Chapter 30: The Crushing Sovereign’s Gambit

The Corroded One, whose name had been called, narrowed her eyes, her gaze sweeping over the guardian’s damaged armor and the inadequate shield in her hand, before finally settling on the familiar face.

She had once considered the possibility of her opponent reappearing before her, but she could not fathom what appearance, what expression, they would bear when confronting her.

Rage, hatred, cowardice, serenity… it was all indescribable, ineffable, much like the nature of their relationship itself.

Black Mirror had never believed in the existence of fate, destiny, or predestination.

Yet, she had to concede that Polaris, the Magical Girl now standing before her, was a rather unique entity in her own life.

Ordinarily, Black Mirror could effectively suppress the instinctive hostility she, as a Corroded One, felt towards Magical Girls.

Polaris, however, was different.

The longer she interacted with her, the more Black Mirror yearned to deny her, to ravage her, even to utterly destroy her.

The monster within her craved to utterly drench Polaris in the hues of despair, to swallow her whole and savor her cries, to chew upon her hopelessness.

She desired to witness her shattering, a craving she had never experienced before as a living being.

Now, this individual once again stood in her path, dragging that half-dead body.

Thus, Black Mirror responded with the tone of someone greeting an old acquaintance after a long absence: “Long time no see.

You still have a habit of spouting grand words, and you’re still as incorrigible as ever.”

“Polaris.”

Thick clouds obscured the moon, and the chilling alley was gradually swallowed by darkness.

Standing amidst the encroaching shadows, Black Mirror observed the sole point of light remaining within this somber lair.

She let out a soft chuckle, then casually discarded the hunting rifle that wasn’t hers.

“I thought you wouldn’t show up again.

What, are you here to reminisce today?”

“…I’m here to stop you.”

Shielding the injured Baoyu behind her with both her body and her inadequate shield, Polaris took a step forward.

“Stop me?”

Facing Polaris, Black Mirror’s expression grew more animated.

She furrowed her brows as if she had just heard a tiresome joke, then repeated Polaris’s words in an unfriendly tone.

“Stop doing this, Black Mirror.”

Polaris’s gaze fell upon Black Mirror’s right hand, where a searing, dark crimson stain still lingered.

This sin had permeated her skin, sinking deep into her very bones.

Black Mirror, however, appeared utterly unconcerned.

She paid no heed whatsoever to Polaris’s admonishments and warnings, a hint of disdain even gracing her features.

“This sort of thing? What sort of thing?

Are you referring to harming civilians, or assaulting my own kind, or telling me not to interfere when your comrades are hurt?

I’d actually like to hear what you think I’m doing.”

…

On one side stood an injured Magical Girl, while on the other, a Corroded One held an ordinary person captive.

It wasn’t difficult to imagine what had transpired here, yet Polaris remained silent, her gaze turning to Baoyu beside her, seeking answers.

“Senior, it’s like this…”

Baoyu quickly relayed all the information she had gathered to Polaris.

Upon hearing that the person Black Mirror had violently struck into unconsciousness had also previously transformed into a Corroded One and ambushed Baoyu, a complex mix of emotions flickered in Polaris’s eyes as she looked at Black Mirror.

“What, are your whispered confessions finished?”

“Black Mirror.”

“Hmm?”

“Is this person also your doing?”

“Also?”

Black Mirror neither confirmed nor denied it.

She simply lifted her foot and, with a clearly provocative gesture, pressed her boot onto the back of the young boy beneath her, awaiting Polaris’s next words.

“I’ve seen her, the girl who became a Corroded One because of you.”

Black Mirror’s body stiffened for an instant.

A numb, sorrowful face flashed through her mind.

Of course, she had also seen the related reports online: the Corroded One who had occupied the school was ultimately successfully eliminated by a Magical Girl.

Concurrently, this incident brought to light the long-hidden issues of campus bullying and favoritism by certain school leaders, which, as the discussion heated up, became a temporary sensation before swiftly being drowned out by the tide of information and forgotten, as always.

“Oh, and so?”

“That middle schooler, she said she was grateful you saved her life, but she won’t thank you for the suffering it caused.

She’s doing well now; she’s studying diligently, atoning for her mistakes, and striving for future possibilities.”

A scoff escaped Black Mirror’s lips.

Just by hearing Polaris’s words, Black Mirror could almost picture the once desperate girl, on a night like this, sitting at her desk, illuminated by a bright lamp, furiously writing.

Having tasted the agony of loss, she would surely cherish her life and what she possessed now even more.

It was indeed good to hear that the child’s life had returned to normal, but… this revelation should not have come from Polaris.

Even less should it have been spoken by someone like her, directed at Black Mirror, the very instigator.

Truly infuriating, in every conceivable way.

“…I don’t understand what you’re saying, nor what you’re trying to convey, Polaris.

If you merely intend to prolong this, then I have no reason to waste any more time on you.”

“Black Mirror, hand that person over to us.

Please trust us, we…”

“Enough, be silent.”

Before Polaris could finish, Black Mirror sharply cut her off: “Shut your mouth, and then look around you.

Observe how others act: a novice with low magical reserves and only theoretical knowledge in their head still tries every possible way to take a shot at me, even when knowing they’re outmatched.

And you, Polaris?”

Black Mirror realized part of the reason for her growing anger; she perceived no overt hostility from Polaris.

“As a Magical Girl, what exactly are you doing to your enemy?

Do you intend to beg from me with such impotent and feeble words?”

With that, Black Mirror extended her hands, softly whispering, summoning forth the manifestation of her surging battle intent.

“Crushing Sovereign.”

Blood-red, surging magic materialized in Black Mirror’s hands, then condensed into a massive warhammer, which she gripped with both hands.

“Do what you must, Polaris, or else clench your teeth tightly.”

As her words faded, Black Mirror vanished from before the two of them.

Both Polaris and Baoyu had grown accustomed to this abrupt sensation, as if a few frames of time had been suddenly excised.

This time, Polaris was the first to react; with one hand, she raised her shield, and with the other, she seized Baoyu’s back, pulling the girl away from her spot.

As they moved across the debris-strewn ground, an occasional “crunching” sound emanated beneath their feet.

The shattering glass beneath their feet abruptly made Baoyu realize her initial assumption — that the Corroded One, Black Mirror, possessed invisibility — was incorrect.

She had heard no sound at all when her opponent moved.

If that was the case, how did this enemy disappear and reappear so seamlessly?

“Watch out for the glass and windows, Baoyu, stay away from them—”

Polaris’s latter half of the sentence was swallowed by a dull thud.

A heavy hammerhead, appearing abruptly, slammed violently into Polaris’s round shield, which she used for protection.

The impact force, extending from the shield all the way to her body, involuntarily sent the petite girl staggering back two steps.

The exact spot her round shield had been facing was a glass window, faintly reflecting the moonlight.

Black Mirror, windows, glass, mirrors…

Seizing the momentary pause in both their movements, Baoyu squeezed the revolver’s trigger, aiming at Black Mirror.

The bullet shot from the barrel, yet it merely shattered the window in front of them.

From Baoyu’s perspective, the bullet seemed to pass through a non-existent phantom, and Black Mirror vanished once more from before the two girls.

When people lose sight of their immediate target, they instinctively glance around, relying on their vision to repeatedly observe scenes from various angles in a short amount of time to gather more information.

However, humans are not insects with compound eyes; they cannot truly possess multiple perspectives simultaneously, and thus always have obvious blind spots in their vision.

For Baoyu, every one of her attack attempts was, in fact, perfectly logical.

The question of how a gunner shoots and hits a target is as simple as asking how many steps it takes to put an elephant in a refrigerator: identify the target with your eyes, move your gun to calibrate, pull the trigger and shoot.

This process was flawless; the problem lay in confronting an elusive enemy like Black Mirror.

Baoyu’s very first step already put her at a disadvantage; she was always a beat too slow.

Consequently, no matter how fast her bullets flew, they could never catch that ghostly shadow.

And in such an urgent combat situation, each failed attempt only intensified her anxiety.

In contrast, Polaris’s response appeared more composed.

She consistently managed to orient her shield towards the point of attack just before Black Mirror materialized from behind or to her side.

Thus, while she was constantly suppressed by Black Mirror, Black Mirror had never managed to inflict any effective damage upon her.

However, a gun that couldn’t hit its target and a shield that could only endure blows — such a combination certainly didn’t sound promising.

And indeed, when Black Mirror once again swung her warhammer and struck Polaris’s shield, the situation changed.

“Trample.”

Whispering the incantation with cold fury, the warhammer Black Mirror slammed onto the shield suddenly erupted with a crimson glow.

The immense impact force that followed shattered Polaris’s precarious balance, sending her, shield and all, flying backward until she crashed violently against a nearby wall.

“Senior!”

Seeing Polaris under attack, Baoyu instinctively shifted her gaze, only to feel a sharp pain erupt in her abdomen the very next moment.

Her vision spun wildly as Black Mirror’s kick landed squarely, knocking her down to the ground as well.

“Cough… cough cough…”

“Looking around aimlessly.”

The dark muzzle aimed at the mocking face so close to her, and Baoyu pulled the trigger.

This time, however, Black Mirror did not evade, nor did any bullet shoot from the barrel when Baoyu pulled the trigger.

Dumbfounded and flustered expressions settled on the girl’s face, a stark contrast to her opponent’s calm demeanor.

“Seven rounds, I counted.

Your gun is out of bullets.”

“You…!”

Having lost all means of ranged attack, Baoyu once again thought of the dagger hidden in her bosom.

However, her outstretched hand hadn’t even touched the dagger before Black Mirror pinned it with her foot.

Feeling the struggling hand beneath her boot, Black Mirror mercilessly ground her heel into the soft flesh, eliciting a pained expression from Baoyu.

“No matter how many magical armaments you possess, they are meaningless if you cannot wield even one effectively.”

Snatching the Magical Girl’s revolver once more, Black Mirror ignored her opponent’s utterly unthreatening glare as she toyed with the magical armament in her hand.

She then symbolically pulled the trigger, aiming it towards Polaris: “Do you Magical Girls only produce such rigid, by-the-book honor students these days, Polaris?”

Magical Girls’ bodies were, after all, different from ordinary humans; they were far from as fragile as they appeared.

Thus, when Polaris rose from the shattered ruins, propping herself up with her shield, Black Mirror felt not the slightest surprise.

Only those who had fought Polaris truly understood that this seemingly delicate girl was, in reality, an absolute tumbler; completely defeating her head-on in a short amount of time was almost impossible.

However, for Polaris, whose magical armament was currently damaged and prevented her from unleashing her true power, prolonged combat itself held no meaning.

Yet, as Black Mirror watched Polaris charge towards her, shield raised, she understood that if she didn’t cripple her pursuit capabilities, the girl would cling to her like a stubborn plaster.

And so, Black Mirror met her charge once more.

The ensuing battle gradually began to tilt decisively in one direction.

Whenever the warhammer in Black Mirror’s hand emitted a blinding crimson glow, as if roaring, Polaris felt a significant surge in both her opponent’s swinging speed and the force of their confrontation.

The unstoppable explosive power repeatedly knocked her back and sent her flying.

Coupled with Black Mirror’s “hit-and-run” combat style and her habit of attacking from blind spots, Polaris found herself increasingly unable to parry such a ferocious onslaught, able only to desperately grip her shield to avoid a direct hit.

“Your shield still can’t protect anyone, not even yourself, as always.”

Black Mirror’s words were met with even more forceful resistance and struggle from beneath the shield.

Hmph, it seemed she had struck a nerve.

Both understood the inevitable outcome if this continued, and both knew perfectly well that events would never unfold that way.

This had never been a fair fight, neither in terms of strength, numbers, nor their respective objectives.

Seizing the opportunity while Polaris drew Black Mirror’s attention, Baoyu struggled to her feet.

Enduring the pain racking her body, she flew towards the unconscious boy in the distance, successfully retrieving her hunting rifle along the way.

Upon realizing that even with Senior Polaris, she might not be able to defeat this enemy named Black Mirror, Baoyu immediately shifted her target to the person Black Mirror intended to take.

There had to be some secret about that person that prompted Black Mirror’s intervention.

If she could safely bring him back to the Magical Supervision Department, she could further unravel the secrets of the Corroded Ones while simultaneously thwarting Black Mirror’s scheme.

As for whether this would put Polaris in danger… when faced with only a split second to make a choice, Baoyu resolutely made her decision and firmly acted upon her judgment.

Naturally, such an obvious move could not escape the notice of Black Mirror, who held absolute control over the battle.

After cornering Polaris once more, Black Mirror declared the fight over: “It’s already over, Polaris.”

“Don’t think you can escape; I won’t let you leave.”

“No, what I mean is, it’s enough.

I don’t want to waste any more time on a shadow still dwelling in the past.”

Taking two steps back to dodge a punch Polaris swung at her, Black Mirror continued: “You can just keep going like this and destroy yourself.”

After creating a little more distance, an unprecedented surge of crimson magic coiled around the warhammer’s handle in Black Mirror’s clenched grip.

The hammer began to hum with a resounding roar, and the oppressive power erupting from within instantly made Polaris realize that her current magical armament strength could not withstand this blow.

This was Black Mirror’s serious attack.

However, what truly made Polaris feel a sense of crisis was Black Mirror’s gaze locking onto Baoyu in the distance, who was completely defenseless.

As Black Mirror’s figure vanished once more, Polaris shouted for Baoyu to be careful while simultaneously rushing towards her at her fastest speed.

The best way to negate a shield is to bypass it and harm what it seeks to protect.

This was not difficult.

Traversing the fissures between reality and non-reality, following the fractured path laid by the moonlight, the figure wielding the massive hammer, accumulating a crimson roar, appeared above Baoyu.

At this proximity, Baoyu could almost hear the low hum of air being torn apart.

She couldn’t dodge, nor could she defend.

In this moment, all that remained before her eyes was the impending, destructive blow.

With things having come to this, the only thing Baoyu could do was clench her teeth and pour all her remaining magic into the gun’s chamber, preparing to fire this inevitable and final shot even as she endured the attack.

However, just as the hammer’s shadow was about to fall, a mesmerizing mist suddenly veiled Baoyu’s vision.

Then, countless silver star trails silently cut through the chaos in her sight, as if the night sky had been ripped open with fissures, and starlight from billions of light-years away poured onto the mortal world.

The star trails snaked and coiled, isolating Baoyu from Black Mirror.

And the next moment, a spiral of red drifted into Baoyu’s eyes.

It was Polaris.

The formerly dim and shattered armor was now encircled by a silvery-white glow, and with a distinct hum, the unassuming small round shield in Polaris’s hand was covered by a phantom image descending from the starry sky, transforming into an unshakeable astral barrier.

The warhammer struck the shield with immense force; the bursting crimson and scattered starlight collided in repulsion, then erupted into a deafening roar.

The expanding shockwave created ripples like starlight, as if a massive stone had fallen into a calm lake.

Although the power of the star trails seemed ethereal, this strength unexpectedly prevented Black Mirror’s warhammer from advancing even an inch.

The Corroded One’s rampant magic was continuously resisted and absorbed; the shield supported Polaris as she blocked the blow for Baoyu.

“It seems even you are surprised you can still do this, aren’t you?”

Seeing her attack blocked, Black Mirror was momentarily lost in thought, but in an instant, an even fiercer battle-lust ignited in her eyes: “This is how it should be, Polaris, but it’s far from enough.”

A searing pain, like burning, surged through the hands permeated by Polaris’s magic.

Then, Black Mirror’s grip tightened abruptly, and the hammerhead, its magic constantly being weakened, suddenly became almost shattered and crumbling, as a terrifying undertow emerged within the enveloping starry sky.

“Crush.”

“Bang!”

In that moment, two things happened simultaneously.

One was that under Black Mirror’s renewed pressure, Polaris’s shield surface rapidly filled with ice-like cracks amidst a grating crunch.

The night sky was devoured by crimson, and the ripples of starlight scattered from the impact.

The almost shapeless hammerhead shattered the star trails’ protection, striking Polaris’s body directly.

And the other was Baoyu suddenly raising her gun and pulling the trigger, aiming at Black Mirror’s chest.

A bright and violent explosion erupted from the slightly bluish muzzle, and a thunderous flash of fire instantly engulfed the figures of the three nearby individuals.

The unbearable hot wind howled, pushing Baoyu out of the explosion’s center, causing her to fall directly to the ground with her vision inverted.

Her face stung fiercely, and her entire body felt as if it had come apart, barely able to move.

The exhaustion from rapidly expending a large amount of magic made it almost impossible for Baoyu to lift her heavy eyelids, but she desperately maintained consciousness, propping herself up with her hunting rifle and looking forward.

Several scorched black marks appeared on the concrete ground.

When the smoke from the explosion cleared, Baoyu first saw Polaris.

Directly hit by Black Mirror’s attack, she was now kneeling on one knee, gasping for breath and showing signs of pain.

Her protective shield had already disintegrated, and her gauntlet-covered hands were pressed against her chest, which had been bombarded by the Corroded One’s magic.

Crimson and violent magic continuously poured out from the cracks in her breastplate, like a mixture of blood and fire.

Polaris’s gaze drifted further away, so Baoyu followed her gaze, extending it forward, and finally saw Black Mirror floating in the air, looking down at them.

Black Mirror had indeed been hit squarely by Baoyu’s shot; her upper garment was tattered, and her chest had a fist-sized hole directly through it.

Moonlight shone through the hole, illuminating some tiny, transparent crystalline particles scattering from her body.

If an ordinary person had suffered such horrifying heavy injuries, even if not immediately fatal, they would likely be beyond recovery.

Yet, Black Mirror’s actions seemed unaffected.

Even though she possessed a human-like appearance, her true nature was that of an out-and-out monster.

The unconscious boy was lifted onto Black Mirror’s shoulder.

Only now did Baoyu realize that only the boy’s shadow fell from the sky; Black Mirror, bathed in moonlight, left no trace, as if she had never existed in this world.

Baoyu had lost the ability to continue fighting, and Polaris would find it difficult to pursue in the short term.

This battle ultimately ended in the Magical Girls’ defeat.

Black Mirror, with her free hand, raised Baoyu’s revolver.

Even though Baoyu knew it was her magical armament and that it was empty, she felt an inexplicable tension.

The muzzle first pointed at Polaris.

Black Mirror formed a shape with her mouth as if to fire, then moved the muzzle towards Baoyu.

Her gaze, however, remained on Polaris, as if waiting for Polaris to do something.

A dull purple hue, at Black Mirror’s command, crept onto Baoyu’s revolver.

The brass-grey revolver rapidly transformed into a deep black in her hand, imbued with an unfamiliar aura.

Seeing this, Polaris seemed to recall something, and with an unprecedented look of panic on her face, she quickly rose and stumbled, 扑向 (TL Note: literally ‘pounced towards,’ but in context means ‘rushed towards’ or ‘threw herself at’) Baoyu.

“Bang!”

A crisp gunshot rang in Baoyu’s ear.

The girl couldn’t clearly see what had happened, because Polaris had already thrown herself onto her.

‘The gun fired… Senior, could she have…’

“Senior!”

Baoyu quickly embraced the light and petite body on top of her, checking Polaris’s condition.

Corresponding to her tension, however, was Polaris’s adorably confused expression.

“I… huh?”

Reaching out and fumbling both in front and behind her, Polaris found no wound from the shot.

“Senior, over there.”

Following the direction Baoyu pointed, Polaris tilted her head and saw a bullet hole on the wall where she had originally been, still glowing with a faint purple light.

With a “clink,” an object fell in front of Baoyu.

It was her revolver.

The revolver in front of her had reverted to its normal appearance, but the faint white smoke curling from its muzzle proved that it had indeed fired a shot despite being empty moments ago.

Looking up again for Black Mirror, she had long since vanished with her target, completely merged into the night.