Time returned to the present. Lu Yuan had just finished informing Su Li about the Chen Lianxue incident.
Tongmen City Magical Girl Headquarters Command Center.
The atmosphere inside the command center was heavy. A massive display screen showed a map of Tongmen City. Although the magic power map wasn’t fully complete yet, Tian Aixing was diligently identifying every source of magic power, gradually filling in the missing parts.
Su Li stood in front of the main control panel, her brows tightly furrowed, while Aoi Hoshino leaned against a nearby console.
“Beep beep.” The sensor sliding door of the control room opened.
Lu Yuan and Lin Wan hurried in, their faces etched with anxiety.
“Sister Su Li!” Lu Yuan was the first to speak, “Lian Xue—”
***
Su Li raised her hand, signaling her to stay calm. Her gaze passed over Lu Yuan and landed on Qing, who quietly followed behind her.
Qing seemed somewhat curious about the technologically advanced environment of the headquarters. Her pale green eyes flickered slightly, but one hand remained tightly gripping the hem of Lu Yuan’s clothes. Only by holding onto Lu Yuan could she feel secure.
Su Li’s eyes scanned back and forth between Lu Yuan and Qing. After a moment of silence, she spoke slowly.
“I have a general understanding of the situation. Lian Xue is missing, and Si An and Rose have appeared. Their objectives are very clear.” Su Li’s gaze fixed on Lu Yuan and Qing. “One is you, Lu Yuan. Your ability has always been the target Rose has tried to seize. The other is Qing, a creation derived from Rose. She is Rose’s intended target for recovery and also at risk of being re-controlled.”
She stepped forward to stand in front of them, her voice steady.
“Letting both of you leave the headquarters simultaneously and expose yourselves in areas where Rose and Si An might appear is far too risky. It’s essentially delivering the most important targets directly into the opponent’s hands.”
Lu Yuan froze for a moment, then quickly understood what Su Li was implying. She wanted to exclude herself from this mission!
She instinctively argued, “But Sister Su Li, I need to save Lian Xue! And I can fight—there aren’t many combat division magical girls at headquarters…”
“I know you can fight, and that you care about Lian Xue.” Su Li interrupted her, her tone softening slightly but her stance remaining firm. “That’s precisely why you can’t go. What if this is a trap, designed to lure you out? If you or Qing fall into their hands, the consequences would be unimaginable.”
Her eyes sharpened as she looked at Lu Yuan.
“Protecting your own safety is equally the top priority right now. The headquarters has a substantial guard force. This is the safest place for you two. The search and rescue operations will be led by me, Lin Wan, and Aoi Hoshino.”
Lin Wan glanced between Su Li and the anxious Lu Yuan. She understood Su Li’s concerns were valid and gently tugged at Lu Yuan’s arm.
“Lu Yuan, Sister Su Li is right. You and Qing are indeed safer here.”
Qing could sense Lu Yuan’s intention to go, but driven by her own feelings, she didn’t want Lu Yuan to risk herself. She didn’t like Rose—she was a bad woman who would take Lu Yuan away from her.
Qing tugged at Lu Yuan’s skirt, hoping she would stay.
Lu Yuan looked at Su Li’s resolute eyes, then down at Qing, who relied on her completely. Her heart struggled fiercely.
The urgency to save Lian Xue clashed with her sense of responsibility. In the end, she closed her eyes tightly, took a deep breath, and when she opened them again, they were filled with reluctant acceptance tinged with frustration.
“I understand. I’ll stay here.” Though Lu Yuan was filled with helplessness, she chose to obey orders. “But Sister Su Li, once there’s concrete news, if you need strength…”
“Don’t worry.” Su Li nodded. “If needed, I will notify you immediately for support. The headquarters also needs someone on watch, ready for any possible attacks.”
Seeing Lu Yuan agree to her plan, Su Li signaled a staff member.
“Take Lu Yuan and Qing to the rest room. Increase security in that area. Ensure their needs are met, but more importantly, guarantee their absolute safety.”
“Yes, Captain Su Li.”
The staff moved forward. Qing held Lu Yuan’s hand tightly, and Lu Yuan clasped hers back, whispering soothingly.
“It’s alright, Qing. We’ll wait here for news.”
Qing nodded. She had always trusted Lu Yuan without question.
Lu Yuan cast a final glance toward Su Li and the others.
“Please, you must find Lian Xue.”
***
Su Li nodded firmly, grabbed her Transformation Crystal and car keys, and strode toward the main entrance.
Lin Wan immediately followed, already transformed. The large folding fan on her back made her quite conspicuous. Aoi Hoshino straightened, her expression serious.
Operation Code: [Zhehua] began.
Su Li hurried toward the underground parking garage, her brow still furrowed.
Her worries had not lessened. Leaving Lu Yuan and Qing behind was the safer choice, but it also meant fewer forces in the field. Every step had to be taken with extra caution.
She had indeed worried her decision might be wrong. Though Su Li appeared decisive and fierce, she feared a misstep in her decision might lead to irreversible consequences… just like with Commander Lingyan back then.
But as the head of Tongmen City, she had to bear that responsibility. Being a magical girl wasn’t about honor—it was about duty. She would not choose to evade it.
***
“Vroom!”
The white Masarati cut through the growing stillness of the night like a blade. The engine growled deeply as it sped toward the amusement park.
Su Li gripped the steering wheel tightly, her eyes fixed intently on the road ahead. In the passenger seat, Aoi Hoshino checked her Transformation Crystal.
Above the car, Lin Wan skimmed low on her Black Sword, acting as aerial sentry and vanguard.
“Lin Wan, don’t leave our line of sight. Stay alert.” Su Li reminded through the Bluetooth earpiece. “Report any abnormalities immediately on the channel.”
“Understood, Sister Su Li!” Lin Wan’s voice came through, mingled with the sound of rushing wind.
Lin Wan was nervous. The power gap between her and members of [Starry Glaze] was vast, and this was her first time receiving direct combat instructions from Su Li… she hoped nothing would go wrong.
***
But just as the Masarati was about to turn onto the amusement park’s side road, Lin Wan’s flying sword prepared to cross a sparse thicket.
Suddenly, an accident happened.
The seemingly calm ground below cracked open!
Dozens—no, hundreds of tentacles of varying thickness burst out from the soil, like countless arms stretching up from hell, wildly reaching toward Lin Wan in the sky and Su Li’s speeding car.
Their attack was not random. Coordinated, the tentacles lifted massive chunks of earth and asphalt barriers, trying to completely block the road.
“Enemy attack! It’s a Mimetic Calamity! There are many of them!” Lin Wan’s panicked shout echoed over the comm channel.
She immediately activated her psychic power. Her folding fan buzzed, and six swords flashed out, becoming silver streams of light that danced rapidly around her, slashing the tentacles trying to close in.
Below, Su Li slammed on the brakes and sharply turned the wheel.
The white Masarati screeched tires, drifting at a perilous angle, narrowly dodging the giant tentacles crashing down and the sudden rising obstacles from the ground.
“Bang!” A muffled sound came as the rear of the car was grazed by a tentacle sweeping from the side, causing the vehicle to shake violently.
Inside, Su Li clicked her tongue in frustration.
“It’s a trap! We’ve walked right into a trap!”
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.