Chapter 4: A Transformed Presence

For an elite combatant, what truly matters most?

Is it keen reflexes, a sharp intellect, or overwhelming combat prowess?

While these are undeniably crucial, for Ling Xing, the paramount factor remains—

Presence!

Indeed, whether one possesses a secret trump card, comprehends the situation, or even stands a chance against the opponent, it matters not.

Even in retreat, as long as one’s presence remains unbroken, defeat is impossible!

A prime example, in fact, was the present moment.

Utterly bewildered by the idiotic magical girl’s antics, and equally clueless as to why he had just been struck squarely on the head by a spinning crystal, he now found himself locked in a bewildered stare-down with her.

“Hmph, hm hahahahahahaha!”

Seizing the initiative, he first used a booming laugh to mask his momentary lapse.

Then, while she remained momentarily stunned, he launched a verbal assault without a moment’s hesitation!

“You foolish magical girl! I anticipated your every move; surely you didn’t imagine you could deceive me?

Every twitch of your finger falls squarely within my grand design!”

“Ah… c-could it be that you merely wished for me to willingly retrieve the crystal, only to snatch it away at an opportune moment…? Ah, yes, precisely, physical means cannot extract a transformation crystal—”

The effect was remarkable!

Though utterly oblivious to the true situation, he understood that by merely feigning complete knowledge and control, his opponent would readily fill in the blanks with their own wild conjectures.

The idiotic magical girl, her words fractured by shock, bit her lip and glared at Ling Xing with palpable resentment.

‘Hmph hmph, tremble before the presence of this elite combatant, be astounded by the might of Ling Xing, the elite combatant, you foolish magical girl.’

‘…But seriously, what just happened?’

While his opponent remained awestruck by his imposing presence, Ling Xing seized the precious moments to think calmly, analyze thoroughly, and ponder meticulously.

It was then that his peripheral vision caught his own reflection in the nearby windowpane.

A cascade of silver-white hair tumbled past her shoulders, while a short camisole, failing to conceal her collarbones and shoulders, revealed a sliver of her midriff at the hem.

An ill-fitting jacket was merely draped over her back, offering scant concealment.

Below, her long boots tapped impatiently against the floor.

Over-the-knee black stockings, hugging the majority of her long legs, met a pair of hot pants, leaving a perfectly proportioned gap that revealed a stretch of delicate, fair thigh.

No trace of his former self remained; without speaking, she was simply an adorable girl with refined features and an aloof expression.

‘—Ah?’

It was then that Ling Xing realized the lines, intended to exude overwhelming presence, had actually been uttered in the soft, feminine lilt of a young girl.

When had she transformed from a dashing, suave, and formidable man into an unfamiliar, white-haired girl!?

Not only had she become a young woman, but even her attire had, at some unknown point, shifted into this rather revealing ensemble.

Tsk, she had quite liked her black and red combat suit, which had given her the sensation of running at triple speed.

No, she did know when it happened: precisely when that crystal had struck her on the head.

Before Ling Xing could fully grasp her new reality, the idiotic magical girl before her began speaking once more.

“The despicable Dark Organization… they actually, actually used my crystal to transform into a magical girl!

S-so that’s it! They attacked the convoy to steal secret equipment, then abducted me to replace me, and finally impersonated my identity to secretly infiltrate the Magical Girl Organization and sabotage it from within—”

‘No, wait a minute, girl, your imagination is running wild, and I can’t quite keep up.’

‘And I’ve certainly never heard of men fusing with crystals to transform, what secret equipment is she talking about, what even is all this…?’

‘No, despite the multitude of questions she longed to voice, she absolutely could not afford to lose her commanding presence.’

‘She was an elite combatant of the Dark Organization; it was utterly unthinkable to falter before such an idiotic rookie magical girl!’

“Hmph, hmhmhmhmhm, indeed.

Now that the truth is laid bare, what can you possibly do?

You are no longer a magical girl; simply return home and live out your days as an ordinary girl!”

With two fingers, Ling Xing, now a girl, provocatively lifted a strand of white hair from her forehead.

Placing a long boot on the edge of the bed to gain a slight elevation, she imperiously gazed down at Chao Wu.

Her aura instantly shifted, morphing from that of a somewhat indifferent, cute girl into that of a full-fledged delinquent.

“Ugh… I, I will never allow your wicked scheme…”

Chao Wu, her eyes welling with tears and on the verge of crying, swung her soft, ineffectual fists at Ling Xing with all her might, yet to no avail.

A thunderous boom erupted.

The already dilapidated ceiling shuddered, dislodging a substantial shower of dust and plaster that billowed into the air.

“Eh? I, I’m so strong?”

‘…Beyond salvation.

Have magical girls truly degenerated to a point where even such an imbecile can become one?’

Ling Xing sighed, then gracefully leaned forward and hopped off the edge of the bed.

Immediately after, another resonant boom shook the air.

****

“Listen up, inside! You are suspected of engaging in illegal anti-Magical Girl activities, and you’ve been surrounded by our Magic Science Team!

Surrender immediately, and we might just consider leaving you with a complete corpse!”

From outside the window, a chorus of arrogant shouts rang out, perfectly timed.

They clearly regarded no one inside as human, unwilling to even offer a pretense of a way out, utterly devoid of any genuine intent to negotiate a surrender.

The thunderous roar of explosions hammered against the walls, filling the air with dust as long cracks spiderwebbed across the already dilapidated and long-neglected structure.

This, naturally, was not the result of Chao Wu’s feeble fists, but rather from the grenades launched by the Magical Girl Auxiliary Force—or the ‘Magic Science Team’ for short—from the outside.

Though it remained a mystery why their abbreviation failed to align with their full designation, there was no doubt that these individuals were ruthless villains, indiscriminately unleashing lethal force upon any perceived suspicious person.

They were, beyond a shadow of a doubt, enemies.

“Waaahhhhhhh—A-Xing, A-Xing! There are so many bad guys outside!

My, our home, which we just painstakingly tidied, and the meat soup we just finished preparing, it’s all going to be—”

The young loli cadre, Dal, cried out as she scurried into the room, blinked, then promptly curled up behind A-Xing, now a white-haired girl, trembling as she clutched at A-Xing’s clothing… or rather, the hem of her hot pants.

‘Truly, she was a cadre who had relied on her for so many years; even with a slight alteration in appearance, Dal could discern her true essence at a glance.’

‘It was just that her soft, trembling little hands were perilously close to yanking down her hot pants… why were these things so loose, anyway?’

“No need to panic, my esteemed Cadre Dal! Your most loyal, powerful, courageous, and fearless elite combatant, A-Xing, is right here, and I have long since devised a countermeasure for this!”

“Is that so! Truly worthy of the mighty A-Xing!

Then, what kind of countermeasure have you devised?”

“Hmm……”

A-Xing fell silent for a moment, lowering her gaze to meet the loli’s shining, expectant eyes.

She then turned her head, her gaze falling upon the idiotic magical girl still bewildered on the bed amidst the reverberating booms.

“Y-you, what are you trying to do? D-don’t come any closer!”

The idiotic magical girl flailed her soft, powerless little fists, putting up a futile resistance.

Yet, it was utterly useless!

“Listen up, outside! Cease fire immediately! We have a hostage!

If you wish for this stu— *cough* —this adorable magical girl to remain in one piece, then halt your firing at once and approach to negotiate the hostage exchange!”

“Come, Dal, make her scream a little!

Yes, yes, pinch her, scratch her, bite her, elbow her—”

“Waaahhhhhh—Help me! I refuse to die in this wretched place right after my debut————”