Not bringing Qing along was the right choice.
Lu Yuan thought as she glanced around. The ground around her was littered with shards of Calamity. It wouldn’t do for Qing to see a scene like this.
Back at Headquarters, she had seen the blurry images sent by Lin Wan’s Transformation Crystal and finally understood the dire situation they were facing.
She couldn’t just abandon Lin Wan, so Lu Yuan had sent the administrative staff away and quietly rushed here alone to provide support.
The Magical Girls at Headquarters weren’t abandoning them either. They had received Captain Su Li’s orders to hold down Headquarters and could not leave their posts. Besides, if even Su Li was defeated, Headquarters would become Tongmen City’s last line of defense.
To prevent Rose’s usual Tiger Luring Tactic, they had no choice but to stand firm, trusting that Su Li could resolve everything.
Lu Yuan pressed her forehead, bringing her focus back to the battlefield. Now was not the time to dwell on this.
***
The clones she had kicked away to save Lin Wan had already exploded in the distance. She had immediately confirmed that none of those clones were Chen Lianxue.
She had one lingering doubt: why had Rose deliberately ensured that “Chen Lianxue” did not attack Lin Wan at the start? If they had attacked earlier, Lu Yuan wouldn’t have had time to intervene.
But… now was not the time to think about that. Saving Chen Lianxue was the priority.
Standing atop the haunted house’s roof, Lu Yuan’s mind raced as her eyes scanned every “Chen Lianxue” below.
Rose’s design couldn’t be flawless; there had to be some difference.
Suddenly, Lu Yuan seemed to realize something.
When she had kicked those clones away, there was a petroleum-like liquid splashing out from their wounded parts… and the clone that Lin Wan had accidentally injured, which then exploded, had black blood seeping from its wounds.
But the real Chen Lianxue was alive — her blood should be red!
An idea took shape in Lu Yuan’s mind. That was how she would proceed.
However, she couldn’t use a gun. The wounds it caused were too large, and any bombs might detonate instantly.
Her eyes immediately locked onto a dagger held by one of the clones below — the same one that had been used to attack Lin Wan earlier.
That was it!
***
The action had to be fast, precise, and ruthless, with no hesitation.
Lu Yuan took a deep breath, timed her move perfectly, and silently pounced from the rooftop like a hunting night owl!
Her target was the “Chen Lianxue” clone holding the dagger!
Swift as lightning! Before the surrounding clones could react, Lu Yuan had already grasped the clone’s wrist holding the knife and delivered a powerful knee strike.
“Crack!”
The sound of a broken wrist bone.
The dagger fell away.
With her other hand, Lu Yuan caught the dagger midair, firmly grasping it — the whole process took less than a second!
Without pause, she became the wind, weaving swiftly through the “Chen Lianxue” clones!
The dagger in her hand became a silver streak, accurately carving shallow wounds across the backs of their hands.
“Shhh!” “Shhh!” “Shhh!”
The sound of flesh being sliced echoed one after another.
Each wound bled the same thick black blood. The injured clones showed no reaction, only hollowly staring at her.
A feeling of unease crept into Lu Yuan’s heart. She suspected that Chen Lianxue wasn’t among these clones at all.
But no matter the thought, her hands did not slow.
Only a few left!
As her dagger sliced toward one “Chen Lianxue” clone’s hand…
“Ssshh…”
This time, fresh red blood oozed from the wound!
The clone’s blank, numb expression flickered with a slight frown from the sudden pain, accompanied by a faint gasp.
This one was real!
***
Joy bloomed in Lu Yuan’s chest, but almost immediately, because Chen Lianxue had been injured, the red light on the collar around her neck began to flash rapidly.
Chen Lianxue was hurt — the bomb was about to detonate.
At the very moment before the collar exploded, Lu Yuan reversed the dagger in her hand without hesitation. With all her strength, she plunged the blade fiercely into her own heart.
[Rollback]
Pain surged through her body, but she fixed her gaze on the real Chen Lianxue, dripping red blood, etching her appearance and location firmly into her mind.
“Found you…”
Time rewound!
Her vision shattered, time flowed backward.
***
Lu Yuan suddenly jolted awake, still standing on the haunted house rooftop. Below, the clones were beginning to regroup, Lin Wan was unconscious at her side, and Xiao Ya watched her fearfully.
It was as if none of it had happened.
But the dull ache in her chest remained, and Lu Yuan remembered everything.
She now knew which one was the real Lian Xue, and exactly where she was.
The dizziness from the Rollback quickly faded, and Lu Yuan’s gaze locked onto the single real Chen Lianxue among the clones below.
She couldn’t harm her or even touch her — she had to separate her completely from the others!
Her mind raced, quickly scanning the battlefield’s edge.
There was a row of metal lockers about a person tall, used by amusement park staff, looking quite sturdy.
The plan formed instantly.
***
Without a sound, Lu Yuan pounced from the rooftop again, leaving only a faint black shadow in the air.
Ignoring the clones’ restless commotion, her target was clear — the real Chen Lianxue!
As she neared, she didn’t attack but instead suddenly stretched out her arms and wrapped them around Chen Lianxue’s waist.
“Mm?”
The real Chen Lianxue seemed to awaken briefly from her numbness at the unexpected touch, letting out a vague whimper.
Lu Yuan didn’t hesitate. Holding her, she hurriedly moved away from the clone cluster and yanked open one of the nearby lockers with her Magical Girl strength.
“Bang!”
The locker door swung open.
Lu Yuan shoved the real Chen Lianxue into the cramped, dark space.
The controlled Chen Lianxue tried to resist but was blocked when Lu Yuan slammed the locker door shut.
From outside, she firmly latched the metal lock to prevent Chen Lianxue from easily opening it from inside and to withstand a certain degree of external impact.
“Click.”
Lu Yuan checked the lock’s security.
Now… the real Lian Xue was temporarily safe.
“So rough, sorry about that. I’ll apologize properly next time, Lian Xue.”
***
Lu Yuan turned and faced the clones, who were beginning to grow restless without their target.
Her eyes shifted from caution to cold murderous intent.
Now, it was time to clear the field.
Her spear instantly crystallized, the jet-black muzzle aimed at the still aimlessly wandering Mimetic Calamities.
“Trash…”
Lu Yuan muttered under her breath, her voice heavy with long-suppressed rage.
Her figure darted like a phantom among the clones, her black spear a grim reaper’s scythe.
Every shot pierced the core of a clone with lethal precision.
Lu Yuan no longer held back.
“Boom!” “Boom!” “Boom!”
Explosions thundered in rapid succession.
The clones attempted to fight back, but their strength was utterly futile against the relentless Lu Yuan.
Their attacks failed to touch her swift form, while each bullet from Lu Yuan’s spear ensured a clone’s complete annihilation.
She was like an efficient and merciless machine — aim, line up, pull the trigger.
Amid the continuous detonations, Lu Yuan wiped out every fake “Chen Lianxue.”
The fiery blasts illuminated her side profile.
Within mere seconds, the last explosion’s echo faded in the deserted amusement park.
All the clones had been wiped out completely.
***
Lu Yuan stood with her spear, breathing slightly hard, the smoke from her barrel slowly dissipating.
In the distance, a crow perched quietly on a branch.
On the freshly renovated amusement park floor, the lingering smoke and countless charred pits suggested a hefty compensation bill.
But how much it would cost wasn’t Lu Yuan’s concern; the Magical Girl Headquarters would compensate the park manager.
She turned toward the quiet locker.
Now, only one problem remained.
She had to remove Chen Lianxue’s collar within an hour.