As the stars revolved and magic emerged from nothingness, Xiyin, now a Level Two Magical Girl with the awakening of her second characteristic, broke free from her shackles. Though Qi Yue’an outwardly appeared cold as ice from the rejection, a tempest raged within her heart.
“Oh dear, An’an~ It seems I’ve gotten a bit carried away. So, farewell for now! I’m sure you can handle this!”
Qi Yue, observing the sudden surge in aura, as if remembering an unpleasant memory, hid behind Qi Yue’an’s chair.
“An’an, it seems the influence on you has grown too deep… My apologies, I arrived too late.”
A radiant glow emanated from Xiyin. Her azure hair gradually coalesced into a magnificent new style. Magic surged through her, like an boundless, endless ocean. Yet, simultaneously, another characteristic began to manifest.
Before the eyes of Qi Yue and Qi Yue’an, who were slightly astonished yet compelled to feign composure, the opponent’s power escalated relentlessly. It was akin to the boundless, vast cosmos, making the dark Jealousy Flame and the current Prison-Suppressing Flame seem rather insignificant.
Within her consciousness space, Qi Yue’an clutched the Crown of Reason. At some unknown point, she had deciphered the meaning of that characteristic.
[First Characteristic: Magic endlessly recovers during combat.]
[Second Characteristic: Greater possibilities arise with a more resolute objective.]
“You…”
She gazed at the text, a sense of dread washing over her. It represented not merely the ‘power-up’ ability found in shonen manga, but rather a ‘protagonist’s halo’ that would propel its wielder towards their desired destiny.
In addition to her original spear, a sword now materialized in her hand. It resembled a hero’s weapon. The sword strike, too swift to follow with the eye, had already severed her fusion with Qi Yue ahead of time.
“When the time comes, I will bring you back. Even if it’s not what you desire, I believe that among the many Magical Girls of the Night Watch, there will surely be someone who can completely heal you.”
She pointed her spear at Qi Yue’an. The spatial lock nearby began to tremble, disturbed by the fluctuations caused by the Magical Girl’s sudden advancement.
“Yue… what’s happening? Didn’t you say if we won, we’d lock them up until everything was over, and if we lost, we’d go explore underground with them, following their lead? What do we do in this situation…?”
She questioned. However, at that moment, Qi Yue began to play dead.
“Alas…”
Qi Yue’an maintained her composure outwardly. She could only steel herself and press on.
“If you desire it, then come and defeat me. Then, pass through the guards of the Dawn Star Palace and take me away.”
She adopted an expression of disdain. Though she anticipated an arduous battle, a primal anticipation for combat subtly stirred within her.
“Then, prepare to face me.”
No sooner had the words left her lips than their figures vanished from their positions simultaneously. Innumerable condensed Jealousy Flames and musical notes began to manifest in mid-air. They had truly begun their one-on-one battle.
Xiyin’s speed and strength both received an unprecedented boost at this moment. Her starlight-adorned spear became unstoppable. The musical notes, too, transformed into projectiles, generating from the high heavens and raining down upon the ground like a meteor shower.
“Clang—”
As the distance rapidly closed, the golden rapier and the sweeping spear collided. Qi Yue’an felt a numbness in her hand. The force of that single strike was undeniably incomparable to anything she had faced before. Yet, before she could even analyze it, a flurry of rapid exchanges followed in quick succession.
Qi Yue’an wielded an ancient sword in one hand and a rapier in the other. Her dual blades rendered her attacks swifter than her opponent’s spear. However, not only was her physical might slightly inferior, but by focusing her energy on close combat, one or two of the myriad musical notes inevitably slipped past her defenses, forcing her to divert attention to counter them.
The clang of metal echoed through the ruins like a sudden downpour. The starlight-adorned spear in Xiyin’s hand seemed to possess a life of its own now. Every thrust, parry, and sweep produced a sharp, air-rending sound.
Qi Yue’an wielded her dual swords, one in each hand. The ancient sword was steadfast, the rapier nimble. She attempted to suppress her opponent with shifting flames.
However, Xiyin’s newly awakened power granted her unprecedented speed and strength. Her spear, moreover, carried a resolute will of ‘inevitable breakthrough’.
What was more troublesome was that the azure musical notes, floating in the air as if possessing their own consciousness, always found the gaps in her dual swords’ defense against the spear, assailing her from the most cunning angles like venomous wasps.
“Clang! Hiss—!”
After a fierce clash of weapons, though Qi Yue’an barely parried the spear’s direct thrust, her left shoulder was struck by a suddenly accelerating musical note, sending a sharp pang of pain through her.
She stumbled backward, her breath coming in ragged gasps. While her dual-sword style was indeed versatile, she was not yet proficient in it. Furthermore, dividing her focus had only driven her into a disadvantageous position.
Her opponent’s magic seemed boundless, while her own consumption steadily mounted.
Qi Yue’an’s eyes narrowed sharply. She made a decision.
The golden rapier in her right hand suddenly burst into a myriad of purple light motes, reverting into the dark Jealousy Flame.
Simultaneously, her left hand gripped the ancient longsword from the Crown of Reason, channeling the dissipated energy of the rapier and her own surging Jealousy Flame into it.
“Hum—!”
The ancient sword emitted a low hum, its blade seemingly coming to life.
The dark purple Jealousy Flame and the crimson Prison-Suppressing Flame no longer repelled each other. Instead, they coiled around the darkened blade, merging and swirling, exuding a heart-pounding aura of destruction.
The soul gem embedded in the hilt flared with brilliant light, and the ancient sword’s form stretched and transformed, culminating in a slender greatsword, balancing both power and speed. Heterochromatic flames of purple and red flowed simultaneously along its blade.
“Have you forsaken versatility?”
Xiyin’s gaze grew solemn. She could sense the perilous aura emanating from the sword in her opponent’s hand.
“This… will suffice.”
Qi Yue’an’s voice was low as she gripped the hilt with both hands. Her figure shot forward once more! This time, her movements were simpler, more direct, yet her power was far more concentrated.
As the greatsword, infused with twin flames, swept through the air, neither the starlight spear’s thrusts nor the barrage of musical notes from above could withstand this concentrated power, being incinerated to ash. The battle escalated into an even more intense phase.
Empowered by her infinite magic and the ‘Possibility’ characteristic, Xiyin’s assault was like an unending tsunami, while Qi Yue’an adopted an offensive defense. Each sword strike was heavy and powerful, flames surging forth, attempting to overwhelm her opponent with sheer force as quickly as possible.
“Boom!”
The two swords clashed violently once more. Energy shockwaves rippled outwards in a circular pattern, causing the ground beneath their feet to crack inch by inch.
In that moment of stalemate, Xiyin’s empty left hand once again formed a loose grip. The illusory, single-use light-sword, seemingly woven from starlight and wishes, reappeared. Without hesitation, she instantly struck.
This sword strike carried no physical destructive power, yet it pulsed with the potent light of a wish: ‘to sever abnormal connections!’
Qi Yue’an’s pupils contracted. She could feel an invisible force attempting to penetrate her. It wasn’t attacking her physical form, but aimed directly at the deep connection between her and the Crown of Reason, and even with Qi Yue’s consciousness.
She forcefully pushed back Xiyin’s spear and brought the twin-flame infused ancient sword across her body to block.
“Sizzle—!”
The illusory light-sword and the tangible ancient sword did not physically collide, yet an odd sound, like cold water dripping into hot oil, erupted.
Qi Yue’an felt a violent tremor on a spiritual level. The seamless, intuitive connection with Qi Yue’s consciousness within her suddenly became significantly sluggish.
“Ugh…”
Qi Yue’an grunted, using the momentum to retreat. Her aura clearly became unstable. The continuous high-intensity battle, particularly maintaining the fusion of twin flames and resisting the interference of the ‘Possibility’ characteristic, had caused a massive drain on her magic.
In contrast, Xiyin, her body still radiant with starlight, her magic fluctuations as steady as a rock.
‘Now is the time…’
Qi Yue’an thought to herself. The madness and chaos on her face receded like a tide. Her silver eyes first showed a perfectly timed flicker of bewilderment.
The fused flames in her hand slowly extinguished, and the ancient sword reverted to its original rustic appearance, which she used to prop herself up, supporting her body.
She looked at Xiyin, who was approaching cautiously, her gaze alert yet tinged with concern. Her lips struggled to form a weak, yet genuine, curve.
“Xi… I, I just…”
Her voice was hoarse and trembled with a hint of lingering fear. Her performance was flawless.
Seeing this, Xiyin’s heart tightened. She rushed forward to steady her swaying body. “An’an? Are you awake?”
“It feels like… I had a very long nightmare…”
Qi Yue’an leaned into her embrace, feeling the warmth of the other’s body, and whispered, “My mind is a mess… so many voices… so many thoughts that aren’t mine… I’m sorry, I hurt everyone… I really am just a…”
“It’s alright, it’s alright. It’s good that you’ve come to your senses.”
Xiyin held her tightly, her voice filled with the relief of having found something lost. She quickly checked Qi Yue’an’s condition.
Taking advantage of this tender moment, Qi Yue’an softly asked Xiyin, “What… what exactly is your plan? Ling Ru, she…”
Xiyin hesitated, but looking at the ‘weak and lucid’ Qi Yue’an in her arms, she lowered her voice and revealed the entire plan:
“…The Global Emergency Alliance believes the Dawn Star Palace’s actions pose a huge threat and has decided to activate the ‘Tanuki Project’. The original plan was to create an opportunity for Ling Ru to impersonate you, with a demon escorting ‘Qi Yue’an’ to inspect the underground facility, seizing the chance to infiltrate the core area.”
“Our capture disrupted Plan A, so we are now executing Plan B. We, along with several elite squads, will create chaos, conduct searches, engage in combat, and then withdraw. If you can cooperate by making the false information seem true, allowing Ling Ru to replace you for the inspection, we can blend into the escort team and enter the core area…”
Qi Yue’an listened quietly, her eyes gleaming. A moment later, she looked up:
“I’ll help you.”
Just as Xiyin felt a slight surprise at her straightforward agreement.
“It seems quite lively here.”
A calm, yet invisibly imposing voice suddenly rang out. Lin Xiao had appeared silently at the entrance of the ruins at some unknown point. His gaze swept over the chaotic courtyard, the unconscious Bai Jin and Bai Zhi, and Ling Ru, finally settling on Qi Yue’an and Xiyin, who were embracing.
Qi Yue’an saw him, unsurprised. She gently broke free from Xiyin’s embrace and walked towards Lin Xiao, her tone tinged with a perfectly pitched grievance and lingering fear, while her eyes subtly flickered at him:
“Xiao… someone attacked just now… I… I seem to have lost control of my power a little…”
She paused, then looked up, her silver eyes meeting Lin Xiao’s directly. In that gaze was dependence, trust, and an unmistakable, heartfelt longing.
“I also want to know… what you’ve been doing, and more, much more about you.”
Lin Xiao’s profound gaze lingered on her face for a moment, a flicker of understanding in his eyes. He gently brushed dust from her hair, his movements natural and intimate.
“It’s good that you’re alright.”
“Power control takes time, there’s no need to rush.”
He then turned to Xiyin and her gradually reawakening companions, as well as Ling Ru, who had just gotten up and was trying to maintain her ‘Liu Wenwen’ disguise.
“As for you all…”
His gaze lingered on Ling Ru for an extra moment, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly.
‘This girl… I haven’t seen her in my memories. Could she be someone sent by the Night Watch for support?’
As he pondered, Qi Yue’an suddenly embraced him, nuzzling his chest amidst their surprised and astonished gazes, her voice carrying a hint of plea and a touch of playful coaxing:
“Xiao… let them join the escort team, alright? With them around, I’ll feel more at ease… And, I also want to see with my own eyes… everything you’ve prepared for me.”
Her words cleverly transformed ‘surveillance’ into ‘companionship and witnessing’.
Lin Xiao remained silent for a moment, his gaze sweeping over Qi Yue’an’s expectant face and the expressions of Xiyin and the others, who had initially seemed despairing but now showed surprise. Finally, he nodded faintly:
“Very well. Since she wishes for you to accompany her, then go together.”
His tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable resolve and the overwhelming aura of a Demon King.
“Prepare yourselves and we’ll depart. Remember, the underground area is extraordinary. Stay close to the team, do not act on your own, and if anything happens, call out to me in time; I will hear you.”
His assent, like indulging his wife’s whims, yet deliberately maintaining his authority, struck Qi Yue’an, who still hadn’t let go of him, as rather amusing.
“Be sure to stay safe.”
Lin Xiao looked down at Qi Yue’an and said. However, she suddenly stood on tiptoe and lightly kissed his neck.
“Mm, darling, I will.”
The previous interactions had been fine, but this sudden, more intimate address and tone than usual caused a slight crack in his maintained composure. He turned his head, masking the change in his expression.
“I have other matters to attend to, so I can’t accompany you.”
Qi Yue’an watched him, a faint smile playing on her lips, a feeling akin to happiness mixed with the success of a prank secretly blossoming within her. She only turned back after he had left, her face reverting to its previous expression.
“Let’s go. Make the arrangements. She will take my place for the afternoon inspection, and we’ll infiltrate covertly.”