Chapter 144: The Decision She Will Make
No matter how powerful she was, she was ultimately just an Initial Bloom Magical Girl. Before breaking through to Blooming Level, the threat she posed to this magical creature was not significant.
Of course, this does not take into account You Lian.
When she fought with the Magical Girls, she could indeed hold her ground against ten, but in this battlefield, the frontline assault tasks could only be handled by those Magical Girls.
Their fusion Magic Cannon was far stronger than Luo Shuangyue’s desperate sword swings.
Still, fighting Magical Girls felt easier for Luo Shuangyue than battling magical creatures, while other Magical Girls were more adept at fighting magical beasts.
This is what is known as specialization.
Luo Shuangyue had already pinpointed her role this time: to distract the attention of the magical creature, giving the Magical Girls a chance to launch the decisive fusion Magic Cannon.
As long as that shot could inflict enough damage on the magical creature, You Lian could rush in and devour it piece by piece!
“Has it taken the bait?” Watching the increasingly dense spikes of missiles around her, Luo Shuangyue narrowed her eyes, quickly calculating the safest escape route in her mind.
At that moment, she felt like an acrobat walking a tightrope on a cliff; even the slightest mistake would lead her to fall.
In her tightly clenched hand, a white hairpin lay quietly. If things really reached an irreversible point, then Luo Shuangyue would have no choice but to unleash this power.
However, now was not the time for that. Luo Shuangyue believed she could still trust her partners.
At least, she trusted Xia Mo.
…
“Rosemary, are you okay? Your magical power is already…”
“Don’t worry about me, I can still hold on.” Shaking her head to refuse her companion’s concern, Xia Mo extended her hands, gripping the illusory giant cannon in front of her.
A large serpent gleaming in rainbow colors coiled around the cannon, emanating destructive power.
The Magical Girls participating in the Magic Cannon’s launch were divided into four groups, standing at four positions around Xia Mo, sending their magical power into their team leader. The four leaders would then blend the magic power received from them and direct it into the energy inlet of the floating cannon in front of them.
Ultimately, this magic power converged in front of Xia Mo’s giant cannon, where it was fine-tuned and fused by Ye Lin to achieve perfect synchronization.
Only Xia Mo and Ye Lin could accomplish this. Even a Blooming Level Magical Girl positioned as they were now couldn’t do it any better.
Unlike You Lian, who already possessed immense combat power, Ye Lin’s abilities leaned more towards support and assisting from behind, somewhat mirroring Xia Mo’s personality as the leader.
Now, she felt a bit nostalgic; the self who was killed by Bai Ye back in the day was now, one day, fighting closely alongside the Magical Girls.
Life is indeed unpredictable.
“Charging has reached 80%, Xia Mo, how’s your condition?”
Unlike the self-sufficient You Lian, sustaining the cannon and Ye Lin was a heavy burden for Xia Mo. This cannon, so different from her usual floating cannon, consumed an enormous amount of energy.
Reinforcing the cannon to prevent it from exploding under the massive amount of magical power was a challenge that only Xia Mo could face alone.
“I can’t be embarrassed in front of her!” Sweat was beading on Xia Mo’s forehead, and she felt her clothes were dampened by perspiration—definitely not a good sign for a Magical Girl.
This indicated she had truly reached her limit, teetering on the brink of fainting and disarming.
Shadows kept appearing before her, and cries of unbearable pressure echoed from every part of her body, all telling her that she could not continue like this; if she did, she would truly die.
Xia Mo bit her lip hard, enough to taste iron rust.
She had to hold on, she must.
The trust of her partners, Luo Shuangyue’s faith, and everyone’s hopes were now placed upon her shoulders. For everyone, for Luo Shuangyue, she had to persevere.
Her conviction turned into power, granting Xia Mo a brief clarity; her bond power was ignited in this moment.
In a daze, all the Magical Girls saw a pale purple flower blossoming behind Xia Mo, and then a fragrant scent wafted through, causing their consciousness to drift for a moment.
In that moment, they seemed to connect with all their partners’ thoughts, as if they had become one entity, more unified and pure than the fused magical creature in the distance.
In this moment, one thought resided in their hearts: fire that shot!
“The magical power has completely fused…” Ye Lin looked in surprise at the Magical Girls behind her. At that moment, she had lost her function, as all the magical power could achieve perfect fusion without her adjustment.
Pale purple light enveloped each of the Magical Girls, making them one.
And the core of this unity was Xia Mo, whose consciousness was entirely lost in a daze.
A flood of information raced through Xia Mo’s mind, her reason had gone offline; now, she was only acting on instinct.
Like a marionette, Xia Mo raised her hand, gazing at the magical creature in the distance.
“Target confirmed, magical charge complete, awaiting optimal launch moment.” A mechanical voice reverberated from Xia Mo’s lips.
This state seemed a bit concerning; Ye Lin’s eyes flickered. But there was nothing to worry about now. At least in this state, Xia Mo would definitely be able to fire that shot.
Turning her focus back to the battlefield beyond, Ye Lin began to analyze when would be the best time to launch.
They only had this one chance to attack; if they missed, the creature would definitely not give them a second opportunity, and the Magical Girls lacked sufficient magical power to fire another fusion Magic Cannon.
Timing was crucial; they had to strike at the creature’s moment of greatest weakness.
This required Luo Shuangyue’s active cooperation from the other side.
But how could she let Luo Shuangyue know about their situation?
While Ye Lin was puzzled, Xia Mo had already made her choice and temporarily withdrew the concealment array hiding their magical power fluctuations.
In that instant, a small amount of magical energy leaked out.
Instinctively, Xia Mo believed that Luo Shuangyue would understand her intentions, that with just this small surge of magical essence, she would grasp her thoughts and achieve perfect cooperation.
This was the bond she shared with Luo Shuangyue. She could trust no one else, but she would always believe in Luo Shuangyue, trust in her love.
…
This magical energy fluctuation is…
Luo Shuangyue’s gaze turned toward the dark starry sky in the distance. Despite the pitch-blackness, her instincts told her that an extraordinarily terrifying power lay hidden there.
And the incredibly familiar aura she felt earlier emanated from that place.
That was the essence of the fusion Magic Cannon!
Before, no magical energy fluctuations had reached them, indicating that the Magical Girls had used magic to erase those signals. Now, feeling that fleeting surge of energy again meant something significant, and it didn’t require further explanation.
The Magic Cannon’s charge was complete; all that remained was to wait for the perfect launching opportunity.
And that opportunity needed to be seized by her.
Currently, most of the magical creature’s attention was on her, but a small part was definitely reserved for potential ambushes. The fusion Magic Cannon had only one chance; if that chance was blocked or evaded by the creature, the battlefield would instantly turn unfavorable for the Magical Girls.
“Honestly, this makes it such a challenge, but aside from myself, no one else can do this.” Luo Shuangyue didn’t feel nervous, nor was she irritated by the massive responsibility weighing upon her.
She was calm, focusing her everything, laying it all on the table in this gamble against the magical creature. The loser would pay with their life.
The magical creature noticed that Luo Shuangyue’s behavior seemed to have changed. The Magical Girl, who had been desperately dodging, suddenly became more aggressive.
She seemed willing to attack herself at any cost, as if determined to unleash all her might before retreating.
Several attacks suddenly appeared within its body, only to be forcibly shattered immediately. The creature noticed Luo Shuangyue’s aura had become unstable, and even her dodging and teleporting movements had slowed.
Ha, she’s undoubtedly reaching her limit, the creature realized. This slippery little bug has faced me for so long; it’s time for her to run out of steam.
Compared to the magical creatures born from magical energy, the Magical Girls’ stamina and recovery weren’t particularly strong.
Magical creatures had no concept of fatigue; as long as they wished, they could fight until their magical energy was completely exhausted, without worrying like the Magical Girls about running out of magical power or mental energy.
And in such an extremely high-pressure environment, their magical power and mental energy were consumed quickly. This little insect should have collapsed long ago.
That she had managed to hold out until now was already a strange occurrence.
As expected, events unfolded just as the magical creature anticipated. After releasing attacks in a self-destructive manner, Luo Shuangyue chose not to engage any longer and turned to flee.
Trying to escape? The creature scoffed internally; it immediately reinforced its barriers around Luo Shuangyue, preventing her from using her teleportation ability to escape.
Then, it concentrated all its firepower on Luo Shuangyue, determined to crush this annoying little bug completely.
The spiked missiles sealed off Luo Shuangyue’s retreat, and the creature’s attention was entirely focused on this moment of surrounding attack.
It saw the little bug surrounded by countless spikes turn around, and it saw the expression on her face.
There was no fear on it, only a deep scorn and derision.
As if it had made some foolish choice.
Really, so close to death and…
The creature’s thoughts abruptly cut off. In the dead corner of its awareness, an incredibly powerful surge of magical energy quietly emerged, reaching its back before it could react.
It was a trap. This was a trap!
That little bug merely wanted to draw my attention; the real killing blow was this fusion Magic Cannon behind her!
The creature immediately retracted all its focus, its magical energy surging out in an effort to create a barrier that could withstand the impending Magic Cannon attack.
But its barrier was only half-constructed when the fusion Magic Cannon, combining the powers of all Initial Bloom Magical Girls, struck against its body.
The barrier was instantly torn apart, and the torrent of magical energy washed over the creature, making it emit terrifying shrieks.
However, it did not die immediately. The barrier had been shattered by the Magic Cannon, but it still retained its body, which was its proudest shield.
Its shell boasted the true defensive strength reserved for Royal-class magical creatures, while the fusion Magic Cannon from the Initial Bloom Magical Girls may not necessarily be capable of breaching its defenses!
As long as it could survive this blast of light cannon, victory would still belong to it!
The creature’s flesh began to burn fiercely, and for every bit of its black shell worn away by the cannon, it would instantly be replaced. It seemed a battle of attrition had begun, with the question now being who could hold out the longest.
But the creature seemed to have forgotten that the threat it faced was not solely this Magic Cannon.
That little bug it was chasing was still alive and well.
Just as the creature desperately returned its focus to fend off the Magic Cannon, Luo Shuangyue instantly used her teleportation magic to reach You Lian’s side, while the spikes that had lost the magical creature’s control flew chaotically into the depths of the starry sky.
“You Lian, let’s give it a taste of its own medicine!”
The black mist monster You Lian grunted in agreement.
The black mist body split into streams of black energy, each flowing to the scythe in Luo Shuangyue’s hand. With each surge of black energy consumed, the deathly aura it contained became thicker.
Luo Shuangyue tightly gripped the trembling scythe. Her next strike would be the most daring decision of her life.
She was going to use all her strength, all the power absorbed by You Lian, to bring death to this fearsome magical creature.
The scythe grew increasingly heavy, the power it contained seeming to reach an invisible threshold; one more step, and Luo Shuangyue would touch the realm known as Blooming Level.
Not enough; her power was still insufficient.
Huge black-purple butterfly wings unfurled behind her, far larger than any pair of wings she had summoned before.
This time, the wings were no longer for fleeing and evading. Their edges, ethereal like smoke, continually siphoned magical power from the space around them.
The black mist of You Lian had completely surged into Luo Shuangyue’s scythe. Finally, in a moment of joy, the little girl holding the scythe dashed into it.
A glimmer of spirit light flashed across the scythe now completely dyed in pitch black. Luo Shuangyue felt the weapon in her hand becoming lighter.
Was this the change brought on by a spirit? It was truly powerful…
“But it still isn’t enough!”
So far, the attack Luo Shuangyue had gathered still only had Initial Bloom level power.
Even if the creature was unprepared in the rear, that layer of hard shell remained an impenetrable wall for her.
Her attack must achieve true Blooming Level power to shatter this magical creature’s defenses.
And she could feel that transparent ceiling blocking her; just a little more effort, just a tiny bit more, and she could break through this boundary!
Almost heedlessly, she absorbed magical power through her butterfly wings, feeling the force she grasped in her hand grow heavier. A chilling and terrifying aura quietly revived within her, spreading throughout her body.
In the unseen space behind her, a shadow that resembled a butterfly flitted out from the void, taking its place above Luo Shuangyue.
Slaughter, death, the red eyes glowed with an eerie light. The barrier obstructing Luo Shuangyue shattered with a loud bang, and in that moment, she truly experienced the power of Blooming Level.
It felt as if she had transformed into a messenger from the underworld, delivering the gift of death to all living beings in the world.
Her consciousness approached clarity as her body instinctively raised the scythe.
Then, “Return to the underworld!”
The black-purple blade light silently descended upon the back of the magical creature, instantly shattering its shell, proceeding with unstoppable momentum to turn the creature’s body black-purple piece by piece.
The creature had not anticipated such a powerful attack from behind. Struck unexpectedly, it felt the power of the Magic Cannon wavering, causing the cannon to tear through the defenses it had struggled to maintain.
At this moment, the flesh on its back was being eroded by a chilling aura, and the body in front was washed by a terrifying torrent of magical energy, purifying it to the most basic magical energy particles.
Caught between attacks, its demise had finally arrived.
The flesh corroded by the scythe transformed into butterflies, returning rapidly to Luo Shuangyue, restoring her magical power. Luo Shuangyue instinctively unleashed knife slashes towards the wounds on the magical creature.
Every cut would stain the creature’s flesh, converting them into small butterflies that restored Luo Shuangyue’s strength.
Put simply, Luo Shuangyue was eating; she was devouring this magical creature piece by piece, just presented in a slightly fancier way.
As the magical creature gradually weakened, the butterfly shadows behind Luo Shuangyue also solidified bit by bit, as if they just needed a trigger to fully manifest.
However, at that moment, the creature, continuously on the defensive from its repeated stabs, could no longer withstand the onslaught of the fusion Magic Cannon, undergoing a complete spiritual baptism.
The cannon did not penetrate the creature’s body but instead continually infused its power into the creature, decomposing and purifying its form.
The source magical energy scattered throughout the creature’s body was being purified one by one, and the magical creature’s consciousness, which had already been forcibly fused, began to split apart again. Countless cries of despair echoed from within; these consciousnesses would have no chance of being transformed into spirit entities; they would perish before this brilliant surge of light.
The creature’s body began to fracture, but its essence had been thoroughly saturated with the magical girls’ magical power, leaving no chance for revival or survival.
Even the butterflies transformed by Luo Shuangyue were trapped by the Magical Girls’ powers, struggling to turn vibrant colors, only to dissolve into light points.
Truly… it was frustrating.
A thought flashed through Luo Shuangyue’s mind; she wanted to kill these gluttons, these creatures that seized the spoils, as their taste had to be delicious, right?
Especially that purple one… hmm?
Luo Shuangyue covered her head in disbelief; how could she have such thoughts?
How could she generate such horrifying ideas?
As her rationality returned, the terrifying thoughts caused her to break out in a cold sweat. Had she just actually thought about killing Xia Mo, about killing those Magical Girls, and then devouring them all?
What was going on?
With the magical creature’s demise a foregone conclusion, the massive and terrifying body had already been mostly purified, and the remaining bits had completely lost the possibility of survival as a magical creature.
Luo Shuangyue could stop here and contemplate what had just been wrong.
It seemed that after breaking through that boundary, her consciousness had suddenly grown chaotic, and some very frightening thoughts kept popping into her head.
When she had attacked the magical creature earlier, her thoughts hadn’t been, “I want to help Xia Mo,” but rather, “This guy looks tasty; I want to eat it.”
How was she any different from the original You Lian?
“Is this the price of forcefully touching Blooming Level? I’d better have a good chat with the seniors later…” Luo Shuangyue believed this might be the cost of forcibly using Blooming Level power. If she could follow the proper procedures for promotion going forward, this issue should be avoidable.
Fortunately, only the finishing touches remained in this battle, but… what about the other side?
Luo Shuangyue turned to look at another battlefield, her expression darkening.
The situation on the other side was somewhat grim.
The Blooming Level Magical Girls and the Demon Lord had begun burning themselves, preparing for a final showdown.
The battlefield for the Initial Bloom Level had clarified, alerting both sides on the other side that the real final battle could commence.
The Demon Lord knew that if it did not counterattack, failure would undoubtedly befall it.
The Blooming Level Magical Girls understood that as long as they could annihilate the Demon Lord here, this fight would be humanity’s victory.
Even if it cost them several Magical Girls, it was not a loss!
From the outset, the Magical Girls had never anticipated winning this battle without any sacrifices; the combat plan they had made initially had already determined who would be sacrificed.
They would burn themselves thoroughly, perishing together with this Demon Lord.
The dark flames burned fiercely on the surface of the Demon Lord’s body, as it struggled to retaliate, but the Magical Girls, also ablaze with fire, refused to yield, consistently blocking its attacks while weakening it.
This was a contest fueled by blood; whoever burned out first would achieve victory.
“We will win, but at least six Blooming Level Magical Girls will have to sacrifice themselves…” Luo Shuangyue’s eyes trembled slightly. She had seen the six Magical Girls most ablaze, some of whom she recognized and some who were familiar but not close, having received their help.
If she simply stood here watching the seniors slay the Demon Lord, she could return to her home planet as a great hero. The Magic Department might even award her a grand medal to recognize her contributions in this battle.
And the price would merely be losing several Blooming Level seniors she wasn’t even particularly familiar with.
There was no Longwen, no Monise, and no Soul Guide; the most she had seen of them was during video conferences in the Magic Department.
If she recalled correctly, one of them was… the deputy director of the Magic Department?
Watching the six-winged angel glowing like the sun, Luo Shuangyue tightened her grip on the white hairpin.
A second later, she sighed helplessly, “I’m just so doomed to toil.”
She didn’t need to rely on Bai Ye’s power; as long as her body could handle it, she could transform into Bai Ye to fight at any time.
Wasn’t this the perfect moment for Bai Ye to appear?
As a legend among Magical Girls, the strongest of them, Bai Ye should arrive just in this crucial time to decisively secure victory!
“Mom, if I choose to back down now, you would be so disappointed in me, right?” Cradling the slightly warm hairpin to her chest, Luo Shuangyue’s gaze became completely resolute.
Before departing, she cast a glance towards where Xia Mo was.
Xia Mo, who had already exited the explosive state and was being supported by other Magical Girls to rest, seemed to sense Luo Shuangyue’s gaze and looked up.
The distance between them was far, so far that their appearances were barely discernible.
Yet they understood each other’s thoughts.
Xia Mo’s brow furrowed slightly as she sent a cautious look toward Luo Shuangyue.
She did not stop Luo Shuangyue, nor would she.
The decision Luo Shuangyue made was undoubtedly the right one; Xia Mo had no grounds to object or prevent it.
Because they were the same kind of people, willing to risk everything for the ones they cared about.
So she would only say to Luo Shuangyue, “Good luck.”
“Huh? Rosemary, what are you saying?” Fei Yue, supporting Xia Mo, asked in confusion. “By the way, where did the Dark Butterfly go? Hasn’t the magical creature been cleaned up?”
“She went to do what she needed to do.”
“Mm?”
…
Good luck…?
Luo Shuangyue smiled inwardly, a warm current flowing from the depths of her heart; this was precisely why she loved Xia Mo.
She loved Xia Mo’s kindness, her selflessness, and even more so the connection they shared in this moment.
If Xia Mo were in her current position, she would undoubtedly make the same choice, Luo Shuangyue firmly grasped the now hot hairpin, stepping toward the black sun-like creature.
I cannot become someone unworthy of Xia Mo!
The next moment, she was directly above the battlefield.
The surging magical power concealed her presence; none of the combatants engaged in battle noticed someone stepping into this arena.
And this was exactly what Luo Shuangyue hoped for.
The duration of Bai Ye’s transformation was limited; her power had to be fully used to attack the magical creature. Traveling was best done using the identity of Dark Butterfly.
Then, what comes next…
“Mom, let me use your power to protect everyone!”
Removing the butterfly hairpin, she fastened a white flower hairpin in her hair. Familiar warm energy gradually emerged from within her, as Luo Shuangyue extended her hand forward, grasping the branch-like sword that grew from the starry sky.
This time, her state was unprecedentedly good!
All her powers felt at her fingertips, no longer surging violently against her body; the powers enveloped her like a loving mother, gently protecting everything about Luo Shuangyue.
Was this the change brought by faith? Luo Shuangyue was astonished. She had transformed into Bai Ye countless times before, but none felt this easy.
Despite the fact that the power she could wield this time was greater than in previous transformations, she felt she could sustain it far longer than she could have imagined.
Her mother’s power resonated with her beliefs.
This belief in safeguarding everything was the key that unlocked Bai Ye’s power!
“Rest assured, Mom, I will not bring shame upon you; I will surely protect our hometown!” With both hands gripping the sword, a dazzling light shone in Luo Shuangyue’s bright golden eyes.
“First Light!”
Pure white light descended from the heavens, directly piercing through the Demon Lord engaged in fierce battle with the Blooming Level Magical Girls.
The Demon Lord let out a sharp wail, bewildered as to why such a powerful attack would fall from the skies.
These opponents of its were clearly not of such strength!
“Bai Ye?!”
“It’s her!”
“She’s really still alive!”
In contrast to the terrified Demon Lord, the Magical Girls displayed expressions of joy; when this white figure appeared on the battlefield, they knew the fight had already been decided.
Only recently, while contemplating whether to include Bai Ye in their battle plans for this world-altering war, the Magic Department had rapidly abandoned that idea.
Not only had Bai Ye been elusive over the years, making it impossible to establish stable contact, but including her in the plans would render them meaningless.
The Magic Department only needed to do one thing: let Bai Ye out, and it would be the end of the battle; victory would be theirs.
Yes, it was that exaggerated.
And now Bai Ye’s strike confirmed that the Magic Department’s assessments were correct; Bai Ye could indeed easily handle this Demon Lord.
“You all, back off.” Gripping her long sword, Luo Shuangyue’s voice came forth firmly.
She had no idea how her mother interacted with these esteemed predecessors in her transformed state; she could only use a rather cold demeanor to keep them at bay.
Moreover, her attacks would no longer be as limited as before; she would unleash her full power with the utmost speed upon this Demon Lord.
These Blooming Level seniors here would only make her feel restrained.
An overwhelming presence began to seep from her body, making it clear to everyone in an instant that she was not joking.
“This doesn’t feel right…” A flicker of doubt passed over Monise’s face as she gazed at the figure that appeared god-like in the distance.
She had a close relationship with Bai Ye; after being expelled to Xinghai City by Cecilia years ago, Bai Ye had taken her in like a lost puppy.
Though Bai Ye had later schemed to poach her valued vice commander, the prior connections hadn’t vanished, and Monise clearly understood Bai Ye’s character.
That girl, wouldn’t be so serious like this.
