Magical Girl Grey Moon clutched Zhou Huanan in her hand. She needed to confirm he was truly a living, breathing person, perfectly well, and not some illusory figment of her imagination—a mere reflection in water, a flower in a mirror.
Once she felt the warmth of his palm, a wave of relief washed over her. She then loosened her grip and let him go.
All the while, Magical Girl Violet glared at Grey Moon with eyes that could kill, so focused that she failed to notice the Magma Demon standing nearby.
Zhou Huanan quickly vanished from sight, disappearing into invisibility. Grey Moon wasn’t surprised he wore a familiar mask, though a flicker of worry still pricked at her. Nevertheless, her focus remained squarely on Violet, who had just arrived.
“Where did you hide him?!”
Violet, however, was a different story. The moment Zhou Huanan vanished, her expression twisted into a berserk rage, transforming her into a complete madwoman. She charged forward mindlessly.
Grey Moon effortlessly repelled Violet, striking her with a shield and injuring her.
Yet, Violet disregarded the fresh wounds blossoming across her body and once again charged directly at Grey Moon.
Grey Moon raised an eyebrow. Despite the assault, she showed remarkable restraint, choosing not to employ the axe held in her right hand.
She still harbored doubts.
Furthermore, Violet had previously demonstrated a teleportation-like ability, yet she hadn’t utilized it during her current offensive.
This, too, was a contributing factor.
It led Magical Girl Grey Moon to hold back some of her strength against her.
Within the plaza.
Grey Moon stood beneath Banjao’s colossal hologram, deflecting Violet’s assaults. The Banjao emblem itself was a striking composition of abstract, modern black lines.
That colossal Banjao emblem.
Its overall design bore a resemblance to the Tai Chi symbol, split into two distinct parts. The upper half symbolized chaotic demon claws, while the lower half represented orderly hearts.
Simultaneously, as Violet initiated her offensive,
Hidden just above Banjao’s holographic projection, within the emblem’s ‘evil’ section, the Magma Demon, Sword King, also launched an attack on Grey Moon.
Attacks from both sides converged simultaneously.
Grey Moon stood her ground, her indifferent expression utterly unchanged as she faced the simultaneous assaults from the corrupted Magical Girl and the Magma Demon. Not a flicker of light shifted in her eyes.
First, she effortlessly sent Violet flying with a casual blow, disregarding the Magical Girl’s pained cries. Then, she raised her hand, lifting her small round shield.
She remained rooted to the spot, bracing herself to meet Sword King’s strike as he plunged vertically from the sky.
Zhou Huanan, who had been hiding far away, had already put at least five hundred meters between himself and the battle. He originally intended to continue fleeing.
However, he paused, pulled out his phone, and began recording the unfolding events.
He cursed under his breath, then decided to live stream the spectacle for Dr. Zhuge.
It was a perfect angle to capture that very strike.
Initially, there was no sound.
Not a single movement.
Zhou Huanan frowned, staring at the scene on his phone. It was as if time itself had frozen. Yet, when his gaze lifted from the screen, the real world presented the exact same, unmoving image.
This phenomenon transcended Zhou Huanan’s understanding, eliciting a soft gasp from him.
Grey Moon lifted her head, shield raised, while Sword King extended his downward thrust. For approximately half a second, the two remained frozen in the air, like statues.
Then, after half a second, a violent white shockwave finally erupted, spreading outwards.
The shockwave snapped the thick trees encircling the plaza, while the ground beneath Grey Moon began to collapse in segments. Countless smooth stone bricks from the plaza were violently flung into the sky by the sheer force of the impact.
They were then shredded into fragments by the expanding shockwave, scattering into the distance.
The earth was laid bare, exposing raw soil. Violet, who had just managed to scramble back to her feet, was hit by the shockwave at close range. With a pained cry, she was sent hurtling in Zhou Huanan’s direction.
Zhou Huanan lowered his head. The image on his phone had clearly captured the style of panties Violet was wearing that day.
By the time the shockwave finally subsided, Zhou Huanan was able to lift his head once more.
At that moment.
Only then did a terrifying sonic boom, delayed by what seemed like half a beat, finally reverberate through the air. It permanently deafened anyone within a hundred-meter radius.
Even Zhou Huanan, despite being relatively far away and protected by a Captain-grade helmet, felt profoundly unsettled.
But what of the two individuals at the very epicenter of the blast?
Beneath Grey Moon’s feet, a shallow crater, three meters deep and twenty meters in diameter, had formed.
Sword King’s formidable strike had left a single, distinct mark on Grey Moon’s small round shield.
Yet, all things considered, both individuals appeared utterly unharmed!
Zhou Huanan swallowed hard. ‘Is this… how legendary powerhouses truly battle?’ he wondered.
At that moment, Sword King gazed at Magical Girl Grey Moon, a look of distinct pleasure on his face.
Seeing that his sword strike had failed to even faze Grey Moon, a wide grin spread across his face, hidden behind the merciless Iron Maiden mask. He pushed off into the air, leaping to a distant point.
His pitch-black greatsword landed first, embedding itself deep into the ground. From afar, it resembled a thin, slender tombstone.
The greatsword’s broad blade was so substantial that the Magma Demon Sword King could stand upon it entirely without causing even a tremor.
The plaza in the suburbs.
At this moment, Grey Moon’s small shield remained poised.
Grey Moon lowered her small shield.
Her eyelids drooped imperceptibly, a silent acknowledgment of her opponent’s formidable strength.
She watched the Magma Demon Sword King stand tall upon his greatsword, arms crossed over his chest. Dressed in pitch-black full plate armor and adorned with a black Iron Maiden iron mask, the Magma Demon truly embodied a violent aesthetic from head to toe.
He was exceptionally powerful, leaving a distinct impression on Grey Moon.
She was even somewhat intrigued, a thought stirring within her to take his Iron Maiden mask home and hang it on her wall as a memento.
“Magical Girl Grey Moon, in our next exchange! Haha—”
The Iron Maiden-masked Magma Demon had initially thrown his head back and laughed twice, only to abruptly cease.
He composed himself, his gaze settling upon her from behind the cold Iron Maiden mask.
Had he simply continued to laugh unrestrainedly, Grey Moon would not have given it a second thought.
But for him to suddenly compose himself, to forcibly suppress his emotions and calm down—
Even Grey Moon realized this individual was unlike the two Magma Demons she had previously encountered.
He was a truly formidable opponent.
However, Zhou Huanan was undoubtedly observing her from a distance.
Upon this thought,
Grey Moon’s lips curled into a barely perceptible smirk. With a surge of courage, she resolved to remain and face this powerful foe, brazenly desiring the Iron Maiden mask from his face.
She wanted it as a trophy, much like the tiger pelt a seasoned hunter might hang by their fireplace, a future tale to be told for years to come.
“Hmph… My apologies.”
Since Grey Moon remained silent, Sword King broke the stillness once more. “Perhaps such unrestrained laughter is considered rude among your kind, but I haven’t faced a worthy opponent in so long. Please, forgive me.”
“As you can see, I am a swordsman who relishes challenging the strong. I have the unfortunate honor of being known as the Sword King.”
Magical Girl Grey Moon’s voice was cool. “Magical Girl Grey Moon.”
“I know. I’ve heard much about you.”
The two powerhouses exchanged names, a formal greeting before their battle could truly begin.
Yet, after the introductions, both fell silent, standing perfectly still. Neither made the first move. Sword King observed Grey Moon, whose uniform was only slightly soiled at the hem, and felt a surge of heightened vigilance.
Grey Moon, too, was searching for an opening, unwilling to act rashly.
It was at this precise moment that Violet finally flew back into the clearing, intent on seeking revenge against Grey Moon.
However, as she witnessed the two figures, their auras continuously escalating, she froze in bewildered astonishment.
She felt as though she had stumbled into a situation she shouldn’t have.
‘Violet, have I really messed something up?’
Incidentally, Violet found the other person confronting Grey Moon somewhat familiar. She turned her head, saw Sword King, and violently shuddered.
Now, in Violet’s world, only Sword King remained.
Her pupils contracted to pinpricks. She gritted her teeth, her face contorted with hatred and terror.
“Sword King!!!”
The girl’s piercing shriek shattered the tense standoff between the two combatants.
Grey Moon and Sword King both turned their heads to look.
In their line of sight, dense magical energy accumulated around Violet. Blood tears streamed from her eyes as she let out a sorrowful sound, clutching her face. She stood pigeon-toed, bowing deeply, and lifted her head, staring at Sword King with an expression of intense hatred.
“It was you!”
After a long moment, Violet spoke, her gaze fixed on Sword King.
‘It was Sword King who destroyed the Century of Gold ten years ago, who defeated and captured Sister Bellflower—’
She swore she would never forget this person!
Sword King uttered a questioning hum, meeting Magical Girl Violet’s gaze. He felt the hatred in her eyes and found her somewhat familiar, yet he couldn’t recall her.
After all, the Magical Girls he had killed and destroyed over several decades were as numerous as the stars in the sky or the sands on the ground.
He only remembered the truly strong ones, such as the Magical Girls of C City ten years ago, Golden Tulip and Black Iris, both of whom were respectable opponents.
Magical Girl Violet?
Sword King stroked his chin, trying to remember, but ultimately shook his head. He had no impression of her.
Sword King had no interest in the weak.
“It was you, it was you, it was you…”
Violet’s lips continuously repeated the accusation.
Behind Magical Girl Violet, purple magical energy solidified into tangible purple blocks.
Even ordinary people without super vision could see that she was going berserk.
If any ordinary, good-hearted citizens of C City were here, faced with a berserk, corrupted Magical Girl, they would likely panic, be terrified, and faint on the spot, their souls ascending to meet Buddha.
Yet, Magical Girl Grey Moon and Sword King both appeared utterly calm at this moment.
Due to their mutual wariness, neither made a reckless move.
They even had the leisure to indulge in a small, refined interest, smiling subtly as they found a way to be different from the mundane world.
Their actions were similar.
Grey Moon’s thought was that Violet would attack Sword King to break the stalemate.
Sword King, on the other hand, believed Violet was likely a weaker opponent he had once defeated, and he wished to grant a fair chance for revenge to the weak.
Both were willing to let Magical Girl Violet unleash her full power.
On the surface, this manifested as a polite refusal to initiate an attack or interrupt Violet’s ‘casting time’.
“Die!!!”
With Violet’s furious roar, countless purple magic orbs behind her exploded, leaking magical energy. Magical Girl Grey Moon’s eyes widened. She hadn’t expected Violet to pull such a grand maneuver—an attack aimed at a Magma Demon, yet a wide-area destructive spell?
If the magical energy wasn’t concentrated at a single point, it probably wouldn’t even break through a Magma Demon’s defenses, would it?
What made Grey Moon even more anxious was this:
Grey Moon realized Zhou Huanan was likely still hiding nearby, invisible and having not left. Yet, Violet’s magical energy had already spread for thousands of meters with the wind. Grey Moon cursed Violet under her breath, then furiously threw the blood-red hand axe in her grip.
It struck Violet squarely in the chest, interrupting her.
Grey Moon would not allow her to continue spreading magical energy that could easily kill ordinary people.
Violet’s chest blossomed with a vibrant splash of blood. Her attention had been entirely on the Magma Demon, and she hadn’t anticipated the possibility of Magical Girl Grey Moon actively attacking her.
Violet’s brain rebooted, briefly starting to function, only to see Grey Moon glaring at her, biting her lip. This was the first time Grey Moon had shown such a significant change in expression in public.
‘What happened?’
‘What did Violet do now?’
She looked left and right, only to see Zhou Huanan hundreds of meters away, clutching his chest and collapsed on the ground.
“Eh?”
Violet instinctively wanted to fly over and save him, but Grey Moon overtook her, seizing the initiative. As Grey Moon passed, she even retrieved the axe embedded in Violet’s chest, taking it back.
Grey Moon shot her a fierce glare.
Violet wept from the pain, but the emotional guilt in her heart hurt more than the physical injury.
“Violet, Violet didn’t mean it.”
But whatever she said was useless.
Grey Moon would not allow Violet to approach Zhou Huanan again. She swiftly carried Zhou Huanan away from the scene.
Sword King had not intended to let Grey Moon leave.
However, upon seeing Zhou Huanan suddenly appear and collapse in the distance, he let out a regretful sigh, believing his mistake had caused harm to an ally.
Errors must be rectified.
Even if life is priceless and cannot be brought back.
But Sword King still had things to do. He turned to Violet, his tone indignant.
“Since that is the case, I will kill you first to avenge my ally.”
Violet had intended to pursue Grey Moon, but Sword King’s voice rang out behind her, sending a chill down her spine and forcing her to dodge.
The others’ battles continued.
But Grey Moon’s battle was over.
She anxiously clutched the motionless Zhou Huanan to her chest, flying into the distance, consumed by self-reproach.