Chapter 129: Minor Side Effects
The bodies of those magical beasts are very hard, but the actual threat they pose to the magical girls is not as great as one might think.
At first, when everyone saw the data on these magical beasts, with their hard shells and huge bodies, it was clear they seemed tough to deal with, right?
However, after fighting a few times, the magical girls discovered that these magical beasts were not as strong as they had imagined.
Or rather, these creatures were just big dumb brutes, easily toyed with by the magical girls.
These magical beasts were like activated spaceships, attacking either with the cannon ports on their bodies or by running into things with their hard bodies.
These tactics were extremely effective against the fairy fleet, which had no magical girl protection and could not use magical power. The best attacks from the fairies landed on the beasts’ shells, leaving not even a scratch.
Once this was realized, the royal-class magical beast probably got stuck in a rut, turning its entire army into this kind of creature.
Then, the army, which was used to bullying weak opponents, faced magical girls of the same rank, and the difference was like heaven and earth compared to the fairy fleet.
The magical cannons and armor designed to counter the fleet turned out to be ineffective against the magical girls.
The shells, which could easily defend against fairy attacks, became just slightly harder in front of the magical girls, and with a few more shots, they could be smashed to pieces.
Regarding agility, the magical beasts could indeed plunge into the Ocean of Magical Power for supersonic flight, but during that flight, they were unable to affect the outside world and could be forced out of the ocean by the defenses set up by the Blooming Level Magical Girls.
Yes, to prevent the magical beasts from directly using the Ocean of Magical Power to sneak across, the Blooming Level Magical Girls each used their abilities to protect the outskirts of their home planet. If those magical beasts tried to rush through the Ocean of Magical Power, the result could only be complete annihilation.
“What a pity that the interference doesn’t distinguish between friend and foe; my teleportation has been sealed,” Luo Shuangyue sighed softly.
Such extensive effects naturally could not have friendly forces exempted from them—no one could enter the Ocean of Magical Power in that area.
This included Luo Shuangyue herself.
So for the past few days, Luo Shuangyue had chosen to charge out of this area directly to battle magical beasts in slightly more open spaces.
It wasn’t as easy for the magical beasts to enter the Ocean of Magical Power as it was for her; they needed at least a minute to fully transform their forms, while Luo Shuangyue only needed an instant.
“Your battle record these days has become the most luxurious in our entire base; you’re really becoming a big celebrity now.”
Whenever the other magical girls worked together to deal with the slightly tough magical beasts, they would look up and always see a butterfly-like magical girl wielding a scythe, kicking the magical beasts around like balls. This direct comparison undoubtedly enhanced Luo Shuangyue’s image among everyone.
Although Miss Dark Butterfly appeared cold and not very approachable, she truly was powerful, looking so stylish and beautiful during battles!
Previously, most magical girls had only heard the name Dark Butterfly and knew she had discovered something, but because they had never seen her in reality, they didn’t have much of a tangible feeling about her existence.
It was like hearing on TV that a certain scientist had discovered some new material; they saw it, knew it, and then it was gone.
Now Dark Butterfly was right beside them, and they could see her set out on missions with them every day. This considerably closed the distance and finally helped them realize what kind of entity Dark Butterfly was.
“Yeah, some girls have started finding reasons to talk to me. Sigh,” Luo Shuangyue said, folding her hands on her stomach and sighing again.
Even in such a tense atmosphere at the base, some girls had opened their hearts to her.
After all, Dark Butterfly was such a powerful and cool magical girl, it was completely normal for someone to like her.
“Are you enjoying it?” Xia Mo narrowed her eyes.
Upon hearing the trace of jealousy in Xia Mo’s voice, Luo Shuangyue immediately began to profess her loyalty.
Heaven knows, she was wholeheartedly dedicated to Xia Mo and had never thought of looking for new love!
Moreover, those girls throwing themselves at her couldn’t compare to Xia Mo’s beauty or gentleness; the best girl in the world was already by her side, and she would be silly to think of seeking someone new.
“No! I just find it annoying!” Luo Shuangyue defended loudly.
“Then you should tell them what our relationship is,” Xia Mo said as she patted Luo Shuangyue’s hair.
She felt that it was time to assert her ownership over Luo Shuangyue, to prevent those overly enthusiastic girls from flocking around her.
She wanted those wandering cats to know that Dark Butterfly was a cherished flower with an owner, not a wildflower by the roadside that anyone could pick.
“Eh? Can I?”
Downplaying her relationship with Xia Mo and not overly displaying their intimacy had been Luo Shuangyue’s idea before; she felt her identity on the lunar base was somewhat awkward, and she would feel guilty if this caused any trouble for Xia Mo.
Therefore, they had always maintained a friendly relationship in public, with only those who were closer to them knowing their true relationship.
And those who knew had been asked by Luo Shuangyue to keep quiet about it.
This included Fei Yue and Fei Hongzhi, the sister pair who were very grateful to Xia Mo for helping them repair their relationship and had no problem keeping secrets for Xia Mo and Luo Shuangyue.
Even Fei Hongzhi gave Xia Mo a very understanding look, saying she had a senior who also concealed her romantic relationship.
Well, one could only say that the probability of sparks flying between magical girls was indeed quite high.
“Of course! Now that you have become a big star, I doubt anyone would look down on you.”
Now Luo Shuangyue was a big celebrity on the lunar base; who would dare to say otherwise?
In terms of looks, she was definitely in the top tier, in terms of strength, she could defeat ten of the geniuses from headquarters, and in terms of battle records, she was far ahead.
Even the magical girls from headquarters had to pinch their noses and admit that Dark Butterfly was indeed powerful, more so than them.
As for her somewhat cold personality, it was beautified in everyone’s eyes and seen as her noble character focused solely on fighting magical beasts, lacking energy for socializing.
One could say that sometimes, your flaws could be beautified; Luo Shuangyue was being beautified like this now.
Her display of coldness was just to maintain Dark Butterfly’s persona; she needed this cold mask.
“Alright, then I’ll tell others tomorrow that you and I are actually lovers…”
Before Luo Shuangyue could finish her sentence, the dormitory front door creaked open, and Luo Shuangxing, looking exhausted, walked in.
She first glanced at her two elder sisters cuddling on the bed, then without saying a word, lay down on her own bed and fell straight asleep.
If anyone was more tired than the magical girls fighting on the front lines, it was undoubtedly Luo Shuangxing.
The magical girls fighting may not push their magical power to the limit, but Luo Shuangxing had to exhaust her magic every day to create sealing cards, until she drained every last bit of magical power from her body.
These days, when she returned, she could hardly maintain her transformed state; as soon as she got back to the dormitory, she just collapsed into bed, without any extra exchange with Luo Shuangyue.
Besides the unspoken understanding when helping the Fei Yue sisters, the two maintained their individual identities; Luo Shuangyue was still Dark Butterfly, and Luo Shuangxing was still Linglan.
Well, at that time, they didn’t say they were sisters; their words didn’t specify a target, did they?
Why did it sound so much like it was? Who knows, perhaps they just had a tacit understanding.
…Forget it, it really can’t be fixed; after all, they were just focused on helping the Fei Yue sisters improve their relationship at that time, and once that matter was over, the two completely forgot about it like roles in a unit drama.
Did we ever admit we were sisters? Not at all!
Linglan and Dark Butterfly were bitter enemies, not sisters.
“When do you plan to formally confess to her?”
“After this crisis ends, there’s really no need to hide any longer.”
In fact, the Luo siblings were already in a half-revealed state; what was missing was Luo Shuangyue’s active confession.
One could imagine that Luo Shuangxing was waiting for Luo Shuangyue to take the initiative to clarify the truth, then using that as an excuse to put pressure on Luo Shuangyue.
But this was originally Luo Shuangyue’s own responsibility, so it was normal for her to bear it.
“Why does it feel like you’re raising a flag?” Xia Mo pinched Luo Shuangyue’s cheek, her voice carrying a hint of worry.
When Luo Shuangyue said that, her heart suddenly skipped a beat.
This feeling made her a little scared.
“Don’t worry, what could go wrong? Don’t forget I have an ultimate invincible trump card in my hand!” Luo Shuangyue winked at Xia Mo, reminding her that she was not just as powerful as she appeared.
Dark Butterfly was very strong among the Initial Bloom ranks, and that was only the tip of her strength.
She still had Bai Ye’s power; as long as that trump card was in her possession, Luo Shuangyue could act fearless.
If royal-class magical beasts dared to come, she would dare to pull out her card and turn them into pig heads.
“Don’t be careless.” Xia Mo tightened her grip on Luo Shuangyue’s fingers.
“Okay, I will be careful; I will definitely live until I can reveal my identity to Shuangxing!”
“Just living a short time won’t do; you need to live until we grow old together.” Xia Mo blocked Luo Shuangyue’s mouth with her finger.
She certainly knew Luo Shuangyue had just said that casually, but she still felt uneasy, as if Luo Shuangyue would die immediately after confessing to Shuangxing.
So, she needed Luo Shuangyue to make a promise.
Until they both grew old together, she must not die!
“Magical girls seem not to grow old.”
“Then we’ll just live forever and ever; do you think you’ll get tired of me in the future?”
“Of course not, Xia Mo, you are the best girl; how could I ever get tired of you?” Luo Shuangyue hugged Xia Mo’s waist tightly, took a deep breath, and said earnestly, “I will love you until the end of my life. If my life is endless, then we will love each other until the universe fades away.”
“…Smooth talker.” Xia Mo snorted lightly and pushed Luo Shuangyue down beneath her.
Although smooth talker, she loved hearing such words.
…
“After the transformation, achieving pinnacle Initial Bloom strength, huh? That’s a significant advancement this time,” the magical girl who had contacted Monise said with a complex tone, placing the materials on her desk.
Opposite her sat Monise, who wore an indifferent expression.
However, upon closer inspection, you could still catch a glimpse of a faint hint of happiness and confidence on Monise’s face.
Was there a little feeling of retribution for old grievances?
The ones who once drove her away and scoffed at her research were now anxiously requesting her help; this contrast was oddly satisfying.
Monise was still a magical girl, not a completely soulless cold-blooded creature. At this moment, she felt a long-lost emotion bubbling up in her heart, named joy.
“The materials used on Jiuye are quite precious, which is why she was able to be raised to such strength. If ordinary materials were used, at most, it would only allow an ordinary person to gain strength slightly weaker than that of soldier-class magical beasts,” Monise said with a stern face, suppressing the uncontrollable smile that wanted to rise.
Slightly weaker than soldier-class magical beasts as transformed persons?
That isn’t a huge enhancement for the frontlines, but it significantly bolsters the rear.
Moreover, the Magic Department has some stockpiles; urgently transforming a batch of transformed persons with strength similar to Jiuye’s isn’t a problem.
This is akin to suddenly gaining many pinnacle Initial Bloom magical girls, which is enough to ease the pressure on the struggling Magic Department.
“Oh, by the way, I should remind you that to make the transformations closer to the girls, it’s best to conduct deep transformations on girls in this age range.”
“As for the most basic transformations, the requirements for the subjects are not so strict, but there might be some unexpected side effects.”
As the one providing the technology, Monise earnestly shared her warnings to avoid being blamed later.
“What side effects? Didn’t you say those transformed using this method wouldn’t be affected by the consciousness of the magical beasts?”
“It’s not about the consciousness of the magical beasts, but… you know about the sex reassignment surgery based on magic that was developed in Eastern Extreme City a few months ago, right?”
“I know a little, but it lacks practicality, so I didn’t pay much attention.”
“That technology is also a type of transformation surgery, and my current method of transformation has some minor similarities to that technology,” Monise paused, meeting the gradually peculiar gaze of the other party, and stated firmly, “Males who undergo my transformation surgery might not necessarily remain male after the surgery.”