Starting as a Magical Girl, I Alone Shall Rule for Eternity

Chapter 176: A Challenge from Silver Lotus

"Please leave immediately."

Silver Lotus immediately hugged Jiang Si and flew upward.

The people below all gasped.

Silver Lotus no longer worried about exposing her identity;

there was hardly any need for her to hide it anymore.

Still, the traffic police would likely coordinate with the Disaster Control Bureau, and Senior Susan would probably help conceal things...

Silver Lotus kept urging her thoughts to calm down.

But she couldn't.

That trembling purple Miracle Seed would not leave her mind!

She glanced down again;

the Miracle Seed had been put away, no longer hanging at his neck.

After watching for a moment, Jiang Si's expression showed no major change.He seemed completely unconcerned about what had just happened.

Silver Lotus, carrying Jiang Si and flying in the sky, fell silent for a long time.

Pink petals swirled around them, almost clinging to their bodies.

Jiang Si could even sense a faint, barely-there danger.

On top of those petals, there was a thick, lingering gloom

as if carrying a faint streak of murderous intent.

After reaching Blooming rank, mana can reflect a Magical Girl's emotions — actually it could before Blooming too, only at Blooming the mana reacts more precisely to mirror the master's emotions.

Anger and grievance, the dark killing intent, and indecisive entanglement.

They could all be sensed clearly.

If she wanted to fight, Jiang Si would fight.

Although Silver Lotus restrained herself from behind, Jiang Si wasn't afraid.

He had more than thirty ways to counterattack, needing no mana at all;

with his body alone he could break free from Silver Lotus' hold.

They were now at an altitude of over a thousand meters. To avoid being seen and probably to avoid leaving evidence of a murder, Silver Lotus had flown this high.

Jumping down wasn't a problem;

the earth would respond warmly — that was the Great Dao responding to me.

Those who don't cultivate the Dao wouldn't understand.

But the problem was the counterattack after landing.

Without using Polluted Magic, walking in midair is somewhat difficult;

the spatial Dao Seed's power was still a bit domineering against his current body, and transforming into Shion would feel like a giant bullying a child.

He needed to transform into Calamity Dragon, but Silver Lotus seemed to possess attributes specifically countering Disaster Beasts.

Against Silver Lotus, Polluted Magic would likely fare poorly;

he had to be careful...

He had already devised the plan in his head, waiting for the instant the other party made a move to defend and counterattack.

"About your Miracle Seed."

Here it comes.

Jiang Si held his breath;

the muscles on his body instantly tensed into iron!

"Is it Shion's?"

His fists clenched, already aiming at the other's head.

Will concentrated like a grinding stone, spirit refined, focus to a point, reaching the pinnacle!

"Yes."

"Miss Shion really trusts you, huh."

The momentum of reaching the pinnacle faltered slightly.

Jiang Si thought he might have misheard, "What did you just say?"

"I said," Silver Lotus flicked her hair in the raging wind, "Miss Shion really trusts you;

she even entrusted you with the Miracle Seed."

Could it be that his intelligence was so extraordinary that he overestimated mortal minds?

This was almost like entrusting his life to someone.

Silver Lotus spoke softly, "Once I had someone I trusted like that too, she was my sister. I never hesitated to leave the Miracle Seed with her, but my trust was repaid with a polluted seed."

"That was terrible."

"So, don't disappoint Miss Shion."

"I won't."

Although Jiang Si didn't plan to lie, since the other side offered the excuse herself, there was nothing more to say.

And what she said wasn't entirely wrong.

"Shion and I cultivated life together," Jiang Si nodded, "as for Shion's transformation—"

"I know." Silver Lotus interrupted him again, "Miss Shion has surely mastered the ability to use the Miracle Seed to transform from a distance, right?"

"Where did that come from?"

Silver Lotus went on, "I've heard some powerful Magical Girls can transform from afar. As long as they sense a Miracle Seed, they can directly guide its power to complete a transformation, even summon the Miracle Seed from thousands of miles away."

She sounded like she was relaying a dream: "Once a Witch Association member was crushed by a senior Magical Girl. To win, they stole her Miracle Seed and threw it into the sea a thousand miles away. In the end, that senior Magical Girl still called forth the miracle during a Disaster Beast encounter, successfully transformed and retrieved the Miracle Seed."

"What's the source?"

The wind howled, the sky grew eerily quiet.

"I don't remember," Silver Lotus said forcefully, "but I remember it's true."

"Oh."

Silence fell again.

Silver Lotus' flying speed was actually not slow;

after leaving the car it wouldn't take long to return to the Disaster Control Bureau. Yet she circled above and slowed her pace.

"Jiang Si, you and Miss Shion seem really close."

Hearing the stiff remark, Jiang Si nodded, "Pretty good."

"Almost like the same person."

Jiang Si considered whether she was trying to provoke him.

"Miss Shion really is a highly self-centered person."

"Self-centered, ferocious, ruthless, and blessed with the strength to back up her recklessness — truly a headache."

Provoking? Interesting.

"But occasionally she shows a somewhat easygoing side, giving people the illusion that she can be communicated with."

Not an illusion, right? Haven't I always been easy to talk to?

Jiang Si didn't reply;

he just wanted to see how long this girl would monologue.

This Bureau's Magical Girls cultivate temperament without fortitude;

lack of foundation affects not only their stature but even their sanity falls toward primal instinct.

Keke's atavism culprit had been found.

This needed to be controlled.

"Actually, I used to resent Miss Shion for a while," Silver Lotus continued, talking to herself, "she killed my sister in front of me — the only family member willing to care for me — killed her mercilessly, not even giving me a last word."

"Oh, that's truly hateful." Jiang Si nodded, "I'll scold her when we return."

That one line deflated Silver Lotus.

Emotions she had been brewing for a long time were mostly gone in an instant.

For a moment she even wanted to apologize to her sister.

Sorry, sister, I couldn't hold myself.

She found herself ready to laugh at such a thought...

Then again, since she had already laughed once before, her sister probably wouldn't be angry.

Even if she were, she'd have moved on long ago, maybe reborn and living anew.

It didn't matter whether she laughed or not now.

So Silver Lotus simply laughed wholeheartedly, bright and radiant, "Yes, it's despicable. You must scold her harshly. If possible, help me spank her butt!"

Jiang Si just nodded, "Okay."

"But don't be too harsh."

She paused, hovering high in the sky, and said softly, "Because my sister really is terrible. She prevented Senior Susan from transforming and ruined my Miracle Seed. If not for you, Jiang Si, I might never become a Magical Girl again in this life. So, Miss Shion killing her wasn't entirely wrong. No one can blame her, not even me."

Reasoned.

"Still, how to put it?" Silver Lotus showed a conflicted expression, "I grew up under my sister's protection. Even if she was at fault and I don't hate her, for all she did to shelter me, I must do something."

"I want to challenge Shion. I know I can't win and it's pointless, but if I don't do it, I could never face her nor properly get along with you. It will also be a formal goodbye to my sister."

Jiang Si nodded, "Alright."

Then, with both arms suddenly forceful, he struck toward the Silver Lotus behind him!

The Magical Girl was caught off guard;

the arms that had been holding Jiang Si were instantly smashed apart, even feeling as if they might break.

She had to let go, allowing Jiang Si to fall from over a thousand meters!

"Jiang Si!"

Before she could process that a Blooming-ranked Magical Girl couldn't withstand Jiang Si's attack, Silver Lotus immediately manipulated the petals to catch him.

But unexpectedly, the youth controlled himself effortlessly in the air;

following his momentum, a single punch shattered the petals she had gathered!

Silver Lotus accelerated downward like a meteor to reach Jiang Si, trying to grab him, only to be kicked aside by him.

Even Silver Lotus couldn't help feeling a flare of anger. As a Magical Girl, being repelled so many times by someone using no mana, relying purely on physical strength, felt humiliating.

Vines wrapped around through her wand, binding Jiang Si's wrists, but he showed no fear;

he grabbed the vines in return and pulled hard!

Silver Lotus realized that in her magical outfit, her strength was still inferior to Jiang Si's!

Her body was suddenly yanked;

Jiang Si spun once in the air and, using inertia, violently hurled the Magical Girl away!

She slammed like a meteor into an isolated iron tower beside the Disaster Control Bureau. The tower gave a shrill creak and began to tilt, about to collapse, pulling and snapping sparking power lines.

But soon, petals covered the whole tower, holding it up.

Only then did Jiang Si thunderously land.

A huge cloud of dust and rubble shot up, spreading outward like a great wave and leaving a massive crater!

A figure leaped out from the dust-filled pit.

Jiang Si dusted himself off.

A thousand-meter fall, as he expected, required no mana;

his body could handle it.

This body now had the form of an Ancient Wild Saint Body: a first-stage flawless body, cultivated to ninefold completion, pressing down on Immortal Platform masters was no longer far-fetched!

On the other side, the pink Magical Girl rose, taking in the safely intact youth.

"Beat me first." Jiang Si walked toward her, "Win against me, then talk about challenging Shion."

Silver Lotus spun her wand once, "Don't be fooled by my looks, I'm still a Magical Girl."

Petals multiplied around her, and a few Disaster Beasts appeared faintly among them, "I won't hold back."

Jiang Si grabbed another iron tower nearby.

It was roughly thirty meters tall, a forest-fire watch tower built to monitor a small forest that once stood north of Beihai.

But the forest was gone long ago;

the tower, rusted and neglected, was effortlessly uprooted by Jiang Si!

Bits of rusty parts, screws, brackets, and a stairway clattered down as he swung the tower with ease.

"You better not, after all—"

The tower thundered down toward Silver Lotus!

"—you're the challenger!"

....

A dim basement.

Twins shakily lifted her head, staring at the iron chain in her hands.

She sighed deeply.

She'd been hung up again.

Lately she seemed to be bound all the time.

From the Prince to here.

She only wanted to steal some intel, so why did she always suffer this inhuman treatment?

When will this world get better? Spies are treated way too harshly...

Twins definitely didn't have masochistic tastes, yet she was being pushed to the Awakening Moment.

"You're finally awake."

Opposite her stood a figure wrapped entirely in black clothing, exposing only a pair of eyes.

In those eyes small insects could be seen crawling.

A Dregs member of the Curse Realm.

According to the intel she had found, this person should already be an infected Curse Realm operative.

If exposed to sunlight, the curse worms inside would desperately try to crawl out, destroying tendons and flesh until the body corroded — a gruesome death.

Twins had seen, with her own eyes, a body in the sun being consumed by worms until it became a pool of rotten flesh.

Not suitable for children.

So they typically operated at night.

And the Witch Association preferred dark atmospheres and nighttime operations, partly for effect and convenience.

Compared to the Curse Realm, the Witch Association seemed like a newborn babe in purity.

Our Magical Girl worldview usually isn't this bloody and terrifying — did these people pick the wrong path?

"Can you tell us who sent you?"

"No comment."

"Then don't blame us for being ruthless." The Curse Realm operative picked up a red-hot iron rod.

Twins sneered, "Don't think cruelty will make Lady Twins talk. I've suffered more than the salt you've eaten! Mere beatings — my iron-boned Twins won't fear you! I'm always loyal;

once I choose a master I never change, never betray! Come on then!"

"This is actually a curse." The Curse Realm agent waved the hot rod.

Twins then noticed the black gas emanating from it and an eerie magical force.

It was Polluted Magic, but with a difference.

"Complete Witches are composed of Polluted Magic, but this curse transforms Polluted Magic into maggots. The more Polluted Magic, the more maggots."

As they spoke, they demonstrated.

They pressed the curse seal onto the little mouse made of her Polluted Magic.

Red Crane Mouse let out a pained squeal.

The mouse rapidly turned into a white mass of disco-like maggots writhing and dancing.

Cold sweat broke out over Twins.

Maggots.

Was she really going to turn into maggots?!

"Hmph!" Twins' voice trembled, but she still forced out, "Tw-Twins is a Grand Witch of the Witch Association! You dare intimidate me, the Witch Association won't spare you!"

"So it is the Witch Association." The Curse Realm man snickered, "You deceived us to go to the Mirror Kingdom to seize turf. Half of Curse Realm's forces were wiped out by the Full Bloom Magical Girl Mùjǐn, and Curse Realm was even kicked out of the Old World Alliance."

"Afraid of the World Alliance?"

Putting down the iron rod, the Curse Realm operative leaned on the table and said, "Yes, the Old World Alliance, formed by Old World Ghosts to seize this world's rules and origin to save their world. They target Heart Image Remnants and Full Bloom Magical Girls."

"Why are you telling me this? Twins won't help you!"

"We don't need you to help," the Curse Realm man said darkly, "we actually hope you'll help us send this information out."

Twins thought that sounded great, but feigned reluctance, "Uh, not so good, right?"

"For Curse Realm, those who abandoned us in the Old World deserve to be annihilated." The Curse Realm member sneered, "And do you know who the Old World's greatest fear is now?"

"Who?"

"Azure Cloud Sect." The Curse Realm agent said coldly, "And their leader, Magical Girl Shion. Even the Magical Girl Killer was completely destroyed by Azure Cloud Sect;

now all the Old World people are terrified, no one wants to be the first to act."

Damn, you're afraid of my father, and you didn't just say so!

"I know Curse Realm wants to be the first to act, right?" Twins immediately replied, "No problem, I'll help you. That's my specialty. I'll gladly be your first bird to attack Azure Cloud Sect and strike them hard!"

"Bullshit!"

The Curse Realm man spat, "The Old World Alliance is feared by all. How could Curse Realm possibly provoke them!"

Cowards!

Twins grimaced, grinding her teeth in frustration.

Back then she and the Captain both dared to take on Azure Cloud Sect and Shion!

Enemies nowadays had no backbone, not even a chuckle — far worse than the Witch Association!

"What we want is cooperation with Azure Cloud Sect."

The Curse Realm lowered his voice, "After cooperation, just give us a region to live in. Curse Realm will fight alongside Azure Cloud Sect against the Old World Alliance, helping them stop those trying to steal this world's origin."

My father needs your help? Look at yourself in the mirror, please.

Outwardly Twins still pretended to play along with a grin, "That's easy to say, but Azure Cloud Sect is greedy. Without sufficient benefit, they won't agree to cooperate."

"Don't worry."

The Curse Realm man smiled slightly, "We already anticipated that."

"Azure Cloud Sect has never stopped fighting the Witch Association. I know Azure Cloud Sect wants to annihilate the Witch Association."

What he said wasn't wrong, but it didn't necessarily mean endless hatred.

Twins thought it all depended on her father's mood.

If luck favored them, some Witch Association people might survive — like Xilan.

That fool managed to live, unlike my sister.

"So we've prepared a gift in advance."

The Curse Realm produced a pitch-black book.

Four large characters were written on it:

Death Note.

He leisurely flipped open a page and showed Twins.

Twins' eyes widened at the name she saw,

Simo Tu!

"We plan to kill the Witch Association's strongest newcomer soon and present his head to Azure Cloud Sect as a bargaining chip and a show of sincerity!"