Chapter 18: Part．10［Seizure Battle］

Part．10［Seizure Battle］

"Hiss…… this, that Nange'er, can the pain stored in your magic syringe……?" Xin asked somewhat helplessly, and turned his head to look at a stray cat not far away.

Perhaps because he was still holding the leftover trash from the finished oden, the residual broth inside had already attracted one or two stray cats to linger not far away, occasionally letting out a hungry meow.

"Uh…… but the pain stored in the syringe is human, and the syringe can't give human pain to other creatures. Moreover, moreover, in fact my magic only works on humans." Nange'er turned his head and saw Xin looking at the stray cat not far away, quickly realized what Xin wanted to do, and said in an extremely fast tone.

"Mm……, there should still be time, it looks like the next idea still can't be carried out. Forget it, let's focus on the present for now. It should be nearby." Xin withdrew his gaze, muttering, and again lifted his travel bag and leapt high in another direction.

"Eh~ hey—! Senior, wait for me!! Oh no!" Seeing Xin about to leave again, Nange'er shouted anxiously twice, then slapped his cheeks and chased after him.

Nange'er was still concerned about what Xin said about saving people, but Xin didn't say it clearly, and she also didn't dare to ask directly, so she anxiously followed behind.

……………………

Smoke and dust cleared, but the scene that appeared froze the Twin Angels' smiles on their faces.

At this moment, the Holy Maiden half-squatted on her greatsword.

As it turned out, when the big hole suddenly appeared, the Holy Maiden quickly thought of a solution, lengthened her greatsword to brace against both sides of the pit, and stood on it.

And at this moment, her head, which had been looking down, gradually lifted up.

From the Holy Maiden's eyes, Minai'er and Yunai'er saw an anger as if it were substance.

Thereafter, the Holy Maiden's body sank. Accompanied by a creaking deformation sound from the greatsword, with a "Boom~" she again flew at extreme speed toward the Twin Angels.

After taking off, the greatsword she had been stepping on turned into fragments, dissipated, and then reappeared in her hand.

Watching the Twin Angels draw nearer, the Holy Maiden gripped her greatsword tightly. Then she gave a fierce swing.

Bang!

"Eek!" The struck Minai'er fell down.

"Sister!!" Yunai'er screamed.

This time, the Holy Maiden softened once again. As she swung her greatsword at the two of them, at the critical moment, she slightly turned the greatsword in her hand, turning it into a blade-side slap.

Even so, when the power of a combat-type magic girl struck the body of a non-combat-type magic girl, the damage was still not small.

After completing the slap, the Holy Maiden brushed past Yunai'er and came to a stop on the wall. Then, exerting force again, the Holy Maiden leapt down to the ground.

"Huh…… meow~!" A startled cry came.

Xiao Yu happened to crawl out of the pit at this moment; possibly due to bad luck, just as she poked her head out of the hole's mouth, the Holy Maiden stepped on her face with one foot, and she fell down again.

"???!!" The Holy Maiden turned her head, but found nothing. Not only was there nothing where the cry had come from, but even the spot where the Twin Angels had just been was empty of any person.

"Gah~!" Just as the Holy Maiden was puzzled, a crow's call came.

Following the sound, a crow dragging a bundled "thing" flew away from the Holy Maiden. In midair, the crow's form rapidly changed, actually becoming Yunai'er.

And she was holding the injured Minai'er while fleeing outward.

"Transformation…… that's their magic!" The Holy Maiden first hesitated, then affirmed.

"Like this, it should be fine, right, sister?" Yunai'er said with her eyes closed.

"It hurts so much……, it should be okay. Hurry up……." Minai'er said with a trembling voice.

"It's okay……? Mastaka!?" The Holy Maiden, repeating the two's words, suddenly changed expression and turned her head toward the iron tower.

……………………

"The limitation of this magic is that during its activation you cannot move yourself. Moreover, the range is only five meters. At the same time, you must utter 'In the name of royal authority' to activate it. So be careful not to let others know about it~."

"Hmph~, as long as the weakness isn't known to people, that's fine. Even my stupid subordinates don't know it; only smart people are cautious~." Wang Quan, while watching Yongyong operate the terminal, recalled Fabu's words and thought disdainfully.

……

"Wait for me…… Bai Xue!" the Holy Maiden thought while sprinting toward the iron tower.

……

"Not ready yet?" Looking at the distant faint silhouette of the Twin Angels, Wang Quan asked anxiously.

"Just a little more." Yongyong said softly, her hand still continuously tapping.

"Damn……, how much has this guy accumulated again?" Seeing the Holy Maiden already appearing behind the Twin Angels, Wang Quan's heart grew even more urgent.

"Just a little more and it'll be done…… huh?" Yongyong, staring at the terminal, said again, but then was distracted by the situation nearby and turned her head.

Still unable to move, Wang Quan used his peripheral vision to scan, only to discover that the Holy Maiden had gotten a bit closer; this time he could see her more clearly, and saw the angry expression on her face.

"These damn stupid trash!!!! Can't even buy a little time!!!!" Watching the panicked fleeing Twin Angels and the nowhere-to-be-seen Xiao Yu, Wang Quan grew so anxious he even started swearing profusely.

"Just a little more and it'll be done." Yongyong said again.

"Shut up, idiot!" Wang Quan shouted angrily.

"Still…… completed." After a few seconds, Yongyong, who had been repeating a phrase, suddenly changed her wording.

Hearing those words, Wang Quan, who had been insisting on releasing the magic, let out a big sigh of relief and dispelled the magic.

Meanwhile, Bai Xue, watching helplessly as Yongyong transferred the magic candy, who had been unable to move, at this moment seemed to lose strength and knelt on the ground.

"Candy…… uu~." She painfully closed her eyes, and large tears slid down from the corners of her eyes.

However, Wang Quan and Yongyong's attention was completely not on Bai Xue; on one hand, Wang Quan had already obtained what he needed; on the other hand, the threat from the Holy Maiden left Wang Quan no time to mock the "poor worm" she had robbed.

"Hurry, hurry up!"

Seeing the Holy Maiden already making a move, Wang Quan's tone carried some trembling.

"Bastard! Yah———!"

The enhanced physical prowess from the magic girl state allowed the Holy Maiden to see the situation on the iron tower from far away, and as she approached the iron tower, the situation above became even clearer in her eyes.

Having realized she had been tricked and that Bai Xue's magic candy had also been seized, the Holy Maiden at this moment erupted completely.

Although there were still several tens of meters of distance, the Holy Maiden nevertheless raised her greatsword with both hands at this moment.

Then she swung it toward the iron tower.

"Crack~ pop~"

The suddenly lengthened greatsword, while being swung, even cut nearby power lines, and dangerous electric arcs kept exploding at this moment.

Bang! Squeak——!

As the Holy Maiden exerted her full magical power, the great sword also extended in motion to a length long enough to touch the iron tower.

First came a violent sound, then immediately a grating noise of metal twisting, and the iron tower even tilted under the Holy Maiden's strikes.

Ah——!!

Wang Quan, who was about to flee, failed to steady himself on the edge of the tower and was thrown out by this tremendous force.

Bai Xue, because she lowered her body, instead grabbed a gap in the platform floor and had no major problem.

But at that moment, Yong Yong, who had fallen together but was much calmer, twisted her body and approached the screaming Wang Quan.

She grabbed his arm and twisted her body in midair. Through a simple conversion of momentum, Yong Yong stopped Wang Quan's falling posture at the cost of her own faster descent.

At that moment, the twin angels happened to catch Wang Quan (each grabbing one of his arms) and quickly lowered him to the ground.

And Yong Yong, because her magic allows her to "swim" in any substance, activated it the instant she touched the ground, thus suffering almost no injury.

Ah~ha, ha~~hoo~~~." Wang Quan, having landed safely, panted with lingering fear and glanced back with a hint of dread.

The Holy Maiden did not pursue, but instead began climbing up the iron tower.

After a few seconds to adjust his condition, Wang Quan quickly returned to his arrogant state, stepping away with a steady and quick pace.

"Pa, ta-tuo~." Bai Xue's terminal also fell to the ground. From the still-lit screen, a five-digit number could be seen.

A few seconds later, the terminal entered standby mode……

……………………

"Tai Gu Mei, do you think I was too cruel?"

"Eh? No, nothing of the sort, senior."

"From your reaction just now, it's pretty clear your mood is off." Xin, walking out of the hospital, glanced at Nan Ge Er, whose face almost showed fear and incomprehension, and spoke slowly.

"Ah?! That, it's nothing, senior, you did this, you did this……" Nan Ge Er wanted to say something, but her voice grew fainter and fainter. Evidently, regarding Xin's recent actions, Nan Ge Er, adhering to the magical girl creed, found it hard to accept.

"That guy just now—I sent him to the hospital." Looking at Nan Ge Er's reaction, Xin suddenly said this.

"Ah? Why then……." Nan Ge Er didn't continue.

"It's not like I sent him to the hospital to save him; I beat him into the hospital." Xin suddenly blurted out something that shocked Nan Ge Er.

"Magical girls are supposed to help anyone in trouble without judging good or evil, right?" Xin again voiced a similar idea.

"……" This time, Nan Ge Er said nothing.

"According to Fa Bu, the way to obtain magic candy is to help people in trouble. But I've pondered this standard for a long time, even trying it myself, and I realized this rule applies to 'everyone'." Xin said, head lowered, hands in her pockets.

"Everyone……?" Nan Ge Er's tone was somewhat hesitant.

"You get it, right? With a magical girl's mindset, as long as you help someone in trouble, regardless of good or evil, you can earn magic candy. Disaster Mary can get magic candy, and so can we." Xin said calmly, stating a fact that made Nan Ge Er feel her worldview was somewhat shattered.

"So… did that person deserve it?" Nan Ge Er's voice trembled slightly.

"……"

"I understand, senior. To help the good and punish the wicked, I am a magical girl. I will strive to discern, and moreover, when necessary, (let the heart) be firm!" After a moment, Nan Ge Er tightly gripped the syringe in her hand and said.

"That……uh……."

Seeing Nan Ge Er's growth, Xin turned her head to offer a word of praise, but the corner of her eye caught an unexpected figure.

………………………………

"Bai Xue! Are you alright?!" The Holy Maiden, rushing over, didn't even have time to pick up the terminal that had fallen on the ground before reaching the iron tower to check Bai Xue's condition.

"No…… but, but the candy……" Bai Xue's voice trembled with fear.

"Ugh—ah, I'll go take those candies back!" Seeing Bai Xue's state, the Holy Maiden gritted her teeth and said.

"Ugh……." However, just as the Holy Maiden made a move, the kneeling Bai Xue covered her face and burst into tears.

Seeing this, the Holy Maiden could only lower herself to comfort Bai Xue softly, while her eyes gazed toward the direction Wang Quan and the others had fled.

After a while, Bai Xue barely recovered. Together with the Holy Maiden, she descended the iron tower and picked up the terminal that had been left for a time.

"Mm……what, what!!?" Bai Xue, still feeling pain inside, saw the situation after retrieving the terminal, causing her and the Holy Maiden beside her to widen their eyes.

………………………………

【Mini Theater】—Plot—Magicaloid44

"Just beat monsters like this, right?"

A girl wearing a knitted cap held her phone, sitting by the bed on the floor, speaking casually, occasionally picking up a chip from the coffee table and stuffing it into her mouth.

"Mm~mm. That's it, pretty easy~." That way, even when I'm not around, you have something to pass the time." Not far off, a woman busy at the vanity.

"Mm…… aren't you coming back tonight?" The girl looked up at her mother, who was applying powder, and asked.

"Mm~, yeah, I've been busy lately. Time's about up, I'm leaving." The woman glanced at the time, then hurriedly gathered her things.

"What about this phone…?" The girl looked at the woman lifting her handbag and raised her phone with the black back cover.

"Just keep that phone; it's a gift from a guest." The woman, without turning her head, said while walking toward the entrance.

(The sound of the door opening~)

"I want to use the water heater to take a shower tonight!" Seeing the woman heading out the door, the girl raised her voice a bit.

"Do as you please—." A barely audible voice came, followed by the sound of high heels tapping away down the hallway, gradually fading.

Seeing this, the girl turned her gaze back to her phone. She didn't even bother about the door the woman hadn't had time to close.

"……"

"Eh? What is this? An ad?" The girl looked at the sudden pop-up page on the screen, clicking around trying to close it.

However, the instant her finger touched the screen, a stream of light shot out from the screen, enveloping her, accompanied by a phrase.

"Ando Makoto, you already meet the standard for a magical girl—congratulations on becoming a magical girl, boop~!"

The light faded, and a small robot appeared in the same spot.

"What is this?"

A voice with an electronic synthetic tone sounded.

…………

Thanks~, this is today's share, please take it~.

Thanks.

After thanking the clerk, Ando Makoto carried two boxes of instant meal and walked toward the bridge where several cardboard boxes were stacked.

As she approached, a man with a beard streaked with gray crawled out of the box.

"Here, uncle~," Ando Makoto familiarly handed over a bowl of rice.

"Oh~, really thank you. I always have to rely on you...." Saying that, the man opened the plastic lid of the boxed meal and started eating. It was a pork cutlet rice bowl.

"Uncle, you also lent me the cardboard boxes, didn't you?" The girl, after taking a few bites, returned.

Afterward, there was only the quiet chewing of food.

……

"Haven't you gone back to school lately?" the man said suddenly, looking at the students coming and going outside the underpass.

"Mmm... occasionally." Ando Makoto, looking at her food, seemed not to have heard and only responded after a moment.

"Then, what about going home?"

"Sometimes..." Ando Makoto's tone carried some indeterminate meaning.

Afterward, they returned to the previous silence.

……

"Hahaha~, you like this place so much, how about becoming my wife in the future, uncle?" the man joked after finishing his meal.

"No way! Get lost!" Ando Makoto laughed and scolded.

"Ahahaha~~."

"How long has it been since you last went back?" she muttered, gazing at the azure sky beyond the underpass, somewhat lost in thought.

————————————

"Hmm? Why did Magicaloid44 come here? And how did she just happen to run into her so easily?" Xin thought, watching the small robot that had revealed itself after being discovered by him.

"Hi~ hi. Hello, Crystal Soul. It's truly an honor to meet you here, death." She said with an exaggerated tone.

"Eh~ Magicaloid, 44? What's up?" Nang'er said, turning her head to notice the newcomer.

"Oh~ my Crystal Soul miss, haven't you been bothered by something lately? Or is there a wish you want to fulfill?" After glancing at Nang'er and noticing Xin with his hand on her shoulder, Magicaloid44 said cheerfully.

"If there's something, just say it." Xin replied bluntly.

"Oh dear, don't be so distant; I'm here to help you, death~." Magicaloid44's tone carried an ill intent as Xin perceived.

"Help? How... mmph!" Nang'er looked curiously at Magicaloid44, about to say something when Xin suddenly covered her mouth.

"Nothing, tell me what you want to do." Xin forcibly interrupted Nang'er's words and asked.

"Hmm~, cough cough! Then I'll tell you everything~." Magicaloid44, completely unfazed by what just happened, cleared her throat and said.

"Let me solemnly introduce this miraculous product.

"Emergency Life-Sustaining Capsule"!!!

While speaking, she pulled out from her backpack an ellipsoidal object the size of a quail egg.