Transformation

Zhou Mo's appearance took everyone completely by surprise.

The moment Xia Ya saw that it was Zhou Mo, her heart leaped into her throat.

She struggled to her feet and shouted at Zhou Mo as she rushed over:

"Run! You can't handle it!"

This was a Shallow Tier monster. How could a rookie magical girl possibly win?

"Run?"

The black-robed monster beside her sneered. "Hmph, who can run away in front of me?"

With that, the monster unleashed a terrifying aura from the Abyss. The magical girls present, as well as the people standing beyond the magical barrier watching from afar, all felt their hearts tremble.

The monster smugly swept its gaze across the crowd. It loved seeing these ants tremble before it.

Then it looked at Xia Ya and pointed at Zhou Mo.

"Now, I'm going to kill that new magical girl. You just stand there and watch."

"Hey, hey, is the stream on?"

At that moment, an incongruous voice suddenly rang out. The monster looked doubtfully toward the silver-haired magical girl.

Zhou Mo ignored what the monster had said and instead fiddled with a spherical livestream drone floating before her.

The white cat on the ground beside her held up a phone. Once the livestream displayed an image, it gave Zhou Mo an OK gesture.

Seeing that, Zhou Mo cleared her throat, stood straight before the camera, and awkwardly introduced herself to the stream.

"Ahem, um, hello, everyone in the stream. I-I'm magical girl Molis. This is my first livestream, so please bear with me—ah, no, I mean, please support me. Hehe."

Before long, a few scattered comments appeared in the stream:

[So awkward, hahaha.]

[White hair, pure idol type. I'm stanning her!]

[Checked the person above's profile. They follow over three hundred magical girls.]

[Is that a monster behind the streamer? Why is there a magical girl knocked down too?]

Zhou Mo glanced at the scrolling holographic comments appearing over the spherical drone, unsure how to respond.

Rabi whispered from the side, "Relax your expression a little. Just get to the point."

Only then did Zhou Mo come to her senses. She quickly turned sideways toward the stream.

"Oh, right. I'm currently in the Donghua Street commercial district. A Shallow Tier monster has appeared here, and the situation is urgent. I need to go support them, so I won't chat any longer."

After saying that, Zhou Mo walked toward the monster.

The black-robed monster had remained where it was, silently watching Zhou Mo start her livestream.

When it saw Zhou Mo take the initiative to approach, it said disdainfully:

"Oh? Rather than turning around and running from a monster like me, you're approaching me?"

Zhou Mo clenched her fists and stepped forward, replying in kind:

"If I don't get close, how am I supposed to beat you senseless?"

"Ho ho, then come a little closer."

The monster walked forward as well.

Once they had closed to a certain distance, both moved at the same time.

In an instant, their fists collided with a dull boom.

The turbulent airflow from the clash spread outward, sending the girl's silver-white hair fluttering.

Neither gained the upper hand from that strike. The monster paused, then said coldly:

"You... seem to be more than ordinary fodder."

Zhou Mo withdrew her fist and shook her slightly reddened hand, speaking calmly.

"You're not bad either. Now then, let's get a little more serious."

With a beckoning gesture, the spear embedded in the ground flew back into her hand as though answering her call.

No longer testing each other, she gripped the Moonlight Spear with both hands. With her magic power unleashed, she struck first, thrusting at the monster before her.

Facing the spear stabbing straight at it, the monster condensed another energy blade in its hand and easily blocked the attack.

The two clashed fiercely. Amid flashing blades and spear shadows, the already damaged ground was carved into countless fragments once more.

The battle between Zhou Mo and the monster left the magical girls present, as well as the viewers in the livestream, dumbfounded.

"Molis... was she this strong?"

Xia Ya, who was being treated by Har after the fairy had awakened and immediately flown back, watched Zhou Mo fight and murmured softly.

If she and Molis worked together, perhaps they could defeat this monster.

Seeing this, a sliver of hope rekindled within her.

Zhou Mo swung her spear so quickly it left afterimages, forming a dense web of thrusts. Most were blocked or evaded by the monster.

"Ha, I thought some expert had arrived. You're not much stronger than that magical girl."

The monster taunted her as it parried. Even when the spear struck it, it did not suffer much damage.

"Your speed is decent, but your strength is lacking."

After offering that assessment, the black-robed monster leaped backward and dodged the fierce attack.

Zhou Mo did not continue pursuing. She silently gripped her spear and looked at the monster, which had stopped fighting.

The black-robed monster stood not far away and slowly spoke.

"Do you know of a monster's Abyssification?"

"You can think of it this way: monsters can transform too."

With that, the monster raised both hands. Its black robe began to twist and squirm like a living creature.

Seeing this, Zhou Mo frowned, recalling the tentacles that had suddenly grown from the monster during her first battle with one.

The writhing black robe on the monster before her felt somewhat similar to those tentacles.

Except this black-robed monster was consciously transforming of its own accord.

"Hah, Abyss... Abyss..."

The monster muttered the same word under its breath. Gradually, the writhing black robe completely enveloped it.

After a bout of twisting and restructuring, the black-robed monster became a featureless humanoid creature, black from head to toe. Its body seemed covered in a layer of jet-black skin that outlined smooth muscular contours. At first glance, it even possessed a strange kind of beauty.

"It's over, it's over! I didn't expect this guy could enter Abyssification on its own! We're done for!"

In the distance, Har, still healing Xia Ya's wounds, fell into despair at the sight.

"What is it, Har?"

Xia Ya asked the pink fairy.

Trembling all over, the pink fairy explained:

"Abyssification is a state where a monster's body and mind completely fall into the Abyss. Normally, Shallow Tier monsters can't directly control this power. They only undergo Abyssification passively under certain circumstances."

"But the monster before us can control it voluntarily. You could say it's exceptionally gifted."

After hearing this, Xia Ya raised her head to look at the transformed black-robed monster without asking what the outcome would be.

She could already feel that its aura had become deeper and more unfathomable, like she was facing some indescribable creation.

The transformed monster faced Zhou Mo, its voice somewhat distorted.

"Like this, I will erase you."

The monster opened one hand. Its black skin squirmed continuously, and a ball of black energy seemed to peel away from its surface, hovering above its palm.

With only a slight push from the monster, the energy sphere shot toward Zhou Mo at incredible speed.

Zhou Mo could not evade in time and took the energy sphere head-on.

Boom!

A violent explosion erupted the next moment. The shockwave carried immense energy in every direction, shaking the ground a hundred meters away and knocking the distant spectators off their feet.

In the end, a deep crater formed where Zhou Mo had been standing, and her figure was buried beneath dust and debris.

The monster clenched its fists and laughed wildly.

"Ha! So strong! This is my true power. Even second-rate magical girls would have to kneel before me. Maybe first-rate ones could put up a fight."

The monster confidently turned around without checking whether its opponent was dead.

It looked toward Xia Ya, who was slowly rising after her wounds had been healed.

"You're next."

Xia Ya silently summoned her wand and calmly spoke to those present without looking back.

"Ain, Har, take everyone and leave quickly. I'll buy you time."

Not far away, Ain carried the unconscious Azure onto her back, gave Xia Ya's retreating figure a deep look, then ran toward the crowd at the perimeter.

"Waaah, Xia Ya..."

The pink fairy was already sobbing uncontrollably. She neither tried to stop Xia Ya's resolve nor left alone.

"You have to hold on until other magical girls come to help!"

Smack.

Just as the monster walked toward Xia Ya, a stone flew over and struck the back of its head.

The monster's head tilted to one side before it turned to look.

At that moment, Zhou Mo climbed out of the crater, covered in dust from head to toe.

Those preparing to flee, those readying themselves for a final stand, and those watching from afar were all stunned.

They could not understand how she could still stand after taking an attack like that.

Zhou Mo merely patted the dust from her face and continued:

"If that's the case, then I'll switch forms too."

"Switch forms?"

The monster, which had been surprised that Zhou Mo was still standing, was now filled with confusion upon hearing those words.

Wasn't she already a transformed magical girl?

Then its confusion was answered.

Zhou Mo put away her spear and stood tall upon the earth.

She lightly clenched her fists and uttered two words:

"Transform!"