Yuan Qing walked to the temporary resting area. Sachiko was sitting in a chair, several cigarette butts already stuffed into the ashtray in front of her.
Sachiko looked up at Yuan Qing but said nothing, merely gesturing with her chin toward the chair opposite her.
Yuan Qing sat down, and Raven flew off his shoulder.
“The white mark on your chest is fine, and you didn’t even break the skin on your ribs,” Raven said, patting his side with her wing. “But you’re definitely going to have some bruising.”
“I know.”
Yuan Qing didn’t seem to care.
“You lost the first round. How does it feel?” Sachiko asked.
“It’s fine,” Yuan Qing replied.
“Fine?”
“At least I know how strong she is now.”
Sachiko finally let out a laugh. “Haha… you really have an irritating way of speaking, kid.”
“You get used to it,” Raven muttered from the side.
“Hey.”
Sachiko ignored Raven and stared at Yuan Qing. “Do you think you can win?”
“I can win,” Yuan Qing said without hesitation.
“No, you can’t,” Sachiko said, instinctively reaching into her pocket. “You consider others even when you fight, including your opponent. You are truly proud.”
“…”
Sachiko searched her pockets for a moment before remembering she had run out of cigarettes.
“Hey, little familiar,” Sachiko said, looking at Raven.
“Hmm? What is it?”
“Go buy me a pack of cigarettes.”
“…No.”
“Is there a gap between Hifumi and me?” Yuan Qing interrupted their exchange. “Her fighting style…”
Yuan Qing looked across the arena toward Hifumi in the opposite resting area. She was looking back at him. Their eyes met across the clamor of 12,000 people, across the entire field, and across the outcome of the first round.
She was surrounded by people, yet her gaze didn’t linger on them for a single moment.
Several people stood around her.
A middle-aged man in a suit was speaking with a serious expression, holding a stack of documents. Beside him was a young woman, likely an assistant or manager, who was busy talking on her phone. Behind them stood two people in Magical Girl Association uniforms, holding folders and nodding occasionally.
White Snake was coiled around Hifumi’s right arm, tightening its grip slightly.
“Miss Hifumi, although you won the first round, it was far too close,” the man in the suit said, flipping through the documents. “The reaction online — well, it’s not a one-sided celebration. Many people are discussing that punch from Miss Raven.”
“…”
Hifumi remained silent.
“If this happens again in the second round, even if you win in the end, public opinion will be… less than ideal,” the man said, choosing his words carefully.
The young woman nearby hung up the phone and leaned in. “The Association also called. They want to know when the second round starts so they can perform real-time data monitoring.”
“Tell them it starts on time,” the middle-aged man said, turning back. “Miss Hifumi does not need to delay.”
“Yes, sir.”
The young woman went back to her phone.
The two Association staff members behind them exchanged a glance. One of them stepped forward. “Miss Kazama, the Association believes that the significance of this battle isn’t just about personal victory or defeat. It concerns the public credibility of the Magical Girl system. A newcomer being able to fight you to a draw within a single month — “
“It wasn’t a draw,” Hifumi interrupted. “I won the first round.”
The staff member blinked and quickly nodded. “Yes, of course. But the public doesn’t just look at the result. If the second round…”
Though he trailed off, the meaning was clear.
If she struggled this much against a newcomer who had been in the industry for barely over a month, even if she won, people would question Hifumi’s strength and the entire Magical Girl system.
And if she lost…
The middle-aged man spoke up again. “Miss Hifumi, please understand. We are not trying to pressure you.”
“Yes, I know. I won’t cause you any trouble.”
Hifumi looked at them, her expression unchanging.
White Snake slithered down her arm and coiled on her lap, looking up at her. Hifumi reached out to stroke the familiar’s head, and White Snake nuzzled against her fingers.
The second round was about to begin.
Raven perched on Yuan Qing’s arm, her claws gently gripping his sleeve.
“Are you ready?” Raven asked.
Yuan Qing moved his fingers; there was no significant injury.
“I’m ready,” he replied.
Both sides left their resting areas and entered the field again. The two familiars met in the center of the arena for a brief greeting.
12,000 people cheered.
“Begin!” the referee announced once more.
Showing no mercy, Hifumi stepped forward and swung her blade, the cold edge flashing.
Yuan Qing retreated through the flashes of light. His ‘Eagle’ perception told him that Hifumi’s rhythm had changed. In the first round, she was still testing him and searching for his limits. Now, she intended to cut him down for certain.
“Miss Raven is being suppressed right from the start!” the announcer’s voice turned tense. “Miss Kazama’s offensive is more than a level sharper than it was in the first round!”
“She’s getting serious,” the guest analyst said, trying to remain calm. “She might have been adapting to Miss Raven’s style in the first round, but in this one, she doesn’t plan on giving her any chances.”
Yuan Qing constantly adjusted his position amidst the blade’s light. One step, two steps, three steps.
Every step changed his angle; every step was a search for the distance he needed.
Hifumi’s blade grew faster and faster.
One strike, two strikes, three strikes, four strikes —
On the fifth strike, Yuan Qing took only a small step back, dodging the pursuit of the cold blade by a fraction of an inch before lunging forward the moment the blade was retracted.
Every combo had a gap; every sword technique had a blind spot. No matter how fast Hifumi’s blade was, it still needed space to accelerate and distance to generate power.
The edge of a blade does not start at the hilt. The spot where Yuan Qing stood now was exactly at the starting point of her power.
Hifumi’s eyes widened for a split second as Yuan Qing’s fist flew out.
He didn’t have time to accumulate power for ‘Crane’ or ‘Falcon.’ It was just a single punch, but with the enhancement of ‘Eagle,’ the speed was so great that even he was surprised.
Hifumi pulled back her blade to block, and the fist collided with the edge.
Yuan Qing didn’t stop.
A second punch hit the flat of the blade, making the cold steel hum.
The third punch forced Hifumi back half a step.
On the fourth punch, Hifumi’s blade suddenly changed direction, shifting from a block to a slashing parry. The blade grazed past Yuan Qing’s fist, missing by a hair’s breadth.
Yuan Qing pulled back his momentum and retreated, and the two created distance between each other again.
“The momentum has shifted!” the announcer shouted. “Miss Raven launched a beautiful counterattack from a defensive position and forced Miss Kazama back!”
“That distance was pinpoint accurate,” the guest said, narrowing his eyes slightly. “It was exactly in the blind spot of Miss Kazama’s swordsmanship. How did she find it?”
“Talent?”
“That’s the only way to explain it.”
Hifumi felt the weight of the cold blade hanging between her fingers. “It’s not just your speed and strength — those stats that the body doesn’t easily forget — that have grown. The sharpness you’re showing me now makes me feel a sense of danger. It’s quite surprising.”
“…”
“Is it because of those gauntlet matches against the other Magical Girls? Or is it…” Mizuho didn’t continue, instead settling back into a stance. “THREE-BODY SLASH!”
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