Chapter 79: Aegis

The suddenly flashing light streaked into a long straight line in the sky, finally catching the attention of passersby nearby.

Moreover, people in the office building who had been attacked earlier, still confused and panicked, finally noticed the commotion in the sky and realized they were not experiencing an earthquake.

"What's going on? Thunder?"

"A chunk is missing from the edge of that building. Is it a Remnant Beast?"

"I don't see a Remnant Beast. Has it already been destroyed?"

On the street below, passing crowds gathered together, chattering and debating.

Though no one knew exactly what had happened, when no visible threat was apparent to the naked eye, people's instinct for gossip made them choose to watch rather than flee.

What they did not know was that, at this very moment in the high sky, the threat still existed.

"Hey, hey, hey? Is there still a reaction? Could it be only this much?"

After the black and yellow lights dispersed, Sparrow lowered her hand, her face showing a somewhat bored expression: "If you were taken out so easily, I'll have to properly debate with your fans later about whether you are famous but empty."

Before this mission, she had been full of interest in this former Flower Card named "Cornflower."

According to the intelligence she possessed, although this former Flower Card's current state was probably not great, she should still be able to have a satisfying fight with her.

As one of the few lifelong Magical Girls in the Magic Kingdom, Cornflower's name was the hottest legend during the time she first became a Magical Girl.

Every Magical Girl who claimed to be a genius had to face the name "Cornflower" before talking about how excellent her own talent was.

Achieving the Bud level in two years, making major contributions in the "Garden" Defense Battle, and simultaneously obtaining the two honors of Flower Card and Lifelong Magical Girl, she was even unprecedentedly summoned by a high-ranking figure in the Rose Palace at that time; in terms of reputation, Cornflower was truly unparalleled.

With reputation, talent, strength, image, and many other factors combined, during that period, many new-generation Magical Girls claimed to be fans of Cornflower.

However, the duration of this legend was not long; only three years after her debut, Cornflower Tang Tu disappeared from the Kingdom and from the public eye.

Some said she sacrificed herself in a battle against an extremely powerful Remnant Beast; others said she retired and married a royal family member in the Rose Palace; there were even rumors that Cornflower was a fake identity and someone else was behind it...

But a few days ago, Sparrow heard another version.

That version was that Cornflower actually, during the "Garden" Defense Battle—

—"Masterpiece, Number Four, Aegis of Protection."

A clear and indifferent voice interrupted Sparrow's thoughts.

A hazy, crystal-clear light lit up, also catching her gaze.

Where Senior Cuique had been floating before, a huge circular shield woven from azure magic threads, like a hollow sculpture, now appeared.

This was Senior Cuique's "Masterpiece."

Weaving with threads, solidifying amidst entanglement to create special weapons is an advanced application of Senior Cuique's Thread Magic Armor.

Because the composition of the Magic Armor includes not only magic power but also the power of soul will, the Masterpiece could still withstand attacks against Sparrow's power that could corrupt magic barriers.

Even though the surface was eroded into pits and bumps, this Masterpiece faithfully completed its task, protecting its master.

The petite blue-haired girl stood unharmed behind the shield, her expression changing from the previous coldness to one that was quite calm.

"I have never seen magic with such corrosive properties before."

Releasing her tightly clenched fingers, the thread shield before her instantly dispersed; Senior Cuique changed her hand gesture, repelling the threads still lingering around her: "Is this your special reliance? Or do your so-called Claw Marks all have such dangerous magic?"

Based on her past combat experience, such properties were extremely unfamiliar.

Most people in the world have non-specialized magic; she has seen only one person whose magic came with special properties, and such people are generally called "Shifters" by the Kingdom, but their manifestation is completely different from this Magical Girl.

Now she suspected that this strongly corrosive magic was probably a unique technique of the organization named "Claw Marks."

"Your intention to fish for information is too obvious, old woman."

Seeing that her attack seemed ineffective, Sparrow regained some interest, but still said: "It's no wonder you know nothing about the current situation of the world, hiding and growing old in such a remote city, but what reason do I have to tell you?"

Earth-yellow magic condensed into a wand in her hand; she raised it, pointing it straight at Senior Cuique's face: "Defeat me first, then consider fishing for information!"

The tip of the wand immediately flashed with light, and then a magic beam even more powerful than before shot toward Senior Cuique again.

This time, Senior Cuique, who was well-prepared, lightly tapped her foot, simply drifting sideways for a few meters to dodge the attack.

She turned around and returned two magic beams, forcing Sparrow to move toward the pre-planned area, then hooked the threads around herself, attempting to use her Magic Armor to control the opponent.

On the other side, Sparrow had investigated the abilities of this former Flower Card's Magic Armor before arriving; although her instant weaving of weapons was somewhat unexpected, her combat style of using threads to bind enemies was accurate. She knew she could not fight within her thread network, as it would easily trap her in the opponent's rhythm, so she quickly put distance between herself and Senior Cuique, moving toward the space with fewer buildings nearby.

Senior Cuique's magic threads were not without basis; to gain leverage, she needed a flat surface nearby to anchor the ends.

Therefore, the best combat scenarios for her were indoors, in caves, or on the ground; at the very least, it should be amidst clusters of buildings so she could better weave her network.

Besides that, if encountering a fast-moving target, controlling the opponent would become extremely difficult; Senior Cuique herself was very clear about this.

So when she saw the opponent moving toward a more open area, she had to ponder and make a choice in her heart. After weighing the pros and cons, she felt that capturing this evil-doing Magical Girl was a very important matter, so she retracted her Magic Armor and followed closely.

The high sky was unsuitable for using Magic Armor, so it became a pure aerial battle.

Blue and yellow magic clashed fiercely in the sky; countless magic bullets and beams appeared from different directions, then vanished after shooting toward unknown places. The two Magical Girls constantly flew at high speed while trying to shoot each other down with their magic bullets.

Sparrow's total magic power seemed superior to Senior Cuique's, so she continuously squandered her magic, constantly pressuring Senior Cuique's movement routes with more rapid displacements.

Senior Cuique was more precise and economical in her magic usage, never performing useless maneuvers or accelerations; even facing the opponent's frequent shots, she simply made small-angle shifts, brushing past their trajectories.

She tried to lure Sparrow back into the office building cluster, but the opponent obviously did not fall for her trick; instead, fully exercising her initiative, she aggressively closed in on Senior Cuique.

Until the distance between Senior Cuique and her in the air was reduced to less than ten meters, she suddenly laughed.

Then, her words, through the "whooshing" sound of the airflow, reached Senior Cuique's ears:

"Sparrow, Magic Construct Discharge."