Clang!
A resonant chime echoed out.
A violent crash rang atop the East Proper Building.
A gigantic Cleaver was thrown up from the ground floor, smashing down like a cannonball right where Lu Liang stood.
He shifted his position, leaping between buildings—some already ruins, others on the verge of collapse—dodging the heavy blows.
Below, Star Splitter sprang up forcefully, cracking the concrete beneath her feet as she launched herself onto the rooftop more than ten stories high!
The immense strength of this leaf-level Magical Girl, combined with the terrifying might of that massive Cleaver, made Lu Liang realize that this was no ordinary foe—far beyond the twenty or so Apprentice Magical Girls he had faced before.
She brandished the enormous Cleaver, her eyes wide and bloodshot. Every swing drove the heavy blade into the high-priced floors below, gouging out deep craters with each strike.
The defeated Apprentice Magical Girls scattered quickly, unwilling to slow Star Splitter down.
Of course, they weren’t running away; rather, they formed a perimeter around the duel between Lu Liang and Star Splitter, preventing any escape.
By the time Lu Liang noticed this, the devastated rooftop was left with only the two of them.
“Finally found you.”
Leaning the Cleaver to one side, Star Splitter cracked a wild grin:
“My money… I lose a penny from my bank account every second. If I kill you here, your Miracle Power will surely be nullified!”
“I don’t want to be your enemy. We can talk this through.”
Seeing this madwoman was about to get serious, Lu Liang calmly warned:
“Pushing me too far won’t help anyone. Don’t forget… this is Commercial Street. From what I know, any damage caused by Magical Girl battles must be paid for by you.”
His voice was low but loud enough for some nearby Apprentice Magical Girls to hear, quickly stirring unease and confusion.
Seeing the trainees’ fearful, confused expressions, Star Splitter raised her eyebrows slightly, catching the warning in Lu Liang’s words.
She understood that this Monster was no ordinary one.
It was craftier, stronger, and… more skilled at sowing discord.
It knew exactly how to use words to stir trouble among Magical Girls; its language was even more powerful than its Miracle Power.
If she hadn’t prepared in advance, she might have fallen for its manipulations.
Scoffing, Star Splitter straightened and shouted loudly:
“Hah! Magical Girls are not such fragile creatures! We exist to protect love and hope, to safeguard world peace. If it’s for the safety and health of the people, then what does it matter if we pay some damages?”
Small in stature, Star Splitter stood tall as she spoke, her noble demeanor and resolute words instantly moving the surrounding Apprentice Magical Girls and bystanders to tears.
“Senpai! You can do it!”
“The big sister with the Cleaver must defeat the Monster!”
“Yes! I work 24/7 just so my daughter can grow up to be a hero like her!”
A simple phrase was enough to rally the apprentices’ morale, weaving it into a solid bond—and even earned the support of the ordinary crowd.
Amid the cheers of her juniors and the people, Star Splitter roared and charged her blade at Lu Liang.
In an instant, sparks flew everywhere, kicking up clouds of dust that blinded everyone else.
Within the dust, Lu Liang struggled desperately to hold off the massive Cleaver.
His body, shrouded in black mist, groaned under the strain—each joint and bone crying out in agony.
Unlike Lu Liang, who barely managed to parry the blade with all his strength, Star Splitter moved with ease, a teasing smile playing on her lips. If she wished, she could end him then and there.
She held back now only to showcase the Monster’s strength.
Star Splitter was no fool; she wanted to maximize the Monster’s value—first by being defeated, to prove its power, then to use her ultimate move to KO it in front of everyone.
Such a dramatic scene would bring excellent results; handled well, it might even cover the battle damage and help her rank as a top-tier Magical Girl in the year-end evaluations.
Only then would it be worth the money she was about to lose!
And Star Splitter wasn’t worried about failure. Unlike that time in the sewers, facing a fully prepared leaf-level Magical Girl, Lu Liang’s purity was still too low!
“You’re going to pay a lot for this, won’t you?”
At that moment, Star Splitter heard the low, deep voice of the black mist Monster speak to her.
She naturally knew what it meant—
The East Proper Building wasn’t cheap; just one floor could cost nearly ten million yuan. Not something a leaf-level Magical Girl could easily afford.
But if this Monster thought it could use that to intimidate her, it was gravely mistaken.
It was time to show it the resolve of a veteran Magical Girl!
Lu Liang then heard Star Splitter’s quiet voice:
“I have insurance with Life Insurance, Ping An, People’s Insurance, Pacific Insurance, and Xinhua Life Insurance. Plus, these twenty or so Apprentices can help share the payout. So, how much do you think I’ll have to pay?”
Her words hit him like crashing waves.
At that moment, Lu Liang was absolutely certain this woman was serious. She truly wanted to kill him!
If he didn’t fight with everything he had today, he would be finished.
But how could he defeat Star Splitter?
Lu Liang stared hard at the Cleaver in her hands.
A Magical Girl’s strength was mostly tied to her weapon.
To beat Star Splitter, there was only one way.
He needed a weapon just as powerful.
The good news: Lu Liang’s Miracle Ability could give him such a weapon.
The bad news: unlocking the weapon required a bit more time.
Concentrating, Lu Liang’s mind showed a message:
【Ability: Demonic Armament, unlocking in progress, progress 94,237/100,000】
Just a little more.
He still needed over five thousand more yuan.
Your Alipay payment of five yuan…
Your Alipay payment of ten yuan…
The once painfully grating sound of money being spent now sounded like heavenly music to Lu Liang’s ears. How he wished his Miracle Power could speed up and reach the 100,000-yuan mark sooner.
…
Almost there.
Feeling the tension build perfectly.
Star Splitter blinked and suddenly her body was like a kite cut loose, crashing violently into the wall.
“Cough cough cough…”
She struggled to stand, striking her abdomen hard. A sharp pain hit her tongue, and she spat out a mouthful of fresh blood!
The crowd watched anxiously, but before anyone could mourn the noble and beautiful Magical Girl, she shouted loudly:
“Monster, you are indeed strong, but evil can never triumph over justice!”
Then, her Cleaver shimmered with a golden afterglow—not sunlight reflecting off the blade, but a magical aura spreading from Star Splitter’s body.
In this form, a Magical Girl’s weapon undergoes certain changes.
The massive, razor-sharp Cleaver now bore a heart-shaped pattern on its hilt. Its surface grew even sharper, seemingly alive as it sprouted regularly spaced tiny serrations.
Every second, the Cleaver gathered thick, heavy magical energy.
Though the charging seemed lengthy, it took only a few moments.
Each charge caused a Cleaver Clone to appear behind Star Splitter in the void.
Soon, a dense swarm of Cleaver Clones filled the entire space behind her!
【Demonic Armament】.
This was the name of the form—and the ultimate trump card of a rank-and-file Magical Girl.
“This strike is for everyone!”
Star Splitter raised the Cleaver high, a mocking look fixed on Lu Liang—the hateful Monster about to die by her hand.
What would the wretched Monster feel before it died?
Fear? Flattery? Anger? Regret?
As she thought this, she locked eyes with Lu Liang—but suddenly froze.
Star Splitter sensed a crushing anger emanating from the Monster. The creaking noises weren’t just bones buckling under pressure, but teeth clenched tightly in fury.
It was… angry?
Why should it be angry?
Just a dying Monster. Did it think it could survive?
Star Splitter was irritated, but somehow also inexplicably worried.
It felt as if this Monster still had unknown cards up its sleeve.
Did it really think it could defeat her?
Impossible.
The only way to beat her was if this Monster also possessed Demonic Armament—but how could that be? It was just a Monster.
“Maybe I’m overthinking,” Star Splitter smiled lightly, her expression suddenly turning ferocious:
“Slash!”
With a sharp cry, she swung the Cleaver. The countless Cleaver Clones overlapped, merging into a ground-shaking, unstoppable beam of light!
Just before the blade of light struck Lu Liang, he finally gave in and expressionlessly confirmed an option on his phone.
The next moment, a cold, mechanical voice rang in Star Splitter’s ear.
【Alipay payment of five thousand yuan!】
Clutching his phone tightly, Lu Liang’s eyes welled up with two streaks of bloody tears.
…
On Commercial Street.
“Make way! Make way! I’m a reporter from Hope Entertainment!”
News of the Magical Girl and Monster battle spread quickly.
A reporter from a self-media company shoved through the crowd, claiming the best vantage point before competitors arrived.
“How’s it going? Has the fight ended? Who won?”
Pushing past the gathering bystanders, the reporter frantically pulled out her camera, cursing herself for not learning about the battle at the East Proper Building sooner—this was prime news!
A bystander opened his mouth, but only managed a bitter reply:
“See for yourself…”
Sensing the helplessness in his tone, the reporter instinctively looked up toward the rooftop of the East Proper Building. Her pupils dilated in shock; she forgot to take out her camera, whispering with difficulty:
“The Magical Girl… was defeated?”