Chapter 27: The Standoff

Silver light filtered through the leaves, casting large, bright patches across the concrete ground. A dark speck appeared against the moon; as time passed, it gradually took on a human shape.

It was a woman—a magical girl with flowing silver hair, clad in a tattered black Lolita dress. Behind her, a powerful surge of intertwined red and blue magical energy spiraled through the air, hurtling toward her.

The silver-haired woman raised her palm. A protective spell from her staff activated instantly, conjuring a pitch-black barrier of magical energy around her body that effortlessly deflected the attacks of the two magical girls.

She had only intended to fish for minnows today, never expecting to hook a great white shark.

"I’m in a foul mood right now, and you two still insist on courting disaster. Are you tired of living?"

The silver-haired woman fixed a cold gaze upon the two magical girls blocking her path, looking at them as if they were nothing more than lowly, unsightly insects. She raised her staff, which resembled a withered tree. A sphere of black magic gathered in mid-air, while behind her, a pentagram array emerged, featuring the image of a black patterned python that lay coiled in a languid, ominous posture.

A dark, oppressive light shattered the sky, descending like a giant black python with its maw agape. It obscured much of the moonlight, and the immense pressure it brought made it difficult to breathe. In that moment, it felt truly like the judgment of a god.

Xia Qing’s expression shifted violently; this level of energy fluctuation was far beyond their league. She and Han Xue had just arrived at the Wan-Cheng District Park, and when their calls to Bai Youqing went unanswered, they had simply decided to wait at the park exit. They hadn't expected their wait to lead them straight to a super-sized predator.

"It’s over. We’re going to be wiped out," Xia Qing murmured, watching the black python draw closer with a bitter smile. Deep regret lingered in her heart—she hadn't even finished squandering her old man’s fortune yet. She wasn't ready to die.

Han Xue didn’t speak. Her azure-clad figure stepped in front of Xia Qing. Unlike the reluctance in Xia Qing’s eyes, her own gaze held a flicker of relief. Perhaps, dying alongside the scatterbrained Xia Qing meant she wouldn't be lonely in the next life.

The black light, however, never reached the two magical girls. It was intercepted mid-air by another stranger, a magical girl dressed in pink. She wore a ruffled pink waist-cinching dress with a light yellow shawl collar; a giant bow adorned the small of her back, and two long, transparent ribbons trailed behind her, fluttering in the wind. Her pink curls draped over her shoulders, her brows were as delicate as willow leaves, and her eyes were as pure as water—peach-blossom eyes that left one intoxicated.

"You’re just children; why talk of life and death? So disrespectful. Still, I acknowledge the bond between you two."

"Senior, who are you?"

"I am the Sakura Magical Envoy from the neighboring Hai-Hua City. Like you, I’m here to save people at the Wan-Cheng District Park." The pink-clad magical girl stood before them, introducing herself with a cheerful smile.

Seeing the sudden appearance of the pink-clad girl, the silver-haired woman grew agitated. *Is this never-ending? Are they taking turns like the Calabash Brothers trying to save their grandfather?*

She gripped her snake-headed staff and swung it again. A dozen intense, pitch-black beams of magical energy shot straight toward the magical girls.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

High in the sky, countless pink waves of light collided violently with the black python, forming massive explosions that, from a distance, looked like blooming fireworks.

Amidst the endless mist of dust and debris, the silver-haired woman dissolved into smoke and vanished into the brilliant starry sky, not forgetting to leave behind a vicious parting threat: "Consider yourselves lucky this time. I’m not at my best—a tiger fallen to the plains is bullied by dogs—but you’ll pay for this next time!"

"Tsk, why say so much? It would have been cleaner and simpler to just say 'I’ll be back,'" Xia Qing muttered.

Watching the direction in which the silver-haired woman had disappeared, Han Xue said softly, "That person is very strong."

"Of course. She’s a 'Bud-Breaking' level magical girl. If she hadn't been severely injured today, we would have all perished here," the pink-clad magical girl remarked with a sigh.

"Bud-Breaking? Isn't that the same level as Sister Yuyi? Whoa! Who would have thought the three of us were so strong? We actually have the power to go up against a Captain-level opponent!" Xia Qing cupped her chin, arriving at a very serious conclusion.

The pink-haired magical girl burst into a laugh.

"It’s good to be young, taking life and death so lightly. It’s much better than I was at that age. Alright, time is tight; let’s head over quickly. If we’re late, there might be trouble."

When the three beautiful figures arrived at the Silver Lake barbecue stand, they found the scene in total disarray, with almost everyone lying unconscious on the ground. Only Bai Youqing remained standing, busy helping the people on the floor and placing them one by one onto the tables.