At the moment when Lin Xiaolu and the nearby Fairy were almost in despair, the horrific scene they had anticipated did not occur.
The claw of the Remnant Beast, which had almost pierced the delicate white neck of the young girl, was stopped at the last moment.
Because in the blink of an eye, a deep blue Magic Wand, of unknown origin, was positioned beneath its claw, blocking the fatal attack on the Magical Girl.
Lin Xiaolu, standing behind the Magic Wand, had not even had time to make sense of the situation, and was only slightly aware that she had just narrowly escaped death when she was forcefully pushed by a hand and involuntarily stumbled backward.
"Step back,"
the newcomer said.
It was at this moment that Lin Xiaolu finally saw who had saved her:
The deep blue Magic Power, which appeared as substantial as fire burning, radiated from the center and dispersed into flickering sparks.
And amidst them stood a petite girl with an indifferent expression.
She was dressed in a dark navy Lolita-style gown, with complex and gorgeous decorative ribbons, her long blue hair neatly tied into a princess braid at the back of her head, and a large Bonnet covering her head.
"If you truly wish to become a Magical Girl capable of protecting a city like Fangting City..."
She began indifferently, her voice like that of a robin yet carrying the authority of a superior, "then watch closely, my battle."
As her words fell, the flame-like Magic Power around her dissipated into nothingness.
"Magical Girl, flower card certification number 41076, Emerald Sparrow, extermination mission begins."
"Grrrooooooooarrr!"
The two-headed Remnant Beast, which had until now been repelled by the mysterious girl wielding the Magic Wand with one hand, issued a violent roar of uncontainable fury upon realizing the change in its adversary.
The intelligence of the Remnant Beast was not enough to facilitate any rational dialogue with the Magical Girl before it; instead, it exhibited near-human intelligence in fully displaying its feelings of humiliation.
I will kill you too.
Had it been capable of speech, it likely would have uttered something along these lines. Then, gathering strength throughout its body, the tubes covering its surface pulsed, emitting a faint green glow as something was channeled toward its legs.
In an instant, it repeated its previous trick and vanished from the spot once again.
The mysterious girl, expressionless, lifted her Magic Wand and deflected an attack to the side and rear of her body.
Clang!
The Remnant Beast, which had suddenly appeared in the air, had its outstretched claws and full-force assault effortlessly neutralized.
After deflecting the attack, the girl showed a hint of perplexity on her face: "Is this speed from an Inchworm... Why would there be an Inchworm in Fangting City now?"
However, no one present could answer her question.
"Roooooarrrrrr!"
Lacking the intelligence to engage in structured communication with the Magical Girl opposing it, the Remnant Beast, having had its attack parried, let out an even more infuriated roar. The sound waves generated by the roar nearly flipped over Lin Xiaolu and Moco, who were watching the battle from the side.
Then, the offensive from the Remnant Beast commenced once again.
The faint green claws shimmered in the darkness, falling like a net from all directions towards the mysterious girl. Its enormous size did not hinder its speed. In fact, Lin Xiaolu, who was observing from the side, could not track its movements despite its massive form.
But this speed seemed to pose no threat at all to the petite deep blue Magical Girl.
With a simple sway of her figure, she quietly appeared several steps away in an open area, easily dodging the dense and swift attacks of the Remnant Beast.
This was not the end.
Realizing that its target had dodged, the Remnant Beast, although it had missed, quickly locked onto its target again and pressed forward with its assault.
"Zzzt—"
A teeth-gritting metallic scraping noise erupted between them.
The mystical girl moved nimbly within a confined space, dancing lightly as she leaped about, occasionally drawing out her magic wand to ward off some exceedingly tricky attacks, and beneath the fierce onslaught of the Remnant Beasts' scratching and clawing, she didn't sustain even the slightest injury.
"Roarrrrr!"
After a period in which neither could gain the upper hand, it was evident that the Remnant Beasts were growing impatient. With an angry roar, they flashed with a burst of green glow from the soft tubes around their bodies, then suddenly sprinted forward a short distance—only to disappear once again right before striking, launching an attack almost simultaneously from behind the mystical girl.
The heart-stopping offensive lasted only a moment; any hint of negligence in one's reaction would result in a gruesome demise. Yet the girl still blocked the strike with perfectly precise movements, showing no signs of strain.
However, the end was still not in sight.
Both of the Remnant Beasts' enormous heads opened their maws almost simultaneously, revealing gleaming white teeth and drooling saliva. As the girl's magic wand collided with its sharp claws, the beast seized the brief interval to viciously bite down toward her neck.
In that moment, Lin Xiaolu, who had been watching from the side, finally grasped the state of the battle, feeling as if her heartbeat had nearly stopped.
It was also at this time that the girl about to be bitten simply watched, showing no intention of raising her hand to defend herself.
The gaping jaw descended.
But it failed to close.
Time seemed to freeze at that moment. The Remnant Beast's head, which should have bitten the mystical girl, could not advance even a fraction more.
Upon closer inspection, one would realize that the Remnant Beast was still in motion, but it appeared as though something was obstructing it, allowing only minor movements.
"——For defensive maneuvers, I'll demonstrate up to this point," said the petite girl suddenly from beneath the shadow of the Remnant Beast.
This left Lin Xiaolu by the side stunned for a moment before she realized the other was speaking to her, and she nodded somewhat blankly, "Ah, okay... thank you?"
The mystical girl glanced at her, then returned her gaze to the Remnant Beast in front of her, which for some reason was unable to move, and continued, "Now then, it's time to end this."
From start to finish, it seemed she had never taken this Remnant Beast seriously.
She simply reached out her hand, lightly touching the void as if she were strumming a harp. She gently curled her fingers upward, and suddenly straight indentations appeared on her delicate fingertips.
Then, deep blue magic power slowly became visible from all around.
One strand, two strands, three strands, each emitting a clear, luminescent glow.
Four strands, five strands, six strands, formed into a delicate net.
To Lin Xiaolu's eyes appeared a net that shimmered with blue light, composed entirely of lines of magic power.
A vast amount of magic silk suddenly appeared in the previously dim forest, lighting up the surrounding darkness, dispersing the chill brought by the Remnant Beasts and firmly locking the massive creature in the center like an inanimate doll motionless.
Only then did Lin Xiaolu notice that, without knowing when, the mystical girl's magic wand had disappeared.
In its place, what she held in her hand was a pair of small, intricately patterned tailoring scissors.
"Magic construction, separate," she declared.
Following that, the threads of magic power wrapped around the Remnant Beast began to surge as if alive.
The deep blue threads of magic moved together, interweaving autonomously. Multiple ends connected, threaded through and stretched, eventually constructing a hollow short sword that seemed to be crafted from metallic wire.
The mystical girl held it in her hand, as if it were a delicate toy devoid of any power.
She lifted it toward the Remnant Beast's forehead with an expressionless face.
Though the Remnant Beast was firmly suppressed by the magic lines and already aware it faced death, there was not a trace of fear in its violent gaze—only the desire for slaughter and destruction ingrained in its instincts.
Even at this point, it was still trying to break free from its bonds, launching an attack at the Magical Girl before it.
The girl waited no longer, gently lifting her hand and making a swift, clean swipe.
The deep blue magic exploded with a blinding light in the night forest, illuminating the surrounding sky.