Chapter 27: The Knight’s Interruption

Zero quickly regained its composure, not allowing its stunned expression to linger. Its massive wings spread towards Lu Chen, and it let out a classic villainous cackle.

“Gyahahaha! Foolish! Useless! Did you truly believe I would permit anyone to disrupt the funeral feast!”

Lily of the Valley gazed past the colossal beast’s wings, seeing the young man already heeding her warning and sprinting towards the Puppet Theater.

Yet, before he could take two steps, several sharp, obsidian feathers plummeted from the sky, whistling as they pierced the ground around Lu Chen. These feathers grazed his skin before embedding themselves, forming a cage that ensnared the young man in an instant.

“…Tsk.”

Lily of the Valley clicked her tongue, her expression growing increasingly grim. Zero loomed over her, its voice sharp and menacing:

“Insignificant, powerless human, I witnessed it from above; you were just battered and utterly humiliated by Fireworks.

“And here, in this very place, I stand even mightier than Fireworks!

“You don’t truly believe you possess even a one percent chance of defeating me, do you? You will only die in vain!”

Zero was hinting wildly, but Lily of the Valley showed no intention of retreating.

“Perhaps so, but Fireworks is also a hundred times stronger than I am, capable of killing freaks I cannot. Therefore, a one percent chance is more than enough.”

She retorted coldly to the colossal beast, maintaining her vigilance as she cautiously approached the red-haired girl.

“Fireworks, my magic is dwindling. What should we do now?”

‘Eh, ah, is she asking me? Yes, that is indeed something she should ask me.’

After a fractional second of being out of sync, Ling Wei managed to compose herself and adopt a serious expression before Lily of the Valley could notice anything amiss.

With a twist of her wrist, she raised her flame-blade towards the giant beast, flames roaring in her eyes, akin to a hot-blooded manga protagonist entering their second phase after being inspired by their best friends.

“A superfluous question. It is merely a sparrow fond of sneak attacks. Exert your full power, defeat it, and then we leave. It’s that simple.”

“…You’re right.”

Lily of the Valley paused, then a faint smile touched her lips. She took up her stance against the colossal beast, boiling, sharp emerald magic coiling around her fists.

Zero looked down at the two magical girls who, moments ago, had been locked in fierce combat with each other, but now seemed to be united in purpose. It sent a telepathic message to one of the ‘traitors’.

[Master, I’m completely useless in a fight. What do I do now?]

‘Eh, ah, is it asking me again? Yes, that is indeed something it should ask me.’

Ling Wei maintained her stern expression, her mind already racing.

Although its descent had been orchestrated to appear incredibly cool and powerful, this familiar of hers was essentially pure support, possessing little actual combat capability.

Its magic was ‘Reality Rendering,’ which, to put it plainly, was creating special effects.

Its massive form, the overwhelming aura, and even its unusual voice were all achieved through this ability; a single strong blow would reveal its true form.

As for those formidable feathers, Ling Wei had secretly deployed them herself, leveraging her superior magical skill, completely unrelated to Zero. Even its being kicked away earlier had been her own doing.

Therefore, even with its magic suppressed and having been thoroughly beaten to the point of exhaustion just minutes prior, Lily of the Valley could still pin Zero to the ground and ask it, ‘Little bird, do you truly believe my dagger will simply fly into my hand?’

In formulating her plan, Ling Wei had assumed Lily of the Valley would flee, thus never accounting for the possibility of the stubborn child staying. She was now completely overwhelmed and at a loss—

‘Of course, such a thing would never happen; I had already prepared for this exact scenario.’

Ling Wei responded:

[There’s no problem. Just continue to strictly follow my instructions. I will guide Lily of the Valley’s actions to ensure this battle maniac doesn’t harm you. After a few rounds of fighting with her, you can feign defeat and make your escape.]

[Understood! But if that’s the case, what about your plan to make Lily of the Valley flee in terror, and your plan for Lu Chen to witness his beloved’s near-death?]

[The former was to prevent Lily of the Valley from exposing my identity, which now seems unnecessary. As for the latter… let’s stabilize the situation first; opportunities will always arise.

Now stop with the idle chatter and listen to my commands! In one second, leap two meters backward towards the four o’clock direction, and simultaneously swing your left wing at Lily of the Valley!]

[Understood!]

As Ling Wei communicated with Zero telepathically, she spoke aloud to Lily of the Valley beside her:

“Its left wing is imbued with powerful magic, but its right side is weakly defended. Go, let’s attack its right together.”

“Understood!”

With a brief affirmation, Lily of the Valley crouched low, shattering the ground beneath her. Sharp, emerald magic, like blades, erupted from her eyes as she dashed forward like a leopard, charging directly towards the colossal beast’s flank!

Not to be outdone, Ling Wei pushed off the ground, leaping into the air. Her flame-blade blazed with fierce light as she brought it down, aiming directly for the giant beast’s head!

****

However, the massive beast gracefully sprang into action, leaping backward and narrowly evading all attacks at the last possible moment.

As Ling Wei brought down her flame-blade, she opened a telepathic channel to Zero:

[In 0.8 seconds, swing your right wing at Lily of the Valley! After you swing, utter some trash talk!]

[Understood!]

The colossal beast spread its obsidian wings, and a fierce gale instantly swirled around it. Ling Wei’s pupils contracted as she warned Lily of the Valley:

“It’s about to launch its feathers. Prepare your defenses!”

“Understood!”

No sooner had she spoken than countless rigid, spear-like feathers shot forth, carried by the gale towards Lily of the Valley!

Lily of the Valley concentrated her full attention, dodging and weaving through the deadly onslaught. Ling Wei, meanwhile, feigned movements, twirling her flame-blade to deflect the feathers she herself had generated, while subtly flicking her sleeve to parry attacks that Lily of the Valley had missed.

Several seconds later, the torrential assault finally ceased. The giant beast stood tall, taunting:

“How pathetic! You can’t even touch me; you’re worse than the marionettes in a theater!”

Lily of the Valley’s face darkened, fine beads of sweat appearing on her forehead.

“Though I hate to admit it, its combat experience is truly extensive… it’s almost as if it can predict our every move.”

The red-haired girl’s expression remained serene, flames shimmering in her eyes. She raised a slender finger, pointing it remotely at Zero’s brow, and simultaneously spoke aloud and telepathically:

“I, too, have predicted its movements. It will leap into the air and let out a wail.”

As the ethereal female voice faded, dazzling flames erupted from the ground, engulfing the colossal beast in the blink of an eye!

Only then did Lily of the Valley realize that during their combined attack, Fireworks had not only used her flame-blade to restrict the beast’s movements but had also discreetly placed several sparks in its blind spots—and now, she had detonated all those seemingly weak and powerless points, delivering a powerful blow to the now overconfident beast!

The terrifying, mostly illusory, heatwave spread, distorting the air around them. The colossal beast, just as the girl had predicted and commanded, leaped into the air, letting out a horrific wail. It attempted to flap its wings and escape the flames, but each time it moved half a step away, the tongues of fire would relentlessly pull it back to its original position.

Watching the struggling beast, the girl offered a faint smile and waved her finger. A long staircase forged of fire instantly appeared before Lily of the Valley, extending all the way to the beast.

“Lily of the Valley, go. Deliver the final blow!”

[…Master, this is telepathy. You’ve got it reversed.]

“…Thank you for the reminder.”

Ling Wei cleared her throat and began again:

“Lily of the Valley, go. Deliver the final—”

“Fireworks, you dare harm my kin! Your tyrannical actions end here!”

A booming roar erupted in the air, interrupting the girl’s words.

A figure several meters tall gracefully leaped over the vine wall, crashing through the flame effects with thunderous momentum, liberating the giant beast. The figure did not stop immediately, continuing its charge forward with kinetic energy, its steel-like hooves plowing through the ground.

This monstrous creature, with a pair of wings and the upper body of a human atop the lower body of a horse, charged relentlessly until it collided with the vine wall, finally coming to a halt.

It turned sideways, brandishing a long spear before Ling Wei, striking a pose.

“I am Vidian, the Knight, loyal servant of Lord Envy! Your wicked life shall end by my spear!

And you, my comrade from Gluttony, are you still capable of fighting?”

Ling Wei looked at Zero, who wore a troubled expression, Lily of the Valley, who was completely bewildered, and the spirited Knight. She sent a telepathic message to her familiar.

[See? Isn’t a slow-paced story like ‘The Ring,’ which doesn’t have two or three spoilers popping up at once, much better?]

[…This familiar is speechless. Can you handle the current situation?]

Ling Wei offered a slight smile, a glimmer of amusement in her eyes.

“This is nothing. ‘The Grudge’ tormented me for a full hour and a half. To truly trouble me, at least one or two more variables would be needed, wouldn’t they?”

****

Lu Chen’s tension reached its peak as the Knight leaped over the vine wall, pressing towards Xia Shi and Lily of the Valley.

Trapped firmly by the giant crow’s wings, he could only remain in place, awaiting support, yet what arrived first was another monstrous foe.

Both magical girls still had their magic suppressed. Merely defeating the giant crow had cost them considerable effort; they had undoubtedly given their all… but now, another enemy had entered the fray.

‘I can’t bear to watch any longer. I can’t wait any longer.’

Lu Chen extended his hand, pressing it against the sharp feathers. The cold, steel-like sensation immediately spread, a slight stinging pain emerged, and crimson blood beads welled from the wound.

Simply placing his palm against it, the sharp edge had already sliced open his skin.

‘From now on, you will no longer be bothered by ordinary injuries or illnesses. Go forth and act with confidence.’

The voice of Silver Moon echoed in his mind.

Lu Chen steeled his resolve, took a deep breath, and pressed his hands against the feathers once more, pushing down with all his might.