Off Work, Then I Become a Magical Girl
Chapter 142: Prey

Ravagers, monsters that existed long before human civilization in the Material World, have an origin no one can say for certain.

The most well-known theory is that all Ravagers draw their life and power from a single source—an immensely powerful entity that left behind neither name nor form. Yet in all of Magic’s existing research, there’s no evidence to support this.

But belief doesn’t need evidence. There’s never a shortage of people who believe it. When Black Cinders Dawn talks about “the Lord,” they’re referring to this nameless being.

They call it the Beast Lord.

“The Great Beast Disaster nineteen years ago might have been a catastrophe for the Material World, but for us, it left behind a priceless treasure trove for researching Ravager power.”

The Ravager's voice echoed with amusement in the minds of every Magical Girl present. “Countless Ravager remains with Echo still intact, numerous lifeforms injured by beast magic, and battle data in massive quantities—things Black Cinders Dawn could never access in peacetime, but during the disaster, they were all at our fingertips.”

“Later, from a handful of extremely rare Ravagers, we extracted a peculiar crystal. To our surprise, every Ravager that had one embedded showed noticeable magic enrichment in its body.”

“Their physiques became tougher. Their internal organs more advanced. Even their intelligence saw remarkable development.”

“We studied these crystals in depth and discovered they had the ability to devour and purify large amounts of magic, then release a unique kind of energy that drastically accelerated evolution. It pushed the upper limits of what a Ravager could become.”

“But the problem is, those crystals are far too rare. We dissected every corpse from the Beast Disaster and only managed to obtain a few. And the amount of magic needed to activate them? Massive. A little bit just won’t cut it. Our experiments progressed at a crawl.”

“It took us more than ten years to produce a fully evolved Molting-tier Ravager in our first experiment. But just as it completed its evolution, its body collapsed, turning into a puddle of magic-infused sludge.”

“The second experiment began two years later. Took even longer. Same ending—it collapsed.”

“After two more failures, I ruled out every other factor and realized the problem wasn’t our method—it was the food.”

“We bred meat pigs to feed the Ravagers, but that alone wasn’t enough. Just like a picky human diet leads to illness, Ravagers need a balanced diet too.”

“Fairy magic, Magical Girl magic, beast magic—none of them can be left out.”

“To test this theory, in our most recent experiment two years ago, I made a decision: I extracted magic from a Flower Card Magical Girl and fed it to our Ravager. That’s when everything changed—its growth rate skyrocketed, and it started showing signs of intelligence.”

“I knew then—my experiment had succeeded.”

The giant moth slowly flapped its wings, staring down at the blue-haired girl lying on the ground. “So I must thank your teammate, Veronica. It was Sakura’s death that finally gave me the Flower Card magic I’d been lacking for so long. Thanks to her, I saw the possibility of success again.”

Veronica said nothing.

She was indeed injured.

The Ravager had stolen her Magical Armor, then struck her directly.

Sure, a Magical Girl’s body is made of magic, not biological organs. But Magical Armor doesn’t just hurt the body—it strikes at the soul.

Her soul had been nearly sliced in half. That kind of pain was enough to throw any ordinary Magical Girl into chaos.

Veronica now lay flat on the ground, expressionless, quietly listening to the Ravager’s smug monologue.

“…You seem to be missing an audience.”

And yet, even in that state, her voice didn’t reveal a shred of pain—just the same calm as always. “I’m not interested in your story of patience and perseverance.”

“Is that so?”

There was a hint of surprise in Mors’s voice. “I thought you might be moved by your former teammate’s death.”

“If your goal is to piss me off, congrats—you already succeeded.”

Her voice didn’t waver. “But if you're trying to shake me by telling me you killed Sakura, I can only say: not a chance.”

“Oh? I even kept the altar up just for this. You must’ve sensed Sakura’s magic from the ritual. You still don’t believe me?”

“So what?”

Veronica didn’t look away. Who knew what she was really thinking beneath that calm exterior. “Sakura’s dead. Her Heartstone disappeared. I’ve known that for a while. All you did was confirm that you people were definitely involved.”

“You don’t understand what it means to be the strongest Flower Card. You don’t get what she was capable of. Sakura reached that level because she beat one seemingly unbeatable enemy after another.”

She propped herself up, her tone turning serious. “And you think garbage like you could’ve beaten her? Killed her?”

“Don’t make me laugh. You’re not even worthy of saying her name.”

Mors went silent for a beat, then chuckled again.

“Hahaha, I like that. That unshakable attitude of yours.”

“That’s why I chose today—such a grand occasion—and invited these adorable little spectators.”

She gestured with her limbs toward the rookies nearby. “I can’t prove I killed Sakura anymore. But what if I do it to these little ones instead? What do you think?”

“Like that girl over there. Sakura’s daughter. And her father has some history with you too, doesn’t he? If I kill her right here, will you still be able to keep that ice-cold poker face? I can’t wait to find out.”

“…Don’t you dare.” Veronica pulled herself up using threads, forcing herself to her feet again.

“Then let’s see what you’ve got.”

Mors raised a limb. Countless dark-purple spheres appeared in midair. “How long can you protect them, Veronica?”

As her words fell, the magic spheres dropped like meteors toward Lin Xiaolu.

Lin Xiaolu and the others had been fending off other Ravagers while trying to move toward Veronica. Now, seeing the incoming spheres, they immediately turned and tried to dodge. But the magic spheres followed her movements like they had a mind of their own.

Veronica shot forward like a streak of light, arriving beside the rookies in a flash. Her Magical Armor formed a massive net, shielding them from the descending spheres.

But before the spheres could even touch her threads, they vanished.

Without hesitation, she cast Favored Runes, summoning several Magic Barriers to block the attack again—but they also vanished in an instant.

Seeing this, Lin Xiaolu fired a silver-white blast of magic at the spheres, but it too disappeared halfway through.

“They’re not one-time use. They can absorb in stages.”

Veronica muttered in the air, eyes narrowing as the spheres closed in. Then she accelerated again—this time throwing herself in front of Lin Xiaolu, taking the full brunt of a magic sphere with her body.

Xia Liang, watching nearby, quickly released her own Magical Armor. Several mirrors wrapped around Veronica, trying to deflect the magic. But they shattered instantly under the pressure—even before Mors could erase them.

Crack.

“Grh…ugh!”

Cracks spread across Xia Liang’s face as she was flung backward.

And Veronica, who had taken the full impact at the center of the blast, was hit even harder. Her soul shaken, she fell like a kite with a broken string—straight into Lin Xiaolu’s arms.

“Xia Liang! D*mn it! Veronica! Are you okay?!”

She panicked, checking for a breath. Veronica’s dress was torn and scorched. Xiaolu shook her gently. “You okay? Veronica?!”

Veronica’s eyes fluttered open. She slowly sat up and grabbed Xiaolu’s hand.

“I’m fine.”

She took a few breaths, then met Xiaolu’s gaze. “I’m here. Don’t worry. Everything will be okay.”

“‘Okay’?! This is the second time already! Look at you!”

Xiaolu’s voice cracked. “Don’t treat yourself like this! If protecting me just gets in your way—then maybe it’d be better if—”

Veronica squeezed her hand, stopping her. Then she stood again, slowly, facing Mors.

“I was hoping your sob story would go on longer,” Mors sneered. “Why not show off your noble sacrifice some more? Let me cry a little.”

“I don’t waste words on trash.”

Veronica’s voice stayed calm and firm. “If you want a tragedy, you can watch your own end play out in hell.”

“Hahaha. Fine. Let’s keep going.”

More spheres gathered above. Mors’ voice rose. “Let’s see how long you can protect them with that battered body, without a shred of magic left.”

The sky above was dense with dark-purple magic spheres. Veronica’s expression didn’t change. Moko looked horrified. Xia Liang hung her head, completely drained. Lin Xiaolu was pale too, glancing at Veronica, her mouth half-open, unable to find any words.

But Mors’s attack wouldn’t stop for anyone’s hesitation.

The dark spheres fell again—and once more, Veronica stood in their path, using her body as a shield.

“Hahaha! Truly pathetic! You, once a Jewel Scepter candidate, a former Flower Card Magical Girl, now reduced to this sorry state!”

Mors cackled. “Where’s your Magical Armor now? Your Domain? Your Full Bloom? You’re fighting like some Seed-tier reject. How pathetic!”

“You think I don’t know? You already burned yourself out in the Garden Defense and the Beast Disaster. There’s barely a tenth of your strength left!”

“Look at you now! How sad!”

“This is the Magic Kingdom! This is their hero! The one who saved cities during war and disaster—now humiliated like this!”

“And that’s exactly why you’re the best prey I could ask for. The perfect stepping stone to elevate me to the next level!”

As she spoke, more spheres bloomed around her.

“…So that’s it, huh.”

Veronica looked at the shadow-soaked sky. Her gem-like eyes reflected the figure above. “From the beginning, I was your real target.”

“Only just realized? Too late!”

Mors laughed wildly. “Cities, civilians, the Kingdom, the Investigation Bureau—none of that mattered! I only ever wanted you!”

“Two years. I fattened up a Ravager with pigs until it was on the brink of collapse. Then I slammed it full of high-quality Magical Girl energy—your magic—to balance the power inside it. That’s all it took to fast-track evolution to the level I wanted!”

“What could be better than a wounded, long-retired, clueless ex–Jewel Scepter as prey?”

“With your Magic Source, I can complete my Beast Core, break the limits of the Molting-tier, and rise to a new stage—Royal Molting!”

“I sent my useless minions to attack your old friend’s daughter—you showed up. I had them go after a man linked to you—you responded. I let The Spider attract the Investigation Bureau’s attention—you came running. I used Hong Siyu to distort your perception—you never noticed!”

“I filled the ritual with distractions, flooded your path with delays, and you still fell right into it, step by step, like a bird trapping itself in its own cage. Pathetic. Laughable. Pitiful!”

“Drop your useless pride. Kneel before me at the end!”

Her voice turned icy. “You couldn’t protect your own daughter, and now you can’t protect these girls either. Kneel and beg for mercy. Maybe I’ll spare them and use them as test subjects instead.”

The moth-like Ravager lifted its limb, wings flaring. Countless dark spheres shimmered with destructive magic. “Or don’t. I won’t mind swallowing a few extra Heartstone Flowers in the final ritual.”

It stared down at Veronica, awaiting her response.

But the answer it got—was silence.

Veronica didn’t respond.

Her long blue hair was dust-streaked, her navy dress torn and scorched. She looked utterly cornered, yet still stood tall and straight, calm as ever as she stared up at Mors.

“…No flow.”

“Hm? What nonsense are you mumbling now?”

“When the magic disappeared, there was no direction. No flow.”

“And so what? Just answer my question!”

“No need. I’m done wasting words.”

Veronica spoke coolly. “I’ve figured out your rule.”

Those words hit like ice in boiling water. Mors, once gleeful, suddenly fell quiet.

“…Oh?”

After a pause, she chuckled, amused. “Well, now. That’s unexpected.”

“Unexpected that I figured out your rule, or that I’m not a total idiot?”

Veronica narrowed her eyes. “You’ve been throwing out topic after topic—your past, Sakura’s death, the Kingdom, my history—trying to distract me and scatter my thoughts.”

“Blabbering like a clown in battle. If it’s not because you’re naturally talkative, then it has to be because you’re trying to control my focus.”

“You wanted to provoke me into responding, to lure me into dropping the line of thought that would uncover your rule.”

“Because your rule seems unbreakable—it disables all magical attacks. But it really boils down to a single sentence:”

“—Whoever casts the largest shadow absorbs everyone else’s magic.”

Mors went silent again.

“Ridiculous,” she scoffed at last. “If that’s your conclusion, you’ll only lose harder.”

“Oh yeah?”

Veronica didn’t deny it. “Then tell me—why hasn’t your ritual ended? Why haven’t you dismissed that blinding pillar of light? Why keep repositioning yourself to make sure your shadow still covers us?”

“Heh. Believe whatever you want.”

“Sure. Let’s pretend that’s the case.” Veronica smirked. She pointed behind Mors. “After all, the piece of Magical Armor I left behind you—still hasn’t vanished.”

Following her finger, Mors turned to see a small length of blue Magic Thread anchored to the ground, quietly glowing.

She stared at it, then slowly turned back and spread her wings wide. Her massive shadow completely engulfed Veronica’s position.

Looking at that glowing thread, Mors finally realized—she had underestimated this long-retired Magical Girl.

“You were really thinking about this the whole time.”

She looked at Veronica with a mix of awe and sarcasm. “If we weren’t enemies, I’d probably ask you to teach me how you stay this calm.”

“Rule number one—don’t listen to a beast’s b******t.”

“Well, I’m honored.”

“Rule number two—I’ve fought in countless battles involving rule-based powers.”

Veronica continued, “Uncovering and concealing rules is always the top priority. And I never believed you’d overlook that. Because once a rule is exposed, it loses its edge.”

“Oh? And what will you do with this knowledge?”

Mors stared blankly. “You still can’t use your magic or Magical Armor. You’ve lost access to your Domain. You have no way to—”

“Who said I couldn’t use my Domain?”

Veronica cut her off, eyes fixed on her. “Did I ever say that?”

“Hmph. Bluffing!”

Mors scoffed. “Your Heartstone and Armor are both damaged. It’s a miracle you’re still alive. You think anyone’s buying that you can still use your Domain?”

“You’ll know soon enough if I’m bluffing.”

Veronica’s voice was calm. “Now that I know your rule, it won’t work on me anymore.”

“Fine. Bring it on.”

Mors smirked. “Let’s see what you’ve got left. I want to see how you squirm.”

Veronica said no more.

She spread her hands. The remnants of her sapphire-blue magic began to stir again. As threads began to weave, a tiny Tailoring Scissors appeared between her fingers—just the size of her palm.

The silver-blue scissors were etched with intricate patterns. But up close, you’d see they weren’t carvings—they were cracks. The scissors were barely holding together, ready to shatter at any moment.

She gazed at the scissors, nostalgic… maybe even a little sentimental.

“…Sorry, for using you so roughly all this time.”

She gently stroked the scissors, voice soft. “But let me be selfish just once more.”

Lifting the scissors, a thread extended from her fingertips. Veronica swung her arm with quiet resolve, facing the Ravager above.

“Magic Construct—Manifest. Domain—Expand. Let this be the thread that cuts it all down.”

Her words rang with power. Her will sharpened. Her sapphire magic surged like a high-pressure blast. Even the cracks on the scissors lit up, glowing dangerously, on the verge of shattering.

Then, for the first time since her return—

Veronica raised her voice and called out the name of her Magical Armor:

“Lifethread.”