With a furious roar from the black-haired girl, a crimson beam—twice as thick as before—blasted from her pistol!

Like a wild stallion breaking free, the scarlet light screamed toward the qipao-clad girl!

The next instant—

The beam didn’t disappoint. It struck the spear planted before the qipao girl dead-on!

Sparks erupted where the crimson light slammed into Gungnir’s shaft.

A thin, membrane-like barrier flared around the spear, shielding both the qipao girl and her brother.

The scattered crimson embers couldn’t touch them.

“I’m stepping in!”

If I waited any longer, they’d be in real danger.

I hadn’t come here to watch a magical duel.

I yanked a silver-white card from midair and slotted it into my belt.

“?!”

The qipao girl’s eyes locked onto me. Her expression flickered with surprise as I inserted the card.

As if she hadn’t expected *me* to be—

“No questions! Just a passing Magical Girl~”

I cut her off with a grin before she could speak.

*Click.* The belt snapped shut.

Familiar mechanical whirring filled the air. My body shrank back into a loli form—

Or rather, a silver-haired, legally adorable lolita?

“Lifespan’s dropping again?! Wait, why did I say *again*?!”

My brother’s jaw hung open, utterly stunned.

Like this was some kind of extreme sport.

“Eh, not the first time. You’ll forget anyway~ Go, Kyuubi!”

The next part wasn’t kid-friendly. Too brutal for my brother’s eyes.

I shot a glance at Kyuubi behind me.

“Leave it to me.”

Kyuubi shot from my shoulder, leaping with impossible strides onto my brother’s head.

“What are you doing?!”

The qipao girl gritted her teeth, straining to hold her barrier against the crimson beam.

She sensed Kyuubi’s intent—and didn’t like it.

She shot me a furious glare.

“Just putting him to sleep~”

No point hiding it. I answered plainly.

He’d wake up with no memory of this.

“You’re—”

Before she could finish, blood sprayed from her lips. A crimson trickle snaked down her chin.

Her condition looked grim.

“Your turn now. I won’t hold back like last time!”

The black-haired girl had already holstered her pistol. Her gaze slid to me, a cruel smirk curling her lips.

Confident she’d crush me this round.

“Is that so? I’ll be watching closely.”

I flicked my eyes toward the qipao girl.

She’d collapsed to her knees, clutching her chest, face deathly pale.

She wouldn’t be moving anytime soon.

*I’ll thank her after this.*

If she hadn’t shielded my brother…

The thought sent an icy shiver down my spine.

“Arrogant fool! Your pride will bury you!”

My calmness ignited her fury anew.

She jammed a deep crimson bullet into her pistol’s magazine.

*Click.* The chamber locked. The barrel aimed at me.

She knew the qipao girl was out of commission.

That’s why she turned her back so carelessly.

“Damn it!”

The qipao girl slammed a fist into the ground, glaring at the black-haired girl’s exposed back.

Frustration burned in her eyes—

*Opportunity here… but my body won’t obey…*

“Leave it to me. Just keep my brother safe.”

I smiled gently at her despair.

Even knowing she’d contracted with Bonesoul…

She’d protected my brother. That was enough.

Relief washed over me. I faced the black-haired girl’s killing intent head-on.

“Crimson King! Answer your devotee’s call! Unleash your power of annihilation!”

No more words. She fired.

Magic circles bloomed before her, branching like a Kabbalistic tree.

Seconds later—a pitch-black head emerged.

No eyes, no nose. Just a jagged, grinning maw.

The old me would’ve frozen in terror.

But after seeing Bonesoul’s twisted form?

This was almost… boring.

It couldn’t even compare to my first glimpse of Gurlarando.

“Manifest, Fimilaharde!”

I’d already drawn Fimilaharde. I stepped back, raising the bow toward the grinning void.

“DIE! NUISANCE!”

The black-haired girl shrieked as I lifted my weapon.

The maw vomited a crimson-white beam—like a positron cannon—two meters wide.

It tore through the floor, rushing straight at me!

“RAGING TIDE THIRTEEN STRIKES!”

This magic felt different. Deadlier.

I slammed the skill card into my belt, drew the bowstring, and released—

A pale blue arrow shot forth, splitting into thirteen beams that struck the crimson wave.

Thirteen tiny streaks against a two-meter inferno.

Like pebbles tossed into the ocean.

They’d vanish without a trace.

And they did.

The blue light chipped away a sliver of crimson—then dissolved under the onslaught.

“GLACIAL TRIDENT!”

I jammed another card into the belt.

Fimilaharde leveled at the oncoming beam.

*Raging Tide Thirteen Strikes* was my strongest non-ultimate skill.

Yet it crumbled before her magic.

“HAH! Your toothpick spells can’t touch my masterpiece! DIE, CHU DONGYU! Your death will make me stronger!”

Her mocking laughter cut through the roar.

Savoring her revenge for last time’s defeat.

Basking in her power.

I ignored her. Released the bowstring again.

An ice trident—howling with freezing winds—screamed toward the beam.

“USELESS! My magic is supreme! DIE, NUISANCE!”

She sneered, certain her power was unmatched.

My skills were mere sparks against her inferno.

“Pierce it! Glacial Trident!”

Reality agreed with her.

The ice trident shattered instantly—frozen shards vaporized by the crimson-white tide.

Gone without a trace.

“What’s wrong with her?!”

Panic clawed at my throat.

I rolled left, dodging the beam’s edge.

My instincts screamed: *One hit means death.*

But I hadn’t expected—

*It could bend.*

The beam curved mid-flight, homing in on me with unnatural precision!

“Card insertion detected…”

“Identifying card type…”

“Identification complete.”

“Reading card data… Data acquired.”

“Weapon profile: ‘Limonite Fortress—Yalkotira—Bastion of Will’.”

“Loading complete. Materialization sequence initiating…”