Off Work, Then I Become a Magical Girl
Chapter 80: Sesterces

In the next moment, Veronica saw the wand in Sparrow’s hand dissolve into countless chaotic streams of magic.

She had already sensed the other party closing in on her and suspected that Sparrow possessed an ability that could only be used at close range.

A warning bell rang in her mind, but fortunately, Veronica was prepared. As runes flew from her sleeves to form a barrier, she was already retreating backward.

The direction she chose to retreat had also been pre-determined—an area where her Magical Armor could gain leverage.

“You’re too slow!”

Sparrow noticed Veronica’s intention. From within the chaotic magic currents, she drew out an exaggerated claw-shaped Magical Armor, then swung the rope attached to its end, hurling it fiercely in Veronica’s direction.

Almost at the same time, Veronica felt her retreating speed slow down.

The Magical Armor Sparrow had thrown was a hidden weapon resembling an eagle’s talon. It had four blade-like claws—three in the front, one in the back—connected at the base to a rope, with its end gripped tightly in Sparrow’s hand.

In the Material World, such a weapon or hidden tool was known as a Flying Claw.

The moment Sparrow threw the Flying Claw, it generated an inexplicable attraction—like a magnet, pulling in all nearby living beings. As its target, Veronica found her flight speed significantly reduced.

Not only that—even though the Flying Claw wasn’t precisely aimed at her when thrown, once she slowed down due to its pull, it suddenly adjusted its trajectory as if it had a will of its own, darting straight toward her.

In the blink of an eye, the Flying Claw was already upon Veronica.

Seeing her attack about to land, a delighted grin spread across Sparrow’s face.

This was exactly why she only used this Magical Armor after closing the distance—within a certain range, it had both tracking and attraction effects. Combined with its lethal power, once activated, it was almost certain to inflict serious damage on her enemy.

The Flying Claw, locked onto its target, shot toward Veronica’s figure.

With a muffled “thud,” it seemed to have struck something.

Everything was proceeding as Sparrow had expected. There was an undeniable gap in information between them, and that advantage allowed her to dominate this battle, where she remained hidden while her opponent was exposed.

“Haha! I told you—you can’t escape!”

She let out a triumphant laugh, tugging hard on the rope, intending to pull Veronica back.

But as she reeled in the rope, she suddenly realized—there was nothing at the other end.

The Flying Claw’s blades had only snagged a few strands of lingering Magic Threads, hinting at what she had actually caught.

“This is—”

Her eyes widened in shock.

“—a substitute doll I wove on the spot.”

A cool voice sounded behind her.

At some point, Veronica had already appeared at her back. Her Magical Armor had transformed into its Masterpiece form—now a pair of massive gauntlets wrapped around both hands.

“Masterpiece, Version Two—Cestus of Heavy Blows.”

Without wasting another word, she uttered the name and swung her gauntleted fist, landing a solid punch on Sparrow’s back.

Before Sparrow could even turn around, she felt an immense force slamming into her.

BOOM!

A deafening sonic boom erupted in the air, drawing countless onlookers below to halt and look up.

Then, they saw a small figure plummet from the sky—

THUD!

With a massive impact, the figure crashed into an empty section of the road. The ground shattered, debris scattered, and in the depths of a freshly-formed crater lay a dark silhouette.

“At last, I’ve caught her. Now… I should notify the Countermeasure Bureau to take her in.”

Hovering ten meters above the ground, Veronica slowly descended. As the gauntlets around her hands dissolved, she exhaled softly, gazing down at the crater.

“…Though this time, I might really have to call in the Investigation Bureau.”

The rebel organization “Claw Mark” had indeed appeared in Fangting City, and they were bold enough to confront her head-on. This wasn’t an incident that could be brushed aside.

Moreover, according to the Countermeasure Bureau’s director, this group was likely connected to the disappearance of the former Seeder, Nini—and possibly even responsible for the Egg-tier Ravager that had recently surfaced underground.

For the sake of her daughter’s safety, Veronica had to root them out completely.

This was the perfect opportunity to capture them and eliminate the threats lurking in Fangting City—a necessary step for ensuring the safety of her Magical Girl Squad.

But the reason she sighed was simple—if the Investigation Bureau got involved, her return from retirement would no longer be a secret.

As an affiliated agent of the Investigation Bureau, she had countless ties to that organization. Among its ranks were many old acquaintances. Once word spread of her return, her quiet life—raising her daughter and working in Fangting City—would be disrupted.

Honestly, ever since she made the decision to resign, ever since she retrieved her Heartstone Flower from her closet, she had already prepared herself to face this.

But now that it was really happening, she still felt a bit melancholic.

She pushed those thoughts aside. First, she needed to call someone to secure the prisoner.

Just as she reached for her phone to dial Hong Siyu, the device vibrated before she could touch it.

Glancing at the screen, she saw the caller ID: Lin Xiaolu.

Her brow lifted slightly.

She recalled a message from Xia Liang in their group chat—something about Moko possibly finding a Magical Girl candidate and keeping it secret. They had planned to investigate.

If Lin Xiaolu was calling now, it was likely related to that.

Logically, she should report to Hong Siyu and the Countermeasure Bureau first, but after a brief hesitation, she decided Lin Xiaolu’s call was the priority.

Just as she moved her thumb toward the answer button—

SWISH!

A black shadow darted past her wrist at high speed, crashing into her hand.

Veronica’s sharp reflexes allowed her to withdraw her hand just in time, but the small, swift target had taken her by surprise. Her phone was knocked from her grasp and tumbled into the bushes.

No time to check on the phone—Veronica immediately turned her gaze toward the source of the attack.

Upon seeing it, she muttered in confusion, “Sparrow?”

She wasn’t calling her enemy’s alias.

What she saw was—an actual sparrow, flapping its wings.

A normal sparrow shouldn’t be able to fly this fast or have this much stamina—certainly not enough to catch even a Magical Girl off guard.

“…That hurt.”

A voice came from the crater below, despite the distance.

“I’m not dead yet. And you’re still thinking about making a phone call at a time like this? Guess I should say—you really live up to your reputation as a former Flower Card.”

Climbing out of the crater, Sparrow reappeared before Veronica.

She was still conscious—and even seemed capable of fighting.

This surprised Veronica.

She knew exactly how powerful her Masterpiece punches were—without advanced Spells or defensive Magical Armor, even Leaf-tier or Bud-tier Magical Girls would struggle to withstand them.

Even if Sparrow had braced for the impact, taking a direct blow to the back should have left her in no condition to fight.

Yet here she was, still moving.

Veronica was certain—Sparrow wasn’t Bloom-tier.

The progression of a Magical Girl’s Ability Blooming was steep. From Leaf-tier to Bud-tier, and from Bud-tier to Bloom-tier, each advancement marked an enormous leap in combat ability.

Veronica knew her own limits well—she couldn’t defeat a Bloom-tier Magical Girl.

But there was something even stranger.

Sparrow’s left arm was gone.

In its place was a pair of black-and-gold feathered wings, pulsating with eerie energy.

Her eyes had also changed—her irises had expanded, filling her entire eye sockets, and the whites of her eyes had turned jet black.

“Never seen this before?” Sparrow grinned, revealing the purple-black Heartstone Gem at her throat.

“You should be honored. I rarely use my Half-Beast Form in front of others.”

Her black magic wings flared open. The overwhelming surge of magic spilled into the surroundings, sending waves of power crashing toward the bystanders.

Veronica clenched her fists.

This fight wasn’t over yet.

Sparrow lifted her now-transformed winged arm, her black magic feathers spreading wide. The surge of dark energy radiated outward like a flood, sending shockwaves in all directions.

A moment later, screams erupted.

Several bystanders, unable to react in time, were struck by the wave of magic. Those who were merely touched by it let out pained shrieks—this wasn’t just oppressive force.

For a Magical Girl, such magic carried a corrosive effect. For civilians, whose bodies held only the faintest traces of magic flow, this kind of magic wasn’t just harmful—it was agonizing.

Even those who weren’t directly hit were still in danger. The presence of dark magic alone was enough to disrupt the delicate balance of magic in their bodies, causing unbearable pain.

Veronica immediately shifted her priorities. She no longer had time to retrieve her phone.

Her Magical Armor activated—countless Magic Threads manifested around the intersection, forming a woven barrier to block the oncoming black magic from spreading toward the civilians.

“Don’t just stand there! Move!” she shouted at the bystanders who were still gawking at the scene.

But before she could fully reorient herself—

"Didn’t I already tell you?"

Sparrow’s mocking voice rang out, filled with an almost manic glee.

"Don’t lose focus!"

With an explosive burst of power, she shot into the sky.

This time, her speed was so fast that her movement left afterimages behind—so fast that even trained eyes struggled to keep up.

And she wasn’t alone.

The sparrow that had knocked away Veronica’s phone rose alongside her, and now, several more of those small birds joined in, forming a tight flock. They flanked Sparrow like wingmen, their tiny beaks opening—

And firing tiny magic bullets.

At first glance, these magic bullets were minuscule, no bigger than a mung bean, and their power wasn’t enough to be lethal.

But they were fast.

Unbelievably fast.

So fast that even a trained Magical Girl like Veronica could barely track them with her eyes.

Black and blue magic particles clashed in the air, but this time, it was clear—

Veronica was on the defensive.

In her Half-Beast Form, Sparrow’s physical capabilities had skyrocketed. Her speed, magic output, and overall strength had surged to a level that outright overpowered Veronica.

To an outside observer, especially someone well-versed in combat, it would be evident:

Veronica had the better combat intuition and strategic thinking.

Sparrow had the overwhelming raw power.

And in a battle of pure power, Veronica was being crushed.

Still—

She wasn’t panicking.

Even as she found herself increasingly on the defensive, Veronica remained calm.

She conserved her magic, relying on a mix of barriers and her Masterpiece gauntlets to absorb Sparrow’s relentless assaults.

Waiting.

Watching.

Searching for an opening.

But Sparrow grew impatient.

"Why aren’t you using your Wonderland?" she sneered, her voice dripping with scorn.

"Cornflower!"

Her relentless barrage wasn’t getting the reaction she wanted. It frustrated her. Veronica was supposed to be a Flower Card, a former elite Magical Girl—why was she just defending like some cornered animal?

Frowning, Sparrow unleashed more magic, channeling it into her Flying Claw Magical Armor.

Dark energy crackled along its blade-like talons.

With a powerful whip of her arm, she hurled it at Veronica with all her might.

The moment it struck—

BOOM!

Veronica was sent hurtling backward.

The Flying Claw, wreathed in corrupting black magic, had struck against her Masterpiece, and though it failed to pierce through completely, the sheer force had still flung her through the air.

As Veronica steadied herself, Sparrow let out a low chuckle.

“Or maybe… just like the rumors say…”

She reeled her Flying Claw back, her grin widening.

“During the ‘Garden Defense’… you overused your power, didn’t you?”

Her golden, inhuman eyes gleamed with excitement.

“And because of that, your Heartstone Flower is broken.”