Off Work, Then I Become a Magical Girl
Book 2: Chapter 88: New Year's Blessings at the End of the Night

Vol 2 Chapter 88: New Year's Blessings at the End of the Night

“Are you sure this is really okay?”

Crouched at the base of a towering stone tower, Xia Liang slowly erased the symbols on the ground with her magic while voicing her doubts. “You said destroying this thing would stop Claw Mark’s plan, but what if it’s a timed bomb or something? Wouldn’t handling it recklessly risk setting it off?”

“No worries. I’ve already checked—it doesn’t have any internal magic supply or storage. Which means, at most, it’s just a support device.”

Bai Ji, standing at the tip of the tower and doing similar work, replied calmly, “Since destroying it is low-risk, we might as well take care of it now while the enemy’s too tied up to stop us.”

“But is it really okay for us not to help them?”

Glancing in the direction Lin Xiaolu and the others had gone, Xia Liang looked a bit concerned. “That enemy doesn’t seem like someone they can handle on their own.”

“Wood Lily might be a bit shaky, but Mimosa is actually really strong.”

Bai Ji didn’t even flinch. “I trust my teammates. As for your Fangting City group… I don’t think your two companions are weak, either. They beat us during the earlier mock battle—you should have more faith in them than I do.”

Xia Liang gave an awkward laugh.

Truthfully, she was starting to feel like she didn’t fully understand her teammates’ capabilities anymore.

She had always been the one with the fastest Ability Blooming progress in the Fangting squad, but lately, especially during real combat, it was starting to feel like the other two were outperforming her.

Bai Jingxuan’s growth had always kept pace with her own, and lately her strength had advanced at a startling rate. In her fight earlier against the woman from Claw Mark, she even showed off a transformation very similar to Claw Mark’s own.

What was surprising was that neither Veronica nor anyone else reacted like it was anything new. Even Bai Jingxuan herself seemed used to it—clearly, she’d had it for a while without Xia Liang knowing.

As for Lin Xiaolu, her progress had been mediocre at best before. But since the match against Bo’an City, she’d gained a handle on Corruption, and her combat skills had skyrocketed. If she ever awakened her Magical Armor, she’d probably reach well beyond Blooming-level combat power.

Thinking about all this, it kind of felt like she was the one with the weakest combat strength, just stuck here dismantling a device.

“Huh... So I’m worrying for no reason?”

The thought widened Xia Liang’s eyes—she was surprised even at herself.

But before she could drift too far into her thoughts, Bai Ji spoke again from the tower’s peak.

“Of course, trusting our teammates doesn’t mean dumping all the pressure on them. Once we finish here, we still need to hurry over to help. Just to be safe.”

“Sometimes, beating the enemy takes more than just doing your own part. Doing a little extra gives your teammates that much more breathing room.”

Bai Ji increased her pace. “If you want to be a good leader for Fangting City in the future, then you need to learn how to leave some leeway for your team. That’s something I’m trying to practice myself.”

“...Leader? Me?” Xia Liang looked up, dazed.

“Aren’t you your squad’s leader?” Bai Ji looked down, confused.

“Doesn’t feel like it? Technically our current squad leader is Junior—Veronica. And usually, White Rose is the one leading the charge.”

After thinking a moment, Xia Liang reached a conclusion. “No matter how I look at it, being the ‘leader’ doesn’t really fit me. Why’d you think I was?”

“Just your vibe or personality, I guess. You seem more like one than the other two.”

Bai Ji turned her gaze back to the tower. “If I was wrong, sorry. Didn’t mean to stir things up between you.”

“It’s fine, I was just curious.”

Xia Liang smiled and waved it off, turning her focus back to her task. “I’ve just never heard that kind of evaluation before, so it caught me a little off guard.”

“So then—who is your actual leader?” Bai Ji asked offhandedly, like she was trying to shift the topic.

“Junior, of course. She’s the senior, knows a lot, and everyone trusts her.”

“That’s not really what I meant. Most Magical Girl squad leaders in cities are seniors. Ours in Bo’an is too—she just didn’t come to Fangting this time, but everyone respects her.”

Bai Ji clarified, “What I meant was—among your generation in Fangting City, who’s the one in charge? Like when you all go take the Kingdom’s assessment soon, who’ll be the official captain?”

“Is that even that important?”

“Maybe? At least from my perspective, it is.”

Bai Ji stared at the rune she was working on. “Probably because my mentor wants me to become a squad leader someday. Over time, I’ve started caring more about that. One day, our seniors will retire, and we’ll become the seniors. When that day comes—who’s going to make the decisions?”

“Sounds like something to worry about way down the line. Isn’t it a bit early for that?”

Xia Liang gave a helpless chuckle. “Mm... but if I had to say, it’d probably be White Rose.”

“White Rose? Her?”

Bai Ji looked surprised. “You’d make her the leader?”

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

“That kind of thing’s hard to explain.”

Xia Liang shook her head. “But just from my perspective, if one of the three of us had to be squad leader, it definitely wouldn’t be me. And between the other two, White Rose is the more likely choice.”

“Because the Inspector favors her?” Bai Ji asked, puzzled.

“Of course not.” Xia Liang smiled teasingly. “Also—you said earlier you weren’t trying to stir things up.”

“Ah—sorry.” Bai Ji realized her slip and apologized immediately.

The two went quiet, focusing on removing the runes on the tower.

Time passed. As they neared the end of their task, the blue moon that had been hanging in the sky suddenly seemed to flicker and fade, like it had taken a hit.

Before they could even react, the distant forest—where the clash of black and other magic had been raging—abruptly went silent.

As if coordinated, both battlefields shifted at the same moment. A silent urge for the two of them to hurry.

“Looks like we’d better move,” Bai Ji said softly.

“Yeah, let’s wrap this up.” Xia Liang agreed.

The two refocused on their task, deliberately not speaking again—as if their earlier conversation had never happened.

As Xia Liang observed from afar, what she saw was accurate—Veronica and the others’ battle against Yuan was nearing its end.

It was Margaret who first came to that conclusion.

She’d noticed that after such a long, grueling fight, the layered colors in Yuan’s wineglass had finally vanished, leaving only a deep, red-black liquid.

If their earlier hypothesis was right, this meant only one thing: Yuan’s Beast Heart Liberation had ended.

None of them were surprised. From the moment Yuan failed to dodge her first hit, this battle had turned into a war of endurance. As long as Veronica’s side kept up the offense without losing combatants, Yuan would continue to weaken until she lost the boost from Beast Heart Liberation and returned to normal.

It was a straightforward strategy—and one Yuan couldn’t refuse.

Because for her, the whole point of this battle had always been to defeat Cornflower.

That business about wrecking Fangting’s defensive systems or drawing in a beast disaster? All smoke and mirrors. The real mission White Wolf gave her had three names:

Beast Core. Cornflower. Bai Jingxuan.

Bringing back those three was the top priority.

If she could take down Cornflower head-on, then even if the tower was destroyed, it wouldn’t matter. In fact, accomplishing her goal and letting the tower be destroyed would be the ideal outcome.

Yuan understood White Wolf well.

When White Wolf had said “massacre civilians to pressure Cornflower,” Yuan knew the massacre was never the point. As long as she completed her mission, whether or not she followed through with the killing didn’t matter.

White Wolf only cared about two things: first, did you complete the objective? And second, did you follow her specific instructions?

The first needed no explanation. For the second, if everything went smoothly, even if the tower got destroyed, Yuan could still explain it. She could call in Semi to testify she had tried—just that it got interrupted.

That’s right—Yuan had never wanted pointless bloodshed.

Call her soft, or hypocritical, she didn’t care what others thought. She simply didn’t want to do it.

A martial artist had to uphold a code, and part of that code was never bullying the weak.

Her master had taught her that. She’d never forgotten.

Yes, maybe that code had shattered the moment she betrayed the Kingdom and joined Claw Mark. But even so, she clung to that shred of principle like a drowning person holding onto a straw.

That’s why she came up with this half-measure of a plan: use the threat of destroying Fangting’s defenses to force the local Magical Girls to show themselves, beat them quickly, then make her escape.

If she won, she could take her targets and flee before the device was triggered—leaving the rest to dismantle it. If she lost? Then the tower would be torn down by the Fangting squad anyway, and the city would stay safe.

From her perspective, if she wanted the best outcome for herself, there was only one real path:

Win—and win fast.

That’s why she tried to intercept them early. Why she used Beast Heart Liberation from the very beginning, aiming to win through overwhelming force.

And yet… this was how it turned out.

Forget a quick victory—she’d been forced out of Beast Heart Liberation entirely.

One mistake had led to another. Maybe she was too impatient. Maybe she misjudged the trio’s strength. Maybe Margaret’s Bloom had hit a fatal weak point…

Whatever the reason, Yuan had been backed into a corner.

Veronica stood silently on a tree branch, not far away. Hong Siyu hovered above, watching the field. Margaret blocked Yuan’s path, wordlessly swirling her wineglass.

All three bore signs of wear—their clothes torn, their hair disheveled. They were clearly injured, yet still full of fight.

Even Veronica, the most exhausted of the three, hadn’t lost her edge.

At this point, no one had the energy to waste on words. They stood on willpower alone, afraid that relaxing even a little would shatter their concentration.

“Hah.”

Yuan laughed—not at them, but at herself.

No matter what happened next, she felt satisfied.

She had faced her opponents head-on, used every tool she had, and now she would face defeat the same way.

It wasn’t shameful. This was what every warrior should strive for.

No matter how detailed her post-victory plans were, a loss was a loss. Her enemies had won fair and square. Denying that would be beneath her.

“Cornflower.”

Her voice was raspy, more a whisper than speech. “Are you really not willing to come see what Claw Mark is like?”

“...I’m not in the habit of throwing myself into danger.”

Veronica paused, then gently shook her head. “Your leader’s offer is tempting. But I don’t trust her—or Claw Mark.”

“I see.” Yuan sighed and shrugged, as if resigning herself. “Then I guess tonight’s little gathering ends here.”

“So you’re giving up?” Margaret raised an eyebrow. “Running out of steam, old lady?”

“Tch, you brat. Pretty face, but your mouth’s something else.”

Yuan shot her a look, then relented. “Still, you’re not wrong. I lost. Your Ability Blooming is sharp. Your fundamentals are solid. Your teamwork—flawless. I’ve got no complaints.”

“Oh? Compliments, all of a sudden?”

Margaret covered her mouth in mock surprise. “What’s next? Asking for mercy? Or maybe throwing out some final threat?”

Even Veronica looked puzzled—uncertain what Yuan was playing at.

“A threat... I guess you could call it that.”

Yuan chuckled. “But I don’t plan on letting you capture me. So even though I lost, please forgive me for what I’m about to do.”

With that, she slowly lifted her hand and tapped her chest twice.

No magic surged out. No grand display. It was quieter than any move she’d used before—so subtle the Fangting trio didn’t even realize she’d done anything.

Then, all at once, they felt it.

Something vanished from inside them.

Not drained, not weakened—just gone in an instant.

Whoosh.

Veronica felt it first. Already injured, she nearly fell from the tree—only managing to catch herself on a lower branch.

Next was Hong Siyu. Floating high above, she plummeted like she’d lost the ability to fly, crashing hard into the ground.

As for Margaret—she didn’t fall. But she noticed something equally shocking.

The once-vibrant liquid in her wineglass had turned into plain water.

And then, the glass itself flickered—and vanished.

The surrounding Domain peeled away like it was being erased, dissolving into nothing.

Then her magical outfit—her post-transformation gear—disintegrated into light, replaced by the pajamas she’d worn back at the base.

Even the slowest Magical Girl would realize what had disappeared: their magic.

“What just happened? Why?” That question echoed in every mind—except Yuan’s.

Veronica raised her head, leaning on the tree trunk—and saw it.

A white ripple was spreading out from Yuan’s body, rushing outward like a shockwave.

Wherever it passed, everything looked the same—but when it touched the blue moon above, the fragile orb shattered, disappearing completely from the night sky.

Darkness returned.

“I’m sorry. I wouldn’t have used something this underhanded if I had a choice.”

Yuan offered a wry smile. “But I’ve got no way to win in a fair fight anymore. If I want to escape, I have to cheat.”

Her magical gear had vanished too—replaced by the same robes she usually wore.

And yet, unlike the others who were now just ordinary people, she walked as if nothing had changed.

As if she still had her full strength.

She strolled right past Margaret. The girl tried to stop her, but Yuan sidestepped easily.

She approached Veronica, looked up, and met her gaze.

Veronica met her eyes with calm resolve—expressionless but unflinching, even without a single drop of magic left in her body.

“Interesting.”

Yuan stared for a moment, then smiled. “Cornflower, you’re even more special than I thought.”

“Thanks for the compliment. If you’d fought me like this earlier, maybe you’d have seen more of what makes me special,” Veronica replied coolly.

“Do you know what’s happening right now?” Yuan tilted her head.

“This is your Domain, isn’t it?” Her tone was flat.

“Sharp. You nailed it.”

Yuan clapped her hands, genuinely impressed.

“You said before that using your Domain made things ‘unfair.’ You were talking about this, weren’t you?”

Veronica lowered her eyes. “Actually, I’d say your leader only sent you on this mission because she knew you had a Domain like this.”

“I once separated part of your ‘aura.’ Even then, I felt that your energy served another purpose—that there was another source. Otherwise, the magic I burned through during that clash wouldn’t have been so excessive.”

“Even your Beast Heart Liberation—doesn’t it work far better when you’re inside this Domain?”

Before the words even finished, she felt the branch beneath her dip—the limb that had supported her just fine was now bending under weight.

Yuan had sat down beside her without her even noticing.

“You really won’t come with me?” she asked. “This is your last chance. I promise—personally—that neither the leader, the vice leader, nor I would ever harm you.”

“...Thanks, but no thanks.” Veronica replied flatly.

“Sigh. You’re a stubborn kid. Makes me want to knock you out and carry you off.”

“You can try,” Veronica murmured.

“I know, you’ve still got a trump card. But I’m not gonna fight like this—it’d be boring.”

Yuan shook her head. “I just wanted to get a better look at the girl behind the Sapphire Scepter—the one everyone covets.”

“...I’m not the Sapphire Scepter.”

Veronica’s grip tightened around the tree, but her face remained blank. “If your leader’s after that, then go back and tell her—if anyone wants the code name Cornflower, they can have it.”

“I wouldn’t presume to guess what she’s really thinking.”

Yuan laughed again. “But I’ll pass your message along. Someone out there will want it.”

Veronica didn’t respond.

So Yuan jumped lightly from the branch, patted herself off, and waved casually as she strolled away.

A few seconds later, everyone felt their magic return.

And off in the distance, silhouetted against the night sky, they saw a figure flying farther and farther—holding a squirming black fairy cat in her hand.

With her Magical Girl vision, Veronica could just make out the woman shouting something back toward them.

She couldn’t hear the words—but the message was simple:

“Congrats on the win. Happy New Year.”