Chapter 285
As soon as she finished speaking, the [Flow State] domain, which had been somewhat restrained, finally revealed its full form of devouring magic, consuming Heart Tide, and plundering beliefs, truly touching the life stance of the Captain-Class [Witch] and unleashing a deafening storm and explosion.
Charlotte and Chu Yuanqing acted simultaneously, forming a magical barrier to prevent them from being affected.
The Little Idol were greatly shocked.
The Social Anxiety Cat snuggled into the arms of the Pure White Witch, while the Little Cotton-padded Jacket couldn't help but tug at her mother's sleeve.
"Yayoi, lend me your weapon."
"Why?"
Kiriwake Yayoi had never seen anything like this before. Her mind was in a daze, and she was still struggling with whether or not to help Xuan Bao kill her sister when she saw the Slash Shadow that formed a thorny ring on her thigh instantly turn into a stream of light and fall into the Great Demon King's palm, condensing into a pitch-black katana that exuded a chilling killing intent.
The girl was greatly shocked; she felt as if some force had stolen control of Slash Shadow.
Although she could sense that she was still connected to Slash Shadow and could forcibly trace back through her will, this NTR scene was comparable to the enemy manipulator in Yu-Gi-Oh!, making the innocent Little Sakura feel very awkward.
And... it also feels subtly familiar.
This person must have done something similar to the Witch maiden a long time ago!
Little Sakura was a little sulky, but she still didn't ask for Slash Shadow back. Instead, she moved closer to Qing Bao, wanting to get away from the battlefield between the two sisters.
Charlotte found this scene somewhat amusing; in the past, Xiao Xuan had indeed frequently borrowed weapons from the Witch.
The Demon King in the first playthrough used the [Titan's Authority] to its fullest extent, not only being able to manipulate existence at will, but also dismantling this concept and breaking it down into various fragments.
For example, ownership.
Well, let's take Ama-no-Habakiri as an example. This Mythical Weapon recognizes Witch as its master for three reasons: first, a blessed connection; second, a binding of the soul; and third, integration with flesh and bones.
Human beings can be broken down into their soul, flesh, bones, torso, and even blessings. Once these are plundered, the ownership rights bound to the other person can naturally be taken away as well.
Of course, the Witch's Mythical Weapon is a very advanced type, and the fact that she was able to borrow it is purely because she was willing.
In short, there must be a reason behind the title of "Demon King".
Xie Qingxuan's [Flow State] ability to steal the spotlight reflects this quality to some extent.
Chu Yuanqing glanced at Xie Qingyu, who was still stunned after being hit hard, gripped the lantern in front of her chest, and used her inner fire to reverse the flow, pouring red and black magic into the earth to reinforce the Ten Directions Prison Domain. Only then did she nudge the Saintess Maiden who was watching the show, and sighed wearily:
"Charlotte, stop watching! Quickly use the Mortal Realm Barrier! This castle can't withstand any more damage."
While speaking,
Xie Qingxuan already held the Slash Shadow, merging her raging Heart Tide into it. Dark magic flowed into the katana, and without any hesitation, she swung the Kesa Slash at her sister as casually as a cherry blossom high school girl piloting a mecha.
This was a simple right-side diagonal slice in terms of speed, stance, and power.
The combined power of Shadow Slash Shadow, Blessing, and Heart Tide caused the air to vibrate and buzz violently. A raging wind shook the furniture and clutter in the Living room, and the entire castle trembled in an instant. The ink-like sword energy transformed into a greedy wolf, swallowing up the afternoon sunlight.
Xie Qingyu was still immersed in the sorrow of severing ties when she was unexpectedly hit with a critical strike. She wavered so much that she didn't build Magic Armor, didn't set up any magical defenses, and didn't use any spells. She just sat there on the sofa in a silly and cute way.
Well, after the Golden Haired Doggy finished speaking, her mind was filled with the bloodshot words "Xuan Bao wants to break off our relationship," and she couldn't even hear Violet's dejected complaints and accusations.
The next instant, this Captain-Class Magical Girl, with an "arrogant" attitude of disdain to move as seen from her sister's perspective, was devoured by the giant wolf, her body facing the fangs forged from sword energy.
However, even without any resistance, the magic power within her body, like a magnetic field, surged on its own to a scale that almost broke through the Ten Directions Prison Domain. The extremely vivid deep purple, like a rising tsunami, after being cut through several layers, still burst out with sharp sword energy, shooting straight to the castle dome like a pillar of light reaching the heavens.
Seeing this, Xie Qingxuan enhanced her physical strength with magic. She no longer controlled the form of the sword energy, but instead relied on quantity to win, increasing the speed of her sword. In the blink of an eye, she unleashed more than a dozen overlapping jet-black sword waves, which exploded and merged, crashing into the pillar of light in an instant.
At the same time.
Charlotte's Mortal Realm Barrier finally unfolded, and she quickly incorporated the entire castle space into it, copying it into the Pocket Dimension, leaving only the two sisters inside. Only then did she smile with satisfaction.
Well, while it's not like we can't afford to pay for it, damaging historical artifacts is never a good thing.
The Little Idol nestled on the sofa, feeling as if they were in another world.
Tang Liuli was so frightened that she went through two phases: first, her hair stood on end, and then she dared not stand on end. Only now did she dare to raise her head, and she was fearfully hugging Qing Bao's soft waist, muttering under her breath:
"Magical Girl are scary!"
Chu Yuanqing patted the Saintess Maiden's thigh.
Charlotte understood Qing Bao's meaning. With a casual grab, the Mortal Realm Barrier merged with reality, and the scenes within were reproduced around her as if live.
In the blink of an eye, the Little Idol felt as if they were on a real battlefield, which was extremely terrifying.
"Boom boom boom!"
Magic fragments and sword energy clashed and intertwined, like purple and black streaks of light swirling and dancing in the hundreds of square meter Living room, occasionally crashing hard against the barrier with a series of clanging sounds.
Crystal chandeliers, expensive leather sofas, sturdy and beautiful marble floors, spiraling wooden staircases, priceless handmade carpets, and oil paintings and antiques hanging on the walls—all were reduced to scattered pieces of waste, leaving the place a complete mess.
If Chu Yuanqing's Ten Directions Prison Domain hadn't been moved in as well, the replica castle hall in the Pocket Dimension would have been completely destroyed.
And what's terrifying is that...
Social Anxiety Cat, Little Sakura, and Little Cotton-padded Jacket often see flying sand and stones, construction debris, sword aura aftershocks, magic splashes, and so on, all crashing into them at once, which is quite terrifying.
Watching the sisters' bickering, complete with dazzling special effects, Chu Wangshu was utterly stunned. She didn't know whether to question where Kiriwake Yayoi her magical weapon or why Xie Qingxuan was so powerful. After a long silence, she finally said dryly:
"So, Sister Xie and her sister really do have such a bad relationship."
Yes, my Little Cotton-padded Jacket now completely believes in Xie Qingxuan's initial assessment of her as an enemy.
The power of that sword energy was such that if Xie Qingyu weren't a very powerful Magical Girl, any normal person would have been turned into a bloody pulp dancing with dust long ago.
Kiriwake Yayoi was terrified. Xiao Xuan was holding her weapon! If she accidentally killed Xie Qingyu, and the forensic doctor examined the injuries at the morgue, wouldn't she be held responsible for half of the damage?
Chu Yuanqing felt extremely guilty. She was the only one present who knew why Xie Qingyu had come. She had thought that the two sisters would at most have a cold war and quarrel, but she didn't expect that they would start to escalate the situation before they had even spoken for three minutes.
Charlotte, however, wasn't worried at all. She remained sunny and lively, a cute smile playing at the corners of her eyes, seemingly unconcerned about any unexpected events. She was even humming a melody that had no clear meaning, appearing exceptionally relaxed and cheerful.
Within the Mortal Realm Barrier...
Xie Qingyu's jade-like fingertips, stained with phosphorescent powder, stirred up dancing purple Netherflame, forming an absolute safe zone that relentlessly devoured all sword energy. She stood motionless, not a single strand of her hair disheveled, silently raising her eyes to look at the weapon in her opponent's hand, and softly said:
This power does not belong to you.
The enhancement of this weapon is too exaggerated. If she were still in the [Lighting Up] stage, her Magic Armor would probably be shredded. It's definitely not something Xiao Xuan should possess.
No, I'm worried about potential side effects from using it. I need to find out right away.
Violet was furious and couldn't hold back any longer. She burst out of the clock face, transforming into Little Butterfly. Unhappily, she flapped her wings against the other's head and complained:
"Xiaoyu, you idiot! You big idiot!"
"You looked at Xuan Bao's fierce expression, thought for a long time, and all you could come up with was this sentence that only added fuel to the fire? How stupid! I'm never talking to you again!"
Xie Qingxuan stopped swinging her sword. She roughly guessed what stage her sister was in. Unless she paid a price beyond magic power and overused the blessing, she couldn't even break through the opponent's defense.
Unfortunately, with Xiao Qing beside her, she could only pretend to be a "good child".
After the girl finished reading, she looked up at the little thing that had slapped her sister's face. A hint of curiosity appeared on her usually cool face, and she whispered to herself:
"Lantern Fairy? Is it a creature like Forget-me-not?"
Xie Qingyu felt humiliated by being slapped in the face by Violet in front of her sister. Embarrassed and annoyed, she secretly used their soul link to ask:
"Stop fighting! I'll lose all my dignity, and besides, that knife didn't even belong to Xuan Bao to begin with. What's wrong with what I said!"
Violet fell silent. She felt it was understandable that Xiaoyu hadn't realized her teammate was a lesbian even after being openly admired by him. These two sisters were just particularly slow-witted and clueless in one aspect, completely beyond saving.
The Little Butterfly was a little tired, and she sighed:
"In short, you're not allowed to have any more conflicts with Xuan Bao like this. If you keep fighting, she'll never speak to you again for the rest of her life!"
Just kidding, if Xuan Bao keeps hitting her and finds she still can't break through Hsiao-yu's defenses, she'll definitely think Hsiao-yu is deliberately humiliating her. Then the misunderstanding will only deepen, and she'll never be able to explain it away!
If Violet were to do it herself, she would have deliberately let Xuan Bao bleed, preferably half-dead—anyway, [Full Bloom] can revive her instantly—she would have tried to play the victim, said some heartfelt words, and eased tensions. How could she be as idiotic as Xiaoyu, who doesn't even remember to turn off her passive defense!
Xie Qingyu seemed to understand something. She dispersed the defensive circle of Netherflame, looked at her sister, and said seriously:
"Xiao Xuan, stop fighting. You've seen it yourself, you can't beat me."
Can we have a proper talk?
The Little Butterfly was greatly shocked, and then nearly cleaved in two by the oncoming sword energy. It was so aggrieved it was almost in tears. It fluttered its wings and flew high into the sky, crying out for help:
"Waaaaah, Charlotte, come help me! I never want to talk to Xiaoyu again! If I do, Xuan Bao will kill me!"
Charlotte, seeing the pitiful Lantern Fairy, voluntarily withdrew the Mortal Realm Barrier, allowing the two sisters to return to their castle in reality. She picked up the violet that had rushed towards her, gestured for Little Sakura Slash Shadow, and then smiled warmly at the bewildered Xie Qingyu, saying:
"Xiaoyu, I know your concerns."
"But you've seen Xiao Xuan's talent, haven't you? We don't have much time left. Flashdance won't allow a [Witch] prospect like her to Withdraw from Competition for this reason."
Xie Qingyu remained silent. Of course she understood, but that's why she was so tongue-tied that she could only take the beating and couldn't say anything to offer any advice.
Charlotte gently squeezed the violet to comfort her, and continued:
"It's okay, I have a way to put your mind at ease."
The Doomsday Diva took the hand of the Pure White Witch beside her, looked at Xie Qingyu, and extended an invitation with a smile:
"Xiaoyu, come and fight Chu Yuanqing."
Volume 1: 271. Xie Qingyu's Past; Mercury Song, Spiral Sword. (5K)
Chu Yuanqing?
Upon hearing this name, everyone except Charlotte was momentarily stunned.
The Little Cotton-padded Jacket was a bit worried. She looked nervously at Chu Yuanqing, but didn't know how to interrupt.
However, since Charlotte suggested it, there shouldn't be any major problems, right?
Kiriwake Yayoi sensed that something was amiss.
Tang Liuli thought about it. If her memory was correct and some of her guesses were also accurate, then having Xiao Xuan's sister fight with Chu Yuanqing seemed a bit...
Xie Qingxuan didn't understand Charlotte's meaning. What she meant by "sister's concerns" and "a way to put her mind at ease" was completely incomprehensible to her, who was on a completely different wavelength from Charlotte.
But there was one thing the Golden Haired Doggy understood.
That is, Charlotte wants Qing Bao and her sister to fight.
The Black Mist and coldness in Xie Qingxuan's eyes dissipated. She took small steps over, ignoring her older sister beside her, and happily and expectantly hugged Chu Yuanqing.
The girl's cool and noble features softened, radiating the gentle warmth of spring sunshine. She pressed herself against the Pure White Witch, embracing her waist, and planted a soft kiss on her cheek. After the kiss, she arched her adorable face and said earnestly:
"Xiao Qing, help me teach her a lesson."
The Little Butterfly nestled in the Saintess's palm, watching the scene with curiosity. It couldn't reconcile the domineering and cold Great Demon King from just moments ago with the now obedient, adorable, and affectionate Xuan Bao. It was utterly shocked. "So your team does this kind of thing too?"
Violet glanced at Xiaoyu furtively, feeling a pang of sorrow for her.
Yes, of course, and a bit of disdain too!
Because no matter how you look at it, Xiaoyu deserves it. If she were mute, she might already be in love with Xuan Bao.
Xie Qingyu watched this scene with mixed feelings. She wasn't as shocked as her sister coming out to her, because Tong Xin often did the same thing to her. She guessed that's how it is between close female friends.
The girl felt a mixture of envy and relief.
Xiao Xuan has finally found friends. Compared to when she was in school, she scared away all her classmates with her cold demeanor, leaving her all alone. Now that she has friends, she can laugh and hug them. She must be much happier now.
So, is that why you don't want to Withdraw from Competition?
Xie Qingyu was somewhat dazed, and pursed her lips. She actually knew that she had no right to interfere in her sister's affairs.
Because... unlike Xiao Xuan, she learns everything very slowly and clumsily, whether it's piano, etiquette lessons, singing, or dancing.
Xie Qingyu clearly remembers that before Xiao Xuan was five years old, her Dad would often take her to see some very impressive teachers, either to familiarize her with the place, to learn, or to socialize. Every time she came back, she could feel the disappointment in her parents' eyes.
That look in their eyes seemed to say, "As our child, you shouldn't be so ordinary; you shouldn't lack artistic talent."
So when her younger sister displayed her amazing talent, the intensive coursework that had almost overwhelmed her disappeared after a small complaint she made when she was young.
Xie Qingyu was initially very happy. She could finally play like the other children, have time to communicate with her classmates, and no longer have to follow the schedule.
But soon she realized that Dad parents agreed not because of her complaints, but because... they didn't need her anymore.
--I don't need someone who lacks talent or doesn't work hard enough.
Xie Qingxuan took her place, and fear and loss filled her young soul. She began to try to pick up those lessons that she used to hate and find boring, in an attempt to win back her parents' attention.
The result was that there was no result.
Xie Qingyu envied her younger sister back then, and even felt jealous. But deep down, she knew she couldn't blame her sister. This childlike jealousy, which she couldn't control, and the guilt that came from kindness, intertwined into an incredibly twisted bitterness, ultimately leading her to make a choice she still regrets to this day.
"I want to transfer to a music academy abroad."
Xie Qingyu chose to escape; she ran away during her junior high school years, leaving her younger sister alone.
My parents were practically divorced by then, and they agreed almost without thinking.