Off Work, Then I Become a Magical Girl
Chapter 84: Anger

As soon as those words left Sparrow’s mouth, Wang Tengfei’s mind spun with countless possibilities.

Was this "Lin Yun" actually Magical Girl Cornflower in disguise from the very beginning? Or was Lin Yun another supernatural individual who had hired Cornflower to impersonate him?

Or—

He knew about Lin Yun losing his wife two years ago. In fact, back then, the hottest gossip in the company was whether that female subordinate in the after-sales department—who had always harbored feelings for Lin Yun—would seize the opportunity to climb the ranks.

But in the end, before she could make any moves on Lin Yun, she had set her sights on someone else and was transferred to headquarters. Their relationship had never progressed even an inch.

At the time, everyone assumed that Lin Yun was still grieving, too heartbroken to move on. But now, thinking back on it, Wang Tengfei found himself reevaluating the situation.

Lin Yun had always preferred working quietly alone during company outings. He had never once crossed any lines during social events or engaged in casual relationships with other women at entertainment venues.

Piecing together over ten years of shared experiences, Wang Tengfei felt as though he had stumbled upon the truth.

“You turned into Old Lin’s appearance… is that magic too?” he finally asked.

His best guess was that "Lin Yun" had always been Cornflower’s fabricated identity within the Material World.

It was a wild assumption, but considering all the odd details from the past, it seemed to fit. And when magic was involved, strange explanations were sometimes the most reasonable.

“…Something like that.”

Veronica didn’t bother explaining further. She left him with that vague response, then took two steps back, preparing to leave.

She had already resigned from the company. At this point, she and Wang Tengfei were nothing more than familiar strangers—there was no need for further conversation.

Right now, her priority was reaching the last known location of Moko and confirming whether her daughter’s group was in real danger.

As for her identity being exposed, that was a problem for the Countermeasure Bureau. Once she reported the situation, they would handle it accordingly. Wang Tengfei would receive a mental suggestion from the Bureau, causing him to gradually dismiss today’s events as nothing more than a bizarre dream—one that would fade from his memory over time.

The throbbing headache still hadn’t subsided, but Veronica had no time to waste.

Retracting the last of her Magic Threads, she opened her palm. Her wand reappeared in her grasp.

—"Cornflower!"

Wang Tengfei’s voice called out from behind her again.

“You resigned… is it because something dangerous has appeared in Fangting City again?”

Veronica didn’t turn back. She was already channeling her magic, preparing to take off into the sky.

“You don’t have to quit! If you don’t have time, I can get you an easy position here!” Wang Tengfei quickly added.

Still, she gave no response.

Watching the woman he had once admired from a distance—someone he could never reach—about to vanish from his life again, Wang Tengfei suddenly found himself at a loss for words.

Because, deep down, he knew—there was nothing he could say.

He was successful, but only within the realm of ordinary people.

He was wealthy, but in the face of magic, money was meaningless.

Every word he tried to say felt like an insult to his younger self—the version of him who had once admired her so purely. Every attempt to measure this moment with practical benefits felt like a betrayal to that past admiration.

A voice in his mind kept telling him: Stop talking. Just let her go.

Perhaps silence was truly the best choice.

The moment Lin Yun submitted his resignation—

The moment Cornflower returned to this city—

He should have understood.

No matter why she disappeared back then, or why she chose to live as an ordinary person for so long, the fact that she had revealed her true identity now meant that everything before this moment no longer mattered.

Maybe the best thing he could do for her now… was simply watch her leave.

Yet still, he wanted to say something.

Not for her.

For his younger self.

But what could he say?

Watching the figure slowly ascend into the sky, Wang Tengfei finally understood.

And so, he shouted.

"Cornflower! Keep fighting!"

His voice was hoarse, but at this moment, it carried the strength of his younger self:

"There are still people in this city who support you! We might not bring it up, but we remember you!"

"I don’t know why you disappeared, or what you’re fighting to protect now, but it must be against something we can’t even begin to comprehend!"

"But if you ever need help, we’ll stand by you—because you were our hero!"

"So please—"

His throat ached. Years of smoking and drinking had taken their toll on his body. He wasn’t as strong as he used to be.

But no matter how painful it was to shout, he felt like something deep within him—something from his youth—was rising from the depths of his memory.

He wasn’t chasing after the past.

He was rediscovering himself.

Then, as he looked up at the silhouette now nearly level with the sun, he saw her raise her hand.

She waved.

As if saying, "Got it."

A second later, she surged forward—her magic bursting outward—and disappeared into the vast sky.

Wang Tengfei watched her figure shrink into the distance.

And then, to his own surprise, he smiled.

“…Let’s take the afternoon off,” he murmured.

Above the city, a brilliant blue trail of magic streaked across the sky.

It no longer accompanied three other colors like it once had.

But even alone—

It was steady. It was unwavering.

It was the blue that many still remembered.

The blue that belonged to Fangting City.

---

Meanwhile—

“RAAAAAAAAHHHH!”

A massive beast’s claw crashed down from mid-air, shattering the concrete road and sending debris flying.

In Lixing District, at the Fangting City First Orphanage, the battle continued.

Dodging the Ravager’s attack, Lin Xiaolu gripped her wand tightly and fired several Magic Beams at the creature’s head.

But—

The pale blue magic beams barely left a scratch.

"ROAAAAR!"

The ineffective attacks only enraged the Ravager further.

The beast, shaped like a fusion of tiger and panther, reared onto its hind legs, towering over her.

In just two strides, it had already closed the distance.

Then—another massive claw came crashing down toward her.

"Damn it!"

Lin Xiaolu whipped her wand, channeling her magic to reposition herself, frustration evident in her voice.

“Why is this thing so damn tough?!”

“Xiaolu, don’t be reckless! Conserve your magic!”

Nearby, Xia Liang called out sharply.

Beside her, the Guiding Mirror flickered, splitting into several duplicates—each intercepting and nullifying the black magic bullets that the Ravager spat out.

“This thing’s skin defense is abnormal—way tougher than a standard Caterpillar-class Ravager!”

If the Ravager—or rather, the Black-Robed Man who had transformed into it—still had human intelligence, he would have mocked them right now.

Because, between the three Magical Girls present—

White Jingxuan was a complete rookie.

Lin Xiaolu and Xia Liang had yet to break its defenses.

Close-range attacks barely left dents.

Long-range magic shots only grazed the surface.

Even if they stopped dodging and let the girls attack freely, it still wouldn’t take significant damage.

By Ravager evolution standards, this transformation likely placed it at the Caterpillar-tier.

Stronger magic reserves than an Egg-tier, with further mutated organs covering most of its body.

Its grotesquely oversized claws were clear indicators—it had evolved into a Corrosive Claw-type Ravager.

Lin Xiaolu and Xia Liang had seen Caterpillar-tier Ravagers before.

Even though Veronica had always warned them to avoid battles beyond Egg-tier, they understood the power difference.

At the very least, as a solid Bud-tier Magical Girl, Xia Liang shouldn’t be this helpless.

But whether they could hurt it or not—

They had no choice but to keep fighting.

Because behind them—

Was the orphanage.

And if they lost here—

The consequences would be unimaginable.

Pale blue and amethyst magic swirled around the massive beast, weaving through its attacks, dodging, striking, and retreating.

On the other side of the battlefield, Bai Jingxuan had helped Tian Sheng to a seated position. Following his instructions, she carefully worked to dispel the Magical Barrier surrounding the orphanage.

“Hurry, Xiaoxuan!”

Moko anxiously urged her on, glancing at the distant fight with growing concern. “The situation over there is getting worse!”

From the moment they had joined the battle against the transformed man, Lin Xiaolu and Xia Liang had been steadily losing ground.

At first, they had relied on sheer momentum, suppressing the Ravager with relentless attacks. But as it became clear their strikes weren’t doing much damage, their initial burst of energy waned.

Now, the tide had completely turned.

Victory seemed impossible.

Their only hope was to stall the Ravager long enough for Moko and the others to finish breaking the barrier—so they could call Veronica for backup.

The seconds dragged on, each one feeling unbearably slow.

Finally, as Bai Jingxuan dispelled more of the barrier, an unstable ripple flickered across its surface.

“It’s working! Cough… Just a few more key structures left!”

Tian Sheng, sitting by the roadside, called out excitedly. But the effort left him weak, and he slumped back down.

Bai Jingxuan nodded wordlessly, focusing on the final steps of the dispelling process.

But unlike their steady progress, the battle on the other side had reached a crisis point.

---

The first mistake came from Lin Xiaolu.

While dodging the Ravager’s close-range attack, she misjudged her positioning. As she moved through the air, she landed directly in the path of an incoming attack.

A barrage of basketball-sized purple-black magic spheres hurtled from the Ravager’s mouth, heading straight for her.

Just as they were about to strike—

A mirror suddenly materialized in front of her.

The projectiles collided with it, deflecting away harmlessly.

It was Xia Liang’s Magical Armor—capable of reflecting enemy magic attacks.

But in this rushed situation, she barely had time to set up a single mirror. She didn’t even have a chance to prepare a second one for teleportation redirection.

And that momentary focus on defense—

Left her vulnerable.

The Ravager reacted instantly.

The very moment Xia Liang chose to protect Lin Xiaolu, it lunged forward.

Its massive claw struck Xia Liang directly.

As a Bud-tier Magical Girl, Xia Liang hadn’t yet mastered Spells, nor could she conjure a Barrier instantly in close combat.

She took the hit.

Full force.

“Xia Liang!”

Lin Xiaolu’s voice rose in panic.

But shouting did nothing.

She could only watch as Xia Liang was sent flying like a ragdoll, her body slamming into the wall with brutal force.

The Ravager turned its gaze toward Lin Xiaolu.

It had eliminated the biggest threat among its opponents.

Even with its limited intelligence in this form, it understood—the battle was about to end.

Suddenly, the green tubes coiling around its body began to pulse.

A surge of purple-black magic energy was pumped from its heart, spreading through its body, inflating its already grotesque form with bulging veins of pure malice.

Then—

It charged.

---

From a distance, Lin Xiaolu’s vision distorted.

One blink—

The enemy had disappeared.

A sense of déjà vu seized her.

Again.

Just like that night in the Wetland Park.

She was caught in a trap, a barrier-enclosed hunting ground, where a Ravager was out to kill her.

Back then—

She had been powerless.

She had barely lasted a few seconds before being completely overpowered. She would have died, beheaded in an instant—if Veronica hadn’t intervened.

And maybe—

That was when it had all begun.

Her admiration.

Her deep-seated reverence for Veronica.

But this time—

Even Veronica wasn’t here to save her.

She was on her own.

Would she die here?

Just like her mother—falling in battle?

She remembered the question she had asked Veronica days ago.

Back then, Veronica had told her:

“If you don’t have the answer yet, don’t think too hard about it. You’re still a child. I’ll protect you. You have time.”

That sense of protection—

That warmth—

That feeling of safety and happiness—

She had longed for it.

For a brief moment, she wished she could stay a child forever, sheltered in that gentle embrace.

But—

This was different.

She was in danger.

Yet—

She wasn’t afraid.

She wasn’t regretting.

She wasn’t hesitating.

She was furious.

Furious at the enemy before her.

Not just because they had attacked the orphanage.

Not just because they had almost killed the new Magical Girls of Fangting City.

Not even because they had wounded her friend.

It was more than that.

The man’s words—his arrogance—

His mockery of Magical Girls—

It was unforgivable.

He called himself noble.

He claimed righteousness.

Yet he ambushed, hunted, and slaughtered innocent girls.

He was a disgrace to everything a Magical Girl stood for.

From the cartoon heroines she had watched as a child—

To the friends and mentors she had now—

Even the future Magical Girls who would come after her—

They flashed through her mind.

Magical Girls should be radiant. Beautiful. A symbol of hope.

She still believed that.

And for someone like him—to reduce that dream to prey for the slaughter—

Her anger burned.

She couldn’t even comprehend the sheer despair and helplessness that those innocent girls must have felt in their final moments.

And the more unimaginable that horror became—

The hotter her fury blazed.

Hotter. Hotter. Until—

She was no longer just angry at him.

She was angry at herself.

At her own powerlessness.

Even now—even with this rage—

She still couldn’t do anything.

She was just a Seed-tier Magical Girl.

She couldn’t harm him.

She was being toyed with.

And soon—she might die here.

Pathetic.

She scoffed at herself.

She thought too much, but when it mattered, she was useless.

Veronica was fighting.

Xia Liang had protected her.

Even a rookie was risking everything to disable the barrier.

And what was she doing?

Watching.

She could almost see Veronica’s disappointed gaze.

It was deserved.

If she died here, Veronica would probably be disappointed rather than sad.

But for some reason—

She suddenly remembered that night by the river.

She remembered Veronica’s words.

She remembered Veronica’s hand holding hers.

She remembered—

“I’m here.”

And just then—

She felt it.

As if—someone was holding her hand again.

Cold, yet comforting.

“Believe in your own possibilities.”

Veronica’s voice whispered in her ear.

Lin Xiaolu’s eyes snapped open.

Something had changed.

Her hand glowed.

Not her usual pale blue magic—

But silver-white.

A flame-like radiance surged from her fingers.

And the power that followed—

Was overwhelming.

She wasn’t powerless anymore.

She was furious.

And this battle—

Was far from over.