Chapter 41: The Magical Girl from the Sky

As the plane climbed higher and higher, everyone’s heartbeat, including Kexin’s, seemed to be hammered violently, gradually accelerating. Every bump the fuselage experienced in the turbulent air felt like her heart might burst out of her chest.

Although the magical girls were already accustomed to flying in the air and could even fight anomalies mid-flight, for many of them, this was their first time on an airplane because they rarely had the opportunity to travel far. And this was not just any plane—it was a transport aircraft of the Federal Air Force.

Opportunities like this were not something you experienced every day. For someone like Kexin, who had grown up in a rural town, going far from home was already unusual; just coming to Muzu to study was the farthest she had ever been from home.

When she first saw the plane in the base hangar while waiting to board, she had shown some excitement, after all, she had always been interested in military equipment.

But now, Kexin’s hands unconsciously gripped the armrests tightly, her palms sweaty, though she forced herself to maintain a calm expression, trying not to look too flustered.

Fortunately, the cabin was dimly lit, so if one didn’t look too closely, it was hard to see others’ expressions.

This nervousness didn’t last long. Soon, Agent Guan’s voice came through the headset: “Three minutes until we reach the target area. Everyone, prepare yourselves.”

Hearing the order, a girl with long dark blue hair, who had been sitting near the rear door from the beginning, stood up first. Seeing this, the others also stood, forming two lines.

Kexin quickly stood up as well, immediately gripping the handholds along the cabin wall.

Among the magical girls participating in this training, Luo Anying had the most experience. She had already been on multiple field missions. To facilitate such operations, the Special Investigation Bureau usually assigned a transport plane along with intelligence and logistical support teams.

“Alright, everyone, listen carefully. Although we went over these steps and precautions on the ground, I still need to remind you: stay calm, don’t panic, and trust in your abilities,” Luo Anying said as she walked past everyone, checking on their readiness one by one.

Some, like Kexin, felt nervous about what was coming. Others were clearly excited, barely able to contain themselves.

“When the countdown ends, the red cabin lights will turn green, and the rear door will open. At that moment, the air pressure difference will create a strong airflow, and the oxygen will be thinner. So, put on your breathing masks and hold onto the handholds now.”

Kexin immediately began checking her gear from head to toe: helmet, goggles, mask, communication headset, parachute backpack, and so on. Normally, a magical girl wouldn’t need to carry so much equipment.

But this mission was special.

When the last minute arrived, Agent Guan reminded everyone over the comms to perform a final check—not only of their own equipment but also helping those in front and behind.

Kexin counted down in her mind. At the final ten seconds, the cabin alarm sounded, and the red lights started flashing. When the countdown reached zero, the green lights turned on.

Everything happened just as Luo Anying had described. Even though they had been told this repeatedly before boarding, hearing it one last time gave everyone better mental preparation.

When the cabin door opened, the expected gust of wind blew in, and sunlight streamed into the plane. Having adjusted to the dim interior, the group found the light slightly blinding.

At that moment, everyone clearly realized they were really going to jump.

Kexin glanced at the height display on the smart watch strapped to her wrist—her transformation device—and her legs suddenly felt like they were filled with lead, making every step toward the door extremely cautious.

“Just like usual. Adjust your posture in the air. The tactical assistance system will guide you to the correct landing point. When you reach the designated height, your parachute backpack will automatically deploy,” Luo Anying instructed, stepping backward while making sure everyone followed.

When she reached the edge of the door, she smiled slightly and leaned backward, instantly disappearing from view.

For a moment, Kexin felt her heart skip a beat—after all, this was an altitude of 10,000 meters. Just thinking about it was terrifying.

But a blonde girl standing at the front of the line turned, spotted Kexin in the crowd, gave her a thumbs-up, ran to the door, and shouted “Woohoo!” before jumping without hesitation.

Those eager to jump followed suit, each in their own way, leaving the plane one after another.

The remaining people, still nervous, had no choice but to follow.

Soon it was Kexin’s turn. She was the last to jump. Looking down at the villages and towns, now tiny dots far below, a surge of indescribable fear rose in her heart.

What if her backpack failed? What if she didn’t cast magic in time? Even with air resistance, the fall wasn’t completely free, and her speed on impact would still be high. Calculating the impact in her mind…

She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and steeled herself. Suddenly, she felt a tremendous push from behind.

Before she could react, the roaring wind filled her ears. With nothing to stand on, she felt her body completely out of control, tumbling through the air.

The intense sense of weightlessness made Kexin dizzy, but she quickly adapted, adjusting her posture.

Compared to being on the ground, her movements were much freer. Even when transformed as a magical girl, she had never felt this level of control. No wonder so many people enjoyed skydiving.

Her tactical goggles, equipped with AR, provided real-time data and guidance, helping her locate her teammates.

Below her stretched hundreds of kilometers of hilly terrain, mostly green, dotted with tiny white specks—the villages where people lived.

As she continued descending, she could feel the powerful air resistance slowing her fall, almost like invisible hands gently dragging her. Gradually, objects on the ground that were once blurred became clearer, revealing their shapes bit by bit.

Just as she began to make out the types of trees in the forest, a sudden noise behind her indicated her parachute backpack had deployed.

Unlike traditional parachutes, this backpack used advanced technology to automatically slow her descent at the designated height and adjust her posture for a proper landing.

Descending further, Kexin saw the landing point: a platform beside an old mountain hydroelectric station.

Those who had jumped earlier had already landed safely and removed their slightly heavy gear. Seeing Kexin approaching, they looked up just in time to watch her dive into the reservoir.

“Splash.” This wasn’t just an onomatopoeia for falling into water—it was what Qisi muttered, having guessed exactly how Kexin would land.

She hadn’t expected Kexin not to manually adjust her fall—a bit amusing in hindsight.

With everyone’s help, Kexin finally climbed out of the shallow reservoir, which was less than two meters deep.

As for why so many magical girls arrived here in this way… well, that’s a story for another time.