Fight a Hundred Times, the Result Will Be the Same

"This was something I just learned." Qingyin calmly responded to Feiyan's words.

It was like changing clothes—there did not seem to be any difficulty to it.

"Magic Dress Fusion."

Qingyin softly uttered the four words. In an instant, the hardcover book in her hand flew before her and rapidly flipped through its pages.

A thousand words flashed across the blank pages, rising into the air like dense swarms of ink-black fireflies surrounding her.

The words landed upon the magic dress resembling an academy uniform, weaving themselves like soft yarn into sleeves and gathering into a skirt, creating an elegant ink-wash-style magic dress.

"Qingyin, you're amazing!" Feiyan praised her sincerely, fighting spirit flashing in her eyes.

"Now this is a fair fight. Your talent cannot compare to my experience!

Magical Martial Skill: Heart-Piercing Bursts!"

Several flame-wreathed bullets shot from the musket toward Qingyin. The instant the bullets left the barrel, Qingyin appeared above Feiyan as if she had teleported.

"When Magical Girls attack, they have to shout out flashy move names. That's what makes them Magical Girls." Youyue, who had been watching the show, suddenly reminded her.

She had to imitate Feiyan. Even if she was merely firing magical bullets through a magical martial skill, she needed to loudly shout some strange technique name.

"What a hassle." Qingyin muttered somewhat speechlessly, raising the book in her hand high before smashing it down.

"Magical Martial Skill: Hardcover Book Smash Your Head."

"That isn't Magical Girl-like at all." Youyue's mouth twitched.

"Ow!" Feiyan cried out in pain and fell to the ground with a thud.

Face first, naturally.

"You charged up and sneak-attacked me! That hurt so much!" Feiyan said with a faint sob in her voice, clutching her head with both hands as though a huge bump had risen on the crown of her head.

"I didn't," Qingyin refuted.

"I didn't charge it up. This is the power of knowledge."

"Hehe, I'm sneak-attacking you!" Feiyan abruptly aimed her gun.

"Magical Martial Skill: Heart-Piercing Bursts!"

One more time!

This was a technique that fired several magical bullets at extreme speed in rapid succession. Combined with such an unexpected shot, it was guaranteed to hit!

"Ow!"

It was Feiyan who cried out in pain again, as Qingyin held the book with both hands and smacked her to the ground once more.

"This move is called Magical Martial Skill: Hardcover Book Pat Your Arm."

"Again!"

"Hardcover Book Hit Your Thigh."

"Again!"

"Hardcover Book Tap Your Calf."

"Again!"

"Step on Hardcover Book to Make You Fall."

"A! Gain! Ah!!"

Feiyan truly possessed the relentless determination of blazing fire, just like her Magical Girl name.

Even Qingyin was starting to feel bad for her.

What father beating son, what mother hitting daughter—wasn't this completely one-sided?

Was there really any point in continuing the match?

"Feiyan, let's make peace." Qingyin's calm tone changed, carrying a hint of pity.

"At a time like this, are you joking?!" Feiyan practically forced the words through gritted teeth.

What utter humiliation!

The gap between them was like heaven and earth.

She was clearly the senior. She clearly had over a year of combat experience. With those two things combined...

She should have won effortlessly, comforted the other as a big sister, encouraged her, and earned her admiration.

How had it turned out like this? How had it become a one-sided beating?

Before Qingyin, she was like a little girl being casually toyed with by an adult, utterly unable to fight back.

"I've already gone easy on you," Qingyin mercilessly revealed the truth.

Even so, Feiyan was bruised all over, with a fresh mark left every time the hardcover book struck her.

"Raaah!!!" Feiyan let out an odd roar in frustration, seemingly trying to bolster her morale.

"Since you refuse to give up, I might as well see what's different about this new magic dress." Qingyin spoke with some helplessness.

Magic power brimming with an aura of destruction surged forth, spreading through the entire battle arena.

"Magic Dress Dis—"

Youyue was greatly alarmed and immediately cut off the rest of the duel.

"The match is over! Qingyin wins! You can stop now!"

"So you finally called it." Qingyin halted the flow of magic power. The unprecedented splendor of her magic dress gradually returned to the elegant fused form.

She tapped the long whip circling around her with a finger.

"Don't worry. I won't hit her too hard."

"If things had continued, whether it counted as hitting hard would no longer have been up to you," Youyue replied with a bitter smile, instantly entering her fused form.

She had nearly turned watching a show into an incident.

That little Feiyan was stubborn too. If she had shown even a little weakness, Youyue would have called a stop long ago.

The person involved, however, was still completely clueless, seemingly not even realizing what had just happened before the referee suddenly stopped the match.

Though Feiyan now knew the gap between herself and Qingyin, she still chose to leave behind some harsh words.

"You won, Qingyin, but next time I'll definitely win it back!"

"Fight a hundred times, and the result will be the same." Qingyin returned to her normal uniform-style magic dress and calmly stated it with her arms crossed.

Modesty? She was modest only when she wanted to be.

Right now, she was qualified to say that.

"You!" Feiyan had just raised her hand.

"Alright, alright. Feiyan did well enough. Go rest in the treatment room for a while." Youyue soothed her by patting her head.

Her straightforward nature made everything she said infuriating.

"Qingyin is way too irritating."

Feiyan crossed her arms in frustration, then stomped away from the battle arena with her hands on her hips.

She was not the first person to think so, nor would she be the last.

Inside the otherworldly residence exclusive to Magical Girls.

There were shops no different from those outside.

Inside a cake shop.

"I already have an idea what level of contract I should give you, but I still need to ask what you think."

Youyue looked at Qingyin, who was stuffing cream cake into her mouth nonstop. Wearing an expression of just as expected, she continued.

"Magical Girls are divided into Novice, Junior, Intermediate, Advanced, Veteran, Chief, Regional Guardian, Regional Deputy Director, Regional Director, Council Member, and Council Chair—a total of eleven ranks.

Which rank do you want?"

"I'll start as a Novice Magical Girl." Qingyin answered without hesitation.

Given that she already had a regular job, she would naturally prefer less money and fewer responsibilities over more money and more responsibilities.

She had only come to obtain medicine for treating spatial sickness. She did not want to get involved in too much.

The higher her position, the more matters she would surely have to handle.

When aid was needed in the outer city, no one would call on a Novice Magical Girl.

"A Novice Magical Girl? Why not become a Chief?" Youyue suggested.

"No." Qingyin rejected it instantly.

"Letting you skip directly to rank six is the limit of my authority, and as a Chief Magical Girl, I can directly give you rare medicine that can completely cure spatial sickness," Youyue said with a grin.

"I'll be a Chief."

"Deal! By the way, is the spatial sickness medicine for a family member or a stranger? Could you satisfy my curiosity?"

"What does that have to do with you? Put away your curiosity." Qingyin refused to reveal her personal privacy.

"So it's for a family member. Still, I think Qingyin is the kind of gentle Magical Girl who would join the association to get medicine even for a stranger." Resting her cheek on one hand, Youyue looked directly at Qingyin and praised her.

Qingyin glanced up at her, then lowered her head and continued eating cake without another word.

When talking to a monster who had spent who knew how long in the upper ranks, saying two more sentences might be enough for the other party to learn even the style and color of her underwear.

Still, judging by Youyue's smiling expression, she had probably already seen right through Qingyin.

Fortunately, an unexpected interruption came as a newly arrived Magical Girl rushed straight toward Youyue.

"Help me, Sister Youyue!"