed by a minor incident from a thousand miles away.
Its underlings had been dispatched to collect Bai Ye’s Sealing Cards while using Royal-class magical energy; not only did they fail to complete the mission, but they also drew the attention of the Magic Department, which traced back to locate its position.
Consequently, its creation plan was abruptly interrupted; it was forced to leave Eastern Extreme City, ultimately perishing in Xinghai City.
The incomplete demon emperor abandoned in Eastern Extreme City would not vanish simply because of its death. Now, this half-finished product possessed enough power to hunt on its own and gradually complete its strength.
But the Royal-class creature had failed to teach it one incredibly important lesson: that in this era, it was better for magical creatures to keep a low profile.
“It is hungry now and eagerly wants to break free from that small space, and I previously destroyed the space here. So it’s highly likely to choose this location to enter the real world.” The Soul Guide tapped the electronic map twice as she spoke to the magical girls gathered in the meeting room.
All Blooming Level magical girls and those above in Eastern Extreme City were currently seated in the meeting room, listening to the Soul Guide detail matters related to the Vengeful Spirit Demon Emperor.
Akabane Enji sat at the front, her head focused on typing on her phone. After the Soul Guide finished speaking, she finally looked up to add, “The headquarters has dispatched two Blooming Level magical girls for support, expected to arrive tonight.”
She then turned her gaze toward the Soul Guide on stage, her eyes flashing with complex emotions as she asked, “Senior Soul Guide, when do you think that creature will break through the space?”
“Following the current progress, it will break out by tomorrow morning at the latest. At the same time, the magical creature phantoms you are witnessing will transform into real magical creatures.” The Soul Guide’s expression was solemn; this incident was more serious than the last hunt for the Royal-class creature.
The last time, it was an action by the Magic Department, and she hadn’t even participated.
But this time, she couldn’t remain uninvolved.
The Vengeful Spirit Demon Emperor could potentially be dealt with by Blooming Level magical girls, but those magical creatures sprawling across the city were the real problem.
If they went on a rampage through Eastern Extreme City, the aftermath would certainly cause turmoil among the higher-ups of the Magic Department.
“The upcoming battle will be arduous for all of you; the safety of Eastern Extreme City rests upon your shoulders!”
The meeting concluded without much time wasted, and the magical girls of Eastern Extreme City filed out of the meeting room in twos and threes, leaving only four people behind.
Luo Shuangyue and Xia Mo, along with Akabane Enji and the Soul Guide.
Akabane Enji gazed at the Soul Guide, silent for a moment before lowering her head and exiting the meeting room.
“It seems there’s a bit of complexity in their relationship?” Luo Shuangyue quietly remarked to Xia Mo.
She had initially thought that Akabane Enji, who had rushed to the Purification Palace to seek out the Soul Guide for help, would be behaving quite graciously now. Instead, it felt as if Akabane Enji was sulking like a little girl in conflict with her mother.
When Akabane Enji visited the Purification Palace, did she also engage in such silent exchanges with the Soul Guide? No words spoken, relying entirely on silent glances?
“I believe you are called Dark Butterfly? Did Longwen send you to find me?” the Soul Guide approached Luo Shuangyue and inquired.
The urgency of the situation previously didn’t allow her to pay attention to Luo Shuangyue. Now that everything that needed to be said had been addressed and arranged, she finally had the time to meet with this junior sent by an old friend.
“She messaged me saying you had ingested something dirty. There aren’t many things she would call dirty; I assume you ingested the primordial magical power of a magical creature, correct?”
The Soul Guide’s words struck home, and Luo Shuangyue nodded awkwardly.
But she still defended herself, “Senior, I didn’t eat it; the moment I touched those little black blocks, they melted into my body.”
She truly wasn’t a glutton; she had planned to try the tastes slowly but had no idea it would end up like this.
“Actively merging into your body? What level of primordial magical power did you consume?”
“Royal-class.”
“?” A large question mark appeared on the Soul Guide’s forehead. How could you dare to eat something like that?
How careless was Longwen; had she left residual primordial magical power behind after killing the Royal-class magical creature?
Now she finally understood why Longwen had sent Luo Shuangyue to find her; it was to check if the consciousness of the Royal-class magical creature was hidden within Luo Shuangyue’s body!
Consciousness followed primordial magical power, and now that the Royal-class magical creature’s primordial magical power had entered Luo Shuangyue’s body, what about the creature’s consciousness?
Naturally, that too had entered her body.
If things went wrong, then the recently defeated Royal-class magical creature might take root and sprout within Luo Shuangyue’s body, reviving once again.
“You need to come with me immediately. There’s still time before the battle starts. Let me check whether the consciousness of that magical creature is present in your body or not.”
“Okay…”
Luo Shuangyue, like Akabane Enji, lowered her head; whenever the Soul Guide became serious, there was an imposing authority reminiscent of that of a elder, while Luo Shuangyue was precisely the child who had made a mistake.
It would be strange if she could keep her head up in shame; her skin wasn’t thick enough for that.
Following the Soul Guide into a nearby empty room, Luo Shuangyue saw the Soul Guide draw a long blade from her waist, aiming it at her.
“Even though Senior has ingested something bad, you aren’t really going to chop her, right?” Xia Mo quickly ran in front of Luo Shuangyue, spreading her arms to shield her.
After all, the scene was very intimidating, and she was genuinely afraid that the Soul Guide would strike Luo Shuangyue down with one swing.
“I’m not being unreasonable. This blade is meant for spirit slaying, not for human slaying. If you don’t believe me, you can take a look.” The Soul Guide gave a gentle smile; the sword in her hand wasn’t actually sharpened, and hitting someone with it would only cause a brief sting.
Having confirmed that the Soul Guide wasn’t planning to cut Luo Shuangyue down outright, Xia Mo cautiously stepped aside.
The Soul Guide lifted the blade once more and spoke to Luo Shuangyue, “Are you ready?”
“Ready!” Luo Shuangyue nodded.
Snap!
A flash of purple light swept before her eyes, and Luo Shuangyue felt a sudden darkness before her vision returned, revealing a girl with black eyes beside her.
The girl sat on the pitch-black floor like a sculpture, her eyes void of white or pupils, merely a deep pool of black emptiness.
Even with someone beside her, she did not react at all, not even turning her head.
Luo Shuangyue recalled the Soul Guide’s words before the blade swung; if nothing else appeared after being struck, it meant everything within her body was normal.
If something did appear, oh well, that would be quite problematic.
Now, Luo Shuangyue had undoubtedly encountered the most critical issue.
Because she recognized the girl—she was the Royal-class magical creature that had tried to kill her!
This creature’s consciousness truly resided within her body!
However… the creature’s mental state seemed to have a slight issue? Luo Shuangyue waved her hand before the magical creature, but it showed no reaction.
Then she pushed the creature’s shoulder, and still, there was no response.
Finally, she began tugging at the creature’s hair and face, prompting the creature to react.
“Are you done making a scene?” The magical creature snatched its hair back from Luo Shuangyue, glaring at her with a fierce expression.
In that moment, Luo Shuangyue’s first reaction was that this magical creature was surprisingly quite humanized.
“Ahem, how about we negotiate? Can you leave my body?” Aware that the magical creature could converse, Luo Shuangyue hastily sat down opposite it, presenting a case with logic and emotion.
You’re already a dead magical creature; would it not be better to be cleanly dead instead of lingering in my body?
There’s no need for that!
Life is miserable; it would be better for you to die early, right? Perhaps you might even end up reincarnating as a magical girl in your next life!
“I can’t get out,” the magical creature closed her eyes, looking forlorn.
“What do you mean you can’t get out? You can extract your primordial magical power and leave, right?”
Mentioning primordial magical power made the magical creature’s mood explode.
It shot up like a leopard, pouncing on Luo Shuangyue, raising its fist to slam into her face.
As it struck, it shouted in rage, “How dare you mention that, you thief!”
The magical creature’s fist hit Luo Shuangyue’s face, but she felt no pain, only the sensation of a gentle breeze brushing against her cheeks.
“Do you want me to let you go? Alright, then have that thing above your head spit out my primordial magical power!”
The magical creature pointed at the sky, gritting its teeth.
At this moment, Luo Shuangyue realized there was not just herself and the magical creature within this space but also a massive black-purple butterfly hovering overhead.
This butterfly looked very similar to the small butterflies that Luo Shuangyue summoned, but it exuded a greater authority and power.
Currently, it was entangled in thorns, but the big butterfly showed no signs of concern as it consumed those thorns bit by bit.
It was clear that the thorns represented the power of the Royal-class magical creature. At first glance, Luo Shuangyue had thought the Royal-class magical creature was suppressing the large butterfly, but considering the Royal-class creature’s mental state, that appeared not to be the case.
“My magical power has all been consumed by it! I can’t get away!” The magical creature clutched Luo Shuangyue’s collar, despair evident in its voice.
Her magical power had fused with Luo Shuangyue’s; she would soon dissolve within her, becoming part of Luo Shuangyue’s spiritual world.
She would no longer have her independence. In fact, the reason for her current emotional turbulence was because of the ongoing assimilation.
Usually, magical creatures wouldn’t experience such intense emotional fluctuations, but now she cried, laughed, and became angry, even losing control of her feelings.
All of this indicated that she had begun to lose her distinctly magical creature identity and was becoming more akin to a living being.
She was gradually gaining humanity.
“It’s over. Everything is over. I’m a failure. Just let me rot here,” after venting her frustrations, the magical creature dejectedly released Luo Shuangyue and sat back down with her back to her.
A wave of ‘I accept my fate; let me die quickly’ gloom emanated from her, causing Luo Shuangyue to feel some sympathy.
However, a sudden thought struck her. If this magical creature seemed capable of conversation, was it possible to inquire about the Vengeful Spirit Demon Emperor?
After all, you’re about to die; isn’t it reasonable to provide me with some information before you go?
“Um, do you recall the Demon Emperor you were rearing in Eastern Extreme City?”
“Oh, it caused a commotion? Anyway, I’m already dead; no matter how much noise it makes, it’s irrelevant to me.”
“Do you know how to get rid of it?”
“Easy. You just need three Blooming Level magical girls to kill it.”
Of course, I know that three Blooming Level magical girls can defeat it! What I’m asking is if there’s any simpler way to resolve it! Luo Shuangyue shouted inwardly.
But she seemed to have forgotten that this was her inner world.
Thus, her outburst echoed through the space.
Now, Luo Shuangyue was embarrassed; the magical creature had heard her impolite thoughts, and it was likely not going to cooperate anymore.
“A simple method? There’s none! It took a great deal of effort to create such a perfect child, so why would I leave it with a weakness?” The Royal-class magical creature tilted its head and regarded Luo Shuangyue with a dangerous smile, a posture impossible for humans to achieve.
Who would leave a weakness for their carefully crafted weapon? No one would be foolish enough to do something so thankless.
“Don’t you fear it going out of control?”
“Why would I fear it? My power surpasses hers; most of her strength comes from me, so she will naturally be close to me and obey my commands.”
So, magical creatures can play the emotional card? Luo Shuangyue was dumbfounded.
“From your tone, something major has happened?”
“Very major, and I’m right at the place where the incident occurred.”
Upon hearing Luo Shuangyue’s remark, the smile on the Royal-class magical creature’s face only grew wider.
This smile gave Luo Shuangyue a very bad premonition.
“In that case, allow me to kindly remind you of one thing: when a starved child suddenly catches the scent of the person who used to feed them well, what do you think they will do?”
A drop of cold sweat trickled down Luo Shuangyue’s forehead.
What do you think they will do?
If a Royal-class magical creature was saying that, what else could it mean?
“They will happily run over to you asking for food; and if you deny them, they might just devour you whole!”
