Chapter 29: I So Want to Find You Soon

Hovering directly above the commercial plaza, Bai Shimo reached her right hand into the air, fingers loosely grasping.

Countless brilliant golden particles converged from all directions, rapidly condensing and extending in her palm—transforming in an instant into a magic staff!

At the staff’s tip, a massive sapphire shimmered, refracting the surrounding neon lights.

Just standing there, clad in her battle attire and wielding her staff, Bai Shimo had already drawn the attention of everyone around.

“Look!

That’s Molly!”

“Really, really!

I never thought I’d see her in person—I’ve only ever seen her on TV!”

“Hey!

The person in front, don’t block my photo!

I can’t see anymore…”

The crowd below instantly grew rowdy, pushing and shoving toward Bai Shimo’s direction.

In no time, the plaza was packed with bobbing heads.

Transformation didn’t change one’s facial features, but since people were more familiar with Molly in her magical girl form, it was only now that they noticed Bai Shimo’s presence.

As usual, Bai Shimo smiled and waved at those who admired her.

The next moment, she lightly pushed off with her toe, her body rising as if freed from gravity, and streaked across the night sky as a white trail before vanishing into the darkness.

The evening breeze brushed past.

Su Yuan stood alone, holding her ice cream cone, watching her leave.

“Please come back safely, Shimo…”

She prayed silently in her heart.

***

The night wind howled, billowing Bai Shimo’s pure white skirt.

She flew at high speed above the city.

The lights below flowed like a river of stars, buildings reduced to blurred silhouettes rushing past.

Noston City’s districts were clearly defined—from the bustling C District commercial area to the B5 District where the incident had occurred.

At her top speed, it took barely ten minutes to arrive.

She had just landed atop a tall lamppost when a figure in pale green battle attire quickly flew over from nearby.

“C-Captain!

You’re finally here!”

Lotus steadied herself beside her, her voice urgent.

“This mission is really tricky!

If you weren’t here, we wouldn’t know what to do!”

Bai Shimo’s expression remained unwavering, her amber eyes as calm as still water in the night.

“Talk as we move,” she said.

“What’s the situation now?”

“About twenty-five minutes ago, a magical beast attacked pedestrians at the back entrance of B5 District Central Hospital.

Two confirmed dead, one injured.”

Lotus reported rapidly, guiding Bai Shimo toward the epicenter of the incident.

“The attacker has been identified as a creature belonging to the ‘Paleo-Evolutionary Lineage’—a Spore-Splitting Protozoan.”

“When we attack it normally, it splits apart, using its fragments to absorb and weaken the damage, then rapidly regenerates between strikes.

It’s extremely difficult to kill!”

She paused, her face growing more worried.

“Right now, Azalea has temporarily trapped it with a Type-A Binding Barrier.

Thorn tried a close-range assault but was counterattacked by its crystalline tentacles—she suffered a severe penetrating wound to her left arm.

Sunflower is giving her emergency treatment…”

As Lotus spoke, she kept glancing at Bai Shimo, as if searching for some sign of reassurance on her captain’s face.

True to her expectations, Bai Shimo remained calm, showing not a trace of panic.

“I understand.”

With those words, the two arrived directly above the scene.

Bai Shimo’s gaze swept over the area below, and she immediately understood the deeper reason for Lotus’s anxiety.

The street behind the hospital had been completely cleared.

Behind barricades at the street corners, heavily armed Security Bureau demon-hunting special forces were faintly visible.

The muzzles of their standard-issue rifles were all aimed at a bizarre object in the middle of the street.

That was the Spore-Splitting Protozoan.

Its form was grotesque—its entire body stitched together from crystalline structures.

On both sides of its torso extended several spiked tentacles.

The other members of Star Vault were positioned on the opposite side of the street, confronting the monster.

“Ugh… it’s so ugly and disgusting…”

Cradling her crystal ball, Azalea looked pale, clearly fighting back physical revulsion.

Not far from her, the injured Thorn was arguing with Sunflower.

“I told you, it’s just a scratch!

Just bandage it up!

I can keep fighting right away!”

Thorn’s voice was hoarse.

“No!”

Sunflower, usually quiet, was uncharacteristically firm.

“Th-there’s residual crystalline venom in the wound… if we don’t clean it out, you could die…”

“Enough with the nonsense!

I can still walk and jump!”

Thorn tried to stand—and stumbled.

Just then, she spotted Bai Shimo landing and looked at her as if she were a savior.

“Captain!

You’re finally here!

We were about to collapse!”

“Stay calm.”

Bai Shimo’s voice wasn’t loud.

“From now on, follow my command.

We’ll finish it in ten minutes.”

She raised her hand and pointed at the monster inside the barrier.

Everyone present froze for a moment.

Ten minutes?

Against this unkillable monster?

Even if it was Molly… could she really do it?

But Bai Shimo gave them no time to question—she had already begun.

“Sunflower, with Thorn’s current injuries, how long do you need to restore her basic mobility?

I need an exact time.”

Sunflower paused, quickly estimating: “If… if we don’t aim for a full cure, just emergency treatment and suppression…

I can probably buy about five minutes…”

“That’s enough.”

Bai Shimo cut her off gently.

With a flick of her wrist, her staff transformed into a crescent-shaped longbow—the Waxing Moon Bow.

She held the bow in her left hand, her right hand drawing the string loosely.

An arrow of light materialized instantly.

“Lotus,” she ordered quickly, “the moment my first arrow hits, layer a protective shield between the target’s split fragments—slow down the main body’s regeneration speed.”

“Azalea, the instant Lotus’s shield takes effect, shrink the main barrier to cover only the target’s main body, maximizing suppression!”

“Sunflower, do the emergency treatment as discussed.

Thorn, get ready and wait for my signal.”

Bai Shimo’s words came rapid-fire, each instruction clear.

With that, she steadied her breath, focused her mind—and the bowstring hummed softly—

FWOOSH!

The first arrow of light left the string, striking the tip of one of the Protozoan’s swinging crystalline tentacles.

The creature’s body convulsed violently, the tentacle snapping off.

The well-trained Star Vault squad immediately moved into action!

With the shield and barrier blocking its path, the Protozoan’s fragments couldn’t draw mana from the main body—its regeneration speed plummeted.

“Thorn!”

Bai Shimo barked.

“Use your strongest single-point piercing attack—don’t give them any chance to merge or regenerate!”

Thorn, who had been waiting for this moment, charged fiercely into the fray, her short blades tracing arcs of cold light through the air.

“SHING—SHING—SHING—!”

The Protozoan’s remaining tentacles lashed out, trying to attack Thorn—but it was already too late.

Bai Shimo’s arrows fell like the reaper’s rollcall—one after another, each striking the creature’s critical energy nodes.

Then the other magical girls coordinated their attacks.

The rhythm of battle was completely under their control.

The Protozoan’s infamous split-and-regenerate ability had instead become its fatal weakness, allowing them to dismantle it piece by piece.

Ten minutes?

Maybe even less.

When everyone finally looked up, panting—

Bai Shimo was already standing amid the defeated battlefield, her body spattered with the monster’s blood.

Then, as always, she flashed everyone her signature brilliant smile—bright as spring sunshine.

“See?

I told you we’d win, didn’t I?”

Bai Shimo put away her bow and looked at her stunned teammates.

Gasps of awe and praise filled the air.

Once again, she became the center of attention, admired like the brightest star.

“We did it, we actually did it!

Captain Molly’s fighting just now… was so cool!”

“Incredible—no wonder she’s Noston City’s ace!”

“The Security Bureau’s trump card—that’s Molly!

As long as she’s here, no magical beast is unsolvable!”

“Long live Captain Molly!”

Among the crowd, Lotus’s face flushed with excitement.

She rushed over in three quick steps and threw her arms around Bai Shimo.

“Captain—” she called out loudly, her voice trembling slightly.

Bai Shimo gently stroked her hair.

“Lotus, you worked hard this time.”

Hearing those words, Lotus felt deeply moved.

Her eyes grew a little red, her gaze filled with admiration for Bai Shimo.

“Captain, we weren’t the ones who worked hard—you’re the one who worked the hardest!”

Her cheeks flushed as she quietly studied Bai Shimo’s expression, then lowered her voice.

“Um… Captain Molly, after this, could we have a little get-together?

Just to celebrate the victory…”

“Just the two of us… I-I haven’t had time alone with you in so long…”

But in the face of Lotus’s hopeful invitation, Bai Shimo only gently released her embrace, her demeanor carrying a faint hint of distance.

“Sorry, Lotus.

I still have to go on patrol.”

“Patrol?”

“Yeah.

C7 District.

Rest can wait—the city’s safety matters more to me.”

Bai Shimo’s smile was as flawless as always.

No one would ever suspect a thing.

Only she knew the real reason she’d ended the battle so quickly—she simply didn’t want to waste another second on this damn monster.

She just wanted to leave this place as fast as possible, head to C7 District, and search for her dear Miss Succubus.

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