Chapter 37: Exercise – End

Urgency, unease, fear. Miao Ke’er was trembling.

Ying Xian had hidden away, lurking in the darkness.

She was a monster more terrifying than any mutant beast.

She still remembered the incident from a year ago—

It was a cursed night when she, along with Kong Ling and Ying Xian, were assigned a task that was beyond the usual duties of Magical Girls.

A gang of desperate criminals had taken hostages and were holed up inside a large villa.

The SWAT team couldn’t approach the villa because the criminals had the advantage of the terrain, and anyone who got near would be riddled with bullets.

Nearly five hundred police officers were deployed around the villa, all to subdue just over thirty criminals.

The enemy was obviously well-trained, their defense impenetrable, leaving the police helpless.

Since Miao Ke’er and the others happened to be patrolling nearby, they were called in for perimeter security.

It was difficult for ordinary bullets to penetrate the defensive barriers of an A-class Magical Girl, so the Magic Control Bureau had communicated with the police to have them as the vanguard in case of an assault.

But involving these blossoming young girls in human conflicts could cause immense psychological trauma and leave indelible scars, so in the end, it was decided they would only patrol the outskirts.

The operation began.

Just as the police and the Magic Control Bureau were hesitating, Ying Xian stepped forward.

She said she was fully capable of handling the criminals alone and requested to take the initiative.

Naturally, the police disagreed, but the Magic Control Bureau had a different opinion. Knowing Ying Xian’s abilities, they persuaded the police to let her go ahead.

“You only need to tell me the building layout and what the hostages look like; I’ll kill the rest,” she said.

She was required to wear a portable head-mounted camera to record the details of the operation.

Then, she took to the night sky.

Kong Ling and Miao Ke’er watched the footage transmitted from Ying Xian’s camera, terrified.

The police wanted them to stay away, and Kong Ling chose to withdraw, but Miao Ke’er insisted on staying—if she had left then, she wouldn’t be so afraid of Ying Xian now.

The criminals naturally did not expect an enemy from the sky. Ying Xian moved like a bat, silently slipping into the villa from the edge of darkness.

Through the camera’s view, they could see the enemies inside the building, clearly unaware that danger was approaching.

Darkness.

Ying Xian hid in the shadows cast by the lights; no one noticed her footsteps as she slowly infiltrated the deepest part of the villa—

the place where the hostages were held.

What happened next was etched into Miao Ke’er’s memory forever.

When Ying Xian released her Combat Form, the police immediately acted. Micro drones destroyed the diesel generator, cutting power to the villa, plunging the interior into darkness.

One by one…

Using the night vision on the camera, Miao Ke’er saw Ying Xian moving swiftly, slicing the criminals’ throats with a sharp knife to silence their screams.

Her hands and the walls were stained with dark marks—that was the criminals’ sprayed blood…

Within seconds, several criminals who hadn’t yet reacted were killed, and the one who survived was doomed to a slow death.

His sobbing echoed faintly in the air…

Bloodied, flesh torn, groaning in pain.

Miao Ke’er witnessed it all and wanted to vomit.

“Don’t… don’t kill me…” a criminal begged, his leg severed, watching Ying Xian slowly approaching in the darkness.

“If you chose this path, then you have to swallow this bitter fruit. Your death is only deserved.”

Ying Xian stabbed the knife into his mouth, silencing his screams forever.

The entire operation took only two minutes; over thirty criminals were killed without firing a single shot.

Miao Ke’er stepped out of the monitoring room, her legs trembling uncontrollably.

At that moment, Ying Xian had already returned.

In the light, her body was covered in dark blood stains, but she seemed indifferent.

Kong Ling said nothing, but Miao Ke’er dared not look her in the eye.

Later, after much time passed, Miao Ke’er finally gathered the courage to ask her, “Ying Xian sister, why did you kill them?”

“That’s a really pointless question,” Ying Xian replied. “Because they were evil. If they didn’t die, they would kill others.”

“Even… by using such a cruel method?”

“You know, that’s just my personal style. To me, they’re no different from mutant beasts—perpetrators of evil who harm the innocent.

Sometimes, I toy with mutant beasts that have no ability to resist, the same applies here.”

“But… they were living humans… I’m afraid—one day I might have to fight against you, and I don’t know how to face that…”

Ying Xian smiled, returning to the familiar, gentle sister figure in Miao Ke’er’s mind.

“Miao Ke’er, if I ever become your enemy, I definitely wouldn’t let such a cute girl suffer. Don’t be afraid; that won’t happen.”

“Ke’er, snap out of it! Look around and find where Ying Xian is,” Chen Lisi interrupted her memories.

The dark subway was only faintly lit by a small patch of Magical Light, the rest swallowed by profound darkness.

“Don’t worry, with me here, no one can get close to us,” Tian Lan said, forming a transparent Magic Crystal barrier around them as a buffer.

“I got it.” Miao Ke’er ordered the Puppet Soldiers to surround them in layers.

With Chen Lisi’s spells, the three of them had become an impregnable fortress with overwhelming firepower.

“There!” Chen Lisi kept firing small spells, illuminating the distant darkness and attacking the enemy.

“Don’t underestimate me! I’m the sharpshooter recognized by the whole squad!” Chen Lisi predicted the shadow’s movement trajectory and fired at the predicted point.

Sure enough, she hit her mark.

The spell easily pierced her magical barrier, hitting one of her arms and leaving a burned scar.

“Ouch! Ouch! Stop! That hurts so much!”

It was Lin Xing’s voice.

“Not her!” Chen Lisi was surprised. “Where’s Ying Xian!?”

“I surrender, I don’t know where Ying Xian is, don’t hit me,” Lin Xing raised her hands.

“Why don’t you just press the button on your uniform then?” Chen Lisi said.

“I didn’t have time… I was afraid you’d keep hitting me.”

“Then press it now!”

“Wait, my arm hurts so much, let me stretch it first, or I won’t get the chance.”

Chen Lisi turned to the two behind her and said, “You two keep watch and go find Ying Xian, I’ll deal with her.”

“Ow! It hurts so much… Chen Lisi, you didn’t hold back. We were comrades just a few weeks ago when we wiped out mutant beasts.”

“This is an important drill. Once you’re ready, press the button yourself. Once pressed, no one can hurt you. Don’t force me.”

“Okay, okay… just give me thirty more seconds to stretch my leg.”

Chen Lisi watched her closely to prevent any tricks.

“So troublesome… I’m really not interested in this drill.” Lin Xing stretched after loosening up.

“I’ll give you ten more seconds, or I won’t be polite.”

Lin Xing raised her hand, about to press the button on her neck.

Just as she was about to press it, she suddenly fired a spell at Chen Lisi.

“Die, Chen Lisi!” Lin Xing shouted, “Ying Xian! It’s time!”

“You want me!”

Lin Xing’s spell struck Chen Lisi’s magical barrier, only causing ripples. It was just a smokescreen to blind Chen Lisi’s sight for two seconds.

“Ying Xian, it’s your turn.”

A flash of blue light.

Chen Lisi immediately formed a spell array but saw that Lin Xing had already pressed the button, enveloped in a white substance.

“Combat Form, Release.”

“Chen Lisi senpai, watch out behind you!”

Chen Lisi turned around and saw Ying Xian suddenly appear behind her.

“So that’s how it is…”

Chen Lisi wasn’t a close-combat type and couldn’t resist the sneak attack. As a red knife neared to cut her skin, her uniform instantly released nanomaterial that covered her entire body.

She could only resign to elimination.

Ying Xian’s eyes turned red, reflecting a crimson glow in the dark.

“Ha… ha… ha…” Miao Ke’er gasped for breath, cold sweat dripping.

“Damn! How did she get inside our inner defense!” Tian Lan waved her hands, manipulating Magic Crystals to attack her.

Ying Xian flickered and dodged, leaping left and right. Tian Lan couldn’t land a single hit.

“No! Don’t come any closer!”

Miao Ke’er ordered the Puppet Soldiers to block her.

Several strikes later, the Puppet Soldiers were cut down and disassembled.

Her speed and power were unmatched.

“Freeze her with the Magic Crystals! Crystal Prison!” Tian Lan shouted.

Crystalline veins sprouted from beneath her feet, extending to surround Ying Xian, trying to trap her.

Ying Xian leapt and crashed through the ceiling, creating a large hole, evading Tian Lan’s technique.

“She’s above us, Miao Ke’er, be careful!”

Miao Ke’er heard a strange sound, like burning flames, getting closer and closer.

Above Tian Lan, the ceiling suddenly turned red, melting completely before a blade of magical power slashed downward.

Miao Ke’er was blown back by the shockwave.

When she recovered from the brief dizziness, she saw Ying Xian emerging from the dust, advancing toward her.

“Don’t come near me!”

Two Puppet Soldiers crawled out from the spell array beneath Miao Ke’er and charged at Ying Xian, but it was futile. They were easily cut apart, a futile effort.

Miao Ke’er retreated, distancing herself from the monster, but Ying Xian kept closing the gap.

Using her last strength, Miao Ke’er cast a spell, but it was useless. Ying Xian remained unfazed and didn’t even dodge.

“Don’t… don’t kill me…”

Tears of fear fell as Miao Ke’er covered her face, too scared to look at her, crying and begging for mercy.

“Miao Ke’er, I’m sorry.”

A heavy strike landed, and Miao Ke’er lost consciousness.

Bai Lingluo stood on a broken wall, waiting for the drill to end.

In theory, Chen Lisi’s team of three versus Ying Xian’s two had a high chance of winning, so Bai Lingluo wasn’t worried—or rather, worrying was useless since there were only two minutes left before the drill ended; she couldn’t arrive in time.

“Hm?”

Someone approached from behind—a single person.

Bai Lingluo’s instincts immediately went on alert. Sure enough, a blade sliced through the air toward her.

“Ying Xian!?”

Bai Lingluo was shocked.

Ying Xian’s expression was unlike usual—more terrifying, radiating a murderous aura that made Bai Lingluo freeze for several seconds.

Those seconds were her fatal mistake.

Ying Xian shot at her like a bullet…

The final winner was A Team—Kongling Squad.

Seeing Bai Lingluo’s shocked face being enveloped by nanomaterial, Ying Xian finally sighed. If Bai Lingluo hadn’t hesitated, the drill might have ended in a draw.

“Impressive, no wonder you’re the runner-up in the National Championship.”

At that moment, Lan Xi applauded as she stepped out from behind the rubble.

“It’s you.”

“That’s right. I watched every one of your battles. Your skill is flawless and worthy of being my opponent.”

“Are you going to sneak attack me while I’m weak?”

“Of course not. You’ve become the final winner of this drill. But this isn’t the end. From now on, I will act as your simulated enemy.

You will be my first opponent and also my most anticipated one. How do you feel? Excited?”

“Facing you is actually not bad.”

“Your performance really is monstrous and bloodthirsty. I like that. But for now, let’s clean up the battlefield and head back to rest.”