Off Work, Then I Become a Magical Girl
Chapter 75: Strong Enemy

"Hmm, I am indeed Bai Jingxuan, but the events surrounding this matter are rather complicated, and it’s hard to explain everything clearly right now."

Unaware of Tian Sheng’s thoughts, Bai Jingxuan controlled the direction of flight while summarizing her response to his question. "If I were to explain briefly, it’s probably because I encountered a fairy, right?"

"A fairy?" Tian Sheng blinked and turned to look at Moke, who was flying beside them. "You mean this thing?"

"What do you mean by 'this thing'? Are all human magicians as rude as you?" Moke responded somewhat displeased by his terminology. "I am a Seeder, a Seeder! To you humans, I am an important figure from the Kingdom!"

Tian Sheng looked just as puzzled at the term "Seeder," but Bai Jingxuan continued explaining, and he soon understood. "So, this fairy is the one responsible for selecting magical girls, and she had already found you long ago?"

He thought for a moment, and many more ideas sprang to mind. "Then, what happened at the school today… Could it be…?"

"Yeah, though I’m not sure why, it seems like they were after me," Bai Jingxuan said, her gaze dropping with a hint of sadness. "I might have brought trouble to everyone at the orphanage."

"Hey! Don’t say that. There's no such thing as 'bringing trouble.' Without you, they’d still be a bunch of villains, only they'd be targeting someone else. You’re the victim; you don’t need to feel responsible for their crimes."

Tian Sheng wasn’t too concerned and tried to reassure her. "Let’s not talk about such pointless things. What about your magical power? I don’t know if it’s my imagination, but after coming into contact with your magic, my injuries seem to be healing faster than when I used healing spells. Did you do something?"

Earlier, he had suffered a fatal penetrating wound in battle. Even though healing spells could keep him alive, he was still on the brink of death. Since Bai Jingxuan had saved him, however, he felt his wound hurting less and less. Even now, when he pressed lightly on the wound, no blood was leaking from it.

"I don’t know. I didn’t do anything," Bai Jingxuan said, equally puzzled. She shook her head and after a while, looked towards the fairy. "Moke, do you know?"

Moke didn’t know either.

The fairy, who had been called upon, wanted to respond like this. As a half-baked Seeder, it only had a vague understanding of magical girls. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have needed someone like Cui Que to handle the teachings.

Bai Jingxuan’s magical power seemed to naturally possess healing properties, but whether this was a special case or a common phenomenon, whether it was a good or bad thing, and whether there was any historical record of it, Moke had no clue. It couldn’t provide an answer.

"Well, let me think..." Moke thought hard to maintain a reliable image in front of Bai Jingxuan. "I remember seeing something in a book once, there should be precedents, but it's definitely a rare case."

This answer sounded convincing, but it was vague and left room for further clarification. Anyway, neither Lin Xiaolu nor Xia Liang had shown this trait in their magical powers, so Bai Jingxuan’s case seemed special. As for whether there were precedents, if there were, Moke could justify its answer. If not, it could just claim it was mistaken—after all, the explanation was in its hands.

"What kind of book was it?" Bai Jingxuan, who was quite interested in books, asked when she heard that it was written in one.

"I’ll let you see it later!" Moke, fearing it might be exposed, hastily shifted the topic. "Anyway, now’s not the time for this, let’s try to get out of the barrier first! I can call for reinforcements then!"

Moke silently planned in its mind that it would call the Inspection Officer over soon and ask her if she knew anything.

Though Bai Jingxuan and Tian Sheng still had questions, they didn’t have time for further conversation as they soon reached the edge of the street where the orphanage was located, beneath the barrier.

Upon reaching the location they remembered, Moke quickly flew over and pressed on the barrier, only to find its claws couldn't reach through. It immediately waved its arms, calling out, "This way! This way!"

Bai Jingxuan slowly descended from the air, nodded, and helped Tian Sheng walk over to the barrier’s edge.

Once they reached the designated spot, Tian Sheng extended his hand, sensing the barrier's magical strength and flow. After closing his eyes and thinking for a while, he lightly patted Bai Jingxuan's shoulder. "It’s fine now, let me stand on my own."

Having flown the entire way under Bai Jingxuan’s magical influence, his injuries had improved considerably. Though the wound still hurt, it was no longer life-threatening; he was simply still in a weakened state.

Bai Jingxuan was a little worried, but she obediently let go of him and stepped aside. Seeing that Tian Sheng seemed to be able to move on his own, she relaxed a bit but still kept an eye on his condition in case he collapsed.

Tian Sheng stood firm, took a few deep breaths, then raised his head to observe the structure of the barrier.

"When I give the signal, use your magic to attack the designated points and disrupt its structural flow. Then, I’ll seize the opportunity to break the barrier."

He pointed to several spots on the barrier. "The first one is about 30 degrees to your left, then up above…"

—"The attack order is you first, then that damn fairy, and finally, the disobedient sacrificial girl."

Almost at the same time, a voice interrupted Tian Sheng’s speech from behind them.

They turned in surprise to see a man in a black robe walking slowly towards them from the nearby wall. His face was gloomy, but he wore a mysterious smile.

"Sorry, I really admire your efforts in this process, and I hate to see them go to waste. But if you keep going like this, my own efforts will be ruined. Oh, no, wait, thanks to that damned fairy over there, it’s probably already ruined."

Strangely, though only he was walking toward them, his tone was filled with contempt for the trio before him.

Unlike the other black-robed men Bai Jingxuan had encountered, this man spoke with an air of superiority, and his black robe was no ordinary one. It was adorned with gold thread, outlining strange and ominous patterns that made anyone feel uneasy just by looking at them.

Instinctively, Bai Jingxuan raised her magic wand and stood in front of Moke and Tian Sheng in defense. "You’re the one who trapped everyone here?"

"Everyone? Oh, you mean the people at this orphanage?" The man stopped and shook his head. "No, child, I must tell you, you seem to be mistaken. The ‘everyone’ you speak of holds no value to me. From the beginning, I only wanted you."

Bai Jingxuan gripped her wand tightly. "Why?"

"Why? You still need to ask me? Don’t you know yourself? Your so-called disease, one that modern medicine cannot diagnose or cure, is it really just a disease?" The man grinned without hiding his malice. "You are special, child. Your ‘disease’ is not a bad thing at all; it’s proof that you’ve been chosen."

"The reason is simple: it’s not a physical issue, but a problem with your soul and your magic."

"Children like you, born with a stronger soul and special magic, are chosen by the Lord. Your body cannot bear it, just like a truck overloaded with cargo."

"An overloaded truck, whether accelerating or braking, finds it much harder to control. Your body is the same—unable to handle your own strength, that’s why it manifests as a disease where you can’t control your own body."

"So, I’m here to free you from this predicament."

"The Lord chooses special sacrifices like you, and your mission is to return to the Lord's embrace and contribute to its return to this world."

The man reached out his hand toward Bai Jingxuan. "Now, can you feel my goodwill, child?"

"…Don’t listen to him, he’s talking nonsense."

Tian Sheng, who had been weak, placed his hand on Bai Jingxuan’s shoulder from behind. "His words sound nice, but what he calls ‘contribution’ is just sacrifice—offering live humans to some so-called evil god. This guy is probably some misguided cultist."

"A cultist?" The man’s eyes widened in surprise as if he had heard something unexpected.

"Hahaha! You pathetic beings, you’ve forgotten your own glory and yet dare call us cultists?" He laughed loudly, then suddenly grew serious, raising his hand with a deep, threatening voice. "Don’t make me laugh, you foolish pig."

"Watch out!" Moke immediately shouted a warning.

Even without her reminder, Bai Jingxuan had already sensed what the man was about to do. Acting instinctively, she pushed Tian Sheng aside with her flying ability and dodged to the side.

At the same moment, the man’s sleeve suddenly glowed with patterns, and a magic sphere, several meters in radius, appeared and flew directly to the spot Tian Sheng had been standing.

If Bai Jingxuan hadn’t reacted quickly, Tian Sheng would likely have been hit by this sudden attack.

"Shadow Vortex?"

Fallen on the ground, Tian Sheng turned his head in shock, staring at the magic sphere, "No, with this size, speed, and power… it’s impossible! Even a master shouldn’t be able to generate such magic!"

Meanwhile, Bai Jingxuan, after helping Tian Sheng avoid the man’s attack, quickly grasped the situation and began her counterattack.

Her magical power was still a bit clumsy, and she feared that using it recklessly might backfire, so she decided to fight up close. Using her magic to strengthen her body, she charged at the man and swung her wand at him.

Previously, she had used this tactic to take down the black-robed men. The body of a magical girl far surpassed that of ordinary humans, and with magic enhancement, a mere blunt strike could easily kill.

But when facing this strange man, Bai Jingxuan couldn’t afford to be careless. Even though she didn’t want to kill him, she poured all her strength into her attack, in case he had some trick up his sleeve.

"Clang!"

However, her attack was blocked by the man.

Not with magic, but simply by raising his hand, he stopped her magic-enhanced strike.

"How is this possible… A human actually resisted a magical girl’s attack?" Moke stood by, stunned, and even questioned if it was all a dream. "Even if Xiao Xuan is a beginner magical girl, this shouldn’t happen… Wait, this is too strange…"

"A human inferior to a magical girl? Heh."

The man sneered at the words, clearly unfazed. "That may be true, but it doesn’t apply to me."

With a forceful push, he sent Bai Jingxuan reeling back, making her stagger several steps.

"How… such strength." Bai Jingxuan stared in disbelief at the man.

Although she had only recently gained magical girl powers, she knew her own strength. After all, the black-robed men she had fought before were normal adults, and their strength had been nothing against her.

But this man was completely different. Bai Jingxuan felt as though her magical girl strength was no match for him—like a child facing a wild beast.

"Feeling weak? Your magical girl powers don’t work? Are you scared now?" The man twisted his neck, grinning maliciously. "‘Magical girl power is superior to everything,’ huh? I’ve heard that a thousand times, such rebellion, such blasphemy…"

He raised his hand, and dark purple magic gathered in his palm. "Let me educate you on this, child. The strength of magic doesn’t depend on status."

As he spoke, numerous purple-black magic spheres appeared around him, and they gathered in a swarm, surrounding Bai Jingxuan and Tian Sheng without giving them any time to react before exploding.

"Watch out!" Bai Jingxuan instinctively tried to use her magic to repel the spheres, but nothing worked: the man’s magic was far stronger than that of the black-robed men, even stronger than hers. She couldn’t dissipate his magic and soon found herself overwhelmed as his spells began bombarding her.

In desperation, Bai Jingxuan quickly assessed the situation, using her magic to propel herself into the air, grabbing Tian Sheng and dodging to the side.

However, before she could land, the man had already closed the distance, his large strides reaching her quickly.

Realizing his intent, Bai Jingxuan attempted to change course, but she was too slow. The man’s fist landed heavily on her chest.

Boom!

It felt like being hit by a massive object. Bai Jingxuan was sent flying and slammed into the nearby barrier.

The impact left her struggling to breathe, the pain overwhelming her senses. For a moment, she couldn’t even scream.

"Cough… Ugh…" She collapsed to the ground, coughing painfully.

Meanwhile, Tian Sheng had been injured by the surrounding shadow vortexes and fell to the ground, unable to get up.

"Xiao Xuan!" Moke cried out urgently when it saw Bai Jingxuan’s injury.

The trio that had come to the barrier was now reduced to just it, and this cry caught the man’s attention.

His figure flickered, and he grabbed Moke by the wing, then squeezed its head with his other hand.

"Ahhhhhhh!"

Moke screamed in terror, unable to escape from the man’s grasp.

"To sneak in here and change someone else’s chosen sacrifice into a magical girl, you’ve really given me a big gift."

The man smiled wickedly, squeezing Moke’s head. "You fake royal court really can’t change your nature, always repeating such disgusting acts."

"We’ve searched the entire southwestern region of Donghua state for a year, and just recently found this suitable sacrifice in this city. We were acting as fast as possible, even risking capture by the fake royal court’s Investigation Bureau to take the person. Yet, you managed to steal them first."

"Hahaha… Haha… Tsk, I can’t even laugh."

"Fairy, fairy… How could you easily destroy all my efforts?"

His voice was filled with hatred as his grip tightened, and he added, "Funny image, illogical motives, absurd actions… You’re like a pitiful clown. Why did you ruin my hard work?"

"Feeling the pain now? Next, I’ll crush your head, take your magical power from this ridiculous body, and turn it into a medium for my spell materials. You’ll spend the rest of your life making up for this foolish loss."

"Mmm… Ugh…"

Moke struggled, trying to say something.

"Oh? Any last words?" The man raised an eyebrow and loosened his grip slightly. "If you have some interesting repentance to share, I might let you die a bit faster."

Moke took a deep breath.

It stared at the man for a moment before suddenly shouting, "Xiao Xuan! If you can’t beat him, run!"

The cry reached Bai Jingxuan, who was struggling to breathe and slowly opened her eyes.

The man paused for a moment, then, as if hearing something amusing, his smile grew even more vicious. "Run? Don’t worry, none of you are going anywhere."

"You stupid pig, you, and the disobedient sacrifice—you all think you can toy with me? You’ll all pay the price for your actions!"

Before he could tighten his grip, his movements were interrupted.

It wasn’t Tian Sheng or Bai Jingxuan who stopped him, but a purple-pink magic beam that shot from the air and struck his wrist.

"What is this?"

The man reflexively relaxed his grip and quickly retreated, glancing up in surprise to see two figures floating in the air not far away.

Upon closer inspection, they were two girls.

Before the man could recognize who they were, the purple magic beams began to rain down like bullets, forcing him to retreat.

One of the figures dropped to the ground and helped Bai Jingxuan, who had collapsed.

"Are you okay?" the newcomer asked with concern.

"Cough, I’m fine, but Moke and Uncle Tian are in danger."

Bai Jingxuan forced herself to look up and froze when she saw the newcomers' outfits. "You guys are…"

But the newcomers didn’t answer her question. Instead, they stood firmly and one of them spoke aloud, "Magical Girl, White Rose!"

The other also landed beside her, "Magical Girl, Little Jin!"

Then, in unison, they declared, "Now, we’ll judge your evil deeds!"