Chapter 20: Chapter 17 Magical Girl Xiaojin
Emerald Sparrow arrived at the scene to find the area where the Remnant Beasts were already cordoned off. The citizens who had planned to pass through were being evacuated, and the local residents within the area were also being ushered out under the guidance of officials.
As it was midday and the Remnant Beast had appeared at an intersection, there were very few casualties among the public who encountered it first. Most people had managed to escape in time, so the mood in the crowd still seemed stable, without causing any unrest.
Emerald Sparrow didn't linger too long at the barricade line; she just made sure that the Abnormal Strategy Bureau was taking action. With a push of her heels, she dashed out from a gap between nearby buildings, flying toward the location of the Remnant Beast, which was also the center of this area.
After arriving at the scene, she discovered that she was the only one there.
However, it made sense. Her full-speed flight was certainly faster than the other two, and the distance to the incident site was not too far. It was perfectly normal that she arrived first if she had left at the same time as they had.
"Its form hasn't solidified yet, just an egg-level little guy, huh."
Landing by the roadside, Emerald Sparrow looked at the Remnant Beast resembling a huge egg-shaped mass of flesh. It was throwing a tantrum because it couldn't find prey, recklessly destroying the surrounding buildings. She raised her hand; the Magic Wand she had been holding floated up:
"Magic Power construction extraction."
As her words fell, the Magic Wand dissolved into scattered particles of light, and a small, ornately decorated pair of dressmaker's scissors appeared in Emerald Sparrow's hand. The sapphire blue magic particles gathered around her, with shimmering Magic Silk encircling her body, giving off a slightly dangerous aura.
Within Emerald Sparrow's vision, the space around her had long been filled with blue Magic Power Lines. The Remnant Beast in the center of the area was like prey caught in a spider's web, already unable to escape.
She stretched out her hand, placing her thumb and ring finger on two strands of Magic Silk, and slowly began to hook her fingers in the same direction.
As she manipulated the lines, the network of Magic Power Lines around the Remnant Beast tightened accordingly. In nearly a breath's time, its range of movement was completely restricted, and soon after, it was thoroughly bound in place by the Magic Silk.
The Remnant Beast, feeling the restriction, did not realize it had been captured. Even though it was immobilized, it continued to make futile attempts and let out earth-shaking roars, trying to intimidate Emerald Sparrow not far away.
The roar of the Remnant Beast carried a burst of wind, raising a tumult at a distance of more than ten meters, lifting Emerald Sparrow's clothes. Even at that distance, she could smell a strong scent of blood.
Emerald Sparrow was expressionless.
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Following her usual practice, after restraining the Remnant Beast, she would directly proceed to kill it.
But this time was different. She merely restrained the beast as if she had finished her own work, standing silently by the road with one hand on her hip, waiting.
She was waiting for Lin Xiaolu and Xia Liang.
Both were new Magical Girls who needed ample real combat experience to accumulate. An egg-level Remnant Beast was unquestionably a quality punching bag: first, its movements were sluggish, and second, its attacks were not so fatal to Magical Girls. Even if something unexpected occurred, with Emerald Sparrow on the sidelines, there would be no major issues.
Therefore, she did not intend to personally kill this Remnant Beast. She only prevented it from destroying public buildings, planning to let the two newcomers practice on this beast.
Before long, accompanied by a pale purple glow, a figure rapidly flew in from the horizon.
The purple glow headed straight for the Remnant Beast and Emerald Sparrow's position, plummeting down. After landing with great speed, it splashed up ripples of Jinzhi's color in the magic power, as if hitting the surface of water.
The newcomer stood up straight from amid the ripples of light, shook her head to arrange the hair clinging to her face, then turned to look at Emerald Sparrow with a smile:
"Ah, I've arrived! Using Magic Power to cushion the landing really is fast, little senior!"
"The 'little' is unnecessary." Emerald Sparrow's eyelids drooped.
The arrival was none other than Xia Liang.
She was wearing a Jinzhi-colored cinched-waist dress adorned with wavy lace frills, a light yellow shawl collar top that was separate from the dress, and a half-open cardigan of the same light purple hue to match. The massive bow tie at her chest impressioned a sense of mystery yet was cheerful.
Her likewise violet hair slightly curled at the tips, creating a gentle inward wave that seemed to defy gravity, and on her head sat a Jinzhi-colored soft hat wrapped with a yellow ribbon. Crescent moon-shaped earrings dangled from her earlobes, exuding a sense of luxury and fashion.
This was Xia Liang's transformed look as a Magical Girl, which fit very well with her Magical Girl codename—Xiao Jin.
The costume of a Magical Girl reflects the personality of the one who transformed, so Xia Liang's outfit was the most mature in style among the three, even though she was actually the youngest by age.
Looking at the girl who had landed, Emerald Sparrow's face remained calm, yet her mind was filled with admiration.
When she had first found Xia Liang, she had a premonition that this child's talent might be extraordinary, but the skill she had shown now was beyond Emerald Sparrow's expectations.
The "magic landing" she referred to was a technique Emerald Sparrow had only mentioned during yesterday's lesson, which enabled Magical Girls to land without slowing down after flying, completing the descent at the highest speed possible.
For a girl who had been afraid of flying just a few days ago, to swiftly adapt to flying with magic power and even master advanced techniques beyond Lin Xiaolu in just a few days, Xia Liang could truly be called a natural Magical Girl.
"You've mastered the landing technique so quickly, well done," praised Emerald Sparrow without stint.
"Hmph hmph."
Flushed with elation, Xia Liang squinted happily and took quick little steps to reach Emerald Sparrow's side. Looking at the Remnant Beasts bound not far away, she said with a hint of wonder in her voice, "Is that a Remnant Beast?"
"Eh—so this is what they look like up close, so big, so disgusting!"
Although she repeated "disgusting," her face was brimming with curiosity, "But why isn't it moving? Did you take it out, junior?"
"I told you to drop the 'junior'."
Emerald Sparrow corrected with a touch of resignation, but she wasn't insistent. With a gentle flick of her finger in the air, several blue Magic Power Lines appeared one after another: "Be careful, the Remnant Beast is still alive. It's not moving because I've already tied it up."
Immediately, Xia Liang's attention was drawn to the Magic Silk lines, and she leaned in with widened eyes, "So pretty! These are your Magic Constructs, aren't they, junior? Is this like a guitar string?"
"My Magic Constructs are silk threads and scissors," Emerald Sparrow shared openly. "Don't get too close, these threads can both bind enemies and become extremely sharp. I don't want to accidentally hurt you."
"Are you concerned about me?"
The smile on Xia Liang's face carried a hint of tease, but still, she obediently stepped back, her mood seemingly cheerful, "You seem so aloof, but junior, you're actually quite sensitive."
"Please, no sappy talk when it's unnecessary," said Emerald Sparrow, still expressionless.
——"You two over there, even though you've only met a few days ago, don't get so chummy behind others' backs!"
As they conversed, a shout suddenly came from mid-air, and both Emerald Sparrow and Xia Liang looked up toward the voice, seeing a pale blue arc of light descending from the sky.
Almost ten minutes had passed since Emerald Sparrow had restrained the Remnant Beast, and at last Lin Xiaolu arrived.