Chapter 16: So, I Need Power!

At the very instant when Lin Yu’s consciousness was about to be completely swallowed by darkness, he saw light.

It wasn’t the sickly green glow of the emergency lamps in the subway station, nor the gaudy neon lights of the city skyline in the distance.

It was a deep blue radiance, pure and dazzling, like the light of the very first star igniting at the birth of the universe.

And its source—was Ye Yeying.

Her petite body slowly rose into the air. The tailored black cavalry jacket and Gothic short skirt she wore were engulfed in a stardust-like blaze of spiritual energy.

Those flames carried no warmth, but within them burned a killing intent cold enough to freeze the soul.

“—In the name of contract, grant me the punishment of origin. This body shall be the vessel that bears eternal silence and nothingness.”

Her voice was soft, yet like an invisible shockwave it crushed over the roars of a hundred monsters, drowned out the countless whispering insanities gnawing at Lin Yu’s mind, and struck his collapsing soul like the toll of a morning bell and evening drum.

(…What… is this…?)

That voice stood like a dam, holding back the flood of spiritual madness pressing against him, granting him a fleeting moment to breathe.

“Release! ——【Obsidian Arms】!”

As her final declaration fell, the abandoned subway station was engulfed in deep blue light!

A massive magic circle of runes and geometric patterns erupted beneath Ye Yeying’s feet.

Light shot skyward, dyeing everything around with a sacred yet ruthless hue. Even the air itself trembled under the vast force of her spiritual energy.

Through his haze of madness, Lin Yu witnessed something he could never hope to comprehend.

From the circle behind her, a colossal, floating gauntlet of black obsidian-like crystal emerged, piece by piece, expanding as it rose!

It was enormous.

Not “equipment” at all, but more like a war machine ripped straight off an orbital station!

Blue energy lines flowed across its surface, each joint radiating an aura of awe.

It hovered silently, as if not formed of spirit energy, but forged from the very concept of absolute power.

And the one commanding it… was a petite, delicate girl in Gothic dress, who looked as if she could not even wring a chicken’s neck.

The contrast was absurd, and yet beautiful.

(…You’ve got to be kidding me… This… is this really power a human can wield? That thing… she really conjured such a massive weapon?! Damn it… Is spirit energy actually this insane?! Just what kind of monster is she…?)

Lin Yu’s mind abandoned all thought. He could only stare blankly at the goddess of war suspended before him.

Even the humiliation and pain of being bound by a monster was momentarily forgotten. All that remained was awe before this sight that defied common sense.

“You actually forced me to get serious… you bastard!”

Anger flared across Ye Yeying’s refined features.

Even someone as well-mannered as her couldn’t help cursing in her native tongue.

Her deep blue eyes, burning with fury, locked onto the “primordial” monster that held Lin Yu aloft in its dozen arms like a trophy.

There was no pity in her gaze. No hesitation. Only pure—killing intent.

And then, the giant Obsidian Arms behind her moved.

No charging, no preparation.

The five massive, lance-like fingers twisted with a glacier-cracking crunch, fusing together.

Countless obsidian crystals surged from the void, coating and reforging its shape.

In the blink of an eye, a giant obsidian crystal greatsword, over five meters long and shimmering with blue light, materialized for all to see.

“【Blade Mode】!”

The monster binding Lin Yu shrieked, terror radiating from its formless body.

It no longer toyed with him—its arms squeezed in desperation, seeking to crush its prey once and for all.

“Ugh—ahhhhhh!!”

Lin Yu’s spine creaked, his ribs screamed. Pain shocked his mind into sudden clarity—just enough to see that immense sword descending toward him like the blade of judgment.

…Shit! She’s going to kill me too! Hey, hey, hey! Does this count as workplace injury?! Does my ten-million-yuan insurance even cover being accidentally killed by a coworker?!

He squeezed his eyes shut, already imagining his death.

But no pain came.

Instead, a soft hum filled his ears.

And then—the crushing pressure vanished.

Opening his eyes, he saw the sword’s tip frozen less than a centimeter from his nose.

Pure blue light shimmered along its flawless edge. In its mirror-bright surface, he saw his own sweat-drenched, filth-covered face.

“Huh?”

He turned his head dumbly.

The monster was gone.

Its body had been cleaved perfectly in two, the cut so smooth it gleamed like glass.

No black ichor spilled—only silent ashes scattering into nothing.

A surgeon’s precision. A swordmaster’s grace.

The evil was destroyed, while the hostage remained unscathed.

Lin Yu collapsed onto the filthy ground, staring upward in shock.

Across the station, the horde of monsters roared in outrage, hatred burning black in their eyeless sockets.

Like a flood, they surged toward the source of overwhelming power—Ye Yeying.

“…Trash.”

Her lips curled in disdain.

The obsidian sword shattered into blue motes, reforming behind her as dozens of shark-fin-like floating cannons.

“【Barrage Mode】!”

In the next instant, a storm of blue light erupted, a one-sided massacre consuming the entire subway platform.

The air thundered with a barrage of energy blasts.

Floating cannons streaked like hunting sharks, piercing heads, shattering bodies, reducing all corruption to dust.

Ye Yeying stood at the center of the storm, unmoving, expressionless, her eyes cold and empty.

This was no battle.

It was purification.
It was cleansing.
It was erasure.

And in barely thirty seconds—silence.

The last monster collapsed into ashes.

The ruined station reeked of ozone and charred filth. Smoke curled from cratered walls and shattered tracks.

Not a single enemy remained alive.

Ye Yeying’s small body descended slowly, the war machine behind her dissolving into sparks.

Her knees buckled. For the first time, her immaculate battle dress touched the grime of the station floor.

Breath ragged, forehead drenched in sweat, an obsidian crystal glimmered faintly beneath her bangs—cracked.

Blood spilled from her lips, staining the ground.

The aura of a divine A-rank Ace Magical Girl vanished, leaving only a frail, exhausted girl.

Lin Yu’s frozen brain rebooted.

Looking at her trembling back, an unfamiliar emotion gripped his chest.

He staggered up, stumbling toward her.

“Hey… senior… are you… okay?”

She tried to glare, but lacked the strength. Her body went limp, collapsing.

“Hey!”

Lin Yu dove forward, catching her.

For the first time, he felt her fragility—the scent of smoke and winter cedar, the tremor in her shoulders, the racing heartbeat.

So light. So weak.

The roar of footsteps and engines cut the silence—reinforcements arrived.

Manager Qian rushed down, his ever-present smile gone, replaced by naked panic.

“Xiao Ying! Medical team! Level-A spiritual suppressant, now!!”

Medics lifted her from Lin Yu’s arms onto a stretcher, beginning treatment.

Qian glanced at Lin Yu. The boy wasn’t smiling or joking. Only silence.

Pulling out his terminal, Qian reported coldly:
“Director Bai… incident at Zone C. Adjust Obsidian’s rank down to B. Mandatory rest—one week minimum… Grey Crystal? Keep him at D. But give him two days leave. I’ll handle the paperwork. And the responsibility? Put Zhao Liwei’s name on the report.”

In the returning black car, Lin Yu sat in silence, clothes changed back to his cheap uniform.

He didn’t joke. He didn’t complain.

He only stared at the city lights rushing by, his fists clenched so tight his nails dug into flesh.