Overcoming Hardness with Softness (Sai)

(Ceruno)

"No, Your Excellency Alpha!"

A magical girl wearing a black hood emerged from a side alley.

But just now...

Her magic blocked Alpha's unstoppable slashes; was that soft petal shield actually stronger than my Bubble Membrane?

Alpha glanced at the magical girl in the black cloak.

And who are you?

"Who I am doesn't matter; what matters is this child's identity."

The latter walked up to me, conjured up a uniquely shaped petal-shaped sofa chair, pressed my shoulder to make me sit down, and even reached out to pinch my cheek.

"This child is indeed the Prophecy 'Star Guardian,' but she is also the Chief Advisor of the Supreme Council... Child, you should know this, right? I hope you can take her back directly, rather than take her life... In the end, it's the same, and the advisor will thank you!"

Alpha seemed to understand something.

"So, you're the chief consultant's person?"

"Well, I'm the intelligence chief appointed by Chairman Sun Ji. You can also call me... Magical Girl Qianhua!! Of course, this is just a name I just came up with, since I don't have any code name or identity~ It's just a convenient name, I might not use it next time~"

Qianhua, who had just chosen a name for herself, chuckled and straightened my collar.

"Ceruno- chan, if you go back to 'the Other Side' with them, not only will you not die, but your father will also be at peace... and I'll have one less mission. Could you share some of my workload?"

She really was her father's Proxy.

Her face was still partially covered, making it impossible to see her features...

"In that case, I'll take her back."

Alpha sheathed her straight sword, then took a thin blade the size of a fingernail from her waist belt, and used it to cut open the Bubble Membrane I had put on her and her subordinates, recovering from the weightlessness and suffocation...

How can I puncture the Bubble Membrane without damaging the skin underneath?

My magic was like a balloon that would burst at the slightest touch in front of her; this difference in power was something I had never experienced with any other witch.

What exactly is Alpha's magic? Is it the ability to slice through anything?

That seems to be the same as what Miss Chris said.

She continued, "This isn't to curry favor with the advisor, but simply to avoid pointless killing. I know the chief advisor is eyeing a seat on the Association's official council, and I acknowledge her achievements, but she remains an outsider to us..."

Qianhua, however, was dissatisfied with this.

"Hey, you've already voluntarily accepted the transformation into a witch! Is it appropriate to say such things?! You now possess the same power as witches. It's time for the Supreme Council to end its discrimination and fear of witches! Chairman Sun Ji genuinely hopes that everyone can become a witch, put aside their prejudices, and jointly welcome the arrival of the Great Will!"

If I haven't misunderstood my father's plan, then this is clearly a lie...

Alpha shook its head.

"Please don't misunderstand, I'm not being racist... it's just that I can't understand her actions and motives for betraying her own world and swearing allegiance to us, her enemies... that's why I've always been suspicious of her."

"He hopes to end this war sooner by assisting you."

"That is also our long-cherished wish, for our world is indeed on the verge of collapse..."

The strangely dressed first warrior seemed to have many questions about his father, but ultimately didn't voice them.

She paused for a moment, then said, "... Alright, then I'll take her back first."

Seeing the Alpha approaching me, I quickly stood up and said:

"Wait! I'm not going with you!"

"Um?"

Alpha was puzzled by my sudden reaction, seemingly not expecting me to reject the only option to survive...

I added, "Of course! I have no intention of dying!"

"Ceruno, don't be stubborn now."

Even Miss Qianhua advised, "You should obediently go to your father's side. To avoid the worst Future, it will be a good thing for both worlds."

Thinking about those magical criminals, I don't think this is a good thing.

"Miss Alpha... if the Great Will and the Supreme Council were to descend upon Earth, what would you do to humanity?"

"That is a matter for the Great Will to decide; we merely obey."

Don't you have your own thoughts?

Alpha shook his head.

"This kind of conversation is pointless... Choose between coming back with me or dying here."

She drew her straight knife again.

"Ceruno, why are you so stubborn?"

As my father's Proxy, one of Qianhua's tasks is to ensure my safety... so she's a little anxious right now. After all, she doesn't dare to go against Alpha, but she also doesn't want to watch me die.

But I really didn't intend to die. I've found a way to deal with the Alpha Blade Technique... and this method was demonstrated to me by Miss Qianhua.

"I won't go back with you, and I have no intention of going to my death."

Alpha sighed.

"Still trying to resist? Your magic is nothing more than a fragile piece of candy to me."

Ponto sugar.

She's clearly a witch from "the Other Side," how does she know about this kind of thing?

"I won't accept my fate..."

As I stretched out the Bubble Membrane, my heart raced with nervousness, but I still managed to say:

"... Come and chop me if you dare!"

She sighed.

"Honestly, I thought we wouldn't have to see any blood."

He swung the straight sword at me with both hands...

Without hesitation, she plunged a knife straight at my throat; she truly intended to kill me.

This time, however, the Bubble Membrane wasn't cut directly. Instead, it was pushed back by the blade and slid to the side just before it touched me.

The surface of a bubble is not a hard solid.

It is a flowing liquid.

"Oh?"

Alpha was surprised by its mishap, but then said:

"Using softness to overcome hardness, deflecting force and shifting strength... Did you think of that after seeing that strike just now?"

"Mmm!"

Even in a life-or-death situation, it doesn't stop me from being proud.

"The chief advisor's child is exceptionally intelligent... After all, he's destined to become Star Guardian, so it's only natural that he has this kind of learning ability."

While uttering words of praise, she once again held the straight sword horizontally beside her eyes.

"So what about this move?"

Her movements were so fast I could only see afterimages; the slash turned into a thrust, she was trying to concentrate the force of a single line of energy at the tip of her blade to break through my bubble...

I also have a solution for this situation.

Deprived of gravity, the bubble, propelled by the poke, was propelled backward, carrying me along with it, much like a balloon poked by a finger will bounce off...

"You didn't expect this, did you? This is my escape route!"

I launched myself high backward.

But to my surprise, the Monster subordinate behind Alpha simply reached out his hand, and the bubble carried me back.

That's another Octopus Monster.

The Octopus Monster's ability is... telekinesis.