In truth, there was no choice.
A Magical Girl could be weak or incompetent, but she could never compromise—especially not with evil.
Even if doing so would save everyone on the entire train, guess what kind of rumors would spread about Magical Girl Miti afterward?
“I heard she abandoned her comrades.”
“But wasn’t it out of desperation?”
“Still…”
There was no desperation, only an indelible stain on her record.
No one would remember Miti’s helplessness; all they’d remember was a terrible Magical Girl who had betrayed her comrades.
This is precisely why more Magical Girls preferred to avoid the public eye and become free Magical Girls, struggling to grow stronger without attention.
It was far too difficult to maintain perfection under the watchful gaze of everyone—mistakes were inevitable.
At this moment, no matter what Ye Wanqing chose, there would be no happy ending—whether to refuse or to compromise, the result would be equally tragic.
And this was all due to one fundamental reason.
“Come to think of it, you’re pretty weak.” Edma spoke in a tone dripping with disdain, casually brushing the soot and dust off her body.
She didn’t intentionally look down on Ye Wanqing, but she also didn’t give her a proper glance.
That, in itself, was the greatest arrogance.
But Ye Wanqing didn’t know what to say in rebuttal because coming from Edma’s mouth, it was nothing more than a statement of fact.
Although she was usually unreliable, in moments like this she wouldn’t naively say something like, “Don’t underestimate me!”
She was fully aware of the gap between their strengths.
All the destruction up to this point had been effortless for Edma, but Ye Wanqing had already nearly exhausted all her energy just to restrain her.
Yet, she still had another card to play.
Noticing the passengers she had just saved, Ye Wanqing quickly understood the situation.
A monster attack.
They began peeking out from the broken train windows, jagged shards of glass jutting into the air, looking toward the floating red-haired girl.
“It’s Magical Girl Miti! Thank goodness!”
“Transform quickly, then take down that monster!”
Fortunately, Ye Wanqing only gave them her back at this moment; otherwise, the headline news the next day would read, “Shocking revelation: Magical Girl Miti’s true identity is—”
The Shining Form not only interfered with the perception of those around her but also significantly boosted all her abilities, even pushing her Magic Power index close to B-rank within a short time.
Although compared to Edma—far beyond a typical B-Rank Powerhouse—it might still be a bit lacking, at least the final act needed some buildup.
With this in mind, Ye Wanqing closed her eyes, placing the dazzling Star Crest over her chest as she began her transformation, answering Edma’s unspoken challenge.
A brilliant light burst from behind the crest, instantly weaving itself into a deep red robe that fluttered wildly in the howling wind.
Red boots, red gloves, and a deep brown staff that looked as if it had been scorched by flames appeared one after another.
Everything about her blazed with fiery red, but most striking was her crimson hair, burning brighter than any fire.
Fueled by Magic Power, the flames rapidly spread, densely wrapping around Edma’s massive silhouette, slowly devouring her strength.
It was a burning problem for Edma.
Yet she merely yawned, offering no evaluation of Ye Wanqing’s transformation—perhaps still tired from recent days of exertion.
“I knew you Magic Girls were all stubborn fools…”
Edma waved her arm lightly, hurling the flames wrapped around her dragon claw toward Ye Wanqing.
These fires were harmless to her but immediately caused Ye Wanqing to frown.
Because beneath her feet was the train.
Too troublesome.
Being a Magical Girl meant considering too many things.
Ye Wanqing couldn’t help but recall Su Mu’s words about going undercover.
‘That’s right, civilians just need to call for help. But us Magical Girls…’
Gritting her teeth, she gathered the spreading flames, causing her hard-won momentum to falter once again.
She had only ever known one ability, no matter how flashy it sounded; in truth, it could be summed up in one phrase—
Make the fire burn brighter.
Trying to control her flames was actually harder than letting them run wild.
Right now, her fire was still too gentle against Edma, almost like helping her dry off.
It only annoyed Edma without causing any real harm.
“Hmm, I still need to find that Su Mu’s exact location first. If I accidentally injure her, that would be troublesome.”
Edma rubbed her chin thoughtfully.
That woman hadn’t mentioned what she wanted Su Mu to do.
What if she wanted Su Mu in one piece?
It wouldn’t be good if she got hurt by mistake.
“After thinking it over, I’ll just move the battlefield into the Dream World. Consider it my… little mercy. Of course, if after I pin you down you’re willing to tell me that girl’s location, maybe I’ll spare you. After all, I kind of like your type.”
Edma said playfully as she appraised Ye Wanqing’s figure filling out the robe.
‘Come to think of it, I used to prefer the delicate type.’
Remembering how she had changed, Edma’s lips curled slightly as she thought of the even more outrageous white-haired woman.
‘Why am I thinking of Motes now? So annoying.’
Before Ye Wanqing could respond, Edma reached out her small hand.
The dragon claw behind her slowly but powerfully pressed down on Ye Wanqing, forcibly pulling her into the Dream World.
The two still faced off about a hundred meters apart.
Edma stood atop the tunnel, while Ye Wanqing hovered in the air supported by flames.
But if one looked closely, their eyes were already empty.
Generally, two B-Rank opponents could only enter the Dream World to fight with mutual consent, to avoid unleashing their terrifying destructive power in reality—causing untold damage and attracting the attention of the Combat Division or even more forces.
But Ye Wanqing, a rank below Edma, had no choice but to be dragged forcibly into the Dream World.
When Ye Wanqing finally broke free from the heavy restraints, what greeted her eyes was no longer tracks, plains, or mountains, but a barren wasteland of scorched earth.
Even the few remaining piles of soil barely holding their shape were covered with vicious claw marks—the remnants of Edma’s past battles here with Motes.
The raging wind had swept through here for who knew how long, carrying away countless grains of sand and scattered conceptual fragments, yet these deep scars refused to fade.
“You don’t need to pretend to be calm here. Acting a little weak isn’t bad either. I’m a nostalgic person.”
Edma licked her lips, looking at the somewhat disheveled Ye Wanqing.
Her shadow behind her was now far larger than before.
Round two—the impending, more complete crushing.