Chapter 28

Part．14［Terrifying Forest Musician］

"If it were said that previous control was merely simple control at the 'granule' level. Even if they gathered together, the internal structure remained chaotic. What they were like before, after applying magic they would still be like that. They were simply gathered by magic and then shaped." Xin opened one palm, watching the transparent crystal in front constantly "disappear" and "appear", accompanied by waves of cold or hot gas flow.

"However, now I can achieve deeper-level control—chemical bonds!"

"As long as the substance itself remains something I can control, even if it becomes a single lattice unit, I can still control it, and this is the limit of my control." Xin gazed at the ever-changing crystalline shapes before her, which were either pure white or transparent.

"Moreover...... this can also have deeper-level applications." Xin recalled that the huge crystal blocks that constantly dissolved and re-formed emitted waves of heat and cold.

"Forming bonds releases heat, breaking bonds absorbs heat. I never expected the knowledge I once learned would actually be used here. The scientific nature of this magic leaves me unsure what to complain about."

"Ah geez, good thing I didn't transmigrate into some round world, otherwise I'd probably go crazy." After a bout of complaining, Xin self-mockingly thought.

She didn't notice that at this moment, her inner thoughts leaned more toward the girl Bai Ling Wu Ming than toward his pre-transmigration self.

After waking up and gaining huge energy for her, the second type of crystal that Xin could control after growth was quartz, namely silicon dioxide.

Although according to common sense, the existence of quartz to most people is that kind of transparent geometric crystal, or showing beautiful colors due to other ions mixed in.

But in fact, the existence of silicon dioxide is extremely abundant.

Not only does silicon dioxide exist as pure crystal; it is also found in rocks, soil, and even in glass that has been re-sintered.

Although these substances are mixtures, within these mixtures there exist the smallest units that Xin can control, so she can easily utilize these hidden substances.

Extract quartz from them, then reshape. From this point of view, Xin no longer needs to carry such a large travel pack to store salt.

However, when Xin left, she did not throw away the pack.

"When things are abnormal, it's easier to make people wary; survival is most important." She thought this, and using the terminal in her hand, she sent a message to Nange'er telling her not to worry about herself.

…………

"Coming up, it should be the 'amazing' plot where the holy girl gets smashed by that battle maniac and Fab starts being a profiteer, trading lifespan for daily necessities. Tsk… let's start causing trouble. Since the plot has already deviated, let's go all out. Instead of panicking over outdated information all day, we might as well make use of their remaining value and strike first." On the way home, Xun bit into a piece of yokan and thought. (Eating yokan plain, I salute you as a tough person.)

…………

Drip drip, drip drip——

"Mmm… huh? Ah!!?" Nageer groggily lifted their head from the table, and after shaking their head, they suddenly discovered that on the bed in front of them lay only neatly folded bedding, with no trace of the painful figure from last night.

"Ugh ah ah… huh?"

As Nageer was feeling a bit flustered, she noticed the terminal at hand and immediately began to examine it attentively.

"Ha—, that's great. It's really great that the senior is unharmed." Muttering, after reading the message, Nageer staggered to her feet and then flung herself onto the bed.

She fell asleep again.

During this process, she completely failed to notice the alarm clock beside her that kept ringing because no key had been pressed.

……

"This bow… is kind of useless."

Back home, Xun stroked the limbs and string of the composite bow.

After waking this time, the spear that Xun threw, using only six or seven tenths of their strength, was enough to produce a piercing screech that tore the air.

With such an attack, Xun could fire off hundreds of consecutive shots without expending too much energy.

By contrast, the composite bow had already been set to its maximum draw weight, yet the kinetic energy of the arrows still fell somewhat short of expectations.

Although the attack power indeed met the standard, interfering with the slender arrows was not a difficult task.

For example, a round shield could be pierced by many feathered arrows, yet it would shatter under the heavy blow of a single thrown spear.

"Well—, just putting on a show is fine; carrying no extra burden and deceiving the opponent also makes use of it." Thinking this, Xun stopped worrying.

An enemy who lets their guard down is the easiest to deal with.

……………………

"You really want to do this?" said a tall woman with short hair, wearing overalls, and a heroic air.

"I just… simply think that magical girls shouldn't be killing each other like this. Moreover, if this continues, who will be the next magical girl to die? With such great power, it shouldn't be used only to slaughter one another." Hearing the question, a somewhat plump woman stopped stirring the stew, turned her head to gaze at the dark night sky, and spoke in a low, dejected tone.

Upon hearing this, the heroic woman rose from the sofa, walked lightly to the person gazing at the night sky, and embraced them from behind.

"It's okay, I believe you." She said softly, smelling the curry scent from the person's hair before her.

Yu Erchong Nainai——Sister Nana, namely the woman who was simmering curry in front of the stove.

Di——Weiss·Winter Prison, namely the heroic woman wearing overalls.

…………

"Both have already graduated from university, but they're still living together as roommates; whether in the novel or the anime version, it seems there is also a hint of feelings that go beyond friendship between them. Emmmmm……" Recalling this, Xun munched on potato chips.

Xun, who had temporarily avoided meeting Nageer under the excuse of needing to do recovery training, was now at home sorting out the deliveries.

Considering the possibility of intense combat, after Mianmian was declared disqualified, Xun ordered a large quantity of first-aid supplies and medications for common ailments through some service.

And……

Buzz——buzz——

Xun waved a single-handed longsword that flashed with metallic luster in the room.

"Huh—, this thing feels not as easy to use as the weapon I made myself from sodium chloride crystals."

After waving it around, Xun sighed, feeling somewhat disappointed.

After all, before crossing over, Xun was just a high school student, and their impression of ordering forged weapons online was still limited to the commemorative ancient swords on a certain treasure site.

"Not as good as a physics holy sword."

Clang~

After casually tossing aside the useless weapon and not forgetting to mutter a complaint, Xun then tried out some other auxiliary equipment.

………………

The quarry in the suburbs of N City.

"Is this the place?" Sister Nana looked around, clasping her hands in front of her chest, asking to herself.

Beside her, Winter Prison, wrapped in a scarf, scanned the surrounding rubble piles where people might be hiding with vigilant eyes.

Eh~? Weren't we supposed to meet here? Why didn't I see her? After searching in vain several times, Sister Nana turned her head, questioning.

This guy…… huh? Where! Winter Prison was about to complain, but upon turning his head he suddenly noticed—maybe he'd been standing there all along without realizing—on a roughly two‑meter‑tall boulder about thirty meters away, there was an "elegant" figure.

Golden hair, red eyes.

She wears varying shades of green, with delicate thorny rose vines entwining her body, and a dark‑red rose blooming askew on her head.

Ah la~, you are the Forest Musician Kulangbei, right? Sister Nana said with a smile, her tone gentle.

Not bad…… I think we should be meeting for the first time. Kulangbei responded in an elegant tone; at the same time her eyes slightly narrowed, her gaze not on the speaking Sister Nana but rather with a hint of scrutiny looking at Winter Prison.

The conflict among magical girls in N City is already quite serious, Miss Kulangbei.

As the oldest magical girl among us, don't you think we should do something to put an end to this situation? Sister Nana's voice was soft yet carried solemnity.

But Kulangbei's eyes flickered.

Please do not interfere with the game rules. She said flatly.

!!?

Upon hearing that, Sister Nana and Winter Prison both showed expressions of surprise.

And Winter Prison, after a brief surprise, even more tense in complexion, rushed forward in a single step to stand before Sister Nana.

You guys like this really trouble me. Killing and being killed—that's the magical girl selection~. Without strength, how can you defeat enemies? She said in a frivolous tone that Sister Nana could not understand, as if talking about trivial matters.

And Winter Prison saw in her eyes a clear bloodthirsty light.

And this also caused Winter Prison's body to sink slightly, muscles tensing, preparing for battle.

What the hell are you trying to do!!! she shouted in a hoarse voice, both to bolster her own courage and to quickly snap Sister Nana behind her out of her dazed state.

After that, Sister Nana only then felt as if pricked by a needle, kneeling on the ground and gasping heavily.

And Winter Prison, having caught a glimpse of Sister Nana slightly recovering with his peripheral vision, had not yet relaxed when he felt a strong wind rushing toward his right temple.

Bang!

Yah----!!!

Accompanied by Sister Nana's startled cry, Winter Prison flew sideways, hitting the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust and smoke.

Di! In her panic, Sister Nana even called out Winter Prison's true name.

Winter Prison, combat-type magical girl, according to intelligence, can even somewhat suppress Disaster Mary. Watching the dust gradually settle, Kulangbei said this without delay.

Hum—boom!

However, before the dust could clear, the standing Kulangbei suddenly swayed slightly forward, and then with a roar, a stone wall about twenty centimeters thick erupted from before her feet, lifting her into midair before she could adjust her posture.

While Kulangbei lay prone on the stone wall, she braced with both hands, shifted her weight forward, and performed a tumble to land steadily on the ground.

At that moment, a pitch‑black shadow appeared before Kulangbei with unmatched momentum and punched her in the face, knocking her backward.

Bang---

A dull sound rang out.

However, Kulangbei instead used the momentum of her backward fall to perform a backflip, increasing the distance between them.

Winter Prison stared at her with a grave expression, not even giving Sister Nana a chance to glance.

The feel just now was off. Thinking this, she saw Kulangbei's face almost uninjured, felt the strange sensation as if her hand had been struck by something, Winter Prison dared not relax, took a deep breath and charged forward again.

Throw a punch, block.

Kick, twist step to dodge.

Use a shoulder bump, use an elbow strike.

The thumping of blows continued unceasingly in their fight; to ordinary eyes a blur of motion, but to the two magical girls engaged in combat it was perfectly clear.

Winter Prison clearly understood that the current striking force was merely mutual probing; she was testing her own combat style.

She wants to kill me in one blow! Suddenly, this thought popped into Winter Prison's mind.

And this also caused her peripheral vision to meet Kulangbei's eyes.

!!

Cold, crazy, bloodthirsty.

Many dark words can be used to describe Kulangbei's gaze at this moment.

Is she really a magical girl? Seeing that chilling gaze, Winter Prison spaced out a bit.

And this also revealed her opening.

Hmph. A soft snort barely audible escaped from Kulangbei's nose; then she raised her left hand to block Winter Prison's hand, while her right hand retreated to her waist.

Oh no! Winter Prison had just thought those two words when Kulangbei's attack came instantly.

Clench fist, slightly twist waist, then exert force.

Bang!

As expected, Kulangbei's power‑packed punch landed squarely on Winter Prison's abdomen.

In Newton's relieved smile, the tremendous kinetic energy carried by Kulangbei's fist reacted upon Winter Prison's body.

Suddenly, like a shrimp curling up, just that one motion caused a burning pain inside her body.

Immediately after, a corrosive‑feeling liquid welled up into her throat.

Winter Prison's mouth puffed out, almost about to vomit; she wanted to swallow those liquids.

But Kulangbei did not give her a chance; instead, taking advantage of Winter Prison's brief loss of mobility, she clamped both of her shoulders with hands like iron vises and drove her knee upward fiercely.

Bang!

Bang!

Under the heavy blows, Winter Prison's eyes bulged, bloodshot, and her consciousness began to blur.

But before she could lose consciousness, a new power suddenly appeared in her body, alleviating her pain, restoring her awareness, and even strengthening her strength.

She knew this was Sister Nana's magic.

Seizing the chance, Han Dong Lao Yu's powerless hands instantly burst with strength, lifting up; she fiercely grabbed the shin of the gleefully pressing Kulanbeli and, with a swing to the right, hurled her away with such force she didn't even have time to react.

"Die!" As Han Dong Lao Yu gave a low shout, the pitiful face of Sister Nana appeared in her mind.

Thud!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Before she even landed, Han Dong Lao Yu rushed to Kulanbeli's side with greater speed, a sideways elbow strike slamming her to the ground and continually pounding her face with her fists.

In her blurred vision, Kulanbeli saw Sister Nana behind Han Dong Lao Yu.

Although her face still showed fear, her hands crossed and clasped together in a prayer pose.

"Is she buffing others' magic? Heh~" This thought rose in her mind, and the corner of her mouth twitched upward.

"Di! Behind you!"

Suddenly, Sister Nana's voice came from behind Han Dong Lao Yu.

Hearing that, Han Dong Lao Yu opened her fist into a palm, clamping Kulanbeli's neck, turned her head, but saw only Sister Nana's tense face.

"What the hell?!" she thought in shock, yet felt a sense of danger coming from behind.

A sensation like a dragonfly skimming the water gave Han Dong Lao Yu immense danger.

Using several points of leverage, Kulanbeli twisted her whole body, breaking free of Han Dong Lao Yu's grip and lashing out with a whip kick that smashed hard into their temple.

By this point, Kulanbeli still wore that sickly smile.

Under this heavy blow, Han Dong Lao Yu's stance became unsteady, and her intention to retreat a few steps to create distance and recover also failed due to Kulanbeli's action.

"!!?"

"Heh~, why bother with a scarf if it's just useless?" Saying this, Kulanbeli slightly lowered her body, one hand grabbing the long dangling end of Han Dong Lao Yu's scarf and yanking it hard; at the same time, her other hand readied a punch.

In Han Dong Lao Yu's eyes, time slowed, and all she saw was Kulanbeli's ever‑growing fist.

The distance between them shrank quickly for onlookers but slowly for the two combatants.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Boom!!!!!

Just as Han Dong Lao Yu was inevitably approaching Kulanbeli's fist, a stone wall thirty centimeters thick shot up from the ground between them, separating the two.

Rip—

That was the tearing sound of Han Dong Lao Yu's scarf.

Taking advantage of the wall's blockage and the scarf's break, Han Dong Lao Yu retreated a few steps.

Bang! Crack!

Boom!!

At this moment Kulanbeli's fist also struck the stone wall; first a pale fist punched through, then spider‑web cracks spread, accompanied by a booming roar, and the thick, magically reinforced wall collapsed with a crash.

But Han Dong Lao Yu was not limited to creating just one wall.

Boom Boom Boom!!!

Accompanied by the ground's tremors, many fearsomely thick stone walls rose from the earth, and new stone walls rose atop the original ones.

They formed a rough circle, growing ever more closed, eventually resembling a burial mound that buried Kulanbeli.

Rumble rumble rumble—Boom!

Yet Han Dong Lao Yu did not stop; she slapped her hands on the ground, and a wall taller and thicker than any before rose slowly like a tombstone, but then it toppled backward, slamming hard into the stone‑made "burial mound".

Seeing the obvious effect of her magic, Han Dong Lao Yu did not hesitate, turned, scooped up Sister Nana, and leapt away.

After a few seconds of silence.

Bang bang bang—

Boom boom boom!

Continuous striking sounds came from within the "burial mound"; after a loud bang, large amounts of rubble scattered from its top.

A slender figure darted out from within and lightly landed on the top of the little "stone mountain".

"Heh~, she still got away."