Chapter 19: Unexpected Encounters and First Battles

Jasmine was clearly unprepared to encounter Su Xinxin here. A flicker of surprise crossed her face, only to be swiftly reined in with practiced ease.

She then adopted the composed and reliable demeanor expected of a ‘senior mentor’, striving to appear steady and trustworthy.

“Ahem… since we’ve run into each other by chance,” Jasmine cleared her throat. Her gaze swept over Su Xinxin’s goose-yellow and ivory combat dress, her tone attempting to sound as normal as possible.

“Jasmin, follow me. We’ll help evacuate the crowd together. This can be considered part of your practical training.”

After speaking, she winked at Su Xinxin, attempting to convey a little encouragement. Without further delay, she turned and swiftly ran towards the source of the commotion.

“Stay close to me!” Her voice drifted back on the wind, clear and bright. “Do you remember what I taught you yesterday? The two most basic universal skills for magical girls—’Mana Sense’ and ‘Spirit Agile’! Now, try channeling your mana to your feet and use ‘Spirit Agile’ to accelerate your movement!”

Su Xinxin had no time to ponder the slightly coincidental encounter. She could only follow the instructions.

Naturally, other questions still arose in her mind.

[What’s the difference between channeling mana to your feet… and channeling ‘chakra’ to your feet?]

[Huh? Master! You’ve been learning all wrong these past few days!]

She took a deep breath, guiding the warm current within her body down to her legs. Instantly, a familiar lightness enveloped her ankles.

Her steps became nimble and elastic as she broke into a run, closely following the pure white figure ahead.

Jasmine, running in front, seemed to have a faint, barely suppressed smile playing on her profile.

[Master,] Xiao Li’s voice echoed in her mind, a hint of teasing in its tone. [What are you smiling about? So happy?]

‘Hmm… I just remembered something delightful.’

[What delightful thing?]

Jasmine’s steps grew even lighter, her silver-white hair tracing fluid arcs as she ran. ‘If I wasn’t mistaken, the girl who ran into the alley, wearing a beige dress, must be Jasmin… This means all those previous wild thoughts can finally be discarded.’

[Oh~ So Master really wants to be friends with her, huh?]

‘Of course!’ Jasmine’s eyes curved into crescents. ‘It’s not every day you meet a girl your age you feel you can truly connect with. Finally… well, once this mission is successfully completed, I’ll try to tell her—’

[Whoa, whoa, whoa! Master!] Xiao Li hastily interrupted. [Don’t set up strange death flags at a time like this!]

‘…You’re right.’ Jasmine composed herself, her gaze fixed on the rapidly approaching source of chaos. ‘First, focus on saving people!’

The two swiftly arrived at the edge of the battlefield.

Whoosh!

A sharp sound tore through the air!

A long arrow, wreathed in a brilliant azure glow and fletched like cornflower petals, shot from a height nearby, accurately piercing the ‘brow’ of the newly formed Specter.

The Specter roared in pain, a shriek laced with fury and malevolence, its sonic vibrations visibly distorting the air.

“ROOAARRR—!!”

Immediately after, a figure descended into the fray like a blue meteor.

This was a magical girl wielding a slender rapier.

Her attire blended lightweight silver-white shoulder armor with elements of a cornflower-blue velvet gown. Her skirt was cut cleanly, and her combat boots trod silently.

Her face was serene, her eyes sharp as an eagle’s. Facing the grotesque monster, her gaze held no superfluous hatred or pity, nor any fear or excitement.

Only a pure, cold focus remained—a singular dedication to ‘neutralizing the threat’ itself.

She was Jasmine’s former mentor, now a magical girl, a Second-Tier Bloom Weaver—Cornflower.

‘Azure Vision: Analyze!’

As Cornflower silently invoked the skill, a faint, pale azure glow shimmered deep within her eyes.

At that moment, the world in her perception instantly transformed. The flow of energy, the intricate network of emotions, and even the most vulnerable connection points within the ‘Erosion’ creatures before her became clearly discernible.

This was a specialized enhancement of her ‘Mana Sense’.

Her gaze swept across the battlefield, immediately spotting Jasmine’s arrival and the new recruit behind her, whose goose-yellow hair and somewhat tense expression were unmistakable.

“Teacher Cornflower!” Jasmine, sensing the familiar gaze, called out through amplified mana. Her words were rapid yet clear. “I’m taking the new recruit to evacuate the outer perimeter! Please focus on your battle!”

Cornflower’s gaze lingered on the two for a brief moment. She seemed poised to say something, but ultimately gave an almost imperceptible nod, redirecting her full attention back to the Specter before her.

That subtle gesture conveyed trust in Jasmine’s judgment and, for the moment, transferred the responsibility of protecting the newcomer.

‘Xiao Si,’ she softly called to her Bloom Spirit in her mind.

‘Understood.’ A lop-eared rabbit Bloom Spirit, whose fur was the classic cornflower blue, stood quietly on her shoulder, its eyes equally focused and devoid of any superfluous words.

With her empty left hand, Cornflower made a grasping motion, and the silver ring on her Bloom Spirit Xiao Si’s ear glowed faintly.

In an instant, a hazy, pale blue illusory domain, evocative of a medieval dueling ground, silently unfolded around them. It enveloped the Specter and a section of the street, creating a subtle isolation from the panicked scenes outside.

“My lady, please—”

Cornflower extended her left hand flat, making a classical challenging gesture, while her right hand held her rapier pointed diagonally at the ground. Her posture was as elegant as if she were participating in a formal duel.

She was not wasting time. Under the continuous effect of ‘Azure Vision’, she was coldly dissecting her opponent.

The core of the monster’s chaotic emotions, the nodes where energy converged and flowed, and its probable patterns of movement were all being outlined and predicted in her rapidly working mind.

She was waiting. Waiting for her opponent to make the first move, waiting for that fleeting ‘opening’ that would allow for a single, fatal strike.

The Specter seemed enraged by this ‘ritualistic’ provocation. It glanced left and right, then its massive, jet-black arm violently seized a twisted streetlamp post from the roadside, effortlessly tearing it from the ground to use as a weapon.

Though newly formed, its physique was already considerable. Standing upright now, it resembled a furious, pitch-black gorilla.

It roared. The next moment, with a swiftness that belied its bulky form, it charged forward like a leopard, the streetlamp post sweeping horizontally with a whistling rush of wind!

‘Azure Thrust: Shatter!’

Cornflower, instead of retreating, advanced. All her mana instantly condensed at the tip of her slender sword, a point of cold light suddenly blazing. It aimed directly for the vulnerable armpit exposed as the Specter swung its weapon—there, a relatively delicate energy ‘vein’ was violently pulsating.

However, the Specter revealed a hint of human-like cunning. The sweeping motion eerily shifted mid-way, changing from a sweep to a smash. The streetlamp post, imbued with immense force, crashed down directly onto Cornflower’s head!

Cornflower’s pupils constricted. She forcefully twisted her charging momentum, bringing her rapier up to parry.

CLANG—!!!

A deafening clang, like metal striking metal, exploded. Sparks and scattered mana particles flew everywhere.

Cornflower steadily parried the blow, but the violent tremor running through her sword made her wrist tingle slightly, and the ground beneath her feet sank into a shallow depression.

An Upper R-rank ‘Erosion’—a Specter—not only possessed the clear monster form and basic destructive power of a Mid R-rank ‘Gathered Form’, but also some special ability or rudimentary combat intelligence, making it a far more formidable opponent.

Cornflower had only recently been promoted to Bloom Weaver. Dealing with a few regular Mid R-ranks already required caution and thoroughness. Facing an enhanced Upper R-rank, the pressure intensified dramatically.

Moreover, before arriving here, she had already cleared several disruptive ‘Gathered Forms’ and assisted with some evacuations, so her energy was not at its peak.

[Master, can you still hold on?] Bloom Spirit Xiao Si’s calm thought arrived.

‘It’s fine.’ Cornflower’s voice in her consciousness was equally steady. ‘First, confirm Gentian’s clearing progress and ensure the outer ‘Gathered Forms’ have been purged.’

[Received.]

There was no superfluous concern or worry; the command was clear, the response decisive. Such was their unspoken understanding.

****

Meanwhile, in the outer perimeter.

Under the gentle glow of Jasmine’s continuously deployed ‘Heart-Cleansing Barrier: Purify’, the nascent ‘Dust’ and ‘Wandering Spirits’ fueled by panic were constantly dispelled and purified, preventing them from merging or growing stronger.

Su Xinxin followed Jasmine, guiding the bewildered crowds to safety while carefully illuminating ‘Jasmin Light Flowers’ with her still-unfamiliar mana, soothing individual citizens who were on the verge of emotional collapse.

“Is it… really okay?”

Having just handed a wailing little girl back to her mother, Su Xinxin couldn’t help but look back at the core battle zone, enveloped by the pale blue illusion and echoing with fierce clashes. Her eyes were filled with worry.

“Trust Teacher Cornflower,” Jasmine maintained the barrier, her voice soft but imbued with reassuring strength. “For this level of combat, two experienced Bloom Weavers working together are more than capable. Besides…” She turned her head, offering Su Xinxin a deliberately relaxed smile. “Aren’t I here too? I won’t let any stragglers disturb them.”

Su Xinxin nodded, but her gaze remained fixed on the front.

Amidst the interwoven light and shadow of azure and pitch-black, the sword-wielding magical girl’s figure weaved in and out, each perilous block and precise counterattack tugging at Su Xinxin’s heart.

“I never imagined that such battles… truly existed in this world,” she murmured softly, her ancient soul looking through young eyes at a sight that defied all her seventy years of past understanding. “And I… never knew.”

The wind swept through the bustling street, carrying the aftershocks of the distant battle and a faint scent of gunpowder.

Her hand, unconsciously, tightened its grip.

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