"I said it was my territory, so it was my territory. You crossed the line. I advise you to go back as soon as possible, otherwise..."
Xiao Bai spun her scythe, and the chains behind it clinked crisply as they moved.
Chen Xiaoxia grew even angrier. At the crucial moment, Yu Muqiu stepped forward and said:
"D-Don't... don't fight! Xiaoxia, Xiao Bai! Can't we talk this out properly? We all became Magical Girls to destroy Nightmare Seeds and protect humanity. I believe we all share the same ideals, so... as long as we talk things through..."
Hope shone in Yu Muqiu's eyes. The magic she wielded came from her "love" and "hope."
That was why she always tried to see things in the best light. She believed Xiao Bai was a good person, and that Xiao Bai's ideals were the same as theirs.
She believed that as long as they sat down and talked properly, there would be no knot they could not untangle.
But unfortunately, Xiao Bai did not appreciate it.
"There's nothing to talk about. I don't want to see you in Rock City from now on. You should go back."
Xiao Bai ran her left hand through her long silver-white hair and turned to leave.
Chen Xiaoxia could no longer endure Xiao Bai's arrogance. Veins bulged on her forehead as she picked up her greatsword with a smile that did not reach her eyes, taking up a fighting stance.
"Xiao Qiu tried to talk to you nicely, but you wouldn't listen... Then let's fight! I want to see just how strong you are, to dare talk so big and chase us away!"
As soon as Chen Xiaoxia finished speaking, she stomped her right foot and charged toward Xiao Bai!
The ground cracked beneath Chen Xiaoxia's movement. In an instant, she crossed more than ten meters and arrived before Xiao Bai!
Clang!!
The scythe collided with the greatsword as Chen Xiaoxia pressed down on Xiao Bai with all her strength.
Xiao Bai's expression turned even colder. She stared at Chen Xiaoxia and said frostily:
"Looks like... it's time for you to understand the gap between us."
Clatter—
Chains flew out from the void, blanketing all three of them in the blink of an eye. Surging magic power began to form a barrier, and within just one second, the three of them appeared in a projection of the real world.
Magic Barrier!]
(They're fighting!!)
(I knew this day would come when I watched the OP, but... they're really fighting!)
(Fight, fight! I love watching girls fight!)
(To be honest, I don't think Xiaoxia can beat Xiao Bai.)
(Yeah, Xiao Bai really does look strong.)
"Hehe... I almost lost back then..."
Fang Ming was grateful that the comments thought so highly of him.
But in truth, Fang Ming had only been a novice Magical Girl at the time. In terms of raw strength, he really was no match for Chen Xiaoxia and Yu Muqiu.
That might not have been quite accurate. In a one-on-one fight, Fang Ming feared neither of them, but if the two joined forces, his chances of losing were actually quite high.
After all, Fang Ming had not been through many battles. In terms of total magic power, if he had not sacrificed his other skills to increase it, he might not even have had as much magic power as Yu Muqiu.
Under those circumstances, the reason he had ultimately defeated Chen Xiaoxia and Yu Muqiu was largely because they were unfamiliar with his magic and lacked combat experience.
Against Fang Ming, who had mastered several fighting styles and possessed combat skills in his original body as well, it was only natural that they lost.
Even so, Fang Ming had only won by a narrow margin. He wondered how the Sky Screen would portray it.
[With the scene changing, the Magical Girls no longer needed to hold back. Magic power surged around Chen Xiaoxia, blue energy wrapping around her and granting her even greater strength.
Chen Xiaoxia's magic was "Enhancement." It could strengthen her body and her weapons. Once she became familiar with it, she could even increase the degree of enhancement in a specific area.
For example, at this very moment, she had strengthened the power of the greatsword in her hand, using greater force to press down on Xiao Bai below.
"Hmph."
Xiao Bai knew that she could not match Chen Xiaoxia in strength. She did not continue their contest of force, instead taking a step back to leave Chen Xiaoxia's attack range.
Boom!!
The greatsword slammed into the ground, kicking up dust and obscuring the two figures. The rattling of chains came from within the smoke, followed by the clanging of weapons striking each other.
"Xiao Bai! Xiaoxia!! Stop fighting!!"
Yu Muqiu watched anxiously from the side. She did not want to see her companions fighting. Though Xiao Bai had only appeared a few times, she was still a Magical Girl, and Yu Muqiu had long regarded her as a companion.
Now that her companions were facing each other with blades drawn, Yu Muqiu was the most anxious one of all.
"Xiao Qiu! Don't say another word. Today, I'm definitely going to teach her a lesson! I'll let her know we aren't easy to push around!"
"Heh, anyone can talk big, but—"
The dust dispersed, revealing Xiao Bai and Xiaoxia before Yu Muqiu. With Xiao Bai's cold sneer, the scythe in her hand hooked Chen Xiaoxia's greatsword.
Then, using the greatsword's momentum against her, Xiao Bai threw Chen Xiaoxia off balance.
In that single instant, Chen Xiaoxia exposed an opening.
Xiao Bai showed no mercy as she seized that opening, driving her right foot hard into Chen Xiaoxia's abdomen!
Bang!!
Chen Xiaoxia was sent flying, and only then did Xiao Bai's next words reach her:
"—you need the strength to back it up."
"Xiaoxia!!"
Seeing Chen Xiaoxia sent flying by Xiao Bai, Yu Muqiu's pupils shook. Without thinking, she stepped in front of Xiao Bai.
"Xiao Bai, stop!"
"Stop? I wasn't the one who attacked first."
Xiao Bai twirled her scythe and gave Yu Muqiu a deep look before saying, "But... that idiot's actions did remind me of something. Rather than trying to stop you with words, I might as well just use force."
"Huh?"
Yu Muqiu froze upon hearing Xiao Bai's words, as though she did not understand what Xiao Bai meant.
But in the next moment, Yu Muqiu understood the meaning behind them.
Countless chains emerged from the void behind Xiao Bai, then crashed toward Yu Muqiu like cannonballs!
This was the magic Xiao Bai excelled at most.
Chain Magic!]
Budget Burn
[Xiao Bai's magic was simple.
A scythe and some chains. Normally, she should have been a melee-type Magical Girl like Chen Xiaoxia, but sometimes she would create chains that filled the sky, as if she could release them without limit.
Yu Muqiu had not met Xiao Bai many times and did not know much about her magic. But based on what she knew so far, Yu Muqiu quickly came up with a response.
Yu Muqiu waved the magic wand in her hand, its tip set with a heart-shaped ruby.
Using Light Magic, she condensed a smooth barrier in the air around herself. At the same time, she flew into the sky and shouted at Xiao Bai:
"Xiao Bai! We don't mean you any harm!"
"Sorry, I do."
Xiao Bai's cold voice rang out. Countless chains descended from above like a sky full of missiles, tracking Yu Muqiu as they flew after her.
Chen Xiaoxia, who had been sent flying by Xiao Bai, straightened herself and charged toward Xiao Bai with her greatsword raised.
As she rushed at Xiao Bai, Chen Xiaoxia shouted:
"There's no use talking to her! Fight her and show her we're stronger than she is! Then she'll listen to us!"
"Hmph. That is, if you really are stronger than me."
Xiao Bai did not yield in the slightest. Countless chains twisted like long serpents, closing in on Chen Xiaoxia.
At the same time, even more chains formed a cage, tightly trapping Yu Muqiu and her Light Magic barrier within!
Since you did not plan on coming out, then do not come out at all!]
(Where's Xiao Chun?! Xiao Chun, save them!)
(Did Xiao Chun get so absorbed in her alone time with her cousin that she forgot about this...? [Sad])
(Where's Nino?! What are you doing?! Why are you just watching?!)
(Fight, fight! This is exactly what I want to see, girls fighting!)
As the Magical Girls descended into chaos, the comments instantly became more numerous.
Many people hoped the matter could still end peacefully, but plenty of spectators were just here for the fun and loved watching beautiful girls fight.
Fang Ming did not really like fighting, but he had to admit that the Sky Screen's camera work and completely realistic effects were indeed eye-catching.
At the beginning, Xiao Bai and Xiaoxia's "sparring" had been a rapid exchange of attacks. Later, when Xiao Bai fought Yu Muqiu, the camera pulled back to a long shot, revealing countless chains emerging behind Xiao Bai, making her look like a golden king unleashing a treasury of weapons.
When Chen Xiaoxia charged in, it shifted into a long, unbroken take without a single camera cut.
If this world really was an anime, and the Sky Screen was playing a finished production, then the quality was truly outstanding.
It could honestly be called "budget burn."
[Under Xiao Bai's attacks, Chen Xiaoxia gradually grasped some of the patterns and began dodging with greater ease.
Yu Muqiu also finally understood that unless she could make Xiao Bai calm down and listen to them, they would never be able to sit together and have a proper conversation.
So... Yu Muqiu no longer hesitated. Looking at the chains binding her barrier, she took a deep breath and gripped her wand tightly with both hands. Layer upon layer of magic circles appeared in front of her.
"Xiao Bai... I'll make you understand that we aren't the weaklings you claim we are! We have the power to deal with Nightmare Seeds too!"
As Yu Muqiu spoke, rings of light appeared across the magic circles.
The rings formed a circular shape like the barrel of a cannon, with Yu Muqiu holding her wand at its rear.
Magic power gathered within it, and a powerful attack seemed ready to erupt.
Xiao Bai frowned at the sight.
She had never seen Yu Muqiu use a Magic Cannon before, but at this moment, the other girl's movements and the magic power she was accumulating told her one thing: Yu Muqiu was preparing a finishing move!
Watching someone prepare their ultimate move without interrupting them was something only a classic villain would do.
Xiao Bai did not think of herself as a villain. So, as Yu Muqiu prepared her ultimate move, Xiao Bai flashed forward and ran along the chains toward her.
But halfway there, Chen Xiaoxia's greatsword came flying directly at her. The massive blade carried Chen Xiaoxia's body with it, crashing down on Xiao Bai like a falling meteor!
"Your opponent—"
Chen Xiaoxia's greatsword was only one step away from Xiao Bai. Then Chen Xiaoxia let out an angry roar:
"—IS ME!!!"
Clang!!!
Chen Xiaoxia's greatsword was blocked by Xiao Bai's scythe, but the scythe was immediately knocked aside. Clearly, Xiao Bai's magic did not lie in physical strength; at the very least, she was not as strong as Chen Xiaoxia's enhanced body.
But Xiao Bai's expression did not change. Looking at Chen Xiaoxia, who had poured everything into that desperate blow, she instead revealed a smile that made Chen Xiaoxia uneasy.
Chen Xiaoxia's attack patterns were far too easy to read.
She went straight ahead without hesitation, charging forward bravely. Aside from dodging attacks, there was no trickery in her movements at all.
She might have been a qualified knight, a qualified warrior, but she was not a qualified Magical Girl.
At the very least, she had failed to notice the trap Xiao Bai had left around them.
Snap—
With a light snap of her fingers, several points of light abruptly appeared around Chen Xiaoxia. Then, accompanied by the clattering of chains, countless chains surged out from the space surrounding her.
It was as though they had been there all along, flying out from the points of light the moment Chen Xiaoxia approached Xiao Bai.
The chains wound beneath Chen Xiaoxia's arms and passed through the gaps between her legs, finding every opening on her body and locking her in midair without leaving even the slightest room to move!
"Wh—!?"
Seeing herself tightly bound in place while her greatsword remained only one step away from Xiao Bai's body, Chen Xiaoxia could not help widening her eyes.
This was a trap?!
Before you continue