Chapter 8: I Have Things I Must Do
“Xia Mo, let’s hurry… What are you doing?”
When Luo Shuangyue elbowed open Xia Mo’s bedroom door, she saw the girl in a thin nightgown standing by the half-open window, looking like she was contemplating jumping.
“Shuangyue? What are you doing here…”
“Monsters have appeared in the sky; we need to go to the basement quickly.”
Without waiting for Xia Mo to explain, Luo Shuangyue grabbed her wrist and forcibly pulled her out of the room.
You think you can go fight monsters in your current state? Just go take shelter!
“Shuangyue, listen to me, I have something very important I need to do right now.”
“Is this important thing about jumping out the window?” Luo Shuangyue glanced back at Xia Mo, who looked troubled, and continued to drag her toward the stairs.
“Although the monsters are terrifying, I know you’re not the kind of person who would be so frightened they’d jump out of a window.”
“You’re hiding something from me, I know, but I don’t care what it is. I just know I can’t let you do something foolish.”
Luo Shuangyue’s penetrating gaze fixed on Xia Mo, causing her to instinctively look away.
In that moment, Xia Mo wanted to shout to Luo Shuangyue that she was actually a magical girl, and battling the beasts in the sky was her duty.
But remembering Luo Shuangyue’s usual attitude towards magical girls, the words that nearly escaped her lips were swallowed back.
Shuangyue has always disliked magical girls; if she found out about Xia Mo’s identity, their relationship… would likely suffer an irreparable rift.
“Don’t talk, just come with me! We need to take shelter!” Turning around, Luo Shuangyue forcefully pulled Xia Mo towards the staircase.
At that moment, the ground beneath them suddenly began to tremble violently, and the chaotic aura coming from above intensified.
Boom!
The sound of fierce battling echoed from above, and the entire building felt like a small tree being battered by a raging storm, on the verge of collapsing.
The monsters… had already broken free from their restraints!
‘These fools really think the things in their hands can suppress that monster!’ The Director’s agitated voice echoed in Xia Mo’s ears.
Due to the chaotic magnetic field around the monsters, ordinary methods of communication were no longer workable; the Director was now using the magical exchange method only usable among magical girls.
‘Linglan can’t defeat that monster alone, and even if Siam arrives, the two newcomers would also struggle against a general-class monster…’
‘Tsk… Rosemary, can you still continue fighting?’
The Director’s voice was heavy with helplessness. The number and quality of the permanent magical girls in Xinghai City were far inferior to those of other cities; the strongest, Rosemary, was merely a budding magical girl.
And with Rosemary injured now, even a general-class monster left the Director feeling powerless, forcing her to make an outrageous request of Xia Mo to fight while injured.
“I can do it.” Xia Mo took a deep breath, looking at Luo Shuangyue with a hint of apology in her eyes.
In the face of responsibility, she had no choice.
“Shuangyue!” She forcibly broke free from Luo Shuangyue’s grip.
The boy, more beautiful than the average girl, turned and cast a look of confusion mixed with disappointment at Xia Mo.
Looking into those silvery eyes, Xia Mo’s heart ached sharply; she knew she might lose a friend who cared for her and was willing to do anything for her.
However, she wouldn’t regret her decision now.
“Shuangyue, I will tell you everything, but not right now.” Xia Mo locked eyes with Luo Shuangyue, saying each word with determination.
“I must do what I need to do!”
With that, she turned without looking back and ascended the stairs.
From Luo Shuangyue’s perspective, she could only watch as Xia Mo dashed upstairs without a glance back. Once Xia Mo was completely out of her sight, a faint purple light shone brightly above.
Then, she sensed a faintly weak aura flying upward.
“You hopeless fool!” Slamming her fist against the nearby handrail, Luo Shuangyue growled in frustration.
Even if Xia Mo didn’t transform to face the enemy, she would transform to defeat the monster after bringing Xia Mo to a safe place.
Her sister, her childhood sweetheart, was right here; she couldn’t possibly pin her hopes on those two inexperienced newbie magical girls!
The Extreme Night organization was at odds with magical girls, but in a certain sense, they were also allies, at least when it came to dealing with monsters.
Whenever a monster appeared in a busy area, posing a threat to the city and innocent lives, the Extreme Night would not hesitate to act.
“I swear I won’t stop until I dismantle you again!”
Gray currents turned into butterflies, and a dead air filled the narrow corridor, corroding it into a pockmarked state.
The Death Butterflies from the underworld displayed their elegant forms and threw indifferent gazes towards the sky.
…
“Senior Rosemary, what’s wrong…” Sensing the familiar aura behind her, Luo Shuangxing thought that the reinforcements the Director mentioned had finally arrived.
But when she turned to see Rosemary’s condition, her heart sank.
Compared to a few days ago, Rosemary’s face looked extremely pale, and the pale purple gem embedded in the tip of her magic wand was also dim.
It was clear that Rosemary’s injuries had not completely healed; if she fought the monsters in this condition, it could be…
“Don’t lose focus; the monster is attacking!” Taking a deep breath to suppress the pain radiating from her abdomen, Rosemary summoned a powerful beam of purple light to deflect the claws the monster directed at Linglan.
Then, calmly addressing her junior, she continued.
Unlike Linglan, who had just recently become a magical girl, Xia Mo was a seasoned magical girl with three years of battle experience, having defeated countless general-class monsters.
If she were at her peak, Xia Mo could even ensure the battlefield remained in the air, so as not to affect the buildings below. But now, she was not only not at her peak but also burdened with old injuries.
‘Linglan, attract the monster’s attention to give Rosemary a chance to attack. Remember to prioritize your own safety.’
“Got it!” Luo Shuangxing nodded earnestly.
Her power was still weak and posed no threat to the monster; she could only serve as support.
“Okay.”
‘Time is of the essence, act now!’
A pure white light crossed the sky, and the monster swung its massive claws downward to intercept it, allowing Linglan to successfully draw the monster’s ire.
“Success!”
