When Lu Liang arrived at the scene and blocked those dozens of Cleaver afterimages for Lu Xiaoling, his body was almost covered in wounds.
Those Cleaver afterimages had truly struck his flesh, dealing Lu Liang a considerable blow.
Fortunately, Lu Liang was no longer human in his current state.
In his monster form, he was like a tank with innate regeneration ability.
The black smoke enveloping him also obscured his face.
After a few breaths, the wounds on his body healed completely, leaving no trace visible to anyone.
“It’s you!”
Star Splitter glared fiercely at the familiar figure, her anger making her grind her silver teeth.
The one who had caused her such a crushing defeat—dropping her rank from Seedling-level to a mere Seedling—was none other than the Black Mist Monster!
Or rather, it was more fitting to call it the Black Knight now.
Since the battle at East Zheng Tower, the media had dubbed the Black Mist Monster with this unique name, and the Magical Girl Association had even adopted it officially.
Star Splitter’s expression turned grave.
The Association had rated the Black Knight as an A-rank monster, and even among A-rank monsters, the Black Knight was notoriously difficult to deal with.
Its phantom speed, strength on par with hers, and the possession of Demonic Armament that only Magical Girls could wield made it a nightmare.
The most infuriating aspect was its damn Miracle Power—the goddamn ability to continuously deduct the opponent’s financial balance during combat!
Seeing the Black Knight now was like looking at a pile of filth to Star Splitter.
She couldn’t beat him, and even if she could, the fight would cost her money.
After a battle, she would end up losing thousands instead of gaining anything.
What a damn waste!
Of course, Star Splitter wasn’t unwilling to hunt down Lu Liang; it was just that she only brought Jie Li on this mission.
Had she known the Black Knight would appear here, she would have brought a few more Magical Girl Interns from the Intern Magical Girl Group for Donkey Work to share the Paying Damages burden, avoiding this embarrassing situation.
Star Splitter sighed silently.
Who would have guessed the Black Knight would show up here, and for the sake of rescuing an illegal Civilian Magical Girl no less?
What was it planning—rebellion?
While Star Splitter was venting her frustration at Lu Liang, he was calmly analyzing the situation.
He was well acquainted with Star Splitter and had already memorized all her moves.
She posed no real threat.
The only one he needed to watch out for was the other Magical Girl.
Lu Liang slowly shifted his gaze toward Jie Li.
“Better take down one first and break her Defense Membrane!”
He reached out toward the void, and a heavy, pitch-black greatsword materialized in his hand.
The Chopping Money Greatsword!
Seeing this familiar blade, Star Splitter was horrified.
She covered her skirt instinctively and retreated a few steps.
This was a Demonic Armament as nasty as its owner.
The first time it appeared, it had chopped away three thousand yuan of Star Splitter’s money and a limited-edition pair of underwear worth 4,200 yuan, leaving a deep scar on her psyche.
Thinking of that humiliating past, Star Splitter felt ashamed and furious.
Summoning her own Demonic Armament, she fixed her gaze on Jie Li and took a step forward, instantly closing the distance by dozens of meters.
“Coming for me?”
Jie Li’s face paled, her pupils shrinking sharply at the ghost-like figure rushing at her.
This monster fought without honor—why was it charging at her?
Though Jie Li, like Star Splitter, was a Magical Girl, there were clear hierarchies among them.
Star Splitter’s Demonic Armament Cleaver was brutal and aggressive, embodying a noble, frontline attacker.
Jie Li’s Demonic Armament, on the other hand, was a staff.
Not that it had zero offensive capability, but her attributes were entirely defensive.
Usually, Jie Li handled support tasks and magic replenishment during battle, and her combat awareness was far beneath Star Splitter’s.
Thankfully, as a Support, her Defense Membrane was exceptionally sturdy.
As the Black Knight charged, Jie Li desperately swung her staff.
Streams of pale blue light erupted from its center, enveloping her in a relatively small Crystal Barrier.
Then, the Chopping Money Greatsword sliced across the barrier’s surface.
Immediately, cracks appeared and rapidly spread.
Her Defense Membrane was about to be shattered in an instant!
“Impossible!”
Jie Li was terrified.
Though she had once had her defense broken by Lu Liang before, this barrier was crafted from her full magical energy and was stronger than before.
Why was it still being broken?
She didn’t realize that the Chopping Money Greatsword carried a unique Paying Damages attribute, draining Lu Liang’s own financial resources with each slash.
Such a pay-to-win weapon’s power was incomparable to that of a mere civilian player’s Demonic Armament.
“Senior!”
Seeing her defense on the verge of collapse, Jie Li looked to Star Splitter with a pleading expression, placing her last hope in her.
“I can’t hold on much longer! Senior, save me!”
That voice snapped Star Splitter back to reality.
She glanced at the struggling Jie Li and shouted loudly, “Jie Li, I have a move that can turn the tide, but it requires a long charge time. Until then, you cover me!”
With that, Star Splitter planted her massive Cleaver in front of her, closed her eyes, and focused her spirit.
A tremendous aura radiated from her.
Lu Liang caught a glimpse of the strange light gathering around Star Splitter and his heart suddenly sank.
“Hmm? She’s hiding a trick?!”
His reflexes were astonishingly quick.
Before the words left his mouth, his figure flickered like a ghost, abruptly turning back and heading straight for Star Splitter!
His greatsword whistled through the air, intent on annihilating her before her spell could take shape.
“You won’t be a bother to Senior!”
Hearing the flicker of hope, Jie Li was overjoyed.
She hastily poured her magic into creating more crystal barriers, trying to trap Lu Liang inside.
“Naive!”
Lu Liang merely made a simple slash motion with his greatsword.
One strike shattered the crystal barriers in front of him.
Again, the same truth: why would a civilian player like her stand a chance against my pay-to-win Demonic Armament?
Jie Li’s face darkened, her teeth clenched.
Seeing her barriers fail to even momentarily block Lu Liang, a flash of resolve crossed her eyes.
She made a bold decision—she voluntarily dispelled the Crystal Barrier between herself and Lu Liang and then suddenly grabbed hold of him!
Caught off guard, Lu Liang couldn’t move.
Even if he broke free, it would likely be too late to stop Star Splitter.
In a moment of desperation, Lu Liang gave Lu Xiaoling a meaningful look.
Though she was still reeling from the absurdity of being saved by a monster, when she saw Lu Liang’s gaze, their minds connected, and she immediately understood.
Like a bolt of lightning, Lu Xiaoling dashed toward the charging Star Splitter, ready to do what Lu Liang had not yet managed.
Along the way, she twisted and dodged countless Cleaver afterimages blocking her path, finally reaching Star Splitter.
Just as she was about to strike, the unexpected happened.
Star Splitter, who had kept her eyes closed, suddenly opened them and flashed a mocking smile at Lu Xiaoling.
“Senior! Finish them off!”
Seeing this, Jie Li was so moved she nearly cried.
In the next moment, unprecedented pressure exploded from Star Splitter.
She kicked off the ground with such force that the earth beneath cracked.
Star Splitter leapt into the air, her body ascending swiftly.
She soon melded into the night, vanishing from everyone’s sight and never returning.
For a long moment, the place fell completely silent, as if all life had been sucked away.
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