Off Work, Then I Become a Magical Girl
Chapter 113: Too Simple a Battle

Before Lin Yun could react, the blonde girl suddenly shot up from the trash can, her entire body drenched in filth and unidentified grime. She pursed her lips and looked up at him.

She didn’t say anything.

But the look in her eyes said everything.

Lin Yun took one glance at her and instinctively took two steps back.

"Why are you backing away?"

Her face was pale, but she staggered forward step by step, forcing herself toward him.

"Are you feeling guilty?"

"I have no reason to feel guilty."

Lin Yun raised a hand, signaling for her to stop.

"You tell me to stop, and I’m supposed to just listen to you?"

The girl’s lips curled up, almost into a smirk—ready to mock him. But then she froze.

She processed his words, and the second half of her insult never left her mouth.

She frowned slightly, raising her hand to sniff near her nose.

Then—whatever scent she caught—her entire body recoiled, like a cat getting hit with an overpowering stench. She stuck out her tongue, her face twisting in revulsion as she squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head frantically, as if trying to shake the smell away.

It didn’t help.

She crouched down, gagging for a long moment before staggering back to her feet, her expression now filled with unease and something close to sheer horror.

"...You okay?"

Lin Yun couldn’t help but ask.

"Maybe you should… stop for now and clean yourself up?"

"No!"

She raised a hand, trying to wipe her face—but the moment she felt the grime trickling down her forehead, her expression darkened. Her cheeks puffed out, and she looked seconds away from vomiting.

"I’m a Magical Girl! A little bit of garbage filth is nothing! I can just undo my transformation, and even if I’m injured, my body will—"

"...It’s really dirty."

Lin Yun cut her off, seriously correcting her before she could finish her defiant speech.

"It’d be best if you clean up quickly. Otherwise, the smell will stick."

He wasn’t trying to provoke her or change the topic. He was simply stating a fact.

Magical Girls could negate injuries while transformed—but filth was a different story.

Since dirt wasn’t part of their actual body, even after reverting to their normal form, the filth would remain.

This was basic knowledge for any Magical Girl.

The girl stood there, stunned. Clearly, she had just realized the same thing.

After a few seconds of dazed silence, her lips curved into a strange smile—one that wavered at the edges, as if on the verge of breaking apart.

If Lin Yun wasn’t mistaken…

Her eyes were starting to glisten.

"Gu—hahaha! So what?!"

She forced out a loud, almost manic laugh.

"You think this is going to shake my spirit? You think I’ll be intimidated by something like this?! No way! Never!"

"You think I’ll retreat just to take a bath?! I refuse!"

Without giving Lin Yun a chance to respond, she ignited her magic, forming a wand in her right hand.

"I’m going to catch you here and now!"

"I don’t even know what you’re talking about!" Lin Yun maintained his perfectly innocent act, firmly refuting her accusations.

"This is your final warning—stay back! Or else I’ll report you to the Countermeasure Bureau for dereliction of duty!"

"I told you—the Countermeasure Bureau has no authority over me!"

With a shout, she fired a magic blast at him.

The attack came suddenly, but Lin Yun had been prepared. He sidestepped, letting the blast sail past him.

Only after dodging did he realize—he had made a mistake.

The attack wasn’t strong.

Clearly, the girl had held back, possibly assuming he wasn’t on the level of a Ravager. The blast had only left a faint scorch mark on the ground.

If Lin Yun hadn’t dodged, he could have simply taken the hit—selling the illusion that he was a regular person.

But now, it was too late.

His instinctive reaction had already betrayed him.

Even someone as dense as this girl would realize something was off.

"Hah! A normal person? Dodging a Magical Girl’s attack?"

She grinned.

"I knew it! That magic fluctuation just now—there’s no way it was my imagination! You, Mr. Suspiciously Evil-Looking Man, you lied to me!"

"...I look like a bad guy?"

Her other deductions were accurate, but that last comment caught Lin Yun off guard.

"Yeah! Guys like you—clean-cut, serious-faced older men—always turn out to be creeps!"

She pointed an accusatory finger at him.

"You fit the description perfectly! You’re totally the type to be a ‘gentleman on the surface, monster underneath’!"

Her declaration was made with the absolute confidence of a detective uncovering the ultimate truth.

"You’ve already exposed yourself! Now, surrender immediately!"

And with that, she fired another blast.

A Chaotic Chase

Lin Yun dashed through the alley, evading attack after attack as he used every available cover to avoid her spells.

His hand drifted toward his chest, debating whether to reveal his identity.

But hesitating for even a moment cost him—

A magic blast grazed his sleeve, ripping through the fabric.

"Ha! No mere amateur magic user could dodge for this long!"

The blonde girl laughed hysterically—but her voice had a slight tremor.

"I’ll just erase you right here!"

She raised her wand, her magic surging far beyond the level she had used before.

Lin Yun sighed internally.

"So it’s come to this after all."

Since she was getting serious, he had no choice but to transform.

He activated the Heartstone Flower at his chest, releasing a surge of blue magic, as threads of energy began weaving up his legs—

But just as he was about to transform—

The blonde girl slipped.

She had stepped on a slick patch, her feet flying out from under her as she crashed onto the ground.

That wasn’t even the worst part.

Her wand, still charged with energy, fired off a massive shot—

—straight up into the sky.

The yellow magic blast illuminated the dark alley like a firework.

The girl stared at it, dumbfounded.

Then—

THUD!

From somewhere above, a loose metal pipe suddenly plummeted down—

—landing directly on her head.

She collapsed instantly.

And then—silence.

Veronica, having just finished her transformation, stood frozen with one hand over her Heartstone Gem, staring at the unconscious girl on the ground.

For a moment, she simply did not know what to say.

The situation was…

Beyond awkward.

After a long pause, she finally moved.

She walked over, crouched down, and checked the girl’s breathing.

Still alive.

She nudged the girl’s arm.

"You okay?"

No response.

The blonde girl briefly opened her eyes, looked at Veronica—

And then closed them again.

This time, she was fully unconscious.

With her magic control weakened, her transformation faded—leaving behind a 12- or 13-year-old schoolgirl.

Veronica stared down at the pathetically small, grime-covered figure and sighed.

"I’ll just let her teammates deal with her."

Veronica hesitated, staring at the unconscious blonde girl on the ground.

Her first instinct was to pick her up—but then she remembered.

The filth.

This girl had climbed out of a trash can.

Veronica froze mid-motion, her outstretched hand hovering awkwardly in the air.

After a brief moment of internal debate, she sighed and withdrew her hand.

"Best to leave her for her teammates."

According to what the blonde had mentioned earlier, there were three Magical Girls in their group. The other two were still fighting a Ravager somewhere nearby.

If everything went smoothly, they would return for her after the battle.

Checking the Situation

With that thought in mind, Veronica turned away and left the alley, making her way toward the Ravager’s location.

If the golden-haired fool was any indication, her teammates might not be much better.

If they were struggling, it’d be best to step in before things got worse.

Upon arriving at the site, she immediately noticed the battle.

A mixture of red and blue magic swirled around the Ravager, colliding against its hide in a series of sharp, explosive sparks.

The fight wasn’t just ongoing—it was intense.

Then, in a swift and decisive moment—

The red and blue light split into two intersecting flashes, carving a clean X-shaped cut across the Ravager’s chest.

With a final, agonized roar, the beast split apart, its body disintegrating into pieces.

The battle was over.

It had been an easy victory.

Veronica’s sharp eyes immediately caught something—

The girl using blue magic was not wielding a wand.

She was holding something completely different.

Magical Armor.

Seeing this, Veronica’s gaze flicked back toward the alley where the blonde girl had collapsed.

Her teammates had just effortlessly taken down a Ravager—but she had nearly lost a fight against a "regular human."

The gap in skill was way too large.

Disappearing Without a Trace

Since the blonde girl never truly discovered her identity, Veronica no longer had any reason to linger.

Her next course of action was clear.

She turned and walked back into the dark alley, approaching the unconscious blonde girl.

With little effort, she lifted the girl up and leaned her against the alley wall—placing her just within view of the street.

This way, when her teammates returned, they would immediately see her instead of leaving her behind.

That done, Veronica quietly withdrew into the shadows, dispelling her transformation.

By the time she re-emerged from the alley, she was Lin Yun once more.

Taking a quick detour, he retraced his steps to the convenience store warehouse, climbing through the window and grabbing his luggage.

After washing his hands and composing himself, he stepped out of the store, blending back into the city crowd.

By the time he passed by the alley again, the battle had ended—and the Magical Girls had returned.

Peering into the alley, he saw two figures crouched beside the blonde girl—one with short red hair and a skirt, the other with long blue hair and a cape.

Their expressions were filled with exasperation as they spoke to her unconscious form, clearly annoyed.

After a brief conversation, they seemed to reach an agreement.

The blue-haired girl sighed, looking deeply unwilling—but still leaned down and hoisted the blonde girl over her shoulder.

Then, without another word, the two took off into the sky, leaving behind a faint trail of magic as they vanished into the night.

As the city lights flickered, people in the crowd finally noticed the Magical Girls above them.

Dozens of phones snapped up, cameras flashing as they captured the remaining traces of magic in the air.

Amidst the murmuring and excitement, Lin Yun simply stood still, watching the three disappear into the distance.

His eyes narrowed slightly.

As if deep in thought.