The Frigid Blade and a Shocking Revelation

Having perceived the potential arrival of Magical Girl Youlan in the vicinity, Yue Ling promptly commenced her search for the girl. Though Yue Ling had only narrowly averted injury during their last encounter, not a trace of apprehension stirred within her now. On the contrary, a distinct thrill invigorated her.

After all, the image of Magical Girl Youlan, as captured in the video, resonated perfectly with her ‘XP’ (TL Note: An internet slang term referring to one’s personal preferences or kinks). Moreover, these aloof, icy maidens, she mused, held the most significant potential for ‘conquest’ and ‘re-education’.

‘So… where exactly are you now, Magical Girl Youlan~’

As Yue Ling continued her search for Youlan, Magical Girl Akahoshi, on the other side of the fray, remained locked in a desperate struggle, evading the Jellyfish Girl’s relentless assaults.

‘Ugh… constant evasion isn’t a viable strategy,’ Akahoshi thought. ‘Biyu is still near that executive… If only I had mastered Form Transformation by now.’

Observing Akahoshi’s erratic movements across the sky, the Jellyfish Girl’s patience evidently began to fray. A thought occurred to her: previously, whenever she launched projectiles at Akahoshi, there had always been ample space for the Magical Girl to maneuver and escape. If that was the case, then for her next attack, she would ensure Akahoshi had no such opportunity.

With this resolve, the Jellyfish Girl simultaneously unfurled a multitude of tentacles, coiling them around the adjacent high-rise buildings. Akahoshi’s heart sank at the sight. Judging by the ominous display, it seemed this Abyssal Form intended to rip the surrounding buildings from their foundations and hurl them directly at her!

“Hmph, this Abyssal Form of Yue Ling’s possesses commendable abilities,” Maositog sneered, “and sufficient power. She truly got a bargain.”

Maositog delivered his appraisal with a cold, derisive laugh.

‘With the Abyssal Form’s capabilities, it might even manage to defeat a Magical Girl this time,’ he mused. ‘Still, it’s quite irritating. Yue Ling, with her utterly cynical attitude, can still triumph over Magical Girls… I had hoped for her failure, so I could mercilessly ridicule her before the Commander.’

Just as Maositog resigned himself to the belief that this escort mission would offer no opportunity for him to personally intervene, a familiar aura abruptly manifested, compelling him to snatch up the massive axe at his side and assume a posture of instant vigilance.

‘This scent… that one has arrived!’

Meanwhile, Yue Ling, having failed to locate Magical Girl Youlan for some time, had begun to sigh in disappointment, assuming Youlan had merely deployed a skill remotely rather than appearing in person. However, her thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a distinctly crisp and cold female voice that materialized right beside her ear.

“『Form Change★Frigid Blade』”

In that instant, Yue Ling was assailed by an overwhelming surge of killing intent erupting directly behind her, accompanied by a bone-piercing chill that permeated the air. Yue Ling swiftly darted aside, simultaneously manipulating her silk threads to strike at the assailant who had appeared so suddenly behind her, attempting to turn the tables. Yet, in the mere blink of an eye, every one of her meticulously controlled threads snapped, and even the fabric covering her chest was torn open, revealing a portion of her ample bosom.

‘No… is it my turn for a wardrobe malfunction already?’ she mused. ‘Surely, the fanservice shouldn’t come this quickly, should it?’

Forced to abandon her position near Biyu, Yue Ling leaped onto a nearby water tower. As she glanced back at the spot where she had just been attacked, she saw Magical Girl Youlan gently helping Biyu to her feet, murmuring something softly.

“Are you alright? Can you walk properly?”

“Don’t touch there… hehe… I’m not experienced with this…”

“…………”

Observing Biyu seemingly lost in some peculiar fantasy, Youlan first let out a helpless sigh, then abruptly pinched Biyu’s waist, using the sharp jolt of sensation to bring her back to reality.

“Ugh… that hurts so much… Eh? Youlan? You… you’re here?”

Regaining her bearings, Biyu’s face instantly lit up with relief and joy upon seeing Youlan standing before her. After all, Youlan was undeniably the most formidable among their trio; with her arrival, both Biyu and Akahoshi were surely saved!

Biyu should have been consumed by such thoughts, but then a mortifying realization struck her: she was still exposing her two ample curves, and she had made that expression while getting intimately close to the executive just moments ago. Youlan must have witnessed everything!

‘How… how utterly mortifying…’

Blushing furiously, Biyu slowly lowered her gaze, the intense wave of shame making her unable to meet Youlan’s eyes.

While Youlan hadn’t entirely pieced together the full sequence of events, Biyu’s current disheveled state offered enough clues for her to surmise a considerable amount.

“It seems this opponent has a bit of a ‘perverted’ (TL Note: ‘sèsè’, a Chinese internet slang term referring to something lewd or erotic) inclination~”

A voice, distinctly childlike and reminiscent of a loli, chimed in beside Youlan’s ear. Accompanying it was a mysterious creature resembling a yellow hamster, albeit one adorned with two prominent ‘ahoge’ (TL Note: A Japanese term for a single, often unruly, strand of hair sticking up from the head, common in anime characters) on its head, two sets of long pigtails trailing from behind its skull, and even star-shaped pupils.

‘Another mascot, then?’ Yue Ling pondered. ‘It appears this world’s Magical Girls aren’t limited to a single one. How intriguing.’

Yue Ling mused aloud, even as she used her silk threads to carefully cover the exposed portion of her chest.

‘If this were an ‘H-game world’ (TL Note: ‘huángyóu shìjiè’, referring to an erotic video game or ‘ero-game’), the players would undoubtedly be cursing me, “How could you be so selfish!” right now~’

‘Ugh, regardless, I am an executive of the villainous faction. It would be far too awkward to distribute ‘fan service’ here. Once I return to my own room, I promise to deliver ample benefits to everyone. After all… who understands men better than a man?’

Having mended the tear in her top with her silk threads, Yue Ling cast a sweet, alluring wink towards the hypothetical “players” before redirecting her full attention to Youlan.

“Mmm-hmm… the damage on her is quite extensive,” the hamster-like creature chirped. “Fortunately, Minita notified me to bring two jackets along. Let’s see…” With that, she plunged half her body into a newly opened spatial rift, rummaged for a moment, then extracted two jackets, tossing one to Biyu.

“Eh? Th-thank you, Taratas…”

“Hehe, it just goes to show, you still need this supreme one!” Taratas declared proudly. “Without me, you Magical Girls would be utterly lost.”

Receiving Biyu’s gratitude, Taratas puffed out her chest with an air of immense pride, as if bestowing a jacket upon a Magical Girl were an act of profound and magnificent generosity.

“Taratas, please look after Biyu here,” Youlan instructed. “I’m going to assist Akahoshi.”

“Oh, relax, relax~ This supreme one will certainly take care of Yimei— cough, cough — I mean, Biyu! This supreme one will absolutely look after her. You can go help Akahoshi with a clear conscience.”

Taratas confidently patted her own chest, reassuring Youlan. However, the fact that she had nearly blurted out Biyu’s true name moments before made it difficult for Youlan to genuinely feel at ease.

Nevertheless, with no one else nearby capable of temporarily safeguarding Biyu, Youlan found herself with no alternative but to entrust Biyu to Taratas’s care.

“Hmph… then you must be vigilant,” Youlan warned. “Be wary of that executive…”

Before Youlan could even finish her instructions, she suddenly witnessed an entire skyscraper hurtling directly towards her. Little Taratas, having never witnessed such a spectacle, was so terrified that she instinctively clung to Youlan’s ample bosom, crying out loudly:

“Youlan! Save this supreme one! Otherwise, I’ll be flattened into a mere cardboard cutout!”

While Youlan felt a flicker of irritation at where Taratas had chosen to cling, the urgency of the moment superseded such minor concerns. With a swift, practiced motion, Youlan’s hand flew to the scabbard at her waist, drawing her blade in a flash. She executed a single, horizontal slash at the oncoming skyscraper, and in an instant, the colossal structure cleaved perfectly in two, its halves soaring past the onlookers on either side.

‘No… is this truly a Magical Girl?’ Yue Ling wondered. ‘Could she be another one of those ‘physical’ Magical Girls?’

Witnessing Youlan effortlessly cleave an entire skyscraper thrown by the Jellyfish Girl, a flicker of genuine shock registered in Yue Ling’s mind, though her composure swiftly returned.

‘So, this is Magical Girl Youlan,’ she mused. ‘To possess such power… that’s certainly an unexpected revelation. Yet, perhaps it’s for the best. The greater the challenge, the more profound the sense of accomplishment will be once I successfully ‘conquer’ her.’

In the very instant Youlan bisected the skyscraper, Yue Ling’s sharp eyes caught a peculiar detail: the building’s cross-section bore no resemblance to a cut made by the horizontal blade Youlan wielded. Instead, it appeared as though a colossal axe had hewn a precise chunk from the building’s center. Upon closer inspection, she could even discern a thin layer of frost clinging to the severed edges.

“Is this the power of Form Transformation?” Akahoshi exclaimed, awe evident in her voice. “When will I be able to learn it too?”

“There’s no need for such envy,” Minita stated, crossing her arms. “What is known as Form Transformation involves weakening one’s inherent magical prowess in favor of significantly enhancing physical attributes, proving particularly effective against certain adversaries. After undergoing Form Transformation, your original magic wand transmutes into a magical ring worn on your finger, though you become limited to 『Energy Release』 level magic. As compensation, however, you gain access to new weaponry, much like Magical Girl Youlan.”