Chapter 9: The Regenerator and the Rookie

The Regenerator.

It was, without a doubt, a monster unforgiving to new combatants.

Even an experienced Magical Girl like Amethyst, despite months of pursuit and numerous skirmishes, had failed to vanquish this creature.

However, it must be said, the combat prowess of Magical Girls was difficult to assess. Some were born immensely powerful, while others started out weaker but possessed incredible growth potential.

There were also support-type Magical Girls, much like Emerald.

So, what kind of Magical Girl was this one before him, the never-before-seen Ink Crystal?

Without a moment’s hesitation, Lin Han swept Liu Yun into a bridal carry and sprinted frantically away from the scene.

Ink Crystal noticed this detail, a silent appreciation for how Teacher Lin Han invariably made the right decisions. In this dire situation, his choice was paramount.

Her gaze then fell upon the monster before her, a grotesque mass of flesh and blood.

‘Her legs, why did they seem to be trembling?’

‘This thing truly is terrifying…’

Yet—

She tightened her grip on her sword.

No matter what, she had to buy enough time for everyone to escape.

“Magical… Girl… Ink… Crystal…”

She heard the hoarse, disjointed voice emanating from the Regenerator.

This was a ‘Kaijin,’ a monster with intelligence, not a ‘Kaima,’ a mindless demon beast.

That made it far more dangerous; this opponent possessed intelligence, unlike the Kaima that merely acted on instinct.

‘Calmly, she reasoned that her priority should be defense—to safeguard herself and await reinforcements from other Magical Girls, like Amethyst.’

But!

Her current objective was to buy time.

‘So, if she immediately assumed a defensive posture, what if the Regenerator simply ignored her and attacked the others?’

‘She would be forced to pursue, potentially falling victim to a surprise counterattack.’

‘If their strengths were comparable… striking first was paramount!’

Though she had no idea if their strengths were truly matched, she decided to engage first and assess the situation.

In a fleeting two seconds, Ink Crystal had analyzed the situation and made her decision.

She clearly understood the abilities she possessed.

“Ink Crystal: Ink Sword — Piercing Thrust!”

Though she had never wielded this power before, as the thought coursed through her mind, her body moved instinctively.

With a lunge, her sword transformed, becoming akin to a long spear.

She instantly became a streak of black light.

In the next second, the young woman had already pierced through the Regenerator’s body, leaving a gaping hole. She now stood behind the creature.

Ink Crystal’s power had surpassed her own imagination.

She hadn’t anticipated such immediate efficacy. Her breath hitched slightly as she swiftly turned to observe the Regenerator.

Yet, the mass of flesh continued to writhe.

Flesh from other parts surged forth, filling the cavity. It appeared the Regenerator had merely shrunk slightly, showing no signs of being destroyed or falling.

!

Ink Crystal suddenly realized that this Regenerator might not be as formidable as it once was. Amethyst’s repeated hunts must have significantly weakened the monster over time.

‘So, was she taking advantage of a weakened opponent?’

A surge of excitement coursed through her.

If that were the case, she would press on. Even if she couldn’t fully vanquish the monster, exhausting it further would be beneficial.

The next time this creature resurfaced, it would be even weaker.

However, the Regenerator was not merely a punching bag.

After enduring Ink Crystal’s attack, its flesh coalesced into several long whips, lashing out directly at her.

“Woah!!!”

Ink Crystal was clearly still unaccustomed to her Magical Girl powers and speed. Her dodges were clumsy, and she occasionally took a hit or two.

‘I really should have practiced and gotten familiar with this yesterday!’

She felt a fierce drain on her stamina, alongside the pain from the recent strikes. Although the pain seemed somewhat dulled, it served as a stark reminder that her condition was deteriorating. Moreover…

It was poisonous.

‘Was the Regenerator a venomous creature?’

No… Kaijin were creations of the Kaijin Organization, based on Kaima. Their essence was similar to Kaima, a collection of negative energy. For a Magical Girl, a being comprised of love and hope, encountering something toxic was only natural.

Prolonged defense was a losing battle!

Cornered by the lashing whips of flesh, she made another decisive choice.

She would abandon defense entirely.

“Ink Sword — Hornet Sting!”

She unleashed the same technique again. Even as several whips of flesh struck her, causing a fierce drain on her power, she transformed once more into a streak of black light, piercing directly through the creature’s body.

‘The teachers should have reached a safe distance by now…’

‘The passersby had also retreated far away.’

She glanced around, assessing the situation.

Her steps faltered. The forceful attack on the Regenerator had consumed most of her power and inflicted significant damage.

‘Now, the question was how to survive this monster.’

‘She couldn’t possibly be defeated in her very first battle, could she?’

****

“Teacher Liu, stay here. I’ll go check if there’s anyone else who hasn’t managed to escape!”

Lin Han gently set Liu Yun down.

Liu Yun’s expression shifted. “Teacher Lin! I think I twisted my ankle. Could you please get me some bandages and gauze?” she asked immediately.

Lin Han froze.

‘A twisted ankle?’

‘At a time like this?’

‘Wouldn’t that be disastrous? If she couldn’t move quickly later…’

He had originally intended to return to where the unknown Magical Girl was fighting.

He gritted his teeth.

“Teacher Liu, please wait here.”

‘Magical Girl, just hold on a little longer.’

He watched Lin Han sprint towards the nearest pharmacy.

Liu Yun then looked towards the direction of the battlefield.

She stood up. “Magical Girl! Amethyst! Transform!”

Light flared brilliantly, and after it subsided.

A Magical Girl, clad in a flowing purple gown, with a graceful figure and a purple staff in hand, appeared.

Her staff was adorned with a snowflake-like hexagonal crystal.

“Regenerator… to think you’d cause trouble while I was on a date with Teacher Lin. If it weren’t for that unfamiliar Magical Girl, I would have been in serious trouble today. I finally found a good excuse to ask Teacher Lin out, and I’d been letting you off these past couple of days because I thought you might still be useful. How dare you defy the heavens?!”

‘Teacher Lin is very quick; he’ll be back in just a few minutes.’

‘But that’s enough time.’

The Magical Girl soared into the sky, transforming into a streak of purple light. Within seconds, she arrived directly at the battlefield.

There, she saw the Magical Girl named Ink Crystal, who had just erected a dark crystal barrier, deploying her defenses.

“Well done, rookie!”

Holding her staff, she looked at Ink Crystal, offering her thanks. “However, this is my quarry. Leave the rest to me.”

The staff in her hand erupted with dazzling brilliance.

“Amethyst — Hexagonal Crystal Pillar!”

A hexagonal crystal pillar, three to four meters in diameter and shaped like a six-pointed star, plummeted from the sky, directly striking the Regenerator. It then began to rotate.

The pillar continuously crushed and ground down the Regenerator.

The process appeared incredibly violent, akin to beans being relentlessly crushed in a millstone, a sight Ink Crystal had once seen in a documentary.

Blood streamed from beneath the crushing force.

Only then did Ink Crystal finally breathe a sigh of relief.

‘The Regenerator was no match for Amethyst.’

‘It had been forced to flee in disarray. After facing her today, Amethyst had seized the opportunity, and the damage was truly immense.’

She gazed enviously at the staff in Amethyst’s hand.

‘Mage-type Magical Girls excelled at high damage output.’

‘Like this ice crystal pillar… with my personality, why am I a close-combat Magical Girl? Don’t they know that beam clashes are the true romance of Magical Girls?’

Yet, the Regenerator was undeniably a terrifying monster.

Even now, being crushed by Amethyst, Ink Crystal could still sense the creature’s remarkably vibrant life force.

‘It still hadn’t died even after all that?’

‘Wait, something felt off.’

As Ink Crystal realized something was amiss, Amethyst also sensed it.

The massive crystal pillar suddenly shattered.

A hole gaped in the ground.

“It escaped?”

Amethyst’s expression darkened.

She clearly struggled to accept this outcome, yet after a few seconds, she stated, “This monster can transform its flesh into any shape. It must have prepared to flee the moment I appeared, offering no defense against me. It’s simply too resilient.”

‘How to put it?’

‘Senior, you just declared it your “quarry” and then let it escape. That’s incredibly awkward. But Ink Crystal wasn’t the type to easily converse with strangers.’

She could only stand there awkwardly.

“Regardless, Ink Crystal, thank you for today. I’ll be going now.”

‘Huh? She’s leaving in such a hurry? Is something urgent happening?’

Ink Crystal felt a pang of confusion. She shook her head; perhaps Magical Girls were simply always busy.

Walking a short distance, Ink Crystal gazed at the hole bored into the ground.

‘If I jumped into this hole, following its path, could I catch the Regenerator?’

‘If I pursued it now, I might still catch up.’

But she looked at the extremely narrow opening, then at her own rather well-developed physique.

‘Seems a bit difficult…’

‘And if I actually went down, how would I fight?’

‘The Regenerator can shapeshift… I can already imagine the CG scenes of various unfortunate things happening to me if I jumped down there.’

‘What am I fantasizing about myself?’

Ultimately, she decided against pursuing a cornered foe. Amethyst hadn’t pursued it either, and hadn’t she claimed it was her quarry?

‘I should just mind my own business.’

‘Find a secluded spot to revert…’

She glanced around, seeing no one, then ducked behind a shop sign.

“Transformation — Release!”

She reverted, transforming back into the gloomy youth, He Yao.

‘I wonder how Teacher Lin and Teacher Liu are doing. But my presence at the scene would be rather strange—should I just head back?’

After he left, a person emerged from behind a more concealed shop sign, further back from where he had been.

Lin Han watched the retreating figure with disbelief.

“He… He Yao? Ink Crystal? What?”