Chapter 129: A First Clash That Ended Without a Wound

A pure-white magical girl descended from the sky, the wind fluttering the skirt of her white robes, her bleached pupils empty and void.

The doll-like magical girl raised a withered-wood staff, the mana凝聚 on it making hearts tremble.

"Kill her." The magical girl's "mascot" stared死死 at its archenemy, issuing the utmost "command" to its partner.

"Ugh." The magical girl Bai frowned, but her body had already moved on its own.

Mana began to run wild.

The atmosphere twisted under its command, elemental spirits descended to the mortal realm; this was not a prelude to spellcasting, merely an extra effect of mana far too excessive.

One after another, magic arrays unfolded behind her; traditional magical bombardments required the stable reinforcement of these arrays.

"Snap." The smiling Purple Miss Zi Qiangwei stood before everyone; when someone challenged her to a duel, how could she retreat?

Besides, she was just a young junior; how could I lose?

"Lord Lord Kuku, who is she?" Behind her, Li En suddenly called out the name of the Heroic Soul within the mental link.

He, looking at the girl gathering a mana cannon, fell into thought.

"Hmm, it is her." Seemingly saying nothing, yet actually answering everything.

The tacit understanding from within the heart made Li En comprehend it all.

In this instant, did Li En confirm that this face was the "Bai" of Candidate Number Six?

Her state... Li En glanced at Lord Lord Kuku, and Kusla nodded slightly once more.

Li En confirmed Lord Lord Kuku was prepared long ago, so he also stepped forward and whispered into Purple Miss Zi Qiangwei's ear.

"If possible, do not kill her."

The abrupt words made Purple Miss Zi Qiangwei's pupils freeze.

In the next instant, the calm Purple Miss Zi Qiangwei still smiled, offering no response.

As if she hadn't heard, or as if she was pretending not to hear.

"Hmph, this is your first time begging me, and it's for another woman."

But these reproachful words somehow entered Li En's ears.

This made the youth helplessly smile bitterly; he knew his request was rather excessive.

Asking someone about to duel not to kill their opponent? Wasn't that forcing Purple Miss Zi Qiangwei to tie her own hands and suffer a great disadvantage?

"... Just kidding. Isn't she just a little girl? Watch me take her down easily. Little brother Li En, you could actually ask me for more, be even more excessive; I would be happier."

The woman clenched her fists, yet these calm words moved people more than her usual sweetness.

Li En had no words; in a duel of this caliber, asking for restraint was truly forcing the issue, and the other party's openness only made Li En feel more guilty and uneasy.

But this request was necessary at present; judging by Li En's understanding of Lord Lord Kuku, he probably had a plan already.

This bound magical girl before his eyes, since she appeared in the Hall of Heroic Souls "longing for change," still had a chance to change; Lord Lord Kuku must have already arranged it.

He looked at Purple Miss Zi Qiangwei silently floating up, while the direction of "Bai"'s mana cannon also began to rise; both sides seemed tacitly avoiding the irrelevant people below.

This would undoubtedly be a death match between two legendary spellcasters; for Li En and these new recruits, merely approaching was far too dangerous.

The edge of a single legendary spell's AOE could vaporize people.

Li En was just about to signal others to take cover for now, but he heard

"Hiss... hiss hiss (We have never left.)"

The sudden familiar words made Li En pause.

He looked up sharply, only to see the girl's radiant smile.

"Trust me..."

Before Li En could react, his vision blurred, and he was already back in that familiar "Temporary Embassy."

"Boom!"

And with a loud crash, the embassy's ground trembled slightly.

Li En rushed to the window; from outside, he could see the direction beyond the city walls, where a large mushroom cloud was slowly rising!

They, had started.

And with their first move, it was a map-clearing bombardment.

And if Li En's group had still been there, no matter how much restraint both sides showed, they would have been caught in the crossfire.

Lightning and storms collided; magical girls from two different factions began their death match, the mana leaking from both sides triggering a raging storm.

Judging merely by the scale of the mana, the secondary disasters caused by the battle, the destruction and impact they brought would even far exceed that of the "Parasite Beast" and "Goddess" pair currently in a death match.

After all, magical girls were famous for "achieving miracles through brute force."

"Damn..." Li En looked at the boiling mushroom cloud in the distance, the echoes of war in his ears.

His face remained calm, but inside he felt deeply stifled.

The stifling feeling from that day when he passed the slave market seemed to return; the cruel reality told him that not only was he still a weakling, but also a burden.

At this moment, Li En felt a bit of regret; perhaps he shouldn't have said those words.

After all, there is a difference between close and distant relations; in a battle of this caliber, asking Purple Miss Zi Qiangwei to hold back was equivalent to restricting many instant-kill methods on her own, creating a disadvantage far too great.

"... Auntie."

Miss Shaliman also stumbled to the window, her face pale as she looked into the distance.

She did not know the subtle relationship between friend and foe, only sensing that terrible collision of mana.

If not for "her commission," Purple Miss Zi Qiangwei would have had no need to come to the Underworld, let alone encounter such a terrifying archenemy.

And I, could only silently watch—no, I didn't even have the qualification to watch; I even had to make Auntie waste power to teleport me here and save my life.

"I never want to experience this powerlessness again..."

"... I need power, at least so I don't become a burden."

The two "fiancés" unknowingly thought of the same thing, the same person.

"Violet Miss Zi Qiangwei, Lilian," Li En called out the other's true name for the first time.

"Auntie," and this time, Miss Shaliman finally acknowledged the other's status as an elder.

"Huh? You're calling me?"

And the sudden sound from behind made them whirl around.

Wasn't the magical girl Violet Miss Zi Qiangwei just sitting behind them on the sofa, flipping through a book?

She had been there the whole time!

"Boom!"

In the direction outside, another mushroom cloud slowly rose, and two visible magical hurricanes expanded and collided while still radiating a lethal pressure outward.

The magical girl's battle was still ongoing—why had Violet Miss Zi Qiangwei returned already?

"If I can't kill her, why should I fight her to the death." The logic was sound—but how did you manage it?

"Hehe, that little brat hit hard enough. When she realized the power gap, she tried to drag it out, wear me down, even wanted to drag me into a self-destruct. But her vision was limited, her experience lacking—lacking." She seemed to explain, yet said nothing at all.

But it was clear she had already left the battlefield, free from danger.

Li En exhaled in relief, but Miss Shaliman instantly pouted, muttering under her breath, "Again, you scared me on purpose."

"Little Shaliman, you're so adorable."

The next moment, Miss Shaliman was swept into her auntie's arms and comforted.

Even as she cooed soothing words, Violet Miss Zi Qiangwei Lilian had time to wink at Li En.

Seeing she was unharmed, Li En finally relaxed completely.

Outside, the battle still raged—but their group had slipped into a blind spot of all combatants' awareness.

This wasn't a battlefield for mortals—so let's rest and regroup.

But from an angle Li En hadn't noticed, large patches of charred skin marred the back of Violet Miss Zi Qiangwei's neck.

Though the skin was already beginning to regenerate, how could she possibly have cast a spell to teleport everyone away while enduring attacks from another magical girl without paying a price?

Under the contract's compulsion, White could never hold back.

After hugging her niece, Violet Miss Zi Qiangwei suddenly lunged at Li En.

"I need compensation! It hurt so much! She hit me hard—I need a kiss to feel better." As she spoke, she pressed her cheek toward him.

Li En was stunned, unsure how to respond—when the girl spoke, too many eyes turned toward them.

"So that's what kind of relationship you two have." Many looked astonished.

Li En went numb.

But should he struggle free? Wouldn't that seem too heartless? And his hesitation—just as the girl was about to kiss him—

"Auntie! Think of your dignity!"

But the next instant, Miss Shaliman, furious, dragged Violet Miss Zi Qiangwei away again.

Li En exhaled in relief—but strangely, felt a hint of regret.

And beside him, Lord Lord Kuku had watched the entire scene with wide, unblinking eyes.

"What?" Li En felt a twinge of guilt.

"Nothing! People who can't be saved? I don't care!" Lord Lord Kuku's tone carried hidden meaning.

"What the hell!"—and Lord Lord Kuku still had the energy to act absurdly, suggesting the situation wasn't too dire.

In the following time, explosions outside and hurried footsteps by the windows never ceased—the entire city had entered a state of war.

Yet the embassy staff sank into an eerie calm.

They had indeed been forgotten—or rather, there was no reason for anyone to notice their return.

Miss Shaliman had already ordered everything prepared: luggage packed, all personnel and gear waiting in the lobby.

If the city fell, Violet Miss Zi Qiangwei would just carry them away.

But soon, the first to end was the "magical girls'" battlefield.

When the sky above became nothing but pure white magic, it meant White realized she had been deceived.

There, White pouted, scowling left and right—but saw only scorched earth.

The other battlefield also did not last long.

Another hour passed; the mind flayers confirmed they could not breach the walls and began retreating.

They would not leave—only set up camp outside, reorganizing shifts and preparing for a second assault tomorrow.

Everyone knew this was only the beginning.

Since the war for dominance in the Underworld had begun, it would end only with one side destroyed or enslaved.

The cruel Underworld rarely saw compromise or forgiveness.

Li En grew more eager for the locals to keep forgetting them. To deal with the pure white magical girl, he would have to wait until tonight's Hall of Spirits.

As time passed, this relief of being forgotten seemed to become reality.

After all, while the city was consumed by war, no one cared about this embassy with its locked gates—especially since they hadn't entered through the door.

"Lord Lord Kuku, are you planning to pass on your legacy to her? To help her break free?" At night, Li En voiced his suspicion.

Under normal circumstances, this bondage could never be broken—but the power of the ancestral spirits was clearly abnormal, a miracle force capable of shattering all common sense.

"You guessed wrong," Lord Lord Kuku denied, instead striking a smug pose—as if she had planned this all along.

Li En was surprised, but did not press further.

If Lord Lord Kuku didn't want to say, no amount of asking would get an answer—tonight, he'd find out soon enough.

With events shifting so drastically, tonight would surely be lively—and Lord Lord Kuku was no one who liked to delay.

With the situation in chaos and escape随时 possible, many things needed to be settled now.

(End of Chapter)