Chapter 15: Studying Hard to Save the Day at the Last Minute

The structure above the Disaster Strategy Bureau building deformed rapidly as massive turrets extended from the floors, unleashing a terrifying barrage of firepower upon the disaster beast.

In an instant, the sky was completely covered!

However, when the smoke cleared, the crimson disaster beast remained unscathed, continuing its charge toward the four falling figures.

It merely cast a cold glance at the Disaster Strategy Bureau building before opening its maw to spew terrifying flames toward the structure.

A yellow ripple rippled around the building, swallowing the flames.

It was likely some kind of magical girl's mana barrier.

Even amidst his descent, Jiang Si had the presence of mind to monitor the movements of both the building and the beast.

C-rank and below disaster beasts could be harmed, or even suppressed, by modern weaponry; while they couldn't be killed, sufficient firepower was enough to render them immobile.

But once they reached B-rank, modern weapons became largely ineffective, leaving one to rely solely on the power of magical girls.

In fact, most modern materials were incapable of defending against the attacks of a B-rank disaster beast.

"Everyone, watch out!"

Though the blast of flame failed to affect the building, the beast did not linger; instead, it continued its charge toward the four people!

After Yin Lian let out a shout, she abandoned all pretense and directly pulled out the Miracle Seed embedded in her key.

She held it high, facing the behemoth that felt like a mountain descending upon them!

"Dance, phantom cherry blossoms!"

"Transform!"

A massive amount of pink petals instantly swirled and drifted around her, centering on Yin Lian like a tornado.

The Blazing Bird—as Jiang Si tentatively called this avian disaster beast—slammed its massive body into the condensed petals, only to hit them as if they were springs. Its enormous frame was eerily bounced away.

The transformation sequence was a magical girl's most practical tool and a universal "invincibility frame."

During the moment of transformation, one could become immune to damage and repel nearby enemies.

The only pity was that the transformation and de-transformation processes were limited; one couldn't continuously cycle through them to exploit the invincibility frame as a bug...

Countless petals danced and converged, finally gathering onto Yin Lian at the center.

Her long pink skirt featured magnificent flowing ribbons that fluttered in the wind like a blooming flower.

The blue butterfly atop her head looked almost alive at first glance, its wings twitching slightly, though closer inspection revealed it was merely a bow.

Once transformed, Yin Lian did not bother with the repelled beast. Instead, she turned and dove downward at a much higher speed to catch her sister.

Though the distance was somewhat great, Jiang Si calculated the gap; as long as he used the air to gain momentum once, he could reach Yin Lian's side.

He had chosen his falling trajectory carefully; the mountain where the Disaster Strategy Bureau stood was very close, making it easy to kick off from the rock face.

A mere fall wouldn't be an issue for his well-trained body, though the high velocity would likely result in broken bones.

It wouldn't matter much.

Taking a deep breath, calculating the distance, and preparing himself for the pain of fracturing bones, he was about to kick off the mountainside when his right hand was suddenly grabbed.

His descent slowed. To prevent his arm from being torn off by inertia, the other person fell a significant distance alongside him before finally bringing him to a halt.

Jiang Si looked up to see his transformed sister. Her brilliant crimson skirt swayed in the wind like raging flames. Riding a broom, she looked up with a cold, indifferent expression at the beast above.

Budding magical girls cannot fly, so the Disaster Strategy Bureau provided brooms specifically for them.

They were convenient tools that could be manipulated simply by injecting mana—and they felt very Harry Potter-esque.

"Can you stop causing me trouble?"

"Oh."

The exchange between the siblings ended there.

Beside them, Yin Lian, who had just rescued Yin Luo and was about to ask Jiang Keke for help, turned to see that Keke had already caught Jiang Si, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, while Jiang Si was being caught earlier, she had found the time to teach Keke how to summon a broom.

Though, for every novice magical girl entering the Bureau, summoning and controlling a broom was the very first thing they had to learn.

Moreover, despite their harsh words, these two siblings would always help each other in critical moments.

After all, they were family...

"Keke, get the people to the platform first!"

"Understood, Captain."

The title of "Captain" was used quite naturally.

Yin Lian was a Sprout-level magical girl, nearing the Bloom stage, so she didn't need a broom; she could fly on her own.

Carrying her sister, she quickly reached the platform. After carefully setting Yin Luo down, she turned around only to see Keke casually toss the captured Jiang Si onto the side of the platform, nearly sending the boy face-first into the ground.

If only her attitude were a bit gentler...

There was no time for such thoughts; the disaster beast above let out a high-pitched cry, and flames erupted from its body like splashing lava!

Yin Lian immediately drew her wand, and countless petals formed a barrier in front of the station, intercepting the incoming fireballs.

While the Disaster Strategy Bureau possessed mana barriers, the mountainside below began to tremble under the splashing flames.

"Keke, we'll lure it out and deal with it in the uninhabited outskirts. Sister, once you've gotten Jiang Si out, return to the Bureau immediately to prepare for battle. Jiang Si, once you're out, remember not to head toward the suburbs—as long as you go home, you'll be safe!"

After transforming, Yin Lian had not only grown taller, but her aura had become incredibly sharp.

She bore a resemblance to Susan, speaking with crisp efficiency. After making arrangements for the three, she immediately led Keke toward the disaster beast.

Jiang Si looked up at the decisive Yin Lian, feeling a strange sensation.

She was completely different after transforming. He had seen many magical girls in the Qingyun Sect, but none had changed this drastically.

However, transformation certainly did affect height.

When he transformed into Ziyuan, his height decreased, whereas Yin Lian's increased.

He wondered what the principle or pattern behind it was.

With that thought, he glanced at Yin Luo.

Since Yin Lian had left, the seemingly mature sister had been staring blankly in the direction her sister had flown.

"Aren't you leaving?"

"Sorry, I was lost in thought." Recovering herself, Yin Luo gave an apologetic smile and led the way. "She's truly amazing, isn't she? It's like she's become a different person."

"Mm."

"She used to rely on me so much. When she first became a magical girl, our family didn't want her joining the Bureau; they thought she should focus on her studies. Yin Lian would come to me, crying and begging for help because she wanted to be a magical girl. Back then, no matter what trouble she faced, she would come to me to vent and ask for help."

She spoke of the past as if to herself.

Jiang Si felt she was being a bit too familiar.

As Yin Luo spoke, her expression turned melancholy. "Since becoming a magical girl, she... gradually stopped relying on me. Yin Lian is getting stronger and stronger. She used to follow behind me, but now, I'm the one trying to catch up to her shadow. I can't even keep up..."

"I... I also really want to become a magical girl."

She was a bit old for that, wasn't she?

Jiang Si glanced at her; Yin Luo looked to be in her twenties, though one could argue she might be eighteen or nineteen; Jiang Si lacked the ability to discern age solely by appearance.

However, no matter how he looked at her, she seemed a bit older.

Those who receive Miracle Seeds to become magical girls are usually young, mostly middle or high school students. Occasionally there are older or younger ones, but the variance is generally small.

It would be quite difficult for someone of Yin Luo's age to obtain a Miracle Seed, though not impossible.

After all, even he could obtain one; as long as her wish was strong enough, she should be able to as well... probably.

"Forget it, let's not talk about this. As a sister, being jealous of one's own sister is truly unsightly, don't you think?"

"It's nothing," Jiang Si said calmly. "I have a sister too. Having a sister become a magical girl can indeed create a sense of crisis."

"Haha, but our troubles seem different. Your relationship with your sister seems much more strained."

Yin Luo walked to the wall between platforms nine and ten and used her key to open it. "Alright, go on. Remember, don't go to the suburbs. Be careful on the way."

"Goodbye."

Hearing this, Yin Luo gave a bitter smile. "I hope we meet again."

Jiang Si, naturally, did not notice her strange smile. After exiting Platform 9¾, Yin Luo led him through a series of turns and twists before they finally escaped the labyrinthine path leading to the Bureau.

There was likely some magical design involved; even if one had been there once, they probably wouldn't find their way without a guide.

Not long after they emerged, he saw a streak of pink and red light cutting across the sky.

Immediately following, the firebird burst through the clouds.

It seemed the entrance to the Bureau wasn't limited to this one location.

There was likely one in the sky as well, though ordinary people probably couldn't reach it.

Taking out the Miracle Seed and watching the exquisite mana swirling within, Jiang Si gripped it tightly.

He could indeed understand Yin Luo. Without the power of a magical girl, it would be hard not to feel envy when watching a group of girls who could transform.

A B-rank disaster beast—something he hadn't encountered more than a few times in three years. He absolutely could not let this pass.

The mana in that Seed of Lament would be incredibly abundant.

***

"I'm sorry for making you deal with a B-rank beast right away, Keke, but the other members are handling beasts elsewhere. I asked around, and they really can't make it over here."

"It's fine."

Keke gripped her broom tightly, her palms sweating. "Since I intend to become a magical girl, I'm mentally prepared for this kind of risk."

"Well said!" Yin Lian gave a thumbs up. "Then let's work together to take this thing down! Keke, coordinate with me—fly downwards!"

"Yes, Captain!"

Yin Lian flew upward while Jiang Keke flew downward. The pursuing disaster beast paused for a moment.

Then, with a flap of its wings, a pitch-black crack spread downward from its crown, rapidly splitting its body in two.

Yin Lian turned back and froze; it looked as if someone had sliced it open.

But in the next instant, both halves of the split body erupted in massive flames, filling the void of the missing half.

It had transformed into two firebird disaster beasts!

If it had just stayed like that, it would have been one thing, but its aura hadn't even weakened. After splitting, both firebirds were at B-rank strength!

Horrified, Yin Lian immediately stepped on her petals, attempting to return to Keke's side.

Her original plan was to separate them so Keke could escape the beast's attack range while she engaged in a pursuit battle, with Keke providing support from a safe distance.

Since Keke was a novice with little combat experience, facing a B-rank beast in her first operation was unreasonable. As a captain and senior, Yin Lian naturally wanted to protect her and ensure her safety.

She hadn't expected the bird to split into two, both maintaining full strength, which instantly bankrupted her tactical plan.

Instead, it threw Keke into immediate crisis!

B-rank beasts required seasoned Sprout-level magical girls to handle; Keke was only a Bud, and she simply couldn't manage.

"Keke, come back!"

The sudden change left her only able to shout a conflicting command. Keke didn't doubt her captain and immediately pulled on her broom to return to Yin Lian, but the two firebirds were faster!

Yin Lian was fine; she didn't need to manipulate a broom and could fly freely and flexibly. When the firebirds charged, she could easily dodge.

Keke, however, could not. A Bud-level magical girl couldn't fly naturally, and even using a broom to struggle through the air, she was unskilled. When the firebird charged, though she tried her best to dodge, she was still struck.

She was sent tumbling, the world spinning around her.

But the broom was quite sentient; it quickly flew back up from above the impact. Once Keke regained her senses, she reached out her right hand to grab it. She swayed precariously in the sky, clutching her wand with her left hand, unable to climb back on immediately.

Below, the firebird that had struck her ignited the suburban forest.

The Bureau had reported in advance that this area was uninhabited, so there was no immediate worry about innocent bystanders.

However, the forest was raging in flames; if left unchecked, the fire could spread into the city.

Yin Lian wanted to go protect Keke, but the firebird that had missed its collision performed a sharp turn in the air and plummeted toward her!

Blazing flames exploded behind her. Even with the protection of her petals, Yin Lian stumbled, nearly falling.

Pink petals quickly enveloped the firebird behind her. Before the petals could be consumed by the fire, Yin Lian lunged forward, clenching her fist toward the beast.

A massive amount of petals compressed the beast, causing flesh and flame to splatter simultaneously.

Looking up from below, Keke watched her captain's strength with awe.

*So amazing.*

*Can I become that strong too?*

"Watch below! Keke!"

Alerted by Yin Lian, Keke finally reacted and looked down.

The firebird that had crashed into the forest surged back out, charging toward her at extreme speed!

It was too fast!

At the same time, the other firebird, which was being compressed by Yin Lian's petals, burst out again. Although its flames were much dimmer, it still pinned Yin Lian down.

Consequently, while Yin Lian's supporting petals were still about two meters above, the firebird's flames had already reached Keke!

The heat was so intense her clothes were burning. She was a fire-using magical girl herself.

However, the flames she struggled to ignite with her wand seemed tiny and pathetic before the beast in front of her.

The flames from her wand were instantly incinerated.

She could only watch helplessly as the beast collided with her...

*BOOM!*

In the next instant, the once-unstoppable, soaring beast slammed into the ground like a meteor!

Only then did Yin Lian's pink petals catch up, enveloping Keke and shielding her within.

Keke quickly used her wand to disperse the surrounding petals, looking up in surprise at the figure standing before her.

"Teacher Ziyuan!"