Chapter 65: The Birth of the Bat-Serpent

The roar, though, did not sound as close as the egg appeared to be. Quite the opposite, it was ethereal, more akin to a distant, drawn-out call that drifted slowly, one after another, from afar.

Then, at a certain moment, the roar abruptly intensified, a thunderous crash against the eardrums. Unprepared, one might imagine a colossal beast surging from the very shadows beneath their feet, lunging forward:

“Boom—”

It was an explosive sonic boom, nothing less. The egg, initially the size of a single person, suddenly swelled amidst the sonic boom, transforming into a dark, elliptical sphere with a radius of three to four meters.

The sonic boom served as both the prelude to the eggshell’s rupture and the creature’s joyous birth cry:

First, a minuscule crack blossomed into existence.

Immediately thereafter, a slender, sharply pointed horny claw traced the fissure, rending the sphere’s surface open. The length of its talon alone was nearly half the height of a grown person.

“Hiss.” Evidently, it was displeased with the constricted fissure.

With a delicate swipe of its claw, it carved a short gash across the surface.

Subsequently, a pallid, diffused pupil materialized within the fissure. Yet, in the mere blink of an eye, that pupil compressed into a pinhole, radiating an aura of chilling brutality.

From the narrow gap, the demonic beast cast a frigid, indifferent glance toward the magical girls.

The creature was a monstrous hybrid, half-bat and half-serpent. Its lower body, extending to its neck, was undeniably chiropteran, yet its head was that of a snake, adorned with reflective scales.

Within the illuminated darkness, the scales beside its two eyes shimmered with refracted glints, creating an exceptionally eerie sight.

“Gaaaaaaah—”

The demonic beast, still partially encased within the egg, let out a roaring cry. Its two bat-like wings burst forth, unfurling in the air, which rippled visibly from the sheer force of the sound waves, stretching over ten meters in a single, fluid motion.

“A beast with wings, yes, but it appears these are incapable of sustained flight,” Xu Yanqing murmured to herself. The danger level would not need to be adjusted upwards.

As she gazed at the purple, eye-like patterns adorning the bat wings, she wielded her magic staff.

“Su Qingyao, Xu Yiyi—” Xu Yanqing called out her companions’ names, her voice carrying clearly.

Her companions’ responses followed instantly.

A crimson barrier, long prepared, descended behind her, accompanied by a colossal magic array.

Simultaneously, a brilliant white light, akin to a flickering candle flame in the deepest night, seized the demonic beast’s undivided attention.

“Those I just designated, move beyond the perimeter of the protective shield.”

Xu Yanqing, her gaze fixed on the demonic beast, issued her first round of training orders to the reserves behind her without so much as a glance. “No restrictions on methods, no restrictions on magic. Your objective is simply this: annihilate the Tier 3 demonic beast—”

“Let’s call it, the [Bat-Serpent].”

Xu Yanqing brandished her magic staff, a magic array materializing behind her. From it, a surge of magical energy erupted, forming a brilliant cannon that forced the Bat-Serpent, eager to rush toward the white light, back by half a body length.

No sooner had her command been given than six streaks of vibrant light pierced through the barrier, converging upon the battlefield between Xu Yanqing and the demonic beast.

****

Compared to the demonic beast, towering three stories high, the magical girls, barely past their middle school years, appeared impossibly diminutive as they hovered in mid-air.

Yet, what concern would such disparities be to the demonic beast?

Having been struck by the energy cannon, the Bat-Serpent roared in pain. Regaining its senses, it shrieked loudly, its massive wings churning the air as it lunged with incredible linear velocity, hurtling head-on toward the six reserves still mid-flight.

Had Liu Huayun not chanted forth several verdant plant tendrils, swiftly coiling around three of the Tier 2 magical girls, disaster would have struck. At least one of the slower-reacting reserves would undoubtedly have been caught squarely by those razor-sharp talons.

Su Qingyao released her left hand, which had been channeling magic, allowing the ignited beast-luring lamp to rest quietly on the windowsill’s edge. It emitted a soft, white glow, tinged with subtle hints of cyan.

‘Magical girls, indeed,’ she mused.

Su Qingyao uttered the words, seemingly without preamble.

Beside her, Su Muxue intently watched the six reserves, now engaged in a fierce struggle with the demonic beast.

Counting Fang Xiaobai, who had arrived slightly late for the assembly, there were a total of seven Tier 3 magical girls, each possessing their “exclusive magic.”

Xu Yanqing, perhaps as a precaution, had selected three Tier 3 magical girls from among them in one swift motion.

To anyone unacquainted with “demonic beasts,” the notion of three Tier 3 Transcended individuals confronting a single Tier 3 demonic beast would suggest an effortless, if not utterly smooth, victory.

In truth, this was far from the reality.

From the dizzying heights of Tier 7 and 8 down to the more grounded Tier 2, the disparity between the upper and lower limits of each tier could accurately be described as vast as the heavens and earth.

This was especially true when considering a specific branch and its corresponding [Calamity].

To illustrate with a simple example:

From the onset of the apocalypse until the present day, every Transcended individual even remotely connected to magical girls, when combined, would still be insufficient to challenge the complete form of the Blue Witch during the final apocalyptic battle.

From Su Muxue’s perspective, however, the six magical girls’ battle appeared remarkably fluid, at least for the moment.

The young magical girl rose onto her tiptoes, peering out through the window.

Her gaze pierced through the barrier, settling upon the two Tier 3 magical girls who served as the primary attackers.

These were Lin Xiaoxiao, who had recently sparred with Su Muxue, and Su Ling, whom she had known for an extended period and was virtually inseparable from.

It was unclear whether this was a result of mutual influence or a habit initiated by one of them.

Not only did both magical girls don nearly identical dark red Lolita-style Spirit Outfits, but their attack methods were also uniformly similar: each wrapped their magic staff in magical crystals.

This transformed their magic staffs into what resembled “magic swords,” perpetually flowing with molten lava.

Lin Xiaoxiao’s exclusive magic allowed her attacks to become concealed within the very air, whereas Su Ling possessed the ability to manifest from explosive bursts of flame.

Through their combined efforts, their most significant achievement was nearly severing half of one wing in what amounted to a single, swift encounter.

A deep, charred scorch mark remained etched at the wing’s base, a wound that stubbornly refused to heal.

Forming the first circle of engagement, they clashed in close-quarters with the colossal demonic beast. Their diminutive size proved an advantage, causing the Bat-Serpent’s furious counterattacks to repeatedly strike empty air.

The three Tier 2 magical girls, now forming the second circle, surrounded the creature, chanting ordinary offensive magic. They drew back illusory bows of pure magical energy, unleashing a volley of multi-colored light arrows that pricked the demonic beast’s tough hide.

Though only the arrowheads managed a shallow penetration of its hide, they nonetheless created a persistent harassing effect, providing crucial support to the two most imperiled individuals.

The final Tier 3 magical girl, Liu Huayun, had strategically retreated at the onset, positioning herself far from the conflict’s core to remotely direct the efforts of everyone else.

And what of the Bat-Serpent, the very nexus of the assault?

The origins of “demonic beasts” were a subject of widespread contention.

Yet, the sole certainty was this: they could not only wield magic to chant simple spells, but also possessed innate magical abilities akin to the “exclusive magic” of the magical girls.

After more than five minutes of physical entanglement with the reserves, the struggle had proven utterly fruitless, leaving the creature with numerous wounds, both minor and significant.

Within its eyes, devoid of any discernible reason, a palpable, blood-red fury coalesced and flashed. The Bat-Serpent let out a prolonged “hiss—” as the purple patterns adorning its body ignited with an eerie, ominous glow.

Startled by this sudden reaction, and fearing an unforeseen calamity, Liu Huayun once more invoked her exclusive magic, attempting to ensnare the closest two, Lin Xiaoxiao and Su Ling.

This time, however, the situation proved markedly different from before.