Magical Girl Test

"Don't mind it so much. It was just your imagination."

Youyue adamantly refused to admit it and brought Qingyin into a very modern-looking building.

The interior was as spacious as a large stadium with the stands removed, complete with cyberpunk-style fully mechanical automatic doors.

In the wide-open space stood a magical girl with fiery red hair. The instant she saw Youyue, she pounced on her.

Feiyan wrapped Youyue in a hug and pleaded pitifully:

"Big Sister Youyue, dear big sister, please revoke my demotion penalty. Please, please."

"Haha, you'll have to talk to the department head about that. Being a reckless idiot girl comes with a price," Youyue teased.

She let Feiyan act cute for a while. Only after Feiyan voluntarily pulled away did Youyue speak to Qingyin, who had been quietly watching from the side:

"Sorry to make you laugh, Qingyin. Have you been waiting long?"

"It was quite a feast for the eyes," Qingyin said flatly.

"A feast for the eyes? Hmm?" Youyue did not pursue the details.

"Before you join the association and sign a contract, we need to test your strength."

"Fine." Qingyin nodded.

Youyue began explaining. "The association divides magical girls' strength into three major stages: Normal State, Fusion, and Liberation.

"A magical girl in her Normal State is a seed. Once the seed sprouts and blooms, and she can achieve Magic Dress Fusion, that is the first form.

"Magic Dress Liberation is when the flower reaches its fullest bloom. It is a magical girl's second form, and also her final form.

"Only the very few magical girls with unwavering conviction and powerful souls can enter the final form.

"In the final form, they can release a personal domain unique to themselves."

"Got it." Qingyin considered the information and summarized it in her mind.

"Now that you roughly understand the power rankings, let's test your potential as a seed." Youyue continued walking, not pausing her explanation. "There are testing devices ahead for strength, speed, and reaction time. There's no need to test magical power. Feiyan, come along too."

"Did you want to say something?" Qingyin asked Feiyan, who had been staring at her.

"Mm-hmm. I'm really sorry for causing trouble for Senior Qingyin a few days ago!" Feiyan remembered what Youyue had called her and sincerely apologized.

"It's fine. Don't let there be a second time." Qingyin responded coldly, pointing at Youyue ahead of them. "Didn't you hear Youyue's basic explanation just now? I've actually been a magical girl for less than a week."

"Huh??" Great bewilderment filled Feiyan's small eyes.

The information was too bizarre and had already broken her brain, making her doubt her own strength.

A magical girl of less than a week had single-handedly rescued a veteran like her, who had been one for over a year, from the Abyssal Echo?

"Feiyan, Feiyan, where are you? Do you still want your penalty removed?!" Youyue shouted from afar.

"Coming, coming!" Feiyan cast aside all her confusing questions and dashed over, energetically waving as she ran.

"First, the strength test: hit the mechanical dummy..."

Boom!

Qingyin smashed the robot to pieces with one punch, knocking out its wire-like guts as electricity crackled from them.

"Next, the speed test: run the track..."

Whoosh!

A cloud of dust swept up inside the track, accompanied by booming waves of air being torn apart.

"Then, the reaction test: magical water-ball attacks!"

Smack smack smack smack...

Qingyin stood still and caught every incoming water ball with her fists.

She was soaked through, her Magic Dress in its Normal State clinging tightly to her body and displaying her perfect figure.

"The reaction test is for dodging the water balls, not catching them." Youyue, acting as the instructor, covered her forehead speechlessly, though she found it amusing. "Doesn't it hurt when magical water balls hit you?"

"You should have said so earlier." Qingyin tugged at the Magic Dress stuck to her body. "It doesn't hurt. Being wet is just uncomfortable."

Feiyan had watched the entire test with her little mouth slightly open, completely dumbfounded.

Were magical girls really such violent and straightforward beings?

This seemed different from the tests she had watched before.

Where was the Magic Weapon? Where had the Magic Weapon gone?

"A Magic Dress is formed from a magical girl's heart. If you use your heart to move your magic power, you can dry your clothes," Feiyan reminded her after recovering from her shock.

"I'll try." Qingyin tried using her heart to change the shape of her Magic Dress.

Within seconds, a burst of white light enveloped Qingyin's entire body, leaving only her head exposed.

When the light faded, the damp feeling was indeed gone, but there was a slight problem...

"Oh, adult-style lace trim. What a contrast." Youyue stroked her chin playfully.

"It's not supposed to be like this!" Feiyan instantly covered her eyes, though the gaps between her fingers were stretched wide open.

"I wanted to change the form of my Magic Dress."

Qingyin glanced down, then swiftly covered herself above and below. Her small hands could not hide the style and color of the fabric at all, and a rare hint of embarrassment appeared in her eyes.

Humiliating!

"Each form of a magical girl only has one Magic Dress. If you want a new one, you can only get it through Fusion and Liberation. Hurry and dry your Magic Dress and put it back on," Feiyan hurriedly prompted.

Seeing Qingyin's awkward state, she felt embarrassed on her behalf.

"Mm, quite a feast for the eyes." Youyue was still intent on stirring things up.

White light once again enveloped Qingyin's entire body, and her Magic Dress reappeared on her.

This time, it was the dry version.

Qingyin lowered her head to make sure her Magic Dress was properly on, and could not help letting out a sigh of relief.

She had learned it. The price of learning was neither great nor small—just a little bad.

"All right, the fan service is over. Time for the final test: fight Feiyan," Youyue said, coming to her rescue.

"M-me?" Feiyan pointed at herself.

"Mm-hmm. Don't want your penalty revoked anymore? If you win, I'll promote you to an Advanced Magical Girl. Think you can win?" Youyue said teasingly.

"I can win!" Feiyan jumped into the testing area with a confident look.

After watching Qingyin's test, she honestly had no confidence in winning.

But with Advanced Magical Girl certification as the reward, her confidence suddenly soared!

"Whether Qingyin is my senior or junior, I won't lose this match!" Feiyan conjured her Magic Weapon in her hand, pointing its barrel at Qingyin before her.

"I'll be the referee, so fight without worry. Qingyin, let me remind you: don't forget to use your Magic Weapon." Youyue shouted from above. "A Magic Weapon is a weapon manifested from what a magical girl believes to be the strongest thing in her heart, or what she fears most. That makes it a magical girl's strongest means of attack."

As if by bodily instinct, Qingyin manifested her Magic Weapon in her hand.

It was a closed hardcover book wrapped in cloth.

"Would I consider a book the strongest weapon?" Qingyin murmured in confusion.

She then looked at her school-uniform-like Magic Dress and seemed to understand something.

So it was the thing I feared most in my heart.

"Ready? Begin!" Referee Youyue announced loudly.

"Magic Dress Fusion!" Feiyan immediately changed the form of her Magic Dress, and her Magic Weapon became even more imposing. "This is the Fusion form I've cultivated for a year. I'll be winning unfairly. Sorry, Qingyin!"