Chapter 28: [Chariot]

Ye Xiao Chi had the ability to cry within ten seconds since she was a child.

As long as she cried, her parents would come to soothe her, making her feel loved.

But after that day, she rarely cried anymore, because she knew crying was useless.

The woman who always held her and said, “Xiao Chi, don’t cry,” would never speak again.

The man who was always quiet but would buy her gifts and pat her head, saying, “Let’s go eat something delicious,” had become a different person.

No one would love her anymore, so she stopped crying.

But yesterday she cried, because the person who once loved her had become utterly unfamiliar.

And today she cried, because she wanted to hold onto the person who could bring her love.

She hoped that person would say to her:

“I, I know… It’s okay if I don’t retire, right? Don’t cry…”

If she weren’t tied up, Hui Jin really wanted to step forward, pull Feizuan into her arms, gently rub her head, and say, “Don’t cry, don’t cry.”

Yeah, that was the phrase.

The girl curled up in the dark room until someone knocked on her tightly shut door.

The warm light from the living room fell on her face, and she saw the blurred figure standing at the doorway say to her:

“I won’t leave you.”

The girl wiped away her tears, and the blurred voice became clear.

In front of her was that small, gray-haired girl, who looked especially disheveled at the moment, but because she stood in the light, she was warm.

“…Mm.”

Feizuan sniffled, nodded lightly, her voice still carrying an adorable nasal tone.

How much of these fake tears carried genuine emotion?

The girl didn’t know, but she knew that the person who could bring her love had returned.

So her tears turned into a smile:

“Senior Hui Jin, you’re not allowed to leave again, okay! Promise me!”

“Mm, I won’t.” Hui Jin said softly.

“Pinky swear!”

“I’d like to, but my hands are still tied…”

Hui Jin helplessly twisted her body, only able to shake it slightly.

“That’s right, when is Miss Jie Geng coming back?”

Feizuan looked down the hallway.

“She should be back soon. Ah, that’s right!”

Sakura Blizzard looked at Hui Jin with anticipation:

“Since Miss Hui Jin isn’t retiring, about joining the Special Task Force…”

“Impossible, absolutely impossible!”

Hui Jin turned her head away.

“Not retiring doesn’t mean I’m joining the Special Task Force.”

“What a pity~”

Sakura Blizzard spread her hands and pouted her pink lips.

But she wasn’t in a hurry.

As long as Hui Jin didn’t retire, there would be plenty of time.

She would eventually show a weakness.

Just then, Jie Geng came running back.

“Sorry to keep everyone waiting…”

Jie Geng said softly as she ran.

“How did the talk go?”

“It went well and not well. Anyway, first, cancel the magic.”

Sakura Blizzard said.

“O-okay…”

Jie Geng slowed her pace, closed her eyes, and began to channel her mana.

Her magic was strong, with long range and long duration, but the cost was that she could only move slowly while casting, and needed high concentration.

Therefore, she was completely unaware of the figure rushing toward her from the depths of the hallway.

“Ugh… I’m so hungry.”

Ignoring Hui Jin’s resistance, Feizuan, who had Hui Jin in her arms, rubbed her empty stomach:

“I used up too much today! Need a good meal to replenish!”

“Yeah, how about we eat barbecue tonight?”

Xia Che suggested.

Hui Jin, meanwhile, was considering whether to give Feizuan a knuckle sandwich once the restraints were off.

Sakura Blizzard watched the three with a smile, but then frowned slightly.

She turned to look down the hallway.

From that angle, she couldn’t see deeper, but the hallway lights were flickering at an eerie frequency.

A feeling of her heart being squeezed suddenly hit her.

She hurriedly shouted toward Jie Geng:

“Jie Geng, watch out…!”

Bang!

Before she could finish, Jie Geng flew backward, like a broken puppet, and slammed hard into the wall!

“Jie Geng!”

Sakura Blizzard immediately rose, at the same time drawing the pure white katana at her waist.

The other three also became alert.

Feizuan pulled out her wand, while Xia Che picked up Hui Jin and stepped back.

“Xia Che, help me untie the ropes!”

Hui Jin urged.

“I know!”

Xia Che pulled a Swiss army knife from his pocket, trying to cut the vines, but the vines themselves were magical.

Even if they lost connection with Jie Geng, they could still maintain their vitality.

How could an ordinary knife break through magical protection?

‘Damn…!’

The boy cursed under his breath.

In the hall, all the ceiling lights began to flicker.

In the corner, the emerald magical outfit had already disintegrated.

Jie Geng lost consciousness and her transformation was undone.

“Xia Qing?”

Xia Che froze for a moment, muttering, “How is that possible…”

Hui Jin heard his words and asked:

“You know her?”

“She’s my cousin… But she should be at school in Huicheng. Why is she here?”

Xia Che looked at the girl lying on the ground, her face pale, and panicked:

“No! I have to save her, I have to…”

“Xia Che!”

Hui Jin’s voice snapped him back to reality:

“Don’t panic. Stay calm. First, find a way to cut these vines. I’ll move Jie Geng to a safe place!”

Meeting the girl’s deep red eyes, for some reason, Xia Che’s flustered heart calmed down.

Hui Jin had that kind of magic—the kind that made people want to believe in her, as if following her words would solve everything perfectly.

“Feizuan!” Xia Che called out.

“Help me cut the vines on Miss Hui Jin!”

Feizuan turned her head, hesitantly looking at Sakura Blizzard.

The smile on Sakura Blizzard’s face was completely gone.

She nodded lightly:

“You go help. Leave this to me.”

“But…”

Sakura Blizzard winked at her:

“Trust me. I am a B-rank Magical Girl, after all.”

“Mm!”

Feizuan ran back, while Sakura Blizzard stared straight ahead.

There stood a figure, hidden in the lingering dust and smoke, but the flickering lights outlined its silhouette.

It made no effort to hide its terrifying magical power.

Sakura Blizzard gripped the hilt tightly, the blade pointed at the figure.

Her breathing quickened, cold sweat trickled down her forehead.

This thing was stronger than her—not just a little, but by a lot!

That meant the being in front of her was at least an A-rank Monster!

“Calling HQ, calling HQ! Encountering a high-threat unit! Z Squad Leader Sakura Blizzard requests backup! Location: Rain City Second People’s Hospital, 2nd floor waiting hall.”

Sakura Blizzard immediately called for reinforcements.

“Copy, copy. Reinforcements are on the way. Hold out until they arrive.”

Countless micro-drones rose from the ground.

They flew in through the broken floor-to-ceiling windows, aiming their cameras at Sakura Blizzard, and also at the figure that had started moving at some unknown moment.

The live broadcast began.

[Now bringing you the live battle at Rain City Second People’s Hospital: Magical Girl Sakura Blizzard vs Mysterious Monster]

“Here it comes, here it comes…”

“Lady Sakura Blizzard!”

“Is the tied-up one on the ground Hui Jin? She looks so cute! I’m her solo fan!”

“By the way, this binding pose is so lewd… Is anyone drawing lewd art? If not, I’ll do it myself.”

In stark contrast to the lively stream, the hospital hall had all its lights off.

Amid the howling rain, the footsteps of that thing grew clearer.

Crack!

A bolt of lightning cut through the night sky, illuminating the hall as bright as day, and also turning Sakura Blizzard’s face pale.

—She saw what that thing was.

It appeared to be a tall, thin man, wearing a triangular hat and a tattered cloak, his entire body shrouded in dense shadow.

“You’re not a Monster… You’re a Shadow…”

Sakura Blizzard stared at him, shaking her head stiffly:

“But that’s impossible… The Shadows were already destroyed, in the Great Cataclysm…”

“That was just one of us.”

He spoke, his voice heavy and hoarse:

“Shadow… Don’t use that name… hiss…”

“You should call me, hiss… ‘Chariot’…”

“Alright, the introduction time is over…”

Chariot’s figure trembled, and the next moment, he was already in front of Sakura Blizzard!

Under her terrified gaze, he slowly spoke:

“Now, excuse me.”