Off Work, Then I Become a Magical Girl
Chapter 79: Aegis

The sudden flash of light streaked across the sky in a long, unbroken line, finally drawing the attention of the passersby below.

Not only that, but those who had been bewildered and panicked by the earlier attack on the office building also began to notice the commotion above, realizing that what they had encountered wasn’t an earthquake.

“What’s going on? Thunder?”

“The edge of that building is missing a chunk—is it a Ravager?”

“I don’t see any Ravagers… Maybe it’s already been taken care of?”

On the street below, pedestrians gathered, engaging in a lively discussion.

Though no one knew exactly what had happened, human curiosity tended to override fear when no visible threat was present. Rather than running, they chose to watch.

What they didn’t know was that the danger still lingered high above.

“Hey, hey, hey? Still got some fight in you? Don’t tell me that was it?”

As the black and yellow light dispersed, Sparrow lowered her hand, a slightly disappointed expression on her face. “If you got taken out this easily, I’ll have to argue with your fans about whether your reputation is just for show.”

Before this encounter, she had actually been quite interested in the former Flower Card, “Cornflower.”

Based on the intel she had, Cornflower’s current state was likely less than ideal, but she had still expected an exhilarating battle.

After all, as one of the rare Lifetime Magical Girls in the Magic Kingdom, Cornflower’s name had once been legendary when Sparrow was just starting out.

Every magical girl who prided themselves on their talent had to measure themselves against the name “Cornflower” before boasting about their own potential.

In just two years, she had reached Leaf-tier, earned immense merit in the Garden Defense War, and achieved both the Flower Card title and Lifetime Magical Girl status. She had even been personally summoned by a high-ranking figure from Rose Palace, a feat unheard of at the time.

Fame, talent, power, image—everything combined to make Cornflower the most dazzling figure of that era. Many new magical girls had even called themselves her fans.

However, her legend didn’t last long.

Just three years after her debut, Cornflower vanished—both from the Kingdom and from the public eye.

Some said she perished in battle against an exceptionally powerful Ravager.

Others claimed she had retired and married into the royal family of Rose Palace.

There were even rumors that “Cornflower” was a fabricated identity and that someone else had been behind the name all along…

But recently, Sparrow had heard another theory.

And that theory was—

—"Masterpiece No. 4: Aegis of Shelter."

A cold and indifferent voice cut off Sparrow’s thoughts.

A shimmering azure glow lit up, drawing her gaze.

Where Veronica had been floating, a massive, intricately woven circular shield now materialized, formed from interwoven magic threads of pure blue. It looked almost like a hollowed-out sculpture.

This was Veronica’s Masterpiece.

Weaving threads together, solidifying them through intricate interlocking, creating specialized weaponry—this was the advanced application of Veronica’s Magical Armor.

Because Magical Armor was forged not only from magic but also from willpower and soul, it was able to withstand Sparrow’s corruptive power, which could otherwise erode Magical Barriers.

Even though its surface was riddled with pitted corrosion, the Masterpiece had fulfilled its duty—shielding its creator.

Standing unharmed behind the shield, the petite, blue-haired girl no longer wore an icy expression. Instead, she looked calm—almost composed.

“I’ve never seen magic with corrosive properties before.”

She loosened her previously tense fingers. The thread shield instantly collapsed into nothingness as Veronica adjusted her stance, flicking away the lingering strands. “Is this your unique specialty? Or does every member of your so-called Claw Mark possess such dangerous magic?”

From her battle experience, such properties were highly unusual.

Most magic in the world was neutral, without inherent traits. She had only ever encountered one person whose magic carried a natural property—and such individuals were typically classified as Deviants by the Kingdom. But even then, their abilities were vastly different from what she was witnessing now.

She was beginning to suspect that this corrosive magic was a technique exclusive to Claw Mark.

“Wow, not even trying to be subtle about prying information, huh, old hag?”

Seeing that her attack had failed, Sparrow’s interest was piqued once again, but she still sneered, “Hiding away in some remote city for retirement—no wonder you’re clueless about the current state of the world. But why should I tell you anything?”

Earth-colored magic condensed into a wand in her hand. She lifted it, pointing it directly at Veronica’s face.

“Beat me first. Then maybe we can talk about information.”

The tip of the wand flared with light, and in the next instant, an even stronger magic beam shot toward Veronica.

This time, fully prepared, Veronica lightly tapped her foot, drifting a few meters to the side and easily evading the attack.

She turned, retaliating with two magic beams of her own, forcing Sparrow to move into a pre-determined position. At the same time, she manipulated the threads around her, preparing to use her Magical Armor to bind her opponent.

On the other hand, Sparrow had already researched this former Flower Card’s abilities beforehand.

Although Veronica’s ability to instantly weave weapons was unexpected, her combat style—using threads to restrain her enemies—remained unchanged.

Sparrow knew better than to engage in battle within the web of threads. It would only let Veronica dictate the rhythm of the fight.

So, she quickly widened the distance and maneuvered toward a more open area, away from the buildings.

Veronica’s magic threads couldn’t be conjured out of thin air; they needed anchor points to hold their ends in place.

Her ideal battlegrounds were enclosed spaces—indoors, caves, or ground-level environments. At the very least, she needed structures to weave her web.

But against a highly mobile opponent, controlling them became significantly harder.

Veronica was well aware of this.

So when she saw Sparrow moving toward a more open space, she hesitated for a moment, weighing her options.

After a brief consideration, she decided that capturing this dangerous magical girl was more important.

She withdrew her Magical Armor and gave chase.

In high-altitude combat, Magical Armor was impractical.

It became a pure aerial battle.

Blue and yellow magic clashed violently in the sky, as countless magic bullets and magic beams fired from all directions, vanishing into the distance.

Both magical girls remained in constant high-speed motion, each trying to shoot the other down.

Sparrow’s magic reserves seemed to surpass Veronica’s, allowing her to unleash attacks without restraint, aggressively dictating the pace.

Meanwhile, Veronica’s approach was more refined and precise. She never made unnecessary movements, nor did she waste magic on pointless dodges or speed boosts. Even as Sparrow bombarded her with rapid attacks, she merely adjusted her trajectory by the smallest angles, narrowly slipping past each shot.

She tried luring Sparrow back toward the office buildings, but the other girl refused to take the bait. Instead, she used her mobility to pressure Veronica further.

Then—

When their distance closed to less than ten meters—

Veronica suddenly smiled.

And through the rushing wind, her voice carried across to Sparrow’s ears:

“Sparrow, Magic Construct—Manifest.”