Why Does Hong Keep Getting the Short End of the Stick?
"We should at least give it a try."
With his usual calm tone and expressionless face, Lantian Zhu suddenly reached out and placed his hand on his waist, whereupon magic instantly condensed into a dark blue dagger.
Immediately afterwards, Lantian Zhu threw the short sword.
"Call out--"
Piercing through the air, the small knife shot straight toward Red with a sharp whistling sound... This was not some kind of physical attack.
After all, the destructive power is just a joke.
It merely signaled the start of the battle.
With that thought in mind, Hong simply gathered her magic power for defense, while also having the capacity to gather similar, but overwhelming, projectiles to prepare for an attack.
Let this young magical girl experience the difference in strength!
But...
"Huh?"
Hong paused for a moment, then realized something was wrong...
This kind of attack, huh?!
"Boom--"
"Hiss--"
The flying dagger, suddenly ignited with Azure Hellfire, easily melted away the magic power that the red had used to construct its defense, just like a scorching iron ball falling into frozen ice.
Almost instinctively, Hong darted to the side, but it was clearly too late.
"Pfft!"
The sharp dagger pierced through Hong's abdomen, drawing blood... but that was all.
"Uh-huh..."
With a low groan, Hong pulled the dagger from her stomach, the wound quickly healing. "Is this the price of underestimating my opponent?"
Damn it, why is it happening again?
Does being the Hong Xiawu Hong always mean she'll encounter opponents with strong defenses? What kind of flexible matchmaking system is this?!
In the instant that Hong looked up helplessly, Lantian Zhu's figure had already disappeared.
It's not in the same place anymore.
"Where?"
Hong feigned surprise and asked, then revealed a disdainful smile, looking up at Lantian Zhu, who was kicking down with flames wrapped around his feet.
"Just kidding, it's definitely in the sky."
Red has killed many magical girls like this.
As these words fell, dozens of prismatic crimson gems suddenly rose from behind the red figure.
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh!!!"
They shot through the air towards Lantian Zhu in an instant, piercing through the magical energy surrounding him as he launched his flying kick, and instantly stabbed into his body... However, they did not stop Lantian Zhu's kick.
Because the "resistance" is insufficient.
These Crimson Crystal themselves don't have a direct "restraining" effect. Of course... the reason I say they don't have a "direct" effect is because they have an "indirect" effect; the key is what happens next.
The crimson crystals began to shimmer faintly for a moment.
And the flashing got faster and faster, then...
"Boom boom boom!!!"
Then, amidst a series of loud explosions, a shockwave overturned the grass on the wasteland, engulfing the entire Lantian Zhu.
In that case, the opponent would obviously be unable to maintain their attack.
This thought lingered in Hong's mind for some time... until the battered and bruised Lantian Zhu pierced through the smoke.
He kicked her until he was satisfied.
--
[Mana Loading 23.7%]
[Lower-Level Emotional Loading - Sorrow Loading +9.4%]
[Determination Loading +23.7% (MAX)]
[Chanting Guidance & Manual Control Mode Enabled]
[Self-reinforcing type, explosive type, non-directional, confirmed completion]
[Kiteflame Kick]
--
A beautiful blue halo spread out in an instant, like the rings of some kind of planet... radiating outwards from the red center.
All the surrounding crimson was instantly shattered.
With unwavering determination, Lantian Zhu launched her challenge and attack, which was not at all what she claimed (that she would just give up if she couldn't win).
Just like his personality, which is always calm on the surface but full of emotion in his eyes, Lantian Zhu has long been accustomed to stating his awareness in a light and understated manner.
The child who is bound longs to one day spread his wings and fly.
Freedom... perhaps it is not something unattainable.
"A heart burning with evil flames, born with wings."
Chapter 253 Why is Hong still getting the short end of the stick?
What exactly does a magical girl's "kick" mean?
Um...
In fact, many magical girl special moves are kicks, and this is not because magical girls are anything special.
Even in battles between humans, the "kick" motion is extremely lethal...
Therefore, the red one was hit head-on...
It looks like it!
Hmm... that's obviously impossible.
Even Lantian Zhu understood that his attack wouldn't end the battle, but barring any unforeseen circumstances, it should be effective.
Lantian Zhu clearly felt something during that kick...
The attack, now possessing tangible destructive power, has pierced through Senior Red's chest... So now is the time to press the attack!
The gap in strength?
That certainly exists.
But...
As seen in the shooting games Cong Yu played before... the weak are not necessarily incapable of killing the strong.
Reality and shooting games are similar.
Even if the opponent's "level" is high, the difference in physical strength is not that significant... The only thing that keeps getting stronger is the lethality.
Unless it's Monster- level body, which has been forged through countless trials to become indestructible, resulting in substantial chasms.
The following seem to be similar.
If Lantian Zhu has 100 HP, then Red has at most 200, double that... but it's not insurmountable.
Of course, if the difference in magic power is used to construct "armor," then that's a different story.
"The raging fire falls from the sky to the earth, and the song of Fate is sung here, draping the earth in a hazy veil."
Lantian Zhu's lips moved rapidly, quickly connecting with the Great Source of This World through words and text, exchanging chants for the power of Grand Art spell.
--
[Mana Loading 32.4%]
[Determination Loading +32.4% (MAX)]
[Chanting Guidance & Manual Control Mode Enabled]
[Conjuration Type, Emission Type, Non-directional, Confirmation Complete]
[Kiteflame - Pale White World]
--
White...
Yes, it's a bluish-white flame... a beautiful blue flame, just like a gas stove, enveloped in white like white clouds.
Blue and white, just like the underwear of Lantian Zhu.
The flames, resembling the texture of "mist," surged towards the direction where Red had been struck, launching an attack.
The purpose of this technique is to suppress the monster's self-healing.
Of course, it's also effective for magical girls...
Even though Lantian Zhu was only an outer member of the team, she was still a member of the Purge Squad and had learned some things about the Purge Squad.
However, from within the smoke came a red voice—
"You should aim for my head."
"..." With these words, the crimson magic condensed once more, instantly wiping away the surrounding blue and white mist.
"It's been so long since I've stretched my muscles; I underestimated my opponent..."
As she spoke, Hong slowly emerged, a large, clearly visible hole in her chest that was healing... indicating that her heart had just been blasted apart by Lantian Zhu.
However, Hong still didn't take it seriously.
As I said before, Lantian Zhu is too weak.
With a smile on her face, the warmth of the blue-white mist still lingered on her body... making her look as red as a giant shrimp.
It looked as if they had just stepped out of a hot spring.
But that's about it; that's where the difference lies.
"How much mana do you have left? Five units (50%) or four units (40%)? How much longer can you keep fighting?"
Kurenai asked this question, looking at Lantian Zhu, whose magic power was clearly depleted... She didn't have the habit of speaking during battle.
Logically speaking, there shouldn't be...
However, Cong Yu loves to chatter on and on during battles. So, Hong picked up some of her chatter from a young age.
Moreover, she unconsciously becomes very talkative when facing Lantian Zhu.
"..." Lantian Zhu remained silent, then, as always, faced the situation with a calm expression. "I will beat you until you are willing to leave the Monster Group."
These words are clearly just polite formalities...
After two massive bursts of magical energy, Lantian Zhu's magic power and determination were almost completely exhausted.
"You're really persistent about this... It's a pity you won't understand what the current group means to me."
As Hong spoke simply, she watched Lantian Zhu take the opportunity to catch her breath and recover her magic power, and a scarlet array silently solidified beneath her feet.
That's my home, a place I can return to.
As Hong spoke in a drawn-out voice, Lantian Zhu noticed something, and his pupils contracted as he looked down at the ground.
She didn't know when it started, but the crimson magic had spread to the ground beneath her feet... Fly! Fly quickly!
Although I don't know exactly what kind of technique it is, it's always better not to get involved!
With that thought in mind, Lantian Zhu soared into the sky.