After informing Sapphire and Meteor of the situation at the Caesar Grand Hotel, the two quickly agreed to Lu Ren’s request, deciding to join her in eradicating the monsters there.
On the following evening, when all three of them were free, they gathered at a small inn near the Caesar Grand Hotel.
From their room, they observed the situation across the street.
“That’s strange. Why is that hotel taped off with seals? Did someone else discover the existence of the monsters before we did?”
In the cramped room, Meteor, who was floating in mid-air, asked curiously.
Sapphire, who had been observing through binoculars for quite some time, remained silent for several seconds before answering.
“Did you forget? We got this information from someone else in the first place.”
“Oh, right.”
Meteor tapped her head, a look of sudden realization dawning on her face. She then returned her gaze to the distant hotel entrance.
Blazing Flame remained silent, leaning against the wall with her eyes closed as she quietly prepared herself.
According to reports from the Monster Response Department, after the seals were applied, no living thing had exited the Caesar Grand Hotel.
In other words, even those monsters disguised as humans were most likely waiting inside the hotel for their deaths.
‘This is great!’
The corners of Blazing Flame’s mouth curled up slightly. She was already envisioning the scenes that would soon unfold.
She felt a slight stir of excitement, her body trembling with the urge to rush into the Caesar Grand Hotel and start the slaughter immediately.
Sapphire, observing Blazing Flame’s reaction from the side, pursed her lips. She didn’t quite understand why Blazing Flame was reacting this way.
Of the three Magical Girls in City A, shouldn’t she be the one with the deepest hatred for Shadow Beasts?
Why was it Blazing Flame now?
Just what had happened?
Despite her internal complaints, Sapphire issued the order immediately after confirming the time and the state of the hotel once more.
“Time is up. It is time to begin the operation, you two.”
“Roger!”
“Understood! Miss knows what to do!”
With the order given, the three of them vanished from the inn room instantly.
According to the plan, Blazing Flame, who possessed the Sensing Ability, would kill her way up from the bottom floor.
Sapphire and Meteor would be responsible for catching any that slipped through the net, while one of them would also enter the hotel to fight alongside Blazing Flame.
The moment Blazing Flame reached the first floor of the Caesar Grand Hotel, she felt a wave of emotion that almost brought tears to her eyes.
As she entered the hotel, her long-lost Monster Sensing ability actually returned!
Ever since the Numbered Shadow Beasts had appeared, her Sensing Ability had been useless, making her feel as though it had malfunctioned.
Now it seemed those Numbered Shadow Beasts simply had countermeasures, or perhaps certain specific environments could block her senses.
‘Sigh… These monsters really went through a lot of trouble to try and block my path.’
Unfortunately for them, playing house was over.
Sensing an abnormal Magic Power Source on the third floor that was so dense it was exhilarating, Blazing Flame’s eyes filled with confidence.
In just a few moments, she purified every monster hiding on the first and second floors.
Without hesitation, she charged onto the third floor and began her purification work, room by room.
301, 302, 303…
She knocked on every door, performing her purification work with high efficiency.
In just five minutes, Blazing Flame had completely wiped out every monster hiding in rooms 301 through 311.
She didn’t know why these monsters all showed expressions of relief as they died.
But it didn’t matter.
If these Shadow Beasts wanted to be on their way, she didn’t mind giving them a final push.
In high spirits, Blazing Flame reached the door of Room 312. She knocked politely and asked with a smile.
“Hello? Is anyone in there?”
She had originally intended to just go through the motions and wait a few seconds before charging in, but Blazing Flame never expected that someone would actually be inside Room 312.
After she finished knocking, she heard the unmistakable sound of rustling from within.
Suddenly, the abnormal Magic Power Source inside Room 312 began to intensify violently. In just a few seconds, it reached the peak level of a normal monster.
Startled, Blazing Flame realized she couldn’t delay any longer.
She kicked the door open and rushed into Room 312, her spear thrusting without hesitation toward the figure standing in the room.
Even though the person appeared to be a perfectly ordinary middle-aged man, she had no intention of letting him go.
She could feel that the abnormal Magic Power Source in Room 312 was coming from this man!
“…Stop! I am your elder!”
Just as Blazing Flame’s spear was about to pierce him, the middle-aged man suddenly spoke.
As if his voice carried magic, it caused Blazing Flame to stop involuntarily.
And for some inexplicable reason, she felt the man looked familiar, as if he truly were one of her elders.
“Who are you…?”
Lowering her spear, Blazing Flame looked at him with confusion and questioned his identity.
Seeing that even the Magical Girl before him could not resist his power, Zhou Chenfeng breathed a sigh of relief.
“Never mind who I am; just know that I am your elder, and that is that.”
“Now listen closely. Let me out of here. Then, pretend you saw nothing. Do you understand?!”
Zhou Chenfeng shouted harshly, dictating his instructions to her.
Blazing Flame nodded slightly, her eyes vacant as she moved aside to make a path, signaling that he could leave.
Seeing his ability succeed once again, Zhou Chenfeng couldn’t help but let out a soft snort.
He intended to walk out of the room, and even the Caesar Grand Hotel, with his head held high.
However, the moment he drew level with Blazing Flame…
*Puchi!*
A sharp, violent pain suddenly erupted from his back, forcing him to let out a roar as his forward momentum came to a sudden halt.
Zhou Chenfeng looked back in disbelief, only to see Blazing Flame looking at him with a face full of contempt.
Her spear lunged forward even further, piercing through his heart and claiming his life.
“I see. So this is what they call a Hypnosis Ability? It really is quite impressive.”
“Unfortunately, the Magical Girl you ran into was me and not someone else.”
With that, Blazing Flame prepared to thrust again to hasten the end of the man’s life.
But to her surprise, when she tried to push her spear forward once more…
Her hands suddenly felt as heavy as if they were encased in concrete, making it impossible for her to strike.
Boundless black mist drifted through the room, shrouding everything completely.
Under Blazing Flame’s gaze, a figure dressed in black robes and composed entirely of black mist appeared before her.
It glanced at Blazing Flame and spoke softly.
“They still have a use for this person’s life, so I have come to save him. As for your other ‘companions,’ feel free to kill them as you please.”
“Who are you?!”
“There is no need to worry about my name. We will meet again soon, Magical Girl Blazing Flame.”
After that brief exchange, the Mist-person vanished without a trace.
The middle-aged man vanished along with it, right before Blazing Flame’s eyes.
Once they were gone, her body returned to normal.
She gritted her teeth, staring at the spot where the Mist-person had disappeared.
If she guessed correctly, this Mist-person, who came and went as it pleased, was the true culprit behind the situation at the Caesar Grand Hotel.
Damn it, she had failed to stop it then and there!