Mana, a resource necessary for casting spells, is present in the air and can be absorbed through breathing.
Magical girls and aberrant demons can also convert what they eat into mana through consumption.
This stuff is commonly known as the blue bar, or MP value, and using certain skills, actions, or even just maintaining the form of a magical girl all consume mana.
Humanity has already published books on the subject of mana, analyzing its various properties in detail.
Most magical girls don’t have a particularly high total mana pool; the average magical girl usually has around 100 units of mana.
For example, Jinluan is like this.
But Huanhong has a bit less, with a total of about 80 units of mana.
Lesser aberrant demons typically fluctuate between 50 and 150 units.
But high-level aberrant demons are terrifying—their total mana is estimated at over 2,000 points. That’s right, at least twenty times the mana reserves of a magical girl.
Different types of aberrant demons have some variation.
This is also one of the reasons why Yinlin can have her defenses shattered by a single shot from a high-level aberrant demon.
That thing can also use a Charged Attack, gathering 1,000 units of mana for a single blast.
That’s equivalent to ten times Jinluan’s total mana, all just to fire off that one shot.
It makes sense that it could instantly pierce Yinlin’s shield. In fact, it’s almost unbelievable that Yinlin wasn’t killed in one blow.
Before this battle, the high-level aberrant demon used that same move again, spending 1,000 units of mana for a Sniper Shot.
Who would’ve thought that the supposedly guaranteed hit would actually miss?
It had just fought Jinluan and Huanhong for a while, using up some more mana, and with the mana consumed over the past few days, now only a small amount remains.
Feeling the wounds and pain all over its body, even though this high-level aberrant demon isn’t very intelligent, it knows it can’t afford to be stingy anymore.
If it keeps relying on those little skills that don’t use much mana, it’ll lose to these two magical girls sooner or later.
The high-level aberrant demon is getting serious.
Jinluan quietly asked Huanhong, “How are you holding up over there? Can you still fight?”
Huanhong: “I’m fine.”
Jinluan: “Did you see Lightning?”
Huanhong: “No, I don’t think that thing dares to show up.”
The diameter of this barrier is only 120 meters—even if Lightning-man comes in, he’d be dead.
Jinluan was afraid Yinlin would fire that shot, and Lightning-man was also afraid Yinlin would fire that shot.
Maybe Yinlin wouldn’t die if she raised her shield, but as for everyone else here, who knows.
It really feels like Nuclear Deterrence.
On the main battlefield, Jinluan and Huanhong are fighting the high-level aberrant demon; on the side, it’s a standoff between Yinlin and Lightning-man.
Either Yinlin gets taken out in an instant, or she takes out Lightning-man—it’s a delicate balance.
They have to hurry. If Yinlin cancels her Charged Attack and the Nuclear Deterrence disappears, this balance will collapse.
Jinluan knows this well. She gives Huanhong a simple hand signal—Huanhong will attack head-on, while Jinluan will go for a surprise attack.
Someone needs to draw the enemy’s attention.
Huanhong thinks for two seconds, then nods with difficulty.
The sound of a helicopter comes from above—not in the sewers, but on the surface.
They know that people from the Human Alliance have arrived.
It’s not exactly good news; at this point, the Human Alliance can’t help much, and might even cause the magical girls to be tied down.
They have to speed things up.
Huanhong maintains her enhanced state, running and rapidly closing the distance.
As she charges, her momentum is intimidating, like a mountain pressing down.
The aberrant demon starts running too, quickly retreating, circling inside the purple barrier.
At the same time, a dozen or so points of light appear around it, slowly growing larger.
Ten seconds later, when Huanhong is still seven or eight meters from the high-level aberrant demon, it waves its hand, and a dense barrage of light beams shoots out.
And these things can even curve, their trajectories controlled by the high-level aberrant demon.
Some of the beams shoot directly at Huanhong, while others cut off her movement, aiming at other spots.
The scene is truly spectacular—it’s just like facing Gilgamesh’s Gate of Babylon.
Huanhong has almost no way to dodge.
She does her best to change her charge direction and protect her head, but still gets hit by two of the blocking shots—one to the chest, one to the thigh.
Even her magical girl uniform is torn, and naturally, her skin is cut open, bleeding heavily.
Some of her hair is singed.
The power of this multi-directional barrage is about the same as a quick-fire blast, and it can be fired so many times and even curve in midair.
Absolutely ruthless.
The beams that missed Huanhong loop around and come back.
One of them hits her in the back, opening another, smaller wound.
After flying for so long, the beams have lost some of their power.
The aberrant demon tries to control the remaining beams to circle back, but Huanhong doesn’t just stand there waiting to die.
She’s already figured out how this move works, and right now, the safest place is right next to the high-level aberrant demon.
Ignoring her injuries, she charges forward. The high-level aberrant demon runs as it continues to control the beams.
Seeing she can’t catch up quickly and might get worn down to death, Huanhong grips her Staff like a javelin, still running.
Then, using the momentum, she hurls the Staff.
The force is immense, and the sound of it cutting through the air is clear.
Using a throwing skill, Huanhong’s Staff smashes into the high-level aberrant demon’s head.
Its massive body actually staggers, stumbling several steps before crashing to the ground.
Now’s the time!
Jinluan seizes the opportunity, instantly closing the distance. She swings her Quick Blade without charging, aiming for the demon’s head.
The blade hits, but gets stuck in the skull, unable to penetrate and decapitate.
She quickly pulls out her weapon and slashes at the demon’s neck, but again, the flesh stops the blade. She can’t even cut through what looks like a fragile neck.
Looks like she’ll have to use a Charged Attack—Quick Blade alone can’t pierce the high-level aberrant demon’s physical defense.
A powerful shockwave sweeps through again—it’s that same move, feeling just like Pain’s Almighty Push, incredibly domineering.
Jinluan jams her weapon into the ground, leaving a long cut in the earth, but still gets blown away.
Huanhong, who had just retrieved her weapon, tries to grab onto a support pillar in the Drain Palace below, but can’t hold on and is blown away as well.
Once again, they’re pushed back a fair distance.
At this moment, Jinluan feels a bit discouraged. Does this situation really have to be handled by Yinlin?
If Yinlin can cancel her Charged Attack, she could use a smaller blast to finish off this high-level aberrant demon—but what about Lightning-man?
Without Nuclear Deterrence, who could stop Lightning-man?
And the two veteran magical girls always have to rely on a newcomer.
It’s really quite embarrassing.
“Hold him for me one more minute, keep him in place.” Jinluan makes another request.
“I’ll… do my best.” Huanhong still agrees.
The two launch another assault. Huanhong bravely closes in again, once more facing the high-level aberrant demon’s multi-directional barrage.
Jinluan doesn’t pay attention to Huanhong’s condition now; she trusts Huanhong can handle it.
When she’s ten meters from the aberrant demon, Jinluan stops, half-squats, raises her blade, and channels mana to start a Charged Attack.
She doesn’t want to lose to Yinlin, doesn’t want to be outdone by her soft, weak, sweet-smelling little sister.
She has to take down the high-level aberrant demon before Yinlin cancels her Charged Attack, so Yinlin can maintain Nuclear Deterrence.