Chapter 32: Subduing the Magical Girl

“They’ll come, so we need to leave here quickly.”

An Yueying said calmly, her hand closing around the dazed Ye Qing’s arm before she tugged her towards the exit.

***

At that very moment, aboard a nearby subway train, Shen Congqing’s eyes snapped open, her delicate brows arching sharply.

“Evil cadres? Have they finally made an appearance?” she mused aloud.

She casually offered her seat to a nearby child, then moved to the door, her gaze fixed through the glass on the approaching platform.

The magical fluctuations, symbolic of desire, intensified with every passing second, as if urging Shen Congqing forward.

The moment the subway came to a complete stop, she swiftly exited the car, heading quickly towards the nearest restroom.

Despite the urgency of the situation, the necessary procedures could not be bypassed.

Moments later, Magical Girl Qing, her appearance utterly transformed, stepped onto the platform.

Her dazzling golden hair was swept up high and secured behind her head, giving her a capable and dynamic look that perfectly captured a magical girl’s vibrant energy.

Shen Congqing inwardly felt that the title ‘Magical Girl’ no longer quite fit her. After all, she was a mature woman in her twenties, no longer a young lass filled with whimsical fantasies.

Yet, the power of a magical girl granted her eternal youth. At least until her retirement, her appearance and physical condition would remain perpetually at their peak, never showing signs of decline.

Accordingly, upon transforming into Magical Girl Qing, her body would undergo a subtle rejuvenation, making her appear more like a young girl rather than a sophisticated ‘big sister’ figure.

Reaching up, Shen Congqing removed her now superfluous rimless glasses. With a light tap of her right foot on the ground, she soared dozens of meters into the sky, as nimble and graceful as a swallow streaking towards the clouds.

Suddenly, a massive greatsword materialized in her hand.

The sword was as thick and heavy as a door, yet in her grip, it felt like a weightless sheet of paper. It lay obediently in her palm, effortlessly cleaving through the air currents that tried to impede her flight.

Her valiant figure quickly drew attention.

Many people eagerly prepared to capture her image, but by the time they retrieved their phones, the elegant golden-haired girl had already vanished from their sight, leaving behind only profound regret.

“Magical Girl Qing, truly amazing…”

If it were the old Tang Nuo witnessing this scene, she would undoubtedly have been too excited to sleep. But now, she was consumed by fear.

The golden-haired magical girl stood silently before her, a greatsword taller than herself slung over her shoulder. Her face was as cold as ice, appearing ready to wield her weapon at any moment.

“You Tea Party members, it’s truly been a long time. What are you planning to do this time?”

Tang Nuo, in a frantic state, gesticulated wildly, attempting to explain, while casting a pleading glance at Ye Qing behind her.

Ye Qing had already slipped into her stitched bear mascot suit to avoid recognition. With Tang Nuo’s desperate plea, she felt a pang of frustration, secretly grumbling about An Yueying in her mind.

‘That wicked woman couldn’t show her face, so after bringing them to this park, she promptly hid. But Ye Qing couldn’t bear to leave Tang Nuo alone, so she gritted her teeth and stayed.’

‘What if they were evenly matched, and by some chance, needed her to deliver the finishing blow to the enemy magical girl?’

However, she could only remain at a distance to observe, determined not to become a liability.

Thus, Ye Qing, from within her mascot suit, offered an encouraging gesture to Tang Nuo, then huffed and puffed her way to hide behind a nearby bench.

Tang Nuo was on the verge of tears. No one had ever told her that a meeting with a magical girl would arrive so abruptly.

Facing Magical Girl Qing’s interrogation, Tang Nuo could only manage a trembling voice.

“What if I told you I was kidnapped? Would you believe me?”

Qing merely snorted coldly, lowering her greatsword. Her voice remained sharp and unyielding.

“Stop playing these pathetic tricks. Do you think this is my first time encountering your kind?”

Tang Nuo’s face crumpled with despair. Yet, it truly was her very first time meeting a magical girl!

Unfortunately, her evident panic was, in Qing’s eyes, merely superb acting. Seeing that Tang Nuo had no genuine intention of communicating, Qing’s patience wore thin.

She decisively raised her greatsword and charged towards Tang Nuo.

Helpless, Tang Nuo could only hurriedly flap the small wings behind her waist, narrowly avoiding the attack by the barest margin.

However, her inexperience in combat left her riddled with flaws in Qing’s discerning gaze.

Even a simple evasive maneuver was completely flawed, and Qing’s blade still grazed her slender waist, tearing a noticeable slit in the already thin fabric.

Yet, Tang Nuo felt no pain. Her fair skin beneath the fabric only bore a shallow red mark; not a single drop of blood flowed. Her skin seemed far tougher than she had imagined.

Having her clothes torn still filled Tang Nuo with a wave of shame, even stirring a faint hint of indignation. Relying on sheer instinct, she summoned her weapon—a slender, pitch-black teaching whip—and faced Qing.

“Isn’t it a bit much to assume I’m lying without even giving it a second thought?”

Holding the teaching whip, Tang Nuo unconsciously gained a touch more confidence as she spoke, her tone turning sharp. She actually began to question Qing, which, ironically, only solidified Qing’s suspicions.

Qing snorted coldly, once again bringing her sword down with force.

“For enemies that may pose a significant threat, the most effective approach is to subdue them first, and then communicate.”

Tang Nuo’s anger flared even more intensely. This time, she dodged cleanly and perfectly evaded Qing’s attack, then swung her teaching whip at a patch of wild grass nearby, infusing it with potent magic.

“Then I’ll just do exactly as you say!”

The next moment, the wild grass, now infused with a surge of potent magic, suddenly shot up from the ground. It sprouted countless powerful vines, its thick roots requiring two people to encircle them, pushing up the earth to form numerous fine cracks.

The towering magic grass swayed violently in the air, resembling a colossal tree caught in a fierce gale. It brandished agile vine whips that rapidly attacked Qing, who watched in utter astonishment.

Qing gritted her teeth, swinging her sword to hack at the relentless vine whips. However, her weapon was ill-suited for such a complex and versatile opponent.

Countless vine whips assailed her from all directions, leaving her struggling to cope and constantly retreating.

‘What astonishing magic…’

Realizing she would inevitably be defeated if this continued, Qing refocused her attention on Tang Nuo, who stood beside the magic grass, secretly pondering a countermeasure.

‘By her appearance, she shouldn’t be skilled in close combat. Catch the leader first; if I just grab her…’

However, when Qing clearly saw Tang Nuo’s face, she found the girl smiling brazenly, revealing a mouth full of sharp, menacing shark-like teeth.

The next moment, two vines pierced through the ground, emerging from beneath Qing’s feet. They bound her ankles, swiftly yanking her up and suspending her upside down in the air.

For a moment, she couldn’t find a point of leverage.

By the time Qing reacted and swung her sword at the vines around her ankles, a dense swarm of other vines had already surged forward, firmly binding her hands as well.

Due to the relentless pull of gravity, Qing’s battle skirt fell downwards, revealing the safety shorts hidden beneath. This inverted position filled her with immense shame, yet she couldn’t break free from the tenacious vines.

She was helplessly brought before Tang Nuo.

The blue-haired girl was now flushed crimson, one hand propping her chin, the other tightly clutching the teaching whip. Her star-shaped golden eyes gleamed with intense desire, the very source of her astonishing magic.

“Magical Girl Qing, I’ve subdued you now ♡, let’s have a good ‘talk,’ shall we~”