Chapter 81: The Unveiling of Untamed Power

Typically, when magical girls confront colossal demonic beasts, they often possess an advantage in size and strength, yet they must leverage their superior speed.

The swift movement abilities, granted by both their spirit gear and magic, serve as an excellent reliance.

Indeed, even Xu Yanqing, who fought like a living cannon, often needed a transitional period for maneuvering between attacks, leaving streaks of light in her wake.

Su Qingyao’s battle, theoretically, should have followed the same pattern.

Yet, under the worried gazes of many children, Su Qingyao gently held back two companions who wished to assist, opting to face the demonic beast alone and subtly diverting its focus away.

Su Qingyao displayed no special stance in the air; she simply walked at a leisurely pace.

Her slender, branch-like magic staff swayed rhythmically, rising and falling, as she chanted ethereal and light incantations, weaving one magic circle after another:

[Magic Cannon], [Magic Arrow], [Sword of Light]…

Each of these represented a common, ordinary spell. In fact, almost every single one had been studied by at least one, if not several, of the magical girl reserves observing her.

Compared to the highly personalized and often strikingly powerful [Exclusive Magic], their brilliance was considerably dimmer.

They lacked vibrant colors and potent effects.

They could neither grant the user unique positioning, like Lin Xiaoxiao’s [Hidden Flame] or Fang Xiaobai’s [Eye of Oversight], nor could they deliver a decisive, game-changing blow, like Su Muxue’s [Frozen Stasis].

Yet, in Su Qingyao’s hands, these spells coexisted seamlessly.

Among the other magical girls, few could master more than two types of magic with such fluidity.

For most of them, proficiency in just one spell was enough to manage the period before acquiring their [Exclusive Magic].

Naturally, no one could emulate Su Qingyao, who treated every ordinary spell like a building block.

A magic cannon blast would be immediately followed by a magic light sword cleaving down from above.

A torrential rain of arrows might conceal an inconspicuous, furious laser.

Su Qingyao meticulously pieced and combined them, deftly utilizing the strengths and weaknesses of each spell.

She continued her stroll.

With every step her foot took, a surge of magical fluctuation responded.

The skirt of her spirit gear floated freely, and the bright white glow of her magic made her appear as the most radiant star in the night.

Or perhaps, more accurately, the moon.

“Wow—”

Xu Yiyi watched the colliding magic halos burst across the sky, her mouth agape in astonishment.

Su Qingyao’s displayed magic reserves were simply too astonishing, far beyond what a Rank 4 magical girl should possess.

While a magical girl’s total magic capacity was theoretically subject to a considerable range of fluctuation, that range surely couldn’t extend by a factor of four or five times!

Xu Yiyi recalled the swan demonic beast subjugation battle led by Su Muxue earlier and suddenly realized that Su Muxue’s talent for magic capacity seemed to be inherited.

She turned her head, her gaze silently meeting Xu Yanqing’s equally shocked eyes.

Though no words were exchanged, that brief eye contact reaffirmed Xu Yiyi’s conjecture.

‘Miss Su Qingyao truly isn’t just any ordinary magical girl!’

While Xu Yiyi was still pondering, Xu Yanqing had already begun to recall if any “important figures” from the previous generation bore the surname Qing.

“This is truly… unheard of,” Xu Yanqing murmured to herself.

Xu Yanqing’s shock was entirely understandable.

After all, she was a new generation magical girl, born after the “Decisive Battle.”

The white-gowned magical girl continued forward, her back to the others, leaving them only a receding figure. Yet, the battle concluded with surprising swiftness.

As the light subsided, the demonic beast, having endured Su Qingyao’s relentless bombardment, was reduced to a mangled corpse with torn limbs, only its main torso still clinging to a desperate, fleeting existence.

“Whew—”

Su Qingyao wiped away non-existent sweat, accidentally applying a bit too much force.

Mid-battle, she had inadvertently recited the entire spell sequence out of habit. Even after forcibly interrupting some of the more potent ones, the remaining spells that were supposed to be excluded from the loop had to be unleashed as well.

She smiled as she turned back, the last trace of the demonic beast’s foul blood still clinging to her face slowly wiped away by magic before everyone’s eyes.

A couple of the mischievous children who had previously spoken ill of Su Qingyao instantly shrank their necks.

“It should be over now.”

Su Qingyao waved her magic staff, proactively breaking the spell of dazed silence, then added with a helpless sigh, “Teacher Xu—it’s time to organize the children to go home.”

“—Alright.”

Xu Yanqing was the quickest to react, having already composed herself. With an unchanging expression, she waved to the children and commanded, “The unexpected situation has been resolved by Teacher Su. Looking at the time, it’s about right. Everyone performed admirably today—”

Xu Yanqing, in a somewhat wooden tone, declared, “Then I shall announce that today’s training has successfully concluded—”

The tiresome afternoon of training was finally over!

Some of the middle school girls breathed a sigh of relief, as if they had overcome a great ordeal.

Many more cheered excitedly. Some, like Fang Xiaobai, even grabbed the visibly annoyed Su Muxue by the waist and lifted her up.

Regardless of the training’s course or the brief slump it experienced midway, after genuinely battling an enemy corresponding to their identity, the girls felt an profound transformation within their bodies.

Like hothouse flowers seeing raindrops for the first time, beyond the gentle dew.

The reserves’ joy subtly infected the three teachers leading them: Xu Yiyi, despite her face looking ten years older, blended seamlessly into the student crowd with her youthful demeanor; Su Qingyao, meanwhile, helplessly rescued her daughter from Fang Xiaobai’s grasp.

At the edge of the crowd, Xu Yanqing’s badge on her chest seemed to glow, mirroring the enthusiastic atmosphere…

A badge?

Xu Yanqing looked down, her own badge now shining with an inviting magical aura. Her first reaction was to scan her surroundings, searching for the child among the magical girl reserves who might be secretly playing with a badge.

However, only the faint, naturally scattered light from spirit gear permeated the crowd. The theoretical emitter’s bright glow was nowhere to be seen—

‘Encrypted? Or…?’

Xu Yanqing’s brows furrowed imperceptibly. As she pondered, the massive demonic beast corpse behind her finally began to dissipate.

Amidst countless light particles transforming into streaks of black light, a distinctly different light point slowly shimmered.

When Xu Yanqing realized a light had flared behind her and turned around, nestled within the darkness was a continuously glowing badge.

“Why did you call me?”

Xu Yanqing’s thoughts briefly fractured.

An uncontrollable chill, accompanied by a burgeoning suspicion, crept up Xu Yanqing’s spine, little by little.

Behind her, the children’s cheers continued, their carefree laughter and playful banter echoing without end.

The coldness slowly settled on her shoulder, extending a tender yet icy tongue to lick her neck, her earlobe.

It breathed.

With trembling fingers, Xu Yanqing dialed a channel she hadn’t connected to in a long time:

“Ah… A-ah, help, AAAAAHHHHHHH—”

In the form of a recorded message, a string of pure, heart-wrenching screams and fragmented cries for help reverberated in Xu Yanqing’s ears.

It was Lin Xiaobai’s voice, a conclusion as effortlessly reached as wiping condensation from glass.

The girl, who had believed she had accepted her friend’s departure, felt as if she had been struck by a heavy blow, her magic core abruptly extinguishing.

Bereft of magic, Xu Yanqing plummeted awkwardly, much like her heart in that moment.

Until she fell into a chest that wasn’t particularly broad, and saw a face whose smile had vanished:

“What happened?”

Su Qingyao asked.