Chapter 288
"She's far from qualified. If she had performed normally, she could have easily dodged that attack and even had a chance to destroy the Mercury Tree."
--Forbidden Spell: Caladbolg.
This Spiral Magic Sword encompasses three categories: elements, spirit, and time and space.
Among them, the elements are responsible for creating hurricanes and thunder; the spirit is responsible for strengthening the holder's authority and shaking the will of the enemy; and spacetime gives the Rainbow Light the effect of Spatial Teleportation.
Half of Xie Qingyu's imagined scenario was a result of being struck by the Spiral Magic Sword.
Chu Yuanqing began to doubt the true value of the magic training given to the Little Idol after the Third Performance.
At least in terms of actual combat, Astrid relied entirely on the simulated space created by the combination of the [Planetarium] and Dream Weaver. Without this function, she couldn't even imagine how high the casualty rate of Magical Girl would be.
Of course, having her fight Chu Yuanqing was somewhat like bullying the weak.
Xie Qingyu and Violet's concealment techniques were excellent. With Chu Yuanqing's current soul level, theoretically, she shouldn't have been able to detect the slightest flaw. However, her combat instincts and her sensitivity to Calamity Beasts were just as unreasonable.
Even if it's an attack at the conceptual level, she can rely on her ethereal instincts to get her body moving first and take the best countermeasures.
Xie Qingyu could use the assassin's tactics on Charlotte, but using them on her would be completely pointless.
Besides, this idiot is not only an assassin, but she also went so far as to turn invisible right in front of everyone. Her intentions are too obvious. Who wouldn't know she was going to launch a sneak attack? And yet, she didn't use any diversionary tactics or other magic to disguise her thoughts.
Under these circumstances, even without instinctive cheating, experienced individuals wouldn't stand still; they would definitely move at high speed while releasing area-of-effect magic bullets to find people.
Chu Yuanqing had already forgotten about Xuan Bao and her sister's entanglement, and she murmured to herself:
"Consider this a preview lesson. Let's teach her what combat is first, and we can also test all the magic in the library in actual combat."
The words had faded.
Xie Qingyu had returned to normal. She was ashamed of her nonsensical thoughts just now, but she also instinctively realized that the other party was definitely not a normal newcomer.
That captivating aura was like a secret weapon that Teacher Dream Weaver had been secretly cultivating for a long time.
This battle, which should have been a trial for themselves, now seems to have reversed roles, and everything feels strange.
Could it be... that Teacher Dream Weaver deliberately assigned her this task so she could meet Chu Yuanqing and also see the cowardice hidden deep within her heart?
Xie Qingyu was in a state of utter confusion. She was well aware of her own problems. As Magical Girl whose power was built from wishes and beliefs, this flaw could be small or big, ranging from being unable to properly handle her sisterly relationship to having her lantern covered in dust, her magic weakening, and her slowly fading away.
The girl took a deep breath. From the moment she was cleaved down by the Spiral Magic Sword for the second time, this battle was no longer a simple matter of dealing with a family dispute. The outer shell of the parasol in her hand fell off, turning into a purple stream of light that wrapped around the exposed blade, like a ribbon fluttering in the wind.
Xie Qingyu's parasol and the Mercury Sword are similar in nature; both are spells pre-programmed into the Magic Armor structure. Just as Chu Yuanqing's Mercury Sword is a tool to facilitate the deployment of the [Silver Mirror], the horizontal sword hidden in the parasol is the same.
Magic is a very convenient thing.
However, the types of magic that [Witch] are suited for, the specific biases of their magic, and the framework of their Destined Magic all determine that they need to construct the most suitable magic for themselves in advance based on these characteristics, and form the best combat style.
"Violet, don't hold back! Release the magical restraints, we..."
Before he could finish speaking, a moonlit glow enveloped their vision.
Chu Yuanqing was already within arm's reach. The blade in her hand slashed horizontally, her golden eyes cold and rational. The attack, fueled by killing intent, interrupted the spell's prelude in one fell swoop.
Why was she able to bypass my perception of magic?
No, the key question is, why would she abandon the protective effect of the Mercury Tree?
Xie Qingyu instinctively raised her sword to block the attack. Her speed and strength far surpassed that of her opponent. Theoretically, in a sword-on-sword clash, the opponent should be the one to lose. However, the kinetic energy that shook the building was directed in all directions, causing the street to collapse and the ruins to explode with a deafening roar.
The person wielding the sword remained unharmed.
Xie Qingyu didn't feel the real impact of the strikes; she even felt like she was fighting an illusion. But as her opponent spun around, tap-dancing-like movements turned these flashy but impractical actions into ingenious ways of borrowing force. In this way, one sword strike borrowed from another, creating a series of resounding clangs that proved that this Melee Combat was truly taking place.
What kind of outrageous fighting technique is this? Am I living in some kind of comic book world?
The girl's breathing rhythm was completely controlled by her opponent. She felt that every movement was being pressed to the most uncomfortable point, and gradually even her sword-wielding stance began to distort.
The most terrifying thing is,
The clanging of swords and blades, amidst its continuous melody, was deliberately manipulated by the opponent. Using their own magic, they created a melody that could devour magic and hinder magic— the Song of Silver and Tin.
This caused even the magic occasionally used by Violet to assist, as well as the Netherworld Underworld Flame flowing around, to become slow and chaotic, allowing the opponent to seize every gap and opening with the graceful movements of a butterfly flitting through flowers, and to unleash a swift and beautiful sword dance like a waltz.
Unbelievable! Is this how you fight?
Xie Qingyu saw in him a perfect blend of idol and Magical Girl. She was like a puppet on a stage, completely overwhelmed by Chu Yuanqing's brilliance, losing all her own rhythm and composure.
This was a complete and utter devastation.
Even though their magic power was on different levels and they weren't actually hurt, the feeling of being completely out of reach, perfectly dodged, and utterly outmatched in terms of skill, as if their actions were being manipulated and their thoughts being anticipated, was far more frustrating than being hit by the Spiral Magic Sword.
Before Xie Qingyu decided to expend a large amount of magic power to forcibly end the Melee Combat,
Chu Yuanqing, however, lost interest first. She used the flick of her sword to gracefully retreat and land. As her skirt swayed, the Mercury Sword in her hand twirled into flowers, shattering the ice layers around her that were constantly frozen by the elements. She casually caressed the sword, creating a melodious tune that sustained the Song of Silver and Tin.
The girl looked up at the younger woman and calmly commented:
"As expected, you've never been pushed to your limits, so you still retain your human habits."
"This is not good; you should change it immediately."
Chu Yuanqing's soul was constantly shattered, leaving her no room to ascend back to her original state. Naturally, she couldn't use any particularly sophisticated techniques; she was merely employing mortal swordsmanship, even incorporating some flashy dance moves to conceal her sharpness.
Xie Qingyu felt uncomfortable and thought she was being manipulated because she still maintained human breathing habits. Subconsciously, she felt she needed to breathe in order to mobilize her strength, increase her speed, and maintain high-energy-consuming exercise.
Therefore, this instinct becomes the biggest weakness.
"Magical Girl don't need to breathe."
"Your mindset and subconscious are hindering your inherent performance; this is a bad habit."
Xie Qingyu was stunned upon hearing this. Magical Girl don't need to breathe?
Yes, she wouldn't die even if her heart and brain exploded, so why would she need to breathe?
Huh? Then why am I breathing so heavily? Am I really exhausted?
No, that's not the case. Unless there's a significant depletion of magical energy, or damage to the threshold called the heart, Magical Girl's fatigue is a form of mimicry, a mimicry of humans.
After Chu Yuanqing pointed out the key point, she lightly tapped the blade with her fingertips, the sound of the mercury being struck echoing outwards. In the blink of an eye, her figure disappeared from the spot, completely disregarding Xie Qingyu's chaotic thoughts, and directly pulled her back into Melee Combat.
And what's even more frightening is that...
Xie Qingyu finally learned her lesson and began using magic to disrupt the flow of the wind and obstruct the spread of sound. After interrupting the Song of Silver and Tin, another person with the same appearance appeared beside the white-haired, golden-eyed [Witch]!
In an instant, the two Chu Yuanqing joined hands, playing music with their blades, and together dragged her into a Mercury Sword battlefield of torment.
Meanwhile, a third white-haired beauty stood beside the collapsed ruins, her golden eyes looking down at them like a devilish drill instructor, speaking slowly and calmly:
"From now on, use your body to remember this uncomfortable feeling, then try to resist it, break free from it, forget it, and finally cover it up with new habits."
"Only then can you be considered a qualified Magical Girl."
At this moment, let's not even mention Xie Qingyu who is suffering.
The Little Idol inside the castle had sparkling eyes, all marveling at the sight and clearly captivated by Chu Yuanqing's dashing dance moves with the Mercury Sword.
Chu Wangshu said happily:
"Wow, she can even create clones! Xiao Qing is amazing!"
Tang Liuli observed for a while and then said:
"It doesn't look like an illusion. Is it the kind of magic that can create physical clones? Doesn't Xiao Xuan's older sister know how to do it? Otherwise, she would be able to use it too, right?"
Xie Qingxuan thought for a moment and guessed:
"Xie Qingyu isn't incapable of using this kind of magic; it's just that using it would only make her look more pathetic."
"Although Xiao Qing can create many bodies at once, which seems impressive, these elegant and gorgeous, dazzling coordination and lightning strikes are all based on her perfect control even when her attention is divided."
"With each additional clone, the amount of information to process more than doubles. If Xie Qingyu could manage that, she wouldn't have been forced into such a predicament."
Kiriwake Yayoi nodded in agreement and said:
"So, it seems like Xiao Qing has a very high chance of winning right now; it's almost turning into a training match."
After listening to everyone's comments, Charlotte felt it was necessary to save face for her good friend. She coughed a few times and said earnestly:
"Don't underestimate Xiaoyu, everyone. She's Captain-Class [Witch] who's a pillar of the Countermeasures Bureau. The only reason she's being forced into this situation is because her opponent is Xiao Qing."
"Moreover, Xiaoyu is in very poor condition and has not performed to her usual level at all. Although this is partly due to Xiao Qing's excessive pressure and guidance, this child must be hiding a lot of things in her heart."
Magical Girl are Idealistic Being.
This dreamlike and beautiful existence, like the protagonist in anime who can easily defeat the big boss by shouting about friendship and love, is full of infinite possibilities for miracles.
But it is precisely this unresolved, ever-present possibility of being in a quantum state that exacerbates the instability of the [Witch].
They can certainly unleash extraordinary power through unwavering faith, precious friendships, the love of others, and brilliant bonds; or they can return to the depths of despair due to shattered dreams, collapsed ideals, wavering hearts, and withered courage.
Charlotte knew about Xie Qingyu's past. She too had once been spirited, rebellious to the point of being sharp and outspoken, and forever brave and passionate, but that was only before Violet was born.
This matter was not a secret within the Countermeasures Bureau.
Xie Qingyu advanced to [Full Bloom] during a mission. At that time, the entire team of Netherworld Butterfly consisted of Magical Girl who had just [Flower Bloom], so inexperienced that they were not yet qualified to be stationed in the forbidden area.
In short, during their mission, they were ambushed by the Cult of Disaster Gods, forced to enter the ovary where [Calamity Species] were hatching, and encountered C-Class Calamity Beasts that had been fully grown through blood sacrifice at the enemy's headquarters.
As a result, both [Witch] perished.
In her emotional void, Xie Qingyu stimulated the fairy named Violet to hatch inside the lantern. Together with this Little Butterfly, they infinitely sublimated their magical properties in [Full Bloom], stepped into [Full Bloom], and engaged in an extremely bloody melee to pulverize the Calamity Beasts.
Meanwhile, the surrounding cultists were also reduced to ashes in the Netherflame, becoming a reference data point used in the mission report to measure the [Witch's ] mental state.
Afterwards, the Countermeasures Bureau conducted a self-examination to identify traitors, which caused a wave of fear among everyone. As the protagonist of the incident, she was quickly promoted and sent to the Ideal Country for further study. There, she learned a series of spells, reorganized her magical framework, and rose all the way to the Captain-Class.
This is a very clear dividing line.
Although Xie Qingyu's personality seems unchanged, anyone who knows her well knows that she must have undergone a very significant psychological transformation.
The most direct and obvious point is that this most rebellious and rock-loving stage idol in the Chinese Entertainment Industry has never touched rock music again since then. Not only have his new songs and compositions after "Netherworld Butterfly" never touched related elements, but his stage performances have also become more restrained.
Charlotte had heard that Xie Qingyu used to be very sharp-tongued, prickly all over, and the kind of cool and beautiful woman who looked like a rock star.
As for now, looking at that silly and adorable appearance that can be bullied by Violet, only the occasional classic recurrence of "a dog's mouth can't produce ivory" can still give people a whiff of the old flavor.
Charlotte had always been curious about this, and her reason for having Chu Yuanqing fight the other woman was not only to stop the sisters from arguing, but also, more importantly, to test this.
--We'll find out what's really going on with the Magical Girl by having her fight.
It now appears that Xiaoyu does indeed have significant inner flaws, and these are most likely remnants of that mission.
"Therefore, she really needs to be corrected by Xiao Qing!"
Charlotte spoke with great conviction, which drew curious glances from her Little Cotton-padded Jacket beside her, inadvertently pleasing the young mother.
The Doomsday Diva found an opportunity to pinch her daughter's cheek and explained with a smile:
"Xiao Shu, do you know? Courage can easily turn into recklessness. True courage is knowing the disadvantages, feeling fear, and even knowing you're likely to lose, yet still choosing to move forward resolutely."
"Xiaoyu is a very brave person at heart, but she harbors a lot of timidity and insecurity, to the point that she's almost lost her spark."
Chu Wangshu seemed to be deep in thought, and she asked:
"Does Sister Charlotte think that Xiao Qing can rekindle her passion?"
Charlotte was somewhat enjoying being called "sister" by her daughter. She smiled and said, her pink lips curving upwards.
"Who knows? Xiao Qing isn't a psychologist. At most, she can pull Xiaoyu out of her comfort zone and let her get some sunshine. As for what happens after that, it's up to her."
None of the Little Idol doubted this statement.
At this very moment, in the live stream,
Xie Qingyu has gradually adapted to abandoning breathing and the rhythm of battle that belongs to humans. She is fighting against three Magic Clone wielding Mercury Sword at the same time. A seed in her heart is gradually being nurtured by the sparks of steel amidst the clanging of swords, and it is about to bear fruit.
But the dome further away,
The Pure White Witch sits atop the Mirror Tree in the heavens, listening to the symphony of shattered souls, gathering her magic with the [Shattered Golden Cup].
Throughout the entire battle, the one who engaged Xie Qingyu in Melee Combat was merely Magic Clone that had evolved into a fully mimicked form.
Chu Yuanqing lowered her eyes and looked down at the entire Salzburg. The Mirror Tree beside her was nurturing a newly woven spell. She held the mythical Spiral Magic Sword, like Demon King waiting for a hero to challenge her.
Aloof, yet powerful.
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