The number of magical girls in the Disaster Countermeasures Bureau is increasing, and even a considerable number of military personnel and staff controlled by the Disaster Countermeasures Bureau have come to Anyang. Of course, this doesn't matter to the Complete Witch.
After all, these guys have special abilities, so hiding themselves isn't difficult.
However, for ordinary members of the Witch Association like Zhang Ling, it was quite a miserable experience.
He couldn't just abandon the mission from the Witch Association, since he wouldn't get paid if he didn't do it. But it was really asking too much of an ordinary person like him to deliver supplies and pass on intelligence to the Complete Witch right under the noses of the Disaster Countermeasures Bureau and the magical girls.
I don't know how much longer we can hold on----
Today, I barely managed to complete the task under various interrogations, but if this continues, it's only a matter of time before I'm exposed.
Should I leave the organization?
He initially started this part-time job just to make some quick money, but it turned out he not only earns more than his main job, but also, due to his outstanding abilities, no member of the Witch Association in Anyang currently holds a higher position than him.
If this continues, I'll get caught sooner or later. I'll just do one last job and call it a day.
Having made this decision in his mind, he pushed open the door, loosened his tie, sighed wearily, took off his coat and hung it on the hanger beside him, found the light switch on the wall, and turned on the light. "Wife, why didn't you turn on the light—"
Before he could finish speaking, he saw the living room in complete disarray.
So I immediately turned off the light, and just as I was about to step back, the wall-mounted TV, which had been in standby mode, suddenly turned on.
A hissing white noise started up, forcing Zhang Ling to stop.
"Hello, Mr. Zhang Qiling." The fox-headed doll rode a children's bicycle in a rather comical manner, then slowly turned its head and stared straight at him.
I want to play a game with you.
The doll's voice was unusually hoarse and strange. "You don't know me, but I know you. You used the guise of delivering goods to customers of the antique shop to contact other members of the Witch Association, working for them, passing on information and supplies, and in return, you received a handsome reward—"
"My Zhang Qiling, you've got the wrong person." Zhang Ling ignored the voice on the TV and quickly scanned the surrounding corners. After not seeing anyone, she glanced at the bedroom and bathroom doors with a very subtle movement.
He cautiously opened the other doors, but still didn't see the person he was looking for, nor any enemies. When he returned to the living room, the television was still showing images of the doll.
"For years you have enjoyed a life of happiness and a high position that comes from harming innocent people. Today, this journey will come to End Point, and the time has come for you to work for your own life."
"The game is simple. There's only one test on the road to the ending, a test that concerns the lives of your wife and daughter. The key to saving them is in your hands. You just need to—"
"You've mistaken me for someone else. My family and I are the innocent ones," Zhang Ling replied calmly, ignoring the television, and took out her phone to make a call.
"Hello, police? Contact Boss Tang, this is Paul— "
A gun was pressed against the back of his head.
"I thought the Witch Association members were all orphans."
A little girl's voice came from behind him, and he hung up the phone without hesitation.
A dagger slipped from his sleeve, and he turned and stabbed it towards the other man's forehead!
Bang!
Without hesitation, he fired, smashing Zhang Ling's hand to pieces. Then, he kicked Zhang Ling in the back of the knee, causing Zhang Ling to involuntarily kneel down.
"So you guys have parents and children too."
Zhang Ling's heart sank lower and lower.
When he heard the voice belonged to a child, he bet that the other person would hesitate and not dare to shoot.
If the opponent hesitates for even half a second, I can turn the tables and kill them.
Witch Association for so long, Zhang Ling is no naive person. With her identity exposed, the situation was extremely dire, and this was a risk she had to take.
In fact, his decision at that moment wasn't wrong, because the other party didn't kill him.
However, his abilities far exceeded his expectations; the gunshot pierced his palm, causing him to lose his grip on the dagger, and then his leg was kicked so badly he couldn't stand up.
The other party was also trained.
More importantly, the other party mentioned family members.
"You don't want your whole family to die, do you? Don't bet I won't do it. My parents were all killed by the Witch Association, so killing your whole family isn't excessive, do you agree?"
I don't know what you're talking about----
He fired another shot without hesitation, smashing Zhang Ling's right ear. Zhang Ling covered her ear, forcibly suppressing her screams and turning them into muffled groans.
"Playing dumb? Playing dumb takes time, Zhang Qiling. I won't kill you right away because I need to know the locations of the other Complete Witch. If you want to continue wasting our time and treating me like a fool—"
Zhang Ling's pupils contracted as he saw the girl throw over a severed finger, bearing the wedding ring—a gift he had just bought for his wife this year—because they had no money when they got married; they had a bare-bones wedding.
Later, despite working hard to earn money, I still couldn't make much. It wasn't until I joined the Witch Association that things finally improved. At the beginning of the year, I bought my lover a wedding ring as a gift for his birthday.
We had originally planned to have a wedding and honeymoon during the year-end holiday.
What do you want to do?!
"Don't be angry, anger will make you seem weak." The girl's tone remained calm. "Your wife isn't dead yet, of course, the time is almost up, if you still insist that you know nothing."
Besides your wife, you have two children and your mother—how wonderful! Why do you have a mother too?
Zhang Ling finally became afraid.
Working for the Witch Association is always an extremely risky job, and betrayals within the Witch Association are commonplace.
Although he is considered an intelligence agent and generally doesn't have combat missions, he still has to fight to the death if some members of the Witch Association suddenly turn against him or if intelligence is leaked.
His previous experience in the military allowed him to adapt quickly, and he also came into contact with many different kinds of people in the Witch Association, but he was never actually afraid.
But now, I finally feel fear.
It's not simply a matter of danger.
That unpredictable, elusive sense of unease, as if it might turn on you at any moment, yet also as if there's always the possibility of negotiation.
This child, whose moods are unpredictable, ironically possesses real power.
That's the most terrifying thing.
"I... I was wrong, I'll tell you everything."
"Good, that saves us a lot of time." The girl's gun was still pressed against his forehead, forcing him down. "Take us to where you came from."
"I'm from the company—"
"I told you not to fool me, I meant Complete Witch."
Zhang Ling finally gave up all resistance.
Hyacinth looked at Ruoyun, who was coming downstairs with a gun pointed at the middle-aged man's head, and for a moment, she didn't know what to say.
She was initially quite looking forward to collaborating with Ruoyun.
After all, Ruoyun seemed to be a very cute girl, and being a junior, she thought she could take care of this magical girl.
This time, Jiang Si's mission is to enter the Mental Image Remnants; the task is to find a way to enter.
Hyacinth happened to know a little about this: the Witch Association Complete Witch to the vicinity of Anyang are basically all those who have a spot to enter the Mental Image Remnants.
Therefore, we need to find a way to start with the Complete Witch.
Of course, finding the Complete Witch was a very troublesome matter, and Hyacinth originally wanted to contact the Disaster Countermeasures Bureau.
Although she has been retired, she still has some connections within the Disaster Countermeasures Bureau.
She contacted the Disaster Countermeasures Bureau for two or three days, but received no response.
Ruoyun went out to look for it herself for two or three days.
They locked onto Zhang Qiling.
Hyacinth thought that this time it was finally her turn to make a move. Forcing the Witch Association to reveal information would be too cruel, so it was better for her, as a senior, to do it.
After all, this is likely to be a protracted battle.
You need to constantly put psychological pressure on the other person, and keep pushing them until they can't hold back anymore and give in.
Unexpectedly, Ruoyun stormed into Zhang Qiling's house, tied up all his family members with a pistol, and then waited for Zhang Qiling to return on his own.
"Wasn't this a bit too extreme?"
Hyacinth thought, wasn't doing this no different from the witch's doing?
"I really wish you could say that to the Witch Association when they're chopping off my parents' heads."
Upon hearing this, Hyacinth was momentarily speechless.
How should I put it? Ruoyun carries a strong, distinct Jiang Si scent about her.
It's that kind of very straightforward, pragmatic approach.
When she said that her parents had their heads chopped off by the Witch Association, she didn't try to elicit sympathy.
It's simply an explanation of its own legitimacy.
For a moment, Hyacinth felt as if she were on a mission with Jiang Si.
I don't know if it's because she naturally looks like this, or if she was influenced by others.
Will I become like that someday?
Unconsciously influenced, I imitated that figure, becoming decisive and sharp, subconsciously adopting this behavior to handle trouble.
Until the Hyacinth, the obedient girl in the eyes of her parents and descendants, disappeared completely, becoming nothing more than that person's shadow----
Perhaps it was to deny this point, or perhaps it was to salvage his role as a senior in front of Ruoyun.
Hyacinth finally convinced Ruoyun to let her take the initiative and obtain information when Zhang Qiling returned home.
Imitating a scene from the detective novel "Sherlock Lupin III vs. Jigsaw," he takes advantage of the moment when the criminal returns home and witnesses his wife and daughter's disappearance, turns on the TV, and plays a scene simulated by magic, gradually luring the criminal into his own rhythm.
The prisoner's psychological defenses finally crumbled, and he knelt down, tears streaming down his face, to recount everything.
Then he reappears with Ruoyun, ending with the words "GAME OVER".
This should have been a declaration of victory after the attack.
But they weren't buying it at all. If Ruoyun hadn't given them a good beating, they would have run away.
It can only be said that Jiang Si's method is indeed highly efficient.
Hyacinth was holding Zhang Ling's youngest daughter in her arms. The little girl was already asleep, which relieved Hyacinth's psychological pressure a lot.
Once Zhang Ling got into the car, she saw her daughter being held hostage by the other party's accomplices, and finally became completely obedient.
They immediately started the car and began driving out of the city.
"The targets of the Complete Witch are the Mental Image Remnants, so most of them don't live in cities. They find places to live by the sea. And I don't know many Complete Witch, only two. The rest of the Complete Witch basically don't contact me. - Could you please release my daughter first?"
"Should we throw it out of the car now?"
Never mind what I said.
Zhang Ling took a deep breath. His bruised hand was still throbbing, but he didn't care. He gripped the steering wheel and kept glancing at the two girls in front of and behind him.
They weren't actually that old, and they all wore fox masks.
They shouldn't be from the Disaster Countermeasures Bureau Disaster Countermeasures Bureau. If they were, they wouldn't be so secretive, and their methods wouldn't be so irregular.
It can't be a magical girl; there are no magical girls like that. We're all just nice kids.
His youngest daughter dreams of becoming a magical girl—even though her father is a villain in a Witch Association, he plans to retire from that world once his daughter becomes a magical girl.
In short, whether in her daughter's imagination or in Zhang Ling's own perception, magical girls are all cute, innocent, gentle, and powerful beings.
Therefore, Zhang Ling also hopes that her daughter can realize her dream and become a magical girl.
Magical girls are definitely not like the ones we see now, who hold their families hostage and have a gun to their heads.
Complete Witch?
But don't the Complete Witch of the Witch Association know each other's secrets and locations? Why would they come looking for me?
I just don't understand it!
Or some other organization, but in the East China to South China region, apart from the Witch Association, most other illegal organizations were dealt with by the Disaster Countermeasures Bureau.
As he pondered this, he glanced at the rearview mirror, his pupils dilating slightly.
The car quickly left the suburbs and headed towards the seaside bridge.
It's very late now; he's working overtime today, doing work for the Witch Association, so it's practically the middle of the night.
The night was deep, and the neon lights on the bridge were dazzling.
There were hardly any vehicles on the bridge at this late hour.
The bridge across the sea is very large, wide enough for three or four cars to drive side by side, and there are even pedestrian walkways on both sides. However, at this time of year, and with the weather not being very warm, hardly anyone comes to take a walk.
There were only one or two homeless people sitting by the bridge.
However, as Zhang Ling drove onto the bridge, two more cars immediately followed.
They were even honking their horns at them.
Just as he was about to breathe a sigh of relief, the girl next to him pressed the muzzle of a gun against his forehead again, "Your colleague?"
"It should be."
Zhang Ling realized there was no need to hide anymore. "They've been watching me all along. It must be Boss Tang and his group. We all serve the Complete Witch Complete Witch, and she doesn't want her position exposed. You're being watched. Take my advice: it's not too late to turn back now. I'll take you back to the city, and then you can sneak away without being discovered—"
Bang!
Zhang Ling never expected that the girl next to her would actually fire a gun at this moment!
"Just drive and stop talking nonsense."
Blood gushed from his thigh, and his heart pounded. Fortunately, the bullet hadn't hit his carotid artery, and its power wasn't great, but the intense pain still made him cry out.
But he quickly regained his composure, breathing heavily, and drove calmly.
Behind her, the girl sleeping in Hyacinth's arms rubbed her eyes and mumbled sleepily, "Daddy?"
Hyacinth gently covered her eyes, and just as the little girl was about to pry her hands away, Zhang Ling, though sweating profusely, still said softly, " Linlin, be good, listen to your sister, don't move around, Daddy's fine."
"Um... Dad, I want to go home."
"Take a nap first, we'll be home soon."
Neither girl exposed him the whole time, which made Zhang Ling breathe a slight sigh of relief. Then, looking at the two cars that were quickly following, she asked, "So, what do you plan to do?"
"Drive your car."
Zhang Ling finally quieted down and stopped talking. She looked down and wondered why the bullet wound on her thigh had stopped bleeding.
Are they special bullets?
As he was thinking this, the two cars chasing behind him roared up!
Honking its horn, a car pulled up from the left. The driver rolled down his window, one hand on the steering wheel, the other resting on the window, chewing gum as he looked over.
The driver's seat in this car is on the right side instead of the left.
"Hey Paul, where are you going in the middle of the night? Didn't we agree not to wander around like that?!"
Amidst the rushing wind from the speeding vehicle, the voice from the other side sounded remarkably loud.
Just as Zhang Ling was thinking about how to respond, she suddenly heard the girl next to her say, "Look down!"
Zhang Ling didn't hesitate at all; the voice of the girl beside him was now an absolute command to him.
In the instant he looked down, he saw the girl raise her pistol and casually aim it at the head of the Witch Association member next to her.
"Bang!"
This time, the gunshot didn't hit her. Zhang Ling immediately looked up and saw the fierce man to her left, who had once killed a member of the Disaster Countermeasures Bureau's guard team, with blood splattering on his forehead, his eyes wide as he leaned back—
The out-of-control vehicle quickly began to veer out of control. The body, which had been clutching the steering wheel before death, now lurched backward, pulling the steering wheel half a turn to the right.
The vehicle crashed directly into the guardrail beside the bridge, even breaking through it, and plunged into the sea, creating huge waves!
This madman----
Zhang Ling shuddered. The girl next to him pressed the gun barrel against his temple again. The burning sensation from the overheated muzzle was intense, yet it made Zhang Ling shiver with cold.
She really dares to kill!
"Brake."
Zhang Ling no longer dared to disobey the ruthless girl beside him. As soon as she spoke, he immediately obeyed and stepped on the brakes.
I realized that this location was already past a bridge, and there was a huge bend in the road ahead. In the rearview mirror, not only were homeless people on the roadside startled and running back to the other side of the bridge, but another car was also speeding after us!
The sudden braking caused the two cars to collide rapidly.
"Let go!"
Another shout rang out, and Zhang Ling reflexively let go of the steering wheel as if it were burning hot.
As the car swayed, the girl next to me suddenly grabbed the steering wheel, pulled it sharply, and swerved it all the way to the side!
The decelerating car crashed into the front of the car that was still accelerating towards it!
Amidst the deafening crash, Zhang Ling braced herself, refusing to touch the steering wheel. Turning her head, she saw the speeding supercar slammed into the roadside railing!
Through the shattered car window, one could vaguely see that the bald man in the driver's seat had turned the steering wheel all the way, but he couldn't pull the car back. With a pitiful scream, the car crashed through the railing and plunged off the bridge, tumbling through the air.
Tires and various parts flew through the air, and sparks even appeared from nowhere.
And so it rushed towards the bank below the bridge!
Just seconds later, a huge explosion occurred, and flames rose from below, turning the sea surface fiery red. The intense shock from the explosion even made Zhang Ling's hands go numb as she gripped the steering wheel again.
Continuing to drive, after crossing the bridge, you can see people gradually gathering around the exploded vehicle.
Police and traffic police----
Old Tang is dead.
Zhang Ling took a breath and started driving towards the path along the coast, her voice trembling slightly, "I... I'm just working at the Witch Association, trying to make a living and support my family. I haven't... I haven't done anything bad, at least not with my daughter—"
He didn't think he would survive.
"Shut up and drive."
The girl said something else that made him feel somewhat hopeless.
Hyacinth remained silent throughout, though she almost intervened several times, but ultimately refrained from doing so.
She recognized the members of the Witch Association in those two cars; they were wanted criminals by the Disaster Countermeasures Bureau.
Ruoyun hates the Witch Association and retaliates within reasonable limits, it's not something to be condemned.
Moreover, to be honest, Ruoyun's clean and efficient killing of two members of the Witch Association was...
It gave her a sense of excitement.
It was quite fun, especially when we were racing.
As a well-behaved girl and a good student, Hyacinth had never experienced anything like this before.
It reminded her of what Shion Witch Association back in Beihai.
It was just as cruel, to the point that the Disaster Countermeasures Bureau held a prejudice against the Azure Cloud Sect for a long time.
They're practically identical!
She couldn't help but start imagining what she would be like Ruoyun in the future.
She becomes a magical girl who is incredibly accustomed to and adapted to these methods, and even feels no psychological burden when it comes to killing.
Like Ruoyun, she intimidated these members of the Witch Association, and even killed them without hesitation when they obstructed her.
Her dream is to protect magical girls, including Shion.
So, becoming like Shion is also acceptable, right?
But Shion doesn't seem to have any grudge against the Witch Association, right?
While her heart pounded with the thought of following Ruoyun into doing bad things, Hyacinth was also planning how to save Zhang Qiling and his daughter.
On this point alone, she would absolutely not back down. In fact, Hyacinth had already taken the Miracle Seed and was planning to wait until Ruoyun made a move to stop her when they got off the bus, and then take Zhang Ling and her father away.
Regarding the mission, whatever punishment Shion may impose afterward is acceptable.
Upon arriving at their destination, Ruoyun got out of the car and simply warned Zhang Ling, "Contact the Disaster Countermeasures Bureau and turn yourself in, or I'll come looking for you. Zhang Qiling, if you think your whole family can escape, then run."
The middle-aged man immediately burst into tears. "Thank you, thank you so much! I will, I won't run away, and I really'm not Zhang Qiling— "
After thanking Ruoyun for letting him off the hook, he actually took out his phone on the spot and started calling the Disaster Countermeasures Bureau to turn himself in.
Following Ruoyun into the deep forest, Hyacinth suddenly felt a surge of excitement.
The Holy Church, the mission of the Main God.
It seems really interesting!
Based on Zhang Qiling's information, the two of them successfully found the Complete Witch's residence in the forest.
That guy was completely terrified in the end, and he didn't have the courage to deceive Ruoyun at all.
Although somewhat cruel and wrong, this method is indeed very efficient.
"What should we do now?" Hyacinth no longer considered herself a senior, but rather a newcomer to the Holy Church, asking with a mixture of anticipation and curiosity, "How do we get a spot to enter the Mental Image Remnants from the Complete Witch?"
Ruoyun checked her weapons and took out the Miracle Seed.
"Of course, kill them."
"Ah?"
" The Witch Association's Guild is already short-staffed, and the Disaster Countermeasures Bureau has too many magical girls coming from the Mental Image Remnants."
Ruoyun smiled slightly, causing the Hyacinth to hallucinate the Shion.
"Kill them until they're short-handed and need our help."