The Supershark has gone mad!

In the current era, the concept of ‘fresh young idols’ seemed to have vanished.

Idols on stage and stars on screen would all undergo some degree of surgical enhancement after joining an agency.

Minor procedures might involve simple cosmetic surgery, a few subtle adjustments before they were ready for their debut.

More extensive work, however, could involve reconstructing muscle tissue, skeletal structure, and even the nervous system, essentially transforming them into another person for their work and life.

Modifying the body to meet market demands had become commonplace.

Mechanization, genetic modification, viral and drug-based enhancements, humanoid bio-grafts, and more—such expensive alterations endowed idols with physical abilities far beyond those of ordinary people.

To further boost their fame, they and their teams would help them acquire hero licenses, arranging for them to appear at the scene of certain battles to cultivate a heroic public image.

And that was precisely the situation tonight.

Following the arrival of the Hero Association’s superstar combatant, Huoli, a multitude of idol heroes flocked to the scene with their crews.

Nearly a hundred camera drones swarmed the sky like locusts, pushing aside even the police drones and disrupting their targeting systems.

Reporters and production teams from every outlet began to cordon off the streets, creating an impenetrable perimeter.

Even the police force, which had just been trying to deal with the Dark Knight, had to divert personnel to manage the ever-growing crowd.

“Please step back immediately! This is an active combat zone! Please follow instructions! All non-essential personnel, please withdraw!”

“We’re the support team for Hero XX! Let us through at once, sir!”

“You have no credentials authorizing your involvement in this conflict! For your own safety and the security of your property, please cooperate with us!”

Even the electronic barriers used for lockdowns were being hacked and disabled; these media teams were pulling out all the stops for their work.

With the keen instincts of entertainment industry studios, they knew tonight’s events were a goldmine for traffic and rushed to dispatch their own idol heroes to vie for a prime spot on site.

The police officers could only resort to the most primitive method: using their own bodies to form a barricade against the surging crowd.

Fortunately, their level 3-4 belt-driven armor was sturdy enough to hold everyone back, allowing only a dozen or so idol heroes to enter the scene.

And within the battlefield? It was not chaotic like the scene outside; on the contrary, it was rather harmonious.

Standing at the forefront was the undefeated Miss Huoli.

Different magical girls possessed different attributes, which could be distinguished by their hair color—red for fire, blue for water, green for wood, and so on.

‘What about Magical Girl Xiaoxin’s hair color?’ you ask.

White, right?

Doesn’t that seem mystical? Rare, even?

Could it be the light attribute?

No, it was simply no attribute at all.

The light attribute was actually represented by brilliant golden hair.

A magical girl with such limp, white hair was indeed rare and had a certain market appeal, but at best, she only possessed the standard physical enhancements common to all magical girls.

She wasn’t granted any specialized elemental affinity, and thus received no elemental magic benefits.

To put it bluntly, she was a blank slate with no special talents, utterly useless beyond appealing to a certain crowd’s preferences.

And the red-haired Huoli was, naturally, a fire-attribute magical girl.

Although Ah Xin had little interest in magical girls, he followed hero news occasionally and knew a fair bit about this one.

Compared to her work as an idol, her combat talent was second to none.

Her magical power far exceeded that of a typical magical girl, and her wand was the flame-wreathed Blazing Sun Blade.

Being the daughter of a wealthy family, her parents had invested in a military-grade level 5 belt for her, pairing it with the most suitable weapon plug-in, the Heavenly Flame Sword, and the skill plug-in, Raging Flame Burst.

A group of lavishly dressed idol heroes stood behind them, observing the battle.

The dozen or so individuals showed not a hint of tension, instead chatting idly amongst themselves.

And what of our protagonist, Magical Girl Xiaoxin?

This was her first time encountering such a major incident.

Despite having been in the business for ten years, she was as timid as a rookie.

She wanted to step forward and help, but a single glance from the other girl sent her shrinking back.

To Huoli, she was just a burden who might need looking after.

Feeling utterly useless, Magical Girl Xiaoxin, the supposed protagonist, could only fall in line with the spectators in the back.

“Hey, I know you. You’re Magical Girl Xiaoxin, right?” a handsome, overly friendly hero said with a smile.

“Ah… yes. It’s a pleasure to… meet you?”

“First time seeing a scene like this? Haha, don’t worry. You’re in luck today. You’ve stumbled into a cheap way to get on TV and boost your popularity,” another hero quipped from the sidelines.

‘Cheap? I was almost killed, okay!’

Though he was unharmed, the pain of being targeted and beaten down was something he hadn’t felt in over a decade, not since that winter in elementary school when he was injured by that guy with the surname Wei over something trivial.

The memory alone left him feeling uneasy even now.

“That’s right. When the time comes, you just watch little sister Huoli beat this Dark Knight to a pulp. Then we’ll all go up and land a kick, and it’ll make for a fantastic news story about heroes working together to defeat a powerful enemy!”

“But Miss Huoli wouldn’t allow that, would she? After all, the credit is all hers,” Magical Girl Xiaoxin said.

After all, if she defeated an opponent that even the special police couldn’t handle, she would surely want all the glory for herself.

“Haha, little sister Xiaoxin, you’re so naive. We all have an agreement. If she defeated the enemy alone, it would just make the audience think the foe was some ordinary weakling, which wouldn’t make for good publicity. But if we defeat him together and promote it that way, it becomes the resolution of a grand, sinister crisis, and everyone gets more fame.”

“And it’s very convincing, you know. The opponent is a former hero, Gast, who turned to villainy. That’s great material. It might even be made into a movie in the future, and that means another huge payday.”

The confrontation on stage had yet to begin, but the outcome was already decided.

Behind the scenes, the crowd was merely watching a tiger fight from a safe distance, as if they already had the script in their minds, contemplating future earnings and how they should present themselves on screen.

Raging flames erupted from the young woman’s body, soaring toward the sky like a colossal dragon.

The scorching heatwave forced the spectating heroes, standing a hundred meters back, to shield their faces with their arms.

The brilliance of the fire reminded Magical Girl Xiaoxin of one thing.

“The sun.” This was Magical Girl Xiaoxin’s assessment of Miss Huoli when speaking to reporters after the incident. “If you gave her a stage, she would undoubtedly be the most dazzling star.”

She hadn’t even attacked, yet her mere presence was enough to intimidate everyone.

Even the reporters outside the hundred-meter perimeter felt the searing pressure the moment she unleashed her power.

“Her flames are so terrifying! They forced me to live in darkness, seeking revenge!” —A quote from the Raven Doctor, who appears in episode 15.

“The heat radiating from the edge of her blade alone was enough to instantly melt my sisters. It’s terrifying. She is, without a doubt, an extremely threatening target.” —A calm assessment from the maid who appears in episode 46.

“Miss Huoli, who can perfectly master two systems, is invincible. Like a true Valkyrie. A half-baked existence like me could never compare. After all, she has no weaknesses.” —A smiling remark from the student council president, who appears much later.

‘Hey, you characters from later on, stay out of this! Isn’t the narrator going to do anything about this?’

Back on the battlefield, the fight had begun.

But to call it a fight would be a stretch; it was more of a one-sided beatdown.

“Flame Dance! Rapid Fire Slashes!”

[BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!]

Gast, the man who had effortlessly taken down special police and even held his own against a user with a level 5 belt, was now being beaten back relentlessly.

The ferocious blade-work, wreathed in scorching flames, delivered attacks that, while lacking the raw power of the massive gorilla arm-guards, were faster and stronger with every strike.

Gast’s agile systems had allowed him to easily evade and counter the gorilla arm-guards’ heavy blows; even taking a hit only sent him flying.

But Miss Huoli’s blades were different.

Her dual swords crossed and weaved in a continuous flurry of slashes, a relentless, airtight assault.

The high-frequency attacks forced Gast to do nothing more than parry the blades with his fists.

He had no room to gather enough strength for a counterattack.

The searing pain that accompanied each block was a stark reminder to Gast that every one of Huoli’s strikes was lethal.

If a single slash landed cleanly, the consequences would likely be far more terrifying than a direct hit from the gorilla arm-guards’ ultimate punch.

He had to create distance.

Gast knew the price of a direct confrontation.

Against a high-speed, burst-damage opponent at close range, he had no advantage whatsoever.

But the experienced Miss Huoli gave him no such opportunity.

She clung to him like a leopard to its prey, her blades weaving a constant storm of attacks.

With every clash of steel, brilliant sparks of fire erupted into the night sky.

Her overwhelming, aggressive pressure was like light vanquishing darkness.

The scene spoke volumes about the gap between two level 5 users; Miss Huoli was in a completely different league from the special police officer.

A magical girl’s body was already beyond human, and the belt-driven armor provided a powerful boost, complemented by two extremely rare SR plug-ins that were a perfect match for her fire attribute.

Envy.

For Magical Girl Xiaoxin, it was pure, unadulterated envy.

What fan of transforming heroes didn’t dream of having their own exclusive belt, complete with the perfect plug-ins that would put them leagues above their peers?

He wanted it! He wanted it so badly!

But how much would that cost?

He had no idea.

Perfectly suited plug-ins were a once-in-a-lifetime find.

Even if you wanted one, the seller wouldn’t necessarily part with it for the so-called market price.

Possessing such a top-tier setup was Ah Xin’s ultimate dream.

The price to upgrade a belt from level 4 to 5 was 45 million, and even 100 million might not be enough to secure a top-of-the-line configuration.

That was the harsh reality.

For Ah Xin, it was a sum he probably couldn’t earn in his next life, or the one after that.

[CRASH! CRASH! CRASH!]

After dozens of exchanges, the two forces collided, and the overflowing energy spared nothing in its vicinity.

The ground cracked and shattered, the windows of cars on the road were instantly pulverized, and stray sparks pierced the side of a motorcycle like bullets, leaving behind holes and flames that burned stubbornly on the pavement, refusing to die out.

The assault never ceased, and Miss Huoli showed no intention of using Overclocked Acceleration.

She poured all her focus into the swing of her blades, using her will to drive the fusion and release of her magic and energy.

Every attack carried an explosive force.

This ferocious offensive left Gast with no room to retaliate, forcing him to retreat step by step.

He couldn’t fully parry the blows, and the moment he blocked one with a punch, the next slash was already upon him.

The crisscrossing slashes quickly backed him against a building.

With nowhere left to retreat and the assault showing no signs of weakening, Gast, who could only defend with his fists and arm-guards, began to show signs of fatigue.

To protect himself, he was forced to meet more and more attacks with his fists, and cracks began to appear on his black armor.

The intense heat from the raging flames was enough to melt the bulletproof glass of the skyscraper.

Finally, after taking no less than a hundred slashes, an opening appeared.

An arm-guard shattered.

He couldn’t reposition in time.

His defense was a split-second too slow.

Seizing the opportunity, Miss Huoli brought down her blade without hesitation.

The razor-sharp edge sliced straight into Gast’s chest.

The fierce and powerful attack exploded against his body, causing black energy to burst forth like scattered electricity.

Though it was just one strike in a long series, the damage was enough to make him lose his balance and fall backward.

‘This is my chance!’

Full magical power! Blazing Lotus Slash!

Ultimate skill activated! Heavenly Flame Decisive Slash!

Second plug-in! Raging Torrent of Extreme Fire! Full-power burst!

Three powers converged, merging into the ultimate finishing move—Ultimate Flame: Annihilation Slash!

[SWOOSH—BOOM!!!!]

Like a crimson meteor, the three ultimate flame powers converged on a single point and struck Gast.

At that moment, Huoli unleashed her strongest attack!

The resulting blast was like a nuclear detonation.

A flash of white light consumed everything, and the next thing Magical Girl Xiaoxin felt was her body being thrown into the air by a scorching heatwave, her vision a complete whiteout.

Though it only lasted for two or three seconds, it was enough to leave her heart pounding in terror.

In her dazed vision, it was as if a fire dragon had soared into the clouds, illuminating the entire city for a moment.

“Hah, as expected of Miss Huoli. An easy victory.”

“That old geezer’s gotta be crippled if not dead now, hehe~.”

“Of course! In a fight between equals, Miss Huoli is invincible!”

Huoli did not move, simply standing her ground.

Even the skyscraper, built with expensive materials, now had a gaping hole thirty meters in diameter blown through it by her ultimate attack.

Everything in its path had been incinerated, the edges of the hole glowing black and still burning.

The building’s fire sprinklers activated, attempting to stop the flames from spreading, but it would likely take some time.

And what of Gast?

Though his transformation was not fully dispelled, his current state was far more wretched than that of a warrior forced out of their transformation.

He lay limply on a crushed car, his armor in pieces, cracks spreading across his entire body.

Half of his facial armor had fallen off, revealing a haggard face.

He was gaunt, his face etched with weary wrinkles, and his pupils had turned a whitish-gray.

A small amount of blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, and his body still trembled with the faint signs of life.

But after such a devastating blow, could he possibly rise again?

“Hehe, as expected of Miss Huoli, decisive as always!”

“?”

Unsure of what was happening, Magical Girl Xiaoxin saw the crowd of idol heroes, who had been spectating, begin to move.

They calmly advanced, step by step, toward the fallen Gast.

The corporate drones in the air, having confirmed the enemy was no longer moving, began to slowly descend.

[Protocol initiated. Commencing operation.]

The police drones retracted their cameras and hovered in the air on standby.

The corporate drones descended to begin their work, extending mechanical arms to grab Gast’s arms and hoist him up.

‘Are the corporations going to take custody of Gast?’

No, watching them draw their weapons one by one, a bad feeling crept into her heart.

Hero bullying.

Ah Xin had heard of the term.

To train rookies and for publicity, a senior hero would often beat an enemy to within an inch of their life, and then the rookies would deliver the final blow, creating the illusion of a united victory against a powerful foe.

And what they intended to do now was painfully obvious.

“Ho ho~ what’s the word from the director?”

“The script says Miss Huoli engaged the fallen warrior Gast first to protect Magical Girl Xiaoxin. After she achieved a decisive victory, he activated his second form. Then, to protect Sea City, all of us jumped in together.”

“So we each get one hit, right?”

“How wonderful, little sister Xiaoxin. You just be a pretty princess. In a little while, you can get a hug from Miss Huoli and earn a ton of popularity.”

“Hahahahaha…”

Their arrogant demeanor, though framed as a joke, made their laughter sound incredibly grating.

Unable to bear it any longer, Magical Girl Xiaoxin stepped forward to stop them, but a hand caught her arm.

It was Huoli.

She looked down at Magical Girl Xiaoxin with a blank expression, as if she had seen this sort of thing countless times, and shook her head.

“Is this really okay?! Can you really call people like this heroes?!”

“Then what do you think a hero is?” Huoli retorted. “At the end of the day, it’s just a job.”

The words that came from the high school girl’s mouth were unimaginable.

She possessed power that placed her above tens of thousands, yet she performed her duties like a string puppet.

“If you don’t really think that way in your heart, then don’t compromise.”

Shoving Huoli’s hand away, Magical Girl Xiaoxin stormed toward the laughing crowd.

Huoli flinched at her words, reaching out as if to stop her, but then retracted her hand.

“Hey, little drone, give him a scan. What attackable parts does he have left?”

[Acknowledged. Initiating scan sequence. Status analysis commencing. Result: Normal. No damage detected.]

“Huh?”

“Almost… but since you’re all so eager for the ‘second form’ part of the script, I’ll play along.”

[SWOOSH!] Another sudden Overclocked Acceleration!

Even Magical Girl Xiaoxin was stunned for a moment, freezing in her tracks.

The faces of the crowd, still reveling in their impending fame, twisted in the warped time of the acceleration.

Gast, on the other hand, easily tore himself free, ripping the mechanical arms off with him, and then delivered a series of high-speed punches directly to the faces of everyone around him.

[POW! POW! POW! POW!]

In less than a second, a series of impacts echoed.

As the acceleration ceased and time returned to normal, the force of the punches landed on their bodies, exploding like cannonballs and sending them flying like arrows from a bow.

“Gah!”