Chapter 35: A Wavering Barrier and a Helping Hand

The concept of the “Transcendent Triangle” originated from whispered tales during the era spanning the Hero’s emergence and the founding of Hope City.

While Magical Girls represent the “Spellcasters,” two other distinct groups exist: the “Ascendants,” who harness singularity technology, and the “Anomalous Scholars,” personified by the anomaly agents.

If Spellcasters are steeped in the vibrant hues of “fantasy,” then Ascendants, by contrast, embrace the novel “logic” that arose in the post-apocalyptic world. They relentlessly pursue “transcendent” power, attempting to extract it from enigmatic, unknown laws, far surpassing their own era.

The Iron Vow Army, functioning as the Academy’s military arm, proudly serves under the banner of “logic.”

This allegiance was unmistakably displayed by the diagrammatic formula patterns adorning Lu Ping’s military uniform.

Since Lu Ping joined the training, the scales had tipped dramatically. What was once a balanced Tier 3 versus Tier 4 match now pitted Tier 3 and Tier 4 against the formidable Tier 4 and Tier 5.

The cruelty of the situation intensified.

If this were a real confrontation.

Lu Ping forewent his personal weapon, instead allowing the folding mechanisms on his shoulders to expand. They transformed into a sleek, thin armor, enveloping his upper body in a shimmering, pristine silver that pulsed with dark blue, breath-like streams of light.

True to his word, Lu Ping offered only a sporadic “attack” or two.

That is, if accelerating into a mere afterimage in less than a tenth of a second, then “gently” shattering Xu Yiyi’s magical barrier with a precise elbow strike, could truly be counted as an attack.

So great was his power that Lu Ping even had to consciously bleed off his momentum, lest his sheer inertia injure the Magical Girl protected by the barrier.

The chasm between a Tier 5 and a Tier 3 practitioner was, in most scenarios, so immense that even calling it “exponential” would be a pale understatement.

This was particularly true within the Iron Vow Army’s transcendent branch, an organization where “fundamental qualities” served as the paramount assessment criterion.

“Ugh.”

The barrier, intended to halt the magic cannon’s blast, was utterly annihilated. Xu Yiyi gritted her teeth.

Just as she braced herself for a body-cast spell, an arc of flowing light materialized, moving with such speed that it preemptively dispersed the magic cannon’s attack.

Su Qingyao’s timely intervention, as always, proved unfailing.

Now, the once-simple magical energy cannon assault was punctuated by Lu Ping’s precise, opportunistic elbow strikes and wide, scattering volleys of shattered rock.

As Xu Yiyi and Su Qingyao’s synergy gradually sharpened under the crushing pressure, this simulation escalated into an even more fervent, white-hot conflict.

Xu Yiyi’s burden of pressure remained undiminished.

The most significant shift lay in Xu Yiyi now having an additional step: the crucial “judgment” of whether a spell was absolutely necessary.

Conversely, the prior problem of inadequate casting speed had been permanently resolved, thanks to Su Qingyao’s highly efficient assistance.

The initial wand gestures the young girl made when casting dispel were, in truth, merely performative.

As the training commenced, Su Qingyao simply had to raise her wand after her incantation, remotely pointing its tip.

The magic, like a docile, obedient servant, then effortlessly soared towards its predetermined target.

If Xu Yanqing were a conductor, she would be orchestrating a symphony of magical energy cannon fire, a veritable storm of power.

Amidst the swirling dark magical energy, the delicate white and cyan light threads, and the foundational pink barrier, a vivid tableau unfolded.

The magical combat between the three Magical Girls resembled a fierce collision between a meteor shower and a protective canopy. Xu Yiyi unfurled the umbrella’s surface, while Su Qingyao meticulously constructed its ribs, together forming an impenetrable defensive line.

Only a brief moment passed before exclamations of awe from the workers rippled through the camp, announcing the successful charging of the “beacon.”

Xu Yiyi, however, had no leisure to turn and admire Su Qingyao’s artistry, her focus entirely consumed by chanting the incantation for the next barrier.

In that case, Su Qingyao was undoubtedly the elegant and reserved solo dancer, gracefully twirling her wand at the stage’s heart.

Subsequently, her swirling skirts seemed to flawlessly catch the entire rain curtain, not a single drop escaping.

“It’s here!”

Xu Yiyi murmured the words, almost instinctively.

Through the fleeting gaps in the magic cannon’s rain, Lu Ping unleashed a barrage of shrapnel-like碎石.

Without their protective barrier, the sandbags the two Magical Girls defended would undoubtedly be perforated into sieves.

Xu Yiyi swung her arm, her right hand splayed open, the palm settling precisely into the designated position.

Barrier!

Xu Yiyi whispered the command within her mind.

The pink magic, attuned to her will, naturally converged and wove itself. In a fraction of a second, too fleeting for ordinary eyes to perceive, it coalesced into her unique, signature spell.

Ever since a particular casting in the past.

Each time Xu Yiyi invoked this magic, her mind involuntarily drifted back to a specific day she had used it before.

Beneath that vast expanse of rubble, children had gazed up at Xu Yiyi, their eyes brimming with profound hope.

‘Was that hope?’

“Buzz.”

Occasionally, Xu Yiyi found herself posing this very question.

The barrier wavered softly, then was ruthlessly obliterated by the incoming shrapnel.

“Thud.” Several fragments, still retaining their destructive kinetic energy, tore through the sandbags, adding more raw wounds to the already tattered fabric.

“A very quick reaction,” Lu Ping praised, “but the only minor flaw is the insufficient strength of a single barrier.”

Lu Ping halted his movements, clapping his hands in genuine commendation.

“However.”

“While the barrier’s strength does align with a Tier 3 description… in my experience, it feels a touch too fragile.”

“Oh?” It wasn’t Xu Yiyi’s voice.

Xu Yanqing and Su Qingyao, who had been engaged in their magical exchange, immediately ceased their conflict, both focusing their attention on Lu Ping’s observation.

The voice of inquiry, as it happened, belonged to Xu Yanqing.

The two Tier 4 Magical Girls, perhaps because of their exceptionally high starting point or their limited practical combat experience against other individuals, hadn’t perceived any particular flaw in Xu Yiyi’s magic.

It was Lu Ping, however, who, after only a brief observation, detected something fundamentally amiss.

“Hmm—I’m not a Spellcaster myself, so I can’t really articulate it using your specific terminology.”

Lu Ping was visibly taken aback by their unified gaze, but he quickly regained his composure. He pondered for a moment, then offered thoughtfully, “From my understanding, I’d describe it as a lack of ‘resilience.’”

“At times, it simply feels as though it shatters a little too cleanly, too abruptly.”

“Wavering.”

Su Qingyao interjected, a thoughtful expression on her face.

Lu Ping’s eyes lit up.

“Precisely, ‘wavering’ is the perfect word.”

“Oh… I recall now. In your Spellcaster parlance, it’s akin to ‘lack of concentrated effort’ or ‘distracted focus.’”

“What kind of Spellcaster is that—”

This time, the exasperated voice belonged to Xu Yiyi.

“Are you suggesting, then, that Xu Yiyi’s magic possesses inherent flaws that require refinement?”

Xu Yanqing inquired, a hint of confusion in her tone.

“Rather, it’s suspicion.”

Su Qingyao narrowed her eyes, seemingly lost in a distant memory. “It’s possible that yesterday, after Miss Yanqing’s words struck her, a similar scenario triggered a recollection of some past trauma.”

“Reflecting on it now, Miss Xu Yiyi’s transformation today does seem rather peculiar.”

Su Qingyao lowered her gaze, falling into a deep, pensive silence.

Her true thoughts, however, were far less straightforward than her spoken words. The young girl secretly began to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of revealing her true capabilities.

While this was a secret strictly confined to the fifteen leaders.

Rashly displaying abilities that ought to remain hidden would, in the end, undoubtedly raise considerable suspicion.

However.

Then again, Su Qingyao had already revealed quite a lot over the past two days. Considering she hadn’t yet faced any negative consequences, her inherent sense of discretion was already rather robust.

Ultimately, the final, decisive straw that swayed Su Qingyao was this thought:

‘It seems even the adorable Little Muxue is a member of those very sandbags, now riddled with holes.’

And so, the decision was cheerfully made.

“If, Miss Xu Yiyi, you yourself are also uncertain,”

Su Qingyao began, addressing Xu Yiyi, whose face was a mask of confusion, practically screaming, ‘Are you talking about me?’

“Then take my hand.”

“Eh!?”

“Oh?”

“Ha—”

Compared to the other two, Xu Yiyi’s reaction was, without a doubt, the most fervent.