Sacrificial Child

As the saying goes, one wrong step leads to another. For Mint, when the Arrowroot in the maze found her, many things had already gradually spiraled out of control.

This loss of control ultimately led her to confront her two teammates in this way, and then, in an unexpected turn of events, things went wrong.

Looking at the two people in front of her who were already showing signs of wariness, Mint stared blankly, seemingly deep in thought. After a moment, she gradually lowered her hands from rubbing her hair, closed her eyes, and muttered to herself, "Well, there's still room for negotiation. It's not like we've reached a dead end."

"You two, feel free to ask any further questions."

She took a deep breath, seemingly trying to calm herself down. "I don't deny that if you really are unincorporated Sacrificial Child, true magical girls, then in your eyes I am the enemy. But before things really turn sour, you probably still have some questions for me, right?"

This strange, self-directed performance left Lin Xiaolu and Bai Jingxuan utterly bewildered. After exchanging glances, they realized that neither of them understood what the Mint was up to.

"Dragging out time?" Lin Xiaolu guessed.

"Is there a trap?" Bai Jingxuan also had her own thoughts.

They made no attempt to hide anything from Mint; after all, given how things had developed, there was no need for either side to conceal anything.

"Neither," Mint replied directly.

Not only that, she also took a block-shaped object out of her hoodie pocket, placed it on the coffee table, and gently pushed it directly in front of Lin Xiaolu.

This startled Lin Xiaolu, so much so that she almost instinctively grabbed the Heart Bud and transformed, trying to defend against the possible attack. But she quickly realized that the situation was not as she had thought.

Mint really just threw something at her.

Lin Xiaolu looked closely and finally saw what Mint had pushed over—it was actually a Heart Leaf shimmering with magical light. Judging from the magical fluctuations within it, it was Mint's own Heart Gem.

"... What does this mean?" Lin Xiaolu asked in confusion.

"To show my sincerity, I don't want to fight you. Rather, I hope we can have a proper talk."

Having regained her composure, Mint picked up her drink again, took a sip, and said calmly, "You can check it out. This is my Heart Gem, it's genuine. If I'm going to fight you later, you can just attack my gem and cripple me."

"What? What is this... Huh? You people from Black Ash Dawn really are all a bit off their minds." Lin Xiaolu held the Heart Gem of Mint, not knowing what to say for a moment.

"If I didn't do this, you guys would probably call the sheriff, or even notify the other magical girls, right?"

Mint chuckled, "Bo Xue over there, although you hid your movements very well, my ears are sharp. I heard the sound of you pressing your phone, you know?"

Bai Jingxuan looked at her with an innocent expression.

"Stop it, don't do this stupid thing."

Mint rolled her eyes. "So, can we continue talking now? This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

"Let the Research Institute arrest you; they can still get the so-called secrets out of you, right?" Lin Xiaolu held the Mint Heart Gem, but still didn't agree immediately.

"Yeah, probably. They'll find out, but you definitely won't."

Mint remained calm; clearly, she had already considered what Lin Xiaolu was saying, "And they'll also know that I met two other magical girls with Aberrant Beast magic in the Emerald Zone today."

Lin Xiaolu and Bai Jingxuan were slightly out of breath.

"... I'll say it again, I have no idea I possess any Aberrant Beast magic. Don't try to pin strange accusations on me."

Lin Xiaolu's expression was unfriendly. "As for Bo Xue, her situation is special. Members of Black Ash Dawn like you have no right to drag her into this."

"I understand, I understand. Your captain is Cornflower, she still has some influence in the Kingdom."

Mint, seemingly unfazed, said, "But are you sure you want things to escalate to the point where she has to do favors for you? Let me say a few more words; perhaps there's a better way? After all, look, my gem is still in your hands, right?"

Lin Xiaolu remained silent.

She thought for a moment, exchanged another glance with Bai Jingxuan, and finally made her decision, looking at Mint again:

"My first question is, what is your purpose in coming to this city?"

"My own goal is to pass the exam and get my White Card."

Without hesitation, Mint replied, "As for Black Ash Dawn's purpose, all I know is that some of the Beast Child who accompanied us this time are tasked with carrying out something during the fourth assessment."

"Don't you have any tasks?" Lin Xiaolu frowned.

"You probably wouldn't believe me if I said 'no,'" Mint shrugged. "But I can tell you the truth: Black Ash Dawn is actually a very large organization. Just like a group of magical girls often have different purposes, we are the same."

"Are you trying to say that although you're a member of Black Ash Dawn, you're not actually participating in any operations in the Kingdom this time, and are just a passerby here to take the exam?" Lin Xiaolu asked with disbelief.

"If I were really involved in the mission, would I not even know who my teammates are? Would I mistake you two for each other?"

Mint looked annoyed. "I thought you guys were here on some kind of mission. I was actually hoping to get some melon seeds."

This answer left Lin Xiaolu and her companion speechless.

If Mint truly knew more inside information, she seemed to have no reason to make such a basic mistake. Rather, the fact that she was in this standoff in the coffee shop was itself a sign of "unprofessionalism."

"... Then let's change the subject. What exactly do you mean by saying I have the magic of Aberrant Beast?" Fortunately, Lin Xiaolu quickly adjusted her mindset and continued to ask questions.

"It exists, that's all. What do you mean by 'it can'?"

Mint continued drinking her beverage, "Didn't I tell you? In the eyes of Beast Child like me, the magical fluctuations of Aberrant Beast are like a light bulb; there's no way I could mistake them."

"But how come I didn't know that?"

"Then you're asking me? Isn't it because you're too useless?"

Mint smiled mockingly, "But that's true. From a sensory perspective, if Bo Xue's Aberrant Beast magic is like a 100-watt household light bulb, then your Aberrant Beast magic is probably just a nearly burned-out match. Although it's stronger than an ordinary person, it's still so weak that it should be the weakest among the Sacrificial Child."

"Huh? Who are you calling weak?"

Lin Xiaolu was immediately displeased, but quickly realized that she had no reason to compete in this matter. "What good is having more Aberrant Beast Magic? Less is better!"

"When the Royal Court comes to take people, they don't care how strong the Aberrant Beast magic is on you; if you have it, you have it." Mint said sarcastically.

"So you're saying I really do possess the magic of the Aberrant Beast?" Lin Xiaolu persisted, unwilling to give up.

"Yes, or rather, if you let Bo Xue carefully sense it, the answer should also be 'yes'," Mint said with certainty.

Lin Xiaolu then looked at Bai Jingxuan.

Bai Jingxuan hesitated for a moment, glancing at Lin Xiaolu, then at Mint, before finally moving closer to Lin Xiaolu and closing her eyes. After a long while, she slowly raised her eyelids.

"... I can't quite explain it either, it's just too vague."

"What does 'vague' mean?" Lin Xiaolu's lips twitched.

"... It seems so, but so faint it feels like an illusion," Bai Jingxuan said softly.

"Ha ha ha ha!"

Mint out laughing, "As Sacrificial Child, you're a complete loser!"

"So what are these Sacrificial Child and Beast Child you mentioned?"

Lin Xiaolu glared at her fiercely. "What reason do I have to be happy about my talent for being a bad guy?"

"Wrong, wrong, the Sacrificial Child doesn't have the talent to be a 'bad guy'."

Mint gave him a "you don't understand" look. "You should say that although the name isn't very appealing, Sacrificial Child is actually a talent that is one in a hundred among humans."

"What do you mean?"

"The so-called 'Sacrificial Child' is actually the talent of 'being able to use the magic power of Aberrant Beast as their own Mana Source without affecting their mind and body'."

Mint said proudly, "In other words, only Sacrificial Child can wield the power of Aberrant Beast while still being human."

"... How is this any different from so-called Claw Mark?" Lin Xiaolu frowned. "Don't they also maintain their human form after transforming?"

"They may appear similar on the surface, but they are completely different in reality. Claw Mark simply uses the power of Aberrant Beast to replace the magical girl's Mana Source. In essence, her body only has one underlying type of magic, but she uses the magic of the Aberrant Beast to simulate the power of a magical girl."

Mint shook her head. "Their abilities as magical girls are incomplete, and they haven't mastered much of the abilities belonging to the Aberrant Beast. Their efficiency in using Aberrant Beast magic is extremely low."

"What about the Sacrificial Child?"

"Just like magical girls, just as magical girls can gain the power of seed, bud, leaf, blossom, and flower in sequence through Blossoming."

Mint put down her cup. "The Sacrificial Child, while maintaining its human form, can gradually improve through Feeding Rite, progressing from egg, caterpillar, pupa, molting... until finally possessing abilities completely equivalent to the entire life cycle of Aberrant Beast."

"Furthermore, if a girl becomes Sacrificial Child then has the opportunity to sign a contract to become a magical girl, what kind of path do you think Sacrificial Child will take?"

She placed her hands on either side of the cup, revealing a rather refreshing smile, "The answer is, it will become something like us."

"Don't use the word 'we.' Even if I have such disgusting potential, I have never received any Aberrant Beast magic."

Lin Xiaolu asked with displeasure, "What about the Beast Child? What's the difference between Beast Child and Sacrificial Child?"

This time, Mint didn't answer immediately.

She looked at Lin Xiaolu and Bai Jingxuan with an eerily calm gaze, but Lin Xiaolu met her gaze with a rather defiant air. It wasn't until much later that Mint spoke again.

"The essence of Beast Child is also Sacrificial Child; however, Beast Child is a sacrificial child who has completed round after round of Feeding Rite, transcending the selection process, and has been chosen as Sacrificial Child."

She lowered her voice and said in a tone as if recalling something, "Mix hundreds of Aberrant Beasts with a Sacrificial Child of equal rank and lock them in a cage. This cage will remain closed for the next month."

"A month later, the last few surviving Aberrant Beast will become materials for the Ash Guard and even the Ash Attendant to make Beast Viscera."

"But what if the Sacrificial Child survives..."

"Then she will become Beast Child."