Off Work, Then I Become a Magical Girl
Chapter 78: Delphinium and Sparrow

Is that a Magical Girl?

The moment Lin Yun saw the figure outside the window, that thought immediately crossed his mind. After all, being able to fly in midair while wearing such a flamboyant outfit—who else could it be but a Magical Girl?

It wasn’t that magicians couldn’t imitate such a style, but unfortunately, any magician whose magic reserves and spell proficiency allowed them to float steadily in the air was, in all likelihood, past the age of being considered a "girl."

Then, why was a Magical Girl here at this time?

Lin Yun didn’t recognize the girl in the black dress. He was certain—she wasn’t anyone from his past. She also shouldn’t be a newcomer in Fangting City; otherwise, there was no reason for him not to know her.

A Magical Girl from another city?

Questions swirled in his mind, but Lin Yun quickly shifted his thoughts to his next move.

Should he transform into a Magical Girl and ask about her intentions? Or should he pretend not to see her and let her come and go as she pleased?

Transforming right now was out of the question.

At the moment, he was in the General Manager’s office. If he transformed, Wang Tengfei—who was just an ordinary person—would see everything. That would be an unnecessary information leak.

Sure, he could have the Countermeasure Bureau handle the aftermath, sign a confidentiality agreement, or even use a spell for minor psychological suggestion to make Wang Tengfei forget about it. But Lin Yun still preferred to avoid transforming in front of others whenever possible.

Ignoring the situation wasn’t an option either. He couldn’t just let an unknown Magical Girl—whose allegiance was uncertain—wander freely in Fangting City.

At the very least, he couldn’t afford to waste any more time in the General Manager’s office.

With that, he opened his mouth to wrap up his conversation with Wang Tengfei.

“President Wang, I’m sorry, but I have something urgent to deal with. I won’t take up any more of your time—”

But before he could finish, Lin Yun’s pupils contracted sharply.

He saw it.

The girl floating in the sky, her long black hair billowing in the wind, her dark dress shimmering with a golden hue under the sunlight.

He saw the glow of earth-colored magic light up in her hands, aimed directly at the office building.

At this point, there was no doubt about it—she was hostile.

“President Wang.”

Lin Yun didn’t waste another second. He sprang to his feet, his tone deadly serious.

“Get down.”

His words were so abrupt that Wang Tengfei didn’t immediately grasp their meaning.

Not that it mattered—he wouldn’t have time to process them anyway.

Because the next moment, he saw Lin Yun dash toward the floor-to-ceiling window behind him without another word.

A flash of dazzling blue light erupted at Lin Yun’s side. A split second later, the muffled sound of shattering glass rang out behind him.

And in the next instant—the entire building shook violently, as if struck by an earthquake.

---

“Huh? I missed?”

Not far away, the girl in the black dress tilted her head at the massive crater she had just blasted into the building’s edge.

“That’s weird, I was sure I aimed properly…”

“Oh well, if I missed, I’ll just fire again.”

——“No matter how many times you try, you won’t hit.”

A voice suddenly rang out from nearby.

The girl turned toward the sound, only to see a petite figure floating in midair just like her.

The newcomer wore a dark blue long dress and bore an icy expression.

Seeing her, the girl in black was momentarily taken aback—but then, the corners of her mouth curled up into a mysterious smile.

“Ah, I knew you’d be here.”

“‘You knew I’d be here’?”

Opposite her, Veronica extended her hand. As magic gathered, a wand materialized in her grip.

“Using an attack spell as a greeting isn’t exactly polite. You have one minute—explain why you’re here, and explain your intentions.”

“Ah, my apologies. I really should have introduced myself first.”

The girl in black even gave a slight bow, as if she were genuinely remorseful for her "rudeness."

“Hello, I was once a Flower Card Magical Girl registered in the Magic Kingdom, under the Court of Finance. My active period was about fourteen years ago, and my alias was ‘Golden Bell.’”

“But that name is in the past. Now, you can call me ‘Sparrow.’”

“If you don’t understand the significance of that alias, allow me to introduce us—a group of Magical Girls who have truly attained freedom.

We are ‘Claw Mark.’”

“Now, do you find my introduction satisfactory?”

As she spoke, the girl calling herself "Sparrow" lifted her head. Her smile grew wider, bolder.

“——Or should I say, former Flower Card, Lady Cornflower?”

And almost simultaneously with those words—

Without any warning, an intensely powerful beam of magic shot from her palm, hurtling straight toward Veronica.

Still stunned by what she had just heard, Veronica reacted swiftly. Her eyes widened as she raised her hand, summoning multiple Favored Runes to form a Magical Barrier just in time to block the incoming blast.

“Looks like you know quite a lot.”

The barrier held against the attack, locking them in a battle of sheer magic force. Veronica’s cold gaze bore into Sparrow.

“You knew it was me, and yet you dared to come to Fangting City and provoke me? Or did you think throwing around a discarded alias would let you land a successful sneak attack?

Tell me—are all the people in your ‘Claw Mark’ organization as brainless as you?”

Her words made Sparrow’s smile falter for a split second. Her brow twitched in irritation, but she quickly masked it, replacing it with a bright, almost exaggerated grin.

“Ah, of course not.”

“You may be a former Flower Card, but you were still a Flower Card. I never expected a simple ambush to take you down easily.

Even old hags like you have some real skills, after all.”

“But what if I told you this was my real trump card?”

As she spoke, the originally earth-colored magic beam was suddenly engulfed by a dark purple-black magic aura.

And the moment that purple-black magic touched Veronica’s Magical Barrier—

What had been a sturdy, immovable defense suddenly withered, as if rapidly aging.

Thin cracks spread across the surface like a spiderweb.

The entire process was so brief that Veronica had no time to reinforce the barrier.

Before she could react—

It shattered.

BOOM!

With nothing left to block it, the magic beam obliterated the remains of the barrier and engulfed Veronica entirely.