Where Did These Tentacles Come From?

Whoosh!

A massive force suddenly erupted around the figure, instantly dispersing the surrounding smoke and dust.

The Monster focused its gaze and saw a silver-Bai-haired girl standing there. She wore a blue-and-white ceremonial dress, looking delicate and adorable, like an exquisite work of art that could only be admired from afar.

Though she appeared utterly powerless, the Monster sensed a tremendous threat from her and immediately assumed a guarded stance.

"Look! It's a magical girl!"

"Thank goodness! The magical girl has finally come to save us!"

The nearby bystanders stopped running when they saw the silver-haired girl suddenly appear in the middle of the scene. They pointed at her and shouted excitedly.

"Why haven't they left yet..."

Having transformed into a magical girl once more, Zhou Mo felt inexplicably embarrassed when she saw the bystanders lingering nearby.

Fortunately, the smoke and dust had covered her, allowing her to transform smoothly.

If she had to transform into a magical girl directly in front of everyone, she would rather let the Monster kill her.

"Whew, next..."

Zhou Mo turned her head slightly, ignored the Monster that was acting as though it faced a formidable enemy, and walked straight toward the little girl.

She crouched down, helped the little girl to her feet, and asked with concern,

"Are you okay? Can you stand?"

"Mhm! Thank you, big sister."

The little girl stood there, her eyes filled with admiration as she looked up at Zhou Mo.

Then she asked worriedly,

"Big sister, where's that big brother from earlier? Is he okay?"

Hearing that question, Zhou Mo's expression stiffened. She answered awkwardly,

"Uh, well... he's fine. I had him leave first. It's dangerous here, so you should leave too."

The little girl nodded vigorously, then jogged away.

Only after the little girl had left did Zhou Mo turn back to look at the Monster, which was already on the verge of exploding.

Seeing its little prey escape, the Monster no longer wanted to remain locked in a stalemate.

It turned toward the silver-haired girl. Its body trembled as muscles bulged all over it.

"Not one... not one of you is getting away!"

The Monster roared and charged at the girl even faster than before. Its two-meter-tall frame blocked the sky above her.

It raised both hands, clasped them together, and smashed them down at the girl.

Bang!

A tremendous force crashed down from above. The marble floor beneath the girl's feet cracked inch by inch, while flying fragments of stone hung suspended in the air for an instant before finally falling back to the ground.

"H-How was that?"

The Monster panted heavily, its voice trembling.

After taking its full-force blow without any defense, even a magical girl would have to fall to her knees!

But the next moment, it was dumbfounded.

The girl had merely raised one hand and easily blocked its downward strike.

The girl before it still stood firmly on the ground, not having moved even half a step.

Zhou Mo shook her head, somewhat disappointed.

"Too weak."

"Impossible!"

The Monster shouted in disbelief as it stared at the completely unharmed girl, instinctively trying to pull its hands back.

But before it could retreat, the silver-haired girl's other hand had already clenched into a fist. A standard straight punch slammed directly into the Monster's abdomen.

"Pugh, cough!"

That seemingly delicate fist sank deep into the Monster's stomach, instantly forcing its body into an arch. Then the girl raised her right leg high and kicked straight into its chin.

The Monster could not react at all. The immense force sent it flying backward, and it crashed heavily onto the ground, cleanly knocked unconscious.

"..."

The surrounding crowd fell silent for a moment before erupting into cheers.

"Whoa! That was amazing, Miss Magical Girl!"

"As expected of a magical girl! She easily did what ordinary people couldn't!"

"Huh? What was her name again? I don't think I've seen her before."

Zhou Mo expressionlessly lowered her foot and stared at the Monster, which could no longer get back up, lost in thought.

"How should I destroy it? Beat it to death punch by punch? Wouldn't that be a little unfitting for a magical girl? Is there some kind of finishing move?"

She recalled the beam of light released by that pink-haired magical girl yesterday.

With that thought, Zhou Mo brought her wrists together, spread both palms with her fingers slightly bent, and held them at her waist in a charging stance.

Then she aimed at the Monster's body and thrust her palms forward.

"Ha!"

Nothing happened.

The surrounding crowd watched as the silver-haired girl repeatedly cast spells at the Monster from a distance, unable to understand what she was doing.

"What is this magical girl doing?"

"No idea. We don't need to understand magical girl stuff that clearly."

"True."

After failing several times to unleash a finishing move, Zhou Mo decided to use her fists to finish off the Monster directly.

However, the Monster, which should have lost its ability to move, suddenly convulsed violently. Black mist began to rise from its body.

"What's going on?"

Zhou Mo frowned as she sensed the Monster's aura steadily growing stronger.

Though she had no idea what was happening, based on her past experience watching anime, she knew she definitely could not just stand there and watch.

Just as she prepared to make a move, the Monster's body suddenly "sprang" up from the ground.

"Hm?"

Zhou Mo focused her gaze. The Monster hung its head low, muttering incoherent ravings.

"Abyss..."

"Abyss..."

"Give me..."

The Monster suddenly raised its voice, lifting its head as scarlet light flared from beneath its hood. Its eyes locked directly onto the silver-haired girl before it.

Zhou Mo's expression instantly turned solemn.

"Panties!!"

"?"

Zhou Mo was deeply shaken.

Without warning, several tentacles suddenly extended from behind the Monster. They converged in front of it and shot toward Zhou Mo all at once.

So fast!

Zhou Mo's pupils contracted as she immediately twisted sideways to dodge. The combined tentacles barely grazed past her front.

The seemingly soft tentacles plowed across the ground, leaving twisted furrows behind.

Before Zhou Mo could relax, the tentacles actually curved around, their tips stabbing toward her again.

She immediately bent backward at a ninety-degree angle, dodging the incoming tentacles once more. Fortunately, after transforming into a magical girl, her body was flexible enough to support that motion.

However, while she dodged most of the tentacles, one smaller tentacle silently wrapped itself around her ankle.

"What?!"

By the time she felt the slick sensation against her foot, it was already too late.

The tentacle around her ankle yanked backward, instantly throwing Zhou Mo off balance. The other tentacles followed close behind, wrapping around her limbs and suspending her upside down in the air, her body spread wide.

The nearby Monster stared at the inverted Zhou Mo for a while before finally sighing. Beneath its hood, it revealed a disappointed expression.

So magical girls' skirts did not fall down under the pull of gravity...

Seeing the magical girl tied up by the Monster, the surrounding bystanders' hearts leaped into their throats.

"Come on, Miss Magical Girl!"

"Don't lose!"

Hearing the bystanders' cries, the nearby Monster let out a smug, sinister laugh.

"Hehehe, magical girl, let us begin this delightful torment."

Still laughing strangely, the Monster controlled the tentacles wrapped around the girl's limbs and prepared to pull outward.

The powerful tentacles suddenly yanked.

The Monster apparently did not hear the magical girl's scream that it had expected.

"Hiss... Hm?"

Confused, the Monster increased its strength and pulled again.

Good, it moved this time.

Wait, no, why did it seem to be pulling inward...

The Monster took a closer look and discovered in horror that the silver-haired girl had grabbed the tentacles binding her with her hands. She exerted strength through all four limbs, drawing her body inward.

Its tentacles were being dragged along helplessly.

"Damn it! At this level!"

The Monster sucked in a breath, veins bulging on its forehead as it used all its strength to pull the tentacles back.

The two sides strained against each other, temporarily reaching a balance.

The Monster suddenly felt as though it was not fighting a magical girl at all. How could a magical girl have strength comparable to a Monster's, or even faintly surpass it?

A magical girl had to know magic, right?

Meanwhile, suspended in midair, Zhou Mo was also considering how to break the deadlock. She could not stay hanging upside down here forever.

"Magical girl... magic... What is my magic?"

As she pondered, a familiar voice suddenly rang out in her mind.

"Every magical girl possesses her own Magic Armament. Feel and draw upon your magic with all your heart. It is within your body."

It was Rabi's voice.

"Magic Armament?"

Zhou Mo was confused.

"Open your body and mind. I will help guide it out for the first time."

Zhou Mo did not really understand Rabi's explanation, but she still decided to follow its instructions.

She relaxed her limbs, closed her eyes, and focused her consciousness within her body.

Feeling the resisting force suddenly disappear, the Monster was overjoyed. Thinking that its opponent had finally run out of strength, it began pulling harder with its tentacles.

But in the next instant, the tentacles suddenly went slack. It lost control of them, and the tentacles that had been binding the magical girl moments ago had somehow been severed.

An indescribable agony followed immediately after.

"Arghhh!"

The Monster flailed its severed tentacles wildly and let out a scream.

It endured the pain and looked over.

The silver-haired magical girl had already landed. Blue magic swirled around her, while a diamond-shaped gem on the chest of her magical girl outfit radiated a dazzling glow. A blue spear had also appeared in her hand.

The spear shaft was a pale Bai color, cool to the touch, as though cold moonlight rested upon it. Its extended spearhead was translucent blue, surrounded by drifting particles of light-blue magic.

The spear was slightly taller than Zhou Mo in her magical girl form.

"Moonlight Spear."

That was the weapon's name.

As she sensed the power within her body, Zhou Mo discovered something else besides this weapon.

"But for now, this spear is enough to deal with it."

Zhou Mo held the spear horizontally in one hand, its tip aimed at the Monster.